Chapter 32
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: Learning (2)
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Afternoon training was still in full swing.
“……”
Taking a short break to exchange messages with Im A-rin, I stared blankly at the photo she had sent.
[A-rin: Prepping for the meeting with the team!]
In the photo, Im A-rin was sitting in the office with her beautiful silver hair neatly braided. Behind her, Hong Yu-ra and Seol Ju-hee were faintly visible, each fiddling with their phones.
They seem to be doing well.
I zoomed in on the photo to carefully check out the two of them, then casually shifted the topic by pretending not to know and complimenting Im A-rin's new hairstyle.
[Your braids look pretty. Did you get them done at a salon?]
As if she had been waiting for my reply, no "unread" mark appeared next to the message. A cute emoticon came back right away, along with her saying she had done them herself.
This really feels like we're flirting.
Ever since Im A-rin had basically confessed to me at the hospital—without actually calling it a confession—we had started exchanging sweet, innocent messages like a couple confirming their feelings before making it official.
From simple things like "Did you eat?" to all sorts of trivial, everyday chatter.
Whenever we had a moment free, we kept the texts going. After work, we'd talk on the phone until we fell asleep.
If we just didn't label it, this was basically a relationship already.
Is this okay...?
Enjoying this quasi-romance with Im A-rin wasn't bad.
No... honestly, it was great.
Though I'd lived without a moment's loneliness up until now, there was a deep-seated ache in my heart that I'd always felt.
This single spark of excitement that had come to my parched soul was more intense than anything. And since she was so close to my ideal type, I couldn't push her away.
I was barely holding back by thinking of the hard-earned teamwork I'd built with Queens...
But I couldn't just keep watching Im A-rin tempt me forever, shaking her tail with that sweet scent right in front of my nose.
[A-rin: Oh, looks like it's starting! I'll call after the meeting!]
After promising to talk to Im A-rin later and putting my phone away to resume training—
──
A small commotion came from beyond the partition.
““Hello, sir!!””
A booming greeting echoed through. It seemed like some big shot from another team had dropped by.
Good thing our mayor isn't the type to cause a fuss like that.
Anyway, it had nothing to do with us, so I brushed it off and was about to get back to training...
“Ah, perfect timing. You're here.”
The source of the commotion grabbed my ankle.
“You look like you're on break. Got a minute?”
It was Lee Hye-ri, leader of Sejin Guild.
“S-Sejin Guild Leader...!”
“Whoa...”
Bang Han-na and Kim Na-rae, who had been huddled nearby, reacted with wide-eyed awe at the celebrity's arrival. Jin Seo-won was the only one who seemed utterly uninterested.
She said she'd send an official letter... but she brought it herself?
I'd already been in touch with her beforehand and knew she'd take action, so instead of a formal greeting, I gave a slight wave and spoke.
“Your team's got some serious discipline. I could hear the greeting all the way over here.”
“It's their second year. Of course they do.”
She replied matter-of-factly, smirking as she subtly signaled to her aides.
“They'll be handling things upstairs, so make sure it goes smoothly.”
“Yes, ma'am.”
The aides, one holding a briefcase full of documents, headed straight for Han Gyu-ri and Kim Jun-hyeong.
She'd really come to deliver the official documents in person.
“What is this, the stone age? Coming all the way here with papers?”
“Just wanted to drop by and see your face while I was at it.”
Lee Hye-ri grinned mischievously, clearly pleased with my dumbfounded reaction.
Bang Han-na and Kim Na-rae, watching our exchange in fascination, looked mildly surprised.
“These are... your team members?”
To me, Lee Hye-ri was just a cheeky old classmate. But to the team, who mostly knew her from the media, she was a full-blown celebrity.
“H-Hello! I'm Bang Han-na...!”
“K-Kim Na-rae here!”
“...Jin Seo-won.”
The two besides Jin Seo-won greeted her stiffly with tense faces. Lee Hye-ri returned the greeting with her polished, business-ready smile.
“I'm Lee Hye-ri. Looks like we'll be seeing a lot of each other, so take care of me.”
“Yes, ma'am...!”
“Please take care of us!”
After the quick introductions, I followed her to the office.
*
“So, what do you think?”
“Not bad.”
“...Not bad? Do you know how many people pulled all-nighters to put that proposal together?”
I shrugged at Lee Hye-ri's exasperated reaction and set the proposal down on the table.
“That's high praise from me.”
The proposal was much more substantial than I'd expected.
It offered a proper office at guild headquarters for smooth collaboration, free use of all facilities.
