Chapter 227: Episode 227

The situation was resolved quickly.

What had almost escalated into a near-calamity in the Alps was reported as having been preemptively contained by three Rank 2 hunters who had just happened to be out skiing… or rather, who had just happened to be passing by.

There were zero casualties. The few remaining stray monsters were casually taken care of by Han Yoonjeong.

“Thanks to you, we avoided a major disaster! We are deeply grateful for your support, hunters.”

The CEO who ran the resort came rushing over. He said he would officially pay us a commission reward through his guild, and on top of that, he personally gifted us VVIP lifetime passes to the resort.

“What am I even supposed to do with this…”

I gave the gleaming gold card a wry smile. I wasn’t sure I would ever come back here.

In contrast, the words “lifetime pass” made Han Yoonjeong absolutely ecstatic.

“Who cares, it’s free! Now that you guys are Rank 2, you’ll be coming to Switzerland a lot, you know?”

The problem was, even if I did come back to Switzerland, I doubted I’d come here.

’At the very least, I’m never coming back with you two. You monsters of talent.’

“So, we can take this monster corpse, right?”

“Do whatever you want.”

“I am fine with that as well.”

We agreed that the profit from the magic stones would be split between the two of them, and I would take the corpse itself.

“Samia. Start it up.”

The moment I spoke, a rippling Warp Gate opened beneath the monster’s body. Like it was sinking into a swamp, the corpse slowly descended and then vanished completely.

With that, I had secured a key part for the next Divine Golem. Once we got back to the Tower, I was pretty sure I would be getting a kiss from Eunsol.

“That technique is amazing no matter how many times I see it.”

Arms folded, Han Yoonjeong muttered to herself.

“Warp Gates will be commercialized like airports before long. We’re developing them right now.”

“Oh, seriously? You’re gonna install one in Egypt too, right?”

“Invest five hundred million dollars.”

“You greedy bastard! It’s always money, money, money with you! You damn money fiend!”

Watching her blow up, I snickered.

“So Lady Samia is in charge of warps, then,” Hong Yeon said.

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“So that’s why you tried so hard to scout her in Tanzania.”

“Don’t even get me started. I had to beg a retiree to come back to work. Teleporters are insanely rare.”

I was patting her on the shoulder as we talked when a thought occurred to me.

“By the way, have you ever thought about working with us? I’ve still got one manager slot open.”

For someone with her combat power, I would get down on my knees to recruit her.

But she shook her head.

“I belong to the Association.”

“Oh, right. That won’t work then.”

Hunters affiliated with the Association were civil servants, so they couldn’t hold dual affiliations or side jobs. In the past, it might have been different, but now the Magic Tower was registered as a “guild.” For her to join the Tower, she would have to leave the Association.

However, her goal was to succeed Hong Yul and become the next Hunter Association President. Unfortunately, our paths were headed in different directions.

Still, it would be better for me if a friendly acquaintance ended up as Association President. I never wanted to go through another damn Frost incident again.

“All right, let’s head back.”

“Yes!” Hong Yeon nodded. “But isn’t the World Guild review tomorrow? Are you sure it’s okay to wear yourself out like this?”

“The review is basically just a yay-or-nay vote from the existing World Guilds.”

As I said that, I turned to look at Han Yoonjeong.

“What do you think is going to happen?”

“Hmm.”

She pressed a finger to her lips, looking genuinely conflicted.

“I’m planning to vote in favor, but I have no idea what the other four will do. They’re impossible to read.”

“Mm.”

I was in the same boat; I couldn’t get a clear read on them either.

Han Yoonjeong had been on my side from the beginning, and I already had a prior agreement with Marcello. If those two voted yes, I would only need a single vote from the remaining three.

However, they were all notoriously elusive, so I hadn’t been able to do any groundwork.

“We’ll just have to see what happens. Even if we get rejected this time, it’s not like this is our only shot.”

As we spoke, one of Samia’s Warp Gates opened in midair—a direct portal back to Alliance headquarters.

“All right, let’s head back and get some rest.”

“You both worked hard.”

“How about another drink when we get back?”

“I just want to sleep! Let me sleep!”

* * *

The day of the World Guild review finally arrived. I put on a suit over my hunter combat gear and set out.

’…Ugh.’

The moment I took the elevator down to the hotel lobby, I was met by a massive crowd of reporters and camera crews.

I forced a calm, unbothered expression onto my face as I walked forward, surrounded by the bodyguards Garam had sent.

“Hunter Kim Yusin! How confident are you about passing today’s World Guild review?”

“What do you think is the Magic Tower’s competitive edge compared to the other World Guilds?”

Reporters, their faces now familiar, thrust microphones at me, bombarding me with questions.

I decided to answer only the last one.

“The Magic Tower’s competitive edge? Hmm…”

I thought for a moment, then replied.

“It’s our mass appeal.”

“…Excuse me?”

“Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

“Wait a moment, Hunter Kim Yusin! Please explain!”

I slipped through the crowd and got into the waiting Garam Management vehicle.

It would have been easy enough to walk to the central building, but with the media frenzy this intense, taking the car was the right call.

’Huh?’

Someone was already in the passenger seat.

“Surprise!”

Shin Nara suddenly twisted around from her seat and flashed a peace sign.

“P-President Shin! When did you get to Switzerland? I heard you were busy.”

“I got here yesterday! How could I not be here when one of our hunters is involved in something so crucial for South Korea’s future?”

’I wouldn’t exactly call this the future of South Korea, but…’

Then, with a rustle, Shin Nara whipped out an assortment of items in front of my face.

