As Eunhye sat on the bus, she stared at the contract in her hand, overwhelmed with questions and doubts. Her ex-boyfriend and Seola’s father, Seojun, was the reason for her complicated emotions. She sighed heavily and looked out the window. The landscape passed quickly, and Seojun’s voice echoed in her mind.

“Don’t trust the agents.”

Seojun had vehemently opposed Eunhye’s guild membership, even though from her perspective it seemed like an offer that was too good to pass up. The upfront payment alone would clear all her debts and the annual salary was also quite substantial, far exceeding what a rookie hunter would earn. Once she signed the contract, all the money would come pouring in at once. But Seojun insisted that this was a terrible deal, backing his argument with professional knowledge rather than a hasty opinion.

“How did I find out? Well, one of my close friends got into a similar situation.”

Eunhye felt a little uneasy, but she tried to remember everything Seojun had said. She didn’t have any acquaintances who worked as hunters, so her information was limited, and Seojun had filled in some of the gaps. Most of it was negative, but it was better to be informed.

He’s changed a lot. Six years might not seem like much, but it was enough to transform a person significantly. He was so immature back then.

A wistful smile crept onto her face. Eunhye was quietly delighted. Everything that had transpired between them was wildly outside her expectations. She had anticipated Seojun would try to force a paternity test or deny Seola entirely. But in his eyes, she could see acceptance and even affection for his daughter.

Maybe being a father changes things?

Eunhye seldom entrusted Seola to anyone else. She wasn’t one to easily place her precious daughter in the care of others, primarily because she found it hard to trust people. Yet here she was, on her way to leave Seola with Seojun. There was something about Seojun’s demeanor when dealing with Seola that instilled a sense of trust within her.

But I should still verify his paternity... Oh, this looks like it's the place.

As she stepped off the bus and began walking, she looked up at a towering building. In the heart of Gangnam, this level of architecture was nothing short of impressive. It appeared that hunters did quite well for themselves in this city. As she entered the lobby, a neatly dressed receptionist approached Eunhye.

“How can I help you?” the receptionist inquired.

“I’ve come to meet Mr. Heo, the agent,” Eunhye replied.

“Are you Ms. Yoo Eunhye?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Please follow me.”

The meeting had been prearranged over the phone. Following the receptionist, Eunhye ventured further into the building. Though it seemed out of place in the modern world, sword-wielding individuals roamed the premises. They were most likely guild-affiliated hunters.

“Ah, welcome. I’m Heo Mandeok.”

“I’m Yoo Eunhye.”

Upon receiving Mandeok’s business card, one of Eunhye’s eyebrows arched upward as memories of her conversation with Seojun resurfaced.

“Heo Mandeok? There has to be something strange about the contract. Look here! I knew it.”

“What’s strange about it?”

“Well, if you look here...”

The agent, a middle-aged man with a pleasant demeanor, wore a faint smile. He didn’t seem like a bad person at all. Bringing coffee, he took a seat across from Eunhye.

“Have you read through the contract?” he asked.

“Yes, I’ve read it.”

“We offer better terms than any guild you’ll find. There are very few like the Knights.”

The Knights, led by renowned star hunter Sung Soohyun, primarily consisted of sword-wielding hunters. It was a guild that had gained considerable recognition in recent times, and even Eunhye had heard of it. But she didn’t rush to sign the contract.

“What about looters?”

“When you’re active with us, we’ll assign a looter from the Knights to your team.”

“But I couldn’t find that clause in the contract. And how are the spoils divided?”

“They’re divided among the hunter, the guild, and the looter, according to predetermined ratios.”

“Yes, I’m asking what those predetermined ratios are.”

Heo Mandeok was inwardly flustered. Receiving mana and becoming a true hunter were two different things. Until a hunter obtained their license, they were essentially a rookie. Yet here she was boldly addressing a fine point, not to mention without any experience too. Has she received offers from other guilds?

Guilds rarely invested in prospective hunters who hadn’t acquired their licenses yet as it was only after the license examination that their true worth could be determined. If she were a promising talent who had narrowly missed the mark, there would have been many guilds willing to accept her. But Eunhye hadn’t even taken the exam yet. One thing was clear, though: She had something special.

Well, she’s got a certain appeal, I suppose. As a beautiful woman, Eunhye had considerable commercial appeal. Guild-affiliated hunters often dabbled in broadcasting to enhance their public profile, and there were even hunters who actively participated in popular variety and talk shows. Sung Soohyun was the prime example.

I can compromise on the hunting aspect. Mandeok planned to make Eunhye into someone more like a celebrity than a hunter. Pretending to smile, he made amendments to the contract. “If you have any more questions, please feel free to ask.”

“Thank you, I have a lot.”

Not one to let an opportunity slip, Eunhye meticulously examined the contract, clause by clause, from the ambiguously worded sections to the subtly omitted ones. She inquired relentlessly, without taking a break for nearly ten minutes.

“Oh, I’ll fix that part, and the one you mentioned earlier...”

“Having a contract with so many flaws is a first for me.”

“Ah, is that so? My apologies. It’s an old format.”

Eunhye took her cues from Seojun’s advice. In truth, the Knights were the only guild to have offered her a contract. But she’d subtly created the impression that she had other offers on the table. Now Eunhye definitely had the upper hand. Seojun was right about everything.

