Episode 19: Interrupted

“Hyung, I have something to tell you.”

“Hmm? What is it?”

The shabby office of Harmony Guild.

It was much cleaner than before.

The number of guild members using the space had been reduced to one-tenth.

“Just leave it to me.”

“What?”

With a serious expression, Choi Yongsik spoke, and Sa Maryong responded indifferently.

“That guy over there.”

Choi Yongsik pointed to the newbie enthusiastically typing away on a laptop in one corner of the office.

“I’ll make him into a proper A-rank.”

“…”

Sa Maryong looked at Choi Yongsik with a bewildered expression before speaking again.

“You’re a C-rank yourself. Who are you going to turn into an A-rank?”

“Come on, Hyung, that’s not what I meant.”

“And please, Yongsik.”

Sa Maryong placed a hand on Choi Yongsik’s shoulder and pleaded earnestly.

“Please, just leave that person alone, okay?”

Normally, one would catch on that there was something more to it at this point.

Unfortunately, Choi Yongsik was far from normal.

“Hyung, I’m disappointed.”

“Huh?”

“How can you be so cold-hearted?”

“What? Cold-hearted? Disappointed?”

Where on earth did he get the idea to be disappointed and call him cold-hearted?

“Is it because that newbie is just an F-rank?”

Sa Maryong looked at Choi Yongsik as if he was speaking nonsense.

“I noticed that newbie isn’t even registered with our guild.”

“Oh, that’s…”

“Isn’t everyone being too harsh? He comes to the office every day without fail. Can’t we just accept him? We don’t have many guild members as it is, so why draw such strict lines based on rank?”

“No, I mean, it’s just…”

“I’m not blaming you, Hyung. I love and respect you.”

“……”

I want to blame you.

Does this crazy guy even know what he’s saying?

“But just because he’s F-rank doesn’t mean he has to settle for being a Gate Helper. He’s shown interest and affection for our guild, so we should at least help him be useful.”

Choi Yongsik seemed to have chosen today to deliver a long speech.

“Are you going to let him live his life as a porter? Why else would he come to the office and write strange novels? How bleak must his future seem to him. Sniff.”

Why are you getting emotional?

At this point, I was at a loss for words.

“Anyway, I want to teach him well so he can fulfill his role as a hunter and guild member. If you’re going to stop me, I don’t think I can stay in this guild any longer. So, I’ll make a clean decision…”

“It’s been fun, Yongsik.”

“What?”

“I’m sure you’ll do well wherever you go. I won’t see you off. Take care.”

“No, Hyung!”

“Either leave or stay quiet and don’t bother others.”

“Hyung, are you really this cold and ruthless?”

“What? You little… Are you getting cheeky with me?”

“Ack! I surrender! I give up!”

Sa Maryong caught Choi Yongsik in a headlock.

Even though there were only four people in the guild office, it was incredibly noisy.

“Hyung.”

Suddenly, Ki Seungho, who had been quietly typing on his laptop, called out to Sa Maryong.

“You need to see this.”

His face was quite serious.

Just from his expression, Sa Maryong could tell something bad had happened.

As he looked at the laptop screen Ki Seungho showed him, Sa Maryong’s face also turned grim.

“What… is this?”

He couldn’t find the words.

It was a situation he had never anticipated.

“Hyung, why are these guys doing this to us?”

Ki Seungho was just as baffled as Sa Maryong.

“Hyung, what’s going on?”

Choi Yongsik, puzzled by the sudden heavy atmosphere, peeked at the screen.

“Oh, is it because you failed to rent the gate? You can just bid again somewhere else. It’s not uncommon.”

“Would we be like this if it were something like that?”

Ki Seungho then showed several consecutive screens.

They all displayed the same message: Harmony Guild had failed to rent a gate.

“…What?”

It wasn’t just one or two failures.

Unlike before, this was far from common.

Typically, the first discoverer of a gate would report it to the association and register ownership.

However, if the discoverer or their organization didn’t match the required rank, the association would conduct a consignment auction or sale.

The association could also purchase gates that came up for auction.

Sometimes they bought from other owners and transferred ownership to the association.

