Drama: A-Rank Hunter's Retirement Life, Episode 4
The episode featuring my combat scene with Son Ando aired on TV.
Watching the drama at home, I couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.
"Wow! The flames and lightning make this so visually stunning!"
Massive crimson flames roared to life, while blue lightning crackled and sparked. Even with CGI, achieving such breathtaking visual effects would be impossible, I thought.
No wonder there's talk these days about hiring Hunters instead of using CGI.
In Hollywood, some Hunters specialize in creating combat effects, replacing CGI entirely.
It didn't look this intense when we were filming... It looks like an incredibly fierce battle now.
Thanks to Son Ando's acting and editing, the video focused entirely on him, and he delivered a remarkably realistic performance. Most importantly, by editing footage from multiple camera angles, they created a truly compelling battle scene.
At this rate, I might actually become a superstar. Ah, this is going to be a problem. Should I practice my autograph?
I grinned and started searching the internet.
As expected, several articles about the battle scene in "An A-Rank Hunter's Retirement Life" had already surfaced. I wondered if it would trend in real-time searches, but it didn't quite reach that level.
After hours of browsing, I let out a wry chuckle. It had become a topic of conversation at least among some fans.
Well... in this day and age, battle scenes like this are pretty common. Easy to find, too.
If you want to see truly spectacular battle scenes, you should check out Hunter's videos monster hunting footage or Hunter Combat Tournament clips, for example.
Still, thanks to the lightning, a few articles about me have surfaced.
Reality is far from easy.
The next day, the moment had arrived: the starting point of the original story for the Plum Blossom Sword Saint, now reincarnated into House Baek.
Kyle Prukerus, the protagonist of the novel Plum Blossom Sword Saint, occasionally ventured out of the manor to explore the city.
Having reached the Expert realm, Kyle realized that cultivation alone wouldn't suffice to advance further. He sought clues to break through his limits by venturing beyond the manor's walls.
During one such excursion, he encountered an Adventurer Woman and gleaned information about adventurers. The problem was that she was being pursued by a Bandit Gang.
The woman had clashed with the bandits during her adventures, killing them before fleeing to Pters City.
The Adventurer Woman had done nothing wrong. On the contrary, she deserved praise for killing the Bandit Gang. If she hadn't escaped, her future would have been bleak: either she would have been murdered or sold into slavery.
Fleeing to a major city was the right move. Even the most lawless Bandit Gang wouldn't dare run wild like beasts in such a place.
The real problem is that the Adventurer Woman got entangled with Kyle, the second son of Count Prucus's Household.
Kyle was a man of unwavering justice. Turning a blind eye to a woman in danger? That would betray his very principles.
And Kyle possessed the strength to act. He wouldn't even consider using the Prucus Family's influence for such a trivial matter. He intended to handle the Bandit Gang alone. And as an Aura Expert, Kyle was certain to succeed.
Many city residents knew Kyle was an Aura Expert. His actions against the Bandit Gang were righteous, and it was only natural that the citizens praised him as a hero.
But Gent, the eldest son of the Prukerus Family, had just returned to the manor.
Gent must have felt a sense of crisis. Kyle had reached the level of Aura Expert at a younger age, and the city residents were singing his praises. Kyle's exploits were gradually spreading beyond the city to the entire territory.
If Gent had been the family's officially designated heir, he wouldn't have cared. But currently, the Prukerus Family's heir remained undecided. Gent was merely the most likely candidate for the position.
Gent has made a political move.
Kyle Prukerus is now imprisoned in the family's dungeon.
There were two ostensible reasons for Kyle's imprisonment. First, he had fought the Bandit Gang within the city, potentially endangering civilians. Second, he had acted unilaterally without informing the Prucus Family.
Elaine's decision to imprison Kyle stemmed more from the second reason than the first. Of course, the primary reason was Gent's diligent behind-the-scenes maneuvering.
Well, at most, he'll only be confined to the prison for a few days.
Servants would tend to Kyle around the clock, so it wouldn't be a true prison experience. In addition to a bed and blankets, magical artifacts would keep the prison interior warm. He would even eat meals prepared by the head chef himself. It was essentially living in a prison cell.
Elaine had merely ordered Kyle to spend a few days in prison as punishment for acting unilaterally without informing the Prucus Family.
"The prison was emptied long ago."
