Chapter 14
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Is the Guild Name 'Great Ancient Ones' Correct?
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Is the guild name Great Ancient Ones correct?
I checked my bank account at lightning speed right before opening the door.
Thank goodness, a bit more entrance fee money from Tower Floor 1 had come in over time, enough to cover the rent.
If the landlady sister had come to say she was raising the rent, that would be trouble, but I'd think about that when it happened.
"I-I'm coming out now."
The moment I grabbed the doorknob, one fact suddenly hit me.
I was different now compared to before.
It had been a few months since I'd last seen the landlady sister, so she wouldn't know about the current me.
Back then, I was a full-grown adult, but now I looked like a little girl. What if she didn't recognize me?
She might even kick me out, saying I wasn't the person she'd signed the contract with.
'But I can't just not open the door.'
After a brief hesitation, I finally opened it.
I'd explain somehow, and she'd understand. The landlady sister was a kind person.
Clunk, creak—
The front door opened with a heavy groan.
"Eunha?"
I peeked my head out through the slightly ajar door, and there stood the landlady sister, exactly as I remembered her.
Yellow sundress, wide-brimmed straw hat, and that sweet yet strangely ticklish scent brushing the tip of my nose.
Did she only own that one outfit or something?
"Uh, um. Hello..."
I glanced at her cautiously, pondering how to explain my situation.
I'm the real Eunha, but maybe as a side effect of awakening, my gender suddenly changed, along with my height and hair color!
I'm not scamming you or anything. Oh, and here's the back rent—take this first!
Yeah, that should work. She'd understand if I explained it that way.
Just as I was about to speak, the landlady sister widened her eyes and beat me to it.
"Long time no see, Eunha. Have you been well? You haven't been starving again, have you?"
Eh? How did she recognize me? I thought my appearance had changed so much she wouldn't.
I nearly asked how she knew, but decided to let it slide.
It saved me the hassle of explaining, and as the landlady, she might already know what happened in my studio apartment.
Instead, I looked up at her and replied.
"Y-Yeah...! I almost only ate hardtack, but Awakens Then Leaves Gallery helped me out, so I got to eat lots of tasty stuff! There's chocolate here too—want one...?"
"Awakens Then Leaves Gallery?"
Right. The landlady sister wouldn't know who that was. Explaining we met on the gallery would be kinda embarrassing, though.
"W-Well, I awakened recently, and she's an awakener I met after. She helped me a ton."
"I see. Hey, mind if I come in? I have something to say."
I glanced back at the room, confirming it was cleaner than usual, and relaxed.
It helped that I didn't have much stuff anyway—as long as it looked tidy.
"Ah... Y-Yeah! Come in."
"Ppu-pu!"
I flung the door wide to let the landlady sister in and stepped aside, but suddenly Blackie blocked my path.
"Huh?"
The landlady sister flinched at the sudden appearance of Blackie and looked at me.
Honestly, I freaked out the moment Blackie popped up.
I hadn't mentioned keeping pets when I signed the lease, so I was scared I'd get in trouble.
But fortunately, she didn't say anything to me.
"Ppuu!"
She just kicked the black octopus away with her foot—boink!—as if she hadn't seen it at all.
The landlady sister looked like a delicate flower raised in a greenhouse, so her aggressive kick startled me.
"Ppuuuu...!!"
"B-Blackie!"
Blackie bounced across the floor from the kick and rolled backward, slamming into the wall.
As I rushed over in shock, Blackie's eyes were spinning in circles.
"Ppuu...."
"A-Are you okay, Blackie?"
I scooped Blackie into my arms and shot the landlady sister a glance.
I thought she was nice, but kicking such a cute little thing? Was she actually mean?
As I stared at her demanding an explanation, she blinked and tilted her head slightly.
"Eunha, what's wrong?"
"T-The landlady sister kicked Blackie..."
"Huh? What?"
She looked genuinely surprised, like she had no idea what I meant.
I turned toward her, holding Blackie up so she could see.
But somehow, she still raised one eyebrow as if clueless.
"Eunha. What's there?"
"Huh...?"
I stared into the landlady sister's eyes for a moment. She didn't seem to be lying at all.
Her eyes were sparkling so brightly.
"I'm holding Blackie—can't you see?"
"Nope. Your sister has no idea what you're talking about."
"Uh...."
Her words jogged my memory of Tower Floor 1.
Come to think of it, Awakens Then Leaves Gallery had talked like she couldn't see Blackie either.
I figured it was because Blackie was pitch-black and the Tower was dim, but apparently not.
'Gasp. So Blackie's actually an invisible octopus that no one else can see?'
That made Blackie even more amazing.
