You Will Be Blessed If You Do Good Deeds¿ - Chapter 158

Jeong Da-on was in front of Lee Un-gyeol, and he felt good.

It was clear to anyone that Lee Un-gyeol was interested in her.
Lee Un-gyeol grinned with satisfaction.
âMy efforts are paying off!â

In fact, it was strange that she hadn't given in yet.
He had spent over a month following her around, enduring countless hardships.
And it wasnât just following her around; he had interfered every time she was in trouble.

Of course, Jeong Da-on found him extremely annoying, but Lee Un-gyeol had no way of knowing that.
Lee Un-gyeol was a man with high self-esteem.
âItâs not that hard to seduce a girl like her.â

Jeong Da-onâs position was very precarious.
She had been classified as an S-class Hunter right after turning 20, but she had no parents or relatives to give her proper advice about her future.
She was like a big fish pulled out of the sea, yet had no clear destination for where she would be sold.

Honestly, no matter how smart she was, how could a newly 20-year-old know what would help her?
So, like Han Jae-young, she might end up stumbling through life, just running low-level dungeons, with the S-class title being the only thing to her name!
âHonestly, Iâll be straight with you. Da-on, arenât you thinking about joining our guild?â

âHmm.â
âYou donât have to decide right now. I just want you to consider coming to our guild instead of spinning your wheels in low-level dungeons. You could pursue your desired research.â
âDesired magic research... But isnât NLE a newly formed guild?â

In other words, Jeong Da-on was concerned about NLEâs financial stability?
Lee Un-gyeol felt a bit insulted to have his financial capabilities questioned by this inexperienced rookie, but he hid it well and answered calmly.
âAlthough weâre a new guild, our finances are in good shape.â
âReally? Where does the income come from? I donât see you making or selling items.â

â...Youâre well-informed. But weâre very aggressive with bidding for cost-effective dungeons. We also lease dungeons.â
âOh... So you have quite an expertise in dungeon bidding.â
âLetâs just say I have some adults who can give me advice.â

Lee Un-gyeolâs father had recently become a member of parliament, and his mother was a lawyer running a major law firm.
In the Hunter world, which was still somewhat new, having these connections was a powerful asset.
âAnd honestly... the most important thing is sincerity, right? Even if HP Guild has a lot of money, itâs useless if they donât invest it in someone like you.â

The NLE Guild naturally had lower economic productivity than Han Jae-youngâs HP Guild.
HP Guild was home to many item manufacturers and magical experts.
But the thing was, HP Guild had many mages that needed reinvestment, while NLE could focus on Jeong Da-on and invest just for her.

Lee Un-gyeol pounced on that point.
âI guess thatâs true. After all, Iâm just a rock rolling in HP Guild.â
And as the conversation continued, Jeong Da-on seemed intrigued by what he was saying.

It was working better than expected.
So, Lee Un-gyeol added:
âAnd... this support isnât just for you, Da-on. You have a special older brother, right?â

â...â
âIâll bring him into our guild too. Heâll be more comfortable here than at his current job.â
â...My brother is a normal person.â

âWe need ordinary people in the guild too. Thereâs so much administrative work. We have dozens of regular staff in our guild.â
âIsnât that a parachute?â
âAh, is a parachute an issue when weâre bringing in an S-class talent? This kind of parachute is gold-plated. Plus, this is practically a welfare program. If youâre sacrificing your life for the country as a Hunter, how can you be fully effective if your family is struggling?â

Jeong Da-onâs eyebrows twitched, and Lee Un-gyeol felt satisfied.
âSo it seems like the sibling relationship is indeed special.â
Lee Un-gyeol had received this information from his mother.

Having grown up without parents and with a much older brother, she had advised him to target that fact.
âIn that sense, the fact that Han Jae-young is keeping an eye on you... Itâs not slander, but a plausible story.â
And while Jeong Da-on might not show it outwardly, she was a naturally suspicious person.

Although she appeared to be on good terms with Han Jae-young, she was likely wondering if there was some hidden agenda on his part.
Instill distrust in Han Jae-youngâs intentions.
Lee Un-gyeol faithfully followed his motherâs advice.

âHan Jae-young... Heâs regarded as one of the top S-class Hunters. But do you know why?â
âWhy?â
âBecause heâs close with Yoo Han-ul.â

And to further strengthen the suspicion, bring Yoo Han-ul into the conversation.
âHonestly, Yoo Han-ul is a true national hero. I really respect that. All his earnings go to charity, and whenever the government calls, he rushes to clear dungeons. Isnât that like an angel?â
â...A sucker?â

âHaha, well, thatâs one way to put itâ¦â
Lee Un-gyeol was momentarily thrown off by her blunt answer but continued.
âAnyway, Han Jae-young, is he really on the level of Yoo Han-ul? No, right? All the profits from HP Guild go into Han Jae-youngâs pocket... His good image is just because heâs personally close with Yoo Han-ul. Heâs getting the benefits.â

He had now discarded even the minimal respect of calling him âsenior.â Jeong Da-onâs eyebrows twitched at his words.
âWell, Yoo Han-ulâs image is good, Iâll admit.â
âRight?â

It wasnât surprising.

