Chapter 12

Siyoon said.

“But that doesn’t necessarily prove it was me.”

“That’s a fair point.”

Min Seolah smirked, the corner of her lips curling upward.

“So I conducted some additional investigation on my own.”

Having said that, Min Seolah retrieved something from her handbag and handed it over.

It was a black case.

Dalkak.

“This is…”

Siyoon’s brow twitched as he opened the case.

It was a byproduct he had sold not too long ago.

‘Eye of the Boss Krakto’.

“Huh.”

A hollow laugh escaped him.

For a moment, he couldn’t fathom why it was here.

He had tried so thoroughly to hide his tracks.

This meant she even knew about him selling the byproducts.

“Have you been following me?”

“Of course not. I discovered this while looking into nearby exchanges based on the assumption that hunter Lee Siyoon had conquered the dungeon.”

“And the purchase?”

Was she implying that the exchange had ties to Min Seolah?

If so, it would make his future actions much more difficult.

Fortunately, that wasn’t the case.

“I simply repurchased it at a high price. No merchant would refuse a generous offer.”

“Ah…”

A repurchase.

It was a surprisingly simple method.

That was a relief, at least.

“It’s just a simple deduction.”

Min Seolah called it a deduction.

But Siyoon instinctively knew it wasn’t just a simple deduction.

Min Seolah was a highly capable agent, even among her peers.

If someone like her had caught wind of this, there had to be a valid reason.

Siyoon decided to ask her directly.

“You said it was a deduction, but it seems like you were quite certain.”

“That’s right. I was fairly confident that you had successfully conquered the dungeon.”

“The success of the raid wasn’t guaranteed, so I’m not sure what you based that judgment on.”

“Hmm… I could point to the destructive power of your skill, hunter Lee Siyoon, and your bulk purchase of ammunition.”

The skill part made sense.

But he couldn’t understand the ammunition part.

“I understand the former, but why the latter?”

“Looking at the preceding circumstances, hunter Lee Siyoon’s actions can be interpreted as an ‘investment’ driven by conviction.”

“Investment?”

“Because no one would buy that much ammunition at once unless they were certain they could recoup the cost.”

Simple.

But she wasn’t wrong.

‘It’s true… ammunition is expensive for a novice hunter.’

A freshly awakened F-Rank hunter.

They often lack any separate assets.

The government does provide support, but it’s essentially a loan.

It’s a burden to just buy and use casually.

But Siyoon was different.

He had confirmed his own abilities.

And he knew he could do it.

From the start, he planned to completely conquer the dungeon.

That’s why he packed plenty of ammunition.

Failing a hunt or dungeon conquest results in catastrophic losses.

The maintenance costs are no joke, comparable to the income earned.

However, Siyoon never factored failure into his plans from the beginning.

Thinking back on it now, it was definitely enough to leave a trail.

“Now, was my answer sufficient for your curiosity?”

“I imagine you still have some unanswered questions.”

The conversation was being dragged along with Min Seolah taking the lead.

However, Siyoon quickly regained his composure.

‘I can’t just hand over the initiative like this.’

Her way of speaking had a peculiar quality to it.

The information she had gathered and her solid position.

The aura she exuded when facing him.

All of these elements combined to create a compelling persuasiveness.

He needed to change the subject.

Siyoon asked.

“Why did you come looking for me?”

“Now that is a strange thing to say.”

Min Seolah said.

“It is perfectly natural for an agency to discover and contact talented hunters.”

She was right.

Now that hunters had become the mainstream of the world.

Agencies were in the business of discovering hunters.

It wasn’t for nothing that capable agencies had ties with high-rank hunters.

Min Seolah looked at Siyoon and spoke.

“So it’s only natural that I came to find you, hunter Lee Siyoon.”

“What if my skill turns out to be more useless than you expect?”

“Oh my, my eyes and intuition, which have analyzed and scouted countless hunters, have never been wrong.”

Tuk.

She lightly tapped the corner of her eye with her index finger.

“My estimated minimum skill rank for you, hunter Lee Siyoon, is Unique, or higher.”

“……”

“Furthermore, you have the guts to enter a dungeon alone. But the most important thing is that you are exceptionally good at ‘objectifying’ your own abilities.”

Objectification.

Once her words started flowing, they continued without pause.

“A powerful skill alone doesn’t guarantee success as a hunter. You know that, right?”

“I’m well aware.”

“In that regard, from an agency’s perspective, you are an incredibly attractive talent, hunter Lee Siyoon.”

“Attractive, you say… Isn’t that just because I don’t belong to anyone yet?”

“I could say that’s one of the reasons, but more than that, I highly value your judgment and meticulousness in dungeon conquests.”

Min Seolah’s praise was quite specific.

Which areas he excelled in.

Why he was a talent.

She spoke by weaving together her analysis of these ‘strengths.’

‘Impressive.’

An exclamation of admiration arose within him.

‘Her way with words is one thing, but her ability to utilize information is truly outstanding.’

The way she spoke to make the listener feel good was one thing.

It seemed her very personality was meticulous.

Of course, one could also consider her hasty.

She hadn’t actually seen what Siyoon was thinking or what his situation was.

But the words that followed were not of that simple kind.

“In any matter, if you follow the small threads, a large one will eventually emerge. Just like the roots of a tree spreading out.”

Min Seolah said.

