The F-Rank Guild Master Has Too Much Money – Chapter 17

Author: CleiZz

As countless heroic tales have proven, a true hero must have the full package: looks, physique, and abilities.

By that standard, Choi Tae-hyuk was the ideal hero—model-like looks, a perfect physique, and the unrivaled rank of S-Class.

With just a bit of support, he could fight on my behalf brilliantly.

He was absolutely a talent I needed to recruit. And yet, despite my intentions, I couldn’t bring myself to say the words.

Forcing him to join my guild just because I saved him once—that would feel cheap. Trashy, even.

So then… how should I lure him in?

First, I should say something that sounds impressive.

“There’s no such thing as a debt of gratitude here. I have no intention of turning a good deed into leverage.”

“…Even so.”

“If you register as an S-Class, plenty of guilds will come after you.”

“Would yours be one of them?”

“I can’t deny it.”

I rose from my seat and pulled out one of the business cards neatly stacked on my desk. I had ordered a hundred when I founded the guild, but until now, not a single one had been handed out.

Finally, I get to use one. Suppressing a grin, I handed it over to Choi Tae-hyuk.

☆BusinessCard has donated 100 Mana Stones.☆

I want one too. Aether’s business card!

☆Whoa… has donated 100 Mana Stones.☆

So Aether has cards too? I want one!

Then I said the line I’d always dreamed of saying during interviews, but never had the chance to:

“Our guild believes in the power of money. If you join us, you’ll feel as though money itself is carrying you forward.”

Choi Tae-hyuk’s expression shifted oddly.

My ambition spilled out:

“Just say the word. I’ll solve everything with money. I’ll raise you with money. You fight in my stead. You want to be rich too, right? I’ll show you what it means when ‘money rules all!’”

This was it.

Choi Tae-hyuk looked down at the business card, then back at me.

“…Are you the guild master?”

“Yes. It’s a newly established guild, so you likely haven’t heard of us. At the moment, we only have one healer.”

“I see.”

The office fell into silence.

He seemed deep in thought, saying nothing for a long while.

Finally, breaking the quiet, he spoke.

“Sorry, but earlier you mentioned taking me to the Hunter Association. Could you accompany me there?”

It wasn’t far, and the request was simple, so I nodded.

Perhaps he was the type to strike while the iron was hot—he stood up immediately.

“Then let’s go right away.”

“…Hmm. But first, let’s buy you some clothes.”

‘Yes. First, I’ll show him just how powerful money can be. That’ll do the trick.’

“Clothes? I’m fine.”

“…Are you really planning to go out looking like that?”

At my words, Choi Tae-hyuk looked down at himself.

I wasn’t exactly small, but on someone as tall as him, the clothes looked painfully tight—sleeves and pant legs too short, like he’d stolen a child’s outfit.

His physique was incredible and lent him some sense of style, but still—he was an S-Class. I couldn’t let him walk around looking like that.

* * *

Taking the reluctant Choi Tae-hyuk along, I stepped into a nearby luxury store.

“Welcome!”

“He’ll be trying on. Could you recommend something?”

“Of course!”

Choi Tae-hyuk opened his mouth with an embarrassed look, clearly weighed down by the sight of price tags with more zeros than he could count.

“Really, this isn’t necessary…”

“I only feel guilty because I tore your clothes earlier without permission.”

I added that I’d feel uncomfortable forever if he didn’t accept at least this much. Maybe that convinced him, because he finally gave in and let the clerks hand him outfits.

As expected, local sizes didn’t fit him—only international cuts did.

Dressed in a light coat, pants, and a knit sweater, Choi Tae-hyuk looked more like a celebrity than a kendo athlete.

And apparently I wasn’t the only one who thought so. Every staff member in the store swarmed him under the pretense of adjusting his outfit.

Choi Tae-hyuk glanced at me nervously, silently begging for rescue. His face remained expressionless, but his eyes were pleading—like a German shepherd waiting for its master’s command.

“It looks amazing on you!”

“You’re the first customer I’ve seen whose legs actually fit our pants length.”

Indeed, his legs were long.

“I’ve never seen anyone pull off a knit sweater this well.”

Yes, his body was good too.

“So this is what our long coat was meant to look like.”

Yes, he was tall too.

☆Water Goddess has donated 100 Mana Stones.☆

I want him. He’s too handsome.

☆Thrilling! has donated 100 Mana Stones.☆

Looking at a handsome man is thrilling. Always fresh. Handsome is the best! (°∀°)b

☆Choi Tae-hyuk is meh. has donated 100 Mana Stones! ☆

Nah—he’s the star in my heart (˘³˘)❤

☆Something’s missing on his face? has donated 100 Mana Stones! ☆

Perfect! ( ˃̣̣̥᷄⌓˂̣̣̥᷅ )

The staff’s compliments and the gods’ donations just kept pouring in.

‘It’s not easy to earn the gods’ praise, you know.’

I glanced at Choi Tae-hyuk—slender arms and legs, broad shoulders, well-defined muscles, and, reluctant as I was to admit it, that damn handsome face.

Well, the gods liked beautiful things, so it made sense they were all going crazy over him.

With a nod, I finally called a clerk over to settle the bill and rescue Choi Tae-hyuk, who by now looked more exhausted than flattered.

He felt guilty again, since he had neither wallet nor phone, but for me this kind of spending barely counted as spending at all. I just shrugged.

