Chapter 107
Chapter 107
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 107
Chapter Title: The Shy S-Rank Partner
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Jeong-hyeon had boldly gotten up and headed out first, but separately from that, Choi Ji-hee was closer than he expected.
"Hmm... Next room over?"
"Yes. If things go well, it would be best for the two of you to meet right away anyway."
Come to think of it, they had said that even the Association had few places to discuss S-Rank matters due to security concerns.
The classified areas that Ye-rin had once warned Jeong-hyeon about—telling him not to enter because he wasn't a key figure—included rooms just like this one.
The door Nam-sik cautiously knocked on also had a menacing red sticker reading "Strictly No Entry Except Authorized Personnel."
"Ms. Choi Ji-hee, may we come in? This is Section Chief Choi Nam-sik."
"......"
"Let's go in."
"?"
'What did she say?'
Regardless of Nam-sik's confident attitude, as if he'd gotten permission, there was no response from inside the room at all.
Even Jeong-hyeon, a hunter, hadn't heard anything, so there was no way Nam-sik, a regular person, could have.
Jeong-hyeon hesitated for a moment, and Nam-sik belatedly realized and explained further.
"Ah, no response means it's okay. If not, she would say so."
"Pardon? Just how shy is she...?"
Silence means consent? Something like that?
The words seemed a bit mixed up, but anyway.
The room Nam-sik led them into wasn't much different from the one Jeong-hyeon had been in.
A simple desk, chairs placed around it, and one woman standing awkwardly.
She had probably jumped up upon hearing Nam-sik was coming in.
"Ms. Choi Ji-hee? This is Hunter Han Jeong-hyeon, the new partner you're going to team up with. He's S-Rank, just like you, Ji-hee."
"Hello. I'm Han Jeong-hyeon."
Jeong-hyeon greeted her and offered a handshake.
The first impression of this S-Rank he'd never met before was... what could he say.
'She really is a hunter, right...?'
Forget S-Rank; she didn't even look like a hunter.
He'd heard she was timid, but her build was so slender and small it made her seem like she was still a student.
She must be around Jeong-hyeon's age since she was active as a hunter, no matter how young, but it was as if time had only passed for him— she didn't look her age at all.
Her long black hair, untouched by perms or dyes, only reinforced that impression.
'I never hear anyone say I look old either.'
Jeong-hyeon was tall and handsome enough, but rather than looking youthful, he just looked his age, making the comparison even starker.
Even among female hunters—especially healers or mages who didn't use their bodies directly—very few had such a frail appearance.
"H-Hello..."
Meanwhile, Ji-hee greeted him with her head bowed low, unable to even meet his eyes properly, her voice barely a whisper.
Jeong-hyeon awkwardly withdrew the hand he'd extended for a handshake.
At the very least, within three seconds of meeting her, he could tell Nam-sik's words about her timidity weren't exaggerated.
'What kind of mess is this, making someone like her a hunter?'
Jeong-hyeon clicked his tongue inwardly as he watched Ji-hee tremble even though he hadn't done anything.
No matter how vital an S-Rank national asset was, there were limits.
Sending someone like this into a gate was cruel to her and wouldn't help much with clearing it either.
A F-Rank hunter with some grit would be better than an S-Rank terrified of monsters.
"For now, everyone, please have a seat."
Nam-sik said that and took a seat first.
Diagonal from the chair Ji-hee was holding onto.
It seemed like consideration for her.
Ji-hee then sat in the chair she was holding.
Jeong-hyeon pondered which of the two remaining seats to take.
'So it wasn't consideration; he just sat where it was comfy for him.'
If he'd known, he would've dashed over and snatched Nam-sik's spot.
In that instant, Nam-sik's evaluation in Jeong-hyeon's mind dropped just a tiny bit.
But Nam-sik, oblivious, just grinned annoyingly happily that the thorny issue was resolved and began the conversation.
"Now that you're partners, you should get to know each other a bit. First, please introduce yourself, Hunter Han Jeong-hyeon."
"Introduce what, exactly?"
"Well, since you'll be hunting together, your traits, levels... and maybe exchange some S-Rank info while at it."
Hmm.
Introducing himself wasn't hard.
It just felt... what was it.
Less like a meeting between partner hunters and more like greeting a classmate you'd share tutoring sessions with.
And an extremely introverted one at that.
"Uh, as I mentioned earlier, I'm Han Jeong-hyeon. Age twenty-three. S-Rank. Traits... agility-based. Level 4."
Nothing was public, so there wasn't much to say.
Jeong-hyeon wasn't the type to spill every detail in a setting like this anyway.
Unless they actually started working together at the gate office later.
Meanwhile, from the moment Jeong-hyeon began his brief self-introduction, Ji-hee had been breaking out in a slight cold sweat and continued floundering even after he finished.
Not that she refused to speak at all, but her mouth opening and closing suggested she was struggling to choose what to say.
A brief silence fell, and Nam-sik, glancing at her as if accustomed to it, opened his mouth instead.
"Right, Ms. Choi Ji-hee's trait is—"
"Hold on."
"Yes?"
"I'd like to hear it directly from her."
But Jeong-hyeon stopped Nam-sik.
