Epilogue (6)
[Resolution to Grant Human Rights to Nonhuman Races Adopted at UN Special General Assembly]
One month after Han Yujin’s death, a special session of the UN General Assembly was convened.
The meeting had been called to address the London incident, the anomalies surrounding it, and the reality that had begun to change in its aftermath. The central agenda item was London. But the subject that drew the most attention was the goblins.
[The granting of human rights to nonhuman races will be divided into individual recognition and species recognition.]
The nonhuman races to be treated as equal persons would not be limited to goblins.
People had learned that beings from outside the world existed. There were also many Hunters who had experienced that truth firsthand as members of Han Yujin’s team. A nonhuman race could be born on Earth, like the goblins, or it could enter from beyond Earth. For that reason, the treatment of nonhuman races could not be defined with goblins alone in mind.
[If a majority of a species can communicate smoothly through translation items, and if the species’ average intellectual capacity exceeds a set standard, the species itself shall be defined as persons possessing human rights.]
From the experiences of the S-Rank Hunters who had directly encountered beings from beyond the world, they had confirmed one fact. If an intelligent species possessed culture, translation items worked even with languages that did not exist on Earth.
By contrast, translation items were useless on monsters that possessed no culture.
For that reason, the bare minimum standard for recognition as an intelligent species was set as the applicability of translation items.
[If the species does not meet the standard, but an individual specimen does, only that individual shall be defined as a person possessing human rights.]
If only one individual was exceptionally advanced, then only that individual would be accepted as a person. This provision had been made with the potential intellectualization of high-ranking monsters in mind.
If the world had abruptly announced that it would accept nonhuman races as equal to humans, resistance would have been fierce. But not much time had passed since the goblins’ achievements had become known worldwide. People were favorable toward the goblins, yes, but more than that, the fact that their own countries and cities could one day face a similar threat suppressed their hostility.
Of course, opposition did not disappear completely.
[Of course, goblins appear to be a cheerful, harmless race that is friendly toward humans. There is no doubt that accepting goblins as our neighbors will bring far more benefit than harm. Goblins are known to desire little beyond food and pranks. Because their innate nature and abilities differ from ours, there is little chance that they will compete with us over wealth, employment, or many other values.
A kind and helpful neighbor with whom there is no need to compete. What could be more welcome than that?
However, we must not rashly assume that every nonhuman race will be like the goblins. It is far too early to establish human rights regulations for all nonhuman races, not only goblins. Even accepting the goblins was an extraordinarily early decision.
After all, have we even fully excavated the depths of ourselves, whom we define as civilized people? From forty thousand years ago to the present day?
We know even less about the goblins. That is something we must always keep in mind, and never forget.]
There were people who opposed it blindly, and there were also those who argued that while goblins were indeed intelligent beings, accepting them had been too quick and too hasty a decision. Some of those arguments were worth listening to. But before practical benefits, they were easily pushed aside.
Korea had accepted the goblins.
Korea had become safer.
Then what about our country?
Our country too.
“I am Ney. Two years ago, when a dungeon burst open, I absorbed part of that power. But only after the King came was I finally able to awaken with a sense of self.”
Immediately after goblins were accepted as people not only in Korea but throughout the world, Yun Yun began traveling abroad in order to give birth to new goblins.
Among them were old objects that, like Yun Yun, had been affected by the power of dungeons, yet had failed to transform into goblins. Those goblins tended to be especially high in rank, sometimes reaching B-Rank or even A-Rank.
“Ahem. You may come with me, or you may remain here! You may.”
“In that case, I will remain here and watch over my homeland and the other goblins.”
“Understood. I appoint you as, uh, deputy governor of the Turkish goblins. Here’s my business card. This is my phone number. Get a phone activated and send me your number.”
The newly born goblins sometimes followed Yun Yun, but many chose to remain in their homelands. In particular, the older and higher-ranking they were, the deeper their attachment tended to be to the land where they had stayed.
[Turkey’s B-Rank Goblin Ney Possesses Long-Distance Portal Skill]
[Turkish Government Establishes Goblin Village]
A— to B-Rank goblins possessed portal skills as well. They were not ultra-long-distance portals like Yun Yun’s, which could cross the entire world, but they were still exceptional skills that could be used not only for emergency evacuation, but in countless other ways.
“Boss Kim Seobaaaang! I’m the clock here! The clock that was hanging right here thirty years ago!”
“My grandmother’s clock! That really is the wall clock that got stolen all those years ago!”
“Wow, the youngest Boss Kim Seobang used to be this tiny, and now he’s huge!”
Just like Yun Yun, there were goblins who gained human families.
