WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ The S-Classes That I Raised ◈
Chapter 196: Director (6)
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“Hello.”
Han Yujin greeted them quietly. His voice, expression, and manner all plainly showed how intimidated he was. For an F-Class surrounded by high-ranking Hunters, it was only natural, so the two Japanese Hunters bowed back without any suspicion.
“Japan’s premier guild, Amaterasu, is also very interested in Director Han Yujin’s mount rearing skill.”
“Ah, yes. Thank you.”
“You wish to acquire the Black Ox Forest dungeon to obtain mounts, correct?”
“…Yes.”
It was an unenthusiastic reply. Nakajima also noticed Han Yujin glancing nervously at the Sesung Guildmaster.
“The basic coordination is already finished, so there is no need to drag this out.”
Seong Hyeonje said this as he took a seat. Han Yujin hesitated before sitting some distance away from him. Seeing the shadowed expression on Han Yujin’s face, Nakajima spoke in an especially gentle tone.
“Director Han Yujin is the one who needs the Black Ox Forest, while the slime dungeon belongs to Haeyeon Guild. Therefore, I humbly believe Director Han’s opinion should be the most important to us.”
On the surface, it sounded as though they were speaking for Han Yujin’s benefit. But underneath, they were thinking of getting hold of someone easier to handle and bending him to their will. At the same time, they wanted to leave a favorable impression on the owner of the Mount Rearing Facility.
If the rumors were true, and the magical beast rearer was being oppressed by the nearby S-Class Hunters, then it might be possible to coax him away. Judging by his current appearance, the rumors did not seem false, and Nakajima’s smile grew even kinder.
“Does Director Han feel the same way?”
At Seong Hyeonje’s casual question, Han Yujin lowered his gaze to the table.
“I, well…”
“Please speak freely, Director Han.”
Han Yujin raised his head slightly at Nakajima’s words. His eyes wandered before darting toward Seong Hyeonje. When he only moved his lips without speaking, Nakajima encouraged him again.
“It is all right. Please do not worry and speak. I, Nakajima, will listen closely.”
“…As you said, the slime dungeon belongs to Haeyeon Guild.”
Han Yujin said it while clenching his fist tightly. He still looked intimidated, but he seemed to have found a little courage.
“The young monsters that can be obtained from the Japanese dungeon also fall under my jurisdiction.”
“Of course. You are absolutely right.”
Nakajima agreed while gauging the Sesung Guildmaster’s reaction. Surprisingly, Seong Hyeonje showed no particular response.
“So, in these negotiations…”
Han Yujin’s voice, which had briefly seemed to gain strength, grew quiet again. He let out an unwilling sigh and slumped his shoulders. Unable to bear it any longer, Nakajima stiffened his neck and turned toward the Sesung Guildmaster.
“Guildmaster Seong, if you do not mind, I would like to ask that you step out for a moment. I believe Director Han Yujin would be able to speak more comfortably that way.”
For Nakajima, telling an S-Class Hunter to leave required tremendous resolve. As a Japanese Hunter, where rank was absolute, even this much defiance sent a chill down his spine. Still, the other party was a foreign Hunter, and more importantly, this was for the sake of Japan’s guild.
Seong Hyeonje’s eyes curved slightly as he spoke.
“Our Director Han is such a precious and valued person. I cannot leave him alone with foreign Hunters without a custodian.”
“Unless I had ten lives, how could I dare harm someone under Guildmaster Seong’s protection? If even a hair on Director Han Yujin’s head were touched, I would cut open my own stomach before your hands could be sullied.”
“That is a bit much…”
Han Yujin muttered quietly. Nakajima smiled as if asking him to trust him.
“I ask you once more, Guildmaster Seong. Please give Director Han Yujin a chance as well.”
Seong Hyeonje, who had been lightly resting his chin on his fingers, slowly moved his gaze to Han Yujin.
“What does Director Han think?”
“I…”
“Please do not worry and answer honestly.”
With Nakajima urging him on, Han Yujin bit down on his lower lip. After hesitating for a long while, he rose from his seat.
“Guildmaster Seong, please come over here for a moment.”
Han Yujin went to a corner of the conference room and whispered something to Seong Hyeonje. His voice was too low even for the two A-Class Japanese Hunters to hear. Then he spoke to Seong Hyeonje in an earnest voice.
“Please.”
“I will remember what you just said.”