According to what was known, Jeong Da-on was quite close with Yoo Han-ul.
And from what he knew, Jeong Da-on trusted Yoo Han-ul quite a bit.

It wasnât that surprising, given Yoo Han-ulâs character was widely known.
Now, here came the gamble.
âSo, are you not close with Yoo Han-ul?â

âWell, it depends on how you look at it.â
âFrom Han Jae-youngâs perspective, thatâs a problem. If you rise up suddenly like a national hero, and youâre also close with Yoo Han-ul... Donât you think Han Jae-young would fear losing his influence if you grow?â
Lee Un-gyeol genuinely believed this. If that wasnât the case, Han Jae-young wouldnât have forced Jeong Da-on to grind through low-level dungeons.

Jeong Da-on tilted her head.
âIs that Han Jae-youngâs personality?â
âPersonality? Youâre so naive, Da-on.â

Lee Un-gyeol scoffed.
âHunters today are walking, one-man businesses and weapons. Itâs not about personality; anyone in that position wouldnât want to lose it.â
â...I suppose thatâs true.â

âIn that situation, if you join a guild with another S-class, people will just see you as another one of Han Jae-youngâs underlings.â
âSo, youâre saying NLE, a guild without an S-class Hunter, is better for me? Since Iâd become NLEâs poster child.â
âExactly!â

He felt a slight sting from her remark, but Lee Un-gyeol still agreed.
âIf there was even a little bit of helpful adults around you, Da-on, Iâd have recommended the NLE Guild.â
Jeong Da-on spun the champagne glass she was holding, then gently set it down.

âFrom the way you talk, it sounds like youâre jealous.â
âHmm?â
âYou probably have a lot of helpful adults around you.â

âHaha, thatâs true. But in the end, I earned this spot myself.â
The suggestion that Lee Un-gyeol had only gotten to where he was because of his family connections was a sore spot for him.
Lee Un-gyeol had worked hard to get to this position.

Even if he had been rated A-class, it still took tremendous effort to achieve such results at his age.
âBut, like you said, advice from adults is important, isnât it? Just like I listen to your advice.â
âWell, I donât ignore my motherâs advice. She runs a law firm.â

Indeed, it was Lee Un-gyeolâs mother who had told him to target Jeong Da-on and provided him with this information.
Two months ago, she had summoned him.
âYou need to scout Jeong Da-on for NLE.â

âWhat? Jeong Da-on, an S-class? No, sheâs under mandatory service right now. Why would you care about someone who canât even be used right away?â
When Lee Un-gyeol protested, his motherâs gaze turned sharp.
âYour father finally got elected to the National Assembly after ten years of hard work, and youâre going to let people call you a useless heir?â

âUseless heir...!â
âDonât you understand what it means to scout Jeong Da-on yourself?â
Her words were sharp. Lee Un-gyeol stammered like a student being graded on a test.

âNo, itâs just... If we bring an S-class Hunter, our guildâs status will go up, and weâll have a star to promote...â
âThatâs not it. The poster child of NLE Guild is you, Un-gyeol.â
His motherâs gaze pierced through him, as though she knew exactly why he was hesitating.

Lee Un-gyeol was taken aback.
That was the truth.
He was afraid that if Jeong Da-on, an S-class Hunter, joined NLE, his status might diminish.

âJeong Da-on is just an eye-catching asset.â
âHmm?â
âJeong Da-on is under Han Jae-young right now. If you steal her away, people will see you as being on par with Han Jae-young.â

âHa, but Han Jae-young is an S-class, and Iâm A-class...â
âRight, the class difference. Thatâs why you have to show your ability in this issue. Thatâs how youâll gain influence in the Hunter world. And weâll have a foothold.â
âFoothold...?â

âYou donât need to know the details, just bring Jeong Da-on first. Iâll set up the position. Get results, no matter what.â
Thinking back on that conversation with his mother, Lee Un-gyeol took another gulp of his drink.
He had been predicted to awaken as a special ability user, though not as strong as Yoo Han-ul. He had shown potential since childhood.

His parents had set up mentors who were expected to become S-class Hunters.
But when it came down to the ability test, Lee Un-gyeol had been rated A-class, and that had been his first failure in life.
The disappointed look on his parentsâ faces still haunted him.

As he recalled that, he swallowed his bitter thoughts along with the sweet wine.
â...Thereâs nothing to be jealous about. Even if you listen to advice, youâre the one who has to take action. Sometimes itâs even frustrating.â
âAh, I see. I must have said something out of line.â

âHaha, itâs fine. No worries... Shall we have another drink?â
Lee Un-gyeol raised his glass toward Jeong Da-on.
Jeong Da-on, looking concerned, spoke up.

