The S-Classes That I Raised [EN]: Chapter 82

“What on earth happened here?”

Yerim asked, looking at the hospital room that looked like a typhoon had swept through.

“Nothing much.”

“Nothing much, but there are cracks in the wall? I’m pretty sure they said this was a special wall?”

“I’m fine, so nothing much happened. Ppiyak, come here.”

– Ppiyak!

I glossed over what happened yesterday. I couldn’t exactly say an SS-Rank Demon King appeared and then disappeared. So, Kim Sunghan and I were the only ones who knew about the Goblin King.

“Even so, you don’t look so good, Mister. You look tired.”

“It’s just that I didn’t sleep well…”

I slept soundly for two days, so I didn’t think it would show if I had a bad night’s sleep. Seriously, an S-Rank dungeon will take a while. With just the two of us, it’ll take at least ten days.

“…The one and only sibling I have is really……”

“Oh dear, what should we do about our Mister being stressed? Want to have a drink tonight?”

“Drinking is pointless anyway… Yerim?!”

What did I just hear? I stared at Yerim, bewildered, wondering if my ears were playing tricks on me, but she just smiled nonchalantly.

“It’s all the same whether it’s alcohol or water. Thanks to my stats, I won’t get drunk unless I pour in something really strong.”

“Whether you get drunk or not, why are you drinking alcohol! You delinquent!”

“I do fly around quite a bit~”

Not that kind of flying… I covered my face with my hands, and Yerim chuckled, patting my arm.

“I just tasted a little out of curiosity. It wasn’t even good.”

I guess she could be curious about the taste of alcohol, but really, Yerim. Still, I’m her guardian, and I wonder if I haven’t been paying enough attention.

“Still, wait until you’re an adult. And everything else, of course. And don’t smoke even when you grow up if you can help it. Are you studying well these days?”

“Uh……”

Yerim froze. To freeze an S-Rank instantly, a single word is as good as a skill.

“You haven’t been able to attend classes properly because you’ve been going to dungeons, so you need to work hard to catch up, right? But yesterday, you were at the hospital all day, and you’ve been here since this morning.”

“B-But you’re more important, Mister! It’s okay, I told my teacher in advance, and they said it was okay……”

Even if it’s a private tutor for high-level Hunters, they’re probably just low-level Hunters or ordinary people getting hazard pay. How could they refuse an S-Rank who wants to rest?

“I have someone to pick me up today. And I’ll be guided through the breeding facility by that person too.”

“Who is it?”

“The Awakened Management Office Director.”

Yerim tilted her head. She probably doesn’t know him.

“He’s from the Ministry of Public Administration and Security, and he’s the S-Rank Hunter who made it possible for the Hunter Association to manage even S-Rank dungeons, Song Taewon. He’s the only S-Rank Hunter in the country who belongs to the state, not a guild. I haven’t been able to see him because our schedules didn’t match, but he contacted me to meet up for a tour.”

Song Taewon is an Awakened from the police force. Despite being an S-Rank Awakened, he remains a public official. He could aim for success in public office, but he’s not that ambitious.

The Association has been able to hold its own among the large guilds thanks in large part to Song Taewon.

“Take this opportunity to meet him too. He’s the first person who will come running if an S-Rank Hunter violates the law.”

* * *

I went down to the hospital parking lot with Yerim. It’s quiet because it’s a Hunter-only ward. Hunters with external injuries have healers, and Hunters don’t get sick easily, so they don’t come to the hospital often. F-Rank Hunters, whose stats are only slightly better than ordinary people, would rather go to a regular hospital since they don’t have medical insurance here.

“It doesn’t look like he’s here yet.”

“I guess not. Should we go wait by the outside parking lot?”

We went outside and sat on a bench near the flower bed for a while, and then a beat-up, obviously old red compact car rolled in. Yerim’s face showed shock when she saw it.

“Uh, Mister, that, that looks like… an S-Rank Hunter is driving it… Is my sense wrong?”

“He’s always been like that.”

I said, getting up from my seat. I’d heard rumors, but it’s still a bit absurd to see it in person.

The stubby car stopped, precisely following the parking lines. The man who got out of the car was large, not befitting the compact car. With his neatly pressed clothes and a face that looked like he could be the main character in a serious action movie, he carefully closed the car door as if it might break.

“…Why is he like that?”

“Because he’s a public official.”

“No, even if he’s a public official, there are many who are well-off, and he’s an S-Rank Hunter……”

She muttered with a look of having seen something she shouldn’t have. I guess it’s a bit hard to understand. I know he doesn’t receive income as a Hunter, but he’s in a high position, so his salary shouldn’t be low.

The S-Rank public official, Song Taewon, gave a light bow. I bowed my head in return, and at that moment, a sleek, expensive-looking large sedan slid into the parking lot. Without slowing down as if it were driving on a highway, it turned sharply,

Crash!

