The Female Lead Saves the World - Chapter 251

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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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Yeo Joo Saves the World
Part 2, Episode 72

Without realizing it, I found myself studying Yu Ga Young with an odd expression.
‘This tiny child is awakening?’
Yu Ga Young had already been discharged from the hospital and was attending school, but she was still smaller than her peers.
More than that, setting aside her physical size, she was only twelve years old.
An age closer to childhood than the teenage years.
And this girl was awakening?
It was unsettling news in every way.
“…Yeo Joo unnie?”
As I fell silent and continued watching her, Yu Ga Young sensed something amiss and tilted her head curiously.
“Oh, right. Sorry, sorry. It’s been so long, Ga Young!”
“But we saw each other last week….”
“I meant it’s been a while since we’ve seen each other like this, just the two of us. What, you didn’t miss your unnie?”
At my question, Yu Ga Young hesitated before answering with a reddened face.
“…I missed you too.”
“How adorable.”
Saying so, I reached out to ruffle her hair as I usually did, but Yu Ga Young quickly stepped back and dodged my hand.
It wasn’t my imagination after all.
Yu Ga Young was refusing to touch me.
“Ga Young?”
Yoo Jin Rok, who had been standing back observing his daughter and me, approached with a puzzled expression.
“What’s wrong? Is something the matter?”
“Oh, Dad….”
Yu Ga Young looked between me and Yoo Jin Rok, her expression helpless.
“It’s not that I dislike unnie.”
The child was going to cry at this rate.
I stepped closer to Yu Ga Young without actually touching her and spoke gently.
“I know, I know that Yu Ga Young loves Yeo Joo the most.”
“Unnie….”
“But it seems like you don’t want to touch me. There must be a reason for that, right?”
Yu Ga Young, who had been terrified that I might misunderstand, swallowed hard at my words before finally answering.
“It’s not that I don’t want to touch you. If you heal me, unnie gets hurt, so I don’t like that.”
“Oh….”
My surprised gaze turned toward Yoo Jin Rok.
You told even your daughter about this?
But Yoo Jin Rok looked just as shocked as I felt.
As the two adults stood speechless in their astonishment, Yu Ga Young confessed.
“I heard Dad on the phone.”
“Ga Young.”
“I didn’t mean to listen. It’s Dad’s fault for not closing the door all the way while talking.”
The girl had a point, I had to admit.
Yoo Jin Rok let out a deep sigh and lowered his head.
“You’re right, I made a mistake. And I’m sorry, Yeo Joo.”
“That’s fine. Ga Young wouldn’t go around telling her sister’s secrets anyway. Right?”
“Of course not!”
“Because Yu Ga Young cares about Yeo Joo, doesn’t she?”
“Yes!”
“So if there was a way to help Yeo Joo feel better when she’s sick, what would you do?”
“Of course I would! Of course I would…”
Sensing where my words were leading, Yu Ga Young’s small shoulders trembled slightly.
“…Of course I’d help.”
“That’s right, so would I.”
I carefully placed my hand on one of Yu Ga Young’s shoulders.
Fortunately, she didn’t pull away from my touch.
“And let me be clear about something. Healing you doesn’t hurt me. I’m just sharing my strength with you.”
“…Really?”
“Yeah, have you ever seen me lie?”
“No. But I’ve seen you not tell important things.”
“I can’t deny that. Anyway, this isn’t a lie. I want you, the people from Justice Guild, and everyone else to be healthy and safe.”
It was easy to speak what was truly in my heart, using the excuse of talking to a child.
“So I’ll help five times, ten times, twenty times, as many times as it takes. Until everyone is well.”
“Sister Yeo Joo…”
A moment later, Yu Ga Young threw her arms around me.
“Sniff.”
“Can I heal you now?”
Yu Ga Young’s head bobbed up and down against my chest.

[ Using skill ‘Darkness Purification’. ]
[ Purification efficiency decreases due to the target’s special constitution. ]
[ Target’s darkness addiction rate: 45% ]
[ Darkness Purification successful! ]
[ Target’s current darkness addiction rate: 5% ]

As Yu Ga Young recovered, my body grew slightly heavier, but I didn’t mind in the slightest.
I patted her still-small back a few times before turning to Yoo Jin Rok, who had been observing the scene.
“Teacher Yoo, do you have a moment to talk?”

