Chapter 12
“…Yes…? You can’t accept my commission…?”
Baek Seol-ah asked again, her voice trembling faintly.
‘Why…?’
What did he mean by raising her expectations so high, only to say he wouldn’t accept her commission?
Countless possibilities flashed through Baek Seol-ah’s mind.
‘Is it because of his contract with Moonshadow? Did Guild Master Yeon Harim do something? Or maybe… does he simply not like me?’
……No matter how she thought about it, she couldn’t find a reason that would convince her.
That was why Baek Seol-ah asked Yoo Hyun,
“Um… Could you tell me… why?”
“I can’t make a proper pet for you right now, Hunter Baek Seol-ah.”
……?
This had a somewhat different nuance from what she had expected.
It sounded more like he couldn’t make one because his circumstances didn’t allow it.
Yoo Hyun calmly explained the reason.
“The pet that would help you, Hunter Baek Seol-ah, needs to have a Magic Core Rank of at least B-Rank. That’s the minimum requirement.”
Well… Naturally. Since she was an A-Rank Hunter, a pet would be of little help if its rank was too low.
That was why the minimum rank was B-Rank.
She understood that much.
‘Then perhaps….’
“…Is cultivating a magic beast of B-Rank or higher difficult with your current equipment?”
That was probably the case. Considering the price of a B-Rank magic beast, it would require astronomical material costs and expensive equipment, so the owner of a small pet shop like this probably couldn’t afford high-end equipment.
However, Yoo Hyun’s answer was different.
“No, I recently brought in some good new equipment, so that’s not the problem. The machine’s specs aren’t that bad, either, so I can somehow cultivate up to B-Rank.”
“Then why on earth…?”
At Baek Seol-ah’s words, Yoo Hyun replied in a bitter voice.
“I don’t have a license….”
“…A li…cense…?”
Baek Seol-ah blinked.
It was probably something she had never heard of.
“Our country’s regulations are so strict that individuals aren’t allowed to make high-rank magic beasts as they please.”
…An individual could make a B-Rank weapon for Hunters without any restrictions, but couldn’t make a B-Rank pet of the same rank.
If an individual made a magic beast of B-Rank or higher without a license, they would become a criminal.
…Since I didn’t have a license, I couldn’t even make a C-Rank magic beast unless it was commissioned by a Hunter.
‘The license issue wasn’t mentioned in this round of regulatory easing….’
I understood to some extent. Unlike blacksmiths, magic beast alchemists created living things, so they were probably considered far more dangerous than Hunter equipment.
Baek Seol-ah thought for a moment before speaking.
“I heard that regulations related to magic beasts were recently eased… but the issue with licenses hasn’t been resolved, then…?”
Yoo Hyun nodded.
That was right… Contrary to my expectations, the regulatory easing had been only half-hearted.
“Most of the regulations eased this time were revised in favor of corporations rather than private businesses. Of course, compared to before, they were eased reasonably well overall, but the license issue—the biggest obstacle for me—remains unchanged.”
“…….”
Baek Seol-ah appeared lost in thought for a moment.
She probably hadn’t expected him to refuse her commission simply because he didn’t have a license.
It really drove home the fact that Korea was a backward country when it came to magic beast pets.
Baek Seol-ah carefully opened her mouth.
“Um… Would it be possible for you to get a license somehow, even now? With your skills, Mr. Yoo Hyun, shouldn’t it be possible?”
If that were possible, I wouldn’t be saying this.
I briefly explained to her how to obtain a license.
“No, what kind of… That’s completely absurd….”
Exactly.
Even I found it ridiculous as I explained it.
After hearing my explanation, Baek Seol-ah ultimately gave up and said as she left the shop,
“……Then I’ll find a way. Once the problem is solved, I’ll submit my commission again.”
“I’d be grateful if you could do that.”
Jingle—
Baek Seol-ah left just like that.
*
Baek Seol-ah entered the Dongbaek Guild building, where her secretary came out to meet her.
“Guild Master, you’re here? How did it go?”
“Ah.”
Baek Seol-ah realized only after arriving at the guild building.
“Come to think of it, the contract… I forgot about it….”
“Pardon…?”
She had completely forgotten her original purpose while consulting about a custom-made pet.
*
After Baek Seol-ah left.
Yoo Hyun sighed as he kneaded Happy.
Knead—Knead—
“Phew… I do want to make something B-Rank or higher, too….”
“Pant, pant….”
He had gone out of his way to purchase a high-end Lionel incubator capable of cultivating up to B-Rank, but he couldn’t use its B-Rank cultivation function.
‘Will they fix the license issue in the next round of regulatory easing…?’
