Breaking Up with the #1 S-Class

[The Order], the guild where S-class Rank 5, the Saint, belongs.

Now that Yoo Eun-ha’s guild, the undisputed number one guild [Frozen Heart], has collapsed, fierce competition is taking place among large guilds to become number one.

[The Order] is one of those large guilds.

The guild master’s office of The Order.

The Saint, Reytana, who is the guild master there.

A Korean-Caucasian mixed-race hunter, at this time, she was offering prayers as she did every day.

“… Lady Reytana. Are you there?”

During this prayer time, Reytana’s secretary burst into the guild master’s office.

The secretary had a very flustered face.

“I believe I said not to enter during prayer time?”

Reytana’s prayer was interrupted when the secretary entered.

Reytana glared at the secretary.

Reytana was very displeased with the fact that her prayer had been interrupted.

“I apologize. But there’s something I need to report urgently.”

“What is it? Tell me.”

The secretary bowed his head in apology to Reytana, and Reytana reluctantly forgave him.

“We failed to secure Park Jin-soo, the brother of Hunter Park Jin-ha who just rose to S-class Rank 10.”

The secretary informed Reytana about what had happened yesterday.

That the mission to capture Park Jin-soo using mercenaries had failed.

Securing Park Jin-soo was necessary for recruiting Park Jin-ha.

It was all part of [The Order]’s strategy.

“Haah… This is why outsourcing doesn’t work.”

Reytana placed her hand on her forehead upon hearing this.

And she let out a long sigh.

“Can’t even handle one simple task…”

Reytana clicked her tongue and looked out the window.

Currently, Reytana’s [The Order] was desperately trying to become the number one guild among the large guilds.

In such a state, securing Park Jin-ha, who had newly become S-class, was a very desperate situation.

Having failed such an important task, Reytana couldn’t help but be disappointed.

“I’m sorry…”

Reytana’s secretary bowed his head deeply once more in apology.

“So what was the cause of the failure?”

But further apologies were meaningless to Reytana. What she needed to do now was a thorough review of what went wrong and a plan based on that.

Reytana continued to look out the window as she questioned the secretary.

“An unexpected hunter intervened.”

“Is he a subordinate of another large guild?”

“No.”

“Then?”

“After investigation, he’s a hunter who was formerly A-class, now about B-class, who had retired.”

The secretary informed Reytana of all the information he had investigated.

Reytana turned her head as if slightly surprised at the secretary’s words.

Reytana had thought that if this mission failed, it would definitely be due to the machinations of another large guild trying to secure Park Jin-ha.

But the fact that it wasn’t another large guild, but just an ordinary hunter, was quite unexpected.

It certainly wasn’t an ordinary matter.

But that was the only issue.

“I see.”

Reytana’s slightly surprised expression subsided.

She was surprised, but now she was no longer interested.

“Lady Reytana… Then what should we do now…”

The secretary asked Reytana after hearing her words.

“How long until the Inquisitor can move again?”

“About 3 days remaining.”

“Good. Call the Inquisitor after 3 days. And tell him to handle it.”

And Reytana answered the secretary.

It was an answer to assign the task to the problem solver who handles all kinds of dirty work in [The Order].

“Then… how should it be handled…?”

“In the usual way. The cleanest and most trouble-free method. And this time, make sure to secure Park Jin-ha.”

“Understood.”

The secretary heard Reytana’s words and nodded in agreement.

Then he turned and left the guild master’s office.

“Goddess… I apologize. But… I will soon pass judgment on the blasphemers.”

After the secretary left, only Reytana remained in the guild master’s office.

Reytana knelt once more and closed her eyes.

“Goddess… Today too, I live for you.”

And she continued the prayer she had been offering before the secretary came.

— — —

After parting with Park Jin-soo, I headed straight home.

Thinking about it, many things happened today, but I wasn’t tired at all.

My steps returning home were light.

But still, I couldn’t help but feel a bit worried because.

Come to think of it, with so many things happening, I had forgotten something I needed to do.

That was that I hadn’t told my sister Lee Si-eun that I would be late.

“Thinking about getting scolded by Si-eun makes me scared…”

The time was 2 AM.

It was a time very far from my usual return time of 9 PM to 12 PM.

It was obvious that Si-eun would be furiously angry.

“Sigh… Would it be too much to hope she’s asleep…”

Hoping that Si-eun was asleep, I opened the front door, but.

As always, Si-eun was not asleep.

Actually, I had sensed this.

Si-eun doesn’t sleep if I don’t return.

