WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

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◈ The S-Classes That I Raised ◈

Chapter 71: Blacksmith Debut (1)

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“Mister, Mister, Mister!!”

The moment I turned the corner, I ran into Yerim, who had just stepped off the elevator. She had said she was going to clear a B-Class dungeon, but it looked like she was already done. Her hair was still damp, and she wore a light short-sleeved T-shirt and shorts, as though she had washed up in the maintenance room.

“So that’s the new monster he brought home!”

“Yeah. This is Blue, a Golden Gryphon.”

“So cute! Can I hold her?”

Peace had hated it, but Blue would probably be fine. She was already watching Yerim with curious eyes.

“Kyaa!”

When I held Blue out of my arms, she fluttered over to Yerim on her own. Yerim spread both arms wide and hugged Blue.

“She’s so cute! Her fur is soft, too! She smells like ice cream?”

Apparently, she had just polished off a whole large tub.

“Kyaow, kya!”

“Peace had gold jelly beans, but this one has pink ones! Look at those paw pads, I want to bite them! Blue!”

Maybe Blue knew she was being doted on. Her tail swished back and forth like a fan. For something that was half eagle and half lion, she was awfully much like a friendly puppy.

“Honestly, Mister, your naming sense is really old-man-ish.”

“...What?”

“Peace is one thing, but Peep and Blue? And the unicorns are White and Black. They’re not country dogs named Whitey and Blackie. You’re such an old man.”

“T-They’re straightforward, short, and good names.”

Easy to recognize and convenient was best... Was that the kind of thought an old man had? No, even counting the time before I regressed, I had only been thirty.

“Anyway, where were you headed? The training room?”

“To meet someone from the Hunter Association.”

“Then I’ll come with you! Lately, I’ve only been going out with the Guildmaster! I’m the one who promised to protect you, Mister.”

“You’ve been busy clearing dungeons.”

And she would get even busier from now on. She had to build her own S-Class team. I should help her out a little too.

After leaving Blue with the Hunter on duty, we headed downstairs. When I saw Yoohyun, I suddenly realized this guy had barely been working lately. I meant clearing dungeons, the most important part. The dungeons he went into with me were more like outings at his level.

“Haven’t you barely gone to any dungeons lately? Don’t you have S-Class dungeons to manage?”

If a lower-tier S-Class dungeon had complete raid information, an A-Class team alone could clear it. Otherwise, an S-Class Hunter was needed. Haeyeon probably did not manage many S-Class dungeons yet, but it wasn’t as if Yoohyun could just laze around.

“I need to go in within ten days anyway.”

Yoohyun looked at me with worried eyes.

“Once an S-Class dungeon raid begins, I’ll have to be away for at least a week, so I put it off as long as I could. A big reason I kept... away from you, hyung, was because of S-Class dungeon raids. Once I’m inside a dungeon, I obviously can’t look after you.”

Even with raid information, an S-Class dungeon took at least a week to clear. For a first clear, it could take over a month. If the matchup was bad, even a dungeon with plenty of information could take over two weeks.

Having to leave regularly for such long stretches was one of the biggest weaknesses of a guild led by an S-Class Hunter. Not only the guildmaster, but the elite high-ranking Hunters would all be absent. They could not even be contacted, much less leave midway through. Later on, massive guilds would have at least two S-Class Hunters, and that weakness disappeared.

“Now that I’m here, you should go in soon, Yoohyun oppa.”

Yerim clung tightly to my arm.

“I’ll take good care of Mister. I’ve worked hard clearing dungeons, so I’ll take about ten days off and stick close to you. You can look over my skills too. Want to go into a dungeon together? Or how about an escape room cafe? I’ve wanted to try one for ages, but they were too expensive.”

An escape room cafe. I had never gone to one either.

“Have you ever been to one, Yoohyun?”

“What is that?”

...Good grief. Was that something a twenty-year-old should be saying? I felt like crying. Wasn’t this the age when he should be keeping up with every trend?

“You’re coming too.”

“Ah, but I wanted to go alone with Mister!”

“He hasn’t been either.”

