Chapter 274: Designated Request (7)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 274: Designated Request (7)
As I drove to the meeting spot, I recalled the information about the other party that Yoon Ji-an had relayed to me.
Zodiac.
It was only a single, very brief encounter, but their name was clearly etched into my memory.
How could I forget?
They were the ones who had casually used a Barrier, something that was practically a state secret.
“Zodiac…”
Back then, they seemed like a group that couldn’t even decide whether they should operate in the light or in the shadows.
“So they decided to establish themselves in the light after all.”
Of course… I didn’t think for a second that they were the type to stay in the light forever.
I didn’t know what their ultimate goal was, but they must have decided that operating publicly was more advantageous for now.
That aside.
“…Fewer than I expected?”
Ten A-ranks and five B-ranks.
For a small, elite team, it was an unbelievably lavish lineup, but still.
For an organization that went so far as to show off a Barrier while scrambling to recruit talent, both the quantity and quality felt lacking.
“Well, they wouldn’t put all their eggs in one basket.”
It was highly likely that these members were just for show.
There were probably far more people operating behind the scenes.
“Hmm.”
Their motive for sending me a designated request under the pretext of clearing an A-rank dungeon was painfully obvious.
It was probably to test my skills and then try to recruit me.
If I were to add one more possibility, it would be…
“I wonder if they’re also considering killing me.”
You know how it is.
That over-the-top drama trope where a character thinks, ‘If I can’t have you, no one can.’
A dungeon happens to be a great place to make such dramatic events a reality.
Injuries or deaths during a dungeon raid wouldn’t be strange, no matter when or to whom they occurred.
All they’d have to do is stab me in the back and claim a monster killed me.
“This is why having a fixed party is so important. Tsk…”
What was I to do when the candidates for my fixed party hadn’t even become Hunters yet?
“It’s about time I started pushing them hard.”
The second-quarter Hunter qualification exam was approaching.
Hunter aspirants get two chances a year to take the exam.
Since they’d already used one chance, the others were probably thinking of taking the test around the third or fourth quarter, but I had different plans.
“If I wait that long, when will I ever train them?”
Every single one of them was brimming with talent.
But they were still far from ready to have my back.
My plan was to get them to pass, even if just by the skin of their teeth, and then show them what the Hunter society was really like.
Was I confident I could make them pass?
“What’s there to say?”
I had a firm grasp of their strengths and weaknesses.
I already had a roadmap in my head for how to train them.
It might be a little harsh, but they were kids with strong minds as well as talent, so I was sure they’d follow along.
“And if things get tough, I have a trump card.”
Even if they didn’t want to pass, I was prepared enough to grab them by the scruff of their necks and drag them onto the list of successful candidates.
Just as my thoughts about my little chicks reached their peak, the car finally entered Gangnam.
The destination was a private café located in the business district.
“Welcome. May I have the name for the reservation?”
The place operated on a strict reservation-only basis, and all the seating was in private rooms, making it perfectly optimized for all sorts of discussions.
“The reservation should be under Zodiac.”
“I’ll show you to your room.”
I followed the employee into a room that seemed just the right size for four people.
Inside, a guest who had arrived earlier was sitting alone, enjoying a cup of fragrant coffee.
Light blond hair and blue eyes.
He was a handsome man who looked like he’d stepped out of a romance comic, the type to steadfastly support the female lead with a warm smile.
I’d never seen his face before, but this wasn’t our first meeting.
“It’s been a while.”
See?
The other party was already acknowledging that we’d met before.
It wasn’t hard to remember his name.
“If I recall correctly, you introduced yourself as… K.”
Was he happy that I remembered his name?
The man, K, smiled a bright smile that would be better suited for a woman and nodded.
“That’s right. We didn’t even see each other face-to-face back then… I’m surprised you remember me.”
“Faces aren’t the only things you can see and remember.”
A person’s voice and intonation are also clear identifiers.
Besides, that shade of light blond hair is rare in Korea, especially on a man.
“Please, have a seat.”
At his suggestion, I pulled out the chair opposite him and sat down.
K then took a business card from his suit jacket and handed it to me.
“Allow me to introduce myself formally.”
Zodiac.
Along with the guild name, which meant the twelve signs of the zodiac, the title ‘Master’ was clearly printed.
And next to it, instead of a name, was the single letter ‘K’.
“I am K, the Master of the Zodiac guild.”
You see them sometimes.
People who use an alias instead of their real name.
It’s usually used by those who want to maintain an air of mystery, or by shady types…
In his case, it had to be the latter, right?
I casually stuffed the business card into my pocket and met his eyes.
I really didn’t like his constant smiling… Should I try coming on strong?
“The first time we met, I thought you were just some rootless group… but you’ve created a guild?”
Despite my rather harsh wording, the smile on K’s lips didn’t fade in the slightest.
