Chapter 79: Reward (3) (1)
Ding-
I got off the elevator and entered the lobby.
The 37th floor of Clan Tower was more splendid than any office within the building. With its elegantly designed interior and various decorations hanging on the walls, it exuded simplicity yet sophistication. Moreover, there was a fiery pattern, unmistakably the <Judgment of Fire>, that could be recognized at a glance.
From the entrance to the secretary’s office and the master’s office, there wasn’t a single interior that didn’t exude luxury.
‘They must have spent a fortune here’, I thought. I had felt this way when touring the offices within Clan Tower before, but it seemed even more extravagant here on the 37th floor. Kang Juyeon, the heiress of this clan, appeared different to me.
‘I’ll do my best, Kang Juyeon.’
I always tried my best, but for some reason, I felt more reverent now. Come to think of it, I hadn’t seen Kang Juyeon since this morning. She wasn’t in the Hunting Team 5 office, and I hadn’t seen her on my way up. Since she’s the clan’s heiress, she probably wasn’t discussing compensation with her father. Maybe she was busy with work related to yesterday’s incident, similar to Kwon Oh-jun. She seemed more elusive in the clan than she had been at the academy.
“Excuse me.”
I informed them as I entered slowly, knocking on the door of the secretary’s office.
“Hello, I’m Do Jae-hyun from Hunting Team 5. I’m here because you called me earlier.”
“Oh, just a moment.”
The secretary who had notified me of the meeting picked up the internal phone again. From what I gathered, it seemed like she was confirming my arrival with Kang Woo-hyun. She hung up shortly and told me, “Yes, you can go in after knocking.”
The door to the large room that occupied most of the 37th floor’s interior space. It felt like entering the office of a CEO in a big company. I felt a strange sense of pressure as I slowly knocked on the door.
Knock-knock-
“Come in.”
In response to my knock, a voice that seemed to say, I’ve been waiting, came through. I opened the door slowly and stepped inside. As soon as I entered, I had to stop in my tracks.
“Wow…”
The master’s office, consisting of several sections of wide space, left me in awe. The first section, with its expansive view of Yeouido, was impressive. The clean and well-organized interior allowed one to enjoy the beautiful view. Several paintings, of which the worth was immeasurable, hung on the walls, and elegant sofas with a classic design were placed in the center. Finally, high-end fireplaces with flickering flames were positioned throughout the office, giving it a sense of the <Judgment of Fire>.
“Haha, you seem quite overwhelmed.”
As I momentarily lost myself in admiration, a voice came from somewhere. It was Kang Woo-hyun, the owner of the office and the clan master.
In response, I quickly bowed and greeted him.
“Master, it’s an honor to meet you. I’m Do…”
“Haha, that’s enough. Even though you’ve joined as an intern, aren’t you friends with our leading lady from the academy? Don’t be too formal. If you act so rigidly, I’ll feel awkward.”
Kang Woo-hyun laughed and gestured for me to sit. It was a bit awkward for me as well, as I rarely put on such a polished appearance. However, fortunately, Kang Woo-hyun wasn’t as stern as I had imagined, and he didn’t seem like an FM personality who emphasized strict rules excessively. Thanks to that, I could interact with him comfortably.
He had a completely different personality compared to Kang Juyeon. I wondered how his daughter, who was so different, had come from such an easygoing father. Did she take after her mother?
“Let’s sit down for now.”
“Yes, of course!”
I quickly took a seat on one of the sofas at Kang Woo-hyun’s gesture. He sat in his chair, and I sat beside him, establishing a comfortable seating arrangement. A secretary entered, knocking and bringing us tea. It was a tea with a warm, golden color.
On top of it, there were finely broken pieces of nuts.
“It’s ginger tea. I often enjoy it.”
“Oh, yes…”
I stared blankly at the ginger tea. Usually, they would ask, “What kind of tea would you like?” Unfortunately, there were no such options for my meeting with Kang Woo-hyun.
“Do you happen to dislike it?”
“No, not at all. I’ll eat anything that’s good for my health.”
My response was completely opposite to what I usually would have said.
…I couldn’t really ask for a different tea now.
Sip-
After taking a sip of ginger tea with a pleased expression, Kang Woo-hyun began to speak.
“I’ve heard a lot about you from Juyeon. I did grant permission for you to join as an intern, but who would have thought it’d be just a two-month internship. Haha. You must be quite talented.”
Kang Woo-hyun started the conversation with praise, and it flowed naturally like water. I nodded lightly.
“You flatter me. We’ve been on dungeon raids together before, and it seems Holder Kang Juyeon thinks highly of me.”
“It might not be as simple as that.”
Kang Woo-hyun chuckled slightly.
“Once, I asked my daughter if there were any good Holders in her year. I was looking for potential talents to recruit into the clan as successors. To be honest, I didn’t expect much after I told her that, but since then, Juyeon has consistently recommended you. I wonder how exceptional your skills are that she kept talking about you so often. I’m curious enough to want to have a sparring match myself.”
“…Huh?”
I was momentarily startled.
A sparring match… with him?
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