Five SS-grade magic stones were laid out side by side on the table. They were basically white, but each one held a different hue. Their sizes varied slightly as well.

“Mister, me too! Please let me help next time!”

Yerim said as she fiddled with a stone that glowed blue. Hopefully, there won’t be a next time. It’s better if SS-grade monsters never pop out of a dungeon in the first place.

“I want to try it too. Can I, Director Han? I’m still far from thirty.”

“Of course it’s possible for you as well, Hyunah.”

“Guild Leader Seoseong, what a shame. That skill doesn’t consider your apparent age? If Seong Hyunjae changed his style, it might work.”

Moon Hyunah said with a giggle. If he dressed more casually and changed his hairstyle… hmm, I kind of want to see that, actually.

“If it’s just an age limit, then I suppose I’ll have to accept it.”

Seong Hyunjae looked at me with a hint of regret. His gaze seemed to be asking whether there were other conditions besides age.

“There’s nothing we can do about human age. If you were in your twenties, of course it would’ve worked. I’m disappointed too.”

As I replied, I tried to calm down Chirp, who had been fussing nonstop.

– Chirp! Chir! Chirp!

“Chirp, no. Calm down. You wouldn’t be able to swallow that on your own anyway.”

Chirp flapped and struggled in my hand. He’d eaten a jellyfish’s magic stone and turned out fine, so feeding him an SS-grade one probably wouldn’t cause any harm… but still, it’s better to be cautious. Besides, sorry, Chirp, but your dad isn’t capable of just feeding you SS-grade stones whenever he wants. Your uncle worked hard to catch those.

“I’ll give you an S-grade one later.”

– Chii chirrp! Chirp!

“Aigoo, yeah, I get it. You’re upset. I’m sorry.”

As Chirp kept crying, Belare, flustered, wrapped her body around one of the magic stones and dragged it over.

– Ssshit, shhk!

– Chirpchirp!

Oh my god, they’re adorable. You two are really close, huh. How am I supposed to send Belare to Liette? Should I just say the nurturing failed and pay the penalty fee? Chirp wouldn’t be able to eat it anyway, so I set him down, and he hugged the stone Belare brought with his wings, chirping pitifully. He turned to look at me, like he wanted me to break it for him, but no, Chirp.

“You’re going to turn all these into gear?”

Myungwoo asked as he examined the stones.

“Yeah. That seems like the best choice. And there are five of us.”

Even though Yuhyun did the most, the others also helped a lot. And I could use my saved-up points to get something extra for Yuhyun anyway. At my words, Myungwoo let out a short sigh.

“So you’re leaving yourself out, huh.”

“No, I—”

“Because you’re F-rank and don’t need it, right?”

“…Haven’t I already received ten years’ worth of grace…? Oh, and I got a new S-grade weapon too.”

Though the rookie might come take it back at any moment. Myungwoo, looking displeased, still packed up the stones. Chirp, upset that the stone he was hugging got taken away, chirped in protest.

“Once I check the properties of each stone, I’ll assign them. Decide ownership among yourselves. Of course, you’ll have to pay for materials and crafting on top of that.”

“Am I going back into debt? You do payment plans, right?”

Yerim asked, and Myungwoo glanced at me before answering.

“I’ll give you a discount. Miss Park Yerim is reliable. You too, Noah.”

“I’m fine. I still have plenty of money.”

“You should save when you can. You don’t even like going into dungeons much.”

Noah nodded shyly.

“Yes. But there are smaller jobs I can do, even outside of dungeon runs.”

“Noah, don’t tell me you’re working part-time?”

I should’ve taken better care of him! At my reaction, Noah shook his head.

“There have been offers, yes. Even non-Hunter-related ones, like commercials.”

“If there’s a good ad, go ahead and take it. You’d look good doing anything.”

The screen would light up with him in it. I still regret that he turned down the jewelry photoshoot. Yuhyun also said he wasn’t into doing commercials. Yerim’s popularity will definitely skyrocket after the Japan incident, so we decided to pick something that suits her and shoot it then.

“Didn’t you get a lot of offers too, Yujin?”

“Oh, you know, because of the leg. Most of them want me to appear with the kids, but I’m not too keen on filming with baby monsters.”

It’s best to avoid crowded spaces full of non-awakened civilians.

“Right! Mister, the kids want you to post more videos! How about starting a channel?”

“Huh? A channel?”

“Like a livestream!”

