Lee Na-ri had a dream.

    A dream about a fairy tale book she had read when she was young.
    One day, the Demon King kidnaps a princess, and a hero sets out on a journey to save her.

    And after overcoming all sorts of difficult hardships,

    He musters up courage to defeat the scary Demon King and rescues the princess.

    She had read such a fairy tale book where they lived happily ever after with smiles.

    A very simple and happy picture book fitting for children.

    But that fairy tale book couldn’t help but leave quite an impression on Na-ri.

    Na-ri had admired the princess while reading such fairy tale books.

    The princess who gets saved by the hero from the evil Demon King.

    She wanted to become such a princess too.

    But…

    She wasn’t a princess.

    Though she wanted to become a princess, she couldn’t save her childhood friend Si-woo by being a princess.

    Therefore… Na-ri had to become a hero.

    She had to muster up courage like the hero in the picture book and win love.

    For that, Na-ri worked hard.

    Even though reality wasn’t so easy…

    She absolutely had to defeat the Demon King who was her sister… Lee Narin.

    And she had to rescue her childhood friend Si-woo… the prince.

    So she couldn’t be afraid anymore.

    Though she was a coward in both the past and present,

    In the future, she absolutely… had to become a brave hero.

    Because otherwise no one would save her…

    Therefore…

    Na-ri mustered up courage.

    “A hospital room…?”

    The stale smell of medicine and pristine white patient clothes.

    The place where Na-ri woke up was a hospital room.

    It didn’t take long for Na-ri to grasp what had happened to her and the current situation.

    “… Did I defeat it?”

    The being called Nephilim that she had defeated in the SSS-class gate.

    It was incredibly strong.

    She had a feeling she would never see such a being again, either before or after.

    After defeating such a being and barely escaping the gate.

    It seems the Hunter Association staff must have moved her to this hospital room.

    She could roughly deduce the current situation like this.

    And the enormous and extraordinary power she felt within herself.

    The rewards for subjugating an SSS-class gate are indeed not to be taken lightly.

    She could clearly feel that she had become stronger.

    So… there was only one thing Na-ri had to do.

    “Ugh…”

    When she tried to get up, her whole body hurt.

    Her muscles, bones, and joints seemed to throb as if telling her not to move.

    “I don’t have time for this…”

    Her body tells her to rest.

    The doctor would probably say the same thing.

    But such things aren’t important.

    Na-ri had to move quickly now.

    “Right now, at this moment too… Si-woo is… surely…”

    Even just thinking about Si-woo, she couldn’t just stay still like this.

    Now that she had gained the power to defeat an SSS-class gate and protect someone…

    She absolutely had to move.

    “Wait just a little… Si-woo.”

    To defeat her Demon King…

    Lee Narin.

    Na-ri moved her body.

    And headed towards Si-woo’s house.

    To protect Si-woo…!

    The Hunter Association.

    Though it’s said that it used to be quite an impressive organization as one that basically makes hunters belong to it and manages them.

    In reality, now that large guilds have become too extraordinarily powerful, it’s clearly an institution without any real enforcement power no matter what.

    However, even so, this Hunter Association is absolutely not an organization to be taken lightly.

    It’s absolutely essential for handling public affairs and small problems that large guilds can’t handle.

    Above all, this Hunter Association is where hunters are evaluated and their ranks are determined.

    In that sense.

    Being called by the Hunter Association like this.

    It can only be one of two things.

    First is that I caused some big trouble.

    Second is that my hunter rank has increased.

    In my case, since I haven’t caused any trouble at all.

    Maybe in my case it’s the latter? I think about it that way.

    And I also predict it’s definitely not an ordinary rank increase.

    [Mr. Lee Si-woo. Please visit the Hunter Association in the near future.]

    I checked the message once again.

    Though it’s a simple message, it’s absolutely not a simple message.

    A message sent using no less than the Hunter Association President’s name.

    Obviously, there’s no need to reveal the President’s name when calling an ordinary hunter.

    Despite that, the fact that they called me like this suggests that I’m being treated as quite an important person.

    ‘Looks like the Red Gate achievement was reported…’

    When the Red Gate opened recently, Reytana said she had reported it.

    Subjugating an SS-rank Red Gate, though I did it with S-class An Se-ah, it was essentially no different from me doing it alone.

    In that sense, the Hunter Association must be starting to get a sense of my rank now.

    I might receive the S-class hunter title.

    ‘Not exactly a bad feeling.’

    Though it wasn’t a bad feeling, honestly speaking, it wasn’t exactly a good feeling either.

