Chapter 56
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 56
Chapter Title: Ink Flower Ryu Sea
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Ryu Sea.
The current No. 7 ranked S-Rank Hunter,
and the master of the Black Rose Guild, made up entirely of women.
She's a woman who always covers her entire body in black, earning her the nickname Ink Flower.
Lately, this woman had been pacing back and forth more often.
The reason was a certain unknown figure who had appeared like a comet.
"Jeong Hye, have you learned anything more about that Master Hunter person?"
"I'm sorry, Master."
"Haa... Who the hell is this guy, hiding so thoroughly...?"
That name was Master Hunter.
Recently, in the Hunter Gallery—the largest community for hunters in the country.
No, more precisely, the figure who had caused the biggest stir in the global hunter ecosystem.
When he suddenly appeared and posted gate guides,
most hunters scoffed and hurled criticism.
And rightly so—nothing is as dangerous as unreliable information.
Yet a hunter who looked like a complete newbie, with no prior posts,
had gone straight ahead and written gate guides?
Anyone who believed it would be a fool.
Anyone who tried it out as suggested would be an idiot.
But fools like that always exist, no matter when or where.
So a few people read the posts out of curiosity and memorized them.
After that, testimonials started pouring in about successfully clearing gates based on the contents.
If the info had only covered one or two gates,
a veteran hunter might have scraped it together somehow. But there were dozens of different gates listed.
Even updates kept coming, and as of now,
the number of gate types in the guide had reached the hundreds.
That's when people's suspicions began to mount.
How could someone analyze so many gates so accurately?
There was plenty of info that would require running a single gate dozens or hundreds of times to uncover.
'It's one of two things. Either they have some cheat-level unique skill that perfectly analyzes gate info, or they're a maniac who conquers gates non-stop.'
Ryu Sea's opinion leaned toward the latter.
If it were the former, it wouldn't make sense for such talent to still be buried in the mud.
This wasn't just about rumors spreading or not.
To have such an incredible ability and remain unknown until now...
They'd have to be an idiot who doesn't know the value of their own power,
or some hermit cut off from the world, like a naturalist or a monk.
And if it was the latter,
one person immediately came to mind for Ryu Sea.
Originally two, but one of them wasn't the type to dip into this kind of thing.
'Sword Empress. High chance it's her.'
A monster who solos all kinds of gates,
unaffiliated with any guild, so no need to worry about guild power struggles.
Yes.
She had more than enough potential.
'Haven't approached her since then, but this changes things.'
Ryu Sea had once invited her to join the guild and gotten shot down.
After that, the guild's forces had grown stronger anyway.
And hearing she'd even rejected an offer from the No. 1 Yeohae Guild,
Ryu Sea had given up, figuring they had no connection.
But if her guess was right, she needed to go after her again now.
The value of the Sword Empress, combined with the analytical and informational prowess behind this guide.
It would be a priceless asset, impossible to quantify.
"...Haa, guess I should grab a coffee and get back to work."
After pondering deeply for a long while, she pushed her chair back and stood up.
The cafe in the guild HQ was high quality,
but she always ran into guild members there, making it hard to heal in peace.
Conveniently, there was a cafe nearby she liked.
Seemed like a good spot to cool her head for a bit before heading back.
Hot chocolate with thickly melted fresh chocolate,
and a chocolate cake piled high with chocolate.
This was straight-up cheating.
A paradise and hell of sweetness you could never escape.
No respite for mouth or hand.
"Tasty, Hayang?"
"Yeah! Mmm, so good."
"How good?"
"The best chocolate latte I've ever had!"
I gave a thumbs-up without hesitation.
For reference, among all the chocolate lattes I've had so far,
the former No. 1 was the one from the Titan Guild.
But this blew it away by a mile.
Not surprising, really.
That one was just chocolate powder dissolved in milk.
This was made by melting real chocolate—the difference was on another level.
And on top, they loaded it with fresh chocolate.
The flavor as it slowly melts is a delight all its own.
This place deserves a national award.
They should make a special Chocolate Award just for them.
That's how insanely good it is.
"Glad to hear it. Tell me if you need more. I'll order extra."
"Yeah! Thanks, sis."
"...!"
As I nodded vigorously in thanks,
Han Yuseol clutched her chest for some reason.
Gasp! Is she hurt?
