Ch.34Russia’s National Authority Brought to Its Knees

Sophia, who had been guarding the mansion’s main gate, was momentarily flustered by the sudden swarm of monsters that came rushing in.

However.

Slash. Swish. Swoosh.

“Wow…”

“Amazing…!”

Her situational handling ability was so impressive that even hunters of lower or equal rank to her, as well as Korea’s A-rank hunters, were left speechless with admiration.

Wielding a specially-crafted scythe that could be summoned at any time, she swung her blade like she was dancing from the very first moment she clashed with the monsters, never slowing her pace.

Just like a heroine arriving at a ballroom.

Sophia was performing a beautiful waltz drenched in fresh blood among the monsters.

“There’s no opening…”

“Yeah! And her movements never break, with absolutely no wasted motion.”

It was incredible.

Simply incredible.

The monsters appeared mainly near the main gate directly connected to the mansion, as if they had intelligence.

As if one-versus-many combat was her specialty, Sophia, like a reaper bringing death, didn’t allow even a single monster to slip past her.

Truly Asia’s rising star!

“A-alright! Let’s join in too!”

“Yeah!!”

Thanks to Sophia, the hunters were able to respond quickly even to the sudden attack.

Everyone shouted battle cries in unison, and since they were all professional hunters of C-rank or above, they skillfully hunted down the approaching monster hordes one by one.

Meanwhile.

‘…What was that just now?’

The hero of this first week’s attack who had boosted the morale of the surrounding hunters.

Sophia herself had been wearing a troubled expression ever since the initial attack began.

That was because, though it was just for a moment, she felt like she had seen something.

‘Right before the monsters came rushing in, I felt like something passed over my head…’

She had momentarily sensed some kind of presence, but it disappeared so quickly that she couldn’t be certain.

So she was trying to focus only on the monsters in front of her when.

“Phew…”

“Is it over?”

The hunters were wiping away sweat as they looked down at the corpses of dozens of monsters.

There were many in number, but most were just small fry of D-rank danger level or below, so the situation seemed to end quickly. Sophia was also letting out a sigh of relief when.

“Could everyone please clear the way?”

A voice that seemed to stimulate every nerve in her body, coming not from the front but from behind the main gate connected to the mansion’s interior.

“Ugh, uaaahhh!!”

Sophia, who momentarily had the illusion of her neck being severed, screamed disgracefully as she leaped forward and simultaneously turned her body backward.

There was.

“Oh! As expected of Korea. True to being the nation of ‘quickly quickly,’ you’re very fast at stepping aside too. I personally respect that culture.”

A middle-aged man who had walked out together with Princess Kurumi, gripping her neck with one arm.

“Princess?”

“Princess Kurumi?!”

“Who the hell are you! No, before that, get your hands off her right now!”

The princess taken hostage.

Though they had dealt with all the monsters, the safety of the most important princess was now in danger.

Realizing this fact, the hunters immediately surrounded that man from all directions.

“…Could it be Barbatov Lorensky?”

Lorensky.

“Hmm… Won’t you just let me pass? I don’t really have any intention of fighting further.”

Looking around at the hundred or so professional hunters, he was only smiling leisurely.

“Damn it…!”

“Senior, do you know who that man is?”

“Yeah. That bastard is Barbatov Lorensky. He was a National Authority-Level hunter from Russia.”

“Wh-what…”

“National Authority-Level?!”

One of the three A-rank hunters who had been guarding Princess Kurumi’s mansion.

A skilled senior who belonged to the top 1% of hunters showed a tense expression while breaking into a cold sweat, and the atmosphere began to turn grim.

“A National Authority-Level from Russia…”

“Can we really stop him with just us…?”

Numbers only matter when opponents of similar levels meet.

Just like how all of Korea’s A-rank hunters combined couldn’t annihilate a National Disaster-Level monster, being in a different dimension literally meant what it said.

Could a hundred ants kill an elephant even if they bit it with their teeth?

“That’s right, that’s right. You retreating now isn’t shameful at all. Rather, it’s the ‘courage’ to run away. You thought well. Instead of dying pointlessly by showing off, preserving your lives this way is a much more correct judgment, isn’t it?”

It would be a dog’s death if they charged.

Realizing this fact, as the encirclement gradually widened, Lorensky didn’t mock them but rather praised the surrounding Korean hunters.

With an expression that seemed regretful he couldn’t applaud because his hands were occupied.

Meanwhile, Princess Kurumi, with a pained face struggling to breathe, felt the gradually spreading presence in front and thought.

How truly fortunate.

‘That’s right… It’s the correct judgment. This man isn’t the kind of opponent who can be stopped with just this level of force.’

She was relieved that no one would die for her sake.

After all, she wasn’t someone worth that much anyway.

Soon the front that had been blocked by hunters opened completely like Moses’ miracle, but Princess Kurumi just smiled with relief as if she was glad.

Until she sensed one presence.

“…Hey.”

“Yes?”

“No, not you. I’m talking to the princess. Princess.”

Standing boldly in front of them, speaking to her with an irritated voice rather than to the man behind.

“Hey, princess. Why did you come out alone?”

“…What? More importantly, it’s dangerous if you stand in front of us…”

“Where’s Shinwoo! Shinwoo!!”

“…?!”

Why would this person know about Shinwoo?

At that moment, Princess Kurumi recalled a passage from the conversations she’d had with Shinwoo over the past week.

“Oh, come to think of it, my younger sister is also on standby outside the mansion as security to protect you, Princess.”

“Oh, is that so?”

“Yes. She’s right in front of the main gate, so we always go home together when getting off work.”

“…Could you tell me that child’s name?”

At that time, Shinwoo’s cheerful voice when talking about someone other than herself… especially about a woman, had made her feel inexplicably annoyed.

