chapter 187

Chapter 187

“Is it really okay for us to do this?”

At Juhyeon’s words, as she stuffed her body into the back seat of the car, Gio asked.

“Is there a problem?”

“I do have several things I want to say, but...”

As Juhyeon trailed off, Yoo Seongun, holding the steering wheel, gave a mild smile.

“It is true we’re leaving without packing a single bag. It’s fine—I asked separately, so things like clothes and food we’ll use there should all be stocked at the pension.”

“I did wonder about that, but that wasn’t the only thing I was worried about.”

“Are you surprised because it’s such a sudden trip? Well, I guess Juhyeon might worry about security issues, but that won’t be a problem either. We’re going to a sea with no people.”

In the car smoothly moving forward, Gio asked.

“There are no people at the sea?”

“Usually, there aren’t many people at the sea.”

“So it isn’t used as a tourist spot.”

“Rather than that, a lot of the time it’s a food supply source or a danger zone.”

The sea in the present era wasn’t a particularly livable area.

“But where we’re going will have even fewer people. The destination is an unreconstructed zone.”

“What is an unreconstructed zone?”

That part was answered by Juhyeon in the back seat.

“It literally means an area that hasn’t been reconstructed. To put it simply, it’s a place where there are still many remnants of the Great Catastrophe, so it’s hard for people to stay.”

“I see. Gangwon-do, which we stopped by right before, felt like that too.”

“Ah, to add an explanation, it’s a little different from that.”

For the portrait unfamiliar with the human world, Juhyeon added.

“Samhwok, Samcheok in Gangwon-do that we visited this time was in a state of minimal reconstruction. There was a hotel, even if there was only one, and there were a few restaurants too, right? Of course, in the case of the restaurants, it felt like they only roughly put together the food lineup, like bungeoppang, a city street snack, but... even so, it isn’t an unreconstructed zone.”

An area that had been reconstructed even a little and an area that was unreconstructed at all were completely different.

“Unreconstructed zones are usually seen as dangerous. Because it isn’t even an environment people can live in. Since there isn’t much infrastructure installed either, it’s inconvenient to move around, and it’s a place that’s just... not good for a trip, as far as I know, but...”

Juhyeon looked at Yoo Seongun driving the car.

“...It seems the hunters’ world is something different?”

“If you have a lot of money and the ability, what can’t you do?”

“So there’s a pension in an unreconstructed zone? And at the sea, at that?”

A coastal area where some bizarre monster might pop out at any time was set as an off-limits zone unless it was properly developed.

“How is that possible?”

“With the money of a first-class citizen and the authority of an A-rank hunter...”

“As a second-class citizen, how do you want me to react to that?”

“You don’t have to react—why are you like this.”

“I’m worried you’ll get told you’re unlucky wherever you go, Mr. Yoo Seongun.”

“I do keep up appearances to that extent, you know? I’m only saying this because it’s just us.”

For someone who came from an orphanage, Juhyeon wasn’t the type to have much disgust or anger toward rankings. Since she didn’t care about that at all, Yoo Seongun spoke comfortably, but he also knew how to mind his social life.

“There are service areas where you can stay on the premise that you take full responsibility for whatever happens. The risk burden is pretty high and it costs some money, but aside from that, we can enjoy the sea with just ourselves in a plentiful environment with not a single person around.”

At that, Juhyeon whispered softly.

“Wasting money.”

“Hey.”

How could she say such outrageous words when this was the vacation he’d pried free?

“Other than the pension, it’s a place with no other buildings around. It’ll be inconvenient to get there, but once we arrive, everything will be prepared, and more than anything, the huge advantage is that it’s just us.”

“That’s definitely reassuring. I was worried because Mr. Gio has been getting pretty famous lately, but if we don’t have to be mindful like that...”

“Ah, was that what you were worried about?”

Yoo Seongun asked with his usual mild smile.

“Like we set off after setting off a bomb?”

“To be honest, it’s not like that isn’t part of it.”

