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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: Blood Relative
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A truly opulent space.
The floor was laid with black marble, and various magical devices hummed, maintaining a pleasant atmosphere,
while sparkling lights floated in the air.
Before entering, I hadn't expected such a distinctive space, but once inside, I was greeted by a vast, otherworldly landscape.
The place we arrived at was a luxury department store exclusively for Hunters, catering to VVIPs.
"...Wow, this is crazy."
That was my impression upon first encountering the luxury hall.
Famous Hunters often draw as much attention as celebrities, if not more.
Kang Dohui and Shin Se-hee were among them.
When a famous Hunter stepped out onto the street, people would immediately flock to them, and their daily lives would be thoroughly shared in real-time on social media.
Of course, their standing within Velvet Academy was quite high,
but as fellow Hunters and students, with other students also being quasi-celebrities, there was less sharing on social media or swarming them.
Therefore, when they left the academy to operate, they preferred such spaces where public access was restricted.
This was Shin Se-hee's explanation.
"...So, it's not like I'm particularly fond of luxury goods, you know?"
Seeing me with my mouth agape, she babbled beside me, rambling out excuses.
"No, I mean, it's fine to like them."
I composed my face and said to her.
'She likes shopping, though.'
"Oh, is that so? But, Jin Yuha-ssi's reaction earlier..."
"Ah, I was just surprised by how much more opulent it was than I expected. I don't think badly of it at all."
I chuckled and replied.
"Usually, a lot of Hunter-specific gear consists of unverified, fraudulent items, so it's hard to assess their true value unless you see them firsthand in a gate."
"Exactly!"
"First off, items handled in places like this have all undergone appraisal. And if they want to keep attracting customers, they're less likely to commit fraud with item quality."
"Right, right!"
At that, Shin Se-hee nodded vigorously, as if in strong agreement.
'Hmm, but I wonder if the items here are different from store-bought ones? I don't know, this place never appeared in the game.'
As I looked around, pondering for a moment, Shin Se-hee handed me a booklet with a gold hard cover.
"Hm? A product catalog?"
"Yes, before we start serious shopping, it might be helpful to browse the product list first."
"Ah, you're right. Thanks."
I examined the catalog Shin Se-hee handed me, and my eyes widened.
'Holy cow!'
Originally, store-bought items weren't often used unless you were a complete newbie.
That's because items obtained from gacha were overwhelmingly superior in performance.
But this luxury hall, introduced by Shin Se-hee.
Flutter— Flutter—
My hands, flipping through the catalog, grew increasingly busy.
'Th-these are actually here...!?'
Product descriptions listed alongside photographs.
While there weren't many gacha items, some occupied a few spots.
'...The highest grade is about Epic. Not exceptionally outstanding performance. Still, gacha items could be obtained from a store...?'
A thrill shot through me—
I lifted my head and said to Shin Se-hee.
"As expected, coming shopping with you was the right choice."
I meticulously examined the catalog again, selecting a few items I absolutely had to buy.
'Hmm, this one, and this one too. Ah, this would be good to have as well.'
Then my eyes fell on the product prices.
'...But the prices are a bit... wow, they're something else.'
Prices that made me want to summon Im Gaeul.
If an item's performance was even slightly decent, it easily exceeded 10 million won, and the ones I considered essential boasted prices close to a hundred million.
Of course, even considering that gacha items could be obtained from a store, the prices were significantly inflated.
Although I had secured funds by handing over one top-grade magic stone,
it was impossible to acquire everything that caught my eye with just that.
'...Should I sell one more magic stone?'
Magic stones accounted for the largest number of items in the Alice Box, but
they too were items with limited quantities, so I was a bit hesitant.
'In the mid-to-late game, magic stones and money aren't an issue, but even so, if I splurge now, I might run into financial trouble later...'
As if she had read my thoughts.
"Here, Jin Yuha-ssi. Here you go."
This time, Shin Se-hee took a card from her wallet and held it out to me.
A black card with a glossy finish.
Below, 'Shin Se-Hee' was written in elegant italics.
I frowned slightly.
I had just declared that I would take care of my party members' equipment.
What was this about?
'...Is she trying to buy me with money right now?'
I stared at her. She smiled, as if to say, 'Don't misunderstand.'
"You can get a discount with this."
"...A discount?"
"Yes, if you present this card when you pay, you get a 40% discount on 'all products.'"
Hah.
I was astonished, yet again.
