NOVEL NEXT Chapter 84
Chapter 84. Family (3)
“Are we meeting today?”
—Yes. Are you available?
Yoo Ji-han received a call from Kim Si-hu that his father had safely entered Korea.
And as previously mentioned, Kim Geon-oh expressed his desire to meet Yoo Ji-han.
“No problem.”
Yoo Ji-han readily accepted his request.
He was also interested in Kim Geon-oh, a monster researcher and the husband of Erna Hass, the previous owner of the Sylph.
—We decided to meet in front of Yoo-ri unni’s house.
“Because of Chilla?”
—Yes. Since he attracts attention and can’t enter public places due to his size.
“Got it. See you there.”
The meeting spot was in front of Min Yu-ri’s house.
It was a decision considerate of Chilla’s size.
‘It’s not too far.’
Leaving the house ahead of schedule, Yoo Ji-han got on the bus.
The address of Min Yu-ri’s house, received via message, appeared on his phone.
‘If we go by my generation, we’re 4th generation heroes.’
Heroes capable of wielding magic first appeared in the USA, Japan, China, and such.
And since then, over 60 years of history were built in the hero realm.
There’s no special meaning to it, but typically generations of heroes are divided by about ten years.
By that standard, the first Hero Department in Korea emerged around the time when heroes transitioned into the 3rd generation.
‘I am from the 5th generation.’
Yoo Ji-han was a 5th generation hero, and Kim Si-hu was a 6th generation hero.
In the last decade, heroes who had retired were most likely from the 3rd or 4th generations.
‘Considering Si-hu’s age, he must be in his 50s.’
Current active heroes were mainly in their 20s and 30s.
Moreover, heroes tend to retire in their 40s to 50s.
The reasons for retiring are usually due to hitting their limits.
If they were active around the rank of 3, they would have earned enough and wouldn’t have significant issues living a modest life after retiring.
In Kim Geon-oh’s case, he allegedly jumped into monster research after retiring, so his reasons might be different, but…
‘About this time.’
As the bus followed the map, large standalone houses lined up in the area.
Yoo Ji-han checked the map and moved to the front of Min Yu-ri’s house and pressed the doorbell.
Ding-dong—
“Ah? Ji-han!”
After a brief wait, Min Yu-ri’s voice came through the speaker.
“You came early?”
“Is that so?”
Min Yu-ri sounded a bit surprised.
Yoo Ji-han scratched the back of his head.
He had arrived much quicker than he intended.
“I’ll wait at the nearby café.”
“That would be rude with guests coming. Please come inside!”
Click!
With the homeowner’s permission, the previously locked door swung open.
Yoo Ji-han stepped inside.
‘Oh.’
Then he stopped in his tracks upon discovering something.
In front of the building, a small garden with artificial turf.
In the center of the area where Min Yu-ri’s car was parked sat Chilla.
“Chirp.”
Chilla, lifting his head and basking in the warm sunlight, looked at Yoo Ji-han as he entered through the door.
His large, sparkling eyes fixed on Yoo Ji-han’s face.
Yoo Ji-han, not wanting to lose the gaze battle, stared back at Chilla.
“……”
“……”
A silent exchange of glances continued.
It was Yoo Ji-han who first broke the eye contact.
He spotted Min Yu-ri coming out of the house.
“I’m sorry for coming too early.”
“No, it’s just that I haven’t finished my preparations yet….”
Yoo Ji-han took in her appearance as she stepped outside.
Her hair looked wet, as if she had just washed it, and she held a towel.
She wore pink pajama pants with a casually thrown-on outer garment.
It was understandable that she hadn’t finished her preparations.
“I’ll just play with Chilla in the yard.”
“Would you like that?”
Min Yu-ri went back inside to prepare.
Meanwhile, Yoo Ji-han approached Chilla, who had been sitting there.
It seemed like it was the first time being alone together.
What should he do with this guy?
After a moment of pondering, he spoke up.
“Hand.”
“……?”
Chilla, tilting his head, extended his right paw to Yoo Ji-han.
Yoo Ji-han took the paw and examined it.
‘……It’s a warrior’s hand.’
What was an action taken thoughtlessly surprised Yoo Ji-han.
