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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 15
Chapter Title: Red River, Choi Yeon-ah
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Choi Yeon-ah of the Red River.
She had once been one of Korea's premier hunters, and in Yeon Sung-hun's memory, she was an incredibly resilient fighter.
She was never the type to blush with embarrassment like this or smile bitterly as if she'd seen it all.
That was exactly why Yeon Sung-hun hadn't recognized her at first glance.
A complicated mix of emotions stirred in him, and he smacked his lips once.
The fallen state of someone who had once been a national hero left a bitter taste in his mouth.
Of course, calling a cafe owner position a "fall from grace" might be a bit imprecise, but anyone who remembered her former glory would inevitably see it that way.
"...."
Yeon Sung-hun struggled to find the right words.
Seeing that, Choi Yeon-ah gave a soft smile.
"It's surprising, right? The great Choi Yeon-ah, reduced to this?"
"…It's pretty shocking. Considering the image of you I saw on TV, I never could have imagined this."
"I was a bit tougher back then."
Choi Yeon-ah's gentle smile was a far cry from her tough image of the past.
After watching her quietly for a moment, Yeon Sung-hun asked cautiously.
"If it's not too rude, could I ask what happened to your arm? I never heard about any accident."
"Oh, it's a common story. A cocky hunter who didn't know her place got brought low by harsh reality."
"Unnie!"
Han So-yul raised her voice toward Choi Yeon-ah, who spoke so matter-of-factly.
"What? It's the truth, isn't it? You should have listened when everyone around you tried to stop you…."
Han So-yul hesitated to respond to Choi Yeon-ah, who murmured bitterly as if lost in memories.
Everyone agreed that Choi Yeon-ah had been reckless back then.
But…
"…If it weren't for you, Seoul would be in ruins by now. That S-Rank rift, remember?"
"An S-Rank rift?"
Han So-yul nodded emphatically at Yeon Sung-hun's puzzled question.
"Of course you wouldn't know. It's not like we could conquer it like other rifts, and spreading it around wouldn't do anyone any good."
"…It's impossible to conquer?"
"Yes. At least with hunters' current level, absolutely."
Yeon Sung-hun swallowed hard at Choi Yeon-ah's calm declaration.
"When did this S-Rank rift first appear?"
"It was discovered right after the rift outbreak. Countless hunters have challenged it since, but they've all been devoured."
"Right after the rift outbreak? That's been years already, and no break yet?"
"It's special, befitting an S-Rank. Or maybe the time just hasn't come."
"Hasn't come?"
"When the world completely falls apart."
Choi Yeon-ah's faint smile wasn't born of amusement.
It was the self-deprecating bitterness unique to those who had given up.
A multitude of emotions flickered in that smile.
"Don't worry too much, though. Since we don't know when it might break, elite hunters are always on standby nearby."
"This week's on Seong A-reum unnie."
"Poor A-reum. It would have been easier if I'd stuck around."
A brief silence fell as Choi Yeon-ah let out a chuckle.
Was it because the mood had turned awkward?
Smiling apologetically, Choi Yeon-ah stood up first.
"I've soured the atmosphere. Sorry about that. Don't mind me—keep chatting. I've got shop stuff to handle."
"No, we were the ones prying."
Choi Yeon-ah flashed a quick smile at Yeon Sung-hun shaking his head, then disappeared behind the counter.
The three watched her retreating figure for a moment before sighing in unison, as if on cue.
Especially Yeon Hae-eun, a civilian, was frozen solid by the unimaginable tales.
Seeing her noticeably pale face, Yeon Sung-hun hurriedly pulled a potion from his pocket.
It was one of the sedatives he sometimes slipped into his raid team's supplies.
Han So-yul watched curiously as Yeon Hae-eun downed the potion her brother offered like it was routine.
"Oppa, what's that potion?"
"Just a basic sedative."
"Hmm. So you really are an alchemist, huh?"
Seeing him use potions that cost a fortune so casually made it hard to think otherwise.
He didn't exactly look loaded, either.
Too much had been revealed to hide it now, so Yeon Sung-hun nodded easily.
