“It might sound strange… but I want to bring Mr. Kanghyeon Lee as an advisor to the Fire Bird Guild!”
“?”
Yerin Jeong’s statement was out of the blue.
What is this talk about an advisor out of nowhere?
I was momentarily speechless at the sudden scouting offer.
“……”
What is it? What could it be?
What on earth is she thinking?
Honestly, I was flustered.
The Fire Bird Guild is one of the top guilds in our country.
And they’re offering me a position as an advisor, not even a guild member?
It’s not like I’ve been active externally enough for the Fire Bird Guild to notice me.
The only recent activity of mine has been going into dungeons with Maru. And that wouldn’t garner the Fire Bird Guild’s interest.
‘Is there something I don’t know?’
I stared at Yerin Jeong’s face without saying a word.
As a brief silence ensued, Yerin Jeong wore a somewhat anxious expression.
She seemed restless, like a puppy whose owner had disappeared.
“I’ve heard what you have to say, Ms. Yerin Jeong.”
“So, is that a yes?!”
She brightened up even before I gave a definitive answer.
“That’s not it.”
As soon as I finished my reply, she immediately became dejected.
I felt like teasing her a little more, but the joke ends here.
What I’m curious about is why they’re offering me this scouting proposal.
‘It’s not that they’ve noticed my abilities, is it?’
If that’s the case, it’s dangerous.
Depending on the situation, there might be an unfortunate event where I’d have to eliminate Yerin Jeong here.
So, I asked cautiously.
“I don’t know why you’re making such a proposal.”
I really don’t know.
She began to answer my question.
“Where should I even begin… Ah, that’s right. When we first met at the cafe—”
Yerin Jeong’s rather long story began.
Through her story, I could guess why she wanted to scout me.
“That’s why I truly hope Mr. Kanghyeon Lee will come as an advisor to my team!”
Yerin Jeong politely requested, adjusting her posture.
“Haa….”
And after hearing her entire story, I was once again speechless.
The reason was none other than…
‘You completely misunderstood me!’
Yerin Jeong had been misunderstanding me to a degree that was nothing more than her own delusion.
‘You probably just believed what I said at the cafe….’
A very trivial misunderstanding led to the current situation.
At the time, I was managing dungeons through my smartphone at a cafe.
It was when I still mistakenly thought it was a game, not a real dungeon. And I was reading the description of the Goblin Lord on the screen, but it seems the woman in front of me heard it with a different meaning.
“…And so, when I did as you said, I was able to defeat the Goblin Lord?”
“That’s right! There was no strategy for the Goblin Lord, but I was saved thanks to you, Mr. Kanghyeon Lee!”
It was absurd.
Actually, even I thought it was just a simple game back then.
I just read the game settings without much thought.
I thought it was just a setting added by the game developer that the Goblin Lord weakened as the surrounding goblins decreased.
But she went into the Goblin Lord dungeon believing only my words…
That woman isn’t ordinary either.
Yerin Jeong, who was talking excitedly, soon lowered her head.
“I apologize for listening to your story without permission back then. Instead, I will repay you somehow—”
Yerin Jeong’s story was simple.
She was going to reward me as a token of appreciation for telling her the strategy to defeat the Goblin Lord.
‘It doesn’t matter to me, but….’
If she’s going to reward me, I shouldn’t refuse.
However, I intended to refuse the position of advisor.
At least, now that I know the reason for scouting me, the unsettling feeling is gone.
But there’s one problem with accepting the advisor position.
‘My time will be reduced.’
It was simple.
I have to manage dungeons and go through dungeons with Maru.
There might be situations where I have to go to the El Dorado Continent like the last auction.
But if I take on the role of an advisor, wouldn’t I become incredibly busy?
Most importantly, I learned more details about the advisor position.
I learned that it wasn’t just an advisor for the Fire Bird Guild, but an advisor for the team led by Yerin Jeong.
‘I never knew there would be such complex family circumstances.’
It turned out Yerin Jeong was the daughter of the Fire Bird Guild Leader.
‘No wonder her surname is the same as mine.’
The current Guild Leader’s name is Jeong Taengsu.
I knew the Vice Guild Leader was the Guild Leader’s son, but this was the first time I heard of Yerin Jeong.
It’s understandable since she’s from a concubine, so it’s not widely known publicly.
That’s why Yerin Jeong is discriminated against within the guild despite being of the same bloodline.
Mostly by the Vice Guild Leader.
