The S-Classes That I Raised [EN]: Chapter 197

As I walked down the hallway, I briefly explained the contract with the Japanese side to Seong Hyeonjae. I kept what I had gained a secret, only telling him that I had decided to secure the dungeon rights through a duel and received a few items in return. Surprisingly, Seong Hyeonjae didn’t press me for details about the items.

“They must believe they can easily beat Hunter Park Yerim. I think they said it’s S-Rank Hunter Iwahata Kakuto. Do you happen to know him? I heard he’s only been active for two years.”

I hadn’t heard of him. That meant he wasn’t ranked very high among the Hunters before my regression. Currently, there were a total of five S-Rank Hunters in Japan.

“Since he’s an S-Rank Hunter, I’ve heard his name.”

“You don’t need to worry, right?”

“Didn’t you say it was by the sea? It’s a battle with a foregone conclusion.”

I thought so too, but I still couldn’t help but feel a little worried. Yerim was still young.

‘If necessary, I can buff her with our kid’s skill.’

I’d be disqualified if I got caught, but it’s better than her getting hurt. And if I don’t get caught, that’s even better. I just need to say something that sounds like I’m cheering her on.

“Going to Japan will require a lot of preparation… No, never mind.”

“I can give you that much advice.”

“You’ve already been overly kind as a counselor. I’ll take care of it myself.”

First, I’d have to report to the Awakened Management Office and the Hunter Association. I could set the schedule after hearing from the Japanese side. Haeyeon would take care of Yerim’s preparations. Would Yoohyun try to go with her? Seonghan was there, so it should be okay to leave the position empty. But if he was going to accompany her, he’d have to clear at least one dungeon in advance, so the earliest we could leave would be a week later.

In any case, the Japanese side wouldn’t be able to finish preparations in just a day or two. As I organized my thoughts, I looked at Seong Hyeonjae.

“Will the Guild Leader of Sesung also be going?”

“Considering the importance, I should move myself, but I have a dungeon raid scheduled from tomorrow, so I’m not sure if I’ll have the time.”

“As a partner, I’ll cheer you on, but I’m leaving if you’re late. Fighting!” [A common Korean phrase of encouragement, like ‘Good luck!’]

“I’ll try not to be abandoned by my one and only partner.”

Anyone listening would think I was in control.

I needed to at least roughly finish cleaning up the Breeding Ground before going to Japan. And I needed to find out about Breaker and Hanshin.

“You said you didn’t need advice, but I’ll give you one warning.”

Seong Hyeonjae suddenly said something meaningful. A warning?

“For a while, refrain from meeting Song Taewon alone. I advise you not to contact him first either.”

“…Excuse me?”

“Rather than being accompanied by a small number of high-ranked Hunters, it would be safer to be in a space with a large number of non-awakened or low-ranked Hunters. It would be easier to restrain yourself in a space with a normal atmosphere.”

“…You’re talking as if Chief Song is going to harm me.”

“I just mean don’t provoke him.”

Seong Hyeonjae smiled, his eyes crinkling, in a way that I couldn’t tell if it was directed at me or Song Taewon.

“Chief Song Taewon doesn’t waver easily. That’s why the sound of him breaking is even louder. It would be interesting in its own way if it passed quietly.”

It would be a problem if my partner got hurt, Seong Hyeonjae said in a low, subdued voice. I unconsciously swallowed hard.

‘Is it because my relationship with Seong Hyeonjae has changed even slightly?’

“I can’t know everything about a person’s deepest thoughts. The relationship isn’t completely nonexistent, but I wonder what kind of inner turmoil our Chief Song Taewon is going through. It’s still unknown.”

It was unexpected. Even if we weren’t quite equals, I thought that if my position rose even a little for Seong Hyeonjae, Song Taewon would be more relieved than before. Yoohyun was my biological younger brother, and Yerim was young. Noah was also on the younger side and was originally an A-Rank support.

So, Song Taewon might distrust me, but I thought it would change if I was recognized by Seong Hyeonjae.

“…Chief Song is difficult.”

“A wolf who tries to eat even the grass, going beyond taking the side of the sheep, is hard to understand from either side. I even doubt if he himself has any doubts about it.”

Trying to eat even the grass. But it was a fitting metaphor. Even high-ranked Hunters, low-ranked Hunters, and non-awakened people would wonder why he was suppressing them so much when they saw Song Taewon.

