The S-Classes That I Raised [EN]: Chapter 45

45. I Wish They’d Just Leave Me Alone

[Why don’t you come to see me now?]

Returning home, I sent a text to the goblin’s contact information I received from Seok Si-myung. I heard that calls weren’t possible, only texts.

There was no reply, but soon after, the goblin appeared in the air. I know that mask. I saw it in a Korean language textbook. It was definitely a Malttugi mask. Malttugi… he was the character who satirized and mocked the nobleman he served. I remembered it because my Korean teacher’s Malttugi impersonation was so spot-on.

…Is this on purpose? Huh?

“Oh, Captain Kim, you called me. I haven’t heard from you in so long, this goblin thought you had kicked the bucket and gone to the afterlife! I was about to put out a dried pollack head and a big bowl of rice with a spoon stuck in it for your memorial!” (This is a traditional Korean memorial offering.)

“…That’s enough.”

“Why aren’t you playing along!”

Is he going to bring a janggu [a traditional Korean drum] and start drumming? I need to send him away quickly; I can’t play with a three-year-old, it’s exhausting.

“Okay, I have a job for you.”

“I’m a busy body! I don’t do boring things!”

Such a high nose for a subordinate. I took out the tablet I had prepared.

“You’ll think differently when you hear it.”

“You sound confident. Tell me!”

The goblin crossed his arms and tilted his head. Is he my boss?

“Shouldn’t you be more polite as a subordinate?”

“Tell me!”

“The job is simple. Investigate dungeons in other countries.”

“Dungeons?”

“Yes. I’ve put the details of what you need to investigate in this tablet.”

I organized the items and investigation methods as I remembered them. First, I should investigate all the dungeons in nearby Japan, then pass the data to Seok Ha-yan to get feedback on what’s missing and supplement it.

“Usually, dungeons are set up so that foreigners can’t access them. But you have stealth and teleportation, so you can easily investigate them.”

“Of course, I can do it! But why do I have to do it?”

“If we discover the laws of dungeon creation, we can reduce the damage from dungeon breaks. Simply put, you can save many people. The great goblin is doing a heroic deed.”

“I like that!”

The goblin snatched the tablet and shouted. I hope he knows how to use it. Fortunately, the goblin skillfully flipped through the tablet screen.

“But do I really have to go to another country? It’s so far.”

“Japan is just a quick flight away if you sneak on a plane. Please, my beloved Yoon-yoon.”

I need to apply the keyword quickly to get the ultra-long-distance portal skill. The goblin grimaced at the word ‘beloved’.

“Not that again! I’m not doing the job?!”

“Why do you hate being called beloved when you’re a goblin? Goblins are originally a loving race.”

Goblins transform into beautiful women to seduce men or lust after women. See the encyclopedia.

“…Really?”

“Of course. Real goblins need to be familiar with love. I love you, Yoon-yoon. Now, you try it.”

The goblin hesitated, then shouted loudly.

“I love you, Kim!”

“Good, well done. I love you too, Yoon-yoon.”

I returned the love, hoping for the skill, but the goblin’s name was still not there. Is it because I know so little about the goblin’s personal affairs? It seems like three or four times isn’t enough. Should I count how many more times I need to do it?

“Ugh, I’m going to Japan…….”

“Have a good trip. Take care of yourself. Your safety is the most important thing. Tell me if you need anything, anytime. I love you.”

The goblin’s figure disappeared.

I stared at the empty space and unconsciously sighed.

‘I hope this is enough.’

I sat on the bed, then lay down completely.

Now, all I have to do is pass the data to Seok Ha-yan. If I bring her lab into my building, safety is guaranteed, and there will be no interference from the government or specific guilds.

Unlike in five years, information will not be hidden or monopolized.

‘Plus, Ki Seung-soo and Yoo Myung-woo are there. I’m going to turn the two original A-ranks into S-ranks. Isn’t this enough?’

Now, there’s nothing much I can do besides raising the kids. And occasionally going around and catching promising non-awakened people to awaken them? Just giving advice around the Awakening Center.

Even if I know future information, it’s not like I know everything about the world, and many things will have changed by now, so it will soon be useless.

If I lay the groundwork this much, they’ll figure it out and do better on their own.

Honestly, I think I’ve done too much for someone like me. Once you start rolling, it’s hard to stop, and that’s exactly what happened.

But now it’s really over. I’ve secured safety, made a fortune, and my originally successful brother will be even more successful.

If I raise Kim Sung-han and bring in Moon Hyun-ah safely, I’ll have four S-class combat hunters. And I’ll keep fishing out promising combat and healer types and sending them over, so achieving the top spot in the country is just a matter of time… Hmm. Then I really have to join Haeyeon. That’s annoying.

I want to cancel the younger brother discount and change the condition to world number one.

‘But my brother won’t abuse me, right.’

Just put my name on it and be done.

Anyway, it’s really over. All done!

Except for one thing,

‘…I’m still bothered by the guy who made the system.’

