After a long vacation, Maria returned to the Glory Guild. Normally, the day after a vacation, she would visit the Representative’s office to report her return to Gu Geon-yi, but her steps stopped not at his office, but at the healing chamber.
“She went into the healing chamber as soon as she arrived?”
“Yes, that is correct.”
“Ha…”
Gu Geon-yi heaved a long sigh. He had thought she would have sorted out her feelings during her vacation, but it seemed she still couldn't wash away her needless guilt.
‘I thought it would get better with age, but instead, it’s gotten worse.’
A self-criticism that bordered on obsession. Gu Geon-yi considered it Maria's ‘flaw.’ The fatal flaw of Saint Maria, who wanted for nothing in the world.
But this time, he couldn't rush her to get her feelings in order. It was an undeniable fact that they had falsely announced the circumstances of Yoo Ji-won's death. Moreover, because they hadn’t mentioned that Yoo Ji-won was ‘beyond saving,’ Yoo In-won had developed a killing intent towards Cheon Hae-seon.
An indirect murder born of willful negligence. This could be said to be what Gu Geon-yi had subtly intended. But the result?
Nothing but a miserable failure.
“Damn it… Cheon Hae-seon… Whenever that bastard gets involved…!!”
Until now, most of the incidents Gu Geon-yi had handled had turned out as he wished. So he had things he could say to Maria. That she might not like it, but in the end, it was for the good of everyone.
However, in this case, everything had become twisted. The Glory Guild research labs were destroyed, both Yoo Ji-won and his father were dead, and the honor of the Glory Guild was greatly tarnished. If the outcome had been good, he could have at least made an excuse, but now he had nothing to say even if he had ten mouths.
Crunch.
He was so worked up that he couldn't control his strength. The mouse he was holding crumpled like a ball of dough. Gu Geon-yi roughly threw the mouse aside and shouted irritably at his chief secretary.
“Report to me the moment Maria comes out!!!”
Glory Guild headquarters, healing chamber. This place was like a sanctuary within the Guild. A forbidden realm that not even Representative Gu Geon-yi could enter carelessly.
There, one of the leaders of the Glory Guild, Maria, was present. There was only one thing she ever did in this place. Struggle with her guilt by mutilating her own body.
“…”
But for some reason, today she was sitting quietly. She was kneeling as usual, but today, there were no wounds on Maria’s white skin. She was simply thinking.
About the words Cheon Hae-seon had spoken when they parted.
[I hope you’ll cherish your own body as you do others.]
[If you really want to vent your anger, do it in your heart instead.]
Most people might have been moved by the first statement, but the words Maria endlessly repeated were the ones that followed.
“Do it in my heart…”
Maria muttered to herself with her eyes closed. It was the first time in her life she had ever heard such words. Then again, most people didn't even know she engaged in such acts.
This was the first time she had confessed her shame to someone, and the first time she had received advice about it. To vent her anger in her heart.
“It’s difficult…”
Maria let out a soft sigh. It was certainly more difficult than wounding her body. It was because she wasn't the type of person to resent others.
So she chose to blame herself rather than get angry at others. However, after accepting Cheon Hae-seon’s advice, Maria finally realized. That the act of hurting herself was nothing more than simple self-consolation.
That if she didn't get angry, at everyone including herself, nothing would change in the future.
“Perhaps it’s my fault.”
There was a man who, though he seemed to be testing the waters, would ultimately never bend on what he wanted. She had thought it would be just this once, that he wouldn't do it again, but nothing changed.
Why?
Because his partner, she herself, had been cooped up in a small room.
Grit.
Maria bit her lip so hard it could have bled. But this was far from the ‘act’ that always took place here. She was simply, furiously angry.
At herself, of course, and at the entire Glory Guild that surrounded her.
‘It can’t go on like this.’
The small flap of wings offered by Cheon Hae-seon was creating a typhoon inside her.
Baek Jeong-dae.
