Chapter 212 Blue’s Relocation (2)

Translated by: Ddomigan

The car drove around the huge construction site. It was said that they planned to connect the facility to the mountain with a passage once they are granted permission to access it. As for the artificial lake, it was still in the stage of marking out its location. Amid their sightseeing, Blue appeared suddenly and flew along with the car.

“The people at the training center have great expectations too.”

Moon Hyuna said as she parked her car in the high-rank hunter training center parking lot.

“Airborne monsters are quite a handful to deal with, after all.” Moon Hyuna added.

“While it may be difficult to come in contact with airborne monsters, just being able to observe one could be beneficial to the hunters. Moreover, as Blue is a griffin, he also possesses the characteristics of a terrestrial monster for hunters to practice against with.”

Under the pretext of enabling the safe simulation of a mock battle between hunters and an S-rank monster, they were able to secure permission and support for constructing the new rearing facility with ease. Blue would have a new form of entertainment, hunters would have better opportunities to train, and everyone benefits. It's a win-win situation.

“Though it goes without saying, we cannot allow any harm to come to the kids.” Moon Hyuna said.

Considering that it’s Blue, the likelihood of it sustaining injuries was likely to be minimal. Walking into the training center, they were recognized and greeted by some hunters. And as Blue descended onto the recreation field, curious gazes were directed towards it.

“We look forward to seeing Blue around in the future.”

One of the hunters stepped forward, having heard that Blue was an energetic beast that enjoyed interacting with humans.

“Could I play with her now?” He asked.

“Yes, of course. However, she does get a bit rough while playing sometimes. Though with your status as a high-rank hunter, it's unlikely that you'll suffer any severe injuries.”

“Well, minor injuries are common.” The hunter replied.

He seemed tough. As the hunter approached Blue with a long practice stick, Blue growled and yanked at it. As they wrestled for the stick, other hunters began joining in. Just then, one hunter tried to grab onto Blue, and...

PUK!

“Ugh!”

The hunter was struck and knocked down by a large pair of wings, causing him to squirm in pain. However, he quickly regained his composure and rejoined the fray. Blue wagged its tail like a whip, seemingly enjoying the workout.

Keep up the good work, Blue.

“Someone might mistake you for the kid’s dad from your expression.” Moon Hyuna remarked.

“But isn’t this a pleasant sight?” Yoojin said.

Moon Hyuna shook her head and suddenly lowered her voice.

“Do you know that the old folks on our side don't like seeing the young master these days? Naturally, we had anticipated that Breaker would rise up a rank after MKC’s collapse. However, it appears that Haeyeon has taken that place.”

In the past, there were Sesung, MKC, and Breaker. Even though it was not explicitly stated, it was evidently clear that they were the top three guilds. Coming in fourth place was Hanshin, followed by Haeyeon, the newcomer which had just secured a spot in Korea’s top five guilds.

“There are murmurs about how Haeyeon should be recognized as the strongest guild after Sesung, and the old folks are getting annoyed about it. There have even been suggestions to join forces with Hanshin.”

Moon Hyuna frowned, grumbling about being caught in the crossfire.

“Now, they’ve even started comparing me to Yerim. I was only planning to go to Japan just to watch and have some fun, but then people started putting their faces on TV and fussing about winning the second Korean-Japanese war... Ugh, seriously."

Words that were not meant for the kid's ears were briefly uttered. Of course, those statements were infuriating, but if only there was a way to make those words disappear.

“Although a significant portion of S-class awakened hunters are part of Haeyeon, the guild is still small in terms of scale.”

The guild will still grow quickly though. Yoojin thought.

“The fact that many view the Beast Rearing Facility as a part of Haeyeon makes it even worse. It's all about blood ties, no? If the guild leader and the rearing facility head were to suddenly cling to each other, it’s practically over.”

At the mention of their close relationship, Yoojin inadvertently turned to look back at Yoohyun. He couldn’t pretend that wasn’t the case even if he wanted to. Even now, he was already smiling back at his younger brother reflexively. They’re even living together... Yoojin understands why people’s views could be misled.