On top of that, a whopping 4 billion won budgeted under "activity support funds,"
and even welfare points usable at Sejin Group affiliates—clauses I hadn't even dreamed of.
They're really pulling out all the stops to lure me in.
Honestly, none of that was a huge draw—nice to have, but not essential.
But access to Sejin Guild's exclusive gates? That piqued my interest.
Sejin Guild's gates are famous for their quality.
All gates fundamentally belong to the state.
But since the government can't manage them all, they release some to the public under what's called "national projects"—a form of research assignment.
Sejin Guild was one that had secured such gates, each one a premium pick, making them well-known in the industry...
At this point, I was curious how she'd convinced her guild's top brass.
“The investment seems excessive... How did you even talk them into this?”
“I just leveraged your name a bit.”
Lee Hye-ri crossed her legs casually, as if it were no big deal.
“Anyone at Sejin Guild who doesn't know Do Ji-hyeok is a spy, right?”
“...Is that so?”
I played dumb and nodded along to her words, laced with subtle barbs.
After all, I was the one who'd personally dragged Sejin—neck-and-neck with Cheonhwa for first and second—down the rankings.
“Well... they approved it because they trust your skills, so no need to feel burdened. I don't want to make you uncomfortable.”
“You sure you don't want to burden me?”
“Of course not.”
She flashed a playful expression, tapping her heel as she continued.
“Pocket as much of that 4 billion as you can. That's what they budgeted it for.”
“...What?”
I let out an involuntary chuckle at her blatant encouragement of corruption, crossing my arms and fixing her with a steady gaze.
“How exactly am I supposed to skim that much?”
She shot back with a sly, knowing look, as if to say, Come on, between pros.
“You can manage it.”
I could, sure.
Hunter teams are a money pit of a business, so there were plenty of ways to siphon off "activity support" as bribes.
However.
I wasn't short on cash, nor did I crave luxury, so I had no interest in risky schemes.
“What if I get sick from bad food? I don't fancy prison.”
“Then... no choice. Big sis will have to help you out.”
I shook my head in dismay at Lee Hye-ri flicking her tongue between her bold red lips.
The moment I took the bait, she'd have me tied to Sejin Guild—a transparent ploy.
She's not really trying to trap me... It just means she's desperate.
Easily reading between the lines, I accepted the partnership proposal—promising not to skim a single won.
“So, what do you want from me?”
Where there's give, there's take.
With Sejin offering such lavish terms, we had to provide something in return.
The proposal vaguely listed "operational support," which could spell trouble later if not clarified upfront.
“Just so you know, if it's something like negotiation rights, I'm out.”
“Think I'd ask for that?”
She laughed elegantly, as if to say not to worry, uncrossing her legs with a suddenly serious air.
“Take command of Black Rose.”
“...?”
Her proposal was this:
Lead the gate raid for Black Rose, currently ranked second.
Not ongoing—just once. Separate from any partnership contract, with an enormous fee attached, success or not.
“30 billion?”
A whopping 30 billion won.
For what was at most a few weeks of producing.
“If you've got that much cash, make it 100 billion.”
“I could. But you'd have to marry me.”
She explained the fee was benchmarked against the highest-paid producer in the U.S.—roughly a month's salary.
“...What kind of gate are you throwing this money at me for?”
I could tell Lee Hye-ri was plotting something big...
“The Paju joint raid zone.”
And there it was—the bombshell.
Joint raid zone...
Typically, A-rank and higher gates are special management zones, allowing only one team at a time.
A few exceptions permit simultaneous entry, called "joint raid zones."
Handing one to me meant...
Another team entering with Black Rose on the same day.
“Hmm...”
Combat is allowed in joint raid zones.
Meaning you can sabotage or take out rivals to monopolize the gate.
Not some ordinary spot...
Of Paju's joint raid zones, the one Black Rose would prep hard for was just one.
The Witch's Castle, infamous for its brutal difficulty.
...Raid the Witch's Castle, and beat another team to do it?
Even Queens had barely cleared the Witch's Castle once—it was that tough.
Plus rival competition? 30 billion suddenly seemed reasonable.
“So, who's the opponent?”
I asked Lee Hye-ri the key question: the rival team.
“Thunders? Bulls? Or... those Baekil guys bragging about sending their third-best?”
And then.
“Queens.”
The one team I'd hoped it wouldn't be slipped from her lips.
“...You're serious?”
Lee Hye-ri met my question with an enigmatic smile, a flicker of vengeful fire in her eyes as she murmured her request.
“Take down Queens. Make Black Rose number one.”
Kill the queen for her.