"…No."
The bodyguards of the kid narrowed their eyes at me while Mr. Park, the manager of the Korean Hunters Auction House, gave me an awkward look.
"Mr. Hudson. I thought we agreed on the terms when we let you reserve those materials-"
"The deal was that I give you three weapons and three armor pieces for auction so that you can sell them to Hunters, not some kid playing at being one."
The kid in question, the son of Yoo Myunghan and the heir to Yoojin Constructions, Yoo Jinho, took offense to my words.
"Hey! I might not be that high ranked, but I am still a Hunter-"
I gave him a sharp look that forced him to shut up.
"Are you? Because if you can be forced to shut up with just a look, you are no hunter. At least, not yet. Come back when you have experienced an actual Dungeon Raid and managed to gain some experience in the profession. My weapons and armor are things I made to protect real Hunters. Not some spoiled brat."
"You!"
"You better hold your tongue. A mere blacksmith should not speak in such a way to Mr. Yoo."
The bodyguard moved forward and spoke arrogantly, making me give him a raised eyebrow and get up from my seat. All the while, the manager continued to look awkward between us.
"Mr. Hudson. Please reconsider. You already took the payment-"
Once again, I interrupted his words.
"You can take back the payment. I always believed the Korean Hunters Auction to be a place where they prioritized real Hunters. However, it seems my beliefs were wrong. Anyways, I will not be forging weapons and armor for Mr. Yoo."
I walked out of the room despite the kid's shouts and the Manager's panicked requests. Heading straight for my car.
If it were any other time, I would have taken a more polite approach and declined the client in a way that did not hurt anyone's feelings. However, my foul mood made me explode as I just did, possibly ruining any goodwill I might have had with the Auction House.
Not like it would matter after today, since the announcement of my rank to the entire country is due this evening.
While this announcement will no doubt cause a lot of problems for the children and me, especially since the mass media likes to make spectacles out of Hunters and loves ruining their personal lives as if it were a game, it is still something necessary if I want to achieve my goals.
I have already realized that Jinwoo has changed a little since the Double Dungeon incident. I don't know if it's because he experienced something truly horrendous and, as a result, lost a lot of his fears and insecurities, causing him to mature even more than before and become more confident. Or if it's because of the strange energy I have been feeling from him ever since he woke up from that incident.
Whatever the case might be, he has clearly shown me that he will never quit walking the path of a Hunter. A path that will constantly put his life on the line.
It is a truth that Jinah and I realized once again when he returned with tattered clothes and a broken blade on the same day I finalized the deal with Gunhee.
The chewing out that Jinah gave him that day stunned even me, much less Jinwoo, who silently endured the tongue-lashing.
Although I did find it strange that he suddenly asked me about the Silver Pendant I had given him when he was a child. Even stranger is how he tried to question me about its origins and how I came into possession of it.
Unfortunately, I couldn't tell him the full truth, so I omitted a lot of the details and gave him a vague answer. That I came across it during my travels in the 'Dungeon' I was trapped in.
I mean, how am I supposed to tell him that it belonged to a Knight whose legends were told across Lordran for deeds that he never achieved? That I got it from a hidden chest in an ancient town that existed in ancient times of Lordran, which I visited thanks to time-travel shenanigans?
How am I supposed to tell him that the pendant he now wears had accompanied me through countless loops and lifetimes and protected me from the darkness of the Abyss?
After that incident, I finally decided that I needed to make my status as public as possible for the safety of the kids.
After all, who would dare to harm the niece and nephew of a National-Rank hunter?
As I drove back home, I opened the door to find an extra set of shoes at the entrance, along with the laughter and voices coming from within, fouling my mood even further.
With a sullen look, I walked into the living room to find Jinah talking with the guest while Jinwoo sat to the side, listening to the talk silently and giving his opinions when asked for them.
The woman has long blond hair and beautiful blue eyes, adorning her Western features. Her white dress, while striking and accentuating her beauty even further, also came across as modest and professional.
More importantly, the materials involved in making her clothes gave off subtle mana waves. This, combined with her staff and massive bracelet, told the observers that she was a Hunter.
For those who knew her origins, her visit to their homes would be considered a great honor, with some even having designs on her and her background for their profit.
But to me, she was nothing more than an annoyance and the source of my foul mood today.
She must have sensed my arrival as she immediately turned to me and gave me a bright smile that annoyed me further.
"Mr. James! You are back. How did your work go?"
"…it went fine. That aside, shall we go to the association to sort out our business? Ms. Blanche."
"Of course!. Then, I'll see you soon, Jinah."
"You are welcome anytime, Alicia."
Watching the girls interact, I felt happy that Jinah had finally decided to ease off her relentless pursuit of academic success and mingle with people again. But I also felt annoyed that the person she chose for that was someone as troublesome as Alicia Blanche.
Strictly speaking, I have no problem with the girl or her personality. In fact, I would go as far as to say that she is a model Hunter and someone that most of the others should be trying to emulate. And I did not have any problems with her background.
The problem I had with her was because of her weird obsession with me, something that she shared with her father.
Granted, it is normal for someone to idolize a man or woman who literally saved their life and their social standing. But this father and daughter duo took things to another level with the way they literally hunted me down like bloodhounds.
Frankly, I felt a little creeped out and scared by the way they did things.
Fortunately, I will not be forced to deal with her and her father for long, since Alicia has come to Korea on official business and is due to return to France once the business is concluded.
Shaking my head, I started heading out of the house again, lamenting how I was forced to go out just after I returned home, thanks to this girl.
However, I did not let these emotions get the better of me as they did before, since it would not be fair for others to become victims of my own emotions.
As we started driving towards the Association, Alicia started to speak.
"Mr. James. Are you free this evening? After the announcement?"
"….Putting aside how you are even aware of the announcement, why are you asking?"
"I want to invite you for dinner if you are free. My father and I have a proposal that we wish to discuss with you."
I nearly let my instincts win out and flat-out refused her when she said she wanted to invite me for dinner. But I immediately became interested when she said that she wanted to discuss a proposal.
Right now, Project Covenant is in a critical stage where every bit of supports count, and I can't afford my personal feelings getting in the way of attaining even more help from the outside.
Even if said support is from unhealthily obsessive people like the Blanches.
".....Very well."
Sometimes, I hate giving up my peaceful life and becoming active once again. But, for the sake of the children and for those I left behind a long time ago, it is a price worth paying.
---------------------------------------------------------------
Author Notes: Read 5 chapters ahead on Patreon: patreon.com/Ruijard1