The Tone-Deaf Healer Kills with a Song - Chapter 83

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

Tone-Deaf Healer Kills with Song – Episode 083
He entered with enthusiasm, but the atmosphere was completely different from before.
I could have sworn I heard Hwa-jon say he wanted to enter Hanttae before coming here.
Yet he, who had come out surprised to see me, hadn’t shown the slightest hint of it from that moment until now.
‘I think it would be better if I went in alone.’
‘Wouldn’t that be too dangerous?’
‘Aside from the Hanttae hunters, Hwa-jon is probably the safest hunter I could be with.’
Whether it was because of my firm response or because Jung Hwan-jae somewhat agreed with what I said, he didn’t insist on coming along anymore.
He simply agreed to wait outside.
Hwa-jon’s home sat on the midslope of an uninhabited mountain.
A waterfall flowed nearby, and walking a bit further would connect to a secluded city—a remote place indeed.
He said he used to live near the city center, but apparently finding it burdensome, he gradually retreated deeper into isolation.
In modern society where everything falls under Baldur’s gaze and the Hunter Association’s management, this was the most hidden place possible.
“Since the weather’s warm, I thought you might prefer something cold.”
“Ah, yes, thank you!”
He brewed leaf tea and poured it into a glass brimming with ice.
The chilled tea emanated a wonderfully fragrant aroma, but honestly, I drank it hastily without even knowing whether the scent entered through my nose or mouth.
Truth be told, I wasn’t in the right frame of mind to leisurely sip tea in this situation.
“Um, but I’m pretty sure I heard you say earlier that you wanted to enter Hanttae….”
“Did I?”
He answered in a playful tone, then pushed some snacks toward me as if offering them.
I would have expected something like yakgwa or yugwa, but surprisingly, the treats he actually brought out were common items you’d find at any supermarket.
“Do you like these kinds of snacks?”
“I don’t particularly enjoy sweets, but there are times when I crave things like chocolate so intensely I can’t resist. Isn’t that true for you as well, Ye-ah?”
I nodded immediately.
Even if you don’t like sweets, there are days when your entire body screams for sugar with such clarity it’s almost dizzying.
“Ah, anyway, I definitely heard earlier that you said you wanted to join our guild, Hunter.”
“Is that so?”
“…Or maybe I didn’t hear it.”
I’m weak against answers that don’t confirm or deny anything.
Even when I’m truly certain about something in my heart, if the other person confidently asks for proof, my words fail me.
Hwa-jon wasn’t arguing at all—he was simply asking back with a calm, serene expression.
He was even smiling slightly, and without any rebuttal from him, I found myself wanting to admit that I was completely wrong.
‘Thank goodness he’s not saying “You’re right, Hwa-jon.”‘
[Liri: Ye-ah! You need to keep your wits about you!]
[Liri: Even from my perspective as a handler, that person seems like he could easily sway you.]
[Liri: Ah, that last comment was a mistake.]
‘I’m glad Liri feels the same way I do.’
It’s somewhat reassuring that even a handler would be shaken by how holy and virtuous he appears.
I was worried that maybe I was the only one receiving this impression and was wavering without conviction.
“Yes, I want to join Hanttae.”
Before my anxiety could grow any further, Hwa-jon answered me honestly.
That booming voice from earlier confirmed it was really him, yet he didn’t seem embarrassed about it at all.
Come to think of it, there was nothing shameful about wanting to do something or desiring to join a guild.
“Then I should call the Guild Master right away!”
“No, please wait a moment.”
Hwa-jon laughed, looking somewhat flustered.
There’s a saying about striking while the iron is hot, so why did I hesitate? Without thinking, I turned back to face him awkwardly.
If he didn’t want to do it right now, I couldn’t push him further, but I couldn’t help feeling impatient.
This was a man who had never joined any guild before. If I didn’t seize this moment, he might change his mind.
“Don’t worry. I won’t suddenly change my mind about joining Hanttae.”
“…Hwa-jon, do you read minds? Do you have a skill like mind reading?”
“If I had such a skill, things would be quite convenient for me too, but unfortunately I don’t.”
