Chapter 52
Baek Hamin looked up at me with a face stained with shock.
When I momentarily faltered and couldn't answer, Baek Hamin screamed as if the world was collapsing, rushed at Baek Eunseong, and wildly punched him with her small hands. Her tiny fists were so fierce that the thumping sounds startled me into quickly pulling her struggling little body away, but not before she made sounds that could cut through the wind.
After kicking at the air, Baek Hamin suddenly whipped around and clung to me tightly.
And didn't let go.
Even after that day.
"Uncle! Uncle!"
If she ever let go for even a moment, she would run all over the house, calling for me loudly and searching until she found me.
"My side hurts here."
As if that wasn't enough, she whined at the slightest thing, and her clinging to me became even worse than before.
I wondered why she was acting like this, but observing the situation, I could see she was anxious and didn't know what to do, fearing I would leave her. I looked down at Baek Hamin, who had gone beyond just 'clinging' and was now stuck to my leg like a leech with all her might, and sighed.
...Maybe I shouldn't have mentioned leaving the house. No, wait, it's not like I said I was leaving right this instant, so isn't this a bit much?
"Is there a problem, Hunter Seong Dohyeon?"
"No. Please continue."
And right now, I was even sitting in on an Academy class. When the teacher conducting the class asked me a question, I quickly answered and secretly let out a deep sigh.
Having become my complete leech since that day, Baek Hamin dragged me everywhere—not just when sleeping, but even to the bathroom. As if that wasn't enough, whenever I disappeared from her sight, she would sprout all sorts of plants wildly and burst into tears, so there was nothing I could do but stay glued to her side.
Even now, Baek Hamin was looking back every 5 seconds, monitoring whether I had separated from her. I waved my hand half-heartedly with a lifeless face.
She should be satisfied after being accommodated this much, but this little child kept growing greedier. And then she finally...
"No! I'm going into the dungeon with Uncle!"
"I said no. Baek Hamin, are you going to keep being stubborn?
"Hmph..."
I turned away from Baek Hamin, who was making crying noises and throwing herself on the floor. I could feel the morning glories slapping against my instep, but I ignored them. No, does she think I don't have stubbornness of my own?
When her tantrums didn't work, Baek Hamin now started rolling around on the floor. One of the teachers who had been watching, unable to bear the sight any longer, approached me.
"Um, Hunter Seong Dohyeon. Why don't you just..."
"No."
I looked at Jeong Uichan, who had answered on my behalf. Even with Baek Hamin making strange noises and hovering around his feet, Jeong Uichan stood with his arms crossed, looking straight ahead.
"Just instead of me—"
"No."
Baek Eunseong had been trying to sit the limp Baek Hamin down and seemed about to ask Jeong Uichan if I could go in instead of him. But Jeong Uichan cut that question down sharply as well.
"Just go in without Baek Hamin."
"No."
"Then try taking her."
"No!!!"
I looked at Baek Hamin, who was screaming at decibels matching a dolphin and latching onto me, then pressed my hand to my forehead. Baek Hamin had already summoned tree roots, wrapped them tightly around my leg, and fixed herself in place.
A sigh naturally escaped me at the brown crown of her head stuck to me like a leech. Then, a thought suddenly occurred to me, and I shifted my gaze to Do Yudam, who was surveying the situation with bright blue eyes.
If I pulled her off, she might get hurt, but wouldn't it be okay if Do Yudam used his power?
Just as I was contemplating and about to signal Do Yudam—
"What's going on here?"
Kang Youngchan, who had appeared as silently as always, burst into hearty laughter upon seeing Baek Hamin clinging to me.
...Laughing?
Someone here feels like their insides are about to burst, and he's laughing?
When I trembled with irritation and glared at him, Kang Youngchan called Jeong Uichan and pointed at me.
"Well, it wouldn't be a problem to have one more person, would it?"
This damn old man? You should say no. If I kept giving in to all of Baek Hamin's demands, it was obvious she'd grow up spoiled. A spoiled villain—just imagining it was horrific. But the person I was dealing with was Jeong Uichan. Naturally, he would say no...
"Understood."
"What?"
"Yay!!"
Jeong Uichan, who had been firmly rejecting the idea, held out a bracelet to me with an expression that asked when he had ever opposed it. I grabbed Baek Hamin, who was jumping around excitedly, and examined the bracelet.
"What is this?"
"It's a bracelet that can measure the total amount of power. If it turns red, it means the Hunter is overexerting themselves, so please be careful."
The teacher gave a brief explanation and put the bracelet on Baek Hamin as well. I looked at the gem embedded in the middle of the bracelet, shimmering blue, then called out to Baek Eunseong.
"Hey, Baek Eunseong. Did we have anything like this when we went in?"
"No. This is my first time seeing it too..."
