Chapter 11 - The Brats' Social Gathering (1)

Everything was proceeding smoothly, just as I had planned.

My illness was gradually improving, and the mana in my dantian was growing day by day.

Thanks to a positive opinion from my attending physician, I finally received permission from my father to enter a dungeon.

However, there were two restrictions.

First, Choi Ho-joong must accompany me. Second, I was limited to E-rank dungeons, the lowest grade.

Of course, I didn't mind.

Even without my father's order, it would be very dangerous for me in my current state to enter a high-rank dungeon without Choi Ho-joong.

In the future, I also planned to push forward with creating my own sword unit.

I hadn't mentioned it to my father yet, as I still lacked combat experience and achievements, but that too wouldn't be a matter of the distant future.

Tonight, a bothersome schedule was planned.

By my father's command, I had to attend a social gathering composed of the children of sword families.

The intention was for me to broaden my connections in this field, but for me, who once commanded the entire world, a meeting of such brats was not the least bit welcome.

I had only meekly accepted because I couldn't defy my father's will.

‘I wish I could lift some weights instead of wasting time like this.’

Choi Ho-joong handed me a file.

It was a document summarizing the photos and profiles of the individuals who would be at the social gathering today.

“The group’s name is Cheongunhoe?”

“Yes. It's a newly formed group comprised only of young blood in their early to mid-twenties.”

“‘Young blood’ is just a nice way of putting it. They’re just brats.”

“If you put it that way…”

“Put it what way?”

“It’s nothing.”

Saying it was nothing when he had practically said it all.

Sitting in the back seat of the car, I skimmed through the documents Choi Ho-joong had given me.

I needed to use the travel time to grasp the basic information of the Cheongunhoe members.

There would be some among them whom I, Seo Ji-han, had met before, and I wanted to avoid using the amnesia concept as much as possible.

According to the organized documents, they were all of a similar, mediocre level.

Rookies who had obtained their licenses less than four years ago.

There was no one who particularly stood out.

Well, if there had been someone like that, they would have moved on to a higher-level group than Cheongunhoe long ago.

As I was reading the documents, we arrived at the villa where today's gathering was being held.

“I will wait in the car, Young Master.”

“Okay. I won’t be long. I’m just planning to show my face for a bit and leave anyway.”

“Please don’t be intimidated when you go in.”

“What?”

“I mean, fighting! The Haewon Sword Family doesn’t fall behind anywhere!”

This guy really had a knack for worrying about unnecessary things.

The best thing about being reincarnated as Seo Ji-han was neither the family's reputation nor its wealth.

After all, I had enjoyed those things to an overflowing extent in my past life.

‘Lately, the more I look, the more thrilling it is.’

The most satisfying thing about being reborn as Seo Ji-han was the new appearance I had gained.

In fact, when I was first reincarnated, I hadn't realized Seo Ji-han's appearance was this handsome.

His face had a poor complexion and he was lanky and stick-thin, so it wasn't a very presentable body.

But recently, I found myself marveling every day when I looked in the mirror.

My face, having regained its color, now glowed, and my sturdy body, built through a balanced diet and physical training, had become quite a sight to behold.

A height of 187 centimeters with long limbs, coupled with selfishly perfect body proportions, was simply cheating.

In conclusion, I, dressed to the nines in an expensive suit and arriving at the social gathering, was more than enough to capture people's attention.

In fact, I was feeling those gazes in real-time right now.

“Who… is that?”

The people partying in the villa's garden looked at me with curious eyes.

According to the document, five people in this group were old acquaintances of mine, yet not a single one recognized me at first glance.

Well, considering I had undergone an almost complete transformation recently, it made sense.

“Could that be Seo Ji-han?”

“Huh? You’re right!”

I approached them with a lofty gait and nodded my head.

“Is that really Seo Ji-han? I heard you got your license, but you look like a completely different person!”

“I heard you were sick, but how can your complexion be so good!”

Turning my gaze to scan the people, they didn't look much different from the photo data Choi Ho-joong had given me.

Since I had memorized all the basic information, as long as I kept my mouth shut, I wouldn't make any major mistakes.

“Excuse me!”

A person was now approaching me, calling out. It was someone I had actually met before.

Han Ye-ji of the Muwon Sword Family, whom I had met during the 3rd stage of the qualification exam.

It seemed she remembered me as well.

“Excuse me, are you perhaps…”

“That's right. The person from room 301 who took the test with you back then.”

“Uh… yes. But why are you speaking so informally?”

“Because I’m probably older than you. Why? Is it uncomfortable?”

“No, it's not that, but it’s a bit much to drop the formalities when we've just met.”

“This is the second time, so we’re acquaintances. Isn’t that enough?”

“…Uh, I guess so.”

Han Ye-ji looked slightly flustered.

According to the profile Choi Ho-joong gave me, Han Ye-ji was the youngest daughter of the Muwon Sword Family and a rising star in this industry.

She was apparently already known as a flower in high society.

“Anyway, it’s nice to see you. Can I pour you a drink?”

I shook my head and just drank a glass of water.

My body was already trash, and I refused to suffer muscle loss from alcohol consumption.

I was also planning to leave at an appropriate time after reading the room.

However, the atmosphere didn't give me a chance to leave at an appropriate time.

It seemed the person named Seo Ji-han was, in many ways, interesting to them. After my appearance, I had become the main topic of the social gathering.

My background as part of the Haewon Sword Family must have played a part, and the fact that I, who was known to be dying, had obtained a Hunter License must have seemed amazing to them.

