The S-Classes That I Raised [EN]: Chapter 129

Thank you.

The room buzzed with surprise, as if no one expected that single word. It was understandable. Officially, I was kidnapped due to Song Tae-won’s mistake.

The spectacle those gathered here likely wanted was me erupting in anger while Song Tae-won bowed his head in apology.

An S-Rank Hunter humbled by the blame of a victim would be quite the show, and it would have slightly eased the public’s anger toward the Association. Had I grabbed his collar, they would have eagerly snapped photos.

“Really, I don’t know what to say…”

But such a predictable scenario, even for someone who isn’t Sung Hyun-jae, is still boring.

Song Tae-won didn’t seem to fully grasp my intentions yet. However, he must have sensed that I had a scheme that could harm him, or rather, the Association, because the intensity of his gaze toward me was noticeably cooling.

I shouldn’t prolong this.

“To even be willing to take the blame to save me!”

“…Excuse me?”

“To put all the blame on Director Song for being a whistleblower—”

“Hyung, you shouldn’t say things like that here.”

Yoo-hyun pulled me back as if to shield me. Although the sentence was cut off, the meaning was clear. Whistleblower, blame, and saving me.

The fact that there were collaborators within the Hunter Association who aided the kidnappers was already known. They were dragging their feet, claiming a systematic investigation was needed, but those who knew, knew.

In that situation, the kidnapping victim was calling Song Tae-won a whistleblower who was taking the blame. And the person currently bearing the greatest responsibility was none other than Song Tae-won.

The person who was pushed out as a scapegoat and getting beaten was actually on the side of justice. Ta-da!

“Han Yoo-jin, what on earth are you talking about?”

Song Tae-won and the Association people looked bewildered. I instinctively flinched as Song Tae-won took a step closer. Thanks to that, it was very easy to feign a frightened and surprised expression.

“I-I’m sorry. But, it’s unfair…”

“Stop it, Hyung. This isn’t something we can get involved in.”

Yoo-hyun soothed me. Then, the Association people hurriedly began to make excuses.

“It’s a misunderstanding by Hunter Han Yoo-jin.”

“He seems to be suffering from some confusion because he hasn’t recovered from the shock of the kidnapping yet.”

I didn’t bother to interrupt their words to refute them. I just stared at them with a wronged look. After all, people would pay more attention to my version of the story.

The institution’s official announcement versus a dark secret blurted out when it shouldn’t have been. It was obvious where the public’s interest and weight would lean. Even a trivial story would pique ears if it had a ‘secret’ label attached, let alone the Hunter Association’s corruption. Would anyone not be hooked unless they were as dry as a withered piece of wood?

“Let’s go now, Hyung.”

“But… Director Song Tae-won…”

“It’ll be okay. I’ll do something about it too.”

In my younger brother’s affectionate voice, I looked at Song Tae-won. His gaze, meeting mine silently, was chillingly cold. What was he thinking beyond those eyes? Did he want to strangle my neck like the day we first met?

Then, the man’s closed lips changed. The corners of his mouth lifted ever so slightly. It was a smile. Like sharp fangs.

‘I thought you came with a muzzle on.’

Showing his teeth. It would be disappointing if he obediently lowered his tail. If he was so busy curling up and pretending to be docile that he forgot to bite or even growl, there would be no reason to keep an eye on him.

In the first place, if his teeth and claws could have been easily pulled out, things wouldn’t have gone awry.

I left the airport and got into the car waiting for me. I took out my phone and contacted Seok Si-myung.

“Please spread the articles as sensationally as possible. Modern-day slave trade, auction starting price of 1 billion dollars, power elites collecting Awakened, etc. Base it on facts and add appropriate exaggeration. Make sure my story is everywhere for at least a week.”

[It’s not a difficult task, but are you sure you’re okay with that? You didn’t like being the talk of the town, did you?]

He laid all the groundwork and now he’s pretending to be worried. Is he doing that because he knows Yoo-hyun is next to me? What a sly old man.

“Sometimes you have to do things you don’t like in life. I’m counting on you. Oh, and don’t forget to boost Hae-yeon’s image as a bonus.”

[Of course, I can’t miss this opportunity. Leave it to me.]

“And there are a few things I need to investigate… I’ll talk to you in person about that.”

The call ended. Yoo-hyun, who had been watching me from the seat next to me, said worriedly.

“Are you going to be okay? Once words start spreading, it’s almost impossible to erase them completely.”

“Is that what a guy who deliberately went around ruining my reputation sounds like?”

“I don’t care about that kind of thing.”

“Neither do I.”