Because of the rumors the Collection Merchant spread, internet communities were in an uproar. A saint, an S-rank hunter, a hidden son of one of the top three guilds—didn’t they drag out every provocative element there was?

“The city seemed pretty noisy.”

“Exactly why we should leave at times like this. If you stay and work diligently, they’ll think, ‘Ah, this kid is willing to work,’ and grind you even more—that’s the reality of Korea. I’m not going to turn our Gio into a rolling hoop.”

“You said hunters roll around more the more capable they are.”

“I thought about it, and does Gio really have to be like that too? Of course, if he wants it, fine, but he just finished a big job right before this. And with the existing mysterious concept and all, it’s okay to vanish at times like this.”

In a world where hunters had a custom, for a custom, of taking vacation after finishing one big project. Of course, there were many situations where that didn’t apply, like Yoo Seongun, but for people who already had everything, there was no need to hide away while watching others’ reactions.

“Juhyeon really does worry a lot.”

“No, I was worried about that too, but.”

“Then what else is there?”

“...”

“...”

“Hoo...”

With a resigned face, Juhyeon asked.

“...Whether it’s okay to carry around a portrait as dangerous as Mr. Gio.”

“I didn’t expect you to ask so outright.”

“Then you shouldn’t have kept dodging it while you knew.”

“Yeah, my fault is huge.”

Yoo Seongun asked Gio in the seat beside him.

“What do you think about this claim?”

“No one can stop me from going to the sea to play.”

“That’s right.”

“That’s right.”

It could be confusing, but the person with the highest speaking authority in this group was ‘Gio’s portrait.’

“It’s been a very long time since I’ve seen Earth’s sea.”

“Just don’t say it like that in front of other people.”

“My brain isn’t that clear.”

At that, Yoo Seongun thought inwardly.

‘So he has a brain.’

He was only genuinely surprised that the organ called a brain existed, but no matter how he thought about it, it wasn’t something to say out loud. With his usual mild smile, Yoo Seongun pointed ahead.

“That over there is the teleport terminal. It’s your first time using a terminal, right?”

“It’s connected straight by road.”

“You could call it car-only. There’s a separate area where only people can move.”

“How convenient.”

For a moment, Seo Gio thought of drive-through. He really liked that everything could be handled without getting out of the car. Sensing the magical energy, Honey suddenly popped out of Gio’s hood.

“Guruk?”

“We’re going to teleport soon.”

“Gur.”

Honey quietly went back in. Unlike his father, who was very interested in teleportation, he didn’t seem to care at all. A son with no romance.

Yoo Seongun checked the terminal sign.

“Alright, since where we’re going is Jeju-do...”

“?”

“Pardon?”

“Oh, did I not say it?”

He smiled.

“We’re going to Jeju-do.”

“Why are you only saying that now?”

“I was out of my mind because we were rushing out.”

“To use that as an excuse...”

The fragile Juhyeon couldn’t bring herself to hit an A-rank hunter. Even if she did, only she would lose out.

* * *

And at the pension they arrived at, Aria welcomed them.

“It’s been a while, gentlemen.”

“?”

“??”

Leaving Yoo Seongun and Juhyeon behind in confusion, Giovanni smiled brightly and hugged Aria.

“It’s been a while, Aria! Have you been well?”

“If you think of our teacher, then you should be well even if you wouldn’t be.”

“News that the humans killed by the mermaids will be sad to hear.”

“I’m glad you’re happy, at least.”

Juhyeon muttered.

“What kind of conversation is that.”

Separate from the humans’ bewilderment, Aria and Gio’s conversation continued.

“I brought some food—would I count as participating too?”

“Clams from the village of Edlen! It might be nice to simmer tomato stew after a long time.”

“Grilling them would be fine too. There were a lot of monsters nearby who don’t know their place, so I chased them all away. Teacher, you can enjoy yourself comfortably.”

“As expected, it seems the only one who thinks of me is Aria.”

Yoo Seongun thought.

‘Isn’t that just ordinary monster territory marking?’

