"Director Song, I want to bomb the National Assembly building."
[Calm down.]
While the Blue House said that safety was foremost, there were so many problems. The event for high-class hunters was not going badly since we could not build a stadium that would go down on Day 1. Therefore, the event was going to be held under the mountain Evelyn had flattened. While the broadcasting stations complained about this issue, no one under mid-class defensive hunters was allowed on-site. The fight would be broadcast through a drone or a high-class hunter.
The scoring system and rules were decided smoothly as I had explained future ranking fight rules to them. While some of them were modified, the base was there.
'The preparations are complete, and everyone is interested.'
While I wanted a tournament and give prizes from first to fourth places, the Association wanted the event to be held as a league. Hunters would be divided into ten groups and placed from tenth place. It meant Korean A class hunters would be ranked, and the internet erupted on who would win. People now interviewed A class hunters and cheered them on, and they seemed to be happy at being showered with attention. I had thought the first Korean A class Hunter Ranking Event would be held successfully, but Riette popped out.
While Gang Soyoung was disappointed at hearing the preliminaries were over, Riette had shouted that she would fight with her brother in this event in front of Association employees that had been waiting for her at the dungeon since she was a criminal.
This news went viral, and people were excited at the possibility of an S class hunter's fight being broadcast live. While some Association members argued this must happen, others managed to calm them down due to safety concerns.
I thought things would end well, but some members of the National Assembly who wanted to raise their popularity rates appeared from nowhere. The Hunter Association could not shirk the pressure, and broadcasting stations and major firms suggested forbidding poison and increasing the safety borders may work.
Even Riette, who I thought would not welcome her skills being discovered, said it was all right if she was the first to fight live since she knew her powers. Noah also looked at me and said he did not mind. That resulted in Noah and Riette fighting as the opening ceremony.
"At least they won't use poison. But the increased workload…I am sorry. You would not have needed to come out on the weekend."
[I would have waited on site anyway.]
"…I am sorry. I should have stopped the Sesung Guild Leader somehow."
[No, I appreciate your help.]
"It was nothing."
I felt it was my responsibility to help and ended the call after a short discussion about work. I looked up at the dark sky and the phone again. I knew what I had to do and called the guy who had caused most of my troubles.
[Are you still angry?]
"Not for now."
[It seems that you have something to ask me about your kinds. Is it Noah this time?]
[…Yes.]
He was direct, and I followed suit. Hyunjae Sung sounded surprised at my request but said it would not be difficult. Actually, it really was easy. I ended the call and looked at the building to see a golden dragon. I motioned Noah to come, and he immediately did so with flickering golden wings.
"Why are you in dragon form?"
Noah leaned his neck to answer my question.
-I thought I would practice flying after seeing Blue do so effortlessly.
"You two have different wings. Don't worry, you're doing fine. Go rest. Things will go well."
I did not say he would win in case it would be pressure, but I was confident that we had prepared enough. I patted Noah's outstretched head as he said good night. I watched him fly to the building and left the garden.
**
It was Day 1 of the Ranking Event, and the internet media seemed wildly excited. However, the stadium was bare except for drones flying with cameras. They did not come at us as I had warned that S class hunters may break them if they came too close. There were only a few people, too. There was a healer just in case and two A class defense hunters as bodyguards. Three other hunters were managing drones. The rest was Noah, Riette, Yoohyun, Yerim, and Hyunjae Sung.
The rest were at the high-class hunter training center from the participants, the media, and Taewon Song. I hoped that the hunters would not cause too much mayhem.
"It's about time. Yerim, will you do the honors?"
"Right!"
Yerim took out her spear, and the water we had placed in advance sprang up. The water made wide streams across the field to form a beautiful ice corridor under the summer sun. Drones were filming it like crazy. If this was to be Noah's first broadcast fight, there should be at least some decoration.
I knew that the stations were streaming intense background music, and I motioned to Riette and Noah after checking the timing with my cell phone.
Riette, with a longsword on her waist for show, smiled and walked up the corridor. Irin let out a burst of fire that shrouded Riette and showed off her golden eyes when she went halfway. Her indifferent walk along the corridor was shown in a delayed live broadcast to the world. She threw off her coat after entering the field.
[Riette, the famous freelance S class hunter!]
The program introduced Riette through this caption as a Sesung Hunter retrieved her coat. The drones now turned to Noah, who looked a bit nervous as he stared at his sister. He now walked up the corridor and at the middle…
Lightening showed up the ice and blinded us for an instant. A pair of golden wings broke the shining ice, and a thousand fragments fluttered in the air as a golden dragon flew up. The camera had caught the scene in a magnificent low angle. I had asked Hyunjae Sung for this effect and thanked him inwardly.
[Riette's brother and former Ark Guild Leader Noah!]
I was dissatisfied with the caption, but it disappeared to explain that Noah would have extra items and support skills to bridge the gap between a support hunter and an offense hunter. I had been using my stealth skill from home so that only S classes would see me and had confirmed I would not be seen through the camera.
"Then, I'll be going."
"Be careful."
"I can protect myself."
I took a deep breath and went to Noah. If things went according to plan, we had a chance at winning.