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Chapter 161: Chapter 161

12 o’clock sharp, when most of the citizens had collapsed from fatigue, in the hallway of an apartment in Seoul.

"Is this really the right way to do this?"

Ju-hyeon harbored doubts about this form of meeting, which was truly rare to find in modern society.

"Setting up two makeshift chairs in the apartment hallway, facing a portrait hanging on the opposite wall?"

"What’s wrong, there’s even a table, it’s nice. This is a table made by our Guild."

"It’s certainly nice that the semi-circular table makes it feel like Mr. Jio is here with us."

"Isn’t he actually here, not just like he’s here?"

"Because he hasn’t come out of the picture frame separately."

Ju-hyeon smiled bitterly.

"It has to be in the form of a picture frame, so it feels strange, like we’re having a conversation with a funeral portrait."

To that, the portrait itself replied.

"In a sense, I am indeed a funeral portrait."

Yu Seong-un refuted that.

"No, Jio is a portrait, not a photo."

"Regarding that point, Mr. Yu Seong-un’s opinion is correct."

"Of course, ’Jio’s Portrait’ might not be the usual portrait, but a different portrait .The portrait used when holding the first funeral rites."

"That seems to be a witty guess."

"We are discussing your identity, do you have anything to add?"

"I would like to say that I respect all diversity."

And Ju-hyeon thought.

’What is this conversation?’

It was a high-quality conversation that naturally brought out a business smile.

"Is there really no risk of this conversation of ours leaking to the outside?"

"As I mentioned before, Mr. Ju-hyeon."

Yu Seong-un gave a reliable, dependable smile.

"This is an expensive apartment."

"That’s right."

"It’s also an apartment that would break the back of any Hunter whose finances aren’t considerably solid."

"I suppose so."

"If this were a place that leaked information while taking that money, it would have already burned down and vanished."

"That makes sense."

Ju-hyeon, who had readily agreed, pointed to the CCTV located in the apartment hallway.

"That has also been taken care of, I assume?"

"For someone who agreed so readily, you’re still very suspicious."

Yu Seong-un nodded.

"That part was also handled cleanly a long time ago, so you don’t need to worry."

"What part was handled cleanly is precisely what worries me."

"There are many sinister rumors about The Collectors, but as you know, most of them are ghost stories created by our artworks, aren’t they?"

"Yes, those parts also continue to worry me."

"The Collectors do not shed innocent blood. It wasn’t the kind of handling that would harm the managers, so you can truly rest assured."

He added.

"We simply reached an agreement with money, ordinarily."

"Of the countless stories popping into my head, which should I tell first for our conversation to proceed smoothly?"

"It’s alright if you don’t bother bringing up the stories in your head."

Yu Seong-un preemptively blocked Ju-hyeon’s worries.

"Isn’t it far better to receive a lot of money and close one’s mouth voluntarily, rather than being silenced without receiving money? I can confidently testify that the atmosphere was by no means coercive."

"A world where everything is solved with money... it still leaves a bitter corner in my heart."

"I can’t help but sympathize with that. But there’s no one in the world who hates money, and ultimately, isn’t it important not to cross the line? We resolved it within a mutually agreeable line."

"I didn’t mean to find fault with The Collectors’ way of handling things...."

"And above all, you might wonder if money is truly enough to ensure silence, but we used a Soul Contract for that part. As long as they don’t want to be extorted for various prices, the silence will be certain."

"So, could you please stop saying ’silence’ like some illegal Guild?"

It makes the common person listening feel very strange.

"I was a bit flustered by this unfamiliar form of meeting, the first I’ve seen in my life, but if it’s a Soul Contract, I can trust it."

"What exactly is a Soul Contract?"

"Ah, that is...."

At the portrait’s question, Ju-hyeon organized his thoughts. It was such obvious common sense that, for a moment, he couldn’t think of how to explain it.

"...It is, literally, a contract targeting the soul. Recently, various methods have been used, but if there is a commonality, it is that it utilizes the Awakener’s System."

"The Awakener’s System."

"Because it is a higher-dimensional existence, different from human things that are easily dull and lose meaning. Unless a related clause is added, it is impossible to change the contract’s contents midway."

