The Siege of the Millennium Ancient City Ends
The raid on the Millennium Ancient City was finally over.
The strategy of collapsing the castle walls had been incredibly effective. By the time we reached the ruined fortress, most of the vampires were already mortally wounded. Given their resilient bodies, they shouldn't have been taken down by mere falling debris, but the ice blocks had been laced with holy water—their ultimate weakness.
The pulverized shards of holy water ice had severely weakened both the True Bloods and their subspecies, even delivering fatal blows to some. This made sweeping up the survivors beneath the rubble a breeze, and even the boss—a True Blood—couldn't escape. It was a brute-force, reckless plan with its share of hiccups, but in the end, it worked.
"Good work, everyone."
"Ugh, this was supposed to take days to clear. That was way too intense."
It had been such a grueling, non-stop march that even the S-ranks were groaning. Even if there was a pressing reason, such a reckless, brute-force assault was highly dangerous. If it had dragged on any longer, their focus would have slipped, and a major disaster could have occurred due to depleted stamina and mana.
Fortunately, I was there to provide massive buffs and heal most of their wounds. But what if I hadn't been there? They might have been forced to retreat halfway through.
"You did great, Sis."
"You too. Are you alright?"
I had brought my sister along mostly because I was bored, but she had fought incredibly hard from the midway point. The situation had been that dire. Then again, she wasn't an A-rank for nothing. She fought far better than those mediocre Daehyun hunters. Especially her ability to deflect attacks by mimicking the Guild Master's sword techniques—it was pure artistry.
"It looks like the cleanup is almost finished. We should head out," said the leader of the Daehyun raid team, who had been working diligently.
The S-ranks stretched, stood up, and began tidying their appearances.
"Why is everyone trying to look fancy?" I whispered to my sister, genuinely curious.
"Because there will definitely be reporters and politicians waiting outside," she replied.
Apparently, they had to look the part of having fought hard. They were intentionally disheveling their hair, rubbing dirt onto their armor, and making a mess. Yet, strangely, they were all wiping their faces clean. When I pointed this out, she said, "Gotta look good for the cameras."
So they make their bodies and gear look filthy to show how much they struggled, but keep their faces pristine so they look handsome and beautiful in the photos?
"Unbelievable..." I muttered. I couldn't help but think they should spend that energy focusing on more important things.
"Want me to do it for you, Sis?" Seohee asked, lightly patting dust onto her own armor.
"No, thank you."
I was a healer and a supporter. It would be weird for my clothes to be filthy anyway. Besides, I had no desire to go to such lengths.
"Ahem. Before we step out, let me make one thing clear. The moment we exit, we are going to state that this incident occurred because the government treats hunters like garbage."
The Guild Master of the Blood Alliance, the number one guild in the country, declared this to our Murim Alliance Guild Master. Several other guilds nodded in agreement.
Namgung Min replied, "Do as you wish. I have no intention of joining you."
"Just don't get in our way, then."
"I have no intention of supporting or opposing you."
"Hmph. Well, as long as you have Miss Nix, your guild doesn't need to care anyway. That's good enough."
Only after securing Namgung Min's word did they stand before the exit. Well, as long as I was around, the government couldn't pressure our guild like they used to. That was probably why they wanted his confirmation. Not that any of this political maneuvering had anything to do with me.
The S-ranks lined up.
"Let's head out in order."
One by one, we stepped through.
The moment we crossed the threshold, a barrage of flashing lights and deafening noise assaulted our senses.
"Look there! The proud S-ranks of South Korea! The S-rank hunters are returning victorious after clearing the gate!"
A voice cried out in exaggerated excitement, clearly broadcasting live.
"How annoying," I sighed.
But the other S-ranks seemed perfectly accustomed to this. They maintained solemn, dignified expressions or lightly waved to the crowd.
"Sis, why don't you wave too?"
"No, thanks."
I had no desire to draw attention to myself. If I did, people would just make comments about my body again. I had zero interest in reading that garbage.
Reporters and news anchors swarmed us, shouting questions. Some asked how the raid went, others asked about survivors. It was a barrage of tedious questions.
"Ahem! As one of the leaders of this raid force, I have something to say! This disaster was entirely the government's failure!"
The Guild Master of the Blood Alliance spoke. Coming from the leader of the nation's top guild, his words carried immense weight.
"This happened because hunters are not being treated with the respect they deserve! You all know how dangerous gates are! Judging by the magical energy radiating from this gate, a top-tier guild should have handled it from the start. Yet, you all know what the government did!"
They had assigned it to a small, struggling guild—calling them "mid-sized" was a massive overstatement.
"To save a few pennies, they dumped it on a tiny guild, and this is the tragedy that resulted!"
He couldn't finish his speech because government officials and politicians rushed over to pull him away.
"If they treat us properly, we hunters have no reason to reject government requests! But it is always, always the government that tries to rip us off!"
They tried their best to stop him, but no ordinary person could physically overpower an S-rank hunter.
"Haha, it seems Guild Master Park has a lot of pent-up grievances," a government official stammered, desperately trying to salvage the situation.
I couldn't stand watching the pathetic spectacle, so I quickly posed for a commemorative photo and slipped away. Namgung Min, also wanting no part in the political drama, followed suit.
