The S-Classes That I Raised [EN]: Chapter 292

290. I’ll Take What I Can Get (3)

‘Bitter.’

I ate the root fruit I got from the Black Cow Forest dungeon raw. As an ingredient for stamina potions, it had an effect even when eaten as is. The taste was terribly bad, though.

‘I feel a bit more awake now.’

I hadn’t slept properly except for a short nap in the dungeon. On the other hand, my body, as well as my mind, was being overworked in many ways. I should sleep, but I guess I can sleep when I get home.

After washing up and going out to the living room, I saw Yoohyun sitting there. His expression was sulky as he looked at me.

“Are you still angry? I told you I won’t do it again.”

I almost burned down the hotel in the middle of the night.

“I didn’t know it would work so well. I’m even grateful that you trust me that much. Hyuna-ssi, and Yerim, were less effective than you.”

My brother’s expression softened slightly at my words.

“Don’t use it on me outside the house. And not even at home when Park Yerim is around.”

“But what if Yerim goes into a dungeon? Recovery aside, growth activation…”

“No. It’s the same as when you used that skill on Park Yerim.”

Too bad. Even if it’s weak, it would be helpful. When I nodded in agreement, he finally smiled.

After testing the Tranquility and Sleep skills with the help of Yerim and Moon Hyuna, it turned out that it wasn’t too difficult to resist if you were around S-Rank. Moon Hyuna broke free relatively easily, and Yerim wanted to sleep but managed to pull away from me with difficulty.

On the other hand, Yoohyun had a hard time enduring even when I only used the Sleep skill without Tranquility. Still, it’s easy to prevent the skill from being used in the first place, so it would be impossible for me to force him to sleep. All I have to do is stop him from hugging me or patting my back.

“It will be very useful for baby monsters. Yerim asked me to put her to sleep whenever I wasn’t too bothered.”

She said it felt good. How important is a good night’s sleep? She said she was sensitive and couldn’t sleep well. Even if she fell into a deep sleep, it’s not like she wouldn’t wake up no matter what happened. Yoohyun hesitated at my earnest gaze and opened his mouth.

“…Only at home. If I wake up and you’re not here, I’ll never accept that skill again.”

“Okay, okay. I won’t go out when you’re sleeping. If something important comes up, I’ll wake you up before I leave.”

“Did you get enough rest, hyung [older brother]? You could have slept more.”

“I tossed and turned, but I’m okay. Don’t I look fine?”

Saying I slept well pricked my conscience. I should lie as little as possible. Yoohyun looked worried at my words that I tossed and turned.

“Can’t you use that skill on yourself?”

“Yeah. Wouldn’t it be funny if I could? I ate some fruit I got from the dungeon. It has a fatigue recovery effect.”

It works great, I said, deliberately exaggerating. Yoohyun, who was carefully examining me, got up from his seat.

“Still, you have to get a proper sleep when you get home. I should have bought that skill too. It was so comfortable when you put me to sleep that I couldn’t resist. It reminded me of the old days.”

“You used to fall asleep quickly when I put you to sleep when you were little. Is that why it works better?”

Even with my clumsy touch, he slept so well that I never even imagined my brother having trouble sleeping. No, when I went on a school trip. Back then. I remembered my younger brother, who grabbed my sleeve tightly and fell asleep as if dead when I returned.

“…Yoohyun.”

My voice trembled slightly. My tongue felt stiff. But I wanted to ask now.

“After you left home. And, did you sleep well?”

“…No.”

“Was it hard? It must have been hard.”

“No, it’s not, hyung. I…”

“Don’t say no. It must have hurt as much as it hurt me.”

After a long time, a small answer of ‘yes’ was heard. I pulled out one of the deeply embedded thorns. It didn’t hurt as much as I thought.

“It was really hard for me too. I had all sorts of thoughts after you left. More than anything, I was scared. I was afraid I would never see you again.”

“Sorry, I’m sorry, hyung. I’m really sorry.”

“Why are you sorry? It’s not your fault. Suddenly the world changed. Come here, my brother. You’ve been through so much.”

I hugged Yoohyun, who was bowing his head.

“I was scared too, hyung. I was very scared……”

“Yeah. I know. You must have been.”

