The Moneylender Park Hyeon-sik
After finishing off all the Harpies in the vicinity, Yushin returned to the bus. Inside, three men in suits were conversing with the man who had introduced himself as the team leader earlier. Yushin glanced at them briefly before walking over to his mother, who was among the crowd. Everyone was staring intently at Yushin. Some were even recording him with their phones. Yushin didn't know it yet, but hunter hunting footage was a guaranteed way to get basic views on YouTube. People envied hunters who wielded superhuman abilities, and because these weren't choreographed fights like in movies, they were genuinely entertaining to watch.
Just then, one of the men in suits who had been talking to Park Hae-soo spoke up.
"Everyone, please look here."
Yushin and the others turned their gazes toward the man. However, Park Hae-soo called Yushin and Yoo Insook over to where the driver's seat was.
"I still don't know your name. May I ask what it is?"
"Cheon Yushin."
"I see. Mr. Cheon Yushin. We will verify all the Harpies you caught and issue your compensation."
"Compensation?"
"Yes. That includes the Magic Stones that dropped from the Harpies."
Park Hae-soo pulled a business card from his pocket and handed it to Yushin.
"If you send your name and account number to the number written here, the deposit will be made within a few days."
"I forgot my account number, but is it okay to use my mom's?"
"That's perfectly fine."
Park Hae-soo nodded readily. Just then, a flash of light went off behind them. Huh? Yushin’s head turned back. There, people were standing with dazed expressions, staring at the man in the suit. What was that?
In the meantime, the man in the suit spoke to the people watching him.
"From now on, you will all forget what happened here. Furthermore, you will delete all videos you recorded here."
The world he had returned to after 400 years had changed so much. Even though only five years had passed here. He could use that kind of ability himself, too. But his skills were currently sealed. Still, that didn't look like a skill; it seemed to be operated by a machine. How on earth did they do that? As Yushin was filled with questions, Park Hae-soo’s voice reached his ears.
"I will take you home."
Park Hae-soo’s eyes sparkled as he looked at Yushin. He was a fresh, hot-off-the-press rookie who hadn't even registered as a hunter yet. And a hunter whose rank was expected to be at least C-class, at that. If he joined the Hunter Management Department, he would become a new source of strength for the department, which was growing weaker by the day.
#
Yushin’s family had been wealthy. That was because his father had been the president of a small-to-medium enterprise with 100 employees. Thanks to that, Yushin’s family had lived without wanting for anything. But upon returning home, Yushin shut his mouth as he looked inside.
One room, one living room. It was an ideal size for living alone, but it was woefully insufficient for a family to live in. Moreover, mold had taken hold in various spots on the wallpaper. He had lived here with his younger sister?
"Mom?..."
At Yushin’s question, which demanded an explanation, Yoo Insook began to speak. His father had been the victim of a hit-and-run, and according to the will held by the company’s legal counsel, all his assets had been transferred not to his family, but to his older brother, Yushin's uncle.
At the news that his father had passed away, Yushin pressed his lips together tightly. But only for a moment.
"No, why would Dad leave a will like that? He had a family, so why transfer the inheritance to Uncle?"
It was a suspicious story. It was something he couldn't even begin to understand.
"So, were you kicked out of the original house..., no, is that why you moved here?"
His mother nodded.
"It’s alright, though. Actually, the house we were in before was too big. It was hard to clean every day."
His mother forced a smile. Seeing the atmosphere dampen, Yushin changed the subject.
"Mom, what about Jina?"
Yushin had a younger sister who was five years his junior. Back then, he had found playing with his sister to be nothing but a nuisance. Whenever he tried to play the games he wanted, she would always come over, pestering him or asking him to play with her. When he thought he would never see her again, that was what he felt most sorry about, and what weighed on his heart the most. That was why he missed her so much.
"Oh, she’s coming tomorrow. She’s currently staying in a dormitory. It was hard enough stopping her from coming today when I told her her brother had woken up."
"A dormitory?"
"Jina is already a high school senior. She’s been living in the dorm for a while now."
Time flies. His sister, who used to be a middle schooler, was now a high school girl preparing for the college entrance exam. As he let out a faint sigh at the complicated feeling, his mother said.
"Anyway, get some rest. Mom will cook for you."
His mother went to the kitchen and started cooking, and Yushin turned on the TV. The screen was moving rapidly from the sea to the land. It was a TV video he hadn't seen in a very long time, so Yushin began to focus as if he were about to be sucked into the screen. The screen was soon illuminating a certain place.
