Even an S-Class Hunter Wants to Get Married - Chapter 20
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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20. Descent!
Baek Yeon-hwa learned of the Heavenly Record’s existence in the year she turned twenty.
It was when she was called a teenage master and known for her Yin-Yang Twin Pulse.
Until then, she had believed that the harmony of yin and yang filling her body was simply due to talent.
But on the day she turned 20 while training in martial arts.
A sudden change occurred in her body.
The shock of that day when traces of the Azure Dragon emerged, something that should never appear in humans, was still vivid.
From that moment, she learned that she was not an ordinary human, but a half-human, half-divine being who had swallowed Azure Dragon Scales.
Having gained life, she also realized the fate that she must dedicate her life in return.
What was particularly shocking was.
Age 17.
The death of her closest friend, Mi So-hwa.
When she realized that even that was the will of the Azure Dragon, she felt a shock as if the ground had collapsed beneath her.
The tragedy that came to her life.
Her resolve for strength.
Bone-cutting training.
Growth that overcame tragedy.
Taking on the burden of fulfilling the dream of becoming a supreme master that her departed friend had held.
Even the final farewell in front of her dear friend’s grave, smiling brightly and telling her to rest in peace-.
‘It wasn’t my effort.’
All of it.
Was ‘originally’ destined to happen that way.
* * *
There haven’t been any customers lately.
The wild folk surprisingly get along well among themselves, matching up one after another as I introduce them.
Thanks to this, the marriage fees are piling up, and when there’s spare money, investing it in stocks has become a daily routine.
“Yawn.”
I earn enough that I don’t have to tremble when buying cigarettes, so I can say it’s a satisfying life.
But even earning this much, in the end I need stocks to hit it big to achieve the dream of a Seoul apartment.
Life is truly harsh.
‘How is it that working your whole life, investing in stocks, then praying is the only way to buy an apartment?’
Isn’t society wrong at this point?
“B-Boss.”
“What.”
“A-are you bored?”
“Huh?”
When I glance to the side, Kim Yang gestures to me. She has a mobile phone stand in front of her and seems to be filming something.
“What are you doing.”
“D-dancing.”
“Are you kidding? Playing around because there’s no work? Then go do some cleaning.”
A leisurely day with no complaint calls coming in.
At most, if I had to call something a major task, it would be that Baek Yeon-hwa has a matching today.
Well, that’s something she’ll handle herself.
I set her up with a good man.
Grade B rank.
4th Floor Mercenary Corps captain, Lukal.
This guy has a rather unique personality – he’s a mercenary captain but likes fairy tales and heroic stories.
When I told him about a woman’s story of being swayed by a book called the Heavenly Record, he immediately jumped at it saying it sounded good.
This wasn’t intentional.
Since we really accept ‘anyone,’ all kinds of people with various characteristics come to us.
But among people with various characteristics, there are those who miraculously fit perfectly.
Like puzzle pieces from different puzzles that somehow fit together perfectly?
Thanks to that, Baek Yeon-hwa and Lukal.
I was able to connect these two people.
‘My martial prowess might fall a bit short… But whether Azure Dragon is satisfied or not isn’t something I can do anything about.’
If you want to get married, compromise.
Life is originally a series of compromises.
“B-Boss! Come on! Let’s dance together! You don’t have anything to do anyway.”
“Are you seriously crazy? Want me to cut your salary?”
“Y-you don’t have anything to do anyway.”
“That doesn’t mean I should dance.”
“I-it would be good promotion for Merakl too, wouldn’t it?”
“…”
That’s tempting?
If Kim Yang, a famous influencer, promotes us.
No, wait.
“But Kim Yang, don’t you take advertisements? I heard influencers make their living by taking ads?”
Isn’t it a job where you get sponsored to go on trips and visit restaurants, then film and upload that content for money?
It’s not much different from YouTubers.
“I-I don’t take advertisements.”
“…Why?”
“B-beliefs.”
“B-beliefs?”
“D-don’t copy me.”
“D-don’t copy me?”
“Die.”
Kim Yang immediately grabs a File Folder and throws it. She giggles and stands beside me.
“How are you going to promote us?”
