Chapter 388

But at this point, one question naturally arose.

Was it really all right for Hunter Kim Giryeo to come to the capital at a time like this?

‘I’m not sure he’ll even make it home safely.’

At that moment, Seonwoo Yeon remembered that she was still on the clock.

Maybe it wouldn’t matter at an ordinary company, but she believed she had no right to slack off while receiving a salary funded by the taxes of the entire nation.

‘Even if today weren’t the kind of day where I have to squeeze every spare minute into work, I’d still go help.’

And so, despite anticipating the alien’s difficulties, she had no choice but to continue on her way.

A few minutes later, the hallway that had grown quiet after Seonwoo Yeon left became lively once again.

“Oh? The people from Accounting are already back.”

“Hello~”

“Where did everyone eat today? You’re back pretty early.”

“We were too lazy to go anywhere, so we made the youngest handle it and ordered delivery from the bakery nearby.”

“The place with the amazing croissants?”

Even in an age filled with monsters and superhumans, work was still something people did to make a living.

The employees of the Hunter Association returned in small groups after grabbing lunch.

Since there was still some time before afternoon duties resumed, several of them lingered around, chatting casually while holding freshly brewed coffee from the vending machine.

“Croissant? Hmm, I’m not sure. I just ate that chicken breast thing or whatever.”

“Oh, you had the salad. Wow, you really take care of yourself.”

“But putting that aside, what’s with the construction in front of the Association today? When I came in earlier, I saw some 8-ranks moving materials around.”

“That? Probably electrical work. The ground underneath got completely wrecked by the [Cataclysm] monsters that appeared over the weekend...”

For a while, it was nothing but ordinary conversation.

“By the way, if the 8-ranks got drafted for it, does that mean Investigator Seonwoo Yeon is out by the road right now too?”

“Who?”

“You know, the woman over there with the long hair and bangs.”

“Ah, right. I think I know who you mean.”

But from that small remark, someone soon began to show a hint of negativity.

“Huh? Really? Earlier, she was hanging around with Hunter Kim Giryeo for quite a while. When did she even leave?”

In other words, someone had just tossed out a bit of gossip.

The unexpected reaction in the hallway left the others slightly taken aback, but in any case, the 100,000-won fine caused by that 8-rank awakener was still fresh in their memory. ꭆåℕ𝘖βΕṦ

Objectively speaking, Seonwoo Yeon was naturally popular as a superhuman.

She was kind.

Diligent.

Meticulous in handling her duties.

On top of that, even after awakening as an 8-rank, she never skipped training, just in case her lack of preparation might interfere with her work.

This civil servant practically embodied the concept of self-improvement, making it almost impossible for anyone to dislike her.

“She has absolutely no flexibility, and she acts way too nice all the time. It’s honestly kind of off-putting!”

But conversely, there were also people in this world who disliked others precisely because they seemed to have no flaws.

“Why does everyone even like someone like that? If they had to deal with her strictness firsthand, they’d get annoyed too.”

From the perspective of an ordinary Association employee, he did at least have some reason to resent her.

So even though the civil servant in question had already left the building, the gossip continued.

“But this is something I heard directly from someone who works in the same department as Seonwoo Yeon...”

“Oh, really? So she acts like that behind people’s backs?”

Besides, expecting polished social skills from someone who had been a victim of the Dungeon Shock, barely graduated high school, and then immediately entered society was asking too much.

Seonwoo Yeon was diligent by nature.

It stemmed from her stronger-than-average sense of responsibility.

On the other hand, a few people in the break room preferred what they liked to call “efficient” work.

And during their spare time, they criticized talented employees from other departments.

After a while, the conversation went even further.

“Now that I think about it, that employee didn’t even pass a proper exam to get hired, right?”

“If she’s an 8-rank, she probably came in through special recruitment. Most likely.”

Back then, even someone who could easily have earned a 100-million-won annual salary in the private sector had been mocked for being a parachute hire.

Tang tang tang.

A dull knocking sound came from somewhere.

The group that had been talking turned their heads.

“Why is someone knocking on the break room door? It’s not even locked.”

But regardless of whether it was a break room or not, whoever stood outside seemed to be asking for help.

“Are they carrying something?”

One of them glanced around uneasily before getting up.

But the moment he opened the door, he froze at a sight he never could have imagined.

“Huh?”

Standing before the break room door was a young person with wavy purple hair, a faint aura of awakening surrounding them.

Opposite them stood a woman covered in layers of accessories.

Around her neck hung an enormous gemstone necklace, draped almost like a silk serpent.

For the first few seconds, the sheer extravagance of it was so overwhelming that it was difficult to register properly.

“Wow!”

[Real-Time Trending] Top 5 Surprisingly Short Hunters]

And this modern-day mutant had such ideal proportions that they consistently ranked first or second in videos like that.

“Gasp! Is that Seo Esther, the guild master of the Korean Magic Tower Guild?”

“Yes~ Hello. Sorry to bother you, but I seem to have gotten a little lost around here...”

The ordinary Association employee tensed up as though meeting a celebrity he admired.

At the same time, he couldn’t help thinking:

‘What incredible luck!’

All those accessories were probably magical suppression devices.

Even from up close, he couldn’t feel the slightest discomfort from her.

If he treated a top-tier awakener he had happened to encounter with great courtesy, and managed to earn even the tiniest bit of favor in return—like a supporting character in some old folktale—that alone would be a jackpot.