“That’s why scattered events often converge into one when you look back at them later. And for an agency, having the sense to see that ‘big picture’ is quite important.”

Tok.

As she tapped the tablet, the screen flipped.

It was a map.

The map, detailing the area centered around the cafe, displayed the exchanges.

“……!”

The marked lines were all the exchanges Siyoon had visited.

Tok, tok.

Fingernails painted with purple manicure tapped the screen.

Above the marked exchanges, the inventory status of magic beast byproducts popped up.

‘The quantity of byproducts purchased by date is listed.’

No, to be precise, it was organized information.

All thanks to the agent before his eyes.

“Haha.”

Eventually, Siyoon burst into laughter.

It felt as if his inner thoughts had been completely read.

He hated to admit it, but Min Seolah was a capable agent.

His head felt dizzy.

But he didn’t lose his composure.

Thanks to his increased ‘will’ over the past few days, his mental fortitude had strengthened.

This wasn’t enough to shake him.

“What do you want? It sounds like you’re threatening me, implying you could leak this information to the press at any time.”

“Threatening? What a frightening thing to say. I generally don’t do such illegal things.”

Generally, huh.

Did that mean she would if necessary?

Probably.

The behind-the-scenes struggles of agencies to bring in talented hunters are fierce.

“I’m simply offering you a contract, hunter Lee Siyoon.”

A contract.

The moment Min Seolah’s true purpose was revealed.

* * *

A contract.

Siyoon thought in silence for a while.

‘As expected, it’s come to this.’

It wasn’t unexpected.

Min Seolah had shown her cards openly from the start.

Agencies usually approached hunters for one reason.

A contract, or recruitment.

A process to secure a talented hunter faster than anyone else.

“Did you know? Agencies usually work under an affiliation, like a guild or an association.”

“Yes, I’ve heard.”

An agency’s income varies greatly depending on their performance.

The income of a freelance agent is mostly just ‘commissions’.

Because of this, most sign contracts to belong to a specific organization.

“But I don’t see what that has to do with anything right now.”

“I’m trying to appeal my abilities to you, hunter Lee Siyoon.”

She was confident to the point of audacity.

But it didn’t seem excessive or foolish.

Because she had already demonstrated her practical abilities.

While he was looking at her in disbelief.

She spoke.

“I am one of the top ‘unaffiliated’ agents in South Korea. I don’t have to be tied down by performance proofs, promotions, or mandatory dungeon conquests that guilds or associations demand.”

“What if I want a guild?”

“Then I would connect you to the best one fitting your conditions, but… I don’t think you will.”

She hit the nail on the head.

It was as if she could see right through the person named Lee Siyoon.

“Hunter Lee Siyoon, as you can see, I am capable.”

Min Seolah’s atmosphere shifted to a serious one.

It wasn’t something external like her voice or gaze.

It was literally the ‘vibe’ of the person herself.

It was Min Seolah’s attitude towards her work.

“The hunters I have ‘selected’ so far recognized my competence and chose to sign contracts and collaborate with me.”

“……”

“Those who didn’t like the contract received scouting offers from guilds I recommended and are now working under very favorable conditions.”

An intellect that was confident but not arrogant.

Along with the calmness and cool-headedness to read the situation.

She seemed like the perfect specimen of an agent.

Siyoon, who had been listening quietly, spoke.

“So what are you getting at?”

He couldn’t afford to lose his momentum.

He asked directly.

“Even if it’s not a contract, tell me what you want.”

Min Seolah said.

“Money? Power? Growth? Whatever it is, if you take my hand, I can put it in your grasp.”

“……”

Words that were frighteningly arrogant and haughty.

But the woman before him had more than enough ability to back it up.

Min Seolah handed over some documents.

“Whatever choice you make is fine. Whatever you desire, I will support you to become the best hunter in the shortest time possible.”

It was a sweet proposal.

Siyoon listened to this and closed his eyes.

* * *

He closed his eyes.

He must be imagining the future she had described.

Money and power. Or more.

Whatever it was, it would be a happy imagination.

That was enough.

‘He’s almost on board.’

Seeing Siyoon’s reaction, Min Seolah was certain.

In a way, it was obvious.

The things she had presented to him just now were enormous.

Unbelievable to think it was an offer made to an F-Rank hunter.

That was how much Min Seolah believed in Lee Siyoon’s potential.

‘A novice hunting ground is one thing, but conquering a dungeon is a different story.’

Even a hunter who awakens a high-rank skill early on struggles to clear a dungeon alone.

No matter how powerful the skill is, hunting requires experience.

Dungeons are even more so.

You have to face magic beasts inside a new environment.

But Siyoon had done it alone.

And in the notorious ‘Krakto’s Domain’, no less.

‘I have to snag him no matter what.’

This fact alone was more than enough reason.

Min Seolah watched Siyoon quietly, like a wolf eyeing its prey.

However, what came out was an unexpected statement.

“No, I decline.”

“Decline?”

Min Seolah asked back.

No wonder, Siyoon hadn’t read a single page of the documents.

Deureureuk.

Siyoon pushed his chair back and stood up.

“I don’t think this is an offer for me.”

“What?”

“I’ll be going now.”

Tak.

Before she could say anything.

Siyoon closed the door and disappeared.

A perfect display of disregard.

“…?”

Min Seolah was suddenly left sitting there all alone.

Only her eyes blinked, unable to grasp the situation.

“Did he just… reject me?”