I'm a Bigger Deal Than I Thought...?
"Huaaah..."
It took a few more breaths before I finally gasped out the breath I'd been holding.
This thing's addictive...
I should get some wyvern meat sorted by attribute later and do more.
I flicked the lingering smoke away with my tail and grinned in satisfaction. That refreshing sense of release, like my insides had been cleared out, felt amazing.
Yura unnie, who'd been watching me, chuckled and came over to gently pat my head—careful not to mess up my hair like Cha Eunwol guild leader would have.
This is how it's done... Takes forever to brush my hair every morning.
"There, feel better now? It was hilarious watching that tiny mouth of yours spewing fire."
"Hehe... It was super fun. Can I borrow this place again later...?"
"Anytime, just say the word. We've got plenty of training rooms—I'll keep one empty for you."
"Thank you!"
Yura unnie pinched my cheek affectionately, then her expression turned a bit serious as she looked at me.
"Hey, Arang. Now that you've vented with the breath, how about we talk business?"
"Business?"
"Yeah. The leftover wyvern meat pies. We'd like to buy them all—cool with you?"
My ears perked up at Yura unnie's proposal.
A pie that saves a life once. From a guild leader's perspective, they'd do anything to secure it.
I baked... about eight meat pies, right?
There was a ton of wyvern meat, so the pies came out in bulk.
Well, if I sell some to Baekya later, the guild leader won't get mad.
"Of course! You gave me the ingredients anyway."
"Still, we gotta pay for your effort and skill. Can't just take something this OP for free."
"Then just wire it to my account like last time with the morning bread."
I flashed a bright smile, and Yura unnie grinned back, looking pleased.
"Got it. Check your account tomorrow morning—you'll be shocked. Look forward to it."
"...I won't get audited, right?"
"Pfft, we've handled all that already, so don't worry and just take the money."
The amount that'd hit my account tomorrow suddenly felt a little scary.
...Gotta buy more gold.
The next morning, the moment I opened the door to my new apartment, I froze at the sight before me and let out an awed gasp.
A wide-open living room. Luxurious marble floors. And sunlight pouring in through the floor-to-ceiling windows that took up an entire wall.
"Is this... really my place?"
Kim Hyunah had handled the lease perfectly and even had a moving service set everything up.
"Whoa... Do moving companies provide furniture these days too?"
Some of it looks brand new.
I wandered across the living room in a daze, opened the glass doors, and stepped out onto the outdoor terrace.
"Haaah, the air's so nice."
The terrace was way bigger than I'd imagined.
Best of all, the warm, drowsy sunlight bathed my head, which felt perfect.
Naps here would last a solid six hours easy.
"Oh, right, I bought that thing."
Humming to myself, I went back inside and opened the delivery box I'd ordered online before moving in.
Inside was a top-of-the-line folding sunbed.
"Heave... ho!"
My frail body made dragging it to the terrace a real struggle.
Gotta start exercising soon...
Sweating buckets, I finally unfolded it in the middle of the terrace and collapsed, panting heavily.
"Hoo, that was tough. But yeah, gotta have this."
I flopped onto the plush sunbed with a satisfied smile.
Warm sunlight enveloped my body, and a cool breeze playfully tousled my hair.
My eyes naturally drifted shut, my tail swishing contentedly side to side.
This is the life...
Just as my eyes were about to close under the sun and breeze, the doorbell rang.
Ding-dong.
"Ah, they must be here."
I rubbed my eyes, got up from the sunbed, and headed to the door.
As Kim Hyunah had said, I checked the intercom screen first—then swung the door open.
Click.
There stood Yura unnie holding a huge fancy fruit basket, Cha Eunwol guild leader behind her, and Kim Hyunah.
They all came together?
"Thanks for coming, everyone."
"Coming? It's right nearby—what else would we be doing but slacking off?"
Cha Eunwol guild leader chuckled, kicked off her shoes effortlessly, and strode inside.
She glanced around the spacious living room and terrace, letting out an impressed hum.
"Looks way better than the photos."
