F-Rank Secretly Becomes Stronger - Chapter 46

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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46

Meat Restaurant.

It was an ordinary beef shop that showed no special characteristics on the outside for a place that a conglomerate owner would frequent.

‘I thought a chairman would only go to extremely expensive places, but there are many unexpected aspects.’

Looking from outside, it was a shop where not even a decent private room was visible.

He was afraid that if he entered such a noisy-looking place, there might be people who would recognize his face.

Jung Juhyeok opened the door and stepped inside.

An employee wearing an apron approached with an apologetic expression.

“I’m sorry. We’re completely full right now…”

“I heard there was a reservation under the name An Yeongshik.”

“Ah!”

The staff member immediately smiled upon hearing the reserved name.

He reopened the door that Jung Juhyeok had entered through.

“I’ll guide you right away.”

Saying that, they went outside the shop.

The staff member led Jung Juhyeok into the basement stairs attached right next to the shop.

‘What’s this, is there another shop downstairs?’

Following down the staircase without understanding why.

The interior felt very different from the first floor meat restaurant.

It was a bit more luxurious while somehow giving off an elegant feeling.

Going down to the basement and opening the door revealed a shop that was on a completely different level from the first floor.

A lobby displaying liquor bottles that looked obviously expensive.

Following the staff member past it, when he opened a private room door, Hyeonsu who had been waiting inside greeted him warmly.

“You’re here?”

“Yes… Hello.”

Jung Juhyeok was momentarily stunned by this experience he was having for the first time in his life.

Hyeonsu stood up from his seat, and along with him, an elderly man with a kind smile also rose and approached.

Jung Juhyeok, who knew who that elderly man was, politely bowed his head in greeting.

“Hello. I’m Jung Juhyeok.”

“Haha, there’s no need to be so formal. Please, have a seat first.”

After exchanging greetings, they took their seats.

The private room had clean interior design and a mysterious fragrance that he had never smelled before wafted through the air.

Rather than a meat restaurant, it felt more like visiting some quiet cafe.

“Nice to meet you. Was the journey here long and tiring?”

“Not at all. It wasn’t really that far.”

“That’s good to hear then. Shall we fill our stomachs first and then talk?”

The staff member grilling the meat quietly grilled and cut the meat as if they didn’t exist.

Soon they brought the meat to the plates in front of them, focusing solely on grilling the meat without any guidance on how to eat it.

Rather than a staff member, the word servant seemed more fitting for their appearance.

The reality of this expensive meat restaurant he was visiting for the first time kept touching his spine with a sense of alienation.

‘I don’t even know if the meat is properly going into my mouth.’

The beef he put in his mouth in one bite.

A sensation that was actually difficult to express even with the word delicious.

As soon as he put it in his mouth, it chewed softly and ravaged his tongue with a flavor he had never experienced before.

After the meal that deserved the expression “amazing” rather than “delicious” ended, and not long after when his stomach was getting a little full, the elderly man spoke first.

“First, I should express my gratitude. Thank you for saving my grandson.”

“I simply completed the job I was assigned according to the contract.”

“That may be true, but neither of us knew it would become such a dangerous situation.”

Indeed, who would have the audacity to secretly enter an A-rank Gate?

That was probably something that would be difficult for anyone present to easily predict.

“If it weren’t for Jung Juhyeok’s appropriate judgment and response, who knows what would have happened to this boy.”

Saying those words, Chairman An Yeongshik sighed and looked at his grandson.

At that gaze, Hyeonsu made a slightly awkward expression.

It seemed he was being a bit cautious since this situation had occurred because he had stubbornly insisted on going to the A-rank Gate.

“So as a token of my gratitude, I’d like to make a proposal…”

A proposal.

The other party getting straight to the point shortly after arriving.

Juhyeok perked up his ears without saying a word.

“I heard you’re planning to create a guild.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

A nodding head.

The Chairman continued speaking.

“You haven’t found a sponsor to support you yet, have you?”

Usually when creating a guild, you don’t do it with your own power alone.

The biggest problem is the ridiculous costs involved.

Therefore, if you want to create a guild, it’s common to first finish planning how you’ll operate the guild, then go around to various corporations looking for sponsors.

Since Juhyeok hadn’t even properly finished planning how he would run his guild, naturally he couldn’t have found a sponsor.

“I have no intention of looking for a sponsor.”

More than anything else, Juhyeok had no intention of seeking a sponsor from the beginning.

Getting a sponsor would certainly help financially, but it would also mean stronger outside influence.

Juhyeok, who didn’t want to be interfered with by anyone, had no intention of creating a small guild with only his own funds.

“You have no intention of seeking a sponsor?”

Chairman An Yeongshik was slightly surprised by the unexpected response.

Juhyeok answered simply.

“I plan to operate very small with a minimal number of people, so there’s no need to seek a sponsor.”

A sponsor would naturally be necessary if he planned to operate on a large scale like other guilds.

