The S-Classes That I Raised [EN]: Chapter 509

507. Priorities (1)

“Let’s get you changed. You’ll catch a cold like that.”

Yoo-hyun said, looking at my damp state, even after drying off a bit with a towel from the reception room. Lynn, who had come over to Kyul and me, agreed, wagging her tail. I refused his suggestion to go up to our room on the upper floor first.

“It’s okay. More importantly—is anyone listening? Sung Hyun-jae is more urgent.”

Lowering my voice, I continued, telling them to let me know if they sensed anyone.

“His condition isn’t good right now.”

The Puppeteer’s main target was Song Tae-won. But he was also aiming for Sung Hyun-jae. He even seemed wary of him, so we couldn’t let our guard down.

‘There might be more seeds contacting him besides Hwang Lim.’

The poison dart frog wouldn’t understand, but a low-level Awakened could be given simple errands. And the Sung Hyun-jae from earlier was in a state where even a low-level Awakened could snatch him and run. He was even unconscious. Even if he’s a Transcendent who’s friendly to me, a Transcendent is still a Transcendent. Their fundamental way of thinking might be different from ours. Even Shin-nip often said things that made me cringe at first, so I need to be careful.

“I wanted to dig deeper into Park Ha-yul’s side through Chloe, but I’ll have to put that on hold for now. If Sung Hyun-jae disappears, nothing will work out. And Park Ha-yul’s skill has been released anyway.”

“Park Ha-yul came here?”

“No, Hwang Lim. He released it with that replication skill. He said he received a request from Park Ha-yul.”

Yoo-hyun made another displeased face at the mention of Hwang Lim.

“Why do you dislike him so much? He hasn’t done anything compared to Cho Hwa-woon.”

“Unlike Cho Hwa-woon, Hwang Lim isn’t trying to kill me.”

“Well… he’s not that bad of a guy.”

So, since Cho Hwa-woon was going to be killed anyway, there was no need to hate him.

“And it’s become difficult to touch Hwang Lim now.”

He has a Transcendent backing him. The Puppeteer even took him away a little while ago. If not, I would have cut his tendons, even if it’s a bit cruel. To take him out of the drawer without an SS-grade restraint, I’d have to temporarily incapacitate him because of the dirt. Cutting him off completely would be hard to reattach.

“He hasn’t directly harmed me, so don’t be too harsh.”

“Cigarettes.”

“…I don’t smoke.”

Besides, I’m thirty, no, twenty-five. Of course, I shouldn’t smoke around the kids. I really need to quit.

“Then give them to me.”

“Alright, alright. Not to you, I’ll pass them on to someone else.”

Giving cigarettes to my younger brother felt wrong.

“…Han Yoo-jin.”

Song Tae-won, who had been silently walking, stopped abruptly and spoke.

“Yes?”

“Could you give me your hand for a moment?”

Wondering what was going on, I held out my hand. Song Tae-won took my hand and examined it closely before speaking again.

“It’s indeed similar to Han Yoo-jin’s hand.”

“What… oh.”

The Puppeteer’s hand. No wonder it looked familiar. It was because it resembled my hand.

“It was slightly larger and whiter, but the shape is almost the same.”

“What are you talking about? Similar to hyung’s [older brother’s] hand?”

“Hwang Lim seems to be connected to a Transcendent. When I went into the drawer, that Transcendent reached out and grabbed Hwang Lim.”

I briefly explained what had happened to Yoo-hyun.

“Appearances can be easily changed, it seems. He appeared as you, Yoo-hyun, before, and now it’s my appearance. Be careful if I act suspiciously.”

“There’s no way I wouldn’t recognize hyung. It would be hard to perfectly mimic your *mal-tu* [manner of speaking] or movements, or even your eyes.”

“Well, you did notice that I was strange right after the regression.”

“…At that time, you were definitely hyung, but there were unfamiliar aspects too.”

The new habits that had formed over five years must have been popping out. Anyway, he’s impersonating me, which is unsettling. I hope he’s not doing anything weird. Thinking that my hand hit Hwang Lim’s head makes me feel a little better.

“Sung Hyun-jae-ssi, I’m coming in.”

I knocked and opened the door. He still hadn’t locked it. If he’s not feeling well, he should at least lock the door. It wouldn’t matter if he were a mid-level Hunter, but still.

“I’m still worried. Don’t be alone for a while, and have someone trustworthy… um.”