No, that would probably be difficult. Honestly, the government had been willing to ease regulations on corporations, but it probably didn’t want to ease regulations on individuals as well.
To be honest, it was questionable whether there was anyone besides me in Korea talented enough to make a B-Rank magic beast independently, so the government probably saw no reason to bother fixing this part.
Besides, getting a license in the first place was very easy.
The magic beast production license absolutely required to make magic beasts of B-Rank or higher.
The requirements for obtaining it.
They were to work as a magic beast alchemist for three years.
Without a single incident or accident.
Of course, simply completing the period wasn’t enough… There was also a written exam and various other tests, but they weren’t particularly difficult.
In any case.
It meant that obtaining a license after only one year since my Awakening was impossible.
“……Hunter Baek Seol-ah will figure it out somehow, I guess.”
She was in a state where growing any stronger was difficult. She was the one in a hurry.
[ Name 》 Baek Seol-ah ]
[ Race 》 Human ]
[ Awakened Rank 》 A-Rank ]
[ Position 》 All-Round Versatile Mage ]
[ Combat Tendency 》 Prefers to coordinate the battlefield from the center of the team. Prefers to move flexibly depending on the situation. ]
[ Points for Improvement 》 Tends to focus on ice magic, but it isn’t a major problem. Technically, she is close to perfection. Increasing her raw power appears effective. ]
“This is an ability level that absolutely can’t be covered for with a low-rank pet.”
“Pant, pant….”
Yeon Harim’s case had been completely different. She needed a catalyst to use her ability, whereas Baek Seol-ah needed a pet with enormous raw output.
‘Considering the Customer Window and the consultation, Baek Seol-ah has grown into a perfect Hunter.’
She was the most ideal form I’d seen among all the Hunters I’d met so far.
As expected of the former No. 1 female Hunter…
‘……I’ll wait for Hunter Baek Seol-ah to somehow handle this part….’
Starting tomorrow, I would be busy again.
Tomorrow, the Moonshadow Guild’s collaboration system would finally be complete, and I would resume creating custom-made pets.
*
The next day.
Jingle—
“Um… Is Mr. Yoo Hyun here? I’m Jang Jaeseok, the head of Moonshadow Guild’s Beta Team.”
“Ah, you’re here. I’ve heard about you. Come over and have a seat.”
Hunter Jang Jaeseok walked over, his steps filled with both nervousness and anticipation.
I checked his Customer Window.
[ Name 》 Jang Jaeseok ]
[ Race 》 Human ]
[ Awakened Rank 》 B-Rank ]
[ Position 》 Vanguard Tank ]
[ Combat Tendency 》 Prefers to lead the party’s formation at the very front. Prefers aggressive tanking to maintain stable aggro control. ]
[ Points for Improvement 》 His defense is extremely high, but his taunting ability is below average, so he tends to manage aggro through damage output. As a result, he is frequently injured and in danger. Improving his taunting ability should allow for more stable tanking. ]
‘Hmm, he clearly has a problem.’
Now that I had a rough idea of what was wrong, conducting the consultation wasn’t difficult.
Unlike Hunter Baek Seol-ah, Hunter Jang Jaeseok was the type with an obvious flaw.
Easy, easy.
And shortly afterward…
“Haaagh…! You saw through even that? I can’t believe it… Then, did you identify the problem with my tanking, too?”
At Hunter Jang Jaeseok’s words, which sounded as though he was testing me, I answered smoothly without hesitation.
“It’s probably because your taunting ability is lacking, making aggro management difficult. That’s why you’ve been taking a more aggressive approach to maintain aggro… From your perspective, it’s the action most faithful to your role of protecting the team. But it looks extremely precarious from the outside, so to those around you, Hunter Jang Jaeseok’s tanking must appear unstable.”
“Ah… Aah… Even my team members don’t know that! But you understand me, Boss…!! It’s true… I always want my teammates to avoid getting hurt. But they say my tanking looks too precarious… that it makes them uneasy… Sob… Honestly, I’ve suffered terribly over this all this time….”
“I see….”
It was clear that when someone seemed unable to hold an enemy in place, it undermined the team’s psychological stability, making it impossible for damage dealers to attack with peace of mind.
As those complaints piled up, it wasn’t difficult to infer from the consultation that some of his teammates had begun voicing subtle complaints to Hunter Jang Jaeseok.
It was almost as if I could picture it in my head.
Hunter Jang Jaeseok must have had a lot bottled up, because he continued speaking.
“Sob… Every time… I go through a Gate worried sick that the aggro might break… In the last Gate, we encountered so many monsters that I ended up letting a few slip past….”
