ch1-ch20 · 019-ch19

Chapter 19: Contract

It was that afternoon when the official certification card arrived from the Hunter Association.

"Finally moving up from G-Rank, huh..."

I held the envelope up and let my thoughts wander.

Starting with my meeting with Lumiel, the Aoba Town World Clock, being tailed by the Hunting Dogs guild, being saved by Momose-san, the re-examination, the pending status, and then the long-awaited result—

A G-Rank certification card.

"WHY?!"

I slammed it down on the desk with a thwack.

"I suppose it's because the person's own aptitude is G."

"The overall value is undoubtedly S-Rank, though."

Momose-san and my sister peered in from behind, calmly analyzing.

I've got nothing but sadness here.

Shiki-kun picked up the G-Rank certification card with a wry smile.

"Summoned beasts and the like are treated as 'weapons' or 'one aspect of combat ability,' so I think the Hunter license itself will be S-Rank."

Really, Shiki-kun!?

I can take that seriously, right!?

"More importantly, Koh — for someone who was hesitant about becoming a Hunter, you sure care about rank."

"W-Well, of course I do!"

"Why?"

"'Cause it's cool!"

"..."

It is cool, right?! Right, everyone?!

"Either way, even if your rank does go up, that's thanks to Lumiel-san's ability, so I don't think you should worry about it too much."

"..."

Shiki-kun, that honestly stung the most.

That's right. It's not me who's strong — it's Lumiel.

"Koh will become stronger than me."

"Huh... when?"

"In the distant future."

Lumiel-san, when exactly is that?

◇◆◇◆◇

Momose-san's room —

The so-called Guild Master's Room was a simple but efficient space.

Every piece of furniture and furnishing was carefully selected, with nothing wasted. The floor was dark brown wood. The walls were dark gray stone. The window was wide, with nothing blocking the view.

At the center of the room sat a heavy desk, with neatly organized documents, a pen, and glasses.

No unnecessary decorations whatsoever.

The interior reflected Momose Ichiro himself.

"Ah, I've been waiting."

Sensing our arrival, Momose-san looked up from his documents.

Combined with the room's atmosphere, a solemn mood hung in the air. Strangely, I found myself tensing up too.

"First, I have a favor to ask."

"Y-Yes, what is it?"

"Could you apologize to your sister for me later?"

"..."

Momose-san, you're still hung up on that?

Joking aside, Momose-san slid a document forward.

I'd seen something like this with apartment contracts — it was a contract.

"Now, this is the official contract. Once the Hunter Association processes this, you'll officially become one of our members."

I took the contract from Momose-san and skimmed through it.

"Let's see... the contract period is one year, and the contract fee is..."

1, 10, 100, 1,000, 10,000.

100,000, 1,000,000, 10,000,000, 100,000,000?

"500 million yen!?"

At my words, Momose-san nodded.

"You probably would've gotten a thousand times this if you'd joined the Hunting Dogs guild. They're an Association-affiliated guild, after all. Overseas, there are places that would offer another ten times that..."

A thousand times 500 million is... 500 billion yen?

And ten times that is... 5 trillion yen???

"N-No... It's not about the money..."

"His eyes are rolling back in his head."

Of course, no matter what the contract fee was, I had no intention of going anywhere else. Whether it was 500 billion or 5 trillion, any amount that unrealistic was beyond my comprehension anyway.

I looked at Momose-san with a serious expression.

"It's not about the amount. Momose-san and the others took me and Lumiel in knowing the risks. I want to repay that debt. That's all."

"Oh, so you'd join even without the contract fee?"

"W-Well... I wouldn't go that far..."

Of course if they're offering, I should take it!!

But still, if I sign and stamp this contract, I get 500 million yen... 500 million yen is more than a salaryman's lifetime earnings, isn't it?

Wait, does that mean I don't even need to work...?

Lumiel tugged at my sleeve.

"How much is 500 million?"

"I wonder... enough to buy Tokyo, maybe?"

"Hagane-kun, you can't buy Tokyo."

I'm so confused right now.

How much is 500 million?

Does it mean I could eat McDonald's every day?

"...Well, I guess this money is ultimately payment for evaluating Lumiel. It's not really money I should be making decisions about."

The thought slipped out as I signed the contract.

"I don't think that's right."

Momose-san denied it with a serious expression.

"I won't deny that her strength and rarity contributed to the evaluation. But she fights for you, no one else. This situation exists because you are who you are — which means this is money you're entitled to."

Hearing that, I felt something click. It was the first time I felt like I was being evaluated.

Momose-san accepted the contract and nodded with satisfaction.

"With this, you're officially a member. Congratulations."

"Thank you. I'm looking forward to working with you!"

"Same here."

So I'm finally part of a guild.

I've heard that independent guilds have sponsors. I wonder if I'll have to change into combat gear with a sponsor's logo when heading to the battlefield.

Either way, a new life starts here for us.

"Lumiel... this calls for a celebration. Let's buy some cake on the way home."

"Cake?"

"Something sweet and tasty."

"I'll eat it. Go home now."

And so, returning to our home (still trashed) for the first time in a day, we set up a candle on a convenience store cake and had a modest celebration.

◇◆◇◆◇

And then the next day —

The same morning, the same workplace.

I was at the office facing my computer today too.

This morning, 500 million yen had already been deposited, so I was shocked when I saw my balance.

The contract also included various performance-based rewards, so depending on my future activities, it looked like I could earn even more.

Still, I didn't quit my job.

Partly out of consideration so I wouldn't cause trouble by leaving immediately, but also because I thought I should keep working steadily and earning a regular paycheck until guild activities got busy.

"Man, I'm such a responsible guy."

"MAEDAAAA!!!"

The department head's roar echoed through the office today too.

"You've been spacing out all day!!!"

"Oh, can you tell? Something good happened."

"What is it, kid?! Did you get a girlfriend!?"

"Not at all. I've been guarding my purity for 25 years."

"That... for a guy, that's not what we call 'purity,' you know."

The department head was still yelling as always, but somehow it didn't faze me at all. Was this the composure of a man with money!?

"Koh, your hands have stopped. You lack motivation."

As for Lumiel — maybe because she no longer needed to hide — she'd been following me to work in her human form since morning. My colleagues were overjoyed at her return, and I was even surprised to see the department head bring her snacks.

As usual, she was banned from touching anything in the office, so she sat in the middle of the hallway spinning around on a chair.

"I have motivation. I'm making progress."

"There, you're celebrating."

"I'm not celebrating."

Okay, I am celebrating. I'm celebrating like crazy.

Damn it, money really does drive people mad.

I'm afraid that if I get carried away and buy a house or a car, I won't be able to stop myself...

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