The F-Rank Guild Master Has Too Much Money – Chapter 23

Author: CleiZz

“Hey, Wind. Find Haeseong Orphanage for me.”

A warm breeze brushed against my face and quickly drifted forward.

I followed its lead.

After a few narrow alleyways—far from the main street I had been circling—I finally spotted a small building with a playground attached.

[Haeseong Orphanage]

“Ah, found it.”

The paint on the playground was peeling, the building behind it crumbling, yet children still ran around playing.

It looked exactly like the orphanage I’d once seen on TV before my regression. And it was also the place where Ji Yun-seo awakened as an S-rank Tamer at just nine years old.

I watched the children for a moment, then stepped inside.

“Excuse me.”

“What brings you here?”

Inside, a pot-bellied man stood with a broom in hand, mid-cleaning.

☆ Ah, MyEyes… has donated 100 Mana Stones. ☆

What a dirty face. How can someone like that be the head of an orphanage? He looks just like a pig.

☆ AllThisTime has donated 100 Mana Stones. ☆

I must’ve seen too many pretty faces. Please take this pig out of my sight.

“Is there a child here named Ji Yun-seo?”

She was the one I’d spoken about with Gumiho yesterday—the child I had come to take in. Ji Yun-seo was destined to become the youngest S-rank Tamer. News about her had spread so widely that even I, who usually had little interest in Hunters, knew her name.

But despite her potential, her life after awakening had been far from bright. With no parents and still just a child, there was no way anyone would pay her a fair price to recruit her.

Even the tiny amount she was offered was siphoned away by whoever registered as her guardian. That was why I had decided to come in person. If I could protect her and raise her until adulthood, she would grow into the world’s one and only S-rank Tamer.

The man blinked at my question.

“Are you here to take Yun-seo with you?”

“…Pardon?”

“You came to take her, right? Our orphanage doesn’t get much support, so it’s hard to care for too many children.”

“Ah… yes. That’s right.”

“I’m Lee Cha-hwan, the director of this orphanage.”

‘This guy’s the director?’

“Yes. I’m Ji Yun-seo’s distant relative—on her father’s side. My name’s Ji Yeon-woo.”

The director set aside his broom and motioned for me to follow.

As I followed him, I recalled the news from before my regression: at just eight years old, Ji Yun-seo had awakened as the world’s first elementary school Hunter—and an S-rank Tamer, no less.

And since an elementary schooler couldn’t exactly complain about invasion of privacy, TV stations broadcast every detail of her life. Those reports became perfect bait for scammers.

Afterward, countless people appeared, all claiming to be her relatives. But not a single one of them was real—they were all frauds trying to exploit her.

I still remember her face as she said blankly that they were all scammers—likely because she had been hurt so deeply that she became numb.

In the end, with no real relatives found, the orphanage director was appointed as her guardian…

His face, brimming with greed. So this is the man who would one day bleed Ji Yun-seo dry.

Bastard. Preying on a child?

By the time we reached his office, the director looked less than pleased.

“This isn’t much… but think of it as thanks for taking care of Yun-seo until now.”

When I handed him the envelope, his expression brightened the instant he checked the contents.

On the way here, I had wondered how best to explain our relationship. If I had said, We’re family friends. My father’s acquaintance, he probably would’ve called the police instead of letting me see the child.

But in this world—where dungeons and monsters constantly created orphans—many children had no parents, and the manpower and funding to care for them were painfully insufficient. The adoption process wasn’t all that strict.

That was why I’d planned to use our shared surname and pose as a distant relative, but in the end, the director gave in far too easily for just a single envelope.

Changing a child’s guardian shouldn’t be this simple…

A sudden wave of anger welled up inside me. Even if resources were lacking, how could he so casually hand off a child this young?

“Please wait here. I’ll bring Yun-seo.”

“…Thank you.”

Once the director left, I exhaled the breath I’d been holding, pressing down the emotions boiling inside me, and leaned back against the sofa.

‘Now the only thing left is to apply as her sponsor.’

It wasn’t unusual for minors to awaken as Hunters, which was why laws had been established regarding underage Hunters.

Not just in Korea, but worldwide, minors could designate a sponsor separate from their parents. The sponsor would then be granted the authority to act on the minor’s behalf.

Before my regression, Ji Yun-seo had awakened only to be exploited by adults, growing up seeing nothing but the darker side of the world. That was why her personality had become so jaded and withdrawn for her age.

Deciding to take her in wasn’t just about making her a hero in my place. She was someone who had lived a life much like mine as a human being, and I wanted to protect her.

At the very least, until she became an adult, I wanted to be her sponsor so she could safely grow into the S-rank Tamer she was meant to be.

A short while later, the door slid open with a clatter, and the director returned with a small girl. The face I had once seen on TV—it was Ji Yun-seo.

“Yun-seo, say hello.”

“Hello.”

Even at eight years old, she had been small. But at seven, she looked even tinier. With her short hair and slight frame, she didn’t resemble a seven-year-old at all. She simply stood there, staring at me.

☆ Still just a baby? has donated 100 Mana Stones. ☆

S-rank Hunter? She’s way too small.

☆ Hunter, really? has donated 100 Mana Stones. ☆

She’s just a kid. She needs milk, not a Hunter’s license. This is cruel.

The director gave her a light push on the back.

“This is your uncle. Go on.”

Almost stumbling from the shove, Ji Yun-seo shuffled forward. I stepped in, closing the distance in one stride, and lifted her small body into my arms. She was so light I could barely feel her weight.

