< Noonim Is a Little… (2) >

To go out to the rooftop garden, you had to take an elevator up after going down to the 1st floor. It was a pity, but I couldn't go out directly from my house.

Also, I had to contact the security room ahead of time, when going on a walk in the garden. It was because, that way, they could focus surveillance on the rooftop garden from the building.

My privacy was, well, let's just be satisfied with no security cameras in the house. …There weren't any, right?

'The sunlight hurts...'

As soon as I came out of the elevator, the bright summer sun pierced my tired eyes. I had heard that the garden was well decorated, but I couldn't see it properly.

'Stamina potion… the dungeon with the materials quickly...'

There was still a lot of time left until it would come out originally, but the speed of the frequency of dungeons appearing had increased, so please come out before I die of overwork. Should I meet the system people and beg them to make it come out immediately?

I played with Comet, who was awake in the middle of the night, for about an hour and fed it, and then I went back to sleep.

And then I woke up again one hour later. Then I played with it for one hour and went back to sleep, and thirty minutes later I woke up to it cheeping, and it fussed for about ten minutes and I went back to sleep, and then I woke up again, slept, woke up... It repeated until 8 in the morning before it stopped.

Exactly one hour after shoving my head into my bed, at exactly 9 in the morning when Blue started to cry loudly, I felt like I really would die.

'Peace was really an angel...'

Of course Chirpie, and even Blue, were well-behaved if it was to this extent. They let me sleep. To think it was regularly sleeping at nine and getting up at nine. They didn't fuss about sleeping at all; they really were good kids.

-Kkyaaoo!

Blue let out a happy shout and shot up to the sky. The sight of the cream-colored gryphon crossing through the bright blue sky was blinding. It was praiseworthy that even while flying around excitedly, she checked my position and didn't go past a certain distance.

And Chirpie, who was in my arms, might've been excited after seeing the garden, because it was flapping its wings. Seeing how it didn't try to immediately jump down, it was smart Chirpie.

"Here, you go and play, too."

-Chirp!

When I lowered it down inside a flowerbed, it rooted through the bright green grass with its feet and then grabbed it with its beak and pulled.

"Don't eat it."

It was a place where the kids would play, so I told them not to spray insecticide but still, they couldn't eat just anything.

As soon as I saw a bench while I was walking, following Chirpie, I sat down. Maybe this was also expensive, because even though it was a bench, it was comfortable. Should I sleep a little?

'I have to train Blue, too.'

The keyword was applied right before I went into the A-Rank dungeon, so I couldn't use the My Brat skill yet. I should quickly raise her at least, so that it would be less troublesome… It would be less troublesome, right? She wouldn't be like that after growing up, right?

-Kkyaoo! Kkya kkya!

When I saw Blue stripping a magnificent garden tree bare, my mind went blank. She'll be well-behaved once she grows...

'I have to bring in the people expected to Awaken with special skills, too. I should quickly set up a system so I can leave at least the people to other people; it's really a heavy workload.'

In that chaos, even a phone call came. As time went on, so much contact from anybody and everybody came, so in the end, I got another phone, but there weren't a lot of people who knew this phone number.

'So it's Riette's brother.'

It was the number that I had gotten from Riette and saved. I had heard that he would be coming today, but it was earlier than expected. Was he going to come secretly like his noona? Though he wouldn't be able to pass through the mini portal.

When I took the call, a voice that was polite but very young came out.

[This is the Ark Guild Leader Noah Luire[1]. Is this Hunter Han Yoojin?]

…Guild Leader? Noah Luire? Not Faible[2]?

"I am, but was this not Riette-ssi's younger brother's contact information?"

[Yes. I am the younger brother.]

To think he was the younger brother – that was a little weird. They had gone into an illegal dungeon alone together, so I had thought they definitely weren't affiliated to a guild. But he was a guild leader, and on top of that, it wasn't a name I heard from Riette. Though I thought Riette also used a different name outwardly.

'Ark's Noah Luire. Who was that again?'

I didn't remember all of the overseas guilds and Hunters. First of all, I was sure he wasn't within the top 30 in Hunter rankings before the regression. Though it would become different now that he had gotten the Dio Valshesis along with his noona.

"It is a little different from what I heard. The name as well."

[Yes. Noonim… would have called me 'faible'.]

So he really was her younger brother.

"I did not know you were a guild leader. Riette-ssi did not mention it."

[Noonim does not particularly like guilds as a whole. There are many guilds she has a terrible relationship with. So she does not stay in one place, and goes looking for illegal dungeons here and there around the world. If it seems like her strength would not be enough, she also contacts me. It is frequently difficult, since she drags me along without thinking of my schedule.]

The voice speaking was bitter. So he suffered a lot because of his noona, huh.

