I was Kicked Out of the Hunter’s Guild

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The sharp sound of bullets rang out at precise intervals.

Each shot hit its target perfectly.

As I watched the scene unfold, I carefully analyzed the skills of the hunters.

The people before me were Black Hunters belonging to the Dreamers. Among them, I focused on assessing the combat abilities of the former B-class hunters.

I see… Even considering that they were once B-class hunters, their skills are far from average. Judging by their basic capabilities, they’re just a step below A-class—at least compared to large combat units.

There was a general standard used to rank hunters.

First, those who underwent basic hunter training started as D-class. From there, they went through an adaptation process and foundational training to familiarize themselves with their enhanced bodies.

Once their physical adaptation was complete to some extent, they became C-class hunters. Though they still lacked practical experience, they were assigned to units where they could gain combat experience. After participating in multiple battles and honing their skills, they advanced to B-class, which made up the majority of hunters.

This was the turning point.

B-class hunters had to decide whether they would remain at that level or rise higher, depending on their talent.

From that perspective, the Dreamers’ B-class hunters were undoubtedly among the best in their category. But…

By my standards, they still fell slightly short compared to true A-class hunters—the kind capable of single-handedly taking on the Abyss.

Of course, I can’t be certain until I see them in actual combat, but even now, I notice a few shortcomings. If one of them were to be thrown into the center of an Abyss swarm… at most, only one or two would last more than a minute.

Relying on my experience and knowledge, I calmly evaluated the hunters before me, identifying those with the potential to reach A-class in the future.

Of course, my standards were exceptionally strict.

In reality, the ranking criteria were much looser compared to S-class…

There were even so-called “A-class hunters” who had simply been born into the right families or happened to have a pretty face.

In that regard, if these Dreamers’ B-class hunters were put up against the typical A-class hunters from an actual Hunter Guild, it would make for a fairly competitive fight.

The strength of a unit varied, of course, but outside of the 28th Guild—where I enforced strict promotion requirements based solely on skill—such a match would be an interesting spectacle.

Anyway, their overall strength is better than I expected. If I combine the abilities of Iare, Kwonsoon, and Glass, they can handle A-class missions without much difficulty. S-class isn’t entirely out of the question, but considering the potential casualties, it’s best to avoid those unless absolutely necessary.

From a commander’s perspective, the most crucial task before battle was understanding the capabilities of their allies.

There’s a saying: If you know your enemy and know yourself, you will never be in danger, even in a hundred battles.

But that doesn’t mean simply engaging in a hundred battles without issue.

By knowing the precise capabilities of their forces, a commander could accurately determine what was possible and how much could be achieved with their available strength.

And as for the enemy…

Precisely understanding the enemy’s strength allows a commander to calculate whether they can engage in battle and how much damage they might suffer in the process.

With that knowledge, reckless battles can be avoided.

Only fights that can be won should be undertaken—or, at the very least, even if defeat is inevitable, damage can be minimized, and unnecessary sacrifices prevented.

With that in mind, over the past few days, I have dedicated myself to thoroughly analyzing Dreamers’ strategy. Today, I finally have a clear reference point.

Really… Back when I was in the Hunter Guild, it took me weeks to assess the strength of my allies. I never expected to finish in just a few days here.

Unlike those damn bitches, I could focus entirely on my work without being dragged into petty distractions.

Back then, I didn’t have the luxury of observing training sessions like I do now. Instead, I spent countless sleepless nights replaying combat footage over and over, scrambling to assess my allies’ abilities.

Since the videos were from past battles, there were inevitable inaccuracies. On top of that, gathering information about a single person required sifting through multiple recordings. Now that I think about it, that was something I never want to experience again.

Still, in hindsight, I have no regrets. Thanks to my efforts, I was able to save the lives of many A- and B-class hunters during critical moments.

Even though the process is easier now, my commitment to evaluating my allies’ strength remains unchanged. That confidence comes from experience.

Well then… Now that I’ve assessed my allies, it’s time to seriously consider which requests to accept.

With that, my task of analyzing ‘us’ was complete.

Now, it was time to gather information about the ‘enemy’ I had to face.

***

“Is that so?.. He’s still personally training the hunters?”

“Yeah. Not only that, but after training ends, he stays up most of the night reviewing mission charts. Honestly, from an outsider’s perspective, it’s a little scary to watch.”

“Ha…”

At Kwonsoon’s words, Iare let out a deep sigh.

She had already suspected as much about the current situation.

After all, the lieutenant she had brought in was none other than Lee Jinhyun, and she knew very well what kind of person he was.

A man with an intense sense of responsibility, someone who demanded perfection in everything he did.

They had endured hellish abuse under those wretched bitches, yet still carried out their duties with unwavering discipline.

Given his past achievements, it was no surprise that Jin-hyeon had thrown himself into his work as an aide-de-camp, sacrificing sleep and pushing himself relentlessly over the past few days.

But… overdoing it isn’t good. What if he gets hurt because of this…

Concern was openly written all over Iare’s face.

At that moment, noticing her expression, Kwonsoon smirked playfully.

“Whoops. You look worried. Well, he is the prince you worked so hard to bring in. I suppose it makes sense.”

“Yes, honestly. Just thinking about how much he’s struggling for our sake makes my heart ache. If I could, I’d stay by his side and have a cup of coffee with him.”

“…Uh, you know… Saying that so openly makes things a little awkward.”

Kwonsoon’s words carried a teasing tone, but Iare responded without the slightest hesitation.

Seeing her act so straightforwardly, Kwonsoon, instead, found herself blushing slightly in embarrassment.

“Um… um… If you’re that worried, why don’t you just go see him yourself? Like you said, grab a cup of coffee with him.”

“W-What?”

Iare looked slightly surprised by Kwonsoon’s words.

Seeing her reaction, Kwonsoon continued speaking in a tone that carried a subtle hint of teasing.

“Why? Isn’t this a good opportunity? Don’t act all noble at times like this. Sometimes, you should just be honest with your feelings.”

“!… That’s… No, I can’t. No matter what, I can’t interfere with his work just because of my selfishness…”

Caught off guard by Kwonsoon’s suggestion, Iare hesitated, unable to bring herself to act on it.

Seeing this, Kwonsoon let out a small sigh, coming to the conclusion that she needed to give her stubborn older sister a little push.

“Hello? Iaressi?”

“Uh… Y-Yes?”

“If you have time to sit around worrying, you have time to take action. If it’s that hard, do you want me to drag you there myself?”

“Ugh…”

Kwonsoon’s words carried a weight of sincerity.

In the end, Iare silently got up, walked to the kitchen, and began brewing coffee.

Watching her, Kwonsoon smirked and shook her head.

“Sheesh… That sister of mine—bold in so many ways, yet so timid at times like this. Three years, and she’s still just watching?”