“I apologize. It seems I was overly cautious with my first report, which led to this. I am sorry.”
“Oh, no. There’s no need for apologies.”
Yoo Sojeong slipped her phone back into her pocket.
‘Given that this was her very first report about me, her nervousness was entirely understandable. After all, I was the unprecedented SSS-rank Awakener.’
“Still, this should suffice, right?”
“Yes. I believe it will be sufficient. Thank you for your cooperation.”
With those words, Yoo Sojeong began preparing to leave the room.
“I’d like to offer you a meal, but I don’t have anything at home.”
“It’s quite alright. More importantly, when you need to do laundry, please entrust it to me. I possess a skill relevant to that.”
“Wow… you have so many skills. Thank you.”
“Thank you.”
Though I wasn’t sure what she was thanking me for, she offered her gratitude.
‘Well, it’s good if it’s good,’ I thought, not dwelling on it further.
****
“Is this it…?”
In the heart of Seoul’s Seocho District, I stood before a towering, geometrically designed glass building.
No matter how high I looked, the structure seemed to pierce the heavens, its summit out of sight.
This was the headquarters of the Blue Rose Guild.
Standing before such a colossal edifice, I felt an overwhelming sense of intimidation, as if I had shrunk into a tiny child.
I double-checked that my blouse and black trousers were perfectly neat, then took a deep breath.
‘Calm down. I’m the one with the upper hand here. Blue Rose Guild or not, there’s no need to be nervous.’
Deliberately puffing out my chest, I strode into the building, heading confidently toward the front desk.
As I drew near, the employee’s face was difficult to see, forcing me to stand on my tiptoes.
“Hello there~ What can I help you with today?”
The female employee greeted me warmly.
“I’m here to meet Vice Guild Leader Lee Jiyoung.”
At my words, she briefly checked her monitor before giving a negative reply.
“Oh dear, I’m afraid Vice Guild Leader Lee Jiyoung has a busy appointment right now, so it might be difficult to see her.”
“What? But I was clearly told to come at this time…”
Having gotten lost on the way, it was already 1:58 PM.
‘Could my tardiness have led to the cancellation of the appointment?’
‘No, someone of a Vice Guild Leader’s standing wouldn’t do such a thing. In that case, this employee must not have received the message.’
“I’m sorry, could you please come back another time? Here, have two candies.”
Upon receiving the candies, I immediately unwrapped one and popped it into my mouth.
It was a sour lemon flavor, causing my mouth to water profusely, yet simultaneously delivering a delightful sweetness.
Since my body became smaller, candies felt much larger, which I enjoyed.
It was a sensation of my cheeks being completely filled.
“Thwank you. But I weally did have an appwointment.”
“Oh, really? In that case, let me double-check.”
She picked up the phone and began dialing a number.
Given the unavoidable delay, I, too, pulled my phone from my bag and messaged Lee Jiyoung.
[Golden Hand] It seems there’s been a misunderstanding at the front desk. ^^;; The employee says you have another appointment and doesn’t seem to want to let me in, haha….
“Yes. There’s a child here insisting they have an appointment with the Vice Guild Leader. Yes, a child. Understood.”
The employee spoke, keeping the phone connected.
“Could you wait a moment?”
“Yes.”
Soon after, a notification chimed on my phone.
[Lee Jiyoung] Excuse me, could you please describe your current appearance?
[Golden Hand] A blouse. And. Black. Trousers.
“Yes. A blouse and black trousers? Yes, that’s correct. What? Let them in? But you have an appointment… Oh, understood!”
The employee, her voice urgent, ended the call and then bowed deeply to me.
“My apologies! I’m so sorry for not recognizing you. I’ll guide you right away.”
“Oh, it’s… well, mistakes happen. And since you gave me candy, I’ll forgive you.”
Had it been an ordinary candy, I might have shown some annoyance, but this one’s distinctly luxurious flavor put me in a forgiving mood.
“This way, please.”
She led me to an elevator tucked away in the corner.
It seemed to be an express elevator to the upper floors, as it ascended with startling speed the moment I stepped inside, making my ears pop.
– Ding! The doors are opening.
Following the employee through the opening doors, I entered a reception room and spotted a short-haired woman with brown hair seated within.
Despite her somewhat petite stature, her expression exuded resolve, and her neatly tailored black suit gave her a pristine appearance.
