The Cursed Blacksmith Who Regressed - Chapter 59

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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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Episode 59

 

Jang Hae-hyeon’s phone was on fire.

 

It was calls from various industry people.

 

Naturally, he didn’t answer them.

 

What would he hear if he answered now?

 

Then Han Yu-won cautiously approached and said.

 

“President, the presidents of Master and Hyper Guild have requested a meeting, asking if they could meet right now.”

 

“Let’s do that.”

 

“Understood.”

 

This was expected.

 

They had presented incredible conditions that completely ignored the so-called industry business ethics.

 

Then Choi Hyun, who had finished broadcasting, approached Jang Hae-hyeon.

 

“Your phone must be on fire right about now?”

 

“Just now, Master and Hyper requested a presidential meeting, asking if we could meet right away.”

 

“As expected. If it were a small company-level guild, it might be different, but a size like Daesan would be threatening enough. In that sense, may I also attend?”

 

“Would that be okay? You must be tired. How about just leaving this matter to me?”

 

“No. It’s not that I don’t trust you, President, but I have something I want to say to them. In that sense, please relay this message. If they’re coming, tell them not to come alone but to bring the top-tier hunters each guild possesses.”

 

“Understood.”

 

He didn’t know Choi Hyun’s intention, but since he asked, he agreed to do so.

 

Even if he didn’t know the intention, Choi Hyun must have his reasons.

 

Perhaps because the matter was serious, everyone gathered at Daesan Guild headquarters before long.

 

They came so quickly, one might think they had flown here.

 

The guests were received in the President’s Office, and the first to arrive was Kang Hwi-rak, president of Master Guild, the industry’s number one, who roughly opened the office door and made his entrance.

 

“President Jang!”

 

With a build so large one might think he was a gorilla, he was surprisingly an ordinary person, not an awakened one.

 

Behind him followed a man of average build.

 

It was Kim Ha-geom, the Sword Saint, ranked 2nd among Korean Players and Master Guild’s signature hunter.

 

Jang Hae-hyeon greeted them with a smile.

 

“You’ve come, President Kang. Sword Saint, you’re here too.”

 

“No, is this the time to smile and welcome us nicely? What is this all about? Paragon! And why are the recruitment conditions like that!”

 

That’s when it happened.

 

“Calm down, President Kang.”

 

A relatively calm voice.

 

A thin, young man entered through the open door.

 

The man with half-closed eyelids that made him look rather cold was Lee Yong-u, president of Hyper Guild.

 

Behind him followed a tall beauty with long black hair – it was An U-ju, the Bow Ghost, who ranked 3rd among Korean Players.

 

Jang Hae-hyeon politely greeted them as well.

 

“President Lee and Bow Ghost, you’ve come too. Now that everyone seems to be here, shall we have a talk? Ah, before that, this person is President Choi Hyun, the president of the newly established Paragon Guild.”

 

Since it was an official occasion, he called him president rather than director.

 

At Jang Hae-hyeon’s introduction, Choi Hyun also politely greeted them.

 

“I’m Choi Hyun.”

 

At Choi Hyun’s introduction, everyone finally took their seats.

 

The prepared table was round, and with two people sitting together on each side, it formed a triangular arrangement.

 

Jang Hae-hyeon spoke.

 

“Both of you requested to meet me, but since what you want to say seems to be the same, I arranged for us to meet together. Thank you for responding to the request.”

 

“Enough! President Jang, what is this all about suddenly? You’ve shown no interest in raids until now, so why the sudden interest in raids?”

 

The impatient Kang Hwi-rak struck first.

 

Jang Hae-hyeon answered.

 

“It’s not that I became interested, but President Choi here became interested, so I’m just responding to his related request.”

 

“Hunter Choi?”

 

At Kang Hwi-rak’s words, Jang Hae-hyeon’s expression hardened for a moment.

 

“Not Hunter Choi, but President Choi.”

 

“…Ha!”

 

At Jang Hae-hyeon’s correction, Kang Hwi-rak laughed.

 

Among them, Kang Hwi-rak was the oldest.

 

And he also had the most experience in this field.

 

But so what?

 

At Kang Hwi-rak’s sneer, Jang Hae-hyeon became serious.

 

“We held the launch ceremony today. Please be mindful of how you address him.”

 

“Fine, let’s do that. Yes, President Choi. Let me ask you straight up. Since President Choi is Paragon’s president, are the guild member recruitment conditions announced this time also President Choi’s idea?”

 

“Yes, I suggested we do it that way.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Because I thought it was acceptable to do so.”

 

“No, I mean! Even so, there’s such a thing as industry business ethics, but when a place like Daesan suddenly comes out like that, what are we supposed to do!”

 

“What kind of industry is this industry?”

 

“Are you trying to play word games now?”

 

“I’m asking sincerely. What are this industry’s business ethics, what kind of place is a place like Daesan, and what do you mean by ‘like that’?”

