As Sa-yoon was casting a suspicious gaze, Geon-joo rotated his slender wrist. His pale, long fingers covered the red marks left on his wrist. Their eyes, dark and black, interlocked.

“…What’s your purpose?”

He indeed had composure.

He didn’t seem like the type to get easily excited, and his perception was quite sharp. Judging that the first thing Geon-joo asked about was his objective, Sa-yoon, who highly rated his judgment, shrugged his shoulders with a carefree attitude like an idle noble.

“Recruiting talent?”

“By kidnapping people? You must be some kind of gangster guild.”

His tone was gentle with a spoonful of brusqueness. If misheard, it could be taken as sarcasm, but Sa-yoon neither got angry nor excited.

The Night Rats wasn’t much different from a gangster guild, and Geon-joo’s suspicion was valid.

How could a place that suddenly kidnapped and confined someone from the Center, threatening to kill them if they didn’t join the guild, be normal?

While reflecting on what kind of guild his was, Sa-yoon could recognize that Geon-joo was a normal person.

None of the guild members he had brought in so far had ever asked about this. They had only inquired whether they could kill many people, if he really wanted the Earth to perish, or when the world was likely to end, checking if the Night Rats was truly of ‘evil disposition.’ Come to think of it, he had gathered only the cream of the crop among the crazy bastards, to the point where he wondered if this was okay.

“You seem to have good intuition.”

Although he uttered it as praise, the corners of Geon-joo’s eyes twitched slightly. His expression was as if he had failed at being sarcastic, so Sa-yoon lifted the corners of his mouth.

He said he was twenty-two, right?

Maybe because he was young. In his own way, he seemed to be acting like a snake, but in the eyes of Sa-yoon, who had been through all sorts of trials and tribulations, Geon-joo’s appearance was just like a newborn baby snake. The way he wriggled seemed a bit cute, so Sa-yoon glanced at Jongsik. Putting Jongsik’s bear-like physique and Geon-joo’s lean muscular build side by side, the contrast was clear.

Being pretty is nice, but he looks too weak. If he joins, should I start by building up his body first?

He was really worried that Geon-joo looked like he would break if lightly struck.

“You said I’d die if I don’t join the guild, right?”

“If you’re curious, try refusing.”

“…You clearly look like you’re at least A-grade, so how could I refuse?”

See?

It was an odd way of speaking. It sounded like he was both criticizing and lamenting. Intently watching Geon-joo, who conversed in a strange manner, Sa-yoon let out a chuckle.

“You have good eyes, too.”

“I’ll do it.”

“What?”

“I don’t know what kind of guild it is, but I’ll join for now.”

“……”

Sa-yoon was rather surprised by the answer that showed not a hint of hesitation.

“Do you know what kind of guild we are?”

“Didn’t you say you’d kill me if I don’t join?”

“Still, you shouldn’t be like that.”

Is this guy going to get scammed somewhere? Did I kidnap a pushover?

He agreed to join promptly without any resistance or hanging back. For Sa-yoon, who had met dozens and hundreds of scammers in his life, it was an impossible occurrence.

Didn’t he learn the lesson not to follow a bad person even if they said they would spare his life? Why is he accepting it so readily? Even if he joined, shouldn’t he ask a few more questions, listen to the answers, assess the other party, and then join?

It had turned out as he wanted, but the process was so bland that it was unsatisfying. Typically, when a Night Rats member’s hands and feet were untied like this, they would rush in without warning, go through an initiation, get stabbed in the stomach, and build camaraderie, but Geon-joo did nothing. Moreover, he joined the guild obediently without even uttering a word of protest or cursing.

The problem was that things were going too well.

He had thought of testing Geon-joo’s skills.

If he had lunged at Sa-yoon like a madman, Sa-yoon could have checked his abilities while establishing the hierarchy. But since he didn’t, it felt like one of the usual processes was missing.

“…You’ll regret it even if you don’t know.”

