Even the Absolute One is New to Fatherhood - Episode 17

Kang-jun stared intently at the status window that had appeared before him, then let out a quiet chuckle.

"Iriel."

She was one of his five most loyal subordinates—those who had even formed a Vassal Contract with him.

Among the five Ministers who had overseen the five core institutions of the imperial court...

She had been the one in charge of the Imperial Household Department, managing the emperor's personal affairs and overseeing all imperial ceremonies.

No, wait.

Actually, it was much simpler than that.

Though their official relationship had been that of monarch and subject...

She was a comrade who had stood by his side through countless battles, a friend to whom he could bare his heart without reservation.

Kang-jun stretched his hand toward the empty air.

"Dream Demon Empress, Iriel."

At the same time, a crackling noise echoed through the air, and a fissure began to form in the space before him.

The rift gradually widened, revealing the silhouette of a woman—or something resembling one—on the other side.

"Answer my call."

As Kang-jun recited the incantation for the Vassal Summoning spell, an eerie and sinister energy erupted from the spot where he stood, spreading outward in all directions.

"B-Brother...?"

Overwhelmed by the oppressive aura, Kim Bong-gu instinctively took several shaky steps backward.

The shadowy outline of a female figure, barely visible at first, slowly began to solidify.

"My Lord...?"

Bong-gu, as if entranced, stared blankly at the owner of that voice.

Was this how the mythical sirens sounded? The kind of voice that could ensnare the hearts of adventurers with just a whisper?

The indistinct figure of the mysterious woman gradually became clearer.

Beautiful.

Skin as white and smooth as polished jade, contrasting sharply with long, dark hair.

Features so delicate they looked as if they had been painstakingly painted by a master artist with the finest brush.

A figure so alluring it seemed as if a dying potter had poured their last ounce of strength into shaping it.

She embodied beauty so perfect it could be called the very standard of aesthetics.

But if there was one thing that immediately seized the attention of anyone who saw her...

Her eyes...

Her crimson irises, the color of freshly bloomed roses, completely captivated Bong-gu.

"Iriel, have you been well?"

At Kang-jun's question, the woman on the other side of the rift stared at him with barely contained emotion.

"M-My Lord...? Is it truly you—?"

Then, without warning, she lunged forward, bursting through the rift and throwing her arms around him in a tight embrace.

"My Lord, how in the world—?!"

Tears welled up in her eyes as she looked up at him, her voice thick with emotion.

"My Lord, for over a decade, I believed you had truly entered eternal slumber!"

"Well, I thought so too, but things just... happened."

"M-My Lord! Are you unharmed? Your imperial gaze and royal lips seem duller than before—I worry for you!"

Kang-jun pushed her away slightly. "I'm fine."

Then he frowned. "What are you doing—?"

"Ah—!" Iriel gasped, her cheeks flushing red as she hastily took several steps back.

"F-Forgive my impropriety..."

She immediately dropped to one knee, bowing her head in a formal gesture.

"The Minister of the Imperial Household, 'Iriel,' greets her Lord."

Kang-jun waved a hand dismissively. "Enough with the formalities..."

Then he tilted his head slightly. "How have things been?"

Iriel straightened, adopting a composed tone as she answered.

"After you and the Grand Duke entered eternal slumber, everyone remained in their positions. Life continued unchanged."

"And the next emperor?"

"The former Minister of Military Affairs, 'Nazgul,' ascended to the throne in your stead and has been overseeing state affairs."

Kang-jun nodded in satisfaction.

"Good. They're all doing well."

He had always considered either Crabsley or Nazgul as potential successors.

'Since Crabsley came to Earth with me, Nazgul was the most suitable candidate...'

Then Iriel suddenly let out a quiet sigh, her voice heavy with concern.

"My Lord, if I may ask... What of the Grand Duke, who chose burial alongside you and entered eternal slumber with you...?"

Kang-jun answered nonchalantly.

"Crabsley? He went to the supermarket with Noona."

"Pardon?"

"Never mind. He's doing fine."

Not wanting to bother with a lengthy explanation, Kang-jun glanced at Iriel and added,

"Rather than standing around here, we should continue this conversation at my residence."

There were mountains of questions he wanted to ask her—and just as many things he needed to tell her.

Then he turned his head slightly to look at Bong-gu.

"Our diligent Bong-gu."

"Y-Yes...?"

"My one and only disciple."

"Y-Yes...?"

Kang-jun raised a thumb and whispered,

"Actually, I snuck out, so I need to leave before Noona gets back."

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"B-B-Brother?!"

"You'll handle the cleanup, right? No problem?"

"W-Wait a second!"

"Bong-gu, Bong-gu, I'm gonna disappear now. One, two, three—"

As soon as Kang-jun counted to three and said, "Poof!", the two of them vanished without a trace.

