Drunken Baek A-rang
X-grade hunters rarely gather like this. There is no urgent reason to bring them together in the first place.
“Everyone?”
“Yeah. Everyone. Including me and you.”
They are far too strong and far too eccentric. Bringing them together would only cause chaos. Even two of them together would make the surroundings a mess, so what would happen if all of them gathered?
“…Time and place?”
“I don’t know.”
“What?”
If you don’t know the time or place, what are we even gathering for?
“It’s true. I wasn’t told. I was only told that I’d be informed on some day not too far from now.”
“They didn’t tell you the purpose either?”
“That’s right.”
When we gather, the one who suffers the most is naturally the Pope. There was only one time we were all together after the X-grade gate was cleared, and from what I know, the Pope was bedridden for a week after that day.
Since then, the Pope has never called us all together at once. He calls us one by one or finds us individually.
“But then, why did you come looking for me?”
“It was a bit of both. The Pope had a secret message for you, and I had one question of my own.”
“A question?”
I’m more curious about your question than the Pope’s secret message. Why would the man who knows nothing but the sea and fish have any questions for me?
“First, let me pass on the Pope’s message. The words are already silenced by curses.”
One of the essential conditions for curses is incantation. More precisely, words infused with one’s will. Curses form based on the intent in the words. Not the words themselves, but the intent they carry.
Using this, you can perform the incantation while saying whatever you want. You could say ‘I want to wrap rice in ramen’ and cast the Blood Wind Curse.
Incantation Deception. Using a completely different intent from the spoken words to cast a spell silently or deceptively. An advanced technique that reveals the caster’s skill.
Of course, not everyone can do it. It’s not easy to infuse the intent of the Blood Wind Curse while casually saying ‘I want to wrap rice in ramen.’ And the one who can do it like breathing is the Deep Sea Fisherman.
“Your skills have grown in the meantime.”
“So have yours. Your presence has become sharper and more gentle at the same time. Did something happen?”
“Well, various things. So, the message the Pope passed on?”
“It’s simple. The villain known as the Corpse Engineer appeared in the Vatican.”
“…What?”
That bastard appeared in the Vatican?
“He only stayed for a brief moment before vanishing. I have no idea what his purpose was.”
“…How long ago was that?”
“About a week before I met the Pope.”
He must have already left. What in the world was his goal?
“And this is my personal curiosity. Have you figured out how to engrave the Heartbone of Ruin?”
“…Why ask me?”
“Andre was researching it. A man like that suddenly settling in Korea is suspicious, isn’t it?”
Thinking about it, if someone of Andre’s stature moves, information is bound to leak. Even if the purpose is unknown, it would be difficult to hide that he’s in Korea.
“Do you want it engraved on your harpoon?”
“That’s right. Fishermen are always looking for good equipment.”
“…I can’t do it right now. I’ve only found the possibility. Still, it might be possible after some time.”
For now, I’m uneasy about telling Maru about this. He doesn’t care much about human rights either.
“I see. When the time comes, I’ll ask you to help engrave my harpoon.”
“Got it. Anything else?”
“No. I’ll be going now. I have a lot to do.”
He turned away without hesitation. After watching him for a moment, something occurred to me and I called out to him again.
“Ah, wait a second.”
“Huh? What is it?”
“Do you still have the item I mentioned back then?”
“Back then?”
“The day we were all gathered for the first time.”
“Ah, the Curse Research Journal. I still have it, but you said you weren’t interested.”
“Someone wants to give it to me. If it’s inconvenient, you can refuse.”
“It’s fine. Here. Just don’t let anyone else know about it.”
“Thank you. I won’t forget.”
“Then I’ll be going.”
The moment he disappeared from view, I returned to the pension.
“Ha… It’s like the waves came and left.”
My worries had piled up. Research on Maru’s engraving, the Hunter General Assembly, the Pope’s call, the Corpse Engineer. My head was about to split from all the heavy problems I couldn’t ignore.
“Um… Sister. Are you okay now?”
“Ah, I’m fine now. You can relax.”
We went back inside to eat meat again, and everyone rushed over with questions.
“What?! Why is such a big shot here all of a sudden?!”
“Again… What happened…?”
“Nothing strange happened, right?”
Everyone looked worried. I understood their anxiety, but…
“It’s not a big deal. Just sit down. I’ll tell you what I can.”
***
“Suddenly my name value has skyrocketed among the people I meet. It feels weird.”
“…Sorry. When the Deep Sea Fisherman moves on purpose, I can’t stop him. In that situation, it was hard to refuse firmly.”
“I didn’t mean it made you feel bad. You don’t have to worry.”
“So, does that mean Maru is going to meet the Deep Sea Fisherman too?”
“Probably. Still, compared to Cheonma or other X-grade hunters, he’s pretty tame. I’ll be right next to him when they meet.”
While we were chatting about what had happened, we started drinking a little. First, I kept the Pope’s message secret. I didn’t doubt it, but there were some things you couldn’t just share casually.
“It might turn out to be nothing after all. Let’s drink a little.”
“Your sister is strong with alcohol?”