Song Sil-jang-nim [Team Leader Song] is the best, but the problem is that dirt. Still, Sung Hyun-jae has Evelyn-ssi, but… even though she shot an arrow without hesitation… I have a feeling that if she knows Sung Hyun-jae is weakened, she’ll shoot an arrow before protecting him.

“Do you have any safe houses or anything?”

I said, entering the living room. Sung Hyun-jae, who was sitting on the sofa, looked up at me.

“What could have happened in such a short time?”

“A lot of things happened in a short time. Song Sil-jang-nim should probably stay away too—”

“There’s no need for that.”

Song Tae-won said. Then he walked past me towards Sung Hyun-jae, stopping about halfway between us.

“Han Yoo-jin-ssi, please stop here.”

“…Yes?”

“I.”

He turned to face me.

“I trust Han Yoo-jin-ssi.”

…What is he suddenly saying? Yoo-hyun grabbed me as I tried to approach Song Tae-won, holding me tightly from behind. What, did they plan something without me knowing? Song Tae-won continued, seeing my confusion.

“If only the interference of the Transcendent disappears, I believe you can save this world.”

“That’s, Song Sil-jang-nim. I appreciate you believing in me, but!”

“At first, I felt uneasy, but not anymore. Han Yoo-jin-ssi is someone who tries to protect even me, a person.”

“Why are you saying such things now?”

It felt like he was saying goodbye.

“Let people handle people’s affairs.”

Song Tae-won wore a bitter but clear smile.

“So, Han Yoo-jin-ssi. Thank you for everything.”

“What do you mean, ‘for everything’—! Yoo-hyun, let me go!”

“It’s okay, hyung.”

“It’s not okay! Song Sil-jang-nim, what are you planning to do!”

Even as I shouted, I had a hunch in my head. That’s why I felt even more anxious and thirsty. Damn it, I shouldn’t have said it where Song Sil-jang-nim was! But still, still.

“Wait, don’t make a decision so hastily! Song Sil-jang-nim hasn’t done anything wrong, and he’s just, Song Sil-jang-nim is just a person. He can just live normally!”

“That’s why I can’t.”

The black eyes that held me felt calmer and more beautiful than ever.

“Because I’m starting to find those words sweet, I can’t delay any longer. I’m not without emotions either.”

“…Of course. Of course, you would.”

“If I have things I like, things that make me happy, I can’t help but become more greedy for myself.”

“That’s what people are like. Trying to live a little happier, a normal person. Everyone is like that.”

“That’s why I can’t.”

“Damn it, why can’t you! Just live! Live as you please! If you think it’s not working out then, think about it again. I’ll put my head together with you, as much as you want!”

Yoo-hyun, let me go! I struggled, but the arms wrapped around me didn’t budge. Song Tae-won turned around. He looked down at Sung Hyun-jae and slowly lowered his body. His knees touched the floor, and now Sung Hyun-jae was looking down at Song Tae-won.

“I’m sorry.”

Following the quiet apology, Song Tae-won said.

“Please come with me.”

“I doubt it’s a date invitation.”

The golden eyes narrowed slightly.

“The Transcendent called Puppeteer knew about me. I don’t know the exact purpose, but he has goodwill towards Han Yoo-jin-ssi and is not targeting my life.”

…If he simply wanted to kill Song Tae-won, Hwang Lim would have easily cut his throat.

“It seemed like he was trying to remove me and the Seseong Guild Leader from Han Yoo-jin-ssi’s side.”

“To protect Han Yoo-jin, is it?”

“If we leave, the Transcendent connected to us will also lose interest in this world.”

“It’s already too late!”

Why are you trying to carry everything and leave!

“Chatterbox is targeting me, not anyone else!”

“Yes. And Han Yoo-jin-ssi cannot stop him. Only a Transcendent can defeat a Transcendent.”

“That’s, but… I’ve already caught two of them!”

Of course, it was thanks to a lot of luck. If we were to fight with pure strength, there would be no way to win.

“You’ll be able to use me.”

“Song Sil-jang-nim!”

“If Chatterbox and Crescent leave, it will be fine.”

“So you’re trying to take me with you.”

Sung Hyun-jae said with a light smile.

“I’m sorry. But I can’t leave you alone. It’s too dangerous to leave you behind.”

“As always, is it?”

“Seseong Guild Leader-nim, if your condition worsens again, please keep your promise.”

Yoo-hyun’s voice cut in between them. A promise.

“What are you talking about, what promise?”

