Chapter 77
Chapter 77
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 77
Chapter Title: The Hunt Remembers
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Returning from the general store, Susa caught an unexpected sight from his seat by the window on the first floor.
Isilite, her eyes puffy and swollen, was sitting in front of Hwan-in, sniffling away.
"Whoa! So Isilite's a girl after all?!"
"...I'll kill you."
"Eek! Just kidding, kidding!"
Susa felt his life flash before his eyes as a wooden chair whizzed past his face. He ducked behind Brillit and apologized in a frenzy.
Isilite had no desire to waste her current mood on nonsense, so she blew her nose, returned to her seat, and sat quietly.
What on earth had happened while he was briefly at the store to make that fierce wildcat shed tears? Susa ordered beer for everyone— one per head— and glanced at Isilite while asking Hwan-in.
"I never imagined Isilite crying like that. What happened...?"
"Coincidentally, I sent Isilite's mixed soul to enlightenment."
"Ah, tears of joy, right?"
Reading Susa's consideration, Hwan-in gave a small smile and shook his head.
"Turns out the mixed soul was Isilite's little sister from childhood."
"Huh?!"
He gave a brief summary of the upstairs events, careful not to reveal Isilite's past. Susa listened with serious hums and hms, then offered her his sincere congratulations.
"Your precious little sister safely achieved enlightenment and departed for the gods' garden. Congratulations."
"...Thanks."
"Huh, so you'll follow the Soul Whisperer for life now, Isilite?"
"Yeah. Even without a contract, I'll stick with Master forever. It's what Avest asked for, too."
"Smart choice. As you know, Isilite, there aren't many like the Soul Whisperer in this world."
"I know. Really..."
Susa inwardly exclaimed at Isilite's glance toward Hwan-in as she replied.
'He's got her hooked good! Body and soul, she's his prisoner!'
Susa could only marvel.
The four village maidens in Yulcam looked ready to offer their hearts if Hwan-in asked.
It was the first time in his forty years he'd seen women show such resolve— and now even an awakened class holder!
How did one make women fall so hard? As Susa pondered, he suddenly flinched.
'Wait a minute, now that I think about it...'
Since the sparring match in front of Lehil, Brillit's gaze toward Hwan-in had changed at times.
A crisis dawned on him: he might lose his girlfriend if he wasn't careful.
Especially recalling that last night in Yulcam, after a heated romp with Brillit, how she'd sighed in dissatisfaction. Susa clenched his fist.
'No choice. Tonight, I'll pop a secret stamina pill and go all out.'
Susa had come to somewhat admire Hwan-in like a respected figure, but that was that, and this was this. He couldn't just watch his woman get stolen.
With that resolve, Susa handed all the proceeds from selling the magic beast and shapeshifter hides to Hwan-in.
"There was too much hide to sell here, but thanks to this overflow incident raising alarms, Mera the village chief plans to make leather armor for the militia. Sold most of it at a good price. Here's the money."
The pouch held a whopping 76 silver coins. Roughly 1.9 million won per hide.
"The fangs and horns should be sold in Wayford. They're used a lot in alchemy and pharmacy, so better prices there than Etbrook."
"I'll leave business to you since you know it best. Here, your shares."
He handed over 8 silver coins, rounded up. Susa accepted them politely with both hands.
This had been decided on the way here. No matter the sales, 90% to Hwan-in, 10% to Susa's group.
Susa had wanted to yield everything— horns, fangs, hides, all proceeds— but Hwan-in knew unilateral deals shattered like glass.
He'd planned a 7:3 split considering roles, but Susa politely refused until it settled at 9:1.
Of the 8 silvers: 3 to Brillit, 3 to Dinte and Hyuseok, 2 to Susa.
'The 6 Greniers, including meat, bones, and byproducts, came to 6 silvers.'
Anyway, assets now: 2 gold, 13 ten-silvers, 47 silvers. About 370 million won.
The tribal alliance gold was for evidence, preserved.
'Subjugation contract: 1 gold. Wayford admin for ID registration and labyrinth permit: 5 ten-silvers for two. Usable cash: around 220 million...'
A lot if a lot, little if little.
Dorito the Yulcam store owner gave first-aid potions that heal gut-spilling wounds to slightly less severe— 5 silvers each.
Two per person, gear repairs, inn stays, info gathering— 2 gold would vanish fast.
'But labyrinth monster byproducts are surprisingly lucrative.'
Who knew a near-pristine wolf-sized hide fetched 1.9 million won.
A month of prep and info after, no loss, maybe some profit.
'Worst case, leverage the Soul Whisperer name.'
Hwan-in calmly planned small-city operations in his head, watching the group laugh over cool, dewy beer.
Creeeak, creeeak— the bed frame screamed.
Whispers too soft to discern.
A woman's sobbing moans.
