Chapter 151: Entrusted (1)
Liette was restrained once more, and a subpoena was issued to Kang Soyeong. While Liette was the primary cause of the commotion, the difference in treatment between foreign and domestic individuals was evident. As always, domestic high-ranking Hunters were treated more leniently.
“Unnie, I’ll definitely come visit you!”
Kang Soyeong waved the subpoena and shouted. Then, after gazing sadly at her motorcycle, which had been smashed in half and stomped on by a dragon’s foot, she muttered about needing to hail a taxi and trudged away. Chief Song Taewon, who had placed the jeweled snake into a transportable cage, turned to me.
“First, thank you for your cooperation. And I apologize. I’ll ensure this doesn’t happen again.”
Song Taewon apologized for the Hunter from the Awakener Management Bureau summoning me without permission.
“It’s fine. If I can help, I want to. Also, there’s no legal issue with the private duel between Liette and Noah, right? Since neither of them is officially affiliated with Korea yet. And of course, the battle will take place within a dungeon.”
“Yes, that’s correct. If done that way, there’s no problem. You’re well-informed.”
The government was naturally opposed to private disputes between high-ranking Hunters. Fights outside of dungeons were obviously prohibited, but even battles within dungeons, which caused no collateral damage, were banned because they could potentially lead to losses of valuable national assets.
Of course, just because it was legally prohibited didn’t mean everyone followed the law.
“Still, it would be appreciated if you could report the date and time in advance, just in case.”
“Of course. I’ll do that. The Hunter Association must still be in chaos, right?”
It had only been three days since the incident. With leadership undergoing a complete overhaul, it would take a long time to stabilize.
“…I saw several familiar faces.”
Song Taewon spoke hesitantly. Considering many of the current members were part of the previous association, he had probably worked with them in the past. Back then, they might have cooperated more smoothly than they do now.
“At the end of the day, it’s always easier to work with people you’re familiar with, isn’t it?”
Song Taewon silently nodded and then looked past me—toward Han Yuhyun. Thanks to our shared senses, I could tell even without turning around that their gazes met, despite it being impossible under normal circumstances.
“…Are you sure you’ll be okay?”
“Pardon?”
“It seems a bit risky—”
“You must be busy, Chief Song Taewon. Why don’t you head back now?”
Han Yuhyun stepped closer behind me as he spoke.
“I’ll take care of my brother myself.”
His hand landed on my shoulder, gripping it firmly enough to hurt a little. He was obviously upset. I didn’t think I had done anything particularly reckless, though.
“I’m fine, Chief Song. You can go.”
Even if he’s annoyed, it’s not like he’ll eat his brother alive. Song Taewon frowned slightly but seemed too preoccupied to say much else. He turned and left without further comment. The Hunters who had remained in the dungeon were also exiting, and with the injured taken care of, they departed together. The bustling scene dissipated like the receding tide, leaving the surroundings as quiet and empty as before.
“My sister’s issue… I still don’t want to cause trouble for you, Yujin.”
Noah, who had been lost in thought with a sullen expression, spoke while glancing between me and Han Yuhyun.
“I think it’s only right for me to resolve it myself. Of course, I’ll never be able to beat my sister. But even so, receiving your help doesn’t feel like it’s truly my ability. If I defeat her without using my own strength, it won’t make much of a difference compared to before. I’ll still be the same as I was.”
He trailed off, lowering his voice as he glanced at me for my reaction. Poor guy. If it’s his own problem, he should speak more confidently.
“If you don’t want my help, Noah, of course, I won’t force it. You don’t have to accept it. Honestly, I feel bad for challenging her to a fight on my own without asking you first.”
“N-no, it’s not that…”
“It’s just that I consider my help as part of your abilities too. My desire to help you comes entirely from personal goodwill.”
The relationship between Noah and Liette wasn’t something I needed to get involved in. In fact, leaving Noah as he was might even work to my advantage. If Noah remained intimidated by his sister and reliant on me, it would certainly make him easier to use.
Right now, Noah was like a bird that had voluntarily caged itself out of fear of the hawk circling outside. If he gained the courage to face that hawk, he might spread his wings and fly far away.
