The S-Classes That I Raised [EN]: Chapter 238

Ta-ta-ta-ta-ta-ta—

A deafening noise echoed. Three helicopters landed in succession on the rooftop helipad. The rushing wind made hair and scarves flutter wildly.

People from the Akates Defense Agency approached the stopped helicopters. There were A to S-class guards, but they seemed to be the escort force. The people who appeared to be high-ranking officials were mostly C-class or lower.

‘It’s not like high-level Awakened Ones would have inferior abilities. Could it be that B-class or higher Awakened Ones are simply prevented from advancing to high positions in the first place?’

It would be difficult to handle someone with S-class stats also possessing political influence. Still, it’s unfair. What can they do if they were born as high-level Awakened Ones? If they’re going to discriminate, they shouldn’t Awaken them at all, yet they exploit their power.

‘…Our neighborhood also had issues with Awakened discrimination.’

Especially regarding the university entrance exam or civil service exam, there were many complaints that it was unfair to have Awakened Ones with D-class or higher stats taking the same test under the same conditions, since their physical abilities were different. Later, the ban on Awakening minors was partly due to ethical issues, but the university entrance exam problem was also a major factor. Even if the world is ending tomorrow, students are still students.

The helicopter door opened, and an S-class guard stepped out first. Then, that bastard appeared. Ignoring whatever the Akates Defense Agency people were saying to him, his golden eyes stared straight at me. As if he knew I would be here before he even got off, his gaze came directly to me without hesitation.

I smiled at him for now. Sigma’s eyes curved into a smile as well. And then.

Bang!

“S, Sigma-nim?”

“What’s going on all of a sudden!”

Surprised voices erupted from everywhere. I couldn’t make a sound and just sat there on the floor.

‘…That damn bastard.’

A chain was embedded about a meter above my head. The wall was severely cracked, and debris was falling onto my shoulders and head. No sooner had I made eye contact with him and smiled than a golden chain flew at me. Aiming precisely for my neck.

‘If I were F-class, I would have lost my life.’

He attacked just enough for me to barely dodge it, but that made me even angrier. Is he toying with me?

With a crack, the chain was pulled from the wall and returned to its owner with a clatter. Thanks to that, more fragments poured down again. It hurts, you damn bastard.

“There was a bug.”

“…Yes?”

At Sigma’s words, the surrounding people looked dumbfounded for a moment before quickly correcting their expressions.

“Since it’s outdoors, yes. There might be some. We’re doing a good job with pest control indoors.”

The Akates person said, trying to appear calm. I got up, brushing the stone dust off my body. When I glared at him, he smiled silently. Ugh, that son of a bitch with a terrible temper.

‘Let’s talk.’

I said with my lips. With his SS-class eyesight, he’ll probably figure it out. …Will he? Well, automatic translation is working, but he’s not going to use Korean.

“Would you like to check on Alpha first?”

“No, I’m tired from traveling all night.”

Then they would guide him to his accommodation, the Akates people said, leading the way. I quietly followed them as they went inside.

As a VIP, the accommodation prepared was a detached suite on the top floor. Sigma dismissed everyone, saying he wanted to rest alone. He must have understood what I said. I waited until he went into the suite and there was no one around before knocking lightly. Soon, the door opened automatically.

Stepping inside, the first thing that caught my eye was one wall made of glass. The city’s scenery was clearly visible. If I turned on the lights at night, it would become like a lighthouse attracting monsters, but they must have treated it specially to prevent light from leaking out.

‘I can’t see the night view anyway.’

A useless luxury. They should treat Alpha better with that money. Suddenly, I’m getting angry again.

“Hello, Mr. Sigma… Huh!”

I almost cursed when I saw him sitting on the sofa in the spacious living room. What the hell, it’s me. Crazy. Why is that still intact?

The doppelganger doll I left at the Solemnis Defense Agency was sitting quietly on the sofa. Its eyes were closed, making it look like it was dozing off. Its appearance is exactly the same as mine… I didn’t think much of it then, but it feels unpleasant to see it like this.

“…It was supposed to last for one day.”

“The duration increased as I replenished its mana,” Sigma said, coming into the living room. He had changed into a light shirt and pants. Even if the duration could be extended, why did he preserve it? Is it like evidence? Well, it would be convenient to have that doll when issuing a wanted notice.

“Would you like a drink?” Sigma said, placing wine and glasses on the table.

“Do you think I would accept a drink without knowing what’s in it?”

“I don’t think there’s a need to use drugs in this situation.”

