STC chapter 15

* * *

How should I go about finding out about the river breeze here?

It was daunting to know where and how to start.

For emotional matters, it would be quickest to consult Jeong Yeonji or Heo Taekgyun, but that wouldn’t be enough to uncover what the river breeze had been up to.

This was because the river breeze used to stay mostly in the room. Jeong Yeonji and Heo Taekgyun from the administration department always came to work at fixed times, so it was impossible to know what the river breeze had been doing during working hours.

I went back to my room and headed straight to my desk. I turned on my laptop and accessed the official Idea website.

On the main screen, there was a large promotional banner with Chae Gohae smiling brightly.

Though he seemed endlessly suspicious, his striking looks somehow evoked a strange trust. They call this kind of thing a “first meeting free pass.”

I scanned the promotional message with a disinterested gaze.

[Idea Guild, always by the citizens’ side.]

“Yeah, right.”

Muttering, I logged into the page accessible only to the guild’s hunters.

It was the first time I’d logged in since my first day here to understand this world’s ecology.

In the top right corner, it read ‘Hunter Kang Baram.’ I carefully examined the list on the right side. Soon, I found a section labeled ‘Schedule Management.’

When I clicked on it, a large calendar filled the screen.

The calendar displayed this month, allowing me to grasp my tasks at a glance.

My schedule for entering a B-rank gate the other day was also recorded.

Small guilds wouldn’t manage their hunters’ schedules so meticulously.

Being the largest guild in Korea, Idea operated such a system to manage the hunters’ fatigue levels by monitoring their schedules at a glance.

No matter how great a guild was, these days, if work-life balance wasn’t guaranteed, high-ranking hunters often moved to other guilds.

Of course, low-ranking hunters like me had no choice but to respond to calls even if we were busy.

Dwelling on the dirty reality, I checked last month’s schedule. It had been about a month and a half since I came here, so if Kang Baram had done something special on the day I arrived and disappeared because of it… traces of it should be somewhere.

But I tilted my head in confusion as I clicked around.

“Huh?”

The icons before last month had turned gray, meaning I couldn’t click them. This meant I could no longer view those records.

It made sense; with so many hunters to manage, Idea couldn’t allow indefinite access to past schedules.

“Haah…”

Feeling deflated, I slumped back in my chair. Just when I thought I had a lead, it slipped away like a mist.

Even though they were in administration, Jeong Yeonji and Heo Taekgyun were part of the strategy team.

They didn’t have the authority to view individual hunters’ schedules.

‘And I can’t ask Chae Goya either.’

Chae Goya also seemed unable to help this time. He was too scared of his brother to secretly dig into Kang Baram’s past schedule.

So, what should I do now?

After racking my brain for a while, I thought of an unexpected person.

“If that’s the case…”

Someone who kept a suitable distance from me but wanted something from me. Someone in a position high enough to help me.

I closed my laptop and stood up abruptly. I decided to act quickly, striking while the iron was hot.

* * *

“What brings you here? Surely not to read me a book?”

Ryu Min, looking down at me, asked with a bright smile. Though he was as inscrutable as Chae Gohae, he seemed relatively transparent.

“Hello, Vice Guild Leader.”

“You don’t have to be so formal. Come on in.”

I expected him to be cautious and only have a brief conversation at the door, but he was surprisingly hospitable.

I found Ryu Min’s contact info in the emergency contact network. When I suddenly said I wanted to meet, he readily revealed his residence.

Is this what being an A-rank means? His lack of wariness seemed almost leisurely.

Would he treat anyone like this, even if a bad guy with ill intentions came to visit?

‘Or maybe it’s just because I’m a D-rank.’

Ryu Min was an attack type, and I was a support type.

Some might call me petty, but I still clearly remembered what Ryu Min said at the gate.

[…That’s unexpected.]

[Is it because you’re D-rank…]

While I was simmering in anger at Ye Ilhu’s annoyance, Ryu Min had looked at me with interest and said that.

