Chapter 131

A moment later, I stepped outside and followed Esther’s directions to the large intersection where we had agreed to meet. The moment the guild leader of the Magic Tower spotted me, however, she declared,

“We’re going shopping for spring clothes!”

Last winter, as you may recall, I had often worn the suit she gave me. Though “often” was something of an understatement. It was practically the only outfit in my closet, so whenever I went out, I had little choice but to wear the clothes she had bought for me.

Strangely enough, Earthlings seemed to find this deeply gratifying. Esther repeatedly emphasized how pleased she was and eagerly bought me even more clothes.

“Kiryeo, you’ve made such good use of my gift that I’m honestly touched! This time, let’s have a suit custom-made for you.”

A white shirt. A navy vest. And several other things.

The clothes she bought me were still astonishingly expensive, but by now, I had learned simply to accept them.

‘I understand now. To an S-rank Hunter, this is probably no more than pocket change.’

Still, no longer feeling burdened by her generosity was not the same as taking her kindness for granted. If I wanted to avoid leaving any regrets behind, I should at least make some effort to repay her.

“I feel bad always being the one receiving things... Would you let me treat you to a meal in return?”

I had no idea what she liked, but Esther was human, so she had to eat, didn’t she? After arriving at that perfectly reasonable conclusion, I made my offer.

“A meal?!”

Her reaction was unexpectedly intense. The moment I offered to buy her lunch, her voice rose by nearly two octaves.

Apparently, Esther was especially hungry today.

***

We soon arrived at a nearby restaurant.

I left the choice of venue and menu entirely to her, and Esther selected a restaurant high inside a skyscraper, one that boasted a sweeping view of the city.

‘Huh?’

Despite it being lunchtime, there wasn’t another customer in sight.

As I glanced around the empty dining room, Esther explained from beside me,

“Ah, don’t be alarmed. I reserved the entire restaurant in advance so we could enjoy a quiet meal together, Kiryeo.”

“What?”

“I called a friend at the last minute, and fortunately, they didn’t have any other reservations today.”

She had reserved the entire restaurant.

Did that mean I was expected to pay for every empty seat?

For a moment, panic seized me. Fortunately, my fears proved unfounded. Esther led me to a table by the window and assured me that I only needed to pay for our two meals.

She then added casually that she preferred having the surrounding tables empty because she liked to dine in peace, so I shouldn’t concern myself with the rest.

‘What a relief.’

Now that we had come all the way to such a fine restaurant, I decided to take the opportunity to experience more of this planet’s culinary culture.

‘How am I supposed to eat this?’

I studied the unfamiliar dish before me with curiosity. Then my companion’s pleasant voice drifted across the table.

“By the way, Kiryeo-ssi, do you remember the promise we made before?”

She was probably referring to that agreement.

「All right. I’ll help you deal with Su Yehwi. But may I consider this a debt you owe me?」

The help she had given me back then had not been entirely free.

‘In exchange for helping me, Esther asked me to do something for her later.’

I nodded to show that I remembered. Esther smiled.

“I’m glad you haven’t forgotten. Since we’re already discussing it... There’s actually something I’d like to ask of you today, Kiryeo-ssi.”

Rustle.

The sorceress reached into her bag and withdrew something. She slid it across the table toward me.

Upon closer inspection, I saw that it was a thick sheet of paper edged in gold.

“Hunter Kim Kiryeo. By any chance—”

I had promised to do anything within my power, but in truth, I was worried about what she might ask of me.

“Would you accompany me somewhere next week?”

After a brief pause, Esther finally revealed the favor she wanted in return for helping me deal with the Rakshasa Temple.

“It’s a party being hosted by a certain guild.”

She tapped the paper lightly with one finger and continued,

“Gate Star, the largest Hunter guild in the United States, is celebrating its fifth anniversary this month.”

Gate Star?

As I listened, I learned that the guild was organizing a large-scale event to commemorate its anniversary. This year, they had taken the unusual step of inviting S-rank Hunters from several different countries.

Top-tier Hunters were few and far between, which meant they rarely had opportunities to meet one another. The stated purpose of the gathering was to allow them to mingle and build relationships, even if only briefly.

“There’s no harm in establishing connections with foreign S-ranks.”

Esther personally saw nothing wrong with Gate Star’s proposal.

“So I intend to accept their invitation. The problem is...”

She leaned forward, a troubled look crossing her face.

“I still haven’t found an escort.”

“An escort?”

“As you can probably imagine, attending an event like that alone wouldn’t be appropriate, would it?”

That was certainly true.

If Hunters from several countries were attending, the venue would likely be filled with foreigners.

“So, to get to the point, I wanted to ask you to be my partner, Kiryeo-ssi.”

