The S-Classes That I Raised - Chapter 491: Nothing Prepared (2)

“If landing is difficult, have them jump out.”

Standing atop a wooden pillar at the pier far from the mansion, Han Yuhyun spoke. Each time the sea breeze blew, the ribbons on his ceremonial belt and the feather ornaments fluttered lightly. Through the comms, the helicopter pilot who heard his words replied with a troubled tone.

[But they’re invited guests, and most of them are high-rank hunters.]

“It’s forbidden to land right in front of the mansion. If they won’t get off, turn back toward land. If they don’t want to return, they can jump on their own.”

[If we do that, I think complaints will grow.]

“That’s exactly what I want.”

Han Yuhyun said calmly as he watched the helicopter approach the island. Just as his brother wanted. Inside the mansion, he would merely observe. But surely playing the role of a proper sieve wouldn’t hurt. If, as the pilot requested, they disembarked at the pier and walked obediently to the mansion, there was no need to intervene. He could even overlook dissatisfied glances.

But the moment someone opened their mouth to shout and drew a weapon—Han Yuhyun switched the comm channel.

“Brother, so long as you don’t kill them, it’s fine, right?”

[Huh? Why? Someone picking a fight?]

“No, not yet. But I feel like there might be.”

[Well, that makes sense. Keep it moderate. But don’t you dare strike first.]

“Got it. Don’t worry.”

At that moment, a figure leapt from the helicopter that had just arrived near the pier. Using a skill, perhaps, the hunter landed as lightly as a feather onto the sand and glanced at Han Yuhyun.

“Just follow the path.”

The hunter gave a small nod and strode off. The other hunters who jumped down after him did the same. They arrived on time, even slightly early. That alone suggested these S-Rank hunters were relatively well-mannered.

The hunters aboard the second arriving helicopter also voiced no objection.

“More guests will be arriving soon.”

[Is that so? After all, I’m stuck in a room anyway. Just the thought of facing people makes me want to die of embarrassment.]

At his brother’s grumbling, the corners of Han Yuhyun’s mouth curved gently.

“You’d suit it well.”

[Yerim told me not to trust anything you say.]

“Why? It’s the truth.”

[Honestly, whatever I wear, you’ll just say it suits me.]

“That’s not true.”

“Not true? Really?”

“In weather like this, you need to dress warmly. Clothes that are too uncomfortable aren’t good either. And my favorite is…”

[What is it?]

“Pajamas.”

[So you’re telling me to just stay at home. Yerim, don’t agree! Why are you nodding so seriously? Well, the pajamas you bought are cute, but… uh. Oh.]

After a brief silence, Han Yujin spoke again.

[Looks like the French hunter has arrived. I’ll send Noah. Tell the pilot to drop that person at the pier.]

“I’ve already done that.”

[What? No wonder I couldn’t hear the helicopter! Anyway, handle it there if possible.]

He was prepared to see the island shattered, but it would be trouble if the mansion collapsed already.

[Tell Shishio-san not to come today. He’ll want to step in to protect me.]

Screech—! A motorcycle skidded down the road and screeched to a halt. Noah dismounted and looked up at Han Yuhyun. He then leaned silently against his bike. Han Yuhyun merely glanced at him briefly before returning his gaze to the sky.

[Hm? I hear Kang Soyeong’s voice. The Sesung Guild Leader must be here. Director Song, Seong Hyunjae is—… What? The mic’s off.]

Han Yujin grumbled, hoping that human wouldn’t cause trouble again.

[Director Song must be having a hard time, too. After the first day, it’s fine if things get chaotic. I want to send him on vacation.]

“You’re not the type to leave a mess and go, are you?”

[True. But he would worry even on vacation and wouldn’t rest properly. Especially if he left Seong Hyunjae behind, he might call to check every hour.]

Though Han Yujin sounded very sympathetic, Han Yuhyun thought silently, It’s easier that way. He wished his brother would just pass Seong Hyunjae off to Song Taewon. In the domestic hunter world, everyone knew: if you send the Sesung Guild Leader to command quarters under Director Song, things quiet down. No one else needs to fuss, because Song Taewon will handle it somehow. Thanks to that, Seong Hyunjae’s notorious reputation was even higher among overseas hunters than at home.

