WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: ZERO_SUGAR

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◈ The S-Classes That I Raised ◈

Chapter 94: The Price

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Kyahhh!

Wings that were beginning to take on a decent golden sheen spread wide. Soft fur glittered under the sunlight, holding a delicate glow.

Thanks to three days of relentless training after I used My Kid, Blue had grown to more than twice their former size. Of course, Blue was not the one who had felt close to death over the last three days. I was. The little griffon had been a little sleepy, but mostly excited.

And there was one more thing.

Grrrr.

When Peace, in its subadult form, bared its fangs, Blue flinched and folded their wings. Then Blue cautiously watched Peace's reaction.

“That's enough, Peace. Let it go.”

I scratched Peace's neck, but it still looked far from appeased.

Peace had already been in a terrible mood because of Comet, and seeing me train Blue without properly resting had made it completely furious. Then Blue, thrilled at having grown bigger, had picked a fight with Peace.

The result was predictable. Blue got beaten so badly they could have kicked up dust on a rainy day. Peace had not used its teeth or claws, though. It had literally just beaten Blue up, so I did not stop it.

“Shall we begin, Noah?”

“Yes.”

Noah, who had been looking at Peep perched atop my head, nodded.

Even while I had been too busy to pay him much attention, Noah had quickly adapted to life here. Seok Hayan's team deserved much of the credit. Every member of her team was non-Awakened, but they were not especially wary of Noah. More precisely, their interest and curiosity toward an S-Class Hunter with the Full Beast Transformation skill outweighed their fear.

They had even given him an enthusiastic welcome, which had left Noah flustered. Noah was much younger than the team's average age, so they had eaten together, helped him shop for daily necessities, and generally gotten along very well over the last few days.

Noah stepped back a few paces and transformed into a dragon. He was even more dazzlingly beautiful under the sun. A golden dragon in the garden somehow felt unreal.

“Can you make yourself a little smaller?”

I knew it was possible to some extent. Noah hesitated at my question, then the dragon's body abruptly shrank. Excluding his neck and tail, he was only a little bigger than Noah in human form.

“Good job.”

So it really was possible. His original size was probably similar to that of the original Dio Valshecis. He was certainly small for a top-grade Cursed Poison Dragon.

“You see Blue here, right?”

Kyaow!

At the mention of Blue, the griffon puffed out their chest and cried excitedly.

“Blue isn't a dragon, but their method of flight should be quite similar. Unlike birds, both of you are four-legged creatures with separate wings. Blue is also an excellent flier, so if you watch carefully and imitate them, you should become accustomed to flying quickly. Blue.”

At my gesture to fly, the pale golden griffon promptly shot into the air. Noah followed after.

Kyaow! Kya, kya!

When the little dragon followed awkwardly behind, Blue seemed delighted and put on an aerial display. Blue folded their wings sharply and plunged down, stopped abruptly, shot back up, flipped over, spun around, then finished with an elegant circling flight. Noah fluttered his large wings in alarm.

No, you don't need to copy that. You can't do it yet anyway.

“Blue, fly slowly!”

Noah might be older and bigger than you, but he was still a beginner at flying. As expected, it wasn't easy to learn just by watching...

‘Ah, should I try the teacher skill?’

If I passed along Blue's sense for flying, Noah would be able to learn how to fly more easily. I used the teacher skill on both of them and unilaterally transferred Blue's senses to Noah. Noah glanced down at me once, then beat his wings powerfully. His movements were noticeably better than before.

‘So it can be used like this, too.’

Barring the first part that Deer bastard came up with, the skill's name fit perfectly. It seemed like it could be used to train other Hunters as well. Maybe I should ask Yoohyun to run a dungeon while connected to Yerim.

Watching the two glittering chaotically in the sky made me think I should wear sunglasses next time. They were a little dazzling.

When I closed my eyes, Noah and Blue's flying viewpoints rushed toward me. It was a little dizzying, but the sensation of wind brushing past me felt nice. There was an odd disconnect in feeling body parts I did not possess move, but it was bearable.