[There are places she fought with among Korea's guilds, so I would be thankful if you treated me as Ark's Guild Leader who has no relation with noonim.]

"Of course I will."

Just looking at her recklessness in trespassing into a giant guild's dorm room, I thought there must be quite a lot of guilds that hated Riette. Even if she was an S-Rank Hunter, was it okay for her to live however she wanted like that?

Noah requested for me to formally invite him. He had gotten the agreement from the Hunter Association, MKC, and Hanshin, but without a reply from the other three guilds, he said he needed my invitation in order to formally visit the rearing facility. Haeyeon and Breaker had the guild leaders gone, but why didn't Seseong give a reply?

After relaying it to the Association side, we agreed on a meeting in the afternoon. I left Blue to the rearing room and in the meantime, closed my eyes for a bit.

Yerim stared at me with lukewarm eyes.

"Ahjussi, really...'

Since she was glaring quietly at my neck, I gave a sigh. This was definitely.

'Kang Soyoung-ssi didn't seem like it, but her lips are loose.'

It was obvious she had told. How far did it spread?

"Today, I'm going to stay with you. I took my classes in the morning."

"It shouldn't be enough with just the morning classes, though."

"Ah, then I can just make up for it in the evening. Anyways, please don't think of meeting anybody by yourself."

"…Don't put out a civil complaint. It really wasn't with a bad intention."

Yerim's gaze hurt. Chief Song should be fine, right? It definitely should have reached Sung Hyunjae's ears, but I didn't know if he would use that as a pretext to be bothersome. If you broke his car, then that was enough.

Noah Luire arrived a little earlier than the appointment time. Unlike Riette, he was a beautiful young man with bright blond hair and metallic light gray eyes.

The Lauchtas' Natural Enemy skill's message window appeared and then disappeared. I thought that those eyes were probably affected by the Dio Valshesis title. Seeing how the hair colors were completely contrary to each other, wouldn't it be that they were affected by the twin dragons' color scheme?

"Thank you for giving permission to visit. It is an honor to meet you like this."

Noah greeted me incredibly respectfully. To think that an S-Rank Hunter was this normal and courteous, it was surprising. Though Song Taewon was also on the polite side.

"You must have had a hard time coming such a long way. The weather is nice, so shall we go up?"

This was the security room's demand. Rather than indoors, outdoors was better to surveil and in a possible scenario, they could respond quickly. Sound wasn't heard and actions could be verified, so it was perfect for a request that required maintaining a secret.

"Hunter Bak Yerim is supposed to sit with us – is that alright?"

At my question, Noah nodded his head.

"I just need to take off my translation item. Hunter Bak Yerim-nim, are you possibly proficient in English or French?"

"Only a tiny bit in English."

Yerim said, showing her thumb and index finger placed apart slightly. There shouldn't be a problem. Still, it would be better to not say Riette's name as much as possible.

"First, I would like to apologize for the disrespect committed by noonim. I did not hear in detail, but she definitely must have acted obstinately."

As soon as we sat at a table on one side of the garden, Noah slightly lowered his head. He knew well. How did such a reliable younger brother appear from under that kind of noona? Was it because it was that kind of noona?

"It was not that bad of a meeting. Thanks to that, I was able to meet Noah-ssi like this as well."

Thanks to the skill effect doubled, up to applying the keyword to an S-Rank Hunter with an SSS-Rank title, was easy. It was a pity he was a guild leader, but how good was it to add even just one S-Rank with nothing? Should I have just applied the keyword to Riette at that time, too?

'Since he's apparently a good younger brother who listens well, it's even better.'

Just in case, I had checked the two's relationship. Like Riette's assurance, he seemed polite with a good personality. Wasn't this having the chance to say the keyword laid out for me?

"It seems like Noah-ssi instead must have had many troubles. Isn't coming all the way here also on your noonim's request?"

"It is not just that. I cannot tell you the specifics, but I am planning on staying in Korea for the time being."

Did he have other things to do? I wanted to check Noah's status window, but I didn't know if Riette had told him about my skill or not. First of all, he said he didn't hear in detail, but did she keep it a secret from her brother too? If she did, she was trustable, unlike her attitude.

"I have heard from your noonim that there is a monster she wishes to entrust to me."

"Yes. Though I could not bring it along. It is scheduled so that it will be able to be brought over by plane, instead of by boat. Apparently the condition is using a private plane, or possibly a chartered plane, that is accompanied by a preferentially S-Rank Hunter, and that will gradually be eased up."

Then it seems like S-Rank Hunters would deign to directly come for monster rearing commissions from overseas, for a long while. I would be able to see famous faces while sitting there quietly. There were Hunters that I was personally a fan of – would they come?

"Of course, if I can find one as well, I would like to request the kiseungsu rearing."

