Chapter 44

Chapter 44

The Rozenium Hotel.

It was a five-star hotel, yet its accommodation fees were steeper than any other hotel's.

Money alone wasn't enough to gain entry, either—it operated on the principle of admitting only an extremely select few by invitation.

That rule had been set by the Rozenium Hotel's chairman and active Setinos Hunter, the Spirit King of Five Colors, making it impossible for anyone to casually object.

'So Miterich sends its Student Council officers to a hotel for MT? I doubt even most universities could pull something like this off.'

Seo Hyun-woo let out a wry laugh as he passed through the Rozenium Hotel's front entrance.

Miterich was a Hunter-specialized training institution and also a special school certified by the Hunter Committee.

In other words, since Miterich was treated as a school, it had things like vacations, festivals, and MT trips just like any other school.

'As expected, Lee Da-jeong didn't join this MT. She's supposed to be hanging around the protagonist—an MT wouldn't even register with her.'

Seo Hyun-woo glanced at the Student Council officers who had come along and briefly set down his rolling suitcase.

Every Student Council officer was participating in the MT except Lee Da-jeong.

As the story required her to stay close to Kang Jin-ha, she had cited various reasons and slipped away in advance.

'Without the acting excuse, it would've been hard for her to get out. Student Council officers are required to attend the MT, after all.'

Normally, MT participation at any school was left to each student's free will.

The same was true at Miterich, where students had always been free to join.

But unlike the general student body, Miterich's Student Council officers were required to participate in this MT without exception.

The reason was that the Student Council officers' MT participation was explicitly stipulated as mandatory in Miterich's rulebook.

'Han Yu-jeong inserted this rule while fully aware of the Student Council's conventions. On top of that, she didn't even tell them to abolish the conventions. I can't figure out what she's thinking.'

Still, no one showed any displeasure about attending.

The MT ran from Friday morning to Saturday morning, giving the officers a full day off from Student Council duties on Friday.

On top of that, they could enjoy all manner of luxury at the five-star Rozenium Hotel for one night and two days—so what reason was there to dislike it?

'Thanks to that, only the Administrative Office and each department's secretaries are stuck suffering. And as for me? I'm sitting pretty.'

Seo Hyun-woo was simply delighted at the prospect of spending a weekday at a five-star hotel.

While others were working, he could rest to his heart's content, and the following day he could savor his day off.

Since he never had occasion to visit a hotel otherwise, anticipation rose unbidden.

"Has anyone here been to this hotel before?"

"No one except Da-jeong, probably. But she left for work, so."

Min Ha-young answered Jin Se-hee's question and naturally turned her gaze toward Seo Hyun-woo.

When nobody knew what to do, the best course was to stand still.

Someone who could read the mood and lead the group forward would emerge on their own.

"Just do what we were doing earlier. We're guests here."

Seo Hyun-woo grabbed his suitcase and set off first.

The Student Council officers exchanged glances before promptly falling in behind him.

Since only an extremely limited number of guests were accepted, the hotel interior was remarkably quiet.

If anything, the hotel staff seemed to outnumber the guests, making one worry whether the place was running at a deficit.

"Welcome. May I see your invitation?"

A staff member at the front desk greeted them courteously.

At those words, Seo Hyun-woo pulled a pale yellow invitation stamped with a crimson seal from his pocket and handed it to the employee.

The employee received it with both hands and carefully examined its contents.

"It shows that you were introduced by VVIP guest Han Yu-jeong. May I verify your identification?"

The moment the employee finished speaking, Seo Hyun-woo promptly produced his ID from his wallet.

The other Student Council officers hesitated briefly before each pulling out their own identification.

"......Confirmed. Per a special directive from the chairman, all facilities and amenities at the Rozenium Hotel will be available to you free of charge for the duration of your stay. Our staff will handle your luggage for you."

Seo Hyun-woo and the Student Council officers received their card keys and IDs in order, then moved as a group.

Waiting staff picked up their suitcases and began escorting them to their rooms.

In the midst of this, Seo Hyun-woo sidled up next to Choi Jae-yeon and spoke.

"Enhancement Department Head, do you have any bad habits when you sleep?"

"......I shouldn't be making any noise."

"Good to hear. I'm a light sleeper."

There was exactly one drawback to this MT: the fact that private rooms were unavailable.

After all, the whole point of an MT was to foster camaraderie among members.

That was why rooms had been assigned in pairs of the same gender or more.

'This is my chance. Since I'll be sharing a room with the president for one night, maybe I can get a little closer to him.'

Choi Jae-yeon steeled his resolve and swallowed hard.

Honestly, maintaining an unaffected facade all this time had been psychologically taxing.

Getting close to Seo Hyun-woo wasn't easy, and the circumstances hadn't allowed him to ask anything directly.

