016 - The Gift

Just as Seoul was buzzing with news of Chartia, New York was boiling over.

Of course, for the complete opposite reason.

This is insane. We’re losing an S-class Hunter to another country? What the hell is the Hunter Management Bureau doing?

The height of incompetence. They suck up a budget the size of the military’s and then make a blunder like this. Just how creatively are they wasting our taxes?

We have to protest. Chartia isn’t just any S-class. She was the S-class who was responsible for our dinner tables! Just look at how vegetable prices have already gone up.

Public opinion was overwhelmingly negative, and for good reason: Chartia wasn't just any S-class Hunter.

Ever since awakening her ability to grow plants, she had rarely entered Gates. Instead, she traveled the globe, tending to the land and nurturing plant life. It was during this period that she began to gain recognition. Since she lived in New York, she dedicated most of her efforts to its soil, and thanks to her, New York citizens enjoyed cheaper, higher-quality vegetables than any other city.

With the news of her naturalization, the price of vegetables on their dinner tables immediately started to rise. There was no way public opinion would be favorable.

—I will take responsibility for this matter and resign.

The New York Hunter Management Bureau’s response was a declaration of resignation from its Director, Martin.

Director Martin was a former A-class Hunter who had steadily and diligently built up his achievements and connections to become the head of the Bureau. He had faced some difficulties due to his support for the party opposing the current administration, but the fact that he had still managed to secure such a key position was a testament to his competence.

Even so, he couldn't withstand the unforgivable blunder of losing an S-class Hunter.

His successor was David, an S-class Hunter with an impeccable background, unlike the former Director Martin. He was tall, had a great public image, and most importantly, he was young and ambitious.

"The matter concerning the Druid is unfortunate. While it was the former director’s responsibility, it is something that we in the industry should have paid more attention to."

He delivered his speech at his inauguration ceremony, standing before a sea of cameras and reporters.

—Speaking of the ‘industry,’ we too must awaken. The Hunter community in New York is particularly hostile towards Elves. There was, of course, that incident, and frankly, it's difficult for Hunters to have a good impression of Elves. But does it matter if someone's past life was an Elf?

Who someone was in a past life has no bearing on their present life. Even if they were a heinous murderer or a war criminal who slaughtered thousands, they should not be judged by that in the present.

As he spoke, David’s voice grew more and more passionate.

—How can we hold a person accountable for sins committed before they were even born! And that’s not all. The Hunter Management Bureau is a department like a great whale, consuming a budget comparable to the Department of Defense. With that much money flowing in, it’s teeming with all sorts of rotten meat and hyenas. It is time for a revolution!

As is common for newly appointed heads of organizations, David promised change.

However, unlike other times when such promises were met with merely formal reactions, the response this time was ecstatic. He had expertly ridden the wave of public opinion stirred by Chartia’s departure.

Change is difficult, but I think he can do it. His voice is full of confidence, and he’s actually an S-class Hunter. He's different from the incompetent Martin.

This is the leader we wanted! Not a man like Martin with his narrow, unimpressive shoulders.

Talk is cheap, and action is hard. But if it’s David, he’s more than capable.

David’s charisma instantly captured the popularity of New York’s Hunter community. The fact that he was an active S-class Hunter played a large part, as did the numerous testimonies from Hunters who had teamed up with him and achieved great results.

The former director, Martin, wasn't actually that incompetent, but he was now branded a failure and had retreated into the background. It was unlikely he would ever show his face in public again.

The public outcry over losing Chartia soon subsided, replaced by anticipation for the new director and the reforms he would enact.

In a way, it was a positive change, a look toward the future. But whether it was right or wrong, nobody knew. Nor did they try to find out.

And so, a week after the massive reorganization of the New York Hunter Management Bureau began…

“Hello? Mayor?”

David was in his private study when he received a call. It was from the Mayor of New York.

“It was just as easy as you said. You’re a remarkable politician. If politics had ranks, you’d be an S-class politician.”

The voice on the other end of the line was very faint and hard to hear. But not so faint that David, an S-class Hunter, couldn't make it out.

“Yes, I did as you instructed. I discreetly scattered the people in Martin’s line and the Hunters with ties to opposing corporations, while consolidating our support base. I mixed in a few moderates, but I’m not sure if they’ll switch sides. Do people’s minds change that easily?”

“Really? Just by surrounding them with our people, they’ll naturally convert? It sounds like some cult proselytizing, I’m not sure it’ll work… but well, if you say it will, it will. But I have a question. Did you plan this from the start, harassing the Druid just for this?”

Just then, the person on the other end must have shifted, as the voice became a little clearer.

—Of course not. The world of men isn’t so simple that you can predict things that easily. If it were, I’d be a prophet. I simply gauge the direction of the wind at any given moment and make the best choice.

“The direction of the wind?”

—The wind never stands still. It’s always either a tailwind or a headwind. When it’s a tailwind, you ride the current. When it’s a headwind, you hunker down. It’s as simple as that.