However, in Juhyeok’s case, he just needed a guild that met the basic requirements, so he didn’t really need a sponsor.

“Hmm… Still, you’ll need a lot of funds both for establishing the guild and for operating it afterward.”

“That’s why I’m diligently going back and forth through Gates.”

Juhyeok was entering Gates like crazy to gather funds.

Guild, artifacts.

There wasn’t a single place that didn’t require money, so there was no time to rest.

“I’m planning to enter S-rank Gates in the near future.”

S-rank Gates that might open once a year at most.

Currently, Korea only had dormant S-rank Gates, so he would have to go overseas directly, making the procedures quite complicated.

Getting through all of that would be difficult in many ways, but with his current need for funds, he had no choice.

“…You’re saying you’ll go to an S-rank Gate?”

“Yes, I need to work hard to gather funds.”

“….”

This wasn’t a stage where working hard would be enough.

To think that the words “S-rank Gate” would come from an F-rank Hunter’s mouth.

Chairman An Yeongshik, who had heard everything about what happened inside the Gate, knew he was impressive, but he wondered if he was really at a level where he could handle S-rank.

He quietly checked his expression to see if it was a joke, but there wasn’t a trace of playfulness in his eyes.

“S-rank….”

Hyeonsu muttered for a moment.

Then he carefully spoke to Jung Juhyeok.

“Could I perhaps come along—”

“Nonsense.”

Chairman An Yeongshik immediately cut off the ridiculous request.

He glared at his grandson and said.

“A guy who was treated like a nobody even in A-rank, what S-rank?”

“…I was just saying.”

His voice immediately shrank at his grandfather’s scolding.

Chairman An Yeongshik cleared his throat briefly and continued speaking.

“Anyway, if you ever need anything, we’re always available, so please contact us.”

“Yes, thank you.”

Jung Juhyeok said this while hesitating for a moment.

After thinking briefly, he looked back and forth between Hyeonsu and Chairman An Yeongshik and spoke.

“So, about that… may I make a proposal this time?”

“A proposal?”

A proposal made after rejecting the sponsorship offer and turning the tables instead.

In fact, this was something he had been thinking about since arranging this dinner appointment.

Juhyeok looked at Hyeonsu and asked.

“Do you happen to have any knowledge in management?”

“Me?”

A bewildered expression as he pointed to himself.

He hesitated for a moment at the unexpected question, then answered shortly after.

“When I was young, they kept telling me to learn it, so I had no choice but to study it…”

“That’s perfect.”

Juhyeok said with a faint smile.

“We just happen to need someone to handle management for the guild.”

“…”

Hyeonsu stared at Juhyeok with blank eyes for a moment.

He seemed to wonder if he had misheard.

Just to be sure, he asked Juhyeok again.

“You don’t mean you want to entrust that to me, do you?”

“That’s exactly what I mean.”

Even if you create a guild, it’s useless without someone to handle the operations.

He had no knowledge in that area at all, and in the time it would take to study such things, he would rather swing his sword even once more.

Of course, if he created a guild, he would have basic knowledge as a Guild Master, but it wouldn’t be enough to study professionally enough to run a guild.

There were too many other things to worry about, so he needed someone to handle the management side, and he had chosen Hyeonsu as the right person for the job since he would have had many connections to management.

“No matter how much I’ve studied, I have no experience working in the field.”

“Then you can start gaining that experience now.”

If there’s no experience, then just build it from now on.

He didn’t exactly have experience creating a guild either, so weren’t they in the same boat?

“You don’t need to feel burdened. It’s not like we’re planning to grow it into a big guild anyway – it’ll just be a really small-scale guild run moderately.”

“No, even so…”

Hyeonsu hesitated at the proposal he had never imagined.

It was only natural.

When he was young, he had studied business management under the pretext of having to inherit the company, but after becoming a Hunter, he had lived neglecting it almost entirely.

He had been constantly arguing with his grandfather every day, bickering about not wanting to inherit the company.

He never expected that while working as a Hunter, he would hear someone ask him to take on management duties.

Hyeonsu pondered for a moment on how to refuse.

Before he could even answer, Chairman An Yeongshik, who had been sitting quietly beside him, rose from his seat.

“It’s fate.”

Saying that, he slowly approached Jung Juhyeok and clasped his hands.

“I never dreamed in my wildest dreams that such a benefactor would come to our foolish grandson.”

Eyes filled with vitality.

His voice tone, which had been calm throughout the conversation, became passionate and rose.

“I’ll make this boy useful somehow, so don’t worry.”

“I haven’t heard from him personally yet…”

“That boy will say it’s fine too.”

Chairman An Yeongshik said this while looking at Hyeonsu.

“The moment he says it’s not fine, he’ll be kicked out of the house.”

“….”

A recommendation bordering on threat.

Naturally, Hyeonsu didn’t want to waste his life on tedious management work, but he couldn’t bring himself to stand up to his grandfather who was being so stubborn.

“I’ll think about it positively…”

All he could do was try his best not to say he would accept it.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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