A Grandfather's Test
I had a feeling a day like this would eventually come.
Kang Minsung had been thinking about it for a long time. The day when his precious grandchildren, the ones he cherished more than his own eyes, would bring home their future spouses. If possible, he even wanted to live long enough to see his great-grandchildren. That was why he had taken meticulous care of his health, managing himself with iron discipline. He had even made a solemn promise to himself: stay strong and healthy until that moment arrived.
‘But…’
Even so, when that very moment actually unfolded right before his eyes, he couldn’t help feeling flustered.
“G-Grandfather.”
“It’s been a while, Chairman.”
His granddaughter, Kim Suhyun, wore an unusually awkward smile. Standing beside her was the young man who had saved her life not once, but twice—Baek Seojin. The two of them had appeared so suddenly in front of him.
In truth, the pair had simply fled here to escape Irina. After all, if they made up some excuse and slipped away somewhere else, who knew how that crazy woman would react? But Kang Minsung, completely unaware of that, saw only one thing.
Ah, my granddaughter has brought her boyfriend home to introduce him to her grandfather.
‘So it really happened. Seojin has become Suhyun’s boyfriend.’
Honestly, he had suspected something like this might occur. Anyone, man or woman, tends to develop feelings for the person who helps them out of a difficult situation. And if that person had gone above and beyond to help them not once, but twice? If they had stood in front of them without hesitation, even risking their own life?
‘Our Suhyun would naturally fall for him. Yes, it makes perfect sense.’
Kang Minsung examined Baek Seojin again. The young man was currently greeting him while carefully reading the room. When he had first seen him, he had thought of him as nothing special—just a lucky ability user. He hadn’t sensed anything particularly remarkable about him. At least, not at the time.
But looking at him now, Kang Minsung wondered if his initial judgment had been wrong.
He had grown. In such a short time, to the point that even Kang Minsung himself was impressed. Whether his ability had only recently awakened or if the results of relentless training were finally showing, one thing was certain: this was an entirely different person from before.
‘He wasn’t this strong when I saw him at the hospital. No, definitely not this strong.’
Simply watching Baek Seojin stirred an irresistible curiosity within the old warrior. He wanted to know just how far this young man’s true strength reached. The skill that had allowed him to survive against an Elder, to fight dozens of villains alone. Just how far could this rapidly growing young friend go? He wanted to face that limit head-on.
“Grandfather?”
“…Hm? Ah, yes. I’m sorry. This old man was a bit surprised. I never imagined our Suhyun would invite her boyfriend home so soon. Hahaha!”
“Ehh? N-No, that’s not it! Grandfather! Examiner-nim just… he just came for dinner…”
Who on earth invites someone over for dinner by suddenly dragging them straight to their family home? No matter how old he was, Kang Minsung hadn’t lost all his senses. Even now, his granddaughter’s face was flushed bright red. If this were truly just a simple dinner invitation, there would be no reason for her to react like that.
‘Look at her. She’s completely smitten. Well, with a young man like this, he more than passes as our Suhyun’s boyfriend.’
First and foremost, he was an ability user like Suhyun. Did Kang Minsung discriminate against non-ability users? Not at all. It was simply that men and women understood each other better when they stood on similar ground. While an ability user and a non-ability user could certainly fall in love, such relationships rarely ended well. If their positions and the paths they needed to walk differed too greatly, conflict would arise. Eventually, they would part ways full of wounds, never truly understanding each other.
In that regard, the fact that he was an ability user brought Kang Minsung some relief.
On top of that, his abilities as a hunter were truly exceptional. Standing alone against an Elder, fighting an entire group of villains by himself, and even playing a major role during the Gate incident.
‘Even that madwoman Irina treated him with respect.’
He had read the article just days ago and let out a hollow laugh in disbelief. To think that crazy bitch would actually be photographed shaking hands with someone. The same Irina who clicked her tongue and called even promising talents pathetic.
And unlike most young people these days, his character was also excellent. Why he stubbornly insisted on remaining an Academy examiner—a position that was bound to earn him resentment—Suhyun had already explained it to him. If his strict old friend Ma Hakjun had approved of him, then the verification was already complete. This was not a man who would ever mistreat his granddaughter or abandon her midway.
‘And most decisively, he is the benefactor who saved our Suhyun three times.’
Once during the Academy raid against the Elder. Once during the attack on the city street a few days ago. And once more, by pulling her out of the negative thoughts that had been eating away at her heart. There was no greater benefactor than this. At this point, he could be called a savior.
Since Suhyun liked him, there was no reason for Kang Minsung to stand in their way.
However… there was still one thing he wanted to confirm.
“You should have told me in advance. I would have prepared a much more splendid dinner.”
