Chapter 89
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 89
Chapter Title: She's So Young
-----------------------------------------------------------------
"...I see."
Ye-rin quickly grasped the situation.
It was simple.
There was a newly created electronic contract on the guild server.
"Not the daughter, but the friend herself."
"Huh?"
Jun-hyeok nearly broke his poker face, putting on a baffled expression.
But he couldn't evade the eyes of Ye-rin, who had stuck by his side for nearly eight years.
"The Master didn't know either and just found out. That's why you've been acting strangely divine."
"Hey, Ye-rin? Uh, is this about that kid from earlier?"
"Dodging the question? Keeping it secret again this time?"
Ye-rin's eyes sharpened even more.
Jun-hyeok, loaded with guilt, averted his gaze slightly.
"No, it's not that... It's just that it doesn't make sense logically, you know."
A-rank Hunters' abilities weren't mere brute force—they excelled in every aspect.
If S-ranks were absolute masters in specific fields, A-ranks were all-around elites.
They'd ace every subject on an exam.
So, it was absurd that Ye-rin hadn't pieced it together with such obvious clues.
She was, after all, the one who had elevated Camellia from a mere club to its current stature.
"Master, you should've noticed from the matching name."
"Uh... I did sense something off... But come on. Isn't that too free of bias? It defies common sense."
Ye-rin watched Jun-hyeok scratch his head and replied,
"What defies common sense is on your end, Master. Transforming into a little girl is way more normal than turning into lightning."
...Is that right?
'Hearing it laid out like that, it kinda makes sense.'
Jun-hyeok transformed into lightning—a natural phenomenon—at will, while Su-hyeon at least fell within the human category.
From certain perspectives, Su-hyeon might even seem more realistic.
Of course, Su-hyeon wasn't human, but a Dryad.
"......For now, this stays confidential."
"Understood."
"...Right."
As Jun-hyeok visibly relaxed, Ye-rin glanced at his clothes and said,
"But the meeting's soon. You planning to go like that?"
"Ah, this."
A sticky brown stain marred the front of his expensive suit.
Jun-hyeok shrugged.
"...Just head out like this. No time to change anyway."
"They'll definitely nitpick it."
The two had dressed sharply today for a meeting with the Korean Hunter Talent Development International Council.
Talent: nonexistent.
Development: not happening.
International: hardly.
Despite its grandiose name, it couldn't be dismissed outright—packed with veteran high-rank Hunters from the golden age of Hunters.
Even after retiring from the front lines, they wielded massive influence to pressure new-generation Hunters like Jun-hyeok.
Jun-hyeok smirked in response.
"Whatever, let 'em yap. They won't curse to my face, but we're not exactly buddies."
Ye-rin let out a sigh.
At that moment, spotting something unusual, Ye-rin frowned slightly.
"What's wrong?"
"The Council folks arrived way ahead of schedule."
"...Those old timers already?"
"Yes, and they're coming in through the front gate."
"Hmph."
He'd given them the secret route to avoid a fuss, signaling to come quietly since they always craved VIP treatment.
"Opened the back way so they wouldn't whine, and they pull this."
Odd that they were coming to him instead of the usual back-and-forth.
Ignoring all protocols, it reeked of deliberate hassle.
"Hmph, if they wanna play dirty, I'll have to prep the bier."
"Calm down."
"Or just forklift their asses..."
Half-serious in his joking, Jun-hyeok's thoughts drifted to his friend who'd just taken the elevator down.
"Su-hyeon should be okay, right?"
"I'll keep an eye out on my way down."
"Thanks. You're the best, Ye-rin. Appreciate it."
"......Sure."
Ye-rin kept her usual expression, but a flicker of joy danced in her eyes for a moment.
A white-haired elder disembarked from his car with the driver's assistance.
Ignoring the parking lot and onlookers, he stood tall at the front entrance.
With multiple vehicles lining up at the gate, eyes naturally turned their way.
"Camellia's loaded, alright. They've done a fine job sprucing it up."
The elder muttered as he surveyed the surroundings.
These old men were the elders of the Korean Hunter Talent Development International Council.
Given the location—the guild headquarters—plenty had recognized them the moment the cars pulled in.
"All thanks to you, isn't it? Ah, should I call you Chairman out here?"
Another aged man approached with his cane, laying on the flattery.
Round build, short stature.
Greed seeped through his disagreeable smile, impossible to fully hide.