“Yes.”
Without another word, Seong Hyeonje turned and left. Han Yujin watched his back before returning weakly to his seat. He had likely offered something in exchange for sending the Sesung Guildmaster away. Nakajima put on an expression of deep concern.
“I hope you did not overextend yourself.”
“…It is all right. Guildmaster Seong is a reasonable person, so he will not demand too much.”
Even as he said that, Han Yujin anxiously fidgeted with his clasped hands on the table before releasing a heavy sigh.
“To be honest, I do not want the Black Ox Forest dungeon.”
“…Excuse me?”
Nakajima and the Japanese Hunter beside him looked startled.
“Raising young monsters takes a great deal of time and effort. I cannot raise several of them in a short time, either. But Guildmaster Seong has… demanded that I quickly raise several ordinary mounts. If he takes the Japanese dungeon, acquiring young monsters will become easier.”
Han Yujin continued with a face full of worry.
“He is even offering a dungeon owned by Haeyeon, not Sesung, as bait. He says it would help Haeyeon too, and that it would be a good opportunity to expand the Mount Rearing Facility, but… in truth, it is no different from Sesung trying to consume me. He says he will create an S-Class raid team fully equipped with mounts in the near future.”
“Ah… is that so?”
Nakajima and the other Japanese Hunter exchanged troubled looks. This was completely different from what they had expected. He did not need the Japanese dungeon. No, he considered it a burden instead.
“Still, would it not help you in the future if you could reliably obtain A-Class young monsters?”
“I am content just accepting requests. No, honestly, even that is overwhelming. I have no desire at all to personally seek out young monsters. So if possible, could we make these negotiations as though they never happened?”
At his earnest voice, Nakajima furrowed his brow. They could not cancel the negotiations simply because Han Yujin wanted them to. They could not pass up the opportunity to acquire the slime dungeon, which provided materials for all manner of manufactured goods. Above all, only C-Class or lower slime dungeons had appeared in Japan so far. They had to import every bit of slime used for high-grade materials from overseas.
“…I do not think Guildmaster Seong will accept that.”
“…Yes. I suppose not.”
Han Yujin nodded weakly. Not missing the chance, Nakajima tried to persuade him.
“Since the negotiations cannot be invalidated anyway, then…”
“No. It is too early to give up.”
Han Yujin suddenly raised his gaze. He straightened his shoulders and met Nakajima’s eyes.
“Would it not be shameful to keep cowering when even a foreign Hunter I have only just met is encouraging me so much?”
“Ah, well…”
“Mr. Nakajima, you are on my side, are you not?”
Nakajima stammered at the shy smile. They had to acquire the slime dungeon somehow. But it was also important to support Han Yujin. Should they use the pressure of an A-Class Hunter to threaten him, or continue persuading him kindly to the end? After considering it, Nakajima nodded firmly.
“Of course.”
“Thank you. Then please help me.”
“Of course I will help you, Director Han. But proceeding with the negotiations is not necessarily a bad thing.”
Nakajima spoke in a soothing, gentle tone. Even an S-Class Hunter would have had difficulty overhearing him from outside the conference room door.
“It would be difficult to openly oppose the Sesung Guildmaster, would it not? So for now, pretend to submit and gain something under the table.”
“Gain something?”
“Yes. Hunter Harada.”
At Nakajima’s call, the Hunter beside him took a contract document and a stack of papers from his inventory.
“To tell you the truth, the Black Ox Forest dungeon is not particularly valuable without Director Han Yujin. So, just in case, we have prepared several additional incentives.”
They were things prepared in case the negotiations did not go smoothly.
“The Sesung Guildmaster appears satisfied with a simple exchange, so why not quietly take these for yourself, Director Han?”
Han Yujin’s eyes turned to the documents on the table. Lists of various items filled the papers, written in both Japanese and Korean.
“…I do not know Japanese, so I am somewhat doubtful that this has been translated accurately.”
“That is why we have this contract document. If we prepare a contract promising to provide the desired items…”
“How about signing a contract that says you will truthfully and honestly explain any items I ask about for the next thirty minutes?”
“Ah, yes. That will do.”
As Nakajima prepared the contract document, they looked at Han Yujin with some puzzlement. They knew him to be only twenty-five, someone who had dropped out of high school, passed the equivalency exam, and never gone to college, instead doing insignificant work.