This was especially common among old objects that were no longer used, but had been carefully kept because of the memories they held. They had not been thrown away. But because they were no longer used, one could say they had been abandoned from their original purpose.
Those goblins stayed with their families.
Goblins born from objects that had been treasured.
Their human families became a great help as the goblins settled into their new lives.
Of course, there were not no incidents at all. But the goblins blended into society quickly.
“So they really wouldn’t approve anything inside Seoul.”
Park Yerim sounded disappointed.
After a little over a month, the planned site for the specialized Awakener education facility had been decided. It was in Gyeonggi Province, near the Monster Mount breeding facility and the high-ranking Hunter training center. She had hoped that at least the kindergarten could be built in Seoul, but, as expected, approval had not come through.
“Then will the kids commute from here? Mister had been thinking of building a new house over there.”
“Because hyung isn’t here.”
Han Yuhyun answered while reviewing the documents covering the desk.
“We have to protect the house until hyung comes back.”
“True. I’m here, and Peace and Blue are here, and if anything happens, Soyeong and Noah can help too, so getting the kids back and forth won’t be hard. They said they’re building the kindergarten and elementary school first, right?”
Park Yerim circled around the Haeyeon Guildmaster’s work desk, her brows repeatedly furrowing and relaxing. There were a lot of complicated-looking documents. She had once declared with full confidence that she would take that seat one day, but it still seemed a little too early. Schoolwork alone was already annoying.
“In the beginning, the main students will be goblins. The focus will be on socialization education.”
Human Awakened children were scheduled to be admitted around the time Hangyeol and Han Seol entered elementary school. Unlike goblins, who needed socialization and basic common sense first and did not require college entrance preparation, there was much more to prepare for human children. Even so, there was only about a year left.
“Mister has to come back before the kids start kindergarten. More than a month has already gone by. Hyunah’s birthday passed too, and the day after tomorrow is Chief Song’s birthday!”
And Mister and Sesung Mister are both gone!
Park Yerim let out a deep sigh.
At this rate, they’re not going to miss my birthday too, are they?
Kang Soyeong acquired a snack factory.
Then she began mass-producing candies, chocolates, and snacks printed with Song Taewon’s photograph and birthday messages. Since Song Taewon could not receive them himself, she distributed them nationwide instead.
Along with event vehicles plastered from end to end with Happy Birthday, Chief Song messages.
“I’m not giving them directly to Chief Song, so it’s fine, isn’t it? It’s not like he’s running for office.”
“…But.”
“It’s still better than what the Guildmaster would’ve done. It probably is. Maybe?”
“…Yes.”
With an exhausted expression, Song Taewon nodded without conviction.
A suspicion rose in him. Was Kang Soyeong truly better than Seong Hyunjae? After seeing dozens of dragon-shaped advertising balloons carrying birthday messages, that suspicion only grew stronger.
But Song Taewon’s real birthday ordeal began that evening.
He had lost to the argument that a birthday party absolutely had to be held, and that the children were looking forward to it. And at that party—
“My dear big brother! Hi!”
Hwang Rim, who had been out of contact for some time, appeared.
Happy birthday, big brother, Hwang Rim said, sending him a wink along with an enormous bouquet of flowers.
As the people around them wondered whether the two of them had really been that close, Song Taewon felt the illusion of his insides beginning to ache.
“Hello, Little Song. I’m your daddy’s little brother~♡”
– Baaah.
“You’re wearing such a pretty ribbon tie too. How adorable.”
“…Hunter Hwang Rim.”
“Yes, big brother?”
“Why are you here?”
Hwang Rim crouched in front of the lamb and placed both hands under his chin like a flower, smiling brightly.
“I came so I could live happily and harmoniously with my big brother. I’ve tidied everything up too. From now on, I too will live a wholesome life full of brotherly love with my family—”
“I refuse. More importantly, I am not your brother.”
“Okay, okay. For public purposes, we’ll say we’re sworn brothers. I know very well that big brother is delicate.”
Song Taewon felt Han Yuhyun, who had attended with the children because they liked birthday parties, silently watching Hwang Rim. There had to be lingering resentment over what had happened with Han Yujin. If the children had not been present, he might already have drawn his weapon.
For one brief instant, Song Taewon thought that, just this once, he did not want to stop Han Yuhyun.
Fortunately, Moon Hyunah stepped forward first and hooked Hwang Rim’s neck with a giant candy cane.
“Where did this oversized bug crawl in from without an invitation? Let’s go outside quietly, hm?”
“Aw, come on, big sis.”
Hwang Rim was dragged out without resistance.
