#031. Apprentice Is Too Kind (1)

#031. Apprentice Is Too Kind (1)

Gorgon felt a burgeoning sense of crisis.

He had heard that Sodom, Guild Master, desired to become Ian’s godfather.

‘Since I’m the only man in the party, I naturally assumed the role of Ian’s father would fall to me.’

In truth, he was barely keeping up with his mana cultivation, which felt akin to a knight’s training.

Between supplementing his insufficient strength, he had been robbed of both the time and the opportunity to act as a father.

Thanks to this, he struggled greatly to force a smile while facing Sodom, Guild Master, desperately fighting to keep his expression from twisting.

“Is Ian doing well?”

“Yes. As usual.”

“Gorgon, you’ve suffered much as well. Working in a rough adventurer’s party as a man, you must have endured much. And you diligently continue your personal training, I hear.”

“It’s all thanks to the Theresa family’s good graces. I am honing a precious skill that I hardly deserve.”

Gorgon had been summoned to check on Ian and, incidentally, to get a closer look at the party members.

Upon hearing Gorgon’s words, spoken so casually, the Guild Master’s cheek twitched, a rare glimpse of uncontrolled emotion.

“Theresa, the daughter of the House of Starsephia, permitted the outflow of their technique?”

“It’s all thanks to Ian. I am doing my best to meet the child’s expectations.”

If it was Ian’s decision, he could understand.

The world lacked trustworthy individuals.

How reassuring would it be if a nanny, reliable enough to be entrusted with a child, also possessed martial prowess and transitioned from nanny to bodyguard?

However, with the “godfather” position hanging in the balance, the presence of a trustworthy “male adventurer” beside Ian, even one blessed with the family’s secret technique and attaining the level of a “bodyguard,” was exceedingly unnerving.

While it may seem to be just a relationship between Ian and Gorgon for now, the dynamic between a man and a woman could shift rapidly.

Moreover, as a parent, it would be difficult to ignore someone the child clearly favored.

*-Sodom, Guild Master, you be the stepfather. I’ll be Ian’s real father. Hahaha!*

The mere thought that something so ludicrous might happen filled him with a sense of relative deprivation, a peculiar irritation that gnawed at him even though he knew the likelihood was slim.

“Even if he learns the technique and joins the party, the performance evaluation must be even stricter. Do not forget to cultivate his individual abilities and contribute adequately in the quests he participates in.”

“I’ll keep that in mind. Truly guildmaster-like. Thank you for meticulously ensuring I don’t burden the party.”

Of course, a sound needs two hands clapping.

What good was my petulance if Gorgo couldn’t even recognize it as such? I’d only appear strange.

Sodom forced down his anger and turned to leave.

Only Gorgo, sensing the subtle unease, shrank back, wondering what he’d done wrong. A brief, awkward encounter.

* * *

The guildmaster of Sodom wanting to be my godfather, wanting to accept me as his son… the offer troubled me.

A godfather is like a patron.

Not a biological father, but one who fills the socially expected role of a father, a protector.

‘I know you didn’t offer this lightly, but that’s what makes it all the heavier.’

Sodom spoke with such weight, yet the player always took it so lightly.

Because becoming an employee of the adventurer’s guild was necessary to continue the game.

With each repetition, they saw only obvious favor, incompetence that struggled against minor crises and predictable dangers, growing annoyed with him, some even disliking him.

‘To me… he was always a man I felt sorry for.’

The guildmaster who met his death each time my incompetence ended a playthrough.

-It’s regrettable, but our Sodom Guild isn’t affiliated with any alliances, making us vulnerable to pressure from them.

-Because there’s no one to protect you.

-That’s why the employee’s role is so crucial. No mistakes are permitted, and performance management is vital. If either one becomes a problem, the alliance will use it as grounds to challenge our guild status, leveraging the authority of the capital to arbitrarily change the guildmaster and swallow the entire guild whole.

Past conversations proved it.

The alliances would never forgive the catastrophe caused by the player’s failure.

The guildmaster always bore the responsibility for all incidents, for the sake of the player, the surviving adventurers, and the townspeople.

A heavy burden of responsibility.

At times, even this thought crossed my mind.

Shouldn’t I free Sodom from this cruel fate?

‘Brainwashing the Sodom guildmaster… forcing him to step down from his position as guildmaster.’

Some, disgusted by his incompetence, would use brainwashing to oust him and elect a more capable guildmaster.

I knew who the replacement would be, how the election would proceed.

But I hadn’t used the brainwashing yet.

‘Because I still don’t know if that’s truly the best decision for the guildmaster.’

Is it the responsibility that shaped the position?

The position that shaped the responsibility?

If he’s freed from the position, will the responsibility vanish too?

Or will he resent me?

Despair over his life without the title of guildmaster?

