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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: A Trip with the Master (7)
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After finishing the remaining Jeju Island gate subjugations,
I sought out Seolhwa Garden, which my Master's parents supposedly operated.
And what did I find?
The scene before me was several groups of Hunters intimidating my Master's parents.
The male Hunter, who was raising his voice at the front, was truly a sight to behold.
"Oh, come on. How can you run a Hunter accommodation business when you treat Hunters like this? Seriously, who do you think made Jeju Island peaceful like this—!!"
Normally, a cancellation fee is standard for same-day cancellations at an accommodation, but it seemed they were refusing to pay it.
Well, up to this point, it could be considered an overly difficult customer.
After all, if they didn't actually stay, paying the money might feel like a waste.
However, what truly astounded me wasn't the man raising his voice at the front,
but the conversation whispered between the guys snickering in the back.
— Wow, look how vicious that guy is.
— Hey, is it about time we pretend to be angry enough to flip this whole place?
— Right? They told us to smash everything. The timing is perfect. Luckily, someone cleared out all those useless dungeons, so we got a good excuse.
'Do these guys have multiple lives?'
Of course, it must be something they'd do because they didn't know.
I scoffed, watching their behavior.
For some reason,
these guys seemed intent on destroying the pension operated by my Master's parents.
'Could it be that it was discovered that this place is run by my Master's parents?'
And I wasn't the only one who heard their voices.
A sharp killing intent, so palpable it felt like it would burst if poked, pricked at me.
My Master next to me glared at them with eyes that could kill.
I understood.
If I came to see my parents after a long time and saw something like this, I'd lose my temper too.
'Still, if I leave this to Master, things will get complicated.'
Even if it was already discovered, I had to keep the relationship between Master and her parents as hidden as possible.
Which meant I had to step in.
'Leave this to me.'
I gently squeezed Master's hand once, then stepped forward.
"Wow—. Is this what they call a nuisance Hunter?"
When I spoke nonchalantly,
"Who are you?! You fu—! Huh?"
The male Hunter who had been swaggering around suddenly whipped his head around, his eyes widening.
As if to ask, why are *you* here?
"Me? I'm the one who just cleared all those dungeons you were talking about."
"…Uh, uh? J-Jin Yuha?"
As I stepped forward,
the other Hunters also flinched in surprise, making way.
"But, it's strange. The dungeons I reserved were terribly unpopular. No one had reserved them…"
"T-Then! When we tried to reserve them later! They were all reserved! A-Even if it's Utopia, is it right to monopolize dungeons!?"
As I stared intently at him,
he hurriedly made clumsy excuses that didn't even make sense.
I slowly nodded at that.
"Hmm… Well, that could happen. It's possible you came looking for them without my knowledge and left empty-handed."
"T-That's right!"
However, I was certain.
These guys had definitely not visited the gates that Master and I had cleared.
"Then, we can just check, can't we?"
*Ring-ring-ring—*
"Hello. Yes. Yes. This is Hunter Jin Yuha, who reserved gates yesterday and today. Was there anyone else who inquired about clearing the dungeons I went to?"
I switched my phone to speakerphone and held it towards the Hunters.
— No, there wasn't. In fact, we should thank you for clearing dungeons that no one has sought out for the past few years.
"They say no?"
"..."
At that, the man, seemingly speechless, huffed and puffed.
He furtively glanced between me and Master's parents, then shrieked.
"Ugh, damn it! What rotten luck! Hey, let's go!"
However, there was no way I would just let them go.
*Thwack.*
I drew my sword, still in its sheath, and pointed it at his neck.
"Stop."
"W-What…!"
"Just curious."
I stared intently at him.
"Who, and why, told you to destroy this place?"
"—!!"
At that, his eyes bulged.
"Come on, let's hear the reason."
I asked with a smirk.
*
*Thwack!*
*Thwack!*
*Thwack!*
When I threatened them, the Hunters initially resisted as a group.
But as they continued to get hit by the sword sheath,
their faces swelled, their bodies turned black and blue, and they shed tears.
"Ughhh!"
"Huuuh—!"
"Guh! S-Sorry! I'm sorry! W-We won't do it again!!"
The guys were now slamming their heads on the ground, begging me.
'These guys don't even have basic manners…? What in the world?'
At first, I thought perhaps it had been revealed that Seolhwa Garden's owner was related to Master, but it seemed that wasn't the case.
If it were, such pathetic guys wouldn't have come.
"Just tell me who ordered you. I'll let you go, I promise? Keep your mouths shut if you want to get beaten more."
As I raised the sword sheath again,
"Gweisu Garden!!!"
The man who had been hit the most shrieked.
"T-The place next door! The owner of the pension next door! He gave us money and asked us to! To break this place, Seolhwa Garden!"
"…The pension next door? Why there?"
"He said it was because a non-Hunter was running a Hunter business! T-That it was arrogant! He said he needed to teach them a l-lesson!!"
Hah.
'…This is absurd.'
So, someone who wasn't a Hunter was running a Hunter business, and it was even doing well, making them jealous.
Master's expression also hardened, more than ever before, upon hearing that.
'Oh, I'll have to beat them more to save these guys.'
I swung the sword sheath again, with the mindset of saving a life.
"And you hired Hunters to send? Are you thugs or something?"