So to quickly end the conversation, the name she had asked about was surely…

“…Sophia?”

“That’s right, I’m Sophia! Princess, what happened to my family who should be with you?!”

Even so, she’s still a princess…

Sophia shouted loudly as if she didn’t care about the hunters around her who were sweating profusely.

As Princess Kurumi was biting her lips while recalling the earlier situation.

“Shinwoo? Ah, are you talking about that young man who was next to the princess?”

Lorensky naturally answered for her, recalling the young man he had kicked unconscious.

“If it’s that kid, I kicked him unconscious to a degree that won’t kill him, so don’t worry.”

“What… what did you just… you kicked him…?”

“That young man named Shinwoo. I thought I might kill him if he interfered, so I knocked him out by breaking just a few ribs moderately. So I’d be grateful if you’d retreat peacefully, Miss Lady.”

Since he had confirmed the life and death situation, wouldn’t she now retreat peacefully?

Lorensky smiled brightly with that meaning.

However, that answer soon had the opposite effect.

“…Hey, bearded old man.”

“B-bearded old man?!”

“I… no, ‘we’ will definitely kill you.”

“……?”

With those words, Sophia took a stance against the National Authority-Level hunter from Russia.

Shouts from hunters telling her to stop could be heard around them, and Princess Kurumi, who was being held captive, had the same reaction.

“…! Sophia! Stop it! This man isn’t an opponent you can defeat!”

“Shut up! You princess bitch who’s been lovey-dovey with my Shinwoo every day. I’ll save you too while I’m at it, so just watch!”

“L-lovey-dovey…?!”

But Sophia’s attitude was resolute.

As if there were no limits for her, she actually made her scythe disappear and lowered her stance, spreading both hands forward.

That posture was like…

“Wow! I saw this in animation in prison! Isn’t it ‘Furube yura yura’?”

…Not that, but soon she clapped her outstretched hands together and for the first time in her Beast Hunter life, Sophia summoned the monster she commanded.

“Come out! Lia!”

At the same time.

“…Hooh.”

While ordinary summoned monsters typically appear around their master.

Lorensky was inwardly impressed by the appearance of a humanoid baby monster with ruby-colored eyes and a body painted entirely white, emerging from his own shadow.

Lia appeared wearing an elegant gothic lolita-style maid outfit.

‘Even though she looks young, to think she’s a Beast Hunter who commands a humanoid monster, even if it’s just a baby… This young person has a very bright future.’

Her name was definitely Sophia, wasn’t it?

Right now she seemed somewhat swayed by emotions due to her youth, but if she grew up without major incidents, she would surely become a great figure who would make a mark in history.

Lorensky looked back at Sophia and Lia behind her, highly evaluating the two, while.

Chuckle.

Still, right now they were just ‘rookies.’

What could these two people… no, one person and one monster do to him?

Thinking this, he only smiled with a fatherly expression.

“Mm. Yes. I understand. I certainly realize that Miss Sophia… was it? Miss Sophia is angry because of me.”

“……”

“But even if it’s humanoid, it’s just a baby monster. To think of attacking me with such a thing. Do you think this child can deal damage to me?”

“She can. Deal damage.”

“?!”

Right then.

Lorensky was startled to turn around, realizing that the answer that should have come from the front came from behind him.

“D-did you just say what…?”

“I said she can. Deal damage.”

“…You spoke…?”

He was a National Authority-Level from Russia who had defeated countless monsters so far.

And among them, he had encountered several of the rare humanoid monsters.

But a monster that spoke human language.

This was the first type of humanoid monster Lorensky had ever seen in his entire life.

Meanwhile, surprised or not.

“You… hit oppa.”

“Huh?”

“So I’ll hit you too.”

The baby monster suddenly prepared a punching stance in front of him, unsuited to her outfit.

Looking down at Lia, Lorensky was once again amazed that the monster was trying to use human ‘techniques’ beyond human language.

Chuckle.

Still just a baby monster.

‘Hmm~. Well, as an adult, it wouldn’t be bad to deliberately take one hit at times like this to show the difference in level?’

Since he had already secured his target.

Anyway, he needed some kind of show of force to completely bring the surrounding encirclement to their knees.

So Lorensky, having made up his mind, turned around and boldly stood in front of Lia.

Then, as if saying ‘it hurts, so it’s youth!’ he gestured for her to try once.

“Come on, little monster girl! I’ll specially let you hit me once.”

“?! You’re not lying?”

“Yes! I’ll stay still. Hit me however you want. I won’t resist or anything.”

“Got it. Then keep your promise.”

Lorensky spread his arms wide to make his body an easy target, and Lia took a Kyokushin Karate Sanchin-dachi stance while preparing for a straight punch.

In this too-sudden situation, only the captured Princess Kurumi’s heart was pounding when.

“Lia, aim for that spot like big sister taught you.”

Sophia grinned.

Simultaneously followed by.

“Kyokushin Karate…”

“Hooh. Japanese martial arts? But compared to our Russian Systema…”

“Straight punch to the ‘vital spot.'”

“…What?”

Not the solar plexus, but thanks to her short stature, Lia’s male-specific vital spot attack was more accessible.

The so-called groin strike was.

Thwack!

“Kheup?!”

This sight cruelly moved the hearts of half the watching hunters… only the men.

“Kheuk…!”

Though a hundred ants couldn’t handle an elephant, even one ant crawling into the groin would make a male elephant convulse.

“Suka…!!”

Soon releasing his grip on Princess Kurumi, for the first time since becoming a National Authority-Level hunter, Lorensky fell to one knee before a monster.

Breaking into a cold sweat from the pain in his lower body, when he barely managed to lift his head.

“…Disgusting.”

In front of him was a baby monster with considerably developed arm muscles, staring at him intently.