Chapter 77. Neo Sisters
…But you know, life doesn’t always go as planned.
“Ha, usually you pick up the phone quickly, but why are you so slow today?”
The next morning.
I was pacing around with my phone up to my ear since early morning.
I had something urgent to relay to Ahn Yoon-seung.
-Hello?
I spoke as soon as the call connected.
“Yoon Seung-ah, the Item Box!”
-What?
“Didn’t you say to return the Item Box right after using it yesterday? But we totally forgot and disbanded on the spot.”
-Ah!
“Sorry. I just remembered now…”
So, all I needed to do was meet Ahn Yoon-seung and hand over the Item Box, right? But the conversation took an unexpected turn.
-What should I do? I have some plans today, so I don’t think I can see you, brother.
“What?”
-I came to my relatives’ house for my grandma’s 70th birthday party.
Ahn Yoon-seung isn’t in Seoul?
I was momentarily flustered, but soon, the other side offered a solution.
-But it’s okay! I can return it later. Just keep it for now.
Looks like it’s not a big deal after all.
“Are you really okay? They won’t get mad at you in the Guild for returning it late or anything?”
-Hahaha. No, it’s not that serious. They’ll probably just charge an extra rental fee.
Although it went through the speaker, Yoon-seung’s voice was surprisingly bright and cheerful.
“Oh really? By the way, how much is the rental fee for the Item Box usually?”
Thanks to that, I could casually throw my question.
-1.3 million won.
Wait, what did I just hear?
“…Per few days?”
1.3 million won. The air in the room shifted as those words left his mouth.
I started sweating bullets while clinging to the phone, and right after that, the shocking news came back.
-Of course, it’s per day!
Meaning, if I don’t return the Item Box I borrowed yesterday by today, Ahn Yoon-seung has to pay 1.3 million won to the Guild.
-Well, I’ll just go for now. I’ll contact you again when I go back to Seoul tomorrow…
“Wait! Hey, where do you think you’re going? Don’t hang up!”
-Huh?
I shouted in panic. However, the other side’s voice remained calm.
“You said you’re at your relatives’ place, right? Does it have to be returned by yourself, or can I go in your place?”
-Yeah?
“No, if we leave it like this, it’ll cost a fortune!”
-It’s really no big deal, so you don’t have to worry…
Damn it. Why did I forget this?
Ahn Yoon-seung was indeed an A-Class Awakened.
In the blink of an eye, he could earn millions, so his sense of money was probably a bit skewed.
No wonder this guy’s favorite restaurants are all fancy!
“Okay, just tell me if a proxy return is allowed.”
1 million won might be nothing to Ahn Yoon-seung, but for me, that price was definitely not cheap.
So, I wanted to return the Item Box somehow within the timeframe.
-O-oh, then I’m really sorry, but I’ll ask you to do this just this once.
It didn’t take long for me to hear about the return procedure for the magic tool.
So, I just need to go to the Neo Sisters Guild and find a person named Lee Cheong-ryong, right?
“What time do I need to give it back?”
-There’s no specific time. Just within today’s business hours. Guild member benefits aren’t too strict…
A little while later.
A noisy sound came through the speaker.
I couldn’t hear clearly, but it seemed like sentences like “How long are you going to talk?” and “Come say hi” were mixed in.
-Ah! Sorry. I’ll hang up now.
“Got it. Sorry for bothering you when you’re busy.”
Click.
Right after the call ended, I immediately started getting ready to go out.
A magic item box can hold a large quantity of magic-infused materials.
The price varies greatly depending on its capacity, but the one Ahn Yoon-seung borrowed was said to be worth the equivalent of a whole apartment.
‘To lend something like this without collateral, this really must be a big company.’
I moved ahead while recalling various thoughts.
[NEO SISTERS]
Next, I arrived at the lobby of the Neo Sisters headquarters.
‘Oh…’
This was my second time stepping into a large guild building.
But the atmosphere of the lobbies of the two guilds was strikingly different.
Unlike the rather business-like structure of the Korean Magic Tower, the Neo Sisters Guild felt like stepping into a first-class hotel.
‘It’s enormously spacious. And what’s that big flower tree in the center? Is it a fake?’
I looked around with an excited heart.
*
“What can I do for you?”
As soon as I entered, Awakened individuals in suits greeted me.
Kim Gi-ryeo replied.
He said he was an acquaintance of Ahn Yoon-seung and that he was here to return the Item Box he rented.
“Oh, Ahn Yoon-seung Hunter?”
Upon mentioning the name of an A-Class Hunter, the procedures proceeded swiftly.
It was so smooth that the expressions of the security personnel visibly softened.
“Then there will be a security check before issuing a visitor’s badge.”
“Yes.”
The entrance guard responded courteously to Kim Gi-ryeo.
Until that point, everything had gone smoothly.
“Yes! You may enter now.”
“Thank you.”
But shortly after.
Kim Gi-ryeo faced a real challenge.
“Welcome~ What brings you here today?”
“I’m here to return the Item Box. Is Director Lee Cheong-ryong inside the building right now?”
“Yes?”
“I came on the request of Ahn Yoon-seung Hunter.”
I soon arrived at the front desk.
As soon as Kim Gi-ryeo met the desk staff, he stated his purpose clearly.
The conversation itself didn’t have any major issues, but the problem arose right at this point.
“Ah~ I see you said Ahn Yoon-seung. Please, before you go upstairs, could you write your name here for me?”
“Yes.”
“And I also need to verify your identity.”
