As the principal had said, we heard from Kwak Seung-jae not long after.
Since my identity had to be kept hidden even from the Disciplinary Committee, he suggested we meet somewhere else.
There was no reason to refuse, so we matched schedules and headed to the agreed location.
Kwak Seung-jae and Oh Se-hoon were already there waiting, and as soon as our eyes met, he gave a respectful nod.
“You’re here.”
“Hi, Seung-jae.”
Dang Gyu-young waved lightly in response.
Then she promptly sat down across from them.
I followed suit, exchanging greetings with the two committee members before taking an empty seat.
Soon, Oh Se-hoon looked at Dang Gyu-young.
“First, I want to thank you. I honestly thought there was a high chance you’d turn us down.”
“This is work, after all. No reason to get emotional about it.”
“Thankfully, it seems the principal made a good case on our behalf.”
“He hyped us up pretty well.”
Dang Gyu-young grinned, and Oh Se-hoon’s eyes crinkled into a gentle smile.
“It’s a bit late to say this, but what you did back there was impressive. I learned a lot.”
“That’s not something you should be telling me.”
She gave a subtle nod in my direction.
Truthfully, the third infiltration of the temporary storage would’ve ended in total failure had it gone as planned.
It was only because I intervened that the outcome was reversed.
Kwak Seung-jae looked me straight in the eye and said,
“I had a vague suspicion, but I didn’t expect you to actually be Inferno Fist.”
“I apologize for deceiving you both.”
“I don’t plan to hold it against you. Not now that we’re in the same boat.”
He seemed to place special emphasis on the phrase “same boat”.
Which could only mean that what he was about to say next was—
“Before we get into the operation, do you mind if I ask about that spell?”
“I’m sure you understand I can’t easily disclose the origins of a skill.”
“Of course. But if there’s something you want in return, name it.”
So he had a trade in mind from the start.
That meant he was feeling pretty uneasy about [Caw?].
If the wooden door got blocked again at a critical moment, they’d suffer a major setback just like before.
But despite Kwak Seung-jae’s cautious tone, I answered casually.
“I’ll just tell you.”
“…That’s unexpected. Upfront payment?”
“You can think of it as a gesture of goodwill for future cooperation.”
Restricting information about [Caw?] would only interfere with the Disciplinary Committee’s current operation.
It’s better to share what needs sharing so we can all move forward more smoothly.
Besides, the real bargaining chip is something else.
The Life Cube.
I could tack on extra demands when that time came.
Either way, from Kwak Seung-jae’s perspective, there was no reason to refuse.
“Alright then, I’ll ask. There’s a rumor it’s the magic of the Dimensional Crow.”
“That’s correct.”
“I thought so. Is it something others can learn?”
“It’s not impossible.”
“But can we take that as basically impossible?”
I answered with a faint smile.
“At least for now, no one else will have it but me.”
Its creation difficulty is ridiculously high.
Maybe one day, a second or third Crow Tree could be mass-produced, but for now, there’s no reason or resources to invest in that.
Probably something to think about only after I achieve world peace or something.
Satisfied with the answer, Kwak Seung-jae gave a nod, visibly more at ease.
Then he exchanged a glance with Oh Se-hoon.
“I think we can proceed with Plan A.”
“Let’s go with that.”
At this, Dang Gyu-young gave them a curious look and asked,
“You two sound pretty prepared. Been planning a lot, huh?”
“We had several plans prepared. We were waiting to hear Kim Ho’s answer before choosing one.”
“So Plan A is the best one?”
“At least from our perspective, it’s the most efficient.”
“Great. It’s the easiest for us too.”
Kwak Seung-jae gave a brief rundown of Operation A.
“—That’s the basic outline. We’ll finalize the details by the time the duel battle week arrives and explain again then.”
“Do whatever you want.”
With that, the main objective of today’s meeting was accomplished.
However, the Disciplinary Committee had one more matter to address. Something even more important.
Oh Se-hoon spoke with a gentle smile tugging at his lips.
“Can I ask something, too?”
“What is it?”
Dang Gyu-young must’ve known this was coming, but she played dumb and asked back. Oh Se-hoon pulled out a document and unfolded it.
It listed items confiscated during this year’s ban wave. Those stolen from the temporary storage, as well as those whose whereabouts remained unknown.
