A flame flared up in the mini brazier placed under the hotel bed. The small bird that had been pecking at the reddened charcoal with its tiny beak flapped its wings, expressing joy.

“Piyuu─!”

A high, clear chirp echoed lightly in the bedroom. It was a very large resonance for a sound coming from a body as small as a boiled egg.

“Haa.”

A sigh escaped involuntarily from his complex feelings. The creature with neatly folded red-golden wings looked up at Ryu Seo-ha and tilted its head. The splendid crest on its head fluttered like a flame.

“Pyu?”

The small bird that had been alternating between pecking at the charcoal and looking up at him with a tilt of its head, flapped its wings. Landing gently on the bed sheet like dandelion seeds floating in the wind, it approached with tiny steps.

Every time its adorable feet moved like taking first steps, he could see its long tail feathers, harmoniously mixed with yellow, orange, and red colors, swaying left and right.

The baby bird gently pecked at his thigh with its beak. As if asking how he was. Its feathers, dyed by the sunlight shining through the window, glowed like a bright sun.

“…It’s okay. Eat more.”

This time, instead of sighing, he gently stroked its head. When he lifted the mini brazier onto the bed, the flame-like bird began to peck at the charcoal excitedly again.

-This little one just changed its body composition to fire attribute, right? So I can’t touch it.

He felt like he could hear Dr. Han Gang-seok’s voice from a few hours ago echoing in his ears. It was what he had muttered after getting a high-temperature burn when he carelessly tried to touch the newborn baby bird.

-What, it’s not hot? Huh, a bird discriminating against people.

The small bird, which turned into an insubstantial flame to protect itself whenever Han Gang-seok tried to touch it, only approached Ryu Seo-ha affectionately.

-Maybe because it hatched after being stimulated by Seo-ha’s magic.

As if it had chosen him as its owner.

-This is really strange. Seo-ha probably wasn’t the first person to inject magic into that pebble…

However, he had to put aside curiosity and wonder. Even the legal matters to be handled if he were to tame and control monsters like a summoner-type hunter. His mind was complicated.

A card that could heal Choi Gang-hu’s injury in the future. Or a chance to acquire a one-time revival skill to solve the terminal illness problem. Both options had flown away in an instant.

“…What should I do with you.”

It seems that Han Gang-seok’s mention of an “phoenix egg” about an item with unknown information in the original work wasn’t just a simple metaphor.

It was troublesome. A monster not even in the monster encyclopedia he had seen in his previous life. And he couldn’t ignore a life that had already been born.

“Piyu?”

Suddenly, the baby bird lifted its head from the mini brazier. It approached the door with quick steps and chirped, Peek, Peep, as if on guard.

“Come in, come in.”

A familiar voice was heard right on cue. When he opened the door, he saw the spacious living room of the hotel suite. It was a place Choi Gang-hu had semi-forcibly upgraded. Under the pretext of convenience in security management.

Behind Ryu Jeong-ah, his older sister who had just stepped into the living room, he saw Han Gaeul looking around the suite awkwardly. It was an unexpected combination. When did these two people with no apparent connection become acquainted?

“Oh, why are you being so cautious? Think of it as my home and sit comfortably. Do you want coffee? Juice? Milk?”

Jeong-ah, who had pushed the hesitant guest onto the soft sofa, turned towards the kitchen and noticed him standing at the threshold.

“Ah, Seo-ha! When did you come in? Are you not feeling well? Is that why you left work early again?”

The words of concern that his older sister rapidly spat out after approaching in the blink of an eye paradoxically calmed his mind. A smile involuntarily escaped.

“Left early? Sis, do you still think I’m an elementary school student?”

“Don’t talk nonsense! Are you really not sick somewhere? Otherwise, how could you be here at this time… Gasp! Don’t tell me you collapsed again? Is that why you were carried here? Where’s Choi Gang-hu?”

Jeong-ah looked around as if certain that Choi Gang-hu would be nearby. His older sister’s fussy reaction pleasantly silenced his mind that had been noisy all along.

“If that were the case, I would have gone to the hospital. I’m completely fine.”

“Ah, geez… You scared me!”

He got a light smack on his back.

“Piyuwut─!”

The moment he saw a pillar of flame shooting forward accompanied by a high-pitched bird cry,

Characteristic ‘Sanctification’ is activated.

Without time to consider anything else, he deployed the characteristic to protect his older sister. Almost simultaneously, Jeong-ah, who had detected the crisis situation, quickly lowered her body.

“W-What!”

Only after realizing that the transparent membrane enveloping her body was ensuring her safety did she let out a terrified voice. Looking with bewildered eyes at the flame bird that Ryu Seo-ha had snatched up.

