Daddy is too Strong-Chapter 156
Chapter 156
Yoon-Hee reviewed the material for her next class during a short break between classes. She was studying intermediate Infusion, one of the three mana manipulation techniques. Her goal was to renew her scholarship for the next semester, so she couldn’t afford to slack off.
Someone gently tapped the surface of Yoon-Hee’s desk. It was none other than Yoon-Hee’s best friend, Hye-Jung, who had recently dyed her hair a light brown.
“What’s up, Hye-Jung?” Yoon-Hee asked absently.
“We’re going to a resort tomorrow,” she replied, her expression unusually serious.
Her eyes burned with “passion,” and Yoon-Hee, who was staring at her blankly, eventually smiled faintly and replied, “Alright, have fun.”
This time, Hye-Jung slammed the desk with both hands, making a loud banging sound.
Startled, Yoon-Hee leaned back slightly and asked, “W-what’s wrong?”
“You’re coming too!” Hye-Jung stated.
Yoon-Hee made excuses and avoided going out whenever her friends invited her. In fact, it would be more accurate to say she almost never went. She simply preferred going home early instead of spending time with friends.
“I-I think I’ll have to skip this one... I’ve got chores to do...” Yoon-Hee started with her usual response, but trailed off.
This time, it didn’t look like she was going to get out of it easily.
With a sigh, she replied reluctantly, “I’ll ask my father.”
***
The family was having dinner.
“Go,” Do-Jun replied promptly after gulping down his bite of food, granting his permission without a moment’s hesitation.
Yoon-Hee changed tactics and tried a subtle form of threat. “Even though it’s an overnight trip...?”
Her unspoken message was clear: she was asking how he would care for the “kids” on his own. This included cooking, bathing, and brushing their teeth.
“It’s fine,” Do-Jun reassured her.
According to Yoon-Hee, over half of her class was going.
A student named Kim Soo-Yeon, the grandson of the chairman of the Young-Kwang Group, a prominent corporation, had rented a resort operated by his family for a day. The trip would include swimming at the beach, a barbecue party, and a horror contest to test one’s bravery. He knew this was a rare opportunity to create lasting memories, so asking her to stay home felt far too harsh.
“Are you leaving tomorrow?” Do-Jun asked, and Yoon-Hee nodded in response.
The next day was Friday, which was also the day of the Academy’s Swordsmanship Festival. Since many external guests would be attending, the Academy Head gave the first- and second-year students a day off. Her classmates had taken the opportunity to plan this trip, which would continue into Saturday.
Guess I’ll have to handle dinner tomorrow, Do-Jun thought, already contemplating what dishes to prepare.
***
The next day, 6 AM.
Having woken up early and packed her bags, Yoon-Hee was putting on her shoes to leave for her trip. Do-Jun stood at the entrance, ready to see her off. Once her shoes were on and her bags were in hand, Do-Jun smiled and patted her head.
“Have fun.”
Suddenly, Yoon-Hee set her bags down and silently stared at Do-Jun. He thought she had something to say, but just as he opened his mouth to speak, Yoon-Hee wrapped her arms around him in a tight hug.
After about ten seconds, she let go, picked up her bags, and said, “See you tomorrow.”
As she left, Do-Jun tilted his head in confusion, then shrugged and started getting ready for work.
***
The Swordsmanship Festival was a competition for third-year students of the Hunter Academy to showcase their skills before graduation.
At the Academy entrance, Do-Jun took out the official invitation letter and checked the directions on the map. Built on what used to be a mountain, the Academy was so large that it required shuttle buses to transport people across the campus. However, Do-Jun decided to walk instead of taking the bus.
Though it wasn’t even 10 AM, the temperature had already climbed past 31°C. Of course, Do-Jun wasn’t affected even by this murderous heat.
That must be it, he thought, spotting a large dome-shaped building that served as a training and practice facility for the students. The building was so vast that it could easily accommodate a thousand people.
A massive banner and flag on the exterior read, “The 5th Hunter Academy Swordsmanship Festival.”
A sign at the entrance warned against taking pictures or filming the matches. Uploading any footage online was strictly prohibited and considered a punishable violation, so attendees were advised to turn off their phones during the event.
“Which organization are you from?” asked a staff member standing at the entrance.
Access was restricted to authorized personnel only, and anyone not listed on the pre-submitted guest list would not be permitted entry.
Do-Jun showed his civil servant ID. “I’m Lee Do-Jun from the Seoul City Hall Fissure Management Division.”
“Lee Do-Jun from City Hall... Ah, here you are.”
His name was listed at the very bottom of the general admissions list, far from the VIP list. The staff marked his name as “Checked in” and said, “Please head to seat F-47.”
“Thank you.”
Inside the building, there were four small arenas and five hundred seats, a relatively modest setup. Do-Jun made his way to his designated seat in the corner of the second floor and observed the one hundred students in the waiting area, all looking tense with their faces pale from nervousness.
