The Returnee’s Guild Must Grow Properly

The masterpieces hanging on the walls were imbued with the mighty power of the exalted stars. However, even if they carried the same power, the magnitude of that power varied depending on the object.

It wasn’t difficult to locate the one closest to the “A-grade Sacred Relic” that the star had requested.
I immediately turned toward the source of the energy.

“Nuna.”
“Hmm?”
“Why aren’t you scared at all?”

The child’s clear, innocent voice made me shrug as I reached out toward the painting.

Keeyeeekk!!
A face with only a mouth suddenly burst out from the painting. I ripped it out of the artwork without hesitation and muttered,
“I’ve never had much fear to begin with.”

Screams echoed all around me, likely because of the monster that had leaped out of the painting—or rather, the sacred relic.
But the commotion was short-lived.

Soon, the walls lined with identical paintings vanished, and the scenery of the exhibition hall became visible again.

[00:43:17]
The timer froze, signaling the end of the ordeal. I set the child down.

[Client, you have obtained the A-grade Sacred Relic, “Starry Night.”]
[Constellation, “Starry Night,” sends you infinite gratitude.]

Ugh, skip the gratitude and hand over the reward. Not that I know what use it’ll be, but someday it might come in handy.

“Nuna.”
“What now?”
“Are you an angel?”
“Cough!”

I almost choked at the kid’s ridiculous question amidst the chaos of the exhibition hall. I tousled his hair and replied,
“If angels heard that, they’d probably be offended.”

“My uncle said someone like Nuna is an angel.”
“Your uncle taught you strange things.”

From a distance, I heard a desperate voice calling out for the child. Hearing it, the kid perked up his head.

“Is that your mom?”
“Yep.”
“Then go to her.”
“Okay! Thank you, angel Nuna!!”

Wow. I’ve officially earned the title of “Angel.” Ta-da.

The child darted off, his short legs moving quickly toward his mother. The paused timer disappeared from view.

*[The A-grade Sacred Relic, “Portrait of a Woman Without Eyebrows,” has been stored in the warehouse.]
[The request has been completed.]
[All powers under the title ‘Godslayer’ are now restricted.]

The request was finished without much trouble.

Or so Do Haun thought.

As the chaos around her subsided, Do Haun leisurely began to move. Not that she had much choice—it was the only pace she could manage.

After all, everyone ignored the Guild Master’s repeated pleas to open a portal.
Guild members of Return dismissing their Guild Master’s words wasn’t exactly rare. Ever since the guild’s founding by a certain someone, things had always been this way.

When Do Haun had suddenly been thrust into the role of Guild Master, she had made an earnest attempt to establish some order. She had laid out clear instructions on when, where, and why the guild should gather…

But her efforts had borne little fruit:

| Godslayer (Guild Master) | : ???
| Godslayer (Guild Master) | : Why is no one here?
| 9th Circle Archmage | : I’m busy with work!!
| Hero | : I’m busy with work too, you know.
| Northern Grand Duke | : Yaja time!~
| Greatest Martial Artist | : I want freedom!!

|Spirit Master|: Do we really need to meet――^^?
|Demon King|: Come to where I am, you wretch.
|Godslayer (Guild Master)|: WTF.
|9th Circle Archmage|: (૭ ᐕ)૭?

Incidentally, the date Do Haun had suggested for the guild meeting was a quiet weekend afternoon in a secluded park, away from prying eyes.

At that time, the guild member who would later be called Dragon Slayer hadn’t yet joined. Still, Do Haun didn’t think their presence would have made a difference. Even now, Dragon Slayer ignored every one of her messages.

In the five years since the guild’s creation, Do Haun hadn’t even seen the faces of her guild members.

“Ah, my luck…”

At least the Disguise feature had been automatically activated the moment she accepted the request, so there was no risk of anyone recognizing and apprehending her.

With that assurance, Do Haun leisurely strolled away.

This was her mistake.

****

“Bin, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?”

“Hurt? What nonsense. As a Candidate, I wouldn’t have been caught up in that test, and there’s no one capable of injuring me.”

“Ah, well, that’s true.”

The hooded man’s gaze was fixed on Do Haun’s retreating figure as she left the exhibition hall.

[STATUS UNAVAILABLE]

“…She’s not an Awakened?”

“Huh? Who are you talking about?”

Ignoring the inquiry, the man cast a skill on Do Haun as a last resort.

[HIDDEN STATUS OPEN]

In that instant, crimson system windows flooded his vision.

[Main]: Godslayer (Sealed)
[Sub]: Gloria’s Returnee (Ex), Regressor (Sealed), Saintess (Sealed), Swordmaster (Sealed), Killer (Sealed), Victor of the Battlefield (Sealed), Massacre of the Battlefield (Sealed), Traitor of the Battlefield (Sealed), Absolute Ruler of Good (Sealed), Absolute Ruler of Evil (Sealed), Seeker of the Apocalypse (Sealed), Harbinger of the Apocalypse (Sealed), Traitor of Gloria (Ex)

The man stared blankly at the status windows and muttered to himself,
“What… is this?”

