Epilogue (2)
“Mister…”
Park Yerim stared blankly at Moon Hyunah. Her eyes said she could not understand a word of it.
Then the conference room door opened.
It was Han Yuhyun. He came in without a trace of expression, closed and locked the door behind him, and stood in front of it as if guarding the room. Moon Hyunah glanced at him, then continued her explanation.
“Yerim. The most beloved hero is a dead one.”
“…A dead one?”
“Yeah. You’ve probably experienced this too, but people like exceptional people and hate them at the same time. It’s hard to completely erase the urge to compare yourself to others, to feel jealous, to compete. The boss had to put up with plenty of that too. He didn’t do a single thing wrong, and some people still found reasons to curse him out.”
Because his brother was an S-rank. Because he was an F-rank, yet kept company with S-ranks. Because he had a special skill. Because he was famous and rich. Because he stood out, for no real reason at all. Park Yerim’s face twisted sharply.
“Then those weird people are the ones in the wrong!”
“They are. The ones who couldn’t swallow their jealousy and came at him with poison in their mouths, their hands, or their knives, those people were wrong. But even people who don’t let it spill out in such ugly ways still feel jealousy. And honestly, competitiveness itself isn’t a bad thing. Sometimes it’s necessary. It comes from wanting to become as capable as someone else, wanting to live a better life. Without it, we might still be standing around with stone axes.”
Moon Hyunah smiled faintly as she spoke. If the emotion led not to tearing others down or harming them, but to sharpening oneself, it was, in many ways, a useful and even healthy feeling.
“But it can still leave behind little bits of discomfort toward the other person. Sometimes large ones. And the boss in particular started as an F-rank, stood shoulder to shoulder with S-ranks, and in the end, saved the world. That’s incredible. Amazing, even. But at the same time, there are bound to be a lot of people who find that threatening.”
Some people would clap for him with pure admiration. But some would feel a sense of relative deprivation. Some would resent him and ask why only Han Yujin got to be special. Some would dismiss him by saying he was simply lucky, that it was all because he happened to get a special skill.
“And it’s not only individual emotions. The boss’s influence has grown too large. Not only the Hunter world, but existing powers of every kind will start to see him as something to guard against. More than anything, Director Han could become the center that unites S-rank Hunters who’ve always moved separately. You know, one major reason S-rank Hunters were accepted into existing society as smoothly as they were is because of their personal dispositions.”
There were already many groups in the world that held power. Old powers usually did not welcome new ones. Even if they had no choice but to accept Hunters because of the dungeons, the existing authorities still held social influence in their hands, and that meant they could put pressure on Hunters in all sorts of ways.
But high-rank Hunters, especially S-rank Hunters, rarely mingled closely with one another. They might form friendships, but they did not share the same territory. Because of that, high-rank Hunters had chosen to remain individuals inside the current society, instead of banding together to create a new order and a world of their own. Thanks to that, the existing powers judged them less threatening. There had been occasional pressure and clashes, but they had not tried to actively exclude them.
“As an F-rank, he can win sympathy from non-Awakened people and low-to-mid-rank Hunters. He has the acknowledgment of high-rank Hunters, deep personal ties with multiple S-rank Hunters, and on top of that, he protected our world. In other words, the environment is already perfect for a massive new faction centered around Han Yujin to form. No, maybe I should say it’s already half-formed.”
“…But Mister isn’t going to go around wielding power or anything!”
“What the boss thinks doesn’t matter. A snake only sees other snakes. Even if the boss announces that he’s retiring to raise kids, they’ll suspect he has some hidden agenda. But a dead person.”
A person who no longer existed in this world.
“Is safe.”
Moon Hyunah’s voice was bitter.
“He’s no threat. There’s no need to compete with him, either. He’s already been removed from the field. He becomes someone they can revere without suspicion or wariness. Someone who, even if he stood so far above them in life that they could only look up at him, they’re allowed to pity now. Someone they can feel sorry for. A dead hero is the easiest person in the world to love.”
