The S-Classes That I Raised

Chapter 477: Invitation

“…You look younger than I expected.”

She looked like a young woman not yet thirty. Brilliant gold hair fell to her waist, and her eyes were a bright green. Didn’t match the image of the older sister Park Hayul mentioned. Well, that was just the picture I’d made up from his words…

“If she’s a natural S–rank, she could be in her forties.”

I’ve got a natural S–rank beside me who’ll soon have to pretend to be older. Change his styling a bit and even Seong Hyunjae could pass for his twenties.

Still, it was surprising. I’d expected someone more seasoned and mature. You shouldn’t judge by appearances, but the natural S–ranks I know—besides Seong Hyunjae there’s Yuhyun and Liette. Even if I can’t be objective about my little brother, with Liette and Seong Hyunjae I got that instant gut sense that something was different at first sight.

Maybe because this is an illusion. Or maybe just a different type of natural S–rank.

[Even as a shade, I’m glad to meet you like this,]

she said brightly.

[I saw you from afar, Mister, and knew at once—among S–rank Hunters, we are special.]

From the way she talked, she seemed like a natural S–rank—and also not. She’d just said it was “merely a fact,” and here she was stressing “special.” I glanced between Seong Hyunjae and the woman. Hm.

“You’re saying she and you are the same.”

“How hurtful. And I’ve never seen that woman,” he said.

Never met… wait. She said she saw him and felt he was special. But can you really tell that from far away—so discreetly he wouldn’t notice?

“When did you realize, and how, that Yuhyun and Liette are natural S–ranks—different from ordinary S–ranks?”

“Until I met them in person I couldn’t be sure. Han Yuhyun—at the first and last meeting of domestic S–rank Hunters. Liette—when she was hired as a guild mercenary in Spain and attacked.”

“Did you sense it immediately?”

“Liette was so full of battle intent I noticed before she even entered my line of sight. Han Yuhyun, on the other hand, was in a relatively peaceful setting; I only felt it once he came within two or three meters. At first everyone was on their best behavior.”

So if they hide their pressure, it’s hard to detect a natural S–rank from afar.

“Then, if you were in a fight, you could have confirmed it one–sidedly?”

His golden eyes narrowed instead of an answer. Dumb question.

“Right, right. You wouldn’t leave an S–rank as a mere spectator. Unless they specialized in stealth.”

“To add—neither I, nor Han Yuhyun, nor Liette have the temperament of spectators.”

He sounded slightly chilly. Not angry at me—more like the woman rubbed him the wrong way. Specifically, the claim that she was “like him.”

“It is odd for a natural S–rank to sneak a look and leave.”

I looked at the self–proclaimed natural S–rank, all sunny smiles while waiting for a preset response. People vary, but still—suspicious. Then, if she isn’t a natural S–rank—

“Did someone tell her about natural S–ranks.”

Ms. Hyunah and the other S–ranks weren’t certain about “natural S–ranks.” At most, “stronger, more threatening.” Chief Song did treat Seong Hyunjae as special, but that’s likely tied to Chief Song’s own “nature.”

‘A Transcendent?’

If on top of the cult stuff, Park Hayul’s side is also tied to Chatterbox, that’s bad.

“Special, my ass—no, ‘special,’ you say. Delusions. Though of course I am specially brilliant,” I said, ostentatiously stroking beneath my chin. Not like she could see—this was an illusion. If she could, I’d have bolted from embarrassment already.

[I didn’t think you’d concede easily,]

the mirage said with a smile.

Definitely not a natural S–rank. Yuhyun or Liette trying to win Seong Hyunjae’s acknowledgment? That’d be fake on sight. Neither of them twitches an eyebrow at what others think. Except Yuhyun when it comes to me.

[So I prepared a gift.]

At last, the point. What did she propose to Seong Hyunjae? Couldn’t be an ordinary gift. The woman’s image scattered back into fireflies. The scene changed.

“That’s…!”