Han So-yul nodded back with a 'I see,' then turned to Yeon Hae-eun.
"How's the taste? Is it gross like the last one?"
"Ugh…."
Yeon Hae-eun grimaced at the familiar potion flavor and glanced at her brother.
That glance said it all, and Han So-yul burst into giggles.
"So it wasn't just that last potion! I was so shocked the first time! If it weren't for the circumstances, I would've grabbed you by the collar thinking you'd poisoned me!"
"Honestly, oppas potions taste really weird. Every time, it's like downing herbal medicine."
Han So-yul shuddered recalling the shocking taste of that potion, while Yeon Hae-eun nodded vigorously in agreement, more emphatically than ever.
Yeon Sung-hun muttered softly at the sight.
"…As long as the potion works well, isn't that enough?"
"It works great, but it'd be even better if it tasted good too!"
"…Lately, I've been paying a bit more attention to flavor and aroma."
"Wow, that's a relief! The effects are awesome, but that taste was always off-putting! Let me know if you improve it!"
With that, Han So-yul thrust her phone forward.
"Ah! Hae-eun, give me your number too! I'll text you sometime!"
Having snagged the Yeon siblings' numbers so suddenly, Han So-yul grinned triumphantly.
Unlike her heroic public image, she seemed just like any girl her age, and Yeon Hae-eun, who had been initially intimidated, now appeared quite comfortable with her.
Maybe they'd become good friends from here on out?
Yeon Sung-hun smiled warmly at the pair, satisfied with his past choice not to play dumb about recognizing her.
It was hard to call it purely his decision since Han So-yul had approached first, though.
They couldn't chat much longer due to Han So-yul's other appointment, but the three still built a solid rapport.
To the clearly reluctant Han So-yul, Yeon Sung-hun gifted several potions.
A memento of the meeting and a bribe of sorts to keep looking after Yeon Hae-eun.
It wasn't entirely selfless, but she accepted them happily.
Smell and taste aside, Yeon Sung-hun's potions were exceptional.
If he hadn't offered first, she probably would've asked to buy some.
Comforting his deeply regretful sister on the way home from her first friend since the incident, Yeon Sung-hun returned home.
Thoughts of Choi Yeon-ah lingered in his mind the whole way.
It wasn't love at first sight or anything.
She was beautiful, sure, but that was it.
His real interest lay elsewhere.
Despite losing an arm, Choi Yeon-ah had been an S-Rank hunter at her peak.
If she'd wanted, she could've kept hunting, even if not at her former level.
So why hadn't she?
Was there some hidden issue beyond the obvious?
He hadn't pried out of politeness, but it nagged at him.
Above all, the S-Rank rift from their conversation piqued his curiosity most.
He'd never heard of it before, so it was intriguing.
Folks like Faust were less bound by worldly matters, but alchemists were scholars at heart.
Naturally, his scholarly curiosity about the unknown was piqued.
Unfortunately, he had no way to investigate right now.
For someone barely tackling D-Rank rifts, an S-Rank was distant indeed.
'Someday, if the chance arises, I want to check it out.'
What kind of place could it be?
So brutal even Choi Yeon-ah couldn't conquer it and abandoned her hunter life.
Excitement and curiosity kept him restless.
'…Gotta work the raid team harder.'
Lee Ha-na and Kim Jun-su would hate it, but he considered himself considerate.
Now that he knew about the S-Rank rift, things had changed.
'Need to recruit more members soon.'
He'd planned to take it slow, but now adjustments were necessary.
Not just that—a full overhaul of his plans was in order.
The big picture stayed the same, but he needed to accelerate.
He'd be busy ahead, but Yeon Sung-hun welcomed it.
Progress toward goals was always thrilling.
That night, watching Yeon Hae-eun chatter to their mother about the day's events, Yeon Sung-hun redrew his plans.
A few days later, confirming the mana herb refinement was complete, Yeon Sung-hun immediately brewed new potions.
With the mana herb successfully refined, the old potions were inferior, so he remade them all.
His mana was limited, so he couldn't make many, but dedicating a full day yielded a decent batch.
