The S-Classes That I Raised [EN]: Chapter 199

“Don’t cause any more trouble. Both of you need to behave. Bellare, especially, don’t use your poison.”

– Peep.

– Sss.

I don’t know if they understood, but they both answered well. For safety, it would be better to keep Bellare in the cage, but they get along so well that I felt bad separating them. A bird and a snake are usually natural enemies, but they were strangely close. More accurately, Ppiyak seemed to boss Bellare around.

…Riet wouldn’t get angry, would she? Your kid attacked first, though.

“Peace, stop them if you sense something is wrong. I’m counting on you.”

– Kkiang.

“You remember where I keep the antidote, right?”

Peace went to the drawer and pulled it open with his front paw. As expected of our Peace, so smart. Bellare was skilled at controlling his poison, but I prepared an antidote just in case. It wasn’t enough to completely neutralize an A-grade poison, but with Peace’s stats, it would be sufficient.

Ppiyak was the problem, though.

‘…Strangely, he’s never been poisoned.’

Even today, it would have been hard to avoid getting poison on him while passing through the kitchen door hole, but he was fine. The same with the magic stone bottle. Could he possibly have an A-grade or higher poison resistance skill?

‘He can teleport, so it wouldn’t be surprising if he had other skills.’

Having poison resistance is a good thing. Still, I should hide it from the little brats as much as possible. Considering their reaction to the jellyfish before, they might try to get rid of him, calling him an error.

“I’ll be back soon, so all three of you be good.”

“Why don’t you install a pet observation camera or something?”

Moon Hyun-ah said, seeing me turn around.

“It’s not very useful. Bellare is a snake, and Ppiyak flies around.”

Unless I covered every inch of the ceiling and corners with cameras, I’d only capture an empty screen. Or just see Peace napping.

“Besides, they attack anything that moves, so I only have fixed cameras in the monster kids’ living room.”

They don’t break things if you teach them, but as soon as something new comes in, they start by smashing the robot vacuum cleaner. How many robot vacuum cleaners have I bought? I kept buying new ones because of Peace’s fur.

“Here’s a tape cleaner. It gets on your socks a lot, especially.”

As I went outside, I sent Yoo-hyun a message saying I was going to the Breaker Guild with Moon Hyun-ah Hunter. Soon, I got a call asking if he should come with us.

“You need to prepare to go to the dungeon. You said there’s an S-grade dungeon you need to strategize for.”

[Since I’m going with Peace again this time, there’s not much to prepare—]

“Why again!”

That little brother of mine, really! I reflexively shouted, and Yoo-hyun said in a softer voice, as if to soothe me.

[I’m going to check the team reorganization. It’s an easy place, so don’t worry.]

“Still, do it after you come back from Japan if possible.”

If we had stamina potions, even a small raid team would be relatively safe. Of course, it’s best to have a basic team composition. I exchanged a few more words, telling him to reconsider if possible, and then hung up.

“It’s always interesting to see. Japan, is that the dungeon Sesung was poking around in?”

“Yes. You must have heard.”

“The dungeon where you can easily get a baby A-grade ride-type monster. So, what did you decide to do?”

I hesitated for a moment before opening my mouth. I was going to inform the Association soon anyway.

“We decided that the winner of the match between the S-grade Hunters would take it all. Yerim decided to go.”

“Yerim? When is she going? I want to watch this time.”

Moon Hyun-ah said, still regretting that she couldn’t watch the A-grade ranking match. I said the schedule hadn’t been set yet and headed toward the parking lot. On the way, Noah flew down and greeted me, glancing at Moon Hyun-ah.

“Be careful.”

He was clearly avoiding her, so I asked if something had happened, and Moon Hyun-ah answered with a laugh.

“I promised to give him a ride if I caught him.”

“Don’t bully the kid.”

“It’s a deal, a deal.”

What did she do? Anyway, Noah was still popular. Even though he’s a dragon, mostly. Noah is a person, everyone.

Moon Hyun-ah didn’t bother with the seatbelt either. I dutifully put mine on. It was like being a lancer [a type of knight or soldier], so I was a little nervous, thinking of Kang So-young, the dragon rider, but the car moved surprisingly smoothly. She obeyed the traffic signals perfectly.

“Hyun-ah is well-regarded among the other Hunters, especially among the female Hunters.”

Moon Hyun-ah, Sung Hyun-jae, and even Yoo-hyun had caused quite a stir.

“Did So-young and Yerim speak well of me?”

“They just seemed to get along well. It seemed like Hyun-ah took good care of them.”

“Well, I’ve had my fair share of hard times too.”

Moon Hyun-ah continued, smoothly making a turn.

“Even after dungeons appeared and Awakened Ones emerged, everything else remained the same. Age, gender, race, that kind of thing. Even the Young Master got a lot of flak because of his age. He was lucky he was a man; imagine if he were an orphaned minor and a different gender. How much would they have torn him apart?”

Just thinking about it gave me chills.

