Chapter 467: Evolution (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 467: Evolution (1)
The Saintess is a benevolent and kind person, but she is no fool, nor is she a pushover.
A guild founded by a member of the Guardians? It was a cause for celebration, but not a reason for money to leave her wallet.
At most, she would send a wreath or a gift to the guild's new headquarters, and that would be the end of it.
Of course, I knew that.
But I still wanted to get that money out of her.
So, how should I phrase it to convince her to open her purse?
“I'm not sure if you're aware, but I'm running a guild.”
-“I know. The Twilight Guild… How could I not know of a guild that has two S-rank Hunters?”
“Then you must also know that our guild headquarters is nothing more than a university club room.”
-“Yes. I assume it was a strategic choice.”
“That's true, but there's another reason.”
-“Another reason…?”
“We're broke.”
I had enough money to live on. No, I was in a position where I could easily earn billions if I wanted to.
But buying a building for a guild headquarters, especially one equipped with everything I wanted, wasn't easy.
The building alone would cost tens of billions.
And considering all the materials needed to furnish the interior, it would cost another small fortune.
It wasn't an impossible amount to earn given enough time, but it was a burdensome sum to make in the short term.
-“For the Twilight Guild, I would think companies would be lining up to invest. Am I wrong?”
“Well… you're not wrong.”
Even now, there were corporations willing to fund a guild that could hardly be considered fully operational.
A grant of tens of billions is a hefty sum, even for a large corporation.
But there was a way to solve that, too. If one wasn't enough, I could make a deal with two. If two wasn't enough, I could just sign with three or more.
-“So why choose the difficult path when there's an easy one?”
Why not do it, when I knew all this?
Because they aren't philanthropists.
They are groups whose ultimate goal is to generate profit. Why would they give me money?
They want to control the guild, and me. They want to leash me with money, to use me as a sword they can draw whenever they please.
“Because I have no desire to be a puppet in a corporation's hands.”
A corporation big enough to connect with us wouldn't openly ask me to do something evil.
However, they bring you tasks with ambiguous moral boundaries, designed to confuse you.
Things that aren't overtly evil, but make you feel a little grimy when you actually do them.
Those kinds of jobs eat away at a person.
They wear down the scales you use to judge right and wrong, making the markings go askew.
The names of those who were worn down like that and left are still vivid in my memory.
The memory of their sorrow and anguish remains so fresh that it sometimes torments me.
I don't want to add any more names to that list.
-“…I could also control you and your guild.”
“I'm sure you could.”
As I'd said before, she was a good person, but not a pushover.
It's only natural to exercise one's rights over an investment.
There was no rule saying she couldn't control me or the guild.
I knew that, and yet I chose her.
Because.
“But at least you wouldn't ask me to do anything evil.”
Because I believed her requests would never be something I'd have to question as right or wrong.
To that end, I had even prepared some fancy words that would win her over.
“I'm not just asking for support recklessly.”
-“It already seems plenty reckless to me…?”
Well… I suppose it might have looked that way until now.
“If you hear what I have to say now, you'll change your mind.”
I could feel her demeanor shift slightly from behind the veil.
-“I'm curious. How will Hunter Kim Do-jin change my mind?”
Her tone was like a challenge: Go on, give it your best shot.
I responded with a confident voice.
“What if our guild were to function as the Guardians' Korean branch?”
-“……!”
Her fingers trembled.
Not missing the opening, I pushed a step further.
“And what if we covered not just Korea, but all of East Asia?”
The Guardians was a global organization.
It had to be. The Apostles of the Seven Deadly Sins weren't all from the same country.
Race, origin, age, and so on. As an organization that dealt with the diverse Seven Deadly Sins, it was only right for it to be worldwide.
Thus, the Guardians had established branches in various countries, but they had yet to establish a proper one in Asia.
The reason was simple.
There was no one they could trust to run it.
The problem was that the majority of its members were from North America or Europe.
As a result, they had no one knowledgeable about the Asian region whom they could trust with the responsibility.
“You must be aware that various problems have been cropping up in Asia recently.”
