Chapter 152: Entrusted (2)
Kim Minui, a B-rank Hunter belonging to the Haeyeon Guild, could be described as an easy target. He possessed support skills useful enough to warrant recruitment by a major guild, but support-type Hunters were still seen as just that—support. Among mid— to high-ranking Hunters, there was a widespread tendency to look down on so-called “skill-reliant” Hunters.
Since the essence of a Hunter’s role lay in dungeon conquests, many argued that rankings should be based solely on stats. Combat-type Hunters were placed at the top of the hierarchy, with the rest treated as mere appendages.
If someone had distinctly low stats but exceptionally useful high-ranking skills, they might receive better treatment. But this was only because they posed no threat—no matter how good their skills, they could easily be suppressed, making them “harmlessly cute.”
On the other hand, those with middling stats but high-ranking skills often became targets of animosity. Kim Minui fell into this category, and it was only natural that he was disregarded in Haeyeon, a guild dominated by combat-focused upper-rank Hunters. Not that Kim Minui minded—he found the safety of his support-type role incredibly convenient and was perfectly satisfied with his comfortable workplace.
“Is it true his stats are above A-rank?”
“They even said he went up against an S-rank Hunter.”
As rumors spread rapidly, Kim Minui entered the Haeyeon Guild lobby. A security staff member who was accustomed to greeting him raised a hand to say hello, but Kim Minui didn’t even glance in their direction.
His unusually cold and expressionless demeanor made him seem like a completely different person, causing the staff member to awkwardly lower their hand. As Kim Minui headed straight toward the elevator, people cast glances at his retreating figure.
“…The atmosphere is like the Guild Leader’s.”
“Did he really hide his stats? I mean, he’s a support-type, so no one’s seen him fight.”
An A-rank Hunter from the security team murmured. They’d gone on dungeon conquests together before, but since support-types were usually positioned in the rear and protected, there had never been an opportunity to verify Kim Minui’s stats directly.
Under the growing interest of those around them, Kim Minui and Han Yuhyun made their way directly to Seok Gimyeong.
“You left Han Yujin in Sesung Guild’s care?”
Seok Gimyeong dismissed the others in the room, looking astonished as he spoke.
“It’s more comfortable for him there.”
Han Yuhyun replied, doing his best to sound composed. To be precise, Seong Hyunjae was someone Han Yujin didn’t need to feel burdened by. There was no need to take care of him, and even if Han Yujin caused trouble, it wasn’t something that required worry.
Unlike certain others who were determined to shelter and protect Han Yujin at any cost, even at their own expense.
“…Rumors about Hunter Kim Minui have likely spread by now.”
Han Yuhyun forced himself to push thoughts of his brother aside and redirected the conversation.
“Let it slip that Kim Minui wants recognition befitting his abilities. That should draw out someone willing to take the bait.”
“You mean someone from the group that targeted Han Yujin?”
While the guild that hired the truck driver was Dongju Rotary Guild, the person who commissioned the request from them was still unidentified. Initially, the Hunter Association was suspected, but that turned out to be false.
“Currently, the person protecting Han Yujin is Hunter Kim Minui. If it seems like he’s considering leaving Haeyeon, someone is bound to approach him. It’s the perfect opportunity, especially with the Guild Leader away.”
Seok Gimyeong nodded slightly and added,
“The fact that support-types have been disregarded by other combat Hunters is true, so we can emphasize that. This could also serve as a chance to address the bias against support-type Hunters.”
“The Sesung Guild Leader will likely block the information, but just in case, please ensure my brother doesn’t catch wind of this. If he finds out, he’ll try to get involved, no matter what.”
Han Yuhyun could already picture it—his brother arguing that it would be more effective if he also acted as bait.
“If Han Yujin were to help, things would certainly be easier… but he needs to rest.”
Seok Gimyeong spoke regretfully but amended his statement. While having Han Yujin involved would make things more convenient in many ways, it was unlikely the Guild Leader, who had gone as far as to take him in, would allow it.
After finalizing the general plan, Han Yuhyun headed back to Han Yujin’s home. In the empty house, the sound of a TV echoed. He recalled his brother once mentioning that there was a monster at home that knew how to turn on the TV and watch it alone.
— Chirp!
A small white chick occupying the center of the sofa chirped when it saw Han Yuhyun. The baby dragon, which had been dozing while hanging from the artificial vines on the ceiling, flapped its wings with a start. Han Yuhyun casually grabbed Comet.
— Screech!
The baby dragon struggled and bit the hand holding it, but it left nothing more than faint teeth marks. Then, picking up Chirp as well, Han Yuhyun glanced around the living room.
The baby dragon would go to the Breeding Facility, and the chick would be delivered to Sesung. Was there anything else to take care of?
‘…Most things should be taken care of already.’