And yet, I still wanted to help him.
“If it were someone else, I would’ve turned a blind eye. There’s no benefit in picking a fight with Liette, is there? She’s scary, too. But I stepped in because it’s you, Noah. It was you who made me want to act. The ability to move others is also a kind of power.”
“…My power?”
“Of course. It’s Noah’s power. You’ve helped and shown me kindness in many ways, all of your own will. My willingness to lend a hand now is the result of that. It’s a result of what you’ve done. So, it’s yours.”
“…Yujin…”
“Of course, whether you accept my help or not is entirely up to you. Do whatever you feel is best. I’ll follow your decision, no matter what.”
I still believed that experiencing even a single victory over Liette would be beneficial for Noah. But if he rejected my assistance, that too would likely lead to significant personal growth.
Facing the person he feared the most and wanting to stand against them with his own strength—it was proof that much of Noah’s fear toward Liette had already faded.
So, let it be Noah’s decision.
“I want to try.”
Noah smiled brightly, a little shyly.
“But I don’t want Yujin to push himself too hard. Even if I lose again this time, I think I’ll be okay.”
“Still, we should aim for a win if we’re doing this.”
“Yes.”
Seeing him nod without hesitation was admirable. In that case, would it be better to minimize my help? The main issue was that Noah had too few offensive skills. Since we were already well aware of each other’s skills, I should hear more from Noah about Liette’s combat style and then think about it.
“Then, Noah, you should head back first. I have some places to stop by, and with Liette restrained again, she won’t be able to come after us at the Breeding Facility.”
“Will you be okay, Yujin?”
Noah looked worriedly past me as he spoke. Since I had withdrawn the teacher skill that connected us to ease his burden, he still couldn’t see Yuhyun’s face. Judging from their reactions—both Song Taewon’s and Noah’s—it didn’t seem like Yuhyun was wearing the friendliest expression.
“Yes, I’ll be fine.”
“But…”
I was about to say, “It’s not like anything serious could happen between family,” but I stopped myself. After all, plenty of serious things had happened with them. Smiling reassuringly, I repeated that it was fine. Only then did Noah, still hesitating, transform into his dragon form.
— Even so, I think Hunter Han Yuhyun’s concern for you, Yujin, is genuine… Are you really okay?
“Of course. He’s my reliable little brother.”
Noah circled above us twice before flying off into the distance. Now then.
“What’s with the attitude again? Nothing even happened.”
Really, nothing happened, did it? Liette and Kang Soyeong had just abandoned their joyride midway. The hand gripping my shoulder turned me around. While my face was clearly visible, my brother’s face remained blurry, like a waterlogged painting.
“…How can you say nothing happened? Your fear resistance level has even dropped.”
Yuhyun spoke as if he truly couldn’t understand. From the perspective of an ordinary person, I suppose it was quite chaotic.
“Even if it’s lower, it’s not gone. At C-grade, I wouldn’t feel everyday fears, you know?”
Even if a tiger opened its mouth right in front of me, I could probably wave and say hello. C-grade monsters are stronger than tigers, after all. Of course, people’s fears vary, so it’s hard to divide fear levels into neat categories. Some might find tigers unfrightening even without fear resistance, while others might need at least C-grade resistance to calmly walk past a spider.
And frankly, I was used to chaos like today. Though I had no experience in the lofty world of high-ranking Hunters, even the world of low-ranking Hunters had been plenty harsh.
If I came out of it unscathed, without a single scratch, then it really was nothing.
“I’m serious—”
“Stop saying you’re fine. Hyung, you can’t even see properly right now, yet you still insisted on coming out. This was something that could’ve been resolved without you.”
“If we left it alone, knowing Liette’s temperament, she might’ve stormed the detention center where the former Dungeon Management Director is held.”
“Even so, it’s not your responsibility to deal with that. It’s the same for everything else. Why are you so obsessed with getting involved?”
“…Because I couldn’t do anything.”
Plenty of times, I had been forced to let go of things. Closing my eyes still brought a clear image of my face. That, for a moment, sent chills down my spine, and I had withdrawn the teacher skill.
“You’re the same, pushing yourself too hard.”
I tried to speak calmly.
