Chapter 47
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 47
Chapter Title: Mist Forest's Demonic Hand (6)
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Amelia's expression was filled with shock at first upon witnessing the astonishing scene, but that shock soon hardened into bewilderment.
Her hands weren't wrapped in bandages like a typical fighter's would be, but they were still enveloped in holy power, a clear sign that she'd just come from a fight.
"Hmm, I barely managed to sense Hyun-sol's mana and track you down... What on earth is going on here?"
Amelia asked with a half-smile.
Her eyes sparkled with curiosity, but there was also a hint of flustered embarrassment mixed in.
Seeing her like that, I had a definite gut feeling.
'I'm totally screwed. The atmosphere feels off.'
"Uh... well, the thing is, actually..."
I tried to cobble together some kind of explanation, but Wol Ha-yeon moved faster.
She shrugged one shoulder coolly and pointed at me with a slight raise of her hand.
"Hey, Amelia. It's been about a year since we last saw each other...? Long time no see. Hyun-sol got worn out sparring with me, so I'm taking care of him."
"...I see. It's been a while. I get why Hyun-sol is in that state now. But what about that...?"
Amelia gave an awkward smile and pointed to the chunks of corpses flickering wildly with black flames on one side.
"Those purple flames burning so merrily over there... no matter how I look at it, that has to be demonic energy...? Why are there demons here?"
"Beats me. I just came to spar with Hyun-sol, and somehow I ended up running into demons."
"...Ah, I see. So did Hyun-sol fight alongside you? Otherwise, I can't quite understand how he ended up that banged up."
"No, like I just said, this happened from sparring with me."
Amelia froze for a moment, unsure how to react to Wol Ha-yeon's utterly brazen explanation.
After pondering for a bit, she slowly opened her mouth.
"You must have beaten Hyun-sol half to death with such enthusiasm... In my eyes, he looks way more pitiful than those wriggling filthy demon bugs over there."
"It just kinda happened."
"Then, can I ask one last thing?"
"Sure."
Amelia pointed lightly at Kang Hyun-sol, who was resting comfortably on Wol Ha-yeon's thigh.
"Was it really necessary to lay Hyun-sol down like that? From what I can see, it doesn't seem essential. Not that it's wrong or anything... but doesn't it look a bit embarrassing?"
"He said the same thing, and now you're saying it too? He needs rest, so I created the most stable environment possible... What's the problem?"
"You're right, stability is crucial for a patient! But... isn't it a problem for a guy and girl who aren't even that close to act in a way that could be mistaken for lovers' antics so casually?"
"Hmm..."
Wol Ha-yeon furrowed her brow slightly as if thinking it over at Amelia's explanation, then lowered her head to look at Kang Hyun-sol, who was just blinking comfortably.
"Can't close friends give a thigh pillow like this?"
"...What country are your friends from that they'd do that?"
"Really? Got it."
Thud—
Feeling a bit miffed that Kang Hyun-sol wasn't taking her side, she abruptly stood up.
Wol Ha-yeon glanced down at him as he winced and rubbed his sore head, then turned back to Amelia.
"He used a top-grade potion, so he'll be back to full strength soon. Could you use some holy power on those guys?"
"...? On what?"
"Those chunks of meat still sprawled on the floor, spewing demonic energy like crazy."
"...Ah, I almost forgot, distracted for a second. I'll handle it right away."
At Wol Ha-yeon's words, Amelia belatedly spread both hands, gathered her holy power into a single point, formed a small orb of light, and tossed it lightly like a baseball.
The demons vanished in an instant, burned to ash without leaving a single scrap of flesh.
Having watched the demons' final moments until the end—not even able to let out a short scream—Amelia turned back to the two of them.
"So, what are you going to do? Just the appearance of soldier-grade demons is a huge issue... and there was even an elite-grade one, so the whole academy's going to be in an uproar for a while..."
"......"
Facing her question in this situation I'd never dealt with before, I decided to just keep my mouth shut.
Instead, Wol Ha-yeon, arms crossed as she watched the demons burn in holy power, spoke nonchalantly after a moment's thought.
"Well, demons crawling out in the academy—a place boasting ironclad defenses—was unexpected... But thanks to me cleaning them up neatly, no big deal, right?"
"...Right?"
"Plus, luckily the thick fog around here means no witnesses other than you and Hyun-sol... So it's simple."
"...No way?"
Amelia instantly grasped what Wol Ha-yeon meant from her carefree expression and words.
"You mean pretend like nothing happened? That seems pretty dangerous, doesn't it?"
