An Old Comrade's Son
Snow, who had been eyeing Yoon Ji-su's group with a peculiar gaze ever since they started traveling together, finally spoke up.
[So, who are they?]
Her question carried a strange weight, and I explained the situation step by step.
Fortunately, she seemed convinced.
Above all, her eyes lit up with satisfaction when she learned I had them firmly under my mental control.
What was so satisfying about that?
I had no idea.
"Oh my, so cute~!"
"Is that a fox? Three tails? Oh wow! Too adorable!"
"Kyung kyung!"
Yoon Ji-su's group paid special attention to Suli.
Starting with Yoon Ji-su, everyone crowded around Suli, showering her with affection.
If Suli showed even a hint of dislike, I would have stopped them immediately, but luckily, she didn't seem bothered.
On the contrary, she was bouncing around Yoon Ji-su's group, barking "kyung kyung" excitedly, clearly thrilled.
She had always been curious about hunters, but circumstances had kept her from getting close—now that pent-up curiosity was exploding.
"Is that a rabbit?"
"Doesn't it look too fat for one? Isn't it some new breed based on a pig?"
"But the ears are too long for that. No matter how you look at it, it's a rabbit."
"I wonder if it can even walk properly."
"But surprisingly squishy—feels nice. I wanna take it home and cuddle it to sleep."
To Soon-i drew some interest too, unexpectedly.
A brief debate broke out about her species, but her uniquely cute appearance won her plenty of affection.
Just as Yoon Ji-su's group was fully focused on Suli and To Soon-i, I approached Park Min-seong, who was quietly watching from the side, gauging the mood.
He was Park Kwang-yeol's son.
This was my first time facing Park Min-seong directly.
Counting the time I'd secretly observed him before, it was only the second time seeing him.
Yet he didn't feel unfamiliar.
Traces of Park Kwang-yeol were visible all over his face.
Especially the thick eyebrows and the honest eyes—they were spitting images.
Park Min-seong flinched as I approached him casually.
Yoon Ji-su's group hadn't explained who I was, so to him, I must look like some high-rank hunter they knew.
An existence beyond the unreachable skies for a lowly porter like him.
I could understand his feelings, so I said nothing.
I simply stared at him silently for a moment before speaking.
"You doing alright?"
Caught off guard by the sudden question, he stammered blankly, "Y-Yes? Uh, yeah?"
His awkward reaction reminded me of his father again, drawing a faint smile to my lips before I knew it.
"No problems? No one's bullying you?"
"Ah... yeah... um... Ever since I joined Yoon Ji-su Hunter's raid team... no one's messing with me..."
Park Min-seong answered hesitantly, glancing at me cautiously.
He was clearly curious about me.
Who is this guy asking about me? Does he know me?
A chuckle escaped at his inquisitive gaze.
"I owe Park Kwang-yeol a lot."
"...Ah!"
An exclamation burst from Park Min-seong's mouth.
He blinked rapidly, scrutinizing me.
His face mixed with various emotions, he slowly opened his mouth.
"Ah, you knew my dad?"
"We were in the same raid team... He was a really good man."
I didn't go into details.
But that seemed enough for him; his face grew choked, lips trembling silently.
Even after three years, he still carried a heavy grief.
A pang of guilt hit me.
"I'm sorry I didn't come sooner. I've had my own circumstances lately..."
"...No... it's okay... Really... Just coming here like this... I'm grateful... You're the first... to visit saying you were Dad's comrade..."
Park Min-seong forced the words out, then hesitated, lips moving as if he had more to say.
I waited quietly for him to speak.
"Was... was my dad a great hunter?"
When he finally spoke after a long pause, his voice trembled faintly.
His pitiful gaze turned to me.
"...Park Kwang-yeol... no, Hunter Park Kwang-yeol was definitely a great hunter. His rank wasn't high, but as a raid leader, he always looked out for those around him."
At my calm recounting, he let out a quiet sigh.
Then he kept murmuring, "Thank you... thank you..." endlessly.
I watched him for a moment before lightly patting his shoulder.
A small sob escaped him—"Hic..."
After that, I heard various stories from him.
Perhaps because he knew I was his father's old comrade, Park Min-seong started approaching me warmly.
Gone was the timid porter glancing nervously at high-rank hunters; now he stuck close with that affable cheekiness just like his dad.
Calling me "bro" and acting buddy-buddy—it didn't feel bad. If anything, it stirred memories of the old man.
"Bro, so how strong are you? Seeing you talk with Yoon Ji-su Hunter and the others... A-rank maybe?"
"At least stronger than Charlotte Michelle Hunter."
At the casual fact, he made a ridiculous face.
"Whoa... come on, bro, even so, bringing up the dead? And Charlotte Michelle Hunter was SS-rank. Top hunter! She shouldn't have gone like that..."