Anyway, it saved Han Yuhyun some trouble, so he tended to defer to Song Taewon. The problem now was the rumor that even Ki Seung-soo’s ranch master had the same effect. At least this time it had quieted down a bit.

“Brother, can’t you just keep pretending to be at odds with Sesung Guild?”

[Huh? Is that really necessary?]

“It’d be more comfortable.”

[Seong Hyunjae finds it comfortable, too. Publicly, he’ll still seem weak and harmless as ranch master. After this is over, you’ll make it smooth between us again.]

Han Yuhyun’s lips tightened slightly. He didn’t like it. Why did his brother attract such strange things? It wasn’t that he couldn’t understand that the most alien presence among them was himself—but still, he disliked it.

Thud!

Sand sprayed high into the air. A new guest had arrived. But this time, there was only one. In other words, they had likely refused to share the helicopter with others. Sure enough, the hunter glared straight at Han Yuhyun with an irritated look.

“Is that you?”

“I’m not close with him; I’d just prefer if we were on okay terms. If you need a friendly major guild besides Haeyeon, Breaker’s much better.”

“Did you make the helicopter stop here?”

“You like the Breaker Guild Leader, too, don’t you?”

Momentarily stunned at being completely ignored, the hunter then looked to Noah. Noah, who had been replying to Kang Soyeong’s text—“We’ve arrived. We’re heading to the island. Where are you? Shall we go with Riet unni?”—just met the hunter’s gaze briefly before returning his attention to his phone.

“No, why would I like the Breaker Leader? I think he’s fine. The only person I like is my brother. Mm-hmm, really. You say Park Yerim is feeling nauseous? Leave her be—that’s just drama.”

The hunter’s expression twisted more and more fiercely. Since awakening to S-Rank, he had never been so insulted. Quite the opposite: wherever he went, he was treated with deference and countless people bowed before him. Even among fellow S-Rank hunters, he had never been treated with such coldness.

“Hey!”

When the hunter snapped, Han Yuhyun pointed toward the path with his finger. With a gesture meaning “Go on,” he resumed his calm voice through the comm.

“Did you hear that? No, it’s fine. Just…”

A shadowy greatsword appeared in Han Yuhyun’s hand. At the same moment, the hunter sprang forward and low-swept a kick at the wooden pillar Han Yuhyun stood on. Just before the powerful foot struck, Han Yuhyun’s hand spun the greatsword—still sheathed—in a circle. With a light clack, the scabbard shot downward.

Crack

The scabbard hammered into the base of the pillar, and—

Clang!

The hunter’s kick collided with it. As an SS-Rank weapon sheath for a dominator’s blade, it was no ordinary item. Its durability was exceptional, and it could absorb the blade’s power. Although the sheath dug into the sand and skidded back a little, the pillar bore no damage.

The hunter, having failed to destroy Han Yuhyun’s footing, snarled and leapt upward.

“Don’t worry.”

Han Yuhyun’s body tilted backward. He lightly evaded the incoming punch, then, without a solid foothold, stepped along the smooth side of the pillar to change position and climbed behind the rushing hunter on the pillar’s top. It was a feat indistinguishable from using a skill.

Another hunter stepping onto an adjacent pillar tried to turn quickly—but Han Yuhyun’s hand was faster. The dominator’s blade whistled out, piercing the hunter’s collar deftly. With ordinary fabric, it would have torn; but unfortunately for him, his high-grade gear withstood the pull.

Splash!

The hunter was thrown into the water. The curved dominator’s blade folded around, striking the sheath beneath the pillar. The scabbard flipped up high and returned the blade precisely to its sheath.

“Puhah!”

The hunter bobbed to the surface, and Han Yuhyun crossed the pillar to stand before him. He switched off his mic.

“Before a second dunk, I’ll sever your limbs.”

His brother had stopped him, so he didn’t intend to kill. Even if an S-Rank hunter lost limbs, they’d survive. If they were dumped in the sea without an aquatic skill, they’d drown—but in any case, Han Yuhyun hadn’t killed them personally.

The hunter scowled but said nothing. He’d heard rumors that the Haeyeon Guild Leader was strong for his age—but reality exceeded expectation. In that brief clash, he ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) realized he was no match and, without a word, swam out and obediently headed for the path. Meanwhile, other newly arrived hunters cheered and laughed, lamenting how quickly it had ended.