“We lost the third round, and in the first, Kim Ho broke through the perimeter. But the second…despite a clean sweep, it had too many holes.”
Dang Gyu-young flipped through the pages, pretending like she had no idea.
“Hmm, yeah. The Book of Chaos, a few skillbooks, accessories…”
“Would you mind telling us how you pulled it off?”
“Well, no reason not to. I’m graduating, and Kim Ho’s not planning to milk this any further either.”
“That’s good to hear.”
“But… it feels a bit unfair to just hand it over for free, doesn’t it?”
“What would you like from us in return?”
Instead of answering Oh Se-hoon directly, Dang Gyu-young simply smirked and tossed out a casual remark.
“Actually, Dam-bi came by yesterday.”
“Hwang Dam-bi, the vice president of the Archery Club, right?”
“You’re well-informed. They asked something similar over there… I’ve got quite a few things coming my way.”
Strictly speaking, she’d wrung a lot out of them. But it’s all about how you spin it.
Oh Se-hoon’s eyes narrowed gently into a smile.
“That’s a tough one. I’d like to accommodate you, but I’m not confident I can beat two clubs in a bidding war.”
“Don’t worry about that. I didn’t bring it up to start a competition.”
“Then what did you have in mind?”
“There’s no rule saying I can only sell to one side. Might as well make it big while I’m at it.”
Oh Se-hoon slowly placed both hands on the table and interlaced his fingers.
“Alright then. Let’s hear it…. your demands.”
“It’s simple. A prohibited item.”
“One of the ones we’re confiscating this time?”
“Yeah. If there’s a Necromancer’s Grimoire among them, I want that.”
“That’s… a tricky request. Even as the president of the disciplinary committee, I can’t just take things out as I please.”
Dang Gyu-young replied right away. It was the response she’d expected.
“Oh, and for the record, I’ll be getting something similar from the principal too. So, Necromancer items won’t be much of an issue.”
“Well, that changes things a bit. But do you need two of them?”
“The more the merrier.”
“And what if we don’t have one?”
What if the item she wanted wasn’t among those confiscated?
Dang Gyu-young shrugged like it was no big deal.
“Then the deal’s off, obviously.”
“But you’ll still go through with the other side?”
“Mhmm.”
No matter how the deal with the Disciplinary Committee turned out, the Archery Club and the Black Faction would proceed with their infiltration of the temporary storage, using the Life Cube.
Naturally, the Disciplinary Committee wouldn’t be thrilled about that. Oh Se-hoon spoke in a coaxing tone.
“Gyu-young, I don’t think that’s a wise move. No matter how much profit matters, is it worth making things more complicated?”
“You shouldn’t be doubting us already. We’re on your side. At least this time.”
“Maybe we were worrying for nothing. Still, if it’s alright with you, I’d like some proof.”
He was asking for proof that the deal with the other side wouldn’t interfere with this operation.
Since we had already discussed this in advance, Dang Gyu-young responded without hesitation.
“I’ll share the method with them. Though whether they’ll get a chance to use it is another story.”
“You’re saying we’ll catch them before they do.”
“Exactly. You’re confident too, aren’t you?”
The Disciplinary Committee might have been underestimated lately, but their strength hadn’t disappeared.
During the third infiltration of the temporary storage, even the combined force of the Thieves Club and the Martial Arts Club had been completely outmatched.
So even if the Black Faction and the Archery Club joined forces, the outcome likely wouldn’t be much different.
Oh Se-hoon asked again.
“Of course I believe our team will do well. Still, shouldn’t we prepare for the worst?”
What if one or two slipped through and managed to steal prohibited items?
Dang Gyu-young lightly waved the document in her hand as she replied.
“If anything gets stolen, we’ll take responsibility. We’re also sharing the method.”
“You know you won’t be getting the prohibited item if that happens, right?”
“That wouldn’t be a deal. It’d be us taking responsibility.”
Of course, she added, that won’t happen.
Then she winked at me, since we’d already agreed on everything beforehand.
After a brief moment of thought, Oh Se-hoon spoke.
“Doesn’t seem like there’s a reason to refuse.”
“Just don’t let them through on purpose.”
“We won’t.”
The main objective of this operation was to protect the prohibited items, but it was just as important to restore the reputation of the Disciplinary Committee.