Do-Jun took out a notebook, but not to record anything about the festival. He just wanted to plan his dinner menu.
Just then, someone sat down next to him and asked, “Which management agency are you from?”
“Pardon me?”
The man, who appeared to be in his mid-thirties, wore a dark gray suit and an agency badge that read “Yeongil Management.”
Management agencies were quite different from guilds. Guilds focused on developing their Hunters, while management agencies handled the other miscellaneous tasks. Their responsibilities included processing the byproducts obtained from hunting monsters, creating tailored analyses for each Hunter to determine the most efficient Fissures for hunting, and handling disputes over monster ownership or related lawsuits.
For Hunters ranked C or higher—mid-tier or above—it was common to have a personal manager assigned by a management agency, and often even Hunters from the same guild worked with different agencies.
“I’m a civil servant,” Do-Jun replied.
The man scratched his head sheepishly, realizing his mistake. Seeing Do-Jun’s attire and that he was seated on the second floor, where HR representatives from management agencies or guilds typically gathered, he had assumed they were in the same position.
“Ah, I see. Well, my name is Choi Yeon-Gil from Yeon-Gil Management. Sitting together like this must mean something, right? Haha, nice to meet you.” Yeon-Gil extended his hand for a handshake.
Do-Jun smiled faintly and shook it.
Yeon-Gil said, “This is my first time at the Swordsmanship Festival, and I’m nervous. I really hope to land a contract. Haha.”
“I wish you the best of luck,” Do-Jun said, sincerely.
“Still, this is amazing. The mayor of Seoul, members of parliament...” Yeon-Gil said, looking at the VIP section.
The VIP guests had taken seats on the first floor, where they had the best view of the arena. Academy staff bustled around them, ensuring they were comfortable and had everything they needed.
“You’re right, the mayor really is here.”
Do-Jun gazed at Park Dal-Myung, the Mayor of Seoul, from afar. Though they both worked at Seoul City Hall, the difference in rank meant Do-Jun had never spoken to him personally.
Then, a commotion broke out at the entrance. Turning his head, Do-Jun saw what the commotion was about. Young-Chul, followed by ten Hunters, was making his entrance.
“D-Do-Jun, look over there!” Watching from the second floor, Yeon-Gil couldn’t hide his excitement. These were Korea’s S-rank Hunters, bearing the prestigious title of “Ranker.”
Following the Academy director’s guidance, they were ushered to the VVIP seats. Everyone rose from their seats. Academy students, members of parliament, and even the mayor—all stood to show their respect for the Hunters.
***
Standing at attention, third-year student Kim Young-Hwi swallowed hard. He had always placed first during his years at the Academy. A prodigy, they called him. He had worked tirelessly for this moment, running straight toward his goal of being recognized by the true “geniuses,” Korea’s Rankers, to stand shoulder to shoulder with them, participate in S-rank Fissure raids, and become a hero to the people!
The Hunter’s Bureau Chief and the S-rank Hunters passed right in front of him. Young-Hwi unconsciously held his breath, and his hands started to sweat. Yet the Hunters showed no interest, their faces blank as they walked past the students.
Hunter Kang Min-Hyuk...! he thought, vividly remembering the day of guild presentations.
During the Icarus Guild’s presentation, Min-Hyuk said something unforgettable. “Ah, yes. The Bureau Chief and the top ten Hunters will evaluate the candidates.”
The “special contract” introduced by a Seoul City Hall civil servant was to be given based on the evaluation of the top Hunters. At the time, Young-Hwi had felt a sting to his pride when Min-Hyuk had voiced his doubt that any of the third-years would even qualify.
What was so special about this contract that it was assumed none of them could qualify?
Young-Hwi vowed to dominate the Swordsmanship Festival, defeating the other students so thoroughly that his skills could no longer be ignored. He would prove he was different and enter one of the four great guilds—preferably the Icarus Guild.
The S-rank Hunters moved away, guided by the Academy director toward the VVIP seats. Then, suddenly, the ten[1] S-rank Hunters, including Young-Chul, came to a halt.
What’s going on? Young-Hwi thought.
The Sword Emperor, Kang-Hyun, who was leading the group, pointed to a corner of the second-floor seating area. The S-rank Hunters appeared visibly unsettled, as if they had seen something they weren’t supposed to. The Bureau Chief then gave a brief nod of acknowledgment toward that corner before proceeding to the VVIP seats.
W-what was that...? Young-Hwi’s gaze followed theirs to the corner of the second floor.
***
“D-Do-Jun, did you see that?” Flustered, Yeon-Gil looked around nervously.
If his eyes weren’t deceiving him, the Bureau Chief and the S-rank Hunters had looked in their direction. On top of that, the Bureau Chief had bowed his head toward them.
“They were definitely looking this way, weren’t they? And he even b-bowed, didn’t he?”
“I guess so,” Do-Jun replied indifferently as if it didn’t matter.
1. We are aware that there is a new S-ranker, but the original chose not to have him there for some reason. ☜
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