"...Hm. So it's officially known that Charlotte Michelle Hunter died?"
"Lavie en Rose announced her death officially not long ago. Didn't you see the news?"
"I've been busy lately. No time to check."
"Hmm... Usually they'd say 'missing,' but they straight-up said 'deceased' this time, so there was a lot of talk. Completely ruling out any chance she's alive."
I nodded lightly as he spoke.
"...Did they explain the cause of death?"
"They explained everything else, but not that. Caused a stir for a while, but no one knows the details."
I nodded again.
Seemed like the suggestion I'd planted on Amy Hunter had taken hold perfectly.
No worries about my existence spreading now.
"What about Lavie en Rose afterward? Losing their guild master so suddenly must've caused chaos."
"Ah... that... No need to worry. Amy Hunter, who just hit SA-rank, took control in one go."
"...SA-rank? Not S?"
At my puzzled question, he nodded.
"Yeah. She was already famous for her Psychometry skill, but jumping two ranks at once? Lots of buzz. Some say she was hiding her power all along."
"...Really SA-rank... That's impressive."
I let out genuine admiration.
She'd been barely A-rank back then, and in under half a year, SA-rank.
Incredible growth speed.
"What about the domestic scene? Can't be too quiet, right?"
Shifting topics smoothly, I asked, and he sighed as if he'd been waiting.
"Ugh, don't get me started. Total mess lately."
"Ho... Lots happened, huh?"
"Yeah. A ton."
With that, he quietly continued.
"Started right after Charlotte Michelle Hunter died. France officially protested, demanding the cause be revealed. Sent a massive investigation team. Then 300 hunters active in the Plains Zone all vanished at once."
"......"
"Things quieted a bit these past few weeks, but the whole hunter world is still on high alert. Entering the labyrinth is way stricter than usual."
Pausing there, he added abruptly as if it just occurred to him.
"But bro, why ask me? Even without news, you'd know from going in and out of the labyrinth..."
I averted my gaze from his suspicious look.
Seeing me dodge, he didn't press further.
"Anyway, bro. How strong are you really? No joking—tell me straight."
"Strong enough not to get beat up everywhere."
"...Ooh! Sounds badass! At least A-rank, right?"
I chuckled at his sparkling eyes.
That cheekiness was pure Park Kwang-yeol.
Misreading my laugh, perhaps, he exclaimed briefly.
"Whoa! Total confidence! Awesome! Definitely A-rank! Explains casually strolling the Desert Zone solo!"
His gaze flicked to Snow and me.
Snow, who had been quietly watching Yoon Ji-su's group play with Suli and To Soon-i from the sidelines, glanced our way.
Their eyes met, and Park Min-seong flinched.
"...Th-that... your girlfriend?"
"Ah... My wife."
"Your sis-in-law!?"
I nodded calmly at his shock.
For some reason, his excitement ramped up even more.
"Whoa! Insane! She's gorgeous! Bro, you're the man!"
Amid his endless exclamations, I glanced at Snow.
She'd been watching us since locking eyes with him earlier, and now met my gaze with a subtle smile.
I looked away wordlessly.
"Wow... insane... I respect you so much, bro."
"...Seems like you're more envious of this than being a high-rank hunter."
"Ahem...! Misunderstanding, bro!"
His denial via fake cough lacked credibility.
"So sis-in-law's a hunter too?"
"Ah... Definitely stronger than me."
"...Insane. Stronger than you? S-rank? For real?"
"You're the one misunderstanding... but whatever, not important. Point is, she's stronger. Fact."
He exclaimed for the umpteenth time, eyes shining with admiration.
"I wanna be a hunter like you, bro."
"...Keep at it, and you'll get there."
"...I'll work hard."
He fell quiet after his quiet reply.
After a hesitant pause, he continued softly.
"Bro... um..."
"What?"
"...Did you pull strings for me to join Yoon Ji-su Hunter's raid team?"
The sudden question caught me off guard.
How'd he figure that out?
I quietly admired his sharper-than-expected insight.
"No lies."
"...I see... Thank you."
"...Just repaying what I owed your dad."
"...Still grateful... for coming here. Honestly, after Dad died, I thought a lot. He was a hunter, but no one came... Was he really a good hunter? Why no visitors? That kinda stuff."
"......"
I listened silently as he spoke.
His steady voice reached my ears.
"Working as a porter, seeing things... I wondered if Dad was like that too. Treating porters like trash, so no one came to the funeral? Thought that a lot."
After a deep breath, he bowed deeply to me.
"Really... thank you. For telling me Dad wasn't a bad hunter."
"I vouch for him... Park Kwang-yeol Hunter was undeniably great."
"...Thank you."
I patted his shoulder lightly as he bowed again.
This might repay a bit of the debt I owed the old man.