A Daughter No Longer a Girl
Still just a child in his eyes, a daughter who needed her father's care—Yoo Wan-seop had thought that of Yoo Min-jeong. But now, clad in a Milan suit, she was no longer a girl.
Yoo Wan-seop felt a pang of sorrow.
His daughter had already slipped from his grasp.
"What do you think?"
The moment he heard that question, Yoo Wan-seop realized a fundamental change had taken place in her.
Like her father, Yoo Min-jeong was the type who, once fixated on something, had to see it through or it wouldn't sit right with her. That very personality had driven her to bolt from Jushin and join Uramata.
Having lived her life as a raider walking the path of magic, she'd paid little mind to makeup or fashion. She had inherited her mother's flawless skin and looked good in anything, but she wasn't one to flaunt her figure or show off.
Was it simply provocation from Sa Yeonggyo that made her buy the Milan suit? Even so, why show it off to her father?
She wanted his judgment on whether it suited her.
"It looks great. But isn't it a bit bold? You have plenty of other training clothes—do you really need to wear that one?"
Yoo Wan-seop asked cautiously.
As the top raider, he could be open in front of others, but as a father, he couldn't.
"Th-they say everyone's wearing them these days."
Even her speech was off from her usual manner. Yoo Min-jeong was a girl who only moved when she was certain inside.
She had definitely changed.
Could it be? Did she have someone she liked? Was that why she was suddenly conscious of her figure? Wanting to look good for someone?
Yoo Wan-seop thought of Choi Min-su's son.
With a sturdy build like his father and a seemingly good personality, he cut an impressive figure. Choi Min-su often grumbled about his son falling short, but that was just another form of bragging. A father doesn't even mention a truly worthless son.
But picturing Choi Muhyun standing beside Yoo Min-jeong made his stomach twist a little as a father.
One day, his daughter would start her own life, and marriage would follow... but just imagining it now was horrifying.
For a split second, killing intent surged within him.
Yoo Min-jeong, who had gone to her room and changed into her usual jeans and blouse, set a pot on the stove and began cooking.
Yoo Wan-seop watched her quietly. They'd had a simple toast for breakfast.
What was she making now?
Well, after he'd spent so long secluded on Jiri Mountain, she probably wanted to whip up something delicious for him.
His daughter was still in her father's arms. That thought lifted Yoo Wan-seop's spirits.
He glanced at the clock and cleared away ledgers and logs. Go Cheolmin would arrive soon.
She pulled dumplings from the fridge—a hefty amount, enough for ten people at least.
"You planning to eat all that?"
"They say the more, the tastier."
Yoo Wan-seop said nothing.
A daughter's care for her father could never be too much. Even if his belly burst—or he expanded his stomach with inner power—he'd clean out that dumpling soup to the last drop.
The doorbell rang.
This time, Yoo Wan-seop went to the garage and opened the gate.
Go Cheolmin and Kim Jun hurried inside. Neither seemed to have used an umbrella; their hair and shoulders were soaked.
"How's your body holding up?"
Go Cheolmin asked.
"Nothing aids recovery like quiet rest."
Yoo Wan-seop led them to the living room and fetched towels. Handing one to Kim Jun... three cats were clustered at his feet, nestled right beside him.
The Russian Blue 'Kate' climbed onto his knee and nestled into his lap. Not to be outdone, the Siamese 'Ryoko' targeted his left arm.
Even more astonishing, the Bengal 'Hyunjoo'—covered in leopard spots—leapt up, snagged his back with her claws, and scaled to his shoulder.
Yoo Wan-seop was speechless.
He, the master of the house, had never received such treatment. They came when beckoned, but it was far from effusive welcome. He'd chalked it up to better treatment than other guests.
"Thank you."
Kim Jun dried his hair with the towel, cats draped all over him.
Only then did he recall the story: when the Cheonroegeom was stolen from the safe, they'd used this house as a temporary guildhouse. Frequent visits had made the cats familiar with him.
Yes, that must be it.
Maybe Kim Jun's scent drew them in.
"Reporters are camped out on the sidewalk by the parking lot. Things had quieted down a bit, but now this blows up."
