[ My People (4) ]
I was about to nag Park Yerim to knock before entering someone else’s house when she strode in confidently.
‘What is this bullshit?!’
I was left speechless after seeing Yerim.
Honestly, it was like the shabby middle schooler in her track suit had transformed into a teenage model who could star in a sports drink commercial. It wasn’t just that she got a makeover; she looked completely different.
Her face was naturally enhanced, as if she had makeup on, with a charm that was brought out effortlessly. She was wearing shorts that allowed for movement and a t-shirt that exposed her arms. Her short, curly hair added a touch of androgyny, reminding me of the cheerful boy-gods from Greek mythology.
It seemed like her appearance was tailored with a focus on the Hermes’ Shoes skill. She definitely looked like a pretty boy who could take off at any moment. It suited her, and she really did look beautiful, but…
‘…The Ice Witch is completely gone.’
The cold and aloof beauty was nowhere to be seen. Well, she’s still young… she’ll change as she grows up. Not that it really matters to me how she changes, but it does feel strange seeing a future I thought I knew so well change so drastically.
“Who’s…”
Yu Myungwoo, seeing Yerim suddenly appear, asked. Yerim’s previously smiling face instantly hardened.
The girl approached quickly, leaping lightly over the table, grabbed Myungwoo by the back of his neck, and half-threw him into the corner of the sofa before sitting down next to me.
“What’s with you clinging to Mister like that?”
Park Yerim glared at Yu Myungwoo, her eyes narrowing sharply.
You’re sticking to me too, you know. Of course, there’s no comparison between a grown man and a cute middle school girl.
“A, no, I…”
Yu Myungwoo stammered under her fierce gaze, shrinking back. He looked pathetic, but I didn’t feel any sympathy. Maybe this’ll teach him to stop being so clingy.
“You, sit apart. And knock before entering someone else’s house.”
“I was so excited to show you my new outfit that I forgot.”
She jumped up and spread her arms wide.
“How do I look?”
“Pretty.”
“Don’t I look a bit like a boy?”
“Cute.”
“Aren’t you being too half-hearted?”
What more can I say? Maybe five years later, but right now, no matter how pretty you are, you’re still just a kid.
“You’re really pretty and cute. I was so surprised that I didn’t recognize you.”
Only then did she smile, satisfied. Ah, I’m your guardian, not your dad. But I can’t exactly say that to a kid who really doesn’t have a dad, so I’ll just have to deal with it.
“But who’s that old man?” (TL Note: Okay, this is annoying. Yerim likes to use Ajeossi to pretty much every older man. But the meanings are different. She uses in an endearing way for the MC, calls her actual Uncle that, and uses as a jab to other older men)
Yerim asked, glancing at the wary Yu Myungwoo.
“A friend.”
“Oh, really? Hello.”
Yerim’s unexpectedly polite greeting made Yu Myungwoo visibly relax. I had told him that everyone except me in this house was at least A-rank, so it’s no wonder he was scared of a girl suddenly glaring at him.
But that guy really is too timid.
“Uh, hi… I’m Yu Myungwoo.”
“I’m Park Yerim. Han Yujin is my guardian. Are you just visiting?”
Yu Myungwoo’s tense body completely relaxed at her cheerful tone. He smiled as he answered.
“No, due to circumstances, I’ll be staying here for a few days.”
“Staying? Don’t you have a house?”
“What? No, it’s not that I don’t have one…”
“Then why?”
As Yerim’s voice grew sharper, a red alert went off in my mind. If I leave things as they are, that little tongue of hers will shred Myungwoo to pieces. Look at her, her eyes are getting fierce again.
“Yerim, stop.”
“But! I live separately too!”
“Enough, sit down.”
“…Yes.”
At least she listens to me, which is a relief. Though I do find it a bit odd how obedient she is. If I were about twelve years older, I’d probably look like her dad.
…She doesn’t actually think I’m her real dad, right?
“Both of you, get along. You’ll be training together for the beginner hunter course.”
