[I suppose that’s what they call fate.]

[Guildmaster Amaterasu seems sincere... so I suppose I can trust him, after all.]

Of course, there were those who didn’t take it at face value and asked, “Whoa, you’ve been reincarnated?” But the important thing was Shishio’s credibility. If she thought of me as her reincarnated mother... and was willing to lay down her life for me, what did it matter whether it was true or not? What mattered was that Shishio was unquestionably on my side.

“Women get reincarnated as men too? The Dalai Lama’s always a man, right?”

“Gender can change. There are female doctors, after all.”

“My avatar changed too.”

“Look at Greek mythology—species change all the time.”

Wasn’t that whole place a bit over the top? They didn’t even bother with reincarnation—just stuck you directly into animals, plants, constellations.

[Director Han Yujin still doesn’t know this fact.]

Shishio’s voice was heavy. I truly wished she could stay ignorant of it forever.

[I have no intention of telling him in the future either. After all, my mother and Director Han Yujin are clearly different people, so I won’t burden him with my selfishness.]

...She was considerate, at least. Though she had gathered her information with ruthless thoroughness. Still... a sudden ominous feeling made me glare at Seong Hyunjae.

“Shut your mouth.”

“I wasn’t saying anything.”

“You were about to.”

“Director Han Yujin’s expression is quite moved—”

“I said shut it before I sew your mouth shut.”

He was just a decent enough person... why all this nonsense? Shishio slowly turned to address everyone.

[So hunters, please keep this secret.]

She bowed her head slightly. A few nodded. Honestly, this was... surprisingly well handled.

“Sharing a secret is a good way to strengthen group bonds.”

“...Indeed. When you know someone else’s secret, you usually feel closer to them.”

It wasn’t about “you and I share something no one else knows.” Simply knowing more about someone than others did was enough to foster goodwill and a sense of closeness. Shishio’s secret wasn’t something that could be used as a weakness, so no one would try to exploit it.

‘Gathering strangers into a team isn’t easy.’

The more common ground you share, the stronger your cohesion. ...I wondered if Shishio had thought of this herself, or if that aide had helped. Even if it was someone else’s idea, the ability to execute it so well was impressive.

Shishio stepped toward Peace, who was sitting on the table, and lightly extended one hand.

“Flame Horn Lion, please cooperate with me.”

“–Grrr.”

Peace lowed his throat. Shishio laughed heartily and nodded.

“A lion is a feline. That purring means he’s happily agreed!”

Actually, our Peace is a unicorn subspecies of horned lion. He may act catlike, but that was more like telling me to get lost. He’d bite if you pushed him.

“Since I may be relocated at any time just as I was moved here, everyone make sure to pack your belongings well!”

“Is it similar to the party teleport?”

“I’ve arranged the schedule with plenty of time, but it shouldn’t take too long, right?”

With the hunters bustling to message each other or gather their scattered gear, the screen disappeared.

“It seems the mermaid queen’s preparations are complete as well.”

I shook my head in surprise at her words. Somehow things had gone smoothly. I’d worried about Shishio leading the sub-team, but she seemed capable. Maybe I should record her achievements. Would she earn anything? She had caught a good number of the monsters that burst out because of the desecration, so she might deserve something. Perhaps a growth buff. I assumed she’d packed her own equipment.

“I heard it’s been less than a year since she returned, and she already has two children. That’s surprising.”

“Two? If you count all her past lives, she must have had dozens, hundreds!”

Reincarnating every time you died would rack up the numbers. Earth’s life history spans millions of years!

“It’s just Shishio’s mistaken assumption.”

“So it’s one.”

“One... is not the right word. ...Let’s say three for now? Four if you include Peace.”

I felt a bit bad leaving out Peace. Seong Hyunjae’s expression registered genuine surprise.

“They must not be simple monsters if there are three.”

“Who cares if someone has three or ten children? What’s the problem? There isn’t one.”

“Seed production is a laudable activity.”

A serpent chimed in. His gaze toward me was oddly approving. Why was he so interested?

“It’s not related to the Lord of Predation.”

“As a predator, seeing prey flourish is pleasing. Don’t you delight in watching crops ripen and livestock give birth?”

