Episode 20. A leisurely cup of coffee. (2)
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“Hmm. “You have great courage.”
The Count gently raised the corners of his mouth.
“The cat turned into a human, but he didn’t seem very surprised… Not like young people these days. Ah, this is a compliment.”
“thank you. I am naturally very courageous. “I can see ghosts and things like that.”
“Ahaha. Do you even have time to joke? “That’s amazing.”
The Count took out a fan and smiled.
I wasn’t joking, I was being serious.
“uh···.”
“hmm···.”
The hunters looked at each other. Among them, the only one who burst into laughter was the Count. The personnel team leaders, who had been noisily clamoring for the down payment just a moment ago, fell silent as soon as the Count appeared.
“Hey, Lord Ryeon. “Excuse me…”
The large blonde hunter tried his luck cautiously.
“Excuse me.”
“Isn’t the down payment of 500,000 gold and the guarantee of deputy guild leader… excessive? Of course, the achievement of conquering the 10th floor is great. However, it is still unknown how great the ability Hunter Kim Gongja has is…”
The further back Hunter went, the more he stuttered. He didn’t suddenly become aphasic. The count was looking at him intently, covering his mouth with a fan. While smiling over the fan.
“······.”
Finally, Hunter closed his mouth. She must have realized too late that whatever she said was of no use. The opponent is a big player ranked 3rd in the rankings. In layman’s terms, the ‘levels’ were different.
“Are you all sorry?”
“···yes.”
“Then, before you excuse me any further, please call your superior. I’m sorry, but I can’t communicate with you. ah. It doesn’t matter if there is someone who can make a bigger bet here than 500,000 gold. “Sit comfortably.”
In vulgar language, it meant ‘get out of the way’.
It is the karma of middle management that has no choice but to disappear. The HR managers stood up and left one by one.
And 10 minutes later, new hunters walked into the cafe as if touching the baton with the HR managers.
“f*ck you twins! Damn it!”
Ranked 5th. Cheon Mu-mun guild leader, poisonous snake.
“hmm. You’ve lost a hand. “We must admit that this is our mistake.”
Ranked 4th. Pantheon Guild Leader, Heretic Questioner.
“The word ‘realization’ is strange. The task given to us today is not to welcome a new hero, but to prevent existing hunters from becoming confused. “The repetition was too much.”
Ranked 8th. Vigilante vice-guild leader, paladin.
“······.”
Ranked 2nd. The Black Dragon Guild Leader and the Black Witch.
‘Wow.’
I stuck out my tongue in my heart.
‘It’s a complete mobilization. ‘All out.’
The appearance was magnificent.
In the past, top ranked players were only accessible through interview videos or articles. They came to life before my eyes and sat down neatly across the table. Once again, I realized how much my price had risen.
“Please come quickly.”
The Count rested his chin and smiled.
“I don’t know how long it’s been since we’ve been together like this. It seems like just yesterday that we were all attacking the second floor together. Isn’t time truly cruel? “We’re older now too.”
“Ssangryun. “Shut up before I boil you in butterfly soup.”
The viper growled.
Cheon Mumun’s guild leader. One-eyed hunter. The middle-aged man, known as the person who first conquered the second floor, had an eyepatch wrapped around his face.
It’s a wound he got from challenging the Sword Saint.
“I heard it on the way. What, 500,000 gold? Deputy guild leader? You cosplayed as a beast to meet, but then you degenerated into a beast to the point of your head? “It’s a lot of money. Even if it’s your specialty and you’ve double-teamed again, the deputy guild leader is a bitch…”
“ruler! “Let’s order coffee first!”
The Heretic Questioner said brightly.
“It’s rude if you come into the store and don’t do business. That’s how the heads of the huge guilds in charge of the tower would use it! I order cafe mocha. you guys are?”
“Ah, I would like a warm Americano.”
“I’m craving a cold cafe latte.”
“···Hazelnut latte. hot. Add shot. “To Grande.”
The guild leaders spoke one after another as if they had been waiting.
The only person who was embarrassed was the poisonous snake.
“what? coffee? no. hey. The world is in chaos now that the 10th floor has been cleared. Do you guys have room for coffee in your stomach? These bastards’ brains are so cold from caffeine…”
“Cheonmumunju is a thick espresso. All right.”
“Is this religious guy…?”
“president! Take your order here!”
The Heretic Questioner ignored the poisonous snake and shouted. I flinch. The barista standing at the counter shook his shoulders. The barista at Byeol Cafe, who suddenly found himself making coffee for the top rankings, turned pale.
“Lord, would you like to place an order?”
“yes!”
The Heretic Questioner smiled brightly.
