The Unexpected Announcement
Mir Guild headquarters, Guild Leader’s office.
“What do you mean there won’t be any reinforcements?!”
Raid Leader Yang Pan-seok slammed his palm against the desk.
The promotion had fallen through by the narrowest of margins. He had assumed reinforcements would follow immediately, yet the answer that came back was a flat rejection with no room for negotiation.
Yang Pan-seok’s handsome face twisted like shattered glass.
Facing him was a man who had shrunk into himself like a crumpled can.
“W-well, there’s nothing we can do. Recruiting this year is… impossible.”
Even as he said it was impossible, the man kept glancing around nervously. Thin build, unusually thick glasses—Jeong Sun-dong looked more like an elementary school vice principal than a guild leader. He was the Guild Leader of Mir Guild.
“Our finances are already in the red. At this rate…”
“Then where did all the season ticket revenue go? We reached the finals! The broadcast rights alone should have brought in a decent amount!”
“The season ticket money went into last year’s facility renovations, and the broadcast fees were used to pay down guild debt…”
“What about our performance? Have you even thought about that?”
“That’s exactly what I want to discuss together…”
“Haa…”
Clashes between the Guild Leader and the Raid Leader were frequent. The Guild Leader was responsible for finances and tried to save every penny, while the Raid Leader needed to spend money to strengthen the team. If the guild was running properly, such arguments could even be considered healthy. Yet Mir Guild was critically lacking in this balance.
“In my opinion—”
“Just a moment, Guild Leader. Could you please stop stuttering?”
“S-sorry.”
Their personalities simply did not match. Yang Pan-seok was far too ambitious to accommodate Jeong Sun-dong’s hopelessly timid nature, so every conversation inevitably became one-sided.
“Why would a professional guild talk about giving up on the league? I believe a guild should never abandon the league, no matter the circumstances.”
“We overspent this year. Failing promotion turned most of that spending into debt… Of course, I’m not blaming you. I’m just saying…”
“Even for the sake of our fans, we absolutely cannot give up. I’ll give it everything I have, so please believe in me. This year will really be different!”
“…Wouldn’t it be fine to rest for just one year? You’ve been running so hard. The fans would understand if we took a year off…”
“What are you saying? Are we even having the same conversation?”
“S-sorry.”
“Please stop apologizing. You’re the one who called this meeting.”
“Sorry…”
“Guild Leader!”
The discussion was going nowhere. Unable to endure the frustration any longer, Yang Pan-seok seized control of the meeting.
“Guild Leader, listen to me first. This meeting is meaningless anyway. A new representative is coming.”
“I know. Lee Shin, that good-for-nothing. The front office staff are already anxious because of him…”
“I don’t care whether he’s a good-for-nothing or not. What matters is that Lee Do Group is standing behind him.”
What kind of place was Lee Do Group? It was the top corporation—so powerful people even called it the Lee Do Republic. With their bottomless investment on the horizon, watching the Guild Leader drone on about something as useless as financial health was driving Yang Pan-seok mad.
“Instead of worrying about pointless things like a merchandise store, we should focus on strengthening the team and delivering results. That would be a hundred times better.”
“But the debt is already too high…”
“The banks already know who’s coming. They’re probably waiting for our call right now, ready to offer more loans.”
“Then what about financial health…”
“Financial health! Financial health! How many times do I have to say it?! It’s Lee Do Group! Once they start spending, this debt won’t even register!”
He wasn’t wrong. Lee Do Group’s extravagant spending was legendary. And this time, they had reached out first. It was trustworthy.
Yang Pan-seok spoke with conviction.
“Guild Leader, forget everything else. Let’s focus on strengthening the team like I said. Has anything I suggested ever gone wrong?”
“P-Pan-seok…”
“I’m saying this for your sake too. What kind of representative would want to coast in their first year? Promotion is non-negotiable. In the worst-case scenario, if we don’t get promoted, we’ll all be fired anyway.”
“……”
“Right now, nothing else matters. Remember—results. Only results.”
After the meeting, Yang Pan-seok let out a sigh filled with self-loathing. In other guilds, the Guild Leader would run around supporting the raid team, yet here he still had to explain everything one by one.
‘This can’t go on.’
Not for the guild’s future.
Not for his own future either.
* * *
A few days later, in front of Mir Guild’s main gate.
Lee Shin’s Rolls-Royce came to a stop. As he stepped out, a thunderous welcome erupted.
““Welcome!””
Lined up on both sides from the gate stood the guild members, with Yang Pan-seok and the raid team shouting the loudest.
Escorted by Yang Pan-seok, Lee Shin paused at the entrance, taking in the sight of Mir Guild with a nostalgic gaze. Then he smiled with his famously striking looks.
“Haha, this is embarrassing. You really didn’t have to go this far. Anyway, nice to meet you. I’m Lee Shin.”
“It’s only proper to greet our new representative. I’m Yang Pan-seok. I look forward to working with you.”
“Oh! So you’re the famous Hunter Yang Pan-seok! Your profile picture did you dirty—your real face looks way younger. Mind if I shake your hand?”
