Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: The 1st Black Dragon Clan Regular Meeting
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The low afternoon sunlight was deepening the shadows over the city. Black Dragon Clan's B-Rank Hunter "Thunder Sword" Lee Jun-hyeok peeked outside by slightly lifting the awning. Amid the bustling crowds, the Academy beyond the deep crimson building resembled a palace.
"Ah, time to start the regular meeting."
With those words, Lee Jun-hyeok flicked on the light. The sudden brightness flooded the dim room, causing the two people seated at the table to blink. They were D-Rank Hunter "Kim Yu-jeong" Kim Yu-jeong and D-Rank Hunter "Ice Palace Goddess" Seong Ha-yeon. Kim Yu-jeong fidgeted with her fingers, betraying her unease, while Seong Ha-yeon wore an expression of utter confusion about why she was even there.
Lee Jun-hyeok flipped through the papers in front of him one by one before glancing at Kim Yu-jeong.
"Hey, Kim Yu-jeong. Didn't you report something last time?"
"Ah, yes. That... Ichigaya Ichie said the nickname 'Miyamoto Musashi' was too lame, and she wants to keep using just '1' as her nickname."
"If we do that, she'll join?"
Kim Yu-jeong shook her head. She had to clarify anything that might be misunderstood.
"No. She said she'd think about it, but to recruit her, it seems like that has to be a prerequisite, so I reported it."
"Yeah, got it. I mentioned it to our Clan Leader. Here's his response. Listen up."
He cleared his throat and held up a sheet of A4 paper. The sunlight shining through from behind made the densely packed text visible.
"When I was in Japan, I once saw a statue of Miyamoto Musashi. Miyamoto Musashi was a legendary one-man army who defeated countless warriors, the very embodiment of the samurai spirit.
Black Dragon Clan members must embody martial prowess and harmony. And our clan's warriors must possess the samurai spirit.
Ichigaya Ichie's refusal of the moniker 'Miyamoto Musashi' is nothing but foolish nonsense born from her lack of that samurai spirit. D-Rank Hunter 'Kim Yu-jeong' Kim Yu-jeong, teach Ichigaya Ichie what the samurai spirit truly means and ensure she earns the right to that name. If she absolutely refuses, let her know we're willing to compromise on just 'Musashi' as her title. End of message from Black Dragon Clan Leader 'Sky-Shattering King' Choi Sun-hong."
As Kim Yu-jeong listened to the Clan Leader's decree, the word "resign" flashed through her temple. If some guild had scouted her right then, she would've bolted from the room. But Black Dragon Clan was too big and influential to quit easily.
The moment she uttered a single word about leaving, inexplicable unfair measures from all corners of society would come crashing down on her as a hunter. Swallowing her urge to curse, Kim Yu-jeong forced a smile and spoke.
"Um, that... Ichie is Japanese, and you're telling me to teach her the samurai spirit...? H-how do I even do that?"
"How should I know? If they say teach it, you teach it. What choice do you have? Oh, and there's one more thing to pass along."
At the mention of another message, both Kim Yu-jeong and Seong Ha-yeon straightened up. Lee Jun-hyeok unfolded a document and continued.
"The Clan Leader thinks we're being too casual with each other in Black Dragon Clan, so he's revamping our titles. Listen carefully."
The words "title revamp" drew heavy sighs from both Kim Yu-jeong and Seong Ha-yeon. Just hearing it exhausted them mentally. Was guild life always this draining? Kim Yu-jeong had no idea.
Lee Jun-hyeok put on a stern face and declared.
"From now on, we'll use wuxia novel titles like senior brother, junior brother, junior sister, and so on."
Kim Yu-jeong and Seong Ha-yeon, who had never read a wuxia novel, tilted their heads at each other. They had no clue what to call whom. Lee Jun-hyeok cleared his throat again and began explaining.
"Okay, here's the deal. See, I joined before you two, right? So from now on, I'm Senior Brother Lee Jun-hyeok. Got it?"
Kim Yu-jeong felt dizzy. She blinked and nodded. Lee Jun-hyeok continued.
"And between you and Seong Ha-yeon, who joined first?"
Seong Ha-yeon raised her hand. She had joined Black Dragon Clan about a month before Kim Yu-jeong and awakened two months earlier. Lee Jun-hyeok nodded.
"Then you call Seong Ha-yeon 'Junior Sister.' It's originally something like 'saja,' but that sounds weird, so we're standardizing it as 'sajeo'."
"So what do I call Yu-jeong?"
"Junior Sister. I'm Yu-jeong Junior Sister and Ha-yeon Junior Sister now. You two call me Jun-hyeok Senior Brother. Got it?"
