The Ancestor of the Punishment Team, Arashi

Fortunately, before Baek-jin brought Seo-hyun up to the residential floor, the truly unseemly argument between the two came to an end.

“Just Neon! If you try to add ‘Lee’ to it, I’ll really quit school!”

“Sigh… If it’s for your smooth relationships at school, I guess I have no choice, Neon.”

“That’s right! What the heck is Lee Neon anyway? Where in the world is there such a mishmash of a name?”

“…I really thought it was fine.”

The victor of the argument was none other than Neon.

Neon got Yeon-ah to agree that she would enter as an adopted daughter without attaching a surname, and she threatened Yeon-ah to never attach a surname.

And when she even brought up forming relationships at school, Yeon-ah retreated in defeat, having no choice.

However, at Yeon-ah’s muttering as she retreated, Neon’s body trembled slightly.

It seems a future where her name could have been changed to Lee Neon was drawn in her mind.

As I was letting out a snickering laugh watching that scene, just then, with perfect timing, a knocking sound rang out inside the living room where we were.

Knock knock—

[Ancestor, this is Lee Baek-jin. I’ve brought Team Leader Ahn Seo-hyun, may we come in?]

“Why is Baek-jin…? Did you call for him perhaps, Ancestor?”

“Yeah, the Punishment Team leader said she wanted to meet me, so I gave permission. It’s fine, come in.”

I simply nodded to Yeon-ah, who expressed doubt as if flustered by Baek-jin’s sudden visit, and spoke to Baek-jin who would be outside.

The living room door opened as soon as my permission fell.

And through the opened door, Baek-jin, stylishly adjusting his monocle, and Seo-hyun, with her red hair fluttering, entered with polite steps.

Unlike during the hunter exam when she was wearing comfortable functional clothing, this time Seo-hyun came dressed in a neat suit.

At that atmosphere that seemed like she had come to make a request at a glance, I waved away Baek-jin who had brought Seo-hyun.

“Thanks for bringing her. You can go now.”

“Yes, then I’ll take my leave.”

Baek-jin bowed deeply at a 90-degree angle and then left the living room again.

As a result, Seo-hyun, who was left in the living room with me, Yeon-ah, and Neon, glanced at Yeon-ah’s expression and then turned to me and carefully opened her mouth.

“It’s been a while… since I’ve seen you, Shin-yeon-nim. Today, I came to make a request, if I may.”

I had been wondering what her reason for coming to see me could be, but it seemed Seo-hyun’s reason for coming to see me was none other than to make some kind of request.

However, before hearing what that request was, I swallowed a nasal sound and spoke at Seo-hyun’s appearance, which looked very uncomfortable in mind and body no matter how I looked at it.

“Um… If it’s really uncomfortable, you can speak comfortably.”

“Ah, no! It’s not because of that. And if I speak comfortably, I’d be in danger rather…”

She spoke comfortably enough last time, but why is she suddenly like this?

Of course, it’s a natural attitude since she came to meet me as the ancestor of the General Management Team, not me as a hunter, but looking at her watching Yeon-ah’s reactions, the reason seemed to be because of that no matter how I looked at it.

The clear hierarchical relationship visible between the two.

Feeling once again how firmly the General Management Team had grasped the defense city, I deliberately continued the conversation.

“Alright, so what request did you come to make?”

“Ah, it’s nothing else but our ancestor said he wanted to meet you, Shin-yeon-nim, so I came to ask if I could arrange a meeting.”

“Your ancestor… The one who was in the carriage at the 12th District gate that time?”

“Yes, that person is our Punishment Team’s ancestor.”

I wonder for what purpose the Punishment Team’s ancestor said he wanted to meet me.

I couldn’t predict that either, but at least that ancestor whom I hadn’t even seen seemed more polite than the succubus of the Restraint Team.

He didn’t send a threatening message, and he’s asking so politely like this if he can arrange a meeting.

“If you just say it’s alright, I will bring our ancestor here.”

Moreover, he’s saying he’ll come here himself rather than calling me to his tower.

As I said before, although I don’t know what the purpose is, if he asks so politely, it would be right to give an affirmative answer for his sake.

“I don’t mind since I have nothing to do for the time being except going around gates.”

Therefore, I accepted Seo-hyun’s proposal without much deliberation, and Seo-hyun brightened her expression at my answer and bowed her waist.

“Thank you! Then would 3 o’clock today be alright?”

“Yeah, that’s fine.”

“Then I’ll bring our ancestor at that time.”

“Alright, then Yeon-ah? Tell the guys downstairs so they can come up right away when they arrive.”

“Yes, Ancestor.”

It would be troublesome and embarrassing in many ways to wait for permission to come up again after bringing their own ancestor.

So when I gave the order in advance, Yeon-ah bowed her head and answered me.

Thus, a somewhat sudden appointment was made for 3 o’clock in the afternoon.

I glanced slightly at Neon, who seemed to be getting dizzy from the conversation about making an appointment for ancestors to meet beside her, and got up from the bed I had been sitting on.

“Alright, then I’ll be prepared at 3 o’clock, so bring him.”

“Ah, yes! Please take good care of our ancestor.”

“Take good care…? What’s that… Well, alright.”

What does she mean by take good care?

I tilted my head for a moment, unable to understand the hidden meaning, but Seo-hyun had already greeted me and gone out of the living room.

