A Request from the Guild Leader
White hair and golden eyes.
Kim Shin-uk possessed an appearance rarely seen in Korea. Combined with his striking looks, he was an A-class hunter.
His white hair and golden eyes alone were enough to draw attention, but his exceptional features made him stand out even more.
That was why, whenever he walked the streets, he preferred routes with fewer people.
He was in the middle of choosing such a path when a languid voice escaped his lips.
“Ha, this is boring.”
His half-lidded eyes and emotionless gaze belonged to someone who showed interest in nothing.
He had nothing particular to do. When he had no work, he simply sat in some obscure alley and watched the hunters passing by.
Today was no different.
He had settled into his usual spot—one that let him see clearly while remaining hidden from others—and was scanning the street when something unexpected happened.
“Seia, do you like fire or ice better?”
A gentle voice, completely out of place in this street, reached his ears.
Hunters lived with their lives on the line at every moment. Naturally, they were sensitive to their surroundings.
To hear such a tender voice among them was unusual.
“Daddy woke you up, so if you’d gotten up by yourself, you would’ve been a diligent person, right?”
“Then Seia will only be half as diligent as Afuro.”
The father and daughter who appeared were so adorable that even their conversation felt charming.
After a brief exchange, it became clear they weren’t hunters.
Or at least, they didn’t seem to be. There was something slightly hazy about them that felt out of place, but nothing more.
“Well… it shouldn’t be a problem.”
They were oddly intriguing. Normally, he made it a point not to concern himself with other people’s affairs, yet these two kept drawing his attention.
If anything happened to them, it would simply be fate.
The market street was filled with so many sights that it was hard to know where to look first.
Jungwoo, who had never been a hunter, had no reason to come here before. This was his first visit.
He had only heard stories about this place. It felt completely different from the city center.
While the downtown area was full of entertainment districts, this hunter market street, though also lively with such spots, felt more like the front lines of a battlefield.
“Daddy! Look at that!”
Following Seia’s pointing finger, Jungwoo saw circus performers handing out flyers.
‘How strange.’
One thing puzzled him.
Circuses were perfect for sparking children’s interest. Yet aside from Seia, there were no children in sight on this street.
Was there something he didn’t know?
Even their outfits didn’t quite match what he expected from circus performers.
“Does our Seia want to see the circus?”
Seia nodded vigorously.
They could accept the flyer for now and decide later.
“Excuse me, could we get one too?”
“……”
The man looked Jungwoo up and down without any attempt to hide it.
Then his gaze shifted to Seia in the same blunt manner.
Seia, unaccustomed to such cold stares, tightened her grip on Jungwoo’s hand.
“You want to see the circus?”
“Yes. My daughter wants to go.”
“Hmm… Just a moment.”
The man returned to someone who appeared to be in charge, exchanged a few words, and came back.
“Here you are.”
“Thank you.”
Something felt off, but since Seia wanted it, Jungwoo accepted the flyer anyway.
The circus itself wasn’t far from the market street—it was being held right in the center.
They hadn’t decided anything yet.
After tucking the flyer away, Jungwoo and Seia headed to the management office.
Given that it was a market street frequented by hunters, one might expect the office to be busy, but it wasn’t.
Few people caused trouble here, after all.
There might be other reasons, but Jungwoo chose not to dwell on them.
“Hello.”
“Hellooo!”
Seia’s bright, cheerful voice echoed through the dull office.
“How can I help you?”
“We’d like to apply for a stall permit.”
“Ah, a stall? You’ll need to speak with the section chief directly. One moment, please.”
The staff member disappeared briefly before returning to guide them to the section chief’s office.
The man inside, who had been working or reviewing something, set it aside and greeted Jungwoo and Seia.
“Where are you from?”
The question carried an oddly private, almost organizational tone despite the official setting of the market management office.
“We’d like to open a stall in the market street.”
“A stall, you say.”
The section chief’s expression filled with doubt for a moment. He seemed to search his memory but found nothing.
‘What’s this? Did they really come just for a stall?’
The fact that they had brought a child made it hard to suspect anything sinister.
“What do you plan to sell?”
“Lunchboxes. Simple meals hunters can eat before or after entering a gate.”
“Lunchboxes… Not a bad idea.”
“Thank you.”
“Still, there’s a process. You’ll need to wait for approval, and once it’s granted, we’ll guide you through the next steps.”
“Understood. How long does approval usually take?”