A man who resembled a toad, with a protruding mouth and ill-tempered eyes, rose from his seat. He certainly didn’t look like a good person, but unlike Pyo Hyeok-gyu or Yoo In-won, he gave off a challenging feel. The man, newly elected as the new Vice Chairman of the Association, spread his arms to welcome the man before him.
“Welcome, Hunter Cheon Hae-seon.”
“Hello.”
‘He looks much younger in person.’
Having confirmed Cheon Hae-seon's appearance with his own eyes, Baek Jeong-dae invisibly curled the corner of his lip. A cowardly youngster pretending to be an adult. That was the conclusion Baek Jeong-dae had reached after observing Cheon Hae-seon’s actions so far.
Look.
Even now, as he visits the Association, aren't his eyes darting back and forth? His combat skills are second to none, but he is not a man of great courage. Avoiding public attention and media interviews.
Choosing not to live a glamorous life by joining a Guild. Putting Pyo Hyeok-gyu forward in his place during the press conference. Even secretly taking care of Poison-type dungeons.
Unlike what the world praised him for, Cheon Hae-seon was immature and timid. Therefore, if coaxed properly, it was entirely possible to form a favorable relationship. A relationship that was good for exploitation.
Baek Jeong-dae hid his confident expression.
“I apologize.”
Bow.
Without the formality of handing over a business card, he first bowed his head to Cheon Hae-seon.
“…What are you apologizing for?”
He took the bait. His face, aimed at the floor, held a smirk. If he had no intention of accepting the apology, he wouldn't have even acknowledged it.
The very act of asking, ‘Do you even know what you did wrong?’ meant there was room to change his mind. When Baek Jeong-dae raised his head again, his face was already perfectly composed.
“After my appointment, I reviewed the files on you, Hunter Cheon Hae-seon. They were filled with things to apologize for from beginning to end.”
To win Cheon Hae-seon over, he had to draw a line between himself and the former Vice Chairman—no, the previous Association. That was the strategy Baek Jeong-dae had devised.
“When you took the Hunter Qualification Test, it was confirmed that the Imperial Tiger was poisoned. You healed it as if it were the most natural thing to do, but it was a Monster that most healers couldn't even approach.”
“What else?”
“The fact that you were not mentioned in the process of dealing with Yoo Ji-won. And the fact that the former Vice Chairman Yoo In-won, as a member of the same Association, hired someone to kill you. These are all unforgivable transgressions. Although the matter with former Vice Chairman Yoo In-won was a personal deviation, we at the Hunter Association feel the full weight of responsibility.”
“Is there really anything to feel responsible for?”
Cheon Hae-seon replied with a hint of a smile on his lips.
‘He’s smiling?’
It seemed a bit too early for forgiveness. Is a kid just a kid, after all?
“Thank you for your understanding. So…”
Just as he was about to reveal his triumphant intentions, Baek Jeong-dae’s pupils widened infinitely.
“That’s why I’m thinking of quitting.”
“?”
At first, he thought he had misheard. But Baek Jeong-dae soon had to stand there with his mouth agape, as if his jaw had been dislocated by the immense statement.
“Ex, excuse me???”
“I’m starting to think I shouldn't have done it. I was already pissed off, but hearing you list everything one by one is making me boil inside. I’m quitting.”
“N-No.” What kind of guy is this?
He thought he was a youngster pretending to be a bit of an adult, but seeing him in person, wasn't he just a hopelessly reckless kid? He had planned to accept his apology and listen to his terms within a reasonable range.
Even in the case of the Multi Ability Test, he had intended to persuade him to take it within the year, not just this quarter. He had tried to win Cheon Hae-seon over with apologies and carrots, but what? He’s quitting being a Hunter?
“That would be problematic…!!”
For the first time, Baek Jeong-dae's true feelings showed on his face. He had ambitiously taken office as the Vice Chairman of the Hunter Association and needed to build up achievements, and Cheon Hae-seon is quitting being a Hunter? His already unstable position would swing like a pendulum.
“Why? I’m the one who says I don’t want to do it.”