Moreover, she said that the moment she failed to subjugate the Goblin Lord dungeon, she was supposed to disappear from the guild.
‘So, the situation changed because of me.’
Then, by chance, she overheard my muttering at the cafe, and Yerin Jeong learned the strategy for the Goblin Lord.
As a result, Yerin Jeong solidified her position within the guild by subjugating the Goblin Lord dungeon.
Conversely, her second older brother collapsed after failing the Incubus Dungeon.
It was a truly unfortunate fate to fail the Incubus Dungeon with all male hunters.
That’s why Yerin Jeong said she needed my help.
She said that even if not now, the Vice Guild Leader, her older brother, would surely watch her.
I wanted to help her even a little if I could.
But the problem was that I didn’t have that much ability.
“Thank you for your words, but the position of advisor is beyond my abilities. Besides, even if I were to join, it would cause controversy regarding special treatment.”
“No, that’s not true! Mr. Kanghyeon Lee, you’re from the Academy, aren’t you?”
This woman has really investigated a lot.
But my mind is already made up.
“It’s already in the past, so I won’t say any more about the strategy.”
Well, Yerin Jeong also said she didn’t spread the related strategy widely, so I’m in no position to say anything.
After all, information is the most important thing in the world of hunters, so it’s only natural.
“However, I will refuse the position you offered, Ms. Yerin Jeong.”
“……”
At my conclusive answer, Yerin Jeong pouted.
No, is this that sad?
“As expected… you’re not satisfied with the position I offered, right? Mr. Kanghyeon Lee, you could even be the Guild Leader.”
Huh?
What is she talking about now?
Why would I be the Guild Leader?
“I understand how you feel. If it were me, an advisor position in a guild that’s nothing more than a corner store….”
She compares the Fire Bird Guild to a corner store?
Then what should other guilds be compared to?
“But I truly need Mr. Kanghyeon Lee!”
Yerin Jeong’s unrestrained speech continued.
At that moment, Ciel, who was in the kitchen, covered her mouth with her hand.
‘No. It’s not what you think.’
Yerin Jeong didn’t stop.
“And when I came here, I realized. There’s no one as capable as Mr. Kanghyeon Lee.”
Maru, standing next to Ciel, was clapping silently.
“So, I’ve decided.”
The Gargoyle, which had been moved to the room earlier, also peeked out and looked this way.
‘Doesn’t that thing only move when an intruder appears?’
While everyone except me was focused on Yerin Jeong’s next statement.
“Mr. Kanghyeon Lee, please, please be with me! You don’t even have to come to work. Oh, you don’t have to do any work separately here either! Instead, just give me some simple help when I need it. I’ll come find you here then! I won’t bother you, so please!”
Huh? The flow of the conversation is getting strange…
“Of course, you’ll receive the same benefits as guild members, and I promise you a salary that won’t disappoint! If Mr. Kanghyeon Lee needs any items or has anything to sell, the Fire Bird Guild will cover all related taxes!”
So, even if I don’t go to work and just play at home, I get a salary and benefits?
And tax deductions too?
It’s no different from being an unemployed person whose name is just on the guild roster!
‘This is crazy….’
Literally, Yerin Jeong seemed to have lost her marbles right now.
* * *
A man stands in front of the Adventurer’s Guild.
His race is Dhampir.
He is a half-blood born between a Vampire and a Human.
Even though he is a half-blood, his appearance is not much different from a human.
However, upon closer inspection, a subtle difference can be felt.
First, his skin is paler than that of ordinary people. His skin is as white as if he hasn’t been exposed to sunlight even in midwinter, which is impressive.
However, that white skin exudes a mysterious and alluring atmosphere rather than looking sickly.
When he opens his mouth, fangs occasionally show. However, they are not very large, so they are not easily noticeable unless he deliberately exposes them.
Other than those points, he is a creature no different from a human.
“This is it.”
The Dhampir’s dark eyes scanned the Adventurer’s Guild office.
He came here to carry out the orders given by Celia.
The order given by Chief Administrator Celia was one thing.
To gain recognition by working as an adventurer for the Great One.
“I’ll be working here from now on.”
He muttered to himself and then entered the building.
As he opened the door to the Adventurer’s Guild, lively noise welcomed the Dhampir.
As soon as he entered, what unfolded before his eyes was a hall filled with adventurers of all kinds.
“This mission is too dangerous, isn’t it? At least Silver Rank should be required.”
“It’s okay, our skills are enough!”