“L-let’s dance. I-I’ll introduce you as our boss.”
“Hmm, but are you really famous? When I occasionally lurk on your posts, there seem to be a lot of comments-”
“I-I get five advertisement offers per month. T-the starting rate is 2 million won.”
Huh?
Why does she earn more than the minimum wage salary I give her?
“…Kim Yang.”
“Yeah?”
“Should I be your manager? Let’s rake in some money with our advertisement?”
Kim Yang immediately gives the middle finger.
There’s nothing she won’t do to the Boss.
“So, so you won’t do it, Boss? If, if you dance with me, I’ll promote you.”
“No thanks, you’re famous. I don’t want my face getting out there.”
Who knows what might happen if my face gets known for no reason.
For example, if Father sees it.
‘That would be funny though.’
Even I would be dumbfounded if my runaway Son was dancing with some unknown woman on social media.
Well, that’s impossible though.
“Tch.”
She really seems disappointed.
I can hear various songs playing briefly as they pass by.
While she’s deciding what dance to do, the door opens and Renea comes in.
“Eat your Lunch Box!”
“Oh!”
I’ve been skipping breakfast and lunch lately.
Because Renea brings a whole basketful of Expired Items.
As expected of Grandmother.
Being generous is just a characteristic of grandmothers.
She probably sees me, who’s about 1,875 years younger than her, as something like her great-great-great-great-great-great-great-great-grandchild.
“…For some reason, I don’t want to give it to you?”
Renea stares at me intently.
Even so, she’s already holding out the Lunch Box to me.
As expected, habits ingrained in the body don’t change easily even when you want to change them.
As I put the Lunch Box in the microwave, Kim Yang rummages through the bag and asks worriedly.
“Uh, you brought a lot? Is, is it okay?”
“Ah, it is quite a lot, isn’t it? Actually, the Store Manager did say something about it. But I forced myself to bring it anyway!”
“I’m, I’m touched.”
What’s this.
She just started her part-time job and is already getting cold looks from the Store Manager, yet she’s still looking out for us?
This makes me feel a bit sorry.
“If it’s going to interfere with your work, you don’t need to bring us anything.”
It’s not like we’re struggling with money like before, and there’s no need to fill our meals with Expired Items lunch boxes.
“Hm? No, no.”
But Renea gives a kind smile and hands over a Triangle Kimbap as well.
“When I was living on Daebong Mountain, I kept thinking about feeding the pigeons, so I’m doing this. It gives me some vicarious satisfaction.”
“….”
“….”
Have we become pigeons now?
“If it’s okay with you, could you try cooing like coo coo coo coo?”
“Never bring Expired Items again.”
“I, I’m a sheep. Not a pigeon.”
To think we were being pitied.
And by a 1,901-year-old Grandmother who goes around looking for people who resemble Cha Eun-woo, no less.
“More importantly, you seem free today?”
“Yes, well… That’s right. This is normal.”
It’s because we have many special clients, but we’re usually free more often than busy.
Ding!
My Mobile Phone rings just as the Lunch Box finishes heating up.
A completely unfamiliar number is calling.
‘What’s this.’
I wonder if it’s spam, but I have a strangely bad feeling about it, so I answer.
“Hello?”
– Ah, Great Hero. It’s me.
“Baek Yeon-hwa? Did you buy a mobile phone?”
– I purchased one. Though it only works on the 3rd Floor.
It seems like ordinary conversation, but her voice doesn’t sound very good.
– I’m currently on my way to meet someone named Lukal, whom the Great Hero introduced me to.
“That person is quite decent. He might unexpectedly be like an ocean who understands everything?”
I naturally appealed to her since she wouldn’t know that I’m aware of the Heavenly Record and that I told Lukal about it.
Baek Yeon-hwa hesitates for a moment, then carefully gets to the main point.
– Um, Great Hero.
“Yes?”
– Well, I heard that this place has something called an ambulance. Instead of going to find a physician, they come directly to you.
“….”
The atmosphere turns cold.
Suddenly an ambulance?
– I don’t know how to call one, and the only person I can ask to call one is you, Great Hero. I, I only have this number written on Merakl’s business card.
