Chapter 446 – Change Cannot Be Stopped. But It Can Be Controlled.
What is essential for the survival of a guild?
Capital?
That’s right.
There’s no group that runs without money.
Talent?
That has a point too.
In the end, a competent talent is necessary to maintain a group.
But all of these things only hold true if the guild itself exists.
And the most critical condition for the survival of such a guild?
It’s none other than fulfilling the request quota.
If we can’t even meet the minimum numbers, paying fines is just the start.
For various disadvantages, one might end up caught in a hell that leads to receiving even fewer requests than before.
Eventually leading to the enormous penalty of guild disbandment.
However, such events are extremely rare.
After all, the minimum quota is very low, and the number of completed requests accumulates.
Simply put, if you fulfill several requests, you won’t have to worry about the guild’s survival for a while.
Of course, if you only proceed with the minimum requests, you won’t gather enough money to maintain the guild.
But let’s brush that aside as it’s not relevant to us.
Meanwhile, noticing this fact already, Choi Da-eun spoke with a worried face.
“Hey, Kim Shinwoo. So what do you plan to do? Honestly, I haven’t been able to get any monster-hunting requests lately.”
“Well…”
“Think of something. Are you okay with the guild flying away like this?”
Then I suddenly felt something odd.
“Hey, Choi Da-eun.”
“What? Did you think of something?”
Recently, since there’s been no major issues, I hadn’t thought about it until now.
But, when you think about it, it was a very strange and bizarre sight.
“If the guild disbands, wouldn’t it be better for you?”
[This is definitely strange.]
‘Is something off?’
Why is Choi Da-eun worried about the guild’s survival?
Right now, she works as our guild’s receptionist.
Because of an unfair contract that’s nearly coercive, she can’t even escape from the guild.
So, Choi Da-eun’s ways out are threefold.
Either find a successor to bear her karma directly.
Or end her life completely, whether by her own will or otherwise.
Or have the unfortunate event of the guild disbanding occur.
Realistically speaking, the first two options are almost impossible, making the last choice the most favorable.
But now she’s wanting the guild to survive?
There’s definitely something in her mind.
“…I took out a loan under the condition of being a guild member.”
“No wonder I thought that.”
It’s not a conspiracy; it’s just the loan.
“Shinwoo, that guy is definitely on a condition to pay up immediately if there’s a gap, right?”
“You gotta save money on time! Like coins or something!”
If it’s a loan, I can’t blame them.
“Because you’re a Hunter, the conditions must be super tight.”
“I’m tight too!”
“Me too.”
“Please, both of you shut up…”
It’s generally better not to take loans.
But there are situations where one has no choice but to apply for it.
Like if you truly need the money urgently.
[When you’re busy, you gotta take a taxi, right?]
‘That’s just an advertisement for a loan shark, you crazy woman.’
It looks like Choi Da-eun had to take the loan for unavoidable circumstances.
“How did you end up needing to borrow such a large sum?”
“I was short for buying a Pursuit.”
“……Just die already, for f*ck’s sake.”
Honestly, it was a bit hard to understand.
On the side, as soon as I heard that Choi Da-eun was in financial trouble,
Ayeon and Caressy quietly moved beside her and began to toss her a lifeline.
“How about my succubus’s magic?”
“Borrow from me.”
Of course, this was a rotten lifeline that would snap as soon as you grabbed it.
“Work at the store a few times as collateral.”
“I won’t charge much interest, just enough for a donation.”
“Get lost, you dog!”
Yet, the current reduction in overall guild requests is a warning sign.
Except for guilds like ours that have other income like rent.
Most guilds rely solely on requests for survival,
Indicating a collapse in the supply of requests necessary for living.
And from our perspective, it’s also not a good situation at all.
As mentioned before, we need a minimum quota of requests.
Of course, there are some accumulated, so it’s not an urgent issue right now.
“Guild Master and Vice Master, what are we going to do!”
“I’m just the budget manager; you should ask Shinwoo about that.”
If I dismiss them, I might be trapped later on.
“……I’d say budget manager, you crazy guild master.”
“It’s just one vowel difference, is that so hard to get?”
“That vowel is a big deal, you fcking btch.”