On one side, party members about to embark on an adventure were discussing strategies, and on the other side, adventurers who seemed to have just completed their quests were laughing loudly and chatting.
In short, the atmosphere inside the guild was lively.
The Dhampir took in the scenery for a moment and looked around.
“Welcome! Welcome to the Adventurer’s Guild!”
A cheerful voice was heard. It was a guild employee standing behind the counter.
She seemed to be an usher.
Thinking so, the Dhampir walked towards the counter.
“I am Catherine, an usher at the Sale Kingdom branch of the Adventurer’s Guild! Ah, there was originally another employee, but since they resigned for personal reasons, I’ve been filling in as an usher! The weather today is really—”
“I’m here to register as an adventurer.”
The Dhampir cut off Catherine’s words and immediately stated his business.
He felt like she’d talk all day if he let her continue.
“Ah! You’re here for the first time!”
Even though the Dhampir interrupted her, Catherine didn’t seem to mind and took out a piece of paper.
“May I ask for your name?”
At Catherine’s question, the Dhampir was about to answer immediately.
“My name is Dha—”
He paused for a moment.
Dhampir is his race name. While it could also be used as a name, it was still necessary to be cautious.
“Yes, my name is Dambi.”
“Ah, your name is Dambi? It sounds like a cute name!”
Even though he merely stated his name, the subsequent procedure was done in an instant.
The iron plate in Catherine’s hand was proof of that.
“This is a kind of ID. It’s made of iron, so it’s called an iron plate. And Dambi, you can work as an Iron Rank adventurer from today.”
Catherine smiled brightly and gestured.
Following her hand, he turned his head and saw a large bulletin board.
“First, there are requests posted on that bulletin board. The rewards vary depending on the difficulty and rank of the request! Ah, here’s a tip: if you want to level up your rank quickly, do more high-rank requests! Of course, it’s not my responsibility if you die while doing them? Hoho.”
Whether she was cheering him on or wishing him ill, Dambi headed towards the bulletin board.
There were truly various requests posted on the bulletin board.
「Herb gathering request, easy for beginners」
– Iron Rank Adventurers possible.
「Part-time job guarding the village festival for a day!」
– Iron Rank Adventurers possible, same-rank adventurers preferred.
Simple requests that even beginners could do were listed.
However, they seemed inefficient for the time invested.
Dambi’s gaze shifted elsewhere.
「Seeking companions for ancient ruin exploration」
– Seeking 2 Gold Rank or higher adventurers.
– Expected to excavate artifacts and subjugate monsters.
– Difficulty assessed as at least Silver Rank.
– Reward: 2000 Gold Coins + Artifact distribution fee.
「Suppression of the notorious bandits」
– 200 Gold Coins per head, no questions asked.
– Very difficult. Combat experience preferred.
Requests that were more difficult than before caught his eye.
The rewards were certainly good, but unfortunately, Dambi’s current adventurer rank was the lowest, Iron Rank.
Most of those requests required Silver or Gold rank adventurers.
Unfortunately, Dambi started looking for other requests.
While looking at the bulletin board.
“?”
He saw a peculiar request.
「Capture a live zombie」
– Capture one zombie while it is still alive.
– Reward varies depending on the zombie’s condition.
“Hmm.”
Capture a zombie, he thought.
Dambi found the request incomprehensible.
As he stared at it for a long time, the usher Catherine approached.
“Ah, don’t take that request. It’s a request to capture a zombie alive, but is that even possible? It will probably be very difficult.”
She was right.
Zombies are in a state of decomposition.
As he brought it along, it would continue to resist, and its flesh would fall off.
Bringing such a zombie back intact would be almost impossible.
“And the person who posted that request… has some bad rumors. They tend to find fault even if you bring the zombie and refuse to pay. Moreover, although that zombie is for research purposes, in reality…”
Dambi listened intently to Catherine’s words.
“It’s for… relieving sexual desire… Ah, you know, just like there are all sorts of people in the world.”
“Ah.”
Despite Catherine’s words, Dambi had already decided to take on that request.
The request to capture a live zombie.
For anyone other than himself, it would be as easy as pie.
“Are you really going to take that request?”
Despite Catherine’s worried question, Dambi was unfazed.
And as he left the guild office, he left a word.
“I’ll be back soon.”
Dambi’s destination was the dungeon where the zombies were.
And recently, a large number of zombies had entered the dungeon of the Great One.
If he just took one out of there, the request would be successful.
In other words, it was a request he could do effortlessly.
