I was Kicked Out of the Hunter’s Guild

Iare was making coffee in the kitchen.

Before becoming a Hunter, she never did these things herself—there were always others to do them for her.

However, after going through the Hunter Guild and becoming a Black Hunter, tasks like these had become quite familiar.

At the Hunter Guild, no matter how comfortable the environment seemed, it was still a military organization. Naturally, bringing in outsiders to handle chores was impossible.

The same held true after she became a Black Hunter.

Although Dreamers’ assets and income were by no means small, the nature of the Black Hunter mercenary company required them to maintain strict security, as they could face extreme situations at any time.

Moreover, as a private military group not particularly welcomed by the government, even simple things like running a cafeteria or hiring staff involved complicated legal procedures.

For this reason, most mid-sized companies lacked cafeterias and common cleaning staff. Black Hunter companies were no exception, and Dreamers was no different.

Still, despite these minor inconveniences, Iare felt a hint of gratitude at this moment.

Because now, she could personally serve the coffee she made—with her own hands—to that person.

***

“Whoa…”

Feeling an intense wave of fatigue, I rubbed the space between my eyes.

The list of requests was displayed on the screen in front of me.

Among them were many quests I wasn’t familiar with, such as battles against the Abyss, along with various other unfamiliar types of missions.

Some involved protecting someone or retrieving an item.

Others required subduing so-called rebels in certain regions.

Fortunately, as Iare had mentioned, there were no blatantly illegal or unethical requests like assassination or terrorism. Perhaps they had been filtered out during the selection process.

Still, given the nature of some missions and their contexts, there were quite a few that couldn’t exactly be considered clean.

However, those particular quests came with the advantage of significantly higher pay.

While reviewing the list, I couldn’t help but feel uneasy.

“Is this what they mean by ‘man’s greatest enemy is man’…?”

Hunters, who were created to hunt the Abyss and protect humanity, now fighting against humans themselves—

In a way, it all seemed to align with the old saying: Weapons are only as good or bad as the hands that wield them.

As I cooled my head, lost in these philosophical—though not particularly helpful—thoughts, I heard it.

—Knock, knock—

“Yes? Come in.”

I responded instinctively to the knocking sound at the door, wondering who would visit at this hour.

Moments later, the door slowly creaked open.

There stood Iare, cautiously approaching.

But the moment I noticed what she held in her hand, I wondered for a second if I had been dozing off.

“Excuse me… you seemed tired.”

With those words, Iare gently placed a cup of coffee in front of me.

“Ah… yes. Thank you.”

As I awoke to the rich aroma of coffee, I gradually realized that what I was experiencing wasn’t a dream.

‘…Ah… come to think of it, this isn’t the Hunter Guild, is it?’

It was obvious, really. I had never been treated like this back when I was at the guild.

No—never. The memories from that time felt more like a trauma I never wanted to relive. There was just one time—just once—when Choi Yujin brought me a cup of instant coffee while I was working overnight.

I remembered feeling a little grateful at the time. It was an unexpected gesture, and I wondered what kind of wind had blown her way to prompt such a favor.

But right after that—

I ended up spitting out the coffee I had just sipped.

And Choi Yujin? She burst out laughing right in front of me.

‘Thinking back, that was the worst. That bastard’s “canary fish sauce” coffee… Seriously, I should have been praised for not throwing the cup in her face.’

Recalling that incident, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of dread as I looked at the cup of coffee now sitting in front of me.

Of course, the person who had served me this coffee wasn’t that wretch, Choi Yujin —it was Iare. So the chances of it being some kind of cruel prank were low.

‘Ah… no matter how unlikely, there’s no way Iare would pull a nasty stunt like that… right? Huh? Wait a minute…’

It was then that I suddenly noticed something about Iare.

Usually calm and composed, rarely showing any emotional agitation—

But right now, she was clearly nervous.

The tension in her was obvious, almost palpable.

She kept glancing at me anxiously, her eyes searching for my reaction.

Even her tightly clenched hand was trembling ever so slightly.

Watching this, I felt an overwhelming wave of suspicion.

Was this coffee… really safe to drink?

‘Really? No… it’s not like that. But if that’s true, then why is she so nervous?’

It didn’t make sense for her to act this way without a reason. For a moment, an instinctive apprehension gripped me, making it impossible to raise the cup.

And the longer I hesitated, the more nervous Iare seemed to become. She kept glancing at me, visibly uneasy. The growing doubt in my heart began to feel heavier and heavier, swelling unintentionally.

‘Haa… Seriously, what kind of miserable life have I lived to end up like this? Suspicious over something so trivial…’

As I sat there, torn between hesitation and suspicion, a memory flashed through my mind.

It was from Iare’s first day at work.

Back then, she had gripped the steering wheel with an overly anxious expression. Yet, right after that, she drove with surprising skill and confidence.

Recalling that moment, I forced myself to temper my hesitation. Even now, with Iare looking so nervous, I reminded myself of the same thing.

‘Alright… let’s trust her. No need to be anxious over baseless suspicions, just like back then.’

With that resolve, I slowly raised the coffee cup, still feeling a bit tense.

The subtle, sweet aroma drifted up, with no hint of being burnt.

Cautiously, I took a sip.

And immediately—

A soft, mellow flavor spread across my tongue.

Warm and gentle, as if melting away the ice of doubt embedded in my heart.

“…It’s delicious. Thank you… really.”

“Ah…”

At my words, Iare turned her head away, blushing in slight embarrassment.

Then, as if genuinely pleased, a faint smile began to bloom on her lips.

And in that moment—

Looking at her, strangely cute and unexpectedly endearing—

I was struck by a deep sense of shame.

‘Really… How pathetic. To harbor such suspicions toward someone showing pure kindness…’

Sure, I could blame it on the hardships I had endured in the past. But even that felt like a weak excuse.

If I had let my doubts win and rejected her gesture, it would have hurt Iare deeply.

Feeling truly sorry for that, I took another sip of the coffee.

“It’s really delicious. The best I’ve ever had.”

“…Yes. Thank you. I’m glad you think so.”

Iare’s voice softened, genuinely happy with my compliment.

Looking at her, I felt the need to express my apology—not just in words, but in a way that showed I would no longer doubt her.

I lifted the empty cup and extended it toward her.

“May I ask for another cup? The coffee you make… I feel like I could drink it every day.”

“Ah…!”

Iare’s eyes widened in surprise.

Then, flustered, she raised the tray she was holding to cover part of her face. With one hand, she carefully took the empty cup from me and replied,

“…Yes. I will… gladly.”