Hunters Keep Coming To My House - Chapter 42

Chapter 42

“Was there something going on between you two?”

After a thrilling flight, Han Seung-hoo didn’t seem to be in a good mood when we landed. Despite his efforts to hide it by smiling, he couldn’t completely deceive my eyes.

Living in relatives’ house and suddenly disappearing after having a simple meal there… 

If nothing happened, Han Seung-hoo would have approached me faster than Jung Tae-il as soon as I arrived in the yard with Arvani. He would have asked about the flight experience and the comfort of the saddle.

However, Han Seung-hoo, who was not doing anything cute and just smiling quietly, seemed strange. I slowly descended from Arvani and tried to approach Han Seung-hoo but someone stopped me.

“Leave him alone for now.”

“What do you mean, Jung Tae-il?”

“He’s at an age where he needs time to think alone.”

“…What?”

Well, Seung-hoo is still young, so I guess he needs time alone to think. But it doesn’t seem necessary right now.

What could have happened while I was flying…?

When I looked at Jung Tae-il with a suspicious gaze, he pretended not to notice my gaze and approached Arvani. Then, he slowly scratched Arvani’s neck with his hand.

“Mr. Jung Tae-il, don’t hide it from me and tell me quickly.”

“I’m not hiding anything.”

“Then why is Seung-hoo so dispirited?”

“He’s just being a kid.”

“Did someone bother him, by any chance?”

“….”

He glared at me with eyes that seemed to ask what on earth I thought he was. I flinched at the momentary S-level aura I felt.

“Haha… just kidding.”

Impressive as it may be, prioritizing my well-being, I quickly added.

“But let’s talk about the flying achievement and the griffin’s location first. And please comfort Han Seung-hoo a bit. It seems like he still wants to play around with you.”

“He’s cute, you know.”

“…Is that so?”

“Who doesn’t like cute things? Well, I find it cute to take care of Seung-hoo like a younger brother.”

Jung Tae-il sighed and nodded slightly, then stared at me intently. He soon turned his gaze away.

‘As for Han Seung-hoo… even if that’s the case, why is Jung Tae-il acting like this?’

I wondered if something really big had happened in the short time I was away. I hoped it had nothing to do with me, but my intuition strongly suggested otherwise.

What kind of conversation could those two have had while I was away? After a brief thought, I could only come to one conclusion: they had some sort of conflict over my scout.

‘…If it’s about the scout, they could have had a little disagreement.’

Contrary to Jung Tae-il’s appearance, he was more talkative than Seung-hoo, which could be a problem in itself. Despite my concerns, I quickly changed the subject.

“Jung Tae-il, you wanted to know about the flying results and the griffin’s location, right?”

“Yeah.”

“The flight training was successful.”

“Just with one try?”

“Yes, Arvani and I can move together like one body. Now, if it’s a regular flight, I’m more confident than anyone else.”

I looked confidently at Arvani, and he responded with a roar, expressing his excitement with a ‘Kyuwoo!’. 

There was a reason for such confidence.

Because…

[Since just receiving skills is not enough, one more quest!

Successfully completed the quest for Seo Yeon-oh, who is inexperienced in flying!

Now, flying with Arvani is easier than a piece of cake.

Rewards upon success: <Combat Flight>, ‘Windproof Jacket (S)’]

The system recognized my flight as successful. Of course, as Jung Tae-il mentioned, this one flight might not be enough, but if it were insufficient, the system wouldn’t have acknowledged it. So, there was no need to worry about my combined flight skills with Arvani.

Moreover, I had confidence that using <We Are One!> would guarantee success. That’s why I suggested going griffin hunting with confidence to Jung Tae-il, who looked at me with a skeptical gaze.

“Don’t worry. I also gained skills from this flight.”

“…I see.”

“Quietly, Jung Tae-il, you seem to worry a lot.”

“It’s because it’s dangerous. Some people move as if they’re immune to danger.”

“Ahaha…”

Jung Tae-il sighed at my carefree laughter. I casually changed the topic, shrugging my shoulders.

“I don’t know who’s immune to danger, but I know the exact location of the griffin.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. If you fly north for about 10 minutes from the house, you’ll find the griffin’s nest.”