“Hmm…”
The section chief gave Jungwoo a slightly annoyed look but decided it was better to explain properly.
“Don’t get your hopes up. There are far more people wanting to open stalls here than there are spots.”
“Ah… I see…”
“Will you still apply?”
“Yes. You never know—maybe luck will be on our side.”
“Then fill out the application form over there and you’re done.”
“Thank you.”
The section chief was a bit curt, but Jungwoo understood. The man probably dealt with countless complaints every day. And if those complaints came from hunters, they could be quite forceful.
Jungwoo was simply grateful that the man had accepted the application at all instead of outright refusing.
“Take care.”
“Goodbye!”
Seia had quietly observed everything from the sofa, looking around the office.
Once the father and daughter left, the section chief let out a sigh.
“Tsk, what kind of weirdos…”
This was the management office for a market street used by hunters. Hunters earned far more than ordinary people because they risked their lives daily. Even lower-ranked hunters made significantly more than regular office workers.
‘…She was cute, though.’
The child had possessed an almost dazzling appearance, and her father wasn’t bad either, but rules were rules.
Since it wasn’t worth remembering, the section chief tossed Jungwoo’s application into a corner and returned to his work.
Being in charge of the management office for a hunter market street might seem insignificant, but it actually came with considerable authority.
“I’ve dealt with enough powerless people for today…”
The section chief headed toward the storage room in the back of the office.
Officially, it was used to store lost items, but that was only the surface reason.
In reality, it held bribes from people who wanted shops instead of stalls, or from those who had caused trouble and were now trying to smooth things over.
“Heh heh…”
Just looking at them made him happy.
Countless magic stones and equipment crafted from them.
All of this would belong to him once his term ended.
They were precious treasures that would secure his retirement.
“People should live within their means if they have nothing.”
It was rare for ordinary people to visit this hunter market street, let alone come to the management office.
“Just as you said. If only everyone lived according to what they have, without wanting more.”
A voice came from behind him.
It sounded familiar yet unfamiliar at the same time.
What mattered wasn’t the voice itself.
This was the management office—specifically, the storage room holding valuable items. No one could enter without the section chief’s permission. Even staff members needed approval.
Having a stranger appear here was no small matter.
“W-who are you?!”
This had never happened before.
There had been hunters who targeted the storage room in the past, but they were usually small-time thugs.
The section chief himself was an A-class hunter. He could detect most hunters’ presence and even intervene personally if needed.
Yet he hadn’t sensed anything until the voice spoke.
If the owner of that voice had come with different intentions…
‘…I would’ve been done for.’
Swallowing hard, the section chief desperately hoped the stranger would answer his question.
“Hah, you’ve forgotten my voice already. Well, you haven’t visited the management office much lately either.”
He hadn’t recognized it at first, but hearing it again, he finally realized who it belonged to.
“M-Mr. Park Geon-su?”
“Hmm, so you do remember.”
Park Geon-su.
One of Korea’s few S-class hunters. Though he had stepped back from active duty, an S-class hunter’s age meant little.
Why would someone like him be here?
The section chief frantically searched his memory for anything that might have offended Park Geon-su recently, but nothing came to mind.
“W-what brings you here, sir…? Ah, this is no place for conversation. Let’s go upstairs. I’ll serve you some tea.”
“Very well. The storage room holds things I already know about, so I won’t touch anything.”
“Haha. Thank you, sir. This way, please. I’ll guide you.”
With any other S-class hunter, he wouldn’t have been this deferential. But Park Geon-su surpassed him in power, age, and experience. In every field that could be called strength, Park Geon-su stood above all others.
Back in the section chief’s office, the man guided Park Geon-su to the head seat and personally brewed tea.
“I’ll prepare the tea you usually enjoy.”
“That’s enough. Sit down first.”
“Y-yes.”
Park Geon-su refused the tea.
That wasn’t a good sign.
“How long have you been in charge here?”
The moment the section chief sat, Park Geon-su began questioning him without delay.
“It’s been six years now. My term ends next year.”
“I see. Then I have a favor to ask.”
“A favor… from you, sir?”
“Is it difficult?”
“No, of course not. Please tell me. I’ll do my best within my capabilities.”
“Haha, I like hearing that. Well then…”
Soon, the section chief learned the real reason for Park Geon-su’s visit.
“So, will you do it?”
“Ah, yes. No problem. But why those people…?”
Park Geon-su offered no answer to the question.
He simply smiled in a way that revealed nothing.