“Hmm… I’m still just a rookie F-class politician, so I don’t quite understand your philosophy. So, what are we going to do about Chartia? Isn’t she too valuable of an asset to just give away?”

—She has to be killed.

The answer came without a second's hesitation. David shrugged. The old man on the phone added, as if to supplement.

—We are the only ones with the analytical data on Chartia’s plant growth ability. We have to kill her before Seoul can begin their research so that we can monopolize it.

“A pity. She could have been a saint who saved the world.”

—The world will be saved. The only difference is whether a saint saves it or New York saves it.

Though he called it a pity, David had no intention of stopping him. On the contrary, he found the mayor’s judgment to be perfectly rational.

It would be foolish to meekly let another country take a Hunter with such a unique ability.

If they could exercise exclusive rights to that ability, perhaps they could reclaim their former glory as a world power.

In truth, this was the biggest reason why Chartia had been subjected to so much harassment and pressure from all sides. The fact that her past life was an Elf only stirred people's emotions; it had nothing to do with practical gain. The mayor had warned her several times not to use her ability in other countries, but she never listened. That snowball had rolled and rolled until it led to Chartia’s naturalization and David’s inauguration.

He spread out two documents.

One was a report on Chartia. The other was a report on a Hunter in Seoul with whom Chartia had recently grown close.

—Kang Jinwoo, an F-class Hunter in Seoul. Though he’s F-class, his career is short, so he just hasn’t been promoted yet; his abilities are already B-class or higher. He located and took down a Shadow by himself.

“What about this Kang Jinwoo fellow? It seems he has the ability to detect the Core of an Erosion.”

This time, there was a brief pause. The person on the other end of the line pondered in silence for about three minutes before answering.

—That’s a waste of an ability to give to others.

---

After two weeks of treatment, he was safely discharged from the hospital.

To celebrate, he decided to have a barbecue in his yard, starting in the middle of the day. He stopped by the supermarket to buy meat, some expensive spices, and even some high-quality butter.

He didn't want to skimp on food. Because of the misery of his past, when he had to calculate the price, nutrients, and satiety of every single meal, he now spared no expense when it came to eating. Besides, he didn't have any hobbies other than food.

While getting things ready in the yard, he decided to call Chartia on a whim. She had visited him in the hospital several times, taught him Elvish, and shown him a lot of care. She was probably busy, but he could just ask her over the phone.

—I’ll be there.

It seemed she wasn't that busy, as her reply was immediate.

He sent her his address via message, and as he was setting up, he soon heard the familiar sound of a motorcycle.

Vrooom.

It was quite tame, likely because she was in the city. The motorcycle stopped in front of Jinwoo's house, and she wheeled it into the yard.

"So this is your place, Jinwoo?"

"Yeah. It's pretty shabby, isn't it?"

"It's spacious and nice."

Because it was situated on the edge of the barrier, it was much larger than the rent suggested. It had a yard, and he had no major complaints about the house itself.

"Since you said it was a barbecue today, I brought a gift."

"A gift?"

"Ta-da!"

Chartia opened the back seat of her motorcycle and took out a wine bottle wrapped in cloth and two glasses.

Come to think of it, he’d only ever drunk beer; he’d never tried wine. They say wine goes with meat, so why hadn't he thought of it?

They set up a portable camping chair and table, and he started grilling the meat over the charcoal.

Mmm, this is it.

His heart pounded with the feeling of openness. He had eaten a lot of meat since becoming a Hunter, but this was only the second time he had prepared and cooked it like this for a barbecue. Unlike cooking in a pan at home, there was a liberating, open-air feeling to it.

While Jinwoo grilled the meat, Chartia poured wine into the glasses and set the table. She placed the glasses, filled less than halfway, on top of napkins. She also set out plates for the meat and arranged some bread and cheese.

If Jinwoo had been alone, he would have just thrown everything together and eaten, but Chartia’s touch added a real sense of atmosphere. It felt like some kind of high-end glamping experience.

Once the meat was cooked, the two of them clinked their glasses.

"Congratulations on being discharged."

"Thank you."

After a simple toast, Jinwoo took a sip. His first impression was that the aroma was incredibly rich. The moment he brought the round glass near his lips, the scent wafted up. Tasting it in that state, it was impossible not to be captivated.

Wow, this is different from grape juice.

It was an observation that would make a winemaker clutch their chest, but it couldn't be helped, as he had so little to compare it to. Until now, he had only ever drunk beverages full of artificial ingredients.

It had been less than two months since he'd started living a life where he could eat such good meat and drink such fine alcohol.

"This is delicious."

"Right? I received it as a gift from a master winemaker when I went to check on a vineyard in Paris."

"You received it as a gift, not bought it? Is it really okay for us to drink such a precious wine like this?"

"Well, wine is meant to be drunk. The master told me to drink it whenever there was a happy occasion. He just asked me not to drink it only when I'm sad."

"That's cool."

