Date? (1)
I arrived at Gwangwon Guild by car.
No matter how many times I saw it, the building was grotesquely massive. It took up space that could fit several corporate headquarters all by itself.
Why the hell does an awakener guild need to be this damn big?
I sent Keter back home and headed inside.
Keter was always glued to my side, but there was someone at Gwangwon Guild who was terrified of her, so there was no helping it.
"That kid's cute."
"Her cheeks look so soft and squishy."
"I wanna just hug her tight."
"Wow..."
"Hey, if you say that, it's a crime."
Whispers.
I can hear every damn word.
The lobby was buzzing with awakeners. Judging by their outfits, they'd just returned from an erosion zone. Maybe I should've come a little later.
The weird stares were getting burdensome.
Seoyeon's inner circle knew about me, but everyone else had no clue, so it was only natural.
To outsiders, I probably just looked like some kid who'd wandered in for fun.
I ignored the prickling gazes and headed to the reception desk.
A young male staffer was sitting there. Someone I'd never seen before.
"Um..."
"Sorry, little one, but the awakener experience event ended last month. Where are your parents? I'll let them know the next date."
"That's not it."
"Did you lose them or something?"
The guy wasn't even listening to me, just rattling off his script.
"I'm here to see the Guild Master."
At that, he paused for a second, then flashed a practiced smile.
"The Guild Master's a very busy person, you see. She can't meet just anyone who asks."
What the hell is this guy on about? My blood was boiling.
Why didn't Seoyeon tell them ahead of time?Hmm. If I smashed this place up right now, wouldn't she come crawling out?
I was mulling that over when—
"Master! When'd ya get here-shimda!"
A redheaded girl with monstrous tits came charging at me from across the lobby.
This crazy bitch is still at Gwangwon, huh.
I fired a small shockwave in her direction, erecting a barrier. The kid would just dodge and keep coming otherwise.
The big-titted... no, S-rank awakener Hong Jia slammed headfirst into the barrier and crumpled.
"Why the hell am I your master?"
Hong Jia rubbed her stinging forehead and got back up.
"From the day Master took my first time, I've decided to serve you as my eternal teacher-shimda."
Whispers. Whispers.
It was even noisier than before. Don't you people have jobs to get back to?
"Hey, speak properly. You're giving people the wrong idea."
"You took my first time so roughly, and now this cold reaction. As expected of Master-imda."
What the hell is this kid babbling about?
No, wait—if there's a misunderstanding, she'd be the criminal, right?
I looked younger than her anyway.
"No one 'took' anything. You got hit during sparring."
"I still can't forget that impact-imda. Every night, I relive that pain from that day... Gahk."
I gave her a light jab to the solar plexus.
Whoosh—she went flying.
The surrounding awakeners' murmurs cut off abruptly.
"Sorry for the disturbance. Everyone, forget what you just saw. Got it?"
I said with a smile.
They glanced at me, then scurried out of the building one by one. Being Gwangwon, they'd keep their mouths shut.
"So, what's up-shimda?"
Hong Jia was already back on her feet beside me.
S-rank wasn't S-rank for nothing. Tough as nails.
I'd put enough force to knock out a regular awakener.
"Ah... came to see Seoyeon."
"You mean Guild Master-imda?"
"Yeah. She told me to come over."
"Really-shimda? Then why're ya hangin' in the lobby?"
"Because of you."
"Ah, sorry-imda. Got too excited... I'll escort ya to the Guild Master's room myself-shimda."
"Thanks."
She was a pain in the ass, but her skills were legit. One of Seoyeon's trusted aides, despite the looks.
"This way-imda."
Swoosh. I glanced back.
I locked eyes with the staffer. He was trembling.
I put a finger to my lips, and he nodded frantically.
Good boy. Listen to people all the way next time.
"By the way, don't ya hate that cute outfit? Ya always wear drab stuff, but it suits ya real good-imda."
I shot a weak shockwave into Hong Jia's side.
"Shut it."
"Guhk, got it-imda."
I followed Hong Jia into the elevator.
Top floor.
As the doors opened, the Guild Master's office was visible at the end of the hall.
I opened the door and went in.
A woman with a yellow ponytail and a massive Japanese sword on her back came into view. A cat doll was on her shoulder, eyes squeezed shut.
Gwangwon Guild's master. "Absolute Sword" Han Seoyeon.
"Oh, oppa? Pfft."
Seoyeon burst out laughing when she saw me.
"Why's everyone like this with me?"
"Nah, it suits you perfectly. So cute I wanna bite you. Decided to live as a girl for real now?"
"No. Keter kept nagging me to wear it."
"That's how it starts."
Starts what? I'm never wearing this again.