If she weren't even trying to speak, that'd be one thing, but he didn't want to hear it secondhand when she was clearly trying to find the words.
"It's fine, so take your time."
Jeong-hyeon leaned back comfortably and nodded to Ji-hee.
Nam-sik's eyes widened at the familiar attitude.
Everyone who'd met her for the first time had either gotten frustrated and prodded her or openly shown displeasure, yet here Jeong-hyeon was treating her like an old acquaintance.
Of course, Jeong-hyeon had his reasons, born of experience.
'With someone who's closed off, you need patience too.'
The workshop, on the fringes of society, saw all kinds of people come through.
Among those Jeong-hyeon had worked with, some were even quieter than Ji-hee.
The type who barely spoke—you'd wonder if they even had a mouth—only mouthing silently to questions.
Once, after a major mistake during work, the foreman had yelled at them before dragging them to the office and just waiting silently.
To see how far they'd go without speaking.
'And then they finally stammered out words and burst into tears.'
The foreman wasn't a bad guy at heart and was startled by the unfamiliar emotional outburst, so he comforted them.
After that, a quiet directive went out to the workshop workers.
No matter how frustrating, never push them—wait until they speak.
And a few months later, compared to the start, they were chatty enough to call lively, even smiling.
Of course, in a workshop busy just scraping by, no one asked for their backstory, so Jeong-hyeon didn't know the reason.
Still, he figured the same approach might work on Choi Ji-hee.
Ji-hee, who had been staring at Jeong-hyeon with a dazed expression for a moment, looked just a bit more at ease.
Then, in a tiny voice, she replied.
"S-Rank... Trait is 「Fire Ruler」. Level 4..."
Jeong-hyeon, with his sensitive senses, heard it clearly, but Nam-sik probably hadn't caught it properly.
But that didn't matter.
"「Fire Ruler」?"
Jeong-hyeon tilted his head.
It was a type of trait he'd never heard of before.
Like the ones in his trait shop, most traits followed the same lineage, changing only with rank modifiers.
Fire Ruler?
But at Jeong-hyeon's reaction, Nam-sik responded as if it were odd.
"What's wrong?"
"Oh... I just didn't realize there were traits like that."
It felt like he was the only one not knowing the prompt in some game.
Speaking carelessly might make him seem weird.
Seeing Jeong-hyeon's flustered look, Nam-sik laughed out loud.
"Hahaha, I'm not used to a hunter reacting like that."
"It's my first time seeing another S-Rank."
"That makes sense. Many S-Rank hunters get shocked once they realize they're not the only ones with unique traits."
'No, that's not quite the vibe...'
Jeong-hyeon suddenly felt stifled by Nam-sik's words, which seemed to misunderstand thoroughly.
'No? Or yes?'
Then he tilted his head again.
Thinking quickly, S-Ranks probably didn't follow the usual trait rules like up to A-Rank.
So S-Ranks who thought their traits were special would be shocked to learn otherwise.
His own trait, 「Trait Shop」, wasn't conventional either.
His combat traits were all standard; that was all.
So maybe he wasn't that different from Nam-sik's examples.
Nam-sik partially affirmed Jeong-hyeon's thoughts.
"S-Ranks don't follow the usual rules like public traits. There are types not found in normal traits too."
"Ah."
"Ms. Choi Ji-hee's 「Fire Ruler」 is superior to any collected fire magic trait so far."
"No way?"
"Yes, including S-Rank ones. She can use other basic elements too. Analysis shows she'll output A-Rank firepower once fully grown."
'Total cheat.'
Jeong-hyeon was listening to Nam-sik's explanation with his mouth agape before he knew it.
S-Rank this, S-Rank that— this was a whole other world.
One guy claws from F-Rank with an EX trait to get here.
Another starts at top-tier S-Rank from birth, with non-main element potential at peak A-Rank.
'What tiny consideration? If she comes under me, I'll show her hellfire.'
Unbeknownst to himself, flames flickered in Jeong-hyeon's eyes.
Ji-hee, who had been subtly watching him, flinched and bowed her head in startle.
"Especially since many S-Ranks have non-combat traits like movement speed. We're really asking Ms. Choi Ji-hee to be the national asset we need."
"I see."
Honestly, until moments ago, Jeong-hyeon had thought Ji-hee didn't suit hunter life.
'High-ups always have their reasons.'
But now he could nod ten thousand times in agreement with the Association.
Her timidity and fearfulness would sort itself out with kind(?) guidance.
Of course, Nam-sik's words were from the Association's perspective, so some skepticism was warranted.
Public servants worn down by picky hunters had probably exploited her shyness to sweet-talk her relentlessly.
That's how she ended up contracting with the Association despite her S-Rank trait.
She could've gotten far better treatment in a private guild.
'Patriotism? National asset? Screw that for now.'
Since she'd caught his eye, and as a potential HJH Gate Office employee, Jeong-hyeon had no intention of leaving Choi Ji-hee like this.
Talents like her needed a good scolding traditionally.
To make her realize her position and rise accordingly.
"Looks like I'll have to take the wheel."
"Yes? Hahaha, we'd be grateful if you did."
'I'll train her so she can drive someday too. Since I'll be riding shotgun.'
Of course, among them, Jeong-hyeon was the super alpha.