When I Returned to Farming, National-level Big Juniors Flock - Chapter 77
Only Krnovel
77. 7th sword
Cheeeeek!
A barbecue grill spread out in the spacious yard.
The most delicious chunks of meat that had been stored in the cellar were placed on top and sizzled.
The scent of real meat wafts through the air, incomparable to the cheap synthetic meat produced in factories.
But that’s not all.
“Did you make this sausage yourself?”
“Okay. I had a hard time making this.”
Oh Hyun-seong nodded with a sly smile.
Two packs of sausages in his hand.
At first, I thought making sausages would be easy, but once I started, I realized it was no joke.
But it was finally completed, and it looked decent enough to be displayed proudly.
“Because today is a special day.”
“Yeah, thanks to that I get to eat something delicious too.”
“Well, please don’t do that.”
Choi Jeong-il reacted as if he was embarrassed by his seniors’ words.
Yoon Seol-ha giggles as she looks at the sight.
The reason why the four of them were sitting together and creating a different atmosphere than usual was simple.
This is a celebration of Choi Jeong-il’s official rise to hunter rank.
“As a 13th-rank hunter, I should be able to catch a cow at this level. Unfortunately, there are no cows in the mountain behind our village.”
Of course, the scale of the incident was too large to give off a village-like feeling.
Officially, the 13th-rank Hunters in Korea were Han Su-yeon, Baek Ji-soo, and Kang Seok, the heads of the three major organizations.
They were also part of the 5th generation, known as the golden generation of the special forces, and their status within the industry was absolute.
If there was one person in the country who could compare to them, it would always be Choi Jeong-il.
He is the representative of Aegis Entertainment, the world’s largest private hunter force, and is considered to be the highest rank among the 12 rank hunters.
In fact, such public opinion was not wrong.
Now, he has surpassed him and become the fourth 13th rank hunter in South Korea.
Thud!
Beer, makgeolli, soju, etc.
Even the personally brewed liquors are set up.
Grilled meat and fresh vegetables were placed on a table in the yard.
“Hmm!”
As soon as I took a bite of the meat, an exclamation came out.
Not only that, but so did others.
No matter how many weeks I spent here, I had a hard time getting used to these tastes.
Even Oh Hyun-seong, who has been living here for several months, feels like the table is always new every time he eats.
Boom boom!
The spirits also share delicious food together.
The sun setting slowly felt charming.
“This reminds me of the old days.”
“Are you talking about the anniversary dinner?”
Oh Hyeon-seong nodded at Han Su-yeon’s words.
“Back then, if there was anyone among the members who was above grade 10, we would have a huge company dinner.”
In the early days, the power of the Korean Awakened was really nothing special.
It was a time when the power of mankind was very different from today.
Even if just one so-called ‘high-ranking hunter’ of rank 10 or higher was produced, the entire unit would be in an uproar.
Later on, everyone grew up and it was a field where hunters who couldn’t even get past level 10 could not survive in the special forces, so naturally the average became much higher.
“Come to think of it, has your senior ever had a commemorative dinner like this? I’ve never seen one.”
“No, I was already above level 10 when the meter first came out.”
“Ouch. That’s unlucky.”
Yun Seol-ha, whose cheeks were flushed, jeered.
Everyone burst into laughter at that sight.
The atmosphere became even more enjoyable as the spirits sang and delicious food and drinks flowed in.
“Well, actually, Jeong-il didn’t get promoted, he just ‘returned’.”
Choi Jeong-il was promoted from rank 12 to rank 13.
However, he had already reached the 13th level in the past.
Of course, it has never been officially announced.
When I was a member of the special forces, the hunter ranks of the members were naturally kept a secret.
It’s a secret unit whose existence is not even acknowledged, so that’s natural.
However, after the unit was disbanded, he soon lost his left eye, which could be considered his core strength, and was unable to manifest his special constitution.
In addition, due to the accumulated negative energy from being in the field for a long time, his physical functions also declined and he became a level 12.