-“…….”
Amidst all this, the number of incidents and accidents centered in Asia had begun to increase.
Prime examples were Lu Bu in China and the Church of Light in Korea.
They had managed to handle things by dispatching Holy Knights and Priests each time, but still.
If I were the Saintess, I would have thought it was incredibly inefficient.
And it was.
-“So you're saying I should solve that inconvenience and inefficiency through the Twilight Guild…?”
“Exactly.”
This was a mutually beneficial arrangement.
I'd be happy to get the investment, and she'd be happy to have more hands working for the Guardians.
And were my people just any ordinary workers?
“Two S-ranks. And the rest are A-ranks with more than enough potential to reach S-rank.”
That alone should be enough to make her mouth water.
But that wasn't all.
“And what's more… the Apostle of Temperance is one of our guild members, isn't she?”
Son Seo-yeon.
Unlike me, a mere collaborator, she was the Apostle of Temperance, destined to become a core member of the Guardians.
And she was also a member of our guild.
“With all this, I think the investment value isn't just sufficient, it's overflowing….”
I kindly asked the now-quiet Saintess. No, I compelled her.
“What do you think?”
The answer is already decided. All you have to do is say it.
* * *
Her deliberation was not long. Her decision was even quicker.
‘How infuriating.’
The brightly smiling face on the other side of the screen felt somehow detestable.
‘Why do I keep feeling like I'm being drawn into his pace…?’
It wasn't just a feeling. It was reality.
Every time she faced him, he defied her expectations in a new way.
It was always confusing.
And in that confusion, Kim Do-jin would deftly extract whatever he wanted from her.
“How detestable.”
He was utterly detestable, but he wasn't wrong.
Reading the reports from the Guardians' branches around the world, she naturally came to a realization.
‘Chaos is not far off.’
The day when the thin veneer of gilded peace spread across the world would be peeled away.
The time when the great evil crouching within would begin to shake the world.
Once it arrived, it would be too late.
So, while there was still time, she had to prepare as much as possible.
In such a situation, Kim Do-jin's proposal was an incredibly welcome one.
‘The Twilight Guild.’
It was a new guild composed of a small elite, but a look inside revealed a shocking level of talent.
Two S-rank Hunters.
On top of that, an A-rank on the verge of becoming S-rank, who was also the Apostle of Temperance.
Even the skills of the team members who worked with them were extraordinary.
It was hard to believe that one man had gathered them all in that small patch of land.
And now, they were offering to take on the role of the Guardians' Korean branch, and even its Asian branch.
‘If they can function properly… it would be no different from gaining a heavenly army.’
Of course, that was only if they functioned properly.
If things didn't go as expected, she would just be throwing away her precious money, but what could she do?
An investment must always be made with the possibility of failure in mind.
And if that investment was for the sake of brightening the world's fate, even by a little, then she had no choice but to take the chance.
She immediately called one of the people who managed the Guardians' assets.
“Something has come up that requires an urgent investment in the Republic of Korea. Could you help me with that?”
It was a large sum of money, but the investment process went smoothly.
Her standing within the Guardians was just that powerful.
After finishing the short call, she quietly set down her smartphone and threw off the veil covering her face.
Revealing a pair of dazzling golden eyes.
“…I'll trust you this time, too.”
Her low voice tickled the silent air for a moment before vanishing.
In her eyes, as she gazed out the window at the deep darkness, lay a small wish and a glimmer of hope.
* * *
One week.
That was how long it took to be introduced to the building that would become our guild headquarters.
I was quite surprised.
“…That was incredibly fast.”
At first, she had questioned and doubted me relentlessly, as if she was extremely displeased.
“But once she makes a choice, she backs it up completely….”
I guess that's how she operates.
It wasn't a bad thing for me.
Thanks to her, I could keep the bold promise I'd made to my guild members.
“Whoa… This building is our guild headquarters?”
“Not just one floor, but the whole thing?”
“No way….”
“To go from a club room to a building in the middle of Gangnam….”
