Chapter 203: Waving the License (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 203: Waving the License (5)
When I was Son Si-woo, I was a righteous person.
Or if not truly righteous, it’s clear I at least tried to be.
How else could I have become the Nation's Hunter, beloved by all?
That's what I thought back then.
‘I guess I am a righteous person.’
But as I've lived this new life in this body, a question has surfaced.
‘Was that act of righteousness back then truly something I pursued of my own free will?’
The me of today is quite different from the me of back then.
I'm not righteous, nor do I even try to pretend to be.
On the contrary, if something benefits me, I'm willing to dabble in corner-cutting or even illegal methods.
Did I change so much because I already lived one life righteously?
Or was this my true nature all along, and I only lived that way because everyone around me put me on a pedestal?
I don't know which it is.
I don't want to know, and there's no point in finding out.
But one thing is certain.
This life is far more liberating and satisfying than my last.
That's why I need to let her know, and make her understand.
What kind of person I am, and what kind of person I need.
“Ms. Ji-an.”
Her expression darkened, and she stared at me with vacant eyes.
“I'm not as righteous, kind, or naive as you think I am.”
“D-Do-jin.”
“If the information in this file was something that would be of immense help to me, I would have accepted it without hesitation.”
“……”
“And I would have told you, ‘Please be sure to thank Manager Kim Seong-tae for me.’”
As I said before, I don't shy away from things that benefit me.
“The only reason I'm refusing this file… is simply because I'm confident I can pass the Hunter Qualification Exam without it. I don't want to create a weakness for myself by cheating on something I'm already sure I can pass.”
This is both a favor from Kim Seong-tae and a leash meant to bind me.
The moment I pass using the information he provided, I'll be giving him a huge weakness to hold over me.
And he'll use that leash in his hand to control me as he pleases.
You could call it a poisoned chalice.
It looks endlessly tempting, but a deadly poison lurks inside.
I might drink it if I didn't know, but why would I commit the madness of drinking it while fully aware of the danger?
“That's the only reason I'm returning this file.”
It wouldn't be that hard to act like the person she wants me to be.
Truthfully, while I say I wouldn't shy away from illegal or expedient methods for my own gain, I doubt there would be many situations that would actually require me to break the law, let alone just bend the rules.
However, a relationship built on such a foundation is nothing more than a sandcastle.
The moment a small incident reveals it was all an act, that all the reasons for liking that person were lies, it will all come crashing down in vain.
I don't want that kind of fragile relationship.
It'll never happen, but I want someone who will stand by me and trust me, even if I were to make an enemy of the entire world.
That kind of person… no, I'm going to fill my life with only women like that.
So, I have to let her know before her misunderstanding deepens.
That I'm not the righteous, honest person she thinks I am.
Even if she ends up disappointed in the process, I need to correct this misalignment early on to prevent problems down the road.
“Are you a little disappointed in me?”
She nodded obediently at my question.
“…Yes, just a little.”
Should I be glad it's not a lot?
“I'm sorry if you're disappointed. But I thought I needed to correct your mistaken impression before the misunderstanding grew too deep. That way, even if you're disappointed now, we'll be able to see each other for a long time to come.”
“Do-jin…”
Yoon Ji-an, whose eyes had been wavering just moments ago, now gazed at me, sparkling.
It seemed my words—that this decision was made purely for the sake of our relationship—sounded quite moving to her.
Then, it was time to play my final card.
I placed my hand over hers on the table and spoke.
“I promise you. From now on, you will never be disappointed in me.”
To be precise, I'm going to make it so she can't feel disappointed in me.
I've already seen a glimpse of that possibility.
Back when I was traveling the country on a mission to catch a Seeker during the break.
Didn't she ask an acquaintance at the Association to find Elena and Son Seo-yeon's whereabouts for me when we ran into them by chance?
That, too, was strictly illegal and something she shouldn't have done.
But she did it anyway.
Just for me.
From now on, I just have to make her that way.
Then, no matter what I do, she won't be disappointed.
.
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Training, training, and more training.
A week of dedicating every waking moment to training, aside from eating and sleeping, passed, and the morning of the Hunter Qualification Exam finally dawned.