Porter Elres mingling flesh with someone, or Brillit loving Susa— blatant carnal symphony pierced the wooden walls.
"...".
Lying still, listening for sleep, Hwan-in finally sighed, rose from bed. Better stroll the village, nap idly somewhere quiet.
"Mm...".
Opening the door, past Isilite sleeping lightly on mat and bag in thin clothes, clearer moans echoed from adjacent rooms.
'Both, huh.'
Exiting the eerily quiet inn— save upstairs creaks— moonlit village gleamed white.
And faint figures here and there.
Any normal person would scream ghost, but Hwan-in ignored with his dry sensibilities, strolling the path.
"M-Master!"
Isilite came dashing in just a cloak, disheveled from sleep. Through the gap, short tights-like underwear and thin linen shirt revealed pert breasts.
Grabbing her greatsword instinctively? Or on purpose?
"Ah, why're you out? Can't sleep? Enemy?"
"Just a walk. Go back to sleep."
"No. I'll follow you, Master."
The wavy brown-haired beauty gazed innocently. Hwan-in eyed her face briefly, turned, and walked on.
"Avest didn't mean cling like this always. Probably meant travel as comrades."
"Eh... really?"
Outwardly comrades to the end, but inwardly hoping beyond. How to explain? Honesty absurd, Hwan-in stayed silent.
Isilite hesitated, then hurried after, face trusting utterly.
"Still following. You came unarmed, Master."
"...".
Hwan-in felt unease at her unquestioning faith— opposite his two-faced self, pure inside and out.
Uncomfortable company, yet ideal partner. Hiding it, he showed the stone axe at his waist.
"Can't you see this?"
"With a toy like that...".
Ignoring her, Hwan-in pointed at a fence 50m away, tossed the axe casually.
Whirrr... crack!
Isilite watched it embed perfectly, mouth agape, blinked, rushed to retrieve it.
"You learned throwing too, Master?"
"As I said daytime, first wielded weapon in battle three months ago."
"...Wow. I practiced dagger throws years, barely hit 10m foes...".
"That's serious."
"N-No, that's normal. ...Probably."
"Your teacher that level?"
"...That mercenary was above average...".
Recalling the skinny merc hitting 20m apples, Isilite drooped, shook head.
'Relations shifted; bond a bit.'
Hwan-in picked pebbles, handed to her.
"Hit that fence. Branching out."
"...".
Staring intently at 20m fence, Isilite huffed short, threw.
Pew...
Pebbles vanished bullet-like into dark.
"...".
"...".
Ignoring her flushed face, Hwan-in showed hand form, wrist, shoulder, threw basically.
Swoosh— thunk!
"Whoa."
"Eyes on target. Focus wrist snap, shoulder turn. Calculate angle, where pebble flies, weight, arc mentally. Practice, accuracy rises."
"...".
Isilite overwhelmed, unsure first question.
Parabola? Angle? Snap?
But mimic clear.
Unlike skinny merc's "look straight, throw hard" nagging for cash, incomparable. Mimicking fully, she threw.
Swoosh!
Mighty pebble grazed better trajectory, missed fence slightly.
"Wow!"
She beamed, jumping joy.
Mimic alone improved so much— big targets at 30m possible?
"Throws vary by projectile, but basics same. Remember motions, train gaps, skill grows."
Throwing again mid-explain, barely clipping branch, Isilite brightened, yelled.
"Yes! Wow, Master teaches great too. Skinny merc just droned 'look right, power up' endlessly, demanding pay!"
"...Quiet, it's night."
"Yes."
Silencing chatty Isilite, Hwan-in walked on, pondering her change.
Frankly, her rapid shift baffled him.
First meet, thief boss with charisma. Now puppy-like.
'Just internet absence changes people this much?'
On Earth, Hwan-in read columns: internet accelerates human malice.
Modern kids absorb evil faster via easy crime access.
Having grown sans then flooded internet, he agreed somewhat.
Personality shaped by environment. Mengo's three moves extension.
Easy evil access, easy corruption.
'But Isilite's change too extreme.'
Not fake, yet...
Clearing head amid thoughts, Hwan-in circled village, sat gazebo under ancient zelkova-like tree central.
'No mixed souls. All souls light gray, twenty-seven.'
Whooo— cold wind cooled heated body. Forehead tingled anew.
Daytime spot of Avest's kiss.
Bothered. Blue soul turned gray, mint-juice sting post-kiss, all.
Avest clung years despite mixing.
Didn't seem harmful.
Eyed Isilite practicing pebbles nearby.
Not dumb enough to harm him unknowing harm to her.
'So left something. What?'
Watching cloak flap, heavy breasts sway per throw, spotted old dog-headed soul approaching.
Turned gaze.
"Soul Whisperer..."
This it.
Soul voice echoed spirit's ring. Hwan-in clenched fist.