The viewers tilted their heads in confusion.
The fans of the Wandering Merchant fan club, who had prepared to cause a huge ruckus and catch the mischievous ones who were goofing off instead of watching the live broadcast, were ready to riot. However, instead of causing chaos, they quietly gathered in the virtual audience section.
It is rare to have the chance to watch a battle between awakeners, where they fight against each other in real life. Even if a battle takes place, the battle data is usually tightly protected by guilds, and external sharing is strictly prohibited. Even in the case of individual battles without guild affiliation, most people try their best to hide their identity, as revealing one’s awakening ability could lead to becoming a target of awakened criminal activity. Still, the martial arts competition participants did not hide and freely gathered in the camera view of the tournament hall. The Silent Swordmaster did not conceal their presence either.
A raw, unfiltered broadcast.
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It was no surprise that the martial arts competition was more interesting than expected. However, behind that entertainment, there was also the unseen effort of one person silently sacrificing themselves.
"Ha. Why can’t this guy just say something if he’s going to cause trouble? What kind of tournament does he create, causing such a mess?"
Seo Hye, who had thrown away her protein bar she was nibbling on to manage the viewer’s section, glared at the viewers sitting in the audience, pretending to be oblivious.
"If you start a riot today, you’ll get whipped right away. You really think you can mess around in a live broadcast with King Half-Beast watching? You think you're not going to get hurt, huh? Got it?"
The reactions of the viewers, who were dizzy with confusion, were typical for a first-time experience. No matter how unpleasant something is, after doing it often enough, one develops a tolerance and gets used to it. On her first day as a manager, she would have been embarrassed and banning chat messages like crazy. But now, she casually dealt with the playful attention and comments with a composed demeanor.
"Heh... I’m really going to die...”
Seo Hye, with the deep wounds of her broken heart, could now calmly ignore any prank, but the emotional wall she built had long since crumbled. The return of Kim Je-cheol was as strong and cool as ever. His fluttering robe, the sword trail slicing through the air, and his handsome face that attracted a cloud of female fans—everything was perfect.
‘This is strange.’
Despite confirming with her own eyes that everything had not changed, something inside her heart was not racing like it used to.
‘Has my heart grown cold?’
The shock of being dumped last time had been big.
"Prefer a sword over a woman."
"Dislike a woman who’s not proper."
"A woman who doesn't look good in a hanbok is a no-go."
Kim Je-cheol, who had pushed her away with all kinds of excuses.
Even when it made her laugh absurdly back then, she would always pick herself up and try again.
She tried things like braiding her hair for the first time, buying a variety of traditional hanboks like a hanbok collector, and filling her closet with them.
She watched historical dramas, something she never thought she’d do in her life.
She researched old-fashioned speech to match the hanbok.
Kim Je-cheol, who had run away because the Queen Mother speech sounded too domineering.
And finally, after getting depressed, she locked herself up at home, watching a historical drama and deleting her account before it ended due to the pain in her chest.
‘It’s not that my feelings have cooled.’
She knew that now.
It wasn’t that she hated Kim Je-cheol.
The only difference from back then was one thing.
‘A much bigger feeling has emerged.’
The Silent Swordmaster.
A woman who was so superior in every way, even if Kim Je-cheol liked her, it would be understandable.
A woman with tremendous skill, a unique personality, and an atmosphere that perfectly suited traditional clothing.
‘How did I end up like this when I hated her so much at first?’
What was so great about the Silent Swordmaster’s approval?
Before long, she found herself trying to get her to praise her, even if it wasn’t by flirtation.
Her once sharp personality had softened,
Her once fierce energy had calmed,
The shy, introverted side of her that had been hidden behind her aggressive demeanor began to show.
‘This is still not me, not the usual me.’
The time when she had tried to become Kim Je-cheol’s woman.
The time when she had tried to become the Silent Swordmaster’s woman.
The two versions of her were similar but different.
There was a crucial difference between the two.
When she wanted to fit Kim Je-cheol’s image,
She pretended to be someone she was not.
She tried to become the kind of woman he liked, matching his preferences.
But when she wanted to earn the Silent Swordmaster’s approval,
She brought out her true feelings.
She showed her jealous, possessive nature,
Revealing her hidden shyness.
Even though the Silent Swordmaster, who had learned the whip technique from Seo Hye, used it to drain her of all her sweetness and end the collaboration,
Since that day, Seo Hye had gained newfound confidence in her whip skills.
She became proud of herself.
Rather than the burden of feeling like she had to change,
Rather than the wound of thinking she couldn’t be loved as her true self,
She had been recognized as she was, even by a woman more capable than her.
Even by that incredible Silent Swordmaster.
She had been accepted as she was, and now she could become a better person.
It was a valuable experience that filled her self-esteem.
‘Is it because I’ve been working as a manager and whipping worse offenders?’
She didn’t realize it, but thanks to her manager role, she was becoming more involved with the Silent Swordmaster.
That’s why she was more serious about the Silent Swordmaster’s broadcast than anyone else.
So today, she was determined to make sure these troublesome viewers didn’t cause any more trouble.
“Anyone who didn’t even know the Silent Swordmaster’s name is not even worth breathing!!!”
“I’m trash, I deserve to die!!!”
The fool who thought the Silent Swordmaster’s real name was Mu Geon and kept going on about the Mu family.
<Whip Simulator Shelf Destroyer donated 10,000 won!>
Manager, hang in there! I’ll skip the bus and walk this month, so I can use this money for you!
“Don’t give me such pocket change! I’m at least a C-class awakener, not just a regular office worker, you know?”
She refunded the donations from the newly arrived viewers. Seo Hye manipulated the settings.
“Hold on a sec, you guys.”
Seo Hye, who had briefly left, returned.
With someone familiar to the viewers.
“Manager, why did you bring me along?”
“There’s someone I need to deal with.”
“Why me though...?”
“Take care of these guys for me while I’m gone.”
“Okay?”
[AyounghasJumpingRabbitLikesYou has been granted chat manager rights.]
“Whip them while I’m gone.”
Passing the whip to Ayoung, Seo Hye logged out.
“Why are you leaving like this, manager?!!”
With the login-out effect, Seo Hye vanished, and Ayoung stood there with the whip in hand, dazed.
“I need to train, though...”
“Is this how it’s done...?”
Unlike Seo Hye, who started with a 10-minute block, Ayoung began with a 3-day block from the start.
An unofficial second manager was born to follow in Seo Hye's footsteps.