‘Wait a minute… Is this a custom-made pet consultation or therapy…?’
What am I even doing?
I had more or less obtained all the information, so I should end the consultation here. If this continued, Hunter Jang Jaeseok might end up throwing himself into my arms in tears.
“Ahem… I have a rough idea of what kind of pet I should make for you.”
“Already…? Th-Then will I be like Gamma Team now…!”
“Of course. Come back in exactly ten days.”
“Only ten days for a custom-made pet… As expected, your skills are incredible, just as I’d heard….”
He could reasonably have complained that I was doing a sloppy job in such a short time, but the Moonshadow Guild Gamma Team’s results were so incredible that he seemed to have considerable faith in me.
I spent the next several days conducting consultations with Moonshadow Guild members and accepting commissions to make pets.
And finally, on the tenth day.
Hunter Jang Jaeseok, my first customer after the collaboration began, headed to the Gate with his newly born magic beast.
“…Team Leader, your aggro won’t break this time, will it?”
“I really thought we were done for last time.”
The gathered team members voiced their bitter complaints. But that would end today.
“Don’t worry, everyone. I got a new pet.”
At Team Leader Jang Jaeseok’s relaxed words, a strange light appeared in the team members’ eyes.
“……A pet from that place we’ve heard so much about… I’m looking forward to it.”
“I had a consultation a little while ago, too, and the boss is really amazing! I almost feel like getting a consultation even if I don’t get a pet?”
“I’m jealous… When will it be my turn…?”
“Everyone, enough with the small talk. Let’s begin the briefing.”
Thus, the members of Beta Team entered a B-Rank Gate.
A strange noise continued to emanate from the shell of the hermit-crab-type magic beast clinging to Hunter Jang Jaeseok’s shoulder.
“Kieeeeeeeek-!!!!!”
The result was…
“Jju-bbyu-jju-bbyu-!!!!!!!”
The B-Rank magic beast Tyrant Bear charged in an extremely agitated state, surrounded Hunter Jang Jaeseok, and pummeled him repeatedly with its forepaws.
Bang—! Boom—!! Bam-bam—!!!
“You son of a biiiiiiitch-!!! This is way too many-!!!!”
Jang Jaeseok was pummeled by bears converging from every direction. It was utterly impossible to deal damage. No, he didn’t need to deal damage in the first place.
‘Wait, why is this taunting ability so insane…!!!’
[ Model Name 》 Noise Shell ]
[ Magic Core Rank 》 D ]
[ Lifespan 》 3 years ]
[ Traits 》 Resonance Amplification (C+) Damage Absorption (C+) ]
An absurd magic beast pet with traits that simultaneously enhanced its taunting ability and increased its defense…!
However, stable tanking was more grueling than Hunter Jang Jaeseok had expected.
“Kraaaaaaah-!!!! Stop hitting me, you motherfuckers-!!!!”
“Team Leader, you’ve got this…!!! Keep holding out just like that!!!!!!”
“Wow, Team Leader, what’s with this tanking? How is it so stable…? It’s like a Simmons mattress.”
“Amazing… This is tanking for the history books… Team Leader, hang in there!!!”
That day, the Beta Team to which Hunter Jang Jaeseok belonged achieved its best results ever.
*
Dongbaek’s Guild Master’s office.
Baek Seol-ah’s cold voice rang out.
“What happened with what I asked about?”
“They said… if there are proper results, they’ll issue the license as a special exception.”
“…Results? No… Even though I asked them personally, that’s what they said?”
Was it because she had been pushed down to second among female Hunters? The government agency’s response was somehow different from before.
She didn’t want to be conscious of it… but she felt her yearning for first place growing stronger and stronger.
“Sigh… So what exactly do they mean by proper results?”
The secretary explained carefully, taking care not to offend her.
“……They said that if Mr. Yoo Hyun places in an officially recognized ‘Certified Magic Beast Production Competition’… they can process it without any problems….”
A production competition…? Of course, Mr. Yoo Hyun would have no trouble placing.
Baek Seol-ah spoke in a much more relaxed voice.
“What’s the earliest competition schedule in Korea?”
“That’s the thing… There isn’t a single one in Korea.”
“Pardon…?”
*
Yoo Hyun’s pet shop.
“……Germany?”
“Yes… I’m terribly sorry, but Dongbaek will cover all expenses and provide you with every possible support on-site. Would you consider it…?”
Baek Seol-ah said this in a voice that sounded as though she were about to cry.
So the condition for the license Baek Seol-ah had somehow managed to obtain was placing in a competition…?
Europe trip jackpot…?