Master for a Day
The phone rang in the spacious office, its chime echoing through the empty room. I stared at the receiver, frozen, unsure if I should even answer it. While I hesitated, the ringing stopped.
"Phew..." I let out a breath of relief, only for the phone to start ringing again almost immediately. It kept going without pause, as if something urgent demanded attention. Missing one call might be fine, but ignoring it twice could cause problems. I had no excuse for not answering while I was right here.
'The Guild Master told me to do this...' I still didn't understand why he'd left such a task to someone with no connection to the guild, but I supposed I had to follow through. Taking a deep breath, I lifted the receiver with both hands.
"Hello..."
Because of how my ears sat atop my head, I couldn't hold the receiver the way a normal person would. I simply kept it raised in front of me. Even at this distance, I could hear the voice on the other end clearly.
"Hello? Is this Saebyeok?"
"Yes...!"
It was a familiar voice. Relief and joy made my tail sway.
"It is you, Saebyeok. Do you remember who I am?"
"You're the master of the Seongseong Guild, right?"
"You remember me? How nice."
Chae Ju-yeon's soft laughter drifted through the receiver. My sensitive ears caught even the faintest sound of her breath.
"We did pick up empty bottles together, after all."
"Yeah. That was fun."
"It was for me too."
We exchanged light pleasantries. Had I eaten? Was I doing well? The ordinary small talk eased the last traces of tension in my chest.
"Saebyeok, is the Guild Master not in right now?"
"No. He stepped out."
"Ah... So you're alone in the master's office?"
"Yes. I'm sorry I didn't answer earlier. I wasn't sure if I was allowed to."
Since it was the same number, Chae Ju-yeon must have called twice. I felt guilty for having ignored her kind calls.
"It's all right. You were worried about whether you could answer the Guild Master's phone, weren't you?"
"Um... yes."
"Then don't worry so much. You can answer. The Guild Master must have had a reason for trusting you with it."
"Okay..."
Why had the Guild Master trusted me with this? Chae Ju-yeon seemed to know something, but she didn't explain.
"Oh! If a stranger calls, you should hang up, all right?"
"Like a voice phishing scam?"
"Yes. You're smart, so you already know that, don't you?"
"I have some idea."
I knew about con artists from my previous life. I didn't know much about them in this world, though. I'd have to ask someone later.
"All right, the Guild Master is busy, so I'll hang up now. Let's go pick up bottles together again sometime."
"Yes. Let's definitely go together."
"Okay. Take care, Saebyeok."
"You too, Guild Master."
Click. The call ended, and I set the receiver down. Answering the Guild Master's phone hadn't been as difficult as I'd expected. Maybe it was because I'd been talking to someone I knew.
The Guild Master isn't here right now. From now on, I could handle calls with answers like that. I wondered when the next call would come. I was still staring at the phone when the elevator hummed open and a group of people stepped into the hallway.
"Hello. Is the Guild Master inside?"
"The Guild Master is out, but we have an acting master present."
"An acting master? Since when does the guild have one?"
"It's only temporary for today... That's how it turned out."
The security guard fumbled for words while the visitors murmured in surprise. I couldn't help shrinking under their gazes. I knew this "acting master" business was just a joke, not some grand responsibility.
"Who is the acting master?"
"I don't know. The Guild Master isn't the type to do something like this without consulting anyone."
"Shouldn't the acting master be chosen from among us...?"
Their dissatisfied voices made my heart pound. I wanted to crawl into a hole and hide. How could someone as insignificant as me be acting master? It must have felt like an outsider had stolen their rightful place.
The only person I could rely on now was Han Yeoreum. I just hoped she would stand by me.
"May we go inside?"
"Yes, please do. I'm sure you'll recognize... the person."
"...Then excuse us."
Knock, knock. Someone rapped on the door, but I couldn't bring myself to answer. Ears and tail drooping, I simply stared at the door.
"There's no response."
"You can just go in. The person seems startled by visitors."
"...The acting master?"
"...I'd rather not say anything more. Even an acting master must be careful when it comes to the Guild Master."
"You're right. Sorry about that."
With a man's apology, the door opened. The man who entered with a slightly annoyed expression softened the moment he saw me. I recognized him from passing in the halls, but I hadn't realized he was important enough to visit the master's office.
