Chapter 153
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 153
The lamb skewers were absolutely delicious.
"There isn’t even a hint of gaminess."
It was nothing short of a miracle.
"The lamb chops we had last time were delicious too, but..."
"That was steak."
"Yes, but I prefer how the skewers have a bit more texture."
Ju-hyeon didn’t particularly care for fine dining. Even as a 2nd-Grade Citizen, how could he enjoy gourmet food when he was busy living hand-to-mouth? He couldn’t even afford to make donations, so there was no way he could afford such luxury.
Yet, the exquisite taste and texture made even him feel a rare greed for food. He had occasionally eaten lamb skewers made from monsters before, but this was his first time having such a proper, satisfying meal.
"The balance between the fatty and lean parts is especially..."
"The fatty cuts were too rich and the lean ones too dry on their own, so I combined them," Gio explained.
"Thanks to that, I don’t think I could ever get tired of eating this. It’s amazing."
"If you keep praising me like that, I’ll have no choice but to keep feeding you."
"...I’ll be sure to pace myself, then."
Surprisingly, the mermaids also seemed to be enjoying the meal.
"Teacher, did you use different charcoal this time?"
"I found a new type of wood and decided to try it."
"It has a sharper aroma, making it more stimulating than the last one."
"Oh dear, was it too strong for you?"
"I meant it in a good way."
The way they chatted so warmly, they looked no different from a real family.
"..."
Ju-hyeon was struck by a strange sensation.
'...It’s much more ordinary and peaceful than I imagined.'
His thoughts drifted to the orphanage he considered his hometown. It had been under the Association’s purview and was particularly shunned. Life there had been full of hardship, but that environment had also forged strong bonds between them.
Even after striking out on his own, Ju-hyeon often visited the orphanage to help prepare meals. The menu was never grand, but the children would eagerly help wash ingredients or set the table. And the Director...
'It’s hard to put a finger on, but... this atmosphere is nice.'
The gentle breeze carried a pleasant warmth, bearing the scent of flowers on the sunlit air. The forest surrounding the cabin rustled with a refreshing sound. Birds peeked in from the trees, and clouds drifted lazily across the sky.
It wasn’t some picture-perfect, idealized scene, but rather the very definition of 'ordinary happiness'—the kind of simple peace one might hope for. He couldn’t help but think the scene before him was like something out of a fairy tale.
"...Hmm..."
But the reality was that he was with humanoid monsters and an Evil God.
'There’s a strange quality to this place, one that blurs the lines between good and evil.'
His mind had been running wild with thoughts ever since he arrived.
"By the way."
"...Ah, yes."
"You’re Teacher’s friend, right?"
At Aria’s question, her younger brother, Iser, also turned his gaze on Ju-hyeon. He didn’t seem to have anything to say, but when their eyes met, his own curved into a gentle crescent—a clear gesture of goodwill.
Aria soon continued.
"How did you two become friends?"
"Didn’t you already know the basics?"
"I get updates on what happens here."
"Then why...?"
"That doesn’t mean I know everything about Teacher."
"..."
"Still, I think I can guess," Aria said, looking back at Gio. "Because Teacher likes people who are good and polite."
Gio didn’t deny it, smiling readily. "Don’t you just naturally want to become friends with people like that?"
"I really can’t tell if you have good social skills or bad ones," Aria retorted before looking back at Ju-hyeon. "So, a 'smart pushover,' is that it?"
"...You... you know words like that?"
"I’ve studied a bit of Korean culture."
"I don’t know why you’d bother learning the word 'pushover,' though..."
Ju-hyeon’s face grew warm with embarrassment. Whenever someone pointed out his tendency to chase overly idealistic notions, he always felt a wave of shame.
"Am I a pushover?"
"Not at all," Gio denied firmly. "Doesn’t 'pushover' refer to someone who can’t protect their own interests and lets others take from them against their will? I believe you’re different, Ju-hyeon."
"You flatter me."
"To be honest, I much prefer people like you, Ju-hyeon. Someone with deep roots, yet strong and generous enough to share what they have."
"Uh... well..." Ju-hyeon’s smile became awkward. "...Thank you?"
"I’m only saying what I feel." Having said that, Gio turned to Iser with a soft smile. "The same goes for Cha Yi-sol, who was Iser’s partner last time."
