Chapter 57
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 57
Chapter Title: How Dare You Touch My Little Sister! (Or Not)
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Mokhwa Ryu Se-ah.
That was how she introduced herself.
It was a name I'd heard at least once before.
She was definitely the rank 7 hunter.
And the master of the Black Rose Guild.
I remembered seeing her on the news, dressed all in black—it had startled me.
And my first impression of her was...
"I noticed your little sister didn't have enough drinks or dessert, so I ordered some more."
"Wow, thank you!"
She seemed like a really kind person.
I mean, she bought me hot chocolate and chocolate cake.
How could she be bad?
Nom nom nom.
"So, what brings you to our table?"
"No particular reason. The place was just crowded, that's all."
"That's an obvious lie."
"Oh? Is it?"
Meanwhile, Han Yuseol kept glaring at Ryu Se-ah.
There must be something about her she didn't like.
She seems nice, though. Why?
"Your little sister is just adorable. I've seen her in articles, but the photos don't do her justice at all."
"Th-thank youuu."
"Heh. Yeah, she is."
Huh? Did Han Yuseol just look pleased for a second there?
Must be my imagination.
I was swinging my legs as I brought the hot chocolate to my lips.
But it was so hot that I yelped, "Nyaa?!"
It felt even hotter than the one they'd just brought out earlier.
"Oh dear, are you okay? Did you burn your tongue?"
"Y-yeah, I'm fine..."
"Just to be safe, could you stick out your tongue a little?"
"L-like this?"
Ryu Se-ah, who was sitting in the three-seater spot next to both Han Yuseol and me, looked at me with a worried face.
I felt a bit embarrassed.
But I timidly stuck out my tongue just a tiny bit.
She peered at it for a while, then nodded with a smile.
"Good, it doesn't look burned."
"To be sure, let's stop by the hospital on the way back, Hayang."
"N-no, I'm fine. It's nothing like that."
I shook my head and hands vigorously at Han Yuseol, who looked as serious as if someone had died.
If something this minor required a hospital visit, every hospital in the country would be overflowing.
"By the way, Sword Empress, have you heard the latest rumors?"
"Call me by name."
"Then I won't hold back. Oh, call me by name too. 'Black Rose Master' or 'Mokhwa' feels a bit cringy."
Huh? Does it?
I think they sound pretty cool.
Ahem, not that I'm just a master—I'm a grand master!
"So, what are these rumors?"
"There's this gate guide that's been posted on the community forums lately. It's really famous among hunters. Haven't heard of it?"
"...Huh?"
The familiar words coming from a stranger's mouth made me freeze mid-sip of my hot chocolate, startled.
Oh wow.
Even someone this famous has seen my post.
Hehe, that makes me kinda proud.
"Yes, I've not only heard of it—I've read it myself. It's incredibly interesting and useful."
"Hmm, really? You're being very generous with your praise."
"No need for generosity. That's just my honest opinion."
As she spoke, Han Yuseol glanced at me.
Embarrassed, I twisted my body with a "Hehe..."
You don't have to praise me that much; nothing comes out.
Besides, I didn't do it alone—we did it together.
"Anyway, thanks to that post, guilds have been able to breathe a little easier lately. Ours included."
"I see. Probably using it for training new recruits."
"Yes. We show it to veterans too, but it makes a bigger impact on the newbies. They lack the experience and info that vets have."
Ooh.
It's being used exactly the way I wanted.
Overjoyed, I scooped a big bite of chocolate cake into my mouth.
My ears and mouth both tingled with sweetness.
"For new guild members, mortality rates in first-time gates could exceed 30% in tough cases. Top guilds like Yeohae might keep it to the low 20s, but embarrassingly, we couldn't manage that level of support."
"I don't think it's anything to be ashamed of. Even around 30% is low enough."
"Eek...!"
30% is low?
That means out of 100 people, 30 come out dead, right?
Well, gate explorations are that dangerous.
Lately, with Han Yuseol always by my side, I hadn't felt it personally.
"But after that guide came out, first-time gate mortality dropped to around 5%. That remaining 5% is probably from poor familiarity with the guide or bad luck entering gates not covered in it."
"That's a drastic drop."
"Yes. We're truly grateful to whoever made it. I almost want to do something in return."
Hehe, you don't have to think that highly of me.
Still, just hearing it makes me happy.
To think I saved so many people...
I was scratching my head shyly by myself when my eyes met Han Yuseol's again.
She smiled faintly, rested her chin on her hand, and said,
"The person who made that guide probably didn't do it expecting any thanks."
Yeah, yeah, exactly!
That's Han Yuseol for you!
She understands my heart better than anyone!
