Chapter 109

Chapter 109: Guild Founded

After completing our change-of-residence registration, the move was finished.

When the villagers heard my wife and I were leaving, they were very sad to see us go.

'They've known me since I was a child.'

My wife and I told the village elders we'd visit now and then with gifts, to look after the country house, and that eased their reluctance.

Next, we gathered the officer-level members in the third-floor conference room of the guild headquarters for a meeting.

The meeting's purpose was to decide on a name for the guild.

Eriksson tossed out his idea first.

"How about Assassin Guild?"

I flatly rejected it.

"Denied."

"Why? It's got style, it's cool. Then how about Shadow Guild?"

"Denied. Every name you suggest sounds like an underworld guild."

"Ahem."

Next, Han Se-a offered hers.

"Then how about Ice Crystal Guild?"

Not bad, but—

It felt too obviously self-indulgent on Han Se-a's part.

The elder Sword Saint cast a dissenting vote.

"It sounds like Frost Flower Guild 2.0, so I'm against it."

"...I'm against it too."

When Santos also weighed in firmly against it, it was rejected.

Next, Instructor Park of the Bamboo Fragrance Guild offered his.

"How about Mu Guild?"

He seemed to mean the hanja for "martial."

At that, Ji-young—the next youngest after Eriksson, at twenty-six—waved her hands in protest.

"If you name it that, the younger kids will think it's the other hanja that sounds the same but means 'none,' and tease us for it!"

"Ah... that could happen, yes."

Not 'could'—it was a certainty.

So, denied.

Many other suggestions came up.

But nothing quite hit the mark.

Decent ones I jotted down in the memo.

Then Ria, who had been listening quietly, offered an idea.

"How about Wind Forest Guild? The characters meaning 'wind' and 'woods'."

At Ria's suggestion, everyone's mouths fell open.

Mine included.

The naming wasn't bad, but it was Ria's citing of the hanja meanings that surprised us.

"Ria, you've been studying hard lately—you know hanja now too?"

"It's because you won't let me help at the restaurant, Seon-u, so I study with the time I have left."

"I keep telling you, don't do that—just rest."

"I'm resting plenty. Don't worry."

Well, from where I was sitting, she didn't look like she was resting at all.

Studying, or teaching Rin, or tending the field, or practicing with the sword.

She was always doing something.

It was only after I got off work and we had dinner that she'd finally sip her tea and take her ease.

I rested my hand on top of Ria's and gazed at her fondly.

Then—

"Ahem! Master Seon-u, this is meeting time. Please save the lovey-dovey stuff for after."

Han Se-a eventually called us out.

"Sorry. Anyway, Wind Forest—personally, I think it's good. What do the rest of you think?"

A 'wind forest,' as a noun, was a grove planted to block the wind, or a stand of trees forming beautiful scenery.

For that reason, I liked it.

The elder Sword Saint stroked his chin.

"Wind Forest, is it? It brings Master Seon-u's Rift house to mind."

At that, everyone nodded.

I added,

"And it feels like it could also mean the Fourth Floor Plains Zone. Which makes it a great match for our guild's name."

The Fourth Floor Plains Zone was, in effect, our guild's territory.

At that, everyone nodded.

Still, I held it to hear out more opinions.

After fielding several more guild name suggestions, we moved to a final vote.

The vote was unanimous for Wind Forest Guild.

"Then our guild name will be, going forward, Wind Forest Guild."

The prospective members rejoiced that the guild was finally coming to life.

We then headed to the Rift Management Bureau to file for guild founding—and, in just a little over ten minutes, received approval.

Approvals normally took anywhere from a week to a month, but our guild didn't need all that.

'Having the Rift Management Bureau in our corner is a real boon.'

We also completed the registration of the Hunter Guild as a business entity, officially founding the guild.

***

After the building completion ceremony came the founding of the guild.

And now, the fortress walls were complete.

'My head is spinning.'

Good events piled up all at once leave one a bit lightheaded.

"Magnificent!"

"This is what we built?"

"Worth the effort of helping."

"Truly beautifully and neatly built."

The Hunters who had helped were highly pleased with the completed walls.