âArenât you pushing yourself too hard?â
âOh, no, this is nothing. Itâs not that easy for a Hunter to get drunk... Wait, Da-on, havenât you tried alcohol before?â
âIâm not really fond of it.â

âAh, Han Jae-young Guild Leader is being unreasonable. He should teach his juniors how to drink! See? Thatâs proof he doesnât care about you.â
âReally? I donât know much about these things. I hope youâll teach me more in the future.â

âAh, of course!â

Jeong Da-onâs words were as sweet as champagne, slipping smoothly into Lee Un-gyeolâs ears.
He was sure nowâshe definitely had a soft spot for him.
Lee Un-gyeol beamed.

âShe seemed arrogant at first, but she knows a thing or two.â
Talking to her now, she was surprisingly good at flattering him and smiling brightly.
In fact, at this rate, it might be okay to actually date her.

âIâve been meaning to say this... Hunters havenât been around long, you know. Because of that, theyâre often looked down on in various fields.â
âReally?â
âYeah, especially in politics.â

âPolitics?â
âWell, politics is really just about protecting your own interests.â
This wasnât Lee Un-gyeolâs line, but his fatherâs.

There was no need to complicate politicsâit was something you had to do to protect your own benefits.
âLook at the Hunters now. You might not understand yet, Da-on, since youâre still young... but the government and the National Assembly are trying to tighten the leash on us.â
This wasnât exactly a lie either.

Forming guilds, conditions for dungeon entry, taxes, and regulations... Hunters were burdened with a lot of tedious tasks.
Honestly, protecting the country with your life but having all the monetary rewards stripped awayâit felt like losing everything.
Had it not been for the international Hunter Association treaty, they wouldâve left the country long ago.

âDuring mandatory service, weâre technically under the Ministry of National Defense... but itâs the Central Hunter Administration that really manages us. The lowest level of government. Theyâre always in a delicate position.â
âIâve heard that the Special Agency was set up initially because they didnât know when dungeons and monsters would appear.â
If you are reading this translation anywhere other than .net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.

âThe Central Administration has been around for over twenty years. How long are they going to regulate and monitor us? Itâs like they donât accept us as part of society. Has there ever been any policy for Hunters?â
â...â
âSee, you canât think of any. Thatâs how it is. Hunters are too busy looking out for themselves to care about government or parliamentary issues. A Hunter department needs to be created to secure our position.â

Jeong Da-on bit her lip in silence.
Seeing that, Lee Un-gyeol felt a strange satisfaction.
âYeah, she probably doesnât get any of this, right?â

Even though she was an S-class Hunter, she was just a young girl.
When politics came up, kids her age usually kept quiet.
And those who did speak often didnât understand the complicated administrative and political issues involved. They just repeated what they heard online like parrots.

In that regard, Lee Un-gyeol felt that he had a political edge over others.
At least, thatâs what he believed.
âBut I care about protecting the interests of our Hunter group. Thatâs why I founded the NLE Guild.â

âAre you planning to enter politics?â
âNot exactly, but I need to apply pressure on the National Assembly. They canât just keep taking taxes while suppressing our economic power. They need to protect our interests too if they want us to keep contributing to the country.â
As he said that, Lee Un-gyeol laughed lightly, seeing Jeong Da-onâs expression shift.

âAh... Youâre bored with politics? Donât care about it?â
She looked very indifferent.
It was a stark contrast to the smile she had just given him.

âWell, I suppose at your age, you wouldnât care much... But this is really important. Especially for you, Da-on. Youâre an S-class Hunter. Youâre going to become the center of the Korean Hunter world, whether you want to or not.â
â...Iâm not too happy about that.â
âIf youâre not happy about it.â

Lee Un-gyeol leaned forward and looked at Jeong Da-on closely.
He had intentionally requested a small table for this reasonâit was now close enough to her.
âWonât you leave your future in my hands?â

â...â
âFor now, Iâm not asking for anything big. Just expose the fact that weâre close, and occasionally show up at our guild events. Thatâs enough for now.â
Jeong Da-on didnât give a clear answer, but she didnât seem entirely negative either.

Lee Un-gyeol thought this was a big step forward.
He wanted to make her sign a contract for the guild immediately, but...
âYou canât be full after one bite.â

By narrowing the distance little by little, the opportunity would eventually come.
âI had a great time today.â
Continuing to drink, Lee Un-gyeol intentionally dragged out the meal, but all good things must come to an end.

Almost five hours later, the two finally stood up.
âAh, thank you.â
âNot at all.â

As Lee Un-gyeol staggered, Jeong Da-on helped support him. She could feel his warmth.
Lee Un-gyeol, swaying, spoke.
âI should walk you home... but Iâm too drunk. Iâll call a taxi for you.â

âIâll wait until youâre inside, then go. Should I call a driver?â
âUh? Oh... then thank you. Iâll just call a driver and drop you off at home.â
âAlright, I wonât decline. Ah, here they come.â

The driver waved, holding up a phone.
He looked slightly foreign, but Lee Un-gyeol was too tired to care.
He nodded off in the car, his head resting on the window.

Half-conscious, he thought he heard something.
-Master, what should we do?
-Weâre going to the nearest dungeon.

Dungeon?
Lee Un-gyeol wondered, but soon drifted into the depths of sleep.