天堂www天堂网

"How did this happen…?"

"…"

"Our Dahee clearly stated you\'re the top scorer. Should we double-check with her?"

"T-That\'s…" Nam Daeun, still kneeling, looked up at Park Mingyu, the leader of the Buyers Guild.

"Hmm… Daeun, do you have any excuses?"

"I\'m sorry… Please, give me one more chance…"

Watching Nam Daeun, who trembled and spoke with a shaky voice while kneeling, Park Mingyu pondered.

According to the contract, he could force Nam Daeun to drop out. He could even turn her into his slave through an ongoing illicit contract. However, expelling her right now wouldn\'t be efficient. Her reputation had skyrocketed too much.

Graduating from the academy is the best option, and if not, she should at least complete the first year. This will increase her value, and the Buyers Guild\'s reputation will rise as well. Though currently behind the big guilds, Park Mingyu firmly believes that he will one day reach the top.

"Well… What should I do then? You still have some use. Should I send Dahee to a brothel?"

"If you touch Dahee… I won\'t tolerate it."

"If you don\'t want that, then you should work hard, right? Hmm?"

"Yes…"

"There\'s a party between large Korean guilds and hunters this time, and I want you to be my partner. I\'ve even prepared a dress for you."

"…"

Nam Daeun, still kneeling, shivered as her shoulders trembled. But being unsightly was better than her sister being in danger.

"What? You don\'t like it? Think about Dahee. If you do well, I won\'t touch her."

"Yes, I understand."

Park Mingyu raised the corners of his mouth.

This is how you train someone slowly.

He chuckled at the thought of making Nam Daeun spread her legs for him someday.

I\'m so excited just by having the girl I\'ve raised since childhood kneel down, but how excited would I be if I had her naked and clinging to me?

He hadn\'t touched her yet in anticipation of that. A shiver ran through his body as he thought of the day when Nam Daeun would willingly open herself to him.

Park Mingyu, oblivious to the fact that his prior words had spared his life, succumbed to his depraved desires, leering at Nam Daeun with a nauseating lust.

***

"Welcome to the Buyers Guild."

"Hello, I\'d like to place a request."

"Sure, could you please show me your identification?"

"Uh, wait, I left it behind. I\'ll go get it from my car."

"You can use your smartwatch instead if you\'d like, sir. Sir? Sir?"

I swiftly departed the Buyers Guild lobby and sought refuge in a nearby cafe. As I ordered a cup of americano and settled in, a sigh escaped me.

"Well, this was bound to happen."

My attempt at quelling my agitation predictably fell flat. Glancing at the guild building from the cafe, it looked like an unremarkable small structure. The odds of finding Nam Daeun in there were high.

I wasn\'t content to twiddle my thumbs waiting for Scarlett, so I bolted out of the dormitory, even though there wasn\'t much else to do. The idea of infiltrating with Rune Barrier crossed my mind, but if it were that simple, I wouldn\'t have bothered with the request token. So, for about an hour, I aimlessly stared at the building.

Just as I debated whether to storm into the guild\'s main entrance, someone sat down next to me.

"Hoyeon."

"Scarlett…?"

It wasn\'t the usual blonde; instead, a black-haired woman with glasses I hadn\'t seen before.

"Yes. I didn\'t want to be seen together outside."

"Well done. So, what are the investigation results?"

"For a small guild, it has an unreasonable defense. I took some time to investigate cautiously, but I found traces of Nam Daeun."

"Really…?"

It was worth the wait if that was the case.

"Yes. I observed her leaving the guild leader\'s office. The interior was heavily protected by a thick magic circle, so I couldn\'t investigate further. Nam Daeun seemed to have bloodshot eyes, but her clothing was neat, and there were no signs of undressing or any evidence of physical assault."

"Ah, thankfully. Okay, let\'s go back to the dorm for now."

I had expected that I wouldn\'t immediately decide what to do with Nam Daeun, but it was a relief. Without Scarlett present, I might have impulsively stormed into the guild.

If I couldn\'t conquer Nam Daeun, my life wouldn\'t matter anyway. From my perspective, not knowing the inside information, I\'d have taken action instead of being cautious to steer clear of a potential bad ending, even with low odds.

After leaving the cafe to return to the dorm, I happened to see Nam Daeun walking out of the Buyers Guild building, looking disheartened. Her sharp gaze, usually keen, was lifeless, and her sculpted features lacked vitality.

"Scarlett, go back first."

"Yes, I\'ll be waiting with Miss Lilliana."

"Yeah, tell her to order some chicken."

After seeing Scarlett off, I followed Nam Daeun at a leisurely pace. Luckily, she didn\'t take a different route and headed towards the academy. Observing her from behind, I turned into a side alley. Then, I made a large turn so that I would run into her at the front of the academy.

"Huh? Nam Daeun?"

A moment later, Nam Daeun and I crossed paths, and she slightly raised her eyes from looking at the ground.

"…"

"Where have you been?"

Seeing my face, some life returned to her, but she still didn\'t seem well.

"Sorry… I\'m not feeling great today. Let\'s talk later."

Nam Daeun lowered her head and continued walking the path she was on.

