WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
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◈ The S-Classes That I Raised ◈
Chapter 194: Director (4)
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The darkness outside the window had settled completely. The sparkling night view was dazzling. I didn't know its name, but the prettily plated dessert was quite good. It must have been expensive. While I was busily eating, I remembered Seok Simyeong’s advice not to focus too much on food. The water had already been spilled, so I'd let it go today.
...But wasn't it too much to interfere with even what I ate?
Besides, Seong Hyeonje hadn't nitpicked my every mannerism. He'd only said that restraining myself of my own accord was fine, but that I shouldn't hold back because I was watching what others thought.
“Did you give Yoohyun this sort of advice too?”
The thought suddenly occurred to me, and I asked the man seated across from me. Seok Simyeong might have been there, but a Guildmaster's position was different from that of a subordinate. How involved had he been with Yoohyun? It bothered me for no reason. There might not have been anything to influence, but they must have met often enough that Seong Hyeonje couldn't have had no effect at all.
“There was no need.”
Seong Hyeonje loosened his clasped hands as he spoke.
“The other S-Class Hunters are much the same, aside from a handful of fools. They have unwavering faith in themselves. Enough not to be shaken by most things.”
As he spoke, he picked up an unopened bottle of wine. More accurately, he seized it. It was an indifferent, rough motion.
“Because their foundations are firm.”
Thunk. The bottle neck struck the table and was cleanly severed. Seong Hyeonje lightly caught the cork that sprang up with his other hand, then casually tossed it behind him.
“Even when they act however they please.”
Wine flowed into the glass. He poured it without care until it overflowed and soaked the table. Thunk. The wine bottle was set down roughly. It was a mess. Judging only by his behavior, he looked like a thoroughly drunk sot making a scene. If it had been a bottle and glass of soju rather than wine, it would have been perfect.
“You could say it looks impressive.”
Seong Hyeonje's fingertips traced the rim of the brimming wineglass before nudging it over. Golden waves spread across the tabletop, and the corners of his lips lifted gently.
“Moving freely and roughly as one pleases is unexpectedly difficult. People naturally end up harboring the anxiety that something might go wrong. Once you feel anxiety, you shrink back. And once you shrink back, you start to feel shabby.”
I looked back at Seong Hyeonje, who didn't spare so much as a glance for the mess he had made. It went beyond simple self-confidence. There was a naturalness to him, as though anything he did was only to be expected.
Without a single doubt or question. He might have reflected on his actions, but had he ever regretted one?
“...Honestly, I think your looks help too.”
Seong Hyeonje gave a short laugh at my words.
“That is a large part of it. I do have an appearance that naturally draws the eye.”
Our Yoohyun was really handsome too, so whatever he did looked convincing.
“Even Park Yerim, the youngest, has no need for anyone to interfere with her mindset or bearing. At most, she needs advice on social issues. The little lady is already confident and certain of herself. But Han Yujin.”
“I know full well that I am lacking.”
The only thing I believed in about myself was my skills. Even then, most of them couldn't be called mine alone.
“I probably won't be able to change quickly in the future, either. To be honest, I'm more broken than you think, Mr. Seong Hyeonje. Without the people I rely on, it's difficult even for me to walk around.”
Telling me to move using my own strength now was no different from taking crutches away from someone with broken legs. I had put up a wall with Fear Resistance and crouched behind it, then risen with the people around me supporting me, but I still couldn't walk alone.
“So I'd appreciate it if you gave me plenty of time. I don't want to fall out with you, Mr. Seong Hyeonje. I can't say that I'm confident, but I like the name partner.”
As Seong Hyeonje had said, S-Class Awakened were people born exceptional. How could it be easy to catch up with them in this body? To put it coldly, it was reckless. I was a cat among tigers. Wasn't it commendable enough that I wasn't getting eaten?
“I didn't make the request unilaterally, and you accepted it, so you should take that much into account.”
“I'm not so impatient, so don't worry.”
