The Girl I Saved Came Back As An S-rank Hunter

EP.9 At the Item Storage Room with the Secretary

“So, you’re saying Soo-jung gave her permission?”

“Yes, that is correct.”

As always, Kang So-young was wearing a black suit jacket, a white shirt, and a neat black skirt that reached her knees. Her hair was tied up tightly.

Her appearance had an exotic atmosphere with her slightly raised nose, and her demeanour was calm and mature.

Kang So-young, the perfect embodiment of the secretary image one could imagine, came to deliver Soo-jung’s message to me.

The message was to let me know I could use the equipment in the guild’s item storage room in preparation for the upcoming dungeon raid.

“I see. I was actually considering going shopping for some equipment.”

“Then please let me know when your training is finished.”

With just a few words, Kang So-young left the training hall.

‘She’s such a difficult person.’

Although Soo-jung also had a cold and hard-to-approach image to others, she still showed her emotions when she got angry.

On the other hand, Kang So-young seemed to have no emotions and was so rigid that she seemed like she would never do anything unnecessary except for her job.

Her lack of expression made her seem almost like an android robot.

“Judging by the situation, she seems like she’ll wait outside the door until my training is over… I should finish up for today.”

Making her wait any longer would only make me feel uncomfortable. It would be more comfortable for me to finish up quickly and make my choice.

After entering the shower room in the training hall, I washed up and changed into the clothes I had worn when I came, not my training uniform.

As I left the training hall with my bag, I saw Kang So-Young waiting outside the door, as expected.

She seemed to be texting someone on her phone.

As soon as Kang So-young sensed my presence, she put her phone away and looked at me.

“You finished early today.”

“Yes, I was a bit tired, so I finished earlier than usual.”

I made an excuse so she wouldn’t feel bad, thinking that I finished early because of her.

“Shall I guide you right away?”

“Yes, I know you must be busy too, so let’s do that.”

Accepting her suggestion, I could feel her determination to perform her duties as if she had been waiting for me.

“Then, allow me to guide you.”

After saying that, Kang So-Young started walking ahead. I followed her, keeping a slight distance between us.

Click, clack.

Trudge, trudge.

The sound of our footsteps seemed unusually loud as we walked down the corridor.

We walked without any conversation, which felt strangely uncomfortable.

I wondered if I should start a conversation to break the awkwardness.

However, I hesitated to speak up, fearing it might make things even more awkward.

When I asked Soo-jung about Kang So-young in the past, she said Kang So-young was someone who had taken care of her since she was very young.

She was one of the few people Soo-jung trusted.

That’s why Soo-jung had entrusted most of the guild’s work to Kang So-young, handling only the most vital aspects herself.

In other words, she was just a secretary by title but could be considered the second in command within the guild.

There was no point in accidentally saying something wrong to such a person and becoming disliked. Although different by nature, the guild was still a company after all.

“We have arrived.”

When we reached the end of the blocked hallway next to the guild master’s office, Kang So-young turned around and spoke to me.

“Where is the storage room?”

“Please wait a moment.”

Kang So-young pressed a specific spot on the seemingly empty wall, and it split apart, revealing a large iron door.

She then placed her eye on a camera attached to a machine next to the iron door.

After a brief moment, a mechanical voice could be heard.

[Iris recognition authentication has been completed.]

[Starting secondary magic authentication]

A machine rose from the ground, revealing a palm-shaped panel.

Kang So-young placed her hand on the panel and let a small amount of her magic power flow into it.

[Magic authentication has been completed.]

[Welcome, ‘Kang So-young’]

Creak.

As a sound as if something was being unlocked was heard, Kang So-Young slightly pushed the iron door, creating a space for us to enter.

“Please go inside.”

“Oh, okay.”

Surprised by the vastness of the place, I moved towards the iron door upon hearing Kang So-young’s words.

I knew the guild had a lot of money, but I never expected the item storage room to be so mysterious and difficult to access.

Upon looking inside the door, it was dark, as if there was no light.

As I hesitated about what to do, Kang So-young stood next to me and snapped her fingers.

At that moment, a bright light filled the interior, and the darkness disappeared.

What unfolded before my eyes was a space as vast as the treatment room I had seen before, packed with items.

“Wow…”

An exclamation of admiration involuntarily came out of my mouth. Given the situation, I could understand why it was kept so secretive.

At a glance, the items on display looked incredibly valuable.

At that moment, a black sword with a beautifully engraved golden dragon pattern, sitting alone in a corner, caught my eye.