Even though I was a bit stronger than the average person as an F-rank Hunter, she was so light I could’ve held her with one hand.

‘Just in case… Clairvoyance.’

[Ji Yun-seo. Age: 7

S-rank Tamer, expected to awaken.

Skills:

Come Here, Jju-jju (S)

(T/N: “Jju-jju” is a cutesy baby-talk sound, often used for pets or kids, similar to “cutie” or “puppy.”)

You’ll Behave, Right? (S)

Such a Good Kid (A)
Don’t Do That (S) [Pending]
Should We Try This? (S) [Pending]

As expected—Ji Yun-seo, the S-rank Tamer.

“Are you taking her today?”

“If possible, I’d like to.”

“Yes. We’re fine with that. Please wait a moment, I’ll bring the documents.”

The director hurried out of the room. I kept my eyes fixed on the door he had exited through before turning back to Ji Yun-seo.

Even in a stranger’s arms, she didn’t seem shy. She simply stared at me.

“What is it?”

“Are you really my uncle?”

“Yeah. Don’t I look like it?”

“…Not really. It’s just—I’ve never heard Dad mention an uncle before.”

I pulled out the business card I’d originally prepared for the daycare teacher and handed it to her.

“Can you read Hangul?”

“I’m the top student in my kindergarten.”

“I see.”

Ji Yeon-woo, Guildmaster of Yeon Guild. I pointed to my name on the card.

“See? You’re Ji, and I’m Ji too.”

“You’re right. You really are my uncle.”

The innocent child accepted it without hesitation, just because we shared the same surname. Excited, she began kicking her feet back and forth.

She was the complete opposite of the cold, expressionless child I had known in my previous life. The contrast stirred a dull ache in my chest.

“What do you think about living with Uncle from now on?”

“Does that mean… I won’t live here anymore?”

“Yes. You’ll live with your uncle. There are also aunts in the same house.”

Ji Yun-seo stayed quiet, only gazing up at me. Meeting her eyes, I reached out and gently stroked her hair.

“If you like it here, you can stay. But Uncle would really like it if you came to live with me.”

“Would you really like living with me?”

“Of course. I’d be happy to live with you, Yun-seo.”

“…”

Without a word, she reached out and wrapped her arms around my neck.

I patted her back with the same hand that had been stroking her hair. In a small voice, I heard her whisper:

“…Then I’ll go.”

“You’ve been waiting long, haven’t you?”

The director returned at that perfect moment.

I filled out the family adoption paperwork, writing in my details and signing at the bottom. He handed me another set, the kind that had to be submitted to the municipal office.

With just a single sheet of paper, Ji Yun-seo’s legal guardian had changed to me.

A dry laugh escaped my lips.

I didn’t have any bad intentions, but what if someone did? What if a malicious stranger lied and took a child away? How would they deal with the consequences then?

Silently, I tucked the documents into my inventory and stood.

“Then I’ll be taking Yun-seo with me.”

“Yes, understood. Yun-seo, do well there too.”

At the director’s words, Ji Yun-seo said nothing. She just clung to me quietly.

I wanted to leave right away, but I noticed her clothes were far too thin.

‘Wearing summer clothes in this windy weather.’

I pulled out my phone and called a taxi. While we waited, the director leaned close and whispered in my ear.

“Well, even relatives sometimes disown children…”

Did he really think I wouldn’t hear him just because he whispered while I held the child in my arms?

I frowned and glared at him. Startled, the director flinched and stepped back.

I didn’t want to stay here a second longer. Carefully setting Ji Yun-seo down for a moment, I took off my coat.

Spreading it out like a blanket, I wrapped it snugly around her. Then we stepped outside.

“Be careful! Take care, Yun-seo!”

Children who had been playing outside despite the cold came running over at the man’s voice.

“Yun-seo, where are you going?”

“I’m going to live with my uncle now.”

“Is this person your uncle?”

“Yeah. He’s my uncle.”

As we walked, listening to the flood of curious questions, we reached the main gate soon enough.

Even I was shivering in my thin clothes, but luckily, a taxi pulled up right away. Inside, Ji Yun-seo pressed her face to the window and waved at the children still standing at the orphanage gates.

“Yun-seo, come visit us sometimes!”

“Yun-seo, goodbye!”

She twisted her small body around in the back seat to wave, and watching her bundled-up figure, I finally spoke.

“To the department store, please.”

‘First things first—she needs proper clothes.’

I couldn’t help but chuckle. Why is it that every time I pick up an S-rank, I end up buying them clothes? Shaking my head at the thought, I pulled out my phone and called Gumiho.

“Sorry to bother you, but I need to buy some children’s clothes… I don’t know the first thing about them. Could you come help me pick some out?”

* * *

Though it was a bit of a sudden request, Gumiho readily agreed. After the call, I got off at a department store near the guild.

To my surprise, Gumiho was already waiting there—with An Bom and Choi Tae-hyuk in tow.

“Why are you all here?”

“Because we had nothing better to do. So this is Yun-seo?”

As soon as I set Ji Yun-seo down, she clung to my pant leg with both hands, suddenly shy around strangers.

‘She wasn’t like this earlier, but now she’s shy.’

“Yun-seo, these are people from your uncle’s guild. Say hello.”

“Hello.”

At my prompting, Ji Yun-seo hesitated, then politely placed both hands in front of her stomach and bowed.

Seeing that, Gumiho and An Bom let out small squeals.