Chapter 22 – Noblesse Guild (3)

As I finished my conversation with Sangmin-hyung, a call came.

“Yes. Hyung.”

“Uh. What’s up Min-Cheol?”

“Hyung, I’ve only been here for an hour. Hyung, perhaps you like me?”

“I just had a bad feeling. If there is nothing wrong, that’s fine. Please let hyung know if you become suspicious or notice something strange. Talk to you later then.”

‘What the? Boring. Only talking about himself and ending the call.’

After the call ended, master Park Hyun spoke towards the where the guild members grouped up.

“Everyone, thank you for your hard work. I reserved a BBQ rib place in front of here, so I’ll see all there.”

“Yes!”

“Understood!”

I had given up a day that could have been used for hunting, but it was a time where I could gather a lot of information.

With this much, it should more than make up for the lost time, right?

I left the west section association branch and leisurely headed toward the restaurant.

To make sure that all 500 members could be hosted, she must have selected a restaurant where the entire building was dedicated for use of the restaurant.

From the beginning of the guild war to the end of it, and even when we were moving toward the restaurant, he warily kept an eye, avoiding me as best as he could.

‘There walks my bento.’

“Hey! Hwang Jae Hyuk!”

“…..”

“What happened to the days you used to beat me up for not responding? Why are you doing it yourself?”

“Get lost. I don’t want to even speak with you.”

“Pff! You must have grown stronger since, huh?”

“You little piece of shit! You only got strong using money!”

I guess you could misinterpret my growth like that. But I was not going to be nice and explain to him that he had misunderstood.

I quietly went next to Jae Hyuk and put my hand on his shoulder.

Then.

“Do you not understand your situation? You’re going to die at this rate.”

“Urk.”

Putting a lot of strength in my hands, I squeezed his shoulder.

He could only groan pathetically at the incomparable strength since last time.

“You still think you’re the best huh?”

“G-guh. Let me go you piece of shit.”

“I told you last time? That there is no way I’m forgiving trash like you so easily. I hope you don’t ever change!”

“…..”

“Guess you don’t remember being hit last time? It was really sad to see how much pain you were in before.”

I raised my hand and move it towards his face, making him flinch and close his eyes.

Then.

“Please stop! We’re going to be one big family, so we shouldn’t fight you know?”

Guild master Park Hyun had headed toward us.

“Ma….master.”

Soon as Jae Hyuk saw Park Hyun, he ran toward her.

‘Bullying bitch….. He must do really well at work. But becoming a family? Aren’t we just guild members?’

Sucking up to the bosses.

“Mr. Min-Cheol. Let’s stop and go up to eat. Mr. Jae Hyuk should also stop this and go.”

In that short period, I felt something strange in the way Park Hyun looked at me.

Perhaps it was due to Jong Ho-hyung telling me about the rumors. It could be just me being biased.

But my guts told me that she was hiding something.

After eating out, it was 11 at night.

Since my mother was staying at home, I decided not to hunt till morning and instead head home.

While I was shaking my hand to catch a taxi on the side of the road, someone called out to me.

“Mr. Min-Cheol.”

“Yes.”

“Did you hear?”

“What…?”

“Ah, I guess you didn’t hear. All new guild members are to have an interview with me. So I asked a message to be sent asking if you had time tomorrow, but I guess it hasn’t arrived.”

“Ah, then let’s see each other tomorrow.”

“Let’s. Please come to the office at 7 in the evening.”

We said our goodbyes and I went toward home.

But during the entire way, couldn’t help but be suspicious.

‘Do guild masters really talk this often with their members like this?’

I knew that there were several new members who joined as well.

But Park Hyun did not even give them a glance towards them.

The more I thought about it, the more I became suspicious of her.

* * *

Next day, 7 in the evening.

For the interview with Park Hyun, I arrived at the guild building.

I went to Park Hyun’s room and knocked on the door.

“Yes, come on in.”

As I opened the door and went in, Park Hyun greeted me as if happy to see me.

“Ah, Mr. Min-Cheol. Welcome. I was just about to contact you. There was no difficulty coming, right?”

“Yes, thanks to you. Thank you.”

“Haha, I see. So, it was the first time you’ve seen a guild war, right? How was it? Wasn’t it fun?”

