The S-Classes That I Raised

Chapter 421: Duckling (1)

I don’t want to go in. I can’t avoid it, but I still want to stall for time a little longer. There’s no good in staying outside for long either, though. Are Yuhyun and Mr. Noah still asleep? I don’t think there’s any need to wake them up. Even if I put it off, it’s something I have to face eventually.

I swallowed a sigh and looked at Chief Song’s back as he walked ahead of me. Seeing his stubborn posture, I remembered again. It was a done deal, but it was too disappointing to give up like this. I barely got him to agree to take it!

“Are you really not going to take it? Even after you promised? Just because it grows?”

“A youngling and an adult have different values. If it’s just a simple lamb, I can protect it. But a high-rank monster mount is difficult for me to handle.”

His voice was firm. I want to accept it, but if that’s the problem…

“Earlier, I, ahem, was a bit too emotional in my persuasion, but this time, I’ll speak as the director of the monster mount breeding facility. I can’t do anything about the emotional responsibility, but I will definitely take legal responsibility. I don’t send those kids off so easily. Isn’t that right, Sesung Guild Leader?”

“The contract was quite thick.”

When I discussed the breeding contract conditions with Seok Gimyeong before, we also decided on the treatment of the monster mounts. After that, it was further supplemented and became longer and more detailed. The character copyright and dungeon revenue distribution weren’t included in the contract with Sesung, but the welfare of the monster mounts was added.

“To be frank, it’s not like the monster mounts live a safe life. At least they’re monsters, and it’s okay because they usually show a combative tendency, but if I had to force them to fight, it would have been difficult for me to even create a breeding facility. It’s common to use animals for military purposes, but it’s different when it’s my position.”

At first, I didn’t think much of it. But as I raised the kids, I couldn’t help but become attached. The monster mounts… humans were a priority over monsters, and protecting this world was a priority, but still, if Peace or Blue had disliked going into dungeons, if the other monsters had been the same, I might have given up on the breeding facility even if I couldn’t stand it.

…I’m a little worried about Sorok, though.

“That’s why I don’t do the monster mount breeding contract casually either. I can’t just send them off and let them be mistreated. The contract includes working conditions, breeding environment, penalties for injuries and death, and periodic inspections. There’s no letting them off. I once scolded my own little brother for mistreating Peace.”

Even now, I prefer Ms. Soyeong’s attitude much more than Yuhyun’s, but it’s a relief that Peace and Yuhyun get along surprisingly well. What should I say… if Yuhyun were to dote on him like Ms. Soyeong, I think he would actually dislike it.

“Since I’m alive and well now, I’ll also draw up a proper contract with Chief Song. If you’re worried that the Association or other riffraff will interfere, then get a lot of guarantors. Haeyeon, Mr. Seong Hyunjae?”

“Of course I’ll do it.”

“And I’ll ask Myungwoo too. Ms. Hyunah will probably accept as well. There’s only one thing Chief Song has to do.”

Song Taewon stopped abruptly at the hotel entrance and looked back at me.

“As a partner, please cherish it until the end.”

“Han Yujin.”

“Not just Song, but other monster mounts and other Hunters—we all have to part someday. Isn’t that right? There were many low-rank Hunters who wrote a will because their lives were more dangerous.”

“…I also recommend it to the Awakened Management Office Hunters.”

“Judging from your expression, you haven’t written one, Chief Song.”

“……”

“Shall we write one together this time?”

“…What?”

“I feel like writing one.”

Before the regression, I was so precarious, but in the end, I didn’t write one. After the regression, I thought I should write one, but I kept putting it off.

“What about Mr. Seong Hyunjae? If you don’t have a will, I’ll let you join our team.”

“Come to think of it, I had been subconsciously thinking that I didn’t need to write one.”

Seong Hyunjae said, tilting his head slightly. Was he feeling that he couldn’t face death?

“Shall I try writing one this time? It will probably be the first.”

“How about, ‘I leave the Sesung Guild to my dear partner Han Yujin’? It’s a hot will phrase these days.”

“Since Han Yujin is expressing his ambition to live longer than me, I feel like granting his wish.”

“…No, I think that would be a little difficult. When I have my 60th birthday party, Mr. Seong Hyunjae’s face will probably be as smooth as it is now.”

I thought I would look older than him in just about twenty years. When that time comes, shall I suggest we decide on our titles based on our physical age? Please call me Hyung.