I accepted Esther’s request without much hesitation.

I had been worried that she might ask me to do something that would expose my true abilities. But if attending a banquet was all it took to repay my debt, then the arrangement was highly favorable to me.

‘I’ll also have the chance to visit another country.’

Huh?

The more I considered it, the more it seemed there were nothing but benefits.

“All right. I’ll go with you.”

“Oh my. Really?”

And so, I gladly agreed to accompany her to Gate Star’s anniversary celebration.

Beaming with delight, Esther immediately began discussing the details, including our departure date and the dress code....

***

‘Four.’

It was generally considered an unlucky number.

Some hospitals even omitted the fourth floor entirely because the word for “four” was associated with death.

Perhaps because Esther had awakened with abilities related to curses, however, symbols of misfortune often seemed to approach her bearing good fortune instead.

‘The fourth one.’

Kim Kiryeo.

How fortunate that someone like him had emerged as Korea’s newest S-rank Hunter.

The guild leader of the Korean Magic Tower held Kim Kiryeo in exceptionally high regard.

That was only natural. Thanks to him wiping out all the Sirens the previous January, she had been able to celebrate the Lunar New Year for the first time in years.

[(Breaking News) Kim Kiryeo Embarks on an Expedition to Conquer Mermaid Pass Alongside Kang Changho and Ahn Yoonseung...]

‘What? Of all people, he had to form a team with Kang Changho, a known criminal?’

Of course, she had been briefly disappointed when she first saw the report about the Mermaid Pass incident.

Fortunately, those negative feelings had soon faded.

As winter drew to a close, Kim Kiryeo had visited the top floor of the Korean Magic Tower and said,

– Can you help me?

– I want to deal with the Awakener who created [Inevitable Malice].

That day, as Esther watched the S-rank Hunter bow his head to her, she felt an emotion she had not experienced in a very long time.

– Please.

He had not only been the first to uncover the secret behind the vanished Imoogi, but had also possessed information about the identity of an Awakener with an invisibility skill and the inner workings of the Rakshasa Temple.

Looking back, the S-rank Hunter had known a suspicious amount about the crimes committed by other Awakeners.

There had even been rumors circulating within the association that Kim Kiryeo was the one who had frozen and incapacitated the boss stealers....

‘Hmm.’

Seo Esther knew that the association president’s official statement had been false.

And yet, considering everything that had happened, she found herself wondering whether Kiryeo truly had been acting as a secret judge behind the scenes, regardless of the fabricated announcement.

– We can’t resolve this through official channels. In any case, the fastest way to break Su Yehwi’s control is for you to destroy his consciousness with your ability.

That was the kind of man Kim Kiryeo was.

He showed no hesitation when it came to punishing criminals.

‘To think that Hunter would personally involve himself in something like that...’

He was willing to stop evildoers even if it meant staining his own hands with blood.

Wasn’t that philosophy remarkably similar to the one held by the leader of a certain guild?

As she recalled the conversation they had shared in the abandoned factory, Esther felt a faint thirst stir within her.

– I’m telling you that Su Yehwi is going to be crippled and die, yet your reaction is surprisingly dull.

– How exactly am I supposed to react?

His expression had been rigid.

His empty eyes revealed nothing as he looked down at Su Yehwi crawling across the floor.

Kiryeo had shown no mercy toward the death of the cult leader who had destroyed hundreds of families.

He remained consistently indifferent toward criminals, as though even the slightest emotion spent on them would be a waste.

Esther found that side of him ideal.

And that was why such an impulse had begun to rise within her.

‘Truly.’

If only she could bring someone like him under her command, she would ask for nothing more.

Unfortunately, such a wish was unlikely ever to come true.

Recruiting him into the Magic Tower was difficult enough. He had even turned down an offer from Jung Haseong’s team, which showed just how difficult a man he was to sway.

‘And yet someone like him formed a team with Kang Changho? I wonder why. Could their abilities simply complement each other that well?’

In any case, it wouldn’t be easy.

Esther’s eyes shifted as she dabbed her mouth with a napkin.

Even now, the man with the sanpaku eyes sat directly across from her.

He had once claimed that he wanted to make a favorable impression on her, but now that she thought about it, she wasn’t entirely certain he had been sincere.

‘He frequently turns down dinner invitations, and at one point, he even disappeared for three months...’

Esther decided she would be satisfied merely to maintain a cordial friendship with her fellow S-rank Hunter.

Unlike a certain fire-attribute workaholic, this man at least replied to her messages.

And thanks to the steady communication they had maintained, she was able to make requests like this one.

“Hunter Kim Kiryeo, would you accompany me somewhere next week?”