Chapter 270: Designated Request (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 270: Designated Request (3)
“Teacher? Please, have some of this, too.”
“Thank you.”
After a moment of deliberation, Kim Eun-bi’s mother, Ahn Joo-ri, had settled on calling me ‘Teacher,’ and her barrage of side dishes continued.
“Ahem.”
Ignoring the jealous glares from her husband beside her, she kept handing me food. It seemed I’d scored way too many points back at the entrance.
“Do-jin. Have some of this…”
“Thanks, Noona.”
If Ahn Joo-ri was across from me, Kim Eun-bi was right beside me.
As if determined not to be outdone by her mother, she kept piling food onto my plate. Thanks to her, I hadn't even had to pick up a single side dish myself by the time I finished a whole bowl of rice.
“……”
A man who monopolizes the affection of the females is bound to be hated by his own gender.
Unlike the two women, whose favorability toward me was skyrocketing, the men’s reactions were lukewarm at best.
Kim Jeong-hun, who already had no love for me, was one thing, but even his father, Kim Yong-un, was starting to look at me with a displeased expression.
At this rate, I was worried I might get kicked out.
“Ma’am? Could the teacher have another bowl of rice, please?”
“Excuse me! Could Do-jin get another bowl of rice…”
“Ah, um.”
More rice was ordered, completely against my will.
The meal finally ended after I’d polished off three heaping bowls, each one packed tightly with rice. Then, with an alluringly fragrant tea time, the paused conversation resumed.
The first to speak was Kim Yong-un.
“First of all… thank you for agreeing to tutor my son.”
“It’s an important commission for me.”
“An important commission… Did you know I was Eun-bi’s father?”
I did, but this was a time to feign ignorance.
“No, I didn’t.”
“Then what made my commission so important?”
To his curious question, I offered my prepared answer.
“I heard about it from an acquaintance at the Association.”
“Heard what?”
Words to drive my value even higher.
“I heard that if I complete this commission, I’ll be qualified to take the promotion exam.”
The atmosphere shifted at my words, which I delivered matter-of-factly, providing the information without a hint of arrogance.
“Promotion… You mean you could become an A-rank?”
“That’s right. I’m currently B-rank.”
“Haha…”
Kim Yong-un let out a hearty laugh.
As someone who also made a living in the Hunter society, he must have had a rough idea.
He knew just how incredible it was to earn the right to take the A-rank promotion exam at the age of twenty-one.
And the ripple effect that would occur if I actually passed.
“Oh my~ That’s amazing, Teacher!”
Following her husband, Mrs. Ahn Joo-ri immediately started fawning over me.
Well, the fact that A-rank was a big deal was something even civilians knew.
Kim Eun-bi, sitting so close our clothes were almost touching, gently pinched the sleeve of my shirt.
“Does that mean… you’ll be busier…?”
Instead of celebrating my promotion, Kim Eun-bi’s first concern was whether I would be busier or not.
It seemed that whether I was A-rank or B-rank, she just wanted to spend more time with me.
What a cute kid.
“However, while I did put in the personal commission, I have one concern.”
“Please, go ahead.”
“Aren’t you a mage?”
“I am.”
“The thing is, my son has a talent for the warrior position.”
In short, he was asking if a mage could effectively tutor a warrior.
It seemed his reason for the commission wasn’t just to see me.
Then again, his son’s entire future depended on whether he became a Hunter or not. It would be strange to use that as simple bait.
But his worries were needless.
“You don’t have to worry. I’m quite good with a sword, too.”
There were probably several videos of me swinging a sword out there. He must not have seen them yet.
They got a ton of views, too.
“That’s right, Dad! Do-jin is really good with a sword. Look at this.”
At the perfect moment, Kim Eun-bi played a video she had saved on her smartphone and showed it to her father.
“See? He’s so cool… I mean, he’s good with a sword, right?”
“Hmm… Butler Park, what do you think?”
A middle-aged man who had been standing primly behind him approached with quiet steps.
“Excuse me for a moment.”
Butler Park leaned down and carefully examined the video on the smartphone.
From the look in his eyes, he must have been a fairly successful Hunter in his past.
“Hoh…”
His eyes, now filled with a strange light, darted between me and the screen of the smartphone.
“Indeed… your talent with the sword is exceptional. I’d say you handle it better than most B-rank Hunters.”
“Hah… Is that so.”
His single comment quickly dispelled the father’s concerns.
That alone was enough to tell me just how trusted of an employee this Butler Park was in their household.
Looks like I’ll have to win that old man over, too.
“If Butler Park says so, then there should be no problem with the tutoring.”
A sense of trust began to form in his eyes.
I smiled and gave him a nod.
“Leave it to me. If Jeong-hun truly trusts and follows me, I’ll make sure he can pass the Hunter qualification exam within a year.”
At my confident declaration, Kim Yong-un, who had been leaning against the plush backrest, sat up in surprise.
“Is that really true?”
He asked again, and I emphasized it once more.
“As I said, that’s only if Jeong-hun follows my teachings without complaint.”