“...Fine. It’s not like we’ll only go once. Since we’re going out anyway, shall we go today?”

“If nothing comes up, sure.”

I nodded lightly and got into the car.

* * *

After driving for quite a while, we arrived not at the Hunter Association, but at the Awakening Center, which had not opened yet. Unlike the Association building, this place was on the outskirts of Seoul and would take over the Association’s functions in an emergency.

That building attached to the round, hemispherical Awakening Center was essentially the Second Hunter Association. More precisely, the Awakening Center had been added later. To the public, it was still known only as the new Hunter Association building.

“I’ll look for a well-reviewed cafe while you’re gone!”

Yerim waved us off.

As I looked at the smooth new building beneath the sunlight, my thoughts became a little unsettled. I had no good memories of this place. Quite the opposite, in fact. The stairs, which could not have been stepped on many times yet, gleamed. There was still nothing around us. No fluttering banners. No gathered reporters.

It was quiet.

“Why aren’t you coming?”

When I stopped, Yoohyun turned around in confusion.

“I was just looking around.”

I answered casually and started walking. This was a place I had never wanted to visit again, but it did not feel quite as awful as I expected. Maybe because those events had never happened. Or maybe because of Fear Resistance.

“By the way, I told you to be nice to Myeongu. Why were you picking a fight with him?”

I asked as we climbed the stairs. What if he decided not to make weapons for us?

“I wasn’t picking a fight. I was checking what he thought of you. You did deceive him about something. If there was even a chance he resented you enough over that, I couldn’t just leave it alone.”

“You answered well enough when I told you not to meddle.”

“His skill is too good. He’s dangerous.”

“Myeongu isn’t that kind of person, and I’ll tell him myself eventually.”

“If things ever go wrong between you, you have to tell me. Don’t hide it.”

“...Okay.”

I did not think Myeongu would become hostile, even if we grew distant. Still, if things went completely wrong, Myeongu would be dangerous just as Yoohyun said.

It would be fine, but... Maybe I should have treated Myeongu better.

I opened the glass doors and went inside. The building was empty too. The long desk was still covered in plastic. If that was the case, why call us all the way here? They could have just called us to the closer main Association building. Aside from the guide standing before the entrance to a distant hallway, there was nobody here. No, Moon Hyuna was here too.

“Hello, big bro. Young master.”

Moon Hyuna waved happily at us.

“What brings you here?”

“What do you mean, what brings me here? I came to see my big bro, of course. How’s Blue? Think she’ll grow well?”

As expected, Blue was the real reason.

“She’s very healthy and active. She eats anything, but since she’s a gryphon, I think magical beast horse-type meat would be best.”

“Really? Haeyeon Guild’s managed dungeons don’t have magical beast horse-types.”

“What about Breaker Guild?”

Moon Hyuna grinned and casually draped an arm over my shoulder.

“Of course we can provide that much service. We’ll supply fresh meat.”

“I am deeply grateful for your grace.”

I should compare Blue’s growth rate when she ate magical beast horse-type meat to when she didn’t.

“This is the Awakening Room, the core of the Awakening Center.”

After we passed through a long corridor, the guide stopped in a round lobby. Five doors were set into the walls in every direction except the entrance we had come through. When I came here before regressing, it had seemed cramped due to all the people. Now that it was empty, it was rather spacious.

The interior of the Awakening Rooms was not yet complete. After looking around once, we headed to where the Hunter Association President and the other important people were waiting.

“The A-Class and B-Class Hunters sent by Hunter Han Yujin Awakened safely.”

The vice president, who looked somewhat younger than the Association President, spoke. The profiles of the two Hunters were placed before me one after another.

I had sent the A-Class and B-Class non-Awakened people with combat aptitude, whom I found while looking for people with special skills, directly to the Association.

Looking through the documents, the A-Class Hunter had acquired two of the optimized skill set, while the B-Class Hunter had acquired all three. Combat aptitude really did make optimized Awakening comparatively easier.

“As you can see, five of the six skills you informed us of beforehand appeared safely as well. As you advised, we predicted their abilities from the skill names and created suitable situations. It is unfortunate that Hunter Kang Donghoon’s B-Class skill did not appear, but we have certainly seen the value of Hunter Han Yujin’s skill that checks the status windows of non-Awakened people.”

