I was Kicked Out of the Hunter’s Guild

Seo Jiyoon, an S-class hunter.

Lately, she had been feeling strangely unsettled.

The guild’s atmosphere had finally stabilized after the rapid succession of lieutenant transfers.

Although the new aide-de-camp seemed somewhat unmotivated, they performed their duties well enough and showed no signs of causing trouble.

Lukewarm.

That was the best word Jiyoon could use to describe them.

But thanks to that lukewarm nature, the guild—previously thrown into chaos by the monthly replacement of lieutenants—had managed to settle down to some extent.

Isena and Yujin seemed quite satisfied with the newfound stability.

And Jiyoon felt the same.

Of course, compared to Jinhyun’s tactical prowess, the new adjutant wasn’t much to look at. She didn’t expect much from them in that regard.

Still, it was undeniably better than the instability the guild had endured.

However—

Despite the improved atmosphere, there was something that continued to puzzle Jiyoon.

‘She seems to be in an oddly good mood these days… What could be the reason?’

The person drawing Jiyoon’s attention—

None other than fellow S-class hunter, Na Jiseon.

Just a few weeks ago, Jiseon had been like a walking corpse—dragging herself through each day without motivation or purpose.

Not only in daily life, but even in battle, she had seemed utterly absent, as though her soul had drifted elsewhere.

But everything had changed after she returned from vacation a few weeks ago.

The woman who had once resembled a hollow shell was now someone entirely different.

Jiseon, who had looked as haggard as a living ghost, suddenly began taking an active interest in her role as a hunter.

She started dressing neatly, presenting herself with newfound care.

She asked about upcoming missions.

She made inquiries about the guild’s operational status.

She began showing a determination to learn everything she could about the guild and its military structure—things she had never cared about before.

‘What kind of change of heart did she have while traveling? I don’t know the details… but maybe it’s fortunate that she finally came to her senses at a time like this.’

Although Jiyoon had often quarreled with Jiseon—known for her temper—she had still acknowledged her as a fellow hunter.

Especially after Jinhyun left, Jiseon had completely lost both her motivation and aura, wandering around like a lifeless doll.

‘Maybe… she sorted out her feelings for Jinhyun during her trip. After all, you can’t stay hung up on someone who’s gone for good.’

Seo Jiyoon concluded that Na Jiseon had finally moved on in her own way.

With things stabilizing, Jiyoon herself began to feel the need to refocus on her work as a hunter.

‘Yeah… It’s a pity that Lee Jinhyun is gone. But still, I can’t keep thinking about someone who left forever. Once we adjust, we should at least be able to handle A-class missions. Even if S-class missions are still impossible for now, we can’t just stand still like this…’

With those thoughts, Jiyoon began looking toward a more positive future.

Meanwhile…

Contrary to Jiyoon’s assumptions—

At this very moment, Na Jiseon, who was now more actively gathering information than ever before, still had only one person on her mind.

No—

It wasn’t just a lingering thought.

All of Na Jiseon’s current thoughts and actions revolved solely around Lee Jinhyun.

‘Good… I think this is about the level Jinhyun-oppa asked for.’

The information she was currently gathering detailed the overall movements and trends within the military.

While the data wasn’t classified as top-secret, it was still difficult to obtain through normal channels.

For someone like Jiseon—an S-class hunter who typically moved only when given explicit instructions—this level of diligence was unusual.

But now—

Na Jiseon was working on this with absolute seriousness.

The reason, of course, was the instructions of Lee Jinhyun—a person to devote herself for the next four years… no, even longer if necessary.

In exchange for his forgiveness, he had asked Jiseon to use her authority as an S-class hunter to investigate the military’s internal situation and report back to him.

The overall flow and atmosphere—

And, crucially…

Even details concerning the timing and progress of the large-scale total war that would take place in the near future.

Jiseon couldn’t fully understand why he was asking for these things.

However, the only thing she could vaguely guess was that there was a high possibility Jinhyeon’s request was related to the work of the Black Hunters he was currently involved in.

From that perspective, Jiseon had a rough idea of how far the work she was doing might extend in the future.

‘Right now, he’s requesting confidential information, but… later, he might ask for something even more serious and secret.’

It was obvious that once the imminent all-out war began in earnest, Jiseon, as an S-class hunter of the 28th Guild, would be assigned various missions and entrusted with top-secret information—details that could result in severe punishment if leaked.

Since some of this information could be beneficial to Jinhyeon and the Black Hunters, there was a high likelihood that Jinhyin would request it.

But…

Although Jiseon felt a little uneasy about this, she soon made up her mind.

‘Come to think of it… If I were to list all the wrongs I’ve committed against Jinhyun oppa, I’d already feel overwhelmed. Compared to that, this level of risk is nothing.’

More importantly, even if Jinhyun didn’t make such a request, Jiseon was already prepared to share relevant information if the opportunity arose.

The reason, of course, was to ease the burden lingering in her heart… though, honestly, that was only the second reason.

The biggest reason Jiseon decided to devote herself to Jinhyun, even while doing her best elsewhere…

It was because of the strange sense of rivalry she felt toward the beautiful woman who continued to stay by Jinhyun’s side.

‘Look at her… It’s obvious she has a crush on Jinhyun oppa. As a woman, I can tell. To win even a small piece of the heart of my oppa, who has such a beauty right next to him, I have no choice but to help him—even if it seems impossible.’

Even though she had gone far…

Nevertheless—

There was still a lingering feeling of longing for Jinhyun in Jiseon’s heart.

Especially after meeting him the other day to apologize, those feelings had only grown stronger.

With such emotions as the foundation, Jiseon had resolved to help Jinhyun as much as she could, even if it meant facing punishment.

‘No matter what people say, in the end, no one knows how things will turn out until they’re standing in the wedding hall…’

With that thought—

Jiseon began moving to deliver the data she had collected to Jinhyun.

Although the information wasn’t top-secret—truthfully, it wouldn’t matter much if others learned of it—

Even so, Jiseon proceeded with caution, mindful of what lay ahead.

To wash away the guilt lingering in her heart and to find the light once again…

And—though it wouldn’t be easy—

To achieve the life goal she could never give up.