The Creator II
Noh Do-hwa's patients never hesitated to heap praise on her when they gathered.
"Hey, that road laid down in Bansong looks great, doesn't it?"
"You're right. Those ugly, cracked asphalt roads are nothing but eyesores. Laying a clean, beautiful one-lane road is much better, isn't it?"
"That's classic Mr. Do-hwa. Where's she from again?""I heard she's from Ttangkkeut Village in Haenam."
"Of course! A woman born in a place with good water and air. If only someone like that were born in our town."
At a glance, it sounded like old men chatting while playing Go. But older folks usually prefer detours over straight roads. Their true intentions could be translated as:
"I'm so jealous! Really jealous!"
"Please, lay one down in our town too!"
Noh Do-hwa was someone born with a passive skill of mistrusting and hating people. She instinctively understood that behind every word uttered by humans lay ugly and vile desires.
However, this eccentric was infinitely generous to her patients. You could say her fondness was like a limited edition. Just as a dictator who despises humanity becomes a mere servant to her pets, Noh Do-hwa found a peculiar balance in her mind."Sir... Should I lay down a road in your neighborhood too?"
"What? No, no, Ms. Do-hwa! That's not what I meant to say!"
"But that's what you're saying now, isn't it? So, would you like me to lay one down or not?"
"Well... I'd really appreciate it if you could, but I feel bad asking when you're already so busy..."
"Yeah. You should feel sorry. Aren't you a patient whose only possession in this awful world is age? You're clinging to a promising technician like me. I know you're the one who took the lead, so keep apologizing to the other patients too."
"......"
Noh Do-hwa visited the Guild Alliance.
Back then and even now, the leader of the alliance was Dang Seo-rin. As for me, I just felt like a mercenary captain occasionally called in for jobs.
"Welcome, Ms. Noh Do-hwa. I've heard you're working on some projects lately."
"How have you been, Ms. Dang... It's embarrassing to act like I'm doing business in front of Samcheon. All I'm doing is gathering a few guys who used to toil in construction and laying down a few more modest roads than country lanes."
Surprisingly, Do-hwa was respectful toward Dang Seo-rin.
It wasn't because their personalities clicked. Their wallets did. Anyone would grow courteous after seeing the quarterly gifts of assets Dang Seo-rin sent to Do-hwa's workshop.
"Why the humility? So, what brings you here?"
"Well, I'm fixing the existing roads to make it easier for patients to travel. But you know, it's a matter of fairness, and people can get tricky if they feel left out. So, since the work's already in progress..."
"You want to fix the entire road network of Busan?"
"Yes, well... It's neater that way. But it's a massive project, and each district claims its own turf."
"Hmm."
Dang Seo-rin fiddled with the end of her pointed hat.
"You want me to sort out the districts?"
"Yes. If that's too difficult, you can invite me when you hold a guild meeting and just arrange a place for me."
"I see. That's probably better. If I look like I'm exploiting you, some guilds will undoubtedly throw a fit. You should take charge from start to finish so there are no rumors."
"True. Guild leaders have such filthy pride and greed."
"Alright."
Dang Seo-rin smiled brightly.
"I'll arrange a spot for you soon."
"Thank you, Lady Leader."
Noh Do-hwa laughed slyly.
"If you end up crippled later, I'll give you a full-body replacement for real cheap. Just come back with your brain and heart intact."
"......"
The notable part here wasn't the word "crippled" but "real cheap." She never said "free."
Do-hwa gave a nod and left the train car.
Dang Seo-rin looked at the sofa where I was sitting. By coincidence, I was also visiting Samcheon's headquarters.
"What do you think?"
"Noh Do-hwa is a good person."
I buried myself in the sofa. The lounge car, refurbished from a luxurious train, had very cozy chairs.
Dang Seo-rin looked at me sulkily.
"She called me a cripple."
"More precisely, she said, 'if you end up crippled.' Don't get upset. If you weigh every word that woman says, you'll just get tired. Have you seen Do-hwa treating her patients?"
"No."
"I once had the opportunity to observe her all day."
This wasn't in this cycle but another.
Oh, and let me clarify that although I usually tell stories sequentially, it doesn't mean everything happened in one cycle. More often than not, I weave and edit events from multiple cycles.
For instance, when I described the government's collapse, it wasn't like I stayed glued to the radio 24/7. How could I know what statements the Second Provisional Government and coup soldiers made?
I heard one speech in the 4th cycle and another in the 11th. I saw refugees throwing the Vice Mayor of Seoul off the bridge in the 37th cycle.
My "omniscient narrator" viewpoint came from many cycles and experiences.
And I spent as much time as needed to determine whether someone was trustworthy. In some cycles, I even worked closely alongside Do-hwa, practically as her assistant.
Unfortunately, in previous cycles, I hadn't been present when Do-hwa visited Dang Seo-rin. So her projects were always limited to Busan.
But this time would be different.
Like I said, I "coincidentally" was visiting the Samcheon Guild's headquarters.
"Patients with physical discomfort often struggle mentally as well. And it's not just the patients themselves but also their guardians. Even while listening to their complaints and curses, Do-hwa has never refused a patient."
