I'll Teach Him Well
Before the lecture began.
The invited instructor had been assigned a conference room in the research center and was deep in preparations.
He arranged the materials he had prepared in advance.
He connected the beam projector and adjusted the screen, handling all the usual setup tasks.
The sharp-featured man, whose face spoke of long experience, nodded to himself several times before speaking.
His conversation partner was Han Jihyun, who was helping with the smaller details nearby.
“Hunter Han Jihyun, I heard you achieved B-grade recently. Congratulations.”
“Ah, yes. Thank you.”
Han Jihyun smiled awkwardly and bowed her head.
They had no personal relationship. In the hunter industry, they had simply become acquainted through official business.
They’ve invited quite the famous person from the higher-ups.
The man before her belonged to a major guild whose name everyone in Korea knew, and he oversaw the training of new hunters.
He had retired from active duty to focus on education, yet he himself was a B-grade mage hunter with an impressive career.
Even though they shared the same rank, the gap between him and Han Jihyun was like heaven and earth.
One could easily guess how carefully the Management Bureau had chosen their personnel.
“Let’s get straight to the point. Regarding Boss Ari.”
The instructor pushed up his glasses with his index finger.
“I understand she normally behaves like a young lady of her apparent age, but once she begins acting on impulse, the accidents become uncontrollable. Is that accurate?”
“Roughly, yes. The scale of her accidents is exceptional, but she’s generally easy to communicate with.”
“I see. Thank you for confirming.”
“Not at all. Please ask for any information you need.”
The two exchanged polite, businesslike greetings.
Soon the instructor tapped the bundle of documents in his hand against the table.
At the signal that preparations were finished, Han Jihyun left to bring Ari.
While she was gone, the instructor reviewed his plan.
If conversation is possible, teaching her common sense shouldn’t be impossible.
The Management Bureau had requested two main things.
First, fill in and correct her lacking common sense to prevent impulsive behavior.
Second, using shared topics, naturally draw out the otherworldly magical knowledge from the boss who had shown interest in hunter work.
The second part was the real reason he had accepted the request.
The knowledge of a magic-type boss designated as calamity-class!
Before he was an instructor, he was a mage himself. There was no way he wouldn’t be curious.
The bureau had stressed that they must first teach concepts like legitimate ownership and trade, but….
The other instructors can handle that.
Several instructors had been invited anyway. He simply happened to be scheduled first.
Of course, since he was being paid, he had no intention of cutting corners.
Through his years as education head for a major guild, he had dealt with every type of person imaginable.
Arrogant parachute hires from wealthy families, hot-headed lone wolves who acted before thinking, rookies who listened well but couldn’t apply anything.
He had seen them all.
This wasn’t a life-or-death battle against the boss; it was simply teaching knowledge and etiquette. It didn’t seem particularly difficult.
“If things go well, I could even recruit her into the guild through this connection.”
Everything had its pros and cons. Even poison could become medicine when used correctly.
If the migrant procedures proceeded smoothly, it would be worth serious consideration.
Knock, knock—
She’s here.
The instructor looked toward the door.
It opened smoothly. Beyond it, a beautiful girl entered the conference room, her pure silver hair swaying.
She was an exquisite beauty who instantly captured every eye.
But that wasn’t all.
Pant, pant, pant….
A large black dog followed her into the room!
Its wolf-like head turned to look at him.
Hmph.
It wore an expression of open disdain, as if it had seen something utterly beneath its notice. The beast had remarkably expressive facial muscles.
…So that’s the demonic beast that used to be the boss of the B-grade dungeon.
The information had been included in the confidential briefing he received after accepting the request and signing the nondisclosure agreement.
When that unpleasant creature entered combat, it transformed into a monster the size of a house.
After steadying his breath, the instructor asked first.
“Nice to meet you. However… why did you bring the dog?”
“I was dragged here while walking Ker.”
She then turned to Han Jihyun, who had followed her in.
“When will I be able to receive a smartphone? It’s inconvenient for both me and you, isn’t it?”
“W-we have to issue it together with your ID! I’m sorry. Please be patient just a little longer.”
“You heard her?”
The beautiful girl tilted her head slightly as she looked back at the instructor.
What is there to hear…
The instructor felt the urge to say something, but he swallowed it.