Could I trust him? I still couldn't tell whether this was simple amusement or sincerity. I wanted to know exactly what Seong Hyeonje truly felt. Someday, if we could go beyond merely standing side by side and become people who could trust each other with their backs, there could be nothing more reassuring.
It was a distant prospect, though.
“Shouldn't we call someone to clear the table?”
“We can move it.”
Seong Hyeonje rose as he said it lightly. It was truly the sort of solution only someone who had everything would think of. Why not relocate instead of clean? ...He was someone who could actually do it, though.
Wine was dripping beneath the table, so I hurriedly got up as well.
“To be honest, I didn't intend to concern myself with matters overseas.”
I said it as I followed behind Seong Hyeonje. It was something that had come up during the meal. With Korea being brought into order, shouldn't I start looking overseas as well?
I had never intended to make things this big, nor had I believed I could. It was already more than big enough.
“Simply managing Korea's dungeons won't be enough to delay the inevitable.”
Seong Hyeonje stopped walking and turned to me. Don't talk while standing so close. My neck hurts.
As he said, to delay destruction, to delay being swallowed up, the dungeons overseas would need to be properly cleared as well. If every dungeon in the world burst open and monsters covered the planet, Korea would struggle to hold out until the end too.
“I thought that since there were capable people in other countries as well, distributing mounts would be enough.”
There was also the matter of gathering only fifty of those unfilial bastards, but... I couldn't put much faith in them anymore. At first, I had believed them because they were system administrators and said they would help stop the dungeons.
‘It would be better to remain cautious until they explain the exact reason.’
What exactly were they planning to do with fifty people who had the Caregiver Keyword applied to them? More than anything, the people affected by my Keywords were precious to me. Now that the unfilial bastards seemed suspicious, I was worried about filling all fifty carelessly. I had to keep raising monsters, so if they continued giving vague answers after the number passed forty, perhaps I should just remove the Keywords instead.
For now, I hesitated because the skill's performance was so good.
“You had been planning to go overseas, hadn't you, Mr. Seong Hyeonje? Between Mr. Noah and Ms. Evelyn alone, you have more than enough footholds prepared.”
“There is no need to remain in a place that has stabilized.”
At present, it was more accurate to say he would leave because things had become boring. Had it been the same reason before my regression? Or had there been something else?
I passed him and took a seat before speaking.
“Were you planning to leave Korea to Haeyeon Guild and go?”
“I was considering it. More precisely, I was weighing Moon Hyuna against Han Yoohyun. Young Master had one serious problem.”
A problem? Yoohyun had a problem? No, what problem could our Yoohyun possibly have?
“What problem could our Yoohyun possibly have?”
For a moment, I became agitated and let the words in my head spill right out. But what could possibly be wrong? And serious, at that?
“You should try to correct that tendency to bristle whenever Young Master comes up.”
“...I don't think that will be easy.”
“So it seems.”
Seong Hyeonje answered as though it couldn't be helped. ...Wasn't he accepting that too easily? Was my attitude really that bad? He sat down and continued.
“Haeyeon certainly has great potential for growth in many ways. That was why I had been leaning toward Young Master.”
Of course, Ms. Hyuna was capable too, but our Yoohyun was honestly exceptional. Besides, he had grown an independent guild to its current size.
“But the reason Han Yoohyun created a guild concerned me. As I said before, it was not in his nature to do so. If the reason to maintain the guild vanished, he was the sort of Guildmaster who could let go and leave at any time. That was the concern.”
It would certainly be a problem if Yoohyun abandoned everything and left after Korea had been entrusted to him.
“So even though I had almost decided on Haeyeon, if the reason wasn't clearly uncovered, I was considering changing course to Breaker Guild. Moon Hyuna also has the ability to lead a guild of her own. If she received just a little help breaking free from her supporters, she would be fully able to stand on her own.”
“...You weren't thinking of recruiting Hunter Moon Hyuna?”
