WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Haruto
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ I Became the EX-Rank Pet Maker Hunters Obsess Over ◈
Chapter 59: Jellykko's Interview
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Lately, Hunters coming in for custom pet consultations had increasingly been asking whether they should try changing their position or combat style.
Even though I was a Magic Beast Alchemist who was practically clueless about combat.
The man I was consulting this time was no different from the previous Hunters. He asked me about his career path as a Hunter.
“Um... Boss Yoo Hyun, do you think I should ride a horse or something? People called me Lü Bu a lot when I was young...”
...I did not think they meant it as a compliment.
“...Just keep doing what you’re doing. You’re doing well. Still, you do seem somewhat aggressive, so I’ll make you a magical beast that can make your combat more stable.”
“Ah, really...? But maybe I have some other hidden Talent...”
The hopeful look in his eyes was a little burdensome.
“I’m not sure. I can’t tell from this consultation alone. And I think everyone has misunderstood something. Hunter Kang Sujin was simply lucky.”
She was originally someone with no combat sense who moved according to her programming. She was able to maximize her charging power through horsemanship honed since childhood and excellent mana control.
In other words, such dramatic results were only possible because she was Kang Sujin.
For someone like the Hunter in front of me, who was reasonably good in his own position, the safest and most effective approach was to boost his overall power and cover his weaknesses.
Also, as the samples in the Talent category increased, I had realized something unfortunate. Most Hunters who came to see me did not have hidden Talents.
More accurately, I rarely found Talents useful for combat with magical beasts.
Like the Hunter in front of me.
[ Talent 》 Excellent Surveying Ability. Excellent Environmental Adaptation Ability. ]
‘...That’s vague. Still, he’d probably make good ramen.’
Based on what I had seen so far, Talent grades consisted of Excellent, Exceptional, and Extraordinary. I had a feeling there might be another level beyond Extraordinary, but nothing had confirmed it.
Anyway, there were not many Hunters with a Talent worth a Class Change like Hunter Kang Sujin’s.
‘Still, it’s great that the status window evolved.’
If I could find Talent seeds that had yet to bloom, it would give me a major advantage in expanding my forces.
Everyone competed fiercely to recruit the people everyone wanted. But if someone did not even understand their own Talent, I could bring them in cheaply and raise them myself.
After spending several days making custom pets for Hunters, Kim Jia, the schoolkid regular from my old pet shop, came to see me.
“Boss!! When are you going to make my Jellykko?!!!”
“Huh? They sell them in stores now.”
At my words, Kim Jia snatched Haengbok and began kneading it vigorously.
Squish. Squish.
“You promised you’d make me an Original Numbers Jellykko!!! One with a number like the Wakppu Jellykko!!!”
“Pant! Pant...!”
[ ...... ]
I was happy to see a regular customer after so long, so I teased her a little.
“I’m joking. How do you want it made?”
“A spotted edition like Haengbok! White, please! Ah, and give it angel wings too!”
“...Do you want me to give it the Levitation trait too?”
“Gasp...!! Please do!!!”
Making a Jellykko did not take long, so Kim Jia got her Angel Edition Jellykko the following day.
Squish. Squish.
“I see. The jelly’s texture is juicy. As expected of you, Boss.”
“Pant... Pant... Pant...”
“...Juicy? That’s a very unusual way to put it.”
She did have a slightly strange side to her.
“So, you graduated high school? Which college did you go to?”
“I didn’t go to college.”
“...?”
What was that supposed to mean? When I looked at her questioningly, Kim Jia spoke proudly.
“You said you’d get me a job at the pet shop, Boss!”
Uh... Had I said that...? But she skipped college because of it...?
Did she not want to enjoy campus life?
“But, Jia? I don’t run a pet shop anymore.”
“Then I’ll work at the research institute! I even got certifications while I was waiting. Look!”
Jia showed me several magical-beast-related certificates that ordinary people, rather than Awakened, could earn.
‘...So she hadn’t just been fooling around.’
She could probably manage completed magical beasts with those qualifications... but the Paju Temporary Research Institute did not need staff right away.
In that case...
“I’ll put in a word with Cheonseong Group. Would you like to work at a Jellykko store? I’ll call you when I need you later.”
“Really? I’d love to work at a Jellykko store!”
Since she had visited my little pet shop every week to play ruthlessly with the Jellykkos, being a Jellykko store employee might be her calling.
And once my forces grew larger someday, I would need jobs like magical beast caretakers.
If she developed skills related to that work, she would become quite useful.
She was a sharp kid, and as you could see, she had the insane decisiveness to bet her whole life without hesitation. Her decisiveness and courage, the most important qualities for managing magical beasts in the field, were top-notch.
“Okay. Work at the Jellykko store for now. I’ll let them know, so you can just go there.”
“No, Boss. I have a conscience too. Just make sure I pass the document screening. I want to compete with my skills for the rest.”
“Hmm... It wouldn’t be bad to gain some interview experience.”
I nodded, and Jia left with the Angel Edition Jellykko in her arms.
Amon squished over and spoke.
