Ch.229Side Story: A-Rank Hunter Kang Ra-hye – 1

Clutching my bloated stomach, I headed to the rooftop where Kang Yuna was smoking alone. She glanced at me and clicked her tongue when she saw my awkward posture.

“You should’ve come home more often. Every time you visit, they try to feed you too much.”

“I come more often than when I lived alone. That’s enough.”

“Hey, back then… Forget it. Let’s not talk about it. Seeing you chattering away like that, whatever happened, you seem to be doing better now.”

When she mentions “living alone,” she’s referring to when I had just returned from the first world and was mentally half-broken.

A perfectly normal kid suddenly took a leave of absence from school and locked himself at home. My sister visited several times and made a huge fuss. If she can mention it with a smile now, she must think I’ve recovered.

And I have, in fact.

“Is it because of that other world?”

“Yeah.”

“Tsk. I don’t know anything about it, so I can’t even comment.”

“I told you to come visit. Did I ask you to do something grand? I said you could just enjoy the festival and leave.”

“I’m not mentally prepared yet, okay? You think it’s easy for someone like me to cross over to another world? If you hadn’t shown me proof, I would’ve thought you were crazy.”

“Just do what I tell you. Take off your shoes when crossing the gate, and when I say we’ve arrived, raise your hands and shout ‘Arrival!’ loudly. See? Easy.”

“Get lost.”

After our heartwarming exchange, we leaned against the railing side by side—Kang Yuna facing the railing, me with my back to it.

Since my sister is an A-rank hunter with the Eternal Guild, our parents live quite comfortably. This detached house belongs to them, and there’s even another building under my sister’s name.

Given the status of the Eternal Guild in South Korea—no, worldwide—I suppose it’s only natural.

“Hey, what do you do with the Guild Masters anyway?”

Kang Yuna, who had been silently smoking for a while, spoke up again.

“In my five years there, I’ve never seen them being friendly with anyone. They always stick together— Oh, slip of the tongue. Don’t repeat that, okay?”

“What happens if I do?”

“Your sister gets fired. Becomes a jobless swan at twenty-nine.”

“Then I definitely should tell them. I can take care of our parents, and you can freeload off us. I’ll specially allow it.”

“You’re seriously messed up.”

Kang Yuna gave me a contemptuous look and reached for a new cigarette, but after glancing at me, she stopped. With a reluctant expression, she put the cigarette pack back in her inner pocket.

“So, why won’t you tell me why you’re close with them?”

“It’s not that I won’t tell you; I can’t tell you.”

“Can’t you reconsider whether it’s really something you can’t share? I’m your only sister.”

I didn’t say out loud that I actually have two more in the other world. There was no need to cross that line. At the very least, I shouldn’t disturb the family framework.

Despite all our bickering, we stay within unspoken boundaries. Once you step outside those lines, there’s no going back.

“Then what about when you were in high school and that dildo on the wall—oof.”

“Will you shut up?”

I took a punch to the side. Kang Yuna glared at me with fierce eyes, growling menacingly.

“Anyway, just know it’s something like that.”

“…You little shit. If you can’t talk, then don’t.”

Since it didn’t hurt anyway, I just smiled calmly, and her fierce glare soon turned into a deep sigh.

“If it’s that serious, did the Guild Masters get some dirt on you? Or did you get dirt on them? They’re all men who make other men shudder. They’re so famous that when gate suppression requests come in and they have to go abroad, they only take women as escorts. They know it’s better not to cause unnecessary friction.”

I couldn’t tell her that I was the reason for their neurotic behavior. Kang Yuna, who had been pondering something, suddenly clapped her hands.

“Wait, is it that?”

“What’s ‘that’?”

I tensed up slightly, worried. She may seem a bit dim normally, but she has sharp intuition about unnecessary things. Could she possibly have guessed our relationship—

“Did they catch you masturbating or some— Hey! What are you doing?! Get your hand off!”

I felt ridiculous for having been tense about such a person. I pressed down on her head with my hand.

Kang Yuna struggled to remove my hand, but since there was no way she could overpower me physically, she could only squirm in place. When I finally let go, she grumbled while fixing her hair.

“That’s the kind of thought only someone like you would have.”

“You mean the kind of thought a gorgeous, talented woman who joined Eternal Guild at twenty-four and reached A-rank before thirty would have? Thanks for the compliment.”

“Are you really twenty-nine? You’re turning thirty next year. You’re not using that speech pattern to seem mentally younger, are you?”

“You bastard.”

Another fist flew into my side. After hitting me, Kang Yuna put a new cigarette in her mouth.

“What, you’re smoking? You seemed to be trying to hold back earlier.”

“You pissed me off so much I can’t help it, you jerk.”

After lighting her cigarette, Kang Yuna took a drag and then, as if suddenly remembering something, asked while exhaling smoke:

“Right. Since you’re close with the Guild Masters, you must have met that summon too? The one that killed Leviathan recently.”