“Yes. It was very exciting.”

“Guild war is like true sports. The strong and superior become the winners, and the weak and inferior become the losers…..”

As she spoke, her face looked passionate and as if reminiscing about something.

But what I saw was a slight childlike madness.

“If a winner and loser is decided, I guess that would make it similar to sports.”

After that.

Many insignificant questions and answers continued.

Then.

“Ah, when Mr. Min-Cheol was younger, is it true your father passed away?”

‘What? Did she check my background? Since it’s something you can learn about just by looking up my life history record, should I be worried?’

“Yes, that’s right. At the age of 12.”

“Rumors say that it was due to debt.”

“Yes.”

“How was it for you?”

“Well, I have no emotions toward it.”

“Hm, did you not get along with your father?”

“…..”

“Ah, I’m sorry. Since I’m interested in Mr. Min-Cheol, I have lots of questions about you. My apologies if I was rude.”

“Ah, it’s fine.”

“Thank you. I also kind of feel bad for your father. But if the weak owes the strong, and is unable to pay the debt, they should take responsibility. I find this world ruled by the law of the jungle. From that point of view, I guess I could see your dad as a sacrifice. Don’t you agree?”

“…..”

Hearing her question, I asked while closing my past.

“Sorry but, what are you trying to get at?”

“Ah, I became to serious. Sorry. I just wanted to know how you were doing, but I went off track.”

“School and hunting, I do not do either excessively or with negligence.”

“I see. Then we’ll end the interview here. Please come to the guild often, I have great expectations of you.”

“Yes. Then I’ll be going.”

After the conversation, Park Hyun had the intern secretary escort me home safely.

On the ride back, there was no conversation, but perhaps due to the feats performed yesterday, I felt a silent pressure.

I’ve felt it before, but he really did stay emotionless without an expression. Due to the sunglasses he always wore, I could never tell what he was thinking.

* * *

“I’m back.”

“Ah. For what reason has my son returned home so early?”

“We haven’t had a day together after you quit work. I came so we could spend time together.”

Even while talking, she went to the kitchen to grab a metal pot and rice cooker, and asked.

“That’s my son. Did you eat yet? You should eat.”

“No, I already ate. What did you do today? What’s that in the living room?”

“Ah, that? Staying at home all day made me bored so I took some small jobs near here.”

“Ah, I told you to get some rest instead of doing that. Your son earns well!”

My mother couldn’t help but laugh with happiness at my complaints.

“Just hearing that from you makes me feel strong! I’m doing it because I’m bored so don’t you worry and go take a shower.”

“Don’t do work like that but do something fun that you want to do. Like the mothers that you see on TV that draw or do flower arranging. I’ll take a quick shower and come back out.”

* * *

After checking that my mother went to her room, I went into my room and laid on the bed.

The words Park Hyun said.

What objective in mind did she say those words with.

It wasn’t an interest you showed toward a new guild member, and it caused me great distress.

Jong Ho’s words that Noblesse has connections with radical groups came to mind again.

The part that really stuck in my mind was how she said the weak being crushed was the natural course of things.

Perhaps she plans to drag me into the radical group?

Is that why she offered those ridiculously beneficial conditions for me when asking me to join?

Does that mean she knows my ability? How much of it?

Perhaps that’s how all the guild members are, or perhaps there is a different reason. I needed more detailed and credible information.

Jae Hyuk would be coming to school tomorrow. Since he missed any more days, he would not be able to meet the required days to attend and possibly have his Awakened license be revoked.

“If I interrogate him, perhaps something will come out?”

Despite Jae Hyuk not being in the guild for a long time, but I thought I could get at least a little bit of information out of him.

Ending my thoughts, I left a text for Jong Ho.

‘Hyung, I need you to help me. I have a question about something you told me yesterday.

Please pick me up after school. There’s something I need to tell you.’

Honestly, I didn’t completely trust Jong Ho.

But I was relying on him because there was no one else in this situation who had that much information and connections.

Of course there were Sangmin and his party, but they were part of the Noblesse guild.

If I asked information from them and they had the same views as Park Hyun, I could be in deep trouble. They were my ‘enemies’ for now.

For tomorrow’s hunting, I tended to my uneasy heart and fell asleep.