“Park Yerim, don’t bother him.”

“I was just asking, geez?”

A channel, as in filming and uploading stuff on your own? Ever since filming in dungeons became possible, some mid— to low-grade Hunters gained popularity through those kinds of broadcasts. High-ranked Hunters usually did more professional media work, and some even got global fame. I had a favorite Hunter myself back then.

“I was thinking of heading into the forge—what’s our departure time?”

“Right now? We’ve still got things to sort out, so probably not until tomorrow afternoon at the earliest.”

“The longer a magic stone sits out, the harder it is to identify its properties. Unless it’s treated specially, the original traits will gradually fade. That’s fine if you’re just using it as a power source, but if you’re turning it into an item, the fresher the better.”

That was news to me. He sounded like such a pro—it was kinda cool.

“It seems to involve poison and curses too. Want to help?”

“Yes, of course I should help.”

Noah answered as he stood up.

“I’ve got a resistance skill too.”

“Yujin, you need to rest. And Grace doesn’t protect against regular heat. You could end up with a low-temperature burn.”

Saying that, Myungwoo disappeared with Noah toward the forge.

“Go to bed, like Hunter Myungwoo said, hyung.”

Yuhyun, sitting beside me, spoke. The moment we arrived at the hotel, he’d been urging me to rest, but I just didn’t feel like it. I had a feeling I’d have nightmares if I fell asleep now.

“I’m not really sleepy yet. Aren’t you tired, though?”

“I already got plenty of rest. I wouldn’t be able to sleep right now anyway.”

Yeah, he’s still wound up. It’s not like a dungeon raid where you have to fight monsters for days, but he fought SS-grade monsters and then even clashed with S-grade Hunters. It’s not easy to sleep unless you’re totally worn out like in Hong Kong or Achates.

‘Should I try using one of the skills I bought with points?’

It was cheap for its grade and seemed useful, so I’d bought it before we got to Medsang. I opened the skill window and checked the two new skills.

[Pat Pat (B) – Calms the target when you gently pat their back. The effect becomes stronger based on the target’s trust and affection toward the caster.

※ If the target harbors resentment toward the caster, a reverse effect may occur.]

[Lullaby (A) – Puts the target to sleep through appropriate actions. The effect becomes stronger based on the target’s trust and affection toward the caster.

+20% recovery during sleep, minor growth activation.

※ If the target harbors resentment toward the caster, a reverse effect may occur.]

I bought them to use on monsters, but there’s no rule against using them on people.

“Yuhyun, come here for a sec.”

I pulled my little brother into a hug and gently patted his back. Yerim and Moon Hyunah both frowned at me, asking what I was doing with their expressions.

“My sweet Yuhyun, time for bed. Such a good boy, it’s late so let’s sleep now.”

“Hyung, what are you…”

His puzzled eyes slowly blinked up at me. Oh, he’s getting drowsy.

“…Hyung.”

“It’s okay. Sleep.”

[Title ‘Perfect Nurturer’ enhances the skill effect on the keyword target!]

Since it’s a nurturing-type skill, even the title activated. Then Yuhyun’s eyes shut completely. He let his head fall gently onto me, his whole body relaxing. His breathing became calm and steady.

“Wow, Mister! What was that?!”

“He’s seriously sleeping? Here? Han Yuhyun?”

“Is that a skill? I never thought I’d see the Young Master fall asleep so defenselessly. This is shocking.”

The three of them came over, astonished, but Yuhyun didn’t move a muscle. Normally, he’d have woken up right away—he was really sound asleep.

“It is a skill. It said the effect gets stronger the more trust and affection the target has for the caster, but I didn’t think it’d work this well.”

“Trust and affection? Then of course he’d knock out instantly. It’s Han Yuhyun. You could carry him away and he wouldn’t notice.”

Ah—Yerim suddenly jumped to her feet. She came right up next to us, but Yuhyun was still totally out.

“I’ll carry him to his room, Mister. That’s okay, right? He’s too heavy for you to lift. Just this once!”

“Uh… sure.”

It’s not like I couldn’t carry him, but if Yerim wanted to help, there was no reason to stop her. Looking thrilled, Yerim gently scooped up Yuhyun in her arms. I was worried his clothes or legs might drag, but she floated a little to keep him from touching the floor.

“Unnie! Your phone! Hurry!”

“Yeah, yeah!”

“Take pictures and record a video too!”

