The S-Classes That I Raised – Chapter 11

[ Flame Horned Lion (2) ]

“Does that damn cat eat mana stones?”

“Technically, you have to mix mana stone powder with meat for it to eat. It won’t touch raw meat alone.”

That cat has some expensive tastes. Even if it eats just one mana stone a day, that’s 300 million won a month, or 3.66 billion won a year. (TL Note: Ah, yes. Good ol’ Author’s Math)

And that’s for one meal. If it eats three times a day, the yearly food cost surpasses ten billion won.

“…Can’t you lend me some money for the food?”

No matter how fast it grows, it’ll take at least six months to reach adulthood, and I obviously don’t have the tens of billions it would cost. Once it’s fully grown, though, you wouldn’t be able to buy it even for hundreds of billions. How about a little investment?

Yuhyun chuckled at my words.

“Alright. Don’t worry, it’s not a big burden for me.”

Not a burden to spend 10 million won on one meal… I envy you, S-class awakeners.

Even though I have five L-class skills, they’re all support-type, so there’s no way I could handle an S-class dungeon like the Diamond Mine. Shouldn’t a Dragon Slayer at least get both offensive and defensive skills? Something like Dragon’s Breath or Dragon Scales.

Maybe I just have awful luck.

“Tamed monsters can be handled by anyone as long as they have the owner’s mark. But be careful when the owner changes, as the monster might get confused and resist, especially if the new owner’s rank is lower.”

Yuhyun said as he took out a pendant with a flat blue stone embedded in it from his inventory.

Speaking of which, what would my real rank be? My stats are F-class, but with all these L-class skills, could I be S-class or higher?

But in the system, even if you’re S-class, if you can’t enter an S-class dungeon, your real-world rank drops to A-class or lower. Saint Emily Spence is a prime example of that.

So, in reality, I’m probably around A-class.

I took the pendant, the owner’s mark, and headed back to the greenhouse. The Flame Horned Lion was still pressed against the glass wall, growling in frustration.

“Hey, kiddo. Your owner’s changed.”

I waved the pendant as I approached the glass wall. The Flame Horned Lion tilted its head, looking back and forth between Yuhyun and me.

-Grrr

Oh, it’s calmed down. It’s not showing any affection yet, but at least it’s stopped growling and jumping at me.

“Even if it’s small, it’s still a monster, so don’t go in alone for now. It’ll take about two days for it to fully recognize you as its owner.”

Yuhyun said as he unlocked the greenhouse door. I guess the glass wall isn’t ordinary if it’s meant to contain a C-class monster.

“There aren’t any other monsters in the greenhouse, right?”

“I filled it with plants and animals from the dungeon ecosystem, but nothing monstrous. Actually, there’s one.”

“What is it?”

“A 5th-class man-eating plant called Guillotine. It’s rare for a 5th-class, but its fruits are useful, so I planted a few.”

…Isn’t that the man-eating tree that grabs people with its tentacles and dissolves them? Man-eating plants are on the weaker side, but a 5th-class would be around D-class high-tier. As an F-class Level 1, I wouldn’t be able to handle it even with A-class gear.

“Don’t worry, it’s been pruned. As long as you trim it regularly, it’s safe.”

Yuhyun reassured me as he opened the greenhouse door. A wave of warm air rushed out, probably because the temperature was raised for the Flame Horned Lion.

“Come to think of it, isn’t it illegal to remove plants and animals from dungeons?”

“There’s no law about it yet. Domestic dungeons are considered part of domestic territory, so it’s not considered smuggling. They just ask that you be careful not to disrupt the local ecosystem.”

So it’s before the law was established. When was it banned… Was it after the Shinhogroup Snow Butterfly incident?

I put on the greenhouse slippers and stepped inside. Among the mostly unfamiliar plants, I saw a few trees and grasses I recognized. That vine is common in E-class dungeons.

Rustle

With a rustling sound, the baby Flame Horned Lion appeared. It looked really cute now that it wasn’t acting up. It was about the size of a fully grown cat, but its face still had that round, baby animal look. Its large golden eyes sparkled like jewels.

“Does it have a name?”

“No.”

You didn’t even name it? How cold.

The lion was half-hidden under a broad leaf, cautiously watching the two of us. It must’ve been confused by the sudden change in owners.

“Good boy, little one.”

I squatted down to lower my eye level and called to the lion.

“Come here.”

I’ll take good care of you. The lion hesitated before approaching me. Just then…

[The title ‘Perfect Nurturer’ enhances the effects of the item ‘Owner’s Mark.’