The first strand was unfolded. Neither of us could bring ourselves to tell the whole story. This was enough for now.

“You have to sleep well now.”

“I’m sleeping much better than before. Home is comfortable.”

“Even if you bring another nocturnal monster, we have the skill now, so it won’t be noisy anymore. Peace, come here. Ppiyak and Bellare, too. Ppiyak, don’t keep riding Bellare. You can fly, too.”

“Hyung won’t have to stay up all night either. I was a little angry about that dark dragon.”

While talking, I picked up Peace and took Ppiyak and Bellare out of the room. Yoohyun’s expression is soft. I’m probably similar. There was still a lot piled up, but it felt like I had finally taken a step forward.

However. My brother, who I can’t talk to, was still hurting.

* * *

“Cheer up. You’re going to build a dam on your forehead.”

Shishio, who was sitting across from me, naturally had a terrible expression. But unlike yesterday, he didn’t seem angry, but rather dejected. It was a little pitiful to see someone who seemed like they would get up and yell even after being beaten down a hundred times like that.

I decided to have a separate meeting with Shishio to wrap up the work in Japan. Everyone was worried when I said I would go alone, but it was inside the hotel where we were staying, and we had a contract, and I was taking Peace with me, so there was nothing dangerous. Yoohyun and Yerim also decided to stay nearby. They wouldn’t be able to hear the conversation, but they would come right away if there was a loud noise beyond a certain level.

‘It’s better if there’s no one else around to apply the keyword.’

I had to be careful because someone might notice the changes that occur the moment the keyword is applied. I’ve been trying to refrain from applying keywords to people since Noah, but Shishio couldn’t hurt me, so it would be a waste to just leave him alone.

If the guardian is a strange person, I can just fill the list of those who are moved, and if they seem like a decent person, I can maintain a relationship with them and use them from time to time. Either way, it wouldn’t be bad.

“…Other guilds are already trying to climb over me, and you’re telling me to cheer up?”

“Climbing over you? Which bastards?”

Unlike before, the Amaterasu Guild is mine now, so who dares to do that? Shishio retorted sullenly.

“Now that I’ve failed, they’re trying to hold me responsible. Mainly two guilds with S-Rank hunters as their leaders. Amaterasu doesn’t have any S-Rank hunters other than me who have fully recovered yet, so we’re at a disadvantage.”

They were being treated with healers, but both were in the hospital because they were so seriously injured. Gagu had his severed arm reattached and was told not to move for a while, and the other guy had to rest for a month. Shishio was fine because he had a penetrating wound and good self-healing abilities. It seemed like he also had a regeneration-type skill.

“Weren’t those guys all on the list? They just watched from behind and are now acting cheap.”

Or maybe they deliberately provoked Shishio. If he succeeded, they wouldn’t have to be extorted by me, and if he failed, they would have an excuse to suppress the Amaterasu Guild. Before, I saw that Shishio didn’t listen to his close aides very well, so it would have been easy to coax him.

“The guilds on the list are making excuses that Amaterasu forced them to cooperate, but in my opinion, they’re just passing the buck and trying to get away with it. I’ve seen a lot of petty people like that. It’s completely different from Shishio-ssi, who takes responsibility with dignity.”

“Hmph, you speak the obvious.”

“If you unite for the same purpose, isn’t it natural to bear the consequences together? But to cut off the head of the vanguard and pretend you don’t know anything is too much. I’m getting angry.”

Shishio nodded as if he agreed. He must be upset and frustrated that he was defeated by me. We’re not going to say goodbye forever, so it’s not good to leave it as is. If you can’t resolve it, it will become a grudge forever.

So it’s good to throw something at them that they can bite and vent their anger on. Give them plenty of justification. He was defeated by me because he did something cowardly first, so it would be difficult for Shishio to get purely angry because of his personality. But it’s different with the guys who are trying to stab him in the back. If I make Shishio a just and pure victim, he will be able to vent his anger and relieve his frustration with me.

“Honestly, I don’t dislike Shishio-ssi. You treated me well. I thought you were generous and magnanimous. So I was surprised yesterday. It wasn’t like Shishio-ssi.”

Shishio coughed for no reason at my gaze that said I trusted him.

