Chapter 19
Chapter 19
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: Dragon Qualification Exam (1)
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Early morning.
I sat at the dining table, eating the leftover meat from yesterday along with white rice.
Today was a very important day that could change my life.
“Kids, Dad’s heading out to take the Hero Qualification Exam today.”
Hero Qualification Exam.
It’s a test that gathers people with mana in their bodies and judges whether they qualify to be selected as heroes.
Even if you fail, you can still operate under the sign of a “Hunter.”
But Hunters don’t have the best reputation.
It’s better to become a hero somehow.
“In this world, the signboard is what matters.”
“Hmm. I kinda disagree…”
Nom-
Suryeon spoke with her eyes not even fully open, her head bobbing nonstop.
She still seemed half-asleep.
“What matters is the essence… Hmm… The signboard is just secondary… I don’t get it… Why do humans obsess so much over appearances…”
“You sure talk a lot for someone who’s still sleepy.”
“Yaaawn… Even if I’m sleepy… My mind is sharp…”
Suryeon used her fork like a spoon to scoop some warm white rice into her mouth.
She had a point.
I placed some meat on Suryeon’s plate as a reward for her insightful thought.
“You’re right. That makes a lot of sense.”
“Of course. Dragons see right through to the essence.”
“But what does a kid like you know? Huh? Do you understand society? Just eat your rice. Here, meat.”
“…”
Suryeon pouted and shoved more rice into her mouth without a word.
“I can tell without experiencing it myself. Sigh, humans are hopeless.”
She seemed to be grumbling to herself.
We were enjoying this hazy morning meal together.
Hwaryeon finished scraping the last bits from her rice bowl and spoke up.
“Landlord! So what do they do at the qualification exam?!”
“Well, things like physical exams and mana checks. Then they determine your rank through practical combat.”
“Combat!! Real battle!!”
Thud-!!
Hwaryeon slammed the table hard.
Chorlyeon jumped in surprise and spat out the lettuce she was eating, but Hwaryeon shouted loudly, oblivious to everything around her.
“You mean fighting!? Like the Tyrannosaurus and Giganotosaurus from TV! And like Spinosaurus!!”
“It’s not that grand. Humans aren’t dinosaurs to begin with, Hwaryeon.”
“Anyway, it’s fighting! Then take me with you!! I wanna see you fight!!”
Hwaryeon strongly voiced her opinion.
She really wants to watch someone else fight that badly?
I picked up the remote and changed the channel.
“Some retired heroes are fighting barehanded. Watch this instead, Hwaryeon.”
“No way! I wanna see it with my own eyes! Take me! Take me with youuu!!”
Before long.
Hwaryeon threw herself on the floor and started throwing a tantrum.
Just like a kid lying down in a mart, whining for a toy.
“What kind of dragon acts like such a child…”
“I don’t care! I’m going outside! Let me outtt!!”
This surprise protest was throwing me off.
What should I do?
Maybe she sensed my emotions.
Suryeon explained simply from the side.
“Red Dragon trait. Obsessed with fighting.”
“She’s doing all that just to watch a fight? She could watch on TV.”
“TV lacks the thrill. And for Red Dragons, fighting isn’t ‘just’ anything. That one lives by clashing with other beings.”
“What happens if she doesn’t fight?”
“The fire goes out. She’d turn pitch black.”
Does that mean she’d go dark?
I didn’t know exactly without a clear explanation.
But from what I gathered, Hwaryeon needs to fight other living creatures periodically.
Or at least witness a fight with her own eyes.
“Take me too!! I wanna watch the fight!! If you go without me, I’ll get mad!! I’ll be fuuurious!!”
“She’s still throwing a tantrum.”
“Waaahhh!!”
Sigh.
Leaving her like this at home would definitely cause big trouble.
“What am I gonna do with this precious troublemaker.”
No matter how much I thought, no good solution came to mind.
I might even be late for the exam at this rate.
In the midst of this chaos, Suryeon tugged at my sleeve and spoke.
“Landlord.”
“Yeah, Suryeon.”
“Do as I say. I thought of a good way.”
Suryeon confidently told me one method.
Hearing it, I couldn’t help but be impressed.
“Oh, take back what I said about you being a kid. Dragons really are dragons, huh?”
“Ahem. That’s only natural.”
Suryeon awkwardly hid her smile.
Dragons are dragons, through and through.
“I wanna gooo!!”
Though I had my doubts about whether that one rolling on the floor was really a dragon.
Anyway, I decided to go with Suryeon’s suggestion.
***
The Hero Qualification Exam was held in Seoul-05 District.