“Yeah. I’ve only gotten drunk once in my life…”
That one time, I spent an extremely hot night with Maru. Thinking about it again now makes my face burn.
“At that time, I drank some really strong liquor. I don’t get drunk on soju.”
“That’s right! A-rang drinks a lot!”
“You drink soda, right? To make pancake again?”
“Aigoo~. This time, I’ll be careful!”
Thud. The guy who couldn’t even drink beer was the one who liked liquor the most.
“Well, anyway, even if I get drunk, it won’t be a big problem. The hangover doesn’t make people… fight or anything.”
“What? That sudden silence just now?”
Thinking about it, the guy who was going to sleep peacefully after getting drunk was dragged to the bed by me and we slept together. I can’t say the hangover is tame anymore.
“And hunters can burn off the hangover as soon as they feel like it.”
Usually, people don’t drink just to enjoy the buzz, but if I had felt any resistance back then, my instincts would have burned off the hangover and stopped Maru. Because I didn’t feel any resistance, I gave myself to the buzz and went all the way.
“Anyway, don’t worry! Here. Cheers~.”
“Cheers~.”
Even when I drink soju until I die, I don’t get drunk, so I drank without worry. Enjoying this warm and comfortable atmosphere, one glass, two glasses… three glasses…
***
“Where did all the people who drink well go?”
Baek A-rang and Kim Chae-eun sitting at the table, blankly holding their glasses.
“Ugh… hehe…”
“Uuuuu…”
Watching Baek A-rang, whose face was flushed and smiling blissfully, and Kim Chae-eun, who was preparing to make pancakes, Maru felt his head start to ache.
“A-rang… didn’t she usually… drink a lot…?”
“Yeah. At least a few times more than Kim Chae-eun.”
He could not understand why Baek A-rang had suddenly become the same level as Kim Chae-eun in terms of drinking.
Actually, Baek A-rang’s tolerance was the same as or lower than Kim Chae-eun’s. But the reason she held out that night was thanks to her immense mana. In the days when she had not yet fully opened her heart, Baek A-rang’s will to enjoy the buzz naturally decomposed the alcohol with her mana.
However, now that her heart was open and the desire to enjoy the buzz had vanished, her mana no longer decomposed the alcohol on its own. Thinking of the past when alcohol decomposed automatically, she drank the liquor quickly and was now nothing but a drunkard soaked in the drink.
“Hehe… Maru-yam…”
The moment her tongue loosened and her mood lifted, Baek A-rang unconsciously started showering him with aegyo.
“Waa… You’re really cute.”
“Oh my, you’re properly drunk.”
Watching her, the drunk mother and son. But the son could not join the group.
“…”
On the day she had gotten properly drunk, thinking about what she had done made it impossible to relax.
“Well, since everyone has eaten, let’s go inside. She’s properly drunk, so A-rang won’t be able to play here anymore…”
“That’s true. Sister, let’s go in first.”
“Uuuung… Nuri-ya…”
“Come here… hehe.”
I thought about whether it was okay to leave her to that kid, but I had no reason to step in myself. After we had done everything there was to see, our bodies overlapped, but I couldn’t say it.
“Well, sister, rest here for a moment.”
“Iing…”
“…Waa. I really can’t hold back anymore.”
“Hold on. Crazy woman.”
After slapping Nuri on the back to stop her, I said it. At that moment, an unusual desire flickered in Nuri’s eyes. She wasn’t a lesbian, but A-rang had enough charm to drive a woman crazy.
“First, check the girls’ room. It’s a bit iffy for me to check.”
“Aigoo… If I touch her, even the family is going to bloom with new technology?”
“Am I you? Just go already.”
Feeling guilty, I chased her out quickly. Because of the previous time I had touched her, it was hard to be bold.
“Uuuung…”
Now, instead of glasses, she was wearing a choker. Because of this, the previously elegant and arrogant aura was gone, replaced by a pure and cute expression.
‘It really is hard to hold back.’
Since I had already tasted her body, it was even harder. I wanted to pull that defenseless girl into my arms and make her cry. Of course, if I did that, Nuri would really stab me with a knife.
Slowly blinking, she noticed Maru and smiled brightly.
‘Waa…’
The pure beauty that could not be compared to anything in the world struck his heart with force. If I stayed here any longer, I would really do something, so I tried to run away.
“Choo!”
“?!?!”
Baek A-rang, who was craving warmth, pulled Maru in without hesitation. Of course, Maru could not resist and was dragged along. The two ended up lying down together, with Maru on top of her.
“…”
“…”
Baek A-rang staring blankly at Maru with a flushed face. At that moment, mesmerized by her eyes, he froze.
“…You crazy bastard!!!!”
“Yikes!!!”
Fortunately, Cheon Nuri came back and punished him properly.
“You worthless beast!!! Trying to cover up the savior of the family?!?!”
“No!!! It’s an X-grade misunderstanding!!!”
“Misunderstanding!! Thud!!!”
Cheon Nuri swung her with mana infused, and Maru ran away using all his strength.
“Uuuung…”
Baek A-rang, who caused all this, was simply gloomy because the warmth that had been wrapping around her had disappeared.