Chapter 34
Chapter 34
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 34
Chapter Title: Russia's National Power Kneels
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Sophia, who had been guarding the mansion's front gate, momentarily panicked when a massive horde of monsters suddenly swarmed in.
But.
Slash. Swish. Shnick.
"Whoa..."
"She's incredible...!"
It was a level of situational awareness that left not only hunters of equal or lower rank than her speechless, but even Korea's A-rank hunters in awe.
Wielding her specially crafted scythe, which she could summon at any moment, she had been swinging its blade like a dancer in a waltz ever since her first clash with the monsters—never once slowing down.
Just like the heroine arriving at a grand ballroom.
Sophia was dancing a beautiful waltz amid the monsters, the ground strewn with their blood.
"No openings at all..."
"Yeah! And her movements flow without a hitch—no wasted motion whatsoever."
She was amazing.
Simply amazing.
The monsters seemed to have some intelligence, as they mostly appeared right at the front gate connected to the mansion.
But as if one-versus-many battles were her specialty, Sophia reaped death like a grim reaper, not allowing even a single monster to slip behind her.
Truly Asia's rising star!
"Al alright! Let's join in!"
"Yeah!!"
Thanks to Sophia, the hunters were able to respond swiftly even to this sudden attack.
All of them shouting battle cries in unison—every one a pro hunter C-rank or higher—they methodically hunted down the incoming waves of monsters with practiced ease.
Meanwhile.
'...What was that just now?'
The hero of this first-wave assault, who had boosted the morale of the surrounding hunters.
Sophia herself had worn a troubled expression ever since the attack began.
And for good reason. For just a split second, she thought she'd seen something.
'Right before the monsters swarmed, it felt like something passed over my head...'
She'd sensed a presence for an instant, but it vanished so quickly she couldn't be sure.
So she'd focused solely on the monsters in front of her.
"Phew..."
"Is it over?"
The hunters wiped sweat from their brows as they looked down at the dozens of monster corpses.
There'd been a lot of them, but most were D-rank or lower weaklings, so the situation wrapped up quickly. Sophia let out a sigh of relief—
That's when it happened.
"Could you all hold the line for a bit?"
The voice came not from the front, but from behind the front gate connected to the mansion's interior. It sent chills racing down their spines.
"G-gahhhh!!"
For a moment, Sophia had a vision of her own head flying off. She let out an undignified scream, leaping forward while spinning around.
And there.
"Oh! Korea lives up to its reputation. Quick to get out of the way, just like the 'ppalli ppalli' nation. I personally respect that culture."
She saw a middle-aged man emerging, one arm clamped around Princess Kurumi's neck.
"P-Princess?"
"Princess Kurumi?!"
"Who the hell are you?! No—release her right now!"
The princess taken hostage.
They'd slain all the monsters, but now the most important person—the princess herself—was in danger.
The hunters immediately surrounded the man from all sides.
"...No way. Barbachov Lawrence?"
"Hmm... Can't you just let us pass? We're not looking to fight any more."
He casually smiled at the hundred or so pro hunters encircling him.
"Damn it...!"
"Senior, do you know that guy?"
"Yeah. That's Barbachov Lawrence. He was once Russia's national power-level hunter."
"W-What...?"
"National power-level!?"
One of the three A-rank hunters assigned to guard Princess Kurumi's mansion.
A top 1% veteran who broke into a cold sweat, his tension palpable—the mood began to sink.
"Russia's national power-level..."
"Can we really stop him with just us...?"
Outnumbering him only worked against equals.
Just as Korea's full roster of A-rank hunters couldn't take down a national disaster monster, this was on another level entirely.
Could a hundred ants kill an elephant with their bites?
"That's right. Backing off now isn't shameful at all. It's the 'courage' to retreat. Smart thinking. Far better than charging in recklessly, getting made an example of, and dying pointlessly."
They'd die like dogs if they attacked.
As the encirclement slowly widened in realization, Lawrence didn't sneer—instead, he praised the Korean hunters.
Looking almost regretful that he couldn't clap with his hands occupied.
Meanwhile, Princess Kurumi—gasping for breath in agony—sensed the presences gathering ahead and thought.
Thank goodness.
'Yes... that's the right call. This man can't be stopped by a force like this.'
Thank goodness no one was dying for her sake.
She wasn't worth it anyway.
Soon, the frontal blockade parted like the Red Sea before Moses. Princess Kurumi smiled in relief, as if it were all for the best.
All but one.
"Hey."
"Yes?"
"No, not you—the princess. Princess."
Until she sensed a single presence boldly stepping forward—not toward the man behind her, but addressing her with an irritated tone.
"Hey, Princess. Why'd you come out alone?"
"...Pardon? More importantly, if you stand in front of us, it's dangerous—"
"Where's Shin-woo?! Shin-woo!!"
"...?!"
How does this person know about Mr. Shin-woo?
In that instant, Princess Kurumi recalled a snippet from her conversations with Shin-woo over the past week.
"Oh, right—my little sister is on guard duty outside the mansion, protecting you, Princess."
"Oh, is she?"
"Yeah. She's right at the front gate, so we always head home together after I clock out."
