SS-Rank Suspicions
No Gwan-sik, president of the Korean Hunter Association, was racking his brains over the news that had just come in.
"...How long has it been since things quieted down, and now another incident like this...?"
He rubbed his furrowed brow and let out a quiet sigh.
"...And this time the monster that showed up is called Fenrir?"
"Yes. After examining the corpse brought in by the Hwayeong raid team, it's confirmed to be an S-rank Fenrir."
No Gwan-sik groaned softly at his secretary's cautious reply.
It hadn't been long since the aftermath of the Charlotte incident had died down, and now another event had erupted.
A few hunters dying wasn't a huge issue.
Even though several high-rank hunters had perished while on an Association commission, hunter deaths were commonplace, and compared to the major incidents of the past, this wouldn't stir much buzz.
But the cause of those deaths was the problem this time.
"No way something like that could come out of the Forest Zone, right?"
"...Yes. It's the first S-rank monster to appear since hunters first set foot in the Forest Zone decades ago."
"...Hmm."
No Gwan-sik crossed his arms thoughtfully, his brow creasing slightly as if deep in contemplation.
"An overt anomaly, then... What do the other experts say?"
"No solid theories yet... The best guess is that the ecosystem inside the labyrinth is changing."
"Ecosystem change in the labyrinth? Is that even possible? It's almost a hundred years since the labyrinths first appeared, and there's never been anything like that before."
"It's still just speculation, but they say it's not impossible. Labyrinths are full of unknowns, so whatever happens isn't that big a deal..."
"Not a big deal, my ass... Hunters are the ones dropping dead at the slightest change..."
No Gwan-sik clicked his tongue sharply and tapped the desk.
"...We'll need to dispatch an investigation team."
"...You mean continue the previous investigation?"
"Yeah. We have to at this point, don't we? With anomalies like this, we need a proper probe."
No Gwan-sik glanced at his secretary as he spoke.
"Don't hand it off to any randoms—send official notices mainly to the big guilds. From the looks of it, low-level folks will just end up as dog food."
"...That serious?"
"At least S-ranks need to step up. Honestly, even they might be in danger..."
No Gwan-sik paused thoughtfully, then spoke up as if something had occurred to him.
"How was the Hwayeong raid team doing, by the way?"
"...Their gear took some damage, but they seemed fine overall... Why the sudden question?"
Ignoring his secretary's puzzled query, No Gwan-sik pressed on with his own curiosity.
"The Hwayeong raid leader? How was that young lady?"
It was a familiar routine for his boss, so the secretary answered calmly without batting an eye.
"You mean Prime Minister Yu's daughter? Well... Only the raid members came to report. Apparently, she had something urgent come up and couldn't join them. Fortunately, no major injuries..."
"Phew... Good thing. If that girl died in the labyrinth after her brother did, there'd be hell to pay."
No Gwan-sik sighed in relief at the explanation.
They already knew that Yu Hwa-yeong, leader of the Hwayeong raid team, was the daughter of former Prime Minister Yu Cheol-yeong.
"...Now that you mention it, it's pretty chilling. If something happened to her..."
"That old fox would tear the place apart trying to get answers... Just imagining it is scary. And since it was an Association mission, he'd make even more noise."
"...Truly fortunate."
The secretary echoed No Gwan-sik's sigh of relief.
Glancing at him, No Gwan-sik spoke up again as if struck by another thought.
"Speaking of which, was it that girl's raid team that took down the Fenrir?"
"...I haven't received any specific report on that, but since they brought in the corpse, probably."
No Gwan-sik frowned slightly at his secretary's tilted head.
Noticing the uneasy expression, the secretary looked at him quizzically.
"Is something wrong...?"
"...No. Weren't there six members in the Hwayeong raid team?"
"Yes. A small team led by S-rank raid leader Yu Hwa-yeong and five A-rank hunters. Not affiliated with any guild."
"...And the other hunters dispatched on the mission were already dead when they arrived?"
"...Yes, that's right..."
No Gwan-sik hummed thoughtfully as the secretary trailed off uncertainly.
"Can just six people really take down a Fenrir?"
"...If it was already weakened from fighting the previous hunters..."
"Fenrir had a huge pack of wolves under it. Forest Zone wolves are basic E-rank, but this time there were plenty of D or C-rank elites. Reports even mentioned several B and A-rank high-ranks. And yet, just six of them broke through that and killed the Fenrir?"
—Does that even make sense?
The secretary was at a loss for words at No Gwan-sik's quiet question.
Flustered for a moment, he fumbled for a response, lips twitching.
"...Are you saying the Hwayeong raid team is lying, sir?"
"No, not that. Just... suspicious."
"...Maybe their members are hiding their true ranks?"
