HBWnovel Chapter 39
Chapter 39
In a high-end residential area of Seoul.
A magic realm hunter student named Ye Eun-byul was studying for her Monster Studies course at the academy in her room.
After a while, she headed to the living room at her mother's call for dinner.
“Oh, when did you come home?”
“Just now.”
At the table were not only her father but also her brother, who was rarely home due to his busy schedule.
Ye Do-hyung, one of the few S-rank magic realm hunters in Korea.
As Eun-byul sat down, her father picked up his spoon.
The family began their meal together.
As they enjoyed a moderately cheerful atmosphere, Eun-byul suddenly voiced a thought that had crossed her mind.
“Oppa, did you know?”
“Hm? What is it?”
“About goblins having intelligence. Do you know?”
Eun-byul recalled what she had learned in today’s general lecture on Monster Studies.
In response to her sister’s question, Do-hyung answered with indifference.
“They probably do have some intelligence since they’re living creatures.”
“No, I mean not so simply! I’m talking about things like learning and studying.”
“Hm, well, I’ve never really thought about it.”
“Right?”
Eun-byul nodded lightly at Do-hyung’s dismissive reply.
Before taking the Monster Studies class, she had thought the same way.
“Why are you curious about that?”
“I had a general lecture at the academy today.”
“A general lecture? What kind?”
“It’s called Monster Studies, and there’s a guest lecturer.”
“Oh, a guest lecturer.”
Do-hyung nodded.
When he attended the academy, he had taken a course called “Understanding and Exploring Monsters” by a male professor.
While he wasn’t very personable, the professor was well-known as a magic realm hunter, which is why Do-hyung had chosen the course.
It was probably still a course offered today.
“Isn’t it different from the curriculum I recommended?”
“Do I have to follow everything you say? That’s my choice.”
“Haha...”
At Eun-byul’s teasing response, Do-hyung gave a sheepish laugh.
Regardless, Eun-byul continued to share her thoughts.
“They say goblins show similar patterns within their groups. So, when I went to the dungeon, it seemed plausible. But since they’re E-rank, I’m not sure.”
“Similar patterns in each group, huh...”@@@@
Now that he thought about it, that did seem to be the case.
Do-hyung stroked his chin, his expression becoming serious.
“A guest lecturer, huh? What’s their rank?”
“A D-rank, and their job is Paladin.”
“Oh? For their knowledge, their rank isn’t anything special.”
“I think so too. No, more than that, can you check if it’s true later?”
“Sure, that shouldn’t be difficult.”
In the dungeon, goblins were everywhere.
For low-ranking hunters, high-ranking ones would pop up as well.
“I’m full! Thank you for the meal!”
Eun-byul quickly finished her meal and returned to her room.
Do-hyung, glancing at her briefly, fell into thought.
“Are you worried?”
“Oh, yes. It was something I hadn’t heard before.”
Do-hyung nodded at his father’s words as he replied.
He planned to ask his secretary to investigate the details.
What if the stories about goblins were true?
He would need to find out if there was more good information and if they were interested in joining a guild.
While being a bit disappointed in the D-rank, knowledge itself was immensely valuable.
If they were a guest lecturer, they would undoubtedly be tempted by an offer from the Dawn Guild, a large guild.
Talent was always in short supply, and this was a common issue for every guild around the world, not just the Dawn Guild.
* * *
Meanwhile, back in Eun-byul's room.
“Guess he really doesn’t know.”
Even her S-rank hunter brother didn’t seem to know much about the lecture’s content from earlier.
Of course, goblins were trivial monsters that could be dealt with easily.
‘What if there’s information about C-rank monsters as well?’
Eun-byul licked her lips.
She had chosen the general course carelessly, but her expectations were continually rising.
For a D-rank hunter professor, the quality was unusually high.
Eun-byul naturally printed out the materials for the next lecture in Monster Studies.
* * *
The day after assisting with the Wing Guild's C-rank dungeon tour, Eun-byul had a day off, as the next tour was scheduled for the following day.
She had just finished lunch with Si-yoon in the living room.
Having filled her stomach and enjoying the nice weather, she felt drowsy and let out a yawn.
