“Bbaaeng.”

Sorok rubbed his head against the wooden post and let out a dissatisfied sound. Each thud left a small mark on the tree. His tiny, round horn—about the length of a finger—was still soft and pliant. It was covered in fine downy skin, which seemed to itch terribly.

Once the horn grew larger, that skin would flake off in tatters. Monsters might be different, but it would probably be similar.

“Careful, don’t rub so hard or you’ll hurt yourself.”

Most of the trees in the breeding center’s exercise yard came from dungeon timber. Ordinary trees couldn’t withstand the youngsters’ antics, so with the Hunter Association’s permission they were replaced with dungeon wood. No two were of the same species, to prevent unintended breeding.

As dungeon-grade lumber, the trees were sturdy enough that Sorok’s headbutts barely rocked them. Still, I worried about his soft horn getting damaged. Even potions couldn’t erase painful memories.

At my scolding, Moon Hyunah stepped forward ◆ Nоvеlіgһt ◆ (Only on Nоvеlіgһt) and scooped Sorok up in one arm. He let out a peep and kicked his legs.

“You’re strong, little guy.”

Hyunah scratched around the fawn’s head and horn. Sorok settled down at once, clearly enjoying it.

“You’ve grown a lot in a short time. I didn’t see any sign of it.”

“He only started growing after Song went to Director Song’s place.”

I said this while checking Bare’s wings. The baby Pegasus still couldn’t handle his long feathers, and they often became tangled or dirty. Sometimes other monsters trampled them and broke the quills.

“But didn’t he come back to the center three days a week? He’s still not fully grown.”

“I didn’t realize at first. I couldn’t tell him, and from Sorok’s perspective his friend just vanished.”

I’d thought he was annoyed by the lamb, but evidently he’d grown attached quickly. Other baby monsters sometimes left for training and returned, so on the first day Sorok was calm. Once twenty-four hours passed without Song’s return, he began pacing the door of the pen.

He bleated at me in complaint, tugged at my clothes to go outside. Normally too lazy even to go to the training room, he strode across the first floor of the center and out into the open. He circled the building, stood staring at passing hunters for a long while, then—seemingly having made up his mind—returned to the center on his own.

“I think he wanted to find Song, but the hunters outside seemed too intimidating. And there were so many of them.”

He knew the breeding-center hunters, but not the ones in the building. After that, Sorok’s growth accelerated. Even after Song returned the next day, it continued.

“I guess growth needs a trigger or motive. Sorok had no need to grow here.”

Safe, well-fed, peaceful. Other baby monsters grew even in this environment, but maybe Sorok never intended to grow—perhaps he sensed that adulthood only brings trouble.

“Change works that way.”

Hyunah set Sorok down and nodded.

“If you have everything you need, you tend to settle. That’s not bad—it’s enviable. I’d like a peaceful retirement too.”

“Not yet?”

“When you’re physically sound, you’ve got to keep moving. It’d be a waste otherwise. That’s me—I think you can rest a while longer.”

I felt a twinge of conscience—I’m perfectly fine myself—but it wasn’t my time to rest.

“I know it’s true—you have to be ready to lose something.”

I walked out of the pen. Checking my phone, it was almost lunchtime.

“I also know there are times when struggling won’t help.”

Even risking one’s life doesn’t guarantee success, of course.

“Are you worried about what Cloie said?”

“Seems I’m insisting on some ideal too strongly. But I won’t change my mind.”

“Well, that’s fine. If it’s truly precious, you’ll need the resolve—makes no difference whether you decide or not.”

“…You’re right.”

Whether realistic or not, it’s nonnegotiable. Worrying in advance about something impossible to accept serves no purpose. I greeted the hunter guarding the breeding-center entrance and walked along the path into the building.

“They say the café’s menu is worth trying. Want to go, Hyunah? Not sure it’s any good, though.”

“You’re picky about food, you know.”

“In that case, I have to take you. Come on.”

She smiled, but I felt a bit stifled. Objectively, more would side with me than with Cloie. In theory, sacrificing a few to save the world is easy to say—few would choose mass death if they weren’t the ones at risk.

‘If only they could just be the simple villains and that’s the end of it.’

To me—and to us—they were the perpetrators. I wasn’t going to pretend, “Oh, how noble of you!” But that’s the world.

“I do think it’s admirable to care about many people.”

I glanced up at the sky. Not as clear as five years ago, but much better than before.

“But I doubt I can widen my view. I’ll be satisfied just taking care of what’s in front of me.”

“That’s normal.”

Suddenly Hyunah stopped and looked down at me.

“You think I’m amazing, but…”

“You are amazing.”

“I’ve just been living by tackling whatever’s in front of me. That’s how I accumulated what I have.”

Hyunah gave a slightly embarrassed laugh.

“I didn’t suddenly awaken and set grand goals. I panicked at first. Fortunately I wasn’t alone, so I pulled myself together quickly—but I made mistakes, too.”

She shrugged, as if annoyed the guild itself was so tightly bound.

“Same with you, sir. You became a major guild master at that age, but your only small goal was protecting me.”

“…I was protecting the world by looking only at you.”

“Right. Goals matter, but how you act matters more. You protect your family, then you save the world. Looking far ahead from the start isn’t easy—there are stages. Seong Hyunjae probably moved according to his lifelong plan, though.”

“That’s not true. There’s Sigma.”

At my words, Hyunah laughed out loud.

“That’s right! He did seem childish. He stayed in Solemnace by accident, he said. I wish they’d come together.”

She sighed. Though they didn’t seem the same at all, even Seong Hyunjae had an awkward phase. He always controlled himself perfectly, like wearing a mask, but Sigma’s jabs had a certain bite. I wanted to see him again, too.