'Is this why they say to meet a rich family's daughter...'
"O-Of course! I know Jin Yuha-ssi wants to personally prepare the party members' items, but... wasting precious funds when you can buy them cheaply..."
'...Who was the bastard who called this angelic woman a snake?'
"No, this is a huge help, really. Thank you, Shin Se-hee."
I shook my head and said.
And I accepted the incomparably radiant black card she offered.
"Hehe, I'm glad you accepted it."
She visibly relaxed and offered me her elbow.
"Shall we go, then?"
I froze.
My body instantly stiffened.
'Ah, this is that, isn't it? An escort or something.'
In my original world, it's when the man offers his elbow and the woman takes it.
Hmm, even if it was a reversed world, I felt a bit resistant to being the one holding a woman's elbow and trailing along.
'But here, this must be normal, right?'
I looked at the elbow she offered,
then abruptly took her hand.
"...!?"
Shin Se-hee stared at me with a surprised face, as if she hadn't expected it.
I lifted our clasped hands in front of her.
"Let's just hold hands and go."
* * *
Ah, it's hot.
I offered to escort him, but he just abruptly grabbed my hand.
Truly, I couldn't let my guard down for a single moment.
'...This man, really...!'
Shin Se-hee continuously fanned her bright red face with her hand.
Thump
Thump
Her heart began to beat rapidly.
She could feel Jin Yuha's touch at her fingertips.
'I-Is it because he holds a sword? His hand is big... And firm...'
As she became aware of their hands, sweat began to form. Sweat gathered in the space between their clasped hands, making them damp.
'Is he not uncomfortable...? I'm fine, but I'm worried he might be...'
She repeatedly glanced sideways, knitting her brows.
But Jin Yuha, as if oblivious to Shin Se-hee's predicament.
"This one, this one. And that one. Oh, and give me that one too."
He was boldly choosing and purchasing items.
"...Y-Yes, sir!"
Even the luxury hall staff, initially bewildered by the man who had arrived holding Shin Se-hee's hand, were only momentarily surprised.
They were busy hastily packaging the items he pointed to.
'...What, he doesn't even hesitate?'
She, who had originally intended to offer various advice beside him, was flustered.
'Didn't they say men usually deliberate for a very long time over a single item...?'
But Jin Yuha's judgment was incredibly swift.
After seeing an item, he would assess its value and decide whether to purchase it in mere seconds.
'And it's accurate.'
Shin Se-hee inwardly admired him.
His discernment was almost on par with her own, which she had honed by frequently visiting this place.
'Could he have been here in the future...?'
No, probably not.
Because he had genuinely looked surprised when he first visited this place.
'Ah, perhaps the items handled here might not be special in the future, just moderately useful items.'
As eras changed and technology advanced,
the quality of equipment improved,
and what were once luxury goods in the past naturally became common items, falling into the hands of the general public.
Hmm. Hmm.
She nodded at her own thought.
Jin Yuha picked out items that would suit each party member without hesitation.
And Shin Se-hee's eyes sparkled at the item Jin Yuha had just picked up.
'Wow, that's exactly my taste!'
Among them were items that perfectly matched Shin Se-hee's taste.
An item she would have definitely bought if she had come alone today.
'Uh... But if this happens...'
She furtively checked the chat window.
There, chaotic conversations were still ongoing.
'...It might be better to just tell everyone to pay him back themselves?'
Even Shin Se-hee herself was deliberating what to give him, so a group decision would only add to the confusion, without being particularly helpful.
'I'll just give them a hint.'
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[Flower Blossom ✿] ─ Everyone, it would be good if you each prepared a gift for Jin Yuha-ssi.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Numerous question marks followed her sudden message, but she paid them no mind and put her phone in her pocket.
It was then.
"Oh my, who do we have here?"
A voice suddenly interjected from behind.
Shin Se-hee's head stiffly turned.
"Se-hee?"
Her eyes widened upon identifying the owner of the voice.
"Our Se-hee... You didn't send a single message after getting into Velvet Academy, and now we meet here?"
Black, long hair, just like Shin Se-hee's.
A tall and lithe physique.
A woman with a sword at her waist.
A prestigious Hunter family. The Shin (申) clan.
S-Rank Hunter.
Shin Suyeon.
'...Why is this woman here!'
She curved her eyes into crescent moons and spoke casually.
"And with a man by your side, no less? If you act like this, your big sister will be truly disappointed."
She was Shin Se-hee's older sister.