Yoo Se-hyeok, the Representative of Orion Guild. He was a man who oozed wealth from head to toe. Well-known luxury brands had long since ceased to be his taste.
A suit handmade by an Italian artisan and a watch worth as much as a decent apartment defied the ordinary. Even the cufflinks on his wrist were subtly embedded with Pranium(!) jewels.
Though his attire seemed to demand careful movement, the limited-edition shoes on his feet were moving more busily than anyone else's. "Who's the one with the biggest difference from the predicted scores?"
"Check them one-on-one with the applicants. See if anyone is in poor condition!"
"Why are there so many high-scorers we missed? Everyone, be prepared to write letters of apology when we get back!"
His shirt, made of the finest material, was soaked with sweat. A delicate prince who personally managed the guild's affairs from A to Z. That was the secret to how the Orion Guild had risen to third place in Korea's industry. Yoo Se-hyeok was not as strong as other guild representatives.
Even Kim Seung-hwan, considered the weakest among the major guild representatives, was a couple of ranks above him. But Yoo Se-hyeok possessed a powerful weapon that other representatives did not.
Money.
In a way, he held something even more powerful than a Hunter's rank. Yoo Se-hyeok never intended to be a strong Hunter from the start. His own talent was meager, but coming from a long line of businessmen, he found management far more appealing than combat.
Most guilds moved according to their single strongest Hunter. Gu Geon-yi, Ga Yeol-chan, and even the Kang Hyeon of the past were no exceptions. But Yoo Se-hyeok approached the 'guild' industry strictly as a business model, and unlike other guilds run by rule of thumb, his finances and management were flawless.
Above all, he never spared any expense in nurturing and contracting promising prospects. It was said that even the great Glory Guild had to yield to Orion when it came to 'money'. Since the second-ranked guild, Bishop, was based in Busan and the Yeongnam region, Orion's only real competitor was the Glory Guild.
Here and there across the capital region. To put it more bluntly, the Orion Guild, which had steadily gathered the 'scraps' left behind by the Glory Guild, was biding its time, looking for a chance to tear down the Glory Guild’s fortress. In fact, analysis had shown that for this quarter, they had more promising prospects than Glory Guild.
Until he saw the two top scorers on the electronic display. 'What in the world is going on?' Even as he hurried his steps and shouted, Yoo Se-hyeok's mind was racing.
Kang Jeong-hyeon and Lee Bi-soo. Both were individuals who hadn't been on their radar. Of course, it wasn't as if there had never been promising candidates they hadn't scouted beforehand.
Just a year ago, had anyone recognized that unparalleled genius? There could not be a second Cheon Hae-seon. That was the vow Yoo Se-hyeok had repeated to himself countless times.
'I need to make an impression first.' Yoo Se-hyeok's urgency was reflected in his limited-edition shoes. He pushed through the crowd and watched the applicants one by one from the entrance of the stairs.
Who was Bi-soo, and who was Kang Jeong-hyeon? If he had listed them beforehand, he would have recognized their faces, but unfortunately, neither was on his list.
Useless freeloaders.
He cursed his subordinates inwardly, but it wasn't as if he had no way of finding them. He could find them by following the gazes of the surrounding applicants. Since they were individuals who had recorded Ether levels ten times higher than their own, their eyes would surely show respect and awe.
'Found her......!!'
Yoo Se-hyeok, who focused his eyes and scanned quickly, finally found the person their gazes were directed toward.
Respect. Awe.
And even looks of complete infatuation. It felt like something strange was mixed in there. In any case, where their eyes were directed, a beautiful girl with fiery red hair was climbing the stairs.
'That must be Lee Bi-soo......!' Yoo Se-hyeok recognized Bi-soo in an instant and approached her.
Indeed.
There was a reason the young men's eyes were filled with affection. If Maria was a single, noble white lily, Bi-soo was reminiscent of a vividly blooming red rose. Her blazing red hair and deadly features drew all the attention from her surroundings.
As if such beauty wasn't enough, she had potential on par with an S-rank. There was nothing more to see. She was destined to become a superstar.