The next day, however, he formally applied for residency and naturalization. An S-Rank Hunter would be accepted by any country without conditions, but there were exceptions. The issue was his relationship with the country’s existing S-Rank Hunters.
Han Yuhyun and Noah opposed it, saying there were risk factors. Park Yerim and Moon Hyunah left it to Song Taewon. Kang Soyeong, speaking in Seong Hyunjae’s place, also sent the answer, Chief Song can handle it himself. Park Mingyu of Hanshin had little interest in the matter.
In the end, Song Taewon approved Hwang Rim’s stay, but put naturalization on hold.
“…If he causes no disturbances during his period of residence, I will make a decision afterward.”
After answering with a heavy expression, Song Taewon sent Hwang Rim a restraining order through the Hunter Association.
The Puppeteer looked out the window.
It was April, and spring was deepening. Sigma lay on the bed in the room. Unlike the Puppeteer, he had not yet woken.
“You’re saying it’ll take a few more months?”
Moon Hyunah asked the Puppeteer. The Puppeteer and Sigma had been hidden in Moon Hyunah’s villa all this time.
“Once he was completely separated from the Pseudo-Origin, he spent too much power maintaining himself. If he had accepted my time, he never would have fallen asleep.”
“Then you would be the one who couldn’t wake up. A few months will pass in no time.”
Moon Hyunah loosely crossed her arms and looked at the Puppeteer. His face resembled Han Yujin’s, but she could still tell he was a different person. Perhaps the difference was something like an older cousin.
“You can call yourself Director Han’s relative, or since the law passed, you can call yourself nonhuman. Do whatever feels easier.”
“I have no intention of leaving until Sigma wakes. If you can no longer provide this place—”
“It’s a villa I barely use anyway, so please stay as long as you like. I have no intention of throwing out guests I brought here myself.”
Moon Hyunah spoke with a light laugh.
The Puppeteer let out a faint sigh and looked at the sleeping Sigma.
During that time, he had heard that the Gardener had died. Seong Hyunjae had been taken by Crescent Moon, and Han Yujin had left to save him.
“…Judging by the fact that I feel Han Yujin’s death, it seems I have certainly been incorporated into this world.”
“I heard transcendent-class people aren’t affected.”
“I’m not even S-Rank now. I barely have enough left to maintain my sense of self. My memories and experience are intact, so I can protect my own body, at least.”
His words were bitter, but the ends of the Puppeteer’s lips curved gently upward.
In the end, he had protected what he wanted to protect.
That was enough.
“By the way, could Sigma pretend to be Seong Hyunjae?”
“What?”
“No, Soyeong asked. She says things are starting to get dangerous.”
Sesung Guildmaster Seong Hyunjae had now been secluded for nearly two months. They had raised a commotion on Han Yujin’s, Moon Hyunah’s, and Song Taewon’s birthdays, exactly as Seong Hyunjae might have done, but no one had actually seen him.
“Rumors are starting to grow that he might be dead.”
“…There’s no harm in contact with people from this world. It should help to some degree, too. Even if he is confused with the Pseudo-Origin now, it shouldn’t cause a problem.”
After considering it for a moment, the Puppeteer looked straight at Moon Hyunah.
“The fee?”
“Hm?”
“According to the information I know, Sesung Guild is a massive corporation, and its guildmaster’s influence is significant. In that case, merely helping confirm the guildmaster’s survival should be of considerable value.”
When he implied that a small reward would be nowhere near enough, Moon Hyunah stared at him blankly for a moment before bursting into a quiet laugh.
“You remind me of hyung-nim. I didn’t expect you to ask for money.”
“When you’re raising a child, money is essential. Even more so in an unfamiliar land.”
“Right, right. In that case, rip as much as you can out of Seong Hyunjae’s estate!”
The next day, the Puppeteer and Sigma were secretly moved to one of Seong Hyunjae’s villas. At the same time, ownership of that villa was transferred to the Puppeteer.
[Sesung Guildmaster Seong Hyunjae Currently Sleeping for Recovery]
[At Least Six Months to Over a Year Expected Before Curse Effects Are Completely Resolved]
An article was published along with a photograph of the sleeping Sigma. Kang Soyeong and several Sesung employees stood beside the bed. Emily Spence, the Saintess who had come to confirm his condition, was visible as well.
Emily even gave an interview, stating that he had entered a conditional contract requiring sleep in order to neutralize a powerful curse.
And so the uncertainty surrounding Sesung Guildmaster’s life or death was wrapped up as Sleeping Beauty.
“At this rate, Mister really won’t come back for my birthday either, will he? It’s my first birthday with him!”