Park Yerim pressed her lips tight. Her eyes trembled, filled with a complicated mess of thoughts and feelings.
“And the people who still hate him won’t be able to run their mouths carelessly about a dead man. Especially when that man lost his life saving the world. If they say the wrong thing, they’ll be the ones dragged through the mud. So for a while, the whole world will be on the boss’s side.”
“But what’s the point, if Mister isn’t here…”
Moon Hyunah turned her head. Her eyes met Hangyeol’s, who was half-held in Kang Soyeong’s arms. His golden eyes were a little wet. They had explained what had happened to Han Yujin, but the fact that his daddy would not be coming back anytime soon still seemed to hurt.
“Byeol, you understand that people are going to think Director Han, your daddy, passed away, right?”
“Passed away?”
“They’re going to think your daddy died.”
Kang Soyeong explained it again to Han Byeol, who did not understand phrasing very well.
“But your daddy will come back alive. He will. No matter what.”
“Okay.”
Han Byeol nodded as though it did not bother her at all. Perhaps because she still had faint memories from when she had been a monster, before being born again, she did not seem to find the idea of a dead person coming back to life strange. Han Seol’s face, too, remained calm.
“That super-strong guy… You know, the, uh… grand…father. The person who looks kind of like Uncle. You can trust him.”
Young Chaos had comforted Han Byeol by telling her there was nothing he had failed to protect. At the word grandfather, the anxiety on Hangyeol’s face eased a little as well. After all, they had said he was the strongest Transcendent.
Watching them, Moon Hyunah spoke to Park Yerim again.
“This is what the boss wants. The last wish of a dead man.”
“Mister’s… Ah, is this about the kids? He said he was going to make a school.”
“Right. The goblins too, and the monsters at the Breeding Facility. He’s going to make sure beings even more alien to society than Awakened people and dungeons are accepted into it. The wish of the hero who gave his life for the world!”
Han Yujin had told Moon Hyunah and Song Taewon that he would become the F-rank who saved the world and sacrificed himself. And he had asked them to take good care of the children. Both of them had understood what he meant.
“There was plenty of opposition to the boss’s plan to create an educational facility exclusively for young Awakened people. Isn’t that right, Director Song?”
“Yes. There were concerns not only domestically, but from overseas as well.”
Song Taewon nodded as he answered.
“We push every related issue through while the world is mourning the boss. Change laws if we need to. The goblins haven’t actually been accepted as people yet, either. Legally speaking, they’re floating in midair. The boss also left unfinished business regarding monsters. And on top of that, there are the issues of low-rank Hunters, support types, and special types.”
Everything they could do, they would do.
The dead were eventually forgotten. The atmosphere of mourning would not last all that long either. But during that brief window when world opinion stood firmly on Han Yujin’s side, they would be able to push through most things. Moon Hyunah turned to Han Yuhyun.
“Of course, if we force it too recklessly, people will start asking whether this is really what Han Yujin wanted. So we need cooperation from the Haeyeon Guild Leader. Yours too, Yerim.”
“If it is what hyung wanted, I will cooperate.”
“Me too, obviously!”
“First, the children–”
That was when it happened.
Everyone’s voices stopped.
Even their breathing stopped.
Their eyes went wide and shook.
Han Yujin was dead.
It was a revelation of sorts. A fact as natural as common sense. Like the sun rising and setting, like day and night cycling one after the other, the death of Han Yujin was recognized by every intelligent being in this world as something obvious and true.
Even the people who knew Han Yujin had not actually died were no exception.
“…Ah, Mister.”
Park Yerim was the first to burst into tears. Han Yujin was dead. The claim that he would not die was a lie. He was unmistakably dead. Hangyeol’s sobs could be heard. Kang Soyeong, asking what she should do, tried desperately to soothe him. Noah’s face turned pale, and even Liette looked thrown off. Moon Hyunah let out a long sigh, and Song Taewon’s expression darkened. Peace gave a low whine. After turning once in place, he went to the children and sat beside them, curling his tail around his body as if to enclose them.