Although the Haeyeon guild leader does live with his older brother, this fact wasn't ever disclosed. As far as the public knows, Yoohyun still lives in Haeyeon guild's residence. However, people who’s seen them commuting together several times probably noticed the truth.

“Living elsewhere... is not something I can tell you to do. Ugh, I don't know. Anyway, it's best to maintain neutrality among the big guilds. If one of the big guilds fall apart and the balance is broken, it's pretty much over. I just never imagined that MKC would collapse so quickly."

Yoojin then said, “If you ever have thoughts of overthrowing those bothersome people holding you down, let me know. We shall actively cooperate with you.”

“Stop tempting me, Director Han. It’s not easy to cut off affiliations without getting hurt.”

Moon Hyuna said with a bitter smile.

“Blue, I’ll visit you often.”

- Kkyaoo.

After stroking Blue from its beak down to its neck, Moon Hyuna bid farewell to them, and then Blue resumed playing with the hunters. Yoojin was feeling much more at ease now that things appeared to be unfolding as he had expected. Whatever was to come next was not too far away.

They then left the training center. Instead of returning to the rearing facility, they headed for the Haeyeon Guild to bring over the remaining beast cubs left at the building.

As Yoojin arrived at Haeyeon Guild’s parking lot, he ran into Yerim just as she was leaving the building. She looked primped and preened from head to toe, her expressions were so bright and vibrant that it made her shine more than usual. Not only was Yerim making his heart race with excitement, but she was literally racing towards him right at that moment.

“Ahjussi! Have you bought a swimsuit?”

“...Me? Uh, no.”

To begin with, Yoojin wasn’t even that good at swimming. He only practiced enough to stay afloat in case he fell into water during a dungeon raid. When Yoojin mentioned that he had not buy a swimsuit, Yerim pouted her lips in disappointment.

“That’s why I said to go shopping together! Now that I have another interview to attend to, I have to leave soon.”

Yerim then glanced back at Yoohyun who was standing next to Yoojin.

“Guild leader, you should take responsibility for preparing everything. If we just leave him be, ahjussi will definitely keep sitting there pretending he doesn't know anything even until departure time, don't you think?”

“It's already September, Yerim.”

Although it’s still hot, isn't it a bit too late to go swimming? Yoojin doesn’t know what the weather in Japan would be like, but it could be similar to Korea since both countries are close to each other.

"Since the hotel’s outdoor pool is heated, it’s possible to swim inside even during winter, so there's no need to worry. If not, I could also just warm up the ocean."

“What do you mean ‘could’? That’s obviously impossible.”

As a precaution, Yoojin had requested for the location of the match to be on the Pacific side of Japan, so at the very least, the East Sea would be eliminated as a possibility.

“Anyhow, you will need at least five pieces of swimsuits, ahjussi.”

“…What?”

“Since we’re going on a trip, I bought new sets of clothes, a pair of sunglasses and a hat. The hat was about this big. Oh, right! Since I bought some good ones yesterday. I’ll give them to you, ahjussi.”

Yerim said while holding her arms wide open. She was probably exaggerating the size, but that still seems to be way too big. Rather than a hat, that’s probably closer to an umbrella. Meanwhile, the agent had been urging Yerim to be on their way, saying that they would be late if they didn't hurry.

“Do buy it today, remember! Guild leader, don’t forget about it.”

Yerim reminded Yoohyun as she climbed into the car. After listening to Yerim’s nagging silently, he turned to Yoojin.

“Shall we go shopping together after relocating the beast cubs?”

“There’s no need for that. Why bother going out when I can just buy it online? Plus, we don't even really need to buy it.”

Couldn’t he just borrow it from his younger brother? Yoojin wondered.

“I don’t have one.”

“What? You don’t have one either?”

Yoojin was surprised to learn that Yoohyun didn't own any swimwear, he thought he would at least have one. That being said, Yoohyun probably didn’t have much of a reason to go swimming in swimwear in the first place. Yoojin briefly considered going shopping for them, but when he remembered he had no intention of actually swimming, he hesitated.

‘…To be honest, it's a bit embarrassing.’

The feeling was hard to describe, but it was almost like comparison would be inevitable. Sure, Yoojin was proud of his younger brother who has been very exceptional, but in a way, it's embarrassing to be outdone by him in front of other people. He’s the older brother so he should’ve had it better, but the difference between them was just too much to handle.