But this time, an environment had formed where they would be alone together, away from Miterich—so perhaps he could try a few different approaches.

'Should I just ask him outright? What do I do if the answer is no? And if he says yes...... that'd be a real problem.'

***

Inside the Rozenium Hotel's president's office.

Two women sat on a sofa, engaged in conversation.

A middle-aged woman dressed smartly in a suit was speaking to a younger-looking woman with marked deference.

Even someone holding the title of hotel president was not a person she could treat casually, so she could only show the utmost courtesy.

"Oh, didn't you say students from Miterich's Student Council were coming today?"

"......They checked in about an hour ago, as I understand."

"They're here already? I should go see them while they're still together."

The tips of her black hair were tinged with a soft orange hue and curled slightly upward.

Her eyes seemed to hold a rainbow within them, and her radiant beauty carried an air of innocence.

Yoon Se-in—chairman of the Rozenium Hotel and the Spirit King of Five Colors—set down the file binder she had been holding, flustered.

"Is there a particular need to meet them? The Miterich Student Council coming here for an MT is a common occurrence."

"Mm...... this time is a bit different. There are a few standout kids among them."

Yoon Se-in smiled softly and took a sip of her tea.

Ordinary people paid little attention to Hunter affairs unless it involved a famous Hunter or a magical beast-related incident.

From their perspective, all they knew about Miterich was that it was the nation's premier training institution and that a Setinos Hunter served as its chairman.

"I didn't expect you to say something like that. Is this Student Council group really that remarkable?"

"The Student Council President alone sets them apart. You know that Miterich students' ranks are determined through a point system and combat training, right?"

"Yes, I'm aware."

"The current Student Council President apparently hasn't lost a single time since enrolling at Miterich. What do you think that means?"

"......Is that even possible?"

Yang Jeong-ae, the Rozenium Hotel's president, asked back with a skeptical look.

No human being could go through life without experiencing failure or setback even once.

Miterich's Student Council President was a person before he was an Awakened—so surely he couldn't be undefeated in battle.

"That's exactly what makes it fascinating. Even current Setinos Hunters must have lost a few times in their younger days."

"Is that even possible, though? Even in their youth, I can't imagine the Setinos Hunters ever losing."

"That's not necessarily the case. Setinos Hunters still have to grow, don't they? Naturally, they experience defeat in the process. And on top of that, no one has ever beaten the person they call the strongest in history."

Yoon Se-in's expression turned cold as she faintly recalled Yoo Jin-seob's image.

Among the seven Setinos Hunters, not a single one had been able to defeat Yoo Jin-seob.

In a one-on-one fight, victory was simply out of reach—she suspected at least two Setinos Hunters would need to attack in concert just to fight him on even terms.

"I'd only heard rumors about the strongest Hunter in history. I had no idea it was to that extent."

"Of course you didn't. The Hunter Committee wants the Setinos Hunters in the spotlight—they don't want the strongest Hunter in history running rampant. He doesn't cooperate well with the Committee's requests either, so he tends to be ostracized."

"Is that why the strongest Hunter in history hasn't been promoted past Red Hunter?"

"Probably. If you go purely by ability and accomplishments, he could become a Setinos Hunter tomorrow. But the Committee would never allow it. Now he's gone into hiding, which just gives them one more excuse."

Yoon Se-in was hostile toward Yoo Jin-seob, but she had no choice but to acknowledge his combat prowess and achievements.

He would assemble a single subjugation team and flawlessly handle tasks that even the Setinos Hunters couldn't accomplish.

Yoo Jin-seob had never sought rewards or glory.

He simply subjugated dungeons or killed every magical beast that escaped through Gates, then vanished without a trace.

"......This isn't the most pleasant subject. I will never disclose it to anyone."

"You can tell other people if you want. Those who know already know. And those who won't believe it will never believe it regardless."

Aside from a select few, the majority viewed Yoo Jin-seob in a negative light.

Even when he subjugated dungeons, word never spread far—the Committee deliberately suppressed information to keep him in check.

The only reason fabricated information about Yoo Jin-seob hadn't proliferated was because the Black Demon King had filed an official protest with the Committee.

"Could your interest in Miterich's Student Council President also be connected to the strongest Hunter in history?"

"......What makes you think that?"

Yoon Se-in gave a faint smile and answered gently.

She was curious how well Yang Jeong-ae could read her true feelings.

"Earlier, you said the Student Council President has never lost since enrolling at Miterich. And you also mentioned that the Setinos Hunters couldn't defeat the strongest Hunter in history. If you look closely, those two facts share something in common."

"How interesting. So what conclusion did you reach?"

"It seems you believe Miterich's Student Council President is similar to the strongest Hunter in history. That's why you're taking an interest and want to meet him. Am I correct?"