I had been thinking of bringing her to Haeyeon.
“Unless Moon Hyuna chose of her own will to become a Free Hunter, she is the type better suited to, and better served by, standing as a Guildmaster.”
Was that so? To be honest, I hadn't looked closely into Breaker Guild itself or its Guildmaster, Moon Hyuna. I had only thought that since the guild would collapse later, it might be better to bring her in.
Judging from Yerim's attitude, she was a good person, and she was close to Kang Soyoung too. I had heard she had a wide range of connections and actively supported female Hunters. ...As Seong Hyeonje said, she did seem well suited to being a Guildmaster.
“Then what do you think of Hanshin Guildmaster Park Mingyu?”
“He is someone you can trust where matters beyond the dungeons are concerned. I recommend visiting his home in person sometime.”
So he wouldn't hand everything over. I needed to properly look into both Moon Hyuna and Park Mingyu... No, I had only intended to independently operate the rearing facility. Why did the work keep multiplying?
I set those two aside and returned to the original topic.
“If you had never found out why Yoohyun created the guild, what would you have done?”
“Regrettably, one cannot support a guild whose pillar might disappear at any moment. I would have changed course to Breaker Guild.”
But before my regression, Breaker had fallen, and Haeyeon had taken Korea. In other words, Seong Hyeonje must have learned why Yoohyun created the guild.
‘...Did he realize it was because of me?’
To make sure, I asked again.
“What about now? I mean, if you found out that I was still non-Awakened and that Yoohyun created the guild to protect me?”
“It couldn't be more perfect.”
A satisfied smile formed on Seong Hyeonje's lips.
“He will become an excellent watchdog for his bloodline and maintain his guild while protecting Korea.”
“Don't talk nonsense about someone else's precious younger brother.”
I frowned, but it did seem that Seong Hyeonje had noticed me before my regression too. When had it been? Before Breaker Guild fell, most likely. It wasn't especially important, though.
...Surely he hadn't used me to threaten Yoohyun or something. He didn't seem like someone who enjoyed such low tactics. Just my existence would have been enough to accomplish whatever he wanted from Yoohyun.
“One more thing. Why were you trying to protect Korea? Because it's your homeland? Though I wonder whether it even is your homeland.”
“Must there be a reason?”
Seong Hyeonje tilted his head slowly.
“If I had to give an excuse, it's because Korea is the most stable. The government's initial response was quick, and there is the singularity known as Song Taewon. It has the greatest chance of holding out until the end in this current world, so I judged it best to preserve it.”
More than anything else he had said, the part about Song Taewon sank deeply into my ears.
“Do you think it's good for Manager Song to be in Korea? Even with the Hunter Association still not having been purged?”
“The Hunter Association can be made anew as many times as needed. Song Taewon, on the other hand, is only one person.”
The moment I heard that, I was certain. Seong Hyeonje had not killed Song Taewon. Of course, it was possible that Song Taewon before my regression had changed into someone different from the person he was now. But if he had remained as he was, Seong Hyeonje would not have taken his life, if only because he would have regretted losing him.
What on earth had happened? Between those two. Or perhaps between him and Crescent Moon.
‘It surely wasn't something ordinary. It makes me want to get back into that man's head and dig through it again.’
When were his memories from before my regression going to return? Should I try smacking the back of his head? I grumbled inwardly, then brought up my original purpose, which had been shoved far into the background.
“How are Japan's dungeons coming along? If you're going to claim a stake, you should at least tell me the progress. Of course, I'll also tell you the details of their value.”
“I forgot to mention it.”
Seong Hyeonje said playfully as he checked his wristwatch. A watch...
“They've probably been waiting for about two hours.”
“Waiting? Who is?”
“An official from Japan.”
“What?!”
No, he had kept someone from overseas waiting for two hours? Seong Hyeonje casually stood up as if to say that it was about time to go. Mr. Seok Simyeong, please erase that information about this man being punctual. He was completely self-indulgent.
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