Chapter 11

The Troublemaker's Father

A sincere, innocent question, free of any ulterior motives.

...

However, given that I'd regressed from the future, I couldn't respond to her sincerity with the same innocence.

As far as anyone knew, I was still the troublemaker of the Baekmyeong family who had only come to his senses two months ago.

I couldn't tell her what Baek Dohyeon, the man who had fought alongside Yun Sol fifteen years in the future, remembered about her.

So I had no choice but to conceal Baek Dohyeon's true feelings behind the troublemaker's lies.

So that she wouldn't notice.

“—I've been watching you, Ms. Yun Sol.”

“Watching... me? Why?”

“After you, well, taught me a lesson back then, I looked into you a little. I started with basic personal information, and eventually contacted the association to obtain footage of the raids you'd participated in.”

Because I'd watched you on the battlefields of the future. I'd seen you fight to protect those who remained.

“At first, my intentions weren't particularly good... But as I continued watching your battles, I began thinking differently.”

“Differently?”

“Yes. You see, I'm quite interested in the hunter industry. And watching you made me think. A rare lightning-type ability combined with a combat style that utilizes martial arts. Couldn't that... have potential? And if you added your natural physical abilities to the mix, perhaps you could reach A-rank. No, maybe even S-rank.”

“...”

A battlefield where we'd fought desperately against those things, with our lives on the line.

The sight of you becoming lightning itself, racing across the battlefield in flashes of light... You were truly a God of Thunder.

“And then, another thought occurred to me... Perhaps I could help you realize that potential. After all, I have money and a good eye for talent.”

The person you'd become in the future.

The ways you'd told me to utilize your abilities, and the trials and errors you'd experienced along the way.

I already knew all of them.

“That's why I established this guild. To discover promising hunters like you, Ms. Yun Sol, and help them grow.”

I established Revenant to protect my comrades, including you, who had fallen before me.

To pass on to my comrades in the present the possibilities my comrades in the future had given me.

“Well, I won't claim that I started this purely out of goodwill. Naturally, I don't intend to operate at a loss, and I also plan to use the guild as a foothold for Baekmyeong Group's entry into the hunter industry.”

Of course, I also had goals like preventing the world's destruction and reforming the hunter industry.

“However... I'm not lying when I say that I want to support your growth as a hunter.”

The one point where my present self and future self intersected.

That's why I want to help.

So that you can become even stronger than your future self.

So that you can realize every last bit of your potential.

“I believe in your potential, Ms. Yun Sol, and I want to invest in it....Sincerely.”

Had I managed to answer Yun Sol's unexpected question properly?

Feeling slightly nervous, I waited for her response.

“—Pfft.”

“?”

“Ahahahaha!”

“Excuse me?”

“Ah, no. I'm sorry. You're a much more serious person than I expected. No, it's not that I should be laughing, but the difference between the image I had of you and what you're actually like is just so huge...”

“...”

“...Phew. I've calmed down now. Um, Miss Secretary?”

“Yes? Are you speaking to me?”

“Yes. Could I borrow a pen?”

Yun Sol took the ballpoint pen Seohyeon handed her...

Scribble, scribble.

“Huh?”

And signed her name on the contract's signature line in an instant.

“Ms. Yun Sol...?”

“Here you go.”

“So, um...”

“I'll sign the contract. Here.”

I could only stare blankly at the contract Yun Sol was holding out to me.

“...You certainly make decisions quickly.”

“There's no reason to hesitate. Perfect facilities, a guild with the powerful backing of Baekmyeong Group. And on top of that, the guild master saved my life. Most importantly...”

Yun Sol smiled brightly.

“...If it's someone who believes in my potential, isn't it worth betting my life on their guild?”

It was the same bright smile I'd seen countless times in my previous life, identical to that of the Yun Sol I knew in the future.

Before I knew it, I was grinning along with her.

“Then I look forward to working with you, Ms. Yun Sol.”

“Yes! Mr. Dohyeon—no, Guild Master!”

“Then, right now, as guild master, I'd like to give you, Ms. Yun Sol, one piece of advice as a valued hunter of Revenant.”

“Yes?”

“Don't go signing contracts carelessly.”

“...”

“How do you know what's written in there? One careless signature on the wrong document, and your entire life could go straight down the drain.”

“Wait, excuse me? Guild Master? Weren't we just having such a heartwarming moment?”

“That's one thing, and this is another. I refuse to watch one of our guild's hunters ruin their life because they signed something without thinking.”

“Wow. Seriously. Guild Master, you're a T, aren't you? An absolute capital T. How could you ruin such a wonderful atmosphere like that?”

“I was merely stating facts.”

“Ah, yes. Of course you were.”

And so, with the warmth that had filled the air between Yun Sol and me vanishing like smoke, the two of us boarded the elevator.

I'd instructed Seohyeon to return to work, and I was accompanying Yun Sol down to the lobby alone to see her off.