“Even Sung Hyun-jae probably heard ‘young pup’ a lot. He politely endured it on the surface, but since there were many missing people when dungeons first appeared, you never know.”

A little scary. It was a good time to bury people. Even now, if a Hunter dies during a dungeon raid, it’s easy to just write it off.

“My friends and I were early Awakened Ones. Have you heard of it? The mass awakening.”

“Yes. You said there was a gathering.”

It was in the news that a group of female professional athletes had awakened all at once. Moon Hyun-ah was the only S-grade, but there were many A to B-grades and the lowest was C-grade. It was a natural result since top-class players from both domestic and overseas were gathered.

“It was fortunate. If we had awakened separately, we would have been easy targets. Thanks to uniting right away, it was easy to create a guild, but it was hard to get them to listen when we tried to establish ourselves properly.”

I couldn’t just step on them all, Moon Hyun-ah frowned.

“In the end, we compromised and received sponsorships. If it had been just me, I would have pushed through to the end, but it wasn’t. I don’t regret it, but I’m still trying to take care of others, even if they’re not in my guild, if I can. It’s not difficult.”

She smiled, saying she was glad Yerim had turned out well.

“When I first heard that an S-grade kid had joined Haeyeon, I was a little worried. Especially since she didn’t have parents, so she was too easy to exploit.”

Come to think of it, she had shown particular interest in Yerim from the first time we met. It felt annoying back then.

“It’s not that the Young Master would do that, but you never know. Fortunately, her foster father is doing a good job as her guardian, so I’m relieved.”

“I also think it’s fortunate that Hyun-ah is here. I’ve only ever taken care of my younger brother, so I still worry sometimes if I’m doing a good job.”

“Ask me anytime if you have any questions.”

“Thank you.”

We entered the Banpo Bridge. The Han River came into view through the car window. There were only low-level dungeons in the Han River now, but later, S-grade dungeons would appear. The dungeon environment made it difficult to raid, and it even exploded once. But now that Yerim was here, there wouldn’t be any problems.

“I heard that the Breaker Guild has mostly female Hunters.”

“Oh, that? It’s not intentional. Since the initial team members were all women, naturally the higher-ups became all women. So, male Hunters don’t come often. Conversely, female Hunters want to join. It’s funny since age and gender don’t matter once you enter a dungeon. Korea has fewer racial or class issues, but Sesung’s healer is Indian. Was he from a low caste [a hereditary social class]? I heard he was exploited with his family held hostage until he was rescued.”

“I’ve heard that Awakened Ones are often trafficked. I’m an experienced one myself.”

“Director Han is lucky he has a strong background. If his stats were F and only his special skill was good, he would have disappeared in an instant.”

If I had gained the skill to raise monsters without knowing anything, I wouldn’t have even thought to hide it. If I was lucky, I would have been suppressed by one of the large domestic guilds, and if I was unlucky, I would have been taken somewhere overseas.

Before the regression, there were many strange people who approached me just because I was the family of an S-grade Hunter, even though I had nothing. Even if there was nothing to take, there was simple curiosity. Well… let’s not dwell on useless memories.

We talked about Japan and then about China. I asked if there was any way to find a contact for Yoon Yoon, but she said that surveillance of Awakened Ones was getting worse day by day.

“I heard rumors that there’s a group of Awakened Ones who oppose the government, but I don’t know the details. Maybe Sung Hyun-jae knows something.”

That man again.

“…What was the Sesung Guild Leader doing, really?”

“It’s certain that he had a wide network even before awakening. High-ranking overseas Hunters came to the first Sesung Guild Leader’s birthday party. Evelyn, who joined Sesung this time, has been friends with Sung Hyun-jae since then.”

First party, what is that?

“Did you know Evelyn Hunter back then?”

“That’s right. Don’t get close to snakes. They bite.”

Moon Hyun-ah said, frowning. As expected, they seemed to have a bad relationship.

“You don’t seem to like her very much.”

“Our personalities don’t match. I don’t like her tone either. I like ranged Hunters, but I don’t like her shooting from behind.”

It just seems like everything about her is annoying. What was their first meeting like?

The car entered the parking lot of the Breaker Guild building. Even before the car stopped, a woman who appeared to be a member of the Breaker Guild approached. Moon Hyun-ah got out of the car and asked.

“What’s wrong?”

“Woods Guild Leader Lee Hyo-yeon has come to visit. She arrived a little while ago.”

“Really?”

Moon Hyun-ah turned to me and asked.

“How about it, Director Han? Do you want to meet her?”

“Can I come too?”

“Of course, you’re welcome. It can’t hurt to make a good impression on Director Han.”

“I think I’ve already made a deep impression.”

She was a very skilled Hunter, as expected of the A-grade ranking match winner. Moon Hyun-ah started walking. This time, she was leading the way.

The people we encountered while passing through the security facilities and heading to the reception room greeted me with curiosity and goodwill. Some people subtly asked if Ppiyak and Peace hadn’t come with me. Some people also asked me to upload Sorok’s photos and videos on social media.