* * *

After sending Yu Ga Young—who stubbornly insisted she hadn’t cried—to the Break Room with the other hunters, Yoo Jin Rok and I took a brief walk outside.
Though December had arrived, the midday sun was warm.
When we reached the Outdoor Training Ground Track, Yoo Jin Rok spoke first.
“I’ve never felt so frustrated being C-rank as I do these days.”
“Teacher Yoo.”
“I felt it keenly in the Cheongra Double Dungeon. How inadequate I am.”
His voice was calm, yet it sounded all the more melancholic for it.
“The Justice Guild will be tackling high-level Gates now, not to mention Double Dungeons. As your bodyguard, I’m afraid I’m reaching the limits of what I can do.”
I nodded along calmly, but the words that followed struck me as odd.
“It’s shameless of me to ask, but could you continue treating Ga Young? Even if it’s only until she comes of age—or at least until she awakens safely and her body becomes stronger…”
“Wait a moment, Teacher.”
I raised my right hand to stop him and asked.
“Has another Guild made you a recruitment offer?”
“No, nothing like that.”
“Then why are you saying such things? Of course we’ll continue treating Ga Young. I can’t let you go either, Teacher.”
“But there’s nothing left for me to do at the Justice Guild anymore.”
“Because you can no longer serve as my bodyguard?”
Yoo Jin Rok nodded.
“I also think it’s unreasonable for you to continue entering Gates as my bodyguard, Teacher.”
“I thought so too.”
“But there’s a reason I call you Teacher instead of Hunter Yoo Jin Rok, isn’t there?”
“Hmm.”
“You don’t dislike teaching the younger hunters, do you? I hear you’re always at the Training Facility these days.”
“Dislike it? Not at all. Team 1, Team 2, Team 3—they’re all skilled, so there’s genuine satisfaction in teaching them. It’s been the only thing I could do lately, and I’ve enjoyed it.”
“That’s exactly it—teaching is what you do best.”
I corrected him clearly as he smiled bitterly.
“You know we’re selecting Team 4 in a few days, right?”
“I’ve heard the schedule mentioned.”
“I’ll need your help then, along with the Kang Han Guild Master. Team Leader Yang Hwa Yeon from Team 2 and Team Leader Lee Tae Yoon from Team 3 will be present as well, but they’re both so temperamental that we need someone reliable.”
“I’m not sure I’m capable of that.”
“You have a good eye for talent. Just look at Jang Su Ho—if you hadn’t picked him, there would be no Jang Su Ho in the Justice Guild today. Besides, you ran the Taesan Guild for so long, so you’re experienced with selecting team members.”
“That’s true.”
“And you’ll need to choose well, even if it’s difficult. These will be the people you’ll be responsible for teaching going forward.”
Yoo Jin Rok gave me a puzzled look at my words.
“Unlike the existing strategy teams we’ve assembled based on high ranks, Team 4 will be selected regardless of rank. We’ll focus on people with distinct specialties rather than grades. Hunters like you, sir.”
The Justice Guild, which had experienced explosive growth in a short span, resembled a stone tower built by stacking massive boulders one atop another.
But with such rapid construction came numerous gaps.
Team 4, which we were about to recruit, would be like gravel—people who would fill those cracks and make the Justice Guild tower even more solid.
“Are you sure about this? Is it really alright for me to take on such an important position?”
“If you actually want to rest and I’m being insensitive about this, please tell me now.”
“Not at all.”
Yoo Jin Rok chuckled and shook his head.
“I’ll do my best within the limits of my abilities.”
That was exactly the answer I wanted to hear from Yoo Jin Rok.
Once he said something like that, he would truly give his all.
As we continued our conversation, I felt the chill settling into my body, so I turned my steps back toward the indoor training facility and spoke.
“Since we’re on the subject of training, shall we head underground, sir? There’s a student having their first training session there today.”

* * *

When I opened the door to the Underground Training Facility, the sound of applause and laughter poured out from within.
“Wow! Na Baek Ho is so cool!”
“What a magnificent bearing!”
“Ah, I want to call you Brother Na Baek Ho!”
“The light shines from the photos, it shines!”
Na Baek Ho was striking all sorts of poses in front of the gathered members from Teams 1, 2, and 3.
He would sit with his black nose held high, or swing his front paws while making a roaring sound—it was quite a spectacle.
The people giggled at how adorable Na Baek Ho was.
“Who does he take after to be such an attention-seeker?”
“Na Baek Ho does seem a bit bigger than before….”
Yoo Jin Rok, whose eye for detail was as sharp as ever, tilted his head in curiosity.
Then, as if something suddenly occurred to him, he turned to look at me and asked.
“The student having their first training today—is it perhaps?”
“Yes, Na Baek Ho. He evolved a few days ago. Now we need to prepare him to enter dungeons.”

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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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