“Haha, of course not. I’m past my prime, though.”
As the two shook hands with bright expressions, enthusiastic applause broke out from all around.
Who would have thought a new representative would be this welcome? It was almost excessive.
“By the way, are you alone? The Guild Leader should be here.”
“The Guild Leader said he wasn’t feeling well and didn’t come in today.”
Lee Shin’s brow twitched for a split second.
“Hmm… Let me ask one thing. Did he know I was coming today?”
“……”
When everyone avoided answering, Lee Shin muttered “How convenient” under his breath before returning to his cheerful demeanor.
“Only the absent lose out. Let’s have fun without him.”
“It’s an honor. You came from far away—would you like something to eat first…?”
“I’m fine. I already had a light breakfast. Could I get some coffee, though?”
“Of course.”
“I’ll have an iced americano with two extra shots. And for our beautiful secretary here—”
“……”
“Just pick something for her. As you can see, she doesn’t talk much.”
“Understood.”
Vice-captain, go yourself.
At Yang Pan-seok’s sharp chin gesture, the vice-captain hurried off despite his massive frame.
“How about we take a quick tour before heading to the office? Could you show me around?”
“Of course. I’ll guide you personally. This way…”
The facilities were excellent overall.
The main building was quite spacious, as was the cafeteria. The wide-open grass field stood out in particular.
While most guilds these days built upward, Mir Guild’s low three-story height was offset by its impressive width—an old-fashioned style. Signs of age were visible throughout the building that couldn’t be hidden.
“Hmm? What’s that building over there?”
“It’s the dorms. Hunter-exclusive housing.”
“Dorms?”
Lee Shin tilted his head.
“I thought I had it wrong. Lower-league guilds usually don’t have separate dorms, right?”
He wasn’t mistaken. Having dorms implied people coming from far away, and how many would travel for a mere 4th Division guild?
Yang Pan-seok explained calmly.
“For organizational cohesion, the entire raid team agreed to live together in the dorms during the league season. That building was constructed for that purpose.”
“Oho…”
“In the end, the core of the guild is the hunters. Our motto at Mir Guild is to spare no investment in improving their abilities.”
“Ah… ‘Investment,’ huh…”
Then came the sharp question.
“Does the Guild Leader think the same?”
“……Of course.”
Lee Shin stared straight into Yang Pan-seok’s eyes.
For a moment—
A chill ran down Yang Pan-seok’s arms. Those eyes were clear and bright, yet they held an inexplicable madness.
But just as quickly, Lee Shin’s gaze softened into a gentle smile again.
“Well, if it’s investment, I’m sure you handled it well.”
“……Thank you. Shall we move on?”
“Let’s go.”
After passing through the warehouse and cafeteria, they crossed the training field and arrived at the training facility.
Each holding their iced americanos, they stepped inside.
“This is Team 1’s training hall.”
“Hmm, the inside is much better than it looks from outside. That’s the new sparring court, isn’t it? The one that can handle mana usage without issue.”
Contrary to the somewhat shabby exterior, the interior was filled with luxurious equipment: lounges, physical therapy rooms, precision mana massage kits, and recovery-promoting warm pools.
“These are also part of the investments you mentioned, right?”
“Of course. If there’s one thing we should never skimp on, it’s training facilities.”
“Impressive. Team 1 has been with you all this time, correct?”
“Yes. They’re like family.”
“Ah~ like ‘family.’”
The moment the word “family” came up, Yang Pan-seok had the raid members greet Lee Shin one by one, following behind him like ducklings trailing their mother. This one’s specialty, that one’s talent, this guy used to be famous even in Busan…
Blah blah, back and forth.
It seemed overly enthusiastic at first glance, but if they truly thought of each other as family, it was rather heartwarming.
While they were laughing and chatting, Lee Shin checked the time.
“Oh dear, it’s already this late.”
“We have plenty of time. Why don’t we tour the rest tomorrow and have a meal first?”
“That’s a great idea.”
“Since you’re in Busan, you should try some dwaeji-gukbap. I’ll take you there.”
“Wow, my mouth is already watering.”
The day had gone smoothly—almost too peacefully. A welcoming dinner was held in an exceptionally warm atmosphere.
Hahaha.
Hohoho.
First round, second round, third round.
One drink after another.
As Lee Shin’s face grew flushed from the cheerful toasts, Yang Pan-seok finally relaxed.
‘It’s done.’
There had been a hint of anxiety, but everything had worked out perfectly.
If he could maintain a good relationship with Lee Shin and get rid of the troublesome Guild Leader, the shaky guild would finally find its footing again.
‘All under my leadership, Yang Pan-seok.’
Perfect.
Yang Pan-seok finally smiled with genuine relief—completely unaware of what was about to unfold.
After reading the message, Lee Shin grinned and tapped his beer glass with his chopsticks to gather everyone’s attention.
“Attention, everyone. I have some good news!”
All eyes turned to him with curiosity.
Lee Shin raised his soju-beer glass with a bright smile and spoke sincerely to Yang Pan-seok and the raid team.
“Congratulations on your transfers!!”
???
??
……What?