Chapter 5
"I've heard about the kind of contract you're looking for. You'd like to receive protection in exchange for accepting commissions from us, with Mad Dragon Rubera's Scale Sword serving as the quality standard."
"Yes, that's correct."
"Then how much protection would you like us to provide?"
"Actually, I'd like to ask you the same question. Does Yeonwoo Guild have any particular protective measures in mind?"
Shin Ha-gyeon raised an eyebrow, apparently finding my response interesting.
"Yeonwoo Guild is very interested in your work, and we'd like to establish the best possible relationship with you. With that in mind, we're prepared to offer you comprehensive protection, including support for your mental well-being."
"By mental well-being, you mean...?"
"We'll prevent situations that could negatively affect your mental health."
Shin Ha-gyeon gave me a broad smile.
That smile helped me understand what he meant.
He was talking about things like managing public relations and providing psychological counseling.
In other words, the kind of support that an entertainment agency would normally provide for a celebrity.
He was offering more than just personnel.
He was also willing to use the guild's connections and financial resources on my behalf.
That's actually better than I expected.
I nodded slightly to indicate my approval.
Shin Ha-gyeon continued.
"Excellent. Then shall we discuss the specific terms?"
He explained the level of security personnel Yeonwoo Guild would provide, the extent of its media management, the medical services available to me, and various other measures demonstrating just how much effort the guild was prepared to invest in my protection.
I'm pretty sure he hadn't been anywhere near this eloquent in the interview videos I'd watched.
I almost felt as though I were being drawn in by his words.
At the same time, I remained cautious.
Surely, these couldn't be the only conditions Yeonwoo Guild had in mind.
Everything he'd said so far sounded far too favorable to me.
And sure enough, Shin Ha-gyeon finally brought up the specific conditions he wanted in return.
"...In exchange for providing such extensive protection, Yeonwoo Guild would like you to accept approximately three item-production commissions each year. Separately, we'd also like to obtain priority purchasing rights for the items you create."
He casually added that they were businesspeople too, after all.
Three commissions a year...
Yeonwoo Guild was using the B- rank Mad Dragon Rubera's Scale Sword as its standard.
Even by a rough calculation, three B- rank items would be worth approximately three billion won.
In other words, I'd receive a guaranteed annual income of around three billion won, along with the protection of South Korea's number-one guild.
All I had to do was accept three commissions each year and give Yeonwoo Guild the first opportunity to purchase any other items I happened to create.
But what about Yeonwoo Guild's side of the deal?
At first glance, this appeared to be a mutually beneficial contract.
I'd receive at least three billion won a year and protective services, while Yeonwoo Guild would obtain three commissioned items and priority purchasing rights.
However, I needed to think about it more carefully.
Artists should always understand the value of their own work.
They might occasionally need to raise their asking prices, but they should never allow their work to be undervalued.
After all, the value of an artist's work often determined the value people placed on the artist.
Yeonwoo Guild had never asked about my skill rank.
They'd simply examined the Scale Sword and decided that securing my loyalty through priority purchasing rights would be profitable.
If my skill had actually been somewhere between B-Class and A-Class, matching the Scale Sword's rank, this contract might have been slightly more favorable to Yeonwoo Guild.
However, since my skill was S-Class, accepting these conditions would put me at a clear disadvantage.
Having an S-Class production skill meant that I could potentially create S-Class items at any time.
My future value was on an entirely different level.
I smiled at Shin Ha-gyeon, making it clear that I'd understood everything he'd said.
Then I immediately told him what was on my mind.
"This is something that will eventually become public once I receive my Hunter license anyway, but my skill is S-Class."
Shin Ha-gyeon narrowed his eyes slightly.
"I expected your skill to be quite high-ranked after examining the quality of the Scale Sword, but... S-Class is beyond my imagination. I see..."
Although he claimed that it exceeded his expectations, I had a feeling he'd already suspected something along those lines.
Was he planning to pretend he didn't know and secure a more favorable deal if I hadn't brought it up myself?
"Granting you priority purchasing rights would essentially mean allowing Yeonwoo Guild to monopolize even the S-Class items I might create in the future."
"..."
"I'm willing to accept three commissions each year. However, let's remove the priority purchasing rights from the agreement."
Shin Ha-gyeon rubbed the area beside his eyebrow with his fingertips before slowly nodding.
"Very well. It's unfortunate that we've lost the opportunity to secure exclusive access to your work, but that's not more important than establishing a good relationship with you."
"Ah, there's one more thing. I'd also like those three commissions to be reasonably achievable."
Perhaps because of Shin Ha-gyeon's overwhelming presence, simply meeting his gaze was exhausting.
However, there were things I needed to say.
So instead of looking away, I stared directly into his eyes.
"For example, I don't want requests like 'Create a weapon that will make Yeonwoo Guild the number-one guild in the world,' or 'Create a weapon that can instantly kill an A-Class boss monster.' I also don't want to be asked to create items that are unethical."
"..."
"I don't want to be bound by a contract that forces me to struggle to create unreasonable items or things that go against my personal beliefs."
These conditions might be inconvenient for Yeonwoo Guild.
However, considering what I'd learned about the Hunter industry while researching it before the negotiations, I believed they were necessary.
There are far fewer ethical boundaries in this industry than I expected.
That was why I needed to eliminate anything that made me even slightly uncomfortable as early as possible.
"Hmm. I'll accept that condition as well. It seems we'll need to make a few revisions to the contract."
