"......"
A breathtaking silence spread throughout the hall. Joining the Irregular team. Was there any Hunter who could decide that right now?
Not five days, not five hours, but a mere five minutes. Cheon Hae-seon was forcing them to make a choice in an absurdly short amount of time. 'What kind of reckless proposal is this?'
Yoo Se-hyeok, the representative of the Orion Guild, was utterly dumbfounded. To a Hunter, affiliation is like a workplace for an office worker. No, in some ways, it's an even more important concept than a job.
After all, their lives are on the line every time they step onto the battlefield. Who could decide such a crucial matter, on which their entire future depended, in just one minute?
'Besides......'
As Yoo Se-hyeok swept his bangs back, the Rolex on his wrist glittered. 'The most important explanation is missing.' The most powerful bargaining chip the Orion Guild held.
Money.
No matter how noble a cause Hunters might have, in the end, they were moved by money. In that sense, Cheon Hae-seon's proposal was highly likely to be nothing but empty words. There was no safe fence like a guild, and no mention of how much money they would be paid.
It was a demand to trust and follow him, Cheon Hae-seon, and him alone. The public's opinion of him was impeccable, but working together was a different matter. Yoo Se-hyeok crossed his arms and shook his head from side to side, but he did not leave the scene.
He wanted to see the look on Cheon Hae-seon's face when he was left speechless after a minute.
"Will anyone really say they'll do it......?"
Ga Han-chan, the vice representative of the Bishop Guild, licked his lips and asked his brother.
"It won't be easy."
Ga Yeol-chan shook his head ever so slightly. Separate from the fact that he held a favorable view of the Hunter named Cheon Hae-seon, he also felt that joining the Irregular team was quite a negative prospect. The biggest reason Ga Yeol-chan thought it wouldn't be easy was due to the special nature of the Hunters gathered here.
"If Cheon Hae-seon had opened applications to all Hunters, the story might have been different. But not 'here.'"
"Here?"
"If he were to gather applicants for the Irregular team on the internet right now, he might get an explosive response. But 'here' is the Hunter license ceremony. Most of the Hunters gathered here are either high-ranking guild officials or rookies who have just earned their Hunter license."
"Hmm. What's the difference?"
"You pathetic fool......"
Ga Yeol-chan frowned at his brother once before continuing.
"Joining the Irregular team means having to go under Cheon Hae-seon. Needless to say, people like me or Gu Geon-yi, and other high-ranking guild officials, would never bow our heads to Cheon Hae-seon."
"I see. Indeed, just looking at that woman's face, I get the picture."
Ga Han-chan's gaze turned to Yeon Ji-seon, the 2nd Team Leader of the Glory Guild. Just from her attitude, snorting with a 'Hmph,' it was easy to guess. Even if dirt were to enter her eyes, she would never go under Cheon Hae-seon.
Ga Han-chan asked his brother again.
"Then what about the rookie Hunters? Most of the rookies here like Cheon Hae-seon."
"That won't be easy either. It's a risky thing to abandon the standard, safe path of a 'guild' to join a system that was suddenly created today. And more than half of them probably already have a guild lined up."
"Huh...... Then there might be no applicants at all?"
"We'll have to wait and see. Whether there will really be anyone willing to entrust their life based solely on the three syllables of the name Cheon Hae-seon......"
If there was a possibility, it would be an immature rookie Hunter. Someone who, ignorant of the ways of the world, had decided to follow only Cheon Hae-seon. It was an unrealistic assumption, but without that, it would be difficult to join the Irregular team.
Wait.
Doesn't this picture seem familiar? Just as Ga Yeol-chan was about to pull someone from his memory, a clear voice spread through the area.
"I'll do it! That thing!"
"?"
"!!!"
Countless people turned their heads to find the source of the voice. And soon, those who had been wearing puzzled expressions jumped in surprise.
"L-Lee Bi-soo?!"
"It's Lee Bi-soo, isn't it?"
"Did I just hear that correctly?"
"The super prospect is choosing the Irregular team over a guild?"
Bi-soo was standing quite a distance from Cheon Hae-seon. This was because she was still surrounded by reporters. However, upon hearing that Cheon Hae-seon was accepting comrades, Bi-soo raised her hand without a moment's hesitation.
She ran up in a single breath and stood before Cheon Hae-seon.
"Hmm......"