“It wasn’t just going to be the two of us?”
“I have to train with this girl?”
They both shouted simultaneously, then glanced at each other before Myungwoo quickly lowered his eyes.
“Yerim, I told you not to do that.”
You might end up regretting it later. High-rank equipment is incredibly important to hunters; glaring at a future top-tier crafter like that isn’t a good idea.
“I’ll say it again, but get along. You’re both my dear friends and charges.”
Ideally, they’d get close enough that they’d leave me alone and enjoy themselves. But looking at them now, that seems impossible.
“Mister, who do you care about more?”
“You’re both the same.”
I answered offhandedly, and Yerim frowned.
“There has to be some small difference. Even just a tiny bit.”
“Well…”
Yerim was one thing, but why was Myungwoo looking at me with that expectant expression?
“I like people who are diligent and work hard.”
So, work hard while I take it easy. Maybe then I really will like you twice as much as I do now.
“I’m going to the training room to stretch a bit!”
Yerim suddenly stood up and announced. Myungwoo followed suit.
“T-then I’ll… start preparing dinner!”
Watching them both leave in a hurry felt oddly refreshing. I should’ve done this sooner.
‘…Though, it probably won’t last long.’
For now, they’re sticking close to me, but how long can that really last?
Yerim is an S-rank combat hunter. She’ll soon be famous, making tons of money, and too busy living her own dazzling life.
The same goes for Yu Myungwoo. Once he acquires that SS-rank crafting skill, people from all over the world will come begging for him to make equipment. Not just A-ranks, but even S-ranks will bow and plead with him.
They’ll be praised and loved by countless people. By then, would I even cross their minds?
Even though I keep saying they’re a hassle, the thought of that certain future felt a bit lonely.
‘But still, it’s best if they live well on their own.’
If they stick around even after they become famous, it’ll just make things harder for me. Dealing with just Yuhyun was already more than enough; having three of them would be unbearable.
Just as I was about to head over to Peace, my phone rang. It was Seok Gimyeong.
‘Why’s this guy calling again?’
We met this morning, so why is he calling again? It’s Sunday; go home early and take a break. I’m against working on the weekend.
[Hunter Kim Seonghan has told me what happened.]
His smooth voice said. That was quick. Judging by his tone, it didn’t seem like he was calling to blame me for any issues.
[To think you’d use the hunter contract in such a way. You’ve surprised me once again.]
“…Excuse me?”
Ah… I guess people don’t use it like that yet.
[It’s a simple idea that anyone could come up with, yet I’m embarrassed to say I never thought of it. This is what they call Columbus’ egg, isn’t it?] (TL Note: A task that seems impossible, but becomes easy once you understand it)
“It’s nothing.”
I didn’t come up with it, and it’s a method that everyone will eventually use. I can’t really explain it.
“You can only use it on limited targets anyway. The person has to sign the contract and agree to it directly.”
If the other party refuses to sign, you can’t use it. Plus, they need to be fully aware of the contract’s contents, so you can’t trick them into signing it either.
“Moreover, it doesn’t work if the person truly believes they aren’t lying. In that case, it could even backfire.”
There was an incident overseas like that. A major guild went bankrupt.
[I see. That’s certainly possible.]
“No matter how effective something is, you shouldn’t blindly rely on a piece of parchment. As long as skills exist, there will always be loopholes.”
Skills are diverse, and their applications are even more so. They keep overturning established rules, so you can’t stick to common sense when dealing with them.
It’s only been three years since dungeons and awakenings began. Once the chaos settles and people start adapting, changes will accelerate even more.
[Thank you for your insights. It makes me want to have a longer conversation with you.]
“There isn’t much helpful information I can offer…”
Actually, there’s a lot I could say. If I used the information I know just for myself, I’d probably just invest in some stocks. But if the Haeyeon Guild had that knowledge, they could change a lot of things.
‘…I did decide not to get too involved.’
But is it really okay to reveal these things? Honestly, it makes me uneasy. Especially if the future I know changes, making what I know no longer valid.
