I tamed the First Rank Chapter 155
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The ingredients were ready in the kitchen, so we made a quick toast for a late breakfast. To be exact, Hyeon Gyu-ha made it, and In Yoo-shin watched him cook from the table, without lifting a finger.
They say a working man is attractive, but he's not only good at work, he's also good at cooking.
“I’ll go eat and then go see my father. I’ll also look for my mother if I can.”
“Me too…… No, what should I do?”
I was about to instinctively offer to accompany him, but then changed my mind. I remembered the promise I had made before coming to Iad to do whatever Hyeon Gyu-ha asked. Hyeon Gyu-ha smiled, brushing the breadcrumbs from In Yoo-shin's mouth with his index finger.
"I'd like to go with you, but I think it'd be best if Yoo-shin-ssi were out of sight of Father as much as possible. I've taken steps to prevent you from revealing your hidden attributes, but there's always a chance, and I'm also uneasy about Father becoming interested in you."
In Yoo-shin also agreed. I wondered if there were any parents who wouldn't be concerned that their son had brought home his Master, not his lover.
“Is the location of ‘Munin’s Eye’ correct?”
At those words, Hyeon Gyu-ha opened his ‘Munin’s Eyes’ once more to check.
"No problem. Normally, the connection would have been lost when crossing the world, but since I came with Yoo-shin-ssi, it's working fine."
“How do I get to Inwangsan? It’s quite a distance.”
"I looked it up and found a two-wheeled vehicle similar to a motorcycle. I stole one from Choi Jin-hyeok and drove it while Yoo-shin was sleeping. The driving style was similar."
Still, the fact that he was able to confidently rip off the money was top-notch. Even if In Yoo-shin had walked all the way to Romania, he was certain that Hyeon Gyu-ha would have robbed him of something like a transcontinental train along the way.
Hyeon Gyu-ha, who had finished eating, soon finished preparing.
“Then I will go now.”
Seeing him standing at the entrance, greeting him, “I’ll go now.” felt a pang of excitement. A single word flashed through his mind, making a statement, but he couldn't bring himself to utter it.
Hyeon Gyu-ha didn't leave the front door right away, but stood there for a while before bending down and kissing his forehead so hard that it made a peck.
“You look like a newlywed couple.”
I had the same thought. Was it Hyeon Gyu-ha's greatness that he didn't change his expression even as he spoke? In Yoo-shin saw him off, face flushed, speechless.
I was planning to watch some TV and explore the room more since I missed it yesterday because I was sleepy, but it suddenly became boring. In Yoo-shin, who had been pacing aimlessly around the house without Hyeon Gyu-ha, decided to just take a walk.
"8-seya. Do you want to go outside with me? We can go for a walk and get to know the area."
“Sqeauk.”
Of course, 8-se always welcomes anything. We left the house with the pouch he'd jumped into on his shoulder. Just in case Choi Jin-hyuk came looking, he stuck a note on the door saying we were both out.
“In Yoo-shin?”
“Oh, Guild leader.”
Gong Tae-seong happened to be coming out of the house next door. It must have been the house Choi Jin-hyeok had prepared for him.
“What about Anna's medicine? How is it?”
"They said it wasn't medicine, but holy water. It was sent from Hoeryong yesterday through a crack in the world."
Perhaps it was the hope that his daughter's illness could be cured. Gong Tae-seong's expression was brighter than I'd ever seen it before.
Upon hearing the story, it was revealed that the holy water was a liquid consecrated by the High Priest, melting the ruby that adorned the eyes of Jun's statue. The High Priest readily granted the holy water upon hearing that the child had been poisoned by divine power.
“Can I just drink holy water?”
“They said so.”
What on earth would melted ruby holy water taste like? It must be incredibly expensive, but I'm so glad that the lively little thing is getting better.
Gong Tae-seong looked around and asked quietly.
“Hyeon Gyu-ha?”
“Gyu-ha-ssi has some work to do outside.”
...
Only after confirming once again that Hyeon Gyu-ha was not there did Gong Tae-seong gently stroke In Yoo-shin's head.
“Thank you. Thank you.”
I felt awkward because I was thanked for nothing.
“The guild leader took care of everything, you know.”
“If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have been able to come here. ......And Hyeon Gyu-ha too.”
He put both hands in his pockets with a somewhat carefree yet bittersweet smile.