"Right? Tons of sunlight, totally my style."
I shrugged at Cha Eunwol guild leader's praise, puffing out my scrawny chest—then stopped.
...Still growing.
"Here, housewarming gift."
Cha Eunwol guild leader handed over what looked like an insanely expensive set of premium red ginseng and hanwoo beef.
...She didn't grab the wrong gift for my parents, did she?
Who gives red ginseng to a kid...?
Yura unnie set a massive fruit basket and a prettily wrapped dessert box on the table.
"Thanks, everyone! I'll make some tea. Make yourselves comfy on the sofa."
"Sure, anything's fine for me."
"Me too."
"Anything works for me as well."
While I whipped up sweet iced tea and cookies in the kitchen, the three of them settled on the living room sofa.
I sank into the comfiest single-seater.
Then Cha Eunwol guild leader scooted right up next to me and, out of habit, started kneading my squishy cheek.
"Eee, let gooo."
"Hold still. Has your cheek gotten even puffier since yesterday? Like a baby's butt."
I pouted and squirmed, but I couldn't match her grip strength.
...This is why I really need to exercise.
Powerless against her brute force, all I could do was puff out my cheek.
Yura unnie, sipping tea across from us, quietly set her cup down.
"Arang."
"Yeah?"
"Truth is, we came together today because there's something important we need to discuss."
The air in the living room grew solemn at Yura unnie's serious tone.
Even Cha Eunwol guild leader, who'd been stretching my cheeks playfully, caught her eye and let go.
"What's with the mood? Spill it."
"It's about Arang's bread."
"My bread?"
"Yeah. We can't keep hiding info about you forever. Actually, it's already too late. Rumors about your bread are spreading like wildfire in the market."
I blinked in shock at Yura unnie's bombshell.
Kim Hyunah, standing nearby and munching on the cookies I'd made, added calmly,
"Guild Leader Cheon Yura is correct. Any major guild with a decent info network has likely figured out that Baekya and Cheonroe are using abnormal recovery items."
Cha Eunwol guild leader scratched her head and sighed shortly.
"Yeah, our guild members have been chowing down on Arang's bread buffs like crazy lately. We've lasted pretty long as is. Only an idiot wouldn't notice."
...So what happens now?
We did hold out longer than expected.
I'd openly put bread up for auction at the association before even meeting Kim Hyunah.
"So... what happens to me?"
I curled my tail between my legs in fear.
Yura unnie gently took my hand and said firmly,
"That's why we've decided. We can't hold out like this forever, and hiding you in the shadows just makes you a perfect target no one would notice."
"Then?"
"Let's just go public. Reveal your bread—and your abilities—to the world."
"......What?!"
I shot up from my seat in horror.
...Then I can't even take a solo walk outside.
Ah, but I'm already being targeted anyway.
I sheepishly sat back down, half-convinced.
Kim Hyunah soothed me with her steady voice.
"Arang-ssi. Mediocre fame invites threats, but overwhelming fame becomes the perfect shield."
"A shield?"
"If Baek Arang becomes the one-of-a-kind creator known to all of Korea's hunters—and the entire nation—no one could touch you carelessly because of that very fame."
"Hyunah's right. Once everyone knows, even a lunatic wouldn't dare mess with you openly. Touching a single hair on your head would make them enemies of hunters nationwide."
Sounds kinda right...?
Yeah, no one targets the president outright.
They assassinate.
At least it might keep the small-time creeps away?
"Plus, Baekya and Cheonroe will officially sponsor you. We'll set up ironclad legal and physical protections so no one can force you into anything."
Instead of hiding and trembling, wondering when I'd get kidnapped... going fully public and using the public's eyes as my shield...
...Hearing it out, that actually sounds safer.
And if I ask Iris or Olivia for help, they'd probably back me up, right?
With Korea's top two guilds and a US S-rank as sponsors, who would touch me...?
Gerang seems to like me too, even if they're kinda rough and scary-looking...?
...I'm a bigger deal than I thought...?
Looking over my connections again sent chills down my spine.