“Ah, of course!”
He then turned to his son.
“Jeong-hun, if you act disrespectfully just because your tutor is a friend, I’ll cut off all your credit cards. Understood?”
“Ah, Father…!”
Kim Jeong-hun yelped in protest.
A golden-spoon kid who’s never earned a penny in his life would naturally freak out if his allowance was cut off.
“Ahem, who said I’d just cut them off? I said if you don’t listen. Are you getting so worked up because… you’re declaring in advance that you won’t listen to your tutor?”
Kim Jeong-hun shrank back at his father’s logical retort.
Faced with a resolute expression that left no room for negotiation, the kid finally backed down.
“…That’s not what I meant.”
“Then I’m glad to hear it.”
With a satisfied look, Kim Yong-un nodded and his gaze returned to me.
“Teacher.”
“Yes, Father.”
“Father, you say… That has a nice ring to it, haha.”
This guy.
The longer we talked, the more his hostility melted away like snow.
“If Jeong-hun gives you any trouble, or if you need anything for the tutoring, just say the word. If I’m not around, you can consider Butler Park here as my stand-in.”
“Yes, don’t you worry, Father!”
“Ahahaha!”
If he liked being called Father, I could do it all day long.
After we finished discussing the tutoring, the conversation shifted to small talk.
From confirming things I already knew to asking about my school and Hunter life.
It was an utterly meaningless time for me, but an incredibly informative one for them. As it was drawing to a close…
“Don’t misunderstand what I’m about to say.”
The moment he laid the groundwork, I knew.
All the questions up to this point had been a setup—a foundation for this one question.
“Tell me… what are your thoughts on being a son-in-law who lives with his wife's family?”
Aha.
So that’s why this man’s hostility toward me had faded so quickly.
A live-in son-in-law… a brilliant way to avoid sending away a daughter who was the apple of his eye.
He’d have to let a bum into his house, but he wouldn’t have to marry his daughter off.
“A live-in… son-in-law.”
From that perspective, a man like me was a picture-perfect candidate.
I’m capable, and I have a great personality(?).
On top of that, I’m an orphan with no family?
If they take me in, treat me well, and think of it as gaining a son, isn’t that just killing two birds with one stone?
“I’ve never thought about it before, but…”
Regardless of my thoughts, there was a correct answer.
“Gaining a family I never had… I think it would be great.”
“Ahaha.”
“Hoho…!”
Kim Yong-un’s hearty laugh echoed softly, punctuated by Ahn Joo-ri’s sharp, nasal giggle.
It seemed I’d scored a perfect 100.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Every Wednesday.
That was the day I’d decided to teach Kim Jeong-hun.
I arrived at the mansion in the afternoon.
Following Butler Park, I headed to the 100-pyeong [approx. 3,558 sq ft] private training ground in the basement.
“Here we are.”
The door was locked with heavy security.
“Since you will be coming and going often, we will proceed with fingerprint registration first.”
“Of course.”
Perhaps thanks to my answer last time, I was being treated almost like family, even getting my fingerprint registered in the security system.
Soon, I stepped into the training ground.
There stood Kim Jeong-hun, dressed in a gray training uniform, his face scrunched into a deep scowl.
For now, Butler Park was still with us.
“Hey, Jeong-hun!”
I greeted him cheerfully, which only made his expression contort further.
Tsk, tsk. He’s so bad at controlling his expression.
Butler Park was Kim Yong-un’s eyes and ears.
That kind of attitude would get back to his father whenever he wanted. How foolish.
“I will take my leave now. Please let me know if you need anything.”
“Yes, I will.”
Butler Park bowed respectfully and left the training ground.
The moment we were alone, the smile on my face vanished completely.
“Wow, this training ground is nice.”
Knock, knock!
I tapped on the wall, and a solid sound echoed back.
It seemed to be made with a mithril alloy, excellent for shock absorption.
It was much cheaper than solid mithril, but… this was still pretty good.
“…When are we going to start training?”
Unable to watch any longer, the kid spoke to me.
It wasn’t because he actually wanted to train, but because he wanted to get rid of me as quickly as possible.
I had no desire to stay here for long either.
Our Eun-bi was just one floor up. Why would I want to be stuck down here?
I told him today’s training assignment.
“From now on, 1,000 horizontal slashes and 1,000 vertical slashes each.”
“What…?”
He frowned and asked me to repeat myself.
“You heard me, don’t ask again. What you heard is correct.”
“So you’re telling me… to do 1,000 horizontal and 1,000 vertical slashes?”
“Yeah. One thousand times, each one with your full strength, without letting your form break. When I get back and check, if your skills haven’t improved enough to reflect a thousand swings, you’re dead meat.”
As I growled out the threat, his gaping mouth snapped shut.
Then, as if sensing something ominous in my words, he asked urgently.
“When you get… back? Where are you…!”
“Where do you think, you punk?”
I pointed a finger upward and answered.
“To see Eun-bi noona.”
I wonder what our Eun-bi’s room looks like.