The S-Classes That I Raised

I don't want to go in. Though I couldn't avoid it, I still wanted to buy a little more time. But there was no benefit to staying outside for long. I wondered if Yuhyun and Noah were still asleep. There was probably no need to wake them. Delaying it only postponed the inevitable confrontation.

Swallowing a sigh, I looked at Director Song's stubborn back as he led the way. That determined silhouette reminded me again. It was a done deal, but giving up now felt too disappointing. I had barely made up my mind to take him with me!

"Are you really not going to take him? After promising? Just because he's growing?"

"The value of a larva and an adult differs. I can protect a mere lamb, but a high-level rider is beyond my capacity."

His voice was blunt. I wanted to accept it, but if that was the problem—

"Earlier, I may have been a bit emotional trying to persuade you, but now I speak as the manager of the rider breeding farm. Emotional responsibility is unavoidable, but I'll bear the legal responsibility firmly. I won't let those kids go easily. Isn't that right, Guild Master Sesung?"

"The contract was thick indeed."

When I discussed breeding contracts with Seok Simyeong before, we also settled the treatment of riders. It had since been supplemented with longer and more detailed clauses. Character copyrights and dungeon revenue sharing weren't included in the Sesung contract, but rider welfare was added.

"Honestly, riders don't live safe lives. They are monsters, after all, and their aggressive nature makes it manageable. If they were forced to fight, I wouldn't have even created the breeding farm. Using animals for military purposes is common, but from my position, it's different."

At first, I didn't think much of it. But after raising the kids, I inevitably grew attached. Riders, humans before monsters, and protecting this world was my priority. But if Peace or Blue had refused to enter the dungeon... if other monsters had as well... I might have given up the breeding farm because I couldn't endure it.

...Sorok is a bit worrying, though.

"That's why rider breeding contracts aren't taken lightly. You can't just send them out recklessly and have them abused. The contract covers labor conditions, breeding environments, penalties for injury or death, periodic inspections, and more. No leniency. I even scolded my own brother once for mistreating Peace."

I still preferred So-Young's attitude to Yuhyun's, but luckily Peace got along well with Yuhyun. Somehow, if Yuhyun had been clingy like So-Young, Peace might have disliked it.

"Since I'm still alive and well, I'll draft the contract properly with Director Song. If you worry about interference from the association or other riffraff, I'll provide plenty of guarantors. Hyeyeon with Seong Hyunje?"

"Of course."

"And I'll ask Myungwoo too. Hyuna will probably accept it as well. Director Song, you have exactly one task."

Song Taewon stopped abruptly at the hotel entrance and turned to me.

"Take care of him as your partner until the very end."

"Han Yujin."

"Not just Song, but other riders and hunters alike—all must part someday. Isn't that so? Low-rank hunters often prepare wills due to their dangerous lives."

"...I also recommend it to the Awakened Management Office hunters."

"Looks like Director Song hasn't written one yet."

"......"

"Want to write one together now?"

"...What?"

"I feel like doing it."

Before regression, it had been precarious, but I never wrote one. Even after regression, I considered writing one but kept postponing it.

"How about you, Seong Hyunje? If you don't have a will, I'll add you to our team."

"Now that I think about it, I unconsciously believed I didn't need one."

Seong Hyunje tilted his head slightly. Did he sense he couldn't escape death?

"Maybe it's time. Probably my first."

"Dear partner Han Yujin, I bequeath the Sesung Guild to you," how about that? A trendy will phrase.

"Since Han Yujin intends to outlive me, I'm inclined to grant it."

"...That might be difficult. When I turn sixty, I bet your face will still look as smooth as now."

In about twenty years, I'd probably look like an old man. Maybe then I'll propose setting titles by physical age. Call me 'hyung' then.

"Anyway, Song Taewon, take him. And I trust you, but if you neglect the lamb, I'll take it back immediately according to the contract."

No one would neglect the lamb deliberately. Song Taewon sighed deeply.

"For now, after we leave... when we return home—"

"You'll take him?"

"There are procedures."

"No backing out this time! Seong Hyunje, did you hear that clearly?"

"Loud and clear."

We barely succeeded. And I had to write a will now. At least for the lamb's sake.

"What's up, you two?"

Just then, the hotel door opened and Young Chaos peeked his head inside.

"Get in right now."

We quickly entered the hotel. Seong Hyunje put me down and properly draped Silekia's wings over me. Since my upper body was almost naked, putting on the coat felt a bit awkward.

"All okay?"

"Except the first one almost losing his heart."

Ah... because Yuhyun came in looking terrible. I would have freaked out too. Though it was me.

"Am I with Yuhyun? And what about Yerim and Yunyun?"

"They went out."

"...What?"

Wait, what?

"Went out? The two of them?!"

"They said the second kid and you guys were a mess and went out to get more clothes."

"You should have stopped them! At night! And there's no crescent moon anymore!"

Why are the kids so fearless! I told them not to go out after dark!

"They'll probably be fine for now. And those two will take better care of themselves than you."

Young Chaos said sullenly. Yerim and Yunyun are S-rank, but still!

"You can bring their clothes in the morning... Yerim, seriously! Oh, maybe that's here? Hunter Spring. Don't they call it that anymore?"

Spring. Meaning both the season and a coil spring, it's a phenomenon mainly seen in first-year upper-rank hunters. More precisely, those who have smoothly cleared dungeons without much hardship.

"Yerim has grown steadily as a hunter. She was already gutsy, and now she's even more confident. Upper-rank hunters who never fail a raid and never lose teammates tend to take dungeons lightly."

