The Porter Is Too Strong

The next morning I was sitting in the classroom when Yang Bok-ja plopped down beside me.

『Hey hey, Shirabayashi! Did you hear?』

I answered without much interest. 『Hear what?』

『What do you mean, what? That mamun we went to see yesterday! Listen, listen—I heard that in the Japanese sector someone slaughtered a ton of magic beasts but left all the magic stones and byproducts just lying there!』

Huh… Was this about me? The rumor had already spread?

Song Byeong-o, who had been reading beside us, clicked his tongue in open disgust. 『Ha! Leaving magic stones behind? Has to be some bloated Japanese bourgeois with more money than sense.』

『Who knows… I guess people like that exist.』 I played dumb and let the subject drop. There was no way I could admit that a student ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠like me had disguised himself as a porter and snuck inside.

Still, it really is a waste.

The truth was, going in under the porter disguise meant I couldn’t collect any stones even after killing the beasts. No matter how much my goal right now was growth rather than money, a waste was still a waste. Besides, while there was a little cash in my wallet, it was my father Baek Nopyeong who was rich, not me. An allowance from the old man was fine, but the more spending money I could control myself, the better.

Yeah. I need to start bringing the magic stones back.

Hmm. How, though? Maybe coax a hunter in front of the mamun and go in together? Hunt together, then ask for my share later…

No. That would look way too suspicious.

What sane person would accept an illegal proposal from a total stranger? I’d be lucky if they didn’t report me. This was the kind of request I could only make to someone I already knew. The problem was that every connection I had in this era was a student. Was there a single adult among the people I knew who held a hunter license…?

There was.

Takahiro!

Right. Why hadn’t I thought of him sooner? Takahiro was the sub-leader of the Gyeongseong branch of the Shimazu-gumi Hunter Association, so of course he had a proper license and was an adult. And judging by how his subordinates still called me “young master” with perfect courtesy, he would probably listen to any favor I asked.

To borrow Takahiro… I’ll have to ask Renka.

Conveniently, I had already planned to find her today and apologize. I could kill two birds with one stone. A few days ago I had slapped her because she had been in the wrong first, but doing it in front of the entire class had been excessive. I had been thinking I should apologize to her separately. Clearing the air between us would be better for the future.

Besides, she’s a dangerous girl to have as an enemy…

『And furthermore—!』

While I was lost in thought, Yang Bok-ja lowered her voice to a spooky whisper. 『In the Korean sector right next door…! More than ten Korean hunters have vanished without a trace! Is it goblins? Ghosts? This is a genuine mystery disappearance case!』

『Kyaa…!』 Aikawa, who had been listening with rapt attention, gave a tiny shriek.

Lee Yuha, seated in front of us, shook her head at the pair. “Yang and her ridiculous rumors again…” she muttered.

True, it wasn’t the first time Yang Bok-ja had dragged in some wild tale. Still, there was no smoke without fire. My curiosity was piqued. Since there had been actual casualties, it made sense that rumors like this would fly within a single day.

Is there something in the Korean sector?

They must have assigned the Koreans some worthless hunting ground, yet maybe there were unexpectedly strong beasts after all? The thought intrigued me. The termites I had hunted yesterday in the Japanese sector had been decent, but stronger prey would let me grow even faster. And today I would have Takahiro with me, so I could ask for help if things got dicey.

Let’s head to the Korean sector today.

I went looking for Renka the moment morning assembly ended. I caught her just as she was leaving the Class B classroom.

『…Shirabayashi-san?』

Her face looked strangely dark when she saw me. Hmm. Was the slap from last time still bothering her? Or was something else on her mind?

『I didn’t expect you to come find me. Did you have something to say?』

『Uh… I wanted to apologize.』

Renka’s narrowed eyes flew wide open.

『An apology?』

『About the other day. No matter what, it was wrong of me to raise my hand. Especially in front of the other students.』

『I never imagined I would receive an apology for that…』

After a moment of genuine surprise, she gave a small laugh. 『Hehe… I accept your apology, Shirabayashi-san.』 She smiled brightly again, the way she usually did.

『Then are we 「even」 now? You accepted my apology, and I have accepted yours.』

『Yeah, something like that.』

I got to the main point—could she lend me Takahiro after school for a little while?

『Takahiro-san, you mean?』 Renka mulled it over, then narrowed her eyes and lifted the corners of her mouth. 『Hmm. I see. So Shirabayashi-san intends to enter the newly opened mamun outside Dongsomun, using Takahiro-san as escort.』

Gasp…! How did she figure it out so fast?

But when I thought about it, it was obvious. A mamun had appeared nearby, and right on cue I was looking for a hunter. As the leader of a major hunter association branch, Renka would know exactly how hunters—and prospective hunters—thought.

