“Can I be treated today as well?”
At the man’s words, Hailey looked at him silently. Despite this, the man merely grinned foolishly and swallowed.
“Sigh.”
“The person himself is coming today, right? Maybe they’ll bring something even tastier. Hehe.”
“Randolph, is food the only thing in your head?”
“Oh, are you mad?”
The man called Randolph suddenly became wary. Though his abilities as an Awakener were unmatched, his behavior seemed somewhat lacking, prompting Hailey to sigh again.
“Well… if we’re lucky, we might get to eat again. In the first place, if we recruit him to our guild, we can eat like this every day.”
“Oh! I hope we succeed in recruiting him!”
Randolph’s face brightened. Seeing this, Hailey and the rest of the members who came from America let out faint laughs.
“Hmm, well, I can’t say I don’t understand Randolph’s feelings.”
“That’s right. The dish we had yesterday was the most delicious thing I’ve ever tasted.”
“I never imagined such a dish could exist. If possible, I’d like to try it again today.”
Although Hailey didn’t show it, she, like the other guild members, couldn’t shake the memory of the previous day’s meal.
A shocking assault of flavors.
From the moment they tasted that dish, there was no turning back for their palates.
‘I must recruit Lee Kyu-seong. Definitely?’
No, Lee Kyu-seong might as well be considered already recruited.
It cost a whopping 1.2 billion dollars.
While it exceeded the budget a bit, Hailey deemed him a talent worthy of the price.
“But Hailey, what if Lee Kyu-seong refuses to come?”
“Hm?”
“I heard he doesn’t speak English. Maybe he’ll find it inconvenient and not want to come.”
At Randolph’s comment, the people around burst into laughter again.
“Hahaha! Randolph, you never fail to make us laugh.”
“If he can’t speak English, we’ll just get an interpreter! If that’s still inconvenient, we can buy an expensive translation artifact.”
“Think about the money Lee Kyu-seong will be making. Randolph, he’s going to be richer than you.”
Randolph finally showed signs of relief at the reactions of the people. However, what they didn’t know was that Randolph had actually come the closest to understanding Kyu-seong’s thoughts.
It was almost time to meet Lee Kyu-seong. The members of the Iron Sight Guild set off toward Ara Hongryeon, engaging in light conversation along the way.
“Wow, this is going to cause a stir in America, isn’t it? This is the first time our guild has proposed such a massive contract.”
“That’s why we need to proceed quickly. The longer we delay, the more attention it will attract, and competitors might appear.”
Soon, the vehicle arrived at Ara Hongryeon’s guild. The group entered the guild building.
“It’s strange, though. If it were me, I’d have advertised it widely. If they promoted it as a record-breaking contract, it could raise the stakes even higher.”
“Well, they must have their own reasons.”
Once inside, Han Seok-jun greeted them, along with the executives they had seen the previous day.
“Welcome.”
“Thank you for coming to greet us in advance.”
“Please come in. Have you had a meal yet?”
“It’s still early, so we haven’t eaten.”
“We haven’t eaten either, so why don’t we have a light meal together while we chat? It’ll take a bit of time before Awakener Lee Kyu-seong arrives.”
“Sounds good.”
At the suggestion to start with a meal right after arriving, the Iron Sight members felt a surge of anticipation.
As if to meet their expectations, the dining hall was already filled with the enchanting aroma of the previous day’s heavenly dishes.
“These are dishes I’ve never seen before.”
“They won’t disappoint.”
Everyone received their food with curious expressions. The variety was wide, and everything looked delicious.
“The dishes have a more local flavor today.”
“Yeah, yesterday felt like a high-end restaurant. Today’s more like everyday home-cooked meals. I actually prefer this.”
Those who had received their meals soon began eating. Almost immediately, the room fell silent—not a word was spoken, only the clinking of utensils and the sounds of eating.
“How does it taste?”
Han Seok-jun gently asked, stepping forward. The diners, who had been entirely focused on the food, were startled and quickly responded.
“It’s delicious!”
“Very delicious. I’m satisfied.”
“I got so caught up in eating that I forgot to thank you. Thank you for the meal.”
The Ara Hongryeon members looked on at the Iron Sight guild members with content smiles. Soon, their gazes turned to the guild leader, Hailey.
“How about you, Guild Leader? Does it suit your taste?”
“It’s delicious. Extremely.”
Hailey couldn’t hide her admiration. She had tried to maintain composure, but it was impossible.
‘Delicious.’
It was a taste that needed no embellishment—just purely delicious. The flavor of the ingredients was preserved and maximized, creating an overwhelming sensation. It felt as if her worn-out spirit, exhausted from the daily grind, was being revived.
She had worked tirelessly, day and night, to rank among the top 10 guilds in America. It had been nearly 20 years of relentless pursuit. She had no regrets; in fact, she felt only fulfillment and pride when reflecting on her life.
Yet, the brief moment of leisure and rest offered by this meal made even someone like Hailey reconsider her life.
“Have I given up too much in pursuit of this?”
“…Hailey?”
“Yes? Oh, I apologize. I was just lost in thought for a moment.”
“Oh, it’s nothing. I was just asking which dish you liked the most.”
“Oh, I think this one is the best.”
“Oh, stir-fried vegetables? It’s one of the most popular side dishes at our restaurant. It best captures the original flavor of Mr. Kyu-seong’s ingredients.”