Happy birthday, Noah, Park Yerim said, handing over a gift as she whispered softly.
Noah looked regretful.
“I thought he would be back within a month at the longest… Yujin is very late.”
“If it weren’t for Han Yuhyun, I really…”
Park Yerim swallowed the words, I would have thought he was dead.
She did not want to say something so ominous aloud.
– Climb on, little ones!
“Big dragon!”
“Smaller than me.”
“You’re small right now too.”
At Han Seol’s words, Hangyeol frowned. Hangyeol realized his mistake, but he did not take it back. The current Han Seol was a liiittle smaller than him, and that was the truth. They looked almost the same, but in terms of length, Hangyeol, the eldest, was clearly longer.
Han Byeol climbed onto Liette’s back, and Han Seol and Hangyeol climbed up after her. Perhaps because the children were not afraid of her, and because two of them were fellow Dragonkin, Liette played with them surprisingly well.
Kang Soyeong hopped up and down beside them, saying, “Me too.”
“It would be perfect if only Yujin and Myungwoo came back.”
Noah murmured as he watched them.
For now, Liette had not caused any major incidents. Between the building, Emily’s proposal, and everything else, Noah was so busy that even two bodies would not have been enough. But still, it was peaceful.
“There still hasn’t been any news from Myungwoo either, right?”
“No. I’ve been keeping an eye on the forge as well, but the atmosphere is dark, inevitably.”
Liette’s thrashing tail crushed the birthday cake.
Noah calmly had the backup birthday cake prepared.
Even on Park Yerim’s birthday, Han Yujin ultimately did not return.
It was a dazzling, splendid birthday party. There were plenty of people there to congratulate her. She received more birthday presents than she could count.
“Someone I don’t even know sent me a present!”
“That’s normal. They’ve all been checked, so don’t worry about it and just enjoy yourself.”
– Yerim, that ice statue is pretty! Let’s go look at it up close!
Sanho, who stayed quiet in crowded places, was also thoroughly excited and chattered away beside Park Yerim’s ear, at least. In the small pool prepared for Mar, the children and other baby monsters were playing in the water. Park Yerim enjoyed herself too. She blew out the candles on the cake, received congratulations, and opened presents. Outside the windows, fireworks exploded.
During the day, she had held a birthday party with her friends. At night, she fully enjoyed the feeling of being the star of the celebration as an S-Rank Hunter. She smiled and talked so much her cheeks hurt. She played as if nothing were wrong, truly and happily.
But—
“Uwaaah!”
The next morning, while eating leftover seaweed soup, Park Yerim suddenly burst into tears.
It just happened, all at once.
“I miss Mister!”
As Park Yerim sobbed, Hangyeol began sniffling after her. Han Byeol blinked a few times, then burst into tears along with them. Han Seol panicked and hugged his younger sister, and Park Yerim gathered the two of them and Hangyeol into her arms and wailed.
Han Yuhyun hesitated briefly, then lightly wrapped the rice and soup in heat so they would not get cold.
“Gyeol misses Daddy too!”
“Daddyyy!”
“I thought, hic, he’d come back for my birthday! Uwaaaah!”
The three of them cried as much as they needed.
Afterward, Park Yerim and Hangyeol grew embarrassed and returned to the table. Han Byeol, who had cried along without understanding much of anything, was soon smiling brightly again and opening her mouth because she was hungry.
“…Still, crying makes you feel better. Right, Gyeol?”
“…Yeah.”
At Park Yerim’s words, Hangyeol nodded, still shy.
Two and a half months had passed since Han Yujin’s death.
Then, in the forge inside the Dodam building, a weapon abruptly appeared with a note.
[Please send this to Hunter Moon Hyunah. I am currently deep in concentration, so I will remain at the Golden Forge a while longer.]
It was written by Yu Myungwoo.
Everyone had already been curious about what had happened to the Golden Blacksmith. Rumors had spread that Yu Myungwoo might have left Dodam, that he had been scouted elsewhere, that he had lost his skill, that he had fallen into a slump and could no longer make equipment.
And then, without warning, a weapon had appeared.
And not just any weapon.
[Hunter Yu Myungwoo’s New Work! SS-Rank Great Spear!]
[Golden Blacksmith Succeeds in Creating SS-Rank Weapon!]
It was an SS-Rank weapon custom-made for Moon Hyunah.
The Hunter world, which had been relatively quiet lately, exploded into noise. Public opinion surrounding Yu Myungwoo flipped completely as well.
– Two and a half months is short for making an SS-Rank weapon!
