The S-Classes That I Raised

Chapter 480: This Time, the Kidnapper (3)

“They’re unrelated.”

“Ah, I see. Just like me~ I wasn’t related at all, either. The only Chinese I know is nǐ hǎo.”

What did xièxiè mean again.

“I did have acquaintance with Park Hayul. Helped him when things got dangerous. Come to think of it, that’s straight up repaying grace with enmity.”

Saved him, and he sold me out. Sure, I helped with an agenda, and he suffered because I didn’t contact him… Honestly, it’s not exactly my fault, but my conscience still stung. Must be the skill. I do pity what he went through. I have no reason to, but still… I hope they lift that skill fast.

“Hunter Chloe. It feels bad when the people around you are put in danger, right? Same for me and mine. Obviously.”

“…I’m aware.”

“If you know, why do this. ‘Don’t do to others what you hate’—basic social decency, isn’t it? Society exists on that premise. You don’t want to die? Me neither. So let’s not kill each other. You don’t want to be stolen from? Me neither. So let’s not steal. It’s that kind of agreement.”

Let’s not do to each other what we don’t want done to us. But you did? Then the one who got hit has no reason to endure it.

“You smack someone who was minding their business and say ‘there was no choice’? That’s crap. From the start, this was something you should have sought cooperation for. Not an abduction.”

“The situation at the time—”

“Before any situation, I would have refused. Of course.”

I cut her off. You think I’m crazy enough to accept? Well… maybe I’d have wavered a bit—because Yun Yun was tangled in it. But Yuhyun, and everyone around me, would have gone beyond absolute opposition to physically locking me up just in case.

And if I’d known the Demon King would burst out of Yun Yun at the end, I would have balked, too. I probably would’ve quietly rescued the Goblins first, then asked Rookie and the elder for advice or help about Yun Yun.

Either way, it wouldn’t have involved chucking my body on the line.

“I agree that tossing me in was the fastest, easiest way—for you. You could watch without a scratch. Thinking about it like that makes it even more galling.”

They didn’t know Rookie or the elder, and they didn’t really know my relationship with the Goblins—so of course they didn’t consider another method. They probably believed we’d never cooperate. Call the result ‘good’ if you want: the Goblins were rescued, the military was half–wrecked so no foreign incursions, the captive Hunters freed, and the Murim Alliance got a chance to establish a proper Hunter system. We hauled off a bunch of goodies, too.

But the fact that I—and the people precious to me—were nearly put in danger doesn’t disappear.

“I’m not asking for much. What I want is simple.”

I met Chloe’s eyes straight on.

“I want the people I love to live safe and happy. That’s it. Nothing else.”

For real.

“I’ll do anything for that.”

“Director Han.”

Chloe opened her mouth—calmer than I’d expected.

“For your wish to be realized, the world must be safe.”

“Saving the world? Great. But the cart shouldn’t go before the horse. If saving the world means my people are sacrificed, I’d rather we all go down together.”

Like hell I’d sacrifice my kids. What do I get from saving a world that takes them from me. I’m not anything grand; I’m no hero. If the world ends tomorrow, and stopping it means losing the people I love, then I’ll just spend that day with them, joyfully.

Thank them, tell them I love them, hold them, and go to sleep.

Of course, that’s only if there truly, absolutely is no way. Otherwise, I’ll fight to save the world without losing anyone. We’d prefer to live long, wouldn’t we.

“It’s not easy to protect everyone.”

She spoke like she was soothing me.

“Even before dungeons, misfortune and accidents were constant. And now—no matter how we try and prepare, we can lose comrades at any time. Director Han, you don’t have much dungeon–clearing experience, so it may not feel real to you.”

“Oh, it feels very real.”

So real I thought I’d go mad.

“And? So what.”

“…Excuse me?”

“Hard or impossible—it doesn’t matter. I’ll grab the Reaper by the collar if I have to. I told you—I’ll do whatever it takes.”

Be rational; the reality is what it is; it can’t be helped. I’ve heard it to death, and it still blocks the road. Even so, I’ve made it this far.

I rose. As I took one step forward, everyone tensed—wondering if Chloe would lash out at me. She would have felt that too.

“I’m Stat F–rank. My skills are good? Sure. But no matter how good the skills, they don’t carry you to here by themselves. For ninety–nine out of a hundred, it ends with being dragged off, locked up, and used. I nearly ended up that way multiple times.”

Almost imprisoned, almost sold—actually caged and used in China. Rough waters for only about half a year.

“‘You were lucky to have an S–rank little brother to protect you,’ you might say. Yuhyun.”

“Yeah, Hyung.”

“You still want to lock me up, right?”

“If you’re okay with it—right now.”

“See? As the older brother who raised him, I guarantee that was 100 percent sincere.”

I sat back down and crossed the other leg.

“Your turn, Hunter Chloe.”

“What—”

“Tell me how noble your goal is, and how you’ve worked toward it. I told you everything. My cheek still stings from the slap, and you have the gall to tell me to accept no treatment, let alone compensation—so at least let me hear your reasons.”

I’d debated playing pitiful or going hard; since I’d already pissed her off, the latter seemed better. Sympathy for low stats only goes so far. I quietly cast the teacher skill on Yuhyun—to read Chloe’s state more closely.

