Chapter 32: Unexpected Confessions and Future Plans

Yang Ho-jin remained silent for a while.

‘Had his words seemed disingenuous, perhaps even hypocritical?’ Ji-ho mused. ‘It was certainly possible.’ After all, he had never actively intervened to protect others before.

“I understand if you don’t believe me,” Ji-ho said. “I haven’t really done anything for others until now.”

“Oh, no! That’s absolutely not what I thought,” Ho-jin quickly interjected. “I was just… just surprised.”

“Surprised by what?”

“Usually, one’s own benefit comes first, doesn’t it? Especially the other Hunters I’ve encountered, money is often their top priority. Ah, not that there’s anything wrong with that! It’s just… it’s just how it is. That’s typically the goal, and it is for me too…”

Ji-ho cast a quick glance at Ho-jin, who calmly admitted to sharing the same sentiment.

He didn’t know much about Ho-jin yet. However, despite Ho-jin’s self-deprecating remarks, he didn’t seem like someone who prioritized his own well-being above all else. He had, after all, stated he joined the guild because of Ji-ho.

Ji-ho suspected there were deeper motives at play. Instead of pressing the issue, he simply listened as Ho-jin continued speaking.

“But Guild Master… I’ve only observed you for a little while, so it might be presumptuous of me to say this…”

“I don’t think that at all. Feel free to speak your mind. Anything is fine, as long as it’s not overly insulting.”

“I would never curse at you… Anyway, what I mean is, from observing you, Guild Master, I can tell you’re not running this guild for money. So, I actually thought you were perhaps pursuing something like ‘restoring your honor’ through being a Hunter…”

“Yes. Well…”

Ji-ho tapped the steering wheel, his words trailing off vaguely. A belated sense of regret washed over him, wondering if he had spoken too grandiosely. Yet, what he had conveyed to Yang Ho-jin was undeniably sincere.

Ho-jin, whose gaze had been fixed on the tips of Ji-ho’s reddening ears, finally spoke.

“Look, I might seem young, but I’ve met a lot of people, you know? I have a bit of an eye for character.”

“Ah, I see.”

“…You don’t believe me, do you?”

Ji-ho honestly didn’t.

Instead of offering a direct denial, he simply offered an ambiguous smile.

“No, it’s just that Hunter Yang Ho-jin is so young… I’m young too, but you’re even younger than me.”

Being roughly Ji-ho’s age, how many people could Ho-jin truly have encountered? Ho-jin let out a slightly embarrassed chuckle, reacting to Ji-ho’s evident disbelief.

“But truly, I’ve met more people than you might imagine… I can spot strange people right away. The world is full of strange people, you know? Of course, there are many good people too… like the Guild Master.”

“I’m not quite…”

“You don’t need to be modest!”

Ho-jin’s face, which had just exclaimed loudly, instantly flushed a deep crimson.

“I was, I was just complimenting you… I hope you continue to live with such positive thoughts, Guild Master.”

“Ah, right… Yes, I suppose so.”

Ji-ho gave an awkward reply to Ho-jin, whose eyes sparkled with sincerity.

It was only mid-May, yet the car felt stiflingly hot. Ji-ho idly switched on the air conditioning, mumbled a few more words, and skillfully steered the conversation in a new direction.

As they discussed recent training updates and Heo So-ri’s condition, the journey passed quickly. The guild and the training grounds weren’t that far, and they soon arrived at Ho-jin’s house, their destination.

Ho-jin bowed deeply, his face far more animated and cheerful than when he had first entered the car.

“Thank you for today, Guild Master.”

“Yes. See you tomorrow.”

“Oh. And also, Guild Master…”

“Yes?”

“Well, it seems your fortune isn’t good today, Guild Master? So please, don’t overexert yourself today. Go home early and get plenty of rest. Please, it’s important.”

Ji-ho stared somewhat blankly at Ho-jin, who spoke with such intense earnestness.

