"My sincerest apologies for the situation."
After having everyone except Castorice and Han Song-Yi taken away under the pretext of being troublemakers, Woo Jin-chul immediately bowed to Castorice.
He was gritting his teeth so hard they might shatter. The relationship between Korea and Castorice had always been exceptionally friendly.
A hunter like Castorice—who never caused trouble, harbored no ambition, was highly orderly, and immensely powerful—was a reliable asset you couldn't find even with a lantern.
Moreover, Castorice possessed national-level power and a suspected ability to help others grow stronger.
Such a hunter was fully qualified to be treated as a national treasure and an honored guest by Korea.
Yet, all the goodwill she held toward the country risked being eroded over just a few short weeks.
Chairman Go had mobilized public relations teams to guide the public opinion at the first opportunity, but it had still spiraled. Why?
Choi Jong-in might not have been able to figure it out, but the Hunter Association, as an official institution, was different. They knew exactly why.
It wasn't that they had uncovered any conclusive evidence.
Rather, diplomats from the United States had recently been deliberately bringing up meetings with Castorice, and the United States's Hunter Association had also sent people to inquire about her information.
Thus, both Go Gunhee and Woo Jin-chul immediately suspected the United States.
But... no sooner had they begun probing than the other side struck. This only confirmed their suspicions while also infuriating them with the other side's aggressiveness.
After informing Castorice that Chairman Go wished to see her, she found herself in Go Gunhee's office for the third time.
Go Gunhee was genuinely troubled by Castorice's current predicament.
Having stood at the pinnacle of power for so long, he understood all too well the intricacies of human scheming. There was simply no quick solution to this matter.
Therefore, he offered Castorice three suggestions.
The first was to specially approve a guild license for her, which could be issued the same day.
Since finding random dungeon parties had become more difficult than before, why not simply form a guild for fixed-party raids?
This would not only allow immediate entry into Gates but also reduce the taxes on selling magic crystals.
The second suggestion was to join the Hunter Association.
This would grant her an official identity. While it wouldn't solve the problem outright, the intensity of the situation would diminish significantly.
Furthermore, if Castorice was willing, Go Gunhee was prepared to offer her privileges within the Association that others didn't have—the specifics were open to discussion.
The third suggestion... was to go to another country and lay low for a while.
Go Gunhee was very reluctant to offer this advice.
After all, having served as the chairman of Korea's Hunter Association for so long, it was impossible for him not to hope that Castorice would stay and become a member.
But he understood one thing clearly: the powerful possess pride.
No matter how gentle one might be, the most you could expect was that they wouldn't strike those who offend them—it didn't mean they would simply laugh it off.
Staying in Korea wasn't the best choice for Castorice.
At the same time, Go Gunhee promised that after her departure, he would do everything in his power to protect Han Song-Yi and her family, ensuring they wouldn't become targets for the troublemakers.
His sincerity helped calm Castorice's anger considerably.
Just as Go Gunhee had thought, Castorice wasn't particularly keen on staying in Korea any longer.
While it was true she had two friends and several acquaintances here, it was also true that a segment of the Korean populace was now targeting her.
Once she left, the United States would naturally cease its instigation, allowing Go Gunhee to fully control the public opinion then.
She could always return later, if she still had the desire to do so.
Go Gunhee sighed. The biggest question was, would Castorice truly want to return? And even if she did, would she still be a Korean hunter?
The International Guild Conference was coming up soon. If Castorice obtained national-level status by then, which country's hunter she chose to be would depend solely on her preference.
Although, as things stood, pretty much every country would welcome her and be happy to issue her a hunter license.
Her departure, of course, wouldn't be too abrupt.
After deciding to lay low, Castorice applied for a leave of absence from school.
She then reserved an entire restaurant for a farewell banquet with Cha Hae-in and Han Song-Yi.
Following that, they had a separate, final camping trip in the wilderness to say their goodbyes.
Cha Hae-in was naturally very reluctant to see her go. But no matter how sad she felt, she had her own responsibilities and family. She couldn't leave with Castorice.
Han Song-Yi was even more upset than Cha Hae-in.
Setting aside the fact that no one would be able to take her into dungeons after Castorice left, she already regarded Castorice as her lifesaver, a dependable older sister-like figure she could rely on like family.
Blaming herself for Castorice's departure, she cried for half the night.
This reaction left Castorice feeling somewhat helpless. Contrary to the girl's thoughts, it was Castorice who had caused Han Song-Yi to become a target.
Although nothing irreparable had happened, she still felt a sense of indebtedness.
In the end, she simply asked Go Gunhee for a logistics position in the Association for Han Song-Yi.
While Han Song-Yi wasn't short on money now—having even become quite wealthy—sitting on a fortune would lead to problems eventually.
After graduation, she could start working directly at the Hunter Association.
Go Gunhee had no objections to this. Nepotism existed everywhere; it was unavoidable. As long as the person didn't cause trouble, giving them a sinecure was fine.
After bidding farewell to the two, Castorice opened a Gate to Japan.
Since arrangements had been made in advance, there would be no issue with illegal entry.
Truth be told, she most wanted to go to China. Unfortunately, China, which already had a national-level hunter and was Asia's top power, wasn't very welcoming toward Castorice.
While they didn't refuse her arrival, their words carried a tone meant to discourage her.
'You may come, but you must accept our supervision and restrictions.'
After all, a country with a national-level hunter and one without were as different as countries with and without nuclear weapons—their confidence levels were completely disparate.
But the most important factor was probably their suspicion regarding Castorice's identity.
Coupled with not lacking in combat power, and fearing she might be more trouble than she was worth, they naturally didn't extend a warm welcome.
Seeing this, Castorice wasn't in such a hurry anymore.
After all, she had no acquaintances there, and with the International Hunter Conference coming up soon, it wouldn't be bad to make contact with China then.
So, Castorice set her destination for Japan.
The Gate's coordinates were entirely determined by Castorice, with pinpoint accuracy.
After moving to the coordinates provided by DFN and stepping out of the Gate, Castorice found herself in a white room similar to Korea's Hunter Association training facility.
Akari Shimizu, dressed in a very girlish style, stood there with a welcoming smile on her face, looking as if she had been waiting for some time.
"Welcome, Castorice-chan! I thought we wouldn't meet again until the International Guild Conference!"
Akari Shimizu dearly wanted to give Castorice an enthusiastic hug, but considering Castorice's rather special constitution, she ultimately refrained from stepping forward.
"I didn't expect... I'd be paying a visit so soon either."
The smile on Castorice's face was somewhat complex.
Akari Shimizu also knew what had happened on Castorice's end and complained saying, "Those people are really something. As if anyone could actually stop Castorice-chan if she really wanted to do something."
"Akari."
Kanae Tawata frowned at her.
'Her mood is already bad, and you're still bringing it up.'
Belatedly realizing her mistake, Akari Shimizu quickly changed the subject.
"But that's not important! They're blind, failing to recognize how amazing Castorice-chan is! Oh, right! Kanae-nee made a whole table of delicious food! I'm practically drooling! Let's go eat!"
Although aware of her own Chinese heritage, having spent so much time immersed in Japanese culture, returning to this environment now filled Castorice with a sense of nostalgia.
She quickly pushed this slightly awkward feeling of nostalgia out of her mind, then nodded and followed the orange-haired girl's lead.
And on the very night Castorice left Korea...
The Monarch of Fangs shattered its chains.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.