After the Gate subjugation was all over, Seho skillfully packed the magic stones into the bundle he’d brought with him.
The magic stones ended up in the trunk of a luxury sports car, and Seho handed over the payment as a check right on the spot. Normally, after a Hunter completes a subjugation, they have to contact the guild to handle the magic stones or go to the association in person.
But Seho took care of all that neatly, buying up the magic stones himself. On top of that, he even paid more than the going rate.
It could be considered rude, but Seho explained everything thoroughly so the other party wouldn’t feel offended, maintaining perfect manners as he purchased the stones.
Then he moved right on to the plan to recruit Hochang and Seho.
Jinwoo, watching the three talk from a distance, was genuinely impressed by Seho’s eloquence.
(Anonymous 1): He’s not rude, he’s polite, but still so cold-headed.
(Returnee from the Demon Realm): He definitely has the chops to lead a major guild. He doesn’t get swayed by emotions and keeps the contract in his favor.
(Father of Crops): And yet he still finds a way to meet in the middle.
Just as the Constellations in the chat observed, on the surface Seho was leading the contract like a father carrying his son on his back.
You know, when high school athletes go to college, they sometimes choose a school a bit below their original standing. Usually, it’s to bring along a friend they played with.
The friend gets to attend a school they couldn’t have gotten into on their own, the college gets a promising athlete, and the star player gets to keep playing with his friend under decent conditions.
This sort of arrangement is rare now, but it used to be a thing. And Seho was trying to bring Hochang and Jiyong in exactly that way.
(Anonymous 1): It sounds like a “carrying along” contract, but for Seho it’s not really being carried, is it?
(God of Rain and Sunlight): Hmm, that’s true.
(Returnee from the Demon Realm): Big guilds already have plenty of veteran Hunters, so what they want are promising young ones. Sooner or later, they’ll need a generational shift, and the guild’s future depends on how well they handle it.
(Water God of Cheongha): Hoo, I see.
(Liberated Swordsman): I can’t really chime in on such complicated negotiations.
(Endless Waiting): Same here, I’ve spent my whole life swinging a sword.
(Last Blacksmith): As someone who’s sold weapons, this sort of conversation is rather entertaining.
(Returnee from the Demon Realm): Anyway, to sum it up, Seho can bring in Hochang and Jiyong with big money and top conditions and still come out ahead. He just cleverly made it look like a contract where the father carries the son along.
(Father of Crops): And that way, with lower conditions and payment, he gives the other side the highest satisfaction and closes the deal perfectly.
(Returnee from the Demon Realm): Exactly. Anonymous, Yuto, and Father of Crops aren’t even from Earth, but you all keep up with this conversation so well.
(Anonymous 1): I’ve spent my life lurking in communities, that’s all.
(God of Rain and Sunlight): I once played the role of a god in an empire. This sort of thing is easy to follow.
(Father of Crops): I’m a farmer.
(Returnee from the Demon Realm): Well, if you’re a farmer, you have to be sensitive about contracts. Fair enough.
*****
I looked at the check Seho had handed me. Seho had brought Hochang hyung and Jiyong into his guild on great terms. With the preliminary contracts all written up, it was as good as done.
‘Did he pay extra because I introduced such good Hunters?’
We cleared a B-rank dungeon and split the rewards between the three of us. Seho gave up his share of the magic stones, dividing their value among me, Hochang hyung, and Jiyong.
But the money I received was far more than I should have gotten.
Much more.
‘This much money… it’s like getting 500 coins as a sponsorship.’
Enough to buy a nice car and then some—all for a single subjugation.
Just then, Seho came over, looking cheerful after closing such a good deal.
“Why did you give me so much money? I took a quick look and almost fell over from shock.”
(Anonymous 1): Rich people are always generous, you know.
Seho grinned, making sure I wouldn’t feel bad.
“I owe you a lot, hyung. Not just Hochang Hunter and Jiyong Hunter—you’ve helped me out in all sorts of ways. Even that Hunter you introduced recently, Yunho, is doing great.”
He praised me for helping him recruit three good Hunters already.
“My skills improved a lot while subjugating with you, and you even fed me so well. Just think of it as a token of my appreciation and accept it. I’m looking forward to another delicious meal tonight, too.”
With him saying all that, refusing the money would be awkward.
Fine, since it’s come to this, I’ll accept it and treat him to a proper meal.
“Look forward to dinner tonight.”
Not long ago, my Dexterity stat rose, and with it I gained a new skill.
– Skill: Buff Imbuement (B-rank)
– Description: A skill unlocked upon surpassing 20 Dexterity.
– Effect: Allows you to add a buff to food.
Have I been a bit busy lately?
I hadn’t had a chance to really cook and try out this skill, but this was the perfect opportunity.
Jiyong had gone inside the pension to share the news of his awakening and joining the guild with his friends. Seho and Hochang were busy fawning over Byul and the spirits.
I slipped into the pension kitchen by myself and started preparing dinner. We’d just cleared a dungeon and gathered good company—if there was ever a time to show off my skills, it was now.
“Man, the golden apples are crisp and delicious even at room temperature.”
