Chapter 221. Misinterpretation

Korean Magic Tower. Esther's Room.

– The Chinese player, Zhuhan, uses his signature skill, Hidden Dragon Palm. As a result, the American Hunter collapsed. The technique was executed at a speed almost impossible to see with the naked eye, but if you look at the footage captured by the high-speed camera...

The television, which was left on, was playing a rerun of something. The guild master of the Magic Tower Guild listened to it with one ear while focusing on paperwork.

Click, click.

A pair of mule-shaped shoes that are about to slip off to match the swaying feet. And then, the sound of someone's feet tapping rhythmically from outside the room followed.

Click. Click. Click.

How much time had passed while following the sound with her ears? Before long, someone who seemed somewhat out of place arrived at the secluded pinnacle of the Magic Tower.

Unlike the S-rank Hunter who chooses to wear clothes of various colors, this B-rank awakener adheres to a black suit due to professional reasons. With a neat posture and the subtle scent of green tea lingering, perhaps due to using excess tea leaves as a deodorizer.

"Excuse me, Hunter Seo Esther. I came to visit because I have something to deliver regarding the chairman's inauguration ceremony..."

Seonwoo Yeon opened the door and stepped inside. Esther, as if she had never worn a serious expression, greeted her guest with a bright smile.

"Oh my! Welcome, Yeon-ssi!"

The magic power of an awakened person can fluctuate even with positive emotional changes, so Seonwoo Yeon suddenly feels the presence of a monster called S-rank.

"So, the branch permit we received last time will remain valid without any issues, right?"

"Yes. The Association President said that as soon as the inauguration ceremony is over, they will prepare the contract and finalize the arrangements."

"Okay. Thank you for your hard work."

A little while later, the woman in the suit soothed her dry throat with some cold coffee after a long conversation. By the way, the reason Seonwoo Yeon came to this meeting today was to relay several matters regarding the association to the head of the large guild. On the other hand, she also had the duty to convey Esther's opinions to the organization.

"The new association president."

In the meantime, the Korea Hunter Association had appointed a new president, and as expected, there were many controversies surrounding the change. However, Esther didn't worry much about the incoming figure. After gathering information in advance, she found out that the new president was a middle-aged politician, well-known for having an awakened son.

His personality, if described positively, was steady. If described negatively, he lacked strong opinions. Rather than boldly implementing new policies, he focused on maintaining and refining the course set by his predecessor. For the time being, he would likely be too busy with the handover process to cause any disturbances, so things would remain quiet.

"Hmm, to be honest, I didn't want to use my abilities to influence administrative matters, but..."

Esther thought as she played with the tips of her neatly trimmed fingernails.

"This time, it was that man's request, so I can't help it."

A satisfying conclusion. From now on, all that remained was to hope that the new association president would not clash with the hunters and would simply fulfill his duties diligently. Esther crossed her legs the other way and smiled. With the heavy topic now over, she thought of tossing a playful remark at the watchdog sent by the association.

"By the way, Yeon-ssi, you've really been working hard."

"Yes?"

"Since most of the association staff are non-awakened, they usually send you when they need to verbally communicate something to an S-rank like me."

"Ah."

"Our Yeonnie-ssi is a B-rank, right? Anyway, I know you're one of the most skilled individuals in the organization."

"My skills aren't really that..."

"Come to think of it, the former association president once left a meeting halfway because his heart couldn't handle being around awakened individuals. But can you believe that such a petty person thought it was a good idea to send errands under the name of his cousin? Hahaha. It's come to light recently, and now he's getting cursed out by his own relatives!"

Esther continued the conversation while lifting her coffee cup.

"Anyway, Seonwoo Yeon-ssi, you're usually assigned as a coordinator when a high-level dungeon break occurs, right?"

"Yes. I guess a little bit..."

"Well, thanks to that, I get to see our lovely Yeonnie-ssi more often, so I'm not complaining."

"Yes?"

Seonwoo Yeon casually responded to her superior's words with a neutral reply, but she flinched at the mention of the Head of the Magic Tower's joke.

"I'm worried that meeting hunters with different awakening levels all the time might be bad for your health."

Esther's lips curved into a soft arc.