Since I couldn’t honestly say “That’s me, so of course I’ve met myself,” I just nodded.

“Yeah, I’ve met it.”

“Do you know what’s inside the mask?”

“No.”

It’s right in front of you.

“Then do you know what kind of being it is?”

“No.”

Also your brother, by the way.

“Damn it. Then do you know what its price is?”

“No.”

It’s practically nothing, but if I had to name it, the price is staying by their side for life.

“Come on, you don’t know anything? Did you just pass by it on the street or something?”

Kang Yuna grumbled with the cigarette in her mouth, but she didn’t complain further. She seemed to think it made sense if the Guild Masters were keeping it secret.

“It must be that dangerous. No wonder those people were bedridden for over a week after using it twice.”

“True. I saw the video of it killing Leviathan. It was no joke. Like a nuclear bomb going off.”

“So, is that all you wanted to say? You told me to come to the rooftop after dinner.”

“No. I’m about to get to it now.”

Kang Yuna straightened her posture as she said this. Wondering what she was going to say, I also tensed up.

“You know about the new hunter who joined our guild? Her name is… right, Kang Rahye.”

Hunter Kang Rahye. She’s referring to Rachel, the former Sword Saint.

Her given name, Rahye, is a Korean adaptation of her name from the other world, Rachel, and she chose to use my surname because she said it was thanks to me that she could be reborn.

Priscilla and Laura, who were well-versed in what’s commonly called “otaku culture,” made strange expressions when they heard this, but didn’t say anything. This isn’t Japan, after all.

“Yeah, I know about her. Why?”

“I’m going into a gate with her in three days. I was wondering if you knew anything. This is awkward to say, but she came in through connections, and I don’t know anything about her except her skills. I need to know something before going.”

That makes sense. Though she’s already proven her skills, she’s been busy adapting to Earth. I heard she’s been keeping to herself to avoid causing friction, but it seems something has changed.

“If that’s the case, I’ll help you as much as I can.”

It was only natural that I should help.

“I look forward to working with you, Ms. Kang Rahye.”

“I, I look forward to working with you too.”

When my sister bowed her head, Kang Rahye returned the gesture. I was watching the scene while concealed by invisibility magic.

“I heard you’re interested in swords…”

“Ah, yes. That’s right.”

Kang Yuna awkwardly tried to make conversation, and Kang Rahye awkwardly responded. Though both seemed to be making an effort, watching them made me feel suffocated.

“Now I’ll explain the gate we’ll be suppressing today.”

Fortunately, the atmosphere didn’t last long. As the gate entry preparations finished, a woman who appeared to be the leader began the briefing.

When the conversation ended, those sky-blue eyes briefly glanced in my direction. She knew I was there, of course. Kang Rahye had requested supervision, saying it was her first time and she was inexperienced.

“What are you doing, Ms. Kang Rahye? Please refrain from distractions during the briefing.”

“Ah, sorry… I’m sorry.”

Kang Rahye, who almost unconsciously used her old speech pattern, hastily apologized.

Even this level is decent. Compared to Laura and Elysier, who gave up on correcting their speech after living as fictional characters for hundreds of years, at least she shows potential.

“The gate for this suppression mission is rated A-5. Until recently, it was only A-3, but after three A-rank hunters from Suseong Guild attempted entry and retreated with severe injuries, it was upgraded by two levels…”

After the flawless briefing ended, everyone received additional information on their Hunter Watches. But Kang Rahye was struggling with her screen. It seemed she hadn’t fully adapted yet.

I quietly moved closer and pressed the buttons for her. Her single eye widened in surprise for a moment, then crinkled into a smile of gratitude.

“If everyone is ready, we’ll depart. According to reports, ogres have been spotted, so stay alert.”

The hunters gripped their weapons and jumped into the gate. Kang Yuna was third, and Kang Rahye was last. I waited for the right moment and slipped in after them.

As soon as we entered, a large group of ogres greeted us. Seeing them, the leader shouted:

“Everyone, battle positions!”

“Ogres right from the start? No wonder it’s rated A-5.”

“That’s why it got passed to us.”

The other two hunters chatted while aiming their weapons, and the Sword Saint drew her sword with her left hand.

While these creatures might be used for student training in artificial dungeons at Bellium Academy, here they’re considered quite dangerous monsters.

“Ready… to…”

The leader’s booming voice trailed off. The ogres, who had been howling and preparing to fight, suddenly turned around and fled deeper into the gate.

“…”

“…”

“…”

Faced with the unprecedented situation of monsters fleeing before battle, the hunters seemed mentally frozen. My sister was no exception.

‘Ah, right.’

I realized what was happening. Focused on other things, I had momentarily forgotten that intelligent monsters can instinctively sense an opponent’s strength.

I glanced to the side. Kang Rahye also seemed to realize it was her fault, looking somewhat embarrassed. After a moment’s consideration, I drew out Eternity. At this point, there was no choice.

I’d have to bring them here directly.