Noah said, smiling softly. He was quite amiable. It would be great if the other S-Ranks were like this from now on.

"It is welcome any time. While you have come here, please check the facility as well before you go. Ah, could I possibly hear where you will be staying?"

If I couldn't apply the keyword today, I should go looking for him.

"First, I came alone, so it has not been decided yet. There are many lodgings. Thank you for your care."

"You are welcome. Noah-ssi, is also my loving client."

Would it work with once or not? Before that, he had two names, so could I use whichever one? I was looking for Noah's reaction, but confusingly, Yerim poked my arm.

"Doesn't ahjussi say 'love' too lightly and whenever? You were like that to the Seseong Guild Leader, too."

"It's just business."

"Still, I don't like it."

Oho, I should refrain from applying the keyword in front of Yerim. I did say it often in front of her lately.

"Okay. But don't they say it casually in the West? I think I've seen it a lot as a greeting or an exclamation. So even if I say 'I love you, Noah-ssi', he might not feel anything in particular."

"…Is that so?"

I also didn't know. Anyways, it seemed like I couldn't say the keyword more, so I should meet him separately later when Yerim wasn't here.

While thinking that, I turned to look at Noah, but the atmosphere was a little weird. The gaze of the person who had been facing me with a smile was glued to the table. The expression was stiff.

"…Noah-ssi?"

It didn't seem like a reaction of the keyword being applied. Was the love ballad possibly irritating? I was going to talk to him again, when,

Pajik!

The table edge that Noah's hand was touching was crushed.

Yerim got up from her seat first, and I also lifted up my body following her. The silver gray eyes were still starting at the table. I heard him mumble very quietly.

"…Weaker than me."

What nonsense-.

"Ahjussi!"

Yerim's hand grabbed my arm and pulled me back. At nearly the same time,

Kwadeuk!

The table broke and my chest burned.

"Ugh!"

My body, which was thrown back strongly, rolled about two times on the ground and stopped. Without even the time to think about what was going on, I felt a powerful pain in my chest while I was trying to raise my body, and collapsed. I saw blood that was sprayed on the ground. Potion, no before that- I used the Teacher skill towards Yerim.

"This crazy bastard!"

Kagang!

The Ice Wood Spear blocked the attack. What hit it were long sharp claws. Yerim, who couldn't win in strength, backed off with the instant movement.

Kwadeudeu!

Incredibly strong claws dug into that place. Dirt and grass shot up high and even the debris of the building's ceiling bounced up.

Shadowless Day was already spread out, and Sigh's fog was surging above that. I could see Noah between the ferocious fog.

The two eyes that had changed into those similar to a reptile's, a beast's claws, and one arm with gold scales. Above all, that face, that expression was distorted like a madman's. Exactly what happened?

"Yerim!"

I cursorily sprayed a potion on the wound and stood up.

"Ahjussi, stay there!"

I felt the chill that had formed even here, and,

Swaaa-!

Ice rain poured down toward Noah. But Noah swung his arms carelessly and blocked it as if breaking the attack. Shadowless Day's restricting effect was in effect, but it only held Noah's feet for a moment.

Compared to him, Yerim was already covered in blood. No, it would be relief if she had only gotten wounds. The blood flowing out the large scratch on her left arm was black. It was poison.

Shit, the difference in their levels really were big. On top of that, for Yerim to use all her combat power, I, without cold resistance, was in the way.

"Stop, Noah!"

I shouted cursorily, and took out Mental prioritized equipment from my inventory. I didn't think I should really use this, but there was no helpin…

"…Uh?"

"Huh?"

Taken aback, noises fell out of Yerim's and my mouths at the same time. Noah really stopped?

With his gaze dropped to the ground, he stepped back. On top of that, his body was shaking. I heard the soft mumbling through Yerim's ears.

"…It's okay, that's weak. Weaker than me, it's okay, I can kill it[3]...'

I didn't know exactly why he was saying something like that, but while there was a chance, I used the Seed-Leaf skill in order to check his initial skills at least.

[Awakened Person – Noah

Current Stat Rank S

Possible Awakening Stat Rank A

Optimized Initial Skills

Soundless Scream(S) Acquired

Stat Rental(A) Acquired

Healing Hand(B) Acquired]

…For a moment, I doubted my eyes. The possible Awakening stat rank was A. Not A~S, but A. Even if he had Awakened optimally, he should've been A-Rank, but his current stats were S-Rank.

At most, he had grown into an S-Rank in 3 years. It definitely wasn't a normal speed.

Hurriedly, I checked the My Brat skill window, too.

(Noah-S)

The keyword really was applied. Noah's reaction, the growth to stat S-Rank, Riette's words that she raised her younger brother. And right now, he was thinking of me as his noona.

...Crazy, what exactly did Riette do?