‘It really is a skill where mental strength matters in many ways.’

Maybe I would adapt to the sharing of senses if I used it often.

Then a text message arrived. When I opened my eyes and checked it, it was from security.

[The Guildmaster of the Sesung Guild and Hunter Kang Soyoung have arrived.]

Kang Soyoung came to see Comet every other day, but what was Uncle Seong Hyeonje doing here again? He should be busy recruiting S-Class Hunters and organizing a new S-Class team. Why not stay busy instead of coming all the way here?

“Peep, come down here.”

Chirp.

I took Peep down from my head and held it in my arms. Peace looked at me as if asking what was happening.

“We're having guests.”

Should I go down, or just wait here? I didn't want to go greet them, either way. Not long afterward, Seong Hyeonje appeared in the rooftop garden. Kang Soyoung was nowhere in sight, apparently having gone straight to Comet in the rearing enclosure. Noah, who had been practicing tight turns, hovered in place and watched Seong Hyeonje. He had gotten much more accustomed to moving his wings.

“You must be busy. Why leave a perfectly convenient phone behind and come all the way...”

What was that? Why was he carrying a flower basket? A basket full of carnations and expensive-looking flowers whose names I did not know was in Seong Hyeonje's hand.

“Soyoung asked me to pass this on to congratulate Blue's growth.”

“Ah, yes. Thank you.”

It was from Kang Soyoung. I wondered what it was. When I took the flower basket, Peep hopped onto it. The scent must have been strong, because it gave a tiny sneeze.

Pichoo.

“Noah seems to follow Han Yujin well.”

The instant Seong Hyeonje finished speaking, Noah plummeted downward. I staggered a little under the fierce blast of wind, and Noah landed behind me, extending his forepaws to hold me protectively. Then he thrust out his head and bared his teeth at Seong Hyeonje.

“Do not draw Han Yujin into this.”

At Noah's guarded stance, Peace pressed close to my side. Peep chirped from within the flower basket as well, but it had no effect. Blue, still floating in the air, looked puzzled by everyone's behavior. Exactly. What was going on?

“You should have said that before you ran off and started fawning over him. Still, if you would like to speak separately, I am willing to oblige. What do you think, Han Yujin?”

“Let's speak here.”

Noah gave a low growl, and Seong Hyeonje raised the corner of his lips.

“There is no need.”

“No. I don't know the full situation, but I want to keep Noah safely by my side. I should gladly pay the price for that. It's my own selfishness, so please don't worry too much about it.”

Where else would I find another S-Class Hunter like Noah? If I asked him to protect not me but the people renting space in my building, Yoohyun and Yerim would not like that either. So as long as it was a problem I could handle, I could take it on in Noah's place.

“So what exactly is this about?”

I asked while stroking Noah's head, which was extended over my shoulder. Seong Hyeonje, who had been studying the two of us, opened his mouth.

“Should I say that an investor has come to collect from a debtor who defaulted and ran away?”

After Yerim, I had another debtor now.

“I did not run away. And I kept my promise.”

Noah said a little sulkily.

“It is commendable that you have clung so closely to Han Yujin and still said nothing, but at this point, the prospect of receiving a proper return seems quite distant.”

“Just tell us what you want.”

There was no need to beat around the bush. At my words, Seong Hyeonje let out a quiet sigh.

“You are still cold only to me. I am trying to settle this amicably through conversation because it is you, Han Yujin.”

“What would you have done if it were someone else?”

“At the very least, we would not be having a pleasant conversation in a sunny rooftop garden.”

What pleasant conversation?

“Noah wanted to escape Riette, and although he was a support-type S-Class Hunter, I thought he would be useful if raised properly, so I accepted the deal.”

Seong Hyeonje gave me a rough explanation of the arrangement between himself and Noah. It seemed his help had played a major role in Noah leaving Riette and forming his own guild. Was that why Noah had been able to dissolve the guild so easily?

