Chapter 353: Like Mother, Like Daughter (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 353: Like Mother, Like Daughter (5)
“You want me to reconsider….”
To reconsider meant to think something over carefully one more time.
And in a situation like this, being told to think it over again… meant I shouldn't create the guild.
But why?
“May I ask why?”
“Hmm… the reason, you ask.”
Grandpa Deok-geun hummed, stroking his chin, which was covered in scratchy stubble.
Finally, he looked me straight in the eye and spoke.
“Because I’m worried about you.”
“Worried… about me?”
It was such an unexpected answer that my mind went blank for a moment.
Worried?
If I created a guild, was someone going to show up with a knife and try to kill me?
“You must know as well. All the major domestic guilds are hell-bent on recruiting you.”
“……”
He was right.
I received calls from major guild scouts several times a day.
They weren't overt recruitment offers.
They’d ask if I’d eaten breakfast, send me mobile gift certificates for food, or ask when my birthday was.
Since I’d told them I had no intention of joining a guild right now, they were trying to build a friendly relationship by sending messages like these.
They were probably hoping that when I finally decided to join a guild, I would think of them first.
“The more your fame grows, the more aggressive their movements become. I’ve heard that recently, a few guilds have been contacting Manager Kim frequently after hearing that you and he are on good terms.”
It was the first I’d heard of it. When I looked at Manager Kim Seong-tae, he gave an awkward smile and nodded.
“It’s true. I didn’t bother to mention it, but… I’ve been getting a lot of calls from them lately. Most of them were asking me to arrange a meeting with you, Hunter Kim Do-jin.”
“You must have been inconvenienced because of me.”
As I offered a sincere apology, he smiled and shook his head.
“Haha, not at all. In fact, it was rather refreshing.”
“…Refreshing?”
“Watching those stiff-necked guys who act so high and mighty just because they’re major guild scouts bowing and scraping to me was quite a sight.”
“Ah, I see.”
He had a point.
Those major guild scouts could be a bit arrogant.
I’d heard that some of the rotten ones would demand bribes and commit all sorts of dirty deeds, promising to submit a recruitment offer if you got on their good side.
“Ahem… just think about it.”
Grandpa Deok-geun continued.
“In such an overheated situation, what do you think the other guilds will say when they suddenly hear the news that you’ve created your own guild?”
“Hmm…”
So that was what he was worried about.
“…They probably won’t have any good thoughts.”
As someone who had run a major guild before, I figured they would be divided into two groups.
One group would think, ‘I couldn’t have him, but no one else could either, so it doesn’t matter.’
The other group would be enraged, thinking, ‘How dare you reject my offer and create your own guild? You arrogant bastard!’ and would start to view me with hostility.
“You know how it is. When you feel betrayed by someone you cherish, all that affection turns to hatred.”
I had never given them any reason to hope.
I had repeatedly told them I had no intention of joining a guild and had refused all their gifts.
But human psychology is a funny thing.
Even though I had refused, as long as I hadn’t joined any guild, they thought there was still a chance and kept coming at me.
And then what happens when I create my own guild?
That’s when they’d transform from benevolent sponsors into thugs.
“I’m concerned they might try to retaliate against you.”
“That certainly… makes sense.”
Some people might think, Would they really go that far just because they couldn't recruit one promising prospect?
That’s half right and half wrong.
While some might not think much of it, there was a very real possibility that others would react sensitively.
What the established powers fear most is a rising star shooting up from below.
They never know when that person might reach their level and invade their territory.
Even I felt my blood boil at the thought of having what’s mine taken away, so why would they be any different?
“You are undoubtedly destined for greatness. Before long, you’ll establish yourself as the next-generation Hunter who will lead the Republic of Korea. It might be too early to make this judgment, but… I believe you could even surpass Hunter Son Si-woo.”
The praise was so extravagant it even surprised me.
However, the expression on his face as he showered me with these compliments was dead serious.
“But talent as a Hunter and the talent required to run a guild are two completely different things.”
He was right.
I couldn’t even begin to describe how difficult it had been when I first established my old guild.
It was so bad that I’d thought it would be easier to just grind S-rank dungeons endlessly.
“I don’t want to see you disappear before you’ve had a chance to grow, caught up in the underhanded schemes of the major guilds.”
His sincerity was palpable in his tone.