Yoo Se-hyeok's eyes gleamed as he moved in front of Bi-soo. Thanks to his promptness, no other guild representatives were in sight. If he just handed her his business card and guaranteed a blank check......
"Hae-seoooooooon!!"
A sharp voice burst from her lips. As if his blocking her way meant nothing, Bi-soo pushed him aside and ran over in a single bound. Completely oblivious to her surroundings, Bi-soo charged forward and threw herself into a man's arms.
"What?!"
Yoo Se-hyeok was first surprised by her unrestrained behavior, and then again by the name she had shouted.
Cheon Hae-seon.
The unparalleled genius he had bitterly regretted failing to recruit. The man who was desperately trying to peel Bi-soo off him was, surprisingly, Cheon Hae-seon, currently the most famous Hunter in the country. 'Whoa, did they already know each other?'
They must have. Unless she was crazy, she couldn't just cling to a stranger like that. But he had never heard that Cheon Hae-seon and Bi-soo were close.
'No.' Yoo Se-hyeok soon gave a bitter smile and shook his head. When had he ever had any information on Cheon Hae-seon? The man was so reclusive he might as well have social anxiety.
From the time he took the test to become a Hunter, until now when he was exempted from the Multi Ability Test. So, there was no way of knowing if someone connected to Cheon Hae-seon was taking the test. The problem was that this very person connected to Cheon Hae-seon was an S-rank prospect.
'This is no time to be spacing out.' Bi-soo's actions had momentarily stunned him, but Yoo Se-hyeok coolly collected his thoughts. The fact that she was close to Cheon Hae-seon was not good news, but in a way, it was a relief.
It meant that she at least didn't belong to another guild. If all guilds were starting from the same line, then the first to move wins. Yoo Se-hyeok started walking toward them again.
With all the cameras already pointed in that direction, it was a bit embarrassing to show himself. But what was a little embarrassment if it meant he could recruit Bi-soo? Yoo Se-hyeok cleared his throat and greeted them.
"It's been a while, Hunter Cheon Hae-seon."
"Ah... Representative of Orion?"
"You recognize me. Thank you."
Yoo Se-hyeok let out a sigh of relief internally. If Cheon Hae-seon hadn't remembered him in this crowded place, it would have been the ultimate humiliation. After politely greeting Cheon Hae-seon, Yoo Se-hyeok turned his gaze to Bi-soo.
"Congratulations on passing the first round, Miss Bi-soo. I am Yoo Se-hyeok, the Representative of Orion Guild."
Bi-soo scanned Yoo Se-hyeok from top to bottom. Then, with a very foxy expression, she took his hand.
"Oh my~ You must be Representative Yoo Se-hyeok. No wonder you have the image of a medieval aristocrat."
Greed flickered in her previously mischievous eyes. Yoo Se-hyeok flinched at the naked display, but then a triumphant smile spread across his face. 'The more she's into money, the better my chances are.'
"If you haven't decided on a guild yet, please consider our Orion Guild. I'm sure you will be satisfied with the terms we offer."
"Hohong. I'm very curious about those conditions, you know?"
A nasal tone began to creep into Bi-soo's voice. Thinking the situation was turning quite positive, Yoo Se-hyeok's heart began to beat faster. But her next words made his mood plummet.
"Hae-seon. Should we join Orion?"
"If you're going, go by yourself. Why are you dragging me into it?"
"But if you don't go, I won't go anywhere else."
"Didn't you say we'd say goodbye forever once you became a Hunter..."
"Hehe. That was because you were nagging me during the theory lessons. Let's join Orion and get rich~" "Wipe the drool from your mouth."
"Hup."
Their relationship was too ambiguous to be called lovers. Yet they were too close to be just friends. How should one define their relationship?
What was certain was that to move Bi-soo's heart, he needed the man in front of him.
Cheon Hae-seon.
A Hunter who was tens of times more difficult to recruit than Bi-soo.
'Ugh...'
Bi-soo, who seemed to have a taste for money, was a possible recruitment. But recruiting them as a set changed the story 180 degrees. If Bi-soo was an uncut gem, Cheon Hae-seon was already a complete package with everything.