Go Cheolmin said.
Yoo Wan-seop, seated on the sofa, eyed Kim Jun.
"You never told Jeong Myeong-ho anything like that, right?"
"No."
The question dripped with suspicion—enough to offend depending on how it landed—but Kim Jun answered calmly.
Yoo Wan-seop flicked out his left index finger, firing a Myeongjeok. Inner power shaped it into a water droplet and launched it. Fast enough that dodging was no guarantee; it could tear a cheek.
Kim Jun sidestepped slightly and caught the startled Bengal Hyunjoo on his shoulder with both hands.
Thwack.
The Myeongjeok punched a small hole in the ceiling.
Only then did Go Cheolmin seem to grasp what happened, glancing between Yoo Wan-seop and Kim Jun.
If it had been mere mimicry of the technique, he never could've dodged that Myeongjeok.
"Dad!"
Yoo Min-jeong glared at her father, hands on her hips.
"Just joking, joking."
"How is that a joke? He almost got hurt."
"Ahem, right now I'm not your dad—I'm the guild master. We must separate public and private."
"You haven't even announced it officially yet."
Turning away, Yoo Min-jeong began adding dumplings to the pot.
Once the undisputed top raider, revered by all—yet at home, he endured this nagging. Who knew? When his wife was alive... she ruled this house. Now the daughter... had ascended as queen.
Yoo Wan-seop looked to Go Cheolmin.
"The safest move is to sit out this Sokcho relic quest. Stick to E-rank dungeon raids for a while, bide your time."
He said it, but he didn't think Kim Jun would back down. That mindset wouldn't have passed the awakening test to become a raider.
"Kim Jun seems to have other ideas."
Go Cheolmin ventured.
Yoo Wan-seop shifted his gaze to Kim Jun.
Kim Jun laid out his plan. Utterly unexpected, something no conventional raider mindset could produce... absurd yet ingenious.
Before he knew it, Yoo Min-jeong had sidled up behind Kim Jun. Drawn in by this original scheme. Natural for a team member to care about her team leader's plans.
Kim Jun looked to Yoo Wan-seop.
Seeking judgment on his plan.
What reaction would he show if the new guild master said no? It wasn't low odds, and with tweaks, it could yield side benefits—a clever ploy. But Yoo Wan-seop wanted to see his response.
"Impossible. One misstep, and the guild crumbles."
Kim Jun simply gazed at Yoo Wan-seop, unmoved.
Yoo Min-jeong jumped in instead.
"Dad—no, Guild Master, it's a brilliant plan. Sure, there's risk, but given how things are going, why not give it a shot?"
"Pink Team dealer, stay out of it."
Yoo Wan-seop didn't even glance her way.
No trembling, no bitten lip, no wavering eyes—nothing from Kim Jun. He was still as a calm pond.
Look at this guy.
Kim Jun slowly spoke.
"Then what would you suggest?"
Since you'd opposed it, tell me a better plan. If none, he'd push his own—that was the unspoken resolve.
Yoo Wan-seop smiled with pleasure. Finally, someone worth sparring with verbally, trading blows with words.
"Go Cheolmin."
"Yes, Senior."
"Contact the reporters. Press conference at 2 p.m."
"...Pardon?"
"We'll advance the official announcement."
"Understood."
Go Cheolmin pulled out his phone and headed to the garden.
Yoo Wan-seop eyed Kim Jun.
How would he rate this plan—to bury Jeong Myeong-ho's 'Evaluation Placement System' bomb from Daily Raiders this morning with another bomb?
Once Jeong Myeong-ho learned who Uramata's new guild master was, and which guild and team the Association President's granddaughter had chosen, he'd drop any schemes.
Yoo Wan-seop was intensely curious about Kim Jun's reaction.
Like placing a masterful go stone and awaiting the opponent's move.
"Then I have no worries. I never even considered that approach."
Kim Jun rose and joined Yoo Min-jeong, peering into the pot of dumplings.
Yoo Wan-seop felt he'd won, yet something nagged at him.