He was genuinely worried about me, and about the future of a nation that would decline after losing a talent like me.
“So, won’t you postpone creating a guild for later?”
I understood what Grandpa Deok-geun wanted.
Now was my time to grow, so I shouldn't get caught up in the other guilds' games and be pushed around. I should focus on getting stronger first, and then create a guild when I was a bigger deal. It was that simple.
“I understand what you’re saying.”
The nail that sticks out gets hammered down, as they say.
If you’re a sharp stone among smooth, round ones, you’re bound to get beaten up.
“I appreciate your concern… but I still have to create the guild.”
I carefully pushed the brown envelope containing the documents I had prepared across the table to him.
“These are the documents I’ve prepared for the guild’s establishment. Please take a look.”
With a displeased expression, Grandpa Deok-geun picked up the envelope.
“…Do you really have to create a guild right now? As I’ve said repeatedly, you could disappear without ever seeing the light of day.”
“Yes, and I’ve given that concern plenty of thought.”
“And you still won’t change your decision?”
“That’s right. It’s a little scary, but… I have a trump card prepared for that exact situation.”
“And what is that?”
In response to his curious question, I pointed to the envelope and answered.
“You’ll find it naturally as you read the documents inside.”
“Hmm… very well.”
The old man nodded, took the documents out of the envelope, and began to read through them one by one.
Establishing a guild requires quite a lot of paperwork.
And once all the documents are prepared, you need founding members to join the guild.
The minimum requirement is five members of at least B-rank.
Just then, Grandpa Deok-geun began to read the document listing their names and simple personal details.
“Hmm…?”
He paused, unable to simply turn the page, and his eyes began to widen.
Soon, his gaze lifted from the paper and fixed on me, a stunned look on his face.
“You… is this real?”
“Yes, it is.”
Even for someone like me, it would be impossible to fend off all their dirty tricks.
That’s right.
If I were alone, that is.
“Han Ju-yeon… the Hunter who was just promoted to S-rank, is in your guild?!”
Han Ju-yeon.
She was my trump card.
“Correct.”
No matter how small-time the guild was, it was a guild growing alongside an S-rank Hunter.
I wanted to ask anyone who might have a problem with my guild’s creation:
What can you possibly do?
An S-rank Hunter is standing solidly by my side. Besides scowling at me, what can you do?
The old man’s hand, holding the documents, trembled slightly before he broke into a wide grin.
“I see now… you have a very sly side to you, don’t you? Was it fun getting this old geezer’s sympathy while hiding a trump card like this? Huh?”
“Haha, fun, you say?”
It was way more than just fun.
I asked him, as he laughed, having seemingly blown away all the worries and anxieties that had weighed on him just moments before.
“Can the guild establishment be processed quickly?”
“Of course, it can!”
Completely won over by my trump card, he processed the paperwork at lightning speed.
I knew that guild establishment approval usually took at least two to three days, but he skipped the entire process and issued the permit on the spot.
“Congratulations on establishing your guild, Hunter Kim Do-jin.”
He extended his hand again.
“Thank you.”
As we shook hands once more, he asked.
“Ah, by the way, what’s the guild’s name?”
“……”
No, seriously, approving it without even checking the guild name is a bit much.
Reading my expression, he laughed sheepishly.
“If you were in my shoes, you would’ve done the same.”
He had a point.
If an S-rank Hunter was on the list of founding members for a brand-new, small-time guild, you probably wouldn’t notice anything else.
The guild name.
I’d agonized over it quite a bit.
…No, actually, the other guild members had agonized over it, and I just compiled their opinions.
For some reason, they shot down every single idea I came up with…
Anyway.
After the guild members put their heads together, only one name remained.
And that was…
“The Twilight Guild.”
“Hoho, Twilight. For a guild that’s just starting out, it’s… huh…?”
Grandpa Deok-geun’s expression hardened slightly as he mulled over the name.
“You… did you name it knowing, or not knowing?”
At his meaningful question, I smiled and shook my head.
“Who’s to say?”
Hearing my ambiguous answer, he frowned and glared at me.
“Hmph… I had a vague feeling ever since you said you were starting a guild, but you really are…”
Really what?
“…a real piece of work.”
I get it.
Anyone who guessed the hidden meaning behind the guild’s name would have said the same thing.
But I’m being framed here.
I was the one who was dead set against that name.