How to Seduce S-Class Hunters with Bungeoppang - Chapter 25

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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【Chapter 25】
Fortunately, Lee Hyun-woo appeared before the argument could escalate further.
“Ugh, argh!”
“Slow down a bit…! Ow!”
The men being dragged by their ears like disobedient students all wore exhausted, haggard expressions.
He hurled the men he’d brought onto the ground. The massive figures tumbled helplessly across the Cave floor.
“I’ve brought them. What should we do now?”
He stared at me as if awaiting my instructions. What did he think I knew? I waved my hand in bewilderment.
“Why are you looking at me? Surely you’d know better how to handle criminals, Lee Hyun-woo?”
“Didn’t you enter the Gate to capture these people?”
“That wasn’t my purpose—”
My reason for entering the Gate wasn’t these vicious men, but the A+-rank talent standing right before me.
The only problem was that this talent I’d marked had a personality that was somewhat… less than ideal.
“Hey! Are these people going to prison now? What about my share of the magic stones?”
Ari poked at the trembling people with her foot as she asked. Lee Hyun-woo regarded her with an indifferent gaze.
“All illegally harvested magic stones will be confiscated by the Management Bureau.”
Ari, who had spoken so eagerly, immediately faltered and stepped back the moment her eyes met Lee Hyun-woo’s.
“…What’s with that tone? I thought you were a robot.”
The captured men kept their eyes fixed on the ground, trembling violently. They too had heard the rumors that Lee Hyun-woo killed anyone who got in his way.
“Still, it’s fortunate we caught the crime in progress.”
“Indeed. Using a Gate as bait is a serious crime. They’ll likely rot in the Hunter Prison for life.”
What made it worse was that the child used as bait was a minor. The punishment would likely be even harsher.
At the mention of the Hunter Prison, the men flinched violently. The Hunter Prison, which housed Hunters convicted of serious crimes, was infamous enough that even someone like me, who’d just awakened, knew of it.
Once you entered, you never came out again. I was grateful we’d caught them in time. I exhaled in relief.
‘It was good that we rushed in.’
There was a reason the System had marked it as “urgent” and let me enter the Gate. If we hadn’t come, they might have truly harmed Ari.
First, I needed to deal with these criminals. After that, I planned to slowly explain the situation to Ari and try to persuade her.
Just as I was about to tell Lee Hyun-woo we should leave now,
“This is all your fault! If you hadn’t whined about those damn magic stones—!”
One of the men in the back suddenly sprang up and lunged toward Ari. Something glinted in his hand. It was a well-honed blade.
“Rather than rot in prison—!”
He was making a final desperate move, instinctively sensing his life was ending.
Our eyes met for a brief moment. Eyes gleaming with madness. My heart sank.
Without time to think, I drew the gun from my Inventory and aimed it at him as he charged. I pulled the trigger.
Bang—
“Cough—!”
He clutched his side and rolled across the ground. I stared blankly, alternating my gaze between the gun in my hand and the fallen man.
“…Your reaction speed is impressive.”
Lee Hyun-woo, who already had his blade drawn, looked at me with eyes that had discovered something new.
I had just shot a person. Only then did I startle in shock, my hands trembling as I lowered the gun.
“H-he’s not dead, is he?”
“Unfortunately, the bullet only grazed his side. Once he learns proper aiming technique, I’m sure his next shot will be more accurate.”
“I wasn’t trying to kill him!”
My voice rose involuntarily at his unfocused response.
I could see a man clutching his side, groaning as he crawled across the ground. I was grateful the Cave wasn’t perfectly illuminated—otherwise, I would have seen the blood pooling beneath him.
“…This doesn’t make sense.”
A small voice came from beside me. When I turned, I saw Ari frozen with her hand clamped over her mouth. She’d clearly been shocked.
“How did you do that? Wow! You fired that shot?”
“…What?”
“Amazing! Your reaction speed is insane! What’s your rank? C? B?”
No, it’s F….
I didn’t even know I could react that quickly. Had I discovered a hidden talent?
“Let’s exit for today. I think it’s best we turn these individuals over to the Management Bureau.”
Lee Hyun-woo, who had firmly restrained the trembling men’s arms, spoke. The man who had charged with a blade had already lost consciousness, overwhelmed by pain.
“Do we need to treat that person?”
“Awakened ones have different physiology than ordinary people. This level of bleeding won’t be fatal—the wound will heal on its own without treatment.”
Fortunately, the bodies of Awakened ones were different from those of ordinary people. I quietly exhaled in relief. No matter how heinous the criminal, I didn’t want to take a life with my own hands.
“Then let’s exit the Gate.”
Since we needed to transport the criminals, Lee Hyun-woo signaled the Management Bureau, and the Gate opened.
“Lee Hyun-woo! Thank you for the report.”
“We’ve confirmed their identities, and we’ll handle the rest from here. Thank you!”
Shortly after, people poured from the vehicles, bowing repeatedly before dragging the unconscious men inside. It was remarkably efficient.
“I’m glad everyone arrived so quickly. We almost had a disaster… Wait, where did she go?”
Ari, who had been beside me just moments ago, had vanished. I looked around frantically, and Lee Hyun-woo approached from where he’d been talking in the distance.
“Is something wrong?”
“The child disappeared. She was definitely here.”
“She likely fled while your attention was divided.”