“Is regret worth risking your life?”

Even though it wouldn’t be easy to smile in this situation, he answered with a faint smile, showing he was quite bold. Thinking he seemed to have considerable courage, Sa-yoon observed him and checked the quest window just in case.

‘Current Relationship: Wariness and Interest’

The hostility had vanished cleanly at some point. Finding that fact interesting, Sa-yoon faced Geon-joo. The deep black eyes seemed so relaxed that it was hard to believe he was the same person who had been extremely tense and wary of Sa-yoon a moment ago.

What had changed him so much?

There must be a reason. The adaptability skill being S-grade alone wasn’t enough to explain Geon-joo’s attitude change in just a few dozen minutes.

“Why are you staring at me so intently? It’s embarrassing.”

As Sa-yoon was lost in thought, Geon-joo suddenly spoke. By this point, other guys would have picked a fight and been beaten to a pulp, but he was the first to open his mouth while his limbs were intact.

He definitely feels different.

Recalling the spirit he had encountered when Geon-joo first opened his eyes, Sa-yoon slowly cast his suspicion.

“…I was wondering if you’re the same person as before.”

“You said it’s a life I have to join the guild to live anyway. Then I thought I should make a good impression on you, but am I mistaken? Is that person over there the guild leader, not you?”

He gestured with his chin toward Jongsik. When Sa-yoon shook his head with an expression asking what nonsense he was spouting, the corners of Geon-joo’s eyes relaxed.

“Then it’s fine.”

“How are you this easy?”

“I guess you don’t like easy people.”

If you prefer the way I was before, I’ll go with that vibe.

He added in a gentle voice, sounding quite slick. It was as if an actor was receiving feedback on his acting, making Sa-yoon’s eyebrows rise. He couldn’t figure Geon-joo out at all.

He couldn’t tell if this was high-level acting or his true nature.

“Jongsik, bring it.”

Thinking he should have Geon-joo sign the contract before he changed his mind, Sa-yoon snapped his fingers, and Jongsik brought a rolled-up brown paper from a corner drawer of the villa. Geon-joo, who received it, flinched for a moment.

“This isn’t an ordinary contract.”

“Our guild is rather thorough.”

It wasn’t a simple paper contract but an S-grade contract. If the terms written on it were violated, the contract would forcibly take away what each party had put up as collateral, so there was nothing better for making a definite agreement.

As Geon-joo quietly held the contract, Sa-yoon chuckled.

“What, now that you’ve received the contract, are you getting cold feet?”

It’s too late to regret it now.

He indeed seemed sly but was still naive. Seeing that he looked like he could be useful if handled well, Sa-yoon, who chuckled, explained the contents of the contract.

The terms of the contract were roughly as follows:

After joining the guild, one must not be caught by outsiders, who are not guild members, that one is a member of the Night Rats; even after leaving the guild, one must not disclose information within the guild; after leaving, one must not directly attack the guild; one must not disclose the terms of the contract.

That was it. It was simple, but what was at stake was not simple.

This contract, which was thoroughly advantageous only to the superior party, would take away one of the contractor’s legs if they failed to abide by it. Injuries caused by violating the contract would not be cured even by potions. The moment one violated the terms, they would become permanently disabled. Waving the contract, Sa-yoon spoke softly.

“If you just abide by the terms well, you can live without much trouble. Still, we’re not a strict place, so you’re relatively free to join another place after leaving the guild. We don’t forcibly hold onto people.”

Except for you.

He swallowed the words that were to follow. What do you mean, you don’t forcibly hold onto people? Except for other guild members, he had to keep Geon-joo in the guild even if he had to put shackles on his ankles.

For now, he was thinking of talking to him gently to make him trust Sa-yoon and slyly adding terms to the contract later. As Geon-joo, who had learned how to sign from Jongsik, pricked his finger with the needle Jongsik handed him and signed the contract, Sa-yoon, who had been quietly watching, frowned once.