“That’s……”

“And Shishio-ssi wasn’t going to do that, after all.”

“…Huh?”

“The guys on the list. Didn’t those guys deceive Shishio-ssi with honeyed words and knives in their mouths? Saying that you have to stand up for Japan! So that Shishio-ssi, who loves his country, would have a hard time refusing!”

“Oh, well, hmm. They did persuade me.”

“Even if the Amaterasu Guild gives me a little profit, isn’t it still the best guild in Japan? There was no need to take risks. Nevertheless, all the S-Rank hunters in the guild volunteered to sacrifice themselves! But the guys who did nothing and just waited for the honey to fall from behind are now acting like they’re in the right!”

Thump, I slammed the table hard. My hand hurts. Peace on my lap looked up at me as if asking if I was okay.

“Why are you so nice?”

“Ah, no.”

“Having too much heart is also a disease. You’re trying to take care of those petty guys. But still, those guys, ah, I’m really upset.”

Shishio twitched his big hands without saying a word. I think he’s a decent person at heart.

“I’m glad I told my brother to save you. I knew Shishio-ssi wasn’t bad.”

“…I think I said it was because I had a lot to repay at the time.”

“It would be strange to say you’re a good person in that situation. I’m really glad you weren’t seriously injured. My brother is pretty strong, right?”

I shouldn’t be doing this here, but it was hard to hide my proud smile. Shishio looked at me strangely.

“…Even if it’s family, are you really okay with it?”

“I raised him myself. Whatever the rank, he’s a lovely and cute brother. Come to think of it, my brother said to the Haeyeon Guild Leader that it was different from the Seseong Guild Leader, could you tell me more about that?”

I was curious about Yoohyun as well as the evaluation of Sung Hyunjae. At my question, Shishio scratched his head and opened his mouth.

“The Haeyeon Guild Leader hunts, the Seseong Guild Leader raises. Both look down on their opponents, but they treat them differently.”

Hunting and raising. It was a more relatable expression than I thought. Yoohyun definitely didn’t seem to have the attitude of trying to keep them alive and use them. That was the case with Yoon Kyungsoo and Choi Seokwon. On the other hand, Sung Hyunjae kept those two, as well as other hunters, alive as much as possible. But it certainly didn’t feel like he respected human life. Raising was definitely more fitting.

“The Haeyeon Guild Leader is more dangerous to face right away, but in the long run… the Seseong Guild Leader is……”

Shishio frowned and continued.

“He’s generous, but if you don’t meet his standards, he’ll cut you off without a second thought, so it feels like he’s slowly strangling you. He can leave you alone indifferently or step on you for sure, and it’s up to his whims… it’s more miserable. You become unconsciously aware of him.”

As I listened to those words, I unconsciously swallowed hard. I never thought I would feel this kind of solidarity with an S-Rank. The feeling that I had forgotten these days came back to me.

“To treat such a Seseong Guild Leader so casually. Even with an F-Rank stat. You’re a strange guy, after all.”

“It wasn’t easy for me to even talk about being partners with the Seseong Guild Leader. Even now, well, honestly, he’s giving me a lot of leeway.”

To put it coldly in Shishio’s words, I’ve gone from a useful livestock being raised on a range to a pet being brought into the house. To put it more nicely, I’m like a five-year-old child. There’s hope in that I’m still human and can grow.

Of course, even full-grown adults vary widely. There are many cases where they are worse than the dogs they raise.

“Excuse me.”

A simple meal was set on the table. To be exact, mine was simple and Shishio’s was plentiful. Judging by the amount he eats, he seems to have a regeneration skill. Unlike mana-consuming recovery skills, physical regeneration consumes physical energy. He needs to eat more now.

“But surprisingly, even that Seseong Guild Leader has received help from me.”

After the people left, I picked up a salad with a fork and continued.

“Should I say it’s like a lion and a mouse? Do you know that story?”

Even though I moved as Sung Hyunjae led me, the person himself said that me releasing Sigma was definitely helpful.

“The lion generously let the insignificant mouse go. He didn’t even expect a reward. Because it’s really nothing to the lion. But when the lion got caught in a net, the mouse gnawed at the net.”

The fork lightly tapped the edge of the plate. A small sound rang out.

“If you don’t mind.”