“Why are you suddenly requesting an ambulance?”
– Well, that is….
How should she explain this.
After such deliberation, Baek Yeon-hwa tries to speak indirectly.
“My, my family said they would send assassins to someone named Lukal.”
“Assassins?”
They’re going to kill him?
– They call them assassins, but it’s a kind of theater. So… it’s a test to see if Mr. Lukal is someone who can protect me.
“Haa.”
I desperately want to ask if this is also recorded in the Heavenly Record or something, but I hold back.
– Actually, I must get married before I turn twenty-three. But it’s not even a Martial Combat Marriage, it’s just a meeting, so I can’t suddenly request a sparring match.
“So the minimum condition is that he should be able to handle the assassins your family sends?”
– Even that was a compromise, Great Hero.
Baek Yeon-hwa mutters, feeling embarrassed.
They say it’s the family, but it’s probably what the Azure Dragon wants.
“Phew, I understand for now. But Lukal is someone who’s been through thick and thin, so he probably won’t just dismiss you outright.”
A little later, the address Baek Yeon-hwa sent was an abandoned complex with no people around.
A location so blatantly obvious it made me wonder if they could be this brazen.
“Aren’t you eating your lunch box?”
“…I think I need to go somewhere for a moment.”
I had a chilling feeling.
Looking out the window, I saw a sky full of dark clouds.
“Y-you don’t need an umbrella. T-they said it won’t rain today.”
Kim Yang’s words sounded like she was forecasting that it would rain today.
* * *
It felt like rereading a story whose ending I already knew.
And usually, such stories lose their appeal before you even reach the end.
The important thing is.
Baek Yeon-hwa doesn’t seem to like this story very much.
“Don’t worry, Miss Baek Yeon-hwa. I’ll protect you.”
The man called Lukal was a good person.
Except for the fact that he wore too much perfume and his mustache was particularly noticeable.
And that his appearance wasn’t really to my taste.
“I don’t know where you guys came from, but don’t even think about laying a hand on Miss Yeon-hwa.”
It was a line that seemed to imitate a knight from a fairy tale.
Despite his appearance, he was strangely innocent.
It wasn’t bad.
However, he was weak.
‘This person won’t do.’
During the few exchanges we had, that fact became all too clear.
Lukal fought hard, but the assassins’ movements were not just one step ahead, but several steps ahead.
In the end, the family- no, the assassins sent by the Azure Dragon easily brought down Lukal.
“Gah!”
With a dull impact sound, Lukal lost consciousness.
A cold wind blew.
Without sunlight, it was a bone-chilling cold.
“That’s enough. Tell the matchmaker to bring a much stronger man next time-.”
Shing-!
A sound similar to wind brushing by.
A sword was drawn.
The moment she saw this, Baek Yeon-hwa’s brow furrowed.
“Stop. What are you doing right now? Are you trying to kill him?”
Even if he was unqualified, this was going too far.
Baek Yeon-hwa stepped forward to stop the assassins.
“I’ve confirmed enough. Since he’s an unqualified man, let’s stop here-.”
Thunk!
A searing pain surged through.
Before she could finish speaking, a burning sensation pierced through her abdomen.
…What?
Her thoughts couldn’t keep up.
When she touched her abdomen where she felt the sharp pain, sticky blood came away on her hand.
Blood?
Stabbed by a sword?
Me?
Why?
Questions followed one after another, but the assassin silently drew his sword.
“Ah….”
Baek Yeon-hwa’s body collapsed helplessly.
At the end of her overturned vision, she could see the sky.
‘They weren’t sent by the Azure Dragon….’
Not the family’s choice.
Not the Azure Dragon’s will either.
Then why?
For what purpose?
The answer came quickly.
“He’s coming.”
One of the assassins said, looking up at the dark clouded sky.
The heavy dark clouds began swirling like a whirlpool.
It wasn’t tearing apart.
As if someone was ripping it open, a huge hole was punched through the sky.
Kwaaaaaaaang!
Blue Lightning fell like rain and the earth trembled.
The god of the Old Murim.
The being called Azure Dragon.
He was now descending to the 3rd Floor to save his child.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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