Chapter 69

Si-hyun awkwardly bowed her head and greeted.

It was because she, a stranger, had been looking inside someone else’s house.

At the same time, she immediately noticed.

The homeowner was the Master of the Knight Guild.

As Si-hyun raised her head, the first thing she saw was an old man with a kind smile.

He stood up from his seat, straightened his back, and approached Si-hyun.

Si-hyun, who was about to leave, hesitated awkwardly as she waited for him.

“Miss, do you like cookies?”

“Uh… um… yes.”

“Then how about having some cookies before you go? This old man feels lonely sometimes.”

Si-hyun thought for a moment.

Normally, she would politely decline and move on.

But something made her stay.

The tantalizing aroma that kept teasing her nose.

The beautifully decorated garden of the residence.

If she were to find a new place, she’d want to live somewhere like this. It gave her such an idea.

After some deliberation, Si-hyun nodded.

This wasn’t just any old man; he was the S-rank Hunter, Master of the Knight Guild.

If things went well, there was no way she’d lose anything from this encounter.

Creak—

The old man opened the gate, and Si-hyun entered the house.

Inside, the meticulously decorated garden became even more vivid to her eyes.

Si-hyun sighed in mild admiration as she followed the old man toward the garden table.

The old man observed her with a gentle expression.

She was an impressive woman with long, flowing snow-white hair.

Her golden eyes, shining with intelligence, had a captivating allure.

Most striking of all…

The heavy presence felt in her measured steps.

Even her light footfalls carried the weight of the intense life she must’ve led, like a well-honed blade.

In an instant, the old man discerned that this woman was no ordinary hunter.

Initially, he had merely wanted to share homemade cookies with a passerby during his quiet afternoon.

But now, his curiosity was truly piqued.

The old man gestured for Si-hyun to sit across from him at the table, then took his own seat.

Si-hyun’s eyes sparkled as she looked at the snacks.

With a hearty laugh, the old man slowly poured tea into a fresh teacup and handed it to Si-hyun along with the treats.

“This is tea I often drink. I hope it suits your taste too.”

“Ah, thank you. I’ll try it.”

Si-hyun gently blew on the tea and took a small sip.

The deep, rich flavor spread smoothly across her palate.

‘Wow, this really goes well with the cookies!’

Even though she wasn’t an expert on tea, she could definitely tell it had been brewed well.

With a delicate smile, Si-hyun picked up a snack and took a bite.

It was absolutely delicious.

“Judging by your expression, it seems you like it.”

“Ah, yes! It’s really good. Do you often enjoy tea?”

“Hmm, indeed. Especially on clear, refreshing days like today, enjoying tea in the garden is quite pleasant. A cup of tea with a gentle breeze has the power to calm one’s heart.”

With the old man’s gentle words, Si-hyun slowly nodded.

Before she realized it, she had taken another snack.

Thinking about the gift wrapped in the cloth she received, her anticipation grew even more.

When she returned home, she’d have to share them with Si-yoon! Si-hyun smiled brightly.

After watching Si-hyun’s satisfied smile for a moment, the old man casually brought up a topic.

“Just as a cup of tea can be enjoyable, playing games with someone can be nice too. Miss, do you know how to play chess?”

“Chess? I just know how to play…”

“Then would you care to play a round?”

Upon the old man’s proposal, Si-hyun thought for a moment.

However, she soon nodded.

Since she had been treated to such delicious tea and snacks, it seemed only polite to return the favor.

As she watched the old man enter the house, Si-hyun pulled out her phone.

She quickly reviewed the chess rules and skimmed through the setup regulations.

Soon, the old man returned to the garden and began setting up the chess pieces.

Si-hyun prepared her own pieces, and naturally, the game began.

Recalling her old memories and the information she had just searched, Si-hyun calmly moved her pieces.

The old man responded skillfully with practiced ease.

Clack!

The chess piece moved with a crisp sound.

Unlike Si-hyun, who carefully considered each move, the old man played without hesitation.

Before an hour had passed, Si-hyun was checkmated.

” Hmm… Miss, you learn quite fast, don’t you?”

“Hehe, do I?”

With the old man’s simple compliment, Si-hyun laughed awkwardly.

Judging by the atmosphere, the elder seemed eager to play more.

Since there was still time until evening, Si-hyun casually asked,

“What was that move you made just now?”

Using her excellent memory, Si-hyun reset the pieces and requested a review of the parts she was curious about.

The old man earnestly answered Si-hyun’s questions.

After the review ended…

“If we take away these few pieces, it should be fair. How does that sound?”

“Yes, thank you.”

The old man removed three pieces, including knights and cannons, to accommodate the beginner.

He was confident he could win even with this handicap.

They started another round of chess.

Clack!

And…

“Hmm…?”

This time, the old man lost.

It hadn’t even taken an hour.

The old man stroked his beard as he fell into thought.

He was certain he would win.

If the young lady got bored, he planned to stop after this round.

If she showed competitiveness, he intended to remove a couple more pieces.

But the result?

His clean defeat. A completely unexpected outcome.

“Why did you move there in that situation?”

“Ahh, let me explain…”

Swallowing his surprise, the old man seriously explained Si-hyun’s requested review.

Watching Si-hyun nod understandingly, he recalled his earlier statement.

“I underestimated you, Miss. My apologies. Would you mind playing one more round without removing any pieces?”

