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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Draxx]
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Chapter 29
“Ancestor? What are you talking about?”
Rachel’s words made me tilt my head in confusion.
The Toulon Gate was cleared thanks to me, Rachel, Jeanne, and Carrie from the Revolutionary Army.
Among us, there was no one who could be considered Rachel’s ancestor.
If she meant the Revolutionary Army in a figurative sense, that might make some sense but that didn’t seem to be what she was referring to.
─Should I take it as a tribute to Emperor Napoleon in heaven?
─Yes, I dedicate the glory of our success to my ancestor.
‘Ah, it was just a metaphor.’
Well, it wasn’t uncommon for foreigners to credit their victories to their nation’s historical heroes.
Since the Toulon Gate had deep ties to Napoleon, it made sense that Rachel would refer to him in this way.
─If Napoleon knew he had a descendant like you, he would be very proud.
The interviewer smiled warmly at Rachel’s humility.
The interview continued in this pleasant atmosphere until she dropped a bombshell.
─The success of the Toulon Gate was not achieved by the Bonaparte family alone.
─Are you saying you had help from other hunters?
─Yes.
Rachel nodded at the reporter’s question before turning to the camera and delivering a shocking revelation.
─We had help from a Korean.
─A… a Korean?!
The stunned reporter stammered.
The interview room erupted into chaos.
A Korean? Out of nowhere?
“Well, I guess this was bound to happen.”
I had expected this ever since I decided to help Rachel.
I just didn’t think she’d be so direct about it, even mentioning my nationality.
But that wasn’t the end of Rachel’s revelations.
─I plan to visit Korea soon to personally express my gratitude.
“……”
The moment Rachel’s blue eyes met the camera, I felt my heart skip a beat.
That gaze was filled with pure determination.
***
[The Hunter Who Conquered the Toulon Gate… Is Actually Korean!?]
[Napoleon’s Descendant, Rachel Bonaparte, Announces Plans to Visit Korea in Gratitude!]
[Who Is the Mysterious Korean Hunter That Helped Conquer the Toulon Gate?]
[Is This Another Feat by ‘The Connector’?]
Rachel’s interview sent shockwaves through the media.
A Korean hunter had helped a French S-rank hunter clear the Toulon Gate?
And according to Rachel, they weren’t just assisting, they had saved lives.
└ The full interview says they even saved her life. Is that true?
└ She said it herself, so it must be.
└ I hate nationalism, but damn, this is actually hype.
└ Who’s the one that helped Rachel?
└ Probably ‘The Connector’.
└ Yeah, all our S-rank hunters stay in Korea. If it’s someone overseas, it has to be The Connector.
└ Actually, it wasn’t just one person.
└ Wait, what do you mean, not just one?
└ Rachel just added in an interview update there were two people who helped her.
└ This is Korea??
└ Wow, this is insane. Our country really is a hunter powerhouse.
└ I just awakened as a hunter too! Congratulate me!
└ Oh, what’s your rank?
└ E-rank.
The online community was flooded with discussions about the two hunters who had assisted Rachel.
But since Rachel hadn’t revealed any detailed information, speculation ran rampant about their identities.
***
Conference Room of Samdocheon, One of Korea’s Top Three Guilds.
The Black Witch, Baek Seorin, was watching Rachel’s interview on the large screen.
─ If they hadn’t helped me, I would have failed to clear the Toulon Gate.
─ One of them was Korean, while the other was a fellow Frenchman like myself.
“Could it be the Connector?”
“There’s not enough information to say for sure, but it’s definitely a possibility.”
The head of Samdocheon’s intelligence team responded to Baek Seorin’s question.
Rachel had been extremely reserved in what she revealed only stating that she was assisted by a Korean and a Frenchman, with no further details.
But even with that limited information, Baek Seorin had a strong suspicion that the ‘Korean’ in question was the Connector.
After all, only an S-rank hunter could assist another S-rank hunter.
And saving Rachel in a crisis?
That strongly suggested that the Korean was an S-rank Awakener.
And in Korea, the only unidentified hunter suspected of being S-rank… was the Connector.
It was just speculation for now, but Rachel’s actions only reinforced Baek Seorin’s suspicions.
“She’s not coming to Korea just to say thanks.”
“She’s trying to recruit him.”
Baek Seorin nodded.