He skipped the details, but he said he had paid a considerable price as well. Noah did not deny it.

In any case, the debt seemed quite large.

“I had only just gotten him settled enough to be useful, and overnight, not only did the tower I had painstakingly built collapse, but even its remaining foundation stones were carried off into another household's yard. Can you imagine how startled I was? I was so dumbfounded that I could not sleep properly that night.”

“Ah, yes.”

He was exaggerating, but I could see why he would be startled. Unless he was some kind of prophet, he could not have expected this at all.

“I am still an S-Class Hunter. It is not as if I cannot pay the price.”

“Unfortunately, you are not particularly attractive to me as you are now. You have no guild, and even your beast transformation skill has been completely exposed. Since Han Yujin now knows of our connection, at most I could use you as support for dungeon clears. Sesung does not lack Hunters for dungeon raids.”

Seong Hyeonje spoke coldly. From what he said, it seemed he had intended to keep Noah in a guild unrelated to him and make use of him. Yet he had revealed his relationship with Noah himself just now, then blamed Noah for it. Cheap.

“However, Noah would be useful to Han Yujin. He could guard the house as he is doing now, and since Han Yujin has high Poison Resistance, he could ride Noah as a mount as well.”

“He is a person.”

“If a dungeon has few or no flying monsters, Han Yujin could ride him into even A-Class dungeons and low-rank S-Class dungeons.”

“I have no reason to enter dungeons.”

It was not as if I had no desire to visit one, but what would I do there? Sightsee? Maybe later, but there were still no dungeons that could not be handled without me. There was even less reason for me to go.

“So I shall reluctantly step back. I do not often make concessions like this.”

“If it's a concession, will you just let it go?”

“That would be rather shameless, would it not?”

He smiled brightly. What sort of concession was that? I swallowed a sigh and spoke.

“I would not be of much help to the Guildmaster of the Sesung Guild either. The monster rearing arrangements are already contracted, and you said you did not need ordinary Hunters, so what more could I do for you?”

All I could do now was raise mounts and find promising non-Awakened people. Of course, finding someone with a useful special skill would help, but that would not be easy.

“You are humble. Then how about this? When I need Han Yujin's help, you will help me. Once would leave me disappointed, so perhaps three times?”

“The scope is too broad. Let us set precise conditions and write a contract.”

At the word contract, Seong Hyeonje gave a narrow-eyed smile.

“There is no need to go that far. I trust Han Yujin.”

“...You really won't write one? What if I pretend I don't know later?”

“Then my feelings would be hurt.”

That was a little unsettling. Still, if it was merely a simple promise without a contract or anything else, that was good for me. Not that I actually intended to pretend I didn't know. There was no way that man would simply let it pass after having his feelings hurt.

“I will refuse in advance if it is something beyond my ability to handle or something that could harm those around me.”

“Do not worry. I have no intention of doing anything harmful. I am confident that no one can match how much I care for Han Yujin.”

...He was remarkably skilled at saying nonsense with a straight face. Who did he think he was? If it were Yoohyun or Yerim, that would be another matter. There were Peace and Peep, of course, Myeongu, who took care of my meals, and Kim Seonghan, who looked after my health. What did he mean, no one could match him?

“By the way, you said the cooldown for sharing the same skill was fifteen days, correct? There is not much time left.”

“Yes. Though without that bracelet from then, it would be difficult to use it properly.”

“Is that so? If Hunter Yu Myeongu makes a similar item, let me know.”

I nodded to say I understood. He watched my expression for a moment, then readily turned away.

‘...Though the cooldown has already passed.’

When I shared a skill with Noah, the doubled effect reduced the cooldown by half. That reduced time remained in effect even when I used it on someone else. Unfortunately, the shared skill did not receive the doubled effect.

So I could now share a skill once every 7.5 days.

‘Could Myeongu make another item similar to that bracelet?’

I should ask when I saw him that evening. What had he been making lately, anyway? How many days had he been calling it a secret?

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