Kim Gi-ryeo opened his wallet without thinking and showed his ID. The desk employee’s eyes widened in surprise.
“F-Class Hunter?”
Ah, maybe it was up there since I showed my Hunter ID more often.
Hearing that, Kim Gi-ryeo hurriedly tidied up his wallet.
“Should I show my resident registration card instead?”
“Ah, no….”
Somehow, the response he received was lukewarm.
“Um, Kim Gi-ryeo Hunter.”
When he looked up, the staff’s attitude had clearly changed.
It was no longer the friendly smile but a somewhat suspicious glare as if evaluating him.
“You said you came on the request of Ahn Yoon-seung. Would you be able to provide proof that you two are acquaintances?”
Hearing that, Kim Gi-ryeo pulled out his phone and showed something.
It was a text conversation with Ahn Yoon-seung.
“Is this enough?”
However, that didn’t seem quite enough to dispel some unspoken suspicion.
“Ah, I’m sorry, but I’ll need to connect you for a moment to the Hunter…”
A moment later.
The staff member pulled out a file and rummaged through the guild contact network. Then he dialed Ahn Yoon-seung’s number he found and waited for the signal.
-Doo doo doo doo, doo doo doo doo…
But what was this?
Normally, he would connect within 10 seconds.
Strangely, the other party was uncharacteristically silent today. No matter how many times he hung up and redialed, the result was the same.
-Doo doo doo doo, doo doo doo doo…
“Ahn Hunter… isn’t picking up.”
Soon, deep silence fell over the lobby.
‘Is a 70th birthday party really that serious of an affair…?’
At that moment.
Yoon-seung’s phone was being stunningly smashed by a young cousin he met at the relatives’ house, but how would they know?
“Hmm, if I had known this would happen, I should have at least taken a picture.”
Kim Gi-ryeo rubbed his nose, thought for a moment, then said.
“Anyway, I’m just returning the Item Box. Do I really have to prove this?”
The guild staff answered in a casual tone.
“Yes, I understand. Then just leave the Item Box here.”
Compliments on the way in, but why the sharp remarks on the way out?
“If I submit it here, will it be processed as a return?”
“Yes, yes. We will confirm it.”
“But I heard that this isn’t guild property, but rather the personal belongings of the director…”
Kim Gi-ryeo stopped his hand that was about to pull out the Item Box.
‘Ahn Yoon-seung definitely said to hand the box to Director Lee Cheong-ryong.’
If this were a normal situation, I would have wrapped things up by showing some leniency and leaving the guild’s items to be returned.
But the Item Box…
This palm-sized box has a value comparable to an apartment, and what if there was an issue with the handover…
“Excuse me, if I leave the Item Box here, where would it be stored?”
The staff glanced at Kim Gi-ryeo as if he was strange.
“We will keep it until we can deliver it to the director.”
“Here, at the front desk?”
“Yes.”
No barrier. No Awakened. A high flow of people.
This place is truly the perfect target for a robbery, yet they plan to store tens of billions worth of items here?
No, there’s no need for a thief.
The front desk employee could be twisted by greed and not properly hand over the box.
‘If anything goes wrong, it’s game over.’
Kim Gi-ryeo imagined the scenario where the Item Box was lost and turned pale as he spoke.
“Um… Excuse me, but I’d really like to return this directly to Lee Cheong-ryong.”
“Excuse me?”
“Just for a moment. Can you let me meet him?”
And at that moment, maybe Kim Gi-ryeo’s sincere request resonated?
“Ah, okay~ I understand.”
A moment later.
The staff unexpectedly provided a positive response.
“I’ll contact the director, so please leave your phone number. Since he’s a busy person, you may have to wait a bit.”
“The item has to be returned by today, so going back and forth won’t do. Can I wait here?”
“Yes. This way, please.”
Kim Gi-ryeo finally felt relieved.
Moreover, the place he was directed to was a sofa where he could see the beautiful lobby, so killing time wouldn’t be a problem.
‘This works out well. I’ll just look around at Earth’s architecture or something.’
Kim Gi-ryeo sat on the sofa by the window, nodding in satisfaction.
But regrettably, the day would come, and there would be no response from Lee Cheong-ryong.
Not long after Kim Gi-ryeo left his seat.
“What’s he saying?”
“Who knows~ That crazy guy claims he’s close to Ahn Yoon-seung.”
“Really? An F-Class?”
“To call the director, is he really serious? Why would he want to meet the director here? Ugh, what a nuisance.”
Two staff members at the front desk whispered while glancing at Kim Gi-ryeo sitting down.
“Why would someone tell such an obvious lie?”
“How would we know the thoughts of attention seekers?”
“Judging by how she acted last time, she probably thinks the same way. She made such a scene last time, asking to be picked up, even using skills in the lobby.”
Chuckle, chuckle.
A low mocking laughter layered their conversation.
“Hunters are always like this. They think they’re something special just because they awakened.”
“Haha.”
“No matter how special their abilities are, an F-Class like that has no chance of entering a guild like this.”
The front desk staff stared out the window again as if to let him hear.
“Didn’t you know our guild has considerable information? If we wanted to, we would have scouted him long ago! If he’s talented, we’d have offered him a job by now.”
Heh heh.
Laughter filled the air again.
But Kim Gi-ryeo’s expression didn’t change at all. He had no idea those words were directed at him.
“Yet, even with all those hints, he just stubbornly stays seated.”
“Hey, just ignore him. Just ignore it. He’ll get over it.”
They dismissed the request of an F-Class Hunter and returned to their usual tasks.
And thus, six hours passed.