Rumor had it that no domestic-sized guild could recruit Cheon Hae-seon anymore; he was considered a titan among titans. The hopeful fantasy playing out in Yoo Se-hyeok's head began to fade. 'Bi-soo... this will be a tough recruitment.'
But he couldn't just give up. Just as Yoo Se-hyeok was about to make another appeal to Bi-soo, someone suddenly cut in between them.
"H-Hunter Cheon Hae-seon. It's a pleasure to meet you."
"?"
A deep frown creased Yoo Se-hyeok's brow. How dare someone interrupt while I, of the Orion Guild, am in conversation? He didn't even offer a formal greeting to him.
Even other guild representatives wouldn't commit such a rude act. Who in the world was this arrogant fellow?
Swish.
Turning his head to look at Cheon Hae-seon, it didn't seem like he knew the man either. Interrupting a conversation without even knowing him? Yoo Se-hyeok asked the man before him in a sharp voice.
"Who are you to suddenly interrupt?"
"I... I'm an applicant who took the Hunter qualification test. I was short on time..."
The man in front of him mumbled his reply. His small frame and demeanor gave off an overall timid impression.
"An applicaaant?"
At the word "applicant," Yoo Se-hyeok's anger flared even higher. He seemed like some thoughtless brat, but what right did a mere applicant have to butt in here?
"Hey. I don't know who you are, but this is not your place to interfere. We're in the middle of business here."
Yoo Se-hyeok scolded the applicant as if lecturing a child. Cheon Hae-seon and Bi-soo watched without saying a word. Triumphant, Yoo Se-hyeok missed one thing.
The fact that Bi-soo's eyes were trembling slightly as she looked at the applicant. When Yoo Se-hyeok turned his gaze, Bi-soo whispered to Cheon Hae-seon.
"Hae-seon."
"Hm?"
"It's him."
"Him?"
"You know..."
Instantly, Cheon Hae-seon's expression hardened drastically.
"It seems you don't know who I am..."
Yoo Se-hyeok puffed out his chest.
"I am Yoo Se-hyeok, the Representative of Orion Guild. Now that you know, stop bothering us and back off."
Then, the man blinked as if he remembered something.
"Ah... you're the representative of Orion Guild. Someone ran up and gave me a business card earlier."
"A business card?"
Giving a business card to a nobody like this was a waste of paper. Come to think of it, he hadn't even checked the name. Yoo Se-hyeok asked for his name with a reluctant expression.
"I don't think we need to exchange names, but since you were given a card, let's hear your name."
"Yes. I am..."
The man hesitated before revealing his name.
"My name is Kang Jeong-hyeon."
At that timid response, Yoo Se-hyeok's pupils swayed like a pendulum.
"That's Kang Jeong-hyeon."
My facial expression right now probably isn't much different from Yoo Se-hyeok's. I had been quite curious about this man named Kang Jeong-hyeon, and now it was as if a tiger had walked right into its own den. The top prospect. But his appearance was not particularly impressive.
His cheeks were slightly sunken, giving him a look of misfortune, and his round, single-lidded eyes gave off a very simple impression. Should I say he had the look of a defector from the North? He looked as young as me, and what was peculiar was that his entire left arm was covered in bandages.
This guy, he had the highest potential in this test?
"K-K-K-Kang Jeong-hyeon?"
Yoo Se-hyeok, who hadn't even stuttered while dealing with the unpredictable Bi-soo, was now gaping. Well, it was understandable. He had been lecturing a mega-prospect without even realizing who he was.
While Yoo Se-hyeok was having a mental breakdown and sputtering, Kang Jeong-hyeon turned and bowed to me again.
"Let me introduce myself again. I am Kang Jeong-hyeon. I look forward to working with you."
"Yes. Nice to meet you. I look forward to working with you too... huh?"
As I answered reflexively, a strong doubt surged within me. The words, "I look forward to working with you." It could just be a formality, but the nuance felt strangely strong.
You.
Is there something you want with me?
"... Hehe."
With a smile that was awkward to anyone watching, Kang Jeong-hyeon scratched the side of his head.