'That's pretty big?'
There, a monster reaching several dozen meters in height, like a building, was standing without a single movement, as if it were sleeping. 'Is it a reptile?' Covered in thick, hard-looking scales, it had sharp teeth protruding from its mouth, matching its massive size. It had several giant protrusions on its tail and back, so it looked like it would hurt quite a bit if one were hit by them. Just then, two men appeared in a small square box in the bottom right corner, sitting at a desk. The two men began to talk while watching the video.
[The name of that guy you are looking at right now is Apocalyptor.]
'Apocalyptor?'
[Apocalyptor, you say?]
[It brought about the apocalypse of Dokdo, and since it looks like a reptile on the outside, that name was chosen.]
[Then that wouldn't be its exact name, would it?]
[Yes. Since there has been no case of capturing that guy, it is currently called Apocalyptor.]
[By the way, it's incredibly huge. Even at a glance, it looks extremely strong.]
[Because of that guy, access to Dokdo has been restricted. At the time, as a B-grade Gate was generated, hunters belonging to the Hunter Management Department attempted to clear it, but all of them died. As a result, the gate naturally broke, and that guy appeared.]
[Because of that guy, we were dropped from the world's top 10 countries?]
[That is correct. Because the hunters from the Hunter Management Department who died at the time were effectively the most powerful hunters in South Korea. And because of that incident, the Hunter Management Department began its path of decline.]
'C-class Gate, huh. And what is a Gate Break again?'
The terminology wasn't familiar yet. Yushin, who had lost interest in the broadcast filming the guy who wasn't moving at all, changed the channel. This time, too, two men were sitting side by side. They were broadcasting a scene where hunters were hunting monsters.
「Did you see that? That is the domestic ranking #1 who appeared like a comet, Kang Minho!」
In the video, Kang Minho was hunting monsters alone. 'It's an Orc.'
He was literally wiping out the Orcs, which were covered in green skin and muscles. 「Isn't his combat sense truly amazing?」
「Yes. You saw that correctly. One of the skills possessed by Hunter Kang Minho is combat sense.」
「Combat sense? What kind of ability does that have?」
「According to information obtained, when combat sense is activated, the world changes to move slowly.」
「Ha! Isn't that an incredible skill?」
「It is incredible. Look at Hunter Kang Minho. Even though he is surrounded by Orcs, he hasn't allowed a single hit.」
「That is truly amazing.」
Watching the video, Yushin tilted his head. 'Is that amazing?'
That much is something all demons can do. Besides, what is that inefficient movement while dealing with mere Orcs? Yushin couldn't help but sigh at Kang Minho’s movements, which were filled with flair as if for show. What if he faced demons with movements like that? 'His heart would be ripped out in less than a minute.'
However, Yushin couldn't continue his thoughts. It was because of the fragrant smell of food wafting from the kitchen. Yushin sat at the dining table in the corner of the kitchen as if possessed. Food was already spread out. From fried eggs to a spicy Kimchi Jjigae. It was simple, but for Yushin, who hadn't eaten food like this for over 100 years, it was enough. No, it was more than enough. But his mother didn't seem to think so, as she wore an apologetic expression.
"Son, I'm sorry. We ran out of ingredients, so I couldn't make anything delicious. I'll buy something tasty on my way back from work, so wait a little bit. Okay?"
"No. Mom, this is enough for me."
Yushin, who had already filled his mouth with white rice, closed his eyes on his own. 'Each grain of rice is moist and chewy!' He had tried to make rice with similar ingredients there, but he had failed every time. Feeling the unique flavor of the rice gradually leading to a subtle sweetness, Yushin’s spoon headed toward the Kimchi Jjigae. The moment he put the steaming Kimchi Jjigae into his mouth, Yushin closed his eyes once again. The sharp, spicy taste, and even the savory scent of fermented kimchi! It was clearing his stuffy nose and going down his throat, heating up the organs inside his body. Yushin savored the taste slowly, as if eating heavenly food.
"Is it that good?"
His mother said with a satisfied smile. Yushin nodded without a word. Because it was food he had truly missed so much. He had missed pizza and chicken, but he had missed his mother’s home-cooked meals so much.
To Yushin, who had already cleared the food, his mother said with an apologetic expression.
"Son. What do I do? I'm sorry. I have to go to work today because it's the night shift."
"Night shift?"
"Yes. I want to take the shift off today, but I can't."
"...What kind of work do you do that requires a night shift?"
