Season 3: Chapter 324. Next (1)
"Ahem."
The door to the meeting room creaked open, and someone entered with a deliberately exaggerated cough. It was Choi Sa-Rang.
As if feeling awkward, she muttered while making her way to the commander’s seat, "Here comes the bad guy~"
The atmosphere in the room was one of sheer bewilderment. She was, quite literally, being treated like a villain. It was no surprise. Hui-Chul had just informed them of the sudden change moments ago.
"..."
Amid the awkward silence, Chi-Seung composed himself and asked what had likely been on everyone’s mind since her entrance.
"But... what’s with your hair?"
Her hair was in total disarray like someone who had just been through an explosion.
Sa-Rang replied nonchalantly while scratching her head, "I just came out of some weird massage machine."
"Ah."
Everyone nodded in understanding.
‘Wait, they even put someone in a wheelchair through that thing?’
‘That’s just cruel... going that far.’
‘Dammit. Our commander had to endure that monstrous contraption.’
Sa-Rang had gone into the machine for the same reason as Almond to prevent her condition from worsening. It happened immediately after she agreed to take the commander position.
Chi-Seung lowered his head in guilt.
‘To think she endured such trials just to step up as commander...’
He felt remorseful for opposing her so vehemently. The other think tank members wore similar expressions and now understood the weight of Sa-Rang’s resolve.
"Don’t worry about my hair."
Sa-Rang clapped her hands and drew everyone’s attention.
"Let’s focus on the match. Someone will come to take care of my hair."
It was an odd remark.
‘Someone... will take care of her hair?’
‘A stylist...?’
‘Does she have a servant or something...?’
***
Outside the meeting room in the player waiting area, what had been a quiet space earlier was now buzzing with murmurs.
"It feels like something’s changing, doesn’t it?"
"No way... in the finals?"
"It’s the finals, so something like this could happen."
The players began to sense the signs of a commander switch.
Carrot muttered anxiously from next to Sang-Hyeon, "Cookie’s in great form right now. Even if we’re ahead by one game, is this the right call?"
Sang-Hyeon didn’t respond and continued stuffing his mouth with almonds.
Crunch. Crunch.
With his cheeks full, he looked like a squirrel hoarding nuts. Except, unlike a squirrel, he wasn’t saving them. He was eating them all right there.
"... Are you even listening?"
Sang-Hyeon nodded.
"Yeah."
"You’re barely moving your mouth to talk."
"Nohh, I’m listneng. (No, I’m listening.)"
Gulp.
Sang-Hyeon quickly swallowed all the almonds and shared his opinion.
"But what changes if the commander switches?"
Carrot’s jaw nearly hit the floor.
"!"
Other players flinched at the comment, but none dared to show it openly.
"W-Well, yeah! What difference would it make if they switched? Hahaha!"
Some even began agreeing with him.
"You traitors..."
Carrot gritted her teeth and glared at them, but it was futile. The mood had already shifted.
‘Do they really think it doesn’t matter?’
Frustrated, Carrot glanced back at Sang-Hyeon, who was still calmly popping almonds into his mouth. His expression looked so carefree as though he wasn’t taking the situation seriously. Perhaps it was because he hadn’t actually played in the last game, which left him complacent. Or maybe there really was no difference between the two commanders for Sang-Hyeon.
Carrot hoped it was the latter. That would at least give her some peace of mind.
‘This guy... is being handsome really all there is to you?’
As she stared at him intently, Carrot finally noticed something.
‘Ah....’
It wasn’t just about his looks. Rather, it was his expression. No, it was where Sang-Hyeon’s gaze was fixed: the meeting room. Beneath his seemingly clueless exterior, he was clearly paying attention to something.
‘This idiot.’
She realized then that his foolish behavior was all an act. Sang-Hyeon was deliberately pretending to be oblivious to ease the tension within the team. Whatever decision came from the meeting room, it would ultimately be carried out and the soldiers would have to execute it. There was no point in dwelling on uncertainties and creating unnecessary anxiety.
Although they didn’t show it, Almond’s attitude deeply influenced the Joseon team. So he acted as if nothing was wrong like an idiot.
Carrot couldn’t help but think, ‘Why go to such lengths? You’re already a natural fool!’
***
Crunch.
As Sang-Hyeon munched on more almonds, he couldn’t help but think about the situation.
‘Their styles are completely different.’
Choi Sa-Rang and Gook Hui-Chul had almost polar opposite playstyles as if they had planned it that way. The difference was palpable, especially for the soldiers. He could understand why the players felt anxious. Changing the entire system during the finals was unsettling. Still, there had to be a reason why Hui-Chul made the decision.
Sang-Hyeon recalled their conversation.
“I don’t think this ends with this year. It has to carry on into the next year and the year after that. That’s what gives it meaning.”
Hui-Chul had told him this during one of their one-on-one talks.
“What matters more than us winning this year is whether we can sustain this momentum and perform just as well next year.”
He had claimed that his goal was smaller in scope than Sang-Hyeon’s, but that wasn’t true. From Sang-Hyeon’s perspective as a pro player, Hui-Chul’s goal was far greater. It was to firmly establish a professional league for this game. It wasn’t just about winning. It was about creating an entire market from scratch. Such a goal was far beyond simply clinching a championship this year.