She’s always been like that.

“Oppa. Why are you only coming now.”

“It just happened.”

“Didn’t I tell you to let me know in advance if you’re going to be late?”

Si-eun was standing in front of the door waiting for me.

With both hands on her waist, she was glaring at me with wide eyes.

I don’t usually come home this late, so she seems quite angry.

“Ahaha… I’m sorry. I had some things to take care of.”

I apologized to Si-eun.

“Here. This is the teddy bear you wanted last time.”

I had prepared a bribe, of course.

It was a teddy bear that Si-eun had wanted to hug while sleeping.

“Sigh… Lately, oppa, you’re too energetic, it’s strange.”

Si-eun received the teddy bear from me, and it seems her anger had subsided.

She sighed briefly and her expression softened.

“Is that so?”

“Yes… These days, you don’t even sleep at night.”

“Huh? You knew I wasn’t sleeping at night?”

Si-eun’s feeling that I’m energetic isn’t her imagination.

It’s probably because due to my [Hero] skill, my body has become one that doesn’t feel fatigue.

It’s natural for Si-eun to notice.

But it was a bit unexpected that Si-eun had noticed I wasn’t sleeping.

So I was slightly surprised.

“… Just. I know. Somehow.”

Si-eun sighed at my question, with an expression that suggested of course she knew.

It seems that living together, such things couldn’t be hidden.

“Well, there’s nothing wrong with your body, right?”

Si-eun had a gloomy expression. It was an expression that anyone could see was worried about me.

In truth, not sleeping is something that humans naturally must do.

Naturally, she can’t help but worry.

“It’s nothing. I’m just not tired.”

“Are you sure there’s nothing wrong?”

“Yes. Not at all.”

I smiled and told Si-eun, who was worried about me, that there was absolutely nothing to worry about.

Not sleeping would certainly be dangerous for an ordinary person.

But because of the [Hero] skill, I don’t need to sleep, and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with my body.

Rather, I’m much healthier than others.

“.. Okay, oppa. Then good night. I think I need to sleep now.”

Si-eun looked at my expression with a sullen look after hearing my words, then smiled as if relieved.

And then, seemingly tired, she yawned.

“Oh, and… take it easy at night.”

And before entering her room, she spoke to me as if embarrassed.

Quite embarrassed, with a blushing face.

“Huh? Take what easy?”

“… It’s nothing.”

“Okay. Then good night, Si-eun.”

I completely didn’t understand what Si-eun had said to me.

I was definitely quiet at night, though I wasn’t sleeping.

So I asked Si-eun, but Si-eun avoided answering.

It was a somewhat bland end to the conversation, but who cares.

I also entered my room, leaving Si-eun behind.

“Whew…”

The room was neatly arranged, as if Si-eun had cleaned it while I was away.

I didn’t lie on the bed.

I sat on the chair, briefly looking at the ceiling, thinking about what had happened in the gate today.

The life-and-death battle with Kim Jong-pal’s party in the gate.

“Haah…”

I sighed.

Although I won that battle in the end, that battle was actually very dangerous.

To be honest, I could have easily lost.

It was possible because the opponent was careless; if they had fought properly from the beginning, I might not be here.

“I need to get stronger…”

If there’s one thing I’ve realized after returning as a hunter after 3 years, it’s that gates are still dangerous.

Nothing has changed from 3 years ago.

No, perhaps even after several years, as long as hunters and gates exist, that’s an unchanging law.

So, I felt the need to become even stronger.

In the end, to survive, to safely work as a hunter, there was only one way.

I needed to become so strong that no one could touch me.

“I have the Hero skill, but… I need to become more urgent.”

I have the Hero skill. And I practice swordsmanship every day.

To be honest, because of the item [4. All growth rates increase by 3 times.] in the [Hero] skill, my growth rate is absurd.

Moreover, since there’s no growth limit that would normally exist, I believe if I maintain this pace, I can definitely become S-rank within 2 years.

This is honestly a very rapid achievement, possible because of the [Hero] skill.

But somehow I have the intuition that might be too late.

Saying I’ll become stronger after 2 years means, conversely, that I could face danger at any time during those 2 years.

“If… I were to die, Si-eun who’s left behind…”

I kept encountering ominous thoughts.

Such as suffering something terrible while doing hunter work.

So, I had to make a decision.

“For now, let’s aim to become stronger than I was 3 years ago.”

I rose from the chair.

And to undergo more rigorous training.

To survive for certain, I left the house.