"Yes. I work at a factory."
"...You work at a factory?"
As far as he remembered, his mother had never gotten her hands wet in her life. She was a mother who had taken care of the household and done the housework. Such a mother works at a factory? Yushin’s mind became complicated for a moment. That was when it happened.
"Is anyone there?!"
A heavy man’s voice was heard from outside the entrance door.
"It sounds like they came to our house?"
"Uh, um..."
His mother’s expression turned sour.
"I know you're in there. Open the door..."
Bang bang bang! What is this? How rude. Yushin jumped up from his chair.
"Yushin, Mom will go out."
"What's going on? Are they people you know?"
His mother, who hesitated for a moment, answered reluctantly.
"Actually, they are loan sharks."
"...Loan sharks? Mom, did you take out a private loan?"
"Uh, um. Because the hospital bills came out higher than I thought. So Mom will go out, so Yushin, you stay here."
Even at that moment, they were pounding on the entrance door from outside.
"I'll look too. Since they're here anyway, I should at least see their faces."
When Yushin opened the door, two menacing men were standing there.
"Who are you?"
The loan sharks, who had thought the middle-aged woman would be alone, opened their eyes wide at the man who had opened the door.
"Did we find the wrong place?"
"No, sir. This is the right place."
"Then who is this guy in front of us?"
"I think it might be that son?"
"Son? Ah..., the one who was a vegetable?"
Yushin grinned at them.
"That's right. I'm that vegetable."
"...Why is your speech so short?"
"You said you were loan sharks. Aren't you bad guys?"
What is this guy? The loan shark, Park Hyeon-sik, scanned the vegetable in front of him from head to toe. Usually, when people hear "loan shark," ordinary people are prone to being scared. So it’s easier to work without having to use profanity. But why isn't this guy scared? And even so, how can he call them bad guys to their faces? 'Do you become a fool when you wake up from being a vegetable?'
Just then, the vegetable, Cheon Yushin, grinned.
"You said you were loan sharks, right?"
"Y, yes, but?"
Due to the strange pressure, Park Hyeon-sik stuttered without realizing it.
"Private loans, isn't that illegal?"
At the word "illegal," sparks flew from Park Hyeon-sik’s two eyes.
"Where are you spouting ignorant nonsense?! I, Park Hyeon-sik, am a person far from the word illegal! Lending is legal, don't you even know that? We even received a permit."
"That's right, sir. This guy must be young and not know well yet. Hey, kid. We are loan sharks who have received permits in the sun and do legal work. So don't compare us to those illegal loan sharks. Do you understand?"
Seeing them speaking confidently while spitting, Yushin flinched instead. Huh? What is this, are they not the loan sharks I know?
"Excuse me. Ma'am. What is the interest on the money we lent?"
Park Hyeon-sik’s subordinate glared at his mother, Yoo Insook, and said.
"8... percent."
"Look! Didn't I say 8 percent! We didn't exceed the legal interest rate of 80%, and this is a warm sunshine loan that adds 1-2% more than the bank interest rate."
'8 percent? It's only that much?' As far as he remembered, bank interest was usually around 4-6%. But if the interest paid while taking out a loan is 8%, it's definitely...
"So how much is it?"
"Why, are you going to pay it back? It's a bit much. Well, since you're the reason for the debt, you should pay it back. Let's see..."
Park Hyeon-sik’s subordinate took out a notebook from his pocket.
"It's 83 million won. Including interest."
"...83 million?"
Yushin blinked at the rather large amount. However.
"It's not much. I'll pay it back soon, so just go back for now."
"Are you serious?"
Park Hyeon-sik asked back.
"I said I'd pay it back."
At those words, Park Hyeon-sik had no choice but to return, albeit suspiciously. What could he do when the debtor says they don't have the money? He is a legal loan shark aiming for the sun. He cannot engage in profanity or violence just because they don't pay back the money. Watching them return through the window, Yushin muttered.
"Are they really not illegal loan sharks?"
They were people who left too cleanly. In novels, loan sharks are usually depicted as bad and often end up beaten by the protagonist, but they were different. Or rather, he felt they had a naive impression.
His mother, who had approached from behind, said.
"They are really good people. I tried to get loans from here and there because Yushin’s hospital bills were insufficient, but I was rejected everywhere. If it weren't for them, really..."
"I, I see?"
Yushin’s expression as he answered became slightly bitter.
'Damn it, if this is the case, it's a bust.'
If they were bad guys, he had planned to chase them away with the power he possessed.