*Thwack—!*
*Thwack—!*
*Crack—!*
"Ughhh!"
"S-Sorry! W-We won't do it again!"
"S-Sorry!"
After giving them another good beating, I pondered.
'Hmm, but will this kind of thing keep happening…?'
This time, I was really lucky to arrive at the right time.
But if petty attacks like this kept coming from the surroundings, could this place withstand it?
'Hmm…'
I glanced sideways.
A person who looked exactly like Master caught my eye.
Black hair and black eyes, just like Master,
but unlike Master's sword-like, cool aura, she was a woman with a graceful and benevolent atmosphere.
She couldn't take her eyes off Master, staring at her.
'I'll leave that side as it is for now… I'll have to handle this myself.'
"Hey."
I lowered my voice and called out to the guys, letting out killing intent.
"…Y-Yes, sir!!!"
The guys, startled, answered in a rigid posture.
"Do you even know what kind of place this is that you came to?"
"…W-What kind of place? I-Isn't it just a pension?"
"Hah, this place has a contract with Utopia. And that means if someone attacks it, they're making an enemy of our Utopia."
"—!!!"
At that, the guys' faces turned ashen.
"W-We didn't know! We really didn't know!"
"So, tell the surrounding Hunters. This place is under Utopia's protection. So, it would be best not to even think about messing with it."
"Yes, sir!"
"Now get out."
At that, the guys limped away in a hurry.
'Hmm, that's a relief… It doesn't seem like the relationship with Master was revealed. I just blurted it out, but I can just tell Shin Seehee about it later, right? And that Gweisu Garden. I should ask her to take care of that too.'
As expected, in matters like this, Seehee-mong was always reliable, no matter when I thought of her.
* * *
Baek Seonhee was flustered.
Why had her daughter, who hadn't contacted her for five years, suddenly shown up?
And with the famous Jin Yuha, no less.
But even seeing her daughter right in front of her, Baek Seonhee couldn't bring herself to speak.
Because of the promise her daughter had strictly made five years ago:
'From now on, we must never speak to each other.' She could only stare.
Just then, Jin Yuha suddenly greeted her brightly.
"Hello."
"…Oh, ah, hello?"
"Are you hurt anywhere, by any chance?"
"…Oh, I'm fine. Thanks to you. I'm not hurt."
"Have those kinds of guys ever come before?"
"Ah, no. Today's the first time."
"That's good then. Still, this kind of thing might happen again in the future, so you should be careful."
"…Thank you for your concern."
Baek Seonhee received his words, unable to hide her bewildered expression.
"Yes, our Utopia will probably propose a protection contract soon, so if you receive a call, please consider it favorably."
"…A protection contract?"
"Yes, I don't want this place to be threatened by trashy guys like that."
"…What? Why, why?"
"Because they're my Master's parents?"
Jin Yuha subtly gestured towards Baek Seolhee.
'…My daughter is this child's Master?'
Of course, Baek Seonhee had heard from Director Lina that Baek Seolhee had taken an instructor position at the Academy.
'But I heard she only focused on Demon Slayer activities and didn't take any disciples…?'
Wasn't that why Lina always grumbled and complained?
But she took a disciple?
And it was Jin Yuha?
When she turned her gaze to her daughter, as if asking if it was true, Baek Seolhee turned her head, looking somewhat embarrassed.
'…Oh my?'
"Master. It's been a long time since you've seen your mother, so please talk. I'll step out and keep guard in case anyone comes around."
*Creak—*
*Thump.*
With those last words, Jin Yuha went outside.
"..."
"..."
They stared at each other for a long time. Baek Seolhee was the first to speak.
"How's your health?"
'My goodness…!'
Her daughter, who had always been so blunt and stoic that it was no exaggeration to say she showed no emotions. This was the first time she had seen her daughter like this.
Her appearance had barely changed in five years, but she was asking about her well-being!
"…Thanks to you, I'm fine. But, is that child really your disciple?"
"Yes."
Baek Seolhee nodded awkwardly.
She even affirmed it herself!
Come to think of it, since that day,
unlike when her face was always filled with seriousness,
her daughter's face, seen after five years, held a sense of ease.
And didn't she also have a somewhat fresh and youthful feeling about her?
'Could it be?'
Her daughter, who had never told anyone about her relationships until now, had brought a man for the first time.
Somehow, her intuition kicked in.
"…What kind of child is he?"
"He's reckless, but kind. And a genius with the sword. He cares about me a lot. He's the one who dragged me here today."
'Wow… Look at her, she's talking so much?'
Could there be anyone else who could lead this stubborn child all the way here?
No, absolutely not.
Didn't even Director Lina always complain bitterly!
'Come to think of it, the age difference isn't that big, is it…?'
Seolhee became the youngest instructor at the Academy when she was just five years old.
Therefore, her age wouldn't be significantly different from the current Academy students.
Indeed, her daughter needed a child who could push her like that.
Only then could she see her face even once every five years, couldn't she!
If that child hadn't been there, she might never have seen her daughter until she died of old age.
Baek Seonhee nodded heavily.
"Hmm, personally, Mom approves."
"…What?"
"Catch him quickly? Otherwise, another girl will snatch him?"
Baek Seonhee gave a mischievous smile,
and Baek Seolhee's face stiffened.