Shin Ha-gyeon didn't attempt to argue any further.
The man who had initially tried to secure a considerable advantage now seemed genuinely more interested in maintaining a good relationship with me.
He soon reached into a briefcase beneath the table and handed me a thick contract.
"This is a provisional contract that Yeonwoo Guild prepared in advance. We drafted it under the assumption that you'd request comprehensive protection."
I examined the document carefully.
Shin Ha-gyeon used his pen to mark several sections throughout the contract.
"The sections I've just marked are the ones that need to be revised. We'll change them according to the terms we've just discussed."
"Sounds good."
"Then please take your time reviewing the document. You can write any additional exceptions or special conditions you'd like on the back."
An expensive-looking fountain pen was gently pushed across the table toward me.
Some time passed.
Shin Ha-gyeon took the contract back and examined the additional conditions I'd written.
Then he looked directly into my eyes.
"I look forward to working with you."
His tone was considerably more relaxed than before.
He soon called an employee from outside and handed over the contract along with a separate sheet listing the agreed-upon revisions.
"Please revise the contract and print a new copy."
"Yes, sir."
The employee took the provisional contract and left the room.
As I adjusted my posture, I caught sight of Eom Seok-hwan.
He looked completely stunned.
When our eyes met, Eom Seok-hwan silently mouthed something at me.
What the hell are you? You probably didn't even need me here, did you?
If I'd been able to understand what he was saying, there was no way Shin Ha-gyeon had missed it.
Sure enough, Shin Ha-gyeon, who was now sitting in a noticeably more relaxed posture, casually remarked,
"Goodness. I'm beginning to wonder whose guild member you are."
"Hahaha... Well, he's a very dear friend of mine."
Eom Seok-hwan responded with a shameless grin, as though he'd been waiting for the opportunity.
Shin Ha-gyeon smiled in return.
It was a playful smile.
"I'm not criticizing you. I heard the two of you have known each other for a long time."
"Yes. We've known each other since elementary school, so it really has been a long time."
Since the contract was nearly finalized, it seemed Shin Ha-gyeon was deliberately bringing up personal matters to create a friendlier atmosphere.
I had no reason to hold back, so I joined the conversation.
We started by talking about my friendship with Eom Seok-hwan, then moved on to various other topics.
"What did you do for a living before awakening, Mr. Hwa-in?"
"Ah, I was a sculptor. I'm still a sculptor, actually."
"So you were already an artist before awakening."
Although I'd never even had the opportunity to hold a proper exhibition...
I'd devoted my life to sculpture back then, and I was still doing the same now.
I had every right to hold my head high and call myself a sculptor.
Around that time, the employee returned with the freshly printed contract.
Our conversation naturally came to an end.
After carefully reviewing the documents, Shin Ha-gyeon and I signed our respective copies.
They say he's mellowed with age. I guess those rumors were true.
Now that the negotiations were over, I was once again surprised by how different Shin Ha-gyeon's actual behavior was from his public image.
As I was organizing my copy of the contract, Shin Ha-gyeon suddenly made a small sound, as though he'd just remembered something.
"Actually, there's something I've been wanting to have sculpted, entirely separate from the item-production commissions. Would you be willing to accept a sculpture commission from me?"
"A commission?"
"Yes. It's a personal request, but I've been searching for a particularly skilled sculptor. After seeing Mad Dragon Rubera's Scale Sword, I have no doubt that your craftsmanship is more than sufficient."
I made that thing in high school, though...
I blinked several times.
Then I realized that Shin Ha-gyeon had figured out that my skill involved turning sculptures into items.
He's talking about my sculpting skills and using an item I created as proof. That pretty much says it all.
His words were based on the assumption that the Scale Sword had originally been a sculpture.
Even if Shin Ha-gyeon happened to know the game in which Mad Dragon Rubera's Scale Sword appeared, the implication would still be the same.
Is it because I introduced myself as a sculptor?
It was a widely accepted theory that awakened skills were heavily influenced by the lives people had led before awakening.
If Shin Ha-gyeon had realized from our earlier conversation that my entire life before awakening had revolved around sculpture, it would have been easy for him to deduce that my skill was probably related to sculpture as well.
Fine. He's figured that much out. But why is he making it so obvious by offering me a sculpture commission?
I discreetly examined Shin Ha-gyeon's face, trying to determine his intentions.
However, all I could see was the relaxed confidence of someone who occupied a high position in his industry, along with the goodwill he was directing toward me.
His friendliness was so obvious that one possibility came to mind.
...Could this be another attempt to create a friendlier atmosphere?
I nodded.
Well, that works for me.
I had no objections to accepting a sculpture commission.
In fact, it was something I'd been wanting to do.
Besides, Shin Ha-gyeon didn't strike me as the type of person who would treat a sculpture carelessly.
He told me that he'd send the details of the commission in writing at a later date, bringing our conversation to an end.
I didn't know whether he genuinely had something he wanted to preserve in the form of a sculpture, but I decided to interpret his offer as a friendly gesture.
Even if he has some ulterior motive, I'll probably figure it out once I see what he wants me to make.
As Shin Ha-gyeon accompanied Eom Seok-hwan to see Do Hwa-in off, he noticed a rather unusual bird.
The little creature suddenly emerged from behind a decorative potted plant in the corridor.
The moment it saw Do Hwa-in, it flew straight into his pocket.
