Chapter 85
The Ice Empress was a Hunter affiliated with the Hunter Association, famous for paying absolutely no attention to matters that didn’t concern her.
So why on earth had she personally made an appearance for the contract issue of a mere A-rank rookie?
How did she even have a connection with Song Ha-eun?
Team Leader Kang Min-cheol was beyond confused, but he hurriedly pulled out a tissue to wipe his mouth and gathered his wits.
'Let’s stay calm. For now, no matter who the opponent is, smoothing things over is the priority.'
He plastered a good-natured smile across his face and stood up from his seat.
“Ha-eun-ssi, over here, over here!”
Then, pretending to have just noticed the Ice Empress, he feigned sudden surprise.
“Oh my, who might this be? Is it not the Ice Empress-nim? What brings you here…”
Song Ha-eun, wearing sunglasses, answered energetically.
“This is the person who was supposed to come with me today! Someone I know asked her to help me out. It’s okay if she stays with us, right?”
“Someone she knows…?”
Song Ha-eun had a connection great enough to reach the Ice Empress?
According to the background check before the contract, she was a dirt-spoon with no father and a sick mother lying in the hospital. Since she had absolutely no ties to a large guild or the Association, he had approached her thinking she would be an easy mark.
Kang Min-cheol’s insides were burning up, but outwardly, he didn’t lose his smile.
“Hahaha. Of course it’s okay. Now, please, have a seat.”
Taking their seats, Song Ha-eun ordered a sweet chocolate latte, and Baek Eun-seol ordered a cold iced americano.
Once the drinks came out, Kang Min-cheol cautiously brought up the main topic.
“Anyway, Ha-eun-ssi, why did you suddenly say you wanted to terminate the contract… Was there perhaps anything uncomfortable during your Guild life?”
At that moment, Baek Eun-seol, sitting beside her, cut in with a voice like a sheet of ice.
“Are you asking because you don’t know?”
“…!”
Baek Eun-seol pulled out a document and placed it on the table.
It was a copy of Ha-eun’s contract.
“Here, article 3, Paragraph 2. Claims for damages arising from independent actions without the guild’s consent. Article 5, Paragraph 4. Upon generation of revenue, the guild shall deduct all overhead costs in advance and distribute the remainder at a 9 to 1 ratio…”
She flipped through the document page by page, pointing out the toxic clauses one by one.
The absurd revenue distribution ratio, the abnormally calculated penalty fees, and the mandatory clauses written to be absolutely advantageous to the guild are problematic.
“…You included clauses like these and still intended to keep Ha-eun Hunter around.”
The Ice Empress said, glaring at Kang Min-cheol with eyes that looked as if she were viewing a bug.
“Gulp!”
He swallowed dry saliva.
“T-That is. It’s an industry practice for rookies to usually start out like this. The guild side also has initial investment costs, doesn’t it?”
Baek Eun-seol let out a cold sneer at that excuse.
“Industry? Do you know more about this industry than I do?”
“…”
Kang Min-cheol was struck completely dumb.
His opponent was one of the four S-rank hunters standing at the apex of the Republic of Korea’s hunter society.
Not to mention knowledge or experience, even the spirit she exuded was on a different level.
Her martial prowess went without saying, and even her status couldn’t be compared to that of a mere team leader of a mid-sized guild.
“T-This is no match…!”
Now was not the time to make threats while bringing up penalty fees.
Kang Min-cheol was a man who lacked ability but had climbed to his current position by scamming naive rookies and entertaining and flattering the guild’s higher-ups.
In short, he was optimized for being strong against the weak and weak against the strong.
He immediately switched his stance, bowing his waist to Baek Eun-seol and flattering her.
“Oh my, I misspoke. The Ice Empress-nim’s words are all correct. It seems there was a slight error in our contract. I will revise it right away to conditions much more favorable for Ha-eun Hunter. The revenue distribution will also be adjusted to 7 to 3… no, 8 to 2!”
At that, Ha-eun snapped back in a tone of disbelief.
“Team Leader. You definitely said at first that everyone starts out like this, and that the contract details could absolutely never be changed.”
“Haha…”
Kang Min-cheol wiped the cold sweat beading on his forehead with the back of his hand.
“T-That time, I had no choice but to follow the guild’s internal regulations, so…”
Ha-eun firmly shook her head.
“Forget it, just terminate the contract please, because it’s an unfair contract, as the Ice Empress-nim said.”
“T-That is…”
The moment Kang Min-cheol hesitated in a tough spot.
“No. Ha-eun Hunter. We can’t just do that.”
Baek Eun-seol spoke kindly to Ha-eun.
“You have to tell them to spit out all the revenue percentages they’ve unjustly exploited up until now.”
“Excuse me?!”
Kang Min-cheol flared up at those words.
Other things aside, spitting the money back out that had already gone into the guild’s safe was absolutely out of the question.
If he did that, he would be chewed out immensely by the higher-ups.
“I admit the contract details were a bit excessive. However, it is a document signed under the agreement of both parties. To demand the settlement money back now goes against the law, and…”
Kang Min-cheol babbled on, desperately trying to find a loophole to escape.
