The S-Classes That I Raised

Chapter 458: Disciples (1)

After checking my leg again, we removed the cast. As the numbness wore off, a fair bit of throbbing set in.

“Bear with that much! Pain keeps you from overdoing it.”

Mr. Hoyeon said it while looking at Seong Hyunjae — but of course he meant me.

“Be careful walking for a few days.”

“Yes.”

“The last two were too young. If only I were ten years younger.”

“…Pardon?”

Was he saying that — to Seong Hyunjae? Even ten years younger, he’d still be over a full zodiac apart. Well, twenty with mid–thirties is “call the cops,” but late thirties and fifty — do what you want, I guess.

“It’s an honor.”

Seong smiled gently. Mr. Hoyeon rubbed under his chin with a thoughtful “hmm.”

“On second thought, a twenty–year gap at our age is about right. Want to date?”

Isn’t it more than twenty, actually.

“Sorry, I’ve got a prior engagement.”

“With who. Him? You really spread it around. Jealous.”

Even if you say you’re jealous… More to the point, he was awfully direct with Seong. Maybe that’s an age thing. Now I was a bit curious what he’d say to Chief Song. When Mr. Hoyeon held out a hand, Seong, as if waiting, handed over a card. The wrinkled fingers tucked the card between them and waggled it.

“I don’t have a phone number yet. I’ll buy you a drink next time.”

“You’ll buy?”

The man’s got money to rot.

“Gotta live up to this face.”

Then he swished his white coat and turned away without hesitation. The door opened and shut.

“Are you really going to let him treat you?”

“Shouldn’t I treat him? My partner’s in his debt.”

“He’s an incoming Haeyeon guild member — why would the Sesung guildmaster be the one? And if you’re going to use me as an excuse, I refuse.”

Seong does seem to have a thing for older…

At last I was discharged. I pinged Haeyeon and looked at Seong.

“You really don’t have any confessions to make to me, right?”

“Plenty, of course.”

It was so confident I almost thought he’d said “I have none” not “I have many.”

“…Like what, exactly.”

“Most recently — that dessert I had at lunch wasn’t diet.”

“You said it used a zero–calorie sweetener!”

“Mr. Han could stand to put on a little weight. It’s good for you.”

“O–okay, enough of the petty stuff. I mean important things, about me or the Transcendents.”

“Those you trade.”

Even if we trade… I’ve already spilled most of what I can. Anything big I’m hiding is stuff I can’t reveal.

“I’ve got nothing.”

“Then neither do I.”

I stared at that unconvincing smile. The fairy dragon climbed my shoulder and whispered.

– Let’s just ignore that, Dad.

He’s annoyingly capable to ignore. Not that I could pry it out of him either. I pulled a cane from my inventory.

“If you walk with a cane, people will be suspicious.”

“Mingyu added an invisibility option.”

I still couldn’t walk perfectly naturally. With potions and healers around and no need to “save” resources, “I hurt my leg” would be pure nonsense. But saying it’s a curse or some skill potions don’t work on would make too much noise.

“I’m not going to do much walking on my own anyway. I’ll be careful.”

“I can just carry you.”

Haeyeon’s helicopter was coming, so I could have walked to the staffed roof. But my leg did ache a bit — tempting.

“Then I’ll impos—”

– Gyeol’s here too, Dad!

The fairy dragon flutter–trembled her wings and hopped to the floor. She glared sharply at Seong — and her body swelled in an instant. A Seong Hyunjae with pink–tinged silver hair looked down at me on the bed. Peace tilted his head with a puzzled hrrng.

“I’ll carry you. You don’t need that.”

No, you… Gyeol spread her arms to lift me — but she’s a fairy dragon, big body, weak strength. Of course she only made me jostle a few times with grunts before her face crumpled.

“Dad…”

She was on the verge of tears, saying she couldn’t lift me. I had to soothe her…

“It’s okay, come here. Turn back into a fairy dragon — or a younger human, at least.”

Looking exactly like Seong made me feel weird. That face, on the verge of tears, with those round eyes…

“It’s a new feeling, seeing myself do that.”

“What — you called me Dad once too, remember.”

I hugged her once she turned back into a fairy dragon. He won’t remember what happened in the mindscape. At my words, Seong’s lips quirked. A bad feeling pricked up.

“Wait a—”

“Dad.”

Gyeol’s eyes went round. Then she cried out, like a scream of shock:

– I hate that!

“I thought Mr. Han wanted to hear it.”

“I did not!”

– Let’s call Uncle and Aunt, Dad. Or you can ride Peace.

“They’ll be here soon.”

Even with a saddle, Peace isn’t easy to sit. I stood with my cane and asked Seong to help pack. Before long, Yuhyun and Yerim arrived, both asking if I was all right.

“Just a bit of a throb; I can move fine. They said they left the pain on purpose.”

“Good. Now take care of yourself, Mister.”

“Right, hyung.”

If only I really could. It’s not like I want to get hurt.

Back home, a day later, the pain had eased a lot. I couldn’t get around properly for a while, so I worked at an easy pace and watched the kids. Well — “easy” was a lie. There was a fair backlog.

Plus—

“A C–grade dungeon near Seoul National University of Education.”

Yuhyun said. Time to at least hit a dungeon.

“Close. Let’s make it a quick trip. Gyeol, you stay home with Chirp, Belare, and Horang. Your uncle, your aunt, and Peace will be here — no need to worry about Dad.”

– …Okay.

She answered a bit sulkily. Unlike before, she couldn’t slip into my body, and taking her to the Rookie worried me a little. She was born from the magic stones of Filial Duty Addicts’ Diarma and his dragonkin vassals — like with Yuhyun, the automatic defense system might kick in. It shrugs off most attacks, but still. The Rookie is a Transcendent.