“…Do you have a premonition skill?”

“No, it’s just fortune-telling I do as a hobby. But it’s quite accurate.”

“Ah, I see…”

“Don’t just dismiss it; please take it to heart.”

Ji-ho nodded sincerely. He gave a slight nod to Ho-jin, who closed the door and waved goodbye, then turned the car around. ‘Ho-jin really believes in all sorts of things,’ Ji-ho thought.

By nature, Ji-ho didn’t believe in fortune-telling or prophecies.

When he was a child, a shaman he visited with his mother had loudly proclaimed that Ji-ho’s fortune was incredibly good.

The shaman had claimed Cheongram prospered because of Ji-ho and would continue to thrive thanks to him. Ji-ho himself, she’d said, would attract good fortune and succeed spectacularly.

What, then, was the actual outcome?

Cheongram’s stock, which had been doing well, plummeted to the bottom for a while. Both the parent company and the guild were constantly hindered because of Ji-ho. As for Ji-ho, he lived a life far from spectacular success.

‘No, could I actually succeed spectacularly from now on?’

The sudden thought was so absurd that Ji-ho chuckled to himself. Fortune-telling, he knew, was merely about the listener fitting it to whatever they wished to believe.

‘I need to put in the effort.’

It was true that Ji-ho had been born with good fortune. He was born into a good family, and now he had even acquired a new skill.

All that remained was to work as hard as he possibly could.

“To do that, first… I need to work.”

Tonight would be another late night. Going home early, as Ho-jin suggested, was impossible.

Ji-ho immediately returned to the guild office. As he entered the Guild Master’s office and prepared to tackle the mountain of accumulated documents, Im Seung-ju, the Vice Guild Master, came in carrying something.

“These are the materials from the Apollo Guild.”

“Ah, thank you.”

The data he had requested from Seon Tae-woong a few days ago seemed to have finally arrived.

Since it contained sensitive information, it had arrived sealed with magic rather than being sent via email. Ji-ho injected his mana according to the pre-set pattern and broke the seal.

The amount of data was far greater than expected. Moreover, it was meticulously detailed, a surprising thoroughness not typically associated with Seon Tae-woong.

Seon Tae-woong didn’t exactly project the image of someone who would sit quietly at a desk doing paperwork. It seemed more likely that the data had passed through the hands of the Vice Guild Master, Seon Tae-hee.

This was data that had gone through both the Guild Master and Vice Guild Master.

It was safe to assume that Apollo had decided, at the guild level, to cooperate with Noname.

Ji-ho, satisfied in many ways, flipped the documents over and set them down. Instead of leaving immediately, Im Seung-ju asked a question.

“May I ask what these contents are about?”

Ji-ho’s eyes widened as he looked at Im Seung-ju. It was the first time Seung-ju, who usually only handled assigned tasks, had proactively inquired about something he hadn’t been instructed to do.

Ji-ho, surprised for a moment, soon answered readily.

“I’m planning to recruit some guild members. As you know, the guild’s composition is likely to change quite a bit this time.”

“Recruiting guild members?”

“Yes. It would be easy to find C-rank or lower, but B-rank or A-rank are difficult to recruit, aren’t they? I’m thinking of approaching suitable candidates first, and knowing what they want makes negotiations easier, doesn’t it?”

The data he had requested from Seon Tae-woong last time was a list of potential new guild members and their general information.

Apollo was a guild that often supported other guilds in team units, rather than acting independently.

Seon Tae-woong’s ability was flame. He could unleash firepower comparable to an S-rank Hunter depending on the dungeon’s attributes, so demand for him was high.

Seon Tae-woong, who primarily collaborated with Korean guilds, had extensive connections in the Hunter world.

That was why he had asked Seon Tae-woong to provide any information he had about Hunters who might be interested in Noname.

