A battle where an S-grade Holder used their full power.
The power she personally witnessed…
It was much more incredible than they had imagined.
“Bloom like a cluster of flowers.”
And after this one-sided battle.
Finally, Yoo Eun-seol’s verdict was pronounced.
The ultimate skill of [Snow Midsummer Flower], which had only been rumored.
It was [Snowfield Oil Fiber Falling].
Beautiful snow-white flowers embroidered everywhere between the sky and the earth.
The flower petals, from Yoo Eun-seol’s scabbard, hilt, and the tip of her swords.
After dazzlingly blooming everywhere they existed.
They fell like scattered petals onto Fenrir’s body.
Blossoming and fading away like a cluster of flowers…
The movements of the swordsman wielding her swords.
It was a gentle farewell to the snowy field.
***
Ippotranslation
***
After a hunt that lasted for a while.
Somewhere near the entrance of Seoraksan Field.
“…”
Yoo Eun-seol let out a small sigh with a slight frown on her elegant face.
It was another failure.
Seoraksan Field was no different this time.
She couldn’t even remember how many times it had happened.
Despite having formed numerous parties for dungeons and fields so far, she still hadn’t found the Holder she was looking for.
Although she had luckily encountered and defeated the S-grade monster Fenrir and obtained magic stones and loot, these rewards were not particularly appealing to Yoo Eun-seol, an S-grade Holder herself.
‘The answer is predetermined, but…’
A special Holder with the power of a dragon.
There was already a verified, reliable card for that.
Song Do-hyuk, the master of the <Dragonfang Sword> clan.
He would undoubtedly be suitable as the partner Yoo Eun-seol was looking for.
‘But Song Do-hyuk is not an option.’
However, Yoo Eun-seol shook her head.
There were many reasons to hesitate to tackle dungeons with him.
One reason was that Song Do-hyuk, as the master of one of the three major clans in the country, was not easy to coordinate schedules with. Moreover, as an unaffiliated Holder, there could be unforeseen disadvantages if she collaborated with a major clan. But above all, it was the most uncomfortable reason of all: having to bow down to another S-grade Holder.
“Sigh…”
With no solution in sight, she sighed softly.
Even after contemplating it on her own for so long, she couldn’t come up with a clear answer.
In the end, she had no choice but to give up and head back home.
As she was about to leave the entrance, during that moment…
“Hello, Holder Yoo Eun-seol.”
The face she had seen recently, again appeared before her eyes.
With a negative connotation.
Naturally, Yoo Eun-seol’s reaction wasn’t favorable.
“…Didn’t I ask you not to come anymore?”
A middle-aged man, who blocked her path while holding a sword at his waist.
Sharp features and a stern face.
Contrary to his appearance, his greeting was friendly.
He was Professor Tak Won-ho, an A-grade Holder affiliated with the Seoul Holder Academy.
Tak Won-ho, unfazed by Yoo Eun-seol’s cold reception, calmly attempted to start a conversation.
“I’ve come to make the same offer again.”
“I’m not interested in an academy professorship.”
“It’s not a professorship; it’s a teaching position. It’s short-term.”
“It’s the same story.”
It was a story that she had rejected several times, yet Tak Won-ho was persistent.
Knowing that he would be rejected, he still came all the way to the entrance of Seoraksan.
Yoo Eun-seol would have preferred to help him since he was a Holder with a good reputation in the Holder community, but she had other important matters to attend to.
Both personally and externally, it was a critical task.
Whether it was a professorship or an instructor position, she didn’t have time to be bound to the academy.
“Now, if you don’t come anymore, it will be better. We’re wasting each other’s time.”
With those words, Yoo Eun-seol turned away.
She spoke a bit firmly, but she still maintained a certain level of courtesy, considering that it was Tak Won-ho.
If other Holders had continued to approach her like this, Yoo Eun-seol wouldn’t have tolerated it to this extent. However…
“Are you searching for a special Holder?”
Thud.
Yoo Eun-seol’s steps came to a halt at Tak Won-ho’s single sentence.
As she turned around, Tak Won-ho slowly continued speaking.
“I understand that you’ve been forming temporary parties in major high-level fields in Gangwon Province, such as Seoraksan Field, Daegwallyeong Field, and Hangyeryeong Field. All of them have been composed of B-grade or higher, and they were different Holders each time.”
Yoo Eun-seol’s recent actions were already known. An S-grade Holder suddenly forming temporary parties and going hunting in the major field areas of Gangwon Province naturally piqued the interest of the Holder community. However, since she only formed parties for simple hunts without any specific goal and disbanded them afterward, there wasn’t much attention afterward. Besides, Yoo Eun-seol was an unaffiliated Holder, and forming temporary parties had been a common occurrence for her. There was no reason for it to seem strange.
But Tak Won-ho had a different perspective in mind.
“I thought it was unusual for an S-grade Holder capable of soloing most field hunts to form temporary parties for hunting. Especially when I was preparing to recruit you.”
“So what’s your point? How does that relate to recruiting me?”
Even with Yoo Eun-seol’s still cold tone, Tak Won-ho nodded.
“Perhaps there is a Holder you’ve been searching for within the Academy. Haven’t you shown any interest in student Holders until now?”
“…”
Yoo Eun-seol contemplated his proposal in silence.
The first option didn’t sit well with her, but the second one made sense. She had never shown any interest in student Holders until now. The reason was simple. Even if there was someone among them who had the qualifications, she believed they wouldn’t have the skills to accompany her. At best, they could be C-grade Holders struggling to keep up, and that was the limit of what Yoo Eun-seol was willing to accept.
Tak Won-ho continued his speech after seeing Yoo Eun-seol lost in thought for a moment.
“Just give it a try. I’m sure you will find the Holder you are looking for. It won’t be too late to decide after that. If you refuse even after confirmation, I will not bother you again. Please.”
“…”
Tak Won-ho’s polite manner had her hesitating bit by bit.
***
Ippotranslation
***
Inside a cafe in Gangnam.
I had just finished hunting in an underground dungeon, packed up my things, and walked outside casually.
… Four missed calls and dozens of text messages.
All to meet one of my friends.
Sitting face to face with Moon Ga-eun, we engaged in conversation. She got straight to the point with her story, making me question my hearing for a moment.
“What do you want me to do?”
Did I hear it wrong?
It didn’t make sense otherwise. But with Moon Ga-eun’s earnest expression and her being on the verge of tears, there was no denying the sincerity behind her request.
She carefully sipped her vanilla latte and spoke cautiously.
“My… boyfriend…”
I heard that part correctly.
Wait, did I even hear that part correctly?
Lately, I had been hunting monsters too much, and my head was starting to feel fuzzy.
But her embarrassed demeanor, so unlike Moon Ga-eun, conveyed that this request was real.
It was a bizarre request…
I scratched my head and made a blunt remark.
“Are you feeling lonely these days?”
Oh, that was a bit harsh.
But there was no helping it. A request from a friend I hadn’t seen in two weeks…
Acting as a substitute boyfriend, really? It sounded strange no matter how you looked at it.
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