Inevitably leaving behind the unresolved question, I also turned back towards Neon and Yeon-ah.

“Alright, you two seem to have resolved the name issue now… Shall we discuss the rest of the story until 3 o’clock?”

“Talking about school feels out of scale compared to the different-level story of ancestors meeting… Sigh, does it matter?”

Neon, who still seemed unable to escape the aftermath of the brief conversation just now, sighed and shook her head.

She was the only one who spoke comfortably to me, but in this aspect, she was still like a kid.

At that, I let out a laugh and patted Neon’s head, and of course, what came back was Neon’s fiery irritation.

“Hey, you!”

Of course, even that was cute for a 16-year-old girl, making even Yeon-ah burst into laughter.

---

Whiiiiing—!

An airport where numerous airplanes and flagships take off and land.

There, a woman who had just entered the airport inhaled the familiar air of her homeland deeply into her lungs and held a deep smile.

“Haaah… After all, there’s nothing like my own country, my own land.”

She couldn’t be more delighted to set foot on her homeland after being dispatched for a month due to China’s gate support.

And as she was inhaling and exhaling deeply, two people in suits, a man and a woman, approached from far away.

The two who came out through the cheers among her gathered fans approached her and brought her weapon case and carrier found from the baggage conveyor belt.

“Welcome back, Hunter Ha Se-young.”

“Good work on pioneering the undeveloped gates in China.”

“Thank you, both of you. Are the reporters ready?”

“Yes, of course.”

Having helped with pioneering undeveloped gates in China and returned, her fans were welcoming her with such cheers, and reporters were also prepared to announce her achievements in China throughout the city.

At this perfect foundation for the S-rank promotion test, the woman, Ha Se-young, inwardly rejoiced and showed a toothy smile.

-Kyaaah!!

-I love you, unni!!!

-You worked hard! We love you!!!

Then came the cheers from the gathered fans.

Although it was the fans’ cheers repeating countless words like a feast of all sorts of flattery, Se-young waved back at their cheers that never got old no matter how much she heard them.

“Heheh… This is how the A-rank 1st hunter’s return should be.”

How much effort had she put in to wear the title of A-rank 1st?

Thinking of that effort, this level of treatment was only natural, so Se-young didn’t spare self-praise and savored the feeling of joy.

Of course.

Unfortunately, such feelings didn’t last very long.

-Don’t be too disappointed even if you lost the A-rank 1st place, unni! You’re hundreds of times better than that Chinese bastard!!!

“…What?”

A voice that passed by in just a moment among the numerous cheers.

However, Se-young’s excellent hearing did not miss that one jarring sentence.

What on earth did it mean that she had lost her A-rank 1st place?

Although she heard it clearly, she couldn’t understand those words at all, so Se-young made a dumbfounded expression, and as soon as she came to her senses, she immediately grabbed the woman standing beside her and shouted.

“Wait, is that true?! What nonsense is it that I was pushed out of A-rank 1st?!”

“Ca-calm down, Hunter Ha Se-young! First, we should report your return to Team Leader Seo-hyun…”

“Shut up and answer my question first!! Is that fucking true?!”

The woman sweated and stammered as Se-young shouted, brushing aside her pedantic answer.

Although that expression alone seemed to already answer everything, the woman’s subsequent response drove a definite nail into Se-young.

“About two weeks ago, a girl named Shin-yeon rose straight to A-rank 1st through the hunter exam.”

“Just with one hunter exam…?”

“Of course, it was controversial as there was no precedent, but the controversy has now died down as the solo subjugation of the 23rd District gate was broadcast live…”

“Then what about my S-rank promotion test?! She stole my position with just one solo subjugation of the 23rd District? I can do that too!!!”

Of course, she would have to be prepared to become a complete wreck while struggling quite a bit, but Se-young herself could also do a solo subjugation of the 23rd District gate as much as she wanted.

But with just that kind of thing… No, more precisely, with just one hunter exam, to steal her position.

Even trying to think calmly, Se-young raised the veins on her forehead at the fact that made her blood boil, and she gripped the weapon case she was holding tightly and began to move her feet.

“I need to see the face of that Shin-yeon or whatever bitch. And properly ask the team leader what happened. Take care of the reporters I called.”

“W-wait a moment! That hunter called Shin-yeon is a direct hunter of the General Management Team! Even if it’s you, Hunter Ha Se-young, if you carelessly touch her…”

“The General Management Team took in a direct hunter…?”

Se-young stopped abruptly while stomping forward, as if the woman’s words had sunk in.

But only for a moment, Se-young frowned again and moved her steps that had stopped.

“I’m also a proper direct hunter of the Punishment Team! And she can’t refuse a personal duel request either. I’ll half-kill her with that.”

“N-no, Hunter Ha Se-young! Stop for a moment! I’m telling you it’s not allowed?!”

Despite the woman’s restraining hand reaching out, Se-young no longer stopped her steps and continued walking.

Se-young, who only lightly received the greetings of fans and escaped all the way outside the airport.

At the place where only the trajectory of Se-young’s fluttering black straight hair and the anger in her dark red eyes remained, the woman who had come to greet Se-young uttered only a small mutter along with the man standing beside her.

“We’re fucked…”

Because it was clear that the waves she had caused would cover them no matter what happened.

They could only mutter like that.