Hunters Keep Coming To My House - Chapter 48

Chapter 48

“Alright, let’s try to sort this out. How did Mr. Cha Jae-joon and Ms. Ellie Kim come to know each other? And why did both of you come to my house?”

Oh, and I hope Cha Jae-joon properly vouched for Ms. Ellie Kim. I have no information about her.

Cha Jae-joon and Ellie Kim nodded, focusing on my words. The so-called crazy people were separated by the front gate. I was inside the house, and they were naturally outside.

Arvani, seeming worried, was in a relaxed position, surrounding me. Yeah, Arvani. Having you around makes me feel secure.

But right now, I guess I want to quickly sort out this crazy and headache-inducing situation… Haha…

While I was forcing a smile, Ellie Kim raised her hand, trying to gain the floor. Perhaps she thought that speaking up would change the atmosphere.

…Even in our short conversation, I felt that her personality was very positive, and being around her might lift one’s spirits. But…

‘Is it just me, or does my head hurt because of her?’

It was truly perplexing.

What’s even funnier is that Cha Jae-joon doesn’t seem to perceive any particular problem with this situation. Whether he feels quietly upset about being caught off guard like this, or if he just wanted to play with Arvani but couldn’t, Cha Jae-joon’s lips were pursed, revealing his displeasure.

“…If you don’t quickly answer my questions, I’ll just go into the house.”

“Ack! Yeon-oh! Please believe me…! I’m not lying! Jooni, you need to prove it quickly. Tell her that I am ranked 2nd!”

“Right, Mr. Cha Jae-joon. Dragging this out will only be a loss for you.”

Cha Jae-joon stared at me with a displeased expression, lips slightly pouted.

“It’s too much not to pretend to know, Ms. Yeon-oh.”

“…It wasn’t the situation for that.”

“But… I came running because I wanted to meet Ms. Yeon-oh…”

“We have communication stones. You can contact me, Mr. Cha Jae-joon.”

“Communicating with a communication stone while seeing each other’s faces is a different dimension. I even brought a Minotaur, which Arvani likes, nicely packaged.”

…When did my kid start liking Minotaur meat?

Now, looking at him with a completely devoid expression, Cha Jae-joon finally seemed to notice the atmosphere that had been missing.

Fortunately.

“…First, let me address Ms. Yeon-oh’s doubts. Uh, the person next to me is indeed Ellie Kim, the Hunter ranked 2nd.”

“How can you prove that?”

“If you don’t trust me, asking Mr. Jung Tae-il or Mr. Kang Yoon-soo would be even more certain.”

“Oh! That’s right! Those scary people know me too!”

Listening to Cha Jae-joon’s words, Ellie Kim quickly agreed, vigorously nodding her head.

Then, she added some additional information.

“I hid my information because I don’t have Korean citizenship. I awakened while I was here as an exchange student. So, I climbed up to 2nd place in the Korean Hunter ranking, but I couldn’t continue my Hunter life in this country. Swoosh! I hid my information and went back to my country!”

“So, at that time, Jung Tae-il and Kang Yoon-soo discussed and decided with the government side.”

“…How does Cha Jae-joon know about that?”

“When I met Ellie Kim in the dungeon before, she told me everything.”

Ellie Kim raised her arm, confirming what she had just said. Cha Jae-joon, who was standing next to her, now directed a gaze at me as if to ask if all the questions had been resolved.

“…Certainly, it would be difficult if she awakened while being an exchange student in South Korea.”

With the outbreak of Gates worldwide, hunters became valuable assets to countries. Whether or not one belonged to the government, once registered in the country, they became part of the nation’s valuable resources. 

Higher-ranked hunters would collaborate to clear gates that guilds couldn’t handle, ensuring the country’s peace. Just like when Jung Tae-il and Han Seung-hoo came into my missing gate together for the first time.

So, if someone with the skill level to be ranked 2nd was an exchange student rather than a Korean citizen, it would be very problematic. The reason is, that when hunters first awaken, their rankings are automatically assigned to the country they are in at that time. 

There was currently no way to change this peculiar aspect of the system.