[ ...Hm. I have never seen a human act so shamelessly toward you. ]
“We’ve known each other for a long time.”
She felt like a close younger cousin.
[ More importantly, there is something you need to see. ]
“Hmm? What is it?”
[ This. ]
Boing!
Using their jelly-like elasticity, Amon bounced up and operated the computer on the desk, pulling up several articles.
[ Breaking News ] “A towering steel wall appears in the heart of Siberia... Russia announces the emergence of an unidentified colossal mechanical structure.”
[ Exclusive ] Crustal movement in the North Sea? An unknown giant island rises off Britain’s coast... Academia suspects Gate Break aftermath.
[ Society ] Spreading from London across the entire coast... Britain declares a state of emergency following the mass discovery of mysterious Merfolk individuals.
[ International ] Violent protests continue in central Paris... French government’s alleged push to make the Gate Church the state religion draws fierce backlash from civil society.
Perhaps the Transcendent factions had finished laying the groundwork to begin moving. They seemed to be surfacing at last.
“...They’re finally making a move. I should probably gather some information in Masquerade.”
I licked my lips and took out the censer.
Amon watched me and broke out in a cold sweat.
[ ...You... Surely you are not... No, never mind. More importantly, will that little one be all right? ]
Amon did not seem particularly interested in Jia, yet changed the subject for some reason.
“She’ll be fine. Jia understands Jellykkos better than anyone except me.”
“Pant... Pant...”
[ Is that so? ]
Before Haengbok met the God of Jelly Dogs, Jia had kneaded it more than I had.
Back when I ran my little pet shop, she kneaded every Jellykko in my store. In effect, she had kneaded every Original Numbers Jellykko in Korea.
In other words, when it came to Jellykkos, there was no one who could rival her except me.
Even when she was a high school senior last year, Kim Jia would come to the store instead of studying and spend hours touching Jellykkos. She was the Jellykko fanatic I acknowledged.
The Master of Jellykko.
“That’s why I can’t even imagine Jia losing when it comes to Jellykkos.”
“Pant... Pant...”
* * *
It was the day of the interviews at the Happy Jellykko Gangnam Main Branch.
Tension filled the waiting room.
The unusual thing was that every applicant had brought a Jelly Dog.
“Pant, pant, pant...”
“Pant... Pant...”
“Pant... Pant, pant...”
“Pant, pant... Pant.”
“Pant... Pant... Pant...”
The main branch had posted a large-scale hiring notice, and Jellykko fans from all over had come to turn their hobby into their job.
They were all elites who had passed the fiercely competitive document screening.
That was why a quiet battle of nerves was taking place in the waiting room.
“My, you look so young. I would’ve thought you were a high school student.”
“Pant... Pant...”
A woman in her late twenties approached Jia and spoke to her.
Of course, she did not have good intentions. She only knew that Jia had received a perfect score in the practical exam and had come to see what kind of bitch she was.
“...Ah, yes. Thank you.”
“Pant, pant... Pant...”
However, Jia had no interest in the woman.
She simply kneaded the Angel Edition Sarang with a blank expression.
The woman looked at Sarang and spoke.
“Oh? I don’t think I’ve ever seen a white spotted one. Isn’t that color pattern Chinese-made? And those wings look like accessories. Where did you even get a counterfeit like that? Oh, and my Jellykko is one of a limited run of one hundred. Do you recognize it? It’s a Lemonade Edition, a subspecies that smells faintly of lemons.”
“Ah, yes... I see.”
The woman let out an exaggerated sigh.
“Haah... But what will you do? There may be Magic Beast Alchemists among the interviewers... Wouldn’t they deduct points if they find out you brought a Chinese-made counterfeit Jellykko? It really looks like you got scammed...”
The woman clearly intended to shake Jia’s confidence, while the other applicants ignored her to avoid getting involved.
“Anyway, good luck. You seem proud because you did a little well on the practical exam, but it’s unfortunate. You will not pass. Oh, I’m number 31, and you’re number 40, so we’ll be interviewing together. Anyway, let’s both do our best.”
It was impossible to tell what exactly she wanted, but Applicant No. 31 walked away after saying that.
‘...But how does she know I did well on the practical exam?’
Jia watched the woman curiously, but she had already returned to her seat.
Still, Jia thought she heard other applicants whispering nearby that the woman knew one of the interviewers.
A little later.
“Then... Applicants No. 31 through No. 40, please come in.”
The interview began.
Click.
There were no fewer than eight interviewers in the interview room.
There were not only working-level staff and executives, but also Magic Beast Alchemists and Cheonseong Hunters who liked Jellykkos.
Once the interviews began, the ten applicants kneaded their Jellykkos and took turns introducing their reason for applying, their strengths and weaknesses, and their strengths in performing the job.
One interviewer looked at Jia’s documents and tilted their head.
This was a magical-beast company created by Cheonseong, a major Korean conglomerate.
“...How did No. 40 apply when she only has a high school diploma...?”
She had many certificates, but not enough credentials to pass document screening, so the interviewer was puzzled.
Still, the interview continued.
“Then, could Applicant No. 31 begin by explaining the history of Jellykkos?”
