Acquired the Scam Rune in the Academy

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After walking through Yeouido Park for quite a while, we finally arrived at the location of the <Judgment of Fire> Clan Tower.

“This is our clan tower,” Kang Ju-yeon pointed at the building with her finger.

Following her gesture, my gaze also turned towards the building.

“Wow….” This is a building, no, a tower…. It was a building near Yeouido Post Tower, boasting a grand presence, the <Judgment of Fire> Clan Tower. Even at a glance, it seemed to be more than 30 stories tall, with a simple exterior, and the clan name and emblem indicating it was the <Judgment of Fire> building were hung near the top of the building.

Compared to the auction house I had seen in Daegu, this building was much larger in scale. It was truly fitting for the title of one of the top three clans in the country.

“Come this way.”

“Ah, okay.” At Kang Juyeon’s gentle pull on my sleeve, I snapped out of my daze and followed her lead. I couldn’t just keep staring at the exterior forever. I had to understand the interior structure of the clan tower, and there was a lot to do on my first day as a member.

“Here is the 1st-floor front desk. This is where we handle external visitors, clan customer consultations, and clan tower check-ins for accommodations.”

“They offer accommodations in the clan tower?”

“Yes. It’s occasionally provided for guests visiting the clan or for clan members on special missions. The interior structure is like an officetel…”

“A true officetel, indeed.”

Korean officetels are another form of ‘home’ created by avoiding building regulations. Usually, they’re called officetels in name only and are mostly used as residential spaces… The accommodation system provided by the <Judgment of Fire> Clan Tower was truly like a genuine officetel, where work and stay were combined, a literal officetel.

We walked towards the entrance of the building. The system required showing an access card to check the entry pass and then entering. On either side stood men dressed like bodyguards. Judging by the classic weapons they carried, they were holders. However, they seemed to be going through an awkward situation. It was because a man was trying to enter the entrance in a rather impudent manner.

“You shouldn’t do that. Entry without a pass is not allowed.”

“Ugh, seriously! Hey, you guys. I’m the leader of Hunting Team 5. I’m your senior. What kind of regret are you trying to have later? You’re making an irreversible mistake, seriously? So, please let me in. Huh?”

“…Entry is not allowed without a pass.”

“It’s so frustrating. Who’s the genius who put two rookies in charge of the entrance?”

Kang Juyeon was about to enter after showing her access card, but she paused briefly and approached them when she saw the struggling man.

“What’s going on?”

“We, we greet you Holder Kang Juyeon!”

The guards quickly saluted as soon as they saw Kang Juyeon.

…This is not like meeting a major general. Why are their greetings and attitudes so rigid? However, Kang Juyeon returned the greeting with a nod as if she were used to it.

Then, the man who had been struggling in front of them. When he saw her, his expression changed as if he had met a savior. He quickly approached and grabbed Kang Juyeon’s wrist.

“Oh, you’re here! Miss has arrived. I’m saved. I can finally go in. Miss, welcome. Could you please confirm my identity to these inflexible rookies?”

“…Please don’t call me ‘miss’.”

“Ah! Kang Juyeon, Kang Juyeon. Holder Kang Juyeon. Please, I’m begging you. I’ve been like this for 30 minutes.”

“What’s the matter?”

Kang Juyeon’s gaze shifted from the man to the guards.

The rookie guards hesitated with hesitant faces.

“Uh… He kept wanting to enter even though I’ve never seen him before… So, we were following the manual.”

“You’ve said you’ve been on an external mission and came back multiple times.”

Seeing Kang Juyeon’s head tilted slightly, I quickly realized.

Kang Juyeon looked at the guards and nodded.

“He’s Kwon Oh-jun, a member of the clan. He’s the leader of Hunting Team 5 and a person with a confirmed identity… So, it’s okay to let him in.”

“I, I’m sorry. Holder Kwon Oh-jun!”

Finally understanding the situation, the tense guards saluted again.

Kwon Oh-jun heaved a sigh of relief and waved at Kang Juyeon, and entered the entrance.

“Phew, it’s over. You didn’t do anything wrong by following the manual. Make sure to guard the entrance properly.”

“Thank you…!!”

With that, the situation was resolved, and both Kang Juyeon and I entered the entrance.

And at that moment, Kwon Oh-jun’s gaze turned towards me.

“But who is this person?”

Before Kang Juyeon could answer, I quickly bowed my head and greeted.

“Hello. I’m Do Jae-hyun, a C-grade Holder who will be working as an intern in the Judgment of Fire clan from today. I’m currently a 1st-year student at the Academy, specializing in both assassin and warrior disciplines.”

“Oh, a new recruit’s new recruit.”

As lively as his personality seemed, Kwon Oh-jun extended his hand towards me with a bright smile.

“Nice to meet you. I’m A-grade Holder Kwon Oh-jun. I’ve been a senior for quite a while, so you can call me by name, right?”

“Yes, of course.”

“Hehe, forget about what you saw earlier. I’m not used to being treated like that, but of all days, it had to happen on a day when I forgot my access card.”

He smoothly brushed it off. Then, he looked at Kang Juyeon.

“Is this the friend you recommended?”

“….”

This person is really something. Even after escaping a crisis, he immediately changed his address to miss. Kang Juyeon didn’t like being addressed as miss within the clan. She wanted to be treated as a Holder and a clan member. But for the clan members who had been seeing her from a young age, it was only natural that the title didn’t change easily.

The Holder named Kwon Oh-jun in front of me, despite his appearance, seemed to have been a Holder in the <Judgment of Fire> clan for quite some time.

“Oh, wait! I’m late. Anyway, I’ll go in first. Please show this friend around, miss.”

Immediately he felt her tone growing colder, Kwon Oh-jun waved lightly and headed towards the emergency exit stairs. He truly was like the wind.

“…He’s a good person.”

“That’s true.”

She quickly agreed with my words. Her anger gauge felt like it had reached her throat… Anyway, we took the elevator and headed to the upper floors. Our destination was the 33rd floor. It was four floors below the top floor, 37th floor.

“Going really high up, huh?”

“…Yeah. I was planning to introduce things floor by floor as we go down.”

“But why the 33rd floor? Why not the upper floors?”

“From the 37th to the 34th floors, those are the clan leadership offices.”

“I see….”

If it was the clan leadership, it was likely the Clan Master, who was also an S-grade Holder. Furthermore, he was Kang Juyeon’s father, Kang Woo-hyun.

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