“‘Lucian’ is a former mercenary. So I can speak confidently about his skills. Few hunters in North America are more versatile than him. Lucian’s extensive experience and composure would be a great help in the event of an emergency.”
“…”
“‘Lena’ is a Spirit Lord. She can control spirits of ice and fire. The spirit that she is especially… Min Ha-rin, are you listening to me?”
“Huh? Yeah. Sorry.”
Min Ha-rin, who came to her senses, bowed apologetically.
“You don’t have to overdo it. Comparing the personal information of dozens of people at once can be exhausting. Especially if you have no experience doing it. If you’re having a hard time, I can shorten the list for you.”
“No. It’s fine.”
Vincent was not a man with much free time. In fact, he was probably the busiest person currently in the North America Headquarters. There were still a lot of things that needed to be done, so he couldn’t spend too much time with her.
Realising this, Min Ha-rin looked at the list and asked.
“How much time do I have?”
“Considering the fact that we’ll have to contact the hunters and explain the situation to them… I think the earliest you could leave is by dawn tomorrow.”
It was currently past 11pm. Considering the time it would take them to prepare, it was much sooner than she thought.
Min Ha-rin nodded.
“I’ll tell you in an hour. You can go back to your work.”
“…are you sure?”
“Yeah.”
“Thank you for your help. Excuse me.”
After saying that, Vincent left in a hurry. As she expected, although he didn’t show it, there were still many things that he had to do.
Min Ha-rin sipped on her cold coffee as she was left alone in the room. Even though her eyes were currently focused on the list, her thoughts were elsewhere.
‘…I’m probably the only person who knows who Frey really is.’
She recalled her conversation with Joanna.
For all the anticipation that her words had built up, what she said next had honestly been a bit disappointing.
Lukas, or ‘Frey Blake’, as she called him, seemed to be an extremely talented Wizard. Maybe even stronger than the President of the Wizard Association. The strongest Wizard she’d ever met…
But that was natural.
After all, Min Ha-rin’s Master could be called magical science in itself. There was no one in this world who knew more about magic than Lukas did.
Joanna had then gone on to say that she believed Lukas might have been chosen by the Great Mage.
When she heard that, Min Ha-rin had to do her best to not let out a laugh.
The Great Mage. A legendary being who was also called the God of Magic. Min Ha-rin knew that this being was, in fact, her Master.
Not a ‘chosen’, instead, her Master was the main character of the legend.
Nevertheless, it was Joanna’s next words that threw her for a loop.
‘Like me’.
‘…like you?’
When she’d asked this, Joanna’s expression had become filled with pride.
‘Yeah. I was also chosen by the Great Mage.’
She then went on to briefly explain to Min Ha-rin what had transpired in Africa. About the fact that she’d heard a voice while surrounded by Demon Beasts.
The voice of the Great Mage.
It was only after hearing those words when Min Ha-rin realised what happened. Lukas had helped Joanna.
Thanks to his voice, Joanna was able to develop her skills and progress further from the 7 star rank.
And it was only then that Min Ha-rin understood her change of attitude.
It was what Lukas had taught her. Not just magic but also character.
‘Why me?’
This question had never left her mind.
The world was large, and there were many talented people. Of course, this didn’t mean that she didn’t think she was talented. It was just that she was certain some people were far more talented than her.
Just look at Joanna, for instance.
Click-
Suddenly, the door to the room opened and Lukas walked in. Seeing him, Min Ha-rin suppressed a sigh and stood.
“Master, are you finished with your business?”
For some reason, she couldn’t help but feel that Lukas appeared tired.
“Right… What are those documents?”
“It’s the personal information of the hunters Vincent selected. I’m looking for someone who can go to Korea with us.”
“You don’t need to look anymore.”
“Huh?”
“I found someone who can help us.”
It was only then when Min Ha-rin noticed the slim figure who stood behind Lukas like a shadow. It was a young girl, who looked at her with a slightly sour expression.
The young girl was quite pretty, with black hair that seemed darker than ink, and bright red eyes, which contrasted nicely with it.
“Who is this child?”
“Child? Ha.”
The girl snorted.
Lukas glanced down at her and muttered.
“This girl is my…”
He paused, wondering how to explain it.
As Lukas hesitated, thinking about how to properly structure his sentence, the girl, Sedi, spoke.
* * *
“Daughter.”
“…?”
“Isn’t that right, Father?”
“…!”
Lukas let out a sigh as Min Ha-rin’s eyes grew wide with astonishment.