To do that, the mission needed to be executed nearly perfectly. Letting them through on purpose?
Even if it benefited us in this deal, it would be a loss in the bigger picture.
Especially considering future relations with me.
Both Kwak Seung-jae and Oh Se-hoon were quick thinkers. They’d surely thought that far ahead.
Dang Gyu-young looked between the two of them and asked,
“Looks like we’ve pretty much covered everything. We just wait for the Ban Wave now, right?”
“Yeah, I’ll get in touch again when it’s time.”
“Alright then, good luck!”
Though we’d formed a temporary alliance, we weren’t exactly on friendly, laughing terms. So we all got up and left without lingering.
***
With the talks with the Disciplinary Committee wrapped up, we agreed to focus on our respective tasks during the rest of the strategy week.
Dang Gyu-young’s job was to join the Pang Mi-ryeong expedition team, clear the deeper dungeon levels, and complete the Penance Quest.
As for me, I’d be heading out with Hong Yeon-hwa and Seo Ye-in to check on the crow.
While we’re at it, we’d also work on Aqua Flame rank farming in the Ice Theme Dungeon.
But first, I figured I should secure the trade materials, so I made my way to the Sculptor Club.
Clang, clang, clang—
I could hear a steady hammering sound from afar.
It grew louder the closer I got to the clubroom.
Busy as ever, I see.
Not wanting to interrupt, I planned to grab what I needed quickly and leave. I knocked on the door.
Clang—
The hammering paused for a moment, and then a familiar voice came from inside.
“Come in.”
“Hello.”
“Knew it was you.”
Kang Byul set down her chisel and mallet for a moment, walked over to the corner of the room, and downed a drink in one shot.
Then, pointing at me with the empty bottle, she said,
“Hey, next time, just come in.”
“Is that okay?”
“Knocking just gets in the way.”
“Then why not just leave the door open?”
“Too noisy that way. I’ll leave what I made over there, so just take it and go.”
Sure enough, when I looked over “there”, two finished statues were on display.
One resembled the Crow sculpture she had made before, but without the wing-extension mechanism. It focused more on artistic value.
The other was a miniature version of the principal’s statue.
In the world of art, having too many similar pieces tends to lower their value, so she had deliberately added some variation.
I stored them in my inventory, and as Kang Byul picked up her hammer and chisel again, she asked,
“This is it for the year, right?”
“Yes, for this year.”
“Let me know in advance what you want for next year. I’ll work on it bit by bit.”
Seems she’s accepted her fate as a sculpting slave.
With the materials left, she could probably make five or six more.
Clang, clang, clang.
As she resumed her work, I watched her from behind, then turned to examine a half-finished sculpture.
It looks kind of familiar.
Even though the details weren’t clear yet, I could make out what looked like a toad’s face.
My curiosity quickly got the better of me, and I broke my earlier resolve not to interrupt.
“Senior?”
“What now.”
“Is that a request from the martial arts club, by any chance?”
“Mhmm, they’re ranked second in sponsorship.”
“I thought you’d do the swordsmanship club first.”
“They said there’s no rush.”
Apparently, they didn’t mind being pushed back a little.
The martial arts club, on the other hand, had specifically asked for it to be done by the end of the year, if possible.
Kang Byul pointed to a corner of the workbench with her hammer.
“There’s a draft over there. Take a look if you’re curious.”
As I walked over, a roughly drawn sketch came into view.
Kim Gap-doo, striking a victorious pose with one fist raised.
On either side of him stood beautiful women.
The original subtitle had been “Champion Gap-doo” but someone had drawn two bold strikethrough lines through it and changed it to “Harem Gap-doo”.
Clang, clang, clang—
As she hammered away, Kang Byul spoke.
“Seems like their club president is pretty well-liked. Honestly, the club’s sponsorship amount wasn’t that high on its own.”
“What was their original ranking?”
“About eighth? But apparently, the members pitched in little by little to push it up to second.”
They must’ve even chipped in from their own pockets to bump up their turn in the queue.
Clang, clang, clang—
I looked at the sculpture as it gradually took shape.
Whether it was “Harem Gap-doo” or “Champion Gap-doo”…
Either way, it would be a meaningful gift for Kim Gap-doo.
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