She caught me. Is this plan ruined? She’ll probably refuse since it’s illegal…

『In that case, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Shirabayashi-san.』

What came out of Renka’s mouth was completely unexpected.

『Instead of Takahiro-san, why don’t you go with me?』

『…What?』

『My, my! If it isn’t the young lady of the Shimazu family! A license check? Perish the thought! Please go right in! Yes, yes!』

That evening, the Dongcheok employee guarding the mamun entrance took one look at Renka’s face and immediately stepped aside. There was no inspection, no procedure at all. Who would dare stop her? No one in their right mind would block Renka, the widely known leader of the Gyeongseong branch of Shimazu-gumi—the giant hunter association that dominated both the Japanese mainland and the Korean hunter scene.

『Shall we go in?』 Renka turned back with a bright smile. 『Yobo-san.』

Yobo—a derogatory term for Koreans. The usual Renka would never use such a racist word, but this was clearly meant to avoid suspicion from the watching Dongcheok employee. Most Japanese hunters simply called their Korean porters “yobo.”

The young porter standing behind her answered reluctantly. 『…Yes, young lady!』

Renka smiled at the sight of Baek Chulyeon’s stiff expression.

The reason she had suggested they enter the mamun together was that she wanted to see his skills with her own eyes. Ever since the day before the entrance ceremony, when she had watched him swing a wooden practice sword against a thug, she had taken an interest in him. She had heard countless reports since then—catching an onigumo during training, defeating robbers at a café, even overpowering Professor Saigane—but those were only second-hand accounts.

I need to see it for myself.

She couldn’t pass up the chance to watch Baek Chulyeon wield a blade in person. If she was lucky, she might even learn the secret behind how an ordinary Korean boy had acquired such proficiency.

She had another reason for entering the mamun herself.

…Major Aoki.

The major had come to her residence in Gyeongseong, unpacked his luggage, and then spent the entire day inside the mamun. While it was pleasant not having to look at that unpleasant man’s face, the fact that he was so fixated on the gate made her curious. She wanted to find out exactly what he was doing in there.

『Miss Shimazu! Yes, yes—if you head to the right, that’s the way!』

Once inside the mamun, another Dongcheok employee waiting within guided her toward the right exit. As the man said, the right side was reserved for Japanese hunters. Renka began walking confidently in that direction when—

『Excuse me, young lady.』

Baek Chulyeon called her from behind. When she turned, he spoke in a low voice. 『Not there. Let’s go left.』

Renka asked, 『Isn’t the left side the Korean sector? Is there a special reason, Yobo-san?』

『Drop the “Yobo-san.” The employee’s gone, so stop that. Anyway, it’s because…』

Baek Chulyeon told her the rumor he had heard from Yang Bok-ja. Unlike the Japanese sector, the Korean side definitely had stronger magic beasts.

Hmm…

From what Renka knew, the average rank of beasts in this mamun was intermediate. That alone should have been plenty for students, yet he was deliberately seeking even stronger ones?

As expected, he’s confident. Shirabayashi-san.

Renka accepted his request. 『Very well, Shirabayashi-san.』

It was a shame she wouldn’t be able to keep an eye on Major Aoki in the Japanese sector, but her desire to witness Baek Chulyeon’s true ability outweighed that regret.

『Okay. Let’s go. He’s looking the other way now.』

Avoiding the employee’s gaze, they slipped through the left exit into the Korean sector. After walking down the gloomy cave for several minutes, they soon encountered a pack of “Yaibaari.”

The creatures looked like white ants—pure-white arthropods holding mantis-like forelegs hardened into blades. Individually they were intermediate rank, but their habit of attacking in swarms made them far more dangerous.

Baek Chulyeon said, 『Good. Like I told you earlier, I’ll handle the hunting. All you have to do is pay for the magic stones later without complaining. Got it?』

『As you wish, Shirabayashi-san.』

He stepped forward, and the pack of Yaibaari immediately charged him. Baek Chulyeon drew the wooden training sword used at school and began cutting them down with practiced ease.

Watching him, Renka thought, As expected, my eyes weren’t wrong.

Baek Chulyeon was no ordinary student. The brief surge of satisfaction she felt at that thought quickly turned to bewilderment.

…What is this?

One, two, three—in the blink of an eye they were sliced apart by movements she had never seen before. This was a massacre.

This is… far beyond what I imagined.

Renka herself surpassed most active hunters and could have handled Yaibaari with ease, yet what Baek Chulyeon displayed was on another level. And he was doing it without any special flame ability—purely with a bit of strong energy and flawless swordsmanship.

