Even Today, the Ranker Dreams of Retirement

“…When do you plan to be honest with Habin?”

Chae Jise’s sharp probing. He wasn’t about to fall for such a vague, baseless fishing expedition.

Hyun Siwoo decided to use his usual method.

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”

First, feign ignorance!

This was the all-purpose skill he’d used even when Hyun Habin asked why he’d left Ahezar behind.

“……”

A moment of tense silence fell between them. Hyun Siwoo glanced towards the kitchen.

‘Why isn’t Hyun Habin coming back?’

Is she making ice from scratch or something? Please end this awkward situation!

Seeing that Hyun Siwoo had no intention of speaking, Chae Jise continued as if she had no choice.

“Hyun Siwoo-ssi, I hear you were missing for the past five years?”

‘Thankfully, it’s this question.’

Missing for five years.

It was understandable that she’d be curious, given how close she’d become with Hyun Habin.

[Ah, too bad. Looks like she didn’t figure out you’re Fides after all.]

‘What are you disappointed about? Whose side are you on?’

[Ah, right! It’s fortunate we weren’t found out. Fortunate.]

‘…It’s not exactly fortunate.’

It wasn’t time to relax just because she hadn’t immediately asked about Fides. She might still be probing, so this could be a trap question.

First things first.

“How did you know about that? Did Habin tell you?”

“She didn’t, but…”

“I didn’t take you for someone who’d investigate others’ private lives.”

“It wasn’t an investigation. I found out by chance.”

“I didn’t take you for someone who’d meddle in others’ family affairs either.”

“I apologize if I’ve offended you.”

Chae Jise apologized immediately in a polite tone. However, despite her quick apology, she didn’t back down.

“Yes, I know it’s meddling. But Habin is a younger sister I care about, so I couldn’t just let it go.”

[Wow, they must have gotten really close! Since when did she care so much?]

‘Indeed. This is becoming… troublesome.’

The Chae Jise he knew was quite affectionate. Though she had an outward image of a charismatic and talented genius, once she considered someone her own, she would take care of them without hesitation.

If Hyun Habin was now within that circle of care…

‘I’m not sure if that’s good or bad.’

[Well, it’s certainly not good right now!]

Being interrogated like this!

As Neaiba and Hyun Siwoo inwardly sighed, Chae Jise smiled gently.

It was the kind of trustworthy, friendly smile often seen on TV. She spoke in a warm voice.

“If you were out of contact with your family for five years, I thought there must have been some major circumstances you couldn’t talk about. You might have kept quiet to avoid causing trouble for Habin.”

[Right on the mark.]

Both were correct. But he had no intention of remaining silent here. Instead, Hyun Siwoo responded sharply.

“Well, let’s say you’re right. Then all the more reason you shouldn’t be asking like this. If I kept quiet to avoid causing trouble for Hyun Habin, I obviously couldn’t tell you either.”

At Hyun Siwoo’s response, Chae Jise’s eyebrows rose. As if she had expected this, she calmly continued.

“Yes, I understand that too. To you, Hyun Siwoo-ssi, I’m an outsider you’re meeting for the first time today.”

She pulled something out of her wallet with a click. A transparent golden business card.

Upon closer inspection, Chae Jise’s title and phone number were engraved in negative relief.

“This is my personal direct contact information. I know you don’t trust me, but if you ever need help, please don’t hesitate to call.”

“…!”

“I’ll help as much as I can. Especially if it’s related to Habin.”

Hyun Siwoo looked down at the business card. This was indeed a card not just anyone could receive. The personal contact information of Solaris’s leader, but…

[You’re receiving this for the second time, huh?]

‘Indeed. I already have one in my inventory…’

There’s probably another one tucked away in the card holder in his inventory. He had exchanged cards with her when he was Fides, after all.

As Hyun Siwoo looked at the card with a peculiar expression, Chae Jise continued.

“If you lose this or my contact information changes and you can’t reach me in time, call any Solaris number and say ‘Deneb does not pass through the ecliptic.’ You’ll be connected right away.”

“…Deneb does not pass through the ecliptic?”

“You can remember that much, right?”

It was a code he’d never heard before. He hadn’t even imagined such a connection method existed.

Hyun Siwoo asked seriously.

“Have you seen the movie Kingsman by any chance?”

“What’s that?”

“No, it’s just that calling and giving a code is similar…”

“…?”

“Never mind.”

As Hyun Siwoo finished speaking and turned his attention back to the pizza—

“Hyun Siwoo-ssi, by the way…”

Chae Jise hastily added, her brow slightly furrowed as if deep in thought.

“Have we… perhaps met somewhere before?”

Hyun Siwoo answered quickly.

“I just have a common face, I guess.”

“No, that’s not it… It’s not your face, but the feeling…”

“People often say I feel very similar to Hyun Habin.”

Usually, the siblings would both recoil at being told they were alike, but this time Hyun Siwoo was brazen. As he nonchalantly replied and reached for a pizza slice—

“Who wants ice in their cola? Hands up!”

At last, Hyun Habin trotted back into the living room.

‘Perfect timing!’

He had just been in a tight spot, receiving a sharp question. Hyun Siwoo needlessly chided his sister for being late.

“Were you making the ice yourself?”

“Yep!”

“?”

Habin proudly showed off the ice tray. As she waved her other hand, the water in it instantly froze with a crackling sound.

“It’s a skill I’m trying for the first time, so it was a bit tricky. I almost froze the sink along with the water.”

Neaiba was shocked at the sight.

[That’s magic! And high-level magic at that!]

Hyun Siwoo asked urgently.

“You can do magic too?”

“Ah… well, I just learned it somehow recently.”

“Somehow?!”

“There’s this annoying old-fashioned senior… He forced me to learn it even though I said I didn’t want to.”

Habin glanced at the status window that had appeared beside her.

Trait: Marvel of the Demon God (You can summon and use magic-type skills possessed by Glitch)

It was a benefit that appeared after the Demon God Glitch was registered as a constellation. An overpowered trait that allowed her to summon and use all of the Demon God’s magic-type skills.

These were magics possessed by the God of the Demon Realm, so of course, making ice was nothing among them.

[This is insane… She was already good with swordsmanship, and now she’s good at magic too? What’s she trying to do?]

‘Was just making ice really that impressive?’

[Even a basic magic spell reveals one’s level! And according to you, Hyun Habin’s stats are in the hundreds of millions? Imagine that insane stat being reflected, who could handle that power?!]

“Anyway, does anyone want ice?”

“I’ll have some. Thanks!”

Jise immediately held out her cup. Hyun Siwoo followed suit, sliding his cup forward.

‘After all, cola should be drunk cold.’

“Thanks.”

Only Neaiba was muttering to himself in disbelief.

[To think… to think that’s being used just to make ice cubes… I don’t know whether to laugh or cry.]

‘Neaiba can do it too. While you’re at it, why don’t you make some magic that doesn’t make you sweat when you wear a mask?’

[I won’t do it! My great magic isn’t meant to be used for such trivial things…!]

‘But she’s using it to make ice?’

[……]

“Cheers, cheers!”

Habin held out her glass. The three, each lost in their own thoughts, clinked their glasses together at her urging.

◆◇◆◇◆

“Sigh… I was planning to watch a movie cozily with unni.”

“Were you unhappy that I joined in?”

“Hmm… No. Come to think of it, it’s better that the movie plans got postponed. I get to see unni again, right?”

“Then vacuum properly.”

“Tch.”

Whirrrrr-

It’s only natural to clean up after guests leave!

After Chae Jise had gone home, Hyun Habin was pushing the vacuum around the living room with lifeless movements, while Hyun Siwoo headed towards the washing machine to launder the carpet.

Habin, who had been running the vacuum with a whirr, wore a dejected expression. She kicked the vacuum over with a thud and cried out in a frustrated voice.

“Why isn’t there a magic spell for cleaning!”

[Aren’t you asking for too much?]

“They say the most annoying things in the world are organizing and cleaning. If they were going to develop magic, this should have been the top priority!”

Habin fumed as she checked her status window.

“Why are all these skills like this? What’s this? Meteor? Where am I supposed to use Meteor? It’s totally useless! Skills like ‘Automatic Vacuum Cleaning’ or ‘Self-Mopping’ would be a hundred times more useful!”

“……”

Hyun Siwoo, standing in the corner, rolled his eyes.

‘Did she just say Meteor? I must have misheard, right?’

[No, I think you heard correctly… I wish we had both misheard……]

Meteor. The falling meteor magic.

A skill known as the ultimate technique of most magicians, and she’s calling it useless?

‘Well, come to think of it, if you launch a meteor, it would kill not only the enemy but also your allies, so it is a troublesome skill.’

As he was wiping the floor, Hyun Siwoo suddenly lifted his head as if remembering something.

‘But do we have any cleaning magic?’

[What? There’s no such thing! I won’t do it! Wasting time developing cleaning magic! A sage’s desk always has order within chaos!]

‘That’s exactly the same excuse Hyun Habin used to give mom whenever she told her to clean her room. Something about having a system even though it looks messy…’

[I’m telling you, there really is!]

Sure, whatever you say.

Ignoring Neaiba’s words, Hyun Siwoo put the sofa cushions back in place. The beige square cushions found their proper spots under his touch.

“Ah, to think the end of the training institute is just the beginning of hardship, why is my life like this?”

Habin sighed and muttered beside him.

“I don’t want to be tied to the country or forcibly mobilized.”

“…If you really hate it, there is a way.”

Hyun Siwoo, who had been listening, replied. Intrigued by his words, Habin whipped her head around.

“What? A way?”

“Yeah. There are three types of Awakened who can’t be forcibly mobilized even in national emergencies. First are those who aren’t official hunters yet because they’re still trainees. But that won’t work for you since you’ll be graduating from the training institute.”

“I hate the training institute.”

“Second are minors.”

“I’m not a minor either.”

“And the third is…”

“The third is?”

“Students.”

“Huh?”

“Specifically, students enrolled in educational institutions at or below the high school level.”

Hyun Siwoo finished speaking and turned to look at Habin. However, she didn’t seem particularly impressed.

“What good is that? I don’t even go to school.”

“You could. Hyun Habin, didn’t you drop out?”

“Huh?”

“Your final education level is middle school graduation, right? Plus, your Awakened rank is A-grade.”

“Uh…?”

“With an A-grade, among the hunter schools in Seoul… Ah, you could enter Ullim International Magic High School in Hapjeong through special admission.”

“What?!”

Neaiba, who had been listening, muttered in surprise.

[Hey, you’re going to send her to high school now? Are you crazy? Will she even go in the first place?]

‘I just thought it might be an opportunity.’

[What kind of opportunity?]

‘Have you forgotten? There was a major incident in Seoul around this time in the first iteration.’

[…!]

The Hapjeong Station Disaster.

‘If Hyun Habin is there, we might be able to prevent it.’