The S-Classes That I Raised [EN]: Chapter 191

191. The Director (1)

“Back Mountain Seagull is definitely skilled. He mainly looks for missing family members, especially children, and he’s often helped me out. These days, kids carry cell phones a lot. He does investigate other people’s information too, but to me, it seems like a rich guy doing it as a hobby.”

Do Hamin adjusted his glasses with his fingertip.

“So, the possibility of him reselling information is low. More than anything, he owes me a lot. He’d be the one regretting it if he cut ties with me.”

I couldn’t just entrust the investigation of the people I was looking for to anyone, or there would likely be gossip later. I did add a few fake names, but I preferred someone tight-lipped to handle the investigation if possible.

“Are you sure he’s trustworthy?”

“Well, he hasn’t sold my information yet. After dealing with me for so long, he knows about my skills, that guy.”

Judging from the fact that Do Hamin before the regression didn’t speak ill of the Seagull guy, it seemed he hadn’t betrayed me until the end. Then I can trust him.

“Please tell him to investigate as thoroughly as possible. Broadly, in various aspects.”

Even if they were people I had already experienced, they could change depending on their current environment. They could be swayed by emotional ties or secretly be under threat. Even good people could fall into traps and choose betrayal.

So, it was essential to provide a safe environment and trust to prevent that from happening. If they had a generous salary, good benefits, and the belief that they could stay in a stable position for life, they wouldn’t abandon trust, even if not for the company, but for their own peace of mind. Unless they were excessively greedy or had a twisted personality. Even if they were just average, they wouldn’t make reckless challenges and would choose abundant security without feeling guilty.

I need to look out for dangers around them, eliminate them if necessary, and then put them in a cozy nest. …It might be a lot of work. For now, it’s just a startup.

“But when is the Gold Hamster coming?”

“Ah, it seems there was an overseas guild that tried taming it this time, but they formed a team with only high-ranking hunters, so they couldn’t control their strength and killed it.”

At my words, Do Hamin’s mouth dropped open in shock.

“Our Goldie!”

…Isn’t that name a bit old-fashioned?

“It’s a boss monster in a dungeon that will continue to be cleared [defeated], so don’t worry too much. Before it’s tamed, it’s just a harmful animal.”

“Still…….”

“It will probably succeed on the second clear. There’s a dungeon reset time, so it will take a while.”

The lower the dungeon grade, the shorter the reset time, so it won’t take long. Then, the first overseas guild ride request will come. I heard there are already several overseas guilds that have obtained baby monsters, so they’ll entrust it right away.

Blue will fully grow when I reapply my baby skill soon, and I need to raise Comet and Unicorn quickly too. Bellare’s keyword application was also completed.

‘Once Blue is fully grown, I wonder if it’ll be okay to keep him in the garden.’

Even now, I occasionally get complaints, but since his size will more than double, many more people will feel threatened. Should I create a separate adult monster breeding facility near the high-ranking hunter training center? There are hardly any houses near there, and there are many mountains, so they can roam freely. Plus, given Blue’s personality, he’ll get along well with the hunters visiting the training center.

Of course, the best thing would be to find a partner and go clear dungeons. Or acquire a fluidization skill like Peace.

“Then, I’m counting on you.”

“Yes, my lord.”

Do Hamin, who had risen from his seat, turned around and shouted.

“Minui! I told you not to keep bothering Jjiksun!”

“Our Suni signaled that she wanted to come out.”

“What did you hide just now? You gave her drops again!”

Why is Minui doing unsolicited part-time work here? According to rumors, raising hamsters is popular among the hunters visiting the building. Even Seok Hahyan seems to have adopted one.

Do Hamin even took over another empty room next door, saying he had to provide hoteling services when clearing dungeons for those who adopted them. Since Do Hamin is bringing in hamsters that are being abandoned under the guise of resale on the internet as much as he can, sending them out for adoption isn’t a bad thing.

“Don’t threaten that hunters who can’t take responsibility for one hamster won’t be able to receive Seungsoo or Myungwoo equipment.”

“Threaten! I’ve never forced anyone to take them! If they volunteered to raise them, taking responsibility is basic. How long do these kids live!”

Well, it might be good for checking their character.

“You’ve recorded all the hunters who adopted them, right?”

“Of course. I’ve written down their condition and how they treat them every time they come for hoteling.”

“…That’s a bit scary.”

Still, if they’re hunters who received good evaluations, wouldn’t they be relatively trustworthy? I should refer to Do Hamin’s records when hiring hunters for the breeding facility.

