Chapter 93
Chapter 93
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 93
Chapter Title: 31. A Simple Favor (1)
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“Ugh, what’s with that? It’s a happy day, isn’t it?”
The Druid of Rebirth. Official world rank 9. Myeong Yong-ha.
“It’s been quite a while since we’ve all gathered here healthy and in one piece. Come on, lighten up those faces! Hahaha!”
Myeong Yong-ha laughed cheerfully. But not a single person among those sitting across from him returned his smile.
The massive round table was occupied by the members of the Celestial Assembly. All of them were the world’s top superhuman rankers. Yet their expressions were grave. The burly druid scratched his cheek awkwardly before leaning back in his chair.
“Jeez... Would it kill you to exchange a few well-wishes now that we’re meeting after so long? You all look like war’s about to break out...”
“Congrats on—”
Gulp.
BM, downing his vodka, muttered as he opened his mouth.
“the new baby. Guess you’re a dad of two boys now.”
“Oh, you weren’t there last time, right? Thanks! How’s that massive dungeon raid going for you?”
“Same as always.”
“Man, you’re so stubborn. I offered to help.”
“...You’ve got diapers to change.”
BM brushed it off vaguely.
As Myeong Yong-ha stared at him from behind his sunglasses, about to ask something—
“Ugh. This is annoying.”
Japan’s Royal Speed Special Forces. The King’s Sword.
Official world rank 13. Minamoto Ai grumbled irritably.
All eyes turned to her.
“Hasn’t the meeting time passed?”
“Five minutes ago.”
And yet the Celestial Assembly’s chairman still hadn’t arrived.
“Hahaha! What can you do? It’s not like this is the first time.”
“He’s late every time because we don’t complain.”
“Eh, he’s never gone over thirty minutes.”
“That’s your point? I have a schedule this afternoon.”
As they bickered—
“...This meeting’s agenda.”
A frail old woman in the corner spoke in a cracked voice.
Her low, quiet tone carried a strange resonance, silencing the grumblers.
Former official world rank 6. Ri Hua.
“It’s probably about that young man, right?”
And with one sentence, the members fell silent once more.
“......”
“......”
A flurry of emotions crossed their faces. Embarrassment. Bewilderment. Unease. Irritation. Envy. Admiration...
“Ai. The imperial family and the federation haven’t noticed yet, right?”
“Yeah. Probably not yet.”
Heh heh.
Deep wrinkles formed at Ri Hua’s lips.
Minamoto Ai let out a deep sigh.
“To hide his identity, we downplayed the incident’s scale in the report. So the imperial family doesn’t even know a calamity-level showed up. Right now.”
There were too many shady aspects to reveal to the media, so Minamoto had concealed information related to the ‘Melishia ballroom’.
The federation only knew of Izell Halifa’s appearance.
“It’s a dilemma. A dilemma. A calamity-level popped out. This isn’t something we can handle among ourselves. When we should be lobbing firebombs at the federation’s feet...”
Those who had despaired before a calamity-level’s might on the front lines during the Great War had now risen to their organization’s leadership after twenty years.
The mere name ‘Noah’ triggered convulsions in them.
What if they revealed everything that happened at the Melishia ballroom?
Noah appeared?
→ But he’s dead?
→ Who killed him?
...In that sequence, that man’s information would inevitably be exposed.
One member asked, “What do you know about that man?” Minamoto sighed.
“All I know is he called himself a ‘Mine Hunter’. And he had a creepily pretty assistant.”
“And he was strong, right?”
Minamoto bit her lip.
During the war, the Mines that wouldn’t die even against three or four normal rankers had earned the title of ‘calamity’.
After the war ended. The ‘calamities’ that had vanished resurfaced after twenty years.
That alone was shocking.
But an ‘unknown superhuman’ had personally slain a ‘calamity’.
And emerged unscathed, without a single limb lost.
The King’s Sword described it as feeling like ‘an herbivore facing a carnivore’.
Only the seven members of this assembly knew these facts.
None showed it outwardly, but the Celestial Assembly needed insurance. They wanted to share information on this unstable entity to divide the burden.
