The F-Rank Guild Master Has Too Much Money Chapter 43

 

 

“So, you’re saying this was floating where the Kraken disappeared?”

 

“Yes.”

 

I looked down at the large egg—about the size of my own body—gleaming faintly with a golden hue. Aside from its size and color, it looked just like an ordinary egg: smooth, glossy, and perfectly round.

 

As I reached out to touch it, a groan slipped from my lips before I even realized it. It had been six hours since I’d fainted after killing the Kraken.

 

Thanks to An Bom’s light and Seo-ho’s water-based healing abilities, I’d managed to wake up relatively quickly.

 

Still—

 

“Guildmaster, are you okay?”

 

“Yes, I’m fine.”

 

That’s what I said to calm An Bom’s worries, but honestly, I felt like death. I’d coughed up blood ten times just trying to stay conscious, and my vision wouldn’t stop spinning.

 

If it weren’t for Choi Tae-hyuk supporting me, I wouldn’t even be able to see straight. I’d probably just be lying there, rolling my eyes around helplessly.

 

“Here it is.”

 

Sensing what I wanted, Choi Tae-hyuk picked up the egg and brought it closer to me. From a distance, I hadn’t noticed, but up close I could see faint gray spots scattered across its surface.

 

“What do you think it’s for?”

 

Seo-ho, who had been keeping an eye on the surroundings, tilted his head and sat down next to me.

 

“I tried smashing it with my bow, thinking something might happen if it broke—but it didn’t even crack.”

 

“I even dropped it from a height just in case,” Jeon Ha-eun added, “but not a single scratch.”

 

I stared at the egg again.

 

‘Those markings look… oddly familiar.’

 

☆ Gift for You! has donated 100 Mana Stones! ☆

This is our gift to Aether!

 

☆ So~ Much Effort! has donated 100 Mana Stones! ☆

We worked hard on this gift, so hurry and open it!

 

☆ Use Your Power! has donated 100 Mana Stones! ☆

If you pour your divine power into the egg, the gift will appear!

 

‘Can’t they just… give me a gift in a normal way for once?!’

 

I couldn’t yell at the gods in front of the guild members, so I swallowed my frustration.

 

“Please… put my hand on the egg.”

 

Since I couldn’t move on my own, I asked Choi Tae-hyuk, who gently lifted my hand and placed it against the shell.

 

“…An Bom.”

 

“Yes!”

 

As always, An Bom understood immediately. She grabbed my limp hand and cast a healing spell. I felt the warm flow of energy spreading through me as I channeled divine power into the egg.

 

Maybe it was because of how terrible my condition was, but even with the healing, pain throbbed deep in my chest as the divine energy flowed.

 

‘If I keep getting “gifts” like this, I’ll die before the world even ends…’

 

☆ Stop Stop! has donated 100 Mana Stones! ☆

That’s enough for now!

 

☆ It’s Opening! has donated 100 Mana Stones! ☆

The egg is opening! The gift is hatching~!

 

At the gods’ words, I stopped channeling power. The egg began to tremble on its own.

 

“Huh?”

 

Crack!

 

A sharp sound echoed as a fissure split across the shell. Choi Tae-hyuk quickly pulled me back while Seo-ho and Jeon Ha-eun took defensive positions.

 

“What did you do?!”

 

“Don’t tell me… a monster’s about to come out?”

 

Before Seo-ho could finish shouting and Jeon Ha-eun could finish her question, the egg floated into the air. Light began to leak from its cracks.

 

“This energy…”

 

Everyone turned to look at me when I spoke, but I couldn’t take my eyes off the egg. The energy it emitted was… strangely familiar.

 

‘Those markings, that aura—why does it feel so familiar? What is that thing?’

 

The egg wasn’t just cracking now—it was crumbling, shards breaking away as dazzling light poured out. The glow was so bright that Choi Tae-hyuk shielded my eyes with his hand.

 

“Meow.”

 

“Huh?”

 

When the light faded, something small hovered in the air. Pointed ears, jewel-like golden eyes, and a thick tail clamped between its teeth. Its fur was a pale grayish white, patterned with dark brown spots.

