Chapter 211
Chapter 211
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 211
Chapter Title: Chamomile
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“Let’s go to your house.”
“Someone’s at home, so let’s hit a cafe.”
Chamomile.
Green bobbed hair and yellow earrings.
Jewels shaped like chamomile flowers dangled from her ears.
For someone wearing a stuffy hood in this humid weather, her face was surprisingly well-made-up.
Her short legs and cylindrical body meant no style came through at all, though.
“What’re you staring at?”
“Nothing.”
After sending Seong Ji-ho off, we headed straight outside and grabbed seats at a nearby cafe.
Chamomile plopped down on the fully enclosed sofa and immediately started rattling off her order to the waiter like they were old pals.
“Lemme see~ I’ll have a Java Chip Frappuccino, three slices of blueberry cheesecake, mocha cake, vanilla croffle, and a cafe latte with double syrup.”
“……Pardon?”
“Oh! Right, right. I heard the green tea here’s good. That too, please.”
Did she come to talk or to eat?
No way an S-Rank Hunter was broke or anything.
“Food always tastes better when it’s free.”
…Oh, so it just tastes better that way?
What a petty one.
I gave an awkward smile and ordered a vanilla latte.
Soon the food arrived, filling the table with snacks that easily surpassed my usual meal portions.
“Yummm~”
Chamomile stuffed her cheeks full and grinned happily.
Was this woman really S-Rank?
I had to wonder.
“Tastes good?”
“Hell yeah, it’s amazing. Want some?”
“Eat up. So, why’d you call me here?”
Chamomile chewed on a mouthful of cake, then pressed her lips to the cafe latte straw.
-Slurrrrp.
Coffee and cake went down smooth.
If an elder saw her, they’d coo, “Aw, our kid eats so well,” beaming with pride.
“Whew, delicious. Right, you close with Cornus?”
“Among cadets at the Academy or kids our age, yeah, we’re the tightest.”
“Figured. I knew that much.”
She said it while taking another bite of cake.
Chewing steadily, she continued.
“I’ve heard a ton about you from her. Didn’t know you were her disciple, though.”
“You mean Master Baekdo?”
“There’s two more in there, right? Specifically… the redhead?”
She dropped the fact so casually, leaving me dumbfounded.
Did S-Ranks share that much intel? The “redhead” had to be Cheon-do.
“Yeah, but what about it?”
“What else? Gotta make my mark with her disciple. Later, when you make it big, if I tell Trista, Twitter, and Tree Insight I got a free meal off this guy… heh, ultimate flex, right?”
What a mouth on her.
Byeol-i wasn’t like this on first meeting.
Not that she creeped me out or anything—just watching her felt like chilling with a fun high school civics teacher.
Chamomile sipped her Frappuccino and said,
“Plus, my little sis is in Peach Haven. Simpi.”
“Ah, so that’s the connection.”
“S-Ranks all know each other one way or another.”
Simpi-namu, Paprika’s partner and popular streamer.
I’d met her briefly a few months back, along with Goroshi the boxelder and Bab the baobab.
She left such a strong impression, her face was still fresh in my mind.
“You know my master?”
Chamomile flashed a toothy grin at my question.
“…Know her? More like bad blood.”
Bad blood? How bad?
Seeing my interest, she cleared her throat with a “Ahem” and raised a finger to start her tale.
“How to put it. She’s kinda pitiful too. How much do you know about her story?”
“The basics. Stuff about Peach Haven?”
“Cool, then I can spill. Don’t go blabbing to anyone who doesn’t know—could get you hauled off for blasphemy.”
Chamomile glanced around, then leaned in.
“You got any sound-blocking magic?”
Silent.
I cast the closest effective spell from Academy lessons, and a transparent barrier enveloped us.
She tapped the wall twice and nodded.
“Good enough.”
Then another bite of cheesecake.
She rolled a blueberry on her tongue and tucked it in.
Then grinned like a snake.
“I met her… when Peach Haven fell.”
“Pardon?”
“Hunter Association hit it three times on the down-low. I was on the third. Supply duty, though. I was F-Rank back then.”
“Ah…”
One of the ones who ruined Peach Haven.
My lip nearly twitched, but I held it together.
I knew most hunters were forced into it.
Too many involved to pin full blame.
“Had no clue what it was for. Didn’t know the supplies I hauled were killing people. War’s like that—forcible conscription.”
“I see.”
“By the time I hit S-Rank and got the full story, turns out it was to kill the Heavenly Demon? That’s later, anyway.”
Chamomile chuckled like an old-timer reminiscing.
She clasped her hands.
“Peach Haven’s sole survivor. And damn useful against Flower.”
“…Could see it that way.”
I kept my cool as best I could.
“I think their lives are… pretty tragic. Cursed by World Trees just to survive.”
