Hunters Keep Coming To My House - Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Strictly speaking, Han Seung-hoo was in the position of a boarder, and I was the unmistakable landlord. So, he was in a position where he had to take it if I scolded him and sleep if I told him to sleep. 

As much as I wanted to say something because I didn’t like it, unfortunately, this house only had one guest room. There was a condition to upgrade and add a guest room, but there was no immediate room to convert.

‘It seems like they want to use the warehouse in the basement as a guest room.…’

Currently, the basement was filled with items I hadn’t used, so changing it immediately was not feasible. Well, I’ll think about it later.

For now, I had to calm down this stubborn young man and tell him the reality.

“Seung-hoo, there’s no room.”

“Can’t they just sleep in the living room?”

“But they’re still a guest.”

“I’m a guest too… Sister.”

“You signed a contract with me. So now, you’re not a guest. You’re just like a boarder, my lodger.”

At my words, Han Seung-hoo lowered his head. Seeing him like this, it became evident that he was younger than me. 

I used to easily soften my heart towards younger kids, and I even secretly admired Han Seung-hoo… but now I realize that if you admire someone for too long, they almost become like family.

Even if Han Seung-hoo made cute expressions, I had no intention of giving in. I spoke as I placed a teacup on a tray.

“Seung-hoo, how about I let one of them sleep in my room?”

“Ah… I don’t want that.”

“Then you’ll have to share a room with one of them.”

“…Then, I’ll share with Jung Tae-il. I don’t like Cha Jae-joon.”

“Then, I’m sorry to Cha Jae-joon, but he’ll have to sleep on the sofa.”

Upon hearing my words, Han Seung-hoo smiled brightly and lifted the prepared tray.

“It’s heavy, so I’ll carry it.”

“Thank you.”

Han Seung-hoo carried the tray and headed to the living room. Carefully, he placed the teacup on the table. Watching this, Jung Tae-il, who had been observing closely, opened his mouth with a smile.

“That suits you well.”

“Jung Tae-il.”

“It suits you to innocently do things.”

“….”

“If Kang Yoon-soo had seen it, he would have been proud.”

“Why bring up Yoon-soo here?”

Han Seung-hoo furrowed his brow deeply, but when our eyes met, he immediately softened his expression. Witnessing this dramatic change, Jung Tae-il burst into hearty laughter. 

After taking a sip of the tea in front of him, Jung Tae-il fixed his gaze on me. With an intimidating air, he opened his mouth.

“Seo Yeon-oh, I’m curious about you.”

“…What specifically are you curious about?”

“Everything.”

“So, what do you mean?”

“Like how you can survive inside the Gate, or how you tamed that hatchling. Things like that.”

Jung Tae-il scanned the interior of the house and then glanced at me slowly. After that, he gestured toward Cha Jae-joon, who was sitting right next to him.

“And how this guy met you.”

“I’m Cha Jae-joon, not this guy.”

“Why wouldn’t I know that?”

“I thought you forgot about me again. You didn’t respond at all, and it was disheartening.”

I alternated my gaze between Jung Tae-il and Cha Jae-joon with a curious expression. I had thought they were acting like they didn’t know each other, pretending to be strangers. However,

‘If they both have connections with Ego Sword.…’

That probably meant it was because of Ego Sword, right?

Given that Jung Tae-il was also someone who primarily dealt with swords, he could have had enough interest in Ego Sword. However, my question wasn’t about that.

‘If he can possess Ego Sword to that extent, he could have easily become a Ranker and more.…’

Neither I nor Han Seung-hoo knew Cha Jae-joon’s true identity. That was the most mysterious aspect of this situation. 

I looked at Cha Jae-joon and then shifted my gaze back to Jung Tae-il.

“I’ll ask the first question.”

“Go ahead.”

“How do you two know each other?”

“Him and me?”

“Yes, Mr. Cha Jae-joon.”

Jung Tae-il stared at Cha Jae-joon for a moment, took a sip of his tea, and then spoke.

“He used to be a member of my guild. He was officially declared dead inside the Gate about three years ago.”

“…What?”

“Hahaha, that’s how it was. Oh, right.”

Jung Tae-il’s words widened my eyes. If someone was a member of a guild led by the top-ranked player, they must have had decent skills. Yes, despite his somewhat unusual behavior, Cha Jae-joon didn’t seem lacking in ability. But…

‘How can a hunter, declared dead, still be alive?’

In reality, if a hunter was declared dead inside the Gate, finding the body was almost impossible. Usually, they would be classified as missing, not declared dead. For a death declaration, there had to be clear evidence. 