I left the legal issues related to the breeding facility to Seok Simyeong, so I went to Haeyeon to meet him. When I hinted at wanting to operate the monster breeding facility independently, Seok Simyeong seemed surprisingly welcoming. I thought he’d want to merge with Haeyeon.

“Blood is thicker than water, after all.”

“…Pardon?”

“It’s better to have two baskets to put eggs in. For now, the breeding facility is officially registered as a Seungsoo Breeding Center.”

“Not a monster facility?”

“There are already several facilities around the world that simply breed monsters. In addition, you entrusted Breaker with an S-class monster this time, so I recommend that you try to change the image in earnest. Unlike the monsters in the dungeon, with an image that is helpful and friendly to humans. It seems that several character products have been released in Japan.”

Seok Simyeong said that putting out such official character products would be a good method. Peace dolls were cute.

“But more than anything, you need to get a business card first.”

Seok Simyeong took out his cell phone and smiled.

“Seungsoo Breeding Center Director Han Yoojin. There’s a company that specializes in making paper products from dungeon byproducts. It’ll be out by tomorrow.”

Being called director is a bit 부담스러운 [burdensome/awkward]. Hearing the specific title suddenly made my shoulders feel heavy. Is this why you need to get a business card first?

“You’ll need several general staff members too.”

“I have a few people in mind. I’ll have to hire experts separately, though.”

“Haeyeon will continue to cooperate for a while, so don’t hire them in a hurry and make sure to check if they’re trustworthy. And Director Han Yoojin, you need to start managing in earnest.”

“Me? Ah, I do need someone to take charge of overall coordination management.”

“That’s important too, of course, but I mean you need to manage Han Yoojin himself.”

Seok Simyeong pointed to his face.

“Appearance, I mean.”

…Do I have to?

“Fortunately, your skin is clean and there’s not much to fix, but you need to pay attention to maintaining it. If possible, it would help the image if your skin became a little clearer and brighter.”

“…Personally, I prefer it darker, I mean, looking healthier is better.”

“It doesn’t suit you.”

Seok Simyeong said firmly.

“Of course, the same goes for your body. Maintain it nicely with the help of experts. The important thing isn’t beauty or ugliness. It’s whether or not self-management is being done. The first thing that catches the eye in the first meeting is visual information. People unconsciously guess the other person’s personality, environment, and abilities by looking at their appearance.”

It wasn’t wrong, but I was already starting to get tired. I thought I’d be living the easy life when I regressed. Of course, compared to before, my body and mind are living the easy life.

“You said you were scheduled to meet the Seseong Guild Leader the day after tomorrow.”

“Yes.”

“Haeyeon will support you first, but you’ll need to hire a dedicated vehicle and attendants. Since it’s a hunter-related industry, a special vehicle made from dungeon byproducts is basic. Be sure to include at least two high-ranking hunters as attendants. Noah Hunter would be a really good picture. But it’ll be difficult to have him accompany you at all times, so you’ll need to hire more as backups.”

“Ah… yes.”

“You don’t have to be so tired. Once the secretariat is established, they’ll take care of it. However, you need to know a certain amount of basic knowledge to understand whether the people below are doing their jobs properly. It would be difficult if you were swayed without knowing anything.”

That’s really right. It’s a valid point, but why do I keep thinking of Chief Secretary Song Taewon? A fellow sufferer from overwork, or…….

“It’s a relief that Seok Team Leader is with Yoohyun.”

Thanks to him, the kid suffered less. At my words, Seok Simyeong smiled a little awkwardly.

“It wouldn’t have been a big problem who was attached to the Guild Leader. Because he had real power.”

“Still, it would have been easier in many ways to have someone trustworthy early on. May I ask how you came to help Yoohyun?”

I’d been curious for a while. Yoohyun before awakening was an ordinary high school student. He was different from the start from other S-class hunters who were adults and had a social foundation. Even the giant guilds created by those S-class hunters received help from large corporations, except for Seong Hyunjae.

“To put it simply, I approached him first. A big change happened in the world, and I couldn’t just sit and watch. Before that, I met all the other S-class hunters.”

“What was the reason for choosing Yoohyun among them?”

“The first reason is, of course, potential. The Seseong Guild Leader didn’t need help, and the other S-class hunters were all halfway settled. If I’m going to try, I should look big. And… another reason is because of Han Yoojin.”

“Me?”

That was unexpected. Yoohyun acted like he had cut ties with me, so why am I coming out here? Could it be because of the decisiveness to cut off even his brother?