“Yes. Jellykkos were perfect life forms from the beginning. As everyone knows, they were the first creation of Mr Yoo Hyun, the father of Jellykkos, and possessed exceptional completeness. They truly were the work of a genius. They began to gain attention at the Magic Engineering Expo in Germany...”
Everyone gave similar answers, explaining Yoo Hyun’s accomplishments and the good points of Jellykkos. The interviewers nodded.
How long could Jellykko history possibly be? Most of the interviewers did not know the details either. They only wanted to hear what the applicants thought about Jellykkos.
But when it was Jia’s turn, the mood changed.
“Then, could Applicant No. 40 also explain the history of Jellykkos?”
Jia stood while kneading Sarang.
“Yes. First, I need to correct something. The previous applicant said Jellykkos were perfect from the beginning, but prototype Jellykkos did not have Pudding Shield at the time, nor could special snacks extend their lifespans. All they had was cuteness and springiness. They were creatures with lifespans shorter than hamsters. Their sales were also very poor because of that.”
“...?”
The interviewers were flustered by the strange level of detail.
“Why is she so detailed...?”
“Is she making it up?”
The other applicants reacted much the same way.
Applicant No. 31 also frowned at Jia.
“Ha... She brings a counterfeit Jellykko and now she’s making up stories too? What kind of crazy bitch is this?”
She signaled to the interviewer she knew, telling them to pressure Jia further. The interviewer nodded.
“Ah, that is true. They did say the older models had short lifespans. It is good that you researched details that are not widely known. Would you continue?”
The interviewer was waiting for her to slip up even once.
But Jia began revealing information that ordinary people could never know, and the interviewers’ expressions worsened by the second.
After all, the stories Jia told were too absurd.
“The second Jellykko was frail, so it could not live as long as ordinary Jellykkos. Its lifespan was even shorter than the first Jellykko’s. As everyone knows, the first one was Haengbok.”
“Hmm, now that I think of it, Mr Yoo Hyun named the third Jellykko Kkakdugi. It was red, you see. I wanted to adopt that one, but my parents objected.”
“The seventh had such an unusually large mana core that you could feel a slightly hard kernel when you kneaded it. And the tenth was born so cute that it was adopted the very next day.”
“Originally, Haengbok was about to die because its lifespan had run out, but I heard the Boss miraculously extended its lifespan through Enhancement.”
As she continued, the interview room began to stir.
The interviewer connected to Applicant No. 31 raised a hand, apparently deciding enough was enough, and spoke with a frown.
“...Applicant No. 40? Is this interview a joke to you?”
“...What? You asked me to explain the history of Jellykkos.”
“No... We did not ask to hear fabricated stories!! The other applicants are taking this seriously, while you alone are rambling about ridiculous fantasies... We will stop here...”
Just as the interviewer was about to pass judgment on Jia, the Magic Beast Alchemist listening to her story sprang to their feet and interrupted.
“W-wait. That Jellykko!! Can I see it more closely?”
The Alchemist approached Jia and pointed at the Jellykko she was kneading.
“Here.”
“Pant... Pant...”
The Alchemist lifted Sarang and let out a gasp. They seemed to have grasped the situation, because they soon broke out in a cold sweat and carefully addressed Jia.
“W-who are you?”
At his unusual reaction, everyone in the room looked at the Alchemist as if demanding an explanation.
“...This Jellykko is a Numbers. And it was made very recently...”
“That cannot be... Are you mistaken, Alchemist?”
The other interviewers crossed their arms, drew sharp breaths through their teeth, Sseup, and tilted their heads skeptically, but Jia showed them proof they could see for themselves.
“Sarang, flight.”
“Pant... Pant...!”
The Jellykko, which should have been stuck on the floor, slowly began to rise.
“Pant, pant...!”
“W-what...?”
“This can’t be...!!!”
As the Jellykko began dog-paddling through the air, not only the interviewers but the other applicants stood with their mouths hanging open.
“Th-this is insane... Even among the Numbers, this is the rarest Levitation variant, and only one is known to exist in the entire world...!!!!”
The interviewer was so flustered that they blurted out a curse.
At their intense reaction, the other interviewers and applicants seemed to understand the situation, their eyes widening.
“T-that can’t be... Isn’t it a Chinese-made imitation?”
“...An F-rank mana core and three traits... This is a miracle only Mr Yoo Hyun can perform, and the most reliable proof there is!! My God...!!! I understand that the Saintess of the Gate Church spent a fortune just to barely secure a custom order from Yoo Hyun for a model with this trait...”
As the explanation continued, people could not hide their shock.
Once the situation had completely reversed, Jia crossed her legs and spoke.
“Can I tell you all some more stories...? Did you all know Haengbok was almost named Spotty?”
As Kim Jia began sharing more stories, the interview room full of Jellykko fans was thrown into chaos.
Author’s Note
Sorry I’m laaate! Sorry!
Footnotes:
Lü Bu was a Chinese warlord famed for horseback martial skill and notorious for betraying allies, which is why Yoo Hyun doubts that being compared to him was praise.
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