“You’re only twenty years old.”
And I had been twenty-five. Crazy bastard. After doing it first, he has the nerve to talk about who should or shouldn’t take responsibility. The one who threw everything away, including his own life—who is he to talk about pushing too hard? Who carried everything alone, if not him?
“Hyung.”
“…Never mind. I’ll try to make sure you don’t have to worry.”
These were things my current brother didn’t know about. Things he hadn’t done. Things he wouldn’t do. And I wouldn’t let them happen.
“That’s not what I want.”
“Yuhyun.”
“No matter what I say, you just brush it off and try to handle everything on your own. What did you just say? That you’ll make sure I don’t worry? You’ve already made up your mind again.”
Hmm, you were like that too, you know. To be honest, I think you were even worse. But since it wasn’t something my current brother had done, I kept my mouth shut. Strictly speaking, he had only just started down that path before stopping.
Yuhyun pressed his lips together tightly. Though I couldn’t see his expression clearly, I could guess what kind of face he was making.
“…The place you’re stopping by—it’s the Sesung Guild, isn’t it?”
“Huh? Oh, yeah. Kang Soyeong asked me for a favor.”
“Let’s go.”
Yuhyun took a few steps ahead before circling back to my side.
“The ground’s a mess, so be careful.”
His voice still carried his irritation, but the hand that took my arm was gentle.
The Sesung Guild’s S-class dungeon raid was still ongoing. As such, Seong Hyunjae was officially “away” for the time being.
“Is it acceptable for someone who’s supposed to be inside a dungeon to be out here in the rooftop garden? I hear reporters these days even fly drones around.”
“My marksmanship skills are rather decent.”
Seong Hyunjae, leisurely enjoying tea in a scene that resembled a lush slice of summer forest, replied.
“I never miss, so there’s no need to worry. To think you’re concerned about something like that—Hunter Han Yujin, you’re quite considerate.”
“Considerate, my ass. Are you admitting to firing a gun in the middle of the city? Should I report you?”
“Your vision is still the same, isn’t it?”
Before I realized it, Seong Hyunjae had risen and approached me, looking down at me. That startled me. Then, without warning, he grabbed me by the waist with both hands and lifted me up. What the hell?
“You’ve lost more weight. It seems your care has been inadequate.”
“He doesn’t even consider staying quietly at home. And instead of resting, he spends nearly all day tending to monsters.”
My brother and Seong Hyunjae were acting as if they’d brought a pet to a vet. I’d done a part-time job at one before, so I knew the drill. They’d inspect the animal with their eyes, chat with the owner about its recent condition, weigh it, and then either give it medicine or a shot.
Then, Seong Hyunjae placed me down on the table as if setting me on an examination table. The tea on the table smelled quite nice. Well, I’d refuse the medicine and kick away the needle. I wasn’t a dog, so at least I wouldn’t bite.
“So, for the time being… I’ll leave him in your care.”
“Yuhyun?!”
My brother suddenly spouted nonsense. Even Seong Hyunjae looked surprised—or at least I think he did. I really needed glasses.
“What do you mean leave me in his care? Do I look like a pet to you? Besides, there’s still Noah’s issue!”
“It’ll just be for a little while. Hyung, it’s obvious your body isn’t in great shape. You don’t rest at home, and you don’t listen to me either. Use this time to stay here quietly while I take care of some things with Kim Minui. I’ll send Chirp over to you.”
“Hey, are you planning to completely bury Hunter Kim Minui or what?!”
Even up to now, his image had probably improved significantly. But my little brother ignored my protests entirely, pulling out a contract.
“We’ll consider this in exchange for the auction rights I ceded to you in March.”
“I can’t accept compensation for taking care of my own item.”
“It’s mine.”
I mean, yeah, I did say that if I were an item, I’d belong to him, but you’re a bit too bold about it, little brother. For the record, I’m still a human being with rights.
The two of them completely ignored my opinion and went on to draft a detailed contract between themselves. Then, after leaving behind a “Stay here quietly,” my brother walked off and disappeared. What the hell is this?
“Would you like some cookies?”
“…No, thank you.”
Move that hand away before I bite it.
–TL Notes–
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