“Our guild leader is on another level, isn't he?”
Three floors underground, seven floors above ground. A building with a total of ten floors became the Twilight Guild's headquarters.
Of course, we couldn't move in right away.
A training ground, a fitness center, a warehouse, the guild leader's office, office space, a cafeteria, and more. There were more than a few things that needed to be customized to our liking.
“So when do we get to move out of the club room?”
“Hmm. At the earliest, I think we'll be able to use it around the time we graduate early.”
“It's going to take that long?”
“It also means we're going to furnish it perfectly.”
“Ooh… I don't mind that.”
As the tour with the excited fledglings was coming to an end.
Ju-yeon, who was walking behind me, subtly grabbed my wrist and pulled me aside.
“Tell me the truth.”
“About what?”
“This building… how did you get it?”
“I told you, it was an investment.”
“I know. From who?”
Her questioning stemmed from worry.
To ease her anxiety, I gave her shoulder a light squeeze and answered.
“Don't worry, I didn't sign any strange contracts. Don't you trust me?”
“Nnng… that's not it.”
“You'll find out who I made the deal with eventually, so just wait a little longer for that, too.”
“…Alright. This unnie trusts you.”
The trust that replaced her faded anxiety made me smile.
But that was only for a moment.
“But are you sure this is okay?”
“What is?”
“This building. Isn't it… a little too close?”
Another concern was conveyed to me.
But it couldn't be helped.
“They said this was the only building available for immediate purchase.”
“Ah… I see.”
“Well, what could possibly happen?”
“I… guess so?”
“Of course.”
Probably.
After finishing the rough tour, we left the building immediately.
I was wondering if we should grab an early dinner before parting ways when...
Seo-yeon, looking over my shoulder, murmured softly.
“Oh… Dad.”
At her words, the area erupted in chatter.
“Seo-yeon sunbae's dad… Oh my god!”
“It's H-Hunter Son Si-woo!”
“Wow… this is the first time I've seen him this close.”
The others chattered and squealed as if they'd seen a pop idol.
Amidst the noise, I heard familiar footsteps from behind.
“Seo-yeon…?”
Then came the voice.
Should I call it familiar? Or should I call it foreign?
“What are you doing here…?”
In response to his question, Seo-yeon pointed to the building we had just left.
“This building is going to be our guild headquarters, so we came to see it. Oh, now that I think about it…?”
It dawned on her a moment too late.
What the building right next to our new guild headquarters was.
“Ah, it's right next to your guild headquarters, Dad.”
That's right.
This was the very reason Ju-yeon had expressed her concern earlier.
Because right next to the guild headquarters we had just acquired, there was another guild.
And it was the Dawn Guild, the one holding the undisputed number one spot.
Seo-yeon looked troubled.
To step in for her, I slowly turned around.
I was worried for a moment, but it was fine.
The restriction only activated if we interfered in each other's lives or revealed the secret.
The moment my face was revealed, the man—Son Si-woo's—eyebrow twitched.
I offered him a bright smile and a greeting.
“Hello, Hunter Son Si-woo.”
Very politely and respectfully.
“I am Kim Do-jin, the guild leader of the Twilight Guild.”
There was only one thing he could say.
“…A pleasure to meet you.”
Just like me, he had to greet me as if it were our first time meeting.
“Wow… seeing the National Hunter in person like this feels truly strange.”
It really did.
This had to be an experience no one else had ever had.
This bizarre and unfamiliar feeling of facing my own face through another person's body.
At the same time, I was curious.
I wondered what kind of emotions were packed inside him.
Suppressing such thoughts, I spoke again.
“As it happens, we ended up in the building right next to the Dawn Guild.”
“…….”
His eyes seemed to be demanding an explanation.
What the hell do you think you're doing?
I ignored it completely.
I figured it was about time we faced each other.
Especially since I knew he was connected to one of the Seven Deadly Sins in some way.
Staring straight into his violently shaking pupils, I uttered my final words.
“I look forward to working with you.”
It was the moment the embers of another conflict, long dormant, were truly set ablaze.