"I mean, even though I knew what Chairman Min and Geut-nyeo's house were like, I was determined to get Geut-nyeo out myself. I never even considered destroying it entirely. But Hyeon Gyu-ha did it."
A faint sigh escaped Gong Tae-seong's lips.
"In the end, Hyeon Gyu-ha was right. If only I'd gotten her out of that damn house, she probably wouldn't be where she is today. It's true that I was jealous of the guy nine years younger than me, because he accomplished what I couldn't."
In Yoo-shin swallowed hard, about to say, "Hyeon Gyu-ha wasn't the one who did that, knowing Min Geut-nyeo's situation." Gong Tae-seong likely knew this too. Even if he knew, he probably couldn't control his emotions.
"It was thanks to Hyeon Gyu-ha that I destroyed the Yang family and procured Anna's medicine. I owe you a favor I can never repay. If you need my help with anything, just let me know."
“But I don’t think Gyu-ha-ssi will care much.”
When Gong Tae-seong, guilty of his crimes, couldn't say anything, Hyeon Gyu-ha would mercilessly strip him of his debts, but when he told him he owed him a debt, he seemed to brush it aside. Gong Tae-seong seemed to have similar thoughts, and smiled bitterly.
“At least I can act as your bodyguard when Hyeon Gyu-ha is away.”
“It may sound grand to call you a bodyguard, but…… would you like to go for a walk with me, guild leader?”
Two tours would be better than one, gathering information. Gong Tae-seong readily accepted In Yoo-shin's offer.
With magical engineering so widespread, even elevators operated by magic. He waited for the elevator to come up from the lower floor, and it stopped just in time. Inside, a white woman with red hair was standing, holding the hand of a child who appeared to be about three or four years old.
"Are you guys new to me? Oh, I heard from Team Leader Choi that some external collaborators will be staying at the company residence for the time being. So, it’s them."
“.....Olivia McDowell?”
"I see you know me. My name is now Olivia Yoon. Are you going to ride?"
Gong Tae-seong, who was startled by Olivia, shook his head.
“I’m going down.”
"Oh, this was supposed to be going up. If you're at the residence, we'll see each other often. See you next time."
“Bye bye!”
The elevator doors closed with the final greeting of a child holding his mother's hand. In Yoo-shin tilted his head, finding the face somehow familiar. Gong Tae-seong muttered in disbelief.
"Why is McDowell in Korea? If she's in a company house, does that mean she's also a member of Heptagon? That doesn't make sense."
“Do you know someone?”
“I am Olivia McDowell, an American S-class hunter.”
Hearing the explanation, In Yoo-shin also remembered. Coincidentally, he also recalled a story he'd heard from Hyeon Gyu-ha not long ago. It was about a crime guild raid, or rather, a weapons procurement mission.
〈There's this really annoying person in America named Olivia McDowell. She's always nagging me, saying I'm too talented to live in Korea, and asking if I should consider naturalizing as an American citizen. And now, of all times, we've run into each other again.〉
In Yoo-shin was nervous at the mention of a woman who was clinging to him, but as if reading his thoughts, Hyeon Gyu-ha smiled lightly.
〈They're just frantic to scout her. Most importantly, she's a married woman.〉
In Yoo-shin, whose true feelings were discovered, felt embarrassed and changed his words.
〈I don't know much about Hunters, but wasn't Olivia McDowell a government Hunter like Gyu-ha-ssi? So it's not like she's trying to scout for the guild…… Do government Hunters in the US also actively scout?〉
〈Whether in the US or Korea, the salaries of public servants are low, but no one willingly does unpaid work. However, McDowell, well…… she's a bit too nationalistic. It's almost as if she's been locked in a basement and brainwashed with ideas about longing, corruption, and being seventeen.〉
<Aha.......〉
Upon hearing this, he discovered that Olivia, a deeply patriotic woman, genuinely regretted Hyun Gyu-ha's talent. She firmly believed that the place for his talent to shine was not in Korea, but in the United States, the world's leading superpower.
“Olivia McDowell is a very patriotic person, isn’t she?”
"That's right. I have no idea how McDowell, let alone anyone else, ended up living in Korea."
“Isn’t there brainwashing here?”
“......What are you talking about?”
“Gyu-ha-ssi said that McDowell was injected with nationalism in the basement.”
The question could be resolved as soon as he took the elevator down to the first floor.
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Translator: Hoshi Miya
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