I Became the EX-Rank Pet Maker Hunters Obsess Over - Chapter 24

WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Haruto

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ I Became the EX-Rank Pet Maker Hunters Obsess Over ◈

Chapter 24: Graduate Student

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Ten days after arriving in Germany.

All of Yoo Hyun's scheduled events at the Messe Frankfurt Magic Engineering Expo had effectively come to an end.

He headed to the airport to catch his flight. With so much attention on him now, he was even wearing a disguise.

“Mr. Maximilian is lending us a private jet...! I've never flown on one before!”

“We came here first class, and now we're going back by private jet. The boss's status has definitely changed.”

“It'll make security easier, too. I was worried with such a small group.”

Maximilian, one of the judges and the CEO of Adlers Kraft, had arranged a private jet for Yoo Hyun.

He had considered staying in Germany longer, but it was about time he made magical beast pets for the Wolyeong and Dongbaek Guilds, so he decided to return to Korea.

‘Korea's been more fired up than I expected, too...’

Lee Yujin looked around the airport and spoke.

“Still, you never got to see your friend in the end...”

“Luise is busy too. It can't be helped.”

“Huff, huff...”

That day, when I gave Luise's spirit entity a shout-out at the competition? Conference? Whatever it was, she ended up getting bombarded with questions too.

Thanks to that, German media had even introduced the enhanced spirit entity as a collaboration between her and me.

They called it a miracle born from Eastern and Western geniuses meeting... Well, it wasn't entirely wrong. If it had been an ordinary magical beast, I wouldn't have attempted that kind of Enhancement.

“Whew... I got more out of this competition than I thought.”

Haengbok, covered in a furry disguise, panted as though agreeing.

“Huff, huff...”

I'd originally only planned to place for the license, but somehow, I ended up going all out.

Still, I'd built some connections with judges crazy about magical-beast alchemy, raised my profile, and created an entirely new line of magical beasts I hadn't even expected.

Maybe that made it a good thing after all.

I was a little disappointed that I couldn't see Luise before leaving, though.

‘Luise... I wonder if she got my gift?’

* * *

One hour before Yoo Hyun headed to the airport.

Luise's laboratory.

“Luise? Are you asleep?”

“...I'm tired, so don't talk to me, Clara...”

That day... During the Enhancement competition, Yoo Hyun suddenly said he couldn't have succeeded without my spirit entity.

Because of that, all sorts of people had hounded me for days.

The people funding this laboratory were especially relentless.

When they asked whether I could independently create a new line of magical beasts, I had to sweat my way through explaining that I couldn't.

Luise rested her forehead on the desk as she thought.

‘It's not that I dislike it, but...’

It had felt good to have Yoo Hyun, of all people, praise my work. I recognized his talent, after all. Yet beyond that, something like severe burnout had hit me.

The more brilliantly his talent shone, the more I felt cracks forming in the part of my mind that had endured by calling itself a genius.

It was a strange feeling, my thoughts becoming a tangled mess. Who am I, and why am I researching magical beasts to the point of grinding myself down?

Did I really have to do this?

It wasn't quite inferiority, and it was too faint to call jealousy. What was this emotion... Admiration? Awe?

I didn't know what to do. Had seeing something so incredible broken my spirit? Or had it made me feel like nothing mattered anymore?

More and more, I wanted to throw everything away and be at ease.

“But what can I do when I can't even properly make magical beasts? Clara, tell me the answer.”

“What ridiculous thing are you saying now?”

Still, the final moments of the competition had been nice.

When I saw the new possibilities in the spirit entity I had created, my heart had raced as much as it did when I had first entered alchemy.

Back then, trying new things had simply been fun. How had I become so worn down by worldly concerns...?

If something looked inefficient, I didn't even try it. All I did was chase quick results.

“More importantly, your friend left this behind as a gift. You should take a look...”

“Yoo Hyun's gift?”

Clara brought over a small carrier.