“…”
But Baek Eun-seol didn’t say a word.
She just quietly listened to Kang Min-cheol’s words.
Then, his lengthy speech ended.
Without any expression, she picked up the coffee placed on the table.
CRACK - !
The moment her hand touched it.
The cup, along with the coffee inside it, froze completely solid in its entirety.
It was a chill that made the surrounding temperature seem to plummet in an instant.
“…!”
Kang Min-cheol’s body flinched violently.
Baek Eun-seol set down the frozen coffee cup and asked.
“So, are you saying you don’t want to?”
At that single remark, Kang Min-cheol finally realized.
‘…I’m fucked.’
The woman in front of him hadn’t come to negotiate in the first place.
She had just come to beat him down unilaterally.
Could one hope to catch an emissary with a mere mousetrap?
In the face of such an overwhelming difference in power, clumsy logic or legal traps held absolutely no meaning.
In the end, Kang Min-cheol completely tucked his tail and bowed his head deeply.
“No… I will comply with all your demands…”
* * *
‘Ooh, the Ice Empress’s charisma is freaking awesome!’
Lying face down on my bed in my home base, I was spectating this entire situation in real-time through Mosquito No. 7's vision.
Combined with her signature cold atmosphere and overwhelming aura, the experience felt like watching a scene from a drama.
The excuses of a malicious guild executive didn’t work at all.
The situation was sorted out in a flash, a quick battle with a quick conclusion.
Contract termination, no penalty fees, and full restitution of unjust profits. Bang, bang, bang!
I was beaming with a wide smile when a thought suddenly occurred to me.
‘Anyway, I didn’t expect the Ice Empress to come in person.’
To think she’d come personally the very next day after I asked.
An S-rank Hunter would have a mountain of schedules to handle right away, after all.
“Hmm. Is the Ice Empress perhaps a fan of mine too?”
I felt amazing all over again.
It was while I was briefly gloating inwardly.
The situation roughly wrapped up, and the two of them coming out of the cafe were caught on screen.
“Thank you so much today, Ice Empress-nim…! I’ve seriously been a true fan of yours and respected you for a long time! When I first saw you, I was so surprised I thought my heart was going to drop!”
Ha-eun was clasping her hands tightly and sparkling her eyes.
Baek Eun-seol calmly accepted that effusive greeting.
“Don’t mention it. If in the future you have anything to ask regarding contracts or need separate help, contact me anytime.”
“Gasp! Is that really okay?! Thank you!”
While such a heartwarming atmosphere continued, Baek Eun-seol asked as if she suddenly remembered something.
“By the way, you said you were one of the True Ancestor-nim’s retainers, right?”
“Ah, yes…! I’m a total newbie!”
Ha-eun answered excitedly, as if showing off.
“A little while ago, I almost died to a Vampire inside a Gate, but the True Ancestor-nim sent her retainers and saved my life! Then she took me in, saying I had aptitude. Hehe.”
“…”
Hearing those words, Baek Eun-seol stopped her movements for a very brief moment.
“…Aptitude. Hmm. I see.”
Baek Eun-seol answered shortly.
It was still a face without a single change in expression.
For some reason, a strangely envious look seeped out.
“Huh? Did I see that wrong?”
Why would the world-renowned Ice Empress envy an A-rank newbie Hunter?
I was definitely mistaken.
After that, the two continued various conversations.
Then Baek Eun-seol said.
“Excuse me for a moment.”
“Ah, yes!”
She took out her smartphone from her handbag and started tapping the screen.
Tap-tap. Tap.
‘Who is she contacting?‘
It was then.
Bzzzt!
My smartphone, which I had tossed to one side of the bed, vibrated shortly.
When I turned on the screen, a message had arrived.
[Ice Coffee: You know the Benefactor I mentioned last time.]
[Ice Coffee: There’s someone in a similar situation to me, but the Benefactor just saved me in passing and left, whereas she hired that person as her subordinate or something.]
[Ice Coffee: Why do you think that is?]
It was a complaint sent by my game friend, Ice Coffee.
But
Something was strange.
I stared down at the screen blankly.
“What is the timing of this…?”
Because the moment the message came was far too exquisite.
With a feeling of “no way”, I typed out and sent a reply.
[Jin-yu: I’d have to hear more details to know, but isn’t it because that person has more outstanding talent? Or maybe she needed someone to work right away.]
The moment I pressed the send button
Beyond Mosquito No. 7's vision, I saw Baek Eun-seol’s smartphone ring with a bzzzt - .
Her gaze headed toward the phone screen, and soon her fingers moved quickly again.
Tap-tap. Tap.
Bzzzt - !
And immediately, a new reply arrived on my smartphone.
[Ice Coffee: Talent? I think I’m much more outstanding
…
Why could it be?]
“…”
We repeated the chat a few more times.
The result was the same.
The timing matched perfectly.
When I sent a text to Ice Coffee, the Ice Empress received it.
When the Ice Empress sent a text, I received it.
This meant.
“…No, wait a minute.”
I slowly lowered the hand holding the smartphone.
My game friend was… the Ice Empress??!!