I was Kicked Out of the Hunter’s Guild

Some time after Glass went into the kitchen to prepare the meal, a delicious aroma began wafting through the air, tickling my nose.

‘Come to think of it… how long has it been since I’ve had a homemade meal prepared by someone other than my sister?’

Since becoming an adjutant, my meals had been limited to eating out, ordering delivery, or cooking for myself.

Even the meals my sister made for me were usually simple breakfasts from the café menu—nothing too special.

In truth, it had been nearly four years since I’d had a proper home-cooked meal served to me by someone else.

As that thought lingered, my anticipation for the meal steadily grew.

But just as I was basking in the pleasant smell and daydreaming about the food, I suddenly heard a soft chuckle.

“Hee hee hee~”

“Huh?”

Startled, I turned to see Kwonsoon watching me with a mischievous glint in her round, cat-like eyes, as though she found something about me amusing.

For a moment, her expression struck me as surprisingly cute, but I quickly regained my composure and asked cautiously, “…Why are you looking at me like that? Do I have something on my face?”

“Hmm? No, nothing like that,” she replied with a grin. “It’s just… we’ve been waiting so long to finally have a decent adjutant.”

“A decent adjutant…? What was your last adjutant like?”

Curious about her statement, I leaned forward slightly. At my question, her cheerful expression dimmed slightly, and for a brief moment, a melancholic look crossed her face.

“There’s a sad legend… no, more like a bittersweet story,” she said dramatically.

“…A bittersweet story?” I asked, feeling intrigued.

“The former adjutant… he was such a pitiful person,” she said, sighing. “He always gave it his all, doing his absolute best out of a sense of duty and responsibility. But… unfortunately, he was constantly frustrated because his plans never seemed to work out. He tried and tried, but he just couldn’t produce good results. In the end, he hit his mental limit and ended up quitting.”

“Ah…”

Her words hit heavier than I’d expected.

Having worked as an adjutant for quite some time myself, I’d seen and heard about many people like that.

No matter how much effort someone put into strategy or command, talent often played a decisive role. Without it, even the most diligent individuals could find themselves overwhelmed, failing time and time again until they eventually gave up.

Recalling those unfortunate truths, I felt a pang of regret for the former adjutant.

Noticing my expression, Kwonsoon continued, as if trying to console me, or herself.

“When I think of him, my heart still hurts,” she said, her voice softening. “I can’t forget how he would stay up all night trying to plan strategies, pushing himself to do things that didn’t suit his natural abilities… until he finally hit his breaking point. He ended up exploding in the most spectacular, grand way you can imagine…”

Her voice trailed off before she suddenly burst into dramatic sobbing, “Ayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!”

“…What?”

Before I could process her exaggerated theatrics, Iare reached out and calmly grabbed Kwonsoon’s cheeks, stretching them mercilessly.

“Stop being so overly dramatic,” Iare said firmly, pulling Kwonsoon back to reality.

“Ah—ow ow ow! Unnie! Stop it!” Kwonsoon whined, her face now turning red from embarrassment.

Watching the scene unfold, I couldn’t help but stare at Kwonsoon’s blushing, flustered expression.

‘Huh…?’

As I watched Kwonsoon’s flustered reaction, one thought naturally came to mind.

Setting aside Kwonsoon, who was still yelping in protest, I cautiously asked Iare in a curious voice.

“Um… Iare? Could it be that the former adjutant Kwonsoon was talking about…”

“…Yes… it’s me,” Iare replied, her face reddening slightly as she answered with difficulty.

Her flustered expression, so different from her usual composed demeanor, made my heart skip a beat for a moment. But I quickly regained myself and offered her a light smile.

“You must have had a tough time. Being both a hunter and an adjutant at the same time… that couldn’t have been easy.”

“…Ha… yes,” she sighed softly, a hint of heaviness in her tone. “To be honest, it wasn’t easy at all. And to make it worse, I wasn’t particularly suited for it.”

Iare let out another sigh, her expression briefly showing a mix of weariness and reflection. But soon after, she regained her usual calmness and continued, meeting my gaze.

“But… it was something someone had to do. There wasn’t anyone else available, so in the end, I had no choice but to take on the role. As Kwonsoon said, though, after a significant failure… I gave up completely.”

Her words made me realize the challenges Black Hunters faced compared to the military.

Unlike the structured system of the military, Black Hunters operated differently depending on the circumstances of each group.

Sometimes, a leader would double as an adjutant, taking on both strategy and combat responsibilities. In other cases, they would bring in a temporary contractor to oversee operations.

But the most ideal situation, though costly, was exactly what was happening now. 

Officially hiring a dedicated adjutant to handle command and strategy.