It rear-ended the compact car. The poor compact car was half-destroyed, but the sedan only had a few scratches. Yerim muttered quietly when she saw that.

“Nice.”

I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.

The person who got out of the driver’s seat of the sedan was none other than Sung Hyunjae. The crazy bastard raised one hand to Song Taewon with a cheerful face. He held a piece of paper that looked like a business card in his fingertips.

“Send the repair bill to this address. Or should I give you the car keys? Seeing you crumpled up in that thing with that physique, my foot might unconsciously step on the accelerator. It wasn’t intentional.”

“I’m on the side of the Sesung Guild Leader this time.”

Yerim whispered. Well, what’s wrong with driving a compact car? As a former ordinary citizen, I’m on Song Taewon’s side.

“Receiving money or valuables above a certain amount is against the law.”

Song Taewon said indifferently. But he didn’t look kindly at Sung Hyunjae. He’s always been on bad terms with the heads of large guilds. He regards the large guilds, which receive considerable legal tax exemptions, as tax evasion organizations.

The guild leaders also found the S-Rank Hunter, who had special investigative powers over Hunters, annoying. Only someone like Sung Hyunjae would make such a crazy provocation. Even the leaders of moderately sized guilds would have to back down in front of Song Taewon.

“More importantly, what brings you here? I was supposed to be in charge of guiding Han Yoojin.”

“I came to pick up my baby daddy.”

With that, Sung Hyunjae turned to me.

“The attack on the Thorn Winged Amdron dungeon ended this morning.”

Judging by how pleased he looks, he must have succeeded in capturing the baby dragon.

* * *

Because Song Taewon’s car was no longer drivable, we ended up stopping by the Sesung Guild. Song Taewon was reluctant, but he couldn’t stop us since he didn’t have a car, it was on the way, and monster breeding was under contract.

During the ride, Sung Hyunjae mocked him for trying to escort me, a precious person, in a paper-thin car, and Yerim chimed in. Song Taewon, who had been listening silently like a stone Buddha, apologized to me, saying he hadn’t thought it through and would rent a car next time, which made me feel even more sorry.

I’m worried because Yerim seems to get along well with Sung Hyunjae…….

“Hello, Han Yoojin-nim!”

Hunter Kang Soyoung greeted me with a face as bright as a flower in full bloom. She made it obvious that she was overjoyed, but then her face changed to one of concern.

“Are you alright? I should have come myself, but the other party was Director Song Taewon.”

“I’m fine. I’m perfectly fine.”

He seemed like someone I could talk to, so why didn’t you come yourself? Then the poor compact car would have been safe… right?

I can’t be sure. Looking at her skills, Kang Soyoung is probably good at stepping on the accelerator too.

“Come this way!”

Kang Soyoung led me to where our Hana was. Inside the fluffy little nest, a black creature was curled up in a ball, fast asleep.

[Grade 3 Flying Dragon Species – Thorn Winged Amdron (Juvenile)
Current Stat Grade D
Potential Stat Grade A~S
Optimized Initial Skills
Acid Breath (S) Acquired after growth
Thorn Armor (A) Acquired after growth
High-Speed Flight (A) Acquired after growth
Poison Scales (A) Acquired after growth
※ Cannot grow without the help of an adult]

This one has the same growth conditions as the Flame Horned Lion. I left Ppiyak with Yerim and approached. They said they waited until the egg hatched before capturing it, so it really looks like it was just born. It’s so small, it’s just the size of a puppy. Is that why its stats are D-Rank, unlike Peace and Blue?

Because it’s young, it doesn’t have thorns yet. Its scales also seem soft and flexible rather than hard. Its round belly rises and falls slightly, and its tail twitches occasionally. It wears a silver ring-like necklace around its slender neck.

“It’s really cute, right? Right?”

Kang Soyoung whispered softly. It is cute. Most baby animals are cute, but still.

“Its name is Comet.”

“Is it female?”

“What does it matter?”

She doesn’t know.

“You’ll be able to tell when it grows up. The one with the larger wings and stronger poison is female, and the one with longer thorns compared to its wings is male.”

Would a female be better to use as a mount?

Kang Soyoung took out the owner’s mark. She held it tightly with both hands and looked at me with tearful eyes. From behind, I heard Yerim mutter that Soyoung unni [older sister/term of endearment] is really good at acting innocent.

“Please take good care of our Comet. I’ll visit often. I’ll visit every day when I’m not attacking dungeons. Please contact me anytime if anything happens. And please tell me if you need anything.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll take good care of it.”

I received the mark and put it in my inventory, then opened the cage door. The baby dragon still doesn’t seem to be waking up.