In an era like this, there weren't many master winemakers left. You probably wouldn't find many even if you searched the whole world. He was grateful to be able to drink such a precious wine made by one of them. As he thought, there were still so many things in the world he had yet to eat and drink.

They enjoyed the meat and wine for a while, chatting amiably. There was no shortage of topics. As fellow Hunters, they had plenty to talk about regarding Gates, and they could also discuss Elves. They talked about his progress in learning Elvish, or her recent life after naturalizing.

In fact, just hearing about her recent life provided more than enough to talk about.

"There are so many people pestering me to come here and there. Landowners with fields or farms, people inviting me to give special lectures on Gates. The guilds are also passionately courting me to join them."

"Are you going to join a guild?"

"Nope! Actually, it's been a while since I've entered a Gate. So there's no real need for me to belong to a guild."

She wanted to continue living freely like this. Unbound, able to leave for anywhere at a moment's notice. She just needed a place to return to. That place used to be New York, but now it was Seoul.

"Anyway, New York must be grinding its teeth over this, so I'll have to be careful. I feel like they might send someone to slit my throat in my sleep."

"What?"

Jinwoo asked again, taken aback by how casually she had said something so shocking.

"Slit your throat? You don't mean they'd actually send an assassin, do you?"

"Of course. They were the types who hated my ability leaking out. There's no way they'd leave me alone after I've naturalized."

"Uh, are you okay? Maybe you should ask Mayor Ma Doo-sik for help..."

"I've already spoken to him. He was fuming, saying he would never tolerate such a thing. That passion was probably an act, but I'm sure he's serious about protecting me, so I trust him about halfway."

"And the other half?"

"It's my life, so I have to protect it myself."

Her reaction was dry, even though her life could be in danger. It seemed this wasn't the first time she had experienced something like this. Besides, as an S-class Hunter, she would have faced countless dangers and trials in Gates, so it was understandable she would remain calm in most crises.

"So, they might come after you too, Jinwoo."

"There's no way... is what I'd like to say. But I don't really know the atmosphere in New York."

"If they find out I naturalized because of you, they'll target you even more desperately. Then they'll push a negotiating table on me that's extremely disadvantageous."

"Because of me? I thought you came because you liked Seoul's infrastructure."

Chartia flinched, realizing her mistake. Blood rushed to her head, and for a moment her brain spun two, three times faster than usual.

"It's because you're the first Hunter I've met who shares the same Elven past life as me. I wanted to watch over you from nearby."

"Oh, I see."

It wasn't a lie. In fact, it was mostly true, which was why she could answer so quickly. Praising herself for the quick response, Chartia let out a sigh of relief.

"Anyway, you could be in danger too, so take this. I brought you a gift."

"Another one?"

What she handed him was a small, white flower. It looked similar to the amulet she had given him inside the Erosion.

"The one I gave you back then was made by infusing power on the spot, but this one is different. It's a magic item carefully crafted with a mana stone, so it'll be a great help if you keep it with you."

"Wow, thank you. I didn't expect to receive such an incredible gift."

Jinwoo accepted the flower with admiration. Just as she said, it was made with a mana stone; he could feel a much richer energy from the flower than before.

"You'll have to recharge it with a mana stone when the mana runs out, and to be honest, its fuel efficiency isn't that great. If you use it freely just because it's convenient, you might end up with a net loss even after a Gate trip, so use it carefully. But when you're in danger, don't hold back and use it generously."

"Okay, I will. Thank you."

He carefully wrapped the flower in a cloth and put it in his inner pocket. He could have put it in his inventory, but items in the inventory were frozen in time. That meant its function as a magic item wouldn't activate. Since it was a gift to protect him from unexpected danger, he had to carry it with him at all times, not store it in his inventory.

"And I brought something else, take this. A potion basket. The three bottles of pinkish-red liquid inside are high-grade healing potions, and the one bottle of blue liquid is a purification potion. You know what they do, right?"

"Ah, yes. I know, but..."

Something else appeared, and Jinwoo blinked. He accepted it in a daze and opened it to find a small basket with four compartments, each holding a bottle.

"Hmm, the yard is a good size, but it's a shame it's so empty. Let's plant some trees, maybe some flowers, or even a vegetable patch."

She opened the motorcycle's saddlebag and took out some sturdy-looking branches and a bag of seeds.

Then she placed her hands on the ground. The earth buckled and churned, mixing and breaking apart. After turning over the soil, Chartia skillfully planted the trees and seeds. The way she muttered to herself, considering the layout and composition, made her look like an interior designer. Or more accurately, a gardener.

"I've infused all of these with my energy, so they're a bit different from ordinary plants. If anything dangerous happens, go inside the house and hold your ground. Got it?"

Jinwoo was speechless and could only nod. Chartia gave him a satisfied look and rummaged through the open saddlebag again.

"And I also brought something in case you get kidnapped again..."

Things just kept coming out of the saddlebag. Gifts aside, he'd never been this overprotected in his entire life.

---