After filling my stomach with a feast prepared by Jeong-hee first thing in the morning, I left the house with Shin Yu-jeong, who becomes nothing more than dead weight the moment she gets in a car.
Our destination: the university.
We had promised to pick up all our team members there and go to the Association, where the exam would be held, together.
When I reached the university gate, I stopped the car in front of the three who were already gathered.
“Good morning, Do-jin.”
“Good morning to you too, Elena.”
“Hehe… Hi, Do-jin. Did you sleep well last night?”
“Me? I slept like a log.”
“Hey.”
“Hello, Sunbae.”
Elena, Im Na-eun, and Seo-yeon greeted me in that order as they got into the car.
“Alright, let's go.”
I headed for the Association with three tense-looking people and Shin Yu-jeong, who was fast asleep, dead to the world.
From a distance, I could see the Association building and the massive examination hall built next to it.
A huge crowd of applicants had already gathered in front of the hall, forming a bustling scene.
I parked the car and went up to stand at the end of a long line, waiting for our turn.
As we moved forward one step at a time, following the rapidly shortening line, Na-eun spoke up.
“I looked it up yesterday, and apparently, this exam has the highest number of applicants of any qualification exam in the last five years.”
Ah.
I saw that too.
There was a bit of a buzz about how the number of applicants for this exam broke the five-year record.
“Mmm… To think we're taking the exam at a time like this.”
Elena let out a low groan.
The number of Hunters selected each year is fixed.
Five B-rank, 25 C-rank, 75 D-rank, and 150 E-rank, for a total of 255.
But it's not a guarantee that all 255 spots will be filled.
B-rank is the domain of high-rank Hunters who can officially take on high-risk dungeon explorations or requests.
It's a tall order for a rookie just stepping into the world of Hunters to pass the exam at B-rank.
Of course, it's not entirely unheard of.
Kids with exceptional talent or those who received early training from their Hunter parents sometimes get off to a flying start as B-rankers.
We were making small talk to ease our mounting tension when our turn finally came.
“Admission ticket, please.”
I pulled up the ticket I had saved on my smartphone, and an Association employee scanned it with a reader.
“Yes, everything looks fine. Please enter the examination hall and proceed to Room 3 on the 9th floor.”
A barrier made of mana briefly turned transparent.
We took the opportunity to step inside the hall.
“What room are you in?”
Shin Yu-jeong, who had entered right behind me, asked. I answered immediately.
“I'm in Room 3 on the 9th floor. You?”
“I'm in Room 2 on the 10th floor.”
The floors and rooms we were assigned were our accommodations for the duration of the Hunter Qualification Exam.
The exam, which consists of four tests in total, lasts for a minimum of four days and a maximum of a week.
I'm hoping I get the tests that end quickly so I can be done in four days.
I shared some final words of encouragement with the team members who filed in behind us.
“No need for any of you to feel pressured. Just do the best you can.”
“Okay! You do well too, Do-jin!”
Na-eun subtly squeezed my hand before waving and walking away.
“Rest assured, Do-jin. Elena gives her all even when catching a single rabbit.”
“…Why a rabbit all of a sudden?”
“I ate them sometimes back in my home country. Back then, the villagers called Elena the ‘Rabbit Slayer.’”
“…I see.”
Elena the Rabbit Slayer also headed to her room with a confident stride.
“Fighting.”
“Yes, you too, Sunbae. Fighting.”
Seo-yeon, who raised a clenched fist with a concise cheer, also walked away with a graceful gait.
“I'm going too.”
“Yeah, do well on the exam.”
“You too.”
Without even a simple 'fighting,' Shin Yu-jeong just patted my back and coolly turned to walk away.
Well, I guess I should get going too.
The elevator, packed with people, arrived at the 9th floor.
I walked leisurely through the crowd that poured out and flung open the door to Room 3, only to find…
“Well, well, look what we have here. A little brat still wet behind the ears.”
“You're right, hyung-nim. Looks like a total rookie…”
“What are you doing? Get in here and greet your hyung-nims.”
Three thugs, their bodies covered from head to toe in all sorts of bizarre tattoos, greeted me.
Heh, well now.
Looks like I'll have to clean the room first.