The tamed subject shows affection toward the nurturer.]

A sudden message window popped up. What? It has this kind of effect too?

-Kiaa

The lion let out a small, playful cry. Oh my god, it’s so cute. Then it rubbed its cheek against my fingertips before flopping over onto its back.

Ahh, what is this adorable thing! Its chubby paws, which looked like they were wearing gold socks, flailed around as it purred. Its thick tail wagged gently. Its fur was soft, warm, and so incredibly cute, it’s driving me mad!

“How could you even think of killing something this cute?”

I said as I petted the baby lion that clung to my arm. It’s so tiny, but it already knows how to retract its claws. Alright, alright, I’ll hold you. Goo goo.

“It didn’t act that cute around me.”

“Even after you fed it for two months?”

“Yeah. It tamed and followed me quietly, but it never wagged its tail or clung to me.”

It seems like the ‘Perfect Nurturer’ effect is stronger than I thought. Maybe it’s even more effective because it’s a baby? If I can successfully raise this lion, I might be able to collaborate with tamers to produce top-tier rideable monsters.

Just raising one or two a year would bring in a fortune. People from all over the world would come looking.

“Looking forward to working with you, little one.”

As I imagined a promising future, the Flame Horned Lion in my arms seemed even cuter.

‘If the skill application succeeds, I could say I acquired a monster-rearing skill in a couple of months.’

It would sound natural if I said I got the skill while raising a baby monster, and by that time, I should have a few A to S-classes protecting me. Or I could just raise several high-potential baby monsters to keep by my side.

Maybe I’ll end up with a nickname like “Beast Tamer.” That sounds kinda cool, actually. Hmm.

“Can I take him outside?”

“Not outside the guild building. Accompanying a tamed monster outside of dungeons is still illegal. Don’t take him to the first three floors where non-awakened people might be around, either.”

In five years, people will start showing up on TV with cool-looking beasts as pets. When did the law change again?

I carried the Flame Horned Lion out of the greenhouse. Yuhyun suggested I should observe it for a day just in case, but I ignored him.

I’m at least S-class, with L-class skill effects on top of that, so what could possibly go wrong? It’ll keep being obedient like this.

What should I name it?

“By the way, hyung. You shouldn’t just accept orange juice from someone.”

“…What?”

Orange juice? Why the sudden mention of orange juice… The Hunter Shopping Mall.

I looked at my brother with a sour expression. It’s one thing to know about the Endless Black Poison, but knowing what I drank too?

“Did you plant a spy at the Hunter Shopping Mall or something?”

“Yep.”

He answered casually.

“What? Seriously?”

“Yeah. Most guilds have at least one or two people planted there, especially on the 6th floor. Since B-class and above hunters are the main customers, knowing what they’re buying helps figure out their goals and schedules.”

…Guilds’ power struggles are more intense than I thought. But seriously, do I have to be cautious even at the Hunter Association? Isn’t that going too far?

“So, don’t let your guard down even at the Hunter Association. It’s even more dangerous to accept things from others, and never go anywhere alone again. You should avoid restaurants near the association as well. Ah, but vending machine drinks are okay.”

“But would anyone really try something like that inside the association? If they got caught, it would be a huge scandal.”

Besides, if awakened people lose trust in the association, it would ultimately harm the guilds too.

“Of course, nothing will happen inside the association itself. But getting you into an ambulance or police car is still an option.”

“And… that ambulance or police car goes missing?”

“Exactly.”

Yuhyun smiled. How can he smile at that?

The more I think about it, the more I feel like I should’ve just avoided Yuhyun and lived on my own. Then again, as long as I don’t give up my ‘Perfect Nurturer’ title, I’ll end up getting involved with other A and S-classes, so interference is inevitable.

In that case, maybe it’s better to trust my back to a reliable brother.

“The world of hunters is pretty harsh.”

“It’s relatively peaceful below C-class.”

No, not really. The bottom has its own wars. The difference is that instead of planting spies for subtle sabotage, they just throw punches openly.

“Is there anything else I should be aware of? You might as well tell me now.”

“Just stick to the basics. Don’t accept things from strangers, don’t go to dark and deserted places, and even if the elderly ask for help, don’t follow them.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll be home before nine, send the taxi number, and call if I’m running late. Should I wear a child safety necklace too?”

“I think a GPS tracker would be better.”

…Can’t even joke around. People of the world, please get along. So that I can live in peace.

I looked down at the purring Flame Horned Lion in my arms.

“From now on, your name is Peace.”

The world should be about love and peace, after all.

–TL Notes–
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