Difficult, really.

I wanted to go and ask him directly right away… but would it be better to hold back for a while? Just then, a message came to my phone. It was Yoohyun.

“My brother says he’s coming to pick me up.”

I replied that I was done to the message asking if I was still working and saying he would come to meet me since it was late. Remembering how I had squeezed out the item, the corners of my mouth crept up again. Ah, I really liked it.

He must have contacted me after already arriving at the hotel, because as I took the elevator down and entered the lobby, I saw Yoohyun. There were also escorts who had come with me.

“Yoohyun~”

This brother! Got something really good! I wanted to shout it out loud, but I couldn’t let it be known yet, so I held back. It was an under-the-table deal, so I couldn’t go around talking about it in a place with a lot of people. Instead, I hugged my brother tightly, full of joy.

“My amazing brother!”

Let’s get first place this time! If a newbie does a good job and I get one more piece of equipment that’s SS-Rank or higher, it’ll be really doable, right? What else can I get out of them? There might be an item that grows spirits. Rina said that if she grew completely, she’d be L-Rank. The problem is that it would take a thousand years.

“…Hyung.”

“Huh? Why?”

Yoohyun said quietly, just loud enough for me to hear, with a worried expression.

“You didn’t turn off your poison resistance and drink, did you?”

“Of course not!”

Did I overdo it a little?

“I’m not drunk, I’m fine. I just have something good going on. I guess my mood is like I’m drunk.”

What could I do when I kept smiling? Yoohyun glared behind me. It was probably directed at Seong Hyeonjae.

“Really, nothing happened? There are drugs that don’t work against poison resistance, too.”

“I’m really fine. Let’s go home quickly.”

I couldn’t take it out here. I gave Seong Hyeonjae a casual greeting and pulled my brother’s arm.

“The Japanese dungeon was contracted to be taken by the winner of the duel. The stakes are the Slime Dungeon, as we talked about beforehand.”

As soon as I sat in the passenger seat of the car, I told him the results of the negotiation.

“As expected, they nominated Yerim.”

“Who’s the opponent?”

“I heard he’s a two-year Hunter, and the battleground is by the sea.”

“Then it’s over.”

Yoohyun said as if concluding. Both Yoohyun and Seong Hyeonjae had seen Yerim fight in Hong Kong. Yoohyun had even fought her directly, so he would have the most accurate understanding of Yerim’s strength.

Since both of them were so sure of her victory, I naturally felt reassured.

“Yerim will win, right? There’s no chance she’ll get hurt, is there?”

“No.”

“Is it that much of a difference?”

“If it’s by the sea, she’s literally a fish in water. Even most early-awakened S-Rank Hunters would have a hard time against her.”

Our Yerim, it’s only been three months since she awakened. Ah, I’m grinning again. I turned my head to the window to hold back my undignified smile. The lights and signs of the stores were sparkling. That looks like a company building over there, but the lights are still on. Let them go home from work.

“Hunter Park Yerim will definitely have to go, and will you go too, Hyung?”

“I’ll have to go. I’ll go into the dungeon myself once. I’m going to announce that the monster I brought with me discovered the material.”

Originally, it was said that it was discovered after seeing the monster inside the dungeon eating it. That’s because the root fruit was effective even when eaten raw. So, I have to take Peace with me. Of course, Bbyak too.

“When are you going?”

“I asked them to prepare as quickly as possible. If they went into the second raid, they might find out about the fruit.”

The first raid had no room to spare, so the possibility of it being discovered was extremely low. But it’s different from the second one with raid information. It was discovered a long time later before my regression, but I don’t know what will happen now. The timing of the dungeon’s appearance has changed, so it’s better to be careful.

“Then I need to prepare to leave my position.”

“Are you going too? I won’t be staying long, but you never know, and it’s overseas, so take care of it.”

Still, I’m relieved that Seonghan is there.

When I arrived at the Breeding Ground, I didn’t go straight home and took my brother to the reception room on the first floor. It was a place with good soundproofing since the main customer base was high-ranked Hunters.

“Actually, the value of the Slime Dungeon is much higher than the Japanese dungeon. And the Japanese guys think they can definitely beat Yerim.”

I took advantage of that to squeeze out an item, and I proudly took out the Azure Thunder Bird’s Dress, telling him that it was a secret deal for the time being.

“It’s a whopping SS-Rank equipment!”

“SS-Rank?”

