Chapter 496: The Exchange (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 496: The Exchange (5)
For a Hunter, their greatest asset is their body itself.
Therefore, methods to handle the body efficiently are also highly valued.
Even more so if those methods have been proven through hundreds, even thousands, of real battles.
This is why specialized Hunter personal training became popular, and why the number of martial arts dojos, which had been dwindling before the age of Hunters, suddenly surged.
The difference it made was that significant.
The skill gap between those who had steadily built their foundation from the basics and those who hadn't was immense.
The cost to enroll in a dojo run by a Hunter who had once been on the verge of S-rank but ultimately retired without succeeding was nearly as much as a semester of university tuition.
Considering one would have to attend for at least a few years to complete the various curricula, the total cost was astronomical.
And even then, you wouldn't learn a single move of the master's most secret, hidden techniques.
Those were reserved for the exceptionally gifted, for whom talent was as crucial as money.
In other words, the basic martial arts and theories established by an A-rank Hunter who failed to reach S-rank were worth a fortune, ranging from tens to hundreds of millions of won.
In that case…
What would be the price of teachings from an S-rank Hunter who was number one in Korea, easily in the upper-middle ranks globally, and still active in the field?
And what if it wasn't just the basics, but his signature techniques?
Even Yoon Si-hoo, who wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed, could figure that out in an instant.
‘This is insane….’
It was, quite literally, insane.
Son Si-woo had already made his stance clear through various media outlets.
He would never teach his swordsmanship for money.
He said that if he were ever to teach someone, it would only be possible if they were connected by a deep bond of fate.
Son Si-woo had given so much to the Hunter community.
But this, he had said, was something he couldn't give away so easily.
And for good reason.
It was something he had built over decades, something that defined his entire life—no, it was his life itself.
As this thought crossed his mind, Yoon Si-hoo was plunged into deeper confusion.
“Guild Leader, how do you know Hunter Son Si-woo’s swordsmanship…?”
How did Kim Do-jin know Son Si-woo’s techniques, and how could he declare he would teach them?
At this, he smiled.
“Who knows.”
It was just like before.
Just like when he had given that vague answer, telling him to prove his own worth.
He continued.
“Sometimes, there are relationships in this world that can’t be revealed to the public. My relationship with Hunter Son Si-woo… falls into that category.”
There’s some kind of relationship.
But it’s difficult to disclose it.
That was exactly how Yoon Si-hoo interpreted his words.
He was right.
After all, I couldn't just say, ‘The truth is, I’m Son Si-woo, and Son Si-woo is the original owner of this body.’
“I can’t give you a straight answer, but I can promise you this.”
“……?”
“What you'll be learning is the real deal, and there won't be any problems down the line. Ah!”
A thought suddenly occurred to him, and he quickly added.
“Actually, there might be one problem.”
“What kind of…?”
“That you might be called Hunter Son Si-woo’s successor, or the new hope to follow in his footsteps?”
“……!”
It might be a problem, if you wanted to call it that.
But to Yoon Si-hoo, those words acted not as a problem, but as kindling, setting his heart ablaze.
‘Me… following in Hunter Son Si-woo’s footsteps?’
It was a dream come true for anyone.
Especially for Hunters like him who primarily used a sword.
There was a time when the number one dream job for elementary schoolers wasn't just ‘Hunter,’ but specifically ‘Son Si-woo.’
Yoon Si-hoo was an adult who had grown up during that very era.
A passionate young man who had once hoped to become like Son Si-woo.
For that reason, the answer had been decided from the start.
Even though there were still many things he was curious about, many things he couldn't understand.
“…I’ll do it!”
He accepted.
And he made a vow.
He would endure any training, no matter how grueling—even if it made him feel like he’d rather die.
“Okay, good.”
Kim Do-jin smiled in satisfaction, seeing the resolve burning in those blazing eyes.
“Then you’ll have to puke three times, right?”
“Ah……”
His face soured in an instant.
He had forgotten that the trial of death wasn't starting someday, but today.
* * *
I always keep my word.
That’s my creed.
Ah, but only when it comes to training, of course.
As I’d declared beforehand, Yoon Si-hoo puked exactly three times.
First, he threw up what he’d eaten for breakfast. The second time, he brought up his lunch.
For the last one, with nothing left to expel, he just kept spewing bitter stomach acid.
“Th-three times… I did it.”
Thud!
And then he collapsed.
With the words, “I did it.”
Looking down at the guy passed out with vomit smeared around his mouth, I made a comment he couldn't hear.
“…He actually did it.”
Even back in my prime training days, I only ever puked twice at most.
“Well, whatever.”
I hoist the guy, who had collapsed after being thoroughly overworked, onto one shoulder and start walking.
As I was heading down the hallway to just dump him in his room, a familiar face approached from the opposite direction.
“Ah, Sunbae-nim.”
It was Jin Ha-rin.
