The S-Classes That I Raised [EN]: Chapter 170

– Fluttering.

As soon as Yoohyun and Yerim appeared, the two unicorns, who had been hiding behind the training dummy, peeked out with wary eyes. Perhaps due to the difference in rank or the characteristics of their species, these foals were more sensitive than other monsters. When I first met Yerim, they bit her hand, and now they don’t even try to approach.

“Hayang, Ggamang. Come here.”

At my call, Hayang was the first to approach, making clattering hoof sounds. Then Ggamang lowered its body and jumped over in one leap. They were still the size of young foals, but they stuck to each other as much as possible, trying to hide behind me. As they did, they chewed on my clothes. I’ve thrown away several outfits because of their habit of chewing on clothes.

“I want to move houses too!”

Yerim shouted, and the foals startled again.

“It’s unfair that only Hanyuhyun gets to go in!”

“No, Yoohyun is my brother. Why are you saying it’s unfair? We used to live together.”

The period we lived together is much longer than the period we lived apart. Excluding the regression, it’s only been three years. If nothing had happened, we would still be living together. I wonder if he would have enlisted this year.

At my words, Yerim made a resentful face and approached me as if to show Yoohyun. The foals were horrified and scurried back to the dummy.

“I’ve lived with you since I was born.”

“Still unfair!”

…Why are you two doing this with something so obvious?

“Is that all your luggage?”

It’s not like you’re going on a short trip, isn’t one carrier too little? I didn’t see many personal belongings at my brother’s house.

“I only packed enough clothes to wear right away. I have other things at home, and I can buy what I need.”

Well, with money, what’s there to worry about? Still, the fact that there were no other things to pack didn’t sit well with me. You’ve lived away from your old house for three years, so you should have accumulated quite a few miscellaneous mementos. Is it because you’re not moving completely, so it doesn’t matter if you leave them at the Haeyeon house?

“Go in first. Are you going to use the same room you always used?”

“Yeah. I like that room.”

Seeing my brother smiling brightly made me smile too. He’s an adult, but isn’t he being too cute? It reminds me of when he was little.

After sending Yoohyun up, I told the two unicorns to go home too. They trot away at a word. Then I approached Yerim, who was standing there sulking.

“Yerim.”

“I don’t like living alone.”

The voice she spat out was a little subdued.

“The dorm is nice, and it’s more comfortable than before, but it’s still a bit lonely.”

Only after hearing those words did I realize that I had left a child alone. She’s always been energetic, getting along well with others and going out to play, so I thought there was no problem. It’s only natural that she would be lonely.

“I’m sorry I didn’t take care of you.”

“It’s okay. It’s much better than living with people who don’t get along. But I want to live with you too, Mister. Can’t I?”

“It’s not that you can’t, but we’re different genders and you’re young…….”

“I’m mu-uch stronger than Mister, so it doesn’t matter.”

“Still, wouldn’t it be uncomfortable?”

“When I lived with my uncle, there were two nasty cousins. I couldn’t even use my room alone.”

“That must have been uncomfortable.”

“I wanted to kill them.”

Yerim said seriously.

What should I do? After thinking for a moment, I moved my feet.

“Let’s take a walk together.”

“Aren’t you being too serious? You can refuse if you don’t want to, Mister.”

“It’s not that I don’t want to.”

There was just something bothering me.

I went up to the rooftop garden with Yerim. There are streetlights here and there, but it’s quite dark. Even though the sun has set, the summer air is still humid. And then.

“Ugh.”

A mosquito landed on my arm. There are other bugs swarming near the streetlights. I hate bugs.

“Oh, right, mosquitoes bite Mister.”

“They usually do. Besides, my poison resistance isn’t high enough to recognize it, so it’s itchy.”

Yerim used a weak, cold sigh, saying that she hasn’t been bitten by a mosquito once since awakening. Her skin cooled, and a white mist spread around her.

“Mosquitoes won’t come if I do this.”

“It’s cool.”