I stood among them, looking at the walls.

'They're stunning.'

As a child I'd loved mountain fortresses, and my father had taken me to many of them often.

Seoul's Bukhansanseong, Gwangju's Namhansanseong, Suwon's Hwaseong, Gongju's Gongsanseong, Cheongju's Sangdangsanseong, Jinju's Jinjuseong, and more.

That same feeling came back to me now.

But the fortress walls within the Rift were built far more sturdily and meticulously than any domestic stone mountain fortress.

"How did they find such perfectly cut stones?"

"It looks like it was assembled out of Lego bricks, the shapes are so even."

"The wall looks almost like it's made of jade. It's so pretty."

"I really want to take a photo and post it on SNS."

As they said, the walls were built with remarkable precision and regularity.

The stones were uniform in size, and there were no protruding bits.

It was practically an art form.

"Does it meet with your approval, Liege Lord?"

At Maxim's question beside me, I nodded.

"Of course. It meets with my approval absolutely. When I planned to build the walls, I was imagining a crude stone mountain fortress cobbled together from rocks, and instead it's nearly been built into a work of art. Its defensive capacity looks considerable as well."

"Of course. It'll stand up to most attacks. Unless Lady Ashley or Lady Fenrir, or someone of their caliber, sets out to destroy it. And even then, should that happen, we could always repair it. Hoho!"

"It's unlikely that would happen often. Anyway, Lord Maxim and every member of the Eckard clan—you have all worked tremendously hard."

"Don't mention it. This was all thanks to you, Liege Lord, creating a dungeon where we could mine the Erdotte Stone. Our Eckard house is simply glad to be able to aid you."

He really was from a clan of loyal vassals.

To pledge such devotion, generation after generation.

I turned to face the Hunters behind me and expressed my gratitude as well.

"Hunters, thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your active help in the fortress wall construction."

The number of people who had taken part in today's wall completion alone came to one hundred and six.

Excluding those unable to participate due to injury or health, everyone at the outpost had lent a hand.

At my bow, they waved their hands dismissively.

"Thanks, nothing—we worked to eat for free with the coupons!"

"I did it for the coupons, and to brag to my kids too!"

"We just helped out, that's all!"

"Got a free meal and raised my growth stats from hard work—it's two birds with one stone!"

Despite what they said, I knew they'd worked as hard as if it were their own project.

Even with the three-hour daily cap, there were several who had worked an extra hour or two without compensation.

Originally, I had planned to hold only a simple completion ceremony.

But because of those people, my thinking had changed.

"This evening, once it gets dark, we'll be holding a Wind Forest Guild introduction and fortress wall completion celebration barbecue party! I'd be grateful if you'd all attend! Meat and drinks, free of charge!"

At that, everyone let out a cheer.

"Is it all right to eat till we burst?"

"Of course! Eat to your heart's content."

The Hunters rejoiced.

The ones who were happiest, though, were Ashley and Fenrir.

The two were hugging each other and cheering.

'There's no stopping those two.'

They had plenty of treasures and Magic Stones, yet the promise of free meat had them in this state.

I liked that guileless innocence of non-human species.

Unable to lie, unable to hide their feelings—easy to deal with.

And so we began preparations for the evening party.

There would be three types of barbecue.

'Asado, Texas brisket, and K-barbecue.'

Having anticipated today's completion, we'd begun preparations since early morning, together with the lunch-service prep.

We also set out bread and vegetables so people could assemble sandwiches on the spot.

The drinks were wine, champagne, soju, makgeolli, and whisky.

"Ria, you don't have to help—rest."

"What's the harm? The morning sickness has even stopped now."

"Still..."

Ria was helping with the evening party preparations beside me.

She was busily threading skewer meats onto skewers.

Ji-young, threading skewers beside her, looked on in admiration.

"My lady, your hands are so fast!"

"Yours are fast too, Ji-young."

"You're easily twice as fast as me. You're amazing!"

"Heh! Thank you for the compliment."

The two of them threaded skewers amicably.

Ruina set up the tables, barbecue equipment, plates, and so on.

I continued trimming the massive amount of meat bought wholesale in Majang-dong.

