Boooom!
I heard a sound like something heavy had fallen not far away. Between the garden's landscape, I saw people's shadows. It was the A-Rank Hunters.
And not much passed before,
"Please stand back."
Kim Sunghan passed the rooftop garden's wall and came toward me. Not much time had passed since the commotion started and the speed wasn't as if he had taken the elevator and come out in the roundabout way, so did he jump down? It seemed like he was the culprit of the noise just a while ago.
Noah was still still as if cowering. Deep miasma that was even visible was wavering around his feet.
"Yerim, come here."
I stretched out a hand toward Yerim, who had landed on the grass and was slightly stumbling.
"I can't. The antidote that I have doesn't work on this poison."
"I have poison resistance. Come here right now!"
If the attribute resistance was over B-Rank, the range increased. Even if it was S-Rank, of course the equipment, but even the body's surroundings would get slightly affected. My poison resistance was L-Rank, so it should be able to be applied sufficiently to about one person.
When I spoke harshly like an order, Yerim came closer even while hesitating. I quickly spread my arms and pulled the bloodied girl into my embrace.
"How's your arm?"
With the back of her head touching my chest, Yerim looked at her poisoned arm. At the black dug up wound, I frowned automatically. I had commonly seen this level of a wound, but my insides stung. I would've been more comfortable with me getting injured instead.
"I don't think it's spreading more. The pain is also gone. It hurt even though I had eaten a Hunter-use antidote."
"That's a relief. If blood comes up from inside, don't hold it in, and spit it out."
"Um, my insides are okay."
It seemed like she didn't have an internal injury. With an Agility specialized instant movement skill and being able to bind the opponent's feet, she held up well against an opponent who was much stronger than her. It was praiseworthy, and I felt sorry, as well.
Tung!
Something like an iron plate that was about 1.5 meters in length and width speared the ground in front of Kim Sunghan. At that noise, Noah lifted his head. His eyes were still not normal.
'How is that a good younger brother who listens well?'
I mean, in front of Riette, he was probably amendable. Since he would be rooted to the ground in front of someone who was scary and who he couldn't hurt. But as soon as he judged that that noona, the person he saw as his noona, was weak, he lost his reason and lunged. I couldn't even guess how much he suppressed normally.
It was good that the keyword was easily applied with the Lauchtas' Natural Enemy's doubling effect plus possible goodwill from the Dragon Slayer title like with Riette, but to think that this commotion would occur. Not all caregivers were good people, so it was partly my fault for not properly finding out. Instead of the caregiver, I should've heard from the caregivee.
"How long will it take for the other S-Rank Hunters to arrive?"
"The news must have reached them, but even if they left right away, it should take about ten minutes, more or less."
Kim Sunghan, who had just become an S-Rank was a defense aptitude Hunter, so it seemed like he could endure for that much. Still, if Noah ran wild even more with Kim Sunghan as an opponent, the surroundings might not last. Unlike with Yerim, strength and strength would hit against each other. I should avoid having my house fly away after only one day of moving in, shouldn't I?
I swallowed a sigh and took out my cell phone. Thankfully, it was fine.
'The target of the hatred should be Riette.'
There was no reason to lose control and try to kill me, who he had seen for the first time today. The person Noah was afraid of but also wanted to lunge at, was his noona, no doubt. To feel like that.
'It's not easy for an A-Rank Hunter to grow into an S-Rank.'
Even with Kim Sunghan, he stayed as an A-Rank for over 5 years. Some of it was probably due to his growth being slow as defense, but even as a combat aptitude, the Hunter known to have grown the fastest from A-Rank to S-Rank took 5 and half years.
But Noah became an S-Rank in 3 years at the most. Just how severely did you have to act for that fast of a growth to be possible? Even if Riette had the title of a caregiver who came up from hell, it wouldn't be surprising.
[Hello, darling~.]
A lively voice spilled out from the cell phone that was on speaker phone at maximum volume. At the same time, Noah who was right about to go at Kim Sunghan, flinched again and stopped his motion.
"Riette."
[Yeah, yeah~. Did you meet my younger brother? Isn't he cute?]
"He's here now. Though there's a little problem."
[What problem?]
"He attacked me."
[Hmm? He's not the kind of kid to do that. Faible?]
At the call of the voice that was one step higher, Noah's two eyes became big. At obvious fear forming in those eyes, I felt a slight sympathy despite the fact that it was the guy who attacked me and Yerim.
[I asked you to treat our darling politely. Are you listening?]
Noah took in a breath, and replied softly.
"...Yes, noonim."
[Why is your voice so small? Is darling's words the truth?]
"…Yes, I apologize..."