A moment later, a phone rang. Moon Hyunah fumbled slightly as she answered it.
“…Yeah. We’ll come up soon.”
Amid that grief-stricken voice, Park Yerim lifted her blurred gaze. She looked around for Han Yuhyun. She had meant to trade comfort with him, since they were in similar positions.
“…Ah.”
Han Yuhyun was calm.
With a face no different from usual, he was looking at a fixed point in empty air.
The sight struck Park Yerim’s mind like lightning.
Han Yuhyun was fine.
Park Yerim quickly wiped away her tears.
Then she smiled.
“Mister’s safe, right? That’s what this means, right?”
At the sound of Park Yerim’s voice, everyone else turned toward Han Yuhyun at once. Moon Hyunah hurriedly ended the call.
“Look at him! Han Yuhyun’s perfectly fine and alive! So Mister must be alive too! Right?”
Han Yuhyun slowly nodded.
“Hyung is safe.”
That single sentence was stronger proof than anything else. His myth-rank title supported Han Yuhyun’s words and even affected those who heard them. Park Yerim’s face brightened completely. Moon Hyunah belatedly muttered, “Right. That’s true.”
“The boss really wasn’t going to die. The effect of that skill is scary.”
“I heard it clearly myself, and still I ended up believing Director Han had died. Gyeol, Seol, Byeol, your daddy’s safe!”
“Okay!”
Hangyeol nodded hard, while Han Byeol tilted her head. Han Seol hugged Han Byeol tightly.
“Honey may be weak, but he’s not the kind of person who dies that easily.”
“Yes. I’m glad Yujin is safe.”
“Peace! Mister isn’t dead!”
Park Yerim grabbed Peace and told him it was okay. But Peace merely pricked his ears a few times, unable to properly take in Park Yerim’s explanation.
“Since Han Yuhyun is fine, Mister is fine too. But how do we teach Peace that?”
Amid the sudden bustle, Song Taewon stepped forward.
“For now, as Hunter Moon Hyunah suggested, we will handle Han Yujin’s status as deceased. Therefore, I ask that none of you reveal anything about the skill. The children should be all right. Even if they say their father did not die, people will simply think the adults lied to them.”
“Right. It must be chaos outside, so let’s get our story straight and go. The boss will be treated as dead, but since he will return eventually, Yuhyun, say something along the lines of waiting for your brother.”
“Yes. It would be better to say that it is not impossible for a person to return alive, but that the possibility is low.”
“I died and came back to life too, you know.”
“…I will keep close watch to make sure my sister does not say anything unnecessary.”
“Say you’ll observe the traditional Korean three-year mourning period or something, and don’t file a death report during that time. If he’s legally declared dead too, the Breeding Facility, his assets, and everything else will get complicated. Actually, it might not be a bad idea to change the law so a Hunter’s missing-presumed-dead period takes longer to become legal death. We have Seong Hyunjae too.”
“Ah, our guild leader!”
Kang Soyeong shouted as though she had briefly forgotten. Then she grimaced dramatically, saying they had a lot of work to do.
Everyone put their heads together, made their plans, aligned their stories, and then left the conference room. Several helicopters were hovering above the rooftop. Seok Gimyeong and Kim Seonghan rushed over as soon as they saw Han Yuhyun. Seo Kyunghoon was there too, looking bewildered.
“Guild Leader, Director Han Yujin–”
Han Yuhyun nodded calmly and told them to prepare a press conference. Kang Soyeong took a helicopter straight to Sesung. Moon Hyunah and Song Taewon were busy calling one person after another. Park Yerim looked out over the deafening rooftop and up at the sky.
‘Mister, it’s total chaos.’
And it was.