For the women, my appearance would have been the interesting part.

Above all, with Han Ye-ji occupying the seat next to me, it felt like the men were naturally drawn to my side.

“Can I call you Oppa?”

“Call me whatever you want.”

“You’re so prickly. By the way, back then, why did you hide that you were from the Haewon Sword Family?”

“I never hid it.”

“If you didn't reveal it, that’s the same as hiding it. If you had revealed your background then, I would have given you a better position in the joint formation.”

“The position you stood in?”

“Hey, that's not possible. The main character suits me better, don't you think?”

The way she said such things so casually made her seem similar to my past self.

Although her skills were not at all similar.

“I have one thing I’m curious about, Oppa. When you threw your sword at Hunter Hwang Tae-hoon, how did you know to do that beforehand?”

As expected, Han Ye-ji remembered that scene.

“Because I saw it.”

“You saw it beforehand?”

“Yeah. Though it’s probably beyond your level of understanding.”

For a moment, Han Ye-ji let out a smirk.

Then she whispered in my ear.

“It wasn't something you arranged with Hunter Hwang Tae-hoon in advance, was it? You can be honest with me. I’m good at keeping secrets.”

As she whispered like this, she pressed her body against me, and I couldn't tell if this was an intentional move or not.

In truth, if there was one area I was weak in, it was the psychology of women.

If we met as swordsman versus swordsman, I was a psychological expert who could see several moves ahead, but I had no confidence in this particular field.

During my time as Johan Raven, I had dedicated 46 years solely to swordsmanship.

“Honestly, that’s what it was, right?”

“I told you. It’s beyond your level of understanding.”

“Tch. What’s wrong with my level? You must not have seen me in action properly back then.”

I saw.

Among the challengers who took the test then, she was the most outstanding, and that was it.

Anyway, it seemed the security of the association that administered the test was tighter than I thought.

Seeing as the rumor that I got a perfect score on the test hadn't spread yet.

“But Oppa, are you saying that because you’re confident you can beat me?”

“Yeah.”

The problem was that even if I won, I would collapse from exhaustion right after.

“You’re so confident. Then I’ll formally request a duel with you sometime, Oppa. You’ll accept, right?”

“We’ll see about that.”

“Tch. I have a feeling you’ll just avoid it.”

But as the time I spent talking alone with Han Ye-ji grew longer, I felt the gazes of the surrounding men turning hostile.

I might not know about female psychology, but I was an expert at reading men’s expressions and gazes.

A premonition that some guy was about to pick a fight.

The look in his eyes was not ordinary; it was more than a nine out of ten probability.

“I hear you got your license at twenty-four, isn't that a bit too late? If you had any potential to begin with, you’d be a veteran Hunter by that age.”

As expected, my prediction was not wrong.

Lee Jin-gyu from the Jeun Sword Family.

His intentions and gaze were too blatant.

His inner desire to pick on me was so transparently visible.

“Everyone has their own circumstances. And there’s no reason for me to explain them to you.”

“Dodging it well, are you? But those circumstances are obvious, aren’t they? Is there anyone here who doesn't know? Right?”

Lee Jin-gyu looked at the others and snickered.

He looked like a villain, and his actions were on that level too.

“Lee Jin-gyu. Did you get your license as soon as you turned twenty?”

“Of course. Among those from sword families, not doing so is as rare as a natural monument. Though it seems someone managed that difficult feat.”

“From a sword family… Well said. There are guys like you everywhere.”

“What? What kind of nonsense is that all of a sudden?”

“Thanks to being born in a good family, you’re strictly managed by good teachers from a young age, naturally eating good things, and only seeing and learning good things, so you believe the skills you’ve cultivated are your real skills. I’m talking about those rabble. They’re always everywhere. Aren’t they?”

Just by looking at him, Lee Jin-gyu was a classic example of such a person.

“What? Is this guy crazy?”

“Don't be mistaken. Those aren't your real skills.”

Of course, there were plenty of guys like this on the Kalia Continent too.

And their limits were obvious.

Since they had never achieved anything through their own fierce efforts, they crumbled in an instant.

“Now that you have your license, you think you’re invincible? If you’re so confident, how about you experience the skill of an established Hunter?”

“Right here, right now?”

“Well, there's no reason we can't.”

At Lee Jin-gyu's words, the surrounding reactions quickly heated up.

Everyone had had a drink or two, and there was no better spectacle than watching a fight.

The garden was spacious, making it a perfect place to teach a brat a lesson.

And also to test the power of the newly acquired Reapersword.

‘By the way, that guy Choi Ho-joong is going to nag me again.’

After I was done teaching Lee Jin-gyu a lesson, my body would collapse from exhaustion again.

“Wait! Are you two trying to fight here? If an accident happens, our family, which is hosting this gathering, will be in trouble!”

Baek Joon-hyuk of the Cheongseong Sword Family hastily stepped in to stop them.

But the surrounding atmosphere had already heated up.

To the point where it would be difficult to cool down.

“What those two are about to do isn't a fight!”

“That’s right! This is a proper duel.”

In this atmosphere, it would be ridiculous to just shake hands and make up.

At that, Baek Joon-hyuk came forward with a new proposal.

“Then how about this?”

With a sly look in his eyes, the guy stepped before the crowd and began to speak.

It seemed this guy was also quite eager to watch a fight.

In conclusion, Baek Joon-hyuk’s proposal wasn't bad for me either.

It was an interesting and tempting proposal.