After scrutinizing and questioning every detail, she had her answers. Seojun had a perfect understanding of the Knights’ true intentions. The contract was a scam, exploiting the imperfections in the underdeveloped laws related to hunters. She was dangerously close to signing an almost unreasonable agreement.

As Mandeok sweated profusely while revising the contract, Eunhye rose from her seat. “I’ll be in touch,” she said.

* * *

“Your Dad is...”

“My Dad is...” Seola parroted.

“Handsome.”

“Handsome!”

“Well done! That’s me.”

“Hehe.”

“Open wide.”

As I unwrapped a small piece of candy, Seola eagerly opened her mouth like a baby bird waiting for a meal. When I gently placed the candy between her small lips, she smiled with delight and rolled the candy around her soft cheek, thoroughly enjoying the treat. It was clear she was being raised well.

“Where’s Mommy?”

“Your mom has gone to work, but she’ll be back soon,” I replied.

Eunhye had gone to have a conversation with the guild agent. Most people easily succumbed to the persuasiveness of guild agents, but Eunhye had a strong-willed personality, and she had my advice. If she heeded my words, she would have postponed signing the contract.

Meanwhile, I got to spend quality time with Seola. How do I bond with her? We were already playing games and sharing jokes, but I had never been close with a child before. I learned for the first time that she couldn’t handle spicy food and that she loved ice cream.

Right, ice cream. There’s no better way to win someone’s favor than with a treat they enjoy. We had already broken the ice with tteokbokki, so it was time to seal the deal with ice cream. It was the perfect plan.

“Seola, shall we go get some ice cream?”

“Ice keem?”

“Yes, ice cream.”

“Yes!”

I was sure Eunhye would scold me when she returned for letting Seola have too many sweets. But the most important thing for now was bonding with Seola.

“Having just one ice cream should be okay,” I mumbled under my breath.

“Huh? Daddy, you’re being weird.”

I held Seola’s hand and we stepped outside. We walked for a while and entered a large ice cream shop near the train station.

“Welcome,” the employee greeted us.

Honestly, buying ice cream from a discount store was more cost-effective. While it tasted great, spending the price of a bowl of noodles on ice cream was not the best financial decision. But I was willing to make that small sacrifice for my daughter.

Has the return made me mentally younger too? Or is it due to my current financial situation? I wasn’t exactly penniless, but I didn’t have much money either. I did, however, have a plan in mind, and I would be discussing it with Eunhye when she returned.

“Wow, wow!” Seola exclaimed, standing on tiptoe to see the ice cream. Her eyes sparkled with excitement, and the employee smiled at the sight. She was objectively beautiful, and not just because she was my daughter. Seola stood out as exceptionally pretty among her peers.

“May I take your order?” the employee asked.

“Seola, which flavor would you like?”

“Chocolate!”

“A single-scoop of Chunky Monkey in a cone, please,” I ordered, handing over my card. As I was paying, I felt a pair of eyes on me from below. Seola looked utterly shocked, with her eyes and mouth wide open. “Seola, what’s wrong?”

“This ice cream is... made of monkeys?” she inquired hesitantly, tears welling up in her eyes.

The employee managed to stifle a laugh, but I couldn’t help but chuckle. It seemed that seeing someone this adorable made people smile. I lifted Seola up and showed her the ice cream.

“No, this chocolate fudge and banana ice cream is called Chunky Monkey.”

“Then it’s not made of monkeys?”

“Yes, there were no monkeys harmed in the making of this ice cream. So don’t worry.”

I wiped the tears forming in the corners of her eyes, and the employee watched us with a warm smile. She scooped out a generous portion of ice cream from the deep tub, and it turned out to be quite a sizable serving.

“Is she your little sister?” the employee asked.

“Ah, no. She’s my daughter.”

“I see. She’s so cute, so I gave her a little extra.”

“Thank you. Seola, say ‘thank you.’”

“Thank you, pretty lady!”

The employee’s expression noticeably softened. It seemed Seola had been especially adorable with her word choice as a gesture of gratitude for the extra treat. If she hadn’t become so crooked, she would have made many friends in life.

“Goodbye.”

“Goodbye!”

Even though Seola was immersed in her ice cream, she didn’t forget to say goodbye. Eunhye seemed to have done an excellent job teaching her daughter manners, and it made me realize once again that I was entirely responsible for her future issues.

“Is it delicious?”

“Yes! It’s delicious! But...” Seola looked at me hesitantly. “Daddy, aren’t you going to eat?”

“Huh? It’s okay.” I couldn’t respond properly because I was so moved by her calling me “Daddy”. Before the return, Seola only addressed me by my full name. It was a small but significant achievement.

After a brief internal conflict, Seola stopped and offered me her ice cream. “Here.”

“What?”

“Say ‘ah!’”

“Ah!”

Her small hand firmly held the ice cream cone as I bent down, allowing her to feed me. I made sure not to eat too much to avoid making her sad.

“How is it?”

“It’s really delicious!”

“Right?” Seola had an oddly proud expression, and her kindness was even sweeter than the ice cream.

I quickly corrected my expression, which had become relaxed without me realizing it.

That’s when it happened.

Rrrrrrrr.

Suddenly, a siren began to blare.