Chapter 117
Chapter 117
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 117
Chapter Title: End of Childhood - Epilogue (1)
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0.
“Ever since the fall…… that’s right.”
The old hunter continued in a kindly tone.
“Fighting in places like that…… We can’t even imagine what the Association has gone through, what kind of despair you’ve endured.”
I kept my mouth shut quietly.
In that fleeting moment, the landscapes that flashed before my eyes were the journey of blood and death up to now.
Was it the same for them?
Jeong Ha-kyeong, Choi Uk, Lee Seong-mi. I could see the hunters who had led the dawn of nightmare hunting lowering their gazes in quiet sorrow.
“If you still can’t accept it…… let’s talk about something else.”
“……?”
“Association President, does the nation pour defense funds into civilians?”
“…………!”
“As you know, it goes to the soldiers…… It’s the same principle.”
The old man said this with a gentle smile, and the other rear-line hunters nodded in agreement.
“Lead Hunter. Today’s achievements are entirely yours.”
“No─”
“─Yes. The great victory led by the Association…….”
I tried to protest again.
“So it’s only right that the Association takes all the rewards.
But the old hunter didn’t give me even a moment’s pause, pressing on.
“Please…… use it as the Association sees fit. That’s the path to sharing soulstones with us.”
2.
“Here…… let me introduce some new friends.”
The teacher with the cute face gestured toward the front door, and fifteen children shuffled timidly into the classroom.
“The new friends have been outside for a long time, so it might be hard for them to adjust. But Class 1 will help them out, right?”
“Yes!” “Yes!” “Yes!”
“Now, I’ll write the new friends’ names on the board.”
That utterly everyday scene.
Jeong Ha-kyeong and I watched quietly from the distant hallway, then turned to face each other.
“You know? There’s more than just Class 1. Up to Class 4, they say.”
Jeong Ha-kyeong’s bob had grown a bit longer, enough to cover her shoulders. Personal preference, but she looked even prettier now.
“I know. Each class has about thirty kids, right?”
Paradise had nearly doubled in size.
That meant they could now house all the outcasts from Seodaemun-gu.
Naturally, the kids from DMC Station had enrolled at Kyunghee Academy too.
The ones we were watching right now.
They were those very kids.
As if someone had played a prank.
Bright, innocent laughter spilled out from the classroom.
Gye-sang, are you watching this too?
I hope…… this is the dream you longed for.
“Shall we get going? We’ve got mountains of work.”
“I want to take it easy today.”
As I tried to sneak away, Jeong Ha-kyeong flashed the smile a mother gives when her exam-prep kid says, “Just games today.”
“Wow, how much Association President experience have you scarfed down to start slacking off already?”
That cat-like gaze, brimming with a killer smile.
My instincts screamed.
Run…… run away, Kim Baek-jun.
“Hey, hey! Where do you think you’re going? Get over here?”
“Argh! W-wait a sec!”
“Hm?”
“U-using 《Super Acceleration》 indoors? What’s that about!”
“What do you mean…… Between us, this is nothing.”
As I started to say something.
Jeong Ha-kyeong smiled gently and pressed her index finger to my lips.
“Enough. No need for thanks. What are we to each other?”
2.
“Well…… Seung-hyeon and Geon-woo probably get it too? Why there’s a lump on my head.”
Kyunghee Palace garden.
Leaning against a newly erected memorial stele here, I took a bite of my sandwich.
“Ha-kyeong’s getting fiercer by the day, and with no one to hold her back, it’s tough, Byeong-gyu.”
A gentle breeze rustled the broadleaf trees’ leaves.
A crow cawed somewhere.
And, as always, the tombstone gave no reply.
“Gye-sang, that kid from DMC Station…… Su-min, was it? The one you cherished.”
……………….
“They say she’s really smart. All the teachers are raving about her. For real.”
I don’t know why.
The breeze that blew then, brushing my bangs.
It felt like their touch.
Amid the grief stabbing my heart.
I finished the sandwich and pulled “that” from the basket. Precisely.
And then.
I gazed at the newly erected memorial stele.
Staring at the name engraved there, I gave a bitter smile.
“You’re so sly. Keeping watch over me all alone…… There’s so much I wanted to ask…….”
……Huh?
What suddenly came to mind.
A long-forgotten, happy memory from long ago.
- Your dad has a junior, you know? He’s huge like a mountain and strong as an ox.
It was at a rib joint.
After I took first in the school sports day, my adoptive father Kim Jae-sin had excitedly splurged and taken me there.
- He’s amazing in every way. Right, dear?
- Of course. He’s our pride and joy.
- Meet him sometime. Your personalities are similar; you’ll hit it off. If you like him, become sworn brothers.
- Sworn brothers? Out of nowhere?
- What’s with the surprise? Real men do that! If you click, you become brothers.
- Oh, Baek-jun. No marriage, okay? Mom’s old-fashioned; she can’t stand men marrying men.
- Hold on. Hold on. Are you drunk? What are you saying to the kid?
But that day never came.
And three days later, they both left this world.
I sucked in a breath.
Wait. No way, no way.
That person…… that person…… was talking about Im Yong-gon?
Unconsciously fiddling with my adoptive father’s wristwatch, I turned back to the tooltip.
Yes…… it’s him.
Clutching the blood crystal, I buried my face in my knees.
“You were always so proud…… of him…… far more than a guy like me…….”
And I began to cry.
Quietly. Calmly. Sadly. Praying my voice would reach that regretting soul.
“You got here first.”
Then a hand rested on my shoulder.
Looking up, a middle-aged man in plain clothes was gazing down at me.
“Choi Uk……?”
“No intention of interrupting.”
