Round 309

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The three major guilds of South Korea had all gathered.

Ara Hongryeon, who had reclaimed the third spot, surpassing even the Gojoseon Guild, and Terror and Ironblood, holding the first and second places respectively.

The sight of them sitting around a large round table facing each other was unusual.

“Oh, but why am I here…?”

And at the center of the round table.

Kyu-seong was sitting.

“We are the protagonists!”

“That’s true, but…?”

Ara, nestled in Kyu-seong’s arms, let out a cheer.

The expressions of the people who saw this almost crumbled but managed to maintain a composed look.

“Mr. Kyu-seong, who are we? We’re the best guild in South Korea, the grand first place, Terror Guild. We’ll meet any conditions you desire, so how about joining us?”

“Hey, that’s completely against business ethics. You should be grateful just to have been given a seat, and yet you’re making the first offer!”

Kang Hanul interjected with an indignant voice.

Regardless, Baek Tae-seop opened his mouth this time.

“Although our Ironblood Group isn’t ranked first as a guild, in terms of corporate value, we’re number one in South Korea, no, ranked 16th in the world. We can support Ara’s entertainment activities and assist with all aspects of the food-related business.”

“Old man! Are you serious? Talking about the company here is cheating!”

Kang Hanul’s voice just passed by like background noise.

After hearing the opinions of both guild leaders, Han Seok-jun, the guild leader of Ara Hongryeon, finally spoke.

“We will treat you comfortably as we do now. You just need to live as you are without worrying about anything else.”

“Isn’t that a bit too bland?”

Kang Hanul asked Han Seok-jun in confusion.

It was a situation where even a fellow guild member was concerned.

Kyu-seong carefully reviewed all the detailed proposals handed to him.

“Hmm…….”

Literally, all the conditions were top-notch.

Ironblood Guild guaranteed an executive director position like Kim Taeyang, and Terror also offered a similar high-ranking position.

Additionally, the purchase prices of all items were beyond imagination, along with an exceptional declaration of providing all conveniences.

In fact, the conditions offered by Terror and Ironblood were the kind that couldn’t be found anywhere else.

However, Terror and Ironblood couldn’t relax.

From the moment Kyu-seong’s news reached them, it was clear that overseas giant guilds had also heard the news.

‘We need to at least secure a verbal agreement right now!’

‘The U.S.? China? Japan? Even the European Union showed interest……………?’

Everyone’s attention was focused on Kyu-seong’s lips.

Kyu-seong’s mouth remained tightly shut.

His eyes were fiercely reviewing the contracts.

‘What the heck is this?’

Of course, Kyu-seong was just overwhelmed by the complex contract terms.

However, Kyu-seong had already made up his mind, so the contracts were meaningless.

Gulp.

Someone swallowed dryly.

In that serious atmosphere, only Ara glanced around nervously.

“It’s s-serious………….”

Her tiny trembling fists looked adorable.

And finally.

Kyu-seong slowly raised his head.

“I…………….”

The hall grew so quiet that you could hear an ant crawling.

Everyone’s eyes widened as if they were about to burst.

“I haven’t decided yet.”

“Ugh!”

Someone let out an odd sound in confusion.

However, some nodded calmly as if they had expected it.

“My contract period still has some time left, so I’ll think about it slowly. Honestly, I came today just to check the renewal terms in advance.”

“You’ve made a wise decision. Contracts should be handled carefully.”

At this, Ara tilted her head and looked up at Kyu-seong.

“Is it over?”

“Yeah, it’s over.”

“Then it’s meal time!”

Doomchit-doomchit.

Ara started dancing.

Her dance, which was fine when she learned it at the orphanage, now looked a bit unusual.

It was impressive, like a manager dancing with a tie wrapped around his head.

“Kyaa! Ara is so cute!”

“Is the contract talk really over? Can we take pictures now?”

You call that cute?

Of course, Ara was adorable no matter what she did, but Kyu-seong could clearly feel the power of Ara’s fandom.

Especially the people from Ironblood Guild, who had filmed shows with Ara, all seemed smitten with her.

Ahem.

“Since the talks are over, is it time for food…?”

“Ara, nice!”

The hearty cheers of middle-aged men rang out.

In the cheerful atmosphere, Ara just kept dancing with a big smile, not knowing why.

Anticipating this, Kyu-seong had already prepared the food and took out plates from Bokkeum.

“Well, thank you all for coming this far. Shall we eat now?”

The meal began.

Kyu-seong went around, serving food on everyone’s plates.

Thanks to the rabbits and Jae-seong, they had prepared enough food to feed a large group.

Some people had tried Kyu-seong’s crops as items, but this was their first time tasting them as cooked dishes, and they looked quite intrigued.

“This is…………..”

“To think I’d finally taste the food that Director Kim Taeyang, no, the president, and the guild leader bragged about every day.”

“No need to be jealous anymore!”

The serving was quickly completed.

Since there weren’t that many people to begin with, they soon got to taste the food.

“Here we have potato salad, bread made from grains harvested in our dungeon, homemade jam, and tomato paste. Feel free to spread them as you like. The noodles we provided are boiled in seafood broth. Think of it as vongole pasta made with ingredients from our dungeon. Enjoy your meal.”

Since there was still plenty of food left, those who wanted more could help themselves after finishing.

Soon, Ara was the first to pick up her fork.

“We must eat quickly! Otherwise, it’ll all disappear!”

Having experienced this situation multiple times, Ara knew well that the seemingly abundant food would vanish in an instant.

She spread tomato sauce on the bread on her plate and took a big bite.

Then she scooped up some jam and chomped away.

