I was a special case, since I already had my own guild in the Magic Tower. My work there was the priority; dungeon hunting was secondary. The tower had everything I needed. I had my own personal dungeon—the Trials—and all my magical research and development happened here. Of course, I couldn't give up monster hunting entirely. I still needed practical experience, higher magic proficiency, items, and rare materials.

That's why I was considering a management company. A controlled life in a guild didn't appeal to me. I preferred a freelance-style contract that let me work when and where I wanted.

Bora nodded in agreement. "You're an S-tier prospect, no doubt about it! You could get into any management company you want."

"The problem is there are too many of them. I wonder if the bigger ones would be too intrusive."

"No way! For management, you should always go with a big one. Since you're freelancing anyway, you want a place that can find you good dungeons, set up good parties, and bring in plenty of work!"

"...You seem to know a lot about this."

"Hehe, well, I was also thinking about management over a guild for when I become a hunter, so I did some research."

That was unexpected. I'd assumed she would go for whichever guild paid the most.

"They call it a guild, but it's basically the army. Some places don't even let you date or use social media."

That made perfect sense. A place that banned social media would be her personal hell.

"Besides, guild hunters get drafted for mandatory service all the time, right? When that high-risk disaster broke out in Malaysia, most of the hunters drafted by the government never came back."

"That's true."

Managed hunters weren't completely exempt from being drafted for national or global disasters, but they had less of an obligation than guild members.

"Ugh, I'm so jealous! I want to graduate and start making money too!"

"The rank 5 exam isn't far off, so you should start preparing."

As we chatted, the contents of the cauldron thickened. Bora took over again, and I returned to the sofa. 'A management company... I can't go on academy dispatches anymore, so I need to find a job soon.'

I opened my messenger app again. There were quite a few messages from management companies in addition to the guilds.

"Which one to choose?"

Before I knew it, I was in a position where I could pick and choose my job. 'It feels strange to be able to get my first job so easily.'

I chuckled and opened one of the messages.

[Hello, Mr. Kim Yusin. My name is Shin Nara, the CEO of Garam Management.]

* * *

A few days later.

"Kyaaaaaaaaaaah!"

I had never met a woman with more energy than Bora. Until now.

"It's like a dream! No, you're really Kim Yusin, right? Kim Yusin is at 'our' company? Kyaaaaaah!"

I was sitting in a cafe across from Shin Nara, the CEO of Garam Management. She looked remarkably young.

"It's a true honor! To be honest, I sent that message as a total long shot! The rumor was that you were heading to 'Snow', and all the other major guilds were after you! But to think! To think! You'd come to our company!"

She was also remarkably talkative. Her eyes sparkled as she nodded vigorously.

"I'm a huge fan, personally! I'm so sorry to ask this, and it's not that I doubt you, but just to make sure this is real... could you show me that thing?"

"That thing?"

"You know! The black kick!"

'Thud.'

I slammed my head onto the table.

"Oh my! What's wrong?"

"...You don't mean the move I used to take down Yeon, do you?"

"Yes! That's the one!"

"Who names someone else's technique something like that?"

She smiled brightly. "I don't know who started it, but a video titled 'Black Kick' went viral and became an internet meme. Now everyone calls it that."

'Ugh. You've got to be kidding me.'

Of all the cool names in the world, they picked Black Kick? Does that mean people see me and say, "Hey, it's Kim Yusin of the Black Kick!"? I wanted to die. I didn't feel this frustrated even when Calam was hunting me. My professional career was already off to a rocky start.

"...The black kick" is a bit much for a cafe." Resigned to my fate, I conjured a Rapid Arrow magic circle on my palm. As the golden arrow materialized, her eyes glittered.

"It's really Kim Yusin! Kyaaaaaah!" She shrieked, clutching her cheeks. The people at the next table were staring. Why was I the one suffering from second-hand embarrassment?

"Alright, that aside." I'd been letting her control the pace for too long. It was time to switch to business mode. "Let's get down to the contract."

"Okay." Her expression changed in an instant, shifting from bubbly fangirl to a serious professional. She might look young, but as a CEO, she had to be a seasoned veteran. This wasn't going to be easy.

"First, here are the terms we're offering." She politely handed me the contract.

"...Hmm."

I read it carefully. The conditions weren't bad—on par with the top management company in the industry, plus numerous perks. They wanted a minimum four-year term.

"Can I be blunt?" I put the contract down and pushed it toward her. "You know you can't sign me with these terms."

It sounded conceited, but it was true. Compared to what a major guild would offer, this was nothing.

"I know. Which makes me even more curious," she replied, completely unfazed. "What we can offer is the best treatment in the industry, plus some benefits. If you wanted to be compensated for your full market value, you would've contacted a mega-guild or started a bidding war. But you contacted us first."