It was a thin voice that seemed like it would die away, but it seemed like it had luckily gone through the cell phone.
[Why would my good younger brother have done that? I'm sorry, honey[1]. Are you okay? Of course you should be okay, but just in case.]
"…I'm okay."
At Noah's expression that was completely frightened, a lie unconsciously burst out. I was the victim, but why was I feeling like I was doing something bad to Noah?
Just then, I heard a voice that was welcome at least for this moment.
"It's a pity the young master is absent. I would've been able to watch something fun."
It was Sung Hyunjae. He had appeared faster than expected, and he was accompanied by a healer. The dark-skinned brown-haired man with a healer sign on his chest was none other than Seseong's A-Rank healer. I remembered that the only two A-Rank healers within the country currently were Indian.
"She was poisoned. It seems she was detoxified to a certain extent, but I would like to ask for treatment."
At my words, Sung Hyunjae looked back and forth between me and Yerim and the tips of his mouth went up.
"Poison resistance. At minimum, it would be S-Rank. Our Han Yoojin-gun has quite a lot of talents."
It was a somehow satisfied voice and gaze. It was my skill, but why were you pleased? Was it because it would be less troublesome?
Before that, he sure was disgustingly sharp. He could've thought that I had simply fed her an antidote and was helping her up, but how did he realize right away?
[Oh my, oh my, oh my, whose voice is this? Darling, don't play with that ahjussi. He's somebody who is wicked inside. It's dangerous.]
Look who is talking.
"If you came to Korea, why didn't you show your face and go? I was sad when I heard the news, Riette-yang."
[Oh dear, it seems you needed a plan for moving. Or rebuilding?]
"Saying that you'd end it with that level, your temper has died down a lot. Then again, it's about time you got some good sense."
[Why can't you use skills through cell phones? Darling, stab him nicely once for me.]
The two of them got along well. Then why don't you leave me out and directly call? They seemed like they would know each other's phone numbers.
I left Yerim to the healer and turned my gaze to Noah. Maybe his will to fight had completely disappeared, because even his hand that had transformed turned back to normal. Because of the miasma that was still spread, the A-Rank Hunters couldn't even think of approaching.
Maybe he had felt my gaze, because he lightly lifted his head, and then lowered it right away again.
'…What should I do with him?'
I couldn't take back the keyword already being applied either. I shouldn't have trusted Riette. Though that woman seemed like she sincerely thought that her brother was good and followed her well. On top of that, crazily enough, she seemed friendly to her brother.
Suddenly I thought of Water Droplet's words that high rank Awakened People's goodwill could become violence. Riette and Noah were both high rank Awakened People, but was it because one was a born S-Rank?
'Anyways, do I have to persuade him well?'
I didn't know if my words would get through, but I couldn't just leave it alone.
Just then, more people arrived. This time, maybe they had come from the Association's side, because I saw Song Taewon. He looked briefly at Noah and came towards me.
"Are you alright?"
"Yes, I am fine… or not, but I am okay."
The front of my top was tattered and bloodied. Still, I used a potion so the bleeding had stopped and the wound had more or less healed. If I didn't have poison resistance, I might have crossed to the other side.
[Ohh, mister public servant, hi!]
Riette acted like she knew someone again.
"Please do not do business with illegal contracts in Korea."
[Oh my, was I caught already? You sure are fast. I was careful in my own way.]
As I heard the loud laughter spill out, I moved toward Noah. But as soon as I put one foot forward,
Tuk
My shoulders were grabbed. Both of them, at that. Sung Hyunjae and Song Taewon looked down at me at the same time. The two's expressions were different, but they felt the similar somehow.
"A person would not change in one day, but it is still as ever that you are defenseless."
"For this at least, I agree with Chief Song. If you really want to approach, wait a moment. For him to be incapacitated."
Incapacitate… Um, let's just not ask.
"There is no need. I am only planning on talking."
I wasn't an idiot, and would I thoughtlessly go towards him? I was only trying to approach enough to talk. There was Sung Hyunjae and Song Taewon, so as long as I kept a certain distance, it wouldn't be dangerous.
Above all, the current Noah was completely dispirited. He sometimes placed his gaze not just on me, but also on Sung Hyunjae – did they know each other? He was acquainted with Riette, too, so it might be so.
"Riette. Your brother seems to have a lot of discontent towards you."
I asked in order to know the exact situation. Of course Riette, but Noah also shook his shoulders.
[Why would he? Do you know how well I looked after my brother!]
"You looked after him well? How?"
[What do you mean how, can't you tell from looking? I didn't abandon a feeble kid and raised him well and made him like that. I rea~lly suffered. How weak is he that acts like he would die at the drop of a hat? If I didn't have a loving heart for my younger brother, I would've thrown him away already? Right, Faible?]