The guild leader of the Pantheon. Blonde Hunter. The young man, whose role was to prevent religious disputes between people from all over the world, was famous for being respectful to everyone.
Even when torturing terrorists, they use respectful language.
“A tall glass of iced cafe mocha. A tall glass of warm Americano. A tall glass of iced cafe latte. Warm hazelnut latte, extra shot, a grande size glass. A cup of espresso doppio! “I’ll order it like this!”
“yes! Yes, yes!”
“ah. really-.”
The Heretic Questioner slowly turned his head.
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“-Gongja Kim, what do you want Hunter to order?”
The crowd’s attention was focused on me. The table instantly became quiet. Interesting look. A harsh look. Bright eyes. Cold gaze. Expressionless gaze. Five faces and ten eyes stared at me.
As if he was testing my reaction.
-Don’t be scared.
Bae Hu-ryeong, who had kept his mouth shut until then, spoke.
-They’re no big deal. Think of it as no big deal! You are the one who was killed even by Grandpa Marcus. Among them, there is not a single one who is better than Grandpa.
‘i know.’
I knew it well too.
‘It’s just a war of nerves.’
And it was a go-stop with a lot of twists and turns.
I shrugged my shoulders.
“Manager. “Is there a menu here?”
“yes?”
“Maybe it’s because I drank the macchiato earlier, but I don’t feel like coffee. I want to look at the menu and make a decision… hmm. no. “If you have hot chocolate, just give me that.”
“Oh, I understand.”
spare.
What I had to show now was a relaxed attitude.
‘These people didn’t just come in droves by chance.’
Just as the personnel team leaders arrived a little while ago, and even now, hunters from different guilds arrived at the same time.
Was this timing coincidental?
‘Absolutely not!’
An operation disguised as coincidence.
It was all just an act.
‘It’s a plan to rush in all at once and make me lose my mind.’
It was a very classic method. Would you say it is similar to a group of gangsters coming together and threatening one person?
‘what. Although they are a bit scary hunters compared to gangsters…’
The air was tense, as if there were thin ice.
‘It’s nothing compared to being burned alive.’
In other words, it was nothing more than a thin layer of ice.
Before I was killed by the Flame Emperor, I would have trembled in fear of those people… but not now. I wasn’t scared at all.
The reason was ridiculously simple.
‘If I tease you, you’ll either kill me.’
Even if they kill me, I’ll be fine!
Bae Hu-ryeong nodded.
-okay. I told you. That’s your talent and strength! If you’re going to kill him, try to kill him. It catches your eye! Be strong. How dare these idiots who can’t even be killed are showing their form by claiming to be top rankers!
‘Well, thank you for your support. Still, the penalty is not lifted.’
-Holy shit…!
Bae Hu-ryeong held his head in frustration.
“hmm.”
Meanwhile, the Heretic Questioner’s face changed.
“That’s fascinating. I was viewed as a hunter who had no activity at all until I conquered the 10th floor. Suddenly, people changed… “I really don’t know what’s going on in the world!”
“It’s not like there’s no activity at all.”
The count covered his subordinates with a fan and smiled.
“That young man won the guild’s lottery not long ago. You’re lucky. He also has guts. I don’t know how they conquered it, but seeing as they conquered the 10th floor, they must have some skills. luck. Guts. skill. “If a young person has these three things, he or she will succeed in anything.”
“Haha… I told you so.”
Across the table, the viper sighed.
“Don’t play around with this or that, just get involved! Could it be that the person who broke the 10th floor is a kid who knows nothing? Tsk. “I acted for no reason and it didn’t work…”
“That kind of thing isn’t important.”
suddenly.
The quiet Black Dragon guild leader. The so-called witch opened her mouth.
“Just because the face of the Chinese people has been hurt, it does not mean that the face of the Buddha has been hurt. We’re both busy. “Let’s postpone blaming others until later.”
“Keuhum…”
“Hunter Gongja Kim.”
The witch looked at me.
“I’ll ask you honestly. Which guild are you thinking of joining?”
Silky eyes.
“If you don’t plan on joining any guild like the Sword Saint, please tell me in advance. “Accordingly, we need to discuss how to respond to the media.”
“What if I’m thinking of joining a specific guild?”
“A fierce bidding competition will begin.”
The witch said calmly.
“We’ve been staying on the 9th floor for too long. It’s embarrassing to even say that support is sluggish… It was just ugly. But thanks to you breaking through the 10th floor, we have the opportunity to advertise the value of the tower to the outside world again.”
“It’s an opportunity.”
“okay. opportunity. “An opportunity to bring not only war refugees but other human beings from the outside world.”
The barista held a tray and served coffee. The guild leaders quietly received coffee cups one by one. No one said anything. The witch also just took a sip of her hazelnut latte in silence.