‘Noah and Myeongwoo have decided to come with, and even Sung Hyunjae would be there too. If all three of them were to go swimming as well, then...’

Uwah, ack! He can’t do it after all. Even if Yerim were to drag him into the swimming pool, he’d still keep his clothes on.

“Hyung?” Yoohyun uttered.

“Uh, yes. I'll contact you after I finish up with the rearing center, and we can go shopping together later.”

At least for Yoohyun's sake, Yoojin thought he should still go.

After saying goodbye to his younger brother, Yoojin headed to Haeyeon Guild’s rearing center. Rather than building it in a separate space, the rearing centerwas laid by placing cages in two empty underground training rooms, so the place was relatively rough. But the management of the beast cubs were still very thorough. They were taken out for walks and instructed to exercise every day.

“So, are you relocating all of them to the rearing facility?”

The caretaker for Haeyeon’s beast cubs asked.

"The griffon has been relocated, and since the dragon and unicorns will only just be reaching maturity, there will still be plenty of space. There are only five beasts, and they aren’t that big either."

Comet, as well as Whitie and Blackie, will be leaving the current rearing center. While Velare is also large in size, its poison made it difficult for it to be kept in the rearing center. This leaves Sorok to be the only cub that’ll remain here.

“It's better for the cubs if they’re relocated to the rearing facility. But if you are willing to continue taking care of the cubs, I can arrange for it.”

“I thank you for that.”

As if having grown fond of the monsters, the caretaker nodded his head in delight. Yoojin was familiar with the feelings of fondness towards the cubs. Even though the cubs were monsters, they were still adorable.

“I'm sure you already know about this, but the remaining five are all offsprings of A-rank monsters.”

After learning of Yoojin’s capability in raising monsters, Haeyeon promptly purchased various beast cubs from all over the world. Among them were seven high-rank beasts and one top-rank beast. The top-rank beast was Blue, and two of the remaining seven were Whitie and Blackie.

“Three of the other beasts are in this room, and two of them are White Wood Wolves.”

The ‘White Wood Wolf,’ also known as ‘3W,’ was a type of beast that’s popular in English-speaking regions. It often appears in small packs in high-rank dungeons of those regions and is known for being highly intelligent. Should an inexperienced hunter team cross its path, they could quickly become prey and be killed. Moreover, this wolf is notorious for being difficult to deal with due to its ability to camouflage itself in a white forest environment.

Yoojin remembers a scene in a broadcast of an overseas dungeon raid that had left a deep impression. There was an image of three center fingers spreading out to form the number 3 and the letter W, the scene was accompanied with tense background music. It was a well-known signal indicating the presence of white wood wolves.

- Keuleuleung.

- Kyaleuleu.

Before him were white-furred puppies jumping around and barking with joy. Even though they’re still puppies, their fur was already so thick that their only visible features were their black noses and eyes, and it made them resemble baby bears. They were really cute. And when they’re all grown, their noses will turn white, and their eyes will turn bluish-gray.

“After news of the possibility of taming beasts to be used as mounts spread, there were numerous requests to have them be raised.”

The caretakers laughed, stating that naturally, all of them had been refused.

“Since they are intelligent monsters that move in groups, they have a reputation of being capable of contributing to the team's overall strength in addition to just being mounts.”

Just imagine a pair of giant white wolves amidst a team of hunters, it already sounds cool.

In a separate cage away from the wolf cubs, there lies a crouching large lizard. Despite being just a cub, it was already quite huge.

Winen Lake Lizards. On top of growing into large lizards that are also fast, they attain sturdiness, an important trait that allows them to become great defenses for healers and support types.

Even though they are simply referred to as mounts, the beasts are also kind of like mobile fortresses. The various species of beast and their unique skills and abilities determine their aptitudes and individual strengths.

The blue-scaled lizard raised its head and looked up at Yoojin. Despite being a lizard, its infant round head was pretty cute.

“Wouldn’t it be better to set up a separate cage for it near the pond in the rooftop garden?”