"Hmm."
"She might seem shady and have an odd manner of speaking, but you won't find anyone like her."
"She always overcharges Awakeners."
"But she knows whom to overcharge. As I said, she's never refused a patient. Did only affluent Awakeners visit Do-hwa's workshop?"
Dang Seo-rin rested her chin on her hand.
"...Still, she's spent her life caring for patients. Will she be able to take on something this big?"
"She's someone who adjusts herself to the size of her responsibilities, not the other way around. She'll be fine."
"......"
She finally nodded.
"Alright. If that's your assessment, Undertaker, I'll trust her."
Once she trusted someone, Dang Seo-rin was loyal to the end.
Not long after, a national guild meeting was held off the coast of Busan. As "off the coast" suggests, they launched a cruise ship.
With no fuel to sail, it was anchored at the pier, but this was already unimaginable luxury in today's world.
The meeting was strictly for guild leaders. Members of the Second Provisional Government or the Junior Officers' Corps, who typically wormed their way into official events, were thoroughly excluded.
A few "self-proclaimed bigwigs" sent people to protest, but Dang Seo-rin ignored them. The Second Provisional Government Foreign Minister? What's that? Oh, you're a member of the Fukuoka Korean Association. Sorry, we can't hear you well from here, so try crossing the Korea Strait first.
The meeting was strictly for guild leaders.
The only guest invited was Noh Do-hwa. Excluding the chefs, singers, and jazz band brought in for appearances.
"Uh... Lady Leader?"
"What?"
Looking around the faces of the guild leaders present, Noh Do-hwa looked troubled. A rare sight.
"Maybe it's just me, but it seems like we've got not only Busan guild leaders but also national guild leaders here..."
"Oh."
Dang Seo-rin waved her hand as if it were no big deal.
"Don't worry. I just got a lot of inquiries when I announced the meeting. They haven't seen each other in ages. Isn't it good to renew those connections?"
"Ah..."
It was nonsense.
The event's program was like this: First, the host, Dang Seo-rin, came out to greet the guests, keeping her speech brief to emphasize she wasn't the main star here.
Next, it was my turn.
An enthusiastic cheer erupted.
"Undertaker! How long has it been?"
"Come visit Gangwon-do sometime. Our members really want to see you."
"Is Ms. Sim Ah-ryeon doing well? Thanks to you sending her, we cleared the Gate smoothly last time."
"I'll make sure to organize something and invite you!"
Across the room, the Sword Marquess was sitting with his arms crossed.
This was truly a gathering of Korea's most influential Awakeners.
I may have downplayed myself as just a mercenary captain, but did you know even Switzerland, a neutral country, once thrived on mercenary work? Trust earned from mercenary work easily translates into banking, according to historical precedent.
Simply put, few guild leaders here hadn't owed me a favor.
And like any honest debtor, the guild leaders were determined to repay their debt to this bank of mine, in principal and interest. They knew well that delaying repayment could snowball into a much bigger problem later.
"I'm deeply grateful to all of you for coming here across long and difficult roads. If this were a routine statement, it'd just be a standard greeting. But today's topic is encapsulated in that very statement: long and difficult roads. Isn't it time to fix them?"
"Right!"
"Woo-hoo!"
The topic of today's meeting? That was already laid out in detail on the invitation.
The moment the guild leaders opened their letters, the Saintess fired up the Constellation chat. Something like, [The Saintess of National Salvation is very supportive of this quest.]
Dang Seo-rin's authority, my trust, and the Saintess's guarantee.
It was a literal trinity. Nothing was more powerful on the Korean Peninsula. Perhaps not even in the whole world.
"As many of you know, the eternal supporter of Awakeners is right here! Thanks to this person, losing a limb to monsters isn't a problem. She has made tremendous contributions to maximizing our combat abilities. The owner of the 'Noh Do-hwa Workshop,' who's invaluable to all Awakeners. ...And someone even the most temperamental Awakeners reluctantly respect. Please give a warm round of applause to 'The Limb Creator,' Noh Do-hwa!"
Thunderous applause erupted. No exaggeration. Who cast the lightning spell?
Looking around, I saw Dang Seo-rin, in the front row, leading the applause with a happy smile.
By the way, Dang Seo-rin held a legendary grudge. If anyone called her a cripple, she'd happily prove who the real cripple was.
I've painted her in a good light, but once she kidnapped a rival guild leader who called her a bitch, castrated him, and said, "Well, well, here's a TS girl! So, who's the bitch now?" as she laughed.
That was because she had a long-standing grudge with that guild leader. It's solid proof that she didn't win the leadership of the Korean Awakener Guild Federation by chance.
Have you heard of "birds of a feather flock together"? I might have softened up now, but I was once her second-in-command, climbing to vice guild leader under Dang Seo-rin.
"......"
Receiving the good graces of both Dang Seo-rin and myself, Noh Do-hwa trembled with joy.
After my introduction, Do-hwa walked up the stage, then grabbed the microphone. The expression on her face was, well, likely the one she often had back when she was a seventh-grade public servant.
In simpler terms:
"I'm Noh Do-hwa..."
She was screwed.
Footnotes:
