The S-Classes That I Raised

Chapter 610: Looking for the Cat (4)

“They were wandering around the airport, so I was thinking I might just take them and raise them myself.”

Prince Who–Knows–What–His–Name–Is spoke while unnecessarily pretending to be friendly, stroking my lower jaw. Get that hand off me. Who said he could treat me like some pet cat. I mean, I was a cat right now, but it was still annoying.

“Those cats already have an owner.”

Samir said as he pulled a metal neck guard out of his inventory and fastened it on. It was a familiar piece of gear. Where had I seen that again?

“Looks like they snuck into my car and rode all the way here. Would you mind returning them?”

So he still thought I was just an ordinary cat? The chef who’d had his car taken probably hadn’t said anything, but lots of people in the kitchen had seen me. They might have assumed I escaped with the Sesung guildmaster and the cat. It probably wouldn’t even cross their minds that I was the cat.

“Both of them?”

“Yes. Though I assume they have different owners.”

Right. He’d concluded I was Seong Hyunjae’s cat, and Gyeol was mine – Han Yujin’s. There was a good chance he thought we were monsters that just looked like cats, too. That’d be more natural anyway. The prince’s eyes curved gently as he smiled.

“I’ll go along and return them myself.”

“Then go with Bella. I’ll finish taking the terrorist into custody.”

Samir smiled silently as well, slipping metal scale half–gauntlets onto his hands. Just as the prince started to answer, Cho Hwawoon spoke first.

“This conversation is unnecessarily long.”

He stepped forward. His cold eyes narrowed, long and thin, like a snake that had its prey in front of it.

“There’s no reason to let people who are willing to enter a political marriage with Han Yujin live. If we take care of them here, they won’t be in the way even if Han Yuhyun arrives.”

“So the Haeyeon guildmaster really is on his way here, then.”

“You’re not going to meet him, little blue–blooded prince.”

“If he’s my cousin’s husband’s younger brother, that makes him family. We’ll have to see each other often.”

At that degree of relation you’d be lucky to see each other once a year. No one would be offended if they never met again after the wedding. Cho Hwawoon drew his sword. A chill flowed along the blade. It wasn’t normal cold. It felt thicker, heavier somehow. At the same time, the metal gear on Samir’s neck and hands slid soundlessly into his body. Then metallic scales started to sprout along his neck and on the wrist and back of his hand, barely visible below his sleeves.

‘That!’

I’d seen that in the ranking match before regression! He was probably wearing metal gear all over – arms, legs, torso – under his clothes. Then even the spear in his hand, entirely metal from shaft to tip, flowed into his palm and disappeared.

I hadn’t recognized him at the ranking match because his face had been hidden and he’d used another name! Did the prince oppose him going, so he snuck in? Anyway, he’d been in the top ranks.

Clang! His hand, armored in metal as if he were wearing a gauntlet, collided with Cho Hwawoon’s sword. Number one in speed among Hunters. His terrifying movements were impossible to track even with Delroux’s eyes. Barely managing to block the attack, Cho Hwawoon’s lips curled. The cold clinging to his sword–

Ssshhh–

Melted Samir’s scales. Samir quickly drew his weapon back and spun his body. Something invisible to the eye grazed Cho Hwawoon’s shoulder and gouged the ground. I heard the sound of metal melting again, but I couldn’t make out the details from here. I was trying my best to widen my eyes and follow when–

“Well now.”

The prince jerk half–dropped, half–set me and Gyeol down. I saw Isabella pull out her axe. Yeah, well, same.

[ Gyeol! ]

If we stayed here, we were going to get caught right in the middle of it. And the energy coming off Cho Hwawoon’s side was anything but normal. That power that melted metal really did not feel safe.

[ Let’s get out of here first! ]

I grabbed the scruff of Gyeol’s neck in my teeth and darted into a gap between nearby rubble. The moment our bodies were completely hidden, I pulled out the Drawer and used it.

Splash! Bright blue water surged up in front of my eyes. The current was far too rough for a cat, and I lost my grip on the back of Gyeol’s neck. Flailing my limbs in a panic, I searched for him.

[ Gyeol! Where are you! ]

– Yeah, Dad! I’ll grab you!

A kitten with wings popped them out and dangled a ribbon in front of me. It was a colorful Christmas ribbon. He must have grabbed it when we went to Times Square. Christmas decorations in the inventory – pretty extravagant.

[ Isn’t it heavy? ]

– Not heavy at all, it’s like down!

Gyeol said as he flapped hard, pulling me along. I almost changed back to human, but land wasn’t far off, so I just swam and pretended to let him help. Being a cat actually felt more stable for swimming. Because it was four–legged, maybe. I had heard some cats liked water.

Once we reached land, I released the skill. My wet body felt heavy. Gyeol seemed to really like his cat form and flew around me in circles, still a kitten.

“We’ve got five whole hours until the plane gets here, so let’s rest here and then head out.”

No reason to get caught up in that mess. Better to take it easy and go later. This time I needed to get the timing right.

