WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

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◈ The S-Classes That I Raised ◈

Chapter 128: The Association President (2)

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[He is someone precious. Even setting aside his national importance and value to the Hunter world, he is precious as an individual as well.]

Seok Simyeong spoke from the laptop monitor. It wasn't a live broadcast, but a recording. His calm voice carried just enough sorrow. It didn't merely flow gently into the ears, but sank into the heart. They must have spent quite a bit on their audio equipment.

He wore a perfectly pressed suit and even thin-framed glasses he didn't need. He had always given off an intellectual impression, but the carefully chosen outfit and hairstyle made his voice even more persuasive. If he claimed the sun orbited the earth, I felt like I would nod along without thinking.

‘That con artist, seriously.’

I had asked him to lay some groundwork while I was kidnapped, but wasn't this a little much?

I looked over the documents on the table again. They were summaries of major articles and the reactions to them. Just look at the stock index falling. If I had traded options... Since I had gotten myself kidnapped on purpose, would that count as fraud?

‘Anyway, that man didn't just stoke public opinion. He turned it into a roaring blaze.’

The method had been simple.

First, he acted like someone who couldn't control his emotions toward the Association as it calmly and politely defended itself by saying it had done all it could. The Association really was at fault, and Haeyeon Guild had every right to be angry, but Seok Simyeong's behavior went just slightly too far. Articles designed to bait people into blaming him poured out.

Then, just as public opinion began to lean toward, Seok Simyeong went too far, and the Association did all it could, a public apology speech appeared.

It was a textbook-perfect apology for his excessive attitude, followed by an appeal to the Association, though in truth it was aimed at the public. The Association's problems, Haeyeon's grief, the tragedy of the kidnapping, and the enormous national loss.

Then the media began fluttering again, this time with articles saying the exact opposite.

What his clean-cut face and needlessly good voice, working with the media, planted in the public was guilt. That man might have gone too far, but he hadn't been wrong. Thinking about it calmly, it was understandable. Yet they had been swept up in the moment and insulted him alongside everyone else.

Originally, it had been someone else's problem. Even if it was a national loss, it didn't affect them directly. But once they felt guilty, people would add a word or two, if only to erase the unease in their conscience and stop being spectators watching a fire from across the river. On top of that, those who hadn't been swept up could raise their voices from the moral high ground.

They had done something unforgivable to an already pitiable victim. This was all the Association's fault. It couldn't have been difficult to steer people toward, Let's crush the Association responsible for this.

‘There must have been some pressure put on the media too.’

Judging by how smoothly everything had proceeded. Haeyeon Guild alone couldn't have done it. Sesung must have helped as well.

And it had also led to, Poor Han Yujin. We should have protected him. They let a precious Hunter the country should have protected be sold off. Let's protect him now!

Damn it.

I had asked them to hand out a few advertising flyers around the neighborhood, and they went and ran a polished commercial on national television. And I was the main attraction, not some famous celebrity. How was I supposed to face people from now on?

‘...Still, it would be a waste to throw away the stage they set for me.’

I had to make use of it. Stroking Peace, who sat on my lap, I turned toward the man seated at the wine bar set up on one side of the room. The laptop and stack of papers before him likely contained matters far more vicious than mine. Things like what had been retrieved from the hotel.

“Mr. Seong Hyeonje.”

He must have noticed me staring, yet he turned this way as if he hadn't.

“There's something I'd like to ask.”

“The young master threatened me not to approach you, or even speak to you, so I can't answer.”

Yoohyun had gone to the night market with the others. When I said I was tired and would sit this one out, he had tried not to go either, but I forced him out, telling him that, as the eldest, he should watch over the kids. What I really wanted was for them to have fun together.

I had even told them when to come back, in case they returned too soon. I hoped all four of them had a good time.

“Stop saying nonsense. Since when have you cared about that?”

“You didn't see your brother going wild, Han Yujin. The burn scars are still this visible.”

“Are you going to milk those burns for the rest of your life? Anyway, I mean Mr. Song Taewon.”

“That won't be easy.”

Seong Hyeonje rose from his seat. Carrying a bottle of wine and two glasses, he came over. Neither of us could get drunk, but I accepted the glass he handed me.

“He's a man second to none at being out of step.”

“Is that something you should be saying, Mr. Seong?”

“Twisting your surroundings and twisting yourself are entirely different. Above all, I don't deceive myself.”