The employee bowed once more, then exited through the door, leaving only Vice Guild Leader Lee Jiyoung and me in the reception room.
I swallowed hard. No matter how incredible an Awakener I had become, this “interview atmosphere” still filled me with tension, having failed countless interviews in the past.
“Golden Hand… is that you?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“Please, have a seat first.”
As I took the seat she indicated, we found ourselves facing each other across a table.
“…Would it be alright if I just confirmed your identity?”
“Of course. This is important business; we can’t be careless.”
She produced a simple measuring device – one that merely indicated a subject’s skill classification.
Though it revealed neither rank nor specific skill names, it was frequently used in such situations.
*Beep.*
The results appeared on the screen.
– Production-type
“Confirmed.”
“Alright. Shall we begin our discussion now?”
Sitting back down, we resumed our conversation.
“What is your name, Golden Hand-nim?”
“It’s Lee Dayoon.”
“Understood. To be direct, we wish to employ you, Lee Dayoon-nim.”
“Employ… me?”
Although I had anticipated the words, hearing them directly made my heart pound.
It felt like only days ago I was endlessly interviewing, desperate for a job.
Now, one of the nation’s top guilds was actively seeking me out.
Yet, at this moment, I absolutely had to conceal my true feelings.
There was no greater folly than to humble oneself when holding the upper hand.
I clasped my hands, trying to still the invisible tail of excitement that insisted on wagging.
‘Now is not the time to move.’
“Hmm… employment, you say. I appreciate you thinking so highly of me. However, I’m not particularly fond of being tied down to one place.”
At my response, Lee Jiyoung’s eyebrow twitched subtly.
She had likely expected me to accept the offer without hesitation.
“Of course, we promise you the best possible treatment. A yearly salary of 10 billion Korean Won, and any materials you desire will be supported by the guild to the fullest extent possible. The prestige that comes with guild affiliation is merely a bonus.”
10 billion Korean Won a year.
At those words, the candy in my throat nearly choked me.
10 billion, a staggering 10 billion!
And not just once, but 10 billion every single year!
With that much money, I could wallpaper my entire house with gold and still have plenty left over.
Visions of gleaming gold danced in my mind.
No, I could even contract an alchemist to build a house entirely made of gold…
“Hah!”
I barely managed to wipe away the drool threatening to escape, pulling myself back to reality.
“Ahem, ahem! It would be a shame for my creations to be confined to a single guild. After all, items should be accessible to all who need them.”
Lee Jiyoung smiled faintly as I spouted some impressive-sounding words I’d picked up somewhere.
“In that case, instead of an exclusive contract, perhaps we could discuss this particular commission? First, we’d like you to perform a few tests with B-grade materials, and then, using this material, we’d like you to forge a sword.”
“What material are we talking about?”
She rose from her seat and walked towards a safe in the corner.
It was clearly a safe engineered with both advanced skills and technology, evident at a glance.
Only after a lengthy authentication process did the safe finally open.
From inside the safe, she retrieved another box.
For some reason, white mist billowed from within the box, and as it drew nearer, the chilling aura emanating from it lowered the surrounding temperature.
“This is the material we have prepared.”
When Lee Jiyoung opened the box, a blue-hued gem, roughly the size of two of my fists, was revealed within.
As if alive, a cerulean aura pulsed from its depths, continuously absorbing and expelling magical energy, cooling the air around it.
“This is…?”
“It’s the heart of a White Drake, a sub-dragon. Please, check it.”
I reached out my hand to check the item’s information.
[Intact Heart of a White Drake (A+)]
[The Mana Heart of a High-grade Sub-Dragon, the White Drake. It continuously emits cold energy. Cannot be processed by conventional methods.]
The information window revealed the material’s grade: A+.
This was a top-tier material, the highest of the high, rarely found even in auctions.
It was the kind of item one would struggle to even glimpse without first signing a non-disclosure agreement.
“We’d like you to forge a rapier with this. It’s an item that every crafter, both domestically and internationally, has given up on.”
“Heeeh…”
Nevertheless, my gaze remained fixated on the blue gem.
The reason was simple.
‘Why does this look so delicious?’
The gem before my eyes appeared to be an incredibly sweet candy, a giant confection that promised to fill my entire body with happiness if I were to eat it.
