Chapter 46 : Throwing Money, You Have Some Too (4)

‘I’m not entirely sure yet if I can even leave this place myself.’

But at the very least, I can make sure Stella, who’s crying miserably in front of me, gets out.

Rather than continuing to tremble in fear and live here, it might be better for her to go outside.

It’s not that I want to kick her out.

I just want to give her the option.

Once she sees the peaceful world outside, who knows if she’ll still want to live in a tower crawling with monsters?

‘…500 coins.’

If I saved one resident, then I guess that’s a pretty cheap price.

Of course, I did end up in a 500-coin deficit because of some weirdo popping out during the process.

“Stella, I’m not abandoning you, so try to calm down.”

“…Y-You’re really not going to throw me away?”

“Yeah, looks like there was some misunderstanding.”

I lifted Stella and gently rocked her like a baby to soothe her.

Since she was a bit shorter than the Sword Ghost, it didn’t feel unnatural.

She finally stopped crying and just trembled like a vibrating bell.

‘…Looks like she calmed down.’

Even though she was still trembling, she was looking straight into my eyes—so I could tell she was really calm now.

To begin with, there was never a day when Stella didn’t shake.

‘Could it be an illness?’

The thought crossed my mind, but it didn’t seem likely.

A Spirit with healing magic would’ve fixed it if it were a real illness.

So it was probably just a habit.

“So, do you want to try going out?”

“…I-I want to go out with Boss……”

“Alright, let’s do that.”

The fact that I might not be able to go out… well, I don’t need to tell her that.

Stella must’ve felt reassured, because she hugged me tightly.

‘…!!’

I was genuinely surprised.

This had never happened before.

Honestly, I was happy—it felt like she had finally opened her heart to me.

“…Sword Ghost…!! Look at this!”

“…Congratulations, Master…!”

I whispered softly to the Sword Ghost so Stella wouldn’t hear.

She smiled brightly and clapped her hands quietly in celebration.

Trying my best to hide the grin spreading across my face, I gently patted Stella’s head.

She flinched for a second but then began rubbing her head against my hand.

‘…Honestly, I hope she chooses to stay in the tower.’

How nice would it be if she saw the outside world and still said she wanted to stay here?

That thought kept crossing my mind.

But I didn’t want to force Stella to stay in a stressful situation like this.

‘If she does decide to leave, I’ll at least ask her to visit now and then.’

If our Stella ends up leaving, I’ll entrust her to Hunter Hanseong.

He’s the most trustworthy person I know, and among all the hunters I know, he’s the cleanest.

Chanseok and Hanyul, who are with him, are trustworthy too—especially Hanyul, who’s known for her calm and meticulous nature.

Besides, the Shinhwa Guild, which Hanseong leads, is ranked among the top 5 guilds in the world.

It’s also the 10th in the world for the number of S-rank hunters.

They have the 2nd most A-rank hunters too.

In Korea, no guild even comes close—it’s far and away number one.

Even the masters of Taesan and Yojeong Guilds, ranked second and third, used to be in Shinhwa.

That says it all.

With that much, I can definitely trust them to take care of someone like my Stella, who’s like a daughter to me.

‘I’m sure they’ll raise her well.’

Still, I hope she says she’s not leaving.

It seems unlikely, though.

‘…If it were me, I’d choose independence over living in a monster nest.’

After all, this place is filled with monsters among monsters.

***

“Chairman.”

“Yes, Chief Kang.”

Kang Seohan handed over a compiled report to Sung Myungho.

Receiving the bundle of documents, Myungho carefully flipped through them one by one.

In front of Myungho, Seohan stood at attention, maintaining his posture as he waited for him to finish reading.

About twenty minutes passed, and Myungho finally finished the thick report and set it down on the desk.

He placed it down gently, but the weight made a soft thump echo through the room.

‘…He read all that already?’

Seohan couldn’t help but be impressed that Myungho had finished reading such a thick and heavy report in just twenty minutes.

If he had been active as a Hunter, he would’ve definitely surpassed Hanseong and ranked number one.

“…The Gumiho personally requested to distribute it.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“What did you say in response?”

“…Exactly what’s written there.”

Myungho paused for a moment and looked at Seohan.

“Did you pass the decision on to me because you felt it was beyond your authority?”

“…Yes, that’s right.”

Bringing an SSS-grade boss monster outside the tower wasn’t a decision even the chairman’s right hand could make alone.

