The S-Classes That I Raised [EN]: Chapter 11

11. Flame Horned Lion (2)

“Eat mana stones? This kitten does?”

“To be precise, it only eats mana stone powder mixed with meat. It doesn’t eat plain meat.”

That kitten has disgustingly high-class taste. Even if it eats just one mana stone a day, that’s 300 million won a month, and 3.66 billion won a year.

Since it’s per meal, if it eats three meals a day, its annual food expenses will exceed 10 billion won.

“…Could you lend me some money for its food?”

It’ll take at least half a year to raise it to adulthood, and of course, I don’t have billions of won. Once it’s an adult, it’ll become a mount that you couldn’t buy even with trillions of won. Please invest in me.

My words made Yoohyun laugh.

“Alright. Don’t worry, it’s not a burdening amount for me.”

Ten million won per meal isn’t a burden. I’m jealous of an S-class Awakened.

I obtained five L-class skills, but they’re all support-type, so it’s impossible to raid an S-class dungeon like a diamond mine. Shouldn’t a Dragon Slayer have both offensive and defensive skills? Like Dragon Breath or Dragon Scale.

Is my luck just terrible?

“Tamed monsters can be handled by anyone who has the owner’s mark. However, when the owner changes, they can become confused and resist, so be careful. Especially if the owner’s rank is lower, the probability is higher.”

Yoohyun said, taking out a pendant with a flat blue stone embedded in it from his inventory.

Come to think of it, what’s my real rank? My stats are F-class, but I have multiple L-class skills, so am I above S-class?

However, even if I’m S-class in the system, if I can’t enter an S-class dungeon, my real rank becomes A or lower. Saintess Emily Spence is a good example.

Then my real rank is probably around A-class.

I received the pendant, the owner’s mark, and headed back to the greenhouse. The Flame Horned Lion was still stuck to the glass wall, snarling as if it was upset.

“Hey, kid. The owner has changed.”

I shook the pendant and approached the glass wall. The Flame Horned Lion tilted its head and looked back and forth between me and Yoohyun.

– Krheung.

Oh, it’s calmed down. It didn’t express affection, but it completely stopped snapping and lunging.

“Even if it’s small, it’s still a monster, so don’t go in alone for the time being. It’ll take about two days for the owner recognition to be complete.”

Yoohyun said, unlocking the greenhouse door. If it’s enough to confine a C-class monster, the glass wall must be quite something.

“There aren’t any other monsters in the greenhouse besides the Horned Lion, right?”

“I’ve filled it with flora and fauna collected from the dungeon’s ecosystem, but there aren’t any monster-level ones. No, there is one.”

“What is it?”

“A Grade 5 magic tree species, Guillotine. There aren’t many for a Grade 5, but the fruits are useful, so I planted a few.”

…Wasn’t that the man-eating tree that grabs people with its tentacles and melts them? Man-eating tree species are weak, but if it’s Grade 5, it’ll be upper D-class. As an F-class level 1, it’s hard for me to deal with even with A-class equipment.

“I’ve pruned it, so don’t worry. It’s safe as long as you cut it regularly.”

Yoohyun opened the greenhouse door, telling me not to worry. A warm air rushed out from inside. It seemed the temperature was raised because of the Flame Horned Lion.

“Come to think of it, isn’t it illegal to leak flora and fauna from the dungeon?”

“There’s no related law yet. Domestic dungeons are treated as domestic territory, so it’s not smuggling. They just asked me to be careful not to let it spread into the wild because there’s a risk of disrupting the ecosystem.”

It was before the law was enacted. When was it banned… After the Snowflower Butterfly incident of the Shinho Group?

I put on greenhouse slippers and went inside. Among the mostly unfamiliar plants, I saw a few familiar trees and grasses. That’s a vine often seen in E-class dungeons.

Rustle.

With the sound of rustling leaves, the baby Flame Horned Lion appeared. Now that it’s not rampaging and has calmed down, it looks really cute. Its body is only the size of a large cat, but its face has the roundness unique to baby animals. Its wide golden eyes are as beautiful as jewels.

“Does it have a name?”

“No.”

You didn’t even give it a name. What a heartless guy.

The Horned Lion was half-hiding under a broad leaf, watching us both carefully. It seemed confused by the sudden change of owner.

“Good boy, kid.”

I crouched down to lower my eye level and called to the Horned Lion.

“Come here, Jjongjjong.”

I’ll take good care of you. The Horned Lion hesitated and came to me. It was then.

[The title ‘Perfect Nurturer’ enhances the effect of the item ‘Owner’s Mark’.

The tamed target shows affection to the nurturer.]