No response came. Seong Ha-yeon shot Kim Yu-jeong a look that said, "Is this for real?" Kim Yu-jeong ignored her gaze, sighed deeply, and the two only nodded reluctantly when Lee Jun-hyeok glared. He looked pleased and said.
"Good. Now it finally feels like Black Dragon Clan."
Kim Yu-jeong couldn't grasp what Lee Jun-hyeok meant by "feeling like Black Dragon Clan." Was the clan's essence some regressive, outdated vibe? Her doubts echoed silently inside her. Oblivious, Lee Jun-hyeok pressed on.
"Anyway, that's all the messages. Now for the main topic. You two are being assigned to the new hunters' field training mission."
The words "field assignment" made both Seong Ha-yeon and Kim Yu-jeong tense up. Even if it was an E-Rank Gate, a field mission was still a field mission. Lee Jun-hyeok said.
"The hunters you'll be handling this time are, of course, 'Ada Bomber' Jeong Su-hyeon Hunter and..."
"Pardon?"
Seong Ha-yeon startled and asked back. Lee Jun-hyeok eyed her for interrupting.
"What."
"What did you say? The nickname?"
"Ada Bomber."
Seong Ha-yeon shook her head vigorously.
"No way, seriously? Isn't that guy nuts? Why the hell would he pick a nickname like that?"
"How should I know? Go ask him yourself."
Irritated by the interruption, Lee Jun-hyeok resumed.
"Jeong Su-hyeon Hunter and '1' Ichigaya Ichie Hunter. We coordinated specially with the Academy to pair them like this. Your mission is simple. Kim Yu-jeong, you take Jeong Su-hyeon, and Seong Ha-yeon, you take Ichigaya Ichie. Operate separately."
Seong Ha-yeon asked.
"Any set plan for splitting them up?"
"Nope. Just improvise and split off naturally. It's not like two-person teams never split during Gate interior exploration, right?"
It wasn't unheard of. They just rarely did it. No one knew what could happen inside, so it was risky. Kim Yu-jeong nearly pointed that out but closed her mouth.
"Once you're split into pairs, we'll release the monsters. They're between E-Rank and D-Rank, no poison, just right at the level you can handle. I'll send you the bestiary later; check that."
"Releasing monsters is too dangerous, don't you think? They're just apprentice hunters now..."
Kim Yu-jeong objected. The Hunter Association's ironclad rule was safety first, safety second. But as ranks rose, many hunters forgot that. Lee Jun-hyeok, afflicted with the common B-Rank safety complacency, jabbed a finger at them.
"Hey, if you can't even solo an E-Rank monster, why be a hunter? Back in my day, as an apprentice, I'd throw myself into E-Rank Gates to toughen up. Told to survive and crawl out. Compared to that, this is nothing. No wonder hunters these days suck."
Seong Ha-yeon pursed her lips and narrowed her eyes. She looked ready to argue but held back since Lee Jun-hyeok outranked her. He pointed at Kim Yu-jeong.
"Kim Yu-jeong... Junior Sister. Right. Go show off in front of our Jeong Su-hyeon Hunter—slay monsters like a badass, subtly seduce him. You know that scientifically proven thing? People fall for whoever tempts them in a crisis. That shaky bridge effect."
"Misattribution of arousal effect?"
"Just get the gist; don't nitpick."
Lee Jun-hyeok snapped once, then turned to Seong Ha-yeon.
"You take Ichigaya Ichie and show her something cool. Flash your skills and powers big time. Show her what a D-Rank Hunter is! What Black Dragon Clan is! Got it?"
"Got it."
Seong Ha-yeon nodded with a displeased look. She hated this clown show. She became a hunter for the money, sure, but mainly to stop monster invasions from Gate outbreaks. Exposing civilians to danger just for guild recruitment rubbed her the wrong way.
Lee Jun-hyeok made them review the mission once more before asking.
"Hey, you both get it, right?"
The two nodded. Lee Jun-hyeok nodded back, satisfied.
"Good. Go knock it out of the park. Yeah? Got it?"
The sun was setting. Starlight trickled down the walls. Streetlights brighter than the sunset cast long shadows of the two trudging figures. Seong Ha-yeon lit a cigarette and muttered.
"Fucking asshole."
Kim Yu-jeong nodded silently. Seong Ha-yeon shook her head.
"Can't even quit. Fucking hell."
"Let's hang in there."
Kim Yu-jeong managed a weak smile. Seong Ha-yeon replied.
"You're suffering too. Pairing you with that shithead from the nickname alone."
"He's not that bad."
Kim Yu-jeong shook her head, defending Jeong Su-hyeon. Seong Ha-yeon blinked at her before exhaling a puff of smoke.