Chapter 22
Chapter 22
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: The Queen's Suspicion
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“Surprised you're a normal guy. I thought you'd be someone seducing Ayoung and leeching off her...”
“Mom! I told you, he's not some weirdo...”
“You keep quiet. But there's a lot that doesn't match the documents.”
Hmm, receiving the gaze of this beautiful queen wasn't unpleasant at all, but the way her eyes seemed to probe me set my nerves on edge.
On top of that, a warning had already popped up in my status window about detecting incoming mana directed at me, making her intentions crystal clear.
['Judgment's Eye' tried to pierce through you, but you successfully resisted thanks to the 'Skin Tainted with Divinity' skill.]
[*Skin Tainted with Divinity: Skin blessed by divinity gains the power to resist various magics.]
'Must be thanks to the item option.'
“First off, the job was listed as sparring partner, but you have no martial arts certifications or training history. How exactly are you qualified? You're not even a trainer, so what do you contribute to Ayoung as her dedicated staff?”
'She's coming in strong right from the start.'
Of course, I didn't apply for this job—Ayoung did—but since the gap between the documents and my actual history wasn't filled in, it was the kind of thing anyone with a bit of curiosity would question.
Still, I decided to answer with complete honesty.
“Honestly, I don't contribute much.”
“Ah, Uncle! W-Wait a sec, Mom! Hold on. This uncle's actually useful... Mmph!”
“Be quiet. The adults are talking.”
Snap!
With a flick of the queen's finger, a band of pure white light appeared, wrapping around Ayoung and turning her into a mummy.
She wriggled desperately, trying to break free, but it looked hopeless.
Now that we could talk without interruptions, she pointed at me with her long nails and asked again.
“Hmm~ And yet you're clinging on, which is basically admitting to some shady ulterior motive, isn't it?”
“The contract was proposed by your daughter. I can't tell you the reason, but for a bottom-feeder like me, double the pay for a third of the hours was too tempting to turn down.”
“So, in the end, you accepted an absurd offer just for the money?”
“For someone with a rock-bottom life like me, money hits hard. Pride, vanity, the misery of depending on a kid... I can sell it all. Money in the bank doesn't lie.”
“Hmm~ That sounds plausible, but it only makes you more suspicious. Men are creatures who often follow instinct over reason.”
She's straight-up suspicious of me now.
Parents will be parents, and with a woman's intuition on top, she probably sees me as a wolf targeting her daughter for sure.
If I can smoothly deflect this suspicion, the conversation will proceed peacefully, or she'll have no reason to obsess over me anymore.
“Mm~ I could see how it looks that way, but I prefer mature women with dignity and wisdom over kids. Like you, for instance, ma'am.”
“Eep?”
“...W-What!”
Perfect. I had to poke her off guard to erase suspicions about her daughter.
This wasn't just talk—it was a strategy to aim higher.
Even I thought it was insane, but honestly, the queen—her mom—was more my type than Ayoung.
'At least I'll completely dodge the suspicion of targeting a 14-years-younger girl.'
“...Th-This...!”
'But the side effects aren't trivial.'
It was a good move, but also a terrible one.
No sane person would show interest in a married woman.
Her face, flushed and trembling—previously so cool and sharp—appealed to me even more, but now the wave of anger would crash down.
'You lunatic. Get out after eating this, and never show your face in front of me again!'
'Hmm~ Is that about the extent of what's coming? Gotta brace for pain?'
Classic scenes from Korean makjang dramas flashed in my mind.
From water slaps to kimchi slaps, all kinds of slaps, but since she's probably a mage, she'd slap me with magic.
Still, with that beauty, it might even be a reward(?), so I steeled myself.
'Guess I'll go back to solo hunting. Rent a one-room outside Academia? Or a cheap place near the dungeons up north...'
“If that's really the case, I can understand. It's far more normal than lusting after a child.”
'Eh?'
“Very well. You're approved as Ayoung's dedicated staff. Just make sure you deliver results worth the pay.”
It worked? Queen? No, ma'am? Are you serious?
Why would that convince you?
By now, the script calls for you to blast me with your staff or magic and rage, right?
“Parents of daughters are all like that, so forgive my earlier rudeness. Take good care of her. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have an important meeting...”
While I stood there dumbfounded, she fled the temple blushing, her initial sharpness gone.
What? What just happened? My confusion lingered.
In the meantime, the spell must have worn off—Ayoung, who had been toppled over, got up and approached me.
“Wow, Uncle, what was that? Are you insane?”
“Yeah! That's the normal reaction. Exactly!”
Hearing the response I'd expected from her made me oddly relieved.