At the tip of the soft fuzz covering its entire body, there were four firm fingers where he felt strength rather than softness.
This was a warrior’s hand, exuding toughness that contrasted with Chilla’s cute appearance.
The skin was much tougher and sturdier than a human’s, making it comprehensible that he had protected Min Yu-ri as a tank until now.
Yoo Ji-han hinted to Chilla.
“Want to try using a shield?”
“Chirp?”
“I think you’d be good at it if you learned.”
Based on their shared experiences, it seemed that Chilla could use his hands freely like a human.
Equipping him properly under these conditions would allow him to perform even better than now.
‘I need to get a shield.’
Yoo Ji-han thought he should introduce Chilla to Nam Ho-yeol soon.
Though he wasn’t the blacksmith specialized in pet equipment.
He figured he could manage a request somehow.
*
When the promised time came, Kim Si-hu and Kim Geon-oh arrived at Min Yu-ri’s house.
Yoo Ji-han first reached out to Kim Geon-oh, saying,
“I’m Yoo Ji-han, currently with Si-hu.”
“I’m Kim Geon-oh, Si-hu’s father. My son has been a continuous burden.”
“No, but I’ve received a lot of help from Si-hu.”
The two exchanged gentle smiles as they shook hands.
‘Is this person Si-hu’s father?’
Yoo Ji-han examined Kim Geon-oh’s face.
With curly hair that seemed permed, round glasses, and a neatly groomed beard.
He stood out with an intellectual image.
His kind smile appeared quite similar to Kim Si-hu.
‘Hmm……’
Kim Geon-oh was also judging Yoo Ji-han’s first impression.
Though retired, Kim Geon-oh was once a 3rd rank hero.
As a monster researcher, he still possessed the keen insight from his active days.
‘Looks like a decent hero.’
Feeling Yoo Ji-han’s calloused palms through their handshake.
The location of the calluses suggested that they typically appeared in warriors who mainly wield swords.
Despite having held that callus for quite a while, he felt a firm grip even with a light hold!
It’s difficult to completely assess someone with such fragmentary information.
Yet Kim Geon-oh thought that compared to his active days, Yoo Ji-han seemed no worse off.
‘Si-hu met a pretty good guy.’
His politeness was evident, which was refreshing compared to some disrespectful heroes nowadays.
Not a bad impression as his son’s companion.
“You mentioned Ji-han is the party leader?”
“That’s correct. Si-hu graciously allowed me to take the lead.”
“That seems like a good choice, not just as Si-hu’s father, but as a senior hero.”
It’s not that Kim Si-hu wouldn’t fit the role of a party leader.
A mage party leader who keeps an eye on the party members from the back and makes appropriate judgments is a common arrangement, and Kim Si-hu certainly had the talent for that role.
However, a party led by an exceptional warrior inherently comes with massive performance capabilities.
The mere presence of a party leader who takes charge in the frontline empowers the team members.
“Hello, I’m Min Yu-ri.”
“I’m Kim Geon-oh. I’ve heard a lot about you. And… this must be Chilla?”
“That’s right.”
“Hmm!”
Finally, Kim Geon-oh looked up to Chilla.
Chilla, who was staring at the new guests that arrived, soon shifted his gaze back to Yoo Ji-han.
“This little buddy is really amazing!”
A chinchilla that transformed into a monster!
The excited monster researcher, Kim Geon-oh, blew out a long breath.
In fact, he anticipated the existence of Chilla more than anything else during today’s meeting.
“Can I take some pictures?”
Click! Click!
Kim Geon-oh took out his mobile phone and began taking pictures while circling around Chilla.
Chilla, perhaps the only monster chinchilla in the world!
He felt the need to gather as much as he could from this rare encounter.
“Is it okay if I take a few fur strands?”
“Fur?”
“Yes! It will be quite useful for research.”
“I’ll pluck a few for you.”
“If possible, could it be from the top of his head…?”
If he could, he’d like to take a bit of blood too.
But as a father, he couldn’t be too rude to his son’s companions.
“Shall we summon a Sylph too?”
“Oh! That sounds great. It’s been quite a while since I’ve seen a Sylph.”
Kim Geon-oh showed a very excited reaction.