“He certainly had stronger power than any other hunter and didn’t hesitate to wield it, but he looked lonely. He didn’t seem like that at all in his usual appearance. He would sometimes stare blankly at his cell phone or get lost in thought.”

Seok Simyeong smiled bitterly, recalling the past Yoohyun.

“So I thought he was worth helping by his side. At that time, I thought it was the Guild Leader’s childish side. It was a 모습 [sight/appearance] that suppressed the sense of incongruity that he wasn’t like other humans. That even such a person was lonely, worried about something, 불안해하고 [anxious/uneasy], and sometimes looked sad. Because there was a 흔들리는 모습 [wavering appearance], the establishment and maintenance of the guild were not so difficult. It’s hard to create a healthy organization with fear alone.”

Because there was a small feeling of empathy, because that young man, who could be said to be perfect, revealed a small gap that he actually needed others. That’s why they were able to unite more tightly, Seok Simyeong said.

“It’s a good feeling that a great person needs your help. He was even young. The Guild Leader’s age was a weakness, but it also acted as a strength. So there were more people who had bad feelings for Han Yoojin. He was thought to be one of the causes that made the Guild Leader 힘들게 [struggle/suffer].”

Seok Simyeong bowed his head to me.

“I sincerely apologize for that point.”

“No, it’s because Seok Team Leader didn’t know and thought of Yoohyun.”

And it wasn’t that bad up to this point. It became 본격적으로 [in earnest/full-scale] harsh after I awakened. …I honestly still had some awkward feelings because I remember everything. Still, it was for Yoohyun.

Thinking that way, a smile formed.

“I’m the one who’s grateful for taking good care of my brother.”

“Well, can Han Yoojin do that? The Guild Leader looks happy to anyone these days.”

“Is that so?”

“I’ve seen the Guild Leader’s smiling face much more in half a day with Han Yoojin by his side than in the past three years. I’m really glad that the two of you reconciled. I don’t know how you endured it for three years.”

Seok Simyeong had a pleased face, but my smile 오히려 [rather/instead] faded. It was 8 years, more than twice that. For 8 years.

“…It must have been 힘들었죠 [difficult/hard].”

“It wasn’t easy. But in the end, didn’t we settle down like this? Now, even Director Han Yoojin will be a reliable force.”

“…Yes. I look forward to working with you in the future.”

“I’m the one who looks forward to working with you. Of course, there’s no way Director Han wouldn’t take care of the Guild Leader.”

He rises from his seat, saying he believes in me.

“It’s lunchtime, let’s eat something simple and continue talking.”

“Yes.”

We decided to use the guild’s restaurant without going outside. On the way, various stories about cooperation with Haeyeon were exchanged.

“By the way, Chief Secretary Song Taewon, he seems to be very busy?”

I wanted to ask about the detailed situation, but I couldn’t get in touch with him. There was no reply even until today. I heard that it wouldn’t be too difficult because there were no civilian casualties.

“He’ll be busy looking at the return situation of overseas S-class hunters.”

“Ah, I see.”

I also have to monitor the participants of Seong Hyunjae’s birthday party. Shouldn’t we just do it overseas next time? Let Song Taewon rest a bit.

“Uncle!”

At that time, Yerim jumped towards us. Yoohyun was also there.

“You were at Haeyeon? I was going home for lunch!”

“I was just going to eat here. With Seok Team Leader…….”

…Seok Simyeong, who was next to me, had disappeared somewhere. What is it?

“Then I’ll go with you!”

Yerim clung to my arm. Yoohyun, who had approached, also clung to the other side.

“You guys always put me in the middle.”

“I don’t like getting close to the same S-class.”

At Yoohyun’s words, Yerim also nodded.

“It’s defenseless contact. I’m quite 신경쓰여 [concerned/worried] about that. But it’s okay if it’s someone trustworthy, Hyunah unnie is okay, and… Guild Leader, well, he’s not too bad these days─”

“I only like hyung [older brother/term of endearment].”

Yoohyun said firmly, and Yerim’s expression crumpled.

“Ah, really, Han Yoohyun, seriously.”

“Yerim, you need to put your finger down.”

I know you’re upset, but you can’t do that gesture.

“Park Yerim says other people are okay, but I only have hyung.”

“Ew, I’m going to get indigestion before I even eat.”

Haha, this is really something.

“I’m hungry. Let’s go eat.”

It’s a restaurant that other people use too, so don’t fight there.