---

“Does Hunter Yang Hojin not have to follow Hunter Heo Sori? I don’t think your opinions will match up naturally.”

“I… t-told her what I liked yesterday when we were drinking. S-she will probably take care of it. I’m not picky…”

“Oh, yesterday. How was it? Was it enjoyable?”

“Yes, yes. I-it was nice. We went to a bar dedicated to hunters…”

“You guys drank well, I see.”

Jiho admired. Hojin nodded.

Hunters don’t get drunk from regular alcohol. They only get drunk from alcohol made with ingredients gathered in dungeons. But because it can be poisonous to normal people, only designated places are able to sell it. 

If they went all the way to a hunter-only bar, then they must’ve drank a lot.

“Is Hunter Yang Hojin good with alcohol?”

“I-I have never been drunk before.”

“Wow. Did you stay until the end?”

“Y-yes. I did not drink enough to black out…”

“Did someone black out?”

“Hunter Lim Seung Joo…”

Jiho immediately laughed at Hojin’s answer without realizing it. Lim Seung Joo looks like he’d drink like a fish–to think that he’s actually weak to alcohol.

“So Hunter Heo Sori c-carried him out on her back.”

“HAHA!”

In the end, Jiho couldn’t hold his laugh in any longer.

For hunters, there’s hardly any difference in physical abilities between men and women.

But because Lim Seung Joo has the temperament of a macho man, he’s the type to act considerate towards female hunters and not lean on anyone.

It’s this very Lim Seung Joo who was carried out by Heo Sori.

“S-should I send you a picture?”

“You even took a picture?”

“Hunter Heo Sori told me to take it…”

Of course Heo Sori did.

Jiho chuckled as he asked Hojin to send it immediately. The picture and video of Lim Seung Joo peacefully sleeping on Heo Sori’s back was really funny.

“Does Hunter Lim Seung Joo know that this was taken?”

“No… I-I plan to use it later.”

Like the shy Yang Hojin would ever be able to use that picture. Rather than speak truthfully, however, Jiho smiled and told him, “That sounds like a good idea.”

It would’ve been nice if Jiho had been there too. Should he arrange another one for next time? He’s not too sure they’ll want the guildmaster to squeeze in though…

While he was feeling pleased with himself, Jiho noticed Hojin fiddling with his fingers.

Perhaps because he’s shy and not very good with people, Hojin has a tendency of slipping out on his own. The fact that he’s still here means…

“Hunter Yang Hojin. Is there something you want to say to me?”

“Ye-yes!”

When Jiho took the lead in asking, Hojin, who didn’t know how to bring the topic up by himself, instantly brightened.

“What is it? You can say it comfortably.”

“It’s nothing much… I-in the m-morning… M-Mireu’s guildmaster c-called the guild. He said he w-wants to visit tomorrow…”

“Tomorrow?”

It’s too sudden.

While Jiho knew that Kim Tae Yong has a suspiciously high amount of interest in himself, Tae Yong is coming on a lot more forcefully than Jiho thought he would.

Jiho thought about it for a bit before answering that he understands and sending Hojin out.

He had received Kim Tae Yong’s business card yesterday. Though he accepted it because it’s a connection to an S-rank hunter… Tae Yong’s excessive attention bothers him.

“One person like that is enough.”

Joo Yiwon. As an SS-rank hunter, Yiwon’s attention is exhausting. Jiho doesn’t want to receive more strange attention from another person.

But to reject the other after he so blatantly expressed his goodwill and desire to give Jiho a gift would mean that he’s setting Mireu Guild at odds.

“I can’t do that…”

Jiho sighed as he sent a message to Kim Tae Yong.

To meet the day after tomorrow or the day after that because he was busy tomorrow.

A reply came quickly from Tae Yong. The message read that the quicker the better, and that he would come by the day after tomorrow, so he asked Jiho to clear out some time for him.

“Why is this person like this?”

Tae Yong’s attention and goodwill towards Jiho is so obvious that it actually makes Jiho suspicious. He reminds Jiho of the people who try to bring people into a cult.

As he doesn’t know the reason behind this attention, Jiho feels wary.

“Joo Yiwon might know something about it.”

Since that guy got mad at Jiho for not asking him anything, it should be alright to ask him this. Jiho decided to ask Yiwon once he got back home that night.

---

The next morning.