I only knew her from TV; I couldn’t claim to truly know Chloe. Even if it’s ‘reality’ TV, it’s prerecorded and edited. And even close friends rarely know a person’s core.

‘She clearly cherishes her colleagues.’

But judging by what she’s said to me, she might cut them for her convictions. If her words match her actions. I fiddled with my phone and watched her.

“First, I apologize for misjudging you, Director Han.”

Hearing a simple, honest ‘sorry’ left a bitter taste. It’d be easy if people neatly split into good and bad. But most people are multi–faceted. Even Yuhyun—he’s sweet, cute, and lovable to me, but the Sudam Guildmaster ground his teeth at him. Of course that guy was wrong. Hm. Bad example. Yuhyun is good, so let’s say Seong Hyunjae instead. …People really are complicated.

“But you can’t fully understand Hunters and dungeons in a few months.”

Well, I can’t tell her I regressed. In her eyes, I was still a cocky rookie with little experience, cocky because of special skills and S–rank friends. Reasonable, on the surface.

Yerim twitched, frustrated. She looked like she wanted to shout, Mister actually has the most experience!

“We aren’t a vertical organization.”

I schooled my face not to react. Okay—let’s hear what kind of group you are.

“We didn’t gather for profit. We’re simple helpers.”

“Helpers?”

“Yes. As helpers, we lend hands where Hunter–related help is needed.”

Helpers. From the word alone, it sounded like a volunteer group.

“To me, you were simple kidnappers. Oh—do you discriminate by region? Asia—though China is Asia. Do you hate Koreans?”

“Of course not.”

“Helping others is great. But why do you ‘lend a hand’ by cutting off someone else’s hand, not your own.”

“All I can say about that part is that I’m sorry.”

Stubborn. She was sorry—but that was it. It was necessary, she didn’t regret it, and she wouldn’t compensate.

“Even if you aren’t vertical—what about the ‘older sister’ Park Hayul mentioned.”

“She offers advice. Action is up to each person’s judgment.”

I remembered Park Hayul saying she’d told him to come back, and he refused. They can act freely to that degree—and still maintain a hidden structure?

‘People with Keywords must be unable to take actions that harm that sister.’

Otherwise it would’ve collapsed quickly. The blonde from the letter—probably not her. Or maybe she was playing at being lax.

“If I ask for details, you’ll clam up, won’t you.”

“Yes.”

“Let’s just say that, since you call yourselves helpers, you aren’t hostile to us. Provided you compensate and remove the skill.”

“I’m sorry, but—”

“There are three.”

I ostentatiously unlocked my phone and tapped the screen.

“Number 1, number 2, number 3. Well? With three, losing one is okay, right?”

“Director Han.”

“I offered a way to make peace. If your reasons were convincing, maybe I’d let it go. But as I said, my people matter more to me than the world. So decide.”

Chloe closed her mouth. Her calm eyes trembled a little. I wavered, too. Calls wouldn’t go through from here, so it was an empty threat—but I still didn’t like using human lives as leverage.

“I’m not asking for much—just the invitations. What numbers do you like? 3?”

At my thumb over the number pad, her body flinched. At the same time, Yuhyun’s foot pinned her thigh to keep her seated. Crack— a longsword slammed down in front of her.

“You said a few sacrifices are fine for the world. That makes me look like the only villain, doesn’t it.”

“…I’ll give you my share of invitations.”

“And you lectured me like I didn’t know what I was talking about.”

“An invitation is just a thing.”

So—no personal attachment. I set my phone on the armrest and held out my hand.

“Release the captives.”

“One of them— not immediately. I’ll guarantee their life.”

“Please— all three. In return, I’ll hand over an invitation now and I’ll stay, without resisting.”

I thought briefly, then nodded. She reached her bound hands behind her back, produced a small gem, and tossed it up. Yuhyun caught it and handed it to me. No contract—handed over that easily. Because it was her share, maybe.

[Party Invitation]

“How do I use it?”

“Register it, and contact will come for a specific date. You can change the registered user.”

“Thanks—for now.”

I put it in my Inventory. I’d confirm safety with Rookie before using it. For now, two seats secured.

“The other invitations have owners. As I said, we aren’t a vertical organization; I can’t demand others hand theirs over.”

“What about Park Hayul?”

“Same.”

Still, she wasn’t as hardline as before. Maybe she felt that if she stonewalled, I’d ram straight through. I guess she did underestimate me a bit. Considering how I flailed and even confessed, understandable.

“Can you at least give me a way to contact your people—especially that ‘sister’?”

“…I can’t promise that.”

Clear hesitation crossed her face—the strongest shift yet. She truly couldn’t take actions that might harm the sister, it seemed.

“Let’s leave it here for now.”

I stood and looked at Myungwoo. At my nod, he approached Chloe and knocked her out again.

“The second time is easier, huh.”

“I hadn’t lifted it fully. What now? You have to remove the skill.”

“Mm. We’ll see.”

Fishing is about give and take. We stepped out of the forge to confer on handling her. As planned still seemed best.

“Then I’ll leave it to you. Especially you, Mr. Seong.”

And we dispersed.

Chloe opened her eyes. Unlike the unfamiliar room from before she passed out, her body was free this time. She rose at once—and saw the man seated in a chair.

“…Guildmaster Seong.”

Seong Hyunjae wore a gentle smile.