A loving heart for her younger brother – as soon as those words came out, Noah gnawed on his lower lip.
"Yes, noonim."
[See, he says so too.]
"...Even so, your younger brother looks young, so weren't you a little severe? He should've been even younger when he Awakened."
[Does he look young? He's almost twenty. He's nineteen years old.]
At the reply in a cheerful tone, my blood pressure rose[2]. Outwardly, he looked like he was in his early twenties, but he was one year younger than Yoohyun.
[If I hadn't raised him, he would've still been bumming around without his own share. Though he doesn't live up to my expectations~. Just look at today; how hard is the request to meet with you for a bit, that he would make a mistake? Our loving Faible, exactly when will you become useful?]
Every time Riette carelessly cut down, Noah's eyes died down darkly. I had thought that she had just physically bothered him while trying to grow him into a stat S-Rank. But it seemed like it wasn't that.
[Uselessly making something like a guild. It sure is frustrating watching him lazily play house.]
…This woman was an S-Rank Hunter. And a Hunter with an SSS-Rank title, at that. If the ranking competitions existed right now, she was a person capable of contending for 1st or 2nd. It would be bad if I bothered her. I had to live well.
...Fuck, I don't know, my warning light is off.
"Riette, what shit is this to your own younger brother after becoming an older sister!"
[Hm? Why are you suddenly like that, darling?]
"Suddenly, what suddenly! Exactly how much do you have to bully and grill somebody for them to become like that! Every single time you say something his face completely dies away. Did you really not know your younger brother was like that?!"
[I mean, while you're raising a kid, it happens that you scold them. Doesn't it?]
"Did only you raise a younger sibling; I raised mine too! I haven't ever spoken like that to our Yoohyun!"
Obviously when he was young, and after our relationship broke down, in the first place, I wasn't in a position to put him down. I mean, even if I was better, I definitely wouldn't have said that shit.
[But darling, he's weak. If you suffer to death, you get stronger, and it gets easier to live in a rough world.]
Riette was taken aback and explained herself.
"If your brother is weak, then protect him! Not drive him into a dangerous place! You're strong enough to protect him! And he's now just nineteen, so when he Awakened… fuck, you're really crazy, aren't you? When he Awakened, he should've been A-Rank – if it's that much, that's outstanding, but just because he doesn't live up to your expectations, what, suffering to death?"
[If it's A-Rank, that's weak. Even though he's my brother.]
"It's not weak! And so what if he's your brother? Even parents shouldn't try to treat their kids however they want, but you think you should be proud of molding your brother however you want? No, don't you even think of coming to Korea."
[D-darling? Then it's troubling?]
"Unless you fix that crazy head and decide to sincerely apologize to your brother, don't even dream of showing your face!"
[Wait-!]
I ended the call. Riette called back, but I ignored it.
Um, I should be careful for a while. It was a relief at least that Riette mistakenly thought I was strong. Even if she realized I was weak, she said she had a monster to raise, so she probably wouldn't immediately try to kill me.
"...Noona is."
Just then, I heard a faint mumbling. It was Noah. He was staring at me blankly as if surprised, possibly as if his soul had left.
Did I talk too roughly to the older sister in front of the younger brother? Though they didn't have a normal sibling relationship.
"What will happen to Noah?"
I asked Song Taewon. There were injured people, so obviously it was impossible to just overlook, but first of all, would restrictive measures work? It would be troublesome if he was deported because he was a foreign Hunter.
"As there is no damage to Unawakened People, after confinement, there will be a request for discussion. As this is a case of a foreign Hunter attacking a Korean Hunter, if you wish, there can be immediate deportation and a complaint can be given to the relevant country's Association."
"I do not want deportation. Is the opposite, something like forbidding leaving the country, possible?"
"It is possible for up to 30 days until the discussion is handled."
"Then, I would like to request for that. Thank you."
"It is no problem. It is something I have to do."
For now, I saved some time, and I should slowly persuade him.
"You two seem to get along well. Should I also tighten your neck or something?"
Sung Hyunjae said nonsense. So it really did reach this person's ears.
"Then I would have to report you. If you are placed behind steel bars, then we would definitely have a more comfortable relationship than before."
"Your discriminatory treatment is harsh."
In the meantime, Song Taewon put special handcuffs on Noah. Even if it was made for Hunter-use, it wouldn't have much of a use on an S-Rank, but Noah was quiet. With the wavering miasma completely gone, he just stared at me like some kind of young child who lost his mother.
…Suddenly, I wanted to see Yoohyun. Exactly when was this brat coming out?