“……?”
“Not here on business with you, either.”
“……?”
“Surprised I didn’t come to talk to you? I’m just here to mourn a friend.”
This was quite astonishing.
Choi Uk had never visited a memorial alone without formal procedure.
“What a foolish man.”
Choi Uk stroked the stele, Im Yong-gon’s three-syllable name engraved there, and after a long while, said that.
“Did I ever tell you…… back when we escaped Gynam-dong, that Im Yong-gon never gave up on you?”
“……Yes.”
“So that was the reason. More sentimental than he seemed.”
Choi Uk said this.
I could see his old, wrinkled hand trembling faintly.
“He was strong.”
“And a good friend.”
Much later.
Truly much later.
Choi Uk turned to me with a wistful smile.
“I won’t be visiting memorials anymore.”
“……?”
“Because I have to run twice as hard for Im Yong-gon’s share. No time to rest.”
“……No time to hang around here either, then. Yong-gon was tall; his legs were huge.”
As Choi Uk gave a wry smile.
The grenade launcher slung on his back, RinRin (he always carried Rin even in plain clothes), hummed and flickered at me.
「Uncle. Uncle. Crying is sad. Crying hurts. Smiling is good. Today is happy. Today is good.」
I don’t know why.
But those words layered with Im Yong-gon’s, Kim Gye-sang’s, Hong Byeong-gyu’s, Cha Seung-hyeon’s, Yoon Geon-woo’s voices.
“Yeah…… right…… you’re right.”
So I did.
Wiping my tears, I stood and smiled through sobs.
No crying.
It wasn’t a day for tears. It was a happy day. Because today was.
“A precious day…… gifted by everyone named here.”
3.
The ‘Exalted One’ subjugation battle.
Four days had already passed since that day of calamity.
Sinchon Severance Hospital.
Shin Tae-yeop, whom I met again there, was still bedridden but looking much healthier.
“Oh, what’s this? Ye-jin’s here too?”
No sooner had I opened the door.
There was Do Ye-jin, chatting with Shin Tae-yeop. She jumped to her feet.
“Uh…… just popped in for a bit.”
“Yeah? For a bit? You could stay longer. No hunting missions for a while.”
Do Ye-jin rolled her eyes.
Then, as if struck by a thought, she snapped her fingers and said this.
“W-well, you see, on my way to the bathroom!”
Jeong Ha-kyeong crossed her arms in disbelief.
“Wow, fuck, that’s hilarious. Right?”
“W-what……?”
“Want me to list it out? What girl goes to the bathroom from Gynam-dong HQ all the way to Seodaemun Central Hospital and up to a room on the fourth floor? Damn, impressive, fuck.”
“Anyway, it’s the bathroom!”
“Fuck, what’s with that puberty cafeteria reaction? Don’t tell me you’re…….”
Do Ye-jin suddenly got serious.
Stuck her tongue out at Jeong Ha-kyeong and bolted out of the room.
“L-look at that fucking bitch? Kim Baek-jun, she’s talking shit. I’ll drag her back.”
“Sure. Oh, no 《Super Acceleration》. By the way, Association President’s orders.”
“Fuck…….”
Jeong Ha-kyeong grumbled and dashed out the door.
The silence after the chaos.
I chuckled and perched on the chair where Do Ye-jin had been sitting.
“It’s warm. She must’ve been here a while.”
“What’re you getting at?”
“Can’t have Su-jin, so hitting on her little sister? Kid, you’re a guy after all.”
At my teasing, Shin Tae-yeop scoffed “Hmph” and shook his head.
“Ha…… fine. Drop it. I get it. Uncle’s level…….”
What the hell with this kid?
Why’s he talking like he’s in a drama?
“Seriously…… so boring I wanna die.”
“……What? Why?”
I could only stammer like this. Best I could do.
“Uncle thinks any guy-girl talk is romance. Pathetic.”
“……………!”
“Relationships are 「war」. Not like you, Uncle.”
“…………………!”
“You never show your back to a soldier with a gun. Even if it’s a rookie like Do Ye-jin.”
No clue what nonsense this is.
But dizziness hit me suddenly.
And without thinking, I smacked Shin Tae-yeop’s crown hard.
“Ow! Why! What the hell!”
“Right…… why? Suddenly wanna beat the shit outta you.”
Next instant. We stared at each other, then burst out laughing.
Such clear, pure laughter.
Hearing it, I finally understood why Bingryong Skesa had followed this kid from the start.
“Oh yeah, Uncle!”
[Hunter, Im Yong-gon’s Blood Crystal]
[Description Summary]
- 1: Flame-shaped obsidian.
- 2: Black Flame Star Labelhein. Remnant of the hunter who served that absolute monarch.
[Usage]
- By breaking the blood crystal.
Use the power dwelling in this raw stone, the unique skill 《Flame Essence Strike》 (1) time(s).
[Unique Skill: 《Flame Essence Strike》]
- Use the absolute authority of Black Flame Star Labelhein.
- Usable times: (1)
Im Yong-gon.
Absolute Star Labelhein.
Just the fact he was chosen by that absolute monarch explained how mighty he was.
And yet.
At the crossroads of life and death.
Why did he abandon himself for a young man, for the world?
In his youth.
Im Yong-gon had a dream.
But.
Wandering after losing it to one regretful mistake.
For such a man.
What did reuniting with the Lead Hunter mean?
Watching the youth who returned, fully embodying the heroes he admired.
Surely, he felt much.
So when choice came again.
He didn’t hesitate.
In the end.
He followed the lives of the heroes he’d always admired.
You who repented with tears.
Let your body become the bread of life, that the world may have morning.