abcnovels
Chapter 124
Chapter 124
Chapter 124
“Right. You better go with Aine.”
“?”
“You could make a mistake if you do it alone.”
“What? What do you see me as? I probably have more hands-on experience than you, Hyung.”
Choi Yeonseung snorted. He respected Hwang Gyeongryong as an older brother, but Choi Yeonseung was proud of his skills. He couldn’t be called a constellation if he didn’t have pride in what he had built up.
“... Hearing you say that just worries me even more.”
Hwang Gyeongryong was dumbfounded. They weren’t talking about combat here, after all. They could find themselves in battle if the worst-case scenario occurred, but what they were invited to was more of a party than a fight. All sorts of political and business figures related to the Parker family would be there. Other skills were needed in such events, not brute strength. One had to have the social skills to get along with people they were meeting for the first time!
… In Hwang Gyeongryong’s eyes, Choi Yeonseung’s social skills were close to zero. He seemed to have converted all his social ability into combat power...
“Yeonseung, Yeonseung. What would you do if a beautiful woman you see for the first time at the dinner shows interest in you and gives you a key to a hotel room?”
The hunter profession was bound to be filled with numerous temptations. The higher the position, the more temptations there were. In Hwang Gyeongryong’s view, Choi Yeonseung was in the perfect position to be taken advantage of. He wasn’t an A-grade hunter yet, but he had the potential for it. He had also been attracting a lot of attention lately and had a decent network of connections. It would be beneficial for anyone if they could use him...
“Do you even need to ask that?”
“Answer me.”
“It has to be a trap, so I’ll subdue her with martial arts.”
“... N-No. That’s going way too far.”
Hwang Gyeongryong was flustered. His train of thought wasn’t wrong, but his solution was too extreme. What if the person who spoke to Choi Yeonseung was a pure fan? Many fans actually approached famous hunters in that way.
“Hyung. I didn’t say I was going to kill her.”
“That’s not what I meant!”
“What? What else can I do aside from subduing her?”
“Maybe she just really likes you!”
Hwang Gyeongryong somehow ended up defending a fictional woman. It was initially supposed to be a trap. How did it end up like this?
Choi Yeonseung smiled. “Hyung. It’s been thirty years, yet you still have such a pure heart. However, there are so many young and handsome hunters out there. Why would they approach me or Hyung?”
“......”
Hwang Gyeongryong wanted to hit him but held it in. He would’ve already punched him if only he wasn’t a constellation!
“While I was in the Abyss, I regretted not speaking up about your relationships, Hyung. I couldn’t say anything because Changsik hyung stopped me, but...”
“... What? What did that bastard stop you from doing?”
“No matter how much I thought about it, your girlfriends just weren’t a match for you, Hyung. You were obviously just pushing yourself to date. However, I couldn’t speak up because Changsik hyung told me not to tell you.”
“......”
Discovering the truth from 30 years ago far too late made Hwang Gyeongryong tremble.
“That bastard Changsik...!”
“It isn’t Changsik hyung’s fault, though...?”
“It is!” Hwang Gyeongryong angrily cried out before he could recompose himself and get back to the topic at hand.
“Keep in mind that those who’ll be with you in that room are all humans, so you have to show your good side.”
“Image management is truly important for a constellation, huh.”
“Yes. The same goes for humans.”
If he overpowered a fan who flirted with him with martial arts, he would likely be in a front-page article.
“I asked you to double the number of that old bastard’s bones but forget about it. Don’t use your fists if possible, even if you don’t like them or if they’re acting a bastard—”
“I understand. I understand.”
“Just listen to my daughter.”
“Yes, yes.”
***
“It suits you well.”
Aine smiled as she patted Choi Yeonseung on the back. He was in such good shape that the fit was good no matter what clothes he wore. Choi Yeonseung was a typical hunter who usually wore jeans and a t-shirt and carried a sword. However, dressed up like this, he looked like a young, wealthy man.
“We’re going now. We’ll have dinner there, so we don’t have to eat anything here.”
Brief regret flashed across Aine’s face. Choi Yeonseung’s heart caught on fire when he saw it. His niece had to be fed!
“You don’t have to worry. I’ll cook you a table full of food when we come back.”
“I-I didn’t say anything?”
“You don’t want me to?”
“... If it’s your cooking, then I’ll gladly eat it...” Aine muttered hesitantly. She was ashamed of herself for being unable to maintain her composure as a professional.
However, it was hard to resist the temptation of Choi Yeonseung preparing a generous table of food. Only those who had eaten his dishes would understand.
Aine sank back into the seat of the limousine in defeat. “Let’s go.”
“Gyeongryong hyung dislikes the Parker family’s head quite a lot. Is he that evil?” Choi Yeonseung asked as the car drove down the road,.
“Huh?” Aine cocked her head.
“Aren’t all company presidents greedy, cold, and lacking blood and tears? I don’t think he’s particularly evil.”
People like Hwang Gyeongryong were exceptions. Most presidents and chairmen of companies in the raid industry were heartless. They wouldn’t hesitate to make people work for 25 hours a day if it meant bringing them profits!
“Gyeongryong hyung seems to hate him to death.”