But they said they checked and it’s really over, right? I should have teleported somewhere while I had the goblin here.

It’s unsettling.

…Damn it, I don’t know. I’ve done enough. I just need to fill up the standby slots from time to time.

Just let me live peacefully raising monsters.

* * *

“Uncle, the commercial is over!”

Yerim, who was sitting on the sofa hugging a cushion, made a fuss. For the record, that sofa was the fifth one we’ve replaced. Peace destroyed the previous four. He’s a destruction king.

“I don’t really want to watch it.”

“Why? I’m going to buy the VOD [Video on Demand] too. I’m going to download it and save it.”

Why go that far? …Actually, I’m going to buy it too. Peace is in it. It’s a bit embarrassing to see my own face, but I need to save Peace’s parts.

As I went to sit on the sofa, Peace jumped onto my lap as if he had been waiting. Gently jump. Think about your size.

– Grrr.

As I patted his head as he rubbed against me, Yerim’s eyes narrowed.

“Do you know that Peace is a complete fake?”

“A fake?”

“When you’re not around, he completely ignores people, let alone wagging his tail. He doesn’t even acknowledge us.”

“You’ve been bothering him since the first time you met him. It’s understandable that he ignores you.”

Yerim made an aggrieved expression at my words.

“It’s different from that. Oh, it’s starting.”

A short narration played, and Yerim was introduced first. The caption ‘Youngest S-Class Combat Hunter’ popped up in a lively way.

“It’s already started?”

Yoo Myung-woo came out with snacks. The pungent, savory smell made me straighten up.

“What is that?”

Yerim also showed interest, squeezing the cushion she was holding.

Yoo Myung-woo placed the plate he was holding on the table.

“Fried scorched rice and butter potatoes.”

Just hearing the words made it sound delicious. My and Yerim’s hands moved almost simultaneously. Each of us picked up a piece of fried scorched rice and brought it to our mouths.

Crunch.

Wow… how is it so perfectly crispy? The amount of sugar sprinkled on it was also exquisite. It didn’t overwhelm the savory taste, but rather enhanced the sweetness perfectly.

“Wow, what is this? What is this? Did you make this yourself?”

Yerim, with wide eyes, poked a butter potato with a fork. She put it in her mouth in one go, not even caring if it was hot, and then made an emotional expression.

“Myung-woo oppa……!” (Oppa is a Korean term used by younger females to address older males they are close to.)

…Her honorific changed to oppa. Yerim, you little… when did you start ignoring Myung-woo, and now you’re completely 넘어간 [ 넘어간 (neomeogan) means to be completely won over or charmed] with a piece of fried scorched rice and a potato.

Of course, it’s delicious enough to be 넘어간… ugh, this potato is so delicious. It’s a shame that Peace isn’t interested in anything other than mana stones and monster meat.

– Kyaang!

At that moment, Peace cried towards the TV. When I looked up, I saw myself sitting in a chair holding Peace. Seeing my face on the screen was a bit embarrassing… wait, what’s that caption?

“Look at Uncle’s introduction! It says ‘Monster Dad’!”

Yerim laughed, holding scorched rice in both hands. As she said, the caption ‘Monster Dad Han Yoojin’ was displayed below the screen.

Damn it, I clearly said ‘Monster Raising Skill’, ‘Monster Raiser’, but why ‘Monster Dad’? It’s like a caption that would end with ‘Peace, you have to listen to your dad~’ on Animal Farm or Something Like That in the World.

Was that what that program was? What’s with that.

“You’re even on TV, you’re amazing.”

Unlike the giggling Yerim, Myung-woo was genuinely impressed. Amazing. You’ll be able to go on shows like that soon enough.

At that moment, my phone rang. I was getting a call from an unknown number. Who is it?

“Hello.”

[Yoojin! I just saw you on TV. Do you remember me? We worked together at the factory!]

Hmm, who is it? I don’t remember at all. It’s been four years since I worked at the factory, but it feels like nine years. But if it was someone I was close to, I should remember, but I don’t know.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t know.”

[Really? That’s a bit disappointing. Why don’t we meet up? I’m doing a business these days, and it’s a really amazing item!]

Ah, it’s that kind of call. It’s only been a short time since the broadcast, and they’re already fast.

“Really? What kind of item is it?”

As I showed interest, he started rambling on and on. Hmm, he lacks creativity. He’s not persuasive, and he’s not good at explaining.

“I’m not really interested. I’ll decline.”

I hung up the phone and blocked the number. Yerim, who had been watching me talk on the phone, shook her head.

“Why are you even answering that? I would have hung up right away. I changed my number completely. Even the relatives of my classmate’s parents from the next class were contacting me. You should change yours too, Uncle.”

“I’m not planning on changing it for a while. It’s fun.”

“…Fun?”

“Yeah. I like getting spam calls. Especially creative ones.”

It was one of my few hobbies. They pay for the call, they talk to me enthusiastically, the service is friendly, what’s not to like? It was a cost-effective leisure activity that I could enjoy while lying down. The only downside is that the repertoire is too similar.