I just won’t search for it. Of course, I’ll have to keep an eye on it for the time being.

And, if I’m going to grab someone else’s collar and pull them in, I have to be prepared to have my own wrist grabbed and broken.

I checked the airport videos that had already been uploaded. Wow, I really look pathetic. Moreover, since tall and burly guys are standing in front and behind me, I look even smaller and thinner. It’s embarrassing.

‘But the effect will be good.’

To the public, and to Mr. Song Tae-won. Isn’t this the ideal image of an ordinary person you have to protect? Someone who wanted to live quietly but got caught up with Awakened and even kidnapped. Forget the inside story and just look at the surface.

* * *

That evening, the Hunter Association released a statement regarding the allegations that had surfaced during the day.

The internal whistleblowing was partly true, and to be exact, the Association President and a few Association officials, led by Song Tae-won, had helped with the Han Yoo-jin kidnapping case. In addition, they explained that Song Tae-won had taken responsibility as a smokescreen for a smooth investigation.

Song Tae-won was also present at the scene, and he calmly expressed his agreement. He said that Hunter Han Yoo-jin had reason to misunderstand.

‘He’s really like a dog.’

That’s not an insult. I gave him the ball, and he’s bringing it back to his owner. But he’s probably not wagging his tail either. It’s just a simple duty, not something he enjoys doing.

Still, at least the arrows aimed at Song Tae-won have been deflected.

“Let’s wrap this up quickly before the bubble bursts.”

“I thought you would just cut out the severely damaged parts appropriately.”

Seok Si-myung, who was watching the same screen as me, said.

“Who laid the groundwork? Why are you talking weak now? We have to clean up this time; we can’t do this twice.”

I don’t have the ability to do it either.

* * *

From the next day, my story poured out from all sorts of media.

It was as if they were trying to illuminate my entire life, digging up not only my pre-Awakening days but even my childhood. It was truly embarrassing.

[How can she raise a child when she’s just a child herself? She’s naturally gifted at taking care of him.]

A person who knew me was being interviewed on TV. I don’t remember her, who is she? The story was beautifully embellished, adding that I lost my parents early and raised my younger brother, who would later grow into an S-Rank Hunter, so my recognition soared.
Yoo-hyun’s hardships were also subtly inserted here.

He Awakened as an S-Rank, but because he was young, he was targeted from all sides and had no choice but to distance himself from his brother. A young Hunter who grew up in the guild while pretending not to know his only blood relative, who was like a parent to him. After three years of hard work, he grew into one of the giant guilds…

Damn it, my brother suffered too much. What was the Origin or whatever so busy with that it made him Awaken before he was even fully grown? He’s a minor, you bastard. All the bastards who bullied the kid deserve to die.

And in between.

[Smuggling of dungeon items! Including S-Rank equipment.]

A breaking news report came out. It was discovered that one of the executives of the Hunter Association had been smuggling dungeon items overseas.

Dungeon items, especially high-grade equipment, were legally prohibited from being taken out of the country by individuals. This was because possessing sufficient equipment was essential for dungeon management, that is, for national security.

Foreigners could purchase high-grade items through formal auctions, but unlike domestic Hunters, they were subject to heavy fees and taxes. In addition, domestic Hunters were given priority to purchase S-Rank equipment unconditionally. Therefore, in practice, there was almost no outflow of S-Rank equipment overseas.

But an executive of the Association smuggled that precious S-Rank equipment and sold it overseas. At a time when the Association was already in an uproar over corruption. Following the kidnapping of Awakened, the item smuggling case started to burn like wildfire, both offline and online.

‘Originally, this would have been exposed two years later.’

Informant Han Yoo-jin, Hae-yeon and Seseong joint search. It wasn’t difficult to reconfirm what had already been revealed. It took me a little effort to remember the name and appearance.

The person involved in the item smuggling case two years later was not just that bald-headed man on TV. Many people were involved, and I remembered the details of the case in detail because it was turned upside down.

‘This isn’t the only thing.’

Did they only eat items? Dungeon transaction-related corruption, exploitation of lower-level Hunters, illegal production of dungeon by-products, etc. The system wasn’t fully established yet, there were many blind spots, and there was a lot of money to be made. Thanks to that, shady things burst out in a short period of time.

Less than half of the things that could be caught at the current point in time, but that was enough.

“Prepare to step down. Isn’t the excuse good timing?”

The Association executive who came in person after receiving the call glared at me with a stiff face. That level of gaze doesn’t even tickle me even if I turn off Fear Resistance [a skill that reduces the effect of fear-inducing abilities].

