I was about to nag to the boldly entering Yerim that she should knock first when going into someone else's house, when.
'It's a scam!'
Seeing Yerim's appearance, I shut my mouth.
The female middle schooler wearing a, truthfully a little scruffy, tracksuit changed into a teenage model who looked like she was from a sports drink advertisement. Instead of getting styled, wasn't it a complete transformation?
A natural look where you couldn't tell if she was wearing make-up, a face that pulled up as much charm as possible, activewear short shorts, and a T-shirt that refreshingly exposed the arms. The curly short hair added an androgynous feel and was reminiscent of a young god[1] from Greek myths.
They probably dressed her up by emphasizing the Hermes' Sandals skill. She did really look like a good-looking boy who could fly away soon. It suited her, and was very pretty, but.
'…The ice witch has completely disappeared.'
The cold and haughty good-looking woman completely vanished. She was still young… she would probably change when she grew up. Though, however she changed, it wouldn't have anything to do with me, but I felt a little weird seeing the future I knew become completely different.
"Who…"
Yoo Myeongwoo asked, seeing Yerim suddenly appear. Yerim's cheerful face hardened quickly.
Striding over, the young girl lightly jumped over the table and grabbed the scruff of Yoo Myeongwoo's neck. Then half throwing him, she pushed him to a sofa corner and sat, stuck close to me.
"What is this, clinging disgustingly to my[2] ahjussi."
Bak Yerim slanted her eyes sharply and glared at Yoo Myeongwoo.
You were also clinging to me right now, though. Of course, there was no point in comparing a fully grown man and a pretty female middle schooler.
"N-no, I'm…"
Pierced with the fierce gaze, Yoo Myeongwoo mumbled as he hunched over. It was a pitiful sight but I wasn't sympathetic. While you're at it, fix that clinging habit a little.
"You sit further away, too. And knock first when you're going over to someone else's house."
"I wanted to quickly show you my new clothes so it slipped my mind."
Saying that, she shot up and spread out both arms.
"How am I?"
"Pretty."
"It's not too boyish?"
"It's cute."
"Isn't that too insincere?"
Then what did you want me to say? Who knew about 5 years later, but right now, even if you were pretty, you were a kid.
"You're seriously pretty and cute. I was just surprised because you changed so much I almost didn't recognize you."
Finally, she was satisfied and smiled. Oh dear, I'm your guardian, not your dad. But I couldn't say anything to the kid who didn't have a real dad, so I had to hold back.
"But who is that ahjussi?"
Yerim asked, turning to look at Yoo Myeongwoo, who was watching.
"Friend."
"Ack, really? Hello."
At Yerim's unexpectedly polite greeting, Yoo Myeongwoo was relieved. I guess the attitude of a girl who suddenly appeared and glared at him was enough to be scary, after I told him that everyone who lived here except for me were all A-Ranks.
But that guy was really faint-hearted.
"Uh, he…llo? I'm Yoo Myeongwoo."
"I am Bak Yerim. And Han Yoojin ahjussi is my guardian. Did you come over to hang out?"
At her amiable voice, Yoo Myeongwoo's frozen body completely loosened. He answered, smiling.
"No. Due to circumstances, I'm staying over[3] for a few days."
"Stay over? Ahjussi doesn't have a house?"
"What? No, it's not that I don't have one."
"Then why?"
Yerim's tone of voice rose slightly and at the same time, a red light went off in my head. If I left it here, that little tongue would probably mercilessly flay Yoo Myeongwoo. See, her eyes fiercened again.
"Yerim, don't."
"But! Even I live separately!"
"Stop that and sit down."
"…Yes."
Still, it was a relief she listened to me well. Though it was a little strange that she followed so well. It was to the point that I would've seemed like her dad if I had been twelve or so years older.
…She wouldn't actually be thinking of me as her dad, right?
"The two you, get along well. You'll be taking the newbie Hunter training together anyways."
"Wasn't it just me and ahjussi together?"
"We have to do that with this girl?"
The two people yelled at the same time. Then they looked at each other, before Yoo Myeongwoo looked away first.
