Chapter 17
Chapter 17
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: Han Ye-rim (5)
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I spread out the scouts' business cards across the table with a clatter. Lee Ji-ah and I huddled together, deep in thought.
Ah, first things first, I need to sort these out.
I plucked out a few of the displayed cards.
"Hyun-woo, why those ones?"
Lee Ji-ah asked, puzzled. I handed her the ones I'd just pulled out so she could see them at a glance.
"Arena, Tae-san, Halo... They're all major guilds, aren't they?"
But why pull those out?
Her face said it all.
I explained, pointing to each one.
"Arena Guild—that's where A-rank Hunter Kim Seung-yoon from the Abyss raid is based."
"...?"
"Tae-san Guild—same deal, home to A-rank Hunter Park Jae-min from the Abyss raid."
"Ah."
All of them were guilds dragged into Lee Ji-ah's hearing.
Crazy bastards. After trying to bury it all, now they hand over business cards? They're scared we'll stab them in the back, so they want to play it safe.
Even if I were six feet under, I wouldn't dream of sending Lee Ji-ah to a place like that.
I tore the cards to shreds and tossed them in a corner.
There were still plenty left on the table.
"This one, this one, this one..."
I kept pulling them out without hesitation. Lee Ji-ah asked again.
"Why those?"
"I've never heard of them."
Until a month ago, I'd dreamed of becoming a hunter myself as an awakener. I hadn't been directly involved in the industry, but I'd picked up on rumors here and there.
Yet these guilds I'd selected? Never heard a peep about them.
What the hell even is Seungsu Trading Guild?
Guilds like these were just throwing darts, hoping to stick with Lee Ji-ah.
Could they even meet the bare minimum for an S-rank like her? No way. No need to entertain them.
"This one, this one, this one..."
This one's the jerks who tried to screw us over, so out. That one's an unknown guild, out.
This one's got shaky finances, out. That one has a ton of bad rumors in the industry, out.
Once I finished sorting, only five cards remained out of dozens on the table.
None were quite big enough for major guilds, but too substantial for small or mid-tier—they were solid mid-sized ones.
"Hyun-woo, is this okay?"
Lee Ji-ah seemed worried now about actually joining a guild.
"...We'll have to negotiate a few things."
I pulled out my phone and dialed one of the numbers on the cards.
The team leader asked the scout.
"Sung-hyun?"
"Ah, Team Leader. What's up?"
"How'd it go with Lee Ji-ah?"
His tone carried subtle expectation. The scout scratched his head awkwardly.
"W-well, I went all the way to her place."
"And?"
"Her manager said she's still thinking... Couldn't even give her the card."
"What?"
"There were so many scouts from other guilds that he freaked out and bolted."
The team leader's face darkened instantly. The scout stammered an excuse.
"L-like I said, there are tons of scouts after Lee Ji-ah, so..."
"The guy's living at her place, so I gave the card to him instead..."
"You idiot!"
The team leader jabbed a finger at him, raising his voice.
"You think this is some parenting reality show?! You couldn't even talk properly, and that kid took your card? Why waste paper on trash that's just going in the bin anyway?!"
The scout's neck shrank in. He mumbled carefully.
"Like I said, with all the scouts gunning for Lee Ji-ah..."
"That's exactly what you're paid to handle!"
How am I supposed to do the impossible?
This sucks.
The scout muttered under his breath and bowed his head low.
"I'm sorry!"
"I'll handle Lee Ji-ah myself. You—compile a full list of hunters whose contracts are ending soon and get it on my desk by today! Got it?"
The scout swallowed tears at the overtime order and replied.
"Yes, sir!"
As the scout sat at his desk, grumbling while sorting the list—
Ring ring.
His phone rang. Unknown number. He picked up.
"Bae Sung-hyun of Pung-hwa Guild."
—Hello? This is Manager Kim Hyun-woo. I got your card—
The man's voice drilled right into his ear.
Kim Hyun-woo? Who's that?
Overtime thoughts wouldn't leave his head.
Holding the phone with his shoulder, the scout tapped the keyboard listlessly.