"Hoho, no need. Gilding me changes nothing. It's the fruit of all our labors."
The man dubbed Chairman waved it off, though a satisfied grin spread as he stroked his chin.
"Tsk, with that much money, they should give back some. Learn to serve the public like us..."
"They're young. Back in our day, scraping by day-to-day left no room, but nowadays..."
The other elders clucked their tongues repeatedly while eyeing the guild headquarters.
Their tones brimmed with immense pride, laced with thinly veiled condescension toward Camellia.
"Well, Camellia's grown this much thanks to us, right?"
"Exactly. Without the foundation we laid, they'd never dream of this prosperity."
Statements that would make the founding members' blood boil in reverse.
Always obstructing their path at every turn, and now angling for a share of the credit.
'Impressive maneuvering, for sure. Who knew Kim Ye-rin's influence ran this deep.'
Yet even if Ye-rin was remarkable, she was ultimately a support-type Hunter pulling strings from the shadows, sneaky-like.
Much like Mystic's Serena Lin—their success stemmed from the sacrifices these elders had made.
Thus, it was only right that it all fall into their hands eventually.
They believed it sincerely.
"No one's here to greet us? Gotta wait ourselves?"
"We showed up early. Young folks run late by habit."
"No early prep. Lazy bunch, tsk tsk... Manners have gone to the dogs!"
The Chairman calmly soothed the grumbling elders.
"Hoho, easy now. We can just head inside."
"Ding... What a loss of face."
"Come, let's go in."
Zoom—
Where the Chairman shot a sharp glare, a surveillance camera far off was extending its lens toward them.
Su-hyeon rode the elevator down alone this time.
"Hmm... e... ars..."
Su-hyeon plugged her ears, opening and closing her mouth.
It wasn't her mind suddenly matching her form; it was a scientific method to counter the ear-popping pressure from rapid descent.
"Hoo."
Once her ears normalized, Su-hyeon pulled out the item Jun-hyeok had given her and examined it.
The gift was a badge made of an unusual material.
Holding it between thumb and index finger under the light revealed a sharply embossed Camellia flower.
This marked her as under Camellia's protection.
"Having to wear stuff like this every day is such a hassle."
Pinning it to her chest every morning.
Honestly, she'd probably ditch it after a few days out of laziness.
"They could've made it a bracelet or ring instead."
Su-hyeon grumbled.
Hunters needed free hands or armor slots, hence the design—but that wasn't her concern.
For the record, most guilds had adopted Camellia's style, but Su-hyeon was oblivious.
-First floor.
The elevator reached the first floor before she knew it.
Su-hyeon pressed the badge to her chest, where it adhered smoothly to her clothes.
She'd griped moments ago, but intent mattered most, right?
A smug sense of superiority curled her lips upward.
'Ah, I'm on staff at Korea's top market-cap guild!'
Of course, pretty much everyone here was Camellia staff anyway.
But that wasn't the point.
As the doors slid open, Su-hyeon bounced out eagerly.
"Huh."
Unlike the quiet lobby earlier, it was now abuzz.
Suits everywhere...
Grand-looking grandpas surrounded by entourages.
Slump.
Her confident shoulders hunched once more.
Luckily, the elevators on the opposite side were opening right then, so no one paid her exit any mind.
Ye-rin was already down there somehow, ushering them along.
She'd left first, yet here she was—impressive.
'Wanted to say hi to the secretary, but timing's off.'
Butting in when they looked busy would be rude.
Not that she was scared of crowds or anything...
Su-hyeon darted out of the lobby amid the group boarding the elevators.
"Hmm?"
The Chairman paused mid-step toward the elevator, catching a flash of lime green zipping by in his peripheral vision.
'What was...?'
But Ye-rin approached naturally, blocking his line of sight.
"Please go ahead, Chairman."
"Mm, alright..."
Urged by Ye-rin, the Chairman resumed walking.
Yet even in old age, he was an A-rank Hunter.
His dynamic vision had captured it clearly.
'A kid in the guild...?'
Dashing off like hide-and-seek—adorably fitting her appearance.
He hadn't seen her face fully, but that profile alone promised she'd grow into a beauty.
Add the unusual hair color, the plant leaf on her head, and she left an unforgettable impression.
But what truly snagged the elder's eye was the badge pinned to the child's chest.
It looked like any guild member's at a glance, yet it was rarer than what VIPs received—the exact same as Ye-rin's, standing beside him now.
...Why would something like that be on a kid like her?