"So make sure to contact me in advance next time. The imported magic suppression accessories will have arrived by then."

For a monster like her to willingly accept restraints for the sake of the weak... Her tone was so lighthearted that it didn't sound particularly serious, but still, Esther's words just now were undoubtedly an expression of goodwill. The two awakened individuals in this office had encountered each other a few times in the field due to work-related matters. And through all those interactions, Esther had come to trust the humanity of the association employee.

"Okay? Please contact me in advance."

"Yes."

Moreover, just thinking about what happened in the Labyrinth of the 13th month... Esther spent some time reflecting on an event from the distant past as if it had happened just yesterday, rubbing her head in thought. At the same time, Seonwoo Yeon, noticing the change in Esther's demeanor, started to carefully observe if the S-rank hunter was perhaps in a bad mood.

"Hmm."

But this awkward silence was only brief.

"This is not the time for this. Please wait a moment. I'll review the documents you just handed over and get them back to you right away."

Afterward, Esther turned her attention to the table to check the information brought by the association staff.

Srrk, srrk.

For a while, the sound of pages turning filled the room. Seonwoo Yeon sipped on the high-quality coffee provided by the Korea Magic Tower, killing time. However, no matter how kindly the words were spoken or how silently she kept her mouth shut, the inherent pressure from being near a top-tier awakened one made her body feel uncomfortable.

The signal to flee from the dangerous monster and hide in a safe place kept nagging at her brain, as if urging her to escape immediately.

If that's the case, then can that Hunter also induce such a chilling feeling when he stops concealing his magic?

"That guy is already scary enough."

It was when a man's face came to mind. As Esther was looking over the documents, she suddenly opened her mouth, as if she had just remembered something.

"But you know."

"Ah, yes."

"Since Yeonnie-ssi is here, there's something I've been curious about."

What she meant was about the record of a certain Hunter. Esther raised her head, choosing her words carefully. What followed were a few questions.

"Yeonnie-ssi, you once raided a new EX-rank gate called the Fairy Kingdom, right?"

"Yes."

"Then, this might be an impolite question, but when you wrote the report on that gate... was there anything you might have missed?"

"Yes?"

"To be more specific, it's about Hunter Kim Giryeo."

Seonwoo Yeon calmly listens to her words and responds.

"If it's about the report, the staff members who went on the expedition are usually instructed to describe everything they experienced in as much detail as possible as soon as they return from the dungeon."

"I see."

"Because of that, I don't think there would be any significant omissions... But suddenly, Hunter Kim Giryeo?"

"I was just personally curious about how he managed the new dungeon."

Is that not possible? As Esther blinked her thick eyelashes and made the request with a pleading look, the association staff hesitated for a moment before responding. After all, she were no secrets to hide from the previous exploration.

"Hunter Kim Giryeo's experience wasn't much different from ours..."

An S-rank hunter caught up in it. The fairies' forced festival. Games like tag, and so on.

Seonwoo Yeon explained the events in the dungeon, focusing on Kim Giryeo's actions as much as possible. However, Esther showed an unexpected reaction.

"Hmm. That's right."

She raised one eyebrow and made a displeased expression.

"So there were no major incidents in the new EX-grade gate after all..."

That was a close guess that just missed the mark.

In fact, recently, Esther had acquired a new source of worry. After being stranded in a lower-level dungeon, she had accidentally discovered a secret about one of her industry colleagues.

It was a health issue. When she thought about it, the revealed secret about that Hunter was filled with many puzzling aspects.

"How did Kim Giryeo end up with such a severe aftereffect?"

At first, she had assumed that the injury was likely from an S-rank gate in Japan, but after reviewing the reports from the Kagoshima raid completion, it became clear that Kim Giryeo appeared outside just a few minutes after the exit had been created. So, the Black Dragon couldn't have been the cause. When his injuries had been severe enough to leave lasting aftereffects, Kim Giryeo wouldn't have been able to recover in such a short amount of time.

So, Esther wondered if Giryeo had been affected by the mechanics of the new EX-rank gate. However, the association staff in front of her just confirmed that it wasn't the case. Then, when did Kim Giryeo's condition start to deteriorate? What kind of enemy had he encountered that caused such a problem?

"The best option would be to hear the explanation directly from him, but..."