He wasn’t mocking me—he answered my question sincerely—so why did I feel like I was losing ground in this exchange?
This wouldn’t do.
Before I came here, Sung Ji-wook told me that recruiting hunters required seventy percent momentum and thirty percent conditions.
I couldn’t afford to lose the momentum.
“So why won’t you sign a contract with Hanttae right now? The Guild Master clearly asked to become my teacher during that ranking tournament. If that’s inconvenient for you…”
“If there’s a place where my knowledge is needed, anyone can receive it anytime. Even if you’re no longer affiliated with Hanttae, I can still help you.”
“Ah…”
“But I don’t think I have the qualifications to be someone’s teacher. I don’t have the talent for teaching. Ah, but that’s not the reason I’m hesitating.”
He added with a laugh, telling me not to suddenly lose heart like that.
In that brief moment, he seemed to have perfectly grasped where my doubts lay and what I was worried about.
I felt embarrassed and my face flushed.
“There is something I’d like to ask you about, but it’s not about skills.”
I had been given two missions. First, to recruit Hwa-jon to Hanttae, and the second was to ask about So Yi-yoon.
“Yes, please ask.”
Actually, I felt a bit relieved about recruiting him to Hanttae since Jung Hwan-jae could probably handle that instead of me, but the matter concerning So Yi-yoon was something only I could address.
Since I was the only one who directly heard Hwa-jon speak about him at that time, there was no one else who could ask about it.
“It’s about Hunter Kim Kyung-hoon.”
“Yes, I also find it strange that he didn’t appear in the ranking tournament. He’s usually not someone with ordinary ambition.”
“I think the same way about that. But the important thing isn’t that…”
“It isn’t?”
“I’m curious how you knew that Hunter Kim Kyung-hoon’s real name is So Yi-yoon…”
It was the greatest act of courage in Yeom Ye-ah’s life.
I had just delivered it without my voice trembling, handling it very calmly.
It wasn’t much, but I was marveling at my own achievement when he made a short sound of puzzlement.
“Ah, there are people who don’t know that?”
“Most people didn’t know.”
“Ah…”
Hwa-jon’s eyes widened slightly, as if he’d only just realized something.
It seemed he’d only now grasped that he’d carelessly divulged an absolutely enormous secret.
Whether reflecting on his own mistake, he fell silent for a moment.
“Thanks to you sharing So Yi-yoon’s name with me, Hunter, I found the thread that could solve a situation where so many people might have died!”
He was someone who had shown me considerable consideration so I wouldn’t lose heart.
While I couldn’t match his skill level, I wanted to be of at least some help.
When I threw my whole body into dissuading him from digging deeper into the matter, Hwa-jon finally laughed as if he’d given up.
“Is that so? You saved many people?”
“There were people I couldn’t save, but it’s true that I saved those who couldn’t have been saved otherwise. And if we catch Hunter So Yi-yoon, we’ll be able to save people who would fall into danger in the future.”
I lack confidence disproportionately about things I’m uncertain of, but conversely, I become quite assured about things I’m certain of.
Catching So Yi-yoon would resolve many things. That much was clear.
Hwa-jon, who had been staring intently at my face, spoke calmly.
“He’s a high school friend. We both awakened on the same day, but in different places.”

* * *
“I’m struck anew by how South Korea is built on blood relations and regional ties.”
“I agree.”
After exchanging a few more words with him, I left that house.
Hwa-jon said he was genuinely considering becoming part of Hanttae. It seemed he had things to sort through internally, so I didn’t press further.
When I returned to Jung Hwan-jae, who had been waiting for me, and relayed what I’d heard, his first words were that.
Naturally, I agreed as well.
“I’ll do my best to recruit him into Hanttae myself.”
“I’m sorry. I wish I could have done better.”
“No. That’s enough. Ah, Ye-ah.”
He seemed to have something to say and quickly changed the subject.
When I looked up at Jung Hwan-jae, he averted his gaze, rolling his eyes before murmuring softly.
“Would you… like to go to a Dungeon together?”

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