Recognising its familiar shape from the internet, I asked Kang So-young.

“Is that the [Sword of the First Blood]?”

“Yes, it is the sword the young Lady received as a token of gratitude.”

It was a legendary item that appeared as a reward after eliminating the boss monster Berserker, which first appeared in an A-class dungeon.

As its abilities and performance were kept confidential, it was one of the hot topics being discussed in the hunter community.

Typically, items were classified as normal, advanced, rare, legendary, and mythical. Once an item was identified as legendary, it inevitably attracted more attention.

There were only about five mythical-grade items in the world, and in the case of legendary-grade items, there were only around 500 that had been discovered.

As far as I remember, the Hero Guild was the one that defeated the Berserker and cleared the A-class dungeon at the time.

What kind of help did she provide to the Hero Guild to receive such a valuable item as a token of gratitude?

“Mr Won-woo.”

While lost in thought, I heard Kang So-young’s call.

“What’s up?”

“The Young Lady instructed me to do this; would it be okay for me to recommend equipment for you to wear?”

“Ah, yes, that sounds good.”

I accepted Kang So-young’s proposal without much hesitation.

She would probably know all the information about the items here anyway.

Besides, I’ve only used items up to an advanced level, so I think it’s much better to leave this kind of thing to her.

“First, let me explain the [Fairy Boots] here.”

Kang So-young picked up a pair of yellow shoes from the shelf and began to explain them to me.

*

“With your current mana level, I think this level of equipment should be more than enough.”

To properly utilise the abilities of an item, it’s essential to wear it according to your mana level.

People often end up lying down and unable to do anything due to mana exhaustion because they greedily try to use items beyond their level. This happens more often than one might think.

In my case, I could choose equipment that suited my taste while listening to Kang So-young’s detailed explanations and reasons for her recommendations so that I wouldn’t run into that issue.

“This is the first time I’m going to a C-class dungeon with this level of equipment.”

From the gauntlet ‘Gloves of Destruction’ on my hands to the ‘Beaded Cuirass’ and ‘Fairy Boots’ I’m wearing, all of them were rare-grade items.

Even so, I was quite satisfied with this efficient equipment that didn’t consume a lot of mana.

“Thank you.”

I bowed my head in gratitude, as it was the first time I had received such advice on equipment from beside me.

Kang So-young looked at me and spoke in a calm voice.

“You do not need to thank me.”

“Huh? Why?”

“Because it was the Young Lady’s order, and you will be standing by her side in the future. You can just accept it as a matter of course.”

“Haha…”

I couldn’t help but let out an awkward laugh.

It made me think that she was indeed the secretary of that guild master.

Ultimately, Soo-jung, who was confident that I would eventually come to her, and Kang So-young, who had already promised a future together, made a great duo.

“Sigh.”

Naturally, a sigh escaped me, thinking that this was a difficult situation from my perspective.

“May I ask you something?”

Kang So-young, who rarely initiates conversation, asked.

“Yes, go ahead.”

“What do you think of the Young Lady? Do you perhaps not love her?”

In an instant, a sharp, chilling aura and mana energy enveloped my body. Kang So-young’s face was filled with coldness.

I could tell in an instant that Kang So-young was also much stronger than me, not as much as Soo-Jung, but still a formidable opponent.

My heart raced in the sudden situation, and I felt that if I made the wrong move, I could die right here.

“I’ll ask again. Do you love her?”

Her tone was undoubtedly threatening.

I couldn’t understand why the situation had suddenly escalated like this, but I wasn’t the kind of person to get scared and say something I didn’t mean.

I’d already had enough of crumbling in fear and being unable to speak my mind to S-ranked individuals.

“I’m sorry, but I’m not sure yet. I do enjoy being with her, but I’m not sure about being lovers yet.”

I looked her straight in the eye and spoke my mind.

“Does that mean you don’t see her as a woman at all?”

The aura grew more intense. My skin tingled. It felt as if countless blades were touching my entire body.

“No, it’s just that I don’t know Soo-jung well enough yet. For now, I just want to take my time and keep observing what kind of person she is.”

I conveyed my genuine and honest feelings.

There was no guarantee that I wouldn’t be betrayed again by someone, considering it had already happened to someone I’d observed for a long time.

I couldn’t help it if this became a reason for the other side to leave. At this point, I couldn’t help but have some distrust of people.

As soon as my answer ended, there was a moment of silence, and the threatening aura that had enveloped me gradually disappeared.

Kang So-young spoke in a low voice.