“Right? You don’t need an air conditioner.”

At that moment, Blue appeared with the sound of flapping wings. Its eyes, which were greeting me with its beak wide open, were half-closed. Since it wakes up when the sun rises and sleeps when the sun sets, it was time for it to be fast asleep.

“Why did you come out instead of sleeping?”

– Ggyau.

“Blue, long time no see!”

The griffin, which rubbed its head against me and bumped into Yerim with all its might, yawned widely. I stroked its neck, telling it to go to sleep quickly, and it wagged its tail and flew away again.

“Are you really going to give Blue to Hyunah unnie [older sister]?”

“If Breaker successfully auctions off the monster hatchling this time, I might not send it. I think Hyunah will take good care of it.”

“She’ll cherish it a lot. It would be nice if Blue had cold resistance so I could go to dungeons with it. I envy Hyunah unnie for not being affected by attributes.”

“I’ll definitely get you a suitable mount. If I can get a monster hatchling with cold resistance, I’ll raise it for you first.”

“Won’t I get criticized for being given special treatment?”

“What’s wrong with getting a little criticism? Society is all about connections anyway.”

We walked along the path while talking about this and that. The story of the S-class dungeon we cleared this time also came up. She said she received a decent S-class item, thanks to quickly dealing with the boss alone.

“Thanks to that, I was able to pay off all the remaining debt. I had paid off about half of it, but the appraisal value of the S-class item was exactly the amount left.”

“It would have been more if it went to auction, right? Paying off half of it is amazing. I thought it would take longer.”

“It was thanks to the dungeon where that big toad came out. I ate all the magic stones back then. The toad byproducts were also distributed, and that was also very expensive.”

She smiled brightly, saying that she had been saving up well because her distribution ratio was high in other dungeons as well, thanks to being an S-class. She’s only a middle school student, but isn’t she too admirable? I felt proud and heavy-hearted at the same time.

‘My baby skill’s keyword effect…….’

It’s not like I knowingly applied it to Yerim. But I couldn’t help but be concerned. Yoohyun was my guardian from the start, but Yerim is different. She saw the image of someone else in me, and that’s why she developed feelings for me.

I couldn’t keep ignoring that fact. Above all, I like this child too.

If I were just going to end up as a friendly hunter, it would be okay to keep my mouth shut. If we were just acquaintances who greeted each other in passing, I wouldn’t be bothered even if it started with a skill effect. I’m not that moral of a person anyway.

But Yerim has become too close. And she wants to get even closer. Both of us.

“Yerim. There’s something I need to tell you.”

The skill window stated that the skill could not be applied if the target became aware of the keyword effect. How far does that awareness extend? First of all, the effect of seeing a guardian in me was not in the skill window. Is it forbidden to explain the hidden effects that are not displayed in the skill window, vaguely, without telling the keyword exactly?

‘If the skill is canceled.’

Not being able to give Yerim the growth buff of my baby skill is a big loss. But I can somehow make up for it, like I took the mermaid queen’s skill. So.

“You once said that when you look at me, you think of an older man you knew when you were young.”

At my words, Yerim looked very embarrassed.

“Oh, were you worried about that too? I don’t feel that way now!”

“You don’t?”

“Yes! It’s true that I thought of that man a lot at first. The fact that Mister appeared in front of me was something I had been imagining.”

Yerim continued, a little shy.

“I know that man passed away, but it was when I was young. So I imagined that he might be alive and suddenly appear. Like a little princess. He would take me away from my uncle’s house and take care of me in a mansion with a garden, instead of my parents. But Mister really appeared and awakened me.”

She said it was a little different from her imagination, but it was better. She said she was more satisfied and happy to be able to get money, a house, and dolls with her own strength than to have them given to her.

“So it’s true that I felt similar, but it’s not anymore. I like Mister more.”

She said, looking at me clearly. Kim Sunghan suddenly came to mind. Has the keyword effect that made Yerim think of a guardian in me disappeared, like Kim Sunghan? If she still shows affection for me even so.

