03. Guild Fair (2)

I arrived in Samseong-dong, New Seoul with Baek Ji-soo.

A circular general exhibition hall building that reflects the blue sky as it is.

Under it, there was a huge banner with the words ‘2022 New Seoul Guild Fair’ written on it.

“Wow….”

I couldn’t help but marvel at the enormous scale and size of the countless people coming and going.

August Guild Fair.

A place where each guild presents the results of the settlement of accounts during the second half of last year and the first half of this year to the private sector and the media.

To put it simply, “We did this much last year. I will do this in the future! Awesome, right? Then please give us a lot of support!” It is an exhibition that promotes

As any professional hunter can participate, it also serves as a job fair, with headhunting taking place on the spot, and auctions to buy equipment brought from each guild from the tower.

A truly festival for hunters.

Accordingly, anyone other than hunters with hunter licenses, corporate or government officials, and journalists can participate.

“Please present your participation certificate.”

Of course, the exhibition staff asked for our participation pass, and Baek Ji-soo took out as many as three tickets for such an exhibition.

“One more person will come later. Academy freshman Yoon Seo-hee.”

“Academy freshman Yoon Seo-hee… Okay. Tickets are no problem. You may enter.”

Yoon Seo-hee lived far away from us, unlike us, who lived near the academy, so she decided to join later.

With Baek Ji-soo, go beyond the entrance to the fairgrounds.

I narrowed the distance between her and her, and Baek Ji-soo shook her shoulders, but she didn’t move away from me.

I lowered my voice and whispered quietly.

“Did the tickets come from the future too?”

She shook her head to her side.

The glossy white hair swayed gently with a nod of the head.

“No. Got it.”

“You said you got it, from whom?”

“Master’s friend… try It’s complicated, so to speak. Just know that you are my supporter.”

“Sponsors?”

“Yes. Master said he saved his life in the past.”

Baek Ji-soo had such a supporter.

No, then all the worries about Baek Ji-soo’s wallet in the past were just useless worries, right?

Even as a regressor, he seems to have a lot of unusual things.

Of course, she never said that she was in need. I only realized with a broken heart that it was all an illusion stemming from my own misunderstanding.

As I entered the exhibition hall, I saw numerous guild booths lined up.

A maximum of 360 booths can be installed in the general exhibition hall, and it was truly spectacular to see all of the spaces filled up.

“A guild with all these booths in Korea….”

“Not necessarily.”

Baek Ji-soo nodded and pointed to the booth next to her.

There, a woman wearing a large cone hat and a robe was promoting a potion in her hand in a loud voice.

“Rapid recovery potion for hunters created by witches! Take a look at what’s new this time! You can drink it or apply it!”

In a modern building, wearing a witch hat like something out of a movie felt unbalanced.

But that would be normal. Looking around, there were many people in plain clothes, but it wasn’t uncommon to see hunters in full gear.

“The company booth is also in.”

“It’s the perfect place to promote your product to hunters.”

Baek Ji-soo stopped for a moment and stared at the woman in a robe without saying a word.

She didn’t seem particularly interested in potions. Baek Ji-soo’s eyes were focused on the woman’s witch costume.

I reached out and pulled her by the shoulder.

“… Oh.”

Because of his small body, Baek Ji-soo was easily embraced by me.

Beside him, a man with a body like a bear armed with a full plate strode past him at a quick pace.

“What! Don’t stand still!”

As if there was something urgent, the man in armor quickly left the venue.

There are people like that everywhere.

I asked while looking at Baek Ji-soo in her arms.

“Are you okay?”

The eyes of Baek Ji-soo looking up at me are stained with embarrassment.

She hesitated for a moment, then slipped back behind her, pushing her against my chest.

“… Yes. It’s okay.”

The tips of her ears as she brushed her hair were stained redder than usual.

“I’m glad. What were you thinking?”

“Just an old idea.”

Baek Ji-soo shook her head and took her steps again. I also walked in stride beside her.

“Anyway, what the hell is going on here?”

“You know that auctions are often held at fairs, right?”

“I know. It often appears in the news.”

This time, what kind of guild came out at the fair, how much did it sell for, and what hunter’s memento was delivered to who. Because news like that was very common around this time of year.

“There will be a terrorism targeting the auction today.”

“Te… !?”

Involuntarily, I raised my voice.

Fortunately, I didn’t say the words to the end, but I could feel that the loud noise drew the attention of the people around me for a moment.