“You’re lost? Ah, in that case, I’ll show you right away!”

Only a few days ago, this person had been injured while dealing with an S-rank gate.

How had she ended up all the way at headquarters?

The civil servant immediately wanted to help the wealthy woman standing before him.

But that hopeful mood did not last long.

“Ah, but that’s all right. I already have directions.”

The fact that no one had realized an S-rank Hunter had reached this location was, in itself, terrifying.

“I overheard you all talking while I was passing through the hallways.”

“Y-yes!”

From the moment a Hunter awakened, their body transformed into one suited for hunting.

By the time everyone in the break room remembered that fact, the purple-haired awakener continued.

“I happened to hear everything you people were saying while huddled together and badmouthing my friend.”

“What did you say?”

“I’m actually friends with Seonwoo Yeon. Didn’t you know? Well, to be honest, it’s more like I’m especially fond of that civil servant. But still, what’s wrong with cherishing a good person?”

This was bad.

The woman in front of them smiled so pleasantly that she almost looked gentle.

And yet, the impending trouble was obvious.

An 8-rank awakener from a neighboring department had connections with a guild master of that caliber?

‘What the hell—! There were absolutely no rumors about that!’

It was literally a blind spot exposed at that very moment.

From an outside perspective, Esther had actually met Seonwoo Yeon quite often.

Judging by both the number of encounters and the amount of time spent talking privately, the two were several times closer than Seonwoo Yeon was with Kim Giryeo.

Moreover, the guild master of the Korean Magic Tower Guild had a naturally friendly personality.

That meant she had even linked arms with Seonwoo Yeon a few times.

Yet from the perspective of ordinary people, none of that behavior had ever drawn attention.

‘Kim Giryeo might feel a little wronged if he knew.’

Esther briefly lost herself in thought.

‘But if that man shows even the slightest physical affection toward someone, it’s bound to become more of a topic than anything I do. With Kim Giryeo’s presence, even a casual photo would probably look like he was interrogating a suspect...’

Of course, her thoughts about the intimidating expressions of her industry peers ended there.

For now, finishing the conversation she had already started took priority.

“Anyway, enough of the small talk.”

The woman with drooping eyes looked straight ahead.

Then, playfully rising onto her toes to add a little height, she swept her gaze across the room.

“I normally wouldn’t bother saying this, but honestly... the Association built this building thanks to the hundreds of billions in taxes I’ve paid as a Hunter...”

As though committing every face present to memory, Esther stared at them for a long moment.

“And suddenly I’m starting to wonder whether things here are really being run properly.”

At that single remark, the employees who had been lazily passing the time all froze at once.

The second-ranked Hunter in the country.

The world’s only high-level curse awakener.

And perhaps, even if she had never awakened at all, someone whose family background alone would have commanded enormous respect.

That woman had just expressed dissatisfaction.

‘If Yeon is still at the construction site...’

It was obvious that this Hunter was by no means inferior to Jeong Ha-seong in terms of ability.

Naturally, everyone’s faces went pale.

“Ah, Hunter Seo Esther... excuse me—”

“Never mind. Like I said earlier, I have somewhere to go, so I’ll be leaving first.”

“Just a moment!”

“Why do you keep calling me back and stopping me? Did I really say anything that important?”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, no. Don’t apologize. I really didn’t say anything.”

Not even the slightest hope remained for them.

After all, time was limited, and the person in front of them was both a businesswoman and a Hunter.

She was probably even busier than most.

“Everyone, just keep acting the way you normally do. It’s fine.”

“Ah.”

“But now I’m curious—do modern insurance policies even cover [cursed] injuries...? Haha, just kidding. Anyway, Yeon isn’t at the construction site? I didn’t come here to meet that civil servant, but I suppose I’ll have to head back out and ask for directions again.”

With that, Esther immediately left through the door she had entered from.

Who would have thought her problem of finding the way would be solved so easily?

“Huh?”

Only a few minutes later, Esther stepped outside, seriously considering whether she should borrow the power of a [Searcher] to accomplish her goal.

‘That back...’

But paradoxically, the moment she left the building she had entered, she had already achieved her original objective.

‘It’s Kim Giryeo! Right, I definitely came here because I heard he had shown up at Association headquarters, but I was starting to wonder where he’d gone.’

A Hunter with the common surname Kim.

Esther spotted him somewhere near the building’s main entrance, and her face immediately brightened.

‘I couldn’t reach him by phone at all, so I had no choice but to come in person. Still, I’m glad I found him so quickly!’

Of course, someone’s phone had only just come out of airplane mode.

But there was no way anyone else could have known that.

No matter how flustered a person might be, if someone had helped them, the least they could do was say thank you.

She had only just learned that the fourth S-rank Hunter had been the one who transported the injured.

So, intending to express her gratitude, she moved closer to the person she had found.

But then—

“Huh?”

It was only after the distance between them narrowed that she noticed something.

‘Three?’

At the narrow main entrance of the Association, no fewer than three S-rank Hunters had gathered.

‘Wow. Everyone except one person is openly displaying their Awakening value, and I’m only noticing it now. I really have been wandering around completely oblivious...’

Regardless of the circumstances, seeing top-tier Awakened gathered together was never ordinary.

Esther tilted her head slightly in curiosity.

But she did not stop walking.