“The sun’s already gone down, and you’re tired, right?”

– I’m okay. But I am a tiny bit sleepy.

“There’s a bedroom here too. Let’s go get some sleep.”

– Okay. Oh? Dad, Christmas decorations!

Christmas wreaths and garlands hung on the front gate and fence. What the… The moment we stepped into the building, 71 appeared like he’d been waiting.

– Uncle!

“This is the management system.”

In Yuhyun’s form, 71 was wearing a tuxedo and a Santa hat. A red poinsettia was tucked into his breast pocket. Christmas really wasn’t far off but… He’d said he couldn’t change anything else, and yet somehow Christmas decorations were fine. We could probably throw a Christmas party in here.

“Welcome, Master.”

“Y–yeah. He’s not actually your uncle, he’s just the system, so, um… I guess it shows you the person closest to you.”

Bringing a whole crowd of people in here was off the table again. Not until I got him to stop with the “Master” thing.

I almost headed straight for the bedroom, but when I heard there was a Christmas tree, I went to the parlor instead. The spacious sitting room had a big fireplace and, predictably, a big tree. A golden star glittered at the top, and colorful ornaments and red–and–white candy canes hung between Santa and Rudolph figures while colored lights twinkled. There weren’t any electric cords or anything – small globes of light hung all over the tree like fruit.

A soft white rug lay across the floor like snow, and two snowman figures wearing Santa hats smiled by the fire. Jangling bells, red stockings, pinecone wreaths, mistletoe. For a moment, the Yuhyun inside the dungeon came to mind. I hoped he was doing well.

“Dad, can I sleep here?”

Back in his child form, Gyeol climbed onto the sofa and hugged a fluffy cushion.

“Of course you can. Let’s wash up and brush your teeth first, though. You got pretty dusty.”

I asked 71 to help and bathed him in warm water. Once he was in his pajamas, he stretched out with his head on the cushion and a blanket pulled up. His golden eyes kept vanishing and reappearing under his fluttering eyelids. He was clearly sleepy but was fighting it, like he didn’t want to waste the moment by falling asleep too fast. It was probably because he’d had fun today. I patted him lightly, and he slipped into sleep in an instant.

I watched the sleeping boy for a while, then got up from the sofa. My whole body ached. It felt like something was twisted out of place all over inside me.

‘My condition really is crap.’

Ru Ga Pheya definitely hadn’t been talking nonsense. If you’re going to nag someone to take care of their health, you should at least teach them how. Once I met Yuhyun, I’d have to slip into a nearby dungeon first. The Elders would be furious, but this time I really had no choice. I did survive, after all.

I turned off Poison Resistance, took painkillers from my inventory, and swallowed them. At some point, Grace had appeared and was watching me anxiously. I really didn’t want Myungwoo to notice.

“71. I’m going to grab a nap too, so wake me in four and a half hours. By my world’s time, okay? Please.”

“Yes, Master.”

I lay down on the sofa opposite the one where Gyeol was sleeping. It was as comfortable as a bed. The blanket 71 brought was soft, and the quiet crackle of the fire made my eyes close on their own. I was exhausted and sleepy, but consciousness didn’t fade right away. If anything, it sharpened.

‘You’ll disappear without meaning, huh.’

I didn’t actually think Chatterbox’s curse was going to come true, but at the same time, it wasn’t completely impossible either. I mean, I could end up struggling along until I couldn’t anymore and then go off on my own to quietly find a place to die.

The old me probably would have. Even now, part of me still hesitated. I didn’t want to show the people I loved how weak I was, or let them see me dying. But I couldn’t do that. If, by some chance, I reached a point where nothing could be done, they’d want to be with me. And I’d want the same.

That might be a comfort to the ones left behind. It would hurt in the moment, but they’d stayed with me to the end and seen me off. If I could share the last moment with the people I cherished, then yeah, I should smile. I had to smile.

‘…Did Yuhyun feel that way too?’

At the end, with me by his side, was he happy? I slowly pictured my little brother’s smiling face. …It was better than if he’d cried. Better than him suffering. And because he smiled, because of that… I’d had room to breathe, even for just a moment. He’d left me that smile.

I’d asked him, why he smiled, how he could smile like that. But in the end, you have to smile. So I should too.

‘I miss my brother.’

In real time it had only been about a day, but it felt like we’d been apart for a month. I shifted a little. A pair of white doves hanging from an evergreen branch spun slowly. Back in Korea, there were probably lots of places putting up Christmas decorations about now. I wondered if they’d put a tree up at the Breeding Facility too. Just because I wasn’t there didn’t mean they should let it slide – I wanted them to deck out both the building and the Facility.

If I couldn’t make it back on time, I should just bring everyone into the Drawer instead… but 71… It’d be embarrassing, but I still wanted to spend the end of the year together with everyone.

“Hey, 71. Since you’ve already got the Santa hat, you can do a mask or something too, right? Or like a full Santa costume.”

“Yes, that’s possible.”