“I’d like to just blow it up, but for a smooth handover, it would be more advantageous for the director to directly push the successor in many ways.”

“It’s just a matter of ending up with a fine.”

“That would be the case normally. But now, anything related to the Hunter Association, no matter how trivial, is a wave that swells up several times over, isn’t it?”

Especially if it’s corruption by someone related to the Association. What would normally end with a few minor articles is now an atmosphere where you have to get beaten up and take off your clothes. As soon as you throw in firewood, the torches in everyone’s hands will gleefully hold a burning ceremony.

The sacrifice thrown as an example is also burning so hard that it’s about to turn to ashes.

“…Are you going to push your people into the Association and shake it up?”

“Not at all. I don’t have anyone.”

Seok Si-myung, who changed his appearance with Myungwoo’s glasses, opened his mouth, showing a few preliminary lists.

“Some of the initial executives of the Hunter Association. They are far more capable of handling 업무 [Korean word for ‘tasks’ or ‘duties’] than the current executives. You don’t have to worry about the aftermath even if you retire.”

The director’s expression was crumpled as if his pride was hurt by the blatant comparison. There was also a list of people who would stand out in the future.

Even if it’s impossible to replace everyone, wouldn’t positive changes occur if more capable people increased? At least it would be better than now.

“If the fact that you’re threatening people to replace them like this gets exposed—”

“I~ wouldn’t have any problems. What can I do? I’m not a public official, I’m running a completely monopolized private business. I’ll just pay a fine at most.”

The country and the people are on my side. I won’t get cursed at a lot, but it’ll be a minority. Besides, considering my value, even if I commit murder, it’ll end with house arrest and ‘Please raise monsters diligently,’ 땅땅 [onomatopoeia for ‘bang bang,’ indicating a final decision].

It’s unfair, but what can you do since I’m an irreplaceable existence? Yoo-hyun has already cleared the shortest S-Rank dungeon thanks to Peace, so how can they abandon me?

“So I hope you will make a wise decision as soon as possible. You should leave cleanly with a clean image and try other challenges.”

Why, like the congressmen you often see. So take it when they turn a blind eye.

The director, who was notified of the deadline, said he would contact me soon as if spitting it out, and left the seat. Now, how many are left?

– Kyaang!

Peace jumped up and caught the ball thrown in the air. Bbyak also quickly followed, but could only flap on the floor, unable to even get near the ball.

– Bbyik, Swik!

Komet, hanging from the ropes that were stretched out like vines on the ceiling, flapped his wings as if asking me to throw it to him too. I threw the ball upwards, but,

Tup!

Peace quickly snatched it away.

– Siiit!

“Peace, you have to give way to your younger sibling too.”

– Gyareureung.

Peace rubbed his body against my leg, pretending not to know. I guess he’s become more spoiled because he’s been away for quite a while. I stroked Peace and threw a small ball to Komet again. The baby dragon quickly grabbed the golden pearl-filled ball that Kang So-young had given him and fluttered around in the air.
Bbyak looked at it and flapped its wings.

– Bbyak Bbyak!

“Should I put on a flight bracelet?”

– Bbyak!

I took out the flight item for Bbyak that I had asked Myungwoo for before. It’s an item that allows you to fly when worn on your legs.

– Bbyik Bbyik! Bbyak!

Bbyak floated up like a round, white balloon. I added a slow speed and smooth flight option for safety, so rather than flying 멋지게 [Korean word for ‘coolly’ or ‘impressively’] like any other bird, it just floated. 둥실둥실 [Korean onomatopoeia for ‘floating’].

– Bbyak!

Bbyak seems satisfied though. It floated around in the air and then gently landed on my head.

‘Riete will be out soon, so there will be one more.’

Riete was helping the Association clear dungeons as a reward for her criminal acts. If she hadn’t gone into the S-Rank dungeon instead, Song Tae-won wouldn’t have been able to get involved in the kidnapping case. Would that have been easier for me?

Click.

At that moment, I heard the sound of the door opening. It wouldn’t be Myungwoo.

“What’s going on at this hour? Have you had dinner?”

I thought it would be Yoo-hyun, so I headed towards the entrance, but Peace suddenly blocked my way. Then he transforms into an adult size.

– Geureureu.

It’s not Yoo-hyun. I quickly turned on Fear Resistance and took out my phone. The person who appeared was none other than Song Tae-won. Where did he get the key? Han Shin?

“I’m a little surprised that you came without contacting me.”

A tired voice sank heavily. Did the higher-ups of the Association whine? A little laughter leaked out.

“I’m sorry, but unlike the Seseong Guild Leader, I have no intention of letting it go with just kneeling.”