The Way of Life for a Terminal S-Class Hunter - C4
$04
“These days, that story is everywhere you go.”
I muttered as I entered the room.
“I don’t know where they got the resurrection stone, but they used something precious.”
“Is anything worth more than life?”
The resurrection stone was an L-grade item, one that had only been passed down in legends. There were even differing opinions on whether it actually existed. So naturally, the whole world was in an uproar when someone actually used it to resurrect.
“The user was apparently an S-rank hunter who was the deceased’s wife. You’ve probably heard her name too. They say she used it immediately after seeing her husband die before her eyes.”
As I listened to the news leaking out, I wondered if a resurrection stone could extend my lifeline a bit too, but the user’s explanation of its use was very limited.
It couldn’t revive people who died of natural causes with deteriorating bodily functions, and the subject had to be someone who had died recently from external attacks or accidents. The exact time frame wasn’t disclosed, but I heard it wasn’t very long. Rather than something that could resurrect all dead people, it seemed closer to an ultimate recovery item.
“You seem quite interested.”
“The news keeps talking about it.”
As I sat down, I asked something I was curious about.
“What would you do if you got a resurrection stone?”
If I got a resurrection stone, I wanted to give it to you in case of any unforeseen circumstances. I hoped you wouldn’t be in danger, but if by any chance you were, I wanted you to be protected.
“I’d destroy it.”
“What?”
Unlike me with my poor imagination, Seo-heon gave a shocking answer.
“If it’s in my hands, it’d be annoying to have people coming after it, and if I give it to someone else, it might end up in the hands of an opposing guild.”
It was extremely rational and close to a perfect answer as a guild leader.
“Shouldn’t you at least say you’d use it on your lover, even if it’s just lip service?”
Seo-heon’s eyes gleamed coldly. He didn’t seem to like me bringing up Kwon Ho-jun. I would have been more careful usually, but I slipped up since we were meeting after a long time.
“Life should always be singular.”
It was a firm answer.
“The moment you think you have a spare, you start to let your guard down. Don’t rely on unnecessary items either. It’d be the worst if you get into the habit of being reckless with your body thinking you have an extra life. You should do your best to survive now.”
With those words, the food started to arrive. The chef who personally brought the food was clearly the same person as before, but there was still no perfume scent. Or to be precise, there was a faint scent that barely touched the tip of my nose, but it wasn’t excessive.
Did he wash up in the meantime?
I found myself paying more attention to the chef than the food.
“I’ve prepared the appetizer first. Using persimmons which are in season…”
Seo-heon waved his hand, cutting off his words.
“The explanation is fine. For one of the upcoming dishes, please remove all spices except salt and pepper.”
It was a clear dismissal. Seo-heon, without even glancing at the departing chef, used his fork to remove the spices sprinkled on the persimmon and pushed it towards me.
“Thank you.”
I couldn’t eat things with strong or exotic flavors. Seo-heon always took care of me like this, saying I was picky and sensitive about food despite being oblivious to other things. He had been like this since we were young. When someone you like acts so kindly, you can’t help but like them more. Even knowing it was just a habitual action.
“So, did you prepare well while sending me to the overseas dungeon? Looking at the materials, it seemed quite grand. Are you really thinking of going into politics?”
I deliberately changed the subject.
Seo-heon had agreed to donate many of the items from this successful S-rank subjugation to a political party in the form of a donation. This was a common tactic used by guilds interested in politics or involved in shady dealings.
It wasn’t like Seo-heon to simply want to impress his lover’s parents.
“We just started eating, are you going to keep talking about work?”
Didn’t you just bring up work earlier?
I wished he would give me a hint about what tune I should dance to.
The next dish arrived quickly. The chef, now looking almost sickly pale, set down the food.
“The appetizer was delicious.”
I tried to lighten the mood by speaking up, and the chef thanked me with a somewhat improved complexion before leaving.
“You didn’t seem to enjoy it that much.”
“No, it was delicious.”
To be honest, Seo-heon was right. I had no appetite to begin with, and the dish didn’t suit my taste. Even knowing I had just said something polite, Seo-heon pretended not to notice and brought up a different topic.
“How was India?”
