CHAPTER 346: 345

Upon returning from the unofficial meeting, I spent some time with my party members before heading to the training grounds alone.

After completing an intense training session that pushed my body to its limits, I took a break. While cooling off, I retrieved a jet-black book from the subspace tattoo on my arm.

"Hmmm, who should I give this skill book to?"

The skill book, obtained during the recent Demon Realm Gate incident, was one belonging to demons:

"Elemental Qi Projectiles"

It was originally designed for large-scale group combat.

’Still, I don’t think this would suit Ichika very well.’

Using it would allow one to shoot attribute-infused projectiles in a barrage. But having Ichika fire shadow projectiles? That seemed counterproductive. She could summon shadows to fight, allowing for much more active combat.

’And giving it to Shin Se-hee doesn’t seem right either. She’s been diligently preparing for her role as commander by upgrading the drone camera’s voice function recently.’

Attributes... attributes...

As I mulled over the matter, I felt a familiar presence behind me.

"Disciple."

It was my teacher.

"Oh? Master? You’re here without notice..."

"I was called by the chairman and just finished meeting with her."

"Ah, so they contacted you about handling those people as well."

"...Yes, the chairman has been talking about you more frequently these days." "Huh? Oh, really?"

Well, that was natural. After all, I was the one who spearheaded handling the recent issues.

I nodded absentmindedly.

"Yes, ’recently,’ the chairman has been talking about you ’a lot.’"

But my master repeated the same phrase, as if dissatisfied with my initial response.

"..."

For some reason, Master’s gaze bore into me. It felt heavy.

Gulp.

I swallowed dryly, a strange chill running down my spine.

What was this? It felt like I’d done something wrong, even though I hadn’t.

"...M-Master?"

Master clicked her tongue softly, then shifted back to the original topic.

"Anyway, I came to address those scum, but there’s more to it." "More?"

"Yes, with those vermin dealt with, our budget has increased."

"Our? Oh, you mean the Demon Slayer Squad."

"Exactly. We’ll now be able to recruit new members." "Oh, that’s great!"

I responded enthusiastically. It truly was good news.

I’d always thought the Demon Slayer Squad was severely understaffed, given the scope of their responsibilities.

Their primary mission involved identifying and eliminating demons hidden around the world. But with only about 20 members covering the entire globe, it was a nearly impossible task. If someone got injured during a mission, the situation became even more dire.

’That’s why Master has always personally stepped in, even though she’s way past the point where she should be taking on such fieldwork herself.’

Last year, they managed to keep the demons suppressed, allowing for twice-weekly swordsmanship classes. But this year, I hadn’t had a proper class yet.

’Well, dealing with those who wronged Lina led to this, huh?’

After plugging all the financial leaks, there was now some breathing room in the budget.

"Hmm, so on that note, I have a request for you."

"A request?"

"Yes, we’re planning to recruit three new members. Two are already chosen from candidates

I’ve observed for a while, but one position remains open."

"Could it be...?"

"Exactly. Is there anyone you know who could be a good fit for the Demon Slayer Squad?"

Oh. Being asked to scout for new members for the Demon Slayer Squad? That was new.

"So, you’re saying I can recommend someone I know to join the squad?"

I took the request seriously and began contemplating.

"Hmm, a squad member... Ideally, they’d need strong anti-personnel combat skills, stealth, and mobility."

With those criteria in mind, a few names came to me.

About ten candidates or so.

As I sifted through potential candidates in my mind, my master spoke again.

"I should warn you, though. The requirements for joining the squad are strict. It’s not just about enduring grueling training or having combat prowess and mobility."

"Oh, really? Then what’s the main criterion?"

"Hatred."

"...Hatred?"

"Yes. They must have experienced direct harm from demons or lost a loved one—or someone equivalent to family—to demons." "Ah..."

Right, Master himself lost her sense of taste to a demon.

Back then, they weren’t called demons but villains.

"Without a deep-seated hatred for demons, one cannot become a squad member. The job offers no money, no fame, not even a semblance of normal life."

The squad operates entirely in the shadows. A member’s identity must remain hidden from demons, necessitating a life shrouded in secrecy. Only someone driven by unyielding hatred could endure such a lifestyle.

Master, of course, was an exception. Since any demon capable of threatening her would require Lina’s intervention, she could operate openly.

"Hmmm, that narrows things down more than I thought."

With that clarification, I eliminated several potential candidates from my list. Only one name remained.

"Well... There’s one person who might fit the bill."

Master raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised. It seemed she hadn’t expected much.

"Are you busy right now, Master?"

"Not particularly, no."

"Then would you mind coming with me somewhere for a bit?"

Linking arms with my puzzled Master, I led her toward the academy district.

"Velvet School Life!" is a beautiful girl gacha game.

That means the party members I’m currently traveling with in my fixed party are:

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

Additionally, there are almost 100 other characters that can be added to or removed from the party.

The strategy usually involves changing the character combinations for each battle depending on the attributes of the enemies, terrain, or tactics.

This is generally how the game is typically played.

However, I have been maintaining a single, fixed party.

’Of course, it’s an odd combination with two members added to the usual six-person setup...’

But still, a single party is a single party.

The reasons I haven’t added more party members so far are clear.

The first reason: emotions.

’When it was just a game, I could switch out party members with a click without a second thought. But that’s not the case now.’

Replacing someone without injury, simply because the strategy changes and a new person takes their spot?

Internal discord within the party would be inevitable.

Of course, this method has its advantages too.

Each member would compete for their turn, strive to grow stronger, and thereby achieve overall growth for the party.

It would be great if things worked out that smoothly, but reality isn’t that simple.

Certain characters inevitably get chosen more frequently, while others are left out. This creates subtle tensions and awkwardness among party members, based on how often they’re deployed.

’Since I’m a party member myself, not just their sponsor, these issues stand out even more.’

Besides, I really don’t want to see my party members getting into unnecessary emotional conflicts.

Anyway, that’s the emotional reason.

The second reason is more practical.

The issue of limited resources.

If this were a world where strengthening characters was possible through in-game purchases, or if daily gacha rolls were provided as a baseline,

I might have seriously considered adding more members and running a stable Utopia-like system.

But in this world, that wasn’t an option.

Here, you have to earn everything yourself—by working hard, using vending machines, or farming monsters and demons.

Thus, making choices and focusing on them is essential.

’Well-trained individuals are better than a hundred mediocre ones.’

Yes, for these reasons, I persist in my inefficient single-party setup.

Still, it’s a bit of a shame.

Every character released in Velvet School Life is strong in their own way.

Based on their full potential, there are many who could rival my current party members.

That’s why I made a request to Shin Se-hee to establish the Utopia Sub-Party!

I organized a sub-party composed of characters released in the game.

Although I don’t involve myself directly, it’s likely not a bad deal for them either.

The way our sub-party operates is entirely different from the support offered by other parties or guilds.

’Not rentals but provisioned artifacts, top-notch personal training facilities, high commission completion rates, and personalized welfare services.’

Of course, spending so lavishly led to astronomical expenses every month, and Shin Se-hee’s constant skeptical stares questioning whether this was sustainable were a bit painful... Still, I heard we’re finally nearing profitability.

A building that’s more like a guild than a party, standing proudly in a prime location in the academy district.

"This is..."

"Yes, this is Utopia’s 2nd branch, Master."

My teacher and I stood in front of Utopia’s 2nd branch.

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