Hailey nodded, savoring the taste. The meal ended quietly. As they left the dining hall with satisfied expressions, they found Kyu-seong had just arrived at the guild.
“Ah, Mr. Kyu-seong! You’re here!”
“Hello.”
Kyu-seong greeted them while casting a sideways glance at the unfamiliar faces, feeling slightly tense around the foreigners. Suddenly, someone unexpectedly stepped forward.
“Hello there!”
Ara greeted them cheerfully. With maximum friendliness, she quickly showed interest in the new Iron Sight guild members.
“Are you guests?”
“Good morning, Miss Ara. Yes, they are here to meet Mr. Kyu-seong today.”
“Oh! Welcome! I can smell you’ve had something delicious!”
“Yes. We’ve had a hearty meal made with the ingredients grown by you and Mr. Kyu-seong. If we’d known you’d arrive this early, we could’ve shared the meal together. If you haven’t eaten yet, feel free to dine at the restaurant.”
Ara looked back at Kyu-seong upon hearing Han Seok-jun’s words, and Kyu-seong, meeting her gaze, smiled awkwardly.
“Then, would it be okay if we grab a quick bite?”
“Of course!”
With a hesitant smile, Kyu-seong headed toward the dining hall with Ara. Since they had arrived earlier than the scheduled meeting time, it wasn’t a problem, but the Iron Sight members found it quite surprising. After all, most people wouldn’t prioritize having a meal in such a situation.
“Is that…?”
“Yes, that is Awakener Lee Kyu-seong, the pride of our guild.”
“Hm.”
A rather fresh first impression. Although he was likely briefed on the general situation, he still maintained a relaxed demeanor, which intrigued Hailey.
“He’s married, isn’t he? He came with his daughter.”
“He’s not married. That child is Mr. Kyu-seong’s familiar. Though she’s practically like a daughter to him.”
“A familiar?!”
Hailey and the rest of the Iron Sight guild members were shocked. They turned around to take another look at Ara, but she had already disappeared into the dining hall.
“I’ve seen humanoid monsters before, but I’ve never seen a familiar that looks so much like a human child.”
“That’s why, to the public, she’s introduced as Mr. Kyu-seong’s daughter.”
“Hmm, that makes sense. Thank you for sharing such vital information.”
If they were to recruit Kyu-seong, that familiar would also be part of the deal. Although Ara’s appearance didn’t suggest any remarkable abilities, Hailey remained cautious.
‘A familiar with a highly human-like appearance. There’s a high possibility of it being a powerful familiar.’
The ability to mimic human form alone was proof of high intelligence and capability. This made her anticipate Kyu-seong’s abilities even more. Perhaps his item-crafting skills were also linked to the familiar.
‘I need to ask him about various things.’
Hailey’s eyes glimmered with ambition.
***
“The Iron Sight Guild’s guild master and executives have gone to Korea?”
“Yes, sir.”
Meanwhile, in the United States, news of Iron Sight’s overseas trip had reached other guilds. Even the U.S. government was closely monitoring the situation.
“Have we figured out why they went?”
“Our sources are moving; we should have information soon.”
This was Venom Guild, Iron Sight’s rival. Ranked 10th was Iron Sight, and ranked 9th was Venom. Venom’s guild master, Michael Sanders, muttered with an unhappy expression.
“Iron Sight has been getting quite arrogant lately. Now they’ve suddenly made a group trip overseas…”
“The general assumption is that they’ve gone to recruit an Awakener.”
“An Awakener? Hailey personally went for that?”
Korea? It was a country he’d heard of, but that was about it. It wasn’t known for any significant dungeon resources, nor did it have a large population to provide ample manpower. While they occasionally discovered rare Awakeners like finding pearls in mud, it wasn’t a major hub.
‘If it were a big deal, there would already be a huge uproar.’
As Venom’s guild master, it was unlikely for him to be unaware. However, Michael Sanders was overlooking one crucial detail.
Most famous Awakeners gained their fame through sheer combat prowess. In the current era, production or support-type Awakeners are often perceived as lacking abilities that can contribute significantly to dungeons, forcing them to focus on support roles. This perception isn’t entirely wrong, as no production or support Awakener has ever risen to fame solely for their abilities.
This was the main reason why Lee Kyu-seong’s abilities remained largely unknown.
“Has there been any noteworthy rookie among Korean Awakeners recently?”
“Hmm, none that we are aware of.”
“Then, what could it be?”
Could Iron Sight be trying to recruit a well-known Awakener of level 7 or above? However, most Awakeners of that rank are under national supervision. This is part of an international agreement designed to prevent talent from migrating to other countries.
Before this agreement, there was a time when a significant number of foreign Awakeners naturalized to the United States.
“G-Guild Master!”
At that moment, an aide, who had just received a message, called out to Michael in a startled voice.
“What is it?”
“The Iron Sight’s financial activity is unusual.”
“What?”
“They are preparing an enormous sum—1.2 billion dollars!”
“1… 1.2 billion?!”
It was an amount that could be seen as risking the very fate of the guild. Shocked by the staggering figure, Michael abruptly stood up from his seat.
“Investigate immediately and find out what’s happening in detail!”
“Yes!”
“I’m going to the Association right now. Report to me with any information or updates as soon as they come in!”
The ripples were growing larger. A typhoon was forming, centered on South Korea.
Cliche Novel 