“Then next time I visit, dress up as Santa for me. I’ve gotten really fond of Yuhyun in a Santa costume.”

With a beard covering his face, it’d be hard to recognize him. It’d be weird having Santa calling me Master, but oh well. Christmas would come next year and the year after that, but who knew what would happen. You have to grab it while you can. Ah, cake. Maybe I should slip over to France for a bit. When it comes to pastries, France is the place. Swing by Switzerland for a watch, hop to France for cake – perfect.

Of course, going straight back to Korea without any detours would be best. I rolled over again, counted some sheep, and finally drifted off to sleep.

Over the ash, a single willow leaf fluttered down. The instant it touched the ground, it melted away like snow, and another leaf danced in the air where the first hints of dawn seeped into the sky. In that stillness…

Thud!

A big bike dropped down. Faded ash puffed up like a cloud, and a small red–furred beast hopped lightly off the saddle. Peace folded his wings. Stepping on a willow leaf, Han Yuhyun arrived at the wrecked airport.

“You’re gonna break it if you keep treating it like that. If it gets wrecked, I’m not letting you ride it!”

Another bike landed lightly. Park Yerim frowned a little as she looked around.

“They trashed all this just to stop us from coming? I know I’ve knocked over a few airports in my time, but this is overkill.”

She fussed with the veil covering her head, saying it felt stifling. Both Park Yerim and Han Yuhyun were dressed in Arab clothes. Their bodies and even their faces were covered, so it was hard to recognize them even without any perception–blocking items.

Even after hearing that Aswan International Airport had been destroyed, the plane didn’t divert to Cairo and instead headed straight for Aswan. Officially, the only S–class Hunter on board was Song Taewon, so Han Yuhyun and Park Yerim chose to get off at Aswan. Since it was Sesung’s private jet, they’d been able to borrow bikes too. They were powered 50% by dungeon materials and ran on mana stone energy. Vehicles and bikes made from dungeon materials were still only produced in a few countries, including the U.S., so they’d picked up these new bikes while they were in America.

“I don’t see Mister anywhere… Did he go to a nearby town?”

As Park Yerim fiddled with her phone, saying she’d try looking up directions, Peace hopped off the saddle. He glanced around, twitching his nose, then suddenly took off toward a pile of building debris.

“Peace!”

Park Yerim grabbed her bike one–handed and ran after him. Han Yuhyun did the same. Peace shoved his nose into the rubble and flicked his tail once, then turned and took off again. Once he’d run out of the airport, Peace came to an abrupt stop.

“What the heck is that? Looks like someone had a brawl.”

Several large craters pocked the ground around a car that had been smashed flat like it had been stepped on. Catching the faint residue of mana clinging around the pits, Han Yuhyun arched a brow. The traces were so weak it was hard even for him to distinguish them, but he’d definitely encountered this mana before.

“Feels like an S–class Hunter I’ve met before.”

“African. You said you’ve never gone overseas except for Mister’s stuff, right?”

“Never. If it feels this familiar, it’s not someone I just brushed past. I must’ve run into them several times or fought them.”

“Think there was an African S–class at the party?”

While they talked, Peace continued searching diligently, then suddenly froze.

– Kyaang!

At his bark, full of excitement, Han Yuhyun hurried over. Peace nudged a slanted slab of rubble with his nose. Black fur clinging to the edge of the slab caught Han Yuhyun’s eye.

“…Hyung.”

“What? Mister?”

Seeing the black fur as well, Park Yerim’s eyes went wide.

“Mister was here? Mister! I brought snacks for you!”

Park Yerim pulled out some cat treats from inside her clothes and waved them, shouting. Peace let out a soft whine and circled the area where Han Yujin’s fur remained. It looked like the trail ended here.

“He wasn’t alone.”

“Well, with this much of a mess, of course there were other Hunters here. You think they took Mister with them?”

“This fur isn’t my brother’s.”

Han Yuhyun held up a white hair. Park Yerim tilted her head.

“But Mister had a few white hairs too.”

“It’s different. Not the same kind of white. Which means there was another cat or furred animal here.”

“…A white cat? Mister made a cat friend already? Maybe a girlfriend?”

“I can’t be sure. Did the white cat’s trail end too?”

Han Yuhyun held the white hair out to Peace. Peace sniffed it, circled the area, then returned to the same spot. Both trails had vanished at once.

“If they took both of them together…”

“Then Mister didn’t get found out. What do we do? We have to find Gyeol too. You think he’s still at the villa?”

“I’ll follow the tracks. Park Yerim, you contact Isabella and secure the fairy dragon. The vibe in the SNS photos looked friendly enough.”

“Got it. What about Peace?”

“You take him. If my brother’s near the fairy dragon, Peace will help find him.”

“I’m not worried worried, but still, be careful.”

Han Yuhyun mounted his bike and sped off, following the tire tracks in the dirt. Park Yerim hesitated a moment, wondering what to do, then sent a “Hi” message to Isabella’s social media.