“Ah... yes......”

Indeed. If deer populations rose, wolves would be pleased, too. When pioneers brought in sheep, it must have seemed like a boon—until they were hunted to extinction.

“Manage the sub-team well too.”

The mermaid queen said, then both transcendents vanished.

[Let’s try mass-teleporting the sub-team!]

Class was back in session. Small cubes appeared before Seong Hyunjae and me.

[These cubes connect to the prepared space. First, open a view of the space.

Hint? Recall how the system’s mana fluctuated when the mermaid queen opened the view!]

Why give hints after the fact? The last time I tried to grab the screen, I even touched it. I clenched the cube and focused. What was the pattern... how could I possibly remember it all? I was only an F-rank with average memory and magic, after all.

“...Can I have a bit more of a hint, teacher?”

[I’ll assist with the system mana flow.]

A blueprint-like diagram appeared.

[Follow the auxiliary cube to move your mana.]

This was difficult. I strained, shaping a square display, while Seong Hyunjae had already finished and was casually surveying the space.

“...You’re very skilled.”

“Sensation remains.”

He must have experienced countless systems by now. He’d probably done something like this before. No wonder I was at a disadvantage. I managed to make a screen and displayed it before me. Beyond it lay a quiet meadow. So this was where we’d move people at once.

[Hostile teams will be relocated. This space permits combat. Numerical inferiority may be disadvantageous.]

“Combat is allowed? Are lives guaranteed?”

[Life is not at risk.]

That was a relief, but morale would suffer if combat began immediately. We needed to teleport everyone in one go... but so many made it complicated.

‘Peace ended up in the sub-team too.’

If I’d known, I might have kept him on the main team, but if Peace became sub-team leader, that would’ve been awkward. At least I could communicate with him. I messaged hunters gathered at the lodge one by one. They all accepted Shishio’s sub-team assignment without protest.

“I’m having a hard time.”

While I struggled, Seong Hyunjae retrieved a chair and sat down. Was that made by the system? He was going way too fast. Just tell me it came from your inventory.

“Honestly, the opponent is too skilled.”

Even as a born S-rank, facing Seong Hyunjae felt unfair. A group of people appeared in the meadow on the screen. At the front stood a familiar face.

‘He’s standing on both legs just fine.’

Choh Hwa-woon. That guy. Seeing him healthy and whole again made me frown—no fond memories there.

“...All S-ranks?”

“Not quite.”

“Still, most of them would be S-ranks. The Prophet group was under Chatterbox, so they must have gotten their gear.”

I only recognized Choh Hwa-woon. I used the system to teleport the entire sub-team at once.

“Rrrr!”

Peace first spotted Choh Hwa-woon, enlarged to his adult form, baring his fangs. Tall grass crackled underfoot as Shishio stepped forward, her expression set in a hard line.

“You’re the criminal who abducted Director Han Yujin, aren’t you?”

Choh Hwa-woon’s eyes narrowed in mockery. A brief silence, then both bodies lurched forward in unison. Even to my F-rank eyes, their movements were sharp. Shishio and Choh Hwa-woon drew their swords at the same time. Just as the blades were about to clash—

Swoosh—

A crimson cloth unfurled from Choh Hwa-woon’s forearm, its end wrapping around Shishio’s blade and yanking it off course.

Bang!

Choh Hwa-woon’s sword struck fiercely. Shishio planted her feet into the ground to absorb the impact. A red streak appeared across her forehead where the blade grazed. Choh Hwa-woon grinned.

“You pitiful little boar of a small nation.”

“You cowardly criminal!”

Crack—Shishio’s arms swelled with power, slowly forcing back Choh Hwa-woon’s blade.

“You certainly know how to use strength.”

Yet Choh Hwa-woon still appeared at ease. Already a formidable S-rank, he had Chatterbox’s power behind him, making him a tough match for Shishio. Come on, Shishio, hang in there!

Just as it seemed Shishio might push him back, Choh Hwa-woon suddenly recoiled, then with a deft move withdrew his sword and spun to deliver a kick. The sharp strike connected with Shishio’s side like a drill. Though it must have hurt, Shishio—

“Argh!”