Lee Hyun-woo clicked his tongue lightly, certain she’d run away to avoid questioning.
I had planned to explain everything about the Shop once we exited the Gate, but instead, I slumped my shoulders in disappointment and shoved my hands into my pockets.
“…Huh?”
Something rustled inside my pocket. When I pulled it out, it was a note Ari had secretly placed there.
[Thank you for saving me, Sis]
Upon reading the note, I smiled softly.
“If you need me to, I can bring her back.”
“I appreciate the offer, but it’s fine.”
He looked at me with a puzzled expression, but instead of explaining, I offered a gentle smile. For some reason, I had a feeling I’d see Ari again soon.
* * *
Several peaceful days passed.
During that time, I ran the Shop during the day and conducted staff interviews in the evenings. But A-rank talent didn’t appear easily.
“I thought I’d find someone quickly.”
“Are you thinking about that child again?”
“I’m telling you, the moment I saw her, something just clicked!”
“There are plenty of other humans, yet you’re fixating on someone strange.”
I’d spent days talking about the A+-ranked talent I’d met at the Gate, and Ha-nyang seemed completely fed up with it.
But that was only because she didn’t understand how difficult it was to recruit someone. Ari was even a talent recommended by the System itself.
“I should have scouted her right then and there!”
“Scouted whom?”
An innocent voice came from the front of the Shop. Looking down, I saw Ari—whom I’d been eagerly waiting for—gazing up at me intently.
“Who are you trying to scout? That scary man we saw last time?”
“That man… no, not him.”
I’d almost called Lee Hyun-woo a “man” without thinking. I cleared my throat awkwardly and offered a bright smile.
“It’s nice to see you after so long. Have you been well?”
“Yes! I was passing by and thought of you, so I stopped by. Your Shop is really famous! Is everything here an item, like you said?”
The child tilted her head, staring at the fish-shaped pastries. Did she want to eat one? After checking the remaining reservation list, I gestured for Ari to come inside the Shop.
“Would you mind waiting here for a bit? The Shop will close soon. Once it does, I’ll bake you some fish-shaped pastries.”
Ari hesitated for a moment, then shook her head.
“Could you buy me dinner instead of pastries? I’m hungry.”
So we closed up and headed to a Pork Ribs Restaurant a short distance from the Management Bureau.
I’d intended to go to a nearby restaurant, but Ari jumped up and insisted that everything near the Management Bureau was expensive and tasteless.
The meat sizzled appetizingly on the grill. Ari gripped her chopsticks tightly, swallowing saliva repeatedly.
“It’s done now. Go ahead and eat.”
“Thank you for the meal!!!!”
Ari shouted enthusiastically and shoved three pieces of meat into her mouth. She barely chewed before swallowing, then gave me a thumbs up.
“It’s so delicious!”
“I’m glad. Eat plenty.”
Ari ate the meat ravenously, as if she hadn’t eaten in days. By the time the ordered meat was nearly gone, her chopstick movements finally began to slow as her stomach filled.
I felt it was time to propose a job to Ari. Of course, a proper introduction came first. I knew her name through the System, but she hadn’t told me herself.
“By the way, what’s your name?”
“Oh! I’m Ari. Shin A-ri.”
“Ari… that’s a pretty name. I’m Jung Ha-neul.”
Ari smiled bashfully, mentioning that her Grandmother had given her the name personally.
Through our brief conversation, I learned she was only seventeen and had dropped out of school after awakening, moving from job to job to save money. I was momentarily at a loss for words.
‘She looked younger than that… only seventeen. Whether fifteen or seventeen, she’s far too young to risk her life as Gate bait.’
I pushed the cold noodles I’d ordered for dessert toward Ari and made a careful proposal.
“Would you be interested in working at my Shop? I’ll take good care of you.”
“At your Shop?”
Ari’s eyes widened as she slurped her noodles. After a moment of consideration, she shrugged.
“How much would you pay me there? I really need a lot of money.”
“W-well, the Shop is still just getting started, so I can’t offer an enormous amount… but I’ll make sure you’re better compensated than other places. And at least you won’t have to risk your life every day.”
Ari set down her chopsticks roughly and looked directly at me as she spoke.
“I don’t care if my life is in danger. My grandmother can’t afford surgery, and if we wait any longer, something terrible will happen. That’s what she told me.”
Her grandmother? Now that I thought about it, Ari’s expression had been unusually dark for someone her age. I asked carefully.
“Is your grandmother very ill?”
“She has Mana Accumulation Syndrome. It’s already progressed so far that surgery is essential. Otherwise, she might lose the use of her legs….”
Her grandmother’s condition was a disease that afflicted ordinary civilians who spent prolonged periods near Gates—something that never touched Awakened individuals.
Clumps of mana accumulated within the body and had to be removed, but since it was such a rare illness, the surgery itself wasn’t easy.
“We were fortunate enough to find a hospital capable of treating it, but the surgical costs are far beyond what we can afford.”
“I see. I had no idea….”
“It’s fine. It’s not your fault. Either way, I can’t work at your Shop. It’s not because I dislike you.”
Ari picked up her chopsticks again and resumed eating her cold noodles. But her pace was noticeably slower than before.
“…Ugh, I’m already full.”
Even as Ari said she was full, she continued eating with her head bowed, her chopsticks moving slowly. Between each deliberate bite, I heard soft sniffling sounds.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com

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