    I originally lived as the manager of S-class Rank 1 Yoo Eun-ha, while hunters all like getting attention and causing trouble, I have quite a modest personality.

    For someone like me becoming an S-class hunter, thinking about the attention I’ll receive in the future, it’s definitely not a welcome thing.

    ‘Still, becoming S-class is every hunter’s dream too.’

    But I don’t particularly feel like refusing.

    I can’t keep hiding my power forever.

    I’m about to head to the Hunter Association now.

    And as I was about to leave.

    An unexpected guest arrived.

    “Na-ri. Why are you here?”

    With brilliant blonde hair and a youthful appearance, and looking injured with scrapes all over, it was my childhood friend Lee Na-ri.

    I couldn’t help but be surprised seeing Na-ri like that.

    No matter how you looked at it, her condition wasn’t normal.

    “No… why is your body like this?”

    I looked over Na-ri’s injuries with concern.

    Could she have been chased by some monster?

    Such thoughts couldn’t help but come to mind.

    But.

    “It’s okay now. Si-woo.”

    I was surprised by the sudden action.

    Na-ri pulled my neck and pressed it against her chest.

    Rather, it felt like Na-ri was the one worried about me.

    “What is?”

    So I had to ask.

    No seriously, what’s wrong with her?

    “I’ll protect you now.”

    Na-ri smiled gently while looking at me.

    No seriously, what’s really wrong with her???

    Si-woo as seen in Na-ri’s eyes.

    The Si-woo that Na-ri saw had a very bewildered expression.

    And Na-ri smiled gently at such a bewildered Si-woo as if to reassure him.

    He must be bewildered.

    Because the childhood friend who thought she couldn’t protect him came to protect him.

    Na-ri could fully anticipate such bewilderment.

    “Protect from what?”

    “Obviously… I’m talking about our sister.”

    “Sister Narin…?”

    “Yes.”

    Si-woo kept asking as if bewildered.

    And each time, Na-ri answered kindly.

    “It must have been hard until now?”

    Na-ri stroked Si-woo’s head.

    And tenderly… thinking about the hardships until now, she offered comfort to Si-woo.

    Because what Si-woo needs right now must be stability.

    “I’ll protect you from now on. Si-woo.”

    Na-ri spoke tenderly to Si-woo.

    “It’s okay to cry.”

    She could fully anticipate the hardships until now.

    The threats from her sister, how hard it must have been for Si-woo under such threats and oppression.

    So Na-ri smiled gently.

    But…

    “Umm… Na-ri, aren’t you misunderstanding something?”

    “Huh…? What misunderstanding…?”

    Somehow the conversation seemed to be going off track.

    Because of that, Na-ri couldn’t help but feel something was off.

    And the conversation progressed quickly.

    “Umm… you see Na-ri. About your sister…”

    “What about sister?”

    Si-woo showed a slightly hesitant expression while looking at Na-ri’s face.

    “Haah…”

    And let out a long sigh.

    It seemed like he was hesitating whether to say something or not.

    “Actually…”

    “Yes…?”

    After a few minutes like that, Si-woo showed a face that seemed to have firmed up some resolve.

    “I guess it’s better to just show you directly.”

    And he pressed his smartphone to send a message somewhere.

    ‘Just what is he trying to show?’

    Na-ri stayed still for a moment while watching such a Si-woo, not knowing how the situation was unfolding.

    And not even waiting a few minutes.

    She could soon know what Si-woo had called.

    “Master…!”

    An adorable voice heard from far away.

    Blonde hair and an elegant, beautiful woman…

    But there was a woman running over with a vulgar expression.

    “Si…Sister…?”

    It was her sister Lee Narin.

    Though Na-ri watched her sister with wariness, feeling bewildered and afraid.

    “I’m so happy that Master called for me…♡”

    Her sister Narin didn’t even glance at her sister.

    She ran straight to Si-woo and hugged him.

    And…

    “Narin. Act like a cat.”

    “I’m Master’s lovable kitty nyaa…♡”

    And she was enthusiastically acting cute like a tamed cat.

    “Wh…what in the world…?”

    Na-ri couldn’t understand the current situation.

    Her sister… acting like a cat…?

    Na-ri couldn’t help but fall into shock.

    Right now, Na-ri couldn’t even think anything about this situation.

    She could only stare at the female cat that had been her sister.

    “… Na-ri… umm… well this is how it is.”

    Looking at Na-ri who had fallen into shock…

    Si-woo said with a bitter expression.

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