Only the corpse of the frost giant Hrimthurs, buried deep in the snow, and Kim Bong-gu remained on the vast, desolate plain.

"Ah..."

A low sigh escaped Bong-gu's lips before he slumped weakly to the ground with a thud.

A Calamity-grade Gate.

This wasn't something that could be brushed off like the last incident at Guro Digital Complex Station.

Meanwhile, tension and unease had reached a peak near Sillim Station.

Top-ranking hunters had been summoned by the Bureau to prevent a Wave Phenomenon, and they now stood ready...

Reporters from various media outlets, risking their lives to fulfill the public's right to know, held their positions.

Just then, a sleek sedan arrived on the scene.

A middle-aged man in an immaculate suit stepped out from the back seat.

His hair was perfectly combed, not a single strand out of place. His custom-tailored suit was free of even the slightest wrinkle.

At a glance, he was the very picture of a perfectionist.

"Bureau Director Seo Do-cheol."

He was the head of the Awakened and Gate Management Bureau, a government agency overseeing national crises.

Having just finished a public announcement about the newly spawned Calamity-grade Gate, he had rushed straight to the scene.

Loosening his suffocatingly tight necktie, he addressed a field officer in a composed tone.

"First, I'd like to review the list of hunters ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in the initial strike team."

"Yes, Director."

The officer handed him a file.

"Led by S-rank hunter Chu Ji-hoon, 'The Swift Blade,' a total of twenty hunters were deployed."

"Aside from Hunter Chu Ji-hoon, who else stands out?"

"Shin Joon-hyun, 'The Colossus,' ranked 2nd among A-rank hunters, and..."

The officer continued listing renowned hunters before cautiously adding,

"And one recently rising 'C-rank rookie hunter' was hastily assigned to the first strike team."

Director Seo Do-cheol frowned slightly as he flipped through the documents.

"C-rank?"

"Yes, Director." The officer elaborated, "He's the rookie who recently subdued an A-rank murderer affiliated with the Anti-Bureau Coalition during the Guro Digital Complex Station incident."

Seo Do-cheol muttered, "Ah, that one," tilting his head slightly.

What was his name again?

Though he couldn't recall it immediately, he remembered signing off on a report about the incident.

He had even approved the hunter's eligibility for the upcoming Promotion Examination.

"Tsk. I thought he was a promising newcomer, but what a shame..."

A dark shadow ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠slowly crept over the director's face.

A Calamity-grade Gate was not something even multiple S-rank hunters could guarantee suppressing.

Even with renowned hunters like 'The Swift Blade' deployed...

'With this level of force, there's no way they can suppress it...'

The documents in his hands would soon become a list of fallen hunters.

The field officer nodded solemnly, his voice heavy.

"Since the Gate's danger level couldn't be fully assessed, we had no choice but to hastily deploy the strike team..."

Seo Do-cheol patted the officer's shoulder reassuringly.

"Thanks to them buying time, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the top-ranked hunters were able to gather here, weren't they?"

"Yes..."

"For their sake, at the very least, we must prevent any secondary disasters."

He had witnessed countless hunters fade into obscurity over the years.

Yet, no matter how many times he saw it, he could never grow accustomed to it.

Watching promising young hunters sacrifice themselves was one such thing.

'What a wretched world...'

Just as he calmly turned his gaze toward the Gate floating above Sillim Station—

"W-What...?"

The massive rift in the sky began to tremble violently.

Crackle—!

Not just Seo Do-cheol, but everyone present froze in shock.

"D-Did they... succeed in suppressing it?"

This was the telltale sign of a Gate on the verge of collapse.

Before long, the rift began shrinking until it vanished entirely—as if it had never existed.

Simultaneously, several hunters materialized in midair before tumbling to the ground like heavy rain.

As always, the disappearing Gate spat out the lives it had swallowed.

Only five or six hunters had returned alive, most in critical condition...

"D-Did they really suppress it?"

"Good heavens..."

"A Calamity-grade Gate has been neutralized!"

Cheers and shouts of disbelief erupted from all directions.

They had succeeded in stopping a disaster that could have led to national collapse—without a single casualty.

Then, a field officer shouted toward Director Seo Do-cheol.

"We have a conscious survivor!"

Snapping back to attention, the director strode toward the group of returnees.

"Y-You there..."

At his hesitant call, the only survivor still clinging to consciousness weakly moved his lips.

"I-I'm..."

An officer beside him shouted excitedly.

"D-Director! It's him!"

"What?"

"He's the one I mentioned earlier—!"

Seo Do-cheol's gaze shifted to the officer, who answered with barely contained exhilaration.

"The rising C-rank rookie hunter—'The Filial Son,' Kim Bong-gu!"