That was why he had made the arrangements, but it still grated on his nerves. Han Yuhyun perched on the edge of the sofa. Comet, who had been screeching moments ago, went quiet, as if gauging the atmosphere. On the other hand, Chirp remained unfazed, sitting comfortably in his palm and chirping away.
The Beast Taming skill. And the Nurturer title.
Han Yuhyun was familiar with the Nurturer title. It was a fairly common title, relatively easy to acquire for C-rank or higher Awakened individuals, so information about it was readily available.
A title that provided minor growth buffs for a short period. While the growth rate and buff duration increased with the title’s rank, even the best-known Nurturer title wasn’t considered particularly valuable.
But what about Han Yujin?
Han Yuhyun had always known that he was different from other humans. The faint sense of alienation he had felt since childhood became clear after awakening and meeting Seong Hyunjae. That irritating man was of the same kind as him, something closer to his own species.
A being that wore a human shell but was fundamentally of a different nature.
Han Yujin’s acquisition of the Beast Taming skill, in Yuhyun’s view, was a result of having raised someone like him. Instead of the usual Nurturer title, his brother had gained the ability to rear creatures that were not of this world.
‘But Hyung tried to embrace even people, didn’t he?’
Park Yerim, Noah, and himself. It was understandable when it came to Park Yerim, but his approach toward Noah had been undeniably excessive. The Beast Taming skill might also apply to humans. Or perhaps because Noah was a dragonkin, he was perceived as a beast.
Either way, Han Yuhyun wanted to cleanly discard it. Whether beast or human, he wanted to erase it all.
Han Yuhyun stood, staring coldly at the two monsters in his hands. He wanted to destroy all of them, but the existence of his one and only family member was too precious, so he held himself back—for now.
A staff member came in person to fit me with glasses and lenses. The idea of putting something in my eye was uncomfortable, but since glasses could easily get broken again, I decided to try the lenses.
“I know you and Yuhyun have a certain level of trust.”
I muttered grumpily, holding a lens on the tip of my finger. I’d previously said it was okay to go to Sesung, and the two of them had even tried to buy MKC together. Over the past three years, they must have built some kind of relationship, and while I understood that Yuhyun trusted this man to a certain extent, damn it, I still hated it.
“But not long ago, I was furious about how you barged into my house uninvited. And now, Yuhyun just dumps me here and takes off.”
He even left Chirp with one of the Sesung Guild members and disappeared. I glanced at Chirp, who was toddling around on the table, then shifted my gaze to Seong Hyunjae. Since I hadn’t put the lenses in yet, his expression was still unclear.
“Trust is the foundation of all transactions, you know.”
Seong Hyunjae said as he approached, holding up a mirror for me. He explained that I just had to gently place the lens in my eye, but my reflexes kept making me blink. Even when I tried holding my eyelid open with my other hand, I flinched instinctively.
“It’s not as though this is the first time I’ve made a deal with the young master. If he even wrote up a contract, it shows a significant level of trust.”
“Significant trust, huh?” I felt annoyed at the phrase. It was likely because of my low stats, but he didn’t trust me to that extent. He was more concerned about me than anything.
“Besides, I’ve helped the young master in various ways.”
“Helped? You helped Yuhyun?”
“He was too young to manage things on his own. It was more interesting to speed up his growth.”
He made it sound like he’d merely done some weeding.
“Of course, he repaid everything with irritation, making sure to settle every debt. He has quite the adorable personality.”
“So, you’re saying there are things he hasn’t repaid yet. I’ll take care of those for him.”
I wasn’t about to let him keep something like that over my brother’s head to use as leverage.
“The young master wouldn’t like that.”
“He was probably still a minor back then, and I’m his guardian. It’s my responsibility to repay those debts. So don’t even think about bringing up past matters to Yuhyun.”
I blinked after finally getting the lens in. As his older brother and guardian, it frustrated me that I hadn’t been able to do anything.
“…You didn’t corrupt a kid or anything, did you?”
“There was no need to corrupt him.”
His reply had an unpleasant nuance. Then, Seong Hyunjae handed me two books. One was titled A Parent’s Mindset for Proper Child Rearing and the other Overcoming Empty Nest Syndrome. What the hell?
“It’s reading time to cultivate peace of mind.”
“What kind of book selection is this?”
Shouldn’t he be giving me self-help books, novels, or poetry collections instead? I picked up the one about proper child-rearing. How long was I going to be stuck here? What was Yuhyun planning this time?
I wanted to escape. Just let me go home.
‘If I used a stealth skill, I could probably sneak out.’
Of course, that wouldn’t work on Seong Hyunjae, an S-rank Hunter. If only he’d step away for a moment, I’d be gone. I flipped through the book half-heartedly and looked up at him.