"Anyway, where's Keter?"
Seoyeon looked around me and tilted her head.
"At home."
"Heard that? She's home."
Only then did the cat doll on Seoyeon's shoulder open its eyes. Seoyeon's mascot, Geburah.
It was terrified because Keter was top of the hierarchy. Keter always nagged it whenever they met, turning the poor thing into this nervous wreck.
"Lady Yuri, long time no see."
I gave a casual wave.
Wonder if it gets stuffy living as a doll that long. Whatever, its choice.
"So why'd you call me? Need help with something?"
"Nah? Just bored, so come hang out."
Seoyeon stretched and stood up.
"What?"
"Let's go on a date."
"I'm not your boyfriend, why a date?"
Seoyeon pondered my words.
Is this even worth deep thought?
"Oppa, in this case, wouldn't I be the girlfriend?"
"You call me oppa then switch to girlfriend? What's that about?"
There was a pretty big age gap between Seoyeon and me to begin with.
About ten years.
So from the start, I'd seen her as a cute little sister. She probably saw me as a close big bro too.
"You've been oppa forever. It's stuck in my mouth now."
Seoyeon sauntered over, scanning me top to bottom.
"But seriously, it suits you. Like a kid model."
"Ugh, cut it out. So where we going?"
Finally, Seoyeon scratched her cheek and backed off.
"Hmm... Nearby department store? Realized I haven't shopped in forever."
"Got it."
Window shopping was meh, but I had questions too. And it had been a while, so I'd tag along.
"Oh, before that, wanna tour the guild since you're here after so long?"
"I saw the whole building last time."
"No no, recruited some newbies. And built a new training room."
Seoyeon always showed me new recruits first.
Hong Jia got introduced that way too.
Of course, she picked a fight outta nowhere, so I beat her senseless. That's how she ended up like this.
"Lead the way."
"Ta-da! This is the new training room, just finished. Impressive, right?"
True to Gwangwon form, the training room was absurdly huge.
The equipment, the size—nothing like a private gym.
"Yeah, it's big."
"Right? Come play whenever you're bored, oppa. Free for you."
"Passed the point where I need this stuff."
"I guess so."
Seoyeon laughed at my words.
Neither she nor I needed this for warm-ups. Smashing a doll was way better. Might even break the equipment.
"Oh, and that's the new recruit."
Seoyeon pointed to a boy blasting lightning-attribute burst magic at a training dummy far off.
High schooler, judging by the uniform.
Decent output, but too green.
"A-rank?"
"Obviously. No room for trash in my guild."
Seoyeon's voice turned icy. Guild master mode for sure.
According to Hong Jia, Seoyeon was scary as guild master, unlike with me.
That tone alone would freak people out.
"Yeah, figures."
"Still not enough. Kids these days are too weak. Wish they were all oppa-level."
Then there'd be no reason for me to still be a magical girl.
Kim Doa wouldn't be wiping awakeners' asses either.
And Seoyeon wouldn't have started a guild.
Strong awakeners weren't popping up, so things flowed this way.
Kim Dohee was pretty solid, though.
"Who'd win between him and Kim Dohee..."
I muttered without thinking.
Pure output? Dohee loses 100%. But that potential from the doll subjugation? Hard to say.
An ice spear like that? Could aim for A-rank.
"Kim Dohee? Who's that?"
Seoyeon caught my mutter like a ghost and eyed me curiously.
"Ah, the kid who was with me for that 1st-grade subjugation."
"What? You took down Seoul's? No wonder the Management Bureau blocked it so hard."
So Kim Doa kept the extra awakeners out. Good.
More would've made it tougher.
"Guild name was... Empty Bottle? Yeah, her. Saw it on the news yesterday."
"Banwol."
"Close enough."
Not even one letter matches.
"Isn't that a weak guild?"
"It is."
Compared to all-A-rank-plus Gwangwon, it was pathetic. The other two besides Dohee even collapsed without resisting erosion.
"But she's got potential."
"Her? Hmm... If you say so."
Dohee, though? Hard to gauge.
Resisting a 1st-grade doll's erosion? Pass. That final ice spear's output? Solid.
With a good mentor, she'd grow fast.
"Don't you ignore anything below A-rank?"
"Management Bureau data's scraps compared to oppa's eyes. Wanna meet her sometime."
Seoyeon narrowed her eyes.
"Don't poach. Always scouting like that, how do small guilds grow?"
"Psh, I don't do that scummy stuff."
I sighed.
"Let's go already. I'm hungry."
"Okay. Whatcha wanna eat?"
"Hmm... Pasta? Pizza?"
Too many sweets lately; craving something greasy.
"Whoa, oppa's got such a baby palate." Huh, do I?