Chapter 13, Alliance Establishment.
Chapter 13, Alliance Establishment.
After lunch, I stood in front of a coffee shop near the government office.
My go-to cheap coffee spot was, as always today, packed with a long line of people waiting.
Civil servants whose lunch breaks had just ended, along with complainants.
Office workers and hunters from nearby mixed in, forming a massive queue.
'Do they all have some disease where they die without coffee or what?'
For the record, I'm already afflicted.
I obediently went to the end of the line and pulled out my phone to kill time.
'Let's see... what's the lunch-hour bait today?'
As soon as I opened the Hunter Gallery, posts kept popping up.
The hot topic at the tail end of lunchtime was the alliance of the big guilds.
Not long ago, a few major provincial guilds had announced a new alliance plan.
Busan Seagull Guild from Busan.
Daewang Guild from Daegu.
Ulsan Dolphin Guild from Ulsan.
Busan Seagull holds exclusive rights to [Fortress of Black Iron], one of Busan's A-rank dungeons.
The Fortress of Black Iron is famous as the dungeon that produces black iron, which is superior to the strongest alloy steel producible by South Korea's steel technology.
Daewang Guild are the monsters who sweep up all the A-rank gates in the Daegu-Gyeongbuk region.
Ulsan Dolphin are the overlords of the underwater dungeons in the ocean.
'Seoul guilds better get their shit together.'
Gates can pop up anywhere, so having a guild HQ in Seoul doesn't give any special edge.
In other words, Seoul guilds and provincial guilds are pretty much on par in terms of scale.
Busan Seagull, Daewang, and Ulsan Dolphin—combined, their guild members number over 30,000.
The birth of a mega-alliance was being foreshadowed.
No wonder the Hunter Gallery was burning up with this bait.
[Title: Provincial Three Greats Alliance Name Officially Announced lololol]
[They revealed through sources they'll use the name 'Samhan Alliance.']
[Damn, that's fucking badass.]
ㄴ Seoul's got how many S-ranks? They can band together all they want ㅉㅉ
ㄴㄴ(No, author) Why put your faith in S-rank hunters? lololol Basement-dwelling D-rank bitch
ㄴㄴFact) Seoul S-rank hunters are pissing themselves right now.
ㄴㄴㄴPissing? lololol Nah, they're like "Haha, country bumpkins banding together again lol" while sipping coffee.
ㄴㄴㄴㄴThat's not coffee, that's piss
[Title: What do provincial hicks achieve by banding together? lololol]
[They can't even beat one Seoul guild anyway.]
[Even all three together couldn't take First Guild lololol]
ㄴFact) First Guild master S-rank 1 = those three guild masters' S-rank 3 combined.
ㄴㄴFact) Guild members: 5,000 vs 30,000.
ㄴㄴㄴFact) S-ranks have grades too. First Guild master is on another fucking level.
ㄴㄴㄴㄴWhat another level lololol You ever see S-ranks fight? One skill shot and they're all toast.
ㄴ Provincial bugs' meltdown button ON lolololol
ㄴㄴThese fuckers' special trait: Living in Seoul is their only achievement.
ㄴI live in Daegu and Song Hyun-wook beats First Guild master 1v1 prove me wrong
ㄴㄴWake up lololol
[Title: But why are they suddenly teaming up?]
[Each is #1 in their region, right?]
[What's the point of allying?]
[Did... the government pressure them? Or is some big shit about to drop?]
ㄴ Brainfart speculation, cut the conspiracy crap.
ㄴHeard bait about Yamata no Orochi reviving in Japan.
ㄴㄴYamata no Orochi lolololol Weeaboo bitch
ㄴㄴㄴThis fucker doesn't even know Yamata no Orochi and he's gallerying lol
ㄴㄴㄴI'm ashamed...
ㄴThey're just teaming up so they can share the rice cake crumbs instead of fighting over it.
ㄴㄴNah, they hate sharing so they're allying to hog the rice cake crumbs themselves dumbass
ㄴㄴDon't go around saying you do Hunter Gallery, it's fucking embarrassing.
[Title: Seoul big guild masters' faces right now lololol]
['What is this shit for real?' shocked cat meme roughly]
ㄴ lololololol
ㄴ lololololololololol
ㄴ Bring the popcorn lolololol
ㄴ (Bored black guy meme like 'So what?') This'll be it lol
ㄴㄴLame
[Title: Yu-na's honestly S-rank hype, right?]
[She's just the face of the guild.]
[Every time you see her skills, she's always just supporting from the back.]
[In this alliance, she'll just be Song Hyun-wook and Park Jun-young's shit-wiper.]
ㄴHunter license-less bitch talking S-ranks.
ㄴGo watch Yu-na's B-rank days footage... it's insane.
ㄴFact) Without Yu-na, Busan Seagull would've disbanded ages ago.
ㄴS-rank is just S-rank. Not your level to worry about.
[Title: (Info) Reason they're teaming up]
[Because of Dragon's Tomb, the S-rank dungeon on Jeju Island opening soon.]
