‘I-I’m the superior here!’

Yeah, it had always been said that in China, the culture of valuing face was deeply ingrained. No one knew exactly when it started or why, but there existed a culture where people were extremely conscious of how they were perceived by others.

There was even a saying that if one preserved someone else's face, they would become one's friend. If one damaged someone else's face, then they became one's enemy.

I even heard that there was a tendency to value face more than one’s own life, so this concept of face, mianzi, was clearly an incredibly important element for Chinese people. Naturally, this mianzi culture also influenced how they treated their guests.

If a host failed to properly entertain their guest, it would be considered a loss of face. To prevent that from happening, they would serve meals lavish enough to nearly break the table, and they would even send guests home with gifts.

Guests, in turn, were expected to leave some food behind to show that they were being treated properly. To exaggerate a bit, it wouldn’t be wrong to say that Chinese relationships begin with face and end with face.

Of course, I couldn’t be sure whether these customs still remained in this day and age, but even if that wasn’t the case for others, there was a high chance that Commander Jin was deeply attached to it.

After all, wasn’t the thing he valued most honor? Face probably wasn’t much different. The ridiculously large diamond necklace he gifted to Aina Penelotti... could it have been for the sake of his own face as well?

Perhaps he started a war because his pride was shattered after being rejected. In truth, there was no need to speculate whether Commander Jin valued face. His behavior right in front of me was proof enough.

‘The tea... isn’t going down at all...’

The tea I was drinking wasn’t decreasing at all. I had been gulping it down repeatedly to cover the awkwardness, but strangely enough, it wasn’t going down in the slightest. This, too, was probably another important aspect of treating a guest. Perhaps letting a guest’s cup go empty was considered rude, so it was being constantly refilled.

“...”

“...”

I took another look at my surroundings.

‘This... is way too soft.’

This wasn’t just a simple reception room. Everything was top-tier. It was so comfortable that it was hard to believe something like this existed inside a building near the borders. Now that I thought about it, I felt something different even before I entered the building. I remembered the red carpet outside.

At the time, I thought it had simply been prepared for the Saint of Sacrifice and Revival, but it clearly extended deep into the building where the public couldn’t even see it anymore. It didn’t take long for me to realize that it hadn’t been prepared for a distinguished guest of the Sacred Democratic Country. It was prepared just for me.

‘Isn’t this... a bit too much...?’

That wasn’t all...

‘He even said he’d cover all the expenses, and he told me to ask for anything I needed. He basically said he’d do anything for me.’

Those words had definitely come from his mouth. Normally, he would never say something like that. It was something I couldn’t have even dreamed of before becoming a guest of Commander Jin. It felt like I could finally understand why he had never once invited me to even a simple meal.

He didn’t react much to just being together or sharing the same space, but the moment he recognized someone as a guest, his attitude changed completely.

He was well aware of that himself. The mianzi culture ingrained in his very genes was clearly rearing its head. Right, this was someone who even sent an invitation to me. Having grown up in a place where ordering excessive amounts of food and leaving it behind was considered a virtue, he probably believed that the more extravagant the treatment was, the more it elevated his face.

‘I-I’m here right now as Commander Jin’s guest...’

What an awe-inspiring phrase... A guest of Commander Jin. A guest of that Jin who looked down on everyone as if they were monkeys. Naturally, I subtly gulped down the remaining tea.

“...”

“...”

Seeing that my cup was empty, Commander Jin poured more tea into it.

‘This is real. It’s not a dream. This is reality.’

There were all kinds of snacks to go along with the tea. The sofa was so comfortable that it could put me to sleep. The air, the humidity, and the temperature were perfect.

Once I eased the tension and looked around, I realized that there couldn’t possibly be a more comfortable environment than this place.

I could confidently say that there wasn’t even a speck of fine dust in this reception room. I glanced at the top of the chair, but as expected, there wasn’t a trace of dust. I was certain that this place was the cleanest spot on the entire continent.

‘You could probably perform surgery here.’

It felt as if everything was sterilized. The level of hygiene was so satisfying that I felt like I could doze off at any moment.

“Cough... cough...”

When I coughed briefly while drinking tea, I could feel his attention snap toward me.

He was worried about me. Jin Cheong, of all people.

“Are you... uncomfortable anywhere?” Commander Jin asked.

“Not at all. How could I be uncomfortable in a place like this?” I answered.

“...”

“...”

“That’s... good...” he mumbled.

“The reception room is incredibly comfortable, and the tea is delicious, too. It tastes like the kind of tea I usually enjoy...” I commented.

“...”

“It really feels like I’m being treated as an honored guest,” I added.

“...”

“...”

‘This bastard... Is he feeling a bit relieved now?’

For now, it seemed like he was satisfied with my response. No, more than that, it looked like he was just relieved that nothing had gone wrong. Even though it was humiliating for him to go all out to entertain me, he seemed reassured that his face was being preserved.

Naturally, I became even more certain of my thoughts.

Since I expressed that I was being properly treated, raising his face, that kind of reaction from him was only natural. However, his smile was still stiff. He was clearly experiencing cognitive dissonance. 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

“I really want to go see your estate soon, Commander. It’s kind of a shame I have to wait three days,” I said.

