Chapter 120 : Chapter 120
Chapter 120. Award Ceremony (1)
Ryu Jin-seong flashed a playful smile. I looked at that expression, which seemed to carry a hint of mischief, and slowly spoke.
"So, what are these follow-up issues you mentioned?"
"What do you think they are?"
"...I have no idea. Nothing comes to mind."
"Well, they are... Oh! Here they come now."
Had he called someone else as well? At Ryu Jin-seong's words, I turned my head to see Kim Su-hyeok's group, who had been standing apart from us, approaching. Perhaps because Ryu Jin-seong had called for them, Kim Su-hyeok ran over and quickly joined our side.
"I heard you called for us!"
"I have felt this for a while, but Su-hyeok, you are so energetic. It is a pleasure to see. I almost wish my son took after you a bit."
"...Please be quiet, Father."
"See? I told you I wish he took after you."
Ryu Jin-seong continued to speak with a smile, completely unfazed by the rebuke from Ryu Jin-oh, who had arrived behind Kim Su-hyeok. He eventually felt that everyone was ready and brought up the real topic.
"The reason I called you all together is simple. I wanted to talk to you about rewards."
"Rewards?"
"Yes. Honestly, I personally believe everyone who fought there deserves one, but... you know how it is, right?"
With that one phrase, "you know how it is," I could roughly grasp the situation.
'It is better for publicity if there are specific representatives.'
If everyone receives the same thing, the value decreases. However, if only a few receive it, the value of the award increases. As a simple example, what would happen if every student who was slightly good at studying received a Nobel Prize? That was the point Ryu Jin-seong was trying to make. At the same time, a question arose.
"But surely there were other students who stood at the front and fought besides us."
We were not the only ones who had stepped forward to lead the cadets. Although I had not seen it personally, I heard that other high-ranking students like Hwang Ji-ho and Yun I-na had also risked their lives to fight on the front lines. Therefore, it was only natural that they should be selected as well.
'I actually spoke with them.'
Before the party, the main topic of conversation among the cadets at the academy was naturally the midterm exams, given the scale of the incident. Thanks to that, I had shared quite a few words with students I ran into in the hallways, even if we were not close. Among them were the high-ranking students I just mentioned.
'They were good people.'
They were names I had seen while reading the novel. However, as is the case with most novels, no matter how much you try to include the stories of many people, you cannot capture everyone. So, while I had only heard their names, it was my first time actually meeting and talking to them, and they seemed like decent people. They had their own convictions and righteous hearts. Well, being Players, they all had very strong personalities.
"Oh, you do not have to worry about that. Those children will receive rewards as well."
"Then why only us separately...?"
"Well, aren't you all close enough to always hang out together? When you are close, it is more enjoyable to hear news about rewards together."
I see. It was a simple reason. But...
'Are we actually that close?'
In truth, the only ones I was close enough to talk to frequently were Kim Su-hyeok, Oh Jin-eon, and Do Gang-ho. Ryu Jin-oh was abrasive to everyone, so I was not sure if we were close...
'And it was only since the midterm exams that I could say I truly opened up a dialogue with Ju Ha-yeon.'
As for Ha Eun-ha, I did not know why, but it felt like she had become a bit quieter since the midterm exams. However, I did not voice these thoughts out loud.
'It would only cause unnecessary trouble.'
Moreover, the atmosphere among the others seemed to have turned serious once the topic of being close came up, so I felt like I could not speak carelessly. If I said something like "I am not sure if we are that close" in this atmosphere, even Kim Su-hyeok would probably look at me with a cold gaze. As I was keeping my mouth shut, an announcement rang out.
"Is everyone having a good time?"
The host's voice, which had been silent for a while, echoed throughout the banquet hall once more. Ryu Jin-seong was the first to react to that sound.
"It is time to get ready."
"Get ready?"
"Yes. Why do you think I came here? The award ceremony is going to be presided over by the Hero-Rank players."
"Ah."
Indeed. It was not a place that necessarily required Hero-Rank players to attend. While guild representatives came to recruit later, that was not the case for Hero-Rank players. Thinking about it that way, I understood why Hong Sera and Han Su-yeon were the ones who came today.
'It must have been important that they are not affiliated with a guild.'
Of course, Ryu Jin-seong and Hong Sera belonged to prestigious families, but those were families, after all. Since they did not lead guilds, they could be seen as individuals. And Han Su-yeon truly had no affiliation whatsoever.
'That way, they can maintain the symbolism of a Hero-Rank player presenting the award while avoiding any unnecessary business communications.'
It was a wise plan. Therefore, I did not ask any more questions about it. Instead, I asked something else I was curious about.
"Then do we need to prepare immediately?"
"There is nothing separate you need to prepare, so you can just relax."
"I see. Understood."
"Good. Then, I shall take my leave now."
With those final words, Ryu Jin-seong left for the staff room. Only our group remained where he had been standing. A slightly awkward atmosphere settled over us, thanks to Ryu Jin-seong, who had arrived and vanished like the wind. Just as I was wondering what on earth I should say...
"Shall we just chat for a bit? He said we could relax."
As expected of the protagonist, who was effortless in friendships, Kim Su-hyeok was the first to speak. Everyone else seemed to find the atmosphere a bit awkward as well, so no one disagreed.
"That sounds good. It looks like it might take some time anyway."
"Then..."
Starting with that, Kim Su-hyeok immediately began a lively conversation. Seeing that, I could not help but smile.