Their attention drops, and their approach to raids loosens. Like basking in warm spring sun, they relax and act impulsively like a spring snapping. Eventually, that leads to major accidents.

"I get it. It's early, but not impossible."

Seong Hyunje nodded, and Song Taewon's expression stiffened slightly.

"We should warn them, but usually, they don't listen."

"That's the problem."

"Kids grow up by making mistakes."

"Sir!"

Lives are on the line in dungeons!

"You have to experience it to understand."

"Isn't that too harsh? They can grow up with less struggle, right? Yerim's already gone through a lot!"

Can we really entrust them? I was getting anxious.

Though worried, I couldn't go looking for Yerim and Yunyun now. They went out together, and since they have teleportation and spatial skills, they hadn't violated any rules...

"The moon has set, but the dragon is already asleep, so it won't wake tonight."

Chaos said as he crossed the lobby.

"When the moonlight fully disappears, nightmares will roam, so don't think of going out."

"So I should guard the door?"

There was still some moonlight left, but when would the kids come back?

"If it weren't for the dragon, the hotel wouldn't be breached."

There had to be a guard, but it was fortunate to be able to rest safely until morning.

"I'll wake Yuhyun and Noah. You two wash up before they get back."

Taking the elevator to the guest rooms, my heart pounded as I stepped onto the soft carpeted hallway. Let's see, this room is Noah's and that one is... I wanted to wake Noah first, but finishing the harder task first was better.

Taking a deep breath, I opened the guest room door. A modest room with a bed and my younger brother lying on it,

"Back?"

I was glaring fiercely at him.

"You were conscious."

"No, that's not exactly what I'd call conscious..."

A dagger shot past my ear and stuck into the wall. Haha. Now Eunhye has that guy.

"What the hell did that bastard do to make Han Yuhyun, who cleared an S-rank dungeon easily, end up like that?"

"...Sorry."

"Damn it, I've never seen anyone that bloodied."

"I'm the one to blame. But not the TV."

If his condition was bad, the broadcast would have been censored, but Yuhyun probably wouldn't get seriously injured from dungeon raids. ...Could it be that after regression he got hurt more? Definitely my fault.

Pre-regression me stood up from the chair and strode over. He grabbed my collar in one go and frowned deeply.

"What's this now, Silekia?"

"My top got completely burned. Oh, and I decided not to use Silekia during the ranking match."

"Good call. If he doesn't disappear this time."

Seong Hyunje vanished, and Yuhyun didn't leave the country, so the next ranking match winner was the one who overwhelmingly crushed Seong Hyunje. People still said Seong Hyunje was basically number one. That ranking match winner got angry hearing that and challenged Yuhyun, who had fought most evenly against Seong Hyunje in the past preliminaries, but lost.

Thanks to that, for Guild Master Hyeyeon, there was talk of making a special rule to always hold matches in Korea. In the last ranking match before I regressed, I was given a lot of consideration and made it to fourth place.

"The first ranking match was frustrating."

"The first one held preliminaries ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) by country. Hearing I didn't pass preliminaries, damn it."

Each country held preliminaries, sending from one to three participants based on their number of S-rank holders. Korea sent only one—Seong Hyunje. So the Guild Master Hyeyeon got criticized for the preliminary eliminations.

After that, they mixed strong players rather than by country. In the second round, Seong Hyunje, as the overwhelming first-place winner in the first ranking match, advanced directly to quarterfinals, while Yuhyun was ranked 32nd due to the match being held in the opponent's country. Seong Hyunje won first place again.

"We couldn't let him go overseas because we worried about him. This time, we'd sweep the whole thing."

"Maybe sneakily take that chain away too."

"Why not just lock him up so he can't enter?"

"First round was fine. Experience differs. It's unfair."

"True."

I'm right. Seong Hyunje's actual career might easily span hundreds of years. Definitely unfair. He should be retired and a referee. But how do you imprison him? What if Director Song retires right before the match and joins Sesung? Would he follow? Or challenge me instead of Yuhyun? Recreate crescent moon's power and pull him out.

"Still hate seeing him, so take it off."

"Yes."

I held out the shirt the kids brought along as a change of clothes for Yuhyun. It was huge.

"I want to punch him, but are you going to wake Yuhyun now?"

"Yeah."

"If you hit him, only Yuhyun will worry. Damn guy."

Frowning unhappily, I went outside saying I'd get clothes when Yerim and Yunyun arrived. The door closed behind me, leaving only indirect lighting in the bedroom. Silence settled. Approaching the bed, dark red stains came into view. The wounds were treated, but the marks remained.

"Yuhyun."

As I reached out,

Thwack!

A red salamander popped out, striking my fingertip with a small paw before hopping angrily.

"Sorry, Rin-ah."

I held out my hand, asking it to come, but Irin turned and disappeared abruptly. Must be very sulky. I touched Yuhyun again and gently shook his shoulder.

"Your brother's here."

Still no sign of waking. Since it's my skill, maybe I can collect a little. Borrowing the power of the mana mark, I slowly traced the lullaby skill's remnants from Yuhyun's body. It wasn't easy, but I succeeded in extracting some traces.

Han Yuhyun's eyes suddenly snapped open. His blurred focus quickly fixed on me. Then—

Thud!

My body was pressed down onto the bed. Yuhyun's hand gripped my neck tightly as Irin appeared again and settled on my shoulder.

—Let's swallow it, Yuhyun.