Chapter 669: Chapter 669

The high, rounded ceiling was covered in lavish paintings. Walls, columns, and doors were all adorned with golden decorations that glittered and dazzled whenever the light struck them. Even faced with such luxury, the few tourists kept shifting their gazes elsewhere. A girl and a child stood before a massive painting. In particular, one of them was that boy who had been the talk of the town recently.

“I’ve always wanted to come to Versailles at least once.”

Park Yerim said with a pout.

Han Gyeol, standing beside her, nodded in agreement.

“Leaving just the two of us behind. Dad was too harsh.”

Han Yujin had decided to exclude Park Yerim and Gyeol from this mission chasing the prophet cult. Both were too young. Although Park Yerim was an S-rank Hunter who tackled dungeons, this opponent was purely human. Unlike a Chatterbox party, neither side’s lives were guaranteed.

“I don’t like hurting people either, but they attacked first, right? It’s self-defense.”

Despite Park Yerim’s reminder that she had already fought several times in Africa, Han Yujin was firm. Humans weren’t like monsters—you could clearly read their expressions and talk to them. Seeing or causing a human’s final moments up close was something even adults should avoid, he argued, and dissuaded her.

“...I’ve never actually killed anyone.”

Some of the people swept away by the flood in China might not have survived. But she had never stood face to face and killed someone herself. She had seen injured people and corpses, though. Park Yerim muttered quietly that corpses didn’t really bother her—maybe because ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) they were strangers.

“You’re still overprotective though. I’m stronger than Uncle.”

“You’re not hurt, so it’s fine.”

Park Yerim turned her head to peer down at the child beside her.

“You really are too young, Gyeol. And now you’re not even a monster anymore. It’s right that little kids shouldn’t come along.”

Gyeol puffed out his cheeks in discontent. Baby monsters and little children were not the same. Even if both needed protection, society still saw them differently. Hearing that he couldn’t trail after Dad so easily, Gyeol looked as if the world was collapsing around him.

“They said people would gossip if we only did a safe Chatterbox party. If we go somewhere truly dangerous, Uncle might be arrested for child abuse.”

Gyeol fell silent, unable to find a rebuttal. When he’d asked if he could transform into a cat, he was told that animal protection societies wouldn’t go easy on them either.

“I want a stealth skill too.”

“I want stealth too. But I’m S-rank and sixteen.”

“I’m not as old as you, Aunt, but I’m still a child. You’re Dad’s ward, so you have to be careful too.”

Gyeol let out a heavy sigh.

“Even if I snuck along, it’d cause Dad trouble. I don’t want to make things harder for him.”

“That’s true, but, Gyeol.”

Park Yerim took a step forward as they moved into the corridor. Marcellus, their guardian, followed a short distance behind them.

“I don’t think you need to worry about all that yet. I think you think too much!”

“But even if I’m little, I shouldn’t do wrong things, Aunt.”

“It’d be better if you didn’t do what Uncle said not to. But thinking ahead about everything Dad might dislike...that’s not good. It wasn’t good for me either.”

Even a bright, fearless child must watch the adults when he can’t stand on his own. Even if the adults treated him unfairly, a child dependent on their protection had to keep his mouth shut.

“Was it like that for you at first too?”

Park Yerim smiled and bent down to whisper to Gyeol.

“Even if Uncle treated me well, he was still someone else. If I weren’t S-rank, I thought I’d have a hard time. If I had no skill, couldn’t help, and was just a nuisance, Uncle would get fed up and show it. That’s normal.”

Gyeol’s golden eyes blinked rapidly.

“I wanted Dad to like me.”

“But you don’t have to.”

Beyond the stairs, the garden opened wide. Though it had lost its greenery for winter, its neatly trimmed shapes were worth admiring. Park Yerim sprang down the steps in one leap.

“Even if we bring Versailles crashing down, Uncle will sort it out! Then he’ll scold us, and that’ll be it.”

They’d go home as usual, have dinner, go to bed, and wake up to breakfast as if nothing had happened. Gyeol scampered down the stairs.

“But you still shouldn’t, Aunt.”

“Of course not. I don’t want Dad to suffer either. Whatever happens now or in the future—”

Park Yerim’s brow furrowed slightly. She wasn’t without fear. She knew this life could collapse in an instant. Someone by her side could vanish forever again.

Park Yerim fell silent. She closed the distance and threw her arms around Gyeol.

“Yeah, I love you too, Aunt.”

Gyeol stretched out his short arms and hugged her back.

“Uncle’s love for you won’t change. That’s for sure!”

“But leaving us behind was too much. At least wait until I’m two years older.”

They went to the garden’s silent fountain, where the mechanism had been switched off. Park Yerim sent a burst of water shooting upward. The stream traced a heart, then a flower, then a star before cascading down like rain.

“Maybe it’s safer if we all stick together. Of course I’m strong, but it’d be hard for them to run wild in Paris. There are many S-ranks stationed there too!”

The European Hunter Union would send help from Britain or nearby countries if needed, she said, and they should go sightseeing in Paris together. The Paris branch of the French Hunter Association also guaranteed their safety.

“Aunt doesn’t look like Uncle at all. So it’s Peace!”

– Ppiyak ppiyak ppiyak!

Ppiyak flapped his wings like clapping as he perched on the fountain’s edge. Park Yerim and Gyeol looked at him in surprise.