"Yerim, I told you to stop."
If you act like that, you might regret it later. Do you know how important high ranking equipment are to Hunters, that you would glare and such at the future's manufacturer?
"I'll say this again, but get along well. Since the two of you are my precious friend and guardee."
Even better, it would be nice if those two became close and left me and went about their own business well on their own. Though, so far as I could tell, that seemed impossible.
"Who is more precious to ahjussi?"
"The two of you are the same."
As soon as I carelessly answered, Yerim wrinkled her forehead.
"Still, wouldn't there be a tiny difference? Even a tiny, tiny bit."
"That's…"
Putting aside Yerim, Myeongwoo, why were you putting on an expectant expression?
"I like diligent people who work hard at what they need to do."
So, while I relax, work hard please. Then I really might like you about twice as much more than now.
"I'll go to the training room and warm up a bit!"
Yerim bolted up and said. Then, Yoo Myeongwoo sat up too.
"Th-then, me too… I'll make dinner!"
Looking at them both run off quickly, I felt refreshed. I should've done this before.
'Well… it probably wouldn't last though.'
Right now, they were trying to cling to me, but how long would that last?
Yerim was an S-Rank combat Hunter. Soon she would become famous and be busy making a lot of money and living her life glamorously.
It was the same for Yoo Myeongwoo. He only needed to get the SS-Rank production skill and the whole world would come looking for him to ask him to make equipment for them. Of course A-Ranks, but even S-Ranks would yield and request for him.
They would get praise and love from so many people, so would I even be in their sight then?
Even while saying it's annoying, it's annoying, I felt like the determined future was a little lonely.
'Still, living well on their own would be the best.'
If they continued to cling to me after their names became known and they took center stage, then it would be hardest for me. With just Yoohyun, I got pulled into various fights, if there were three, whew.
I thought about slowly going over to Peace, when my cell phone rung. It was Suk Simyeong.
'Why this ahjussi again?'
I saw him in the morning so why call me again? Since it was Sunday, you should finish work early and rest. I oppose working on the weekends.
[I heard the story from Hunter Kim Sunghan.]
The affable voice said. That was fast. From his attitude, it didn't seem like he called to blame me, saying there was a problem in handling things.
[To use a Hunter contract in that way. You surprised me once again.]
"…Excuse me?"
Ah… Did they not use it like that yet?
[It is a method that can easily be thought up of if one changes their thinking a little; it is embarrassing that I did not think of it. I suppose this is what you would call Columbus' egg[4].]
"No, it wasn't anything much."
It wasn't something I had thought up of, it was something everyone used. There was no way to explain that.
"At any rate, targets it can be used on are limited. Since they have to agree to directly sign the contract."
If the other person refused to the end, then you couldn't use it. And, they had to be aware of the the contents of the contract, so fooling them and making them sign was impossible.
"Furthermore, it doesn't work if they themselves believe that it isn't a lie. So, rather, it wa- can be used against you in return."
It was a case that happened abroad. A big guild was completely ruined.
[Indeed. That could happen.]
"However certain you are of the effects, you can't have blind faith in one sheet of parchment. As long as there are skills, a loophole can appear anywhere."
For skills, the types and range of application were diverse. Since those things kept on tearing down the laws that were maintained until now, you couldn't respond with just common sense.
It was only the 3rd year since dungeons, Awakened People appeared. Once the confusion was handled and things started to adjust, the pace of change would increase even more.
[I understand. As expected, I become more interested in engaging in longer conversions with you.]
"It is not helpful to that extent…"
Actually, there were many things I could do for him. If I alone used the information I remembered, I would just buy some stocks. But if Haeyeon Guild had that, they would be able to change many things.
'…Though I decided not to put myself forward.'
Would it be okay to release those kinds of things? Truthfully, I was uneasy. Especially about the future I knew changing, and the situation where the things I knew weren't reality.
Even if I acted like I knew all sorts of things. Of course, people connected to me would have increased expectations. But if many things in the future were reversed because of my words, from that moment, I would degenerate from a wise man who can predict the future into someone sprouting nonsense.