At this level he wasn’t merely an outstanding student. He moved like a veteran hunter who had spent more than a decade in the field. Among the people Renka knew, only Major Aoki might reach this standard. At this point she could hardly believe he was the same age as her. A kind of awe began to bloom inside her chest.

Shirabayashi-san… just what kind of person are you?

Renka couldn’t tear her eyes away from the slaughter. It didn’t take long for the entire pack to be reduced to severed pieces scattered across the ground.

“Whew…”

Baek Chulyeon gave his sword a light flick to shake off the bodily fluids, then sat on a nearby rock. He pulled out his canteen and poured water over his head and face, roughly washing away the gore. After pushing his wet hair back with one hand, he tilted the canteen and drank the rest in big gulps. His Adam’s apple bobbed with every swallow.

Gulp, gulp… gulp, gulp…

Suddenly his gaze turned to her. 『Renka.』

『Y-yes?!』

She was startled at hearing her name called so abruptly. But Baek Chulyeon paid no attention to her flustered reaction. He simply thrust the canteen he had just drunk from toward her.

Renka took it in confusion. 『What… what is this, Shirabayashi-san? Why are you giving it to me?』

He didn’t even look at her. Squatting in front of the pile of corpses, he pulled out a knife and spoke.

『I’ll extract the magic stones here, so could you go to the base camp and bring back some bentos? I saw a stack of them earlier. Refill the water on the way, too.』

『…Pardon?』

『I don’t really want to order you around, but it’s awkward for a Korean porter like me to ask Japanese Dongcheok employees for food. On the other hand, if you ask they’ll hand them over immediately.』

It was about time to get hungry. One person would fetch lunch while the other harvested stones. A simple division of labor. Yet somehow it felt as if their roles had been reversed.

Renka felt a strange sense of dissonance, but she answered with her usual graceful smile. 『V-very well, Shirabayashi-san! Of course, something like that is extremely easy for me! Hehe…』

Whew.

I piled up experience points by hunting just like yesterday. Contrary to the rumor of dangerous beasts, the Korean sector wasn’t much different from the Japanese one.

I have Renka here to help if things get bad, so I was hoping to push myself and hunt stronger monsters…

Still, this wasn’t bad at all. Even these miscellaneous intermediate-rank beasts were tough opponents for me right now. It felt like my strong energy rank would rise to D soon. Plus I would actually earn some money this time. A very satisfying result.

After Renka left with the canteen to fetch bentos from base camp, I took out my knife and began harvesting magic stones.

To think I left these precious things behind yesterday.

Unlike the tiny shards from low-grade Gedama on the day of the entrance ceremony, these were proper fist-sized stones. Once I collected them all, I could sell them through Renka and take my share of the profit. I didn’t know the current market rate, but selling this many should be quite lucrative.

Jackpot…!

While I was absorbed in harvesting, I sensed someone behind me. Thinking Renka had returned already, I turned around.

Holy shit.

The man standing there was so creepy I instinctively held my breath. His face alone was enough to make me flinch.

…A hunter? Korean?

Judging by his gear and the fact that we were in the Korean sector, he had to be a Korean hunter. But the words that came out of his mouth were in Japanese.

『A porter, huh? Where’s your master?』

So he was Japanese. His shabby clothes suggested he was a ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠pathetic excuse for a hunter whose only intimidating feature was his face.

Why is a Japanese hunter in the Korean sector…?

The answer came to me immediately.

Aha.

His skills were too poor to hunt in the Japanese sector, so he came here to bully Korean hunters and steal their stones. The brazen look on his face as he asked again confirmed it.

『I asked where your Korean master is.』

He clearly assumed that the master of a Korean porter in the Korean sector would naturally be a Korean hunter. That was why he was acting so high and mighty.

Hehe… But you’re wrong, Mr. Japanese hunter.

My nominal master right now was the high-born young lady of the Shimazu family. I had nothing to fear. I lifted my chin and shot back.

『Who the hell are you?』

『Who the hell are you…? Quite the mouth on you.』 He sneered. 『I was going to eliminate both of you, but it looks like I’ll have to start with you. Still, it would be a waste to dirty my blade on trash like you.』

With that, a gloved hand flew toward my face.

What is this bastard?

I reflexively raised my arm and caught his wrist just before it reached my cheek.

『…?』 The man’s eyebrows twitched in surprise.

I was the one who was truly dumbfounded.

No, what the fuck? Swinging at me right away? A Japanese bastard waltzes ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠into the Korean sector and treats Koreans like pushovers?

Guys like this needed to be taught a lesson. I raised my hand and—

Smack!

I slapped his ugly face without hesitation.