“To help the World Trees?”
“Not sure on details, but probably related. Otherwise… no reason they’d build Peach Haven to crush Flower.”
“That big a curse? Doesn’t seem like something Master would approve.”
“Eh, I heard bits about that too.”
Chamomile smirked.
Loose lips. But prime intel for me right now.
“If they wipe out Flower completely, the curse lifts.”
“……A World Tree’s curse? They can break that?”
“Their word, not mine.”
I pressed a finger to my philtrum, face serious.
Baekyang told me a World Tree’s curse won’t lift unless the caster dies.
Baekyang’s long dead, so info might be off, but…
If the World Trees’ offer was legit, then Cheon-do’s fighting Flower to break the curse.
Or maybe the World Trees were playing him.
Master must be grasping at straws.
“Lifting the curse wipes the family stigma… and clears her father’s—the previous Heavenly Demon’s—dishonor.”
“Cherry Family could rebuild too.”
“Yep. They had that kind of talent.”
Chamomile propped her chin, sighing.
“That’s why they’re pitiful.”
“And you helped with that.”
Did she catch my sharp tone?
“Whoa, don’t look at me like that. I did help her out when she was growing strong. Cleared plenty of dungeons together. Saved her life a few times, even.”
“Is that so?”
“Cold response.”
She shrugged.
“She doesn’t resent me, so no biggie, right?”
“Hilarious.”
“Gotta not overthink that stuff. That’s hunter life. You’ve killed too, yeah?”
I knew.
Just got prickly, that’s all.
I softened my face and scratched my neck.
“Shake it off. Otherwise, can’t survive this world. Senior’s advice.”
“Got it.”
Not wrong.
“One Wood Person’s death? Tragedy. Feel pity, mourn it. But tens of thousands? What then?”
Chamomile looked strangely detached.
“Just numbers. ‘This many died~’”
In my old world, that was Stalin’s quote.
“Yeah.”
“No pitiful folk in Flower? Met ones running orphanages, sheltering disgraced Wood People, desperate sacrificers. More trust Flower than Association overseas—Middle East especially, Flower dominates.”
“Sure.”
“Someone we kill might’ve saved hundreds.”
She declared boldly.
“But hunters remember it like: one Flower. Killed a villain. That’s enough to etch you as a hero in history.”
“……”
“Backtrack: we kill one Flower, kids they fed starve?”
Classic tale.
No true good or evil anywhere.
I knew well.
“What sentiment should I have seeing that? ‘Oh, I killed a Flower, now these kids die. Atone forever?’”
In this world, highest mental illness rate? Hunters, no contest.
Frequent teammate losses in dungeons, plus dungeon crime kills.
No S-Rank without blood on their hands.
“Everyone says hunter’s the best job. All the praise. But nah.”
“That so.”
“We all know. So no one gets held accountable. Why? We’re all bastards anyway.”
She emphasized.
No matter the circumstances, stepping into hunting means—
“……Stepping on others to live large.”
I said nothing.
It rang true, stuff everyone ignored.
I’d instinctively grasped it too.
“You’ll get it someday, junior.”
“……”
“I’ve saved plenty too, y’know. Blocked a Pacific gate once, saved 3,400.”
“Nice work.”
“Nice my ass.”
She crossed her legs. Not sexy at all.
She stared out the window.
At a poster featuring S-Rank Hunters as ad models.
She cackled at the one up front.
“That’s why I hate those types most.”
Her finger pointed to a poster of a light-green-haired woman smiling kindly.
Spirit Sorceress. Elata.
Aralia.
“Bastards who everyone knows, slapping up ‘I’m nice’ signs.”
“…Could be genuine, or just marketing.”
Never met her, couldn’t judge.
“Pfft, image control. Haven’t seen a truly good one among ’em.”
Chamomile crammed the last cake into her cheek roughly.
“Everyone lives for themselves. The whole world. Psychopaths? Put ’em in our shoes, same deal.”
“…Haha.”
I laughed bitterly.
Felt like she was mocking my recent goody-two-shoes phase.
Becoming the true good she meant? Need real intent and power to flip this world.
Chamomile raised her coffee.
“Of course—”
Clinked mine for a mini toast.
“Save who you can.”
“Now you say that?”
“Enduring that contradiction makes us human—hunters. Cool as hell, right?”
Rare to voice it, but I got it.
I sipped my coffee.
Bitter beans laced with sweet vanilla syrup.
“We buddies now?”
“Somewhat.”
“Gimme your number then. Call if something comes up. Drop my name around too.”
This how she builds connections?
Thought she was all chill vibes, but had standards.
Surprisingly meticulous.
Maybe all S-Ranks were.
“Sis and bro from today. Cool?”
“Cool.”
I punched my number into her offered phone.