‘So this is what it feels like to have money…’

Now that he’d had a taste of luxury, he wouldn’t dismiss me so easily just because I was an F-rank.

After leaving the department store, we headed straight for the Hunter Association.

“You won’t be able to continue your career as a kendo athlete anymore.”

“…”

“Hunters are on a completely different level from ordinary people when it comes to strength and stamina. Competing as an athlete just isn’t possible.”

Choi Tae-hyuk didn’t respond. He simply followed me in silence.

I wasn’t the talkative type either, so a quiet silence lingered between us—until my phone suddenly buzzed.

▣ Dungeon Explosion Evacuation Alert

Rank: A-Class

Location: In front of Myeongdong A-Mart

– Those nearby, please evacuate to the nearest shelter.

☆ It broke! has donated 100 Mana Stones ☆

A fight! A fight!! I love it best when Aether fights!

‘Ah, so this was it—the dungeon break.’

Occasionally, a dungeon would break the moment it appeared. When a dungeon breaks, it turns into a passage connecting the real world and the dungeon until every monster inside is wiped out.

I remembered one breaking around this time, but since I wasn’t yet involved in hunter work, the exact date had slipped my mind.

‘…How far did the damage spread?’

The area already wrecked during the Ant Nest incident suffered secondary damage, and Myeongdong’s land prices plummeted. Just how bad was it again…?

‘Right! Even the New World Department Store was hit!’

“…Crap.”

New World—that was where our guild building was. How could I have forgotten?!

I turned my head. Thick smoke was already rising in the distance. No time to hesitate.

I’d poured money into constructing that building. I wasn’t about to let it turn into rubble within days.

My building. I have to protect it.

“Mr. Choi Tae-hyuk. Sorry, but you’ll have to go to the Hunter Association alone….”

“I’ll head to the dungeon. Mr. Ji Yeon-woo, please evacuate.”

“What?”

Before I could argue further, Choi Tae-hyuk was already sprinting toward the dungeon.

☆ What? has donated 100 Mana Stones ☆

Why the hell is he charging in alone?

Is he really rushing in without a single weapon—on the very day he awakened?!

I bolted after him, desperate to grab his arm and stop him, but he was too fast.

‘Must be because he’s an athlete—damn, he’s quick…!’

Gasping for breath, I chased him until he finally came to a stop.

“Hahh… Mr. Choi Tae-hyuk… you just awakened today, and…”

“Didn’t I tell you to evacuate?”

“Evacuate? Hahh… you’re the one who should be evacuating, Mr. Choi Tae-hyuk.”

Still catching my breath, I grabbed his hand before he could bolt again.

“I’ll handle things here. You need to get to safety.”

“…Are you telling me to go alone?” Choi Tae-hyuk asked.

“Then should I evacuate alongside someone who awakened today?”

“It’s the hunter’s duty to protect people like you.”

“Sorry, but I’m a hunter too. I’ve already cleared two dungeons.”

“…You’ve cleared dungeons?”

He looked me up and down, disbelief plain in his eyes.

What—was he underestimating me because I looked weak?

Well, to be fair, he didn’t even know I was an F-rank yet. And in his defense, it made sense.

I hadn’t left any record of clearing the Ant Nest, afraid someone might steal my necklace, and the Rabbit Hole incident had been covered up by the Hunter Association.

I smiled and stepped ahead of him. Wind stirred at my feet, swirling slowly.

“You can trust me. I may not look like it, but I’m a wind-type hunter.”

Ahead, buildings crumbled. Thick smoke rose, and the burst gas pipes turned the area into a sea of flames. From the cracks, goblins crawled out one after another.

The scene before us was pure chaos.

“Then please, evacu—!”

Before I could finish, Choi Tae-hyuk grabbed me and pulled me close. Almost simultaneously, dark clouds gathered in the sky, and a flash of lightning struck down into the rift.

It hit exactly where I’d been standing just moments ago.

The horde of club-wielding goblins was instantly reduced to black ash. It was Choi Tae-hyuk’s skill—Lightning of the Scales—something I’d only ever heard about until now.

‘He already knows how to use his skill?!’

“Still, I can’t let you go alone, Mr. Ji Yeon-woo. I’ll go with you.”

After unleashing his skill, Choi Tae-hyuk instinctively reached for his waist, only for frustration to cross his face. He must have planned to fight with a sword, given he was once a kendo player. But of course, he didn’t have one.

I sighed and opened my inventory.

There should’ve been a sword I picked up back in the Ant Nest… After digging for a while, I pulled out a C-rank longsword and handed it to him.

“It’s just C-rank, but it should work for now.”

Choi Tae-hyuk accepted it with a nod and drew the blade from its sheath. In the next instant, he charged straight into the goblins.

They say a true master never blames his tools—and indeed, even with a C-rank weapon, his sword cut down a goblin in a single stroke.

The monsters didn’t even have the chance to swing their clubs before they were cleaved apart. Green blood splattered across the ground.

☆ God of War has donated 100 Mana Stones ☆

That swordsmanship. Those reflexes. That sheer power. How can a human like that even exist?!

☆ What’s this?! has donated 100 Mana Stones ☆

If he’s not a hero chosen by the gods, then how can he be this strong?!

☆ Here has donated 100 Mana Stones ☆

No other god can interfere, right? I want to make this hero mine!