I decided to go fishing with the family next to us. When fishing, it’s common to become friendly with the people beside you. That’s part of the fun.
Since we had taken the largest spot in the fish farm, the neighboring family moved closer to us.
“Park Sangjin.”
“Kim Jinwoo.”
We were around the same age. Sangjin was a year older than me, and his son looked about four, the same age as Byeol.
“Your daughter, right?”
“Yes, Kim Byeol.”
“My son is Park Hyunsoo.”
Byeol and Hyunsoo looked at each other. Maybe there was some unspoken understanding between kids the same age?
“Let’s fish together!”
“Sure.”
The two kids, Byeol and Hyunsoo, who had come traveling with their fathers, quickly became friends.
Sangjin and I also had a lot in common, both being dads of similar-aged kids. Of course, I hadn’t had Byeol with my wife.
As we fished together and grew closer, Sangjin asked me casually in a familiar tone, dropping the formalities.
“Are you still traveling around with Byeol and Baekgu?”
“Yes.”
He didn’t pry about Byeol’s mother and just nodded with envy.
“Traveling like that sounds nice. I’m jealous. I’m so busy with work that only on days like this can I take my son out. I’m busy, so I try to give my wife a break from solo parenting.”
“That’s good too. Taking your son traveling during vacation is impressive, hyung.”
“Ha ha, thanks.”
(Anonymous 1): I wish someone would flatter me like that too.
(God of Rain and Sunlight): Haha, Jinwoo sometimes does that to us as well.
(Anonymous 1): Don’t remember that.
I lightly ignored Anonymous 1’s whining and focused on the conversation with Sangjin. Sangjin, who became a hunter at twenty and had a kid early, said he’d always lived a busy life.
“As soon as Hyunsoo was born, I quit the guild and started my own.”
“…Really?”
Knowing how difficult that decision must have been, I was genuinely surprised.
“Yeah, I was originally in the Geompoong Guild five years ago.”
“…Wow, you must have been talented.”
The prestige of one of Korea’s top five guilds was intimidating. It was surprising to have been part of one, and even more so to have given it up.
“You’re a swordsman, right? Double specialization with spirit mage and swordsman?”
“That’s right. Swordsman is B-rank, spirit mage is C-rank. How about you?”
Actually, my swordsman specialization had recently risen to A-rank, but I downplayed it by one rank. Traveling without a guild as an A-rank hunter would invite suspicion.
Thanks to that, Sangjin looked at me without suspicion.
It’s hard to believe that a hunter with high double specializations would wander around aimlessly. The guild or association wouldn’t allow that.
But for B-rank or C-rank hunters, taking a break is reasonable. Their rank isn’t high enough to be harassed by the guild or association. Of course, they’d have to deal with the consequences themselves.
SPLASH—!
Plunk!
The fishing float suddenly sank below the surface.
“Oh!”
The bite was on Byeol’s fishing rod. While chatting with Hyunsoo, Byeol dashed over and lifted the rod. With effort, she pulled up a massive fish.
“Wow…! Byeol’s really good at fishing!”
At Sangjin’s praise, Byeol chuckled. She put the giant mandarin fish into the fish keeper and looked down at her hands.
“That was fun!”
Having tasted the thrill of fishing, Byeol’s eyes sparkled. Sangjin and I laughed watching her.
“Ha ha, you’ve discovered the joy of fishing, huh?”
Sangjin said and patted both Hyunsoo’s and Byeol’s heads.
“Where were we? Right, you asked about my specialization?”
“Yes. Being from Geompoong Guild, you must have had good specializations.”
“I’m a mage. That’s why I can sense ki a bit. Rank is A.”
“Wow!”
Mages tend to sense ki more easily than other hunters since magic and spirit arts are similar disciplines.
“With an A-rank hunter, it makes sense to start a guild.”
“Ha ha, I was just reckless when I was young.”
“At A-rank, weren’t you a team leader in Geompoong Guild?”
“I was a sub-team leader or an elite team member. I was too young to be promoted to team leader.”
“Oh, that’s interesting. I’ve been wandering gates as a mercenary without a guild. I was C-rank but recently got promoted.”
“That’s interesting too.”
We shared our stories with genuine interest.
The Celestials were listening intently as well, which was amusing to see.
(Seungha’s Messenger): Descendant, you’ve had a tougher life than I thought.
(Endless Waiting): There’s a hunter who bossed Jinwoo around? Bring them here!
(Liberated Swordsman): That hunter wouldn’t say a word seeing Jinwoo now. He’s objectively strong.
(Anonymous 1): I should teach him swordsmanship. Without me, Jinwoo’s like a bun without filling.
‘How do you know about the bun without filling?’
(Anonymous 1): Community.
I quietly chuckled at the anonymous chat. By then, we’d caught a few fish—several valuable mandarin fish—and were still enjoying the thrill of fishing.
Sangjin said he left Geompoong Guild, started his own, and built it into a respectable small-to-medium guild. He even teased me a few times, jokingly trying to recruit me. Since we got closer, we shared a beer while talking.
“You and I get along well, and with double specializations at B and C ranks, you seem pretty skilled. Want to join our guild? Good benefits and lots of money.”
“Ha ha, I’m fine.”