“Then the verification process is finished now.”

“If Hunter Han Yujin can successfully Awaken a special skill as well, we would have no choice but to cooperate.”

This time, the Association President spoke. What was that supposed to mean? He had just said he had seen the value of my skill. Why was he talking as though I needed to Awaken a special skill too?

“Or perhaps the Awakening Center itself should be operated in cooperation with Hunter Han Yujin. There would be no need to create anything separate. We could also handle aptitude checks for non-Awakened people at the Awakening Center. We could establish a system where they receive status-window verification from Hunter Han Yujin before using the Awakening facilities.”

“...I think that would be excessive.”

Were they planning to grind me down? Besides, that was different from what they had said last time. I had no intention of working at the Awakening Center.

“First, I cannot handle large numbers in my current condition. My skill rank is high, but my stat rank is low. If you make it a requirement for people to get checked by me first, I would be the one getting cursed at the most... Surely that is not your goal.”

“Ha ha ha, of course not.”

The Association President waved his hands, but I could not trust him at all. Only because there were other options and private operations could I avoid being cursed at even if I only saw one or two hundred people a day.

“We only mean that it would be unfortunate for people to Awaken poorly in their haste.”

“They make that choice themselves. We cannot look after every single person.”

I had done enough already.

“Most of all, I have no intention of joining the Hunter Association.”

At my firm words, the Association President narrowed his eyes slightly.

“A young person should consider the greater public good...”

“Your own benefit, you mean.”

“Isn’t that extremely rude!”

An Association Hunter shouted. Yoohyun and Moon Hyuna looked at him at the same time. The Hunter, who looked to be around A-Class, flinched and stepped back.

Moon Hyuna crossed her long legs and tapped the table with a fingertip.

Tap.

Though she had only touched it lightly, a round dent appeared in the table.

“Eating too much can make you sick. At your age, it’s even more dangerous. Something might get stuck in your throat, and that could be the end of you.”

“Lady Moon, the Breaker Guildmaster!”

“Or perhaps spontaneous combustion could happen in Korea. Young master, shall we have a drink together soon? With big bro too. I don’t believe you’ve had drinks with the other guildmasters. Let me be the first.”

“That would be the first. All right.”

Yoohyun gave a short nod and looked at the Association President.

“Later in the evening would be preferable.”

“Of course. Drinking is for the night. Since we won’t get drunk, we can tell everyone that young master and big bro were with me until dawn, completely sober.”

They spoke as though joking, but both Yoohyun and Moon Hyuna had cold eyes. The Association President swallowed dryly. His wrinkled hands clenched together on the table and trembled unconsciously.

If the S-Classes did not hide their pressure here, he looked like he would faint. Still, I had to give him credit for enduring this much after hearing that they would burn him to death and create an alibi.

“Of course, we are not forcing you. If Hunter Han Yujin refuses, we will naturally consider the matter closed.”

The vice president hurriedly said. This one was more reasonable.

In the end, we settled on the same agreement as before. I would do my own work and simply send the information to the Association. Hyuna sure was good at threats.

“Thank you for helping.”

At my words, Moon Hyuna winked.

“It was nothing. How could I not do at least this much for the person raising my baby?”

No, please do not say it like that...

Moon Hyuna left first, saying that magical beast horse-type meat would be sent soon.

At the escape room cafe we visited afterward, I felt like I said not to break anything around a hundred times. Was it just my imagination that Yerim and Blue kept overlapping in my eyes? At least Yerim understood words.

“Mister, let’s come again next time! Just the two of us!”

Don’t be ridiculous.

After returning to Haeyeon Guild, we went to see the unicorns in the training room before heading up to the dormitory floor. Yerim tagged along, saying she wanted to see too.

“White, Black, hello! Which one is the girl?”

“The black one.”

“This one, huh? Pretty. Come here.”

Yerim held out a hand toward Blackie, no, Black. The unicorn pricked up her ears, then bit down hard on the offered hand.