And wasn’t the world’s top insurance company, WOO (International Superhuman Federation), right there?
“I oppose it.”
At that moment, BM shattered the odd atmosphere with a firm voice.
BM, known to have the closest connection to ‘that man’ in the Celestial Assembly, insisted on continuing to conceal the man’s records. Laying out his reasons.
“We absolutely cannot let the federation know of that man’s existence.”
He’d been pushing the same opinion all day.
One member raised a hand as they listened.
“BM.”
“Speak.”
“Even when hiring part-timers, you interview them.”
Behind the sunglasses, BM’s brow furrowed.
Gallia’s Savior. Official world rank 29. Simon Abkarian.
Bored expression. A leisurely face with a stylish twitching mustache.
In BM’s view, that French hero wanted the whole world under his control.
“Just one simple favor. Bring him here.”
“What changes if you see him in person?”
“Who knows. Better than hearing distant tales through a mouthpiece.”
And now he was mocking BM as that man’s mouthpiece.
So BM let out a scoff.
“That won’t work.”
“......”
“Always sitting on top of everyone’s heads must’ve blurred high and low for you. You mentioned part-timers? Are you the boss here too?”
Simon’s eye twitched.
A bored smile crept onto his lips.
“Fair point. Then just pass along one message so I can go find him myself.”
“......”
“You’re close enough to speak for him, so it shouldn’t be hard. Please.”
“We’re back!”
“......!”
“Let’s go, Winter!”
Morning.
Gaeul and Winter held hands as they left the dorm.
They’d recently gotten hooked on the Lair Theme Park. A small amusement park in the entertainment district—empty during break, with hardly any lines.
“Yeoreum. Let’s go.”
Yoo Ji-tae took Yeoreum outside too.
In just ten days, she’d grown dazzlingly. Taking down an A-rank named monster from a cadet’s level was impressive.
Time for the next phase. So Yoo Ji-tae planned something different starting today.
“Yoo Yeoreum?”
“Y-yeah... Coming.”
Yeoreum, with hollow eyes, opened the door and followed him.
Then Bom called from the living room.
“Ajusshi. Can you come back early today?”
Yoo Ji-tae nodded.
“Got it.”
And so Yoo Ji-tae, Yeoreum, Gaeul, and Winter left. The dorm door closed.
Left alone, Bom sat on the living room sofa.
Once everyone went out to do their own things, Bom was always left alone. She’d read or watch dramas then. Like Yoo Ji-tae did when alone.
Ah.
Speaking of which, time to feed the chick.
Bom filled the chick’s bowl with special feed. A soccer-ball-sized chick came toddling over, pecking at it.
From fist-sized, it had grown in a flash. Per Yoo Ji-tae, spirit beasts should grow like this—it must’ve been stunted until now.
Yet it still looked like a chick, like a giant cotton candy.
Pip!
After eating and drinking.
The chick, glancing slyly, slipped into Gaeul’s room. Bom didn’t forget her reminder.
“No fighting outside just because Gaeul’s gone. Got it?”
—Pip pip!
“Good response.”
And quiet settled over room 301.
Bom lay on the sofa, staring at the ceiling.
Her grass-green hair scattered messily.
Lying there, Bom pondered deeply.
“......”
Staring blankly at the ceiling, Bom reached into her subspace for a notebook.
[Ajusshi Observation Diary★]
And began writing something.
“Ajusshi. I have a favor.”
That evening.
After finishing Yeoreum’s training and returning.
“Yeah.”
“I was thinking of making some nourishing food for Yeoreum?”
“Nourishing food?”
“Yeah. She looks unwell lately.”
Yoo Ji-tae nodded.
Dragon mana only healed the body. It couldn’t erase accumulating fatigue or mental strain.
“Actually, we Green Clan have a special nourishing recipe.”
Green Clan’s special nourishing food?
“Like a porridge made with herbs. But Earth probably doesn’t have the exact ingredients.”
“Go get them?”
“Well, I gathered these for now. Things with similar mana properties.”
