The chairman spoke as he rose from his desk, walking over to the low table and sofa meant for receiving guests before taking a seat himself.
He gestured toward the sofa opposite. "Please, have a seat, Castorice-ssi. Make yourself comfortable. After all, I'm the one who asked to see you."
"Asked to see me...?"
Castorice blinked, her gaze shifting to the slick-haired man standing by the door, head slightly bowed.
"Ha, my apologies. I had him phrase it that way."
The chairman laughed good-naturedly.
"I'm fine standing, thank you."
The elder's open demeanor had indeed kept Castorice from feeling any real sense of deception, but matters still needed clarification. "What about the test...?"
"Ah, that was simply a pretext to bring you here. But please don't misunderstand—this isn't meant to put you at any disadvantage."
The chairman's voice was bright and carried genuine goodwill, making it hard to feel any ill will.
"Let me introduce myself first. I'm Go Gunhee, Chairman of the Hunter Association. Castorice-ssi, the reason I specifically asked you here today is to discuss something with you."
"Please, go ahead."
"First, congratulations on your S-rank rating."
Go Gunhee smiled.
"The secondary test is largely a formality. Once the initial determination was made, you were already effectively an S-rank."
"Thank you."
Castorice's tone gave nothing away. Sensing she wasn't one for beating around the bush, Go Gunhee's smile widened.
"Then I'll speak plainly. I'd like to invite you to join the Hunter Association as an Association Hunter."
"Chairman?!"
The usually composed slick-haired man was visibly startled by the statement.
"An Association Hunter...?"
Castorice truly hadn't considered this.
After all, the Hunter Association was clearly a governing body for Korea. Could an outsider like herself really join?
Judging by the shocked reaction of the man behind her, it clearly wasn't something easily accepted.
Unaware of Castorice's inner thoughts, Go Gunhee assumed she simply hadn't considered the option and continued, "The Association is large in scale, but truly outstanding hunters are few. The hunter behind you, Woo Jinchul, is already among the Association's top ranks."
Castorice searched her memory briefly. Among the S-ranks, she didn't recall a name like that.
"Just as you're thinking, A-rank is currently the peak of the Association's strength. Powerful hunters generally prefer to join large guilds, where fame and income are easier to obtain."
Go Gunhee explained.
"What's the difference in treatment between the guilds and the Association?"
Facing one of the nation's top administrators, Castorice naturally wouldn't pass up the chance to fill in her understanding of this world.
"Castorice-ssi, you've only recently arrived in this country, so there must be many things you're unaware of."
Go Gunhee nodded. "The biggest difference between guilds and the Association is this: after clearing a dungeon, the Association must surrender the magic crystals to the state, while guilds may keep them for themselves. Moreover, guild hunters can enjoy tax reductions of up to forty percent."
That point alone created a world of difference in treatment. On one side, you had a fixed salary for life-and-death work; on the other, though no salary, high rewards for the same risks.
"Association hunters have the authority to requisition guild hunters. Refusal is treated as treason, but..."
Go Gunhee's gaze lowered slightly. "Castorice-ssi, you may already understand that when power reaches a certain level, it can even place will above the rules."
The leaders of the major hunter guilds were all S-ranks.
If an S-rank hunter refused a requisition, would you dare brand them a traitor?
Other countries would be overjoyed—'If you don't want them, we'll gladly take them.'
Forget S-ranks; even A-ranks were rare and valuable assets.
Even if the authority to requisition existed in name, if they truly refused, the Association wouldn't dare take a hardline stance.
"We need powerful hunters who can counterbalance, even suppress, the guilds."
Go Gunhee didn't say it outright, but his manner made it clear he considered Castorice to be precisely that kind of existence.
Woo Jinchul behind them couldn't make sense of the situation at all.
Before Castorice arrived, the chairman had said something entirely different—that her background was suspicious and he wanted to meet her personally to probe her intentions.
How had it suddenly turned into this?
And from the chairman's current tone, this Castorice-ssi's strength must be truly fearsome.
Could she be on par with Choi Jong-In, or even Cha Hae-In?
No, if she were merely their equal, the chairman wouldn't be acting this way…
Could it be… Castorice-ssi's strength is comparable to Goto Ryuji of Japan?
Woo Jinchul swallowed hard.
If that were really the case… then indeed, even at the risk of offending other nations, they should try to keep her in Korea…
Though Castorice hadn't undergone the secondary test, Woo Jinchul didn't doubt the chairman's judgment over some measuring device.
"I can prepare a significant position for you within the Association."
Go Gunhee stated. "If you require substantial funds, I will also find a way to secure them."
"…"
Castorice was beginning to grasp the dynamics of this nation.
Modern firearms were ineffective against beings from the Gates. In other words, what supported countries, even the world now, wasn't governments or armies, but hunters.
And yet, hunter guilds weren't government entities. Their leaders were individuals.
This was akin to a nation's military power not being in the state's hands, but in the grasp of generals not fully under its control.
For now, the several "generals" (the guilds) maintained an equilibrium. But if a new S-rank like herself were to join one of them, it could shatter that balance.
It wasn't hard to understand the chairman's actions now. Her appearance must have been both a boon and a headache for him.
However…
"My apologies, sir. I cannot give you an answer immediately."
Castorice shook her head.
"Is it a matter of treatment conditions?"
Go Gunhee asked, then quickly corrected himself. "No, I suppose that's not it."
"I haven't decided on my path forward yet. The world of Hunters is still too unfamiliar to me. I wish to fully understand this world before making any decisions."
Castorice explained.
"…I see. I've already arranged for your hunter license to be prepared. Someone will approach you once you go downstairs."
Go Gunhee didn't press further, standing up readily.
"A pity you couldn't try my favorite tea. I rarely share it, but it seems this time I'll have to enjoy it all by myself."
"If I change my mind, I will discuss it with you again, sir."
Castorice's impression of the old man was actually quite favorable.
She had no real attachment to this world anyway, no sense of belonging. Joining here later might indeed be a good choice.
"You're always welcome. My offer stands."
Seeing that Castorice hadn't outright refused, Go Gunhee's smile deepened. He turned to Woo Jinchul.
"Please escort Castorice-ssi downstairs. Remember not to stand too close to the lady."
Woo Jinchul had begun to gauge Castorice's temperament.
Whether it was her current preference to stand rather than sit opposite the chairman to maintain distance, or her earlier insistence on not being too close to others, forcing him to take a diagonal position, it was clear she was a peculiar young woman.
If not for the fact that it was a private elevator no one else could use, they'd probably have been forced to take the stairs because of her quirks.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.