“I just went there for work, what could there be? I saw plenty of Gupta era caves. They were in good condition.”
I don’t know if they were really from that era, or if the dungeon imitated them, or if they were relics from another world. However, many artifacts similar to that country’s culture were discovered in this dungeon, exciting historians, and I found it quite interesting too.
“Sounds like something you’d find interesting.”
From there, we continued with trivial conversation. It was everyday talk about colleagues who bought souvenirs or hunters from that country. We had clearly come to talk about the resignation letter, but the conversation had drifted in a different direction.
“So?”
It was when Seo-heon was agreeing with my clumsy words as if finding them interesting.
BANG-
The door flew open with quite a loud noise.
“I told those kids not to do such…”
It was Shin Lee-han who came in almost shouting. Lee-han, upon making eye contact with me, stopped mid-sentence, closed the door, and left. It was the first time Lee-han’s husky voice sounded aggressive.
I didn’t know Lee-han could get angry too.
I stared blankly at the door in surprise.
“This restaurant won’t do anymore. Letting just anyone into private rooms.”
Seo-heon sighed as he watched the door slowly open again.
“Hyung. I didn’t know you were back.”
Lee-han greeted politely in a soft voice. The angry appearance from earlier had disappeared without a trace. In contrast, Seo-heon put down his utensils and crossed his legs. It was a sign that he was displeased.
“Lee-han, why were you so angry?”
I asked Lee-han with a smile. He didn’t usually like being teased, but seeing Lee-han flustered with a red face made me want to tease him somehow. Is this how it feels to have a younger brother?
“I was upset because they said they called the trainees who were supposed to go to the B-rank dungeon with me today for escort duty. I’m sorry for raising my voice in front of you, hyung. I shouldn’t have done that.”
Hearing the situation, it was understandable to be angry. I looked at Seo-heon with eyes that said, “Didn’t you say Lee-han wasn’t busy today? Was that a lie?” But he just shrugged his shoulders. Lee-han, sweating profusely as if deeply apologetic, looked like a child severely scolded by his parents. Feeling sorry for him, I patted his hand to show it was okay, and fortunately, he quickly regained his smile.
“Disgusting.”
Seo-heon clicked his tongue and muttered. Although he spoke softly, it was clear that everyone in this gathering of hunters would have heard.
“Kang Seo-heon, why are you treating the kid like that?”
Lee-han was a child we rescued from a neighborhood where monsters had gone berserk due to a failed dungeon conquest. I was 24 and Lee-han was 18 at the time, and he awakened due to the shock and joined our guild. Although introverted, he followed me well and was like a younger brother. Maybe that’s why, even though he’s now actively working as an A-rank hunter, I still felt the need to take care of him.
“He’s not showing proper respect because you’re coddling him.”
Seo-heon admonished without even looking at Lee-han. Before I could rebut, Lee-han spoke up.
“I know who deserves respect.”
Even I, who favored them both in different ways, knew they didn’t get along well. It was hard to understand why the gentle and kind Lee-han was wary of Seo-heon, and it was also a mystery why Seo-heon, who usually didn’t care much about others, found Lee-han uncomfortable.
I approached Lee-han to change the subject and defuse the atmosphere. It was a decision I made because Seo-heon wasn’t someone I could placate.
“It’s good to see you after a long time. Let’s have a meal together tomorrow.”
“Hyung, instead of that, I got the video of the LA S-rank dungeon conquest you wanted to see. Would you like to come over tonight to watch it?”
The desire to go home and rest clashed with the urge to analyze the video with the chattering Lee-han.
Talking about analyzing videos when I’m about to quit being a hunter.
I found my own contradiction ridiculous as I briefly weighed the options.
“The intruder should leave now. Woo-hyun doesn’t have time to spend with you tonight.”
Seo-heon’s tone was becoming increasingly sharp. His obsessive nature, which extremely disliked plans going awry, had finally surfaced.
“Why are you deciding that?”
“Because he’s going to spend time with me.”
Seo-heon took a sip of traditional liquor as a palate cleanser and wiped his lips with a napkin. Although his lips were twisted, the movement itself was graceful. I, who had planned to just have dinner and go home, was confused.