Once the association owned a gate, it became available for rent.

Gate rentals were conducted through a site where those needing materials from a gate could bid with favorable terms within a set time.

But except for very special cases, the bidding competition wasn’t usually fierce.

After all, it was a rental, and once a raid cycle was over, another opportunity would arise.

This was true for gates of any rank.

In fact, lower-ranked gates were even more relaxed.

If a guild or individual offered a reasonable price, there was rarely a case of overbidding to compete. It was faster to find another gate.

But to have over ten instances where a reasonable offer was outbid by a significant margin? And always by the same guild?

At this point, it was blatant harassment.

And the opponent was,

“Hmm? Are my eyes playing tricks on me today? This looks like the Scorpion Guild’s mark.”

“It’s not just similar; it is the Scorpion Guild’s mark.”

“What? Why on earth would Scorpion be after us…?”

Choi Yongsik was dumbfounded.

Even he, who was well-versed in the hunter industry, had never heard of such a case.

Sa Maryong and Ki Seungho wanted to ask them directly.

No matter how they thought about it, they couldn’t find a reason for this behavior.

The Scorpion Guild and Harmony Guild operated in completely different leagues.

In other words, they had no reason to cross paths.

Naturally.

Scorpion Guild was one of the top ten guilds in Korea, while they were just a C-rank guild. It was strange for them to even clash.

Silence fell over the guild office.

Then suddenly,

‘Could it be?’

Sa Maryong’s gaze turned to Tae Ihyun.

Tae Ihyun, oblivious, was still happily typing on his laptop with his music on.

‘No, that doesn’t make sense.’

Sa Maryong dismissed the thought.

The idea that the Scorpion Guild’s actions were because of the Thunder Emperor didn’t add up.

That would mean the Scorpion Guild was picking a fight with the Thunder Emperor.

And that was the most nonsensical thing.

Who would dare pick a fight with the Thunder Emperor?

Sa Maryong shook his head unconsciously.

Could there be such a crazy person? Dare to?

Maybe one of the Twelve Apostles.

But even the Twelve Apostles wouldn’t do something like this.

They were comrades who had fought life and death battles together and were heroes who saved humanity.

Moreover, they were known to be very close friends, so it was even less likely.

‘Then what is it? …I don’t know. I really don’t.’

One thing was clear: a powerful force beyond their control was pressuring the guild.

Sa Maryong let out a deep sigh.

His head was pounding, and he felt he might need some headache medicine.

“Still… isn’t there a way to solve this?”

“What way?”

“There’s a saying in the Bible, isn’t there? God only gives us trials we can handle.”

“Huh? Does this look like a trial you can handle?”

Ki Seungho began to vent his frustration at Choi Yongsik.

“No, that’s not what I meant.”

“And when did you become so grand? Huh? You’re so full of yourself. Should I poke your eyes out?”

Ki Seungho made a gesture as if to poke his eyes, but Choi Yongsik blocked it with his hand, speaking in a hurt tone.

“Hey, why are you doing this in front of a kid?”

“A kid? Who’s a kid here?”

“Over there.”

Choi Yongsik gestured towards Tae Ihyun.

“……”

A complex mix of emotions crossed Ki Seungho’s face.

“You, you really… Let’s not talk. Let’s not.”

“…I’ll head out first today.”

Sa Maryong, who had been sitting with a grim expression between the frustrated Ki Seungho and the clueless Choi Yongsik, slowly stood up.

Ki Seungho and Choi Yongsik also stood up.

“You’re just going to leave? Shouldn’t we come up with a plan?”

“What can we do right now? Anyway, let’s all take a break and discuss this tomorrow. Maybe something will come to mind once we’ve cleared our heads. Like Yongsik said.”

“…Yes, understood, Hyung. Take care.”

“Alright. Everyone, take it easy.”

With that, Sa Maryong left the office with a faint smile.

But his figure seemed heavy with burden.

Ki Seungho and Choi Yongsik, watching him leave, didn’t look any better.

And then,

‘Hmm. Gate rental…’

Tae Ihyun, who had just closed his laptop, watched them leave and fell into thought.

And soon, someone who could help with this situation came to mind.