Became a Swordsman Genius in a Pretty Girl Game

349. New Scout of the Demon Extermination Squad (2)

《Velvet School Life!》 is a bishoujo gacha game.

In other words, it means that the party members I am currently taking with me in a fixed party are:

Lee Yuri, Shin Se-hee, Kang Do-hee, Lim Ga-eul, Sophia, Ichika, Alice.

Besides them, it means that I can add and remove almost 100 characters from the party.

Depending on the attributes of the enemy, the terrain, and the tactics, the character combination is changed every time to form a party.

Usually, that was the general strategy.

However, I am currently maintaining a single party.

‘Of course, it’s a strange combination with two more members added to the existing six-member system…’

Anyway, a single party is a single party.

The reason I haven’t accepted more party members so far is clear.

The first reason is emotion.

‘In the days when it was just a game, it was no problem to click and change party members, but now it’s not like that.’

Even if they are not injured, if the strategy changes and someone else suddenly takes their place?

Internal division within the party is inevitable.

Of course, there are advantages to choosing such a method.

Each time, they compete to go out and strive to become stronger.

Being able to oversee the growth of all party members.

Well, it would be nice if things could go that smoothly.

But it doesn’t always work out so perfectly.

Inevitably, there are characters that get used frequently and those that get neglected.

When that happens, subtle tensions arise based on the frequency of deployment, and discomfort sets in.

‘Since I’m a party member leading the party, not a sponsor. That point stands out more.’

Well, there’s also the reason that I don’t want to see my party members getting into unnecessary emotional fights.

Anyway, that’s the first reason.

The second reason is a bit more realistic.

The issue of limited resources.

If this world allowed for enhancements through in-game purchases,

or if there were daily gacha rewards given as a basic feature,

I might have seriously considered putting more party members into Utopia for stable operation.

But, there was no such thing here.

If you needed something, you had to run around, press the Lina vending machine, or farm monsters and mines to get it.

Selection and concentration were essential.

‘One well-raised character is better than a hundred moderately raised ones.’

Yes, for these reasons, I insist on a single party, the epitome of inefficiency.

But, it was still a bit of a shame.

The fact that they were released as characters in Velvet Sera meant that they all had their own merits.

Considering the potential fully bloomed, there are many who come close to our party members.

So, I requested Shin Se-hee to create the Utopia Sub-Party!

I formed the sub-party around those who were released in the game.

Although I am not directly involved, it was probably not a bad deal for them either.

The sub-party we run is different from the support of other parties or guilds.

‘Artifacts of the payment type, not rental, top-notch personal training facilities, high commission completion rate, personalized welfare services.’

Of course, as we kept giving out so much, the amount of money flowing out every month was astronomical, so it was a bit painful to see Shin Se-hee, who was in charge of finances, looking at me every time as if asking if this was right…

Still, I heard we would soon be out of the red.

A building standing proudly on the prime land of Academy Street, closer to a guild than a party in size.

“Here…”

“Yes, this is the 2nd branch of Utopia, Master.”

My master and I stood in front of the 2nd branch of Utopia.

*

[ You have been authenticated as a member of Utopia. Welcome, Cadet Jin Yu-ha. ]

As I stood in front of the entrance, the facial recognition program automatically started.

A mechanical voice flowed out.

“Oh, right. There was an authentication process. Master, I’m sorry, but could you wait here for a moment? It seems we need to issue a separate pass to enter together.”

“Alright, I understand.”

So, I left my master outside and entered the building first.

And those I often saw in the game came into my view.

Wow, it’s nice to see them in person.

But, their reactions are strange.

“S-s-s-surely, J-J-J-Jinyuha…!?”

“Crazy!?”

“J-Jinyuha! It’s really Jinyuha!!”

“Hey, what the heck─ Eeeeeek!!!!”

“Screeeeech!!!”

“I heard he was handsome… Oh, ah, wow, geez…”

“Hey! Everyone, come out! Quickly!!!!”

In an instant, chaos erupted.

They flocked together as if they were watching some mystical creature.

‘…What is this.’

It feels like an idol has visited a military base or something.

And among them, there was one familiar face.

‘Why are you screaming there…’

It was the special admission student who had received my guidance with Alice before.

【Hwarang】, Lee Ji-eun.

“Hwarang.”

When I called her, a heavy silence fell in an instant.

All eyes focused on me and Hwarang.

– Who is that? Why is Jin Yuha talking to them?

– I heard they’re a new student.

– What? Jin Yuha is talking to a mere freshman?

– Ugh, so jealous!

– Should I kill them? No, calm down, Jandarkan.

I hear whispers in my ear.

Ah, I really can’t get used to this.

Being watched by the people I used to watch feels so weird.

“Ah, yes? M-me?”

Hwarang, who had been spacing out, suddenly pointed at himself in surprise.

Yes, you.

I nodded.