"...Unless they're all S-rank, they'd need at least one SA-rank to handle that pack and Fenrir... No, even a single SA-rank hunter might struggle..."
The secretary swallowed hard at No Gwan-sik's musing.
"You're saying... there might be... an SS-rank...?"
"...Not certain, but yeah, it'd take that level for all six to come back unscathed. Probably not in the Hwayeong team itself."
"...A third party?"
"Likely."
"...I'll investigate right away."
As the secretary moved to calm his racing heart and hurry off—
No Gwan-sik quietly stopped him.
"Don't dig too deep. It's just speculation—could be SA-rank too. And if it's really an SS-rank who hasn't revealed themselves yet, they have their reasons."
"...Connected to the underworld?"
"Things have been noisy back there lately, so possible. Could even be a foreign hunter. Just poke around lightly."
The secretary bowed his head at No Gwan-sik's words.
No Gwan-sik watched his secretary's retreating figure for a moment after he rushed out.
"...An SS-rank hunter... Who knows if it's true, but... I hope it's one of ours."
That way, they could stand free from the growing pressure from China and Japan lately.
Left alone in his office, No Gwan-sik leaned back in his chair.
A president's day was endlessly busy.
"Kyung kyung!"
Suli chirped excitedly, gazing at Seoul's nightscape as lights began flickering on one by one.
So sparkly! So pretty! Her voice buzzed happily in my head.
I watched her fondly for a moment, until my sister, who had been glaring from the side, finally spoke up quietly.
"...So you're a monster too... and that... new sister-in-law... is also a monster?"
"...How many times do I have to say it? Yeah."
I answered with a hint of irritation at my sister's repeated question.
She didn't flinch at my glare.
"No... My brother shows up after three years, suddenly says he's a monster, and I can't believe it...? Especially bringing an SS-rank monster as a new sister-in-law."
Her eyes flicked sideways.
Following her gaze, there was Snow lounging on the sofa, casually sampling the food from outside.
To Soon-i and Rue were plastered right beside her.
[So tasty~! The best~! This is human flavor! I'm gonna die happy~!]
[Hoo... This thing called chicken is truly magnificent. No matter how much I eat, it never gets old.]
"Shh—."
Snow and the kids were already hooked on the chicken my sister had ordered.
Even monsters couldn't resist the power of fried chicken, it seemed.
"...No matter how I look at her, she seems like a normal human."
"You still don't believe after seeing her? Sure, she's stunning on the outside, but the inside's pure monster."
"......"
My sister looked like she had a lot to say but ultimately held her tongue.
[Daddy! So many sparkles!]
Suli, done peering out the window, came toddling over and flung herself into my arms.
I chuckled softly at her "Kyung kyung!" cry.
[Yeah. Lots of sparkles, huh.]
[Pretty! Like the night sky!]
I gently stroked her chattering head as she bubbled with excitement.
The best part of human form? Hands, hands, hands.
Tail-patting's fine, but hands feel more reassuring.
"...Total dad vibes."
"'Cause I'm the real deal."
I replied nonchalantly to my sister's quiet mutter.
She stared at me and Suli for a long moment, then sighed softly.
"Monster sister-in-law and monster nieces... Unbelievable."
"Time to accept reality."
"......"
She sighed again and nodded slowly.
Finally coming to terms with it, huh.
Would've been easier sooner.
I joined Snow and the kids for chicken with Suli.
They'd ordered a ton, but barely any left already.
Time for seconds.
I asked my sister to order more.
Righty was eyeing it hungrily, so at least twenty... no, thirty to be safe...
Don't look at me like I'm a monster, sis.
I am a monster, sure, but that stare hurts a bit.
It's not just me eating a lot—there's a glutton living inside...
I resolved to show her my true form sometime.
Don't freak out later.
We had a family chicken party after that.
Ordered a bunch more delivery when it ran low—Snow and the kids loved everything.
Snow and Suli, mother-daughter duo, both obsessed with chicken.
To Soon-i surprisingly dug pig's feet.
If she wants more, she can use her front paws...
Rue ate anything without fuss.
No taste buds back then, so no strong likes or dislikes.
Seemed to prefer stuff she could swallow in one gulp.
Gotta help Rue evolve soon.
Oh, and I still love beef best.
Should take everyone to that steakhouse Lisa and I hit before.
With this crowd, at least ten cows...
What? Not enough?
Righty, you're always hungry.
Anyway, that's how we spent our first night out.
Everyone's thrilled—good.
"By the way, bro."
"Yeah?"
"You said you're a snake, right?"
"Yup."
"But your wife and daughter are foxes? And there's a rabbit too? Snake aside..."
"Born from the heart."
"......"
My sister looked ready to argue again but said nothing.
She's realized it's easier to just accept it.
Or maybe given up.