"Whew..."
The other guilds stayed behind, giving interviews and airing their grievances. The Daehyun guild, having suffered the most unfair treatment, detailed their struggles and made sure the public knew of their sacrifices. The Murim Alliance, having simply done its job, quietly withdrew.
After taking off our gear and changing into civilian clothes, I met Namgung Min in front of the cars.
"Is it really okay for us to just leave like this?"
"Yes. You do not need to worry."
Well, if he said so...
"More importantly, are you not hungry?"
We had eaten some snacks inside the gate, but they were just snacks, not a proper meal.
"Are you buying, Oppa?" my sister asked with a grin, sidling up to the Guild Master.
"Indeed. It is about time for dinner, is it not?"
Having spent about a day inside the gate, my sense of time was slightly warped. Strangely, the Millennium Ancient City gate didn't have a day-night cycle; time just stood still. Thanks to that, we didn't have to deal with the night, which would have made the True Bloods even stronger. Still, having just stepped out of such a place, a bit of disorientation was inevitable.
"I suppose I am quite hungry."
But what should we have for dinner?
"I know of a good place."
Since we had shared a ride anyway, I was curious to see what kind of dinner an S-rank hunter with deep pockets would treat us to.
It took some time to drive out of the area. Protesters were still demonstrating outside, and the evening rush hour traffic only made things worse. After a fairly long drive, we finally arrived at our destination.
"A traditional Korean restaurant?"
Apparently so.
"It is a place often used to entertain foreign diplomats," Namgung Min explained, tucking his hands into the wide sleeves of his robes as he walked with a dignified, formal posture.
He fit the elegant, traditional atmosphere of the restaurant so perfectly that it felt almost surreal.
"You really look the part," my sister murmured.
She seemed to agree, a slight blush creeping onto her cheeks. Wait, does she actually like the Guild Master?
Honestly, Namgung Min was a great catch. He was incredibly capable, had a decent personality... Even from a man's perspective, he was a genuinely good guy. The only man I knew who could compare to him was the Hero, Eugene. Thinking about it that way, he wasn't a bad match at all. If anything, he might be too good for her. But the age gap was a bit wide. Still, if she liked him, it wasn't my place to stop her. It wasn't like she could easily find a man like the Hero anyway...
As things stood, I wasn't her actual blood relative, so I couldn't meddle too deeply, but I still hoped she would find a good man.
"Don't we need a reservation for a place like this?"
"It does not matter."
Oh? Did he have some kind of connection?
In any case, a server dressed in a hanbok guided us to a private room. We sat down in the elegant, antique hanok-style room, but there were no menus in sight.
"They only serve set courses here. If there is a specific dish you desire, you may order it separately."
Ah, so that was how it worked. Unsure, I glanced at my sister... She looked just as clueless, blinking blankly.
"You make so much money, yet you've never been to a place like this?"
"Just because I make money doesn't mean I have to eat at places like this!" she snapped, suddenly defensive. I had only asked a simple question.
"The atmosphere is quite nice, though."
"Indeed."
Namgung Min sat cross-legged, his hands still tucked neatly into his sleeves. He carried himself with an effortless, quiet dignity.
"If you like the food, why don't you bring your parents here sometime?"
"I don't know. If I brought my parents to a place like this, they'd just complain about how expensive it is."
I almost burst out laughing. Of course they would. They were my parents, after all...
"Especially after what happened to Oppa, they've been really sensitive about money."
That left me with absolutely nothing to say. I had no choice but to shut my mouth.
Soon, the food began to arrive. Even after they brought in an entire table laden with dishes, more side dishes and delicacies kept coming. There was a massive variety of seasoned wild greens, fish, and meats. And the rice? It was perfectly cooked, glistening and fluffy, making my mouth water just looking at it.
"Thank you for the meal."
"Thanks for the food, Oppa."
"Enjoy."
Everyone must have been starving, because the moment the food was served, all conversation ceased. The food was... simply spectacular. I used to think of hanjeongsik as flashy and diverse but ultimately lacking substance, but a truly high-end place was on a completely different level.
"If I eat like this too often, I won't be able to stomach home cooking anymore..." my sister mumbled, her mouth full. It really was that delicious.
"I hear they use house-made soy sauce and fermented soybean paste."
"Ah, so that's why it tastes so different."
Was it some kind of secret family recipe? The flavor was absolutely divine.
Once my stomach was reasonably full, I pulled out my phone to check the news. The news of the gate clearance had already spread, and Park Young-shik's public outburst seemed to be causing a massive controversy. Since there had already been numerous casualties, it was a massive headache that the government couldn't sweep under the rug even if they wanted to.
"Will the Murim Alliance be okay?" my sister asked, looking worried about the guild. Having spent nearly ten years with them, she must have grown attached.
"I have already discussed it with Cheon. The Murim Alliance will also be supporting the hunters' stance on this matter."
The Murim Alliance, which usually maintained strict neutrality or sided with the government, was actually taking a stand... I had no desire to get dragged into political squabbles, so I simply went back to picking at the remaining food. Ah, doing a good deed and having a full stomach—life was good!