The prospective guild officers and the Knight Quartet were helping too.

And Bell and Rin were playing around the restaurant.

"Beww, wun!"

Rin's tongue-tied way of saying "run."

"Arf!"

Bell responded to Rin and ran about happily.

"Kyahaha!"

Hearing Rin's bright laughter while preparing for the party outdoors put me in a good mood.

Around when it started getting dark, we finished preparing the party food.

When the time came, I led the gathered Hunters through the west gate of the wall.

I stood in front of them and said,

"Before the celebration of the wall's completion, I'd like to introduce our Wind Forest Guild, which will from now on oversee this outpost. First, as guild master, I'm An Seon-u."

The Hunters applauded and cheered.

When the sound died down, I introduced Ria.

"This is my wife, Emeria. She didn't want a title, so she officially holds no guild position, but please think of her as my co-guild master."

Ria said she only wished to assist me at my side and did not want a title.

Ria bowed to the gathering with practiced grace.

Applause erupted.

"So beautiful!"

"I'm jealous, Chef An!"

"Lady Emeria looks like nobility!"

"Chef An, pay three times the taxes—no, five times!"

Five times was a bit much...

Well, honestly, even five times wouldn't be enough.

I was that happy a man.

My shoulders got a little puffed up.

I loosened my shoulders and introduced the remaining guild members.

The elder Sword Saint was Vice Guild Master.

The rest were Team Leaders.

Santos and Eriksson were in charge of wall defense.

Han Se-a, with her abundant experience as a guild master, was in charge of the Secretary and Finance.

Instructor Park, the only A+-Rank among the officers and the one who had effectively led the Bamboo Fragrance Guild, was in charge of training and combat instruction.

And Ji-young, the only S-Rank-level member without an officer position, was the restaurant's Deputy Head Chef.

As a newly minted Hunter, an officer position was too early for her.

'I'm Deputy Head Chef? I'm a Sous Chef...? How can this be! I'm the Sous Chef at the Chef's restaurant...!'

Ji-young had been overjoyed just at being made Deputy Head Chef.

Of course, it was only Deputy Head Chef because there were just two cooks at the restaurant—Ji-young and me.

To begin with, Ji-young had only wanted to work at my restaurant, and had little interest in being a Hunter.

As she'd told me,

'I called the Bong-Hwa-Seon Trio—my former Pungjeong colleagues—and told them I'd become Awakened and gotten to work at Chef An's restaurant, and they looked like they'd just been punched in the gut! Hah!'

Ji-young had laughed triumphantly.

The Bong-Hwa-Seon Trio referred to the three people: Bong-shik, Hwa-su, and Seon-hwa.

My key lieutenants from the Pungjeong days who, together with me, had made Pungjeong the nation's finest fine dining restaurant.

They'd vented their envy about Ji-young in our group chat.

—Chef An, teach Ji-young strictly! Really strictly!!

—That Ji-young, ugh, back in my day...

—Awaken me too!!

Reactions like these.

Anyway.

After giving brief introductions for the rank-and-file guild members as well—

"Ria, please."

Ria nodded and stepped forward, drawing her sword.

"What's she about to do?"

The Hunters and guild members watched with interest.

The blade of the white sword, forged from the priceless mineral called Rederterium, revealed itself.

"Wow... the sword is beautiful."

"The blade is white as pure jade."

"It suits Lady Emeria's aura perfectly."

A sword I had given Ria for her birthday.

A blue aura wreathed its blade.

Ria then swung it several times toward the top of the wall.

Carved into the stone plaque was the phrase 'Wind Forest Guild Territorial Outpost.'

A declaration that our guild oversaw this outpost.

'With the Central and South American Cartel Union before, and more recently the WPA, I realized it clearly.'

A declaration that this was our guild's territory, and that hostile guilds or antisocial factions would not be welcome.

We would post a notice stating this beside the wall's entrance.

Along with the various rules to be observed at the outpost.

The gist: disorder and conflict within the outpost were prohibited.

Non-compliance resulted in a first warning, then expulsion on the second offense.

If serious enough, expulsion without warning.

At Ria's display of artisanal sword-calligraphy carving, the crowd burst into applause.