No, her expression softened right away.
Maybe just a muscle cramp.
But would a hunter like Han Yuseol get muscle cramps?
Last time, she swung her sword hundreds of times in the yard and came inside without a drop of sweat.
"Hey, look over there. Isn't that the Sword Empress?"
"Whoa, for real? Why's the Sword Empress here?"
"Looks like a date with her little sister. That's the kid from the article recently."
"Oh, the one who tagged along into a gate to help her sister? So cute. Both sisters are total beauties. The world really is unfair."
Something like whispers from behind.
Couldn't make out the words clearly, but they were definitely about us.
Tensing up a bit, I hesitated with my fork.
Han Yuseol, watching me quietly with her chin propped up, smiled gently.
"Here, Hayang. Say ahh~."
"Eh, huh...?"
She suddenly cut a piece of cake and held it out to me.
Blinking in confusion,
Han Yuseol explained calmly.
"You gave sis a bite earlier, so now sis gives you one."
"Ugh..."
Fair point, but...
This is kinda embarrassing.
I'd been so excited earlier that I fed her without thinking.
Now that roles were reversed, I felt like a baby bird getting fed by its mom.
"...Master, this is exactly when you should emphasize the sister angle."
"Gasp!"
While I hesitated, Han Yuseol's usual calm voice pierced me.
Oh!
Han Yuseol really is smart!
Even now, she's thinking about that!
"Ahm!"
Hearing that, my hesitation vanished in an instant.
I snatched the chocolate cake from Han Yuseol's fork and shoved it in my mouth.
"The sisters are so sweet together."
"Probably 'cause of the age gap."
"True. If I had a little sis like that, I'd give her my liver and gall bladder."
"Agreed."
Did that work?
Voices are muffled, so hard to tell.
But Han Yuseol's smiling contentedly, so probably good.
Anyway, the cup in front of Han Yuseol.
That looks super small.
Mine might be on the larger side, but hers seems tiny.
Smaller than my palm, even.
"Um, sis."
"Why call me?"
"Is that good?"
"This? Might be too bitter for you, Hayang."
Han Yuseol gave a wry smile.
Ugh, feels like I'm being babied.
How bitter can it be?
"I wanna try some."
"Huh, this...? Maybe save coffee for when you're older?"
"Just a little sip. It'll be fine."
I pouted and reached out.
A gesture saying hand over the cup.
Han Yuseol stared at me, pondering for a while,
then let out a small sigh and slid the cup toward me.
"Really just a little, okay? Might keep you up at night."
With a worried warning.
Taking the cup, I peered closely at the contents.
Kinda looked like herbal medicine from TV.
Or murky puddle water.
Definitely not appetizing.
But steeling myself, I touched it to my lips.
"Nyaaack!"
"H-Hayang?!"
The sharp tingle hitting my tongue made me jump up from my seat.
W-what is this?!
Is this really for humans?
Felt like swallowing poison.
Not that I've tried, but.
My brain screamed 'Drink this and die!'
"Rinse your mouth with the hot chocolate quick. That's why I said not to..."
"Ughhh, sorry, sis."
Didn't expect it to be this bitter.
On par with the powder medicine from back in the day.
Beyond the realm of food.
Han Yuseol took the cup back from me and downed the rest in one go.
Watching that, admiration for her welled up inside me.
Han Yuseol's a grown-up.
Chugging something that bitter without flinching.
Sis really is different.
Ding-a-ling—
"Welcome."
As I internally gushed,
the bell at the door rang, and another customer entered.
In the corner, couldn't see their face clearly.
"Sorry, any seats left?"
"Yes, sir."
"No choice then. Takeout it..."
Probably no seats available.
Ours is a three-seater,
but inviting a stranger to sit feels weird, right?
While I mulled and rinsed my mouth with hot chocolate,
"...Huh? Sword Empress?"
The woman approaching us spotted Han Yuseol and widened her eyes.
Black hair, black eyes, mostly black clothes.
Bit rude, but she looked like a crow turned human.
But her face was stunning—wouldn't pale next to Han Yuseol.
"You're..."
I figured Han Yuseol was just that famous,
but she actually acknowledged her too.
Amazed, I glanced between them, and the woman met my eyes and smiled.
"You remember me. If it's okay, mind if I join you for a bit?"
She made the sudden request.