If Kim Jun had lost a go exchange, he'd hurl the stones. Logically, he'd abandoned his plan for Yoo Wan-seop's, but his demeanor said the game wasn't over.
The table was set.
Yoo Min-jeong and Kim Jun brought out the dumpling soup.
Yoo Wan-seop noticed the largest bowl, stuffed with the most dumplings, sat before Kim Jun.
"This guy's a big eater."
Go Cheolmin said.
In that instant, Yoo Wan-seop realized why she'd boiled a massive pot—not for her father.
Watching her sit beside Kim Jun, fussing over him attentively, her face bright with joy... he intuited why she'd bought the Milan suit.
The daughter he'd painstakingly raised fancied not Choi Muhyun, but... this insolent punk.
His appetite vanished.
It felt like this scoundrel had stolen his daughter.
But he couldn't just stand and leave. He had to act like a father, like an adult.
Yoo Wan-seop glanced at Go Cheolmin.
You knew about those two?
Lacking intuition, Go Cheolmin tilted his head and fetched water.
In that moment, Yoo Wan-seop truly regretted accepting the Uramata guild master position.
* * *
Sa Yeonggyo thought that if she lacked the talent to become a raider, she could've ridden a Honda RC in MotoGP and made a name for herself.
Racing on the sleek black bike felt like shedding everything clinging to her. The label of Association President's granddaughter, the wary glances from others, the murky approaches with ulterior motives—all fell away, leaving her free.
This feather-light feeling... shattered the moment she recalled Daily Raiders' morning report.
When she first saw the news, Sa Yeonggyo screamed without thinking.
"Is this insane?"
Stopping her bike at the crosswalk, she scrolled her contacts and hit call on the culprit.
After a few rings, Jeong Myeong-ho—the one who'd broken the story—picked up.
―Heard you flew to Africa. Still in Korea?
His voice was as grating as ever.
"Oppa, are you crazy?"
―Calling after years, and that's your opener? Ah, you saw the news. That's why you're calling?
"Why the hell did you do that? Act like a captain should. Why pull something you've never done?"
―Life throws crossroads at you. You know that better than most. Staying in Korea for good? Join Lincoln Team. I'd slot you as main dealer right away.
Sa Yeonggyo couldn't—no, didn't—mention joining Uramata or being Pink Team's buffer under team leader Kim Jun.
"You started this, so own it. I can't fathom what's in that thick skull of yours. The guild master won't stay quiet, right?"
―I'm heading up after getting summoned. Why're you so worked up? You've never called over something like this. Unless... you...?
"Unless what?"
Sa Yeonggyo pushed back boldly.
―You like me?
"You're delusional."
She nearly flung her phone away after hanging up.
The deed was done. Jeong Myeong-ho had declared the Evaluation Placement System, so participating teams would compete fairly, with group assignments based on results.
If Pink Team shone, they might land in B Group and enter the relic depths—but afterward was the issue.
The veteran team leaders wouldn't welcome Kim Jun.
Already on their shitlist, they'd devour him whole.
All because of Jeong Myeong-ho.
She had to convince Kim Jun somehow.
Pink Team's survival hinged on one thing: tank the evaluation on purpose. They'd slot into A or C Group, boiling the others' blood without direct confrontation.
Anyway, silver lining.
If things soured, she'd kidnap Kim Jun and drag him to Africa.
She reached the parking lot.
Reporters swarmed the sidewalk, so she kept her helmet on. Recognition would spark chaos.
Oddly, no red Ferrari.
Yoo Min-jeong must not be here. Good.
Entering the guildhouse, she scanned around. No Kim Jun on the track or by the weights. Simulator room: Pink Team's machines all glowed red.
The instructor, Jang Man-ho, looked up from his laptop.
"Kim Jun's not here."
His eyes skimmed her sleek form but didn't linger.
"Where is he?"
"Meeting the new guild master. Current one's there too."
"...What?"
Sa Yeonggyo realized why Yoo Min-jeong's car was absent.
She'd known Kim Jun was coming to the house and skipped the guildhouse entirely.
Chasing now would be pointless. He'd head back soon. As team leader, he'd gone to consult Yoo Wan-seop.