Naturally, he should have been uncomfortable and unskilled in a situation like this.
And yet, for some reason, he seemed oddly adept.
‘Still, he is only an F-Class in an S-Class Hunter’s grasp.’
Even now, he had briefly shown some motivation before lowering his eyes again.
“I sincerely appreciate your consideration, but I am still concerned about Haeyeon Guild.”
“Haeyeon Guild?”
“Yes. It is no different from Sesung seizing the slime dungeon to satisfy its own greed. There are various circumstances I cannot explain in detail, but… it looks bad, and in reality, it would be a tremendous loss as well. So if possible, I think it would be better to make this matter as though it never happened…”
Nakajima clicked his tongue internally at Han Yujin’s hesitant manner. He did not give in as easily as he appeared to. As Nakajima thought it over, a crafty light flashed in his eyes.
“Then how about this? In Japan, when conflict arises between Hunters, those of the same rank settle it through a duel, and the victor takes everything.”
“A duel?”
Han Yujin opened his eyes wide.
‘There it is at last.’
I rejoiced inwardly while pretending to be bewildered. Naka-whatever nodded with their greasy face.
In countries like Japan, where a Hunter’s power surpassed the law and rank was treated like a medieval social class, it was common to settle disputes over dungeon management rights or item ownership through guild battles or personal matches. In other words, the strong took everything.
It was a barbaric and unreasonable system, but right now, I welcomed it. Taking everything was nice.
“Yes. Since the slime dungeon belongs to Haeyeon Guild, a Hunter from Haeyeon and one from our side would duel. Rather than an exchange, the winner would take the loser’s dungeon.”
“…A Hunter from Haeyeon.”
“Hunter Park Yerim would be suitable. It has only been three months since she awakened, so even if she loses, it would not damage her reputation. If she fights well enough to make the result close, she may instead gain renown as a promising prospect with a bright future.”
Just as expected, the Japanese had set their sights on Yerim. A fledgling Hunter who had not even experienced an S-Class dungeon raid with her own team yet. She must have looked like an easy target.
“But would that not leave Haeyeon simply losing its dungeon?”
“Of course, compensation must be paid. Under the table, Director Han Yujin and Haeyeon Guild would receive compensation, while Sesung Guild would gain nothing. What do you think? Would that not be an excellent blow? On the surface, it would even appear that you were following the Sesung Guildmaster, so you would not need to fear retaliation.”
I gave Mr. Namo, who was grinning at me, an awkward smile. Honestly, they were being so helpful I was starting to feel a tiny bit sorry.
“It seems like a truly excellent method, but… the slime dungeon is not of little value. Can you compensate Haeyeon sufficiently?”
“We have something prepared for just such a possibility.”
Mr. Naka-What’s-His-Name put on a solemn expression and took something from his inventory. It was a black garment, somewhere between a robe and a coat.
The belt was decorated with an unfamiliar pattern and ornaments shaped like bird feathers. I distinctly remembered that equipment, so it was hard to keep the corners of my mouth from rising.
Was that really it? Was it? It definitely belonged to the Japanese Guildmaster, but were they really offering it?
“This is the Attire of the Blue Thunder Bird, obtained during the first raid of a Japanese S-Class dungeon. It is an SS-Class item.”
“SS-Class?”
“Yes. Would you like to inspect it yourself?”
Mr. Namo stood and draped the garment over me. They kept hold of the hem, of course. Just in case I tried to put it in my inventory.
“It has increased base options, a skill that boosts instant speed, stacking defense that rises the more damage it takes… and S-Class resistance to lightning-element attacks!”
I smiled brightly without needing to act. I knew this one. The Amaterasu Guildmaster often used it in Ranking Matches. Bragging about its elemental resistance, they would go on about how they were the only person capable of defeating Seong Hyeonje, the world’s number one.
Of course, they were all noise and had never won even once. But it would be different if Yoohyun had it. Its other options besides elemental resistance were excellent too, and the best thing was to have equipment for every element and wear the right one for the situation. It was an extremely desirable piece of equipment.
“SS-Class equipment must be rare even in Japan.”
“Of course. But our Guildmaster has another SS-Class outer garment that is used more often. The Attire of the Blue Thunder Bird does not entirely suit our Guildmaster’s abilities, and its type of elemental resistance is not currently needed. On the other hand, Haeyeon Guild could clash with Sesung at any time, so it will be extremely useful.”
