Against the Clock: The Team Leader’s Pursuit of Glory

"The Guild Master made a promise with the Chairman. If things weren't back to normal in six months, she would have to step down from the guild."

A promise with the Chairman?

'I hadn't heard about this.'

Despite the guild being a subsidiary of the group, its size wasn't significant enough to warrant much concern from a conglomerate like Taesung.

The fact that the Chairman had directly mentioned it, could there be some twists and turns he wasn’t aware about?

Perhaps influenced by the alcohol, Tae Soo-man spoke with a flush creeping over his face.

"Guild Master Ju Se-ah is the chairman's daughter. My younger half-sister."

Kang Mu-hyuk almost broke his poker face.

'This is a headache. Normally when a guild gets involved with blood relations, things go downhill...'

It was unwelcome news.

On the outside, he accepted it calmly, but he was uncomfortable inside.

"It's strange, isn't it? It doesn't seem like you're very curious, Guild Leader Kang."

"What do you mean? About the Guild Master?"

"Yes. Usually, the secrets of a chaebol's offspring are as exciting as drama plots, aren't they? But you don't seem particularly interested. You don't ask more. It's as if you already knew."

"Who Guild Master Ju Se-ah's parents are doesn't really matter when it comes to killing monsters."

Tae Soo-man nodded in agreement.

Just as he had heard, the man seemed to have little interest in anything other than hunting.

The only time he could catch Kang Mu-hyuk's attention was when there were more monsters to kill.

'There's no sweeter reward than the position of Guild Master for that purpose.'

Tae Soo-man filled Kang Mu-hyuk's empty glass as he spoke.

"Please report Guild Master Ju Se-ah's actions to me while you're executing your duties as the Guild Leader."

Kang Mu-hyuk's mind started to whirl rapidly.

His sharp gaze scrutinized Tae Soo-man.

Was it simply because he didn't like his half-sister?

His eyes viewed Ju Se-ah as a foe. Not just the chairman's child, but a potential successor. Their struggle was a typical chaebol fight, determining who would inherit the massive castle of Taesung.

A plan quickly formulated in his mind.

"If you're going to use me, using me to simply track the Guild Master's schedule is a waste. If you're going to use me, you should do so properly."

"What do you mean?"

"If we're going to do this, why not do it thoroughly? Not just pushing her out of the guild, but also pushing her out of the chairman's favor."

As Kang Mu-hyuk proposed his counteroffer, Tae Soo-man leaned forward as if he had tasted something appealing.

"Do you have a good plan?"

"Guild Master Ju Se-ah is flawless as a Hunter. She could have easily managed the duties of a Guild Master if she'd had even a little help. She has the capability and charisma."

"So?"

Tae Soo-man seemed slightly irritated as Kang Mu-hyuk suddenly started praising his younger sister, who was considerably younger than him.

Kang Mu-hyuk had deliberately praised her to provoke him, but he seemed to not realize it.

"Chairman Tae Jin-sung of the Taesung Group is still actively involved. He'll likely keep a close eye on the group's internal affairs. He'll know if there's any interference within the guild."

"Get to the point. Quickly."

"But the condition to normalize a guild that's been left alone for over ten years in just six months, without any help, it doesn't make sense. It almost seems like the Chairman hopes for failure. Could he be hoping to take care of Guild Master Ju Se-ah more than the guild itself... As there are rewards for success, failure comes with a price to pay. Is the Guild Master planning to move to the main office if she can't normalize it?"

Tae Soo-man felt a hot flush rise within him. Indeed, there had been hints of adding her to the family register formally if she failed. The decision to move her to the main office was as good as a direct dismissal. No, it was an even more dangerous outcome.

The question was, what was his father's intention?

Was it simply to compensate for a daughter he hadn't been able to raise in his arms?

'There's no way my father would do that.'

In his 70s, he was a vigorous man.

Under this man, there were four sons who had grown to be successful and three daughters. Including Ju Se-ah, there were eight children.

The Chairman was so accomplished that if things continued this way, the eldest son wouldn't be able to take the chairman's seat and would die of old age.

At this point, he had brought the youngest daughter, who had risen to the top of the Hunter industry, into the family.