 

“Is this person joking around right now!”

 

Bang!

 

At Choi Hyun’s counter-question, Kang Hwi-rak’s voice finally reached its peak.

 

His face turned red like kimchi porridge and swelled as if it would burst at any moment.

 

That’s when President Lee Yong-u of Hyper, who had been listening quietly, spoke.

 

“Industry business ethics refers to implicit rules for mutual prosperity that aren’t legally defined but exist nonetheless. A place like Daesan means a large corporation with significant size, and ‘like that’ refers to the groundbreaking conditions Paragon has put forward. President Jang, wouldn’t you explain why the industry standard settlement ratio for newcomers is 6:4?”

 

Lee Yong-u pointed this out calmly.

 

Choi Hyun also answered calmly.

 

“No, he didn’t tell me. But I knew about it. However, I found it somewhat puzzling. You said it was an implicit rule made for mutual prosperity, but isn’t it a structure where guilds with some size rarely lose money unless their operations are terribly mismanaged?”

 

“Why do you think that?”

 

“Setting everything else aside, it’s because they still receive tremendous tax support.”

 

“That all goes to operating expenses.”

 

“Then Hyper should be fine operating with 6:4. Settlement ratios are calculated considering what allows companies to maintain themselves without losses. Companies are places that make profits, so shouldn’t each do it their own way?”

 

“….”

 

Lee Yong-u’s brow furrowed.

 

At the same time, Choi Hyun wore a relaxed expression and continued.

 

“I understand to some extent why you came to see us. If a guild from a large corporation like Daesan suddenly does business this way, it would cause significant damage to both of your rice bowls. But that’s not wrong, is it?”

 

“Excuse me?”

 

“I said it’s not wrong. We completely rebranded our parent company Daesan and started new policies to create this level of settlement ratio, making constant efforts to secure competitiveness. Then you two should do the same as us. Frankly speaking, we’re a newly started guild, so if you two seriously came at us, could we even handle it?”

 

“Are you being serious?”

 

“I haven’t been insincere since becoming a hunter. That’s why I, as president, personally tackle the Growth Tower and participate in Black Area conquests. Honestly, how could a new guild like ours compete with the industry’s 1st and 2nd place giants without these recruitment conditions and bonus points from Black Area conquests?”

 

“….”

 

“We’re just making efforts in our own way. And as far as I know, Master and Hyper don’t accept just any hunters, so wouldn’t that make it even less relevant? We’re thinking of gathering lower-tier hunters and slowly developing them. That’s why we’re diligently collecting area priority conquest rights to provide for them.”

 

Continuing his words, Choi Hyun shifted his gaze toward the Sword Saint and Bow Ghost and said.

 

“And frankly speaking, you have top-tier hunters who rank among the industry’s top three, so if those people step forward, we’d be hopelessly pushed back in the fight to secure priority conquest rights, wouldn’t we? I don’t think those people are inferior to me.”

 

Bang!

 

“What word games are you playing!”

 

Finally unable to bear it, Kang Hwi-rak slammed the desk and tried to stand up.

 

The one who stopped him was Kim Ha-geom, the Sword Saint who came with him.

 

“That said, I don’t think I’m particularly great either.”

 

At his statement, everyone’s attention turned to Kim Ha-geom.

 

Choi Hyun asked back.

 

“Why? You’re in the 80s level-wise and ranked 2nd among domestic players.”

 

“Even so, they never even dared to think of challenging the Black Area. No matter how much they say there are no entry restrictions for any area, you know as well as I do, President Choi, that dungeons and gates are even more terrifying because of that?”

 

“Then just accept the natural order of things. Or fulfill your duty. Why are you trying to claim only rights without fulfilling any duties?”

 

“Duty?”

 

“We are Awakened. Whether we like it or not, we suddenly became Awakened and gained the power to fight against the System. Then isn’t it natural that we should fight to protect what’s precious to us?”

 

“Why is that natural? Did someone force us to?”

 

“No, they didn’t. But even in the pre-Cataclysm era, when wars broke out, citizens took up arms and fought to protect their country and families. Of course, some people ran away, but most fought. Not because it was a duty, but because they thought it was the right thing to do.”

 

Choi Hyun looked at the four visitors and said.

 

“I understand being afraid. I understand valuing your life. However, as a fellow Awakened, if you try to stop us from fighting just because of a mere matter of livelihood, that’s something I cannot understand. If you want to run away, run away by yourselves. As I said on the broadcast, all of this is just part of humanity’s fight to free itself from the Great Cataclysm. And.”

 

Choi Hyun’s eyes turned back to Kim Ha-geom as he spoke.

 

“You are a sufficiently strong person. Seeing how you’ve survived this long with that level of swordsmanship, you’ll survive well enough in the Black Area too. So don’t be afraid and just take on the challenge. You’ll survive somehow.”

 

In that moment, the air in the President’s Office began to freeze cold.

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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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