Chapter 374: A Clue (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 374: A Clue (1)
With the end of final exams, all our sophomore year classes were over.
On the afternoon that the tests concluded, my teammates… no, I guess I should call them guild members now.
In any case, we all gathered in the club room that doubled as our guild hideout.
“You all worked hard this year.”
“You worked hard too, Do-jin!”
The first to acknowledge my efforts with a bright smile was Na-eun.
As expected, my bitch is the only one who looks out for me.
“That’s right. Pup… no, Do-jin. You truly went through a lot this year.”
Elena chimed in, as if not to be outdone.
For a second, the word ‘Puppy’ almost came out, which scared the hell out of me.
She’s been calling me Puppy and clinging to me so much whenever we’re alone that it’s become a huge worry.
I’m worried she’ll slip up just like that, and I’m also worried about how much longer I can hold out… Sigh.
Contrary to my frustration, Elena didn’t seem to care much.
Her attitude was basically, ‘If you want to do it that badly, we can just get married and do it then.’
So I asked if she wanted to marry me, and she got incredibly upset, saying, “Did you think of Elena as nothing more than a midsummer night’s dream?!” It was a real pain calming her down.
“Right, thanks, everyone. Anyway, the reason I gathered you all here is… I’m thinking of slowly putting that plan I mentioned before into action, starting this vacation.”
The club room was plenty spacious for five… no, six of us now with Ju-yeon.
But there was one reason I decided to start here, in a place that looked far too shabby to be called a guild hideout.
“You mean… the one about holding recruitment tests for university students?”
“That’s right.”
It was just as Shin Yu-jeong said.
And what kind of place was Korea University?
It was one of the Hunter Academies drawing attention not just from Korea, but from the entire world.
A place like a treasure chest, where all the talented young Awakened beings gathered.
Better yet, most university students were free agents, unless their families ran a Hunter guild.
In other words, I could pick and choose whoever I wanted, and as long as I could pay their signing bonus, I could recruit them.
“As you all know, the guild scene in Korea is saturated right now.”
There were way too many guilds in this tiny country.
That’s because anyone with half a brain would think, ‘Should I try starting a guild?’ and give it a shot.
It was similar to how, back in the day, everyone and their mother would quit their jobs to open a fried chicken joint.
As a result, talent was constantly being split up and brought back together all over the place.
In the process, failing guilds would demand transfer fees, trying to squeeze out every last penny.
“But here? Talented people are just lying around on the ground.”
They might be a little lacking for immediate use, but the talents who would one day blossom are all gathered here.
I planned to pick out only the hidden gems from among them and build our guild into something great.
“The plan is excellent… but will it really work out?”
Seo-yeon, who had been listening quietly, chimed in with an objection.
“If what you’re saying is true, there must have been plenty of seniors who tried to create a guild the same way… but I’ve never heard of any of them succeeding.”
“That’s a good point.”
Hmm.
She may be my daughter, but her insight is incredibly sharp.
“Just as Seo-yeon-sunbae said, there were many pioneers before me who had the same idea.”
“…Pioneers?”
“Shh, quiet.”
“……”
Read the room, Shin Yu-jeong.
“But not a single one of those guilds succeeded in gathering talent and growing. Why do you think that is?”
“Uh… because everyone knows their own worth?”
You again, Son Seo-yeon!
“Everyone, a round of applause!”
Clap, clap, clap, clap…
“That’s the right answer. Anyone who gets into Korea University, graduates, and gets a Hunter license is qualified enough to join at least a solid mid-tier guild. So who in their right mind would agree to waste their talent by joining a small-scale guild starting out of a club room?”
That’s how they all failed.
A small guild started by university students in a club room.
Success or failure.
No, to be precise, there was no reason for them to dip their toes into such a risky venture where the probability of failure was several times higher than that of success.
Whether it was a recruitment test or an invitation, the offer just wasn’t appealing.
“But we’re different.”
“How are we different?” Shin Yu-jeong asked with an indifferent tone.
She’s pouting again.
I’ll have to soothe her later.
“The members are different.”
The reason we were different from all those failed guilds was our members.
“We may be university students, but we’re already active Hunters. And what’s more, we’re all elites, B-rank or higher.”
On top of that, we had a hidden card that everyone coveted.
“And we even have Hunter Han Ju-yeon with us.”
“Oh, my.”
As I pointed to her, Ju-yeon covered her cheeks with both hands as if embarrassed.
It was cute, but… maybe a bit much to do in front of university students.
“Our guild is already treated as being on par with, if not better than, most solid mid-tier guilds.”