“They have to compete since their business areas collide with each other. In fact, they’ve already bumped into each other a few times, winning some and losing some. That doesn’t mean they hate each other enough to kill each other, though. They do have to face each other since they’re in the same industry, but they will likely work together when they have to. I’m sure that’s what my father thinks.”
‘Your father asked me to double Alex’s number of bones...’
Choi Yeonseung swallowed his words for the sake of a father’s dignity.
“Dad was worried about traps, but I doubt there will be any. Many people will be attending the dinner today, so it’s unlikely that they had set a trap.”
“What’s their goal, then?”
“Maybe they’re inviting you to gauge your capabilities? If you seem useful, they’ll probably slowly reach out. It is a trick that many people use.”
Aine laughed and poured champagne into her glass.
“If Dad doesn’t treat you well, it isn’t a bad idea to look elsewhere. You deserve to be treated properly.”
Hwang Gyeongryong would shed tears of betrayal if he heard her, but Aine was calm.
Work and family were two separate matters!
“You don’t have to worry about that. I’m being treated well enough.”
“Really? I’m glad. Anyway, I’ll introduce you to people when we go inside, so don’t worry too much. You have nothing to be nervous about.”
“You’re reliable. I’ll relax and follow you, then.”
Hwang Gyeongryong would’ve shouted, ‘No! Keep that bastard on his toes!’
Unfortunately, Aine wasn’t Hwang Gyeongryong. She lacked understanding of Choi Yeonseung.
***
It was as Aine said. The lineup of those invited to the dinner was gorgeous.
Yugen Nacht, a B+ grade hunter with the title of Ymir.
Sophie Lambert, a B+ grade hunter with the title of Atempomarus.
They all basically had experience clearing dungeons and were famous among the B-grade hunters around the world. There weren’t only hunters.
“That is the president of Eight Sciences, and that person is the president of Kaillaek.”
“I wouldn’t know them even if you tell me that.”
“... They’re presidents of very successful companies. They’re also both part of the Parker Group.”
“So they’re rich people. Got it.”
Aine was about to go inside when she looked genuinely displeased.
“Ugh.”
“Who is it?”
“Someone I dislike.”
Before she could finish speaking, the other person walked toward them. Their noisy surrounding instantly became quiet. The other person was so gorgeous she attracted the attention of those in her vicinity.
“That’s Gloria, the second child of the Parker family. She is a very unlucky person.”
‘Wouldn’t people say something similar about Gyeongryong hyung’s daughter...?’
“Hasn’t it been a while?” Gloria looked at Aina arrogantly.
“I don’t think it has been that long.”
“Is that so? I apologize. I just can’t remember worthless people.” Gloria shrugged.
[The ‘Cat of Lava and Magma’ says the score is 1-0.]
The cat constellation appreciated the other person’s provocation. In fact, Aine seemed a bit upset.
‘She tells me not to get agitated, yet she’s doing just that...’
“You just failed to remember because of your poor memory. Wouldn’t it be better to sharpen it?”
“Failed? The hunter you took with you back then didn’t perform well. Aren’t you the one who failed here?”
“That’s because he’s still growing. In any case, the hunter chose my company, not yours. That’s your failure.”
[The ‘Cat of Lava and Magma’ says it’s 1-1 now.]
Apparently, the two had bumped into each other a few times over business before. Gloria was talking when she suddenly shifted her gaze to Choi Yeonseung.
“Are you Choi Yeonseung? I enjoy watching your performance. Your martial arts are amazing.”
“Huh? Ah. Thank you.”
When Gloria spoke casually, Choi Yeonseung copied her, making Gloria look surprised. She thought Choi Yeonseung would speak politely.
“I don’t think she told you who I am, but...”
“She did.”
“Ah. Is that so?”
Gloria looked slightly embarrassed.
‘He’s quite unique. He’s not even being polite toward me at all.’
‘She seems a bit strange. I better not get close to her.’
In Choi Yeonseung’s eyes, the Parker family members all seemed to be missing a screw. They didn’t look good at all!
Soon, a butler approached them. “Hunter Choi Yeonseung. My master wants to see you.”
Choi Yeonseung nodded in response. Now that he had come this far, he should at least meet the chairman. Some of the people around them looked at Choi Yeonseung with jealousy.
‘They get jealous about everything.’
***
‘How many hunters are in here?’
Choi Yeonseung inwardly laughed because he was so dumbfounded. Although it was understandable that he cared about his safety, wasn’t this too much? There were roughly a dozen hunters on this floor alone, and none of them were weak. They were prepared to stop anyone crazy enough to attack the chairman.
“Come in.”
Alex Parker was an old man full of wrinkles. No matter how much magic power he borrowed, there were limits. However, each of his movements was full of vitality, and his eyes were brimming with power. It wasn’t easy for a human without magic power to create such an atmosphere.
‘How many artifacts does he have?’
Choi Yeonseung clicked his tongue upon noticing the person before him was wearing defense artifacts even though he didn’t know how to use magic. Did one have to do this to be the chairman of a large company? Inside, another person who had come in before he did was just finishing up their conversation.
“Then I’ll trust you, Elder.”
“Get out.”
“Yes! Thank you!” He bowed and exited.
Aine whispered to him. “That’s the president of Pask Food.”
“I don’t know what that is, but okay.”
Choi Yeonseung was surprised, but not because a boss bowed to someone else. Rather, it was because the boss was in a contract with an evil god constellation.