We resumed walking. Entering the rear entrance of the building connected to the breeding center, some hunters greeted us. Construction noise came from one side—there’d be a bank and convenience store opening there.

“By the way, Hyunah, are you okay? You know her.”

“Huh? Of course. She’s not like Yerim—she’s S-rank, she can handle her own.”

“But if they know each other well, it could be awkward.”

“I’m closer to you. Besides, the more dangerous one is Director Han—so I’m on your side.”

Clashes are inevitable when people don’t get along, Moon said.

“Hunters tend to get rough. Twins would argue, too. Are you okay, though? You don’t look okay.”

“Can you tell?”

“A bit. Actually, quite a lot.”

I rubbed my cheek.

“My mind’s tangled, but there’s only one answer. I’ll be fine.”

The souvenir shop next to the café seemed busy today. Public facilities were accessible only from the building’s exterior; the café would be the same. Staff had an internal entrance. Hyunah and I entered the café.

“Wasn’t this supposed to be a Peace-themed café?”

Hyunah said, spotting a giant hamster plush. And what were all those photos on the wall? Gold hamsters mixed with ordinary ones—and the ordinary ones had names.

“Hey! Dohamin! Is this a hamster café?”

Dohamin, arranging hamster miniatures in a display case, looked at me as if I’d lost my mind.

“Hamsters don’t like strangers.”

“What?”

“I have no intention of letting them out.”

“But the décor is all hamsters!”

“There’s Peace over there, too.”

He pointed to the opposite wall, where Peace plushes, ornaments, and photos were displayed. Still, there were more hamsters!

“Look, it’s gold-plated brass—planning to make a life-size pure-gold version.”

“You’re insane. And I’m insane for partnering with you.”

“Want coffee? I learned hamster latte art. We also have hamster cookies.”

“What about Peace?”

“The building owner requested it.”

That damned fellow. Minui emerged from the kitchen and greeted us.

“I’m in charge of the kitchen—for now!”

He didn’t inspire confidence. They’d hire a full-time employee eventually, but still… It was lucky I owned the building. As soon as we sat, Dohamin rushed over, phone in hand, to show me a picture of a brass hamster. I kicked him aside.

“Sorry, Hyunah. I don’t think it’ll be great… Shall we order delivery?”

“How cruel! Just wait, boss!”

He called out confidently. There were hamster ornaments on the table; those were easy to steal, too—display items sometimes disappeared.

“Hello, Director Han.”

The door opened and Noah appeared. He headed straight for the kitchen—Minui’s confidence clearly came from Noah’s presence. That kid bossed people around.

“Hey! Noah, can you even pay part-timers?”

“I’m not a part-timer—I’m a teacher! France is the land of desserts, after all.”

“I’m not that great.”

Noah replied humbly, but he seemed quite skilled. Originally they’d asked Myeong-woo, but he was too busy—of course he was, that heartless guy. Meanwhile Minui brought our drinks.

“…Barley tea?”

“Team Leader Seok told me to serve water-based drinks to Director Han—he’s watching, after all. What would the Breaker Guild Master like?”

“Water’s best. Then I’ll have bottled water, with ice.”

Still barley tea at a coffee shop. Hyunah also got iced water.

“I’m thinking of improving my image.”

I replied to Yuhyun’s text—he asked if I’d eaten lunch. I was at the café.

“I’ve leaned too much into the F-rank image.”

“With Director Han, most think you’re harmless and pitiable—lost your parents early, good skills but low stats, got kidnapped many times.”

“Maybe that’s why Cloie and overseas hunters underestimate me. It happened in Japan before, too.”

Naturally. Hyunah drained her glass.

“It’s the same here. We manage your image and block info, so few know S-ranks admire you. They don’t realize it goes the other way, either. I bet many hunters dislike you.”

“They see you stepping in without knowing the context—‘must be S-ranks orders,’ or ‘she’s acting on S-rank’s backing.’”

“That’s normal. Changing the public image… I wonder. It’s enough if they believe I really get along with our monsters.”

“You did good work at Haeyeon—no worries there. You made it a loving family: you and your twin plus Yerim and Peace. You even leaked behind-the-scenes from the China abduction—like ‘couldn’t sleep until big brother returned.’”

They’d run stories about Director Han’s heartfelt reactions. Seok Siyoung works hard at his job—but wasn’t he HR Manager? Now he’s swallowed the whole PR team.

“I want to change hunters’ perceptions—especially high ranks. If it stayed dungeon-focused, okay, but they’re recruiting hunters. S-ranks tend to dismiss weak people.”

It’s not just S-ranks; non-awakened folks do it too. But to S-ranks, F-ranks are like hamsters. If a grown adult warns about danger, they care. If a hamster warns, they ignore it.

“It won’t be easy. We and you have experienced you firsthand—but others haven’t. People don’t believe what they haven’t experienced.”

“That’s why we need to gather and show them.”

Especially the S-ranks invited by Chatterbox. We must prove we’re no joke to deter them. We can’t stop all, but we can reduce numbers. We need to organize quickly… though it feels daunting.

“Hyung, doesn’t the café have savory items too?”

Yuhyun, entering the café, asked worriedly if we could get a proper lunch. As if on cue, a meal—not just dessert—was served.

“They’ll bring it after dessert.”

Thanks to Noah’s help, the food was quite good.

By the next day, no word from Seong Hyunjae. Instead, speculative articles suggested Cloie Alzer might join Seong Guild. As a skilled overseas A-rank hunter, the reaction was positive. I then called Sishio.

“Hello, Sishio. Do you happen to own an uninhabited island?”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep