Baek Eun-seol, and now Kitsunezawa Wakamo
With the appearance of Baek Eun-seol, an active S-rank Hunter, and Kitsunezawa Wakamo, an A-rank Hunter regarded as near-S-rank, Saria couldn’t help but be filled with questions.
‘How in the world does Si-woo manage to attract people like this?’
If it was due to Si-woo’s engraving, the Symbol of Allure, then perhaps it wasn’t entirely impossible.
Saria had personally experienced a fragment of Si-woo’s power.
It wasn’t just allure—it was closer to hypnosis.
When Si-woo spoke, it felt as if his words carried an absolute authority, forcing the logical part of the mind to submit to the idea of earning his favor.
If his power truly worked on them, then even compelling S-rank and A-rank Hunters to obey him wasn’t completely out of the realm of possibility.
‘If it works, that is.’
Baek Eun-seol and Kitsunezawa Wakamo—both of them were at the pinnacle of the Hunter world.
Saria simply couldn’t imagine these two powerful women falling helplessly under the spell of someone who had only awakened his engraving a year ago.
And out of the two, Kitsunezawa Wakamo stood out even more.
Her engraving wasn’t just powerful; it was imbued with a motif.
A legendary creature passed down in lore.
The Soul Engraving of the Black-Faced, Golden-Tailed Nine-Tailed Fox.
Her engraving was ranked S.
The fact that both her ears and tail were fully manifested indicated that she likely had access to all the abilities associated with the nine-tailed fox in folklore.
From creating illusions to deceive others, to the seductive charm that enthralls men, to the symbolic mastery of blue flames—abilities destined to make her a living legend.
‘If Si-woo’s abilities are similar to hers, she’d naturally have resistance to them.’
Even if Si-woo’s engraving were a higher rank than Kitsunezawa’s, the difference in their experience and skill levels would allow her to resist—or even turn the tables and enthrall Si-woo instead.
This realization left Saria with one clear conclusion:
Baek Eun-seol and Kitsunezawa’s affection for Si-woo wasn’t due to his engraving.
It was entirely their own choice.
“Huh?”
Isn’t that even more dangerous?
As the realization dawned on her, Saria’s expression twisted into unease.
Meanwhile
Contrary to Saria’s expectations, Kitsunezawa’s actions weren’t overtly hostile or suspicious.
She simply continued to express her affection for Si-woo, openly displaying their closeness.
Holding Back the Line.
Kitsunezawa’s actions and words, while affectionate, never crossed the line.
Though her physical affection leaned on the intense side, it remained at a level even Saria could have managed.
This restraint puzzled Saria.
The emotions visible in Kitsunezawa’s tone, actions, and demeanor unmistakably belonged to someone who wanted to cross that line.
And the truth was, Kitsunezawa could easily have done so.
The same went for Baek Eun-seol.
Yet, both women seemed to deliberately hold themselves back in front of Si-woo, presenting themselves as polite, reserved women.
They expressed their feelings, but not to the point of overwhelming him, suppressing their desires to avoid making him uncomfortable.
When Si-woo excused himself to the restroom, Saria couldn’t contain her curiosity any longer.
She turned to Kitsunezawa and asked the question burning in her mind.
And Kitsunezawa answered without a moment’s hesitation.
“Because being hated by Si-woo would be the worst thing in the world.”
“…Sorry, what?”
Drip, drip.
As she poured sake into a small glass, Kitsunezawa continued, seemingly unfazed by Saria’s shock.
“Does it seem strange to you that ranker-level Hunters like Baek Eun-seol and me are so hung up on Si-woo?”
“Yes, it does.”
Kitsunezawa smirked as she downed her glass of sake in one swift motion, amused by Saria’s immediate and direct response.
She thought of herself, Baek Eun-seol, and Jung Se-ah—all women deeply in love with Si-woo.
For Baek Eun-seol and Jung Se-ah, their feelings came from undeniable reasons.
For Baek Eun-seol, Si-woo was her savior, the one who had rescued her from the icy hell she’d been trapped in since her awakening.
For Jung Se-ah, Si-woo was her junior, someone who, despite having a seemingly useless engraving, never gave up and strove forward.
But for Kitsunezawa, it was different.
“To be honest, I fell for him at first sight. I mean, even to someone else, Si-woo is obviously good-looking, right?”
There was no grand reason, no life-altering event.
Kitsunezawa had first encountered Si-woo at a host bar, a place she visited for the first time upon a friend’s recommendation while in Korea to participate in an S-rank gate raid.
At the time, Si-woo’s Symbol of Allure was still developing and hadn’t been powerful enough to affect Kitsunezawa’s mind.
But his body—already transformed by his engraving into a figure of irresistible allure—had a different effect.
Si-woo’s face and physique had shaken Kitsunezawa’s heart, especially since she had virtually no immunity to men.
That alone had been enough to capture her completely.
“…So, you’re saying you fell in love with him because he’s handsome?”
“Yup. Like you said, that was the starting point.”
More Thank Just Looks.
If Si-woo had been only a man of good looks, Kitsunezawa would have eventually left him behind, returning to Japan to resume her life as an S-rank Hunter.
But over time, as she continued meeting Si-woo, she found herself sinking deeper into the swamp that was her feelings for him.
“People say what’s on the inside matters more than looks. I used to believe that too,” Kitsunezawa said.
But unfortunately—or perhaps fortunately for her—Si-woo’s “inside” was just as perfect as his exterior.
“I fell in love at first sight and stuck around. Over time, I realized I didn’t want to leave him. This love didn’t end with a period but instead became a comma, a stepping stone to move forward to the next stage.”
And it wasn’t just Kitsunezawa.
Baek Eun-seol and Jung Se-ah felt the same way.
While Si-woo’s looks were certainly appealing, they weren’t the deciding factor.
His personality, the way he treated others, and his small, considerate actions revealed his true character.
Even after quitting his job as a host, the way he interacted with them never changed—and that was what made them fall for him.
‘If that weren’t the case, Baek Eun-seol would have seen him as nothing more than a hot water bottle, and Jung Se-ah would have viewed him as just a talented disciple.’
As Kitsunezawa drank her sake, Saria let out a sigh.
She had finally realized it.
They weren’t captivated by Si-woo’s engraving—they had fallen for the person he was.
‘Of all people, why do I have to compete with women like this for my first love…?’
In the dizzying whirlwind of this realization, Saria pressed on with another question.
“Then, besides Baek Eun-seol and Hunter Kitsunezawa, are there any other people who have feelings for Si-woo?”
“All the unworthy women have been dealt with,” Kitsunezawa said flatly.
Her words, however, didn’t carry the satisfaction one might expect.
The unworthy women have been dealt with.
This implied something troubling: there were others beyond their ability to handle.
At least one person—someone even S-rank and A-rank Hunters couldn’t contend with—likely existed.
Despite the overwhelming bleakness of the situation, Saria refused to give up.
“Well, at least I have my own strengths. That’s a relief,” Saria said with determination.
“Hah, after hearing all this, shouldn’t you know it’s time to give up?”
Kitsunezawa smirked, her tone carrying a faint trace of amusement.
The reason she had gone to such lengths to explain everything to Saria was simple: it was a warning, a suggestion to back off.
It was her way of saying, Si-woo isn’t someone you can handle. The people fighting over him are monsters far beyond your league.
You, Saria, are a small fish in a coliseum of titans—leave before you’re crushed.
Saria wasn’t oblivious; she understood the warning clearly.
“Joining a Whale Fight”
“Don’t get caught in the middle of a fight between whales and end up crushed,” Kitsunezawa warned.
“Thanks for the advice, Kitsunezawa, but even in a fight between whales, there’s still a chance—however small—that a tiny shrimp might survive, isn’t there?” Saria shot back confidently.
Moreover, Saria had her own advantage.
It was something that even the rankers around Si-woo could never fill—a strength unique to her.
“Rankers like you have already graduated from the Academy, haven’t you?”
“Hah, do you think we can’t just walk back into the Academy if we wanted to?” Kitsunezawa sneered.
She was about to tell Saria that rankers like herself and Baek Eun-seol could easily return as Academy instructors, ensuring they wouldn’t be separated from Si-woo even there.
But that wasn’t the point Saria was trying to make.
“That’s not what I mean. Graduating from the Academy means that, even if you skipped a grade or two, you’re still at least… in your mid-twenties, right?”
Saria’s words hit a sore spot.
She was just a freshman at the Academy and couldn’t fight on equal footing with women like Kitsunezawa, who were already rankers.
Becoming a ranker overnight and catching up to their level was impossible.
So instead, Saria aimed to drag them down to her playing field.
“Even if you focus entirely on clearing gates, it still takes clearing hundreds of them to become an A-rank Hunter. By that logic, even in the best-case scenario, you’d have to be in your late twenties…”
“Say another word, and I’ll rip your mouth apart,” Kitsunezawa growled.
Gulp.
A chill ran down Saria’s spine as killing intent surged from Kitsunezawa, who had clearly been struck where it hurt.
For awakened individuals, age was just a number.
Bodies transformed by mana aged slower and had extended lifespans, meaning most Hunters didn’t concern themselves with age.
But for a woman in love, it’s a different story.
Especially when the man she loved was significantly younger.
Age was a delicate topic for Kitsunezawa, and her usual composure was nowhere to be seen.
Saria, who had already crossed the line, had no intention of stopping.
With a smirk, she pushed forward, turning her words into a pointed provocation.
“Striking a Nerve”
“The fact that you’re reacting like this just proves I hit the mark, doesn’t it?” Saria said, her tone sharp and confident.
“Tch. For awakened Hunters, age is just a number, you know?” Kitsunezawa snapped back.
“That’s true. But… doesn’t a generation gap still exist?”
“…”
For a moment, Kitsunezawa was so stunned with anger that she couldn’t even form a response.
The sheer audacity of this Academy freshman was unbelievable.
Even B and C-rank Hunters, used to battling monsters and enduring life-or-death combat, would have fled at the overwhelming killing intent Kitsunezawa was radiating.
But Saria?
She stood her ground, and not only that—she kept provoking Kitsunezawa despite the suffocating pressure.
‘This girl must be insane.’
Even among A-rank Hunters, Kitsunezawa’s strength was close to S-rank.
The only reason she hadn’t officially been promoted was her delay in securing permanent residency in Korea.
Yet here was Saria, not just withstanding Kitsunezawa’s killing intent but continuing to poke at her sore spots with comments about age and generational differences.
Kitsunezawa couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh.
“…Well, fine. It’s amusing, at least. You started far later than us, so without penalties like that, this wouldn’t even be a contest, would it?”
As she spotted Si-woo returning from the restroom, Kitsunezawa withdrew her killing intent and hostility, folding them away as if they had never existed.
In an instant, she transformed from a menacing Hunter exuding murderous energy to an elegant and composed woman, her demeanor shifting effortlessly.
Saria, having watched the transformation with her own eyes, couldn’t help but glance at Kitsunezawa’s swaying fox tail.
She really acts exactly as she looks, Saria thought, unable to suppress a wry smile.
Even if she acknowledged that she herself had become more aggressive and cunning, she had resolved to do whatever it took to win Si-woo’s heart.
The catalyst had been Baek Eun-seol.
The courage to push forward had come from Kitsunezawa.
‘Not that either of them intended it that way.’
With rivals seemingly everywhere, Saria knew she couldn’t just sit idly by and watch Si-woo be taken by another woman.
Even if, in the end, she wasn’t the one to win his heart…
She was determined to give it her all and see it through to the end.