“We could head there immediately if, but the preparations aren’t finished yet, which is unfortunate. If you make your way slowly toward the capital and look around along the way, you should get there on time. Since you’re already in the Republic, I would also recommend taking in the Three Scenic Views,” Commander Jin suggested.

“Ah, right, I heard about those,” I said.

“Yeah.”

“I’m assuming it’s like Mirror Lake in the Democratic Country. The schedule might be a bit tight, but it’d be nice to check them out while I’m here. Oh, and I wanted to visit this place, too,” I told him.

“I’ll send word ahead,” he said.

“And here!” I added.

“I’ll inform them in advance,” he said.

“And here, too!” I pointed.

“I’ll... I’ll... inform them... in advance,” he muttered.

“You’re really going to cover my travel expenses? You don’t have to go that far,” I said.

“You came to the Republic... as my guest, so it’s only natural,” he said.

“Ah, so it’s only natural. But don’t you have some kind of token or something? I mean, the whole continent already knows I’m your guest, but you must have made some sort of token, right?” I asked.

With a slightly twisted face, he handed me a round jade plaque.

‘What’s this? Damn, he really has one? I feel like this guy should’ve been dropped into some martial arts novel.’

“I was... planning to give it to you anyway,” he muttered.

Inside the plaque, three dragons were engraved. These dragons weren't the kind of creature they call dragons here, but the traditional Eastern kind. Was this proof that I had become the guest of Commander Jin, something that happened only once throughout the Republic’s history?

“With this... can I do anything in the Republic?” I asked.

“It’s merely a token,” he answered.

“No welcome gift or anything?” I asked.

“...”

“Will you have dinner with me tonight?” I asked.

“...”

“By the way, where am I staying until I go to your estate? I’m kind of sensitive about where I sleep, so there’s a separate room for me, right? It’s clean, too, right? Spacious?” I asked.

“...”

“Oops! I accidentally spilled some tea. Could you wipe it up?” I requested.

“...”

“Commander! Commander!”

“...”

Right then, I realized that I was probably getting a bit too carried away.

‘No, this isn’t right...’

Wasn’t I here to boost his morale? I just needed to be treated appropriately and preserve his face. Upon my return, everything would be over.

‘But damn, it’s hard to hold back.’

It felt like my patience was being tested.

‘I have to hold it in... I really have to...’

It felt like some strange emotion was slowly rising up and taking over my mind. Just looking at his face made it impossible to hold back. Even as I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself, I realized that I just couldn't hold back.

I had to change the subject, or I'd lose control altogether.

“Ah... first, I think we should discuss this situation. This, right now. Things have clearly gotten way bigger than expected... but we need to reach some kind of agreement, don’t we?” I suggested.

“I’m thinking we conclude it with a joint declaration,” Commander Jin said.

“Will that really be enough?” I asked.

“...”

“Don’t you see the chaos with the peace concert right now? That won’t be enough. I’m entering and leaving your estate, Commander. If we wrap it up with a single declaration, people are going to start talking. You invited me to your estate, and I even crossed the Republic’s border barefoot, and all we do is release some abstract statement?

"It’s going to feel like both sides just roughly patched things together behind the scenes. There needs to be something visible. That’s how you satisfy the public,” I explained.

“There are stages to everything. Too much change at once will only bring confusion,” he said, pointing out something crucial.

“Why are you being so conservative?” I questioned.

“Conservative? This isn’t about progress or conservatism, it’s about method. You fool. Do you really think I don’t understand that change is necessary? I’m not trying to deny the spirit of the times. I’m talking about the pace here,” he said, clarifying things.

‘This bastard. Seriously.’

“The intentions of those idiots gathering at the border are not the intentions of the Republic or the Democratic Country. Even after seeing Oscar and Pope Basel send a 20,000-strong peace delegation to the Republic, you're still saying that?

"The people of this continent are far more closed-minded than you think. There are groups that don’t welcome the current situation, and we'll definitely experience some side effects caused by their reaction. Even those idiots gathered at the border are no exception,” he continued.

“The moment you start nitpicking every little variable, things just stagnate,” I commented.

“The Republic and the Democratic Country are already facing significant changes. Stagnation isn’t the right word here. And throwing down a move without considering the variables is no different from gambling. To use your words, you have to consider everything,” he said.

“But you like gambling, Commander,” I commented.

“How absurd. Is that all you have to say?” he questioned.

‘He’s seriously irritating.’

That expression of his, like there was no correct answer other than his own, was enough to make anyone feel angry.

“...”

“...”

“I think I’ll get going now,” I said.

“...”

“I’ll see you off.”

‘I knew he’d say that.’

“No, it’s fine. We told everyone that we're having a meeting, so I’ll just take a stroll in the garden out front and head out. You don’t have to come,” I told him.

“No, I’ll see you off,” he said.

‘Yeah, figured you’d insist.’

Of course, he would see me off, as it was about saving face. We headed outside right away. The building was completely empty, and there wasn't even an ant in sight, but as soon as we stepped out, I saw the beautiful, expansive garden we passed by earlier.

It was the very place we mentioned as the location of our meeting.

After circling through the garden and stepping outside, I saw a massive crowd in the distance. It was clearly under control, but their gazes were definitely on us. I could guarantee that high-performance cameras were pointed in our direction at this moment, and it was time to squeeze out the emotions I had been building up this whole time.

“???" Commander Jin was staring at me as if I had gone completely insane.