I promoted the Father of Crops’ produce to the Constellations. Our arrangement was that I’d receive sponsorship in exchange for advertising his crops.
(Father of Crops): Hehe, just tell me what crops you want!
A whisper popped up in chat.
After thinking for a bit, I whispered back a list—lettuce, mushrooms, tomatoes, and all sorts of other produce. I started feeling a bit bad since the list was getting so long.
[Common-rank Constellation, Father of Crops, has sponsored you with a Crop Bundle!]
– There’s an additional letter.
└ Don’t worry about asking for more since I always have leftovers. Just ask for anything, I’ll send it all down.
“…!!”
He fulfilled all my requests and even left a note so I wouldn’t feel guilty. The more I built bonds with the Constellations over time, the more moments like this touched me.
(Father of Crops): I’ll have to send even more when I give you tribute, got it?
So that was his real goal behind the letter.
I grinned quietly to myself and nodded.
First up: burgers. With really good ingredients, a well-made burger is all you need to whet the appetite.
The tomatoes from Father of Crops even had a digestive effect. Thanks to that, after eating burgers as an appetizer, everyone would still have room for more.
‘That means I can go all out with the cooking.’
I carefully chopped up the fresh vegetables, then pulled out several cuts of meat from the subspace bag Last Blacksmith Yulian had gifted me.
Fresh red wolf meat, perfectly preserved.
I chose the best and tastiest cuts.
Grilled with butter—after all, cooking is all about the equipment and ingredients. This time too, I used the limit-breaking sword Yulian had given me.
But I didn’t use it as a kitchen knife like I usually did.
(Last Blacksmith): Ho! I’ve never seen it used like this. Efficient. I’m glad I gave it to you, Jinwoo!
(Water God of Cheongha): He’s using a limit-breaking sword like this?
(Anonymous 1): Look at him, milking every last drop out of that EX-rank item.
I turned the sword into a frying pan. With its superior heat conductivity and ability to enhance flavor, each batch of red wolf meat tasted even richer as it cooked.
I sliced the perfectly grilled meat.
Layered other veggies, meat, and kiwi dressing on a toasted bun. The kiwi dressing was made from kiwis I’d received from Father of Crops, so except for the buns, it was basically all homemade.
Even the red wolf was caught by me!
(Anonymous 1): What’s after the burgers?
‘Barbecue is a must at a pension.’
Barbecue never gets old, no matter how many times you eat it. The charcoal and grill at the pension could make anything taste great.
I grilled a few steaks of red wolf, planning to serve them alongside burgers and pasta.
For the pasta, I’d use the ingredients I bought on my way to the pension and….
[Common-rank Constellation, Father of Crops, has sponsored you with a buff-type food ingredient item!]
(Father of Crops): Farming gets boring, so I raise dairy cows, too. I milk them myself. It’s properly sterilized, so you can drink it safely.
(Returnee from the Demon Realm): How much is the milk? It’s been a while since I’ve had a sip.
(Father of Crops): 50 coins a bottle. 1,000 coins a case.
(Returnee from the Demon Realm): Hope you send some over. I sent the money.
There was nothing Father of Crops didn’t have on his star.
[You have acquired Golden Milk (C-rank ingredient)!]
[Golden Milk (C-rank ingredient)]
– Description: A buff ingredient containing special power. Infused with unique mana. No gamey taste, distinct sweetness.
– Effects: Good for irritable bowel syndrome and won’t upset your stomach. Also helps with indigestion and provides a small amount of mana.
Apparently, even people with lactose intolerance could drink this milk.
I opened a bottle of golden milk and took a swig. The deep, sweet richness—something I’d never experienced from milk before—caught me off guard. It was almost as if honey had been added.
I figured using this milk in the pasta would make it delicious. I whisked the milk with egg yolks and tossed it with noodles.
It was a quick dish, but the result could stand toe-to-toe with any pasta out there.
Once all the dishes were ready, Jinwoo used his Buff Imbuement skill. Since it granted random buffs, he was curious to see what he’d get. It was almost like opening a loot box.
[Buffs are beginning to imbue all food!]
– Upon consumption, eyesight will permanently improve by one tier.
– Sweetness increases by one tier.
One buff for taste, one for the body.
Both buffs were applied at once.
Jinwoo smiled in satisfaction, offered up some dishes as tribute to the Constellations, and left the pension kitchen, carrying all the grilled meat and vegetables for the barbecue outside.
Everyone who saw the food Jinwoo brought out couldn’t help but gape. They knew they’d eat well today, but didn’t expect this much mouthwatering food.
(Anonymous 1): They probably thought they’d just be grilling a little meat, but instead they get over ten burgers and a whole basin of pasta.
(God of Rain and Sunlight): Counting only the people (not the spirits), there are seven, but it looks like he cooked for about seventy.
(Water God of Cheongha): That’s not even counting what he gave as tribute to us. Amazing.
(Returnee from the Demon Realm): Won’t the pasta noodles get soggy at that rate?
(Father of Crops): Since my crops and milk were used, the noodles will never get soggy.
Jinwoo laid out the dishes on the garden table.
Just then, the Constellations’ donation alerts, always enough to make anyone smile, rang in his ears.