She had said herself that she would wear restraints, but no one could be sure just how effective those restraints would be.

“…Well, if she insists, we can’t really stop her.”

“Are you seriously considering accepting her conditions?”

“Has the Gumiho made any other demands?”

“No, she hasn’t.”

“She’s already been designated as friendly, hasn’t she?”

As Myungho said that and folded his arms, Seohan hesitated before speaking.

“…Still, a monster is a monster.”

“Chief Kang.”

“She’s the first-ever SSS-grade. Giving such a hasty friendly designation is reckless.”

Kang Seohan expressed his dissatisfaction with Myungho’s relaxed attitude and adjusted his sunglasses.

It was his longtime habit to hide his expression with sunglasses whenever something displeased him.

“I just can’t understand it.”

“…Then tell me, what can we do now?”

“……”

“We can’t oppose her, and if we label her as hostile, it will only worsen public anxiety.”

“…At the very least, we should’ve maintained a ‘caution’ status.”

Hearing this, Myungho looked Seohan straight in the eyes.

“…Did you watch the video?”

The footage Hanseong recorded inside the tower.

Filmed using the system’s power, it was guaranteed to be free of manipulation and considered trustworthy.

And in that footage, the image of the Gumiho was—“How is she any different from the beastkin?”

She looked no different from the beastkin.

She laughed, showed sadness, and cherished her people.

However, Seohan thought differently.

“Acting. It’s just acting.”

“Even A-rank monsters like succubi can act.”

“They bewitch people, lull them into lowering their guard, then devour them.”

“Monsters will do anything when it comes to killing. That’s what they are.”

Just acting to charm and devour people.

That’s what Seohan believed.

Even if the footage couldn’t be manipulated, who could prove the Gumiho’s sincerity?

“…Chief Kang, are you saying my judgment is wrong?”

“Yes. That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

“……”

Letting out a deep sigh, Myungho stood from his seat.

“I understand that you have a different view. Constantly clashing with hunters must be stressful.”

“But let’s think rationally.”

“The Gumiho is showing a friendly attitude, so my judgment is to respond accordingly.”

“Meet her requests as much as possible and enhance security.”

“…Prepare as many restraints as you can. You can bind her up completely if needed.”

As he said this while patting Seohan on the shoulder, Seohan didn’t say a word.

He instinctively knew that if he argued any further, it would cross the line.

‘…Damn old man.’

Of course, Seohan knew it too.

Right now, they had no choice but to comply with the Gumiho’s request.

That reality was what made it so frustrating.

It felt like they were bowing their heads and submitting to a monster.

“…I’ll prepare as many restraints as possible.”

“Of course, Manager Kang. Whatever amount you need, we’ll provide full support.”

Smiling with his eyes, Sung Myungho sat back down and continued.

“First and foremost, we need to compensate the victims.”

“Gather those confirmed to be affected and have them wait in front of the Tower. Make sure they receive financial compensation for their losses.”

Upon hearing that, Seohan sighed, removed his sunglasses, and tucked them into the chest pocket of his suit.

“Understood, sir.”

“Good. You’ve always worked hard. I feel reassured knowing you’re my right-hand man.”

“…Then please listen to me a bit more too, sir.”

Myungho laughed heartily at Seohan’s grumble.

“Sorry about earlier. It’s not that I don’t understand how you feel. I’ll give it more thought. I hope you also understand the position I’m in.”

“…I do. What I said earlier was just my personal opinion, so please don’t take it to heart.”

With that, Seohan bowed in loyalty and added,”As the head of the Hunter Management Department, I only follow the Chairman’s orders.”

“…Got it. You may go.”

“Yes, sir.”

Regaining his poker face, Seohan immediately contacted his subordinates.

“…Announce that compensation for the victims from the Gumiho Tower incident is underway.”

“We’re going to prepare as many restraints as possible—go overboard if you must. We still don’t have a precise measurement of an SSS-rank’s power.”

“And gather as many mages as possible. They’re going to need to set up the barrier.”

“The public appearance is officially set for one week from now.”

Thus, the committee formally announced that the Gumiho would be emerging from the Tower.

The internet immediately descended into chaos.

Online platforms and media outlets fiercely debated the committee’s decision.

And that very evening, on a live broadcast, Yubin also confirmed that her request to go outside had been approved.

‘…Wait, this actually got approved?’

Yubin couldn’t help but be shocked—she had fully expected a rejection.