Too Much Money to Refuse

But it was too much money to refuse.

"……"

"Is something the matter…?"

"Uh… I think there might be a mistake with the results…."

"No! Absolutely not!"

The woman shook her head hard from side to side.

"I can stake my eight years of experience on this! You are, without a doubt, an S-rank Hunter!"

"……"

What is this. Is she messing with me?

This pathetic Hunter who can't even properly kill a goblin is S-rank?

Did some brand-new rank get invented without me noticing?

Like ASS-rank, for people so weak that even E-rank feels generous….

No, no, there's no way.

The government would never have allowed a rank like that to exist, and if it had, the Hunter Gallery would have gone up in flames overnight.

Which meant I was actually S-rank….

That makes even less sense….

"Would you… mind explaining what led you to that conclusion…?"

"Pardon?"

The ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠employee blinked, tilting her head as if she genuinely didn't understand the question.

"Didn't you already know? From the look on your face, it was all, Why do I even have to bother with a test like this?"

"That was just because…."

Because it was obvious I'd be E-rank….

I was about to say as much, but she didn't even give me room to speak.

"Ah, so you want the precise details! You can't quite gauge how strong you are!"

"……"

No, you're operating under a massive misunderstanding….

"Well, we do get people like that from time to time. Folks who want the exact numbers. But what can I say? In your case, Hunter, you're so powerful that even our equipment can't analyze a precise reading…."

"…Not because I'm too weak?"

"Excuse me? No, no. That can't be. Not when you use a movement skill like that without even breaking a sweat…. And every one of your attack skills has such spectacular effects."

"……"

Ugh, those damn effects again.

Having ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠flashy visual effects for no good reason had come back to bite me.

To be fair, I fell for it myself at first.

Once I figured out they were complete garbage, I just started thinking of them as skills that hurt my eyes and nothing more.

But this woman had only seen the show….

Yeah. Easy enough to misread.

I can't let this slide.

Honestly, I needed to clear up the misunderstanding. Sure, I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠could just roll with it and live the high life as an S-rank Hunter, soaking up every luxury they threw at me….

But that would gnaw at my conscience. And I had a bad feeling I'd get dragged into a whole lot of extremely annoying business.

Better to be honest and just live quietly on the support stipend.

Having decided that, I slowly opened my mouth.

"The truth is… I can't even properly kill a first-floor goblin in the Tower."

"…What?"

The woman frowned.

"…I struggle against goblins."

Mortified, I scratched at hair that wasn't even itchy and turned my eyes aside. My face felt faintly warm.

Embarrassing as this is… it's the right thing to do.

Now she'd understand.

The reason they couldn't get a proper reading wasn't that I was too strong—it was that I was too weak.

I looked back at her.

She was staring at me with a blank expression.

Yeah, of course she'd be shocked.

So shocked that the corners of her mouth were even lifting….

Huh?

Something felt off.

Why… is she smiling?

Pfft—

"Pwahahaha!!"

"…?"

She suddenly clutched her stomach and burst out laughing.

"Ah, I'm sorry for laughing."

She wiped the tears gathering at the corners of her eyes with ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠her hand.

"Hunter, you really know how to joke~. An Awakened with actual power, struggling against goblins that even ordinary people can kill? Come on."

"……"

Now that she puts it that way, it does sound ridiculous.

And yet that ridiculous thing is exactly what happened.

"I'm serious…."

"Oh, honestly!"

She planted both hands on her hips.

"If you keep this up… I'm going to get mad, you know?"

"……"

No, it's true… please believe me….

I am stupidly weak….

But my desperation never reached her.

"Well, I can tell the whole thing feels like a burden. But what can we do? I've already reported it to the Association President."

"…Excuse me?"

"By now the news has probably already…. Ah, they're here. Can you hear that? Those footsteps?"

"…I can hear something, but…."

Are those even footsteps?

That sounds less like footsteps and more like… a typhoon rolling in….

Thud. Thud.

The woman walked over to the door.

"Hmm… you can hold out for about three hours, right?"

"…Hold out against what?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

Creeeak….

"A lovely little interview session with the press~."

"Hey! The door's open!"

"Is that her?"

"You can tell just from the presence…. So this is what an S-rank is like…."

"Over here, please!"

"……"

What the hell is happening right now….