“Are you planning to stick next to me the whole time? For a Guild Leader, you seem awfully free.”
“That Guild Leader is currently ‘away’ for a dungeon conquest. What would you like for lunch? If there’s anything you want to eat, just let me know.”
“I want the rice cake skewers sold at the snack shop in front of my old elementary school. It closed down ten years ago, though.”
“Unfortunately, I don’t have time for lunch today. But I’ll have it prepared by dinner.”
What do you mean, you’ll prepare it, you crazy bastard?
“No thanks. Don’t go inconveniencing people unnecessarily.”
What was the point of arguing? Maybe I should have asked for freshly caught sashimi from a fish Seong Hyunjae personally reeled in. I don’t even like sashimi that much, but I could have made my escape while he was off fishing. Not that such an obvious demand would have worked—he’d just use the dungeon conquest as an excuse to refuse.
The Sesung Guild Leader, who seemed unnecessarily free, dragged me around all over the place. Thanks to him, I learned just how many convenient facilities were built into the Sesung Guild building. Not that knowing any of it was of any use to me.
High-ranking Hunters often found it inconvenient to use public facilities. Their bodies were naturally more durable, making even something as simple as cutting hair more difficult. While not as tough as wire, it still required more effort, and things like dyeing or perming weren’t feasible with standard methods. As a result, most guilds had dedicated salons.
Come to think of it, Yuhyun once mentioned that he couldn’t properly manage his hair until he learned to control his flame resistance. Ignoring heat made it impossible to straighten his slightly wavy hair.
“Is it really okay for us to wander around like this?”
“Any information that might leak out from here can be easily contained, so there’s no need to worry.”
There were quite a few onlookers, but apparently, it was fine. Not that it was any of my business. A breeding facility had already been prepared for Comet’s growth. It was large enough to comfortably house an adult Thornwing Rock Dragon and included a full glass front that could open to let it fly out freely.
Exercise was essential for maintaining good health, or so I was told, and a professional trainer had been assigned to Comet. The guild’s medical facilities also conducted a basic health checkup. I firmly refused any attempts at a more detailed examination, though they still managed to draw some blood.
“I’m still perfectly healthy, you know. I’m not that old yet.”
I’d made it to thirty without major health problems. Physically, at least. Sure, I’d been injured plenty, but still.
And then, for dinner, they actually served rice cake skewers alongside other dishes.
“…You didn’t seriously track down the owners of that snack shop and have them make these, did you?”
“Fortunately, both the owners are still in good health.”
As he spoke, Seong Hyunjae snapped a picture of me eating to send to Yuhyun, saying it was proof I was eating properly. It was good to know they were doing well, but still.
“You knew I didn’t actually expect you to go that far. Why do you always have to do these unnecessary things?”
“There’s no reason not to do something that can be done. It wasn’t even difficult. Try to look a little more cheerful. At this rate, your contract might get terminated.”
I didn’t care if the contract was terminated, but I didn’t want to worry my little brother. Forcing a smile, I fed Chirp a mana stone. Chirp, can’t you use your spatial movement skill to take me with you? At least give it a try.
“Any updates about my brother?”
“I promised not to say a word about his work.”
“I feel so anxious and worried I could get indigestion.”
“I’ll make sure to keep some antacids ready.”
“At least let me call him.”
My phone had been confiscated for some time now. I’d tried to call Noah and Myungwoo, only to have it snatched away. I’d been grumbling about feeling like I was trapped in a prison until they finally returned it to me. As soon as I got it back, I called my brother, and he picked up immediately.
“Yuhyun, I’ll behave, so can’t you just let me come home? I’ll even postpone Noah’s matter and take a proper break.”
[No. Stay there just a little longer.]
“Hey! You’re not planning something dangerous, are you?”
My question was met with a soft laugh from my brother.
[Don’t worry. There’s no way I’d end up in danger outside a dungeon.]
That much was true. Other than someone like Seong Hyunjae or Liette, there wasn’t anyone who could harm Yuhyun. There were two more S-rank Hunters out there by birth, but they weren’t likely to show up out of nowhere. Even if they did, he’d be able to handle himself—after all, they were equals.
“Still, don’t do anything reckless. Make sure you eat properly, and go home early. Are you outside?”
[Yeah. I’m heading home soon.]
“Alright. If you can, bring me back home soon too.”
[Only if you behave.]
The nerve of this kid, talking to his older brother like that. Still, hearing his voice was enough to put me at ease. Once the call ended, Seong Hyunjae took my phone away again.
“Now, after a light evening walk, a shower, and putting you to bed, today’s schedule will be complete. They recommend lights out before eleven. Should I sing you a lullaby?”
“No thanks.”
A lullaby, seriously? That would scare sleep away even if I had been tired. And then, that very night, an uninvited guest arrived.
–TL Notes–
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