Anyway, there was no human who refused Aria joining the vacation in a muddled way. In the first place, Juhyeon was human enough to even sympathize with Gio, and Yoo Seongun was a gardener accustomed to dealing with non-human beings.

“There probably aren’t women’s clothes in the pension.”

“You didn’t think I would wear clothes made by humans, did you?”

“I was curious how much you could endure for the sake of acting demure.”

“My goodness, how can you be so considerate.”

Ignoring whatever conversation Yoo Seongun and Aria were having, Gio called Juhyeon.

“It must have been hard to travel so far—shall we enjoy some light grilled clams?”

“If someone heard you, they’d think only you traveled separately, Mr. Gio. I’m fine with it, but aren’t you tired?”

“It seems the terminal suited my body well, so I’m not particularly tired.”

They said some people constitutionally couldn’t use teleportation. Fortunately, among Yoo Seongun, Juhyeon, and Gio, there was no such person. With her characteristic smile, Juhyeon approached Gio.

“Then shall we prepare together?”

Then Aria cut in.

“I’ll light the fire, teacher.”

“Would you do that? The fire you light, Aria, feels warmer.”

“Even if you praise me like that, nothing will come out.”

Waving her hand lightly, Aria went outside the pension. Seeing that she really looked like she would roll up her sleeves and cooperate, Yoo Seongun blinked his wide eyes.

“Is she really going to light the fire?”

“The charcoal Aria tends has a better fragrance.”

“She’s a princess.”

“Do princesses live without eating?”

“I thought mermaids might be different.”

“That sounds far too human-centered.”

“Yeah, I’ll reflect.”

Since it wasn’t work that would take long, preparing the grilled clams was finished quickly.

Aria really did make a small brazier outside and even laid an iron plate on top of it, and while Yoo Seongun prepared chairs and tableware and other odds and ends, Gio and Juhyeon cleaned the clams neatly and brought them back.

“Do those clams not need something like purging separately?”

“Aria said she already did it.”

“Ah-ha.”

And so the four of them sat in a circle and really did enjoy grilled clams.

“...”

Juhyeon found it a little absurd.

“Why is this so natural?”

“Is there any reason that something as simple as eating needs to be unnatural?”

“With such a different set of people mixed in, we’re calmly grilling clams and eating them.”

“This is the effect of delicious food, Juhyeon.”

“I think you’re too much of a meal-supremacist, Mr. Gio.”

“I will reflect.”

Aria, cutting and eating the clam meat that looked like long drooping temples, opened her mouth.

“Ah, something I learned recently.”

“Please speak.”

“Is the fact that the Moon Church’s saintess has gone crazy your work, teacher?”

Yoo Seongun choked.

“Cough!! Kehk, khp, cough...!!”

Gio scolded Aria.

“Why are you making it so someone can’t even eat?”

“I didn’t know an A-rank hunter would be this fragile.”

“Even A-rank hunters have to eat to live, don’t they?”

“That’s why I’m saying I didn’t know you’d be this weak.”

Yoo Seongun, who had become a fragile and weak hunter, cleared his throat and spoke.

“Why is the Moon Church’s saintess coming up all of a sudden...? Gio, what did you do?”

“I didn’t do anything...”

“Right, I shouldn’t be asking you. Princess, would you please speak?”

Aria shrugged.

“She looked like a talent that would be just right for teacher’s Demon King project, so I wondered. She seemed so useful in that regard that I thought teacher might have worked on her in advance.”

Gio protested.

“This teacher does not make people go crazy.”

“You sometimes do when you’re bored...”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Mmm, nothing.”

Aria smiled calmly.

“So when do you plan to become the Demon King?”

“Did you come all the way to Jeju-do just to ask that?”

“Did you think it would be hard for me, who am the sea itself, to come to an island like this?”

“That makes sense. It must have been as comfortable as the convenience store in front of your house.”

With a cheerful smile, Gio said,

“It will take some time.”

After all, Argio still hadn’t even found his hometown.

(To be continued in the next episode)