‘…As it feels like a re-evaluation of the re-perception, the level is automatically reassessed.’

…That’s also why I have been delaying the re-measurement so far.

Because I can raise my stats a little more.

I scrutinized Ellie Kim. There was no trace of falsehood in her expression. The same was true for Cha Jae-joon.

That was the moment.

Ring!

My phone vibrated loudly.

Taking out my phone from my pocket, I checked the screen. I was in the middle of a call from Kang Yoon-soo.

“…Just wait a moment.”

I showed them my palm and turned towards the inside of the yard. Then, still ringing, I answered the call.

“Hello?”

?Oh, Ms. Yeon-oh. Why did you contact me first? Is there any news that you have time for dinner tonight?

“That’s not the news. I have something I want to ask.”

?That’s a shame. Still, the fact that you want to ask me something makes my heart flutter.

“…Unfortunately, the excitement has nothing to do with Mr. Kang Yoon-soo.”

Oh no.

Kang Yoon-soo sighed briefly and mumbled that it was even more regrettable.

“Because my current situation is not very good… Can I ask you a question quickly?”

?If it can be of help to Ms. Yeon-oh, of course.

“Do you know Ellie Kim?”

?…How does Ms. Yeon-oh know her? She shouldn’t be in Korea right now.

“So, is it true that she is ranked 2nd?”

?Unfortunately, yes.

Quick-witted Kang Yoon-soo probably figured out my situation just from this call alone. This is because there have been precedents where he suddenly moved to my house.

So, this time, he would likely guess that Ellie Kim appeared at my house.

?Still, the fortunate thing is that she is not someone with such a bad temperament as to harm Ms. Yeon-oh. If there was even a slight danger, I would have rushed to Ms. Yeon-oh right away.

“…Thank you for your concern. Anyway, thank you for answering my sudden question, Mr. Kang Yoon-soo.”

?Oh, I’ll charge you for this later too, okay?

“…You’re thorough.”

Certainly, that’s how you survive in this society, Kang Yoon-soo said, advising that it would be good to get close to him.

That short call came to an end.

With this, it was the moment when Ellie Kim’s true ranking as 2nd was proven.

“…I can’t help it.”

Since I also heard advice that it would be good to get close to her… Shouldn’t I invite them into the house?

I sighed deeply and returned to them. They greeted me like dogs eagerly waiting for their owner.

“Ms. Yeon-oh!”

“Yeon-oh!”

“…Come in. I’ll officially invite you.”

Just sent two people away, and now there were two more guests.

…Darn it.

* * *

Meanwhile, at the highest point of a government building.

“Well, where were we in the conversation?”

Kang Yoon-soo, who had suddenly checked his phone and left to make a call, returned to his seat and said this with a very nonchalant smile. 

Being someone who consistently maintained such an attitude, Kim Chok could only furrow his brows. Currently, he couldn’t pick a fight with him.

This place was a secret meeting attended by government officials, so Kang Yoon-soo freely leaving and coming back was truly a thorn in the side. Whether he felt Kim Chok’s intense gaze or not, Kang Yoon-soo continued to smile while keeping his pleasant demeanor.

“Oh, I was talking about the matter regarding the deal I mentioned back then.”

“Indeed, Kang Yoon-soo. How do you plan to hand that over to the government?”

“More importantly, can you locate that thing called the ‘Ego Sword’?”

One of the officials complained discontentedly. 

The Ego Sword is a legendary weapon coveted by all hunters. The Black Ego Sword had already found its owner, so now they had to aim for another Ego Sword. However, the Ego Sword was a weapon that couldn’t be easily found, not even by the Hunter Association.

But Kang Yoon-soo had proposed to offer it instead to Seo Yeon-oh.

Given that Kang Yoon-soo’s proposed deals have never failed so far, there was also a certain level of confidence in undertaking such a gamble.

“Of course. In return, I hope the government can assist me a bit. Make sure Seo Yeon-oh comes to ‘Janwol.’ Block the gate pass of the other guilds, or use whatever means necessary.”

If that happens, they’ll each get what they want.

Kang Yoon-soo let out a slow laugh.