“Yes, that would be so. They are a solitary species after all, so they would probably feel more comfortable being left alone.”

As they moved on to the next room, a baby ostrich and a baby sheep were staring at them with curiosity. The baby sheep was completely black, making it look like dark clouds were rolling over it.

- Kkooik.

The baby ostrich stuck its head out through the bars and flapped its fluffy feather wings.

“It may look a bit shabby now, but when it grows up, it will be fast. Very fast.”

The creature has incredible speed and agility, its knack for evading capture had even prevented dungeon clears. However, compared to the other A-rank monsters, its attack power was relatively weak. It's just known for being fast.

“The Volcanic Black Sheep is cute, isn’t it? The cubs' appearances change so drastically in adulthood that they are often mistaken for an entirely different species of monster. Since it was intriguing for a seemingly weak monster to exist in an A-rank dungeon, it was captured.”

- Maeaeae.

As they approached the pen, the lamb cried softly. Its wool looked really soft. Yoojin wasn’t sure how it would grow up to be, but the lamb might suit Chief Song. Just holding it in his arms might lift his spirits.

“Does its wool feel nice?”

“Very. It’s superb.”

Yoojin wondered if he should bring the lamb to the Awakeners Management Office. He’d like it if Song Taewoon could touch it and experience how the lamb’s wool feels.

‘...Though, he hasn’t replied to my messages yet.’

Yoojin was told he had cleared the dungeon this morning, but he has yet to receive a reply to the message he sent an hour after hearing the news. Since he just came back, he may have just been busy, and also since he’d have to take care the Sesung’s dungeon building that was destroyed.

Yoojin took the beast cubs and moved them to the rearing facility. He left the lizard in its cage on the first floor and went up to the rooftop garden to check the pond.

- Kkyaayaakkyak!

“...Blue?”

A golden griffin that shouldn't have been here flew towards Yoojin. It greeted him by nudging its beak at him before looking at Haeyeon’s monster caretaker with sparkling eyes.

“I saw it briefly when it was just a cub. But, didn't you say Blue was relocated to a rearing facility in Gyeonggi Province?”

“Yes, she did move today.”

Blue was relocated, but here it is again. Yoojin’s heart ached a little at the sight of Blue circling around him. Even though Blue had fun being there, did it think of here as where it belonged?

“But, it’ll be very inconvenient for you here, Blue.”

- Kkyak.

“Your new house is much larger, and you can play to your heart’s content there.”

While Yoojin was wondering how to explain it to Blue and send it back, Blue suddenly flew up into the air. In that instance, Blue shot up to a height that made its figure look like a small dot in Yoojin’s eyes, and then it vanished.

“Blue doesn't have any teleportation skills, right? So, was she just really fast?”

The caretaker exclaimed in amazement. Even though Yoojin was in charge of caring for the high-rank beast cubs, his stats are only that of a B-class, so he couldn't fully comprehend its speed. But, Blue was truly very fast. For a moment, he stared vacantly at the clear blue sky.

‘...Is she not coming back?’

Yoojin wondered where Blue went. He waited a little longer for Blue to reappear, but when it didn't show up after a while, he took his phone out and made a call just in case. ‘Could it be...’

“Hello, is Blue over there by any chance?’

Yoojin called to ask Blue's caretaker who had just moved to the new rearing facility. The caretaker took a moment to check before giving an answer to him.

[It seems like Blue went to the training center. She could be taking a stroll in the mountains.]

A stroll in the mountains, huh... After ending the phone call, Yoojin checked the distance between the training center and his current location. It would take quite a while to reach there by car, but the displacement between the two locations was just under 50 kilometers. It hasn't even been 10 minutes yet.

‘...Could it be that Blue views that place as something like a playground in its neighborhood?’

Rather than seeing it as a relocation, Blue just assumes that a new playground has been built near its house and it’s just going there to have fun, or something like that?

“Ah... It seems like Blue doesn’t know that she’s been relocated. Perhaps the two places felt too close to each other for her.”

They were going to demolish Blue’s house on the rooftop garden, but now that Blue’s back, they’ll have to leave it alone. Although Blue might not be moving after all, it made Yoojin a little glad. Blue was really quite the griffon.