Jiho let out a deep sigh as he took a seat in his guildmaster’s office.

‘This bastard, he didn’t come home last night.’

He should’ve gotten off work early yesterday, yet he didn’t come home. Without telling him either.

Since they’re just roommates, it’s not like they have to tell each other anything, but they’re family, not strangers. Wouldn’t it have been okay for Yiwon to give him a heads up at the very least?

When Jiho had gone to his room after waiting on the living room sofa until late last night, he was feeling pretty dejected. He didn’t want to be alone in the uselessly big house.

If Yiwon had been the one to forcefully drag someone into living together, then he should’ve called. In a fit of anger, Jiho had drafted out a bunch of texts on his terminal, but he didn’t send them in the end, deleting the messages before closing his terminal.

“Whatever. I was going to move without that bastard anyways.” 

After he told him to rely on him too. Since Yiwon was the one to toss this chance away, if he feels bad about it, Jiho will fight him about it.

Having organized his bitter thoughts, Jiho immersed himself in his work. If he’s busy, he’ll naturally stop thinking about Joo Yiwon.

And plus, an especially valuable person is coming to work today.

“Hello, Hunter Jang Hyo Joo.”

“Hello, Guildmaster-nim. I am Jang Hyo Joo.”

The first person to be recruited into the new No Name, Jang Hyo Joo, smiled.

Jang Hyo Joo, who is 41 years old, is known for her cold and firm image.

But towards her new employer, Shin Jiho, the guildmaster of No Name–which is only going to grow from here–her attitude was very friendly.

After a brief greeting, Jiho sent Hyo Joo the information he organized from the documents Tae Woong gave him.

Although he told her to take her time looking through the information since she hasn’t adjusted to the guild yet, Hyo Joo returned to the guildmaster’s office in the afternoon. From her bright expression, it seemed that she had spent quite the satisfying morning.

“The list you organized looks very good. There were a few people on the list that I wanted to recruit back when I was in Chungram too.”

“Ah, it is a relief that you say it looks good.”

“Yes. And on top of that, there are even a few awakened ones lower than C-rank that I want to scout.”

“If they look like good people, by all means. Was there a person who caught your attention?”

“Yes.”

With this word, Jang Hyo Joo pulled out a perfectly-prepared folder. Jiho read through the documents Hyo Joo organized.

The folder was full of awakened ones who are low-ranked, but have useful skills.

There were hunters with skills related to gathering and alchemy, or combat hunters with search attributes, all of which are needed for a guild that raids dungeons.

Since ranks are mainly based on combat, it’s hard to judge non-combat hunters by their ranks. That’s why there’s currently talk of changing the ranking system…

If they end up changing the ranking system, there’s quite a few awakened ones who could become B, or maybe even A-rank.

“This looks good. And everyone here either doesn’t have a guild that they’re affiliated with or they’re close to the end of their contracts… Wow, where did you find people like these?”

There’s just over 2000 hunters who are at least B-rank in Korea. Because there’s not a lot of them, most guilds have a list of the names of Korean mid to upper-rank hunters.

But even though lower-ranked hunters make up about 80% of the hunter population, it’s actually harder to gather details about them. The fact that she managed to pick out such good people from those is impressive.

“Hunter Heo Sori knew a lot of people. This document was actually handed to me by Hunter Heo Sori. It was easy to check the list and narrow it down because it was so well-organized.”

“Hunter Heo Sori?”

“Yes. She said these people are either people she got to know from her club or people those people recommended. Because of this, their personalities are somewhat spoken for.”

“Wow…”

Since No Name Guild had experienced a lot of internal conflict, personality is a huge factor that can’t be ignored. But because it’s hard to check each and every low-ranked hunter, Jiho had thought that it would be rough for a while.

Jiho’s heard that Sori started a hunter-only club.

As much as she is energetic, Heo Sori enjoys sports that involve moving her body. The gap in physicality between her and normal people, however, is too wide.

That’s why she started a club for mostly low-ranked hunters after she entered No Name. Jiho heard that while the club started off small, it has grown quite big. It seems that as the person who runs the club, Heo Sori’s connections have grown pretty wide.

People who care only about an awakened one’s rank ignore the hunters who are C–rank and lower. But in a world where fissures and gates are the norm, these people are necessary, even if their ranks are low.