Originally, the prison was where the Pfrek Bandit Gang and the lower-ranking parasitic demon Sapin were imprisoned and tortured.
"Knowing full well when the original story would begin, I couldn't just leave them there."
Officially, they were reported as executed, but I had them secretly moved. Since no one cared about the execution of bandits, it was easy to smuggle them out.
Currently, the Pfrek Bandit Gang and Sapin are likely still being tortured in a house on the outskirts of the city. I've installed cameras there, so I can monitor them remotely via my laptop.
"Yuria."
I rose from my chair and called out to Yuria.
"Yes, Master?"
Yuria approached me and straightened my clothes. I accepted her ministrations with practiced ease.
"What about that woman?"
The woman I was referring to was the Adventurer Woman Kyle had helped.
Her name is Claudia Leibre. She's a tall woman with fiery red hair and wields dual swords. Her adventurer rank is Silver, and her current skill level is top-tier among Aura Users.
She's also one of the five main heroines from the original story.
I didn't witness any of this firsthand. Yesterday, when the incident occurred, I was busy rolling around in bed with Yuria.
"She left the city last night. Should we assign someone to follow her?"
"No, it's fine."
Claudia is unaware that Kyle has been imprisoned. Elaine, knowing this would be bad news, had strictly ordered everyone to keep it quiet.
The reason I'm not interfering with Claudia is because I don't want to disrupt the future. Kyle will eventually meet Claudia and grow through their interactions. As a heroine, Claudia plays a significant role in the original story.
According to the original plot, Claudia should be operating in the Labyrinth City Rabit.
Since we knew his location, there was no need to assign guards to him.
"Let's go to the prison. I need to see Kyle."
Yuria and I headed to the prison. As expected, servants were bustling about, doing their best to minimize Kyle's discomfort.
As Kyle's younger brother, I was able to bypass the servants' attempts to stop me and proceed directly to the deepest part of the prison where Kyle was confined.
Kyle sat on the hard stone floor, not on the plush bed, his eyes closed in meditation.
"Brother Kyle," I called out. Kyle slowly opened his eyes, first looking at me, then at Yuria beside me.
"Sung Yujin...! What brings you here?"
"I came because I was worried about you... but you seem perfectly fine. I guess I didn't need to come after all."
"That's thanks to the servants' attentiveness. Still, I'm grateful you came. And Yuria too."
I noticed Kyle's gaze lingering on Yuria for an unusually long time.
I had recently discovered that Kyle seemed to have a crush on Yuria.
Given Kyle's preferences, Yuria fits the bill perfectly.
Yuria possessed exceptional beauty, both outwardly and inwardly. She was pure and refined, yet she executed her duties flawlessly. Though Kyle himself seemed unaware, there was no doubt he harbored a secret affection for her.
But that Yuria... she spends every day with me... Heh heh.
Kyle only knew Yuria's surface appearance. He had no idea she was an Aura Expert-level assassin, that beneath her gentle facade lay a ruthless nature capable of torture, or how she moaned beneath me in bed.
This guy is so dense, he probably doesn't even realize he's head over heels for Yuria. Unless someone spells it out for him, it'll take him forever to figure it out on his own.
Kyle was so clueless about romance it was almost nauseating.
I mentally mocked Kyle before placing my hand on Yuria's shoulder. She was still taller than me, making it a bit awkward, but it wasn't a problem. Yuria stood motionless, showing no reaction.
Heh heh heh heh.
I didn't miss the twitch in Kyle's eyebrow.
"...Sung Yujin. Why are you suddenly grabbing Yuria's shoulder?"
"Ah, I suddenly felt dizzy..."
"Dizzy? You're an Aura User who can manipulate mana."
"That's true, but just because mana is in my body doesn't mean it's curing my heart condition, Yuria. Are you uncomfortable?"
"No, I'm fine. As your personal maid, it's my duty to support Young Master Sung Yujin."
"..."
Kyle fell silent. Since Yuria insisted she was fine, he had no reason to intervene.
"U-uh... I'm suddenly feeling dizzy..."
I deliberately swayed and began to collapse toward Yuria's chest, glancing at Kyle.
Yuria didn't flinch this time either. Instead, she gripped my shoulders and pulled me into her embrace. The back of my head pressed against her chest.
"It would be disastrous if you collapsed here. I'll support you, Young Master Sung Yujin."
"Ah. Thank you."