“Even if I don’t win, it’s enough if the team does. That’s how this will last.”
This year was Hui-Chul’s final act. Therefore, he was preparing for what came next.
‘So, this is it.’
And the next step...
Thud.
The meeting room door opened.
"I’ll head out first. I’m a bit slow."
Whirrr.
A wheelchair rolled past the waiting area and stopped in front of the door leading to the stage.
‘Of course.’
She was next. The one Hui-Chul had chosen to carry the team forward.
***
[Cookie: OUT]
[Best Yi Sun-Shin: IN]
Ding.
The roster update appeared on the big screen. Not only did the audience erupt into murmurs, but even the commentators felt shocked.
"Uh... are we seeing this right?"
"This isn’t an error... is it? Oh no, it’s not. The players are entering the stage and leading them is a woman in a wheelchair. It’s Best Yi Sun-Shin!"
— Whoa.
— What?
— A brilliant move, wow.
— What’s going on??
— Really?? They switched after winning?
— Unbelievable.
— This is the ultimate trick show, haha.
The only other time there was a mid-match commander change was during the Persia match.
"Ah, the last time we saw something like this was the Persia match. They also switched after a victory back then, right?"
"That’s correct. But that was during the round of sixteen! This is the finals! And today, Cookie’s condition looked incredible!"
The decisive victory against Anto was a spectacle. Cookie’s performance in the finals would be a peak moment in his entire career.
"Skills are important in the finals, but so is your condition. How sharp you are on the day of! It has a huge impact! So, wow... this is a really unexpected decision!"
And yet, despite Cookie’s stellar form, Best Yi Sun-Shin was suddenly taking over. No one could have predicted this.
"What’s more, Best Yi Sun-Shin only needs one win to secure the championship! And Cookie... Cookie poured everything into this match. The fact that he decided not to play the final game... Honestly, I still can’t believe it!"
— Oh, you’re right.
— Father Cookie, nooo!
— Is he not going to finish it himself?
— Wow.
"We’re getting updates now. It seems this was a decision Cookie strongly pushed for."
The think tank team uncharacteristically shared the decision-making process. This, too, was part of Cookie’s strategy. He had anticipated the reactions this announcement would provoke.
"I see. Honestly, putting aside the emotional aspects, this might actually be a really smart move!"
"What?!"
— Quick turnaround, lol.
— What is this 180-degree shift?
— All of a sudden?
"If we’re this caught off guard, imagine how stunned Anto must be right now!"
"Oh, absolutely. No one suspected Cookie wouldn’t play! Obviously, Anto’s strategy would’ve been centered around Cookie!"
"Exactly! And now, all of a sudden, it’s like, 'Oh, did you forget we had a second commander? Well, here you go!' It’s bound to throw Anto off even if he isn’t human!"
Indeed, Anto looked more flustered than ever for the first time. He kept glancing between the scoreboard and Choi Sa-Rang, unable to process what was happening.
— Anto, lol.
— This is the first time I’ve seen him genuinely startled.
— Hahaha.
— If even we’re baffled, of course the enemy would be even more thrown off!
— Taste some Joseon trickery, Anto!
"Alright, regardless, the game is starting! Rome barely has time to recover from this shock!"
"Yes! Joseon is winning the psychological battle so far! However, I am concerned about one thing—this sudden commander change in the finals."
"Ah, yes. There were some hiccups during the Persia match as well, right?"
"That’s right. And let’s not forget... the big question this game is whether Yi Sun-Shin will try another second era rush!"
— Haha, no way, right?
— But she always does that.
— Anto’s definitely going to stop it this time.
— Haha, I almost forgot about that.
Best Yi Sun-Shin had never once skipped the infamous second era rush in any game. No matter how difficult it seemed, she always went for it. While it sometimes failed, she seemed convinced that it was always worth attempting.
"Right. Just in the previous game, Rome would have concluded that Cookie was moving away from early aggression. But now, here comes Best Yi Sun-Shin, the queen of second era pushes! Will she do it again this time? That’s the big question!"
"Anto must be so frustrated. He’s probably thinking, 'She’s really going to push for it, isn’t she? What do I do?'"
— She’s definitely going to rush, lol.
— Legendary trick show, haha.
— I’m getting a headache just thinking about it.
— This is insane!
Just as Anto began figuring out Cookie’s tendencies, Best Yi Sun-Shin suddenly entered the fray. Her playstyle had always been consistent. One would think Anto could simply adapt to her tendencies, but that predictability could also be weaponized against him just as Cookie had done in the previous game.
"Anto will likely play cautiously, observing and adapting rather than making any hasty assumptions."
"Yes, and now, we’ve all been waiting for—"
The ground trembled with a thunderous roar.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
"Joseon versus Rome! Rome versus Joseon! The championship finals, game four!"
Holograms constructed the map, revealing rugged, towering peaks and steep slopes. Sheer cliffs made up one-third of the terrain with plateaus stretching above.
[Rugged Mountain Ranges and Highlands]
"On the Rugged Mountain Ranges and Highlands, the game begins now!"