 

A tiny snow leopard—no bigger than two fists—floated before us.

 

“Is that a monster?”

 

“It’s way too small to be one.”

 

“Small ones can be dangerous too! I saw it myself in that dungeon with the Guildmaster!”

 

While Jeon Ha-eun and Seo-ho traded confused looks, An Bom—who’d been with me in the Rabbit Dungeon—stood tense and on guard.

 

The tiny snow leopard landed on the ground, staring at me with its brilliant golden eyes. Half in disbelief, I hesitantly called out,

 

“…Bia?”

 

“Meow!”

 

It spat out its tail and let out a cheerful cry that made my head spin.

 

‘What?! Why is it here?! It’s supposed to be in my temple!’

 

☆ Hyung has donated 100 Mana Stones! ☆

The gods made a request, and since it involved my beloved little brother, I decided to lend a hand. ^^

 

☆ Hard-Earned Victory has donated 100 Mana Stones! ☆

You deserve at least this much of a reward!

 

…Hyung?! What the hell is he doing here?! He’s been watching this whole time?!

 

Seriously—how does he always show up at the worst times, saying the most ridiculous things?!

 

Helping out for the sake of his “beloved sibling”? Please. He probably overheard the gods talking and jumped in because it sounded fun!

 

Ah, damn it. My sin for ever calling that bastard my brother.

 

“Is that a monster you know?”

 

Hearing the voice above me, I closed my eyes, sighed deeply, then opened them again.

 

“Well, it’s, uh…”

 

“It’s…?” An Bom tilted her head.

 

How was I supposed to explain this?

 

That snow leopard is the first being I ever created as a god. It currently lives in my divine temple—and it’s my one and only apostle.

 

‘HOW am I supposed to say that out loud?!’

 

I wanted to grab my hair in frustration, but I didn’t even have the strength to lift my arms.

Was this really what my new life was going to be like?

 

As I pondered my life choices, I could feel four pairs of eyes fixed on me. I let out a long sigh.

 

‘Just bluff. Bluffing’s the only way out.’

 

“It’s… my pet.”

 

“Your… pet?”

 

“Animal?”

 

“You mean… that thing?”

 

‘Seriously?! That’s the best I could come up with?!’

 

Even when we were fighting earlier, Jeon Ha-eun, Seo-ho, and An Bom had worked together perfectly—and apparently, they were just as in sync when it came to doubting me.

 

I quickly opened my mouth before they could say more.

 

“It’s… a monster I used to raise. When I founded the guild, I had to leave it somewhere else for a while. I heard recently that it ran away, so I was looking for it. I guess it must’ve followed me into the dungeon.”

 

“A monster can enter a dungeon?” Seo-ho asked.

 

“Well, people can, can’t they? Why not a monster?”

 

Even with that logic, their faces said they weren’t buying it. Seriously—do they have no sense? How am I supposed to explain this?

 

“Then… why was it inside an egg?” Jeon Ha-eun asked, sounding far too reasonable.

 

“Th-that’s…”

 

I scrambled to come up with something, anything.

 

“It—it hides inside an egg when it’s attacked!”

 

“…What?”

 

I had no idea anymore. Just insist. Insisting is the answer. If I said it was true, who would argue with me?

 

“When it senses danger, it creates an egg to hide in. It stays there until its master releases it. It must’ve been attacked when it came in, hid itself, and then the Kraken probably swallowed the egg.”

 

“There are monsters that can do that?” Seo-ho asked skeptically.

 

“…Some monsters do hide when they’re attacked.”

 

Choi Tae-hyuk stepped in, adding some much-needed credibility to my flimsy excuse.

 

“A real monster wouldn’t stay that quiet,” he said flatly.

 

And sure enough, the little snow leopard—Bia—didn’t move at all. It just wagged its tail gently and stared only at me.

 

“But Guildmaster, you don’t have a taming skill,” An Bom pointed out, hitting the sore spot dead-on.

 

I was racking my brain for another excuse when a familiar voice broke the silence.