“The promise not to receive hyung’s help again. I made it with me and Park Ye-rim.”

“…What?”

“It was a burden on hyung. Back then.”

He seemed to be talking about when he relieved Sung Hyun-jae. But still. Yoo-hyun’s gaze towards Sung Hyun-jae was indifferently cold.

“Don’t worry too much, hyung. You wouldn’t have lasted long anyway. Hyung knows that too.”

“Yoo-hyun!”

“That’s why I turned a blind eye to what was bothering me. Because it would disappear soon. It’s just that hyung seems to like the Seseong Guild Leader more than I thought.”

Yoo-hyun sighed softly and continued.

“Honestly, hyung. It would be cleanest to hand Sung Hyun-jae over to Crescent through Shin-nip or the Elder.”

“That’s not going to happen!”

“And in return, ask Crescent to stop Chatterbox. There’s a good chance she will. Crescent is also a Transcendent who tries to save worlds. She said the reason she wants Sung Hyun-jae is to eliminate the source, right?”

I closed my mouth. But I knew that what Yoo-hyun was saying was right. I knew it, but how could I do that.

“I don’t want to refuse Song Tae-won-ssi’s request, but.”

Sung Hyun-jae let out a leisurely voice and turned his gaze towards me.

“I already have a prior engagement.”

“Th, that’s right. We haven’t been to the aquarium yet. And also, anyway, there’s more.”

“My dear—”

The golden eyes narrowed slightly. As if facing something dazzling. And then he smiled brightly.

“My partner will make the decision.”

“…Yes?”

“Consider the priorities. I also agree with *doryeonnim’s* [young master’s] opinion. It’s the cleanest method.”

Sung Hyun-jae nodded slightly and continued to speak calmly as if it were someone else’s business.

“The probability of Crescent agreeing to the deal is high. She doesn’t seem to have a way to forcibly take me out of this world, and she’ll be uneasy about leaving Song Tae-won and me together.”

Crescent probably took Sung Hyun-jae out just before the world was about to be destroyed. When the power to protect the world weakened. If not, it seemed that he could only be taken out through a contract with the other party, as Diarma and the King of Innocence had suggested.

“So if you offer me as a price, she’ll try to stop Chatterbox.”

“But, what about Sung Hyun-jae-ssi!”

“I won’t die. I’ll just live boringly in another world.”

Sung Hyun-jae sighed. He wasn’t serious at all. It was just a light grumble, like having to eat a food he didn’t like.

“I’ll resist appropriately to remain as myself, and if I fail, I’ll eliminate the source as Crescent wants. But it will be after enough time has passed for Han Yoo-jin-gun to live out his life. If the source disappears, it might even become safer.”

“That’s…….”

“The children that Han Yoo-jin-gun cherishes, the ones with long lifespans, might be able to live safely.”

Even hundreds of years later, safely. Peacefully.

“Sung Hyun-jae-ssi, you wouldn’t like that.”

“There’s no reason to refuse simply being moved to another world.”

“…Don’t you dislike it?”

“To Han Yoo-jin-gun—”

“Do you dislike it, or not!”

Sung Hyun-jae parted his lips slightly, then smiled and answered.

“I dislike it.”

“Then why are you passing it on to me! If you dislike it, don’t go! Song Sil-jang-nim either!”

Damn it, of course, of course. It was a safer and more likely method. If I gave up those two, everyone else could live. Blocking the dungeons? It wouldn’t be that difficult right now. Yoo-hyun and Ye-rim, who are receiving lessons from the Elder, and Noah-ssi, who has gained a powerful buff skill. Just with them, we could block most monsters. Add to that Myung-woo’s smithy and my ride skills.

If we just paid attention to the overseas Hunters, we could withstand simple attacks from the source.

“Priorities? Of course, it’s our kids! If one of Yoo-hyun and you had to die, I wouldn’t even hesitate. I’d save Yoo-hyun. But it’s not now!”

Sung Hyun-jae and Song Tae-won both looked at me. Yoo-hyun also kept glancing at me. Sung Hyun-jae turned his gaze to Song Tae-won with a smile.

“That’s what he says, Song Tae-won-ssi.”

“I understand. I will take you by force.”

Song Tae-won stood up. Wait, wait!

“I’m not going to hand you over to Crescent. I will take responsibility to the end, as much as I can.”

Song Tae-won said calmly and reached out his hand towards Sung Hyun-jae. I wanted to stop him somehow, but I still couldn’t move.