—let out a single roar of pain and didn’t flinch. Instead, she charged, crashing into Choh Hwa-woon.

“You brute!”

Clang—Choh Hwa-woon veered his sword aside, and his blade collided with Shishio’s head. With a clang, Choh Hwa-woon was knocked back a couple of paces. Shishio pulled out a potion and sprinkled it merrily over her bleeding head.

“Criminals always lack resolve!”

...Um, Shishio’s the only one who’s bleeding here. Even so, the fight felt evenly matched. I sensed that if this continued, Shishio would finish covered in blood but victorious through sheer will.

Then a message popped up to switch to non-combat mode. Faster than me, Seong Hyunjae manipulated the system.

“Huh?”

A transparent barrier appeared between Shishio and Choh Hwa-woon. Shishio brushed potion drips from her hair, stepped back, and gave Choh Hwa-woon a wry smile. She really knew how to play it as if she’d had the upper hand.

‘I really need to make sure Shishio wins.’

Was there any way? Since each side totaled nearly fifty people, my party effects would kick in, but we’d lied about the age limit. ...Would Shishio let me? Because of our... relationship, maybe?

[Let’s teleport to the sub-team!]

The message reappeared.

“Are we going now?”

I wasn’t ready! I’d promised secrecy, but still! I shot a look at Seong Hyunjae.

“Silence!”

“You’re muzzling me now.”

“Next bet’s price: I sew your mouth shut.”

“Then what will I receive?”

“I’ll obediently say ‘yes, ma’am,’ no matter what you ask. For one day.”

He used teleportation on me. My vision dimmed briefly, then cleared. Wind brushed my cheek; grass brushed my ankles. Curious eyes swarmed around.

‘Ugh... this is embarrassing!’

“Kyaa!”

Peace dematerialized and leapt at me.

“Easy there, Peace. Daddy’s okay.”

“If SP is Peace’s dad...”

Someone murmured. What? Why? Peace doesn’t have a kid like that. Nor does Yuhyun have such a nephew!

“Director Han Yujin.”

Shishio, hair still damp, swept it back and approached me. Her cloak fluttered dramatically. I wanted to go home. I forced a smile.

“Hello, Shishio. Thank you for agreeing to my request.”

“My pleasure. I’m overjoyed to reunite safely and in good health. I was very worried.”

“Yes, I’m glad you look well too.”

She was a good person—a decent person. She was on my side now and deserved kindness. ...Stop staring! What are they all gawking at? Shishio stood before me, then drew a bouquet from her inventory.

God help me. The flowers were a brilliant pink. I tried to step back but forced my feet to stay. No choice—I had to accept it. Business, duty, smile. Shishio’s eyes ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) glistened faintly. I thought of my sister. I hugged Peace.

“I only remember bits and pieces, but you truly endured so much.”

“No, it’s in the past.”

“Still, Director Han Yujin is... tender yet strong!”

“Th-thank you......”

I took the bouquet with a smile. Who was clapping? Quickly, I stuffed the pink bouquet into my inventory and hugged Peace. My Peace was still so soft, warm, and adorable.

“Thank you all for your cooperation in this sudden matter.”

I bowed to the hunters and turned. Beyond the barrier, I glimpsed Choh Hwa-woon. His cold gaze met mine, blade poised.

“Choh Hwa-woon, it’s been a while. You had your limbs fully restored.”

“This time, I’ll be sure to cut off both legs.”

“Oh, how terrify—”

“You bastard!”

Shishio’s voice thundered.

“How shameful for an S-rank to threaten the fragile Director Han Yujin! You should be ashamed!”

Choh Hwa-woon scowled, unwilling to respond—which was fair enough. Challenging an F-rank when you’re an S-rank.

“Picking on the weak is something only small-minded fools do!”

True enough. Though Shishio had once tried to abduct me, let’s let that slide. Suddenly, Seong Hyunjae stepped forward.

“...Guildmaster of Sesung?”

“What? Why the Guildmaster of Sesung?”

Seong Hyunjae appeared. Hunters murmured and stared at him. Amid the gazes, he gave a faint smile.