Huffing breaths came from inside.

When Luise took it out to inspect it...

“It's a Jellykko...?”

It was the pet magical beast Yoo Hyun had developed.

“Huff, huff, huff...”

A short sentence had been engraved in German on its collar.

Luise traced the collar with her finger and read it aloud.

“...To my precious friend, who will become my dazzling inspiration.”

“Huff, huff, huff...”

Luise opened the Jellykko's status window. Jellykko gave off a strangely sweet scent.

[ Name 》 Undecided ]

[ Model Name 》 Jellykko MK - 3 ]

[ Mana Core Rank 》 F+ ]

[ Lifespan 》 2 years ]

[ Traits 》 Jelly Barrier (E+), Sweet Fruit Scent (F+), Soft Jelly (F+) ]

“Cough!”

“Luise? Are you all right?”

“Ah, no... It's nothing, Clara.”

Luise let out a hollow laugh as she looked at the Jellykko's status window.

‘An F-rank... with three abilities...’

The stats were absurd. The traits themselves were one thing, but...

With that unbelievable ability, he made a fruit-scented Jelly Dog?

“Haha... Ahahaha!”

“Luise?”

I think I understand Yoo Hyun's message.

I had once seen a dolphin-human meme on a community site that said something like this.

- Remember that flutter in your heart.

Luise pulled the Jellykko tightly into her arms.

Squish-

“This feels nice...”

“Huff, huff, huff...”

Clara smiled at the sight.

“Should I get the car ready?”

“...Yes, please.”

* * *

Just before boarding the private jet Maximilian had arranged, I heard footsteps behind me.

Tap-tap-tap-tap-!

“Yoo Hyun!!”

I turned at the familiar voice, and a small figure threw herself into my arms.

Whoosh-!

“Luise?”

How had she found me? Had she asked Maximilian?

Luise buried her face in my chest and began to speak.

“I... I thought I was someone special. No... I tried to be. But... that wasn't what mattered.”

Her words were sudden and scattered, but I could tell without checking the Customer Window that her state of mind had changed drastically.

Luise seemed to want to say more, but she couldn't find the words.

I took hold of her shoulders.

“Luise.”

“Yes.”

“Could you wait for me? I'll come get you later. I'd like you to join me.”

Flinch-!

Luise's shoulders trembled. She looked up at me with a startled expression.

“Uh, what? Th-that's rather sudden...”

...It was definitely a sudden recruitment offer, but I wanted to get a firm promise from her now.

“Whew, I'll be honest. I'm afraid someone else will take you first. That's why I want an answer right now, somehow.”

Opportunities to recruit talent like this didn't come around often.

Luise was currently researching at a private laboratory with financial backing, but there was no knowing when, where, or who might snatch her up. I needed to secure at least a verbal agreement.

Where else was I supposed to find an S-rank graduate student, no, an alchemist, like this?

“Please, can't we make this work? I promise I'll provide you with an excellent environment where you won't lack for anything. I won't let you regret it.”

One day, I wanted her to become the researcher in charge of spirit entities at my laboratory. Her ability and ideas would both be a huge help to me.

The ear visible through Luise's hair as she lowered her head was bright red.

‘...Is she angry? I did basically tell her to come work under me.’

She was already praised as a genius and had her own private laboratory. She had also been an alchemist much longer than I had.

Maybe it was a little rude for someone without any foundation like me to say something like that.

“Luise, you can say no if you don't want to. I was too sudden. I should prepare properly and come back to ask again...”

Just as I was about to quietly give up on recruiting Luise, she shook her head.

“No... I'll wait... It won't take long, right...?”

Luise's eyes looked damp as she stared up at me, and it didn't seem like my imagination. Something about this felt strange, but...

I had her promise, so that was enough.

I let her go and said, “It won't take long. I'm going to prepare as quickly as I can.”

“Y-yes... You mean it... I should prepare myself too. All right...”