Even A Tired Villain Has Circumstances

Chapter 6

The place Kang Gwonhoo and I arrived at was the café-slash-pub, 'Table.'

During the day, it operated as a café, attracting hunters looking for guilds or guild representatives and casting managers seeking new guild members.

At first glance, it seemed like a respectable place, but as night fell, the story changed.

The transformed pub became a gray zone where discreet deals took place between hunters and clients seeking to employ them. It was advisable not to step foot inside after 11 PM.

'Still, during the day, mostly regular people come in.'

Finding new connections here wasn't challenging. Sitting leisurely with a drink would attract guild representatives or those looking for a guild, showcasing an opportunity to appeal to them. Since most people were in a hurry, recruiting guild members should have been relatively easy.

"Could it be that you're trying to talk to that guy? I feel like he'd collapse if I grabbed his throat."

Kang Gwonhoo, if only he weren't this person.

'There aren't many who wouldn't collapse when you grab their throat.'

A deep sigh escaped me.

Unable to endure it any longer, I mustered all the courage I had and decided to keep my distance from Kang Gwonhoo.

"Mr. Kang Gwonhoo, can you perhaps not wait here and sit over there?"

"That's fine."

He agreed more easily than I expected, which eased the tension in my body. I was planning to lie that I had received a new quest saying that I should not increase the number of people after completing the quest with three people. Special quests were usually given to individuals or small groups, making it easier to avoid prying questions. With lighter steps than before, I moved toward the crowded area near the tables, where people had gathered.

'But why does he keep following me?'

Kang Gwonhoo not only ignored my gesture pointing to a chair but also closed the distance, following me.

"Didn't you say it's fine to sit there and wait?"

I asked cautiously, and he responded with a smirk, raising his shoulders.

"It's better if you call me Mr. Kang Gwonhoo."

My face turned red. It seemed that Kang Gwonhoo only heard what he wanted to hear and responded with what he wanted to hear, completely ignoring my words.

'Still, saying such things with that face makes me feel weird.'

Though he was undoubtedly a frightening opponent, his appearance and voice made me momentarily forget that fact.

'That guy is a bad person. He could kill me in an instant and he's someone who can casually enjoy an espresso afterward. Don't be fooled.'

Recalling a couple of Kang Gwonhoo's misdeeds brought me back to my senses. I shouldn't be deceived even for a moment by his eloquence and charm.

"Guild recruitment might be impossible if you're next to me..."

"What does it matter? Didn't you mention last time that there were guild members coming in?"

Having told so many lies, this slip was inevitable. If I explained that I needed to recruit more members, he might lose the excuse to reject joining his guild later due to exceeding the limit.

"It's because I need to find someone with specific abilities."

The excuse I came up with seemed quite plausible even to me. The plan was to later claim that I found someone with those abilities, and in the next quest, conditions were added without any change in the number of members.