Chapter 60
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 60
Chapter Title: The Path to Becoming a Proper Guild
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A cozy interior with a warm and refreshing vibe.
A silver-haired beauty that any man would turn to look at at least once.
And sitting beside her, a cute girl sipping on a chocolate latte.
Just watching the scene was enough to warm a corner of one's heart, but Chae Seunghyun...
'I feel like I'm gonna puke.'
...was gripped by a tension that made him feel like he might pass out.
It was shakier than his very first job interview.
"Chae Seunghyun?"
"Y-yes...!"
"As I mentioned, you're hired. Let's start work next week."
"Th-thank you."
He had successfully landed the job he'd wanted so badly, yet...
What was this sticky feeling?
It felt like he'd stumbled upon a secret he wasn't supposed to know.
"By the way, you were late because you were helping an elderly person?"
"Yes, that's right."
"You must have a kind personality."
"Ah, no. Our... Master went running to help first, so I couldn't just stand by and watch."
He pondered how to address the girl in front of him, Hayang.
For now, Chae Seunghyun went with his gut and used honorifics.
After all, even the mighty Sword Empress spoke politely to her.
No matter how young and innocent she looked on the outside.
His instincts told him there was no way an E-Rank Hunter like him could casually speak informally to her.
"I see. Our Master has such a warm and tender heart, after all."
And luckily, his instincts were spot on.
A faint smile tugged at Han Yuseol's lips.
Seeing her casually boast about Hayang like a proud parent, Chae Seunghyun had to doubt his own eyes.
'Is this really the Sword Empress?'
On TV, she always seemed so stoic and cold.
Now, she was the picture-perfect doting mom.
Or maybe a doting big sister.
"Um, if it's not too rude, could I ask one question?"
"Of course. You're one of our guild members now."
"Thank you."
Chae Seunghyun took a sip of the sweet chocolate latte and spoke up.
"The address listed is this place as the guild headquarters, so should I commute here from now on?"
"No. We're in the process of purchasing a new guild headquarters. You'll head there."
"Ah, I see."
Sure enough.
Solo guilds often used home addresses for HQ, but that was only because it was just for one person.
As expected, they had a separate place in mind for the guild headquarters.
Chae Seunghyun inwardly let out a sigh of relief.
If they told him to commute here, he'd be suffering from stomachaches every morning.
"Any more questions?"
"Yes. Could you tell me more about the detailed job duties...?"
"It's simple. Primarily, guild finance management. Though we may occasionally ask you to join us on gate explorations when needed."
He let out a small groan at the caveat tacked on at the end.
He had confirmed that condition beforehand, so it wasn't surprising.
The issue was what came after.
'Guild-organized gate raids usually take a big cut, from what I've heard.'
The smaller the guild, the bigger the cut, he'd heard.
And that made sense—forming a party within the guild meant they had that many trustworthy members hired.
Ad-hoc parties, often called pickup groups, were formed on the spot at the site.
You couldn't fully know each other's skills or stats.
So they were unstable in many ways.
That's why higher-rank Hunters tended to avoid pickup groups.
And top guilds didn't charge high fees for their internal parties.
It was win-win, in a way.
Even so, this was a guild run by the Sword Empress, nominally speaking.
But it was still a small guild with barely three members.
Plus, there was separate work, and the base salary was generous.
So he expected demerits elsewhere.
However.
"For gate explorations, we follow the standard distribution rules. Then, the guild takes 3.3% of the total loot. Since there are three of us, think of it as 1.1% each."
"......Pardon?"
As Han Yuseol continued, Chae Seunghyun wondered if he'd misheard.
'1.1%?'
No top guild took just that much as a fee.
Even the famously generous Black Rose Guild charged 2% per person.
And 1.1%?
"Is there a problem?"
"N-no. I thought I misheard. You said 1.1%...?"
"You heard correctly. That's right."
"Gasp!"
That's right?
Chae Seunghyun swallowed reflexively.
It was a guild party, and Han Yuseol herself was a member.