[No one can clear it solo, so they're allying.]
ㄴOh, that makes sense?
ㄴExpert ass just showed up lololol Dragon's Tomb is no-go
ㄴManagement Bureau official word says it's still far off?
ㄴㄴYou believe the Management Bureau?
ㄴㄴㄴManagement Bureau official = believe it
ㄴㄴㄴㄴWhen Dragon's Tomb opens, Jeju land prices are fucked first.
[Title: So 30,000 vs 1 Grade 9 Civil Servant from Management Bureau—who wins?]
[Before?]
ㄴAfter. Civil servants are invincible.
ㄴㄴImagining a Grade 9 retard bossing around three S-rank hunters lololol
ㄴGrade 9 (Civil Complaint Office) then yeah after.
ㄴㄴFr lololol Even if an S-rank's grandpa shows up, paperwork rejection.
[Title: Provincial Three Greats Alliance → Busan/Daegu/Ulsan magic stone prices mooning?]
[Should I buy now?]
ㄴRetard. Too late already.
ㄴYou fuckers know jack about economics lololol
ㄴInstitutions already hoarded it all. You can't buy lololol
[Title: What if they ally and march on Seoul?]
[S-rank 3 + 30,000 = coup success?]
ㄴ lololololol Hunters above the constitution?
ㄴㄴAlready are?
ㄴWould love to see them roll tanks into Hunter Management Bureau.
ㄴㄴTanks? lololol One S-rank skill and tanks are gone.
ㄴㄴㄴIf hunters try to take the state, they're treated as monsters not people. Immediate subjugation target.
ㄴYou think the Management Bureau direct subjugation squad leader is a joke?
ㄴㄴFr even if all S-ranks rush, he'd chop 'em up.
[Title: Ulsan Dolphin lololol Guild name is so fucking hickish]
[lololol]
ㄴBusan Seagull any different? lololol
ㄴㄴWhat about Daewang?
ㄴㄴㄴBetter than Daecheon Seongsimdang Guild, right?
ㄴㄴㄴㄴSeongsimdang Guild gives bread? lolololol
ㄴㄴㄴㄴㄴlolololol Join and get unlimited hotteok lololol
ㄴㄴㄴㄴㄴㄴ(Gallery Admin) Fuck, I wanna join right now.
ㄴㄴㄴㄴㄴㄴㄴ(Author) Me too ffs.
'Fucking idiots...'
I don't swear much usually, but reading the Hunter Gallery makes it come out naturally.
What the hell do these guys think with while living...
"Next customer. Come forward please."
"One iced Americano."
I'd been mindlessly scrolling the gallery, and suddenly it was my turn.
I shoved my phone in my pocket and stepped up.
I grabbed the coffee and hurried back to the office.
As soon as I set the cool coffee on my desk, I started afternoon duties.
Afternoon work was handling complainants, different from the morning paperwork.
The Hunter Management Bureau office has more work than you'd think.
Simple stuff can be handled at Hunter Support Centers near dungeons or in every administrative district, but big deals can only be resolved here at Headquarters Civil Complaint Office.
One of those is the counter I'm sitting at right now.
[Establishment Permit Counter]
As the name says, it's where people come to set up guilds, clans, or alliances.
In South Korea, if you wanna make a hunter group—even if you're an S-rank grandpa—you gotta go through this Headquarters Civil Complaint Office without exception.
That's why it's always busy with visitors.
"Gyeong-ho-ssi. Today, we might even process that provincial mega-guild alliance."
"Yeah... I saw earlier."
"Good, hang in there."
Team Leader-nim patted my shoulder.
I bucked up and dove into work.
I pressed the turn-number call button.
Dingdong~♬
Number 22 popped up on the counter monitor.
Whether they'd waited through lunch or not, a woman soon approached holding ticket 22.
Looked mid-20s.
Her face mixed exhaustion and anticipation oddly.
I checked the ticket and asked in a mechanical voice.
"What can I help you with?"
"Came to establish a small guild."
I recited the manual on the monitor.
"Small guilds can have up to 15 members including the guild master."
"Yeah, I know."
"For establishment, we need ID, hunter license, and a newly registered business address. Also, pay the 300,000 won small guild establishment fee right away."
As soon as I finished, she pulled stuff from her bag.
"Here."
ID.
Hunter license.
Freshly issued business registration today.
And she slid six 50,000-won bills from her wallet into the counter.
'She's prepared.'
Her hunter license was B-rank.
A B-rank guild master makes for a decent guild in mid-sized cities.
Confirmed everything was ready, so I opened the new guild/clan establishment application file on the computer and printed it via copier.
"Fill this out and submit please."
About 5 minutes later.
She set down the pen and handed over the completed form.
The application was neat.
[Guild Master, Applicant Kim Hye-ji.]
[Guild Name, Under the Han River.]
[Guild Members, 1 person.]
[Solo Establishment.]
I took the application and processed it right away.
Entered the new guild info into the Management Bureau's database based on the form, scanned the application.