“Oh, it’s coming again.”

“…Uncle.”

Yerim made a dumbfounded face. Myung-woo also looked embarrassed. Is it that weird?

“No, um… if there’s a really good product, I might invest.”

“You’ll get scammed. You should try a different hobby.”

“That’s right, you could get seriously hurt if you get tempted.”

These guys. It’s not like I’ve only been doing this for a year or two, I know much better than you do. But I couldn’t answer the phone because I was conscious of them, so I put it on silent. There’s talk about how much Ki Seung-soo is worth and how the giant guilds are investing, so I’m sure I’ll be getting calls from all sorts of places.

It’ll be fun for a while.

* * *

“Haaahm.”

I yawned widely as I came out to the living room. There was someone with a great sense of humor, so I was listening and agreeing, and I ended up going to bed too late. With that kind of story and speaking skills, they should aim to appear on TV or publish a book instead of trying to scam people. It’s a waste of talent.

‘If they optimize their awakening, they’ll probably get one or two related skills.’

Like ‘Even if you fall into the water, your tongue will float.’

“Sorry I’m late. Were you very bored?”

As I opened the door, Peace, who had been waiting, quickly ran out and rubbed his cheek against my leg.

– Grrr.

“Okay, okay. Let’s eat and go out right away.”

I ate a mediocre brunch and went outside. Peace, who had left my arms, took the lead and walked briskly. His tail was wagging cheerfully with his light steps.

Unlike before, there was a guard standing near the elevator and stairs on the dormitory floor. Not a regular guard, but a hunter.

“Hello.”

I greeted him and looked him over. B-rank, close combat type. Looking at the visitor’s pass around his neck, it seemed like MKC sent him.

One of the conditions for the Ki Seung-soo nurturing negotiation was the joint protection of my personal safety. So the giant guilds decided to take turns sending bodyguards.

Yoohyun was unhappy because I was still with Haeyeon, so it wasn’t necessary, but a contract is a contract.

Yesterday, Breaker sent an A-rank, but MKC is stingy. Of course, B-rank isn’t a low rank either. Breaker’s A-rank was nice, unlike the guild leader. Despite being a high rank, he wasn’t arrogant, he was kind and gentle, and he was very interested in Ki Seung-soo.

I’m sure he was being nice because of the latter, but so what? I prefer kindness with ulterior motives to unkindness without ulterior motives.

As for kindness, Han Shin was no match.

The day before yesterday, Han Shin sent not just an A-rank, but the vice guild leader. I said that it wasn’t really necessary for him to come all the way here just to protect me, but he smiled kindly, saying that he wanted to meet me and say hello. And, as expected, he showed a great deal of interest in Ki Seung-soo. I heard him say several times that he was looking forward to working with me in the future.

‘In comparison, the MKC guild member’s reaction is lukewarm.’

Is it because he’s a B-rank and won’t be directly involved with Ki Seung-soo? But he should still be interested.

“Are you going down to the training room?”

“Yes.”

The B-rank hunter pressed the elevator button for me. It was a treatment I couldn’t have dreamed of before the regression. But I’m a B-rank now too.

When the elevator arrived, Peace familiarly got on and jumped to press the basement floor button. He’s really smart, whoever’s dog he is.

‘…Aren’t you impressed?’

I glanced at the MKC hunter’s face, but he was expressionless without any change. The Han Shin and Breaker hunters all praised him as amazing, smart, and well-raised.

Of course, there’s no law that everyone has to praise our Peace, but I was a little disappointed.

I arrived at the basement floor where the training rooms were located and received the key to the training room that Peace was using exclusively from the management office. Even if it’s exclusive, it’s not really a privilege.

No matter how sturdy it was built, there was a limit to the durability of the training room and the building. It was difficult for even B-rank hunters, let alone high-level hunters, to fully exert their power. Thanks to that, there were always training rooms left over, and they were never full. Around B-rank or higher, they usually used the training facilities in Gyeonggi-do.

So the utilization rate of Haeyeon’s underground training room was higher for the members of the sub-guilds than for the Haeyeon guild members, who were mainly composed of high-level hunters.

Most of the giant guilds had several small and medium-sized guilds under them. This was because they had to manage a certain percentage or more of not only high-level dungeons but also medium and low-level dungeons.

Sending high-level hunters belonging to the guild to conquer medium and low-level dungeons was a waste of manpower. So they entrusted the conquest of medium and low-level dungeons to the small and medium-sized guilds under them. Instead, they provided a strong backing and allowed them to use facilities such as training rooms and equipment management teams.

Haeyeon also had several such sub-guilds.

‘Everyone got along without causing any problems until five years later.’

I don’t remember all the details of the small and medium-sized guilds, but I think that’s how it was. Just looking at how well-behaved the sub-guilds are, doesn’t that mean that Yoohyun is a moderate for a guild leader? I, who resented my brother for not finding any fault with him for five years, guarantee it.

He’s the best among the guild leaders.