A society of Hunters tends to nitpick over the smallest things.
“The thing that’s blocked isn’t the head but a lower part; that’s good enough.”
“……This damn guild should just go to hell.”
[Unlike down there, the atmosphere is surprisingly easy-going.]
‘Please just hold your breath and die already.’
While Choi Da-eun makes a face as if she wants to quit everything,
Hyeji looks at me with a face asking what we should do.
“So, Shinwoo, do you have anything in mind?”
“Well, I do have one thing.”
Sure, I have a thought.
“What is it, Husband?”
“There are still plenty of consultation requests. Let’s handle these for now.”
“Definitely makes sense.”
“…Are the guys we’re taking requests from legit?”
Consultation.
It’s a type of joint activity to solve problems by talking with each other.
As the term ‘each other’ implies, it’s an act that cannot be done alone.
At least two or more people are essential.
The client who shares their worries while receiving guidance.
The consultant who listens to the client’s worries while providing guidance.
And the discussion proceeds through their dialogue.
Of course, consultation does not mean that the consultant takes the lead and offers advice to the client.
Usually, it’s about identifying the psychological causes and helping the client solve their worries themselves.
But this explanation is the realm of professional medicine.
Typically, those who come to the guild for consultation-related requests have done so for more active guidance.
Or they may have chosen this option because they were dissatisfied with existing consultations.
There might also be the purpose of saving money for hospital costs.
As if they wouldn’t opt for the extreme and risky path of being a Hunter.
[It’s funny, isn’t it? Consultation exists for those who can’t live without clinging to it.]
‘…That’s from a different work.’
[Following the trend of the world is the standard, right?]
‘That’s true, but f*ck…’
However, the heroines seemed to have slightly negative reactions.
Perhaps they didn’t want to accept the sudden change.
Each wore an expression of dissatisfaction.
Their lack of confidence in the consultation requests likely played a part too.
“Shinwoo, are these idiots even able to handle the consultations? I’m seriously worried.”
“I lack confidence! I’m more of a physical type than a mental type!”
“You can call me the Demon of the Pelvis.”
“How strange, right? Two airheads are talking.”
And the same was true for Choi Da-eun.
She’s likely the most in need among those present, but she could hardly fold her own problem.
“……Looking at you guys, I think it’s better not to do the consultation requests.”
Surely, I can’t say that Choi Da-eun’s judgment is wrong.
Our guild specializes in strength.
On the other hand, everyone here is so out of it that consulting is a challenge.
That’s probably why Choi Da-eun has turned her eyes away from these types of consultation requests until now.
But now is the time when we have to break that stubbornness and undergo change.
For the sake of our guild’s survival.
“But we have to do it. We’ve got no choice but to fix our image.”
“…Please don’t mess around.”
Honestly, I don’t know why this is happening.
Is it really someone’s scheme as Choi Da-eun said?
Or is there something else happening beneath the surface that I’m unaware of?
But the abnormality is already evident in the number of total requests.
“Are we really going to kill our opponents?”
“Sometimes, it seems it would be more merciful for you to kill them…”
That’s in extreme decline in our specialty area of monster-hunting requests.
“Anyways, take all the requests you can. We need to gather people, so don’t worry about the rewards.”
“…Got it. I’ll prepare.”
This change is not something we wanted.
But in the end, we have to accept that change and act accordingly.
Change cannot be stopped.
[What if this becomes a problem later on?]
‘Well, we’ll think about that when it happens.’
At least we can control it by how we act.
And it’s better to act quickly now.
At this moment, there’s no other guild interested, and consultation requests are overflowing.
But there’s no guarantee that it will always be like that.
Guilds in a similar situation will eventually turn their attention here.
And if that happens, competition will become fierce beyond compare.
In an instant, a blue ocean would turn into a red ocean stained with blood.
So what we need to do is simple.
We can secure as many consultation requests as possible in this period.
“Hey, they’re coming soon. Quick, hide.”
“Did you hear? Everyone, get ready.”
Then pull out in the inevitable war that will unfold afterward and watch it unfold.
“Hyeji, help me out a bit.”
“Shut up.”
“……F*ck…”
It might seem a bit mismatched, but it’s the start of consultation requests.