“I’m on it. Wow, our Yerim is awesome~”

“Guild Leader Han Yuhyun, knocked out cold in my arms!”

“…Don’t leak it. That goes for you too, Hyunah.”

“Just one pic, please?”

“No.”

Despite all the commotion, Yuhyun remained fast asleep. The skill worked way too well. Maybe combining the two at once made it stronger. I’d better be careful using it.

Yerim, holding Yuhyun, purposely headed toward the stairs instead of the elevator. Moon Hyunah followed behind, recording everything on her phone.

Once the three of them disappeared, it went quiet immediately. Only Chirp’s soft Chirping could be heard.

“Looks like putting the kids to bed is gonna get a lot easier. Peace, you wanna sleep too? Want me to put you to sleep?”

– Grmph.

Peace, now sitting in the chair Yuhyun had been in, shook his head. He really acts like he understands everything.

“I’m not ready to sleep yet, but can’t you tell me the list early? How did you even find out all that in such a ❖ Nоvеl𝚒ght ❖ (Exclusive on Nоvеl𝚒ght) short time?”

“I used a method you can’t.”

“Still hung up on me keeping secrets? I said I’d tell you.”

He stood up, asking if I wanted something to drink. There wasn’t anyone else in the lounge, but there was a self-service bar with drinks and light snacks. Peace trotted after me.

“How about apple juice? Or grape? I refuse tea and coffee on account of effort. If you don’t answer, you’re getting plain water.”

“The same as you.”

“Suddenly craving water, huh.”

I poured apple juice into two cups. When I placed them on the table, Seong Hyunjae stood up. He walked around the table toward me without saying a word, his steps purposeful. Instinctively, I took a step back. Peace let out a quiet growl. Chirp and Belare, who had been tapping at the juice glasses, turned to look at us.

“What?”

“Your right leg.”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re just concentrating on walking properly to make it look like you’re fine.”

…Ah, damn. You’re seriously, ridiculously sharp. How did you even pick up on that? Even Yuhyun and everyone else hadn’t noticed.

“I’m just tired, that’s all. There’s nothing wrong. You can check yourself if you want.”

“Here you go,” I said, propping my leg up on the chair and rolling up my pants. “See? Not a single scar.”

“Happy now?”

I spoke confidently, but Seong Hyunjae frowned slightly.

“It’s been a while since I felt this frustrated.”

“I’m more surprised it’s happened before. You’re not the type to tolerate that kind of feeling.”

“Chief Song used to.”

“Ah.”

Fair point. Our Chief Song is unmatched in that department.

“Still, I’m better than him, right? I’m at least trying to change. As for Chief Song, I have no idea what to do about him. Maybe if I could just get a baby goat in his arms or something, that might open a crack.”

Seong Hyunjae reached out and pulled my pant leg back down. Then he went to the self-serve bar and poured a glass of milk. When he handed it to me, I realized it was somehow warm.

“I feel like I’m five years old.”

“A five-year-old might actually listen better.”

“You’ve never heard of the ‘terrible fives’? Yuhyun was a sweetheart, though.”

Despite grumbling, I obediently drank the milk. It felt wrong to keep turning him down when he was looking out for me like this. Even if I didn’t want to sleep, I could at least go lie down.

“At this rate, I should probably ask if the Young Master can look after you again. You really need to rest, Han Yujin.”

“Does Guild Leader Seoseong’s place double as a hotel or something?”

“Aside from you, no one else has ever been allowed to stay. I’m rather offended, honestly. Even outsiders have almost never come inside. The Young Master visited once, and Chief Song Taewon several times.”

“Can you not torment Chief Song, please?”

“He’s the one who comes to torment me. It’s his fault for showing up outside of work hours.”

Outside of work hours—just hearing that hurts. Dungeon and awakener-related issues don’t follow a nine-to-five, so even after Seong Hyunjae clocks out, people probably have to go to his house if something urgent happens. Didn’t he even kneel once at the guy’s place? Ugh, I feel like crying just thinking about it.

“I’m going to bed. Going, seriously. Thanks for the milk.”

“You’re welcome.”

“My leg’s really nothing serious, okay?”

“Then keep your mouth shut. No one else is likely to notice unless it’s me.”

As annoying as his sharp intuition could be, it was also kind of reassuring.

Boom!

Suddenly, an explosion rang out from upstairs. That must be my brother waking up. Did someone mess with him instead of laying him down gently? I’d better hurry up and go calm him down.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep