064 – Native Nymphs Hate Invasive Species! # 3
Awakeners of the 3rd generation and beyond—.
Awakeners received roughly a year of specialized training before debuting. The trainees I'd met in Nonsan a while back were exactly that. They called it a hunter academy, didn't they?
Lee Jina and Cha Yura had apparently met there, back in the day.
"Lee Jina, you'd better watch your mouth from now on. Do I still look like someone who'd carry your bag for you?"
To think S-Rank Cha Yura used to carry that Lee Jina's bags. It was astonishing on every possible level.
Lee Jina said,
"You seem exactly the same as back then. No, actually, did you shrink a little...?"
Sliiide—.
Lee Jina narrowed her eyes and raked them over Cha Yura from head to toe. Before long, Cha Yura—an S-Rank, someone you could call the princess of Korea—flared up.
"Shrink? Who shrank? I'm still growing, thank you very much! In every sense of the word!"
As far as I knew, Cha Yura was in her early twenties. Since ordinary people's growth spurts carried on into their late teens, her claim to still be growing could sound a bit exaggerated.
But for awakeners who awakened their mana as teenagers, it was actually common to keep growing taller, or in various other ways, well into their twenties.
So that was it.
Cha Yura was still in her growth period.
Still-growing Cha Yura lifted her chin with all the dignity of a duchess and declared,
"So what about you? You're still stuck at C-Rank while I made S-Rank—how does that make you feel?"
"Dunno. I guess it just is what it is."
"Hmph, playing it cool, but you're seething on the inside, aren't you? The girl who used to carry your bag is now way out of your league—doesn't that sting? Serves you right!"
I could relate to Cha Yura's story in more ways than one. Watching people who'd once lagged behind you charge past and overtake you—was there anyone who understood that particular sadness and bitterness better than I did?
Lee Jina, however, couldn't have cared less.
"Could happen to anyone. Honestly, you were loud back then and you're still loud now."
Lee Jina was completely at ease. An S-Rank, Cha Yura, was riled up while a C-Rank, Lee Jina, lounged around like she owned the place.
What on earth was going on here? What was the difference between these two?
Or was it the difference in chest size?
Just my opinion, but it held water. A difference in bust size meant a difference in hormones, after all. I had a vague feeling I'd read a study somewhere claiming that, for women, the larger the chest, the more relaxed one's outlook on life.
Before long, Seo Yerim, who'd been watching the whole exchange with a bewildered look, cut in.
"It's wild that you two know each other. She carried your bags? That sounds like a pretty serious case of bullying, doesn't it? People make a huge fuss about that stuff these days."
Right—school violence was treated as a grave social issue these days. I'd assumed Lee Jina was the scary one, yet she'd been the one tormenting Cha Yura?
Lee Jina quickly clarified.
"Nah, it was a bet. We'd compete on exam scores, and the loser carried the winner's bag. I just happened to win every single time, so she kept carrying it."
I see.
If it was that kind of bet, it was ordinary enough—no wonder it made sense. And here I'd thought Lee Jina had bullied her, shaken her down, and forced her into bag duty. Compared to what I'd imagined, it was surprisingly mundane, which made it unexpected in its own way.
It was also curious that Cha Yura had supposedly scored worse than Lee Jina.
"Ms. Cha Yura, I take it you weren't always the top of the class?"
S-Rank.
It wasn't something just anyone could achieve.
Cha Yura said,
"Everyone has an awkward phase. Mine just took longer to warm up than most people's. You too, Mr. Ildo."
"Me?"
"I mean it as a compliment. A C-Rank, with all the limitations that entails, racking up achievements that impressive! At this rate, Mr. Ildo might reach B-Rank and even set his sights on A-Rank!"
Being praised by one of the three S-Rank awakeners in Korea—no, one of only two now—felt pretty good, all things considered. In terms of generation, she was my junior by a long shot, but in this industry, seniority was determined by results rather than by what cohort you came from.
Money makes the hyung, as they say. Or the noona.
"Mr. Ildo, you have a rather uncanny gift, don't you? Commanding animals and all that. Could you show us a little something right now?"
My gift, here?
I was in the middle of a meal!
When I tilted my head in mild confusion, Cha Yura explained,
"This cruise is hosting a sponsorship event, remember? There's a chance a sponsor could take an interest in you too, Mr. Ildo. I'm certain of it."
A sponsor, huh.
Did that mean actual sponsorship money?
I'd heard of it before—corporations and wealthy individuals attaching themselves to promising up-and-comers as patrons. Sponsored awakeners would slap the company's logo on their gear and advertise it, apparently.
300 million won.
For someone who might need to scrape together that kind of money, it was a tantalizing prospect.
After the meal, I was given about ten minutes on the stage set up in the banquet hall to show off my gift—all thanks to Cha Yura pulling strings for me.
"This is your chance. A chance to make a good impression on people with deep pockets."
Wasn't that the kind of line people loved to say out loud these days? Musing on that, I looked at Keongkeongi and Ang-ang-i.
"You two ready to bring your A-game?"
━Keong-keong...!
━Zzejji...!
These two always brought it.
And so I waited my turn. The stage was already busy, person after person stepping up to advertise new products or show off their talents.
"I'm told I'm here as a demonstration for B-Rank awakeners. My ability is a tracking skill that can follow the footsteps of any person or animal—I can hunt down unfaithful husbands and wives for you."
"Our Detective Alliance would like to sponsor you."
A grand parade of everyone showing off their particular brand of sparkle. Actually, there was probably a better word than "talent show," but I was a little too nervous for the right one to come to me.
"And now, a C-Rank awakener. It's been a while since a C-Rank took this stage, hasn't it? Let me introduce him—Mr. Ha Ildo, from the 1st generation."
Swish—.
My turn had come.
I rose from my seat and climbed onto the stage, and in an instant I could feel dozens of eyes swiveling toward me. Thump, thump—my heart was pounding like it wanted to burst.
I opened my mouth calmly.
"Hello, everyone. My name is Ha Ildo."
And then what was I supposed to say?
Nothing in particular came to mind.
"Well then, let's get straight to it. According to the nymphs, my mana has a strong affinity with animals and living creatures. And to demonstrate—."
Mana deployment—.
I spread my mana across a radius of about twenty meters. And then something quite remarkable happened.
━Keong-keong...!
━Zzejji...!
Keongkeongi and Ang-ang-i's condition improved dramatically. Keongkeongi could move even faster than before, and Ang-ang-i took to the air, fluttering about on his wings.
"How fascinating."
"Such adorable little animals."
The reaction was better than I'd expected! Apparently I had a knack for the stage after all, because the warm reception gave me a burst of energy.
"Here's something else I can do. Now, the spider you see here is a Ghost Spider by the name of Kwang-kwangi. I'm going to ask Kwang-kwangi here to dance for us."
Swish-swish—.
I waved both arms left and right. And Kwang-kwangi raised and lowered its little arms in perfect sync, dancing away.
"So cute!"
"This is fun!"
People were cracking up all over the room. Before long, someone raised a hand—a rather older woman, with the air of a grande dame about her.
"We at Macadamia would like to sponsor that Dog-Squirrel, Keongkeongi. What an absolutely precious Dog-Squirrel! How old is he? Does he like peanuts and almonds?"
Keongkeongi was getting sponsors?
Soon people curious about Ang-ang-i and Kwang-kwangi popped up as well.
"What do you feed them?"
"Can it sing too?"
"How did you tame them?"
The animal friends' popularity was shooting through the roof. There were so many questions my slot started running over!
"Not bad, for someone who didn't seem like a performer."
Seo Yerim narrowed her eyes at me as I came down off the stage. I was only now managing to catch my breath.
"You get more nervous than you'd think."
Keongkeongi, Ang-ang-i, and Kwang-kwangi had all received plenty of sponsorship offers. We could safely stop worrying about the cost of their food, treats, and supplies from here on out.
But no sponsors for me.
On that subject, Seo Yerim said,
"The people sitting in this room all clawed their way up through blood and sweat to get where they are. They're the kind who never let a stroke of fortune slip through their fingers, so their eye for talent is razor-sharp."
She had a point. The truly impressive ones, after all, were Keongkeongi and Ang-ang-i and Kwang-kwangi. Sponsors flocking to the animal friends instead of me was only natural.
Apparently I'd botched the marketing strategy, then. I should have built a stage that showcased my own specialty a little better.
Before long, Lee Jina said,
"Still, for getting thrown on stage out of nowhere, you did all right? Honestly, I wouldn't have managed a single word. The seriously rich just live in a different world from us common folk."
Come to think of it, she wasn't wrong. Not messing up, not humiliating myself—that alone deserved a passing grade from me.
Just then, Illinoi began to tremble with excitement.
"We nymphs must also be receiving this 'sponsorship' thing, it is declared…! We shall gather patrons by the bushel and build up the Nymph Relief Foundation, it is declared…!"
With that, Illinoi pulled out a sketchbook. It was crammed with drawings of every description, all of them looking like they'd been scribbled by a five-year-old.
"Once the masses behold this Illinoi's gorgeous art, patrons will surely queue up around the block, it is asserted…! We may well become richer than the long-eared fairies, it is declared…!"
So her dream was to get richer than the elves.
Talk about dreaming big. The elves were wealthy enough to own a luxury cruise liner, after all. What on earth had they made their fortune with?
"The long-eared fairies must have gathered their moolah through illegal schemes, it is obvious…! This Illinoi can see it, it is decla—."
"Hey, quiet down!"
Seo Yerim clapped a hand over Illinoi's mouth. Probably because there were elves all around us.
Not that the elves were paying the slightest attention to the nymphs. Nymphs playing with toy cars. Elves who owned an actual ship, courted sponsors, and threw parties. They were simply playing in entirely different leagues. It wasn't even possible for them to stand on the same playing field, was it?
And that was precisely the moment.
"You're Mr. Ildo, aren't you? I very much enjoyed your performance. What adorable animals you keep with you—especially that Ratatoskr. Simply precious."
Tap, tap—.
Someone was approaching me. At her appearance, the surrounding people went visibly tense.
"Goodness. Isn't that Lady Freyja?"
"So she's come out of her room."
Who was she?
An elf as tall as I was, with languid, heavy-lidded eyes. She wore a black party dress that suited her extraordinarily well. Early thirties, maybe? But gauging an elf's age from her face was something only a fool would attempt.
The elf called Freyja spoke.
"Would you consider selling me that darling Ratatoskr? I'll give you 500 million."
500 million!?
I thought I'd misheard her!
Did the elves and the Koreans just use different units of currency!?
Was she planning to pay me in Zimbabwean dollars!?
Then Oinoi exploded in anger.
"Keongkeongi is not a Ratatoskr but a Dog-Squirrel, it is the fact…! And Keongkeongi shall never be sold, it is the fact…! We native nymphs do not sell our family for money, it is the fact…!"
"That is so, it is declared…! We soy-sauce-fried-chicken-loving nymphs shall absolutely never sell our family for money, it is declared…!"
"Hohoho. What a tiny, adorable fairy from this foreign land. So 500 million is not enough, I take it? Then how does 5 billion sound?"
5 billion!?
Just as I was growing even more flabbergasted, Illinoi spoke up with an extremely serious face.
"We must do a little more thinking on this matter, it is declared…! Everyone, this is strategy time, it is declared…!"
Excuse me.
You just said we don't sell family for money!