People with a strong sense of belonging usually can’t stand insults directed at their group… but he, on the contrary, looked even more pleased, as if he liked my attitude.
“What you said back then, Mr. Kim Do-jin, struck a chord with our superiors.”
What the hell is he talking about?
“…I don’t think I said anything that would strike a chord.”
“You said you didn’t want to be associated with a rootless group.”
“Ah.”
Right, I did say that.
But I said that to piss them off.
To think they were so inspired by it that they founded a guild… Should I call them an organization with a willingness to learn?
“Seeing as you refer to them as ‘superiors’… I can assume you’re just a figurehead president, Mr. K.”
“That’s correct. I merely followed orders from above and established the guild.”
“……”
Look at this guy.
What’s his game, casually revealing information that should be kept secret?
“Your organization must be quite large, seeing as you can casually deploy ten A-ranks into the open.”
“About that… I’ll have to say no comment.”
So that’s a secret?
He wasn’t just spilling information indiscriminately; he had his own lines he wouldn’t cross.
Interesting.
“Am I to interpret your calling me here with a designated request… as having the same purpose as last time?”
K nodded, his smiling face unchanged.
“That is the ultimate goal.”
“The ultimate goal, you say.”
It seemed my prediction from before I arrived was correct.
They wanted to test my skills in an A-rank dungeon, and if I met their standards, they’d court me enthusiastically. That seemed to be the gist of it.
Should I do this, or not?
As I was deep in thought.
Knock, knock!
Someone knocked on the door from outside.
“Ah, it seems they’ve arrived.”
As if he’d been waiting, K stood up and straightened his clothes.
I gave him a puzzled look and asked.
“Was someone else supposed to come?”
Only then did he put on an expression of realization and begin to explain.
“Ah! I failed to mention it. We actually sent out designated requests to two people in total, including you, Mr. Do-jin. That person is scheduled to join us here today as well.”
“I see.”
Sending out two designated requests… meant they currently had their eyes on two people.
I wonder who it could be.
Who, besides me, had caught Zodiac’s attention?
“Excuse me.”
The door opened, and the same employee appeared.
As he stepped aside, the second main character finally showed themselves…
“…Teacher?”
The second person who got a designated request was Ju-yeon?
A completely unexpected person.
At the same time, a thought flashed through my mind that it made perfect sense.
And why wouldn’t it?
Ju-yeon was the sixth S-rank Hunter in South Korea.
What’s more, she was a Healer and a Buffer, known to be the rarest resources alongside Mages.
Furthermore, she was still a free agent, not affiliated with any guild.
Could there be a more attractive commodity on the market?
But… why is she just pouting at me without answering my question?
Ah.
“Uh, um… Noona?”
“Oh my, it’s Do-jin!”
“……”
What is this?
“Do-jin, did you get a designated request too?”
“Yes, Teach— I mean, you too, Noona?”
“Yep!”
This was truly agonizing.
Having to diligently call my former sister-in-law ‘Noona’ instead of ‘Teacher.’
Considering our ages, it wasn’t strange… but my past memories were holding me back.
It felt incredibly awkward and embarrassing!
As Ju-yeon smiled at me warmly, K offered her a polite greeting.
“A pleasure to meet you, Hunter Han Ju-yeon. I am K, the Master of the Zodiac guild.”
At that, she completely wiped the smile from her face and faced K.
“Yes, a pleasure. I’m Han Ju-yeon.”
She greeted him in an extremely business-like manner.
What is this?
This incredible temperature difference.
K seemed to have felt it keenly as well, as his smile faded for the first time since we’d met.
To make the smile that even my harshest words couldn’t erase vanish in a single moment.
Amazing, Han Ju-yeon.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
With the business-like Han Ju-yeon’s appearance, the discussion proceeded quickly.
The details of the designated request were simple.
The conquest of a large A-rank dungeon.
The payment would be 20% each of the total value of all rewards from the dungeon.
They even said they would cover the taxes.
“The conditions themselves are quite good.”
It might be 20%, but for two people, that’s 40%.
In a dungeon that twenty people enter, if two of them take 40%, that means the remaining sixteen have to share 60%.
No matter how they were lumped together as a guild, that was an extremely stingy share for them.
Both Ju-yeon and I had satisfied expressions. Seeing this, the man whose smile had faded let it deepen once more as he asked.
“Then may I assume you are accepting our guild’s request?”
To this, Ju-yeon replied with a bright smile.
“Hmm~ I’ll follow Do-jin’s opinion.”
“By following his opinion, you mean…”
“If Do-jin does it, I’ll do it. If not, I won’t.”
A flicker of light appeared in K’s blue eyes upon hearing the unexpected answer.
“It seems you two are much closer than I thought. You look very good together.”
“It’s not that…”
I was about to say.
“Hoho! If it looks that way, then you have a good eye. Do-jin, should we just accept this request?”
“……”
Why are you playing along so easily?