I made eye contact with Shishio. I gave him a gentle smile.

“Shall I gnaw it for you, Lion-ssi?”

“…What.”

“It means let’s get along in the future. I don’t feel comfortable just letting it go like this.”

10 percent of the profits, so the better the Amaterasu Guild does, the more I benefit. The same goes for items and dungeons.

“Let’s cover it up.”

“Cover it up?”

“Yes. You said there were two S-Rank hunters, right? Say that they attacked us. The Haeyeon Guild Leader who defeated as many as five SS-Rank monsters and saved Japan! The villains who cowardly attacked Japan’s benefactor who was exhausted after a fierce battle! And the Amaterasu Guild who stopped it! Although they used cowardly tactics, the Amaterasu Guild members couldn’t bring themselves to inflict fatal attacks on their compatriots. How could Shishio-ssi, who loves his country, harm the lives of Japanese S-Rank hunters? On the other hand, the guild leader’s two close aides are defeated by the guys who relentlessly use their skills, but Guild Leader Shishio perseveres to the end~”

“…Isn’t that a complete lie?”

“That’s what the victim says. Do you have any evidence that it’s not? Let’s say you have witnesses and evidence. But what kind of world is it these days? Everything can be manipulated with skills and items~”

If you insist, that’s it.

“And logically, there’s no reason for us to side with the Amaterasu Guild. So it’s more trustworthy.”

“…It seems a bit cheap.”

“It’s more moral than the guys who pushed Shishio-ssi away and pretended they didn’t know anything. If those guys had said they would share the burden together in the first place, this wouldn’t have happened. You can kick the back of a traitor’s head.”

Shishio nodded at my words that Shishio-ssi was dignified for his country and those guys were trying to rip off such a magnanimous person. It’s somewhat true.

“I want Shishio-ssi to firmly hold his position. It’s right next to our country. If some *japseureoun* [shady/miscellaneous] guys take the top guild position in Japan, I won’t be able to sleep because I’ll be anxious.”

“That’s, of course, true.”

“Let’s prepare for the broadcast right away. Announce it and immediately crush those two S-Rank hunters. It’s easy if we cooperate. Extort massive compensation from the losers on the list and shout long live the great Amaterasu Guild, long live the respected and beloved Guild Leader Shishio.”

“Um, um.”

“The Amaterasu Guild is still the strongest, and I feel comfortable. Killing two birds with one stone.”

Both the pheasant and the egg are mine. It was a bit cute to see him nodding, saying it was true. …I should put in some eye drops. Still, I’m proud that he listens to me so well. Anyway, I have a contract with him, and he’s mine.

“We should go home soon, so let’s take care of it quickly before evening. Shall we have a toast? To the bright future of our beloved Shishio-ssi!”

“…Is that common in Korea?”

“Yes?”

“No, hmm, I’ll have it prepared right away, I mean.”

“Yes. I don’t think there are many broadcasts yet. Would radio be okay?”

I can openly rip off the guilds on the list. I’ll use this to gild the Haeyeon Guild when I go back to Korea. My heart is pounding at the thought of raiding the equipment warehouse. I ate some more of the prepared food and put down the fork.

“You seem to be eating too little.”

“It’s normal for me? It’s naturally less compared to Shishio-ssi.”

He seems to eat meat by the *geun* [a Korean unit of measurement, approximately 600 grams] unit. It’s good to see him eating well.

“…I’m saying this because I’m honestly worried.”

Shishio said hesitantly. Worried, is the keyword applied? It would be suspicious if I showed that I was looking at the status window now.

“Be careful of the Seseong Guild Leader. You said he helped you and that you’re partners. Even if you’re inferior to him, I’m an S-Rank hunter. I instinctively dislike anyone interfering more than a certain level, no matter who they are. Most S-Rank awakeners hate being swayed by others. And the Seseong Guild Leader will be much more sensitive.”

“…He’s really sensitive.”

“If he thinks you’re influencing him too much at some point, if he feels uncomfortable, he’s not the type to endure it.”

The moment I heard those words, I felt a chill.

“If he endures it?”

“I don’t think he’ll let it pile up. It would be more dangerous.”

I haven’t met Sung Hyunjae yet today. I took a breath and got up from my seat.