…But, things don’t always go according to plan in this world.

“Ha, why are you so late in picking up the phone today when you usually answer quickly?”

The next morning.

I had been pacing around with my cell phone to my ear since early morning. There was something urgent I needed to convey to Ahn Yoonseung.

-Hello?

I said as soon as the call was connected.

“Yoonseung-ah, the item box!”

– Yes?

“You were supposed to return the item box right after you used it yesterday, weren’t you? But we forgot about it and disbanded on the spot.”

– Ah!

“I’m sorry. It just came to mind now…”

I wondered if I could now meet Ahn Yoonseung and hand him the item box, but the conversation went in an unexpected direction.

– What should I do? It seems like I won’t be able to meet you today because I have something else to take care of.

“What?”

– Right now, I’m at my relative’s house for my grandmother’s seventieth birthday celebration.

Ahn Yoonseung is not in Seoul?

I was confused for a moment, but soon the other person offered a solution.

– But it’s okay! Anyway, as long as you return it later, it’s fine. Just keep it for now.

It seems like there isn’t as much of a problem as I thought.

“Are you sure it’s okay? Won’t the guild scold you for returning it late?”

– Hahaha. No, it won’t be that bad. Maybe I’ll just have to pay an extra rental fee and that’s it.

Even though it went through the speaker once, Yoonseung’s voice sounded quite bright and cheerful.

“Yeah? Oh, by the way, speaking of which, how much is the usual rental fee for an item box?”

Thanks to that, I could ask the question with a light heart.

– It’s 1.3 million won.

But what did I just hear?

“…In terms of days?”

1.3 million won. The moment that one word was spoken, the air in the room began to change. I grabbed the phone, sweating profusely, and immediately after this, shocking news came back.

– Of course, it’s a daily basis, right?

So, if Ahn Yoonseung doesn’t return the item box borrowed yesterday by today, he’ll have to pay 1.3 million won to the guild.

– Well then, I’ll be on my way now. I’ll contact you again tomorrow when I go up to Seoul…

“Wait! Hey, where are you going? Don’t hang up!”

– Heuk?

I was scared and shouted. However, the other person’s voice was still calm.

“Did you already say it was a relative’s house? Is this like a system where you personally have to return it? If not, I can go instead.”

– Y, yes?

“No, if you leave it like this, you’ll lose your money!” f𝚛e𝐞𝐰𝚎b𝚗o𝚟𝚎l.c𝗼m

– It’s not a big deal, you don’t need to worry about it…

Damn it. Why did I forget about this?

Ahn Yoonseung was also clearly an A-level awakened person. He’s in a high-paying profession where you can earn tens of millions in the blink of an eye, so his financial sense must be intact. No wonder all the restaurants he likes are on the pricier side!

“Alright, just tell me quickly whether or not I can return it by proxy.”

To Ahn Yoonseung, 1 million won may be nothing, but to me, it wasn’t cheap at all. So, I was determined to somehow return the item box within the deadline.

– Uh, um, then I’m really sorry, but I’ll have to ask you a favor just this once.

I didn’t have to wait long to hear about the return procedure for the magic box. So, I just need to go to the Neo Sisters Guild and find someone named Lee Cheongryong, right?

“What time do I have to give it by?”

– There’s no set deadline, just by the end of today’s business hours. It’s not strict because of guild member benefits and such.

After a while, there was a commotion heard through the speaker. Although the details weren’t clear, it seemed like sentences such as “How long are you going to talk?” and “Come over and say hello” were mixed in.

– Ah! I’m sorry. I’ll really hang up now.

“Yeah. Sorry for bothering you while you’re busy.”

Click.

Immediately after the call ended, I immediately started getting ready to go out.

A magical pouch that can store a large amount of magical substances. It’s called an item box.

The price varies greatly depending on the capacity, but in the case of this box that Ahn Yoonseung borrowed, it is said that its value is equivalent to that of an apartment.

‘This must be a really big company to willingly lend something like this without collateral.’

I kept walking, thinking over and over again.

[NEO SISTERS]

Next, I arrived at the lobby of Neo Sisters headquarters.

‘Oh…’

This was my second time entering a large guild building. However, the lobby atmosphere of the two guilds showed a stark difference. While the Korean Magic Tower Guild had a rather formal structure, Neo Sisters Guild felt like stepping into a luxury hotel.

‘It’s incredibly spacious. Also, what is that big flower tree in the middle? Is it an arrangement?’

I looked around with excitement.

***

“What business have you come here for?”

As he entered, awakeners in suits approached him. In response, Kiryeo explained that he was an acquaintance of Ahn Yoon-seung and had come to return the item box he had rented on his behalf.

“Aha, Hunter Ahn Yoonseung’s?”

When the name of the A-Class hunter was mentioned, the procedure proceeded smoothly. To put it mildly, it was noticeable that the security guards’ expressions had softened.

“Then there will be a brief security check before issuing the visitor pass.”

“Yes.”

So far, there hasn’t been any conflict, and the security guard at the entrance greeted Kim Kiryeo politely.

“Yes! You may enter now.”

“Thank you.”

However, shortly after, Kim Kiryeo encountered a real challenge.

“Welcome~ What brings you here today?”

“I’m here to return an item box. Is Chief Lee Cheongryong inside the building?”

“Yes?”

“I came at the request of Hunter Ahn Yoonseung.”

Shortly after arriving at the front desk, he promptly explained his purpose for the visit to the desk staff. While there was nothing particularly unusual about the conversation itself, the issue lay precisely in this aspect.

“Ah, Ahn Yoonseung-ssi, right? Yes, yes. Before you go up, could you please write your name here for a moment?”