What exactly happened inside the flesh of Gampo Port? Or, as the rumors say, did that guy really go around secretly clearing dungeons in the Beast's Territory and get injured?

"I've been thinking about it alone, so now I'm making a million guesses."

It bothers her. Seo Esther had already asked the person about this topic, but the fourth S-rank who received the message had strangely avoided talking about the injury, quickly changing the subject. Because of that, Esther still doesn't know the cause of Kim Giryeo's coughing up blood.

When she thinks about it, there's nothing more frightening and frustrating than not knowing something in this world.

"Why are you not telling me anything?" 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

But in the end, since the person in question kept his mouth shut, there was no other choice for the third party. Esther spent some time lost in thought before she eventually returned to the current conversation.

"Anyway, I understand."

Sssrk.

The guild master of the Magic Tower left a signature with a fountain pen on the document requested by the association and handed it over to Seonwoo Yeon.

"Then please tell the new association president that I look forward to working with him in the future..."

It was then.

Knock knock.

The sudden sound of a knock interrupted the calm conversation flowing in the office. Hearing this, Esther quickly raised her head and examined the identity of the visitor.

"Who is it at this hour?"

"The Guild Master. It's me. The imported potions you mentioned earlier this morning have arrived."

"Oh my!"

"If you're not busy, can I deliver it to you now?"

"Of course. Come in right now."

A certain hunter seemed to be trying to hide their injury. It wasn't about prying into secrets, but rather just a light concern about their health, something that should be done as a fellow in the same industry, wouldn't it?

"Ah, Seonwoo Yeon-ssi, make sure to head back safely when you leave!"

She got up from her seat, greatly delighted at the news that the potion had arrived. The way she looked in the mirror and straightened her clothes seemed like she was getting ready to go out.

***

<Message History>

[Giryeo-ssi: -u -u]

[Yes.]

[Oh, quick reply! It's nothing special, but I was wondering if you had any plans to raid a dungeon today.]

[No, I don't.]

[Really? Then what are you doing now?]

[Rest at home]

A few minutes later.

"Let's see, this is the right address..."

An awakened person with long, curly hair holds a cardboard box close to their chest, looking around. This place was inside a building in Mapo District, where Korea's fourth S-rank Hunter resides. Esther knew the exact address of Kim Giryeo, as he had sent him a package before.

'Room 304'.

The young curse sorcerer, upon arriving at the room, adjusted her hair once in front of the door.

By the way, the potion she was carrying in her arms was a European-made 1st Grade Holy Water. It was highly effective for dispelling curse-related status effects, and even it was too late to apologize for nothing to do with such issues, it was still a decent item as a gift. Caught up in this, it could also serve as a short-term fatigue reliever, similar to taurine.

– Ding dong, ding dong.

"Excuse me- Are you inside?"

By the way, it was such an expensive potion that it was sent in person rather than by courier...

"I hope it's not a nuisance, right?"

Esther thought, with the word 'surprise' ready on her tongue. She had checked that the other person's schedule was clear, but there was a lingering worry. Her studies on how to apologize about appraising, she knew that the hunter would be busy even on a day off, caught up in studies or other duties. Would she dislike her coming over, especially if he found out it was just an excuse to see his face?

Thud!

It was at the moment when the doubts began to surface. Inside the room 304, a sudden noise broke the silence. A minute later, the gray door in front of her swung open. Kim Giryeo appeared.

"Hunter Esther?"

But this was unexpected. It seemed that the concern she had actually come true. The person who swung the door open was dressed in a manner that sharply contrasted with his usual polished appearance.

Calmly settled wet blond hair. And the faint smell of tap water. Just from that alone, Esther could tell that the other person had just been in the bathroom. Now, it was time to apologize for interrupting his shower. But the moment her eyes met his, taking in the loungewear he was wearing, a completely different set of words slipped from her throat.

<Tasty Chicken Outing>

"That damn freebie is still—"

Heuk!

Esther, who had unconsciously shouted, narrowed her pupils and froze, then hurriedly fixed her expression.

"- Hello, Giryeo. Have you eaten? The weather is really nice today."

"You don't have to force yourself to pretend like nothing happened."

It was a bit too late, unfortunately.