“Care for some herbal calming pills? Methylphenidate? Caffeine capsules? Or maybe a hunter-grade stimulant?”

“…I think you’re the one who needs the calming pills, President Shin.”

Even as she offered them, Shin Nara herself was trembling, her face tight with nerves.

“Ugh, they’re going to be so territorial… The World Guild system has been set with five members for a long time now. What are we going to do? What are we going to do?”

“I think we have a shot.”

I picked out a light red ginseng stick, tore off the top, and sucked down the contents.

“I’ve already secured two of the five votes.”

Shin Nara’s eyes widened. She suddenly hid her face behind the boxes of supplements and shook her head.

“Ugh! Don’t get my hopes up like that! When you say it like that, it feels like it could actually happen!”

“…Haha.”

To be honest, I figured our odds were about fifty-fifty. We wouldn’t know for sure until we were in the room.

The car glided smoothly along and soon arrived at our destination.

President Shin escorted me to the security checkpoint. From this point on, only authorized personnel were allowed inside.

“Go get ‘em!”

From the other side of the security line, she threw both arms in the air and cheered. Her voice was so loud that people around us started murmuring and staring.

I waved back at her and stepped into the elevator.

Alliance Central Headquarters, 90th floor.

As soon as I stepped out of the elevator, a staff member was waiting to guide me.

“Hunter Kim Yusin, this is the room.”

“Whew.”

I took a slow breath to steady myself, then stepped into the room the staffer opened for me.

Five people sat inside, each in their own distinctive style, bathed in the dazzling light pouring through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Every one of them radiated an overwhelming pressure.

1. Holy Knights / Vatican / Official Rank 2 “Archbishop” Marcello.

2. Gravekeeper / Egypt / Official Rank 2 “Pharaoh” Menes.

3. Sky Castle / France / Official Rank 1 “Lord of the Sky Castle” Albert Clostermann.

4. Ghost Corps / Mexico / Official Rank 2 “Spirit King” Marie Gold.

5. Lion Fleet / Singapore / Official Rank 2 “Admiral” Sham.

The five of them, each with a completely different aura, were looking straight at me. I walked to the center of the semicircle where they were seated.

I spotted Han Yoonjeong.

She was wearing the golden Pharaoh suit I hadn’t seen in ages. With her legs crossed and arms folded, she stared at me with a haughty expression, but when our eyes met, she gave me a quick wink.

I also saw Archbishop Marcello, whom I hadn’t seen in a while. He offered me a gentle smile.

Marie of the Ghost Corps, whom I had run into by chance at the hotel, was absentmindedly fiddling with the doll in her arms. She didn’t show much interest in me.

Admiral Sham. True to her title, she wore a navy dress uniform heavy with medals.

She was the oldest among the World Guild leaders. The sight of a woman in her sixties, hair completely white, in full dress uniform left a strong impression.

And then there was this man.

The only Official Rank 1 among the World Guilds, and in a guild where all members were nominally equal, the one who was effectively their leader.

Albert Clostermann.

He was a man with sculpted features, dressed in a white suit with a pure white scarf draped around his neck.

I had only ever heard rumors about his looks, but seeing him in person, I realized none of them had been exaggerated. He was the very image of a noble, princely, pretty boy straight out of a shoujo manga.

Wearing a monocle—a look few modern people could pull off—he lifted a teacup with long, slender fingers and savored his black tea.

’I have a feeling that convincing this man won’t be easy.’

“Then let us begin the World Guild review for the Magic Tower.”

Sham spoke first. I bowed to them.

“Thank you for this opportunity. I am Kim Yusin, Master of the Magic Tower.”

“We’ve already received reports on the Magic Tower and are well informed. Let’s skip the formalities. If anyone has questions, please ask.”

’Straight to questions, with no chance to make my pitch.’

The guild introduction I had spent a week preparing was being skipped, but I kept my composure and waited.

“…”

When the room fell silent, Sham spoke again.

“Then I shall go first.”

“Of course.”

“The World Guilds have already achieved more than enough as a five-member system. The Alliance, and we ourselves, are satisfied with the current structure. Why, at this point, should we include the Magic Tower?”

“The reason is simple.”

I met her gaze as I answered.

“Power.”

“…Power?”

“Yes. I am well aware of the achievements the World Guilds have accumulated. You have destroyed countless demons and calamities, which is why you enjoy the respect of nations around the world. However…”

I allowed a faint smile to touch my lips.

“Even still water eventually stagnates and rots.”

“…That is a rather provocative way to put it.”

“It’s simply the truth. The current global trend is toward nationalism and ‘my country first’ policies. We even saw the launch of the M10, an alliance of the hunters’ great powers. What do you think this series of developments means?”

“Go on.”

“It means the Alliance’s influence isn’t what it used to be. Take the recent incident in Africa, for example. Because of the Alliance’s excessive pressure on member states to provide support, ‘Abandon Africa’ advocates emerged, and the disgraceful incident they caused severely damaged the Alliance’s credibility.”

I looked around at each of them and continued, enunciating every word.

“It has been over seven years since the last world-class calamity appeared. It is an undeniable fact that the Alliance’s power is waning. And since the World Guilds are organizations whose authority is derived from the Alliance, there is a real risk that your standing will decline as well. There is only one solution: instead of relying solely on the Alliance, the World Guilds must secure their own power and competitiveness.”

Just then—

“An interesting argument, Tower Master Kim Yusin.”

Marcello cut in with a broad, cheerful smile.

* * *

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