This World is too Cruel to Men – Chapter 600

[Yoonseo’s Perspective]

“Fuuuu…”

I sat down and took several deep breaths.

I wanted to maintain a calm demeanor, but there was no way I could do that at this moment.

After all, I had never even imagined that it would be this way when I expressed my intention to participate through my sister.

Honestly, I never dreamed it would be accepted so readily.

To be honest, it made sense that it had to be like this; considering the situation.

So even if I was to join the expedition team, I thought it would only be after I adequately proved my abilities.

I was preparing for that, thinking it might take time and effort, but I never expected to be accepted all at once without any procedure like this.

It was indeed me who said I wanted to join first, but at this point, I couldn’t help but wonder what the thoughts of the World Hero Association were.

Miss Almighty could be considered the backbone and core of the expedition team, but looking at the people who were supposed to join the expedition, they were all so dazzling that it left my mouth hanging open. How could I possibly be treated as equal with such people?

Even after thinking it over and over, I couldn’t understand why I was being considered the same as them, right?

I couldn’t help but feel anxious.

Especially now, just before the first meeting with those joining the expedition.

Even though there were still nearly three hours left before the meeting started, I was already here in the meeting room.

The reason was simply that I thought staying at home wouldn’t calm my nerves anyway. I figured getting here early and familiarizing myself with the place might help shake off my anxiety a little.

So, I had deliberately arrived early… But to cut to the chase, it seemed my efforts hadn’t been very effective.

If it had actually worked, my heart wouldn’t be pounding like this right now.

But what could I do?

I’d already come here.

I felt sorry for the staff busy preparing to welcome guests, but it seemed I had no choice but to spend my time here until the meeting started.

I forced myself to avoid the careful glances that flew in from all directions, focusing my gaze on the mobile phone I was holding.

With my eyes fixated on my phone, I began to skim through the personal information of those whose participation in the expedition was practically confirmed.

Of course, although it was called personal information, none of it was confidential; all of it was readily available on the internet with just a quick search. But hey, it didn’t hurt to be prepared, right?

Considering that I’d be working alongside them for a while?

It would definitely be useful to gather some information about them in advance.

Honestly, there was no other way around it, as the so-called heroes—the ones whose names were widely recognized worldwide—were all bursting with egos.

Even the slightest trivial matters that seemed insignificant to others could become a sore spot for them, so it was definitely wise to discern these beforehand.

I was rummaging through the information I found online and stuffing my head with the most credible-sounding details…

Among the twenty heroes who were set to join the expedition, was there someone else who had similar thoughts to mine?

Just as I was contemplating, the already bustling atmosphere around me shifted into an even more frenzied one.

Before long, the meeting room door opened, and one of those I had gathered some internal familiarity with through photos stepped inside.

The first thing that caught my eye was her extremely pale platinum blonde hair.

And with that alone, I had no trouble identifying her.

After all, among the heroes joining this expedition, there was only one owner of such platinum locks.

She was from Norway, and due to her unique background as the first heir to the Norwegian royal family, the title “Princess” was included both in her personal titles and call signs. The hero known as ‘Princess Royal.’

That was the identity of the second hero to step into the meeting room.

“…Hmm?”

Upon glancing my way, her very light-colored eyebrows lifted slightly, as if she hadn’t expected anyone to be here before her.

From the reaction she just displayed, it seemed she intended to emphasize her sincerity in this expedition by being one of the first to arrive…

It was unfortunate for her, though, as that position had already long been claimed by me.

Was it perhaps because of that?

Her platinum eyebrows twitched again, expressing her discomfort, but that was all there was to it.

To be frank, she had no real reason to complain since I was merely here early, which was all it was.

If we were somewhat acquainted, it might have been different, but in a situation where there was barely any familiarity, it felt awkward to question another person’s early arrival.

Of course, if she were someone who didn’t care about what others thought, she might have spoken up regardless, but…

Perhaps due to her position as Norway’s hero and first royal heir, it impacted her behavior.

Even if she didn’t achieve her intended image of diligence by arriving first, she might have figured she could make up for it during the actual operation.

It was likely that she was slightly miffed that I had taken the position she had aimed for, but given we had made eye contact, it felt a bit off to ignore me completely.

Therefore, with just a gentle nod of acknowledgment, the girl moved to occupy one of the vacant seats.

And as soon as she filled one of those empty seats, it was as if that signaled a cue, and the others designated to join the expedition began to appear one by one.

Each and every person entering the meeting room was dazzling enough that I could physically feel the tension in the air rise with each newcomer.

Among them, the most stunning scene was that of the hero who had come from the Arab Federation.

While from the perspective of succession, it was indeed the ‘Princess Royal’ of Norway, the first heir that seemed overwhelmingly prominent, this Arab prince had no need to be cautious.

Her presence, dubbed ‘Princess,’ emerged accompanied by a long line of male attendants, all strikingly handsome, creating a different kind of hush as they entered compared to those who came before.

With the handsome entourage in tow, the atmosphere shifted entirely.

“As if, though, Dogun is a hundred times more handsome.”

I absolutely wasn’t being biased.

It was just an objective truth.

Therefore, no matter what happened, I thought to myself that I absolutely couldn’t let that Arab princess discover Dogun’s existence.

For if that woman, who clearly had a knack for men, found out about Dogun, she’d undoubtedly try to pursue him in some way.

Of course, Dogun would never fall for such tricks…

But I just didn’t want to witness that at all.

Thus, I was in the midst of jotting down the name “Arab Princess” in the list of targets to keep an eye on.

As I noticed the number of remaining empty seats dwindling, it seemed it was finally the lady’s turn.

A familiar click of high heels resonated through the meeting room entrance, feeling oddly reminiscent.