“Ahaha. That tickles, Blackie!”

“You should tell Black not to bite. It’ll become a habit. It might tickle you, but a non-Awakened person could lose a finger.”

“Oh, right. No! Blackie!”

“Hmph!”

At Yerim’s light knuckle flick, Black startled and backed away. After looking around, she scampered behind me to hide. The white one followed.

“Kids! Why are you hiding there? That Mister is weaker than my pinky!”

That was a little harsh. Though I probably was that weak.

After feeding the unicorns, I took care of Blue too. The Hunter who had looked after Blue gave me a sympathetic look and said it must be difficult. At least I did not have to worry about money. If I had been poor, I might have cried.

“Peace, Peep, have you been well?”

“Yip!”

“Peep!”

Peace gave a dignified bark, and Blue fluttered out of my arms. Our Blue was not entirely lacking in the ability to learn.

Even after I brought Yerim the side dishes she requested, cared for the kids, and ate dinner, Myeongu had not appeared for some reason. There was still no news by the time Blue and Peep fell asleep, and Peace began dozing off.

‘I can’t even contact him.’

Perhaps because the Golden Forge was a separate space, phones did not work there, just like inside a dungeon. Unless Myeongu came out first, there was no way to contact him.

He was in the forge, right? Myeongu had pulled all-nighters occasionally, but always came out to eat when it was mealtime. Shouldn’t someone doing hard physical work eat properly? Why was Myeongu not coming out?

I slept poorly from worry, and morning came. Just as I let out Blue, who crowed on time like a rooster, and wondered whether I should find a way to contact the separate space, Myeongu finally appeared.

“Hey! If you’re going to stay in the forge that long, you should at least say something! I was worried something had happened inside!”

“Sorry.”

Myeongu said sorry, but his face was glowing. There were dark circles beneath his eyes from staying up all night, but his expression was bright. It was obvious something good had happened.

“I couldn’t take my hands off it halfway through.”

Saying that, Myeongu took something out of his inventory. It was a long spear nearly two meters in length. A bluish chill radiated from its blade to its shaft. It was no ordinary item.

“Could that be...”

“Here.”

When I accepted the spear Myeongu held out, a simple item description window appeared.

[Parmini’s Frostwood Spear (S-Class)

A spear made by a skilled artisan from the branch of an old Frostwood tree. It holds a powerful chill.]

S-Class. It was an S-Class weapon.

The stat option was a percentage increase, so my stats did not rise much, but I gained a new skill instead.

[Ice Attribute Enhancement (S-Class)]

Ice Attribute Enhancement. And it was S-Class. The Ice Attribute Enhancement that appeared when I had focused My Kid on Yerim was A-Class. S-Class Attribute Enhancement...

...Had our Yerim saved up a lot?

“You finally made an S-Class weapon!”

When I looked at Myeongu with wholehearted admiration, he puffed out his chest.

“Fortunately, I succeeded on the first try. I worked like hell all night, though. It’ll be easier from the second one onward.”

“I didn’t think you’d grow this fast. At this rate, won’t you be making SS-Class weapons soon?”

“That would be difficult. Ismuar said the most they can assist with is S-Class weapons. Still, there is something I’m preparing.”

As expected, SS-Class equipment was difficult. Still, this was incredible. Not an S-Class piece of armor or accessory, but a weapon.

“There’s no point putting it off any longer. You should make a name for yourself too.”

Originally, we had planned for Myeongu to debut as a blacksmith Hunter after making an A-Class weapon, but he had refused. He said he would step forward only after making an S-Class weapon.

“Yeah. Now I can step forward with confidence.”

Myeongu smiled and nodded. I smiled back, then remembered something I had been putting off.

Before I delayed any longer, I should make a voluntary tax payment.

“Myeongu, there’s something I haven’t told you.”

“What is it?”

“The truth is, we didn’t know each other originally. I think I mistook you for someone else.”

I confessed, adding an excuse. My heart beat a little faster. What would Myeongu say?

“Really?”

Myeongu replied.

And that was it. I waited a moment, but nothing followed.

No, wait. Why was his reaction like that?

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