I glanced at Kyle. His expression was truly awful, as if his face were rotting from within. He probably didn't realize how bad it looked himself.
Enough with the games...
I pulled a key from my pocket the key to the Ancient Warrior Training Camp, which I had found years ago when I first came to this prison. It was an ancient artifact.
Originally, Kyle was supposed to find this item in the original story, but I had swiped it first and kept it for myself. I've been using it well, and thanks to it, Yuria and my skills have improved significantly.
"That key...?"
"It's an ancient artifact. It unlocks the Ancient Warrior Training Camp. Brother Kyle, you love training, right? I figured you'd be bored in prison, so I'm lending it to you. Use it for a while. You don't even have to return it right away when you get out."
"An ancient artifact? That's incredibly valuable! You're lending it to me...?"
"Brother Kyle, we're family."
"Sung Yujin...!"
Kyle's face quickly softened with emotion. He understood the immense significance of ancient artifacts treasures so precious that even family members hesitated to lend them.
"Here. Use this to train. I'll tell the servants you're resting. You can even pretend to be asleep in bed."
"Thank you, Sung Yujin. I'll never forget this."
"It's nothing."
Exactly. Never forget that I lent you a priceless treasure.
I chuckled inwardly.
My generosity toward Kyle wasn't out of kindness.
Kyle needed to become strong enough to be useful. A weak Kyle was as good as useless. Just like in the original story, the Ancient Warrior Training Camp would rapidly strengthen him.
Most importantly, I can obtain Kyle's combat data.
I was the master of Katman, the Ancient Warrior Training Camp. By commanding the artificial intelligence Katman, I could acquire Kyle's combat data. This data would allow me to analyze or even decipher his Plum Blossom Sword Technique.
The moment Kyle slips beyond my control... I'll have to kill him.
If I couldn't control him, it was better to eliminate him cleanly.
"Ugh..."
I staggered, my body swaying.
"Young Master Sung Yujin!"
Yuria tightly embraced me, preventing me from falling.
"Sorry, Yuria. I'm feeling a bit weak today. Brother Kyle, I think I need to go rest."
"Take care and get some rest."
Kyle's gaze was complex as he watched us.
Supported by Yuria, I moved away from Kyle.
Once we were out of earshot, I touched Yuria's ample breasts and asked, "Yuria, front or back? Which do you prefer?"
Yuria chuckled softly at my question.
"...Whatever you desire, Master. I'm happy with either."
"Then let's do both."
It seemed another passionate night was in store.
"Fuck."
My face crumpled as I stormed out of Elaine's office, a curse escaping my lips.
An unexpected event had occurred today.
My frustration and anger weren't directed at Elaine. She had merely delivered a message.
"Count Ention Prukerus! So this is how you're going to play it?!"
To cut to the chase, Ention bestowed upon me the Baron title along with a territory.
The territory granted was Tevra Port City, a relatively nearby city located half a day's carriage ride from Pters, where Prucus Manor stood.
To be precise, I would formally receive the Baron title and depart for Tevra a month later, upon Ention's return to the manor.
Protesting was futile. Ention had already made his decision, and this was a decree. Given my position, I had no choice but to accept his verdict.
Unless something extraordinary occurred, the chances of Ention reversing his decision were... less than one percent.
This means I'm being completely excluded from the Prucus Family succession.
This situation arose because I demonstrated exceptional abilities. I brought modern goods to this world, amassed wealth, and even purchased a Mana Awakening Potion all achievements accomplished solely through my own efforts, without any support from the family.
Impressed by these accomplishments, Ention deemed me suitable to become a Lord and bestowed upon me Tevra, a small port city with a mere 5,000 inhabitants.
Fuck! How did things end up like this?!
Tevra is no desirable city. Though it borders the sea, no ships ever dock there. This is because Count Slaweid's port city, Slaweid, lies nearby. Slaweid is a metropolis that dwarfs Tevra in every way.
Tevra is maintained because it belongs to the Territory of the Prucus Estate, but that's all. In my opinion, Tevra has absolutely no potential for development.
I can't give up the Count of Prucus title here. I need to find a way...
My angry strides came to a halt.
I encountered Gent in the hallway.
The bearded Gent grinned slyly and waved at me.
"Sung Yujin, what's wrong? You don't seem in good spirits."
"..."
The moment I heard Gent's irritating voice, a flash of insight struck me.
This bastard.
He's the one who whispered in Ention's ear.