What was even more spectacular was Cheon Hae-seon's gaze after confirming it was Bi-soo. Despite one of the one-two punches of this qualification test applying, Cheon Hae-seon's face was the very picture of 'unimpressed'. He should be welcoming her with open arms, but what was with that reaction?
A series of incomprehensible events was unfolding.
"What's with that expression? Shouldn't you be happy?"
As Bi-soo approached with light steps and glared, Cheon Hae-seon gave a bitter smile.
"I don't have money for a signing bonus."
"Hey. It's fine. When did you ever pay me to work for you?"
"Don't say things that could be misunderstood, will you?"
"Why? What's wrong with it? We're already living in the same hou— Mmph!!"
Because Cheon Hae-seon covered her mouth, the reporters missed another chance for a scoop. In any case, it was an astonishing event for most of the people gathered at the scene. There were more than a few places ready to prepare billions in a signing bonus if she just joined a guild.
But to ignore all the major guilds and choose the Irregular team. The choice was one thing, but the fact that she had a close relationship with Cheon Hae-seon complicated the minds of the guild officials. 'Did they already know each other?'
'There was no information when Cheon Hae-seon appeared either...... Where on earth do these people keep popping up from?' 'I was planning to go all-in on Lee Bi-soo, considering the marketing costs......
It's all gone wrong......!!' On the other hand, there were factions drooling over them. 'To put it differently, it means if we recruit Cheon Hae-seon, we get a one-plus-one deal.'
'If we can bring in both Cheon Hae-seon and Lee Bi-soo as a set, the guild rankings will change that very day.' The representatives of the few guilds that hadn't given up on recruiting Cheon Hae-seon began to calculate in their heads just how much capital they could mobilize. However, they did not know yet.
That compared to the applicants to come, Bi-soo was not that surprising.
"I, I'll apply too."
While Cheon Hae-seon and Bi-soo were bickering, someone raised their hand from a corner. A stammering speech and a timid voice. However, no one could point out the man's timidity.
Because the owner of that voice was none other than the number one of this Hunter Qualification Test.
"K-K-K-Kang Jeong-hyeon?"
"What? That guy is Kang Jeong-hyeon?"
"What on earth is going on?"
"Kang Jeong-hyeon after Lee Bi-soo? Am I dreaming right now...?!"
"They're crazy. Both of them are crazy. No matter how promising a Hunter Cheon Hae-seon is, this is nothing short of recklessness!"
"Dammit!! If there's no Lee Bi-soo and no Kang Jeong-hyeon, who the hell are we supposed to sign?"
The saying that you have money but nowhere to spend it. The Hunter recruitment managers were feeling that firsthand. With the appearance of Kang Jeong-hyeon and Lee Bi-soo, this qualification test was rated as a 'jackpot' for the first time in a while.
On the other hand, aside from those two, the rest were below the level of an average year. Should it be called poverty in the midst of plenty? The guild officials had predicted that catching either Kang Jeong-hyeon or Lee Bi-soo would be a jackpot, and failing to do so would be a bust.
But what was this? With both Kang Jeong-hyeon and Lee Bi-soo joining the Irregular team, the guilds were faced with a situation where they had to put away their weapons before even getting a chance to show them off. That wasn't the only astounding part.
"No, why do you keep doing this to me? Do you know me?"
"Yes, yes. I do."
"The media and reality are different. What will you do if I turn out to be a worse guy than you think?"
"That's impossible."
"Hah......"
Cheon Hae-seon scratched his head as if he was dumbfounded, and that made the officials go even crazier. In Bi-soo's case, it was understandable. She seemed to have a prior acquaintance with Cheon Hae-seon.
But surprisingly, Kang Jeong-hyeon was not like that. There was a hint of awkwardness in the way Cheon Hae-seon and Kang Jeong-hyeon treated each other. In other words, they were not close at all.
For the guild executives, as well as the staff who had been preparing for recruitment, it was a heart-wrenching sight. Some people wouldn't even pretend to listen despite all the flattery and sweet offers. Just how blessed was Cheon Hae-seon that these prizes (?) just rolled into his lap while he sat there doing nothing?
"Hey, Hunter Cheon Hae-seon!! What in the world is going on? Why is Hunter Kang Jeong-hyeon following you?"
At the disgruntled remark of a guild official whose recruitment efforts had failed, Cheon Hae-seon gave a complicated smile. 'That's what I want to ask, you punk.' What was with this guy?