This district mostly deals in items bought and sold by heroes and hunters.
You could call it a hero-specialized district.
Thanks to that, security was stable, and it was said you could often spot fairly famous heroes around.
“Is this the line?”
My number was 192.
I got in line in order.
I saw others nearby hoping to become heroes.
Some had modified their bodies with machines or brought expensive gear.
‘Must be nice having money.’
They boost their abilities with equipment.
Looks good.
Not that I want to be like that.
I stopped sightseeing and focused on the exam hall.
‘Phew, I need to pass. And not get caught.’
I adjusted my hat, which I’d made a bit larger than usual.
I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling.
‘Suryeon said it won’t fall off even if she moves roughly. Gotta trust her.’
Right, Hwaryeon?
I tapped the hat with my finger.
Tap-tap.
Then, a very faint cry from Hwaryeon came out.
“Shaaak-!!”
Right now.
She was hiding in my hat, clinging to my hair so she wouldn’t fall.
This was all thanks to Suryeon’s idea.
I recalled what Suryeon had said.
‘Use a spell to shrink that noisy one—no, Hwaryeon’s body. Hide her in the hat, and it’ll conceal her appearance.’
‘What about detecting the mana from her heart? No way. It’s impossible for humans to sense a dragon’s mana. She won’t get caught.’
‘Both outside and inside. Humans can’t detect us.’
Conclusion.
Foolish humans can never detect dragons.
It was an arrogant dragon-like statement, but spot on.
That’s why Hwaryeon was hiding in my hat.
“Shaaak-! Shaaak-!”
“Don’t get too excited. I told you to stay quiet.”
“Shaaak-!!”
Hwaryeon tugged my hair, urging me to go that way.
But I couldn’t anymore.
-Number 192, come inside.
“No. Exam time now. Be good and wait.”
“Shaaak-!”
Ignoring Hwaryeon’s cry, I headed into the exam hall.
A female staff member and cutting-edge equipment awaited us at the entrance.
She gave me a bright smile and said,
“Number 192. Please go inside here.”
She’s pretty.
Her smile is the captivating type.
I responded to her smile with a gentle tone.
“Ah, yes, thank you—”
But sudden sharp pain twisted my smile.
“Ow-!”
“Pardon? What was th—”
This brat?
I forced a rotten smile toward the puzzled staff member.
“Ah, no. It’s nothing.”
Daring to ruin my flirting?
Making sure the staff couldn’t see, I tapped my hat and muttered.
“Hey, why are you pulling my hair? You wanna get in trouble?”
“Shaaak-!”
“…I’d have to understand you first.”
I’ll endure for now.
We’ll settle this at home.
Wall-facing for 3 hours.
Vowing revenge inwardly, I followed the staff’s guidance toward the high-tech machine.
“Please walk through here, and the sensor will automatically detect your mana level and output the result.”
“Yes, thank you.”
I bowed once and walked into the machine.
Beep-!
Immediately, a result sheet printed from below.
The staff checked it and said to me,
“Um… Excuse me, could you try measuring once more?”
“Yes?”
“This has never happened before… It says even S-Rank Heroes can be measured, but yours says unmeasurable. Let’s check again.”
“…Sure.”
This feels bad.
I walked through the machine again.
Beep-!
“Why is it unmeasurable again…”
“…”
“Something’s off…”
“…”
The staff looked at me suspiciously, saying it was strange.
As if the problem was with me, not the machine.
And honestly, the odds were high that it was me.
“Ahem.”
I took off my hat—covering Hwaryeon to hide her—and gently placed it on the floor.
Then, I made a motion like I was about to strip off my shirt right then.
“Looks like there’s an issue. Maybe it’s not recognizing properly? Should I just take all my clothes off? Or try without the hat first?”
“Oh, let’s take the clothes off. But nothing was detected from the hat… Anyway, yes… Let’s try.”
I strode confidently through the machine.
Beep-!
“Huh, no problem this time. Mana D-rank. Take the result sheet and head inside.”
“…Yes, thank you.”
I picked up my hat with a face that wasn’t quite smiling.
She didn’t get caught.
But it felt like she almost did, making me feel ten years older.
“Hwaryeon, let’s be careful. This seems more dangerous than I thought.”
“Shaaak-! Shaaak-!”
The more I said it was dangerous.
The more excited Hwaryeon got.
Definitely a pervert.
I took this rowdy one with me and headed inside to finish the Hero Qualification Exam.
‘Still, D-rank mana. I didn’t have any before.’
Good.
I had a good feeling about the results.