Before Oh Hyeon-seong retired, Choi Jeong-il was also a 13th-rank hunter during the latter half of the game, including the Queen’s Campaign.
“Yes, honestly… I never thought it would happen like this again.”
Choi Jeong-il nodded and said.
Hunters usually hit a high point and then are followed by an inevitable decline.
Like an athlete who has reached their prime and is starting to experience an aging curve.
No, Hunter’s case is much more severe than that.
Not only was the decline severe, but in some cases the decline even led to death.
No matter how harsh and extreme the past situation was, the fact that only a few first-generation hunters were alive was a problem inherent in the hunter profession itself.
However, Choi Jeong-il completely went against that trend.
There has never been a case where a Hunter who had already fallen from their prime and experienced a drop in rank rose again like this, at least not once above rank 10.
“As expected, that’s amazing.”
Yun Seol-ha said with a laugh.
“Are you drunk already?”
“Hey, I’m not drunk! Oh, senior, what on earth do you think I am?”
Yoon Seol-ha, whose pronunciation is very twisted.
My eyes are also spinning around.
Even though he was a high-ranking hunter, he was very weak to alcohol. At company dinners, he would do all sorts of things and kick the blanket.
“Oh my god, stop drinking and take me to my room.”
“I guess so.”
Han Su-yeon shook her head and moved her to the room.
Yun Seol-ha is quietly being led by her hand, even though she is mumbling.
Choi Jeong-il, who was watching the scene, opened his mouth.
“Whether then or now, he’s a guy who really needs a lot of attention.”
“When it comes to the tasks assigned to him, he’s more trustworthy than anyone else.”
“…Thanks to you, senior, I was able to have enough time to think.”
“So, are you thinking of leaving now?”
“That’s right.”
Choi Jeong-il nodded.
Then Oh Hyeon-seong looked at him and said.
“What was the conclusion?”
“I’ve been looking for a peaceful and quiet place. And it’s not too far from Seoul. I’m thinking of giving up work to some extent.”
“You’re giving up Aegis?”
“The most important thing is to establish it, but you can’t have everything. It’s enough to just hand over the representative position and provide advice as an advisor.”
Although Choi Jeong-il spoke calmly, the content was extremely shocking.
It means handing over the company you have grown to someone else.
And it wasn’t just any ordinary company, it was Aegis, the largest civilian force.
The enormous value and influence of Hunter Management, the world’s number one company in which he owns a whopping 100% of the shares, cannot but be a loss at any price.
However, Choi Jeong-il chose Yoon Seol-ha without considering such calculations.
“Are your remaining juniors and subordinates okay?”
Oh Hyun-seong asked.
The person who had the biggest stake in the gigantic Aegis status as the world’s number one was Choi Jeong-il.
Among the hunters affiliated with him, there were quite a few who came after seeing his name and fame.
Of course, Aegis itself won’t collapse just because he’s gone, but that’s not what I’m talking about.
“It’ll be okay. I’m not backing down from everything. And it’s important to me, so I’m sure you’ll understand.”
“It’s true that it’s the most important thing. But is it really necessary?”
Aegis was also a big part of him.
It is a pioneering company that has pioneered the private market and brought about great changes not only domestically but also globally.
Thanks to the advent of Aegis, the civilian sector grew hundreds or thousands of times, and there was actually a big change in the treatment of hunters.
It is impossible for Hunter to disappear, so his will to ensure that his juniors will not be exposed to the aftereffects of the Takgi and can work in a better environment was clearly realized.
But it’s a shame that you’re about to give up on it in an instant.
If the company’s owner changes, no one can predict how the environment of the affiliated hunters will change.
“Besides, you haven’t even heard Seol-ha’s words yet.”
“Huh? What is that…”
“Hey, do you want to go somewhere with me tomorrow?”
***
The day after the celebratory barbecue party.
Only after the house was empty did Oh Hyeon-seong and Choi Jeong-il slowly begin to move.
Normally, they would have gone up to the fields, but instead, they went down towards the village.