“Balancing fieldwork and commanding strategy at the same time must’ve been exhausting. While it might have some advantages, it definitely limits how much you can adapt in certain situations. Not to mention, the burden on the person doing both must be overwhelming,” I said, voicing my thoughts.

“Yes,” Iare agreed, nodding slightly. “I felt those limitations firsthand. Eventually, I made a strong request to management to allow us to officially hire an adjutant. That’s how we ended up bringing you in, Mr. Jinhyun.”

“I see,” I replied, nodding slowly as her words sank in.

At that moment, Iare’s lips curved into a small, slightly embarrassed smile.

“I’m looking forward to it… seeing the results of your work in the future, Mr. Jinhyun.”

I smiled back at her and responded earnestly, “I may be lacking, but I promise to do my best.”

My gaze drifted downward to the rather adorable scene playing out below me.

“Ah! Ow, ow, ow! Let me go already, I’m sorry, okay?!”

Despite Kwonsoon’s loud protests, her cheeks were still being mercilessly stretched by Iare’s hands.

Watching the scene, it dawned on me that, for Iare, being forced into the temporary role of an adjutant must have been a rather shameful chapter in her history—something she probably wanted to forget.

Oddly enough, though, this realization made me feel closer to her.

‘Somehow… the reason Iare and the others seem to understand my struggles so well must be because of her experiences.’

Unlike the S-class hunters from the 28th Guild, who dismissed what I did as trivial or unnecessary, the people here genuinely seemed to grasp the significance of an adjutant’s role and the challenges that came with it.

And the reason for this was clear: they had experienced it themselves, either directly or by witnessing it up close.

As I reflected on this, I found myself nodding subconsciously.

‘It’s true… people only appreciate the value of something once they’ve experienced its absence. If only they had realized how much trouble I had gone through…’

Back in the 28th Guild, even though I was discharged as their adjutant, they likely didn’t care. After all, they were probably confident that someone “better” would come along to replace me—an elite adjutant who could handle their nonsense more skillfully than I ever could.

Sure, the new adjutant would have to deal with the same annoyances from those unbearable “bitches,” but they’d likely still manage to complete missions without issue.

As such, it was clear to me that no matter what I had done, they would never realize the difficulties I faced or even spare a thought to miss me.

That bitter thought caused a wave of resentment to bubble up again, feelings I thought I had buried long ago.

Quickly shaking off the unpleasant memories of the 28th Guild, I refocused on the people in front of me.

Unlike those who dismissed me as useless for four years, these hunters—people I had only just met 40 minutes ago—were already acknowledging my value and treating me with respect.

‘For these people, I’ll give everything I have. I’ll do my best to support them.’

Resolving to dedicate myself to this team, I strengthened my resolve.

At that moment, Glass’s voice called out from the kitchen.

“Repas (meals) are ready. Everyone, please come.”

“Ohhh… Finally!”

At her words, Kwonsoon sprang up from her seat like a child and bolted toward the kitchen, her excitement palpable.

Iare stood as well and turned to me with a slight smile.

“Shall we go, Adjutant?”

“Yes, let’s go” I replied, following them with a sense of ease and comfort that I hadn’t felt in a long time.

As I stepped into the kitchen, my eyes widened, and a single word escaped my lips.

“Wow…”

Before me was a table set with dishes so immaculate that it was hard to believe this was simply a meal at work.

This wasn’t just a home-cooked meal—it was a feast worthy of a high-end restaurant.

A fresh salad, steaming soup, perfectly grilled chicken and potatoes as the main dish… and even a bottle of wine, already uncorked and ready to pour.

The sight was nothing short of breathtaking, the food was arranged so beautifully it could only be described as art.

Turning to Glass, I asked in disbelief, “Wait… did you really make all this in just 40 minutes? This isn’t normal…”

Glass responded with a faint smirk, her tone carrying a hint of pride.

“Non, of course not. Most of it was prepared two hours in advance. I simply finished it and plated everything in the last 40 minutes. Since we have a special guest today, it only seemed right to treat you properly.”

“Ah…”

I was taken aback by how much effort had gone into the meal—more than I had expected.

At the same time, I couldn’t help but feel touched. Knowing that I was the reason they went to such lengths made my heart ache with a sense of gratitude I hadn’t felt in years.

‘They’re treating me like I’m actually important…’

With that warm feeling swelling in my chest, I took my seat, a smile creeping onto my face as if all the hardships I’d endured at the Hunter Guild were finally being soothed.

Moments later, I lifted my glass alongside my new colleagues.

“To our new adjutant, Lee Jinhyun!” Glass declared with a rare note of energy.

“For the adjutant!” Kwonsoon chimed in, her enthusiasm lighting up the room.

With that, we toasted, and as I sipped the sweet wine, a single thought solidified in my mind.

‘This… this is going to be a good life. A sweet life, like this wine.’