* * *
The newly discovered dungeon was ranked B-class.
Honestly, for a dungeon of that level, the Chunho Guild didn’t need to intervene.
It would’ve been fairer to let another guild handle it.
However, the problem was that the dungeon had appeared near the Dungeon Ecology Research Lab—a site Chunho had been actively investigating.
That area was already under public scrutiny.
That’s why the government requested Chunho to take care of it.
“Well, I suppose it makes sense, given all the attention,” Yeo Giwon nodded in understanding.
As a result, the dungeon raid team consisted of Guild Master Beom Sinje, the immensely powerful special-rank hunter Yeo Giwon, and Doyoung, his secretary.
The government had made a discreet request for all three of them to participate.
“Alright then, let’s clear this quickly!”
With a cheerful voice, Yeo Giwon’s body swelled.
In an instant, he transformed into a massive werewolf and charged ahead.
“…Why is he so excited?”
Doyoung watched in disbelief as Yeo Giwon enthusiastically tore through monsters.
“He must be happy to be in a dungeon again.”
“Is that really something to get that excited about?”
“He’s just a kid.”
Beom Sinje spoke flatly.
Even though they were the same age, he acted as if he didn’t fall into the same category.
Doyoung let out a chuckle.
It made sense.
Chunho had been focused on tracking down terrorists lately, leaving most dungeon raids to other guilds.
That was possible only because no high-ranked dungeons had appeared.
“Well, looking at him, I guess he really was itching to fight. Anyway, let’s go. We should wrap this up quickly.”
“Right.”
A B-class dungeon wasn’t much of a challenge—special-rank hunters could handle it solo.
Still, if they just stood by and watched, Yeo Giwon would probably glare at them for not pulling their weight.
He always complained about them being glued together no matter the situation.
So, Doyoung willingly joined the fight.
Thanks to that, they cleared the dungeon—including the boss monster—in under an hour.
“Huh… Not bad for a B-class.”
The real surprise was the loot.
The boss monster had a tough, turtle-like shell—perfect for crafting armor.
They also found several rare minerals that didn’t exist on Earth, all highly valuable.
“This is way better than that S-class dungeon where we barely got a few scraps of special material. But if we keep all this for ourselves, people will complain, right?”
Yeo Giwon looked at the loot regretfully.
“We’ll report it to the government first and let them handle it. But we do have priority in negotiations, so we can claim what we want later.”
Doyoung scanned the items.
Everything seemed useful, but there wasn’t anything particularly suited for Beom Sinje.
No need to hoard unnecessary items.
“Too bad there’s nothing good for weapons.”
Unlike him, Yeo Giwon still seemed reluctant to let go, his gaze landing on Beom Sinje’s sword.
“You don’t even need a weapon.”
As a werewolf, Yeo Giwon had steel-like claws, sharp fangs, and monstrous strength.
Why would he even want a weapon?
“But imagine selling something like this on the Hunter Market! You’re only saying that because you’re rich and don’t care about money!”
Yeo Giwon had only recently learned that Doyoung had amassed an enormous fortune through ATE Pharmaceuticals.
He didn’t even bother hiding his envy.
“What? Do you want a present?”
“Yes! Give me one!”
So that was his goal. Doyoung smirked, watching Yeo Giwon’s eyes sparkle.
“Fine. Think about what you want and let me know.”
Hearing that, Yeo Giwon nodded eagerly.
He didn’t blurt out a request right away, meaning he was being serious about his choice.
Since he’d be staying by Beom Sinje’s side from now on, Doyoung didn’t mind granting a favor or two.
“Alright, let’s head out.”
After instructing Yeo Giwon to carry the loot, Beom Sinje took Doyoung’s hand and started walking.
“…Wait, are you seriously making me carry all this alone?”
“If you’re getting a gift from hyung, shouldn’t you at least do this much?”
“…I mean, yeah, but—!”
Unable to argue, Yeo Giwon puffed up his cheeks in frustration but ultimately obeyed.
He was in a good mood anyway, since he had something to look forward to.
After wrapping up a brief press interview, the three of them returned to the guild.
Waiting for them was unexpected news.
“This is ridiculous. They want to meet with us? What are they thinking?”
Doyoung frowned as he read the report.
Even the guild members looked bewildered.
“They say he doesn’t know the reason either. He just keeps demanding to meet you. He insists that he’ll cooperate with the interrogation only if that happens.”
“To think they can’t even handle something this simple… That’s disappointing. Especially for a guild that ranks among the top in Europe.”
The German guild had joined the newly formed alliance and was even elected to the executive committee.
Their success in capturing Johann Resenbrink, the head of the Dungeon Ecology Research Institute, had played a significant role in that.
They had seemed confident after the incident, so things appeared to be going smoothly.
But evidently, that wasn’t the case.
“Yes. He’s also demanding to be extradited to his home country and has been keeping silent, refusing to say anything.”
The fact that he suddenly opened his mouth just to ask to meet them made it understandable why the German guild had contacted them in such haste.
Doyoung frowned and turned to Beom Sinje.
He had no intention of getting involved with them any further.
After all, the crimes they had committed were already backed by irrefutable evidence and testimony.
No matter how much they resisted, it wouldn’t change the outcome.
The only question was how long it would take.
“What do you think?”
Since they were the ones who had prepared to capture them, completely washing their hands of it didn’t seem like the right move either.
However, Doyoung believed that Beom Sinje’s opinion should take precedence, so he asked him first.
“Hm… Should we take a trip, hyung?”
The response was completely unexpected.
“…All of a sudden?”
“Yes. I think it’d be nice to look around Germany, maybe even visit Switzerland while we’re at it.”
“Ah…”
Only then did Doyoung realize what Beom Sinje was getting at.
He had no intention of going along with what the other side wanted, but if their purpose was framed as travel, they could go under that pretense.
“If we’re going to do all that, won’t we need at least two weeks off? Will that be okay?”
“Well, it’s for work, so it should be fine.”
Their guild leader was blatantly exploiting a loophole.
As expected, the guild members who were listening to their conversation looked visibly unsettled.
They seemed unsure whether they should take it as a joke or a serious declaration.
“What if a high-level dungeon suddenly appears?”
“It’ll be fine.”
Doyoung almost asked how he could be so certain but then remembered—the world itself was under Beom Sinje’s influence.
Could he really control even things like that?
* * *