★ Heroine Status Window

[Nam Daeun]

[Affection: 57]

[Lust: 12]

[Appetite: 42]

[Fatigue: 89]

Current Status: it\'s because of him… No, that\'s not right. It\'s my fault. I can still endure. I\'m fine. Dahee shouldn\'t know anything. I just need to hold out until Saturday. It\'s okay…

Nam Daeun\'s mental state was completely shattered.

Saturday…?

I focused on that word among her murmurs.

Is there something happening on Saturday? I can\'t recall anything from my memory.

"…"

Observing her frail silhouette moving away, a surge of anger welled up within me.

"I\'m sorry, sorry… Dahee… I should\'ve done better."

The haunting final scene of Nam Daeun\'s bad ending flashed vividly in my mind – a tragic tableau of her and her younger sister committing suicide after ruthlessly slaughtering the guild members.

As much as I wanted to tear apart the despicable Buyers Guild\'s leader immediately, such actions would only lead to my demise. Initiating combat with them now would not only endanger Nam Daeun\'s sister, Nam Dahee, but also escalate the situation.

The Buyers Guild\'s strength alone is not formidable; Nam Daeun can dismantle it single-handedly. However, the figures behind them are pivotal. They won\'t remain passive when stepped on.

While Professor Im Sol, Baek Ahyeong, and Moon Soorin might aid in my survival, involving other heroines in conquering Nam Daeun is out of the question. It would ultimately jeopardize the harem ending.

Revealing the dark deeds of the Buyers Guild might eliminate the threat from major guilds, but Daeun\'s sister would be in peril. The unhinged leader could resort to unpredictable actions against her sister.

Therefore, my priority is to somehow rescue Daeun\'s sister first and then expose the Buyers Guild. This approach would compel major guilds to back off, and without her sister as leverage, Nam Daeun would have no reason to endure.

"Tomorrow…"

The contact ffrom the Iris Guild tomorrow would open a path to save Daeun\'s sister.

"Daeun…!"

Nam Daeun, walking weakly, halted upon hearing my voice. Hastening towards her, our eyes locked.

"Whatever it is, it doesn\'t matter. I\'ll help. Just hold on a little longer."

"…"

Nam Daeun regarded me with a sorrowful expression, unlike anything I had seen before.

"You…"

As the emotions she had suppressed burst forth, tears welled up in her eyes.

"You…

Even without completing her words, I understood the unspoken inquiry in her eyes;

"What do you know about me? Do you understand the situation I\'m in?"

"I know everything. Just trust me. I will figure out a way to solve this."

I could only offer words of trust. Discussing the Buyers Guild now wouldn\'t be effective; it would likely be met with suspicion rather than belief. Providing her a glimmer of hope to cling onto for a while was all I could do. During that time, everything would be resolved.

***

"Where did he go?" Alice lay on the bed, holding a smartwatch, contemplating. She had intended to check her exam grades and return the smartwatch, but Lee Hoyeon had disappeared.

"I got only one question wrong… and I\'m second."

Question 30 of Professor Im Sol\'s magic written exam. Alice answered every question correctly except for that one. Motivated by a strong desire to win, she had given her best, but Hoyeon turned out to be an even bigger brainiac.

Even before the grades were disclosed, Alice was confident. She knew she had answered all the questions correctly, except for Im Sol\'s question 30.

"Crazy. Unbelievable. Nasty…"

According to Im Sol\'s released answer sheet, there was another hidden magic circle within the magic. The difficulty was insane, but what astonished her even more was Hoyeon\'s correct answer.

Knock!

"Miss Alice."

"Yeah, come in."

With Alice\'s permission, Sebastian opened the door and entered the room.

"Student Lee Hoyeon opened the request token during the lunch break."

"At that timing?"

He rushed out of the academy right after the grades were revealed and used a request token. It likely has something to do with that.

"The head of the Iris Guild Korean branch is going to meet him tomorrow. Would you like to hear the details of the request?"

"Of course, tell me."

She had promised to provide the request token, but there was no agreement about not listening to its details. The more information, the better, she figured.

"Also, Scarlett is supposed to bring good news soon. If there\'s a video, should the guild apply pressure on Lee Hoyeon?"

"No, no, there\'s no need for that."

Alice only needed material for her excitement; she had zero plans of using a video as leverage.

"But it might be more efficient if the whole guild puts the squeeze on him."

"It\'s okay. I\'ll handle it this time. I want to gain some experience on my own."

"Oh, my apologies. My perspective was short-sighted." Sebastian slightly bowed.

Phew…

Alice inwardly sighed in relief. She had no intention of blackmailing Hoyeon, but Sebastian\'s sudden enthusiasm for hard work caught her off guard. He could\'ve been a bit more relaxed. That way, there would be more opportunities for her to take advantage.

And why isn\'t Scarlett giving a video my way yet? Is she getting paid a lot to slack off?

Alice grumbled about Scarlett, who didn\'t seem very busy lately. Of course, it was just a joke. As an elite Iris Guild member, she knew Scarlett worked harder than anyone else.

But at that moment, Scarlett was, in fact, at Hoyeon\'s place, fully invested in a titillating task—sucking on Liliana\'s pair.