When we entered the reception room, a female Hunter was already standing up. It was Hunter Lee Hyo-yeon, who, unusually for a close-combat type, had her long hair tied up high. I couldn’t confirm it during the ranking match, but it was likely that she had a related skill. It was rare for a skilled Hunter to intentionally leave behind something that could be cumbersome.

“Welcome, Breaker Guild Leader. Nice to meet you, Hunter Han Yoo-jin.”

“Sorry for making you wait, Woods Guild Leader. I brought Director Han Yoo-jin with me, is that okay?”

“Of course, it’s fine.”

Lee Hyo-yeon grinned playfully. Then she shifted her gaze to me.

“Thank you for hosting the ranking match. It made it easier to coordinate with the Association.”

“No, I didn’t do much.”

I provided the cause, but it was Sung Hyun-jae who raised them. Still, I was glad that it became an opportunity for the A-grade guilds to gain strength.

“What brings you here? Is it because of the move to Yeouido [a district in Seoul]?”

“Yes. Our Woods will not be going to Yeouido.”

Lee Hyo-yeon said firmly. Moon Hyun-ah raised her eyebrows at her words.

“It would be helpful in many ways if you went to Yeouido. You’ll get a lot of support for the sake of those guys’ safety, right? Not that Woods is lacking, but since there was originally an S-grade guild there, they’ll offer money to make up the difference. Your reputation will also grow.”

They said it was hard to provide relocation costs for Haeyeon and the Breeding Center, but when an A-grade guild actually comes in, they get anxious and offer money? That’s ridiculous.

“I know. But we’ve decided to move to Daejeon.”

“Daejeon?”

“Yes. It’s also the hometown of Vice Guild Leader Park Bo-ra. We’ve requested the transfer of S-grade guild rights under the management of the MKC Guild in Daejeon.”

Dungeons usually appear in proportion to the population. So, there were relatively fewer dungeons and lower grades in the provinces. The rapid decline of Hong Kong was largely due to the fact that it was a densely populated area, so there were many dungeons and the average grade was high, but China had taken away the Hunters.

Because of this, the government wanted to disperse the population, but Seoul had many dungeons and was dangerous, and all the S-grade Hunters were gathered there… Still, it had decreased a little compared to before the dungeons appeared.

“Our ultimate goal is for Woods to manage all the S-grade dungeons in and around Daejeon.”

Lee Hyo-yeon said with a confident expression.

“Compared to Busan and Daegu, Seoul’s large guilds are in charge of most of the high-level dungeons in Daejeon, so there isn’t a properly established mid-sized guild. We’re thinking of growing our power with a fresh start.”

“Are you sure? It won’t be easy. There will be a shortage of Hunter-related facilities.”

“There’s a senior who started from scratch.”

Lee Hyo-yeon smiled as she looked at Moon Hyun-ah. Moon Hyun-ah smiled back.

“Okay. Contact me if you need any help.”

“I will try not to contact you.”

“Then who will go to Yeouido?”

I interjected at Moon Hyun-ah’s murmur.

“Shouldn’t we leave it empty for a while?”

“Leave it empty?”

“Yes. It’s not needed right now, is it? There are several large guilds in Seoul. It’s not far, and it’s quick to travel by helicopter, so there’s no need to pick a strong guild that’s already established in another area and move them. People live in that neighborhood too.”

If it was a completely new establishment, it would be fine. It’s a good location for a new guild to grow with support. But I didn’t like the idea of forcibly moving them because the National Assembly was whining. The way they were picking and choosing guilds was very annoying.

It’s not dangerous right now, and the large guilds have enough influence to cover the distance.

“Let’s drag it out until they can’t pick and choose as they please.”

“How?”

Lee Hyo-yeon asked, her eyes shining. She seemed to be upset about being rejected by Yeouido.

“It’s simple. The Ride-Type Monster Breeding Center and the Haeyeon Guild just need to pretend to hesitate about moving. If possible, it would be even more effective to bring in Sesung.”

At my words, Moon Hyun-ah laughed out loud. She had a satisfied expression.

“It’s a shame Breaker can’t participate. Suppress them appropriately and then let a decent new guild establish itself, I like it.”

“As Hyun-ah said, the location itself is good.”

“Of course! I need to find a decent new guild.”

I exchanged business cards with Lee Hyo-yeon, who was about to return to her guild. She said that she hoped to bring in ride-type monsters someday and asked me to take care of her.

“Personally, I think it would be good for Woods to go to Yeouido.”

I muttered a little regretfully, looking at the closed door. If we dragged it out for a while using the method I mentioned, they would accept it.

“It’s good to be independent without being tied to external forces. If you receive something, you have to give something in return.”

Moon Hyun-ah said bitterly. Breaker must be tied down. It had been three years, so they must have been quite entangled. Could they cut all that off and stand alone? This time.

“Hyun-ah.”

I’m not able to stand alone yet either, but I opened my mouth, wondering if I could be of help.