 

“Saphi wasn’t tamed either.”

 

“Ah.”

 

At Choi Tae-hyuk’s words, An Bom nodded in understanding, then turned to explain to the bewildered Jeon Ha-eun and Seo-ho.

 

“There’s a mob called Saphi that the Guildmaster raises. It can’t be tamed, but for some reason, it only follows him.”

 

The looks on Jeon Ha-eun and Seo-ho’s faces clearly said, ‘What on earth is that supposed to mean?’

 

An Bom gave a sheepish smile. “The Guildmaster’s… a bit of an unusual person. It’s hard to explain.”

 

Then Choi Tae-hyuk spoke again, calm and firm. “Whether you believe it or not is up to you. But if you’re going to keep working with him, it’s better not to waste energy on pointless suspicion.”

 

That sealed it. They still didn’t look convinced, but at least they decided not to argue.

 

“Come here.”

 

At my words, Bia immediately padded over and placed its thick paw on my thigh.

 

“Meow!”

 

“How did you even get here? Do you know where this is? You just came running here, didn’t you?”

 

“Meoww.”

 

Gods can’t control another god’s apostle. Apostles only obey their own masters. So even if the other gods—or my brother—had asked, Bia shouldn’t have been able to come here.

 

Bia was my apostle. It couldn’t exist in a world I hadn’t created—and even if it did, it couldn’t use its full power.

 

Because of that, I had never sent it to another world before.

 

“Meow.”

 

Its ears drooped, tail hanging low, and its golden eyes welled up with tears. It looked like it was about to cry—but when I kept a firm expression, it slumped to the ground and lowered its head.

 

“Guildmaster, don’t be so harsh,” An Bom said, letting go of my hand. “It probably didn’t even know this was a dungeon. It must’ve just followed you because it caught your scent.”

 

Jeon Ha-eun, who had just put away her smoking pipe, nodded eagerly and gestured toward the dejected creature.

 

“Come here.”

 

Bia, glancing between me and Jeon Ha-eun, walked over weakly and rubbed its face against her hand before glancing up at me again.

 

‘That little—! It’s doing this on purpose!’

 

It knew I was weak to Jeon Ha-eun and An Bom, and it was shamelessly using that against me. Seriously—when I created Bia, I modeled it after a snow leopard, not a fox! So why was it acting like one?!

 

“Its name’s Bia, right?”

 

Jeon Ha-eun picked it up and stroked its head. Bia let out a soft mewl in response, sounding uncharacteristically dejected.

 

An Bom sighed as if she couldn’t stand to watch and glanced at me.

 

“It’s not a crime to miss its owner.”

 

“What?”

 

Speechless, I looked at Bia again—only for it to meow softly and bury its face in Jeon Ha-eun’s arms.

 

“So cute!!”

 

“Me too! I want to pet it too!”

 

“Same here!”

 

When had they stopped being cautious? Watching An Bom and Seo-ho rush toward Jeon Ha-eun, I suddenly felt drained and let my body go limp—only to feel something bump gently against the back of my head.

 

“Are you alright?”

 

“Ah. Yeah, I’m fine.”

 

Come to think of it, Choi Tae-hyuk had been supporting me this whole time. Sure, I was shorter and lighter than him—but still, I was a grown man. Wasn’t I heavy?

 

When I looked up, he leaned in slightly and whispered,

 

“Is that monster really safe?”

 

“Ah. Yeah. It’s really the one I raised.”

 

I thought he’d fully accepted my story earlier, since he’d backed me up—but maybe not. His eyes were still filled with quiet concern.

 

“Really. It’s something I raised myself—and it’s harmless.”

 

I wanted to explain more about Bia, but that would mean admitting I was a god. So all I could do was keep insisting it wasn’t dangerous.

 

Choi Tae-hyuk sighed softly and nodded.

 

“I understand.”

 

His tone suggested he’d let it go and wouldn’t pry any further. I wanted to say something, but nothing came to mind. I opened my mouth soundlessly, then sighed.

 

“Let’s head out.”