"...Could you tell me her name, by any chance?"
Back then, hearing Shin-woo's cheerful voice on a topic involving another woman—someone besides her—had irked her.
She'd asked for the name just to end the conversation quickly.
"...Sophia?"
"Yeah, I'm Sophia! Princess, what happened to my family member who should be with you?!"
No, even so—she's still a princess...
Sophia bellowed at the top of her lungs, ignoring the hunters sweating bullets around her.
As Princess Kurumi bit her lip, recalling the recent events—
"Shin-woo? Oh, you mean that kid by the princess?"
Lawrence naturally answered in her place, thinking back to the boy he'd knocked out with a kick.
"That kid? I kicked him unconscious just hard enough not to kill him, so no worries there."
"What... did you just say... you kicked him...?"
"The young man called Shin-woo. He was getting in the way, looked like he might die if I went full force, so I just broke a few ribs to knock him out. So relax and stand down. Miss."
Now that he'd confirmed the kid was alive, surely they'd back off peacefully.
With that in mind, Lawrence flashed a broad smile.
But his words backfired spectacularly.
"...Hey, you bearded old man."
"B-Bearded old man?!"
"You're dead. Me... no, 'we' will definitely kill you."
"......?"
With that, Sophia took a stance against Russia's national power-level hunter.
The surrounding hunters shouted for her to stop. Even the captive Princess Kurumi reacted the same way.
"...! Sophia! Stop! You can't beat this man!"
"Shut up! You princess who's always flirting with my Shin-woo. I'll save you while I'm at it, so just sit tight and watch!!"
"F-Flirting...?!"
But Sophia was resolute.
As if she knew no limits, she dismissed the scythe in her hand and dropped into a low stance, spreading both arms forward.
Her form evoked...
"Whoa! I saw this in prison anime! Isn't it Furube Yurayura?"
...Not that. Instead, she clapped her outstretched hands together with a smack! and, for the first time in her Beast Hunter career, summoned the monster she had tamed.
"Come out! Ria!"
With those words.
"...Ho ho."
Normal tamed monsters appeared around their master.
But Lawrence inwardly marveled as a humanoid fledgling monster emerged from his own shadow—its body painted stark white, with ruby-red eyes.
Dressed in an ornate gothic lolita maid outfit.
Ria's entrance left him impressed.
'Still looks so young—even for a fledgling—but a Beast Hunter who tames humanoid monsters... What a promising kid. Bright future ahead.'
Her name was Sophia, right?
She seemed a bit emotional now, being young, but if she grew up without incident, she'd undoubtedly etch her name in history.
Lawrence appraised Sophia and the Ria behind her highly, turning to them.
But then.
Pfft.
Still, they were just rookies.
What could one person and one monster do to him?
That was his thought as he smiled like a fond father.
"Mm. Alright. I get it. You've made me fully realize why you're angry, Miss Sophia... was it?"
"......"
"But it's just a fledgling humanoid monster. You think that can hurt me?"
"It can. Deal damage."
"?!"
Right then.
Lawrence jolted, whipping around—not to the front where the response should have come from, but behind him.
"W-What did you just...?"
"It can. Deal damage."
"...It spoke...?"
He was Russia's national power-level hunter, having slain countless monsters.
Among them, several rare humanoids.
But a monster that spoke human language?
This was a first in Lawrence's life.
Meanwhile, unfazed by his shock.
"You... hit big brother."
"Hm?"
"So I'll hit you too."
Suddenly, the fledgling monster prepared a punch—its maid outfit utterly mismatched.
Lawrence looked down at Ria, marveling again as it seemed poised to use not just human speech, but human 'technique'.
Pfft.
Still just a fledgling.
'Hmm~. As an adult, maybe I should take one hit on purpose—teach it the gap between us?'
His target was already secured.
To fully break the encirclement, he needed a show of power anyway.
With that resolve, Lawrence turned and boldly stood before Ria.
As if to say, It'll hurt, but that's youth! Come at me.
"Come on, little monster girl! I'll specially take one hit for you."
"?! You're serious?"
"Yes! I'll stand still. Hit me however you want. No resistance."
"Got it. Keep your promise."
Lawrence spread his arms wide for an easy target. Ria assumed Kyokushin Karate's Sanchin stance, fist cocked.
In this absurd turn, only the captive Princess Kurumi's heart pounded—
"Ria, aim there like sis taught you."
Sophia smirked.
And right after.
"Kyokushin Karate..."
"Ho ho. Japanese martial art? But compared to our Russian Systema..."
"Straight Punch... to the groin."
"...What?"
Not the solar plexus—Ria's short stature made the male-only vital spot easier to reach.
The aptly named groin punch.
Thwack!
"Guhk?!"
Half the watching hunters—every man—felt their souls cruelly shaken.
"Urk...!"
An elephant impervious to a hundred ants' bites would still spasm from one in its nethers.
"Bitch ...!!"
His grip on Princess Kurumi slackened. For the first time since becoming a national power-level hunter, Lawrence knelt to a monster.
Gasping through cold sweats of agony from his lower body, he barely lifted his head.
"...Dirty."
There stood the fledgling monster—now noticeably buff in the arms—staring him down coldly.