“Yeah! There’s only Silrakia’s Wings for SS-Rank cloaks in the country yet. This is the second one!”

It would be better if it was the first, but the second is still good. I felt proud when I saw Yoohyun’s eyes widen.

“The options are great, of course. Try it on.”

As I unfolded the clothes, old memories came to mind. I didn’t buy it, but how long has it been since I’ve done this?

Yoohyun put on the clothes. The black fabric flowed softly like a wave. At the same time, it was also slightly stiff and angular. I thought it looked pretty cool when the Japanese Guild Leader wore it, but this was no comparison. It suits him perfectly. It’s the best.

“It’s electric resistance?!”

“Yeah. It’s also S-Rank! And that instantaneous speed increase skill, isn’t it perfect for you?”

I remember that the Japanese Guild Leader was half defensive, specializing in setting up camp and fighting in his position. So, it wouldn’t have been a good fit. But Yoohyun is different.

“The Blue Willow Leaf isn’t a normal flight skill, but I’m moving directly, so it’ll be a big help in many ways. The defense stacking is also a good option….”

Yoohyun was silent for a moment, thinking about how to use the equipment in various ways, and then a bright smile bloomed on his face.

“Thank you so much! Hyung.”

“What are you thanking me for? With elemental resistance, you have to win this time!”

“…This time?”

Yoohyun’s expression hardened for a moment. He looked puzzled and embarrassed. I realized my mistake and quickly added an explanation.

“No, I just thought there might have been a time when you fought Seong Hyeonjae. Chief Song said that S-Rank Hunters often fought when dungeon breaks happened frequently. Of course, it’s not that you’re weak, but Seong Hyeonjae is a bit of a cheat. You’re still young, and there’s a difference in equipment.”

“…….”

My brother became noticeably sulky. So, he really had lost before. Honestly, combat prediction is a complete cheat. So is the Seeker’s Chain. It’s one rank above the owner’s rank, so it’s like carrying an SS-Rank weapon from the beginning. Who can beat that?

“It’s in the past. Don’t worry too much. Seong Hyeonjae was different from the start. He took over and raided the high-level dungeons first. On the other hand, you were a student.”

“…If I had been a little older, would Hyung not have relied on Seong Hyeonjae?”

“Huh?”

“I’m jealous even though I think it can’t be helped because there’s a difference. If I had been twenty, or even thirty, when the dungeons appeared, a lot would have changed.”

…Yeah, it would have.

“It would have changed. But Yoohyun, the person I rely on the most is you. That will never change, no matter when.”

Whether it’s twenty or thirty.

“I can’t do it without you. I can hold hands with other people because you’re here.”

In the first place, if it wasn’t for you, Yoohyun, I wouldn’t be standing here like this now.

“And I’m jealous too, you know?”

“…Why are you?”

“Why? I’m similar to you. Seong Hyeonjae helped you with this and that when you were away from me.”

“It wasn’t a big deal. I paid him back.”

Yoohyun said a little sullenly. But he didn’t not receive it. The impact must have been quite big. He was also the same innate S-Rank. At the same time, I was an adult who was hard to catch up with.

“Those were things I couldn’t do. I’m jealous and envious. I thought about wanting to do it for you many times. Even though I thought it would have been better than if Seong Hyeonjae hadn’t been there, I couldn’t help but feel hurt.”

As I spoke, my mouth felt bitter.

“There was really nothing between us. You don’t have to worry at all. And I can’t do it without Hyung. You’re taking care of me like this now. Hyung is the best.”

Yoohyun said as he hugged me like he was being spoiled. My brother is really kind. I hugged my brother back.

“Okay, let’s beat the hell out of the great Sesung Guild Leader in the ranking match.”

“Are you really going to have an S-Rank ranking match?”

“I’m going to do it globally.”

It won’t be easy with that combat prediction and SS-Rank weapon… Should I just use our kid’s buff? It’s best to win fairly without that, but… What else should I prepare? Is there a way for Yoohyun to get something like combat prediction? It would be worth trying if I could offset it.

Yerim was very excited to hear that she would be fighting an S-Rank Hunter in Japan. She said she would definitely wipe them out and cut the table in half. Yoohyun’s sarcasm about still not being able to control her strength almost led to an S-Rank Hunter match in our house first.

The next day, the Sesung Guild Leader went to raid a dungeon, and Moon Hyuna came to the Breeding Ground.