A sudden message window popped up. What, there’s an effect like this?

– Kkiang.

The Horned Lion opened its mouth slightly and cried affectionately. Oh, it’s so cute. Then it rubbed its cheek against my fingertip and flipped over on its back.

Ugh, what is this cuteness! It flails its chubby feet, which look like they’re wearing golden socks, and purrs. Its thick tail also wags gently. Its fur is soft. Warm, cute, crazy, cute!

“How could you even think about killing such a cute thing?”

I said, stroking the baby Horned Lion clinging to my arm. The little thing already knows how to hide its claws. Okay, okay, I’ll hold you. U쭈쭈 [a sound of affection, like ‘coochie coochie coo’].

“It wasn’t very cute to me.”

“Even after feeding it for two months?”

“Yeah. It obeyed quietly because it was tamed, but it didn’t wag its tail or cling to me.”

The Perfect Nurturer effect seemed stronger than I thought. Is it because it’s a baby? If I succeed in raising the Horned Lion, I can collaborate with a tamer to produce high-grade mounts.

Even if I only raise one or two a year, how much would that be? People from all over the world would come looking for me.

“I look forward to working with you, kid.”

As a satisfying future was imagined, the Flame Horned Lion in my arms felt even cuter.

‘If the skill application is successful, I can say I obtained a monster nurturing skill or something in a couple of months.’

It would be natural to say I got a skill while taking care of a baby monster, and by then, I’ll have three or four A~S-class people protecting me. Or I could just raise several capable baby monsters and keep them by my side.

Will my nickname become something like Beast Master? Sounds kind of cool, hmm hmm.

“Can I take it outside?”

“Not outside the guild building. Accompanying tamed monsters is still illegal except when raiding dungeons. Even inside the building, don’t take it to the 1st to 3rd floors where non-Awakened people come and go.”

In five years, people will be appearing on TV with cool-looking magic beasts as pets. When did the law change?

Hugging the Flame Horned Lion, I came out of the greenhouse. Yoohyun told me to leave it for another day just in case, but I ignored him.

My rank is at least S, and with the L-class skill effect, what problems could there be? It’ll continue to obey me well like it does now.

What should I name it?

“By the way, hyung [older brother], you shouldn’t gulp down orange juice like that.”

“…What?”

Orange juice? Why suddenly orange… Hunter Shopping Mall!

I looked at my brother with a sullen expression. Even if I grant him the Black Poison Indifference, he even knows what I drank.

“Did you plant a spy in the Hunter Shopping Mall?”

“Yeah.”

A nonchalant answer came back.

“What? Really?”

“Other guilds probably have one or two planted on the 6th floor. B-class or higher hunters are the main customers. Knowing what they buy helps to figure out their goals or schedules.”

…The power struggle between guilds is much fiercer than I thought. No, even if it’s the Hunter Association, a public institution, I have to be careful. Isn’t that too much?

“So you can’t be relieved even if it’s the Hunter Association. It’s even more dangerous to eat what others give you, and don’t ever go around alone again. It’s better not to go to restaurants near the Association either. Oh, vending machine drinks are okay.”

“But would they really do that kind of thing within the Association? If they get caught, the repercussions would be huge.”

Besides, if the Awakened people can’t trust the Association, it will eventually harm the guilds as well.

“Of course, accidents won’t happen within the Association. But it’s possible to send the target away in an ambulance or police car.”

“…And that ambulance or police car goes missing?”

“You know it well.”

Yoohyun laughed. How can he laugh?

Somehow, I’m starting to think I should have just lived on my own without getting involved with Yoohyun. Well, as long as I don’t give up the Perfect Nurturer title, I’ll end up getting involved with other A and S-class people, so interference will eventually come.

Thinking that way, maybe it’s better to entrust my back to a trustworthy brother.

“The world of hunters is tough.”

“It’s relatively peaceful below C-class.”

No, that’s not necessarily true? The bottom is a war in its own way. The only difference is that instead of elegant behind-the-scenes kicks like sending spies, they openly throw punches. I’ve really rolled around a lot too.

“If there’s anything else I should be careful about, tell me now.”

“Just follow the basics. Don’t take anything from strangers, don’t go to dark and deserted places, and don’t follow the elderly or weak even if they ask for help.”

“Ah, yes. I’ll be home before nine, send you the taxi number when I take one, and call you without fail if I’m going to be late. Should I get a child safety necklace too?”

“I think a location tracker would be better than that.”

…Can’t you take a joke? People of the world, please get along. That’s how I can be comfortable.

I looked down at the Flame Horned Lion purring in my arms.

“Your name is now Peace.”

The world is all about love and peace, after all.