And then he suddenly handed her the guild.

It felt more like a test than simply giving her a position.

The sons and daughters who grew up watching their father had a vague idea of what this meant.

They thought the succession battle they thought was over had started again.

It was natural for the defeated ones who had bowed to the eldest son to rekindle their ambition.

'But this guy gets right to the core. Did he know about our family situation beforehand? Regardless, he's convenient to work with... But somewhat uncomfortable.'

Even amidst the chaos in Tae Soo-man's head, Kang Mu-hyuk continued speaking.

"It's only been a day since I took office, but do you know what surprised me when I came to this guild?"

"I wonder."

"It was surprisingly clean."

"Clean?"

"Lack of Hunter skills, subpar performance, factional strife. If you remove these minor issues and only look at the numbers written on the financial statement, this guild has no problem."

"Well, the guild hasn't done much..."

"It's strange that a guild that couldn't properly secure a single gate is maintaining this size without debt. Unless someone is intervening at a reasonable level."

"Are you implying that someone is the Chairman?"

"A guild that does nothing. Why has the Chairman kept such a guild so far? At first, I suspected it was to create a slush fund. But there were no signs of that. The Guild Master seemed to not care about that aspect either. I'm not sure if she has a trusting side, or simply no interest."

Upon hearing this, Tae Soo-man found it strange too. It was also a part that he had briefly doubted before.

Why on earth was his father maintaining such a useless guild?

He was a man who lived by the motto, if you can't be the best, then bravely throw it away.

But this didn't apply to the Taesung Guild.

The doubts he had dismissed before were resurfacing again.

"Going back to the beginning. Why do you think the Chairman turned a blind eye even though he knew about the interference from his other children?"

"Well..."

He was at a loss for words.

"Could it be that the other siblings, including Chief Tae Soo-man, tied up Guild Leader Ju Se-ah's hands and feet, preventing her from doing anything, and in turn, kept her from gaining any sort of flaws? Maybe that's what the Chairman wanted."

He wasn't certain in his assertion. Even for Kang Mu-hyuk, conclusions derived from insufficient information amounted to mere speculation.

However, the truth wasn't the important part. The problem was how Tae Soo-man would react.

His face was grave, yet it bore an expression that struggled to grasp the situation. His visage was filled with doubt and suspicion.

Kang Mu-hyuk drove his point home.

"Just to remind you. Guild Master Ju Se-ah first awakened as a Hunter in middle school. It's a well-known story; you should be aware. She promptly joined the Slayer Guild right afterward, becoming the youngest active Hunter. And the establishment of the Taesung Guild followed the next fall, counseled by the Slayer Guild."

"!!"

"Just something to bear in mind."

This was tangential information he had gathered when researching the Taesung Guild, but he hadn't expected to use it this way.

'It may not have any connection.'

The truth wasn't the crucial part. It didn't matter what happened.

As long as he could plant a seed of unease in Tae Soo-man's mind. As long as he could reap what could be reaped from that.

'That's enough.'

Wasn't that just how humans were?

They saw only what they wanted to see. And they believed that what they saw was everything.

'I wonder how Tae Soo-man views the Guild Master now.'

A half-sibling? A rival? An enemy?

"The condition initially set by the Chairman might have meant that it's okay to do nothing at all."

"And what does that mean? What can Guild Leader Kang do about it?"

Tae Soo-man asked, his face flushed with rising anger.

Kang Mu-hyuk replied with a smile, "That means we need to let her do anything from now on. And then, we need to ensure her failure."

—---

As Kang Mu-hyuk stepped out of the room, the man who first guided him was waiting.

"I'll take you back."

His tone was more polite this time.

It was the treatment he received for ending things on good terms with Tae Soo-man.

'I wonder how it would have turned out if it had fallen through?'

Even if it wasn't as explicit as Ma Taesik's hostility and show of power, there would have been at least some resistance.

He put the useless thoughts away as he declined the offer politely.

"I'll walk. I have some thoughts to sort out."

He was going to find a nearby bus stop to walk to when a man came out from a narrow alley and blocked his path.