"I'll come back for you in a bit! Well then… enjoy yourself!"

With that, she slipped smoothly out of the gymnasium.

Excuse me?

I'm sorry?

…

Click-click-click-!

"How does it feel to become Korea's seventh S-rank Hunter?"

"On behalf of White Night Guild, we would formally like to invite you…."

"If you join Ragna Guild, we can even offer you the vice guild master seat…."

"Easy, easy… everyone calm down…."

Somebody save me….

I had long since lost track of how many hours it had been. Reporters and scouts poured in without end.

More importantly, why does none of these people believe me?

"I told you, I'm weak?"

I had said those words maybe thirty times.

"Aww~. There she goes again."

"Doesn't that get old?"

"You're an officially certified S-rank by the Association. Playing coy won't change a thing, you know?"

And every time, that was the reaction. There was no conversation to be had.

I really think the problem is that Association President guy.

He doesn't even look with his own eyes—just takes one phone call and goes, "Okay, slap an S-rank on her." Just like that….

How much does he trust his employees? I can't even begin to guess.

And more importantly, when is she getting back?

She said she'd come pick me up in a bit. It's already been hours….

"Excuse me~ coming through~."

…Speak of the devil.

A familiar woman's voice cut through the crowd.

"Whew~ finally made it through. Ah! Hunter! Did you enjoy the interviews?"

She was beaming just as brightly as the first time I'd seen her.

"…Does it look like I did…."

"Haha. Everyone's like that at first. You'll get used to it soon enough."

"…I really don't think I will."

"They all say that, and they all get used to it. Well then, let's call it a day for now… shall we go?"

"…Home?"

"No?"

She looked at me as if I'd said something absurd.

"We have to go see the Association President!"

"…What?"

…

Knock-knock—

"Association President. It's Kang Sora."

"Ah, come in."

A gentle male voice drifted from beyond the door.

Creeeak….

When the door opened, I found myself looking at a white-haired old man seated at the desk directly ahead. He looked exactly the way his voice suggested.

"I've brought Hunter Kang Suho."

"Ohh… so you're the one…."

He rose from his chair and came toward me.

"A pleasure to meet you. I'm Kim Taegon, President of the Hunter Association."

He offered me his right hand.

"…Kang Suho."

I took it without hesitation. Rough. Dry.

"I've heard from Miss Sora. That you possess strength beyond measurement…."

"…I don't, though."

"Haha. So modest. Well then, have a seat for now."

"…Yes."

With no real choice, I sat on the sofa, and he settled onto the one across from me.

"First, take a look at this."

At his signal, the woman—as if she'd been waiting for exactly that—handed me a sheet of paper.

"……"

There was plenty written on that paper… but what seized my gaze was—

Ones, tens, hundreds, thousands, ten thousands, hundred thousands, millions, ten millions, hundred millions….

Seven hundred million?

"Um, about this… seven hundred million…."

"Yes."

"You're… giving me this every month?"

"Yes, well… S-rank Hunters are invaluable assets. Of course we'd offer that much."

The old man gave a kind smile and shrugged, as if it were nothing at all.

"…What would I have to do?"

"Simple. From time to time we'll assign you a job—just handle those for us."

A job?

Work handed down by the Hunter Association would mean….

Clearing gates, right?

There's no way I can do something like that….

"We'll be in your care."

But it was too much money to refuse.

"…You don't want to read the rest of the contract?"

"I'm fine."

Eighty-four hundred million a year—what else is there to read? Just sign it already.

"May I go?"

"Yes…."

He blinked blankly for a moment, then collected himself.

"Ah—in a few days one of our staff will be visiting your residence, so would you write down your address before you leave? There are some things we need to deliver."

He handed me a small slip of paper.

"Sure… I can do that much."

They're giving me 8.4 billion a year. Writing down an address is nothing.

I jotted down my address and stood up from the sofa.

"Take care~."

"Take care…."

Click—

I'm rich now!

I'd clearly told them I was weak, and they just didn't listen. So this wasn't fraud—this was money I'd earned fair and square.

Mmm. Exactly.

The problem is how I'm supposed to actually handle the jobs….

Eh, if I just strap on some obscenely strong gear, I'll figure something out.

I've got more than enough money for equipment now.

First things first—chicken for dinner tonight.