Ara’s cheeks puffed up as she chewed.

Seeing Ara smile happily while munching, her fans were busy snapping photos with their food untouched.

“Too cute…?”

Meanwhile, Kyu-seong gestured for everyone to start eating.

Now that he noticed, everyone was hesitating, waiting for someone to begin.

“Please, go ahead and enjoy your meal!”

“Then, thank you for the food.”

“It’s been a while since I’ve had Kyu-seong’s cooking! I’ve been waiting for this!!”

“Uh, Team Leader 2, don’t we eat at the company cafeteria every day?”

Kang Hanul chuckled and twirled the pasta around his fork, stuffing the whole thing into his mouth.

His eyes widened, trying to say something.

“Mmm! Mmmmmm!”

“You can talk after you’ve swallowed.”

Kyu-seong said as he spread jam on his bread.

Kang Hanul slowly chewed and savored the pasta, then exclaimed in awe.

“This is delicious!!”

“It’s delicious, isn’t it?! Say it’s delicious!!”

Ara roared along with Kang Hanul, as if she’d get upset if he didn’t praise it properly.

“This! How is the pasta cooked so perfectly? The taste is obviously fantastic, but the chef’s skill is outstanding!”

“My brother made it, along with the kitchen assistants.”

At the perfect timing, Kyu-seong casually mentioned something about the restaurant.

“Actually, my brother’s restaurant is finally opening.”

“Oooooh!! Is that true, Kyu-seong’s brother?!”

“A restaurant?! C-Can I make a reservation right away?!”

Kang Hanul and Jeong So-yeon cheered excitedly, trembling slightly.

Jeong So-yeon’s face was humorously smeared with jam and tomato sauce.

“A restaurant by Mr. Kyu-seong… May I also join in?”

“Me too…”

Baek Tae-seop and Johann quietly chimed in.

Kyu-seong nodded with a bright smile.

“Of course! I’ll make reservations for you right now.”

“I’m already looking forward to it.”

Feeling a sudden chill, Kyu-seong looked around and realized everyone was staring at him.

“U-Us too…!”

“Of course! After you finish your meal, please give me your contact information and preferred visit date before you leave. I’ll send a confirmation message once the reservation is secured.”

“Thank you!”

“I can’t believe I’ll get to eat such delicious food again!”

After the conversation ended, everyone eagerly dug into Kyu-seong’s food.

Meanwhile, Ara had already served herself and was on her third plate.

Just as Ara had feared, the food Kyu-seong brought began to run out.

“Heh! Heh! Heh!”

Ara patted her round, full belly proudly, as if to say her judgment was right.

Some of Ara’s fans who had finished eating eagerly took photos of her.

Buuurp 

“Oops, my bad.”

“That just shows how delicious it was.”

“Wait, where did all my food go?!”

“You ate it all.”

Everyone seemed satisfied, their faces glowing with contentment. While it felt like there wasn’t enough, considering how much they’d eaten, it couldn’t really be called lacking.

They simply wanted more because it was so delicious, even if they were full.

“I can visit again tomorrow!”

“You’re on duty tomorrow. I’ll visit instead.”

Kyu-seong was soon surrounded by people eager to make reservations.

Not a single person there was ordinary.

They were all elite awakeners from Ironblood and Terror.

Just one of them appearing on the street would have an impact greater than that of a celebrity, and they all wanted to dine at Kyu-seong’s restaurant.

“G-Guild Leader!!”

Suddenly, a member of Ara Hongryeon burst in, shouting urgently.

Since they were in the middle of an important meeting, outside access had been strictly limited.

Seeing the guild member rush in despite knowing this, Han Seok-jun awkwardly wiped the jam from his lips and asked,

“What’s the matter?”

“O-Outside! Outside!!”

“Calm down, Jeong-ho, and tell us.”

“S-Sorry. Th-There’s an unexpected guest outside.”

“A guest?”

“T-The Great Witch Katrina is here!”

The Great Witch Katrina.

Her name carried immense weight.

Though she had visited South Korea twice recently, a ninth-rank awakener was not someone you encountered often.

Her visits were such major events that the media covered them extensively for a whole week.

And now she was back?

“W-Well, let her in.”

Even the usually composed Han Seok-jun stammered, flustered by Katrina’s sudden, unannounced arrival.

Members of other guilds gathered there grew tense and wary.

There was only one reason she would come to Korea right now.

Kyu-seong.

‘They’re already making a move!!’

It was clear she had heard about Kyu-seong’s contract renewal.

During her last visit, she had shown great interest in Kyu-seong—completely opposite to her usual cold and aloof image.

Anyone could see she was interested.

Soon after, Katrina appeared.

She had teleported instantly using magic.

Ara spotted her and waved cheerfully.

“Katrina!”

“Hello.”

Katrina greeted Ara with a gentle smile but quickly scanned the room with a stern expression.

She spoke as if surprised.

“…It seems you had a meeting. I apologize for the sudden visit.”

“Not at all. What brings you here?”

Everyone anxiously watched Katrina’s lips, tense with anticipation.

If it was about Kyu-seong’s contract, they knew they couldn’t compete with her offer, causing beads of cold sweat to form.

“Mr. Kyu-seong.”

“Yes?”

“I’d like to speak with you alone.”

“W-What is it about?”

“…It concerns the peace of the world.”

The peace of the world?

The unexpected gravity of the topic left everyone bewildered.

Kyu-seong’s face stiffened as well.

‘Could it be…?!’

The fleeting thought crossed his mind— ‘Has Ara’s cuteness reached a lethal dose?!’—but he quickly shook it off and nodded.

“Let’s move to a different place.”

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