A brief silence passed, and soon those who knew Ara’s true identity started to chuckle.
“Of course! Ara is Kyu-seong’s daughter! No doubt about it! Hahaha!”
“Kyu-seong, brace yourself when it’s time to send Ara off to get married. Letting go of a daughter is much harder than you think. Haha.”
Hanul and Young-seong teased me relentlessly.
Sensing the unusual atmosphere, Jeong So-yeon tilted her head and looked at me curiously.
“Didn’t you tell me she was your niece last time?”
“Well….”
I had unintentionally lied back then.
If we had met inside the guild building, I would have given a heads-up, but since we met outside, I couldn’t openly reveal Ara’s identity.
Actually, it’s strange that no one questions Ara’s tiger ears. Do they just think they’re decorations?
“Kyu-seong, isn’t it fine to stop hiding it now?”
Han Seok-jun said with a smile.
Honestly, it didn’t matter anymore. I decided to apologize to Jeong So-yeon first.
“So-yeon, I’m sorry I lied to you back then.”
“Huh? So, she’s really your daughter? You’re married?!”
How did she jump to that conclusion?
Anyway, I continued.
“Ara is my familiar. She’s a monster.”
“I am Ara!”
Ara shouted as if to protest, but people were shocked by my words. Well, those who didn’t know her true identity, at least.
“…A monster?”
“No way, such a cute child is a monster?!”
“I am Ara!”
Ara’s ears perked up.
Finally noticing Ara’s ears, Baek Tae-seop asked cautiously.
“Ara, may I touch your ears a little?”
“Sure!”
As Baek Tae-seop felt the soft ears, he couldn’t hide his amazement.
“Wow, they’re real! I was completely fooled!”
No one was trying to deceive him, but he had fooled himself. Leaving Baek Tae-seop to his astonishment, I turned to Jeong So-yeon with an awkward smile.
“I’m sorry. It was crowded outside the guild building back then, so I lied without thinking.”
“Hm.”
Jeong So-yeon still seemed a bit unsettled, looking at me with half-closed eyes.
“So, you’ve been hiding this all this time even though we’ve met several times since? And it seems everyone else knew….”
“I apologize.”
From her perspective, it was understandable to feel left out. I should have told her earlier, especially after she helped me at the dungeon supplies store.
“That’s too much!”
Baek Tae-seop suddenly shouted, breaking the silence.
“Having such a cute child as a familiar! The gods are so unfair!”
“Hahaha! Ara is much better than the familiars the old man handles! Haha!”
Now that I think about it, Baek Tae-seop is not only a support-type awakener but also handles familiars. I’ve heard they are quite formidable, but he seems overly envious.
“I am cute and amazing!”
Ara declared proudly as she stepped away from Baek Tae-seop, wearing a smug smile.
Clap!
“Ara is Kyu-seong’s familiar and unrelated to our business today, so let’s move on.”
Han Seok-jun clapped his hands to shift the atmosphere.
Ah, I realized I had been too inconsiderate.
They didn’t come here because of me, but I ended up drawing too much attention.
It seemed I had arrived at the wrong time, so I greeted the people who seemed to have an appointment with the Iron Blood Guild.
“I’ll take my leave for now. It was nice meeting you, Representative.”
“Hm. It was nice meeting you too. Parting like this feels a bit unfortunate. May I see you again with Ara next time?”
It seemed the representative had taken quite a liking to Ara, as his eyes kept following her.
“Hehehe.”
This little one had managed to charm the representative of the Iron Blood Guild. How formidable a slime she is!
“Kyu-seong?”
“Yes?”
“Please stay and join us. This is not unrelated to you.”
“Excuse me?”
What does he mean? Why am I involved?
As I stood there bewildered, Young-seong finally spoke.
“Representative Baek is here because of the antidote. Kyu-seong, you know about Awakener Baek Seung-hyun, right?”
“Antidote? Awakener Baek Seung-hyun? Oh!”
So, this is how it connects!
I thought they were here because of their close relationship with the Ara Hongryeon executives, or perhaps for business. But it turns out it’s about the fruit and vegetable juice.
“Hmm? This is news to me. Is Kyu-seong involved in this too?”
“Representative Baek, I mentioned discussing the antidote, didn’t I?”
“…No way. That can’t be…”
“That ‘no way’ is probably right.”
“You’re not joking, are you?”
Baek Tae-seop’s eyes started to waver slightly.
Did he also come without fully understanding?
“Of course, I only mentioned discussing the antidote without providing any further details.”
“Don’t joke around. I’m in a very serious situation.”
“We succeeded in creating an antidote. But it wasn’t me, it was Awakener Lee Kyu-seong here who did it.”
“What?!”
Baek Tae-seop and his secretary looked at me with eyes wide open in disbelief. And as if delivering the final blow, Young-seong concluded.
“My wife, Awakener Kim Si-young, is currently cured.”
“Gasp!”
Baek Tae-seop struggled to catch his breath, his eyes bloodshot. In contrast, his secretary, who was calmer, asked.
“Is this true? To be honest, it’s hard to believe. The poison we’re dealing with is the Poison of Avarice, which even the top overseas guilds couldn’t resolve. And a Level 1 Awakener did it…”
Though it was a bit impolite, given the circumstances, it was understandable.
Even I would scoff if I heard a Level 1 Awakener solved a poison used by a Level 9 dungeon boss.
However, the credibility was increased since the speaker was the former head of Ara Hongryeon ‘s research department.
“Anticipating this, I’ve prepared the necessary documents. Here are the records of the recovery progress, an analysis of the antidote’s ingredients, and all related documentation.”
“May I check it right now?”
Even while asking for permission, Baek Tae-seop was already moving towards Young-seong’s laptop. His secretary followed suit, receiving the documents from Young-seong.