“More than anything, when the 10th floor opens, even hunters who have been living only in the 1st floor city will feel a little moved. What kind of unknown world awaits from the 11th floor? “Even realists who have forgotten their sense of adventure will be tilting their heads.”
indeed.
“I think the food shortage will be solved.”
“······.”
The witch looked at me with an expression of surprise.
“···He understands what I’m saying quickly. that’s right. “It is becoming difficult to meet the demand for food by selling only the items discovered below the 9th floor.”
“I keep trade channels with the outside world open 24 hours a day.”
The Count laughed.
“Now I’m not as energetic as I used to be. “It’s a bit difficult as I get older.”
“It’s time for a new product.”
The witch continued.
“We need to attract adventurers to the world beyond the 10th floor. “We have to find items that can only be found beyond the 10th floor.”
“In that case, we will need a means to actively appeal to the outside world and the tower. [A new era has begun!] A way to advertise loudly. “So that means it’s me, right?”
“···that’s right. “Exactly.”
It was all something that would happen in the future.
This is the reason why the large guilds could not treat humans who lived alone and proudly, like the Flame Emperor. Being a hero. Whether we choose him or not, he has become an icon symbolizing a new era.
A hero like that is absolutely necessary for the tower to continue growing!
‘Nevertheless, the Black Dragon tried to assassinate the Flame Emperor.’
I recalled a conversation I overheard in a slum alley.
-Who ordered you to kill me? Just answer that.
-Did the Black Dragon Witch tell you to do this?
At that time, the saintess nodded slowly.
If the saintess wasn’t lying, the witch in front of her was actually trying to poison the Flame Emperor. I don’t know why that happened now, but…
‘I think you’ll get along well.’
because.
‘There’s no way a person who hates a bastard is a bad person!’
Should I say that the enemy of my enemy is my friend?
It seemed like there would be some kind of camaraderie.
“I understand what you said. What I’m saying is that the guild that succeeds in recruiting me can become a symbol of a new era. “The rest of the guilds probably won’t be able to avoid being a bridesmaid.”
“huh.”
“I feel a little sorry about that, so let’s do it this way.”
The hunters focused on what I said.
I took out the trump card from my pocket.
“···Trump card?”
The witch tilted her head.
“Are you sure we’re going to decide this as a game? “Your guild?”
“yes.”
“······.”
“I will join the guild of the person who played poker and won first place. No down payment or position required. step!”
I grinned.
“If I win, everyone here will [join] the guild at the same time.”
“······.”
“ah. What I am saying is that I will only become a guild member on the surface. In reality, they are treated as equals to you. It’s nice that you can sell my image. I like being treated side by side with the heads of top guilds. how is it?”
In an instant, the guild leaders’ eyes changed.
“Ahaha.”
The Count burst out laughing.
“Are you saying that a young man who has only conquered one level will receive the same treatment as us?”
“yes. “If I play a card game with you and win first place.”
“That’s fun. “I like it.”
The Count put down his coffee cup and looked around.
“What about you guys?”
“I’m okay with it as long as you don’t cheat!”
The Heretic Questioner was the first to respond.
“…I decided not to use the skill either. Otherwise, you will have too much of an advantage. “If someone gets caught using a skill, that person is automatically eliminated.”
Next is a poisonous snake.
“Our guild is poor anyway, so if we go into the bidding, we are sure to lose. Even if you lose, you break even, and if you win, it’s a windfall. “It went well.”
And the paladin agreed.
“······.”
Finally, the witch nodded.
“good. “I will accept your offer.”
The gamble was established.
We established detailed rules for poker. The rules themselves were ordinary. The top rankers personally checked carefully to see if there was any bad prank on the card or if there were any suspicions of deception.
‘Geomje nobleman.’
When the cards are dealt.
-ok···?
‘Honestly, you really hate calling me Confucius, don’t you?’
I called Bae Hu-ryeong, who was still frustrated.
‘Let’s do it this way.’
-What should we do…?
‘Just call me Confucius until this game is over.’
Bae Hu-ryeong’s eyes widened.
-uh? Is that really okay!?
‘yes. sure.’
I grinned.
‘Instead, please tell me what paddles the hunters here are holding.’
-Oh yea! Oh my! Come on!
Bae Hu-ryeong jumped up and down.
-It’s so f*cking easy! Kya, as expected of you, Confucius! Just in case someone thinks he is Confucius, look at his personality worthy of a great man! How can our Confucius be so generous? You want me to tell you what paddle these bastards are holding? Oh, don’t worry. We’ll tell you whether to remove the hem or not! Confucius!
Ego.
Let’s start the game.
etc,