He was already dazed that an E-Rank scrub like him was joining this luxury party.
And they only took 1.1% fee, letting him eat the rest?
This was practically unearned income.
For the first time in his life, Chae Seunghyun thought he might feel pangs of conscience while earning money.
"The other conditions are here. Bonuses for holidays, vacation details, and more are listed."
"B-bonuses! Vacation?!"
Having worked at hellhole companies—or black companies—before awakening,
his eyes went wide the moment he saw the documents Han Yuseol handed him.
"Thank you! I'll bury my bones here!"
"Glad you're pleased. Looking forward to working with you."
"Sniff, same here!"
She'd been quietly sipping her chocolate latte until then.
Had she realized the grown-ups' talk was over?
Hayang raised both arms high and greeted cutely, a halo seeming to shine behind her.
'She's a goddess.'
The goddess he would reverently serve from now on.
Chae Seunghyun shot to his feet and bowed 90 degrees to her.
Never before had his first day of work felt this exciting.
After Chae Seunghyun left.
While eating dinner a bit early,
I decided to ask Han Yuseol something I'd been curious about.
"By the way, Yuseol."
"Yes, Master."
"Is it okay if Seunghyun knows about our relationship?"
"It doesn't matter. Above all, you judged him trustworthy."
True enough.
Still, there were always 'what ifs.'
"Besides, even if it's fine now, as guild members gradually increase, we can't hide it forever."
"Aha."
Han Yuseol had it all planned out.
She was thinking ahead to the future.
Without realizing that, I...
"To put it bluntly, he's just one guild member, and you're the guild master. It didn't seem right for the master to worry about a subordinate's gaze."
"Ahem, because I'm the Grand Master."
"Hehe, exactly."
True, that too.
I was the Grand Master, after all.
Of course, just because Chae Seunghyun was a guild member and I was master
didn't mean I looked down on him at all.
But acting overly cautious was different. Mm-hmm!
"Above all, even if he knows, there's nothing he can do with it. No one would believe him if he spread it outside."
"Eh, why not?"
"Well..."
As I blinked and asked, Han Yuseol seemed to ponder for a moment.
Her silver eyes scanned me from head to toe.
Then she cleared her throat and added.
"Master, your appearance is fundamentally very cute. At least to others, it's hard to imagine the dignity of a Grand Master filling you."
"Hehe, true."
I wasn't sure about being called cute,
but yeah, I was on the small side.
To others, I'd look like an ordinary kid.
No one would dare guess that terrifying charisma as a Grand Master slumbered within.
Hmm, thinking of it that way, it was kinda cool?
Just like that protagonist from the anime I watched recently.
The protagonist looked super ordinary, ignored by everyone,
but turned out to be the head of a massive shadowy organization.
"Heh heh heh...!"
I let out a dark, villainous laugh, eager to flaunt my charisma.
Han Yuseol stared at me blankly, then smiled warmly.
"You must be really looking forward to that cake we bought earlier."
"Ack?! That's not why I laughed...?!"
Anyone seeing that would think I was some kid giggling and stomping my feet in excitement for cake!
No, it was a super cool and sinister smile!
Though I would eat the cake, of course!
"But is it true we're looking for a guild headquarters?"
"Yes. Would I lie to you, Master?"
"Ah, no, it's not that I doubted... Just a tiny bit surprised."
Because it was the first time I heard we'd set the HQ somewhere else.
Han Yuseol even reported the tiniest things to me.
So her suddenly bringing up something this important was shocking.
"Actually, I've been preparing since we formed the guild. We acquired a plot nearby, and construction will finish soon."
"...Construction?"
What construction?
No way...
"Yes. No suitable property available, so I decided to build one. Don't worry, I didn't use guild funds."
"Please use them! Pleeease!"
Why not use guild money at a time like this!
Why use your own money!
"Oh, and here's the design vibe, for reference. You don't seem to like flashy buildings, so I went for a modern feel. What do you think?"
"Ah, it's pretty... No, that's not the point!"
Who asked to see the building?!