Must be nice. I had spent my life lying to myself plenty. Suddenly, I wanted to turn off Poison Resistance. Though I absolutely couldn't get drunk here.

“What I'm curious about is how much our dear Manager Song can endure. From what I saw before, you seem quite practiced at picking fights.”

“I've provoked him several times.”

“How far did you take it?”

“To the point where he knelt and begged before me.”

...Was he insane? What on earth had he done? As I stared at him in disbelief, the madman lounging comfortably in his single-seat sofa smiled playfully.

“What did you do?”

“A vacation due to poor health.”

“...When an S-Class dungeon was on the verge of breaking? The other S-Class Hunters must have gone on raids, and Mr. Song couldn't have left his post. Were two S-Class dungeons simultaneously in precarious condition?”

“If you add that the Association was being greedy, that's exactly right.”

It seemed the Hunter Association had tried to keep control of more dungeons, and higher-ranked ones, than it could handle, until something happened. Song Taewon must have been caught between the Association and Seong Hyeonje's power struggle.

“Then make the Association President kneel. Why take it out on an innocent person?”

“He isn't an innocent victim. Isn't Manager Song the greatest reason the Association can hold its head high?”

That wasn't wrong. No, honestly, it was Song Taewon's fault.

He knew exactly what power he possessed, yet he acted as a weapon without a will. Tangled in the flimsy thread of being a public official, a thread he could cut at any time. From the perspective of someone being obstructed because of that, it naturally made them want to shout, Damn it, cut it already.

“Still, in consideration of your earnest appeal, I did drag my tired body into action. Otherwise, I'd intended to watch until the very end.”

“Please spare a thought for the civilian casualties.”

“I wasn't the one holding the public's safety hostage when there was an easy, quick solution of transferring Sesung the rights to manage the dungeons they couldn't control.”

“It sounds like the struggle for control was fierce.”

“Sometimes I wonder if I was too lenient then.”

When had this happened? There hadn't been many S-Class dungeons until early in the second year, so perhaps a year to a year and a half ago. It was likely during the period when high-grade dungeons had suddenly increased.

Yoohyun must have suffered through that vicious power struggle too. He had been so young, on top of everything else.

“The young master was pushed around quite a bit during that time too.”

As if he had read my thoughts, Seong Hyeonje spoke.

“The adults had no conscience, using a child like that. Then again, they still don't.”

If I listened to more and thought about it any deeper, I would climb to the second-floor terrace and jump into the pool, so I returned to the original topic. Or maybe I should pour wine over my head.

“If I drag him out of the cave by the collar, make him sit in a position he doesn't want, and threaten him, will he try to kill me?”

“As long as Han Yujin has F-Class stats and no attack skills, he won't target your life no matter what you do. Instead, you may see the absurd sight of him trying to protect you.”

That sounded entirely plausible. Even if I were his sworn enemy, would he protect me because I was no different from an ordinary person? It wasn't normal, but it was the sort of madness I welcomed.

I turned the thoughts over in my head as I emptied my wineglass.

At present, a considerable portion of the responsibility for my disappearance had fallen on Song Taewon. As he had told me on the day I was kidnapped, he must have offered himself as the scapegoat. The Association must have eagerly accepted without a hint of refusal. He seemed to intend to protect the Association that way.

‘Not a chance.’

I'm sorry, Mr. Song Taewon, but I want to cut the Association's throat more than yours.

The video had stopped long ago, and only the quiet sound of pages turning flowed through the silence. There was one more thing I needed to address. Tapping the tip of my pen against the paper, leaving little dots, I spoke.

“It seems Skill Sharing continued even after I collapsed during the Babar incident. Were you planning to kill the other people there?”

Seong Hyeonje smiled at my casually tossed question.

“Oh my, it appears the young master noticed after all.”

That was an affirmation. I had expected it, but the inside of my chest still turned a little cold.

“Shall I apologize?”

“There's no need. I was the idiot.”

“I deeply regret having shattered Han Yujin's trust.”

“I never trusted you.”

I was disappointed in my own carelessness.

“Let me make this clear while we're at it. Don't touch the kids. Stay within reasonable bounds. I trust you know better than I do where that line lies.”

“Isn't the young master an adult?”

“As long as Yoohyun is younger than me, I won't allow it.”