– If he disappears for a year, are we getting an SSS-Rank weapon?
– Which idiot said he retired? The man is in a whole different class.
– Dodam really is the strongest.
– I heard the Breeding Facility is operating normally too. They’re raising them using all the data Han Yujin built up.
└ Yu Myungwoo is still going strong, Noah is there too, Dodam is still Dodam.
There had been concern that Dodam Breeding Facility might no longer be able to raise high-ranking Monster Mounts in Han Yujin’s absence, but it continued to take in new baby monsters. There was the breeding information Han Yujin had recorded, but from a certain point onward—
“The newly arrived children are definitely growing too.”
“Even though they’re in the same environment, with no special conditions.”
“But even baby monsters of the same species don’t grow if they leave the Breeding Facility.”
Simply staying inside Dodam Breeding Facility was enough for high-ranking baby monsters to grow.
No one knew why.
Among the Breeding Facility staff, there were even rumors that Han Yujin’s soul was lingering there. Publicly, however, they stated that the baby monsters were being raised with the information Han Yujin had left behind.
Another month passed, and May arrived.
Yu Myungwoo’s birthday was celebrated without the guest of honor as well.
In the end, a statue of Han Yujin was erected in front of Dodam Café. It was not gold. Shishio had a separate platinum-plated golden statue made in the garden of his own home. He placed it beside the golden statue of his mother that he had made long ago.
Among most people, Han Yujin’s death gradually began to fade. When it came up now and then, the conversation usually ended with, Right, that happened, or, What a shame.
Nothing like the London incident happened again. Dungeons still existed, but they were managed well. Peaceful days continued, the sort of ordinary days that made it easy to forget things.
“Han Yuhyun, because you’re avoiding dungeons, I’m running twice as many instead. Be grateful.”
Park Yerim spoke while packing away the ready-made meals Han Yuhyun had prepared.
Despite what she said, Park Yerim liked raiding dungeons. Mar had grown quite a bit too and accompanied her to gain experience, so it was even more fun. She went especially diligently into dungeons with aquatic monsters, saying she would find a friend for Mar.
“I’ll take care of cleaning the second floor, so don’t go up there.”
Since it was a day off, Han Yuhyun was preparing for a major cleaning. Peace was in the living room, watching over the children.
As Park Yerim crossed the living room, her eyes caught on Chirp’s nest, which had been placed outside. The egg inside it still showed no change.
“I guess even Mister’s power can’t make that egg hatch.”
– Hssst.
Belare, who had been coiled around the egg, raised her head and flicked her tongue.
The baby monsters inside the Dodam Breeding Facility building were growing, but that egg had not hatched.
“It might be because it’s a transcendent snake egg, Auntie.”
Han Seol said the snake he had caught was huge and scary too, Hangyeol added.
“True. If it’s transcendent-class, it wouldn’t be easy. You took a long time to be born too, Gyeol, even though Mister carried you around the whole time.”
“Mm-hm.”
“All three of you, play nicely. Listen to Han Yuhyun only as much as necessary.”
Park Yerim hugged the three children, then left the house.
Han Yuhyun moved busily for the cleaning. May had already passed its midpoint. It was getting fairly hot now, so he changed the bedding to summer bedding. Iryn seeped into the air conditioner and cleanly swallowed the dust that had built up inside. Han Yuhyun organized the closets as well. He put away and took out not only his and the children’s clothes, but Han Yujin’s clothes too, arranging them for the season.
So that whenever his brother returned, everything would be ready for him to use and wear.
– Hssst!
– Hiss, hiss!
Then, without warning, the snakes grew noisy.
“Uncle!”
Hangyeol’s shout rang out as well.
Han Yuhyun stopped halfway through putting the blanket into the dryer and turned.
“The egg!”
A crack had formed in the egg inside Chirp’s nest.
From within it came the soft sound of something tapping, again and again.
Han Yuhyun looked at the hatching egg. It was merely an egg his brother had entrusted to them. Nothing more.
And yet, somehow—
‘…Hyung.’
Han Yujin was drawing closer.
That was the instinctive feeling that came to him.
The power Han Yujin possessed was strongly affecting that egg. Not the traces he had left behind in the Breeding Facility, but his own power. A piece of the shell broke away, and a baby snake poked its head out.
Han Byeol clapped her hands.
At the same time, Han Yuhyun became certain.
Han Yujin would return before long.
“Honey, Honey!”
I heard a voice calling me.
A small child came hopping across the garden. Then the child circled around me.
“Are you really going back?”
I smiled at the round eyes looking up at me.
“Yeah. It’s about time I did.”
–TL Notes–
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