“Its stat grade is higher than Han Yoojin-nim’s, is that okay?”

“It’s fine.”

At most, it’ll just bite my hand a little. There’s an A-Rank right next to me, and three S-Ranks backing me up, so they’ll help before anything big happens.

I reached out and stroked its head, where small horns were budding. It’s slightly cool and smooth. When I carefully held it in both hands, it wagged its tail and slowly opened its eyes.

They’re metallic eyes with a dark gray color mixed with silver. It blinked its eyes, then,

– Phoooo.

It puffed its nose and yawned, opening its mouth wide. Only its red tongue was visible; it didn’t have any teeth yet. It looked up at me once, then flapped its wings once and curled up again in my palm. It barely fills both of my hands, and its tail and wings stick out slightly.

To think something this small will grow big enough to ride. It’s amazing.

“It’s sleeping again. How cute, our Comet.”

Kang Soyoung made a fuss, saying her heart was pounding because it was so cute. I somewhat agree. It is cute.

* * *

Kang Soyoung followed us on the way to the breeding facility. It was because she wanted to see where Comet would be staying. I was hoping Sung Hyunjae would slip away soon, but he didn’t seem to have any intention of doing so. He said that since the Haeyeon and Breaker Guild Leaders had entered the dungeon, he, who remained, had to take responsibility for me. I can understand MKC, but why is he ignoring Hanshin?

Kang Soyoung disappeared ahead of us on her bike. Yerim said she has a lot of speeding tickets piled up. She’s an A-Rank combat Hunter, so she probably won’t cause an accident, but she should follow the law.

I asked because the two of them seemed closer than I thought, and they said that Moon Hyuna had joined them and they had hung out a few times. They even went to an escape room cafe.

“We set the fastest record!”

They probably broke it.

The breeding facility, which we finally arrived at, was a large, round building like the bird’s-eye view I had seen before. Because the ceiling was high, it looked like a large indoor gymnasium on the outside.

There were A-Rank Hunters stationed at the entrance connected to the building and at the entrance to the main building. They were people from Haeyeon and Sesung, respectively. In addition, two more A-Rank Hunters and about a dozen B-Rank Hunters would be on guard.

It seemed a bit much to use so many mid- to high-level Hunters just to guard someone else’s building, but thanks to the Myungwoo effect, there were many volunteers. It was already known that Yoo Myungwoo would be coming here as well.

And most of this explanation came from Sung Hyunjae’s mouth, not Song Taewon’s. He was so skilled at cutting off Song Taewon’s words and taking over the conversation that I was getting annoyed. If it were Yoo Hyun or Moon Hyuna instead of Song Taewon here, there would have already been a big fight.

However, Song Taewon was like someone who had been meditating in the mountains for ten years before coming down. His eyes were fierce, though.

‘Was Sung Hyunjae really the one who killed Song Taewon?’

Even if they weren’t on good terms, they didn’t seem to be that bad. It was just a rumor anyway. The official announcement was that he died during a dungeon attack.

– Kkyaa! Kkya!

When we entered the building, a wide lobby appeared. Blue, who had arrived earlier, was flying around, flapping its wings. Thanks to the high ceiling, it was flying around excitedly, unlike when it was at home.

As expected, a large place is good for raising children. There’s less chance of them breaking things.

– Kkyauuu!

Blue flew towards me in an instant when it found me. I wanted to hug the guy whose eyes were sparkling with joy, but I had the baby dragon in one arm.

“Blue, just a moment.”

– Kkyuu?

“Kang Soyoung-ssi [Ms. Kang Soyoung], you can safely fill it with items like Ppiyak, or you can try to get Blue to be friendly without items, but what would you like to do? It could get hurt without items.”

They’ll ultimately have similar stat grades, but Blue is stronger now. At my words, Kang Soyoung looked back and forth between Blue and Comet.

“You said Blue is C-Rank, right? That should be okay. That necklace raises its stamina stat, so its stamina will be similar. We can stop it if it looks like it’s going to get seriously hurt.”

If that’s the case. I gently woke up the sleeping Comet and showed it to Blue.

“Blue, this is a new sibling. It hasn’t been born long, so don’t be rough.”

– Kkyaa.

Blue tilted its head, then flew up to my chest. The baby dragon was startled and raised its head, spreading its wings.

– Kyak! Kyak!

– Kkyauuu!

Blue, who shouted loudly, opened its beak wide and bit the baby dragon’s wing,

Whoosh—

And threw it away. Comet, which landed on the floor, flapping its wings precariously, seemed to be complaining as it cried, kyak kyak. Blue looked at it with a proud expression.

– Kkyuu!

It proudly puffed out its chest and shouted, then didn’t attack anymore.

Hmm, I don’t know for sure, but it seems like it accepted it?