Chapter 48
Chapter 48
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: Trial of the Golden Knight
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[Chapter 48]
"Golden Knight, huh. Heh heh heh, ha ha ha ha! Yes! So he's the one who's come to test me this time? Whew~ I see. Yes, that's how it should be. Of course! It wouldn't make sense for someone walking the path of prophet and saint to face no trials. Ha ha ha ha! Ha ha ha ha ha ha!"
'Is the old man really losing it?'
"Bring in the scavengers we were planning to gather anyway. It's a smaller number than planned, but since we've kidnapped them, the government and guilds are sure to come rushing to rescue them. We'll deal with that first, then properly discuss the Golden Knight issue."
"Y-Yes, sir!"
The scavenger, unable to get a read on the pastor—who seemed mad one moment but made sound judgments the next—let out a sigh of relief and withdrew.
However, the fury burning in the pastor's eyes had yet to fade.
"Well then, since we've got some time now, I suppose I should relieve some stress."
He pulled a pair of scissors from the belt at his waist and stepped into the hotel where the abducted humans were confined.
Moments later, screams that seemed to tear the air apart began to echo.
Working with just a pair of scissors took time(?), so the screams dragged on long and loud.
***
The next day, in the Academia staff dorms.
After a solid night's sleep, I grabbed my phone first thing to check the time.
Hmm, nearly 15 hours? The sun's already high in the sky again.
"Ugh! Why does all the pain hit me now? Ow!"
As I tried to get out of bed, the aches all over my body told me the battle's aftermath hadn't fully worn off.
They say high vitality boosts regeneration and dulls pain. Sure, it's better than dying, but still.
Once I shook off the daze, the smell of cooking wafted in from the living room.
Akaron making breakfast again? No matter how I look at him, the guy seems like a maid robot. I headed to the living room.
"Oh, you're up, Uncle?"
"Ah... it's you?"
I'd assumed it was Akaron like always, but surprisingly, it was Ayoung.
Wearing the fancy Academia Heaven-Class uniform with an apron on top. No wonder that kind of concept porn floats around—some people are really into it.
Anyway, enough stray thoughts. I asked why she was here.
"Hmm, already discharged from the hospital? I knew you were alive, but I figured you wouldn't be fully okay..."
"So Uncle saved me after all?"
"Yeah. Got a good look at that S-rank monster's mug because of it. Man, that chicken-headed freak was terrifying. Staring me down with its feathers all ruffled... Ugh."
"I'm sorry. Because of me, you went through that danger..."
"Honestly, if I'd known there was an S-rank, I wouldn't have gone. I went because I didn't know."
"Aw, but you took it down anyway. Golden Hero Goldrun Uncle."
So she figured it out too.
Would be weird if she hadn't.
She blacked out after getting hit by an S-rank monster, I brought her back safe, and next thing she knows, that chicken-head's dead all over the news. Only an idiot wouldn't guess.
Plus, the way she's teasing me is exactly like her mom.
"Took it down? I nearly died for real! And I'm supposed to be in the hospital right now, but I'm recovering at home so my identity doesn't get exposed... Gah!"
Talking like this just spikes my blood pressure, and the pain spreads through me like wildfire.
Right, I barely scraped by yesterday after fighting that thing to the brink of death.
They patched me up and all, but normally I'd still be in a hospital bed...
"You okay?"
"I'm... fine. So don't rile me up like that. Kch! Haa~"
"I'm really sorry."
She bowed her head and apologized sincerely, so I couldn't stay mad.
I endured the cold sweat and pain, forcing a smile to change the mood.
"If you know you're sorry, that's enough. Anyway, we're alive, so we can spout nonsense and mess around like this. Let's eat."
"Yes! I'll set the table right away!"
'I've gotta go summon some beasts, but what a hassle~ Might as well check the news.'
While the food was being laid out, I quickly scanned the internet news headlines on my phone.
As expected, the topics were all over the place.
Damage and costs from the war.
The emergence of the Slaughter King demons and the battle details.
Demands for rescuing the captured abductees.
Analysis on the demon Pastor Yi and statements from major guild reps.
Panic from hunter insurance companies and the government's response. And that's just scratching the surface.
'Well, it's war, so of course.'
[Golden Knight Defeats S-Rank Monster Archdemon Beast-Leghorn?]
"How'd they figure out I took down an S-rank? Who saw it?"
"With the war on, they had early warning systems up, satellites running, all sorts of monster-tracking measures. Here, eat up. There were plenty of ingredients and basics in the fridge, so it didn't take long."
I dug into the meal while checking the article in detail.
Just as she said, there were photos from early warning and satellites catching the aftermath of my skills and the standoff.
The silver lining, like last time, was that the focus wasn't on people, so even zoomed way in, you could only make out silhouettes—no clear details.
[The government and association declare they will maintain the demon (Ma-in) designation for the 'Golden Knight,' who eliminated the S-rank monster threatening humanity but refuses to reveal their identity or cooperate. They also urge the still-anonymous 'Golden Knight' not to fight alone in isolation and to come forward quickly so we can join forces, welcoming you to any guild...]