After passing Baek Hamin, who was trying to jump into my arms, over to Baek Eunseong, I looked around. Something felt off, but I couldn't explain what. Since most of them were young Hunters, it was natural they couldn't control their strength, and was this bracelet to prevent that?
I stopped my idle speculations and looked at Yang Jiyul approaching Jeong Uichan.
"Can't I go too?"
"No."
"I'll just watch..."
"Hunter Yang Jiyul, I said no."
At Jeong Uichan's cold reply, Yang Jiyul backed away with a crying face. Yang Jiyul's eyes were full of envy as she watched her classmates squealing with excitement about entering the dungeon. Then, when her eyes met mine, Yang Jiyul quickly averted her gaze.
Seriously, anyone watching would think I was going to eat her.
After the day Yang Jihwan tried to frame me, while Baek Hamin had become my leech, Yang Jiyul couldn't busy herself fast with running away whenever she saw me. Considering how her brother had been dragged away like that, it was natural she'd avoid me, but it still didn't feel great.
"Uncle, you know... Can't Jiyul oppa come with us too?"
"Yang Jiyul is a Purification type."
Even in a peaceful world, there was no shortage of sick people and contaminated zones, so Healing and Purification types were precious. Since they couldn't be allowed to get hurt, not only were they banned from entering dungeons, but on the field, they also stayed in the back and only provided support.
But in the original work, it seemed like even Healing types entered dungeons...
I looked at the back of the child with questioning eyes, then turned my attention back to the heaviness on my leg. Baek Hamin, firmly attached to my leg, was shooting lasers from her eyes with a resolute expression.
Only after finally ending the fight with this stubborn child did I have the luxury to look around.
"Hmm."
I let out a low hum and turned to Baek Eunseong, who had the same troubled expression as I did.
Even though it was a guardian observation class, everyone had one guardian each, and some children didn't have any. But with two guardians for just one Baek Hamin, I felt like a parent causing a scene beyond just being overprotective.
"Are you ready?"
"I told you I'd hit you if you sneaked up on me like that."
"You won't hit me."
Kang Youngchan, who laughed heartily, seemed conscious of the surrounding gazes as he leaned in and whispered to me.
"How is it, have any memories come back?"
"Did you ask the Association President?"
"I was too curious. The Hunter Seong Dohyeon I know is someone who would never, under any circumstances, join the Baekwoo Guild."
Kang Youngchan, stroking his beard with a grin, pointed at the shimmering gate.
"That's why I allowed you to enter the dungeon. If you carefully retrace your childhood... who knows if it will come back?"
"Hunter Seong Dohyeon's memories?"
"Hmm? Does Hunter Baek Eunseong know too?"
Baek Eunseong, who had approached at some point, interjected into the conversation. Kang Youngchan looked back and forth between me and Baek Eunseong with rounded eyes. When I gave a small nod, he couldn't hide his surprise before bursting into loud laughter.
"I wish you luck."
Kang Youngchan left with a hearty laugh, and Baek Eunseong glared at his retreating back for a long time before extending his hand to me.
"What."
"Let's go in."
"Take care of Baek Hamin instead."
Clicking my tongue, I turned around and looked at Baek Kyeongmin. That bastard Baek Jiseong kept going on about his son, his son, but on this important day of entering a dungeon, he didn't even show his face once and sent a secretary instead. The secretary greeted me respectfully, but I just ignored it and watched the children entering the gate.
"Will you be okay?"
"With what."
I answered Baek Eunseong's question calmly, but my palms were covered in sweat. I was already sighing at what kind of memory I'd see this time. I wanted to argue with the status window, saying I wasn't curious about 'Seong Dohyeon's' memories and wished they'd stop.
"Uncle, let's go!"
Before I could even finish mentally preparing, Baek Hamin pulled my hand.
"…!"
With Baek Eunseong's hand reaching out to catch me as I collapsed helplessly being the last thing I saw, my vision flipped upside down. A sensation I had forgotten crashed over my entire body.
A little while later, I let out a sigh and slowly opened my eyes.
I had been tense, wondering if this would be a continuation of that day's memory, but standing before my eyes was Seong Dohyeon wearing an Academy uniform. Since it was the Academy entrance ceremony, there were more adults than children around. Seong Dohyeon, buried in the crowd, was moving with hesitant steps.
Every time someone bumped into him, Seong Dohyeon looked at the Association President with a frightened face, but the Association President didn't even glance at him, busy exchanging greetings with others.
As time passed, seemingly overwhelmed by the flow of so many people, he covered his mouth and fled to a corner. And as Seong Dohyeon crouched for a long time catching his breath, a palm-sized golem came rolling over and settled in front of him.
"Hello."
And a small hand was held out before his eyes. I was momentarily flustered, thinking it was Baek Hamin, but then blinked as I saw the pale pink eyes.
What—could it be Baek Eunseong?