The press within the Free City of Lindel couldn’t be called the press. At least, that was the conclusion that Jung Ha-Yan came up with. There were a lot of people that wanted to write and everyone that lived in a democratic country wanted freedom of the press. But the social system was already set in Lindel, so the press couldn’t just write articles they wanted.
‘Because it’s scary.’
Armed forces basically ruled this continent. Seeing a few people die was normal and everyone knew the price they would have to pay if they went against large guilds. I was sure that the press was very cautious about writing even one article. Not only was going against those with power not allowed, but whenever they had to write an article about a murder case, they had to think about it a lot because the crazy murderer could read the article and attack the press clan.
When I first laid my eyes on the newspapers being sold in Lindel, I was confused. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that there wasn’t anything that could be considered as an article. The majority of them were announcements about various things and there was even an article about what the head of a large guild ate for breakfast. I was sure that they were ashamed because they were writing things like these instead of actual news. But of course, the need for money and selfishness would always trump shame. In addition, they knew how things worked around here.
They were the type of press that was often called garbage, but the city needed people who could follow the times. Honestly, their backgrounds weren’t that bad. It was different from the Lindel that I heard of a long time ago because the city’s system was close to completion in their setup. Back then, people said that hunting was the only way to make a living, but it was different now.
People with money enjoyed the city’s culture and there were many guilds that invested in restaurants and theaters. The large and mid-sized guilds were now in a situation where they had to watch the public’s reaction, so they could be considered fortunate in some ways. If I had been summoned here when Lindel was just being built, I would find it hard to even think about this.
People were generally interested in hearing stories about other people and simply put, there had to be something to relieve people of their boredom. Thinking about the number of people inside, I came to the realization that many people agreed with my idea. No, people would gather here naturally because this was their bread and butter.
“Oppa, I think most of them are here,” Jung Ha-Yan said.
“Oh yeah?” I asked.
“Yes, there are a few people missing, though… what should I do?” she asked.
“Let them be. If this works out, then they’ll follow. More than that, thanks a lot, Ha-Yan,” I said.
“I-It was nothing,” she said.
“I’ll be sure to reward you once this is over,” I told her.
“Okay!”
It was thanks to Jung Ha-Yan’s help that I was able to achieve this much in a short period of time.
When I entered the room after lightly kissing her lips, I noticed the people that gathered. Before I walked in, I was sure that it was noisy in here, but seeing them quiet down a bit was amusing. It was probably because they were trying to read my face, but I couldn’t make it obvious that I noticed what they were trying to do. I slightly smiled and greeted them.
“Nice to meet you,” I said.
“Oh… nice to meet you.”
“I’m Kim Sung-Kyeong of the Lindel Daily Report,” he said.
“It’s really nice to meet you. My name is Lee Ki-Young from the Blue Guild.”
They seemed more interested in how much they were going to get paid rather than the reason they were called here. It was understandable since this was the only way they could make money in Lindel.
I greeted everyone and when a decent meal was served, I noticed their faces brightening up. I could go straight into the point, but spending time like this was important as well.
“I’m sure it’s obvious, but the reason why I called you all here is that I would like for you to write a small article for me,” I said.
“That’s what we expected. Hahaha. Of course we’ll write about it since the Blue Guild’s value is at its highest recently. We’re glad that we can actually promote the guild,” someone said.
‘Promote my ass.’
Even if they wrote an article, it wasn’t effective when it came to promotions since the articles they wrote didn’t have even the tiniest bit of influence.
“I heard that you managed to complete the tutorial dungeon at record time with only four people and have successfully completed the Garden of Horror dungeon control expedition as well. We’ll be able to write a nice article about it,” another one said.
Of course, the news wasn’t really a good source of information since the people already knew which parties controlled which dungeons without having to read an article. To be honest, it would be more effective if the guild promoted itself.
“Hahaha. If you tell us how we should write the article, we’ll do our best to fulfill it.”
The reporters that were saying things like that were the ones that were currently leading the press of Lindel. Of course, I liked what they said because those words were exactly what I wanted to hear from them.
“To be honest, the article that I would like for all of you to write is different from what you’re thinking,” I said.
“Excuse me?”
“I would like for you to write an article about Jung Yoo-Ra from the Black Swan Guild. The article will be about…” I told them.
I started explaining the content of the article very slowly and I didn’t add anything or exaggerate anything either. All I did was explain everything that happened in the dungeon, but the faces of the reporters in front of me started to turn serious. Their reaction was what I expected. Even though they didn’t say it, I had an idea what they were thinking.
‘I don’t want to commit suicide.’
Or…
‘I want to live longer.’
These were probably what they were thinking.
“It doesn’t matter if you write exactly what I told you or not. I’ll leave it up to you if you want to exaggerate it a bit. Personally, I’d appreciate it if you could write a provocative article since the public enjoys articles with provocative content. Of course, I’ll pay you handsomely with gold,” I explained.
“...”
“...”
I knew that the hall would become quiet since this was the reaction I expected from them.
“Well, I think that’ll be difficult to do…” someone said.