Somehow, my insides felt warm. After hesitating for a moment, I turned off the fear resistance skill. If I kept the fear resistance on, it would be like setting up a defensive wall and speaking easily.

“First… thank you.”

“What are you thanking me for? I like you because you’re nice to me, Mister.”

“Still, thank you. And Yerim, the reason we got close in the first place… is actually largely thanks to my skill effect.”

“…Yes?”

Yerim’s eyes widened. My mouth felt a little dry.

“There was a kind of… skill effect that makes the other person feel affection. I didn’t know at first because it wasn’t in the skill window, but the reason you felt like I was the man who took care of you when you were young is because of that skill.”

As I spoke, I checked the skill window. The three letters, Park Yerim, remained unchanged. Fortunately, it seemed that the keyword application was not canceled with this kind of explanation.

I swallowed a sigh and opened my mouth again.

“I’m sorry. It’s like I deceived you, but I…….”

“Wait a minute.”

Yerim raised one hand with a confused expression.

“Then, uh, the reason you were nice to me… is it because of the skill……?”

“Huh? No, the skill was applied to you, so.”

“…Really?”

“Really.”

“That’s a relief.”

The uneasy look that had briefly clouded Yerim’s face disappeared in an instant. She smiled brightly and lightly tapped my arm.

“I was surprised because I thought you were being nice because of the skill. I thought you wouldn’t like me if it wasn’t for the skill.”

“There’s no way that could happen. And the skill has a duration, so the effect has disappeared for you now. You said a little while ago that you no longer think of me as the man you knew when you were young. That’s because the skill effect has disappeared.”

“Really? Then I don’t need to feel any guilt, right?”

She stretched out, saying that she had been feeling uncomfortable all along, but now she felt relieved. She said she felt good, like she was about to fly away, and she actually floated slightly in the air. Yerim, who was at eye level with me, grinned.

“Mister, you were worrying about nothing.”

“…Worrying about nothing?”

“That’s right. Suddenly appearing out of nowhere, giving me everything, and making it obvious that you like me and think I’m cute, and then saying that you actually made me like you with a skill. Honestly, shouldn’t it be the opposite? It felt like I was the one who charmed you, not the other way around.”

…Was it that much? I don’t know.

“It’s because you liked me first. That was because of the skill effect.”

“I’m not so shameless that I wouldn’t like someone who buys me expensive meals, awakens me, and helps me with contracts and everything else.”

“Still, it’s something to think about more seriously. The very fact that you used a skill that affects people’s minds is a problem. You can’t just brush it off lightly. Yerim, you don’t know the seriousness because you don’t…….”

“Here you go again.”

Yerim interrupted me, took my hand, and shook it as if she were shaking hands.

“Just say you’re sorry and end it. And give me the duplex where Blue lived.”

“The duplex? It’s spacious, but one side is open with a railing instead of a wall, so it would be inconvenient to use as your room.”

“I can put up curtains. I’ve always wanted to live in a duplex! There’s even a fake window. It would be perfect if I could open it. I have a lot of luggage, so it’s hard to move everything, and I’m going to use both the dorm and Mister’s house. Like Guild Leader.”

I nodded at her words, ‘It’s okay, right?’

“Then please smile now. Stop being sorry and help me defeat Hanyuhyun, who will definitely hate you for letting me in!”

“I don’t think he’ll hate it that much.”

“I can picture him frowning as soon as he hears it. He’s probably already upset that you’re coming home late.”

So let’s go in quickly, she said, and I stared blankly at her retreating figure. The thought that I could end it like this still lingered, but my heart was definitely lighter.

Our Yerim is so kind, she forgives me too easily. Then Yerim turned around and looked at me.

“You’re looking at me like that again. Why do you keep apologizing while doing that?”

“Huh?”

“Come quickly. Hurry.”

I took a step, following the gesture of her fluttering hand. Perhaps it was because of the cool mist surrounding me, but the warmth clinging to my arm felt particularly pleasant.