At that, Iser nodded with a calm expression. "He was a good child."
"He resembled you, Iser."
"..."
A faint smile, his characteristic one, appeared on Iser’s face. "Now that is high praise indeed."
Seeing Ju-hyeon blinking in confusion, Gio explained, "The student named Cha Yi-sol is currently with the Sun Cult Seoul Branch."
"Ah... is he the child who was reportedly kidnapped and taken to the 'Deep Sea Kingdom'?"
"You know about that as well."
"I try to check all the information available at the Association whenever I can," Ju-hyeon nodded. "After all, it’s not every day a kidnapped child returns completely unharmed."
At his pointed gaze, Aria flashed a bright smile. "We had no intention of tormenting him. I know how precious a hostage is."
"The reports did say his treatment was nothing like that of a typical kidnapping."
"No matter how much we may dislike humans, we don’t go out of our way to torment a human child."
"Is that because you like children, Aria?"
"They are innocent beings by virtue of being young," Aria replied with a clean smile. "Though they still end up caught in our messes anyway."
"...I suppose so..." Ju-hyeon gave a lukewarm response. "So you didn’t torment Cha Yi-sol... well, kidnapping him was a problem in itself, but... you didn’t harm him directly for that reason?"
Iser answered that part. "We did hope he would be at least a little frightened."
"Ah, was that not the case?"
"His belief that we wouldn’t harm him was far too firm."
"He must have been a clever child."
"He wasn’t even afraid of mermaids."
"I don’t know if I should call that impressive or..."
"Well," Iser said, a smile on his face that somehow resembled Gio’s. "I think you’re a similar case, Ju-hyeon."
"...Me?"
"After all, you’re dining with monsters as if it’s the most natural thing in the world."
"Ah." He wasn’t unaware of it, but... "Ah, uh... well..." Ju-hyeon grew flustered. "It might just be because it doesn’t feel real to me."
"It doesn’t look that way to me."
"Wouldn’t it be a bit strange to suddenly get scared after coming all this way?"
"I meant that you share that same inexplicable audacity."
"I’d prefer it if you called it confidence."
"If you wish, I shall do so." Nodding calmly, Iser looked at Gio. "Do you plan to keep harboring him here?"
"I have never taken him in," Gio replied.
At those words, Ju-hyeon expressed his doubt. "Wasn’t it you who picked me up, Mr. Arjio?"
"I simply invited you. I don’t believe I ever 'picked you up.'"
"Uh... I see."
Apparently, suddenly appearing, bringing him into your house, feeding him, giving him a place to sleep, and talking to him didn’t count as 'taking him in.' As he often did, Ju-hyeon wondered just how the encyclopedia inside Gio’s head was organized.
'I thought it was something like picking up a pitiful stray dog, but I guess not.'
Regardless of what Ju-hyeon thought, Gio continued, "I wouldn’t mind if you kept living here, Ju-hyeon."
"Oh, no, thank you," Ju-hyeon quickly declined, wearing his signature corporate smile. "I couldn’t possibly impose like that. Just feeding and housing me until now has been more than I deserve. I was planning to find a new place and move out soon."
"Do you have to find a new house?"
"I used to live in the dormitory near the Research Institute. I’m planning to submit my resignation since I don’t think the research life suits me, so I’ll naturally have to find a separate place to live."
At that, Gio stared intently at Ju-hyeon. A somewhat childish pressure emanated from him.
"But you’re my secretary..."
"..."
"Are you going to live far away?"
"...That’s usually how it works..." No matter how close a Hunter and their manager were, living together was extremely rare. "Besides, I also need time to be trained in my duties as a manager."
"The door to my house is always open."
"It seems a bit too open. Perhaps you could close it a little..."
"What did you say?"
"I said the weather is really nice today."
The publicly known works of the 'Black Cloak' were all, in essence, dungeon entrances. With their owner accepting outsiders so easily, it was clear as day that many people would end up dead. But no matter how unyielding and principled Ju-hyeon was—like a sturdy pine tree—he couldn’t demand that a dungeon owner close his entrance. Besides, the mermaids' glares were far too piercing. He didn’t want to die like this.
"So, once I move out..." And so, Ju-hyeon steered the conversation back to his future plans. "Once I secure a decent place, I plan to set up a grave."
"A grave, you must mean, for your family members who were caught up in the recent incident."