A giant cylindrical tank. In a wide hall dressed in black and purple, the tank stood in the center. Something swayed inside the water with elegant motion. Snow–white, faintly silver hair and fins, and drifting tendrils.

“…The King of Harmless.”

Her. In a gorgeous, voluminous getup like a wedding dress, twirling as if in a dance. A face so familiar it almost felt welcome now.

“It’s… a bit off.”

I whispered to Seong Hyunjae. The King of Harmless wore a faint smile. Two eyes half–lowered, the remaining one shut so you could barely see it. Serene, tranquil—but that’s why it didn’t feel like her.

I don’t know her that well. But the look of an ornamental songbird, content in a cage and singing peacefully, didn’t suit her at all.

“I don’t know that Transcendent well,” he murmured back, head dipped toward me, “but it felt like a decoration.”

“If this is a fake made by the King of Harmless…”

I reflexively looked around. Chatterbox. It had to be him. But all I saw were a group of Hunters. Come to think of it, I don’t really know what Chatterbox looks like.

“Looks like it’s inside a dungeon.”

The Hunters were blurrier than the tank. Likely an illusion woven from someone’s memory among that group. Definitely a dungeon with Transcendent intervention. I craned my neck for anything useful—

[I will give you an invitation.]

“…!!”

A chill touched my shoulder. I spun, and a Fear Resistance prompt popped.

“Ah, damn…”

A skull with dried skin clinging to it. Red flowers for eyes, ferns trailing from its mouth, a long black veil adorned with white roses, and a face like an old corpse right behind me. Its stick–insect body wore a black formal suit.

Grotesque, yes—but—

‘…Maybe influenced by the memory of whoever saw it.’

Even as a hallucination, it pressed on me. The dried corpse touched me too; the illusion must be letting us experience things from the POV of the Hunter whose memory it was. The black veil swayed as it slid back. Cold crawled over my skin. I shot a glance at Seong Hyunjae.

“A little warning. Were you startled too?”

“I was,” he lied without a blink.

[You fear me,]

it said. Despite the bizarre look, the voice was quite pleasant. The Hunters who’d come in had already spread out in a ring at a distance.

‘The memory’s owner is a spy, then.’

Planted by Park Hayul’s side, it seemed. Which means at least at that point, the two forces weren’t on the same side.

[It’s only a puppet made for the dungeon,]

it added. Like Rookie’s volleyball—a sort of avatar, not the real body. Then it could choose any form; terrible taste.

‘Ninety–nine percent Chatterbox.’

Thinking that made me feel even nastier. If that outfit were mourning clothes, it’d be better than a wedding suit. And the veil was meters long. Seeing that made the King of Harmless’s words about revenge for self–satisfaction ring clearer.

Having a wedding and a funeral all by yourself, huh.

Chatterbox stretched out a long arm. Twig–thin fingers unfurled, and purple gem–like bits pattered out and hung in the air.

[Ask your Master to come.]

Four gems, each a bit larger than a thumbnail, spun and glittered. The lipless, parched mouth slitted in a thin smile.

Then the world blacked out. The fireflies returned, and the blonde woman reappeared among them. Purple gems, like the ones we saw, glittered on her palm.

[As you saw—an invitation.]

“An invitation—as in, a party?”

I couldn’t take my eyes off the gems. Chatterbox meant to draw Park Hayul’s Awakeners to his side as well. Industrious, aren’t we.

[An existence from outside the world has offered us a proposal. You could call it a party.]

One gem drifted to hover before me. I reached for it on reflex, and my hand passed straight through. Not real, of course.

[If you want to grow, to obtain something precious, to fulfill what you desire.]

Typical cult pitch, I thought—but the other party is a Transcendent. Rookie had already opened us a similar dungeon once. Chatterbox interfered and wrecked it, but we brought back plenty of good things.

So they’d provide such a dungeon. Tempting. If we gained much, so would they—it’d be fair. But I wanted to take.

