Chapter 48
Chapter 48
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 48
Chapter Title: Homecoming Celebration
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After wrapping up all his business at the Hunter Management Agency, Yong-un returned home.
"I'm home!"
To welcome Yong-un back, the family had prepared a cake and a surprise party just for him.
"Congratulations."
It started with Jung-hwan smiling brightly.
"Oh, my boy! I knew my son could do it! Hurry up and blow out the candles."
"Looking pretty cool, huh?"
Mi-hwa on the verge of tears again, and Sena holding back hers with effort.
"Congrats."
Even Myung-un, responding with a gruff smile as if that was what men did.
"Thank you."
Yong-un leaned in close to the cake Sena was holding and blew out the candles with a puff.
Then, out of nowhere, Sena charged at him with the cake aimed straight at his face.
Splat!
The cake hit Yong-un square in the face.
Cream smeared everywhere, turning it into a full-on whipped cream party.
"Hahaha!"
The family froze in shock at Sena's sudden antics before bursting into laughter.
"Hahaha! The S-rank who messed around in that other world can't even take a cake to the face from his big sis?"
"Oh my, what about our boy's dad? He took it on purpose, right? Didn't you see it on TV? He dodged all those flashes of light and won."
Yong-un smiled at Jung-hwan and Mi-hwa's banter.
A genuine, unfeigned smile.
The deep smile that only family could see brought a bittersweet one to Myung-un's lips.
Yong-un wiped some cream off with his hand and glanced at Myung-un's expression.
'You think I wouldn't notice?'
Beneath the bright family smiles, he sensed a faint undercurrent of something else.
Their smiles were truly happy.
But Yong-un could see the shadow hidden between them.
'They must think I'd worry.'
Family was family, after all.
On a good day like this, they were trying to bury it all so he wouldn't fret.
He understood their intentions perfectly.
But Yong-un had made a promise before.
No secrets from the family.
"Is everyone okay?"
At Yong-un's words, their faces stiffened, as if their cover had been blown.
Even so, he pressed on.
"You might not know, but I took care of it. And bringing you all back here safe—that was me too."
The family didn't know the full details of the incident.
So his words caught them off guard.
But amid the surprise, he felt a flicker of fear, and Yong-un's face hardened slowly, just like when his initial rage had ignited.
'How dare they... instill fear in my family.'
They were ordinary people.
Regular folks who hadn't even learned martial arts.
To drag people outside the hunter world into this mess.
Yong-un clenched his fist tight, suppressing the spreading demonic energy and killing intent so it wouldn't touch them.
Then, forcing a smile, he said,
"No need to worry anymore. Who am I? I'm a top-ranked S-rank hunter now. Who'd dare touch me?"
Top-ranked S-rank hunter.
Even ordinary family members seemed to feel the weight of that title.
The faint fear in them began to fade.
"We didn't say anything because we were worried about you... Sorry."
"No way! It's all good now! Our son Yong-un handled it. Not just anyone—my eldest, who brought glory to the nation! Now the strongest hunter in Korea. Who'd dare mess with us? Hahaha!"
Mi-hwa and Jung-hwan shook off their fear, showing true happiness at last.
Yong-un responded with a gentle smile, placing his right hand over his heart on the left side of his chest.
"I swear on my life. No one will ever come here again. No one."
They wouldn't know this was the stance reserved for life-binding oaths within the Heavenly Demon Cult.
Yong-un had never made this vow to anyone but the Heavenly Demon.
Of course, that one had been forced by the cult's coercion—nothing like this heartfelt pledge to his family.
He knew the depth of this gesture all too well, and for a moment, he nearly dropped to one knee before them without thinking.
But as said, this oath was one only Yong-un understood.
Sena couldn't hold back and burst out laughing at his solemn expression.
"Pfft-hahaha! You look like some medieval knight! Hahaha! If you're gonna do that, at least wipe the cream off your face first."
"Hahahaha!"
Her words set everyone off laughing.
Even Yong-un, who had been so grave in his vow, flustered and checked the mirror.
Cream everywhere except his eyes, nose, and mouth.
He looked ridiculous even to himself, and laughter bubbled up.
"Hahaha!"
The anger, the heavy pressure of his vow—all vanished.
Replaced by pure, joyful laughter.
As if laying down some of the burdens he'd carried, Yong-un swam freely in the sea of family laughter.
Rediscovering the precious peace of this sole sanctuary where he could truly let his guard down.
After enjoying a family dinner even more delightful than his meal with the president, Yong-un pulled Myung-un aside.
"Hyung..."
"You had that look like you had a lot to say. I handled everything. No need to worry."
"It's not that, hyung."
Everyone else looked happy, but worry had lingered behind Myung-un's smile the whole time.
No, that's not it.
The important part is something else.
"Hyung, why do you think Sareung Guild brought in Yasal Association to kidnap our family?"
Yong-un's eyes sharpened.
He hadn't understood it either.
No matter how much he'd puzzled over why Sareung Guild targeted his family, no answer had come.
That nagging question.
It spilled from Myung-un's lips, of all places.
"Remember? The day you first came back, when I snapped at you in the hospital?"
He'd demanded to know who was behind what happened to their father, and Myung-un had lashed out with words he shouldn't have.
"I thought you'd jumped into dangerous stuff like Dad right after returning. I didn't want to lose you so soon."
Myung-un hadn't said it, but Yong-un had known from the start.
That he'd hidden it out of worry.
"But after confirming you had way more power than I imagined, I tried to trust you. Still... those guys behind it were so dangerous, I held back even then, just in case."
Time passed, and after vowing no secrets from family, Yong-un had shown Myung-un his true strength.