“Not in a group?”

“When I saw it, there was only one nest, and there were eggs inside. The griffin was in the nest when I first saw it, but when I checked again nearby, the nest was empty, as if it had gone out for a short hunt.”

“Emptied the nest?”

“Yes. Um… do you think it will come back soon?”

Jung Tae-il fell silent for a moment.

‘…Is there something I missed?’

The information I knew about griffins was that they had the body of a lion, eagle wings, and head, and they typically lived in nests. They were monsters known to prefer horse meat as their prey. But… something felt strange.

When I felt something was off, another voice chimed in.

“It emptied a nest with eggs?”

It was Han Seung-hoo, who had arrived without anyone noticing.

“Griffins have strong maternal instincts. It’s unlikely for such a creature to empty the nest with eggs unless there’s a threat nearby.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes, so it might be better to postpone griffin hunting for now. It could be even more dangerous if there’s a threat.”

Han Seung-hoo looked at me with worried eyes and, before I knew it, held my hand tightly.

“I hope my sister doesn’t get hurt.”

“Well… it would be best if I didn’t get hurt, but I need to become strong enough to protect my own body.”

“I’m here.”

“I can’t keep asking for your help.”

“You can always ask for my help.”

As long as I‘m his sister, anytime is fine.

Whispering like a siren enchanting people with a song, I, too, might have unknowingly nodded if Jung Tae-il wasn’t in this place. Yes, if that person, who sends such a hot gaze that my face feels like it’s burning, wasn’t here.

 Jung Tae-il looked at Han Seung-hoo as if disgusted, then leaned against Arvani. Arvani snorted, seemingly displeased, but Jung Tae-il paid it no mind.

“There are other cases where griffins leave the nest.”

“What other cases?”

“If their preferred prey, horse monsters, is nearby, griffins go out for a hunt.”

“I heard they have strong maternal instincts and are more attached to their offspring than their appetites.”

Han Seung-hoo frowned, disbelieving.

“Usually, maternal instincts are stronger. However, there are occasional griffins with strong appetites. I encountered one like that before.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“If what Jung Tae-il says is true… we need to confirm.”

Jung Tae-il nodded silently.

“Then I’ll handle the confirmation.”

“Please do.”

“Why are you making Seo Yeon-oh do this?”

“Seo Yeon-oh lives here. She needs to learn how to scout.”

“But I can do it myself.”

Han Seung-hoo glared at Jung Tae-il, who responded with a confident look.

“But this is my job. It’s part of my growth to learn how to scout. So, Seung-hoo, I appreciate your concern, but trust me on this.”

“…Ha. Then I’ll go with you. If you’re riding Arvani, is it okay if I join? I can’t let my sister go alone.”

“That’s being overly protective.”

“Well, so what? I feel more comfortable moving with Seung-hoo.”

Ignoring the sigh from Jung Tae-il, I lightly patted Seung-hoo’s shoulder.

“Well, Seung-hoo, let’s go then. Since we brought it up, let’s go scout.”

“Sure.”

“Jung Tae-il, please watch the house. I’m a bit concerned about Lycans constantly jumping around near the yard.”

“Sounds like you’re asking me to catch them.”

“Well, thanks in advance then.”

If I could find a bit of peace for my heart that trembled every time I saw Lycans beyond the yard, it would be more than enough. Though my inner thoughts were heard, I chuckled as if it was intended, then climbed back onto Arvani. After me, Seung-hoo took his familiar position behind.

He seemed quite stable in his posture, probably from the one time he rode before.

“Well, We’ll scout and be back.”

“Be careful. Even if it’s Seung-hoo, close combat isn’t his specialty, so don’t get too close.”

“…What? Jung Tae… Ugh!”

Before another fight broke out between Jung Tae-il and Seung-hoo, I quickly pulled the reins and urged Arvani to start moving.

Arvani seemed eager to avoid the upcoming conflict and vigorously flapped its wings, soaring into the sky at a swift pace. As Arvani moved its wings a few times, the griffin nest I had observed began to come into view.

The nest was still empty.