I nodded silently.

"It's true that management companies lack the financial power of major guilds. So why are you considering one, Mr. Kim?"

"Every hunter values different things. I have my own conditions." This time, I handed her a document. The terms I presented were as follows:

- 'Minimum 1-year contract with automatic renewal.'

- 'Termination Clause: No penalty fee; the hunter can terminate freely at any time.'

- 'Right to refuse orders.'

- 'Right to adjust schedule.'

- 'Confidentiality agreement.'

And so on. They were all clauses designed to guarantee my complete freedom. The termination clause in particular meant the company couldn't say a word even if I signed today and quit tomorrow. This wasn't a contract of employment; it was a one-sided partnership where I held all the power. Garam Management was a top-tier company. This could have been a serious blow to their pride. They could have easily spread rumors about me being an arrogant rookie, and they wouldn't have been wrong.

"...Mr. Kim."

"Yes."

'Alright, how will she react?'

"You need to study up."

"...Excuse me?"

What was that supposed to mean?

"Ohoho! You may be a legendary rookie, but you're still new to the professional world! Look here. Including clauses like these will get you in big trouble." She picked up a pen and underlined a line in my document. "Let's start with the termination clause. A contract doesn't automatically become legally binding just because it's signed. Think of those organ donation pledges in movies. They're a direct violation of Article 103 of the Civil Code, so in reality, they would be just scraps of paper. If you were to terminate a contract based on a clause like this, the company would immediately file a lawsuit."

I was dumbfounded. "...A lawsuit?"

"Yes! This violates Article 18 of the Special Hunter Management Act. You'd end up with a fine and an even bigger penalty. You need to add detailed provisions here regarding the specific reasons for termination to avoid trouble later. And about the right to refuse orders..."

I was suddenly getting a private lesson on contract law. There were far more things to consider than I'd thought. Clauses I had considered simple were rendered flimsy or ineffective when entangled with various legal issues.

"There. If you revise it like this, it should be fine," she said with a smile, putting down her pen.

"...Thank you. But if you tell me all this..."

"It's fine! Think of it as a tip from a fan, separate from drawing up an official contract. Besides, this means you're okay with these conditions, right?"

"Well, yes, I suppose so."

"If you're okay with them, then we are more than willing to accept!" she exclaimed, her eyes sparkling. "Just call us whenever you want to raid a dungeon, and we'll set you up right away! If you want to leave, you can leave whenever you want! The key points are freedom and confidentiality, correct?"

I gave a wry smile. "Are you sure you can accept these terms so easily? The other hunters might protest, calling it discrimination."

She puffed out her chest. "I can handle it. It's my company, after all. Ahem!"

'Hmm.' A woman who became CEO at an age when most are still junior managers and built her company to this level. It was just a hunch, but she seemed to have plenty of secrets of her own.

"So, you'll sign, right? Right? Right?"

A contract that didn't tie me down and could be terminated at any time. The risk was all on Garam's side; I had nothing to lose.

"I look forward to working with you." I readily signed the contract. She signed opposite me, and we both added our thumbprints.

"With this, you are now a member of the Garam Management family! We'll do our best not to tarnish your reputation, Hunter Kim Yusin!"

"Thank you. Though I'm not officially a hunter yet."

"Ah! Speaking of which, the timing is perfect. There's a huge issue in the hunter world right now."

"An issue...?"

"The Labyrinth Dungeon. They say it's going to appear in Korea soon."

My eyes widened. "I've seen posts about that, but I thought they were just rumors."

Hearing that rumor from a management CEO was a different story entirely. The credibility shot through the roof.

"I thought so too at first, but it seems the omens of the Disaster are becoming more certain. The Association is already preparing countermeasures. The news embargo will probably be lifted tomorrow or the day after, and once the government makes an official announcement, the story will explode."

"...Oh."

"Of course, you'll be participating, right?"

If there was a big event like that, I couldn't possibly miss it.

"Of course."

"Okay! Then your first official activity with Garam Management will be the Labyrinth Dungeon raid! I'll make sure everything is prepared so it doesn't interfere with your hunting."

"So, when will my manager be assigned?"

"I'll be doing it."

The coffee I was drinking nearly went down the wrong pipe. "Kegh, kegh! You, the CEO, will be doing it yourself?"

"Yes!"

"Aren't you busy?"

"Passion can't be stopped by a busy schedule! To be honest, the whole reason I do this is because I love fangirling over hunters!" she said, beaming. "Actually, I'm quite well-off."

'She certainly looks it.' She gave off the vibe of a rich young lady running a company as a hobby. Just who was she?

"I promise I won't be a burden to you, Hunter Kim Yusin! I guarantee it!"

It was then that I gained an unexpected ally.

* * *

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