“Yawn....”
“Are you going out?”
“Yeah, I’ll be out for a bit. Is it okay if I use the empty space under the TV?”
“Sure, all my personal things are in my room. Do whatever you want!”
“Hehe...”
She had been itching to do something lately.
Finally, the time had come.
“I’ll go out and come back to decorate right away.”
“What are you going to buy?”
“Momobin goods! I arranged to meet for a secondhand deal.”
“Oh, um....”
Si-yoon scratched her cheek awkwardly at Eun-byul’s response.
Was she too much of an otaku? Well, still...
Whenever she caught a whiff of this scent, it made her feel somewhat intellectual. Hehe...
She remembered that the academy had a library too; she should check it out next time.
Looking around in the bookstore, which was organized by category, she sought out her hobby section.
Novels, novels... Ah, found it.
With the store being quite large, there were definitely many types of books.
She walked over to the shelf with genre novels.
From fantasy to romance, martial arts, light novels, and so on, various stories caught her eye.
“Oh...”
She spotted a novel she recognized.
Had it been published too? It was a story she enjoyed reading quite a bit, so it seemed popular.
As she admired the cover, she reached out for the book she had just found.
At that moment.
“...Huh?”
“Oh, oh?”
There was someone else reaching for the same book.
As their fingers brushed against each other and she turned her head, she found herself startled.
“P-professor?!”
“...Ahn Byeong-kyung?”
The support-type hunter girl from her lecture exclaimed softly.
Startled, she took a step back and adjusted her glasses.
“What... what are you doing here...?”
Ahn Byeong-kyung blinked rapidly, her lips and chin trembling as her complexion paled.
It felt as though she shouldn’t be here for some reason, even though she hadn’t done anything wrong...
...No, that couldn’t be.
“I’m just interested in genre novels.”
“Wow...”
Ahn Byeong-kyung covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes widening in surprise.
“D-did you read this novel too?”
She pulled out the same novel they had just brushed fingers against.
It was a romance fantasy story.
It focused more on the protagonist’s growth and changes in social status rather than the romance aspect.
Essentially, it was a female lead fantasy story.
“Of course, I enjoyed it. Did you read it too?”
“Yes, yes! It’s a masterpiece! Th-that scene where the protagonist gains recognition from those around her! I almost cried after reading it!”
Suddenly, Ahn Byeong-kyung clasped her hands in front of her chest, her eyes sparkling.
What should she say? It was quite an adorable sight.
If she had a tail, it would probably be wagging excitedly right now.
“If so, have you read this one?”
“Oh, I haven’t seen that one before. What’s it about?”
Suddenly, the conversation turned into a book recommendation session.
But this student...
“This one is definitely a masterpiece! It truly changed my life!”
“Oh really?”
It seemed they shared some common tastes...?
Ahn Byeong-kyung’s gaze was now filled with intimacy as it locked onto Eun-byul.
“...What’s your number, student?”
“I-it’s this!”
They exchanged numbers naturally.
She already had a list, but she hadn’t registered all of them.
“C-could you send me your reviews once you finish reading...?”
“Sure, I’ll message you.”
“I’m looking forward to it!”
Out of the blue, she had gained a friend interested in novels.
Although they had exchanged numbers with a student, her contact list had increased from six to seven names.
It was a historic moment.
* * *
After spending a rewarding time with Ahn Byeong-kyung,
Eun-byul took the subway back home.
Since Si-yoon was likely working, there was no one in the living room.
“Hmm?”
Something was placed on the desk in the living room.
Curious about what it was, she walked closer to check.
“W-what is this doing here...?”
It was a mug. A Momobin goods mug!
Why was it here? What could it be?
As she turned the small box containing the mug around, she noticed a sticky note on one side.
- I remembered you talking about it, so I found this from when I watched the stream a while back! It’s a gift!
“Sniff...”
Her younger sister was the best in the world.......
Tears welled up in her eyes from the unexpected emotion, and she wiped them away with her hand.
...But, did Si-yoon watch Momobin’s streams enough to buy merchandise?
She seemed to have a good grasp of VTubers, but...
Was Si-yoon secretly watching Momobin’s streams too?