"Are the managers here Awakeners?"

"There are Awakeners, and there are non-Awakeners. However, in the case of a Soul Contract, it can be concluded even if there is only one Awakener involved in the ritual. It’s possible even as an officiator, not a party to the contract."

Yu Seong-un added to Ju-hyeon’s explanation.

"The manager who contracted with me was an Awakener."

"That is a sufficient explanation."

The portrait nodded.

"Shall we begin the meeting now?"

"Let’s."

As Yu Seong-un also nodded, Ju-hyeon opened his mouth.

"Fortunately, in this necromancy commotion, the Hunter industry’s main interest has turned toward Miss Dana. It seems largely thanks to having previously said that Hunter Seo Jio was a Tamer. The assertion that it was largely thanks to a monster’s help, not the Hunter’s own ability, is being accepted most persuasively by the public."

If Jio had done such a thing alone without Dana, it could not have been dismissed as just an ’amazing commotion’ like this.

For an individual to summon a spirit with a single gesture is an act beyond the human domain.

Even if skills related to spirits weren’t non-existent.

However, the number of Tamers was extremely small, and among them, there was no Tamer who had succeeded in taming an Anticat.

Hearing that the unknown monster, the Anticat, had such an amazing ability related to spirits, people must have somehow accepted it, Ju-hyeon thought.

"In reality, I believe Mr. Jio’s help was significant, but the public wouldn’t know about those aspects."

In the first place, if ’Jio’s Portrait’ hadn’t allowed it, the kitten-sized Anticat couldn’t have grown that much, nor could it have possessed the ability to summon spirits.

Taming a typical Anticat wouldn’t allow just anyone to perform eccentric acts like ’Hunter Seo Jio’, but for Jio to blend in among humans without raising suspicion, it was better to let it pass like this for now.

"Perhaps because of that...."

Ju-hyeon continued his explanation with his characteristic smile.

"It seems the religious world is paying particular attention to this commotion. The Solar Cult and the Lady Moon Cult, especially, have shown a reaction."

"I have visited the Solar Cult before."

"You must have seen it briefly at the initiation ceremony event. However, that was just a large opening of a prayer space where anyone, besides officials, could freely enter and exit, so your impression will be different if you go further inside."

Ju-hyeon took out a document.

"It’s in that context that I’m saying this."

He continued speaking to the portrait.

"A collaboration request came in from the Solar Cult."

"Do they wish to confirm my abilities?"

"It may sound unpleasant, but that is the situation."

Yu Seong-un, who was watching their conversation, was inwardly impressed by Ju-hyeon’s calm agreement.

’To be able to answer so nonchalantly, he has nerves of steel.’

It wasn’t that Ju-hyeon knew nothing about ’Jio’s Portrait’. He had learned information about him with the help of The Collectors’ Guild members, including Yu Seong-un, and thanks to being a researcher at the Association, he was well aware of the danger and the sheer scale of his class.

’And yet, that’s his reaction.’

Ordinary people would have found it difficult to reply, ’It might be unpleasant, but that’s the truth,’ to a grand mystery questioning the humans who dared to gauge its abilities.

’He’s bold in such a strange way....’

While Yu Seong-un was immersed in his strange impressions, the conversation between the two continued.

"Because right now, people don’t know anything about ’Hunter Seo Jio’."

"I am aware that I have provided as many clues as possible about my information."

"Your recognition has certainly increased thanks to the small miracle Mr. Jio performed for the Gita Orphanage."

"It was not enough to be called a miracle."

"Right, it was a type of performance, not a miracle. Thanks to that performance and the collaboration with Curator Yu Seong-un, you are building recognition at an exceptionally fast rate."

However.

"That doesn’t mean people have resolved all their questions about ’Hunter Seo Jio’."

"It means their questions have grown even larger."

"Yes, exactly what specialty does this Hunter have? What position does he fill? What has he been doing all this time... The elements people are curious about are overflowing."

Ju-hyeon showed the document sent from the Solar Cult and spoke.

"Considering that, this contact from the Solar Cult could be a big help."