He could have used Cheongram’s intelligence network, but he didn’t want to rely on them too much. He had also promised his sister he would achieve splendid independence, and to catch up with Joo Yi-won even a little, he couldn’t just lean on Cheongram.

If he relied on Cheongram, not only Noname but also Shin Ji-ho himself would never become self-reliant.

Of course, to negotiate under more favorable terms, he would contact them after Ji-ho had first been promoted to S-rank. For now, he planned to gather more information based on the data Tae-woong provided and then narrow down the list.

Ji-ho, who had been scanning the documents, thinking he would have a lot of work today, suddenly realized he hadn’t heard the sound of someone leaving the room. Glancing up, pen in hand, Ji-ho met Seung-ju’s shocked expression.

“Is there some kind of problem?”

“Am I included among the Hunters who will be replaced?”

In response to the serious question, Ji-ho pushed aside his work and looked directly at Im Seung-ju. Im Seung-ju was staring at Shin Ji-ho with an expression more earnest than ever before.

‘What was he thinking, saying such a thing?’ Ji-ho wondered. He leaned back casually in his chair.

“I believe Im Seung-ju Hunter still has two years left on his contract. Do you perhaps want to leave? You’d have to pay a penalty, but I could let you go…”

“No, I don’t. I have no intention of leaving.”

The excessively firm answer was unexpected, causing Ji-ho to frown slightly. Im Seung-ju had always made it very clear that he had no particular affection for the Noname Guild.

Why had his mind suddenly changed so resolutely?

Though Ji-ho had a faint idea why…

Ji-ho gazed at Seung-ju for a moment, then asked directly, without beating around the bush.

“Why did your mind suddenly change? Im Seung-ju Hunter, you disliked me and you disliked our guild.”

Im Seung-ju seemed flustered, perhaps not expecting such a direct question.

After all, up until now, despite their titles as Guild Master and Vice Guild Master, Im Seung-ju had been closer to being in charge.

Ji-ho had never once openly revealed his true feelings to Seung-ju. Or rather, he hadn’t been able to.

However, Im Seung-ju’s presence was no longer as crucial as it once was. While it would be good to keep him, he wasn’t irreplaceable like before.

“As for disliking the guild…”

Im Seung-ju, opening his mouth with a slightly trembling voice, cleared his throat awkwardly, seemingly embarrassed.

“Originally, I wanted to conquer dungeons.”

“Hmm, conquering dungeons certainly brings in money.”

“Not because of money… It’s because I can’t improve my skills just by dealing with monsters from rifts.”

“That… that’s true.”

Fighting outside dungeons has many limitations.

If an unexpected rift appears, one must fight while minimizing urban destruction. Even with a predicted rift, power must be controlled to prevent the barrier mage’s barrier from being destroyed.

Moreover, it’s extremely rare for powerful monsters to emerge from rifts. If they do appear, they are the responsibility of massive guilds like Cheongram or Haneul, not Noname.

However, in a dungeon that returns to its original state after being conquered, one can unleash their full power. There are plenty of strong monsters, and it’s easy to build skills by fighting them.

Three years had passed since the rift phenomenon began.

Among the Hunters who had fought for a long time, quite a few were praised for becoming much stronger than they were initially. While no Hunter had yet visibly strengthened enough to raise their rank, it was a scholarly consensus that it would happen someday.

“You’re going to start conquering dungeons now, aren’t you?”

“Yes. That’s the plan.”

As the Vice Guild Master who had closely observed Ji-ho reorganizing the guild, Seung-ju couldn’t possibly be unaware of his future plans. When Ji-ho simply agreed, Seung-ju nodded solemnly.

“Therefore, I have no intention of leaving now. I want to continue conquering dungeons with Noname in the future.”

“I see… But you haven’t answered all my questions, have you?”

Ji-ho pointed out, a smile playing on his lips.

“If you want to conquer dungeons, you could go to another guild. There are probably better guilds out there, so why insist on ours?”