"Excuse me, who is this?"
—Kim Hyun-woo. Uh, you're the scout from Pung-hwa Guild, right?
"Yes. Kim Hyun..."
The scout's jaw dropped. He straightened up and replied.
"K-Kim Hyun-woo? Lee Ji-ah's manager Kim Hyun-woo?"
—That's me.
"Oh man, sorry about that! What can I do for you?"
—I wanted to talk about a contract with Pung-hwa Guild and Lee Ji-ah. How about we meet in person? When works for you...?"
"I'll come right now!"
The scout hung up, frantically packing his bag. Heading out in his suit, he bumped into the team leader.
"Where you going, leaving the work I gave you? You think you can finish by today?"
"Lee Ji-ah's manager just called! Wants to talk!"
"Wh-what?"
"About the contract, so I'm heading out first. I'll fill you in! Dang it, gotta hurry—move!"
"O-okay? Need anything?"
"Nope!"
He shoved past the team leader and bolted.
About thirty minutes after calling Pung-hwa Guild.
The doorbell rang. Opening it, I found the scout bent over, hands on knees, catching his breath.
"Huff, huff! Bae Sung-hyun from Pung-hwa Guild, from our call."
"You got here already?"
"Can't keep you waiting... Gah!"
He's gasping. We shook hands lightly, and I led him to the living room sofa.
The scout pulled documents from his briefcase and slapped them on the table.
"As for Pung-hwa Guild, backed by the Pung-hwa Group, we have solid financial stability..."
"Though our history is short, so our second-string hunters' ranks are a bit low, capital will resolve that over time..."
"Especially for Lee Ji-ah as a ranker, she fits our ideal perfectly, so we'd provide full support..."
Blah blah blah.
"—Pung-hwa Guild is the best place for Lee Ji-ah to make a fresh start. I'm confident."
The endless spiel finally wrapped. All fluff, no substance.
"Alright, to the point? Let's talk contract terms."
"Yes! If you look at the contract..."
Before contacting Pung-hwa, I'd already chatted with scouts from other guilds.
True to their boasts, their terms were way better than the others.
"Ji-ah, what do you think?"
"Huh?"
"Pung-hwa's offer. Thoughts?"
I passed her the contract.
In the end, it was her call, not mine.
At my question, the scout snapped his head up to stare at Lee Ji-ah.
"Hmm..."
She frowned in thought, then handed the contract back to me.
"I'll go with whatever you decide, Hyun-woo."
"You can't just dump a big decision like this on someone else."
"I trust you."
Whoosh—the scout's head whipped toward me like lightning. His eyes might pop out.
I tapped the table with my finger, then made my choice.
"I think it's good."
The scout clenched his fists, trembling. A bit early to celebrate.
"Truth is, there's a reason I contacted a mid-sized guild instead of a major one."
"Yes?"
To the puzzled scout, I laid out our condition.
"Whenever Lee Ji-ah enters a dungeon, I have to go with her."
The flustered scout asked.
"Uh, pardon, but are you an awakener too, Manager?"
"Yes."
He sighed in relief.
"Pardon, but your rank...?"
"...F-rank."
F-rank.
The catch-all for awakeners who couldn't cut it as hunters.
The scout scratched his head vigorously.
He looked utterly baffled.
"Why does the manager need to enter dungeons?"
I licked my dry lips and explained.
Lee Ji-ah can't bring her full strength without me nearby—unavoidable. The scout clutched his head.
"Not my call, but if that's the case, it should be fine. We can assign one or two second-stringers as escorts. I'll... run it up the chain."
"Then we'll review the contract and get back to you."
As we stood to shake hands, he bowed deeply and gripped mine.
"Please! We're counting on you! Join Pung-hwa Guild!"
As the scout grabbed his briefcase to leave, he smacked his forehead and turned back.
"Kim Hyun-woo!"
"Yes?"
"I know you haven't signed yet, so it might seem premature, but... I should mention this upfront. Formally, you need to do an entry test—enter a dungeon."
"Ah."
"It won't be hard for Lee Ji-ah. Don't worry. You too, Kim Hyun-woo!"