Poaching hunters from other countries was a common tactic in the hunter industry.
It was far cheaper to steal talent from abroad than to nurture a hunter from scratch.
China and Japan had long been offering high salaries to lure away Korean hunters.
Rachel’s visit to Korea was undoubtedly for the same purpose.
And if the head of the Bonaparte family was personally making the trip, then the target had to be someone significant.
‘An S-rank… or a rising star with the potential to reach S-rank.’
This wasn’t something she could afford to ignore.
The problem was that Baek Seorin had no idea who exactly Rachel was after.
Negotiations were impossible without knowing the other party.
“The most likely candidate is the Connector.”
The intelligence chief manipulated the console.
A man’s face appeared on the screen.
The moment Baek Seorin saw him, her expression twisted.
“…Manager Park, I am not in the mood for jokes right now.”
She shot the intelligence chief an incredulous glare.
The man on the screen…
It was Choi Seojun.
There was no way Baek Seorin wouldn’t recognize him; he had been a guild member of Samdocheon for ten years, ever since the guild’s early days.
She had once tried to train him due to his rare class, only to personally cut him from the guild for being too weak.
And the Choi Seojun she knew…
There was no way he could be the Connector.
“An E-rank Appraiser? As the Connector? That’s absurd.”
"The relic that Kim Hayoon used to clear the Noryang Gate was purchased from Choi Seojun."
"Ahn Wi's Hwando?"
"Yes. Our team personally confirmed it the day before."
The intelligence chief stated firmly.
"As you know, Ahn Wi was Admiral Yi Sunsin’s right-hand man. There aren’t many places in Korea where his relics could be found. The most likely location would be…"
"Myeongnyang Gate."
"Exactly. And the timing matches perfectly. Ahn Wi's Hwando appeared right after Myeongnyang Gate was cleared."
And the person who sold that relic to Kim Hayoon… was Choi Seojun.
One way or another, this meant Choi Seojun was connected to the Connector.
Or perhaps, he was the Connector himself.
But Baek Seorin didn’t even hesitate before shutting off the screen.
"Just smoke and mirrors from the Dawn Constellation. Dig deeper. Seojun isn’t the one."
***
While the world was in an uproar over the Toulon Gate, I was busy expanding my store.
The space felt a bit too cramped for both me and Jeanne to live in.
I figured I’d take my time looking for a new house.
Especially since there were too many scams going around these days.
During the renovations, I decided to stay at my parents’ house.
The only concern was Jeanne, my parents might not take kindly to her.
But I had worried for nothing.
"Oh my, where did you find such a beautiful young lady?"
"Welcome! Our Seojun isn’t giving you any trouble, is he?"
My parents welcomed Jeanne with open arms.
"Your name is Jeanne?"
"Come over here and try some apples."
My father tried speaking in broken English, while my mother personally peeled apples for Jeanne.
"Mom, where’s mine?"
"You don’t have hands or what? You’re a grown man, peel your own apple."
They were treating Jeanne like a treasure while I was getting the cold shoulder.
‘Guess I was worried for nothing.’
I could tell my parents were overacting to make Jeanne feel comfortable, which made me chuckle.
After leaving Jeanne in their care, I stepped outside.
***
The moment I opened YouTube, all I saw were videos about ‘The Korean Hunter Who Saved Rachel’.
Honestly, it felt amazing.
Everywhere I looked, people were talking about me. It felt like I owned the whole damn world.
But the more attention I got, the clearer something became.
The government and major guilds would start looking for me.
‘I can’t keep this a secret forever.’
In fact, hiding would be an even bigger problem.
I needed to process and sell the byproducts from the gates I cleared, but high-profile gate materials couldn’t just disappear without a trace.
The moment I tried to sell them, my identity would be exposed.
Just look at how suspicious Kim Hayoon got when I sold her Ahn Wi’s Hwando.
If this continued, the resources I gained from gates would be nothing more than trophies I couldn’t use.
It was time to find a shadow, an organization that could guarantee my anonymity.
And in Seoul, there was only one group with that kind of power.
─What’s the reason for your call?
"Team Leader Hayoon, about that anonymous hunter deal you mentioned, can we talk?"
The Dawn Constellation.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator – Seraph]
[Proofreader – Draxx]
Join our Discord for release updates!
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