Copied the applicant's ID, hunter license, business registration in order and uploaded to DB.
Stamped the 300,000 won fee confirmed.
All procedures done in a flash.
"Processed."
With this, 'Under the Han River' guild with Kim Hye-ji as guild master was officially established.
'Right now a 1-person guild, but who knows—maybe it'll become a nationwide powerhouse later.'
I returned all the original documents submitted.
And issued the freshly printed guild establishment certificate late.
"Here's your guild establishment certificate."
The woman who'd just founded a guild.
Kim Hye-ji took the certificate and grinned.
"Thanks for your work."
She gave a short goodbye and coolly left the Civil Complaint Office.
I hit the call button right away.
"..."
No next complainant?
No waiting number showed.
Grinning, I pulled up the Hunter Gallery tab in the corner of my monitor again.
'Easy money, easy money, fun easy money.'
Salary slacking is the office worker's basics.
Logged straight into Hunter Gallery.
It was still blazing with the three guilds' alliance bait.
Among them, 'live eyewitness tales' from guys claiming to be in those guilds.
[Title: I'm Busan Seagull exec, just left for Seoul]
[(Roughly Busan Station KTX ticket proof shot. Date and time blurred)]
[Guild master-nim and all execs heading to Seoul.]
ㄴlolololol Look at the blurred time. 100% fake.
ㄴWhat if they don't prove with KTX app?
ㄴI'm Daewang guild member too, our guild master-nim heading to Seoul. Helicopter took off earlier.
ㄴㄴHelicopter lololol
ㄴㄴUlsan takes a boat? lololol
ㄴㄴI'm Ulsan Dolphin but we're not going? Dumbass?
ㄴㄴㄴYou're not exec lol
ㄴㄴㄴㄴFact) Poster ain't exec either lololol
[Title: Three Greats Alliance establishment spot = Hunter Management Bureau Headquarters Civil Complaint Office]
[Alliance establishment same as guild.]
[Mandatory to go to Headquarters Civil Complaint Office establishment permit counter.]
[Maybe three S-ranks waiting in line at Grade 9 civil servant counter right now? lololol]
ㄴlololololol S-ranks a joke to you? They get VIP pass.
ㄴㄴ(Author) Rules say counter submission mandatory.
ㄴ ㄴㄴ Song Hyun-wook-nim~ Take a number~ lolololol
ㄴ ㄴㄴㄴ Lee Yu-na-nim~ Documents in that pile over there, stick 'em on~ lololololol
[Title: So what'll they name the alliance?]
[1. Push Samhan Alliance all the way]
[2. Budaeul Alliance]
[3. Southern Alliance]
ㄴ 4. Hick Alliance
ㄴㄴlolololololololololol
ㄴ SeagullDaewangDolphin how's that?
ㄴㄴHickish but cool lolol
ㄴㄴWhy the fuck is that cool ffs lolololol
[Title: Holy fuck... Seeing three S-ranks at once?]
[Yu-na... Song Hyun-wook... Park Jun-young...]
[Seeing them together would be intense af.]
ㄴWanna see Yu-na irl.
ㄴㄴBet she's hot?
ㄴㄴㄴCum on the floor
ㄴㄴㄴㄴFilthy fuckers
ㄴㄴㄴㄴㄴBut fr it'd be intense. The intimidation.
ㄴㄴㄴㄴㄴㄴThat's what 'hot' meant.
ㄴGotta avert eyes if you run into Song Hyun-wook.
[Title: Hunter Management Bureau Headquarters vibe today gonna be fucked lololol]
[Reporters swarming, S-rank hunters swarming...]
[Civil servants working there are pitiful lololol]
ㄴWhy pitiful? Iron rice bowl sucking tax money dry.
ㄴPitiful my ass getting to meet S-rank hunters irl lololol
ㄴFr super pitiful tho...
ㄴI'm Management Bureau other team, won't even glance at Civil Complaint Office now. Atmosphere's murderous.
ㄴㄴlololololol Self-proclaimed Grade 9 gay back. No proof?
ㄴㄴ(Author)Flash civil servant ID lol
"Hmm..."
Reading the gallery, I started feeling a bit tense for real.
Not scared of S-rank hunters per se, but S-ranks doubling as big guild masters gotta have that veteran aura, right?
'Might be a little intimidating.'
Then, suddenly, the office entrance got rowdy.
Screeech!!
Sharp brake sounds, and several black sedans pulled up at the entrance.
People poured into the office.
Soon after, the Civil Complaint Office door near the entrance opened.
Other complainants quietly working.
My colleague at the next counter.
Everyone looked toward the entrance.
'Is this... the intimidation of S-rank hunters and guild masters?'
Three people entering the Civil Complaint Office escorted by security guards.
S-rank hunter Lee Yu-na.
S-rank hunter Song Hyun-wook.
S-rank hunter Park Jun-young.
Guild masters of Busan Seagull, Daewang, and Ulsan Dolphin Guilds respectively.
They didn't even glance at other counters.
Heading straight for the establishment permit counter.