So staying in my lane would be the best. I really didn't want to reach an outcome where I was shunned by everyone because I was unruly without knowing my place, like before.
…Still, wouldn't just one or two things be okay?
And there was that thing I just remembered.
"If you really want to listen to my words, could I say one thing?"
[Please go ahead.]
I checked that Yoo Myeongwoo was in the kitchen, and moved toward the window seat and opened my mouth. If it was this distance, a stat F would definitely not be able to hear, right? It was great that my house was big.
"I know that bidding for a new A-Rank dungeon is scheduled to happen in a while."
In the case where a new dungeon was discovered late and attacking it was urgent, support was gathered prioritizing the Hunter Association. But if the time until dungeon shock was enough, they went up for auction.
The rewards for the first attack was the best and the guild that attacked first got the managing priority rights, so the higher ranking the dungeon was, the incredibly high the bidding price and competition were.
[You must be speaking of the dungeon near Gyeonggi Icheon.]
"Yes. That dungeon is… probably going to be slime, or seashore environment."
Specifically, it was a slime dungeon. For slimes, magic stones were obvious, and they were valuable monsters whose entire bodies could be used as ingredients for all sorts of products. It was to the extent that people said that guilds didn't have to worry about funds with one A-Rank slime dungeon.
From my memory, one of the 3 big guilds, MKC Guild, won Icheon's A-Rank slime dungeon. With those product ingredients in hand, they acted quite high-handedly.
Slime dungeons, and the similarly estimated seashore environments, were slightly lacking in rank, but they were dungeons with a lot of precious natural resources.
[...You are able to know this ahead of time?]
After a short silence, Suk Simyeong asked in a voice one level lower. I guess it would be hard to believe.
"I am not sure yet, but there are types of rules to dungeon creation."
It was a truth, not an excuse. It was impossible right now, lacking the related materials, but roughly 3 years later, it would become possible to predict more or less a new dungeon's environment or the monsters that would appear in it.
[Rules?]
"Yes. It differs according to order and location, local environment, etc. Of course, it's not exact, so please take it only as a reference. With Haeyeon Guild's current ability, wouldn't bidding on this A-Rank dungeon be possible? Even if you can't believe my words, it wouldn't be a bad thing to bid."
Over the cell phone, it was quiet again. This time, the silence was longer.
Then again, the idea was complicated. If you really could figure out the state of a dungeon before attacking, it would be incredibly advantageous over the other guilds.
[…Bidding on a dungeon is not in my jurisdiction, but I will try to make a strong proposal.]
After a long while, Suk Simyeong answered. He said it wasn't his jurisdiction but with his position, he could easily make it go through.
[After the new A-Rank dungeon attack is finished, may I hear your opinion on other dungeons?]
"If it is possible. For now, it's difficult to calculate."
The calculation method was considerably complex, so I didn't know how. I was merely relying on my memory.
"Please keep the secret no matter what."
If it was Suk Simyeong, I could trust him. Since he was still Haeyeon Guild's reliable axis even 5 years later. Yoohyun had a lot of good luck with people. Besides me.
[Please do not worry. I will surely guard it as if it is higher than Guild Leader's personal information. Then, I will contact you again in the near future.]
Suk Simyeong ended the call with a considerably more careful attitude than our first call. How should I say it, it felt like he changed from an attitude of treating a reserve subordinate to someone with equal position.
'Saying this much should be fine.'
It was the time when the pressure from the 3 big guilds slowly became worse. Yoohyun, as well as Yerim and Yoo Myeongwoo. They were the guild's leader and were planned to become the guild's axes so there was no way they wouldn't be dragged in.
Even though I complained that they should live well on their own, they were still my people who I had raised and had brought over.
'Not to the extent of the small to medium guilds' shares, but I'll steal away the 3 big guilds'.'
Still, it would be better even for the country for Haeyeon to take the lead. The guild leader was a guy who threw his own life away to save his useless hyung, though it might not be so for the entire Haeyeon Guild of course. It would be better than the major companies and the great guilds conspiring with them.
So let's help out a little.