In that regard, it seemed the heavy burden of responsibility was mutual.

“Look there. That’s Theresa’s son.”

“Lucky. Someone like Theresa is a candidate for the next guildmaster, right?”

“He’s a lock for vice-guildmaster, at least.”

“Wasn’t he also a noble, I heard?”

“From a family that was known for their swordsmanship in the kingdom’s distant frontier.”

It was no different as Teresa’s son, player or not, I was still under observation.

As Teresa’s son.

As the son of the Guild’s savior.

Every step.

Every expression scrutinized.

My failings would reflect on Mom.

On everyone in the party.

Bring shame to the Guild.

A good mother caring for her child, can in a moment become a mom-troll lugging around a spoiled brat.

All the things Mom had done, the early subjugation of Gomorrah, cutting half a year off the timeline – I absolutely couldn’t let her be subjected to such unjust treatment.

“He has good manners, but as a staff member, I just don’t know.”

“Ah, I think I get it.”

Those words, deeply unsettling, impossible to ignore, reached my ears.

The adventurers, unaware that my hearing was sharper than average – a trait I inherited from my mother – spoke freely, thinking no one was around.

“I know right? Even if they just plopped him in there, I’d understand but it would sting. Someone with no skills just freezes up at the reception desk, and pushes me out of a spot where I could earn achievements before the deadline, but he’s just gonna freeze up, how infuriating would that be?”

“The Guildmaster needs to think this through. Maybe if he’s just fetching coffee and keeping people company, but anything more than that is too much.”

They were right, every word.

An unqualified employee hurts the adventurers.

Misassigned requests diminish the achievements of both the staff and the adventurers, and it leads to conflict.

For one, it’s a matter of salary, but for the other, it’s a matter of survival.

That’s why players are different from other staff.

Because if failures pile up, for us, sooner or later, it’s game over.

Because both sides are risking their lives equally.

I am more suited to work at the Adventurer’s Guild than anyone else.

But people don’t know that.

“Guildmaster.”

“You can call me Uncle Sodom.”

“I want to stand here as a member of the Guild staff.”

“You’re certainly eager. Alright, I get it. Ian, trainee. What is it?”

“Entrust the apprentice adventurers to me.”

I want proof.

I need to shed this trainee label and be recognized as a full-fledged employee, one way or another.

Even if the brainwashing from clearing the tutorial is enhanced, the level is still insignificant.

“Tomorrow at 7 AM, come to the Guild. It’s real work. No coddling allowed. I’ll send over the materials you need to know, so don’t slack off on your studies. Understand?”

“Understood.”

An opportunity.

Tomorrow, I can prove whether my talents are limited to making money, or whether they are also valid as a Guild employee.

That night, I fell asleep unusually quickly.

Always following Mom to hunting grounds, camping out in cold, uncomfortable bivouacs.

Unlike the days I’d fallen asleep in ramshackle houses down alleyways or on the uncomfortable beds of cheap inns, this was a comfortable night spent in accommodations provided by the Guild.

Perhaps it was because a weight had lifted from my heart.

I had a peculiar dream.

━━━

[Brainwash Ability]

[Basic – This ability twists the minds of others, allowing you to control them.]

[(First Perk Selection Available)]

━━━

[Brainwash First Perks]

-Enhanced Focus: Increases Brainwash success rate by 20%. Has a 20% chance to trigger Brainwash unintentionally.

-Intensified Brainwash: Doubles the duration of Brainwash. Doubles the likelihood of the target forgetting events that occurred during the Brainwash.

-Mass Brainwash: The number of targets simultaneously affected by a single Brainwash increases proportionally to your Charisma. Base Favorability permanently decreases by 1-20.

※ Choose your Perk carefully. Obtaining a second chance to select is exceedingly difficult.

━━━

Brainwash that works even on the most difficult opponents.

Brainwash that lasts longer.

Brainwash that affects more people at once.

Even in games, the targets you’d naturally Brainwash would change depending on which Perk you selected.

Brainwashing strong adventurers.

Brainwashing adventurers heading out on long-term missions.

Brainwashing an entire party, an entire clan.

The windows and cursor I’d seen in games flickered before my eyes.

In my dream, I entered ↑↓↑↑↓↓↑↑↑↓↓↓.

It wasn’t exactly a hidden command.

I just didn’t want to choose anything.

The enhancement of an ability leads to the restriction of an ability.

I didn’t want to unintentionally Brainwash my mother, either.

Or to lose our memories.

Or to be hated.

As time passed, the selection window, which only forced unreasonable choices upon me, froze.

The Perk in the cell where the cursor had stopped was automatically selected, and I couldn’t hold back my words.

“That function wasn’t there before.”

The added Perk flickered, then vanished with a soft *whoosh*.

I blinked, and the time had simply passed as I laid there on the bed.

It was a peculiar dream.