Even if I were dead and buried, five more years would have to pass after that. No, if I died right now, he would only be twenty-five after five years. He had to be over thirty, after all.

“Then where is Han Yujin's line?”

“The adults can adjust it appropriately as things come up.”

“Like a plover.”

What was that supposed to mean? Anyway, I had warned him that if he did anything foolish, he would lose the item right before his eyes. I wanted to neatly threaten to kill him, but I couldn't let him catch even a hint of Final Grace.

That man was only lenient with me because my stats were F-Class. If he learned I could become far stronger than him, would he really leave such a danger alone?

At the very least, maintaining the loosely bound relationship we had now would become difficult.

“You have Mr. Song Taewon's personal number saved, right? Let me borrow your phone.”

I had neither my phone nor the business card I had been given. What time was it in Korea now? Was there about an hour's difference? Seong Hyeonje unlocked his phone and handed it over. As I scrolled down the contact list, an unusual name caught my eye.

[My Item]

“Please stop putting possessives on it.”

“To change it without permission. That's too much.”

“If you want to put a possessive on it, pay a price worthy of it.”

I wouldn't accept anything less than practically handing over all his skills. I found Song Taewon's number and called. Not long after, a polite yet stiff voice that kept its distance answered. Perhaps because it was Seong Hyeonje's number, fatigue had already seeped into the way he asked what this was about.

“Hello, Manager Song. It seems you've suffered greatly.”

[...Mr. Han Yujin.]

“Sorry, but I'm not Han Yujin. I'm a nameless blackmailer.”

A startled silence answered. I already felt sorry, but what could I do? With a smile in my voice, I blackmailed him.

* * *

Only Yoohyun and Kang Soyoung entered the airport with me. Officially, Yoohyun had come all the way to Hong Kong to rescue me, while Kang Soyoung was listed as a Sesung Guild collaborator. Since Yerim and Noah didn't even have departure records, they quietly slipped out with Peace and Peep. Both could fly, and they had teleportation and Stealth, so getting out was easy.

“Do I look tired?”

I had deliberately stayed awake all night. It had been difficult not to fall asleep throughout the flight.

“Yeah. Your complexion isn't good. Your lips are dry too.”

“I wish I could get a bruise somewhere visible.”

With two high-grade Hunters by my side, not using a potion would be too obvious. Still, I wasn't the type to waste a potion on a small bruise.

After swallowing a sigh, I turned off Fear Resistance. The tension gradually creeping up didn't feel bad. I was a victim who had only recently been rescued from a human auction.

“Yoohyun, stay a little closer. It would be better if I still looked scared, and you still looked a little on edge too. But don't scare people around us for no reason.”

Appropriately. Everything had to be appropriate.

With Hunters from Haeyeon Guild and Sesung forming a human barricade, I stepped out before the people waiting at the airport. Camera flashes went off everywhere. The crowd swarmed like a market on market day. Once this was over, I really should shut myself in at home for a month. Things would be noisy for a while, but if I stayed quiet, people would forget quickly.

“Mr. Han Yujin! Do you remember the faces of your kidnappers?”

“We heard you were rescued from an Awakened auction. Could you give us more details?”

“Is this connected to the Kraken that appeared in Hong Kong? There are claims that the auction was held in a submerged hotel!”

Where had that information leaked from? The higher-ups among the auction participants were still perfectly fine, so perhaps word had come from them. With an exhausted expression, I turned my head as if avoiding the cameras and grabbed the hem of Yoohyun's clothes.

I had come prepared, but I felt worse and worse. Then Song Taewon appeared. Accompanied by several Association personnel, he stopped some distance ahead along a path the reporters had cleared on their own. Questions flew at him as well, but his lips, pressed tightly into a line, showed no sign of opening.

‘You really don't look pleased.’

I had ordered him to come to the airport. I pressured him by saying that if he didn't comply obediently, I might say something unfavorable about the Association. The tongue of the hottest victim in South Korea was a sharp knife that could stab anyone and deal a fatal wound.

“Manager Song Taewon.”

Amid gazes filled mostly with condemnation toward him, I smiled. Wearing an expression of welcome, I walked toward Song Taewon. An oppressive pressure weighed on both my shoulders, but this much was bearable.

The noisy sounds around us died down as people listened to our conversation. Looking directly at the slight twist in Song Taewon's eyes, I deliberately raised my voice.

“Thank you so much.”

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