"I know what you're worried about, but these kids enrolled to study peacefully and hang out with friends.
They don't need to live trembling in fear of demons even here, do they?
And thanks to that dumb elite-grade demon, we might catch not just a single loach...
Maybe even more."
"...Can't argue with that. I'll cooperate for now.
No need to stir up the Association or the Wol family if you have a solid plan.
But I should at least inform my father back home... Is that okay?"
"Of course. Say hi to Ecla Guild Master for me too!"
Wol Ha-yeon said that, then looked at me sitting on the floor rubbing my throbbing occiput. She raised a finger to her lips.
"Our Hyun-sol will... keep the secret, right?"
"Of course! Do whatever you want, Ha-yeon!"
"Great~ Then... see you tomorrow morning. I'll head out first."
Wol Ha-yeon waved lightly in farewell to me and Amelia, then tapped the upscale watch on her wrist—different from the standard student ones—and exited the dungeon.
Amelia watched her go for a moment before slowly approaching right next to me and asking cautiously.
"Hyun-sol! So what exactly happened...? Could you tell me everything from start to finish?"
"...Sure, I'll tell you everything."
Wol Ha-yeon emerged from the artificial dungeon, startling the assistants and supervising professor Lee Tae-hoon, who approached her.
Or rather, they all froze awkwardly mid-step.
The moonlight mana and killing intent emanating from her body were sharp enough to slice anyone who got too close.
So they couldn't say or do anything until she slowly walked away from the evaluation hall.
About five minutes away from the evaluation hall was a small training room not in use for classes.
Arriving there, Wol Ha-yeon stared into empty space and gave a command in a very small voice.
"...You're nearby, right? Come out."
"You called?"
"What happened? Are you alright?"
In an instant, a man and woman in crisp suits appeared.
Facing the Wol family hunters worried about her, she skipped straight to business without much reaction.
"Three demons appeared inside the artificial dungeon—one was even an elite-grade. I have two orders."
"Your command."
"First, grab that 3rd-year Dungeon Practice professor Park Si-hoon in cooperation with the Association, lock him up, then investigate all his past actions and academy records.
He desperately tried to stop me from entering the dungeon today... You get what I'm saying?"
"Understood."
The male hunter vanished instantly upon hearing the first order.
"Second, Chae... nah, I can look into that myself. You take this to Grandpa, show him, and tell him I'll visit this Saturday."
Wol Ha-yeon removed the small dungeon recording camera attached near her chest and handed it to the hunter silently listening.
"Understood. And... are you okay?"
The woman receiving the camera didn't leave right away, asking carefully with a worried tone.
Grasping why she was concerned, Wol Ha-yeon shrugged.
"...It's been ten years. It doesn't bother me anymore. If anything, those sudden demons helped me regain a bit of the senses I'd been losing..."
"I see... Still, you've seemed a little brighter since teaming up with that cadet Kang Hyun-sol. It was nice to see. Please don't let anger consume you. We'll take our leave."
"......"
Wol Ha-yeon stared blankly at the spot where the woman had vanished like the other hunter.
Then she lowered her head further to look at her left hand, trembling uncontrollably.
"...Mom."
Ten years ago, when the third Apostle Descent suddenly occurred in Incheon, South Korea.
To protect over three million Incheon citizens, without a moment's hesitation, before other hunters could arrive, she fought alone against the so-called strongest and most vicious Apostle for a full five minutes.
Lee Sung-ha, hailed as the greatest female hunter in history.
That woman was her mother.
And Wol Ha-yeon had been powerless to do anything but watch through the news as her mother met a gruesome end at the hands of Apostle De Nol.
From that day on, she hated and raged against demons and Apostles more than anyone, leading the charge to exterminate them above all others.
But after enrolling in the academy and meeting Kang Hyun-sol, things changed a little.
She'd originally planned to stay briefly, eliminate all the demon-possessed inside the academy, and leave.
But she discovered Kang Hyun-sol, with his suspicious past and records hinting at possible ties to a new Apostle, and got closer to observe him up close.
To deal with him immediately if he caused trouble.
Yet over the month-plus spent with him, the rage and hatred toward demons filling her heart somehow dulled a bit.
Allowing her personality to soften considerably.
Of course, today's unexpected demons—
Not possessing human bodies, but in full descent form, three of them, one elite-grade—reignited the flames of anger that had dimmed, burning fiercer than ever.
"Hoo... Calm down. You've handled it fine like always..."
Wol Ha-yeon took one last deep breath to steady her trembling hand and heart, then turned toward the dean's office.