“All done. See? Didn’t scratch a single hair.”

[Well done! But your safety comes first, so if it ever seems dangerous, don’t hold back.]

Several more skirmishes followed. Though S-Rank hunters teamed with affiliated A-Ranks at times, the other S-Ranks remained spectators.

“Ugh!”

A hunter kicked hard, leaving a long trail in the sand and crashing against the rocks. Boom! The rock cracked wide.

“Plenty of youthful vigor.”

“That one’s what, twenty-two? Or twenty-three? In full bloom of impetuosity.”

A forty-something A-Rank hunter and a thirty-something S-Rank hunter laughed as they strolled toward the path. Though high-rank hunters often had a sense of entitlement and pride, individuals differed. Those who lived ordinary lives before awakening contrasted sharply with those who awakened in adolescence to a changed world. Of course, there were mature young people and immature older ones, but…

“Thank you for your hard work, Guild Leader Haeyeon.”

A hunter passing the pier waved. Han Yuhyun nodded lightly in return. Some addressed Noah directly, curious why he left France to join a Korean ranch.

“Because it suits me.”

Noah answered courteously but briefly, then fell silent. Another helicopter arrived—again refusing shared passage, only one hunter disembarked onto the sand. Seeing him, Noah rose from his bike; Han Yuhyun spoke tersely.

“He’s here.”

[Understood. If he passes quietly, just let him go.]

Han Yuhyun switched off his mic. The French hunter, Eric, glanced at Han Yuhyun before striding up to Noah.

“Noah Lühr Hunter.”

Eric wore an openly offended expression as he spoke.

“Why did you ignore every order to return? I can’t understand going to this little Eastern land, let alone crawling under an F-Rank instead of your own guild. Are you sane?”

“Guildmaster Turschen’s affairs are none of your concern.”

“None of my concern? You’re tarnishing the French hunter world’s honor!”

At his words, Han Yuhyun frowned slightly. He disliked Eric’s dismissive attitude toward Noah’s affiliation. Yet Noah remained calm.

“That’s not for me to worry about.”

“What?”

“I am Noah Lühr, a hunter of Dodam Ranch.”

“An S-Rank hunter working for some place, not a guild?”

“It’s such an incredible place that I want to stay.”

Noah blinked nonchalantly, as if there were no problem. Eric exhaled in disbelief.

“If you hate being a guild leader, there are huge guilds in France, even in England or America! You’d be welcome anywhere—so why!”

“Because I want to.”

Noah regarded Eric with a hint of pity.

“You’ll be welcome anywhere. I could even start my own guild anytime. I don’t know why you think it’s a loss of face. A common large-scale guild leader, a common S-Rank hunter.”

Even Riet accepted him. Not Noah Lühr the French guild leader, but Noah the ranch hunter. Titles and backgrounds didn’t matter to him. His standard was Riet—and Riet was a free hunter. A hunter without guild affiliation, often treated lowly. Yet no one could lightly dismiss her.

Her very existence was status and prestige.

At Noah’s words, Eric’s face darkened with rage.

“You…! A subordinate-grade hunter!”

“And Guildmaster Turschen—your proposed terms suggest your guild’s finances aren’t strong.”

In truth, the terms weren’t that bad. But not enough to recruit Noah.

“I stayed silent because I feared that if word spread, the French hunter world would look down on me. I still hold French nationality, after all.”

“Please get your topic straight.” At the quiet words, Eric couldn’t hold back and drew his weapon. Noah sidestepped and a massive battle axe descended on the bike. Klang! The bike exploded, smoke rising thickly.

Noah, having slipped back out of range, pulled on a half-gauntlet made of linked chains. Equipment for partial sign language given by Yoo Myung-woo.

“You say I’m still French—then follow me quietly!”

Eric’s battle spirit flared as if to drag him by force. As if watching a distant fire, Han Yuhyun heard Han Yujin’s voice.

[Yuhyun.]

“Yes, brother.”

[Hwang Lim’s here. That Chinese hunter.]

Han Yuhyun’s eyes narrowed as he gazed beyond the sea.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by readnovel.co