Well, I can’t escape from this distance. He sat on the sofa first. Next to my doppelganger doll. It looks unnecessarily friendly. It makes me feel dirty. I also took a seat on the opposite sofa.

“I didn’t expect you to show up so easily. I thought I’d have to search for a few days, but it’s surprising.”

“Don’t say things you don’t mean. You must have heard everything.”

I leaned back on the sofa, crossing my legs to look arrogant. I put my hands together on my knees. Should I have taken off the scarf? It doesn’t suit me.

“I’ll compensate you sufficiently. I’ll also return the items I took willingly.”

“They must be quite valuable?”

“A few SS-class equipment items are just pebbles compared to Alpha. No, pebbles are too much, let’s say glass beads.”

“Alpha, huh.”

Sigma raised the corner of his lips and poured wine into a glass. He’s an SS-class, so he won’t get drunk as easily as someone who is S-class, but he’s trying to set the mood.

“I received a report that a C-class with a skill to calm Alpha has appeared.”

“It’s not just calming. It’s a skill to reliably obtain him. Thanks to the Akates Defense Agency people making him soft.”

I wanted my expression to look arrogant and confident. Let’s not think about my brother’s current state. It’s Alpha, an SS-class guard I met for the first time this time, not Yoohyun. I’ve never even known his face, and I still don’t know his name.

“So please, don’t interfere.”

It won’t work, but I lowered my voice as threateningly as possible.

“Alpha is mine.”

“You’re confident.”

“Isn’t it obvious? The Akates people don’t know about my stealth skill. No one can find me except for Alpha, who is an SS-class guard. So taking Alpha while pretending to cooperate was not a difficult task. Until you showed up.”

“Should I apologize?”

“If you blabbed about my stealth skill to Akates, then you should apologize.”

“I can assure you that they are tight-lipped.”

That’s a relief. Since communication between cities is extremely limited, if Sigma guarantees it, then the fact that my stealth is unknown is certain. It will eventually leak out over time, though. It’s not like there are no people traveling by land.

“The ambition of a C-class taming an SS-class is interesting, but I have no reason to cooperate.”

“What do you want?”

I looked down at him, lowering my eyes as if to say, tell me anything. My sitting height needs to be a little higher to have an arrogant, condescending angle. Sigma lightly touched the rim of the wine glass and opened his lips with a smile.

“A C-class who tamed an SS-class. That’s enough to cover the compensation.”

“Enough? Are you crazy? You’re just an SS-class yourself.”

He’s sitting still, trying to catch both Alpha and me at the same time. His greed is too much.

“Is there anything else you can give me? I have quite a lot, you know.”

“I have many things, but what I’m offering is information.”

“Information?”

“Yes. Let’s write a contract first.”

With that, I held out my hand. Sigma looked at my palm. I shook my hand as if to say, what are you doing?

“Don’t you have a high-grade contract? Give it to me. Preferably one with severe penalties.”

“You’re good at taking things.”

“Give it up if you’re not interested.”

“Isn’t it your loss if I give up?”

“Look who’s talking. It would be terribly boring if I just sat here. Although our meeting was short, have I ever disappointed you? Huh? I think I’ve built up enough trust.”

“Your credibility is so high that it would be fun to put a leash on you right here.”

“…You’re giving your heart too easily. Be a little more difficult.”

Sigma took out a contract from his inventory. It was SS-class.

“The basic condition is that you don’t interfere with me until Alpha is released, and I will hand over important information to you after I take Alpha.”

“What if the value of the information is not satisfactory?”

“Then I’ll package myself and Alpha, 1+1, as you wish. Isn’t that a great deal?”

Since it’s a contract with magical power, I can’t pretend to be dissatisfied. And the importance of the information I can give is obvious. Just telling him that this place is not the real world but a fake with only information would be shocking enough.

…I’m worried he’ll be too shocked and become aggressive.

The contract conditions were clearly favorable to Sigma, so he agreed to write the contract without saying much. He gets to see the show and, if he’s lucky, eat the rice cake [get a good reward]. He’d be a fool to refuse.

I also wrote down other details. Mainly about Sigma’s movements until Alpha was definitely released.

“You must not induce others to touch Alpha. Any action that could affect Alpha is absolutely impossible. Postpone Akates’ requests with the excuse that you’re tired.”

After completing the detailed contract, only the signatures remained. Sigma signed first. What, it’s just Sigma. The act of signing was important, so a pseudonym was not possible. I just wrote C-class.

“What’s your name?”