“Anyway, Mr. Song Taewon. Please take it. And besides, I trust you, Chief Song, but if you mistreat Song, I’ll take it away immediately as per the contract.”

He’s not the kind of person to deliberately neglect the lamb for that purpose. Song Taewon let out a long sigh.

“First of all, if we get out. After we return to Korea—”

“You’re going to take it?”

“There are procedures, aren’t there?”

“No backsies this time! Mr. Seong Hyunjae, you heard him clearly, right?”

“I heard him clearly.”

I finally succeeded. And I have to write a will too. Now, because of the lamb, I’ll have to write one.

“What are you guys doing?”

Just then, the hotel door opened, and Young Chaos poked his head out.

“Get in here right now.”

We quickly entered the hotel. Seong Hyunjae put me down and properly put on Cilekia’s Wing. Since my upper body was almost naked, it was a bit embarrassing to put on the coat right away, but…

“Was there nothing wrong?”

“Except for the firstborn almost having a heart attack.”

Ah… Yuhyun was brought in, and he must have been a mess. If it were me, I would have been scared too. Although that’s me.

“I’m with Yuhyun? What about Yerim and Yun Yun?”

“They went out.”

“…What?”

Wait, what?

“G-going out, the two of them?!”

“Saying that the secondborn and you guys would be a mess, they went out to get more clothes.”

“You should have stopped them! It’s night! And now there’s no Crescent Moon!”

No, why are the kids not scared! I told them not to go out after the sun sets!

“There won’t be any problems for now. And those two will take better care of themselves than you do.”

Young Chaos said sullenly. Yerim and Yun Yun are S-Ranks, but still!

“They can get the clothes in the morning… Yerim, this kid, really! Ah, maybe that has come? The Hunter Spring. Do they not call it that now?”

Spring. Spring, which means both spring and spring, was a phenomenon that mainly appeared in first-year high-rank Hunters. To be precise, it’s a sight often seen in those who have cleared dungeons smoothly without much hardship.

“Yerim, as a Hunter, has grown up smoothly. She was originally bold, but now she’s even more confident. High-rank Hunters who have never failed a clear and have never lost a team member are likely to think of dungeons lightly.”

Their attention span drops, and their attitude towards clearing becomes lax. They loosen up as if they are basking in the warm spring sun, and they just pop out with reckless actions like a spring. Then, in the end, they get into a big accident.

“I see what you mean. It’s early, but it’s not impossible.”

Seong Hyunjae nodded, and Song Taewon’s expression hardened slightly.

“It seems we need to be careful, but they usually don’t listen.”

“Right. That’s the problem.”

“Kids grow up getting into trouble.”

“Old Man!”

Lives are on the line in a dungeon!

“You only realize it after you experience it.”

“Isn’t that too spartan! And you can grow up without hardship, or with less. Do you have to suffer? Yerim has already suffered a lot!”

Can I really entrust my kid to him? I’m getting a little anxious.

Although I was worried, I couldn’t go out to look for Yerim and Yun Yun now. The two of them went out together, and they have teleportation and spatial movement skills, so they didn’t break the precautions, but…

“The moon has set, but the dragon is already asleep, so it won’t wake up tonight, he said.”

Chaos said as he walked across the lobby.

“If the moonlight disappears completely, the nightmare will roam around, so don’t even think about going out.”

“You mean to stand guard at the door, right?”

There was still a little moonlight left, but when are the kids coming?

“It can’t invade the hotel unless it’s a dragon.”

Although a doorman was necessary, it was a relief that we could rest safely until morning.

“I’ll go and wake up Yuhyun and Mr. Noah. You two, go wash up before the kids come.”

I took the elevator and went up to the guest room floor. As I entered the hallway with a soft carpet, my heart pounded. Let’s see, this room is Mr. Noah’s, and that room is… If it were up to me, I would want to wake up Mr. Noah first, but it’s better to finish the difficult things first.

I took a deep breath and opened the guest room door. In the not-so-large room, which was a standard room, there was a bed and on it, my sleeping little brother, and—

“You’re here.”

There was me, glaring at me with murderous intent.

“You said you were in your right mind.”

“No, to say that’s in your right mind is a bit…”

WHACK! A dagger that brushed past my ear was embedded in the wall. Haha. And now, that guy has Grace too.

“What the hell did you do, you son of a bitch, to make Han Yuhyun, who cleared even S-Rank dungeons easily, into that state?”

“…I am sorry.”