And told him:
I'll find who did this to Dad and make them pay.
"Hold on."
Yong-un raised a hand, cutting Myung-un off as he mulled it over.
If Myung-un was saying this now, it meant the backstory wasn't what he'd assumed.
The puzzle pieces clicked: Yasal Association's moves, Sareung Guild's actions—all made sense now.
But.
"I already wiped out Sareung Guild. So what's wrong?"
One thing didn't fit.
If they'd targeted Dad, it meant he knew something they didn't want out, prompting Yasal Association.
Sareung Guild's leader was dead, top brass smashed.
So why was Myung-un still wearing that expression?
"No, hyung. It wasn't the guild leader Am-su-jang who did that to Dad."
"What?"
What was this?
"Not Am-su-jang! It was Sareung Guild's casting director, Jang Hu-yeong."
He'd thought Sareung Guild—the root of the threat to his family—was done.
Only Yasal Association left; he'd planned to build strength before they noticed him.
But no.
"The one who messed up Dad! Not Am-su-jang! Jang Hu-yeong!"
The danger wasn't over.
The casting director who hadn't been in the Sareung Guild building he'd annihilated.
Jang Hu-yeong, who never showed up at the guild building till the end.
He was still out there.
"You called?"
Park Myung-su arrived on Yong-un's villa roof after his call.
"Do you know Sareung Guild's Jang Hu-yeong?"
Now his disciple, Yong-un addressed him casually as natural.
Myung-su seemed to like it, bowing with a pleased smile.
"Yes, I do. He's the casting director, known as the guild's number two."
"With the guild leader dead, he'll naturally take the seat."
"Yes, but that's obvious—though Jang Hu-yeong's actions are a bit off."
Yong-un eyed Myung-su.
"Despite the incident at Sareung Guild's building, he never showed. Not only that—he vanished without claiming the leader's position."
"He caught on, huh. Should've killed him then."
Yong-un clicked his tongue, gazing down from the roof.
To recruit him, crowds had once swarmed this narrow alley.
Sword Tiger's interference kept anyone from reaching the villa, but the memory lingered sharp.
The four guilds' casting directors who lingered despite Sword Tiger's orders to disperse.
'That must be him among the casting directors.'
A sly-looking man in a black suit with beady rat eyes, dragging a skinny guy and a burly one.
That was Jang Hu-yeong.
"I think I know what you mean."
"You do?"
"While handling the Sareung Guild building case, I took every document from inside for the audit department. And this was on top."
He'd anticipated this question.
Jang Hu-yeong—no, Myung-su handed Yong-un a sheet from his pocket.
[Receipt]
- Night Raven Authority Token revoked.
- Contract with Yasal Association terminated.
- Authorized by ..... Jang Hu-yeong.
The crumpled paper faintly bore Yong-un's demonic energy and Am-su-jang's.
Meaning.
"It was in the guild leader's office."
"Yes. How did you know?"
Yong-un gripped the paper with regret and ignited Samadhi True Fire.
Whoosh.
Flames erupted, turning the receipt to ash in his hand.
"The key clue was right there, but revenge blinded me."
"I'm sorry."
Myung-su bowed, though he bore no fault.
As a disciple, he blamed himself for not aiding his master's anger. Yong-un saw it that way.
Gazing at the ashes drifting away, Yong-un said,
"Your steps felt light."
"Pardon?"
"Were you an assassin?"
The abrupt question flustered Myung-su.
But soon, he bowed his head and spoke.
"Yes. If assassin means killer... then yes."
The sole special inspector in Korea's Hunter Management Agency.
An assassin...
If this leaked to the press, the country would erupt.
"Does Minister Baek Myeong-hui know?"
"Yes. The minister, the president, and now you, Master—that's three."
Myung-su's fingertips trembled faintly as he confessed.
His agitation at uttering "assassin" vibrated the air, plain to Yong-un.
Looking at the night sky, then at Myung-su for the first time since his arrival, Yong-un patted his shoulder.
"Must've been tough."
"...?!"
Myung-su's eyes widened.
Most reacted to assassins with frowns, fear, or contempt.
Even the minister had shown one of those at first.
But this was new.
'Tough...?'
No negativity—just warm words.
Myung-su's wide eyes lingered.
Yong-un chuckled softly at his stunned face.
"There was once a kid called Young-ma. A killer who hated taking lives on missions despite her path, longing to quit."
Pat, pat.
"Probably why you quit too."
Yong-un lowered his hand from Myung-su's shoulder.
Still, Myung-su's eyes stayed wide.
Chucking again, Yong-un gazed at the cloudless night sky.
"She came knocking like you. I took her in. Guess what became of her."
"I don't know."
"From a killer who lived by slaying, she became a freak assassin wielding her blade to protect."
"...A freak assassin..."
Myung-su pondered, echoing the words.
Young-ma, who surpassed Yong-un to shadow and guard the Heavenly Demon—her tale mirrored Myung-su's.
He'd rarely chatted long with Myung-su before, but now faint echoes of Young-ma appeared in him.
To the thoughtful Myung-su, Yong-un tossed casually,
"What do you say? Wanna try being a freak assassin?"
Shaking off his thoughts, Myung-su looked up, eyes full of Yong-un.
Without hesitation, he bowed deeply and cried out,
"I will, Master!"
His torso sank endlessly till forehead met roof.
His steadfast legs buckled to knees before Yong-un.
"It's been a while."
Receiving an assassin's full prostration.
Yong-un smiled faintly, gazing at the stars.
'It always ends like this.'
The nightmare murim he'd loathed and tried to escape.
As time passed, his forces grew eerily like the Sword Demon's vast empire.
Yong-un chuckled wryly.