The SSS-Class Hunter’s Garden Log Chapter 24

The identity of the uninvited guest who burst through the door, almost jumping in, was Yoon Taegyeom.

 

Today was no exception; tightly clutched in one of his hands was that familiar leaflet. 

 

It was the crop information sheet that Yoon Hana made herself and posted on the Hunter Exchange.

 

Yoon Taegyeom scanned the Guild Master’s office once, then widened his eyes upon discovering Hana.

 

“Gasp.” 

 

And then covered his mouth as if in disbelief.

 

“Then don’t tell me… she is?”

 

Looking at Yoon Taegyeom, who had stopped in front of the door and was trembling with a face full of joy, Seo Kanghyun took a deep breath.

 

Seo Kanghyun pressed his forehead firmly as if having a headache.

 

“Can’t you see we’re having an important conversation, Hyung? Come back later.”

 

“No, no, no. Just a second. Seriously, just a second.”

 

But Yoon Taegyeom paid no mind and strode into the Guild Master’s office.

 

Not stopping there, he even stopped in front of Hana and sneakily offered the leaflet. With eyes brimming with anticipation.

 

Hana blinked as soon as she saw the leaflet.

 

“Oh? This is what I made? Were you perhaps my buyer?”

 

“Gasp! Are you really that person who sells crops on the Hunter Exchange?” 

 

“Uh, um… Yes.”

 

At Taegyeom’s somehow intense reaction, Hana slightly leaned her upper body back.

 

But Taegyeom, already deeply moved, leaned on the armrest of the sofa and started speaking rapidly in excitement.

 

“I’m a huge fan, seriously! I bought every single item you posted! The cherry tomatoes and the Etcha potatoes! The efficacy of the items is truly—” 

 

“Ah, ahaha. T-thank you……?”

 

“How on earth did you come to produce such incredible items, I’d like to have a deep and serious conversation with you sometime—mmph!” 

 

Yoon Taegyeom’s passionate speech cut off right there. 

 

Because in an instant, a large hand covered his mouth.

 

The owner of the hand with bulging veins was Seo Kanghyun, who had approached without a sound.

 

“Mmph, mmmph! Mmph!” 

 

As if telling him to let go, Yoon Taegyeom struggled and tried to grab Kanghyun’s hand to pull it off, but he was no match.

 

Watching that sight, Hana quietly lifted her hips and subtly shifted her seat to the very edge of the sofa. 

 

Then, turning her gaze away, she stared intently at the distant scenery. 

 

At Hana’s reaction, for the first time, Seo Kanghyun felt embarrassed by the human named Yoon Taegyeom.

 

Well, he had been embarrassed often enough before, but today, it was a bit much. 

 

Eventually covering his face with his other hand, Kanghyun muttered in a low voice. Sincerely.

 

“…Please get lost, Hyung.”

 

“I’ll really stay quiet, Kanghyun-ah. Huh?”

 

Hanging onto the pillar to hold on, Yoon Taegyeom reached his hand out towards Hana. As if begging to be saved.

 

Of course, Hana tried hard to ignore such Yoon Taegyeom.

 

‘So it was that person. The one who bought the cherry tomatoes every single time.’

 

She recalled Yoon Taegyeom, who had sent a message the other day saying he was a Hunter affiliated with Haechi.

 

She felt a brief twinge of guilt for mistaking him for a scammer and blocking him. 

 

“So he really was a member of the Haechi Guild.” 

 

At the exact moment Hana muttered to herself. 

 

Yoon Taegyeom, who had been clinging like a cicada, ended up being caught in Seo Kanghyun’s hands and kicked out of the Guild Master’s office.

 

Having finished a bout of scuffling, Seo Kanghyun returned to his seat and sat down.

 

In that short time, his clothes and hair were disheveled; he must have been bothered quite a bit.

 

In particular, his neatly styled hair was now sticking out like a stray bedhead, persistently drawing her eye. 

 

“What’s with that expression? Why are you laughing?”

 

Belatedly realizing that the corners of her mouth had been twitching unconsciously, Hana covered her mouth with her hand.

 

“Ahem. It’s nothing.”

 

Kanghyun roughly swept his disheveled hair back and returned to his bored expression.

 

But somehow, Hana didn’t feel as intimidated by him as before.

 

After signing the contract, Hana smartly tucked one copy away for herself. 

 

The remaining copy she pushed in front of Kanghyun.

 

Kanghyun’s head tilted slightly.

 

“Don’t you need to look at it more meticulously?”

 

“I’ve seen enough. So, when should we begin the deliveries?” 

 

Kanghyun didn’t say anything for a moment.

 

He seemed to be assessing the condition of Hana’s garden patch in his head.

 

“Are the items you can produce right now only potatoes and cherry tomatoes?”

 

Then, his eyebrow rose slightly.

 

It seemed he had recalled his memory from when he was loaded onto the handcart.

 

“Ah. There was popcorn too.”

 

“To be exact, they’re corn kernels.”