Jiho knows that there are low-ranked hunters with special skills that feel frustrated by guilds that discriminate by ranks. Jiho plans to make sure nothing like that happens in No Name.

“Then using this list as a starting point, please pick people out as fast as possible. Since it’d be nice for there to be hunters who have been checked thoroughly…”

“Yes, please leave it to me.”

Jang Hyo Joo smiled reliably. Jiho, too, smiled back at Hyo Joo.

He feels like the guild is finally about to start running properly.

---

The next day, a guest appeared at the guild.

That guest was Kim Tae Yong, who had quickly made an appointment with Jiho two days ago.

Today, Kim Tae Yong was wearing a black durumagi with a dragon embroidered by golden thread. His hair, which is usually tied up in one high ponytail, was decorated by an intricate maedeup.

Though he looks like a tourist who loaned a hanbok, when Jiho thinks about how Tae Yong usually dresses this way, it seemed that Tae Yong actually put quite a bit of thought into his outfit today.

“I have come to congratulate Guildmaster Shin Jiho-nim for his advancement.”

“Thank you for coming all the way out here.”

Even though Jiho greeted him with a smile, he was actually feeling reluctant.

That’s because Kim Tae Yong didn’t come alone.

“It is nice to meet you, Guildmaster Shin Jiho-nim. I am Mireu’s vice-guildmaster, Lee Rahui.”

“Please look after me, Vice-Guildmaster Lee Rahui-nim.”

Is there a need for an S-rank guild’s guildmaster and vice-guildmaster to come together for a simple gift-giving ceremony?

Although Mireu’s vice-guildmaster, Lee Rahui, spoke Korean with no difficulty, she was actually born in the UK. Though her green eyes were smiling at Jiho, he felt something dangerous from them. 

“I have been accompanied by Lee Rahui-nim because she said she would like to meet Guildmaster Shin Jiho-nim. Is this, perhaps, uncomfortable?”

Yes.

“No.”

Jiho’s words were the opposite of what he was thinking.

In a spot like this, who can truthfully say that they’re uncomfortable? Not when S-rank Mireu Guild’s guildmaster and vice-guildmaster are in one place.

But he really is uncomfortable with this. Both Lee Rahui and Kim Tae Yong were looking at Jiho with strangely persistent gazes. Jiho feels like his body will be pierced by their stares…

“I would like to offer the gift that I was unable to give that day due to the exchange of wedding gifts that happened.”

Jiho, who had been out of it because of Lee Rahui, instantly woke up when he heard those ridiculous words.

“…It was not a wedding gift.”

“Are you not still wearing it now?”

Tae Yong’s eyes landed on the sparkling ring on Jiho’s left ring finger that obviously looks like a wedding band. Jiho slowly hid his left hand with his right and laughed awkwardly.

“I would like to take it off, but it does not come off.”

“If it is uncomfortable, would you like me to take it off for you?”

“Can you take this off?”

“I would need to try to know for sure, but if you would like it, I could try. Items that cannot be taken off are usually cast with a seal-type spell. My specialty is removing such spells.”

“Then, please.”

Tae Yong was confident and stretched his hand out. Jiho obediently stretched his hand out as well.

The ring is definitely too much. According to Sori, the screenshot of the ring had already spread and was fostering all sorts of rumors…

Since it was a gift for his advancement, Jiho won’t just return the ring to Yiwon. Instead, he’ll put it on a chain and wear it on his neck.

Tae Yong soon held Jiho’s hand. Like Jiho’s, Tae Yong’s hand that wrapped around Jiho’s left was soft, as if he’s never faced hardship before.

Tae Yong focused.

Just what skill does Tae Yong have for him to say he might be able to take off the tightly fixed ring?

In order to check, Jiho pulled up Tae Yong’s status window.

No, he tried to check, to be exact.

System Management

You cannot check the information of beings of a higher rank than you.

Until a window appeared that prevented him from it.

---

LaZ Bird Corner

Whenever Tae Yong appears, I have to search up so many words…

Hint about Kim Tae Yong

If you guys are curious about Tae Yong’s true identity, look at his section in A Little Guide for a hint. The only reason I’m offering a hint is because his identity was very obvious for all of the Korean readers because of his name.

Of course, if you don’t want to be spoiled, there’s no need. His identity will be revealed in time ㆆᴗㆆ

---