“You sign that right away without any hesitation.”

“Your conversation pattern has been the same since earlier. Then should I fight it out with you or something?”

That was exactly it.

Sa-yoon, who suddenly wanted to jump up from his seat and say, yeah, that’s it. Let’s see your skills, suppressed the urge. If he was branded as a weird guy, it would only be tiring for him, who had to improve the relationship.

“I’m suspecting you because you seem excessively relaxed.”

“I can’t help but become relaxed in this situation.”

“What do you mean?”

“No matter how I look at it, you don’t seem like you’ll kill me. Your eyes look quite desperate to say you’ll kill me.”

Oh, now it’s Guild Leader-nim.

Geon-joo, who added that nonchalantly, laughed softly, saying how could he not relax then? At the refreshing response, Sa-yoon lifted the corners of his mouth.

The first thought that came to mind was definitely interest. Sa-yoon, who could assert that if his emotions were also displayed in a separate system window, it would clearly say something like ‘intrigued,’ tapped the villa floor with his dress shoes.

He became relaxed because he was convinced Sa-yoon wouldn’t kill him.

He had heard people say they were nervous or scared because he was in front of them, but it was the first time in his life he heard someone say they became relaxed.

So that was why he looked so carefree.

“You say interesting things.”

How did he notice?

Was it really as he said, his eyes? Or his actions? If not that, then his way of speaking?

As Sa-yoon was pondering, he got up from his seat. Geon-joo’s body flinched. He had thought Geon-joo was completely carefree, but seeing him react subtly to his every action, it seemed he wasn’t entirely at ease.

When his head grew a bit more and he gained experience, he would probably become more sly without showing such signs.

Although he seemed incompatible with the Night Rats, seeing this aspect, they were a perfect fit. To the point where he wondered what he had been doing, not recruiting such talent until now.

“I’m curious as to what made you judge like that.”

“Wasn’t it because you needed me?”

“You look like you’re barely B-grade, so how are you so confident?”

“You went through the trouble of kidnapping a mere B-grade to recruit him, so wouldn’t that make anyone confident?”

He countered without backing down, curving his black eyes. Seeing the extraordinarily impudent expression, Sa-yoon continued his deliberation between two choices.

Should he let this newcomer, who dared not to cower before him, know his place, or should he let it slide, saying he’s pretty, for the sake of a smooth relationship?

Whichever he chose, there wouldn’t be much harm, and as he was contemplating, a phone bell suddenly rang. It was Jongsik’s cell phone.

As the flustered Jongsik looked at Sa-yoon with a troubled expression, Sa-yoon signaled with a nod to answer it. Then Jongsik went to a corner, answered the phone, and told Sa-yoon about the Yongho Guild with his mouth.

It seemed the merger he had intended to proceed with gentlemanly by sending his underlings had eventually fallen through.

Sa-yoon gestured as he had said before that he would go, so Jongsik should withdraw, and Jongsik ended the call. When he turned his gaze back to Geon-joo, he saw Geon-joo blinking his eyes as if it was fascinating to communicate with looks and gestures.

A mischievous thought abruptly came to him.

Thinking it was a good timing, as he couldn’t even check Geon-joo’s skills because he was more docile than expected, Sa-yoon rose from his chair.

“If you thought I didn’t kill you because your skills are good, let’s see them, pretty boy.”

“…Pardon?”

“Let’s check if your skills are really that good.”

“…?”

“Get up. We’re going to do your initiation.”

As he spoke while pulling back the chair, Geon-joo stood up from his seat with a reluctant expression. Hesitantly, he openly revealed on his face that this didn’t seem right. Watching him, Sa-yoon calmly continued.

“Ah, and.”

“What else is there?”

“It’s not that. Congratulations on joining the Night Rats.”

“……”

“Let’s do well, newbie.”

As he added with a chuckle, Geon-joo’s eyes wavered. His face, which instantly turned pale at the word ‘rat,’ was quite a sight to behold.