Baek Ji-su rolled her eyes and looked at me. She felt embarrassed and lowered her voice.

“Sorry, I was so surprised… Terror, who the hell?”

“All right.”

I gasped in shock. Fortunately, I didn’t scream this time.

Manmaryeon (萬魔聯).

A large-scale criminal organization made up of Hunters who committed crimes and escaped, or Awakeners who refused national registration.

Arms trafficking, contract killings, human trafficking, drugs, kidnapping, terrorism… He is notorious for taking part in all sorts of crimes for money.

Even if you are a professional hunter, it is impossible to impose private sanctions against an awakened person who has committed a crime. It only allows for self-defense in case of emergency, but originally there are public security hunters for that kind of work.

However, the criminals belonging to the Manma Ridge are different. Because the crime is so heinous, all members are automatically put on the international wanted list, and private sanctions against thousands of criminals are not punished.

It is a notorious criminal organization that recommends killing immediately upon discovery… Are you saying that 10,000 will cause terrorism here today?

“… Wouldn’t it be better to report it now? And why are you saying this now?”

“The only thing I remembered was yesterday. And.”

Baek Ji-soo rolls her eyes and looks around the exhibition hall.

At first glance, ordinary people such as women in suits and hunters with light equipment.

“It seems that the government has already noticed. It’s a public security hunter.”

“What?”

A public security hunter? No matter how I look at it, I don’t know.

No wait. I didn’t know it at first, but it turned out to be strange.

I was able to find out when I used the analysis skill. They were closely examining the people passing by, not the booths on display.

A gaze as if watching the surroundings. It was obviously a strange situation.

“Be careful not to make eye contact. There will be some misunderstanding.”

She nodded her head at her words and walked normally looking straight ahead.

I felt the public security hunter’s gaze brush my face. That gaze lingered on me for a moment, and then, as if doubt had been erased, it moved away again.

She let out a sigh of relief and opened her mouth softly.

“With so many hunters and even public security, how can they cause terrorism?”

“I don’t know. But terrorism certainly happens.”

“Ummm….”

The only thing I remember this time is the result. It’s a bit frustrating.

But the most frustrating thing must be Baek Ji-soo, not anyone else.

At first glance, she looked expressionless, but her complexion was much harder than usual.

It seemed that he was still reliving memories of her that he could not recall no matter how much he thought about them.

We only know that terrorism eventually occurs due to the Manchuria, but we do not know the detailed process of how it happens.

They even know that the auction is their goal, and they may be aiming for something in the auction house.

Something, it would be nice to have more information….

“Huh? Ijin Kim!”

At that moment, we stopped walking at the voice calling me.

When I turned my head in the direction I heard the voice, there was Lee Byung-jun.

He looked awkwardly dressed in a suit, not the school uniform he always wore.

“Lee Byung-jun? Are you already discharged?”

“It’s not even a big wound, so what? I was discharged a few days ago.”

Lee Byung-joon tapped my shoulder as if he was genuinely happy. I felt a much deeper sense of intimacy than before.

“Nice to meet you in a place like this. What’s going on here?”

“We just… No, what are you doing here?”

Even if we say we received an invitation, what the hell is going on with him, an academy student, at the fair?

That’s while wearing a suit like that.

Lee Byung-jun smiled shyly and showed the belt on his arm.

“Daily expenses. My sister called me short-handed.”

“Guard?”

“Uh. What’s special about today’s auction? Because of that, there are more people than usual. How long has it been since you were discharged from the hospital?”

At those words, Baek Ji-soo’s eyes quietly lit up.

“You know something?”

“Eh, Bae, Baek Ji-soo?”

It was only then that Lee Byung-jun’s complexion was startled, as if he had noticed Baek Ji-soo next to me.

“Tell me if you know anything about the auction items.”

What is Lee Byung-jun doing? He looks at me with only his pupils rolling. It’s a very disconcerting expression.

I was a little sorry, but it was an urgent situation, so I looked at that gaze seriously and opened my mouth.

“Byungjun-ah. I’ll beg you too It’s important.”

“It’s important… ? No, I still have a duty to maintain security….”

Lee Byung-jun was silent for a while with his arms crossed, then sighed heavily as he scratched his head.

“Yes. Because you both saved my life. Okay.”

He looked around and frowned as if he thought it was too crowded.

“Let’s go somewhere quiet for now.”