Hearing Cheon Hae-seon’s indifferent reply, a fire raged inside him. Do you have any idea what your words mean right now…!! If an S-rank Hunter, hailed as a national treasure, were to quit while in perfect health, it would not only jeopardize his own safety but also lead to a national loss.
There were cases like Kang Hyeon, who was forced into retirement after causing trouble, but it was extremely rare for a Hunter in his prime to quit because he didn't like the Association. And for this to happen right after I took office? For Baek Jeong-dae, it was absolutely unacceptable.
“Please think of the innocent people who die at the hands of Monsters. The frequency of Gate and dungeon appearances has been increasing lately, and the public is trembling in fear.”
“I don’t know about that.”
“?”
“People were dying even with Hunters around, weren’t they? All because some Poison Gates opened up at the same time.”
What the hell is he talking about? An earthquake erupted in Baek Jeong-dae’s eyes. But it was impossible for someone of the next Vice Chairman’s caliber to be clueless.
He soon remembered that Cheon Hae-seon was a resident of Gaebang District.
“That… was a very unfortunate incident.”
Cheon Hae-seon showed no particular reaction.
“But it was also an unlucky event. It was a Double Poison Gate, unprecedented in the Republic of Korea. There’s a limit to how many Poison-type devices one Guild can mobilize…”
“That’s the problem.”
“??”
“Things like that happen because you give a huge jurisdiction to a Guild that doesn’t have the capacity. At the very least, if there had been regulations in place to allow other Guilds to cooperate in case of an emergency, such a tragedy wouldn't have occurred. It wasn't an unlucky event, nor was it a natural disaster. It was a man-made disaster born of greed.”
Seeing Cheon Hae-seon point things out so meticulously, deep wrinkles formed on Baek Jeong-dae’s brow. Just a moment ago, he thought he was a hopeless youngster, but what was this logical demeanor? Baek Jeong-dae felt as if he were possessed by a ghost.
When Cheon Hae-seon had readily agreed to his call and come to the Association, he had thought he had him in the bag. But what was this? To think he came to the Association to quit being a Hunter…!
“Where’s the withdrawal application form?”
“Wa-wa-wa-wa-wait a moment!!”
As Cheon Hae-seon started to get up, Baek Jeong-dae hastily stopped him.
“Just once… please reconsider just once, Hunter Cheon Hae-seon. Losing a Hunter like you would be a huge blow to the country.”
And a critical blow to Baek Jeong-dae himself. Throwing away the abacus he had been calculating on in his head, Baek Jeong-dae’s face became desperate.
“I have no regrets anymore. I’ve bought my own home, and I won’t starve as long as my limbs are intact.”
“Please don’t say that. If there are areas that need improvement, please speak your mind without reservation. Instead of just throwing something away because it’s broken, shouldn’t we at least try to fix it?”
Baek Jeong-dae’s silver tongue moved skillfully. Most opponents would have at least pretended to listen. But Cheon Hae-seon just cleaned his ear.
“I’ve fallen for that kind of lip service too many times. Can you cut the Glory Guild’s jurisdiction in half? In my opinion, I don’t think they’re capable of handling more than that.”
“That… is…!!!”
It was a ridiculous proposition. The opinion that Glory Guild's jurisdiction was excessively large had been raised elsewhere, but not to the extent that it should be cut in half. No matter who became the Vice Chairman of the Association, not just him, they would not make such a decision.
“See? You can’t do it.”
Cheon Hae-seon shrugged and turned his body. At this rate, he was truly in danger of losing an S-ranker. And right after a meeting with him…!!
Baek Jeong-dae cried out in desperation at Cheon Hae-seon’s back.
“To the best of my ability!!!!”
“?”
“I will reflect it to the best of my ability! I’ll stake my position on it! Please, at least tell me your demands!”
At a glance, his face was intimidating, but it was steeped in desperation. Cheon Hae-seon looked at him with a strange gaze. His lips curved into a bright smile.
“For real?”