'He really is impressive.'
The way he always takes the initiative to set the mood. With a side like that, how could anyone not like Kim Su-hyeok? Therefore, I decided to join the atmosphere he created. Spending time with them was always a source of great happiness for me.
***
"Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests and cadets, please lend me your attention for a moment!"
As we were laughing and chatting happily, the host's voice rang out again. However, there was one difference from before.
"I should have informed you earlier! But after speaking with the academy, we have prepared this as a surprise event."
There was a clear purpose. While he had only offered general greetings earlier, now the host was explicitly calling it a surprise event. And if he was talking about a surprise event...
"He must be talking about the award ceremony, right?"
"Probably. Everything should be ready by now."
Naturally, it was the award ceremony. Considering how long it had been since Ryu Jin-seong left, that could be the host's only purpose. Thus, we stopped talking and listened to the host.
"It might be a bit heavy to bring up at such a joyful gathering, but the cadets went through a major incident during the midterm exams, did they not?"
"However, the cadets did not give up. They fought, and in the end, they were able to achieve victory!"
It was a statement that could have instantly dampened the mood. But thanks to the host's skillful speech, the atmosphere actually heightened. To the guild members, it was information that might contain valuable insights, and to the cadets, it was a story of great pride.
"Therefore! It would be a shame if it just ended like this, would it not? Being a Player is an honorable profession that provides clear rewards for the risks taken."
"However, it seems a bit insufficient for me to be the one telling this story."
With those words, the host made a natural exit. By not revealing who was coming next, he heightened the anticipation with great skill. However, that only applied to those who knew nothing about the ceremony. Since I knew all the details, I knew exactly who would appear next.
'After this, it is obviously...'
"Hello, everyone."
Ryu Jin-seong. Since he was the most senior among the three Hero-Rank players, it was the natural order. At any rate, Ryu Jin-seong took the microphone and slowly continued.
"As the host just said, a Player has the right to receive a reward befitting the results they have achieved. Because they have staked their lives as the price."
"And this naturally applies to the cadets who are currently students but will become Players in the future."
"Therefore, the Association and the academy have spoken and decided to grant those rewards to the cadets."
At those words, murmurs broke out everywhere. Just as when we first heard this from Ryu Jin-seong, it seemed that information related to this had not been disclosed in advance.
'Still, it looks like the people from the top-tier guilds already knew.'
Compared to the people from middle and upper-middle-tier guilds and the cadets, they were incredibly calm. With that level of composure, it was safe to assume they knew from the start. Ryu Jin-seong seemed to expect this, as he continued speaking without any sign of being bothered.
"I am told that reward money and artifacts befitting their performance will be provided to all cadets."
"However, as I said before, I stated they are qualified because they staked their lives. While it is true that everyone fought with their lives on the line, the weight of that is surely different for each person. Because someone must have stood at the very front to fight."
"If that is the case, should they not receive an even more valuable reward?"
Ryu Jin-seong's words might have sounded harsh to some. However, no one disagreed with him. That was true for the cadets who were the parties involved as well.
'Because that is only natural.'
How could the contributions of someone who fought at the very front be the same as someone who fought from the rear? This was a fact proven by history and an unchanging law that would never change. Thus, it was actually stranger to disagree with Ryu Jin-seong's words. However, the words that followed soon after were quite shocking.
"The reward will be a medal bestowed in accordance with their achievements."
The word "medal" coming from Ryu Jin-seong's mouth was no ordinary matter. As if to prove it, whispering voices erupted throughout the banquet hall. However, the difference from before was that even figures from the top-tier guilds were reacting with surprise.
'It makes sense.'
Bestowing a medal was that significant an event. I never imagined that the reward would be a medal, either.
'Of course, to someone who does not know, it might just seem like an honorable reward.'
But in this world, a medal granted to a Player was by no means that light.
'The rewards that follow a medal are incredibly immense.'
First, there was the aspect of social connections. To bestow a medal, the interests of the individual organizations—the state and the Association—must align. But as I mentioned, the important point was that the two were different powers.
'In the end, a Player is forced to belong to either the government or the Association, such as a guild or an Association branch.'
But to receive both of their recognitions and be awarded a medal as a Player? That was equivalent to saying you were the kind of talent both sides coveted. If so, what would happen?
'Naturally, those who received medals would receive all kinds of attention.'
And it would be the kind of attention that is quite beneficial. This would eventually emerge as valuable connections and would inevitably be a great help to the Player who received the medal. The reality is that no matter how great your talent is, it is difficult to succeed without connections.
'Additionally, the material aspect is also incredible.'
Depending on the grade of the medal, you can receive up to a maximum tax exemption on byproducts obtained from Gates or artifact transactions. Furthermore, you can also loan artifacts held by the government or the Association. If you receive the highest-grade medal, you can even loan S-Rank artifacts without any issue, so what more needs to be said?
'That is why everyone is so surprised.'
No matter how much you dress it up, they are still just first-year cadets with some unpolished areas. It was a natural reaction to be surprised that such kids were receiving medals that even official Players find difficult to obtain. Of course, that only applied to those who had not heard the news. Ryu Jin-seong continued without any particular sign of concern.
"Therefore, we shall now begin the award ceremony."
Ryu Jin-seong clearly announced the start of the ceremony, as if to prove what we had heard was not a lie.
Did the heavens recognize that I worked like a dog? It seemed the reward I was to receive did not end with what happened last time.