“Yes, of course!”

Si-hyun accepted the old man’s request.

A new chess match began.

…

The old man frowned as he stared intently at the chess pieces.

Not out of bad mood or irritation,

but sheer astonishment.

Clack! Clack!

Whenever he played the same moves, she reacted effortlessly.

Clack!

Clack—!

When he tried different strategies, she responded after careful consideration.

Thinking about it, it had been like that from the start.

This young lady was extremely cautious.

Her every move reflected her character.

However…

“Hmm…”

For moves she had already countered once, she retaliated without hesitation, taking only a few seconds.

She never easily fell for the same tricks and instead adapted them into her own attacks.

Through the two reviews, she perfectly utilized what she had learned about countering.

There was no hesitation in her moves.

Any wrong move on his part was mercilessly exploited.

Though he occasionally enjoyed chess, the old man had never faced an opponent like this.

It was nothing short of astonishing.

Clack— Clack—

The old man focused on the chess game more than ever before.

How long had it been since he last concentrated so deeply on a game?

He fully immersed himself, finding it truly refreshing.

The situation favored him,

but he couldn’t afford to let his guard down for a moment.

As if her thinking speed was several times faster than others’,

this young lady pressed him with moves he had never seen before.

One moment of carelessness and he’d surely be devoured.

The old man took a sip of tea.

Sweat had gathered on his forehead without him noticing.

Carefully considering each move before making it,

he realized that he was now taking longer to play than the young lady.

And that fact oddly gave him a strange sense of pleasure.

With a broad smile, the old man moved his piece.

Thus, the result…

The old man barely managed to win.

It was a victory secured by the thinnest margin.

If they played again, to be honest, he couldn’t confidently predict a win.

To feel this way against a chess beginner…

The old man gazed at Si-hyun with a look of wonder.

Her luminous golden eyes met his.

A brief silence.

Without realizing it, the old man spoke.

“Miss, may I inquire about your occupation?”

Though their encounter was fleeting, he hadn’t intended to ask about her background.

Yet he found himself doing so.

The impression she made during their brief time together was simply too strong.

Si-hyun smiled lightly in response.

“Thankfully, I work as a part-time lecturer at the Academy.”

“Ho, in education! What a wonderful field you’re in.”

“Hehe…”

With the old man’s sincere compliment, Si-hyun pressed her cheeks shyly.

Her cheeks turned slightly red.

Seeing her cute reaction, the corners of the old man’s eyes crinkled warmly.

He thought about how, if his granddaughter were still alive, she might have shown a similar demeanor.

He had lost his family during the Great Cataclysm.

Despite being hailed as the Master of the large Knight Guild and an S-rank hunter,

he had been feeling a loneliness in his life.

Truthfully, being the Guild Master was more of a formal position.

Having met someone he genuinely liked after so long, the old man felt his spirits lift as he spoke.

“Miss, would you care to play another round?”

“Um, actually…”

Si-hyun checked the time on her phone before answering.

“It’s about time for me to head home.”

“Ah, this old man has kept you too long.”

“Not at all! I really enjoyed myself.”

The old man smiled warmly at Si-hyun’s polite response.

“Miss, would you visit again sometime?”

“Would that be alright?”

“Hmm! Next time, I’ll prepare tea and snacks with even more care.”

“…Heh.”

The old man naturally handed over his business card and received one from Si-hyun.

Holding the business card, Si-hyun spaced out in thought.

Though she had prepared it beforehand, this was the first time she had given it to someone.

Especially to the Master of a major guild—life was truly unpredictable.

“Well, I’ll be going now! Thank you so much for today.”

“I enjoyed it too! Please return safely, Miss.”

With an excited pace, Si-hyun left the garden.

The old man watched her retreating figure until she disappeared.

Her long white hair, glowing with the soft spring light, swayed gently as it gradually faded from view.

* * *

In the conference room of the Cheongrim Guild.

The guild’s mainstay, S-rank Hunter Kang Cheol-min, sat arrogantly in his chair.

In contrast, the marketing team employee standing before him waited tensely for his response.

“A special lecture at the Academy?”

“Yes, originally one of our guild’s A-rank hunters was scheduled to give the special lecture… Unfortunately, he passed away in this incident.”

Maintaining a serious expression, the employee continued speaking.

“If S-rank Hunter Kang Cheol-min were to personally give this lecture, it would greatly enhance our guild’s prestige.”

“Hmph, do I really need to give a special lecture? Why not just assign it to someone lower-ranked?”

While munching on snacks, Kang Cheol-min replied.

Since his reaction was already anticipated, the employee calmly repeated his plea.

“No one other than Korea’s strongest hunter, Kang Cheol-min, could do this. Your presence would surely boost the declining application rate for new recruits.”

“Hmm…”

“We need to step up our promotional efforts as rival guilds are pushing hard lately. Show the students the charisma you demonstrated in the recent dungeon incident.”

Moved by the employee’s earnest request, Kang Cheol-min thought for a moment.

After a brief silence, he smirked and nodded.

“Fine, I’ll do it.”

Crossing his arms, he declared arrogantly.

“I’ll deliver a special lecture that will go down in the history of the Academy. Make sure everything’s properly prepared.”

“Yes, understood!”

Relieved, the marketing team employee bowed respectfully.