“R-Right? We came so suddenly that I couldn’t say anything.”
“Not at all, Chairman. I already feel bad for visiting so abruptly.”
“Don’t say that. Thanks to you, our Suhyun has changed so much.”
Having said that, Kang Minsung called for the servants who lived in the residence. A precious guest had arrived, so tonight’s dinner should be prepared as a proper banquet. Even if it took some time, they were to serve the most impressive and luxurious dishes possible.
“Chairman, this is making me feel too uncomfortable…”
“Don’t worry. Truth be told, I have something I’m curious about, so I’m just trying to buy some time.”
“If it’s something you’re curious about, what exactly do you mean?”
“Baek Seojin, was it? Young man, would you care to have a spar with me?”
“Pardon?”
“G-Grandfather?!”
Surprisingly, it was Kim Suhyun who reacted more strongly than Baek Seojin. She looked completely flustered, clearly worried that Seojin might feel offended.
‘…This is my chance.’
But Baek Seojin himself didn’t seem particularly bothered. Every time he clashed with an opponent, he absorbed their strengths one by one. At the same time, he learned their weaknesses and engraved them in his mind so he would never repeat the same mistakes. Right now, he wasn’t simply growing stronger by performing his gatekeeper duties. He was taking in countless movements and judgments from various opponents and putting them to use. The more excellent opponents he faced, the greater the benefit to himself.
“Ah, don’t misunderstand. I’m not forcing you. Just listen to this old man ramble. Suhyun has been telling me so much about your recent feats that I got curious. From what I hear, you sound like an S-rank ability user.”
“Suhyun said that? I’m embarrassed. I still feel like I’d struggle against an A-rank.”
Baek Seojin scratched his cheek once, cleared his throat, and continued.
“Let’s do it, Chairman.”
“Hm?”
“The spar, I mean.”
“Oh? You’re really okay with it?”
“Yes. It seems like it would be a good opportunity for me as well.”
“I’m not forcing you at all. So I’ll ask again. Are you truly willing to accept this old man’s request?”
To Kang Minsung’s question, Baek Seojin answered with a crisp “Yes.” The refreshing reply made the old man burst into hearty laughter. What a likable young man. Yes, as a grandson-in-law, he more than passed.
“However, I have one condition.”
“A condition? Very well. Tell me. I’ll grant you anything.”
“I’d like Suhyun to come watch our spar as well.”
“Hmm. You want to show her how you fight?”
In truth, it was to solidify the conditions for activating his Silver Gatekeeper trait. But Baek Seojin knew very well that he didn’t always need to speak the full truth.
“She grows by doing it herself, but she’s a genius who also grows by watching.”
“Hahaha! That’s right. Our Suhyun is indeed a genius!”
Without meaning to, he had scored some extra points.
*
An unexpected spar with Kang Minsung had been arranged. To be honest, he was a little scared that this might be reckless. The old man was stronger than most A-ranks. Even the villains called him the Sword Demon and found him extremely troublesome. Although he had clashed with an Elder and observed Irina’s movements, he had never gone all-out against either of them.
At least Lee Hyunwoo and Kim Suhyun’s skills had improved dramatically lately. Thanks to that, his own level had risen significantly, but it still felt insufficient. In that situation, sparring with Kang Minsung had its advantages, but it also came with plenty of worries.
‘More importantly, just how big is this place that they even have a training ground like this?’
When he had first visited the Kang family estate, he thought he had stepped onto a university campus. Most wealthy families had one large house with a spacious yard. But the Kang family estate was on an entirely different scale—dozens of magnificent buildings spread across a massive compound. It was hard to tell whether this was a home for people or the headquarters of several clans merged together. That description fit perfectly.
“Alright then. Shall we keep it simple?”
Wait, Chairman. That expression doesn’t look like someone planning to “keep it simple.”
Just moments ago, he had been an ordinary, doting grandfather who adored his granddaughter. But the moment he picked up a sword, his entire aura changed in an instant.
Activating Third Eye.
As expected of Kim Suhyun’s grandfather.
“You said you’re a support type, right?”
“That’s correct, but I won’t ask for any special considerations.”
There was no need for things like giving him a three-move advantage. If you wanted to gain something, you had to pay a price equal to what you received. That price could be money, time, or in this case…
‘I’ll just have to endure it with pure grit.’
At his answer, Kang Minsung laughed heartily and clapped his hands. Then he slowly assumed a stance, saying they should begin.
“Examiner-nim! Do your best!”
“Suhyun, what about this old man?!”
“G-Grandfather, you do your best too!”
“Haha, good, good! Hahaha!”
As expected of a doting grandfather, he looked absolutely thrilled.