After grumbling to herself for a while, Yun Sol...

“...”

Suddenly fell silent again. What was it this time?

“Is there something else bothering you?”

“...There's one more thing.”

“Feel free to say it. We're part of the same team now.”

“Well. You know how I was acting so awkward around you today? There's another reason for that.”

“Another reason?”

“...Honestly, until that Gate raid, I thought you were a really terrible person, Guild Master.”

“Aha...”

“I mean, I'd read articles about you and curse you out when I was alone. Wondering what right a pathetic... guy like that had to run a hunter guild.”

That was understandable.

Until then, the image Yun Sol had of me was probably that of a third-generation chaebol heir who'd pathetically brought bodyguards along to fight a woman in person.

“But when I actually met you...”

“You realized I was competent and even had a pretty decent personality?”

“...Aren't you embarrassed to say that about yourself?”

“It's a fact.”

“Ah, yes... Well. You're right. So I felt bad for looking down on you and insulting you so much without knowing what kind of person you really were. That's part of why I was being so cautious around you.”

No wonder. Considering Yun Sol's usual personality, she'd seemed far too timid today. So that was what had been on her mind.

“—Anyway, I realized you're a much better person than I expected, Guild Master. So don't let yourself get swayed by what people around you say.”

“...Thank you.”

Honestly. She really was unnecessarily meddlesome and kindhearted.

...Not that it felt bad.

The elevator reached the first floor, and we crossed the lobby before stepping outside through the main entrance.

“Well then, I'll be going!”

“All right. Get home safely, and I'll see you again tomorrow.”

I waved to Yun Sol and watched her disappear into the crowd.

“...That was an unexpected development, but it worked out even better.”

The recruitment order I'd originally planned had changed a little, but that didn't matter.

While I was working on recruiting Cha Yunha, Yun Sol had practically fallen into my lap.

“Well, now that I've secured a bonus... Shall I return to my original target?”

I took out my phone.

[Cha Yunha: Then let's meet there.]

[Cha Yunha: The day after tomorrow at 7 p.m., at Restaurant Privilea.]

[Cha Yunha: I'll make the reservation. I'm a regular there.]

After the future God of Thunder, it was the Ice Empress's turn.

____________

[Mr. Baek Dohyeon is currently working toward recruiting Cha Yunha, the fifth-ranked S-rank hunter, and successfully recruited B-rank hunter Yun Sol yesterday.]

Baek Taeseok, chairman of Baekmyeong Group, read the message from Yun Seohyeon once again.

“An S-rank hunter, huh. That won't be easy. And Yun Sol, wasn't she the one involved in that incident...?”

Chairman Baek removed his glasses and massaged the bridge of his nose wearily before leaning back in his office chair.

“What on earth is that boy Dohyeon thinking?”

One of the conditions for supporting Revenant's establishment was that every detail of Baek Dohyeon's activities had to be reported to him.

In accordance with that condition, Chairman Baek had been receiving reports from Dohyeon's secretary, Yun Seohyeon, about everything his son had done, from establishing the guild to beginning its full-scale operations.

“So far, he seems to be doing unexpectedly well, but...”

The troublemaker of the Baekmyeong family, Chairman Baek Taeseok's second son.

And the only one of his three children who was a constant source of heartache.

Even now, Chairman Baek could vividly recall the incidents his son had caused.

Drinking, partying, and neglecting his duties were practically his default behavior, hardly even worth counting as incidents.

Pestering women on social media, cursing at subordinates whenever they displeased him, causing disturbances at bars and getting tasered by police officers...

Every time an incident involving his son appeared in the media, Chairman Baek felt as though years were being shaved off his life.

No, if nothing else, the boy could at least have committed some grand crime befitting a chaebol.

Instead, his behavior had been so petty and pathetic that it was embarrassing to think of him as an heir to Baekmyeong Group. As a result, Baek Dohyeon's public image had sunk beyond that of a 'bad person' to that of a 'laughingstock.'

Reaching settlements with the victims of his son's incidents, pouring advertising money into media outlets to silence them...

And when the damage to Baekmyeong Group's image was taken into account, Baek Dohyeon had probably caused losses amounting to tens, perhaps even hundreds, of billions of won.

“I seriously considered disowning him.”

Blood was the only thing one could trust. Therefore, Baekmyeong would be passed down to his children.

However, Baek Dohyeon had mercilessly shaken Chairman Baek's steadfast belief.

When he finally heard that his son had nearly gotten himself beaten up by a hunter, Chairman Baek had flown into such a rage that he'd almost beaten Baek Dohyeon with a golf club.

For several days afterward, the chairman had seriously considered whether he should force Baek Dohyeon to sever all ties with Baekmyeong.

Then Baek Dohyeon visited the chairman's office once again.

This time, of his own accord.

-I'll raise Baekmyeong's name to the number one position in South Korea. By taking control of the hunter industry myself.

“...Is that really something you can accomplish, Dohyeon?”