"Yes. I was so out of it that I couldn’t even think about holding a funeral."
Since he had been planning to die with them, the thought of a funeral had never even crossed his mind.
But now, Ju-hyeon was envisioning a future, a way to move forward. The first step was to properly apologize to the family and friends who had been dragged into his mess.
"I intend to start with that," he declared.
At that, Gio asked, "Do you not need my help?"
"This is my responsibility to bear."
"No, you’ll definitely need my help..."
"Please restrain your overflowing goodwill."
"I can do a really good job, though."
"Even a less-than-perfect job from you would be overwhelming."
"I suppose so."
Watching the two of them, Iser twitched his fingers, then clenched them into a tight fist.
"..."
"Iser."
"...Yes, Sister."
"Stop thinking foolish thoughts and go fetch some tea."
"I will do so."
Seeing Iser so naturally run an errand for his sister, Ju-hyeon blinked, his eyes wide.
"...Foolish thoughts? Did I somehow make him dislike me? Was I about to die?"
"Seeing you like this, you’re not entirely fearless, are you?" Aria cradled her cheek as she continued. "It is merely common jealousy. There is no need to be so afraid."
Having said that, Aria turned back to Gio. "Teacher, your friend says he is building a grave. Will you help him?"
"If there is any way I can help, I certainly should."
Before Ju-hyeon could decline, Gio looked at him. "How does Earth conduct funerals these days?"
"Usually, we cremate. If there is no body... we burn their belongings and keep the ashes."
"I take it there are no bodies for your family and friends, either."
"Given the circumstances, I’m already very late."
"In that case, I..."
Just as Gio was about to propose something, Iser returned with the tea.
"I brought some Basram Flowers since we had them."
"Hasn’t it been a while?"
"Yes, it really has been."
"I bloomed these flowers myself recently."
"Basram is supposed to be grown in water. Where did you cultivate them?"
"Over in the waterbirds' nest."
At that, Iser, who was handing out the teacups, replied a beat later. "...Ah, so they can be used in that way as well."
"The children who love flowers helped me out."
"Basram Flowers have a wonderful fragrance, so they must have been pleased."
"The lake I saw on my way here was golden for some reason," Iser added.
At Iser’s words, Ju-hyeon asked, "Is there a specific reason why it’s golden?"
"Teacher’s waterbirds make their nests glow golden when they are happy."
"Ah..." Ju-hyeon’s gaze landed on Honey, the waterbird perched on Gio’s shoulder. "Then what about that little guy?"
"Honey’s color changed after drinking Lulupu Juice."
"Coo."
Gio added an explanation. "It’s a flower that grows by the forest spring."
"Just hearing about it makes it sound extraordinary."
"The scent is indeed ridiculously good."
"...I see." Though he hadn’t exactly meant 'extraordinary' in that sense. "I wonder what kind of scent it is."
"If you need perfume, I can make some for you."
"Please restrain your goodwill," Ju-hyeon said, continuing, "Anyway, I’ll prepare and start looking for a house soon."
"I think submitting your resignation through Yoo Seong-un would be the best way to go about it."
"I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you for the advice."
Since the Collector Guild Master had offered to step in personally, the resignation was sure to be handled cleanly.
'But to manage Hunter Seo Gio’s affairs, I suppose my lodging needs to be close by, right?' Ju-hyeon pondered, deciding he should ask Hunter Yoo Seong-un about that directly.
* * *
A few days later.
"...My lodging has already been found?"
"...I’m sorry. I tried my absolute best to stop them..."
"Ah, no. There’s nothing to apologize for." Ju-hyeon waved his hands at Yoo Seong-un’s haggard smile. "I’m actually grateful you looked into it for me. I was already worrying about what kind of place I should look for to manage Hunter Seo Gio."
"I’m glad you see it that way, but..."
"Besides, didn’t you say the Collector Guild would cover the housing expenses? In that sense, I’m receiving an overly generous benefit. I was just taken aback by how suddenly it was decided."
"..."
"...Excuse me..." Sensing a looming crisis in Yoo Seong-un’s silence, Ju-hyeon asked cautiously, "So, where is the lodging?"
"It’s next door to mine."
"Pardon?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
Seriously, why?
"..."
"..."
Yoo Seong-un avoided his gaze.
It was the price one paid for serving the notorious Collector Guild Master.