Yeon Sung-hun smiled contentedly at the potions piled in one corner of the workshop.
Excluding shares for himself and the team, he'd sell the rest.
He needed a ton of money for his plans.
What would Jeong Hyun-su think of these?
Grinning, Yeon Sung-hun packed them up and left the workshop.
Destination: the Black Market, naturally.
"Gasp— these are…!"
As Yeon Sung-hun expected, Jeong Hyun-su was utterly stunned.
Every potion was flawless, top-tier quality.
No need for an appraiser; the sheen said it all.
Even same-grade market potions paled in comparison.
Jeong Hyun-su handled them delicately, like precious gems.
To him, they were gold bars.
"Worth your investment?"
Yeon Sung-hun teased lightly.
"Hah. Is that even a question? More than worth it! Feels like I underfunded it. I'm floored!"
Jeong Hyun-su had believed in him but expected it would take time.
He'd planned to wait patiently, but this short-term output left him showering praise beyond mere admiration.
"I could kiss you!"
"…Politely decline."
Jeong Hyun-su cleared his throat, regaining composure at Yeon Sung-hun's grimace.
"Just an expression. I mean I'd do anything. Need anything else?"
"Nothing right now. Just get the other materials ASAP?"
"On it. Some might take time, though. Rifts don't pop up on demand, and assignments need pulling strings."
Yeon Sung-hun nodded; it made sense.
Jeong Hyun-su eyed him thoughtfully before speaking.
"About distribution: I'll trickle these out slowly. Flooding the market could tank prices. But given the quality… should be fine."
"Handle distribution however. I won't meddle as long as my profits aren't touched."
"No worries there. I'll take good care of it."
Yeon Sung-hun smirked at Jeong Hyun-su's confident assurance.
He said that, but trust wasn't given lightly.
He knew how people twisted for profit, underworld or not.
Truly reliable ones were few.
So he'd watch for now.
See if Jeong Hyun-su was trustworthy long-term.
As the absolute superior, Yeon Sung-hun could cut ties anytime.
Unaware of this, Jeong Hyun-su continued.
"I'll go auction-heavy for now. Maximizes immediate gains."
"As I said, distribution's your call. Just settle sales properly."
"Got it. Last issue: commission…."
Jeong Hyun-su trailed off, then decided.
"No commission."
Yeon Sung-hun tilted his head at the calm statement.
"Huh? No cut? Doesn't that hurt your side?"
"Short-term loss, long-term gain. Strategic. Distributing your potions boosts our underworld clout."
Yeon Sung-hun nodded slowly at the explanation.
The Black Market was Korea's largest underworld hub, but far from dominant.
Multiple factions vied for control; they held maybe 20-30%.
Not insignificant, but for Jeong Hyun-su's ambitions to monopolize it all, this was a golden opportunity.
Plus, securing ongoing potion supply meant building goodwill.
So, a calculated sacrifice for real benefits.
Win-win for Yeon Sung-hun; no complaints.
After a moment's thought, he asked.
"Does your boss know?"
"Not yet. Spur-of-the-moment after seeing these."
"Hm. Could change if the boss disagrees?"
"Nah, it's my call."
Yeon Sung-hun didn't know they were father and son, but Jeong Hyun-su's calm exuded confidence.
Nodding, Yeon Sung-hun spoke.
"Then settlements at 9:1. Me getting 9, obviously."
"Why? You're not losing out. Something bug you?"
"For long-term dealing. One side always losing breeds resentment. Just covering bases."
Jeong Hyun-su blinked in surprise, then grinned.
"We must've grown on you."
"Finding new partners is a hassle."
Jeong Hyun-su chuckled again at the shrug.
"We'll make sure you don't need to. Appreciate the goodwill."
9:1 looked slim, but with the potions' immense value, it was substantial.
Beats nothing, right?
Satisfied, Jeong Hyun-su smiled.
"Great. Let's draw up the contract!"
"Underworld does contracts? Just paper scraps?"
"We underworld types love formality."
With that, Yeon Sung-hun and Jeong Hyun-su shook hands firmly after signing.
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