“…It’s been a while. Is Lee Minyoung inside?”

“Ah, yes, yes! They’re upstairs!”

“Alright, thanks…”

“Oh my god! Jin Yuha just thanked me…”

Seriously, why are you acting like this when we’ve already had meals together?

I held my dizzy head and headed upstairs, feeling drained.

* * *

“Haa… Jin Yuha. You should have just called me over.”

“Sorry, I didn’t expect it to turn out like this either.”

Utopia Branch 2. Top floor.

A woman with short, neatly cut orange hair rubbed her eyes tiredly.

Jeong Do-chung (正道蟲).

Lee Min-young.

The guy who was first accepted as an intern at Utopia.

That’s right.

He was once a passionate advocate for justice, but somehow ended up being ensnared by Shin Se-hee.

This guy is now the actual leader running the sub-party.

The overall leader is Shin Se-hee.

“Is this place always like this?”

“……Well, when you gather people of the same gender together and make them train, eat, and carry out requests every day, it’s inevitable that it starts to smell like a military barracks.”

Even though I asked without a clear subject, Lee Min-young understood perfectly and answered.

Ah.

That makes sense.

As I said, Velvet School Life is a bishoujo game.

So, among the male characters, there weren’t any particularly high-ranking or useful ones, so I didn’t recommend them for the sub-party.

‘So the result of only accepting women is… this.’

It wouldn’t be strange to call it a gender-reversed military.

“Hmm, should I recommend a few male party members…?”

“Don’t do that. If you do, it’ll turn into a real dogfight.”

When I muttered, Lee Min-young replied with a serious face.

“So, what brings you here?”

“Oh, I’m here to take someone from the sub-party.”

Flinch.

Then, Lee Min-young’s face twisted as if she was looking at something disgusting.

“……Trash.”

“What?”

“Oh, no… Are you a piece of trash?”

“Just because you’re using formal language doesn’t make it a nice word, Lee Min-young.”

At that, Lee Min-young snorted.

“What, aren’t the eight people you have now enough?”

“……What do you mean.”

“Sigh, you said you were cursed by the demon or whatever. Was that all a smokescreen? Ha, will one person be enough? Why don’t you take two and make it ten? Or why not take twelve and make it twenty? How many kids are you planning to have? Even if you have just one each, you’ll make a whole guild.”

Suddenly, Lee Min-young started spewing words rapidly.

Taken aback by her hostile reaction, I made a face as if I had realized something.

Ah.

Come to think of it.

Didn’t I say?

That I’m not taking them to Utopia, but recruiting them for the Demon Extermination Squad?

*

“I’m sorry. I made a mistake. No, just kill me. I haven’t been able to sleep at all lately, so my mind has been all over the place.”

Lee Min-young, who had finally grasped the situation, said with her head buried in the desk.

“……No. It can happen. It’s okay.”

I reluctantly accepted her apology.

She looked like a graduate student who had stayed up all night for a week, stressed and exhausted.

“But, you look tired. Are you okay?”

“……It’s just that there are so many people to manage.”

Lee Min-young covered her face with both hands, looking ashamed.

“Hmm, is there a lack of support?”

“No, no. There’s enough support. It’s just that as the organization keeps growing, we need more managers. But it’s hard to find someone who meets Cheonhwa’s standards. Those standards are so strict……”

“Ah……”

Is this the sorrow of a middle manager?

There’s nothing I can do to help with this part.

I couldn’t think of any character I could trust with operational skills rather than combat skills.

I had already entrusted the full authority of the sub-party operation to Shin Se-hee,

and it wouldn’t be right for me to suddenly step in and interfere.

And if I recommended someone and they messed up, I’d just be blamed for nepotism.

“Well, hang in there. I’ll send you some elixirs. At least take those.”

In the end, this was all I could do for her.

“…Yes, thank you. Sniff.”

“Anyway, can you call Hyulmyo? Oh, and also give me an outsider pass.”

“Uh, Hyulmyo? Are you taking that kid? I heard they found people from the rescue request earlier… They should be back by today.”

Then, Lee Min-young added in a worried voice.

“But, Jin Yu-ha. I don’t know if you know, but Hyulmyo is a bit…”

“I know. Skilled but lacks social skills, right? Unique and possibly dangerous too.”

“How did you know?”

“I get most of the cadets’ information through Shin Se-hee.”

He said this to prevent any misunderstandings.

He didn’t want to be accused of being a trash who knows all the female cadets’ information.

“Ah… If you know, that’s a relief.”

Lee Min-young nodded.

It was then.

Beep beep beep beep─!!!!

On Lee Min-young’s desk, a round sphere flashed red rapidly and made a loud noise.

“Wait a minute, Lee Min-young. This… Isn’t this a rescue signal?”

“Yes, yes. That’s right. But…”

Lee Min-young looked up with a bewildered expression.

“This is the mission Hyulmyo was dispatched on today…?”