Kang Mu-hyuk recognized the man's face in the light.

"You all seem busy from the first day."

"Judging by your lack of surprise, it seems like you already know who I am."

"I know the faces of not just Hunter Lee Gi-young but all the Hunters in the guild."

Kang Mu-hyuk remembered what he knew about Lee Gi-young.

'A Hunter with a not so good reputation.'

The guild's power was divided into three major factions.

The faction of the Taesung Group, which was directly managed by the headquarters.

The Expedition Team faction, which had been the mainstay of the original guild.

And the Assault Team faction, which the former Guild Masters had brought in to control the guild.

Moreover, lines were divided within each faction as well, presenting a complicated picture.

Several parties declared neutrality, and some factions that followed Ju Se-ah also existed.

Among these, Lee Gi-young belonged to the 'rolled stone' faction, which was the Assault Team.

'Hunters haphazardly put into positions by the historically weak Guild Masters to bolster their own power.'

Hence, it had become a motley crew.

Even a Hunter from 'Ujungdo,' a prison exclusive for Hunters, had managed to find a place in Taesung Guild.

Lee Gi-young was precisely that Hunter, one who served time in Ujungdo.

“There’s no need for lengthy explanations if you already know. Please follow me. I have something important to discuss.”

“If there’s something to discuss, we can do so at the guild tomorrow. It’s late.”

“Are you unwilling to talk with us?”

“I'm saying let's set up a separate meeting. I plan to meet all the guild's departments, so there’s no rush.”

“I’m not sure you understood what I was saying. I have a private matter to discuss.”

“Hey, Lee Gi-young! The Guild Leader just said he’s not interested!”

Before Kang Mu-hyuk could restate his refusal, Choi Mi-ran intervened. She had been instructed to tail him secretly, but upon spotting Lee Gi-young, she had received another command to intervene.

“I thought I sensed something off, so it was you guys?”

“Hey, that’s some harsh words, don’t you think?”

Kim Seong-hyun scowled. Lee Gi-young scoffed and replied, “You guys must be misunderstanding because I’ve left you alone. It’s because we're in the same guild. Normally, you wouldn’t even be worth my attention.”

“What are you bragging about? You’re just a B-rank like us!”

“My goodness, do you kids not even know how to fight properly? Do you think everyone at the same rank is the same?”

Attempting to reply naturally, Lee Gi-young was ready to display his prowess.

However, just as he was about to burst forth.

He paused at the sight of a palm obstructing his path.

'Damn, I was about to use the leaping skill...'

His breath was disrupted. It was nothing more than a gesture, but he stopped without even realizing it.

Kang Mu-hyuk, having stopped him, removed his hand and spoke.

“What are you doing in front of the Guild Leader?”

“Ah, no, that wasn’t… It was just a minor disagreement, Guild Leader.”

Choi Mi-ran, who was oblivious to Lee Gi-young's prior intent to attack, scratched her head while laughing cheerfully. Her mission was to prevent the rolled stone from having private contact with the Guild Leader. This was a success.

However, Kim Seong-hyun, who was standing beside her, was breaking out in a cold sweat.

‘That guy was about to strike, wasn’t he?’

If Kang Mu-hyuk hadn’t perfectly blocked it in time, an attack would have ensued.

While the lower-ranked Choi Mi-ran hadn’t noticed, Kim Seong-hyun, nominally of the same rank, was prepared to counterattack.

“Anyway, if the weaklings could leave… So, Guild Leader, will you come with me or not?”

As Lee Gi-young emitted a menacing aura, Kang Mu-hyuk crossed his arms and tilted his head.

“Hmm, why don’t you discuss that with someone else?”

“Someone else?”

“Kindly clean up here after you’ve had enough of your spectacle.”

“What kind of scheme are you pulling…”

Lee Gi-young’s hand, which was reaching out to grab Kang Mu-hyuk’s shoulder, stopped in midair, unable to extend any further.

A shadow had quietly appeared beside him.

His body froze in response to the overwhelming presence.

“It’s touching to see people who don’t usually do their job working overtime.”

There stood.

Jang Deuk-goo, patting Lee Gi-young’s shoulder and smiling.