“Fuck, I’ve never seen him so covered in blood.”

“I’m the one who should die. But the TV, no.”

If his condition was bad, they would have censored the broadcast, but Yuhyun wouldn’t have been seriously injured in a dungeon clear. …Could it be that the kid has been getting hurt more since the regression? As expected, it’s my fault.

The pre-regression me got up from his chair and approached me with large strides. He grabbed my collar in one go and his brow furrowed deeply.

“What’s this again? Cilekia?”

“My shirt got completely burned. Uh, we also agreed that Seong Hyunjae wouldn’t use Cilekia in the ranking match.”

“That’s good. If he doesn’t go missing this time, that is.”

Seong Hyunjae had disappeared, and Yuhyun hadn’t gone abroad, so the next ranking match first place had been taken by a guy who had been overwhelmingly crushed by Seong Hyunjae. That’s why people still said that Seong Hyunjae was practically first place. And that ranking match first place, pissed off at hearing such things, had challenged Yuhyun, who had fought the most evenly with Seong Hyunjae in the past preliminary round, to a match and got crushed.

Thanks to that, there was talk of creating a special rule that matches involving the Haeyeon Guild Leader would be held in Korea unconditionally. In fact, in the last ranking match before I regressed, they had given Yuhyun as much consideration as possible, and he had risen to fourth place.

“I was pissed off at the first ranking match.”

“The first one had a preliminary round for each country, right? And I heard he didn’t even pass the preliminary round, damn it.”

Each country had a preliminary round, and one to a maximum of three people, depending on the number of S-Ranks they had. And Korea only had one person advance to the main round. That was Seong Hyunjae, and anyway, the Haeyeon Guild Leader was criticized for being eliminated in the preliminary round.

After that, it was not by country, but by randomly dividing the strong and mixing them. In the second time, Seong Hyunjae was the overwhelming first place in the first ranking match, so he went straight to the quarterfinals, and Yuhyun ended up in thirty-second place with a winning streak and one withdrawal. It was because it was decided that the match would be held in the opponent’s country in the round of thirty-two. Seong Hyunjae was first place at this time too.

“Since he couldn’t go abroad because he was worried about us, he’ll probably sweep the floor this time.”

“Just in case, try to smuggle out that damn chain too.”

“Why don’t you just lock him up so he can’t even participate?”

“It’s okay for the first time, though. There’s a career difference. It’s unfair.”

“That’s true.”

He’s right. And besides, Seong Hyunjae’s actual career might easily exceed hundreds of years. As expected, it’s unfair. Isn’t it a career that should retire and become a judge? But how am I supposed to lock him up? Right before the match, if I say, “Chief Song is thinking of retiring and joining Sesung!” would he follow? Or, “Let’s have a match with me instead of Yuhyun! I can recreate Crescent Moon’s power!” and draw him out.

“But it’s an eyesore, so take it off.”

“Yessir.”

The me-like guy held out a shirt that the kids had brought as a bonus, saying it was for Yuhyun to change into. It’s huge.

“I want to hit you once, but are you going to wake Yuhyun up now?”

“Yeah.”

“If I hit you, Yuhyun will just worry. You damn bastard.”

The me, with a disgruntled frown, went out, saying he would get the clothes when Yerim and Yun Yun came. The door closed, and silence fell in the bedroom, which was only lit by indirect lighting. As I approached the bed, reddish-black stains came into view. The wounds were healed, but the traces were still there.

“Yuhyun.”

The moment I reached out my hand—

THWACK!

A red lizard jumped out and slapped the tip of my hand with its small front paw. Then it jumped up and down as if it were angry.

“Sorry, Iryn.”

I held out my hand and told it to come here and talk, but Iryn turned around and disappeared. It seems to be very sulky. I put my hand on Yuhyun again and shook his shoulder slightly.

“Hyung is here.”

As expected, there was no sign of him waking up with just this. Since it’s my skill, maybe I can undo it a little. With the help of the mana imprinting, I slowly searched for the traces of the Lullaby skill from Yuhyun’s body. It wasn’t easy, but I succeeded in pulling out a slight trace of the skill, and—

Han Yuhyun’s eyes snapped open. His blurry focus quickly fixed on me. Immediately after that—

PLOP!

My body was pressed down on the bed. Yuhyun’s hand firmly gripped my neck, and Iryn reappeared and landed on my shoulder.

– Let’s swallow him, Yuhyun.