 

My body was exhausted—but mentally, I was even more drained. All I wanted was to go back to my room, zone out, and rest.

 

“You can rest a bit more before leaving,” he said.

 

“Even if I did, it wouldn’t make much difference. Gumiho and Yun-seo are probably worried, so let’s just go.”

 

“Will you be able to stand?”

 

Thanks to An Bom’s steady healing—and the fact that I’d conserved my energy—I figured I could manage.

 

“Ugh…”

 

I tried my hardest to get up, but apparently, just staying conscious during An Bom’s healing had already sapped my strength. My body refused to move.

 

Come on, get up… get up…!

 

“…Guess not.”

 

With a quiet sigh, Choi Tae-hyuk slid an arm under my knees and lifted me up.

 

“Wha—hey!”

 

My view suddenly rose. I flailed reflexively, but Choi Tae-hyuk didn’t waver as he held me effortlessly.

 

“C–Choi Tae-hyuk!”

 

“Let’s go like this.”

 

“T–This is too much!”

 

“Yes?”

 

☆ OmoOmo has donated 100 Mana Stones! ☆

Did you just become Princess Aether?!

 

☆ Princess Carry?! has donated 100 Mana Stones! ☆

Seriously~! A princess carry?!

 

☆ You’re Right Though has donated 100 Mana Stones! ☆

He could’ve given him a piggyback! Why a princess carry~?

 

My face burned red at the gods’ shameless remarks, but Choi Tae-hyuk looked down at me with his usual calm, unreadable expression—completely unfazed.

 

“Y-you could just give me a piggyback instead.”

 

“You’d have to wrap your arms around my neck for that. Do you even have the strength right now?”

 

“I-I can…”

 

Unable to finish the lie, I shut my mouth.

 

He studied me for a moment, then looked up and spoke to the others.

 

“Let’s move.”

 

“Guildmaster, are you okay?”

 

An Bom ran over while patting Bia, her face full of worry. Before I could answer, Choi Tae-hyuk spoke for me.

 

“He’ll recover better at home than staying here. Let’s go.”

 

“Alright.”

 

Jeon Ha-eun, who was carrying Bia, took the lead toward the nearby gate. Choi Tae-hyuk stepped onto the platform last, still holding me in his arms. Light flared around us, and when the radiance faded, the familiar cityscape replaced the sea—followed immediately by a barrage of camera flashes.

 

* * *

 

“Is it true the dungeon’s been cleared?!”

 

“We heard the difficulty suddenly spiked—any idea why?!”

 

“It was a B-rank sea dungeon before, but it turned into an A-rank! What changed?!”

 

Reporters swarmed outside the gate, their shouts and camera flashes overwhelming.

 

“Make way, please! Hunter Association coming through!”

 

The one forcing his way through the crowd was none other than Lee Jae-ho, a Hunter Association member I’d met before. His clothes were rumpled, probably from shoving past reporters.

 

“Guildmaster Ji Yeon-woo! Are you injured anywhere?”

 

“N-no, I’m fine. But what’s going on here?”

 

“The dungeon suddenly got ranked up—”

 

Before he could finish, Choi Tae-hyuk stepped forward and bowed slightly.

 

“Let’s move somewhere else first. The Guildmaster needs rest.”

 

“A-ah, yes! This way, please.”

 

Sirens blared as police buses arrived, and officers poured out to control the crowd. They quickly cleared a path for us, pushing the reporters back.

 

“The Association has prepared a car.”

 

“Thank you. I’ll trouble you just this once, then.”

 

“It’s no trouble at all. We’re just doing our job.”

 

It was the same as before—and once again, the Hunter Association was being strangely cooperative. Why?

 

The car they’d prepared was a luxury van, the kind usually reserved for celebrities. I thought he’d finally set me down on one of the seats, but instead, Choi Tae-hyuk laid me across the backseat and gently rested my head on his lap.

 

“Choi Tae-hyuk? I can just sit, really.”

 

“Do you have the strength to sit up?”

 

“…”

 

I couldn’t argue with that.