 

Hana corrected him immediately.

 

“Because of the monster’s attribute you saw that time, they popped like popcorn, but basically it’s corn.”

 

Finishing her words, Hana fiddled with her pocket.

 

The rice seeds she had brought along just in case were inside. 

 

While she was hesitating whether she should say this now or not, Kanghyun opened his mouth first.

 

“Then by next week, can you do twenty boxes each of cherry tomatoes, potatoes, and corn first?”

 

“T-twenty boxes?” 

 

Hana’s eyes widened.

 

“Is it too much?”

 

No way.

 

It was actually too good.

 

Hana’s eyes sparkled.

 

Isn’t there a saying that big spenders are good people?

 

“Oh my, of course it’s possible.” 

 

“Then we’ll send people from our side to the garden patch as soon as they’re ready.”

 

Kanghyun rummaged through his inner pocket and took out an access pass.

 

“Let’s call this a contract gift.”

 

Hana’s name was stamped on the access pass. And not one for visitors, but for an official guild member.

 

“During the contract period, I’ll temporarily register Yoon Hana-ssi as affiliated with Haechi.”

 

Kanghyun rested his chin on his hand and lowered his gaze askew. 

 

“I didn’t expect you to prepare something like this, thank you.” 

 

There was nothing bad about receiving this for Hana.

 

Because if she became affiliated with the guild, she could freely go in and out without having to apply for gate entry every time.

 

Then one of the million illegal acts Hana would accumulate step by step in the future would be solved.

 

“I’m giving this to you so you stop making holes in the sides of gates from now on.”

 

Hana, who had been turning the access pass over in her hands, flinched.

 

How did he know about that too?

 

“Do you know there’s a crazy Hunter these days who sneaks into gates and steals only boss monster feces?”

 

Kanghyun’s eyes narrowed.

 

“That’s Yoon Hana-ssi too, right?”

 

“Mmm? I wonder?” 

 

Hana tried to play innocent, but it didn’t work at all.

 

“I already know everything about how you didn’t just trespass into the previous Gate that appeared over in Yangpyeong, but even stole the Bubble Puff’s excretions, so don’t bother playing innocent.” 

 

Kanghyun took out a small glass bottle from his drawer and tossed it to Hana.

 

It was the bottle containing cherry tomatoes that he had picked up next to the Bubble Puff’s corpse.

 

A bright red tomato rolled roll roll inside the bottle.

 

“I won’t say anything about you taking the byproducts, but try not to leave traces as much as possible. Even I won’t be able to shield you from that.” 

 

“Yes. I’ll be careful.”

 

“But why on earth are you picking up monster excrement?”

 

Hana hesitated for a moment, then laughed awkwardly.

 

“Because it’s good for broken cherry tomato stems.”

 

“Broken stems?”

 

“You can think of it as something like a good nutritional supplement for plants.”

 

“Aha.”

 

Kanghyun, who had been furrowing his brows, quickly lost interest and returned to the main point. 

 

“Do you have anything else to say? If not, let’s wrap things up here.” 

 

“Oh? No, wait a moment—” 

 

Hana, who was trying to subtly bring up the story about the rice seeds, tried to continue speaking.

 

But Kanghyun was a little faster than that.

 

Before she knew it, Hana’s body was spun around and she was pushed out in front of the Guild Master’s office door.

 

“Then, have a safe trip back.” 

 

* * *

 

After snapping out of it, Hana was standing outside the Guild Master’s office.

 

She hadn’t even been able to bring up the subject of the rice seeds in the end. 

 

How does she bring this up?

 

“For now, it’s probably best to do what needs to be done right away, right?” 

 

Deliver the promised crops without a hitch by next week.

 

After that, she would have to slowly explain the efficacy of the rice seeds and try to coax Seo Kanghyun. 

 

While the fire resistance aspect wouldn’t hold much appeal for Seo Kanghyun himself, it was a sufficiently effective item for regular hunters. 

 

Moreover, since fire resistance attribute items were quite expensive, it would be competitive if she could set the unit price lower than that. 

 

Then Haechi would also obtain fire resistance items at a cheap price, which would be a good thing for the hunters affiliated with Haechi as well. 

 

It was a perfect win-win.

 

“If I explain that point, wouldn’t I be able to get some help with the cultivation?” 

 

Thinking along those lines as she walked down the hallway, Hana unconsciously fumbled inside her pocket. 

 

It was the side containing the rice seeds.

 

Hana halted her steps and pulled out the small pouch where she had stored several grains of rice seeds. 

 

Opening the pouch, she saw five or six grains of rice seeds about the size of a thumbnail inside. 

 

The rice seeds were still exuding a warm energy.

 

It was right then. 

 

Someone walking at a ferocious pace slammed right into Hana’s shoulder. 

 

“Ack!”

 

From that gust, the rice seeds slipped from her hand and fell.

 

The moment she reached out her hand to pick up the rice seeds, another hand darted out and snatched them away first.