He’d told her to not make a fuss when they got here. How was this not making a fuss?
It felt like she had misunderstood his intentions.
“M-, Master. Is that true?”
Min Ha-rin stuttered like a broken record, and after thinking for a while, Lukas nodded.
Gulping slightly, Min Ha-rin opened her mouth,
“I-, it might be rude to ask, but…”
“What is it?”
“Then, who is your wife…?”
At that moment, Min Ha-rin thought about Joanna for some reason.
Two hunters who went alone to a dangerous foreign country and encountered various hardships and difficulties before finally making a mistake one night due to their frustration…
Of course, considering Sedi’s age, the probability of there being any connection was zero, but Min Ha-rin didn’t seem to realise that.
“…my adopted daughter.”
“Ah.”
When she heard Lukas’ answer, she nodded in understanding.
In truth, she couldn’t imagine what kind of woman her Master would like. (TL: The kind that betrays the world for him)
“S-, still, why did you suddenly adopt a daughter?”
“Because you guys are too weak.”
It was Sedi, not Lukas, who answered with a smug grin.
Her venomous remark made Min Ha-rin’s expression harden. She was putting up with it because it was her Master’s daughter, but she realised that this girl in front of her was very rude. Nevertheless, she simply glared at her without saying anything.
“Hmph.”
Even after receiving Min Ha-rin’s glare, Sedi simply snorted.
Then, she walked up to the table and snatched the documents that Min Ha-rin had been perusing.
“What are you do-”
“Let’s see here… Hmm. None of these guys are useful. I think they would only be a burden if we took them with us.”
Sedi flipped through the documents in an instant before giving her review. Then, her bright red eyes turned towards Min Ha-rin.
“Including you.”
For some reason, Min Ha-rin felt like those words pierced into her heart like a dagger.
She flinched like someone who had been backed into a corner before speaking in a heavy tone.
“What did you say?”
“Father, why are you teaching someone like this?”
Sedi turned to look at Lukas with clear confusion on her face. She still had the insight of an Absolute, so she was naturally able to see through Min Ha-rin with a single glance.
From what she could tell, Min Ha-rin’s talent was only above average. Of course, if she was taught in earnest, she would certainly become strong enough to stand above most mortals. She didn’t seem enough to be taught by someone like Lukas.
“…l-, listen here. Even if you’re Master’s daughter, you still have to be polite.”
Min Ha-rin could no longer endure it when she heard those harsh words coming from the mouth of a girl who seemed to be the same age as her little sister. Sedi, on the other hand, simply smiled coldly.
“Do you really want to talk to me about politeness? Brat?”
“I think you should look in the mirror. Then you’ll see who the brat really is. You’re the size of a water flea.”
“A water flea? Ha.”
Sedi snorted before pointing at the papers.
“I was just telling the truth. None of those guys would be useful. They’re all weak. Even if they all worked together, they wouldn’t be able to touch my fingertips.”
“I can’t listen to you say that.”
It was at that moment when a displeased voice came from the side.
It belonged to a woman who was standing in front of the open door.
It was Joanna.
She entered the room before casting a disapproving glare at Sedi.
“The people in those documents are all top-class hunters in North America.”
“Top class? Those guys? I guess your country is only on that level.”
“…who are you to be so rude?”
“That’s my father.”
Joanna’s expression hardened when Sedi pointed at Lukas.
“…huh?”
“Are you deaf? I’m his daughter.”
“F-, Frey. You… I… I can’t believe you had a daughter this big… h-, how old were you when you got her?” (TL: fun fact, she basically called sedi ‘an accident’ but it was hard to structure properly in english)
“…she’s my adopted daughter.”
Lukas couldn’t help but wonder for a moment why he had to say this every time he was asked that question as if it was an excuse.
Sedi, on the other hand, glanced at Joanna with a curious gaze.
“You’re pretty good. You barely meet the requirements. But the rest won’t do. They would only hold us back if they went with us.”
“…even if you’re Frey’s daughter, I can’t stand here and let you say that. Can you take responsibility for your words?”
“Of course.”
“Fine.”
Joanna glanced down at her watch before continuing.
“I’ll get those hunters to come here. Please prove your words in front of our eyes.”
(TL: I gotta say, I’m not sure I’m entirely comfortable with the way Lukas just sits back and lets them talk to each other like that. I think he should have reprimanded Sedi for the way she was talking to his ‘first’ disciple. But I suppose it’s a way for the author to show us Sedi’s new powers since she would probably have Lukas’s divine magic power instead of the demonic energy she had before.)