Bom held out a basket.
Bi-gyeong. Go-hyeon. Adria root. Full moon grass... Yoo Ji-tae recognized them. Good for mana recovery, vitality boost, fatigue relief.
“So, make porridge with these?”
“Yes. But since the ingredients differ, I’m not sure on the ratios. So... I’ll make small batches with different ratios. Can you taste-test?”
“Sure.”
Bom entered the kitchen and started chopping.
Soon, bubbling porridge was ready after ten minutes.
“Here.”
The porridge glowed green. Herb scents wafted between.
Small test batch. Yoo Ji-tae scooped a spoonful leisurely and tasted it.
“......”
Speechless.
“How is it?”
He didn’t reply right away, just scooped more.
Tilted the spoon.
The thick, well-boiled porridge dripped... plop... plop... Slowly. It felt different from before. Spoon seemed to melt, but didn’t.
Well. It was medicinal porridge, not food.
Not meant to taste bad to kill him.
He closed his eyes, sensing the herbs’ effects. Not great. Just raw properties. Some even faded, acting like mild poison.
After purging the toxins, he spoke.
“Failure, I think.”
“Really?”
“Ratios off. Hard to say exactly, but too much full moon grass.”
“Ahh...”
Bom touched her lip with a finger, thinking.
“Can you keep helping?”
“...Yeah.”
He nodded as usual, and Bom started again.
But perfect ratios from a dozen ingredients weren’t easy.
“Hm.”
“Hm...”
“Hm...”
Tastings continued.
Night fell.
“We’re hooome! So much fun, right Winter?!”
“...Yeah!”
Gaeul and Winter returned buzzing with excitement.
“......!”
Winter reached for Yoo Ji-tae for a hug after ages.
He picked her up. Tiny arms wrapped his neck. Chilled cheeks from winter wind touched his neck. Cold.
Winter smiled shyly.
“Had fun, huh. How was it?”
Winter mumbled her day’s events. “...Big ship.” “...Like this, like that.” “...Span around.” Gesturing too. Honestly, hard to follow. But he nodded quietly.
Finished, Winter peeked at him shyly.
“...Next time.”
Next time?
“...Together?”
Expectant eyes. He nodded.
“Yeah. Together.”
Tired from playing? In his arms, Winter fell asleep fast.
Snooze... Steady breaths tickled his ear.
Holding her like this always reminded him how tiny she was. Even grown to about five or six.
Tiny head. Slender neck and body. Shoulders. Arms. Hands.
Never thought it before. Dragons could be this small.
Was this tiny one happy today?
“Oh? Winter’s asleep.”
About the seventeenth batch finished.
Winter’s position awkward. Without his arm, she’d slump—basically asleep against it. Other arm busy supporting her head.
“Want me to move her?”
“Nah. Wake her.”
“Hm, then like this...”
Bom naturally scooped porridge and held it to him.
Usually when Bom tried feeding him, he took the spoon himself. But not today.
“Here.”
Yoo Ji-tae opened his mouth after a pause.
Porridge entered.
Bom didn’t withdraw the spoon.
“......”
Just stared into his eyes from so close.
“......”
What’s this.
As he met her gaze silently, the spoon slowly withdrew.
“How’s this?”
Still awful taste, but herbs harmonized. No clashing effects. No losses. Perfect balance spread through him.
“This one’s good. Decent.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. Good job.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
Bom nodded with a gentle smile.
“Oh, how’d it taste?”
“Taste? Like herbs.”
“Herbs...”
At his words, Bom perched on the table edge before him, slowly.
“Is that so?”
She smiled, intentions unclear.
Like observing. Peering into his eyes, Bom spoke.
“I have a question.”
Tiny voice, like a twitch.
“What.”
“Why don’t you say it tastes bad?”
Blocking question.
What did she know to ask this. As he didn’t answer, Bom pressed.
“Why don’t you refuse?”
“...I refuse when I do.”
“Only when you think I’m dangerous.”
Why don’t you refuse my requests in daily life? Her eyes asked.
“I want to know why.”