In other words, we had what it took to capture the interest of talented students.
Furthermore, joining a fledgling guild with guaranteed growth meant being treated as a founding member.
It was only natural that their influence within the guild would grow.
“…Now that I hear it, that makes sense.”
After my explanation, everyone seemed to be convinced.
“So how many are you planning to recruit?”
“Well. If I find talent that satisfies my standards, I’ll have to accept them all.”
“And what are your standards?”
“That’s obvious… shouldn’t they be at least at your level?”
Hearing my words, they all smiled wryly.
“…Isn’t that just another way of saying you won’t accept anyone?”
“That is what it sounded like to Elena’s ears as well.”
“High-standards Do-jin, so cute…♥”
Haha.
They’re overflowing with confidence, these ones.
Looks like I’ll have to knock those arrogant noses of theirs down a peg during the vacation.
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Three days later, as promised, I was on my way to the Zodiac guild’s hideout.
The thought that I might finally get some information on the veiled organization, Hexagram, mingled with Han Ju-hee’s answer to my question. And then, Jeong-hee’s words clicked into place.
The anxious hours a wife spends after sending her Hunter husband off….
After we got married, she took on various other roles, and her activities as a Hunter naturally dwindled.
She moved toward a safer place, while I remained where battles with monsters awaited.
Of course, I wasn’t certain whether she had been worried sick or felt anything at all during the time I was away.
However, it was also true that I had overlooked such emotions.
“…I thought she’d be okay.”
She was a Hunter, just like me.
She also knew better than anyone how I cleared dungeons and dealt with villains.
So I thought she’d be fine, but if she wasn’t…
“She might have been disappointed.”
If she, waiting for me, truly felt that way, it was reason enough to hate the name ‘National Hunter.’
It would have seemed like the very thing that pushed her husband into even more dangerous places.
“…Was that why?”
Han Ju-hee had thoroughly blocked our daughter Seo-yeon’s dream of becoming a Hunter like me.
She never gave me a chance to teach her swordsmanship, and when the child insisted on going to Korea University to become a Hunter, she broke her will and forced her into the Magic Tower.
At the time, I understood it as her simply not wanting her precious daughter to be in danger… but what if there was more to it?
“Was it because of me?”
Perhaps her opposition wasn't just about the profession of a Hunter, but specifically about Seo-yeon wanting to become a Hunter like me.
If her heart had been worn down and blackened from the anxiety of waiting for her husband, it would make sense.
But that was as far as it went.
“This alone isn’t enough.”
That one reason couldn’t explain all of her actions.
A prime example was her reason for joining hands with Hexagram.
She was a woman who could have anything she wanted.
Wealth, honor, power.
What more could a woman who had it all possibly want?
“…That’s what I need to find out from now on.”
An ominous thought wouldn’t leave my mind.
What if she was plotting something so outrageous that it was impossible to conceive through normal thinking?
Carrying a frustration that felt like I’d stuffed my mouth with dry sweet potatoes and no water, I entered the building.
“Welcome.”
Just like last time, the blonde woman at the desk greeted me and led the way.
As we rode the elevator up, my eyes met with K’s, who was standing in front of the guild leader’s office.
“Welcome. You’re right on time.”
“I tend to be punctual.”
“Haha, is that so.”
He laughed dryly and pushed open the door to the office.
“Please, come in. The Boss is waiting for you.”
“…Your boss, in person?”
“Yes. When I told him what you said, he expressed a desire to speak with you directly at least once.”
Should I call this an unexpected windfall?
There was no downside for me.
If I could face this ‘Boss’ in person, I might be able to get a rough gauge of his power.
“Alright, let’s go in.”
I stepped inside, hiding my nervousness.
Contrary to my expectation that the Boss would be waiting, the guild leader’s office was empty.
“……”
Instead, a large screen hung on one wall.
All it displayed was a black screen.
In the middle of it, a silhouette of a slightly deeper black was faintly visible.
A man, sitting in a chair with one leg crossed.
A voice came from it.
-A pleasure to meet you, Kim Do-jin. You’re even more impressive than what I heard from K.
Hmm.
I could only see a silhouette, but he could see me perfectly.
This was a bit unfair.
Well, what could I do?
As they say, the thirsty man digs the well. The one in need has to be patient.
Hiding my discomfort, I asked him.
“Are you the boss of Zodiac?”
-I am. I’d appreciate it if you called me King. However….
He trailed off, and with an unknown power, the mana in the air stirred and gathered around me.
The mana that had gathered…
-Has it not occurred to you that your tone is a bit insolent?
Rumble…!
…began to press down on my entire body with immense pressure.