Since his wife passed away, he hadn’t seen a Sylph at all.
Without any hesitation, Yoo Ji-han summoned the Sylph immediately.
Ping!
The Sylph appeared in the air and settled on top of Yoo Ji-han’s head.
“Sylph.”
Kim Geon-oh called out the Sylph’s name.
It was indeed a name he hadn’t uttered in years.
But then…
Startled!
The Sylph shivered slightly upon spotting Kim Geon-oh.
The contractor, Yoo Ji-han, noticed that small gesture.
“Sylph? He’s calling you over there.”
Feeling something was off, Yoo Ji-han urged the Sylph.
No, no.
But the Sylph vigorously shook her round body, expressing her refusal.
And then hid behind Yoo Ji-han’s head.
“No…”
Yoo Ji-han was quite bewildered by the Sylph’s behavior.
This was the first time since the day they first contracted that the Sylph openly refused an order.
“What’s going on? She’s not listening.”
“Haha, it’s fine. It seems she’s feeling strange since it’s been a while since she’s seen him.”
Kim Geon-oh chuckled bitterly at the sight of the Sylph avoiding him.
It was as if he knew this would happen from the start…
*
The next day.
Still not having left Korea, Kim Geon-oh moved on to fulfill his schedule with monster researchers residing in Korea.
And after gathering, Yoo Ji-han’s party entered the Hero Academy building.
Today marks the day of moving into a new office and having individual interviews at the Hero Academy.
“This is the office assigned to Yoo Ji-han’s party.”
“Wow.”
“It’s bigger than I thought.”
A large automatic door that can accommodate three people appeared as they entered.
Inside was a space just slightly larger than what three people would use.
Though there were no desks or chairs, basic facilities like a small freezer to store a few monsters, air conditioning, and air purification systems were all provided.
There was even a dedicated elevator that leads directly down to the underground parking lot.
It was incomparably better than the small building they had been using before.
“You may use it freely as long as nothing gets damaged.”
“Thank you.”
“I’ll give you a pamphlet from the furniture company we’re collaborating with, so if you need any furniture like chairs or desks, please let us know. We will deliver them within three days after your order.”
After explaining, the staff from the Hero Academy left.
While looking around, Yoo Ji-han’s eyes fell on the circular cushion prepared in the corner of the office.
That was a special spot set aside for Chilla.
“Chirp.”
Chilla moved to that spot and sat down.
It was clear he knew that was his place.
“Let’s go.”
Satisfied with the new office, Yoo Ji-han’s party soon moved to the conference room they had been informed about earlier.
The Hero Academy staff member they promised to meet was already inside.
‘They said there are extra points for showing a good impression during the interview.’
The Hero Academy assesses its candidates every time.
It’s essential to earn those extra points that help with evaluations.
Thus, Yoo Ji-han planned to act in accordance with the Hero Academy’s intentions as much as possible.
“Yoo Ji-han’s party. I’ll check your activity history for a moment.”
Tap-tap!
As the staff member typed on the keyboard, the activity history of Yoo Ji-han’s party appeared on the laptop monitor.
Since Min Yu-ri’s personal activity history, which only involved capturing the Giant Cat Monster, was not included, it was quite a brief record compared to other parties that entered the Hero Academy.
It might even be the shortest record among all the parties that had entered the Hero Academy so far.
‘……Huh?’
However, as the staff member skimmed through the content, an intrigued expression emerged.
Records of battles against animal, plant, and insect-type monsters.
He realized that Yoo Ji-han’s party was trying to gain diverse experiences in a short period.
‘That’s not a choice that would come about purely by chance.’
The staff member looked at Yoo Ji-han, the party leader, with a significant gaze.
In small guilds, money was often the top priority.
If money was the only goal, they wouldn’t have tried to climb Gye-yang Mountain to capture Goemi.
‘Interesting.’
Though they weren’t an organization like a large guild with well-established systems, they were advancing toward an ideal direction.
These were heroes with sound concepts firmly in mind!
Based on his experience with the Hero Academy’s 1st to 3rd batches, this type of party generally fell into one of two categories.
Either they stagnate after hitting a limit during activities.
Or they soar with tremendous momentum.