“Mister, here.”

Yerim handed me sunscreen. Trying to take care of my skin for once — why is it so complicated. Thanks to being S–class, both Yerim and Yuhyun just washed their faces and were done. Yerim only used a face pack now and then for fun — scaring Chirp or Belare with a black pack, that kind of thing. I quietly asked the Haeyeon styling team; “this is the mildest,” and they handed me a full set.

Morning, bedtime, eyes, neck — all sorts, but in the end I used the basics.

“Aren’t you suddenly doing a lot? You didn’t even like wearing sunscreen.”

Yerim narrowed her eyes.

“Mister, did you — maybe — get a crush?”

“What? No.”

I’ve liked her since before I regressed; it’s not new. And Yerim probably means “like” differently.

“It’s not Mr. Hoyeon, is it?”

“…He’s not just son–aged, he’s a late–born level. He’s great, but obviously not.”

Not Ms. Hyunah, not White, not even Liet — and out of nowhere you pick Mr. Hoyeon?

“Not many new faces… Min Sohwan unni, then?”

“No. I told you — I’m not planning to date.”

“People who say that are the quickest to date and marry, you know.”

If we’re talking age, sure, I’d be first among us — but I’ve no plans and no candidate.

I told her to stop with the nonsense and headed out to the dungeon. A knock, through the gate — and instead of a snowfield, a broad grassland spread out. A big lake sat off to one side.

[Honeeey~!]

A volleyball popped out of the air, boing–boing–boing toward us.

[Hello, Honey! Honey’s little brother! Little Droplet! Kitty!]

Calling her “little droplet” made Yerim sound like she was the successor to the Mermaid Queen. She had inherited power to a degree.

[We worked hard to change this space for Honey too. Now you can stay longer than before, and time flows faster than outside!]

Time faster than outside — perfect for training.

[Of course, I can only provide space. Lord Chaos is an exception, like I said before!]

No problem then, the volleyball boinged.

“Thanks for thinking of us.”

[You’re welcome!]

I patted the spinning volleyball; pong, it bounced high into the sky. Kind of cute, actually.

“You brought the third one too.”

With a voice both familiar and unfamiliar, Young Chaos appeared — in an adult form. A body so tall it rivaled Seong Hyunjae’s, a face like Yuhyun’s but more mature. The single–tied long hair swayed.

“That’s rare — your adult look?”

“I have a quick errand.”

Chaos changed back to a boy. The hair shortened too. The adult must be the original.

“You’re melee, right? Doesn’t long hair get in the way?”

Melee Hunters almost never grow their hair out. Hair is harder to control than your body and can be a weakness. Even non–melee prefer short — a sudden monster can grab you by it.

“That’s for greenhorns. Once you’re beyond a level, flowing hair or trailing clothes aren’t a problem. You can use them in battle.”

Greenhorns, huh.

“My little brother’s hair doesn’t get in the way either. It’s just that short hair’s the norm where we live. Right, Yuhyun.”

“Hyung said he liked it short.”

“Th–that was — I also said everything suited you.”

I wasn’t fully in my right mind then…

“Long’s good too — long’s good. It suits you, sir.”

While I made excuses, Yerim raised her hand.

“What about me? I’m mostly ranged.”

[I know the magic line well!]

The volleyball spun in.

[I recommend long hair — and tentacles or fins!]

Hair I get — but tentacles and fins? Why tentacles again.

“Rookie, do you like tentacles?”

[I have fins too. They hold mana well. Hair and fins can store mana external to the body and be used in parallel. Then you can modulate mana more flexibly. It’s still early for Little Droplet, though.]

“Long hair’s a pain.”

Yerim frowned.

“I hate tentacles, and fins… wouldn’t that be uncomfortable? With clothes. What about wings?”

[Wings are fine too.]

“Like Noah–oppa — appear and disappear?”

[Of course. You need at least that much control to be usable.]

“Then I want wings! How do I get them?”

[Little Droplet has to make them. With mana.]

Yerim clamped her mouth shut. “No idea how” was written on her face.

[Even long, within a hundred years.]

“Not long,” said the Rookie — and Yerim went, “uh…” A hundred years is a lifetime, normally.

“Then let’s check your body conditions properly first.”

A long wooden stick appeared in Young Chaos’s hand.

“Beating is best.”

“…Excuse me?”

Sir! I jumped, but Yuhyun — and Yerim — looked unbothered.

“That’s hitting them! Go easy! I oppose violence! Corporal punishment is banned in schools now!”

“Why is it banned.”

“Because human ri—”

“Then you take hits too.”

…Huh? Yuhyun and Yerim stepped in front of me. Sensing the tension, Peace grew to adolescent size.

“Not my brother.”

“Mister is delicate as is. He just had leg surgery.”

Kids. I appreciate it, but protect yourselves too. Chaos looked at them — and tossed a line.

“It’s good for health.”

“…What?”

“For health?”

“I can beat exactly the right amount. It’ll hurt, but it’ll get your blood moving and slightly improve your mana flow.”

Like a massage? At that, Yuhyun and Yerim glanced at me.

“Hyung… it’s good for you.”

“Mister, can you endure a little?”

That was fast. And I’ll admit, I was a little tempted.

“I’m fine with it. But go easy on the kids. They’re already healthy.”

“If I go easy, I won’t start.”

“Oh come on! Who in this day and— huh!”

Whiiing — the stick cut the air. The strike missed my arm by a hair; Peace bared his teeth.

– Grrrrr.

Young Chaos’s gaze slid to Peace.

“Good. You get some too.”

Sir, no! That’s animal cruelty! Before I could yell at Peace to run, the caning began.