“Ppyuu!”

The baby bird, which had threateningly puffed up its flickering flame feathers, made a strong sound as if complaining. Yet, it was impressive how it remained obediently in his hand.

“You can’t do that!”

“Piyu…?”

When he firmly pointed out the aggressive behavior, the creature tilted its head while deflating its puffed-up body.

“If you attack people recklessly like that, I’ll have no choice but to send you far away.”

“Pyu…”

“Especially, I can’t tolerate you misbehaving towards my precious people.”

He could feel the small bird quickly becoming dejected, glancing at him furtively. As if it had understood all the content of his words.

“Seo-ha…?”

“Sorry, sis. Were you very surprised?”

“No, this much is… But what is that? Don’t tell me you gained a taming skill?”

Jeong-ah, who had been watching the sitcom-like scene with a bewildered expression, bombarded him with questions.

“It’s not like that… But what about you? Did you know Han Gaeul?”

He slightly changed the topic, finding it awkward to give a detailed explanation. While exchanging a silent greeting with Han Gaeul, who had sprung up from the sofa after he deactivated [Sanctification].

“The situation is a bit complicated. Gaeul is going to stay here tonight.”

“Ah, no! I was just going to stay for a moment and then leave…”

Han Gaeul, who had been exchanging eye greetings with him in a fluster, shook her head while waving both hands.

“Where are you going? We agreed to sleep together.”

“But this is a space that Hunter Ryu Seo-ha uses too. And it’s a hotel…”

Although he didn’t know the intimate circumstances, he seemed to understand why Jeong-ah had stepped in as if it were her own business. The shy blushing and trailing off reminded him exactly of his younger sister who had gone ahead.

“What if those guys come looking again?”

“But Jeong-ah unni got threatening texts too…”

“There are professional security personnel guarding here. The guild master even supplemented the personnel, so it’s better than you being alone…”

But the wistful sentiment quickly dissipated at several nerve-wracking words. Those guys? Threatening texts?

“What’s all this about?”

When he asked with a hardened face, the expressions of the two whispering people became awkward. After a moment’s hesitation, Jeong-ah slowly spilled the whole story.

“Actually…”

She said that texts from Go Young-hoon, who had been the president of YH Capital, had been arriving one per day for the past few days. Three days later, it was a threat to come out alone to Myeongdong Cathedral without telling anyone.

“Sis, you weren’t planning to go there alone, were you?”

“Hey, do you think I’m stupid? If I was going to do that, I wouldn’t have told Choi Gang-hu right away.”

He stared at the text message threatening Jeong-ah under the pretext of his well-being. It was in the same format as the mobile invitation sent by the order.

“Thugs from loan sharks even came to Gaeul’s house.”

“To demand repayment?”

Something was strange. Han Gaeul’s debt certificate should have already turned to dust.

“I don’t know. They just barged in and made a mess, she says. How could we leave her alone in that house?”

Above all, after Go Young-hoon disappeared, YH Capital had all but collapsed. There’s no way they would have the capacity to collect debts.

“Are you not hurt anywhere?”

Putting aside his suspicious feelings, he first checked on Han Gaeul’s condition.

“Ah, no! I’m fine! I’m sorry… for making you worry unnecessarily…”

Han Gaeul bowed her head deeply, her cheeks turning rosy.

“You don’t need to think like that. As my sister said, please stay here comfortably.”

“But…”

“Instead, may I ask a few more questions? To my sister too.”

When he asked while stroking the red bird, which was staying still like a statue as if it wasn’t there, puzzlement spread across the faces of the two.

❖ ❖ ❖

“You’ve come.”

Even before entering the guild master’s office, Choi Gang-hu, who seemed to have been waiting, welcomed him. He silently followed the hand that naturally wrapped around his waist and led him towards the sofa.

“Would you like something to drink…”

“I’d like to talk just the two of us, if that’s okay?”

When he asked for understanding before Secretary Jang, who had followed in like a shadow, could finish his question, Choi Gang-hu’s eyebrows slightly raised at the unexpected behavior.

“Are you upset because of your sister’s matter?”

He asked, seeming to have detected a subtle difference in atmosphere after sending Secretary Jang away with a light eye signal.

“Not informing Ryu Seo-ha in advance was…”

As he placed both hands on the broad shoulders instead of sitting on the sofa, the tail of the words that were about to calmly explain faded.

“I guess you considerately didn’t want me to worry.”

After responding with a slight smile, Ryu Seo-ha grabbed his shirt collar with both hands.

“Is it still empty?”

Facing the much closer face directly,

“The next-door apartment you said you’d give me as a gift.”

The subtly whispering voice encouraged lewd imagination.