“As the Young Lady said, you have a very upright character. It is surprising that you are still alive.”

“I agree that I’ve been lucky in that aspect.”

It was a fact that it was challenging to survive in the hunter’s world with just a good heart or a sense of justice.

Not only in dungeons, but this world was also full of hunters and guilds who engaged in dirty deeds without discriminating.

“This is why I tested you, and it turns out the Young Lady’s judgement was not completely wrong. You are surprisingly tough.”

“I’m glad you think that way.”

I wondered what would have happened if I had said something different while she emitted such a murderous aura, claiming it was just a test.

“However, I still have my doubts. You keep refusing the Young Lady’s advances but still want to stay by her side.”

It seemed that Kang So-young found the fact that I kept refusing Soo-jung’s confession without drawing a clear line uncomfortable.

“Allow me to warn you in advance; if you try to half-heartedly possess the Young Lady’s heart or take advantage of her, I will make sure you pay the price.”

Kang So-young’s sincere voice and fierce expression sent shivers down my spine.

And I could tell from her overreaction to matters related to Soo-jung.

This person wasn’t a robot; she was just a fool for Soo-Jung.

Much like a doting father, she was highly affectionate towards and sensitive to matters related to Soo-jung, whom she had watched grow since childhood.

The situation was that the man whom her precious “daughter” liked kept pushing her away, making her angry and suspicious.

From Kang So-young’s perspective, my existence was inevitably annoying.

“Sigh, Soo-jung is my benefactor, a great benefactor who helped me get back on my feet as a hunter. You don’t have to worry about such things. When my feelings are clear, I’ll confidently speak up.”

“I will keep my eye on you to see if you keep your word or not.”

I requested her to trust me for now, but her reaction was still cold.

It seemed I had already extremely annoyed her without realising it. It was evident that my future guild life wouldn’t be smooth.

“Do not forget, the Young Lady has been looking at and loving only you for a very long time.”

“Yes, I’ve heard about the past from Soo-jung.”

“How much have you heard?”

When I looked at her as if to ask what she meant by ‘how much,’ Kang So-young nodded and said,

“I can roughly guess how much she has told you.”

“Is there more to the story that I don’t know?”

I asked out of curiosity, but Kang So-young clearly expressed her refusal.

“It would be better for you to hear that story directly from the Young Lady. It does not seem like something I should casually talk about.”

“Can I ask you just one question instead?”

There was something I wanted to ask someone who had been watching Soo-jung for a long time.

Kang So-young took out her phone, glanced at it, checked the time, and then said,

“Due to work and time constraints, I will answer just one. I will tell you as long as it is something I can answer.”

As soon as Kang So-young’s words fell, I asked as if I had been waiting.

“What kind of person is Soo-jung?”

“That is an unexpectedly strange question.”

“I thought you’d know better since you’ve been watching her for a long time.”

Soo-jung definitely made active approaches towards me, but I often felt like she was hiding something or bearing it alone whenever she did.

It seemed like there were certainly painful and difficult things she went through, but there were times when she came to me without saying anything, acting cute, and tried to get over it alone by playing pranks.

I couldn’t tell whether that was a bad or good thing for me, but it bothered me.

So I wanted to know at least a little about what kind of person Soo-jung was, considering her unpredictable personality.

“Well, I would say the Young Lady is a girl who had to grow up too fast.”

Kang So-young hesitated for a moment before speaking. There was a hint of sadness in her words.

“She grew up alone without anyone to rely on except for me during her childhood. That is not to say she does not have a family. It is just that they are difficult people to call family.”

“I see.”

I could empathise with her, perhaps because we had similar pasts, as someone who had made a habit of overcoming and enduring everything alone.

“Yes, that is what made her who she is today, for better or worse. She had to learn and overcome everything by herself.”

Kang So-young spoke with a bitter expression.

I wanted to ask for more details out of curiosity, but I could tell that it would be difficult to hear more answers, so I decided to give up for now.

“Then I shall take my leave since I have finished answering your question.”

“Ah, yes.”

“Leave the equipment you have decided to take off here, and I will send it to your house.”

After taking off the equipment, the two of us left the item storage area.

Kang So-young guided me back to the training ground and bid me farewell.

“I shall be going now.”

“Yes, thank you for your help.”

Without acknowledging the greeting, Kang So-young left as if nothing had happened.

As I watched her walk away, I recalled the words she had said earlier.

Suddenly, I thought that Soo-jung might be shining brighter than anyone else at the moment, but perhaps she was walking with a lot of darkness inside her, all by herself.