“Aunt, Bellare is here too!”

Ignoring them, Ppiyak floated up to inspect the fountain’s decorations. After circling once, he returned to Bellare and chirped something.

“Ppiyak, how did you get all the way out here? Did you come sightseeing?”

“I told you not to wander off, didn’t I?”

The little white chick protested with a bblink, then hopped onto the red gemstone serpent’s head. In an instant, the two vanished. Park Yerim narrowed her eyes and tilted her head.

“A rebellious streak, huh. Ppiyak really is no ordinary bird.”

“...You’re right, Aunt.”

Gyeol stared hard at the empty spot where Ppiyak had been.

“Ppiyak’s acting strange.”

When Ruga Peya died, Ppiyak had appeared. Even in a space beyond the interference of other S-ranks or Transcendents, he’d led Han Yujin beneath the snow-laden tree. Even if it was thanks to the King of Harmless’s magic stone, it was an astonishing ability. Gyeol folded his arms seriously, unable to speak of it.

“Aunt, could Ppiyak be connected to the outside world?”

“Hm. But Ppiyak hasn’t been with Uncle just for a day or two. Yunyun can do long-distance shifts too.”

Could that round little chick really...Park Yerim relaxed into a nod.

“Besides, Ppiyak isn’t that smart. Peace is far more likely. He’s at least five times smarter than Ppiyak. Sometimes he outsmarts people.”

Gyeol, still frustrated, transformed into his fairy-dragon form and settled on Park Yerim’s shoulder.

– Ppiyak has never harmed Dad.

“His wandering is the problem. How did he know to come to Versailles? Did he see it on TV?”

Gyeol fiddled with the tip of his tail. As Aunt said, it seemed he’d come simply for fun. So far, there had been no issues.

‘...Ppiyak does love Dad too.’

Thinking back to the pure white winter-tree scene, Gyeol hugged his tail tight.

The Hunter world—and indeed the whole world—was a treasure trove! Special vaults held at least S-rank to SS-rank equipment waiting to be claimed!

And the lucky heir to that vault, Director Dodam’s Han Yujin.

News of the secret son of Guildmaster Sesung?! had the world buzzing once again. It was announced that Chatterbox had left a will bequeathing all his assets to the party winner, and people were talking about his fortune.

Dozens of real estates and piles of cash were jaw-dropping, but what caught the most attention was the hunter gear. Items filling a special vault that only the owner could open or destroy. Even the abilities introduced during the party hinted at extraordinary power.

[Prizes will be awarded based on participants’ gold holdings and viewership ratings.]

As promised, Han Yujin announced he would distribute the gear among participants.

[Of course, the winner’s share will be the largest. But my stats are F-rank, so I don’t need high-rank gear. B-rank flat increases suit me better than S-rank percent boosts. So I’ll look after people around me first, and then the remainder will go to deserving hunters.]

He didn’t claim he’d give it away for free, but S-rank and SS-rank gear was scarce even for money. Any top hunter’s ears would perk up.

[However, I can’t just head to New York to open the vault. A terrorist group has been targeting me since Africa. Unfortunately, the vault itself can’t be moved.]

A saboteur had appeared.

[They’ve already destroyed the airport. To prevent further civilian casualties, we’re joining forces with European hunters to root out the terrorists.]

At that invitation, the party’s dispersed participants began gathering again. Hunters on good terms with Han Yujin and those holding plenty of gold packed for France immediately. Even non-participants hoping for scraps slipped in.

A small plane touched down on the short, sloping runway. Above, helicopters circled. Some hunters, unable to wait, leapt down instead of landing.

“I never thought S-ranks would gather this often.”

An S-rank hunter, newly off the plane, muttered as he slung his duffel bag over his shoulder. At one corner of the airport, a young man with golden wings hovered several meters above, speaking through a megaphone.

[Please follow the right path. European Hunter Union staff are at reception! Private combat is prohibited!]

A man who looked every bit a public official stood motionless at the path’s entrance, watching the airport activity carefully. He wore a temporary European Hunter Union badge. Others with identical badges shouted that certain behaviors were forbidden.

“I saw them over there earlier.”

They glanced around, but Han Yujin was hard to spot. He was surely under protection, and most people were top hunters anyway.

“Is that kid Gyeol really a relative?”

“They have different surnames.”

“But they look so alike.”

Some held fresh magazines featuring Han Yujin and Gyeol on the cover. Even high-rank hunters enjoyed gossip.

“Honestly, it wouldn’t be strange if Guildmaster Sesung had ten secret children.”

“I thought there were none. He’s too meticulous for that.”

“When does that marriage variety show air? Did the terror delay it?”

“I’ve been waiting too. Guildmaster Sesung doesn’t seem to be here—maybe filming?”

One by one, hunters completed reception. The cold clause of no compensation for casualties and personal liability for civilian damage didn’t deter anyone—it was no different from a dungeon raid.

“Thank you all for coming from afar.” ʀᴇᴀᴅ ʟᴀᴛᴇsᴛ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀᴛ 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭•𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚•𝕟𝕖𝕥

Once registration ended, a familiar voice from the broadcast came through. The Flame Horn Lion spread his wings and lifted off lightly. Han Yujin, riding atop, waved a greeting.