Even if I act like I know everything, people’s expectations of me will rise. But if the future shifts because of what I say, I’ll go from being a wise seer to just some fool spouting nonsense.
So it’s best to know my limits. I absolutely don’t want to end up shunned by everyone again because I overstepped.
…But maybe just one or two things wouldn’t hurt.
Something did come to mind.
“If you’re truly willing to listen to me, may I offer one piece of advice?”
[Please go ahead.]
I made sure Yu Myungwoo was in the kitchen before walking over to the window. From this distance, there’s no way someone with F-rank stats could hear me. Having a big house is nice.
“I understand there’s an upcoming bid for a new A-rank dungeon.”
When a new dungeon is discovered late and urgently needs to be tackled, the Hunter Association usually coordinates support. But when there’s enough time before the dungeon shock, a bidding process takes place.
The rewards for the first clear are the best, and the guild that clears it first gets priority in managing the dungeon, so the higher the rank of the dungeon, the higher the bid and competition.
[You’re referring to the dungeon in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province.]
“Yes. That dungeon… will likely be a Slime or coastal environment.”
It’s specifically a Slime dungeon. Slimes are valuable monsters whose entire bodies, not just their magic stones, can be used as materials for various products. It’s said that having a single A-rank Slime dungeon is enough to eliminate any financial worries for a guild.
In my memory, the A-rank Slime dungeon in Icheon was taken by MKC, one of the top three guilds. They sure loved to exploit their monopoly on production materials.
The coastal environment, which is similar in terms of expectations, has a slightly lower grade but is still a dungeon rich in valuable resources.
[…Can you really know that in advance?]
After a brief silence, Seok Gimyeong asked in a much lower voice. It must be hard to believe.
“There’s a sort of pattern to dungeon creation.”
It’s not just an excuse; it’s true. Though it’s hard to predict now, in about three years, we’ll be able to roughly estimate the environment and monsters of newly formed dungeons.
[A pattern?]
“Yes. The sequence, location, surrounding environment, and other factors play a role. Of course, it’s not exact, so please just take it as a reference. With the current capabilities of the Haeyeon Guild, bidding for this A-rank dungeon shouldn’t be too much of a stretch. Even if you don’t trust my words, there’s no harm in participating in the bid.”
There was another long silence on the other end of the phone.
It must be a lot to think about. If it’s really possible to identify a dungeon’s condition before the first clear, it would give them a huge advantage over other guilds.
[…The bidding process for the dungeon isn’t under my jurisdiction, but I’ll make a strong recommendation.]
Seok Gimyeong finally replied after a long pause. Even if it’s not under his control, he’s high enough in rank that he should be able to push it through.
[After the new A-rank dungeon has been cleared, could we perhaps discuss other dungeons as well?]
“If possible. It’s still difficult to calculate.”
The calculations are quite complex, and I don’t know how to do them. I’m just relying on my memories.
“Please keep this secret.”
I can trust Seok Gimyeong. Even five years from now, he was still a solid pillar of the Haeyeon Guild. Yuhyun was always lucky with people. Except for me.
[Don’t worry. I’ll keep this more secure than even the guild leader’s personal information. I’ll be in touch soon.]
Unlike when he first called, Seok Gimyeong ended the conversation with a cautious tone. It felt like he had shifted from treating me as a promising subordinate to an equal.
‘This much should be okay.’
It’s about time the pressure from the top three guilds intensifies. Yuhyun, and Yerim, and Yu Myungwoo as well. As future guild leaders and key members, they won’t be able to avoid getting caught up in it.
Even though I keep saying they should take care of themselves, these are still my people—those I’ve raised and brought here.
‘Let’s just take what belongs to the top three guilds and give it to Haeyeon.’
It’s better for our country if Haeyeon holds the power. I may not know everything about the Haeyeon Guild, but their guild leader is the kind of guy who would sacrifice himself to save his worthless older brother. They have to be better than those giant guilds colluding with big corporations.
So, I’ll help out a little.
–TL Notes–
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