There were no S-Class world Ranking Matches yet, so it made sense that they thought this way. Still, there was another SS-Class outer garment? Even if Japan had about twice as many items as Korea, there should only be two or three at most. Had they gathered up every top-grade item in the country? The tyranny of a giant guild.
Though judging by their willingness to give things away in exchange for what they needed, their Guildmaster also seemed personally greedy.
If they acquired an A-Class slime dungeon, their guild’s position in Japan would become even more secure. Was that why? Either way, thank you.
“Then you will truly give this to us as compensation?”
“Of course. I believe you will be satisfied.”
Yoohyun! Your brother did it! I got you some clothes! I wanted to kiss the attire. Oh, you beautiful thing.
“With this, I can face Haeyeon Guild with a clear conscience. Even though the slime dungeon is valuable, this could not have been an easy decision. Thank you.”
“Not at all. We also fully expected Haeyeon Guild’s objection and came prepared. I hope our relationship will grow even closer in the future.”
I had been planning to squeeze them for four or five S-Class items, but this was a jackpot. Even if they did not use it, it was still SS-Class equipment, and they were just handing it over to a foreign country. The Amaterasu Guildmaster’s influence in Japan must have been even greater than I thought.
“Japan will not be sending its Guildmaster or anything, correct? I am worried because Hunter Park Yerim is young.”
“Of course not. We plan to use a Hunter in their second year. Shall we draw up the contract document properly here and now? Ah, will you need separate permission from Haeyeon’s Guildmaster?”
“No. I have been granted full authority in this matter. That is why I was even more cautious. Here are the relevant documents. If it is all right, please choose a location near the sea. If it becomes too one-sided a fight, she might be hurt emotionally because of her youth.”
“We will accommodate your wishes as much as possible.”
The Japanese Hunter said this confidently. Yerim, it is fine if you sink the arena. Go wild. It is not our land.
‘At the coast, she was almost a match for Yoohyun.’
There was no need to worry. Still, I wished they had named Yoohyun as their opponent, but Japan would not be willing to take that risk.
I had already discussed everything with Yerim. She had kept regretting that she could not participate in the Ranking Match, so she would be happy about this.
Mr. What’s-His-Name took out a contract document bearing the Guildmaster’s signature. On the surface, it was a simple wager duel.
We drew up two copies of the contract. Along with the Attire of the Blue Thunder Bird, I also secured an S-Class bracelet for Yerim. It was a deal that left me feeling warm inside.
“Guildmaster Seong may not be pleased with this. Will that be all right?”
The Japanese Hunter asked as he gathered the contract documents, pretending to be concerned. They would be happy if Seong Hyeonje started oppressing me over this, so why put on an act?
“Do not worry.”
“If you ever find yourself in difficulty, please contact us at any time. Director Han Yujin would be more than welcome.”
The Japanese Hunter handed me a business card as they spoke. Why not just openly tell me to come over? They planned to acquire the slime dungeon, drive a wedge between Seong Hyeonje and me, and strengthen their relationship with me and Haeyeon. They had laid plenty of traps.
I took the card, put it in my inventory, and sent a text message with my phone before rising from my seat.
Then the door opened, and Seong Hyeonje entered. He strode over in long steps and held out what he had been carrying.
“Your iced café latte.”
“Thank you for granting my request.”
“My partner wanted it, so naturally I should oblige.”
I took a slurp through the straw under the two Japanese Hunters’ blank stares.
“You said you would remember what I told you, but it is too sweet. I told you to leave out the whipped cream.”
A medium iced café latte, not too sweet, without whipped cream. But it was sweet. There was even cocoa powder sprinkled over the whipped cream.
“Is it not good?”
“It is good. This hotel makes good coffee.”
Was it because it was expensive?
I was about to turn away without regret now that everything was done, but then remembered. I took out one of my business cards and placed it on the table, smiling with all the warmth of a businessperson.
“I will await your contact, customer. Please make your preparations as quickly as possible.”
“W-Wait, Director Han!”
“Yes?”
“No, um… the two of you…”
Nakajima stammered, unable to finish, as they looked back and forth between Seong Hyeonje and me. It was as though I could hear the gears turning in their head. They seemed very flustered.
“…Never mind. We will contact you again soon.”
After much thought, they merely picked up my business card. They probably still thought all they had to do was defeat Yerim. Go ahead and look forward to it.
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