A quiet village as usual, with the occasional sound of laughter coming from beyond the walls.
“I, I, I,”
What they saw before them as they stopped was the village pavilion.
People sitting in the village pavilion and chatting.
But surprisingly, Yun Seol-ha was there.
ha ha ha!
He is naturally mixing in and conversing with the townspeople.
For a while, I couldn’t take my eyes off the sight of Kwon Kyung-min and his wife, as well as the residents passing by, smiling and talking happily.
“Does it look fun?”
“… yes.”
The anxious look on his face, thinking of himself as a time bomb, was nowhere to be found.
Choi Jeong-il felt as if he had been hit in the head by her genuinely happy expression.
He looked exactly like an ordinary citizen, not a psychotic patient or a sharp-tongued former assassin.
“What Seol-ha needed wasn’t… something like protection.”
***
“One of our trusted workers is gone. Who will take care of it now?”
“Haha… Should I send you some Jihwa?”
“It’s okay, the expansion work has already been completed to its target level.”
Choi Jeong-il had to leave Changyeong-ri for a while.
There was no intention of selling the company, but there were other things to take care of.
But even while leaving, he had no worries about Yun Seol-ha.
Because she had already found a new house in the village and started living there after being introduced to Kwon Kyung-min.
Although I still needed to adjust to my new home, at least I didn’t have the same worries as before.
There was no need to worry about living at Oh Hyun-seong’s house for no reason.
“But before you leave… I have something to tell you.”
Clank!
Choi Jeong-il took out a large briefcase from the back seat.
I opened my bag to find something and inside was a sharp blade.
“What, what is this…?”
Oh Hyun-seong’s eyes grew wide.
A dagger that shines smoothly with silver.
It looked like it was easy for anyone to tell that it was equipment for hunters, but that wasn’t what surprised Oh Hyun-seong.
Because it was the weapon he used during his active service.
“It’s a gift. I actually wanted to give it to you a long time ago, but I had some trouble securing the item.”
“It was clearly torn apart on the Chinese front… How did you salvage it?”
Oh Hyun-seong asked in surprise.
The equipment that had been damaged returned completely intact.
“It was returned to the Holy Grail of Parnassus.”
“What? You used that expensive relic here? On a regular weapon that isn’t even a relic weapon?”
The Holy Grail of Parnass, a first-class relic that was traded in secret places in very small quantities, boasted an enormous price.
Tens or hundreds of billions is ridiculous.
It would be possible to restore a completely broken weapon to its original state with the power of the relic.
But it was unthinkable to use the consumable Holy Grail for such a common weapon, rather than restoring other precious relics.
“It’s worth it here.”
Choi Jeong-il answered simply.
Of course, it is not a relic, but there was a reason why Oh Hyeonseong used it for a long time in the past.
At the time, it was one of the 13 masterpieces created by the greatest craftsmen in human history.
The dagger here was the seventh in his collection, and while other hunters carried artifact weapons one by one, he held onto his original weapon.
Here are two collections, including the 7th sword.
After the weapons were destroyed on the Chinese front, we had no choice but to use relic weapons, but in some ways, we can see it as a more welcome sight.
“You said you got it yourself?”
“Yes, we had a hard time getting it because the quantity was small.”
“I feel like I’m rich now.”
A faint smile appeared on Oh Hyun-seong’s lips.
“As expected… it fits my hand well. It’s been years since I’ve held one.”
It’s been such a long time, but it’s a grip that’s so familiar that it’s still vivid.
Although it would be treated worse than a second-class relic now, it was a very welcome weapon for Oh Hyeon-seong.
In terms of durability and performance, it was on a whole different level from the cheap swords I had picked up and used before.
“I’m glad you seem satisfied.”
“I received an unexpected gift. Thank you.”
After hearing that, we finally said goodbye to him.
Choi Jeong-il got into his car and left Changyeong-ri.
There was no need to make a fuss since he would come back anytime things got a little easier anyway.
But at that moment.
Something greenish glowed from the dagger he held in his hand.
“hmm?”
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