Sigma asked, looking at the signature on the contract. He’s not revealing his own. Besides, if he received information about me, he would know my name. Is he telling me to reveal it myself?

“Han Yoojin.”

“I see, Han Yoojin.”

“…What you’re seeing now is a doll.”

“I know, C-class.”

You… you crazy SS-class. Your personality is truly wonderful. After both sides signed, the contract automatically split into two copies. Convenient. I took one copy of the contract and got up.

“For the convenience of my activities, please call me here. Saying you want to consult with a C-class with special skills. Since there’s a doll, it would be good to pretend I’m staying here.”

“Anything else?”

“No.”

I said firmly.

“Just watch and pick up the crumbs, Mr. Sigma.”

I wonder if there are rice cakes in this neighborhood.

[☆★Hidden Quest Achieved!!☆★]

As soon as I left Sigma’s accommodation using my stealth skill, another quest notification popped up. Aren’t they overusing hidden quests? I’m grateful, though.

[Successfully Traded with a Mere SS-Class!

You have successfully made a contract with an Awakened One of a much higher grade than yourself! In celebration, your kind partner is emptying their pockets! You needed a lot of points, right?

Reward: 500,000P]

Wow, 500,000 points. I did need points. I had to buy an expensive item, and I thought I’d need two or three master keys to save Yoohyun. Thank you so much. Thanks to you, my finances will improve a bit.

I went back to my accommodation and waited for a while, and then a Defense Agency employee came and said that Sigma-nim was looking for me. I readily accepted and went back to Sigma’s accommodation, only opening and closing the door before leaving the Defense Agency. There were still a few hours left before sunset, so the streets were quite bustling.

‘This is where the problem starts.’

To safely save Yoohyun, I must first deal with the two S-class guards who have a connection through imprinting. There is a way, but I need bait to lure them to the desired location. I’ve already thought about this bait. The problem is, I don’t know where it is.

‘Should I have gotten a little help from Sigma?’

No, it’s not good to get involved unnecessarily. He’ll try to take more than he gives, so it’s better to keep a proper distance. Besides, he’s too capricious, and if I clumsily revised the contract in a way that I could get help, I don’t know when or how I’d get backstabbed. It’s wise to prevent him from exploiting the loopholes in the contract and to keep him away completely.

I slightly took out the scooter from the storage and put on a mask and released my stealth. I was driving along the road, thinking of going to the slums first.

[The Jackals of Akates]

A quest window popped up.

[In Akates City, there is a group dissatisfied with the various restrictions on combat guards. Find them and listen to their detailed circumstances.

Turn right at Zone 3 of Tropogo Central Road – Turn right at Pubey Municipal Department Store – Check the signs and arrive at the east entrance of Nabisae Park, then the third grocery store in the center of the shopping district across the street.

Reward: 100P]

…Oh my god, newbie! I’m touched. How did you know my heart so well and throw me a quest like this?

There’s no way there wouldn’t be people dissatisfied with Akates’ harsh treatment of guards. In fact, there was even one S-class guard in this group. He was a wanted man with a bounty due to his family relationship with a Defense Agency S-class guard.

The enemy of my enemy is my friend.

I followed the newbie’s guide and drove along the road. Before long, I arrived at the grocery store, my destination. I parked the scooter and went inside the store. The bell on the door rang.

“Hello~”

“Yes, welcome.”

A man with a friendly impression greeted me. There were no other customers at the moment. Since the other person is a non-Awakened, I took off my mask with confidence. The man’s eyes widened slightly when he saw my face. He corrected his expression immediately, but he definitely recognized me.

I came to the right place.

“You seem to recognize me, but I’m Han Yoojin, a C-class guard who recently joined the Akates Defense Agency. I have an interesting proposal; would you like to hear it?”

“A proposal? I’m just a grocery store owner.”

“I don’t like the conditions or treatment offered by the Defense Agency.”

I leaned against the counter and smiled brightly.

“I’m thinking of turning it upside down; are you interested?”

“…You’re saying dangerous things. What you just said is treason.”

“Oh dear, there won’t be another chance like this.”

“Then I’ll listen.”

A voice came from behind, not from the man in front of me. I turned around with the same smiling face. It was an A-class, middle-aged man. I didn’t hear the bell on the entrance door, so he must have come from inside. In addition, it was a face I had seen on a wanted poster.

Bounty: 20 million L [currency].

“My stats are C-class, so please be gentle~”

“If you’re a real customer, I’ll treat you with respect.”

I followed the middle-aged man inside. If things go smoothly, it will be over tonight. Wait a little longer, Yoohyun.