Sssip
“That’s too bad.”
He genuinely seemed disappointed, which I appreciated. There wasn’t much age difference between us, and raising a kid young was natural but not easy. Leaving a large guild to start your own to take responsibility was admirable, and growing it into a decent guild known among hunters was impressive.
He was a senior worth learning from.
“Sometimes I think back to my days in Geompoong. I thought being a hunter in a big guild was the hardest job, but after starting my own guild, being the guild master is the toughest. I really respect the Geompoong Guild master.”
“Oh, I’ve heard a lot about the Geompoong Guild master. Turning it into a large guild in under twenty years.”
“Exactly. I’ve heard a lot about him, too. He’s my role model now.”
“Have you met him?”
“Yeah, a few times.”
“Oh…”
“When I was in the elite team, the guild master led several hunts as team leader.”
“Wow, that’s amazing. What’s he like?”
“Nice.”
He wore a nostalgic expression.
“A few months ago, I went back to the guild thinking about the guild master.”
“Yeah?”
“He asked me to come back and guard his son.”
“His son?”
“Yeah, we call him the Young Master of Geompoong Guild.”
Sangjin told me about the Geompoong Young Master. He was a C-rank swordsman with mediocre talent as a hunter, often described as quirky and scatterbrained, but actually very smart.
“The Young Master doesn’t go on guild hunts lately, just goes with others to improve his skills. Pretty impressive, right?”
“…Yeah.”
“The hunter community uses real names and info, so I don’t say much, but the Young Master is actually really gentle and goofy. When he hides his identity, other hunters tend to underestimate him a bit.”
(Anonymous 1): …That sounds familiar.
Yeah, I felt like I’d seen that before.
“The funny part is, the Young Master wears really expensive gear from Geompoong Guild’s own equipment brand every time he goes on hunts.”…That gear looked familiar, too.
“Is your specialization the tank?”
“Oh! How’d you know?”
“…Just something I read in the news before.”
I secretly hoped he wasn’t a tank… but he was.
(Anonymous 1): Are we talking about that goofy tank who recently hunted with you in Yangpyeong?
(God of Rain and Sunlight): …That guy’s the son of the head of one of Korea’s top five guilds?
(Seungha’s Messenger): Huh, the world’s a strange place.
(Father of Crops): So you hunted with a silver spoon?
The goofy but kind guy was actually the guild master’s son. That explained everything that didn’t make sense. It must have been hard for Lee Seho, a famous hunter, to use the hunter community.
“Anyway, I talked to Seho on the phone yesterday. Ah! Everything I’ve said about Seho so far is a secret, okay?”
Sangjin started sharing all sorts of stories about Lee Seho, the successor of Geompoong Guild. We’d been casually drinking beer while fishing, and he launched into the story after just one can.
“Got it. It’s a secret.”
“He said he’s looking for someone. Recently hunted in Yangpyeong with a hunter.”
…That’s me.
“C-rank? B-rank level, but really good with the sword.”
(Anonymous 1): That’s my work.
“At the end, he danced alone killing monsters and fought the boss monster, perfectly executing sword techniques like ki manipulation.”…That’s real sword skills.
“Like you, with a daughter, spirit mage specialization and swordsman specialization. Pretty amazing, right?”
Yeah, it’s amazing.
(Anonymous 1): Did he get caught?
(God of Rain and Sunlight): It was only a matter of time.
“Hey, is that you?”
Sangjin teased.
I smiled lightly.
“Of course not.”
“…Ha ha, sure.”
At this point, even I wasn’t sure.
*****
After fishing, Byeol and Hyunsoo were playing catch with a small bouncy ball in the campground yard. The game was simple: Byeol and Hyunsoo would kick or throw the ball, and Baekgu would fetch it.
Meanwhile, I cooked with the fish we’d caught while Sangjin took a nap to sober up a bit.
‘Mandarin fish is best in spicy stew.’
After cleaning the fish my way, I put water, various prepped vegetables, red pepper powder, and minced garlic into the pot and simmered it thoroughly.
Bubble bubble—!
Bubbles burst as the stew boiled, and the spicy aroma filled the kitchen. Just smelling it made me feel full.
(Anonymous 1): Don’t forget the tribute skill, right?
(God of Rain and Sunlight): Me too!
(Father of Crops): Me too, please.
(Seungha’s Messenger): Descendant, I’m counting on you.
The Celestials were also asking, but I decided to give this spicy stew without asking for any tribute this time.
“You all gave me so much support earlier.”
(Anonymous 1): …You’re better than Eric! I admit it!
With the Celestials’ approval, I finished the spicy stew. After sharing the generous portion with the Celestials, I carried the pot out of the kitchen.
“Jinwoo, you’re here?”
Sangjin greeted me with a smile.
(Anonymous 1): …Why is he here?
Then, Lee Seho—the hunter who had hunted with me and successor of Geompoong Guild—smiled and greeted me.
“Long time no see, hyung! How have you been?”
I glanced between Lee Seho and Sangjin.
“He called me here since it’s nearby. Do you know each other?”
“…Yes?”
Did he call Lee Seho without knowing my identity? I wanted to disappear in stealth right away but hid that urge and sat down.