“Bin? You’re pale. Are you sure you’re okay? Bin! Hey, Bin!!”

Ignoring the concerned voice, the man sprinted toward Do Haun, but she had long since left the exhibition hall.

Outside, a black sedan sped away.

Meanwhile, a massive crowd, drawn by the news of the Sudden Test of Aptitude, began to swarm the area. Clicking his tongue, the man turned back toward the building.

Gloria.

He silently repeated the name, over and over.

****

“You’ve completely lost it, haven’t you?!”

Ow, so loud. Plugging my ears, I pouted.

“The girl who said she was going to a café—why the hell were you there?! WHY?!”

The one yelling at me was my twin brother, Do Hain.

And seriously, why is a guy fresh out of a dungeon raid showing up at a Van Gogh exhibition?

“I heard about the Sudden Test of Aptitude, so I stopped by. But why the hell were YOU there?!”

Ah, so he came because of the test.

The Sudden Test of Aptitude was notorious, but it also had a high chance of producing powerful Awakened individuals.

Clearly, he had come to scout before the Center could claim anyone.

“Do Haun!! Aren’t you going to answer?!”

“What answer?!”

Screeeech—!

The black sedan gliding smoothly along the road suddenly screeched to a halt.

Clutching my seatbelt, I gawked in disbelief.

This lunatic! Unlike you, I’m a regular civilian! One wrong move, and I’d die on the spot!

“I’m telling our brother everything!!”

“Go ahead! You’re the one who should explain why you were even at a Van Gogh exhibition! No, start with how you got in!”

I pressed my lips together tightly.

“Do Haun.”

“…I’m a huge fan of Van Gogh, okay?”

“Cut the crap.”

Damn it.

Running into Do Hain like this wasn’t part of the plan.
Unexpected situations like this were always tricky. There was no way for me to explain that I was a Returnee who had traveled between dimensions—or that I was leading a guild made up of other Returnees like myself.

More precisely, I had no intention of ever explaining it.

Who knew how long the stars’ requests would continue to pour into the guild? Regardless, I wanted to remain just Do Haun to my family—a normal sibling who gave them a sense of comfort and stability in their lives.

I glanced at Do Hain, trying to gauge his mood while wracking my brain for an excuse.

Damn it.

No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t come up with anything reasonable. Even if I managed to cobble together some lie, Do Hain would instantly see through it.

I often teased him, calling him my “annoying little servant,” but this guy was no ordinary person. He was the second-in-command of Haun, the guild my older brother founded and led.

If Haun were just any guild, it wouldn’t be a problem. But Haun was one of the top five guilds in South Korea—immensely popular and highly respected.

Whenever a gate broke out, they were the first to dispatch personnel, rescuing lives and assisting in recovery efforts. They were hailed as a guild of goodwill, admired and revered by all.

The mere mention of my name in the media because of Haun made me cringe with embarrassment.

My brother claimed he named the guild Haun to ensure he’d never forget me, but…

“If you rename the guild, I’ll tell you.”

“Cut the crap, I said!”

…Yeah, better to just keep quiet.

As expected, Do Hain started nagging again. I covered my ears and pretended not to hear him.

*****

“…Oh no.”

“Is something wrong, Boss?”

The first-in-command of Haun, Do Hajun, frowned slightly as he spoke, his secretary Eun Yul watching him closely.

“Haun was at the exhibition hall where the Sudden Test of Aptitude occurred.”

At that, Yul furrowed his brow.

“Is she safe?”

“She wasn’t caught up in it—apparently, the test started just as she was leaving the hall.”

“Should I send a healer just in case?”

“She’d probably refuse. Besides, Hain already checked on her. He says she’s fine.”

Despite his words, worry was written all over Hajun’s face. Yul noticed and gently offered,
“If you’re still concerned, I can send someone regardless.”

“No, it’s fine. The Han River Bridge situation hasn’t been resolved yet—if we reallocate personnel, it’ll stir up trouble.”

“Wasn’t the Han River Bridge situation already settled?”

Yul’s comment made Hajun’s smile waver slightly.

Technically, Yul was correct. The Grade 2 Gate that had appeared earlier that morning had already closed by the time Hajun arrived on the scene.

Which was precisely the problem.

A Grade 2 Gate only closed if an entire military-scale region was eradicated.

For such a disaster to vanish so quietly and abruptly…

Hajun rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

“…Anyway, if anything’s wrong with Haun, I’ll look into it myself. Don’t worry.”

Yul nodded. Pressing further wouldn’t accomplish much if Hajun insisted things were fine.

Hajun’s twin siblings were significantly younger than him by nine years—children, in his eyes.

“Though at nearly 25, they’re hardly kids,” Yul thought to himself.

Still, to Hajun, they were nothing more than his beloved younger siblings.

Especially his sister, Do Haun. She was the one thing he could never stop worrying about.