“Excuse me?” I asked.
“I don’t think I’ll be able to write an article like that. I kind of have an idea as to what is your intention in wanting us to write this article, but… the content is a bit…”
“I’m not asking you to write an article about the Black Swan Guild. I want you to focus on Jung Yoo-Ra more than the guild…” I explained
“But still…”
The way they looked at each other was a sight to see. They started to avoid answering me and some of them might even be thinking right now that being here was uncomfortable. If I wasn’t Lee Ki-Young of the Blue Guild, then a few people would have yelled at me already, and maybe they would have already mocked my request by saying that it was ridiculous before stomping out in fury.
“I know what you’re all worried about,” I said.
“Huh?”
“Your safety. I know you’re scared of any possible retaliation, but you don’t have to worry about that. I’m not telling you this without a plan in mind. Rather than saying that this was what I want…”
“It’s what Miss Cha Hee-Ra wants,” I said.
Of course, I lied.
“If you’re scared despite that, then I can understand that too because I’m sure you’re afraid of not only the Black Swan Guild, but Jung Yoo-Ra’s personal retaliation. Even if the Mercenary Queen will protect you, I know that it’s still not an easy decision to make,” I added.
“...”
“But if you have decided to write an article, it’ll be written with your real name,” I said.
“Oh…”
“I’m sure some of you are considering the impact that the article will have once it comes out and no matter what, writing an article that criticizes a large guild will create a large impact. People will start to become curious as to how this even happened in the first place. The sales will increase to the point that it can’t be compared to the previous sales figures and all of you will receive just as much gold as I’ll pay you for the article,” I said.
“Gold isn’t the…”
“The more people read your article, the safer all of you will be. The more you sell articles or columns that have your name on them, the more influential all of you will be,” I told them.
Some of them started to understand the ramifications and it was expected because they also worked as reporters back on earth.
“Just because they’re a powerful guild doesn’t mean that they don’t care about the public’s opinion. Large guilds consider the public’s eyes as important because they can’t just act on their own accord considering how many things they need to protect. The social system in Lindel has already been set somewhat. The era of simply hunting and going into dungeons to earn money has passed,” I explained.
They looked as if they understood, but they didn’t seem like they were willing to do it.
“Even if that’s true, I still feel a bit anxious. No, being in this place is actually very uncomfortable,” someone said.
“The Red Mercenary Guild is supporting all of you so there’s no reason to be scared. Miss Cha Hee-Ra has also considered the ramifications of this matter and has made a decision,” I said.
“But writing an article with our real name is…”
“That’s the important part. If something happens to you, the Black Swan Guild will have a hard time avoiding the criticism. Yes, it’ll be difficult,” I said.
I noticed that the reporters were becoming slightly anxious. I could understand it because they had to be worried about the smallest things considering the positions they would have to take. Even if the Red Mercenary Guild had their backs, writing an article against a large guild was still a scary endeavor.
After releasing a light sigh, I continued. “Why do you think the media outlets in Lindel haven't been able to work actively all this time?”
“Because of… retaliation…” someone answered.
“Yes, I’m sure you were afraid of the retaliation and that’s why all of you have been writing articles that were below the standards. Of course, I’m not criticizing or insulting the work you’ve done up until now since you had no choice but to write them. I understand that Lindel is a place that’s controlled by people with power, so it’s not easy to write the articles that you want,” I said.
“Yes.”
“But that’s not the answer.”
“Excuse me?”
“Since the continent is a place controlled by the strong, many media outlets aren’t able to do their jobs properly, so that isn’t the answer. It’s not even a good excuse,” I said.
“...”
“The biggest problem is that all of you haven’t decided on a stance and I’m sure that the people that worked as reporters back on Earth know what I’m saying. The fact that the media outlets haven’t properly decided on a stance is the most important. Which side are you going to stand on? Which side are you going to take? If I were to compare it to politics, it’s like asking if you are going to side with the ruling party or the opposition. The work of the media outlet provides a lot of strength in situations like this,” I explained.
“Are you asking us to side with the Blue Guild and the Red Mercenary Guild?” someone asked.
“Yes, of course. You just need to write the articles that we need. Media outlets will never be completely free, but you can be half free. Just half. All you have to do is criticize the Blue Guild and the Red Mercenary Guild’s enemies, advocate for us and make the public’s opinion move according to our will. You won’t be at a disadvantage if you decide to stand on the other side either. If you choose to side with the Black Swan Guild or if you’re given the opportunity to change your stance to a different guild, then you can go to them. Of course, your life may be threatened, and receiving outside pressure will become a daily thing, but that applies to everyone living in Lindel. People that have to enter a dungeon or stand on the front lines all put their lives on the line,” I said.
“Oh…”
“The more you’re threatened, the better your reward will be,” I added.
“That’s…”
“Gold,” I said.
“...”
“And.”
“...”
“Power.”
Of course, it wasn’t that they would really have real power, but I could make them think that. When I saw them nod with a blank stare, I bowed again and spoke. “Thank you very much for joining me.”
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