The world had been turned upside down.
Every intelligent being had recognized Han Yujin’s death at the same time. It made no sense, and yet no one found it strange. The news of Han Yujin’s death poured out in every language, and posts of every kind flooded in. Since it was accepted as a “truth” that did not need to be verified, breaking news appeared across every broadcast at once.
Dodam Breeding Facility and Haeyeon Guild were the first to release their position.
[Director Han Yujin of the Breeding Facility gave his life to protect the world. A second London will never happen. Our world is safe.]
Then the Breaker Guild Leader, the Chief of the Awakener Management Office, Liette, who was famous as an S-rank Hunter, and Noah, the only S-rank support type, all said similar things. Sesung Guild announced its situation a step later.
[Sesung Guild Leader Seong Hyunjae will enter seclusion for the time being in order to recover from the injuries he sustained in the final battle. Acting Sesung Guild Leader, Hunter Kang Soyeong.]
The Sesung Guild Leader had been injured badly enough that he could not operate. That news lent credibility to the statement that Han Yujin had saved the world and died. People agreed that it must have been an unimaginably fierce battle.
– He died in the dream world? But it was a dream?
└ Han Yujin was real, though.
└ We were the dream. Han Yujin and his group were real.
– I can’t believe seeing him in a dream was the last time…
– I didn’t even like him that much, so why am I crying?
– knew this would happen when an f-rank started acting all important lol good riddance
└ You’re getting sued.
└ Let’s kill this bastard instead and bring Han Yujin back.
└ If you are human, then even if you cannot feel grateful, you should not say such terrible things. Please keep your heart kind.
– Round up every crazy bastard talking garbage and send them to Dodam and Haeyeon. They’re good at lawsuits.
– Didn’t the Haeyeon Guild Leader love his brother like crazy? What about Yerim T_T T_T T_T
– Wasn’t Han Yujin taking care of Hangyeol? If even Seong Hyunjae can’t come out, it must’ve been serious.
– Haeyeon Guild Leader’s doing an interview soon!
Han Yuhyun appeared in front of the assembled reporters.
But he was not alone. Other than Hangyeol, who was already known, two more children trotted after Han Yuhyun. The reporters looked at the children in confusion. The people watching the broadcast were curious too.
– SO CUTE!!!!1111111111111
– Why are there three kids? There are two more now????
– Doesn’t the black-haired kid look like the Haeyeon Guild Leader?
└ I think the smallest one looks like Director Dodam.
– The black-haired kid’s eyes are unusual. Do those two turn into dragons like Gyeol too?
└ Put Soyeong there and see how she reacts. Then we’ll know.
└ If you only look at Gyeol, no. If you look at the other kids too, they’re all dragons.
Han Yuhyun caught Han Byeol as she suddenly started running. The child, squirming in Han Yuhyun’s arms, abruptly transformed into a baby monster.
– Whoa!
– A chinchilla? But the ears are long.
– she’s so freaking cute T_T T_T T_T T_T T_T T_T T_T T_T
– She squeaked. She went kkyuik.
The reporters began murmuring as well. Han Yuhyun slowly opened his mouth.
“Hunter Han Yujin, director of Dodam Monster Mounts. My brother. He has left us.”
His voice was steady.
“These three children are my brother’s children, entrusted to me by him in his final moments.”
Unable to hide his nervousness, Hangyeol stood straight beside Han Yuhyun and looked into the cameras. Han Seol looked up at Han Byeol.
“All three of them are far from ordinary children. But my brother wanted these children to be accepted as ordinary members of our world, and to live freely as they were born. Not only them, but other Awakened children, goblins who are different from humans, monsters who live alongside humans, and all other beings, each different in their own way. He wanted all of them to belong, naturally and without fear, in the world he protected.”
Han Yuhyun lowered his eyes slightly. The cameras filled with the image of him, his face steeped in deep sorrow.
–TL Notes–
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