Did he even know how much money he had just given up? However, while Kang Jeong-hyeon had a shy face, he showed no signs of regretting his choice. A gentle but firm face.
"Uh......"
Somehow, it reminded him of someone he had met a little while ago. Their faces were very different, but their expressions were as identical as a copy-paste. There was no need to picture her face.
Sometime, she had appeared right in front of him.
"Ma...... ria?"
Carrying a fresh floral scent, Maria stood right in front of Cheon Hae-seon. In a small voice, she said something or other to him. Until that moment, people just looked at each other and tilted their heads in confusion.
Her voice was too soft to be heard, and Cheon Hae-seon's reaction was indifferent.
"Eeeek??????????"
"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
But someone nearby relayed Maria's words, and the content spread rapidly like ripples. What Maria suddenly appeared and said to Cheon Hae-seon. It was a story that was more than enough to shake the Republic of Korea.
[I want to join you, too.]
Maria's declaration to join the Irregular team. It was an even more shocking event than the previous ones of Lee Bi-soo and Kang Jeong-hyeon. The representative of the Glory Guild was Gu Geon-yi, but in the public's perception, Maria was the Glory Guild, and the Glory Guild was Maria.
Even now, one could see Maria wearing the 'G' badge on subway advertisements and elsewhere across the Republic of Korea. But to suddenly declare she was joining the Irregular team, out of the blue. 'What on earth is going on......'
As a series of shocking figures continued to join, Kim Seung-hwan of the Blue Sword Guild finally clicked his tongue. The participation of the earlier rookie Hunters could be understood with a hundred concessions, but Maria's case was on a different level.
Considering the weight she held within the Glory Guild, it was truly a declaration that made one doubt their ears. Especially for those who didn't know about Maria's recent activities, it would have sounded completely random and nonsensical.
"Join you...... what?"
"You fool! What else could it be! She's saying she'll join the Irregular team."
"What does that mean? The fact that Maria belongs to the Glory Guild is something even a three-year-old child knows. How can Maria join the Irregular team?"
"Tsk tsk... To still be so out of touch with the world. Don't you know Maria met with all the other guild representatives today? Said she was thinking of transferring."
"What?! Is that true?"
"Shh. Lower your voice. You never know when Gu Geon-yi might beat you to death."
The middle-aged man, lowering his posture and glancing around, cautiously continued.
"So there's no problem even if Maria joins the Irregular team. She's going to leave the Glory Guild anyway, and if there's no suitable guild, isn't it worth considering joining Cheon Hae-seon?"
"That's...... true, but......"
Without anyone noticing, the tide had slowly shifted. The Hunter license ceremony was now secondary. The venue had completely transformed into 'Cheon Hae-seon's Irregular Inauguration Ceremony'.
Just looking at the lineup of members, there was no such splendid roster. Starting with Bi-soo and Kang Jeong-hyeon, who became new S-rankers today, and now Maria. Besides, wasn't Cheon Hae-seon a needless-to-say S-rank Multi Ability Hunter?
"Wow...... Looking at it like this, the combined power of just those four is above most guilds."
"That's what I'm saying. I heard Hunter Lee Bi-soo can even use buff abilities...... Not just any decent guild, even if they went up against the Glory Guild......"
After the time of shock and horror passed, people's gazes now turned in one direction. The person who could be called the biggest victim (?) of the day. The person who was humiliated in front of so many people and lost his closest aide and core asset.
They thought they might be screwed if they carelessly made eye contact, but despite that, people looked toward where Gu Geon-yi had been standing. They were quite curious about the expression he would be making.
"Huh?"
But Gu Geon-yi had disappeared from his original spot. He had already started walking. Towards the protagonist of all these events, Cheon Hae-seon.
"The atmosphere doesn't look good."
Bi-soo grinned as she looked at Gu Geon-yi. Her mouth was smiling, but her eyes were clearly tense. Gu Geon-yi's aura was so menacing that it felt as if Cheon Hae-seon could be torn to shreds at any moment.
At the force of Gu Geon-yi's 'thump, thump' footsteps as he approached, the onlookers swallowed dryly. The anger he must be feeling now was beyond imagination. Cheon Hae-seon was also staring at the approaching Gu Geon-yi with a hardened face.
Anxious eyes turned towards Cheon Hae-seon. However, no one noticed. 'If you don't like it, let's fight.'
The fact that the corners of Cheon Hae-seon's mouth were twitching strangely.