“Kyu-seong, please have a seat here.”
“Yes.”
Han Seok-jun offered me a chair as I stood there. I had come to join Ara Hongryeon , but things had taken an unexpected turn.
‘The timing is impeccable.’
Did they plan this schedule on purpose? How did they know when I would be out of the dungeon?
It seemed like just a coincidence. While I waited, Young-seong asked me.
“Kyu-seong, can we show the fruit and vegetable juice to the Iron Blood Guild?”
“Yes, of course.”
Sure, let’s think positively about this since it’s already happened.
I was planning to treat other poisoned awakeners anyway, so this natural opportunity should be seized without hesitation.
‘Awakener Baek Seung-hyun is Representative Baek Tae-seop’s son, right?’
It was such an old story that I didn’t remember it immediately, but it was fairly well-known. If I tried to recall it, it wasn’t something I couldn’t remember.
The two who checked the fruit and vegetable juice soon exclaimed in admiration again. I overheard the secretary muttering to herself as she glanced at me.
“Hmm, so that’s why the Ara Hongryeon Guild is interested in Mr. Kyu-seong, even though he’s just a Level 1 Awakener…”
My ability is indeed a bit special.
The secretary was right. If I were just a regular Level 1 strength-type Awakener, would I have been able to join Ara Hongryeon ?
‘Not at all. No matter how friendly we are.’
To be honest, while Ara Hongryeon does treat me well, it’s ultimately because it’s mutually beneficial. And I didn’t think that was a bad thing.
From the guild’s perspective, many people’s livelihoods are at stake, and personal feelings shouldn’t interfere with business.
Because of this, I felt more recognized and was able to consider the contract positively.
“Sniff….”
“Re-representative?”
Lost in thought, I heard an unexpected sound. When I turned my head, I saw Baek Tae-seop shedding tears.
Given that he runs a guild called Iron Blood, his ruthless management style was already quite famous.
Yet, this person was now crying in front of others.
“Can it really, really save my Seung-hyun!!”
Baek Tae-seop’s eyes, which seemed to roar with desperation, shifted from Young-seong to me.
“Tell me it’s possible!”
“It is possible.”
I said confidently.
Honestly, I hadn’t seen Young-seong’s wife completely cured with my own eyes, but even if Young-seong’s results were a lie, I was still confident.
‘My fruit and vegetable juice is not yet in its final form.’
So, even if the current juice couldn’t cure Awakener Baek Seung-hyun like it did for Young-seong’s wife, I was certain that I could cure him eventually.
That’s why I could be confident.
“With my ability, it’s definitely possible.”
The slime’s ability evolves continuously.
And the crops harvested based on such slime abilities also evolved continuously.
“Ah….”
Baek Tae-seop, staggering, knelt before me. Surprised by his sudden action, I quickly knelt on one knee beside him.
“Please, save my Seung-hyun.”
“Yes. It’s possible. Don’t worry.”
As Ara watched us, she approached.
Then she started to pat Baek Tae-seop’s head.
“It’s okay! Kyu-seong Kyu-seong will take care of everything!”
“Thank you, dear.”
“I’m not dear, I am Ara.”
Meanwhile, the secretary, who had thoroughly reviewed all the documents, approached Baek Tae-seop.
“Representative, it seems to be true.”
“Alright. Phew, I showed an unsightly side of myself. I apologize, Kyu-seong.”
“No problem. It’s completely understandable.”
Baek Tae-seop stood up, took a deep breath, and sat down. After giving him some time to compose his emotions, Young-seong spoke first.
“As you can see, this is not a lie. Of course, it may still be hard to believe, but you’ll find out by seeing for yourself.”
“I believe it. I fully believe it.”
Baek Tae-seop nodded.
Then he looked determined again.
“But I can’t just receive it for nothing. Items of this value come with a cost.”
“That’s right. I’m here to facilitate a direct transaction to protect Awakener Kyu-seong’s rights this time.”
Things were proceeding smoothly on their own.
This was a good thing for me, as I had no social experience due to only digging after awakening.
I was grateful that Young-seong or Ara Hongryeon handled it for me.
“As you saw, this item has multiple functions besides the detoxification feature. If you wish to purchase this item, you must first sign this contract.”
“Let me see it.”
I was slightly surprised to see that Young-seong had even prepared the contract. It seemed he had thoroughly prepared without me knowing.
“Hm, a confidentiality agreement…”
“It’s a confidentiality agreement to protect the identity of Awakener Kyu-seong and control the information about the item.”
“That’s solid. I like it.”
Baek Tae-seop nodded and handed the contract to his secretary. The secretary also reviewed the contract and gave a positive nod.
“Given the nature of this matter, it’s essential. If this information were to leak overseas, it could become quite a significant issue.”
“Indeed.”
“But this clause is unclear. In case of a breach of confidentiality, besides the penalty fee, submitting collateral is…”
Collateral? Not knowing the contract details, I asked Young-seong to explain.
‘Receiving collateral in advance? Like items or certificates of value?’
After roughly checking the contract, I looked up to find everyone’s eyes on me.
Then Baek Tae-seop spoke.
“Kyu-seong, is there any item you want?”
“An item I want?”
If the confidentiality clause is breached during the contract period, I would permanently own the pledged item…
How can I demand something without knowing what they have?
Of course, considering the other party is the representative of the Iron Blood Guild, this was an incredible opportunity. Even Ara Hongryeon has a vast treasure trove, so Iron Blood, which competes for the top spot in the country, would be even more lucrative.
‘…Do they have that item?’
After thinking for a moment, I cautiously asked.
“Does the Iron Blood Guild have any items related to slimes?”
“Slimes?”
Cliche Novel 