It was a visitation request form from the Solar Cult.

"This is the most common method used when a group wants to size up a famous Hunter. In the case of a Guild, the most common group that manages Hunters, they would have sent an email or a business card."

"Right, it’s a kind of friendship request. Greenhorn Hunters judged to be harmless to get close to receive a lot of requests like this. It’s testing the waters."

The approach method varies by Guild.

"The method also changes depending on whether the Hunter belongs to a Guild or is a freelance Hunter. Even for a freelance Hunter, if they have a manager, the contact will come through them first."

Ju-hyeon nodded at that.

"It was the same for me. Contacting a Hunter you’ve just met directly is a rude act. So, to be formal, one usually sends various requests and expresses intentions to that Hunter’s manager or their affiliated Guild."

Ju-hyeon added.

"Ah, ’greenhorn Hunter’ is slang referring to Hunters who haven’t been active for long."

"It was slang."

"Usually, it refers to a Hunter with a short career, but it is rarely used to disparage an opponent’s skill. Naturally, this is also a very rude act."

"That is a sufficient explanation."

"In the future, I would appreciate it if you would ask me about any words or actions you don’t understand."

Sliding the document toward Jio, Ju-hyeon continued.

"This request form is, simply put, a light greeting in the style of ’Shall we get to know each other?’. But for a religious order of the Solar Cult’s scale to extend a hand directly like this is an unusual event."

Everyone who should know would already know.

"I will prepare as you wish."

"The Solar Cult."

Jio asked Yu Seong-un.

"Isn’t that where Priest Kang Seo-dam and student Cha Isold are?"

"Right, this request form also came via Priest Kang Seo-dam."

"It seems he didn’t contact me personally."

"Priest Kang Seo-dam doesn’t have the personality to make personal requests."

"I felt that way when I saw him before, too."

The portrait made a decision.

"I will visit him soon."

"The religious order?"

"Priest Kang Seo-dam."

At that, Ju-hyeon nodded.

"I will understand it as such and prepare."

While doing so, he thought to himself.

’Is the religious order itself not up to the passing mark yet?’

In the first place, it would have been strange if Giovanni had good feelings for the Solar Cult.

Nevertheless, thanks to the strangeness of the personality named Giovanni itself, he didn’t seem to have any ill feelings, but that didn’t mean he seemed to like it all that much either.

’Just a little curious.’

He had said he stopped by once before, so it seemed he wasn’t completely uninterested.

From Ju-hyeon’s perspective, it was the easiest reaction to handle.

"Besides this, several other requests and contacts have come in. Their importance isn’t very high, and most are from the mass media, so I’ve only organized them lightly. Shall I explain?"

"I do not wish to proceed with two events at the same time."

"Ah, I understand. Proceeding with two tasks simultaneously would indeed be too much for Hunter Seo Jio. I will prepare it so you can handle just one task cleanly."

Ju-hyeon and Yu Seong-un thought.

’Is this Mr. Jio’s rule?’

’It seems he has restrictions when he’s active.’

One was a Gardener, and the other was a former Association researcher. Neither of them simply thought, ’Jio is an introverted person, so he doesn’t have the energy to handle many things at once.’

This wasn’t actually just a matter of their careers.

Whether seen by a complete stranger or by someone who had known him for a long time, Seo Jio’s impression was not that of an introverted person who wilts when he’s outside the house.

’Then again, it must be hard to be outside the picture frame for a long time with his class lowered.’

Thinking that, Yu Seong-un gave an easygoing smile.

"Then what date would be good?"

"I will follow your recommendation."

"Alright, let’s have Mr. Ju-hyeon check on that."

Amidst the heartwarming atmosphere, the 1st Hallway Meeting concluded.

***

And here, there was a person who was neither heartwarming nor concluded.

"Haaaah...."

The Priest of the Sun, Kang Seo-dam, who had been stuck handling the leftover work, thought.

’The vermin-like religious world.’

It was a world where the younger you were and the lower your rank, the more naturally you became a slave.

Thinking that he would have made his exit long ago if not for the merciful sun, he composed himself.

It was time to behold the divinity.

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