"Huh...?"
"Why? Who is it?"
Han Yeoreum peeked out from behind him. Her eyes widened when she spotted me, and she rushed straight over.
"Saebyeok, what are you doing here?"
"The Guild Master told me to stay..."
"Wow, really? Even I haven't gotten to sit in this chair before. This is amazing."
It was the seat of power reserved solely for the master of the Yeomyeong Guild—the strongest person in the country, perhaps even the world.
"I-I'm sorry..."
I scrambled to stand, but Han Yeoreum gently pressed my shoulders back down.
"It's fine. Stay seated."
"But I don't think I deserve this..."
I remained half-risen, glancing around at everyone. Even though it was the Guild Master's joke, resentment was natural when the acting master position had gone to someone outside the core members.
"Well, well. So the acting master is Saebyeok?"
"If it's Saebyeok, that's fine by me. She's one of our guild members."
"Right? I thought he'd given the role to some outsider."
"She gives us cheap buffs, hands out free enhancers, and no one in the guild has sacrificed more than Saebyeok."
The same people who had been complaining moments ago now smiled at me—genuine, open smiles without any pretense.
"Saebyeok, go ahead and sit down."
"O-okay..."
They seemed relieved because the acting master was someone they knew. I checked their expressions once more before settling back into the chair. At least no one had scolded me.
**
"Saebyeok, what were you doing here?"
"I was answering the phone."
Saebyeok fidgeted in the chair, her hands restless. The backrest towered two heads above her. A tiny child in such a massive chair—it was unfair. Han Yeoreum chuckled and gently patted Saebyeok's head.
'The Guild Master must really care about Saebyeok.'
Han Yeoreum understood why the Guild Master had placed Saebyeok in that seat, and so did the other core members who had come with her. People who called the Yeomyeong Guild master's direct line were usually figures who held high positions in the country. That was why only the Guild Master was ever supposed to touch that phone. Saebyeok had just broken that precedent.
The reason was simple. The Guild Master wanted everyone to know how much he cherished Saebyeok. After the recent unpleasant incident involving beastkin, it wasn't strange for him to be overprotective. He was sending both a request to treat the child well and a warning not to touch her carelessly—directed at the nation's highest officials.
Of course, even if it was just an order to sit there, it didn't matter. Saebyeok was beloved by the Yeomyeong Guild. As someone had said, she had made many sacrifices for them. The unlimited buffs and enhancers she provided dramatically increased adventurers' survival rates and profits. Thanks to her, the guild's earnings had risen as well. At least within the Yeomyeong Guild, no one held any grudge against Saebyeok.
Maybe one day, when she grew up, she could even lead the Yeomyeong Guild. Han Yeoreum found herself thinking such doting thoughts.
"Hehe, today you're the Guild Master, Saebyeok."
"I-I'm not the Guild Master, just the acting master..."
"Isn't that basically the same thing?"
"U-um..."
Saebyeok mumbled, tugging at her clothes. A document landed in front of her.
"Guild Master Saebyeok, could you approve this dungeon permit?"
"A p-permit? Me...?"
"Yes. To enter a dungeon of level five or higher, you need the Guild Master's approval."
"I-I see..."
Wasn't this something the Guild Master should handle? Saebyeok sat in the chair, only fiddling with the corner of the paper.
"It's just a formality anyway. You can do it. Unless someone is being completely unreasonable, rejections almost never happen."
"What if something goes wrong because I approved it?"
"It won't. Any problems that occur inside a dungeon are the adventurers' responsibility. You know that, right?"
"Yes."
Even if a civil servant issued an entry permit, they bore no blame if an adventurer got hurt. That was simply the nature of the job—adventurers could be injured or killed at any time.
"Come on, Guild Master Saebyeok. Give your approval."
"O-okay..."
Since Han Yeoreum said it was fine, Saebyeok trusted her. Still, without a signature or seal, she simply wrote her name.
—Han Winter
It was the name Han Yeoreum had given her in this world. This was the first time she had used it in an official capacity. The feeling was strange—pleasant, yet somehow uncertain. Her tail swayed, so she supposed she didn't dislike it.
Her name. Han Winter. At first, she had hated it so much. This situation had started with anxiety too, but it seemed like it might end on a rather enjoyable note after all.