Blackie could take out goblins with a shoo-shoo, pew-pew-pew in one go, and if it was invisible too? Incredible.
I tucked Blackie into the blanket to rest and turned back to the landlady sister.
"Right. I'll send the back rent now. Just wait a sec."
"Huh? What rent?"
"Huh...?"
Once again, she tilted her head like she had no clue.
"I was behind on rent."
"Huh? No, you haven't missed any, Eunha."
"Wha?"
What? Had I paid? But there were no withdrawal records.
As I pursed my lips, she added,
"You paid upfront when we signed the contract."
"Oh...?"
It was a bit fuzzy since it was before the Tower appeared.
But she was the one involved, so she'd know better than me.
"So what brings you here today?"
"It's not me who came—you called... I mean, I came because it seemed like you needed help, Eunha."
"Huh?"
"Anyway. I figured since you awakened, you'd have some troubles."
So she did know I'd awakened. Makes sense—it's her building, after all.
I'd been walking around with Blackie and Juju, and taking out goblins nearby.
"When we first met, you were sleeping on cardboard at the subway station, struggling so much. I worried you'd have issues even after awakening."
I was speechless for a moment. Her words hit too close to home.
She'd seen right through me back then, and now too.
I grumbled a bit before reluctantly nodding.
"Mind if I ask what part's been tough since awakening?"
"Ah, sure... Well, I need to get my awakener ID issued, but I haven't been able to."
I explained what happened at the Awakener Association's Gyeonggi branch and why I couldn't get the ID.
The landlady sister closed her eyes thoughtfully, then smiled faintly.
"I think I can help with that."
"You, landlady sister?"
"Sis."
"S-Sis, yeah, Landlord Sis."
I preferred calling her landlady sister since it felt natural, but her glare was scary enough to make me want to use the bathroom.
I switched to "Sis," and she looked satisfied.
"I never told you, but I'm an awakener too. Got a guild. So your sis's guild can vouch for you, right?"
"Ah... Oh."
No way Landlord Sis was an awakener too. Seemed like awakeners were everywhere around me.
'Was I the only one who couldn't awaken for so long?'
Felt kinda unfair.
"W-Will that work?"
"Yeah. If you want it."
As she spoke, Landlord Sis glanced at where Blackie was, then said with even more confidence,
"Even our dumb guild master would agree."
Was it okay to accept this much help? I hadn't repaid her any favors yet.
As I hesitated, she grabbed both my hands, pulled me close, and smiled.
"Since we're on the topic, let's go now. I'm usually busy, so today works best. Okay?"
"Huh? Ah, yeah...! I'm good."
Landlord Sis moved at incredible speed.
She dragged me by the hand to her car and straight to the Awakener Association's Gyeonggi branch.
"Hello, what brings you here?"
"To get this kid's awakener ID issued."
I jumped at Landlord Sis's casual tone and looked up at her.
The receptionist was Association staff— was it okay to talk like that?
But unlike me, the receptionist replied nonchalantly.
"Are you the guardian?"
"Yeah, guardian and guild guarantor."
"Do you have the guild guarantee papers?"
"Yep."
Landlord Sis waved her hand in the air, and a sheet of paper dropped onto her palm.
"Wow..."
The receptionist took the paper, sat at the computer, and started typing.
"Let me see, guild name's Great Ancient Ones. Correct?"
"Yep."
The receptionist typed away, then cocked her head oddly and looked at Landlord Sis.
"That's weird. No guild registered under Great Ancient Ones."
"It is. Check again. It'll show up this time."
At Landlord Sis's words, the receptionist typed once more.
"Oh? Ah, there it is. Great Ancient Ones. Guild master—"
"No need to say the guild master's name. For your sake too."
"Ah... Right."
Landlord Sis gave a faint smile, and the receptionist nodded slowly with a blank look.
Then she resumed typing.
"Registrant is Eunha. Not guild-affiliated but guild-vouched. All set. ID in a week..."
"No need for us to come back, right? Easier for both."
"Yes, we'll mail it."
...What was that?
'Things are moving way too smoothly.'
From what I'd researched, you had to prove your ability and answer questions for an awakener ID.
But this wrapped up the hassle in seconds—almost anticlimactic.
After finishing, Landlord Sis turned to me.
"See, Eunha? Your sis helps more than anyone."
"Huh...?"
Maybe because of the weird vibe, I couldn't meet her eyes.
She bent down, took my hands, matched my gaze, and peered into my eyes.
Her face close, a sweet scent wafted over my nose.
"Right. You said you had to go to the ark... I mean, Tower Floor 1 today. Shall we stop by since we're out? Easier with your sis than those other nuisances."
Eeeh...? Had I told Landlord Sis about Floor 1?