Like Yoon Si-hoo, she was one of only two apprentice guild members, and also his childhood friend.
She approached with a slight bow, then her eyes widened in shock as she saw who was on my shoulder.
“S-Si-hoo…?!”
Well… I guess that’s a natural reaction to seeing your childhood friend being carried in unconscious.
“Wh-what happened?”
“We just did a little training.”
“Training… you say?”
Her brow furrowed slightly.
“Sunbae-nim, did you train Si-hoo yourself?”
“Yeah. I plan to for the time being. Ah, perfect timing.”
I hand Yoon Si-hoo, who was weighing down my shoulder, over to the puzzled Jin Ha-rin.
“Can you take him to his room and lay him down? If you can, maybe watch over him for a bit and get him some water.”
“Ah, yes….”
“And, uh… if you don’t mind, could you wipe his mouth too?”
“His mouth? Why his mouth… ah.”
Her forehead wrinkled even more than before.
Seeing her nose twitch, it seemed she finally caught the scent. The smell of vomit wafting up from his face.
Anyway, it worked out well.
Even for me, wiping up the vomit of a man I’m not related to would have been a bit much.
“It must have been tough since it was the first day, so please take good care of him, Ha-rin. You two are lovers…”
“Sunbae-nim.”
The temperature dropped instantly at the word ‘lovers.’
I quickly changed course.
“…well, not quite, but you’re close enough, right?”
Strange.
For a moment there, I felt a mortal threat from someone much younger and weaker than me. Must be my imagination.
“Haa… I understand. Thank you for teaching Si-hoo, Sunbae-nim.”
“Don’t mention it.”
“I’ll be going then. You should get some rest too, Sunbae-nim.”
“Yeah, thanks.”
After another bow, Jin Ha-rin supported Si-hoo and headed back the way she came.
“…It’s really strange.”
That junior of mine is just as strange as Yoon Si-hoo.
“They’re too close to be just friends, yet she adamantly denies they’re lovers. Really.”
With her personality, it's not like she's stringing him along.
Well, their relationship is for them to figure out.
“…I should probably start thinking about this seriously.”
Today was more or less just reckless training.
It was a stage to test his will before the real training began.
Now that I’ve assessed him, I need to at least draft a simple schedule for how to teach him.
If I trained him like today every day, his body would break down, Hunter or not.
“This is tricky.”
It’s one thing to teach, but this is my swordsmanship. It’s my first time teaching it, so I’m at a bit of a loss.
Well… I’m not too worried.
Just like all roads lead to Rome, I’m sure an answer will emerge if I just keep pushing him hard.
* * *
Day after day.
While the members of the Twilight Guild, who had arrived a week early, were each spending their time in their own way…
“Welcome.”
“May you have a blessed time.”
The number of people entering the Vatican began to increase.
During the period the Star Cluster Assembly was held, entry for tourists was strictly controlled.
In other words, everyone now entering the Vatican was here to participate in the Star Cluster Assembly.
“Hey, look over there.”
“Where?”
“Right there! Isn’t that the 3rd-ranked S-rank Hunter from the US?”
“Whoa, you’re right!”
“No way. I can’t believe I’m seeing him in person…!”
Thanks to this, the guild members were ecstatic.
It was no wonder they were amazed, as figures they’d be lucky to meet once in a lifetime were appearing one after another.
Several days passed with them marveling at the famous faces gathering.
Finally, a new day dawned.
The historic day the Star Cluster Assembly would begin.
They adorned themselves in outfits they had prepared in advance.
Beautiful dresses in a kaleidoscope of colors.
Heavy makeup, unlike their usual style.
And accessories that further enhanced their beauty.
The female guild members were stunning.
Meanwhile, Kim Do-jin became a machine.
“Do-jin, how do I look?”
“You’re pretty.”
“Hey, what about me!”
“You’re pretty.”
“How do I look, dear?”
“You look very beautiful.”
A machine that answered ‘you’re pretty’ whenever asked how someone looked.
Of course, it wasn't just a reflexive answer. They were genuinely so pretty that it was the only thing he could say.
Dressed to the nines, they walked gracefully down the long carpet and arrived at the banquet hall.
And they were captivated.
“Wow……”
Gasps of awe erupted simultaneously.
It was that magnificent, that beautiful.
Every piece of furniture and decoration that met the eye.
The lavish spread of delicacies laid out upon them.
And above all, the people freely mingling and exchanging greetings.
I led the slightly intimidated guild members inside.
Just as they took their seats at a suitably located table between the center and the outer edge…
The Saintess, dressed as always in a simple, pure white dress, stepped onto the dais.
“Welcome, my brothers and sisters. I am Sophia Saintess, the Saintess of the Vatican.”
Her clear voice, carried not by a microphone but by pure white mana, resonated throughout the vast banquet hall.
It was the signal flare announcing the official start of the Star Cluster Assembly.