The queen was the weird one! Yeah, getting mad like this is normal.
“What on earth were you thinking?”
“What do you mean? I figured taking one hit would cleanly end this mess.”
“Flirting with my mom?”
Flirting? I do like her, but I had zero intentions like that.
On the flip side, hadn't I completely escaped the suspicion of being a pervert preying on a kid for gain?
“I didn't flirt. But I did dodge the lolicon accusation of going after a girl 14 years younger.”
“I'm not a kid, you know?”
Blowing out her cheeks like that killed any persuasiveness.
Or at least develop beyond your age? Of course, with her mom being so superior, she probably has potential.
Saying it aloud would be sexual harassment, so I kept it in my head and changed the subject.
“14 years younger looks like a kid from my side. Anyway, your dad's lucky. With a mom that beautiful. I won't cause any trouble for your family, so don't worry...”
“We don't have a dad.”
“Huh?”
Her shocking words froze my brain.
How many shocks have I had today? As if confirming it wasn't a joke, Ayoung continued.
“He's been gone since before I was born. I was curious about dads, but Mom shut it down hard, so I gave up long ago. I thought you knew and said that to Mom?”
“N-No, I didn't know. I just learned your family runs the same guild.”
“So you did it without knowing? Are you nuts? Or were you a playboy in your youth?”
Playboy? I'm not that guy.
After work, I was always rolling around in my dorm—what playboy antics?
Getting grilled over a lucky fluke felt so unfair.
“I'm still young, you know? I spent my entire 20s fooling around at Academia! Thirty-two is young!”
“Still an uncle! You finished reserves! You're doing civil defense!”
“Th-That's cheating! Hitting below the belt!”
Sure, I graduated high school, did reserves right away, then joined Academia, so reserves are done!
“But how'd you know? Does Academia share that?”
“Heard other guild folks talking!”
“Awakeners are exempt, though?”
Awakeners are exempt from military service.
Obviously, to not waste time training those who fight monsters—social consensus.
But only if they're not doing hunter work or related jobs.
“I'm dedicated staff—doesn't that count?”
“Nope. E-grade and below still do national defense duty. E-grade's pro-athlete level, they say, for fairness. So if you don't rank up, Uncle, you'll do civil defense again.”
“Ah~ Civil defense is doable. Better than reserves ending—lucky.”
Better than pushing for rank-up and getting caught by the Association. Just sleep through civil defense day—100 times easier.
Anyway, the storm of questions from my dedicated staff(?) ended well, so now I could write the report, then hit the dungeon or rest.
“Hmm~ Daddy, huh? Mm~ Not bad.”
“You're not thinking something weird, are you?”
“Nope. Turns out it might work surprisingly well, Daddy.”
“Don't build up some weird narrative. What about your mom's feelings, anyway?”
Bluntly, her mom is totally my type.
Mature beauty, cool charisma, intellect—conversations flowed smoothly, unlike the exhausting chats with this girl.
But ignoring the person's own feelings would be bad manners.
“Still, you're the first guy to get that reaction from Mom? She's an A-rank hunter, so male celebs and guild masters hit on her all the time... but not like that.”
“...Enough nonsense. Gonna file the report and rest.”
I ignored what sounded like “Yes! Take care, Father!” from behind, finished the report, and left Baekya Guild.
No threats to my life or identity, yet I felt drained.
With a sigh, I headed back to my dorm and decided to call it a day.
***
At the same time.
Association, emergency meeting room.
Baekya Guild Master Shin Somi, having resolved suspicions about Yoo Seongwon and her daughter, was attending an important meeting.
An emergency summons from the Association. Korea's top guild masters were all present, staring intently at the massive screen.
The screen showed blood splattered, turned red, with a man speaking urgently amid noise and static.
『Zzzt... Khek! Report... ing. Recon team wiped out. But we have results. Zzzt... Yes, correction. Jeong Min-su, presumed A+ grade demon... Zzzt... S-grade demon... Kraaaah!』
With a scream, the face on screen changed.
The Blue Dragon Guild recon member was gone, replaced by Jeong Min-su—now corrected to S-grade demon—staring at the camera with a mad grin.
『Hey! Thanks for the tribute! Thank you! Arigato gozaimasu! ...Zzzt! Thanks to you, our constellation loves me more! Truly grateful! Gonna smash some sponsor reactions for Blue Dragon Guild. Lululala~ Kukukuku! Kuhahahahaha! Ate your son nice and tasty too! Thanks for dessert—gratitude overflows.』
Jeong Min-su's mad laughter filled the meeting room.
The other guild masters floundered, eyes on Go Cheonsu, whose fury had bloodshot veins bulging.