"What the hell do they think gives them the right to talk so aggressively? I've wondered that for a while..."
"Well, wouldn't anyone be scared of an uncontrolled nuke just wandering around freely? You wouldn't know since it's you, Uncle."
Ah, that makes sense when you put it like that.
They don't know my mindset, so an S-rank hunter-level maniac roaming solo without a guild must have them sweating bullets, wondering what I'll do next.
If I fight in a city with good intentions, they can't even issue evac orders or declarations. And if I unleash something like Paehwang Cheongeomryu, tons of people get swept up and die—it's natural they'd be terrified.
"Hmm, got it. Makes sense. Nom nom. Huh? Why's this so good? The soup's perfectly seasoned? Rice is going down smooth."
"I told you I'm better than my mom at cooking. Ahem! Mom's always busy with guild work, so I've been cooking solo since elementary school."
"Impressive. So, what're you gonna do? Didn't your break assignment go down the drain?"
"Nah. Actually, since I encountered and fought an S-rank monster, they said my report on that will cover it. The problem is... haa~ my party members are missing."
Come to think of it, she went into the dungeon for the assignment, so there were party members.
Heaven-Class has assigned parties, so definitely Earth-Class and Human-Class kids as her teammates.
When I got there, only Ayoung had been nabbed by the chicken-head, but considering Judgment Field, she probably held it off to let the others escape.
"The ones who ran probably... no, with that pastor's goal being human trafficking, they got caught. There's a way into the dungeon, but they wouldn't dare go in alone... How many frontliners in your party?"
"Just me. We picked a low dungeon to finish quick, and all the competent ones were already snagged by other students, so I just grabbed backliners and supports... They probably got dragged off, huh?"
"Yeah. Runs a human ranch and does human experiments—the guy's pure evil. Probably in for a rough time."
I know what that pastor guy's up to, but I don't even want to imagine more.
Despite his atrocities, he stuck to experiments and ranching at his base, so he flew under the radar compared to other demons. But this incident shot him straight to Korea's top threat.
"Any way to save them?"
"Only hope in a subjugation force. But that pastor won't be caught off guard. Ah! Level up. This guy's A-rank demon bumped to... ooh, SS-rank demon now. Fancy title too."
『SS-Rank Humanity Breeder Demon (Ma-in) Pastor Yi』
Felt like it was overdue, but the news explained in detail.
When he was holed up in Nampho with forces, he had Jeong Min-su as a buffer zone, and did most kidnappings toward Russia and China—no clashes in Korean territory.
But with Jeong Min-su subjugated, he expanded, causing this mess, and somehow pulled off deploying an S-rank monster, which was thought impossible.
"So he's subtly pushing the 'subjugation impossible' narrative to rally support from neighboring countries."
"Huh? Why? We have S-ranks too."
"Guilds don't wanna lose theirs~ Bluntly, Seoul guilds have 2, Blue Dragon 3, right? If Blue Dragon forms a subjugation team and loses one? They'd drop from top 3 guilds instantly. So they drag 3 S-ranks or 10 A-ranks per SS-rank demon."
S-rank hunters are a guild's power and straight-up authority—top assets you can't afford to lose.
They're not easy to come by or manufacture, so guilds, government, association all give them special treatment.
That's why they freely mobilize mid-tier guilds like last time, and playing it ultra-safe becomes the norm. Hilarious situation.
"Well, even if one says they'll go solo, government, association, guilds would all hold them back~ Anyway, don't expect much from the rescue team. Bumping to SS-rank is basically laying the groundwork to abandon the rescue..."
"S-So we can't save those kids?"
"Nope. Well, if they threw every Korean S and A-rank at it, maybe~ but they won't. Too costly when weighing lives. Hmm, but they can't ignore an SS-rank demon, so probably some military ops?"
I'd be tearing my hair out if I were the government.
Leave him be, and citizens demand rescue ops nonstop. Send in a team, and you've got S-rank monster risks, plus fears that long-range strikes or missiles will just draw more monsters. Endless considerations.
"......"
"Don't look at me like that. Like I said, I should be in a hospital bed recovering, but I'm stuck here to avoid getting found out? Check the meds piled up in there. I nearly died to one monster~"
"Then..."
"Have to give up."
"Ah... uuugh..."
Before I knew it, Ayoung was bawling her eyes out.
Yeah, as a Heaven-Class, she's got absolute status at Academia, brimming with confidence.
Realizing she has to abandon her party due to harsh realities and her own powerlessness, she couldn't hold back the surging grief.
'No clue how to comfort her. Man~'
Sadly, I've got no counselor creds, no tact to sugarcoat reality gently.
No baseless hero confidence like in TV or movies, promising miracles and asking her to believe.
Best I can do is say firefighters and doctors can't save or heal everyone, and a hunter's life is the same.
But that's cold hard truth—too brutal for a kid like her.
"Uuuugh... hngghh! Waaah!"
In the end, all I could do was watch as she swallowed life's sorrows and grew a little more into an adult.