I was nodding solemnly with my arms crossed when...
"Oh my, you seem to know that person quite well, don't you?"
Ryu Se-ah's words suddenly made the air feel heavy.
"Oh my, you seem to know that person quite well, don't you?"
As Ryu Se-ah's eyes curved like crescent moons toward her,
Han Yuseol widened her eyes, realizing her mistake.
'Damn it, was this what she was aiming for?'
It was Yang Hayang's achievement, her most precious being.
Maybe because the creator herself was right there, she'd gotten too excited and said something unnecessary.
That was her fatal error.
"Hayang, is the cake tasty?"
"Y-yeah. It's delicious."
"Hehe, good. Seeing you eat so heartily makes me happy too."
Ryu Se-ah stroked Hayang's head, blatantly showing affection.
Watching that, Han Yuseol pieced it all together—why she'd joined their table and brought up the topic.
'Did she figure out the master's identity? Unlikely, but the Seven Stars Association's intel can't be ignored.'
She didn't know what move she'd pulled.
But she'd probably realized Hayang was the author and come for her.
The friendliness from the start was just groundwork.
'To think I'd make such a mistake. She joined us from the beginning to recruit the master.'
As Han Yuseol's expression soured slightly,
Ryu Se-ah's lips curved up as she eyed her carefully.
'Bingo.'
No wonder.
The great Sword Empress was talking more than usual.
Probably because it was her own writing—unconsciously letting slip one extra word.
'To catch a general, aim for the words.'
She'd been half-doubting at first.
But betting on Han Yuseol as the most likely had paid off.
Outwardly known as cold and curt, but from the moment Ryu Se-ah saw the two together, she'd intuited it.
Han Yuseol was a total siscon!
'With a sister this cute, who wouldn't be?'
But Ryu Se-ah never looked down on it.
Even she herself—if Han Yuseol weren't there—would probably stare at the girl adoringly.
The way she gripped her cup with those small white hands and gulped down the hot chocolate.
Or how she stuffed chocolate cake in her mouth and kicked her feet happily.
'No, her looks alone are killer. I'm not someone who never got called cute as a kid.'
Above all, she was too cute.
Way too cute.
Her white hair looked as soft as an angel's wings.
Those puffy cheeks and baby fat still begging to be poked.
'She's an awakener too, right? Sigh, I'd love to have Han Yuseol bring her over and bounce her on my knee.'
She'd come purely for the guild's benefit, to recruit Han Yuseol.
But in the end, she was just a woman her age who loved cute things.
How could her eyes not turn at such a rare find?
"No, of course not. If it were just for gain, they wouldn't have posted it publicly on the forums. I was merely assuming they wouldn't expect thanks."
It took a while, but Han Yuseol finally offered a plausible excuse.
Too late, though.
At least by Ryu Se-ah's standards.
But pushing further wouldn't be wise.
Ryu Se-ah knew when to press and when to pull back.
Otherwise, she wouldn't be where she was.
"I see. That's what I think too. Still, personally, I'd like to offer something in return. If it's a woman, our guild could make a good proposal."
She pretended to back off while probing subtly.
Feeling Han Yuseol's eyes change, Ryu Se-ah smiled triumphantly.
'Han Yuseol runs a solo guild. But solo guilds have limits. She definitely wants to let her sister swim in bigger waters.'
Unless Han Yuseol was a fool, she knew.
With her position and ability, placing one person in a top guild wasn't hard.
And for a freshly awakened awakener, a top guild was like a mega-corp.
A place you want to join but can only suck your thumb at due to lack of specs.
'Our interests align perfectly. She won't refuse.'
Should she bring it up casually here?
Or get contact info and discuss privately?
'No, better to leave my number first. Stay low-key here.'
As she pondered, she realized it was pointless.
She quietly pulled out her phone and offered it to Han Yuseol.
"If you're okay with it, since we met like this, could I get your number? Yuseol."
She'd surely agree.
Just as Ryu Se-ah smirked like a winner...
Clunk—
"...No, that's fine. Thanks for the treats."
"......Pardon?"
Han Yuseol stood abruptly with a displeased look,
and Ryu Se-ah's pupils shook violently.
"Hayang, say goodbye. Let's go."
"O-okay. Goodbye."
"Wait? No, um...!"
Hayang's cute bow was adorable,
but that wasn't the point now.
Did she not get the offer?
Or did she hate it that much?
Some issue with the guild?
'What did I do wrong?'
No matter how she replayed it, no big mistakes.
At the cafe meant to cool her head, it only heated up more.
Ryu Se-ah sipped her long-cold coffee.
Bitter.
The aftertaste of a failed deal was bitterly harsh.