“Can anyone go with just an invitation? And safety?”

[No harm will come to Mister. All guests’ safety is guaranteed. What you obtain at the party can be taken without restriction. Only—the final reward can be had by contracting with the Transcendent.]

So that’s why they gave invitations even to a spy. Likely, those gems were already being spread far and wide among big–name Hunters in the U.S. and Europe. With terms like that, who’d refuse.

[So, Mister, please attend as my partner.]

“…Partner?”

[It’s a party. One invitation admits two—the holder and a partner.]

There were four gems. Eight people. Yuhyun, Yerim, Mr. Noah, Seong Hyunjae… Could Ms. Hyunah go? Chief Song would of course say no—unless we waved “world peace.” And Liette, Ms. Evelyn? Is attendance S–rank and up?

[Our investigation found that for some reason, East Asian Hunters received no invitations.]

Because the Filial Duty Addicts can’t meddle in the exception zone.

[We believe there’s a special reason. You can probably guess, Mister.]

“Not really. I’d like the details.”

I prodded, but the illusion stuck to its script.

[You’re not one to miss a Transcendent’s invitation. We await your positive reply.]

She beamed and faded. The fireflies winked out one by one, leaving only the gem floating before me, shedding light like a lure.

“An invitation to swap partners, is it?”

I looked back at Seong Hyunjae, still holding my wrist.

“If we go just to have a look and skip the final reward, I won’t stop you. Were you thinking of going?”

“Hard to say.”

He wore an ambiguous smile, like his mind was elsewhere.

“Attending would be good. If safety’s truly guaranteed, we can see in advance which Hunters will side with Chatterbox… I don’t know how good that final reward is, but at best…”

The wish stone flashed through my mind. My mouth shut, tongue going dry. They couldn’t offer that level… but if I could hold it once more.

‘…Even so, saving the world.’

That comes first. I let out a short sigh. Transcendents can’t hand out rewards as they please; that won’t show up again. It was a reward for an F–rank soloing the Venom and Curse Dragonkin—maybe even with a first–clear bonus.

“Anyway, Chatterbox is actively recruiting Awakeners. I fully understand why you didn’t tell me—you didn’t want to risk breaking the contract and losing the invitation.”

Instead of answering, Seong Hyunjae looked down at my face.

“Let’s say that’s it.”

What do you mean, “let’s say.” The illusion ebbed away. Our familiar room returned.

“Even so, it’s unexpected. She calls herself a natural S–rank, but she doesn’t feel like one. More like… a proxy? She hasn’t properly contacted a Transcendent yet. Is there a real natural S–rank behind her?”

“A stand–in is usually for protecting oneself.”

“Right—ah, so then.”

If that woman was a stand–in, the person behind her likely isn’t S–rank. Of course, sometimes you use a proxy to fool the crowd. But it’s hard to picture a natural S–rank quietly staying behind the scenes. Above all—what a waste. With those stats, acting directly is far more efficient.

“Considering Park Hayul, it’s probably an Awakener with a special ability. Low stats and only high skill grades, like me. Then using a proxy is safer.”

“I think it would have been better if Mr. Han had used a proxy as well.”

“…”

I shut my mouth. True. There was no need for me to step forward publicly to raise monsters. I could’ve safely pushed up a single high–rank Hunter and worked from behind, hiding my identity…

“I’m greedy.”

How am I supposed to endure watching only other people’s backs from behind a curtain. My brother would be among those backs. I couldn’t do that twice. And, well, I did gain a lot by sticking my neck out.

“And I don’t only have monster–raising skills. Anyway, we should consider that Park Hayul’s ‘sister’ might be someone else.”

“If she’s truly someone with low stats…”

“…She might be even more dangerous.”

Because she’s someone who, despite low stats, commands upper–rank Hunters. I looked down at the letter in my hand. Was it written by that person—or ghostwritten.

Either way, the important thing now was Chatterbox’s invitation.