“Sure.”

“And also, could I ask for some form of identification for verification?”

Without thinking, Kiryeo opened his wallet and presented his ID card. Then the desk staff opened his eyes wide.

“F-Class hunter?”

Oh, it seems like his hunter ID was relatively easy to find, probably because he uses it frequently. After hearing the request, he quickly rummaged through his wallet.

“Do I need to show you my resident registration card?”

“N, no…”

For some reason, the answer he got back was lukewarm.

“Hmm, Hunter Kim Kiryeo.”

When he looked up, he noticed a distinct change in the attitude of the staff member. It wasn’t a warm smile but rather a look that seemed to be strangely looking at a person.

“You said you came at the request of Ahn Yoonseung-ssi. Could you please provide proof that the two of you are acquaintances?”

After hearing those words, Kiryeo turned on his phone and showed me something. It was a text message from Ahn Yoonseung.

“Something like this?”

But it seems like that alone wasn’t enough to resolve some doubts.

“Oh, I’m sorry, but let me connect a call to the hunter for a moment…”

After a while.

The guide takes out a certain file and searches the guild contact network. Then, I dialed Ahn Yoonseung’s number I found there and waited for a signal.

-Tuururururu, turrurururu…

But why?

Normally, he would have answered before 10 seconds passed. But strangely, the other person remained silent today. Even after hanging up and trying again, the result was the same.

-Tuururururu, turrurururu…

“Hunter Ahn…He’s still not answering.”

Soon, a deep silence fell in the lobby.

‘Is the ’70th birthday celebration’ actually a very solemn event…?’

At the same time.

How could they possibly know that Yoonseung’s phone was accidentally damaged by a young cousin at the relative’s house?

“Uhm, if I had known it would be like this, I would have taken a picture together.”

He massaged the bridge of his nose and thought for a moment, then spoke.

“Hey, I’m just going to return the item box anyway, so do I really need to prove this?”

Then the guild employee answered half-heartedly.

“Yes, I understand. Then please leave just the item box here.”

The outgoing words are good, but why aren’t the incoming words kind?

“If I submit it here, will it be returned?”

“Yes, yes. We’ll verify that for you.”

“But from what I heard, this isn’t guild property; it’s something belonging to the chief personally…”

I stopped my hand trying to take out the item box I wanted to carry.

‘Ahn Yoonseung clearly told me to give the box to a person named Lee Cheongryong.’

If this were a normal situation, he would have shown some flexibility and finished the errand by leaving the items at the guild.

But what is an item box?

That palm-sized box had a value comparable to that of an entire apartment, so if there were any issues with its delivery…

“Excuse me, if I drop off the item box, where will it be stored?”

The employee who heard the question looked at Kiryeo as if he were a strange person.

“We will keep it and pass it on to the chief.”

“Here, at the front desk?”

“Yes, yes.”

No barriers. No awakener. High population density. It’s practically the perfect place for a robbery, and yet they store tens of billions worth of items here?

No, there is no need to go to the extent of a thief in the first place. Perhaps the front desk staff, blinded by money, might not have delivered the box properly.

‘If there is even a variable, it’s over.’

Kiryeo imagined the scenario of the item box being lost and said with a pale face.

“Um… Excuse me… I’m sorry, but I still want to return the item directly to Lee Cheongryong as Yoonseung instructed.”

“Yes?”

“It will only take a moment. Is there any way I could meet him?”

And at this time, did Kiryeo’s sincerity come through?

“Oh yes~ I understand.”

A moment later, the receptionist unexpectedly gave a positive response.

“Then, I will contact the chief, so please leave your cell phone number. He’s busy, so you’ll probably have to wait.”

“It’s a bit inconvenient to keep going back and forth for something that needs to be delivered today. Would it be alright if I wait here?”

“Yes, then please wait over there.”

Kiryeo finally felt relieved. Moreover, the sofa he was directed to was in a prime location, offering a clear view of the magnificent lobby, so he had no problem passing the time.

‘It just so happened. In the meantime, let’s take a look at the buildings on Earth.’

Kiryeo sat back on the sofa near the window, nodding with satisfaction. But unfortunately, he never received a reply from Lee Cheongryong.

Not long after Kim Kiryeo left.

“What?”

“I don’t know~ It’s a crazy guy, he says he is close to Ahn Yoonseung.”

“Oh really? F-Class?”

“Is he really going to call the chief… What’s he even doing here to meet the chief? Ugh, ridiculous.”

The two employees standing at the front desk whispered to each other, casting glances towards where Kim Kiryeo was sitting.

“Why does he bother with such obvious lies?”

“How should we know what goes on in their heads?”

“Probably the same mindset as that woman who came last time. She caused quite a scene, remember? Demanding to be recruited, showing off her skills in the lobby.”

Kkk.

A low, disdainful sneer is heard.

“Anyway, that’s how hunters are. Once they awaken, they think they can be anything.”

“Haha.”

“No matter how unique their abilities may be, someone like an F-Class wouldn’t even dare to step foot in a guild like this.”

The front desk receptionist glanced once more in the direction of the window before speaking loudly as if asking him to listen.

“No, considering our guild’s level of information, wouldn’t we have scouted him already if he were truly talented? We would have approached him for recruitment long ago if he were skilled.”

Kkk.

Laughter flowed again, but Kim Kiryeo’s expression remained unchanged because he had no idea that that sentence was directed at me.

“Look at him, sitting there pretending not to notice, despite us clearly watching him.”

“Yeah, just ignore him. Ignore. He’ll start talking eventually.”

They ignored the request of an F-Class hunter and returned to their usual business.

Just like that, 6 hours passed.