“…Well, then, excuse me.”

The living room table had a lit laptop and scattered documents, indicating he was working from home.

He looked quite busy, which made me even more puzzled.

‘I just need to ask if I can check the previous schedules.’

The situation felt increasingly burdensome. Just as I thought that, Ryu Min poked his head out of the kitchen and asked,

“Don’t just stand there. Sit comfortably. Water? Coffee? I also have juice.”

“Oh, thank you, but I’m fine. I just came to ask you something, Vice Guild Leader.”

Ryu Min then stared at me and walked over.

“Why do I feel like you’re drawing a line? You know my name, right?”

“What?”

“Surely you know it? Try calling me.”

Why was he asking if I knew his name out of the blue? He knew I couldn’t not know it.

“It’s not that…”

“Quickly.”

When I hesitated, Ryu Min urged. I sighed deeply and did as he wanted.

“…Hunter Ryu Min.”

Only then did Ryu Min’s stiff expression soften into a bright smile.

“Yeah, that sounds nice.”

Why does he like that so much?

“So, why are you here?”

“Oh, it’s nothing big. Vice Guild Leader… no, Hunter Ryu Min, I heard you manage the schedules of Idea hunters. I came to ask if I could check my schedule for the past six months.”

“That’s really nothing. Wait a moment. I’ll get it for you right away.”

Ryu Min leaned back on the sofa and sat down on the floor.

After a few clicks of the mouse, I heard the sound of a printer somewhere, printing out the document.

I quietly watched as Ryu Min entered the room and brought the materials while I sat at the edge of the sofa.

“Here you go.”

“Oh, thank you.”

I can’t believe it got resolved so easily. As expected of the vice guild master. I bowed my head, ready to leave and review the materials quickly.

“You seem busy. Sorry for taking your time. I’ll be going now.”

“Are you really busy right now? Do you have another call today?”

“Huh? No, it’s not that…”

“Then why don’t you stay for a cup of tea? I was about to take a break and it’d be nice to have some company.”

There weren’t many topics an ordinary hunter like me could discuss with someone like Ryu Min, the vice guild master.

Was he suggesting we talk about something personal?

Flustered, I hesitated before speaking, my thoughts escaping without a filter.

“…Do you dislike me?”

“Why would I?”

Ryu Min’s eyes widened in genuine curiosity. The serious atmosphere made me feel embarrassed for asking.

“Well, because of what you said at the gate last time. ‘Is it because you’re a D-rank?'”

Ryu Min tilted his head repeatedly, as if he couldn’t remember. He looked like a big dog trying to understand its owner’s words, especially with his light hair, making him resemble a golden retriever.

“Oh, that.”

After a while, Ryu Min let out a small exclamation and explained.

“I didn’t mean it like that. It seems there was a misunderstanding.”

I was genuinely curious about this so-called misunderstanding. I was about to stand up, but sat back down to listen to him.

“While the guild master usually manages Idea overall, I mostly take care of individual hunters. So, I meet a variety of hunters.”

I began to think he might be more diligent than I expected. I also recalled the time he quickly intervened when that old hunter with a rude attitude spat at me in the hallway.

“Most of the hunters I’ve met were always arrogant and conceited. Especially the higher-ranked ones.”

Well, that’s understandable. Although Idea is crowded with hunters, the number of people who actually awaken as hunters is relatively small compared to the population.

Even though I, a D-rank, was ignored within the guild, my treatment changed once I was outside.

“Especially with Hunter Kang. I thought you would clash more, like a puppy unaware of the tiger’s fear. But you didn’t.”

I had backed down readily when Ryu Min intervened, even though I had argued a bit. It seemed that left an impression on him.

“I didn’t expect you to listen to me so obediently.”

Ryu Min looked up at me as he leaned back on the sofa. His platinum blond hair, resembling spring sunshine, slid down his forehead.

“And I found it somewhat adorable.”

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