She might look harmless, but she was the gate boss designated as calamity-class.
Provoking her temper would make the consequences impossible to handle.
He also understood Han Jihyun and the bureau’s caution.
She was still an unsocialized bomb. There was no telling what strange things she might learn if given access to the internet.
That was why they were limiting her contact with the outside world as much as possible.
At least there was one relief.
She isn’t throwing tantrums.
It seemed her common sense and personality weren’t completely warped.
So he asked.
“Ker… that was the name, correct? Wouldn’t it be better to send the demonic beast back?”
“Why? I’ll tell him to sit quietly.”
Woof woof.
“…I heard you plan to leave the research center and live independently later. You should consider that time as well.”
The meaning behind those words.
Seeming to interpret it, Boss Ari raised her voice.
“What? You’re saying I can’t take Ker with me when I move later?”
Why? She asked again with an innocent face.
The instructor glanced at Han Jihyun, thinking, This conversation will definitely be reported, before continuing.
“Because Ker is classified as a demonic beast—a beast of prey—not a pet. There could be civilian casualties once he’s outside the research center.”
“I’ll teach him well so he doesn’t cause any accidents. Then it should be fine, shouldn’t it?”
“Ahem. No matter how obediently you raise him, Miss Ari, a demonic beast possesses innate aggression, does it not?”
“If he were going to cause trouble, several research center staff would have been eaten already. I ran into him multiple times today alone.”
“That’s only because you were present, Miss Ari…”
“But I’ll be with him during walks in the future too, won’t I?”
“Well……”
In the end, the instructor was left speechless.
Her words somehow felt both wrong and right at the same time.
For anyone else it might be different, but for this young lady, perhaps it really would be fine?
According to the materials he had received, the girl before him was the very monster who hadn’t allowed even Hunter Kang Chulwoong to last a single minute.
A mere B-grade demonic beast—
…No, wait! I can’t let my own common sense be rewritten!
The instructor shook his head vigorously as he came back to his senses. He had unknowingly been pulled into her logic.
More than ten years of experience, shaken in an instant.
…However, the real education was only just beginning.
In his position, what happened to the demonic beast didn’t matter.
Teach her as much of Earth’s common sense as possible, and naturally draw out her magical knowledge.
That was today’s true objective.
The World Hunter Association, headquartered in the United States.
A specialized international organization established to resolve various global issues concerning humanity’s peace, awakeners, gates, and more.
Information from every corner of the world flowed into this place daily.
Some news was quietly buried. Other news rose to the surface.
Just like now.
“An S-grade Hunter named Na Beomin has left Korea?”
“Yes, sir. The stated reason is a vacation for mental and physical recovery after clearing a high-grade dungeon.”
Up to that point, it was an ordinary story.
And the odds that it was true were high.
High-grade hunters traveling abroad wasn’t rare, and the fact that Hunter Na Beomin enjoyed entertainment was an open secret.
The problem was the timing.
Not long ago, an unprecedented special gate had suddenly appeared in Korea.
A gate with magic power stability below five percent and an undetermined energy grade—an event without precedent.
The World Hunter Association had been in the middle of discussing countermeasures.
Then, without warning, the situation was resolved.
The Korean side had unilaterally declared the gate cleared.
Confirmation showed the gate had indeed vanished, with no significant damage.
…But how?
All kinds of speculations circulated.
That the initial gate information had been wrong from the start. The situation had never made sense.
That Korea’s elite hunters had definitely defeated the monsters.
Or that a break had occurred but the boss had hidden somewhere.
Every theory mixed together and flooded the media.
And now, with the additional information that Hunter Na Beomin had left the country.
Allowing an S-grade hunter to travel overseas at a time like this? This was surely….
“It looks like a new otherworldly migrant.”
The deputy director of the association, having pieced the information together, refused to miss the scent.
He immediately issued orders to his secretary.
Approach Na Beomin and uncover the truth.
Send an official letter of cooperation for a migrant investigation to Korea using the World Hunter Association’s authority.
Even if an on-site audit wasn’t possible immediately, prepare the way for one in the near future.
Depending on the migrant’s abilities and personality, they would need to either eliminate the threat before it was too late or bring them to their side.
The deputy director rested his chin on his hand and narrowed his eyes.
“You can’t fool my eyes.”