Now, I understand Jung Tae-il’s reaction to Cha Jae-joon. A guild member believed to be dead suddenly returned as the owner of Ego Sword. It was enough to make things tense.

‘Enough to turn the conversation a bit rough.’

As I scrutinized Cha Jae-joon with a suspicious look, he clapped his hands vigorously. Then, he slowly opened his mouth.

“Um, I have something to say about that related to Miss Yeon-oh. I would appreciate it if you could listen since we’re already discussing this.”

“What is it?”

“I’m someone who got caught in the Gate within the Gate. When I opened my eyes, I had Ego Sword in my hand, and there was no way out. Even if I wandered around inside, there was no way to get out. Then one day, a quest popped up.”

“….”

“Soon, a quest appeared saying that a safe house would be created inside the Gate, and I should go there.”

Huh…?

Wait, did he say to go find me? And that too, as a quest from the system?

Due to Cha Jae-joon’s statement, the atmosphere became even colder. Amidst everyone’s confusion, only Cha Jae-joon, who had dropped a bombshell, remained nonchalant.

“Oh, don’t take it so seriously. The quest wasn’t a big deal. Just had to meet the owner of the safe house. So, there’s no need for everyone to take it too seriously.”

Although Cha Jae-joon hurriedly spoke, his words were already shocking enough for everyone. He was indicating that my falling into the Gate was not a coincidence.

I became genuinely curious about why this had happened. I cautiously asked Cha Jae-joon if there might be a reason for the quest details.

“So, did you come to find me?”

“Yes, I had to clear the quest.”

“What was the reward?”

“A map displaying the location of another Ego Sword.”

Without hesitation, Cha Jae-joon opened his mouth, and Jung Tae-il’s eyes flashed with intensity. 

Among the five Ego Swords created by the Five Dragons, only one had been confirmed. Even that was referring to the ‘Ego Sword’ of the Black Dragon that Cha Jae-joon possessed.

Jung Tae-il tapped the table with his fingers, then looked at Cha Jae-joon and spoke.

“So, did you receive the map?”

“It just completed a moment ago.”

“So, where is it?”

“Um….”

Cha Jae-joon’s gaze fixed on Arvani lying in the yard. Along with him, all of our gazes were now directed at Arvani.

“It’s the ‘Ego Sword’ of the Blue Dragon, and its location is inside this Gate.”

“…Arvani is the hatchling of the Blue Dragon.”

“Perhaps that’s why it seemed like they told me to come here.”

“How could they have predicted that I could tame Arvani?”

Could it be that we were all being manipulated by the system? None of us had any idea why this was happening, and even the system itself seemed suspicious.

While I remained silent, Cha Jae-joon shifted his gaze from Arvani to me.

“I believe this entire situation has been planned for a long time. Otherwise, all these coincidences wouldn’t align. My arrival here, the guild leader meeting Cobra, and Ms. Yeon-oh taming the Blue Dragon’s hatchling—it couldn’t all happen at once.”

Slowly nodding at Cha Jae-joon’s words, I inwardly chuckled.

‘It’s like the probability of receiving premium beef that you can’t eat well, coincidentally as a gift, and keeping it in the refrigerator.’

If all of this was meticulously planned, it sent shivers down my spine. The situation was mind-bogglingly intricate. 

As I remained speechless, Cha Jae-joon continued talking.

“So, we should investigate.”

“…I agree with that.”

Jung Tae-il, who had been quietly listening, added his words.

“In any case, there have been suspicious signs in the recent Gates. That’s why Kang Yoon-soo has been diligently investigating.”

“Oh, so that’s why Yoon-soo has been busy.”

“Yeah. He said that whenever he tries to investigate the strange feelings he gets, they disappear immediately.”

“It does seem quite suspicious.”

Cha Jae-joon nodded and took something out of his inventory, placing it on the table. What appeared on the table was a golden compass.

“I’ll leave this to you, Ms. Yeon-oh. It’s an item that shows the location of the ‘Ego Sword,’ but I already have one. And with Arvani, you should be able to find it quickly, right?”

“…I’ll take a look when I have time.”

“Can I join too?”

“I’ll think about it, Mr. Jung Tae-il.”

While everything was confusing, the most pressing issue was whether we could trust Cha Jae-joon. 

Despite his serious tone, it was still difficult to believe him easily. The fact that he readily shared information and handed over items made it all the more suspicious.

“Why… are you telling me everything without hiding anything?”

What’s the ulterior motive? What’s the catch?