Chapter 7: Where are you going to feed the sweet potatoes?(1)

It was the first time.

Feeling that way toward a man.

‘Men are supposed to be disgusting and smelly…’

Minhoo Seol.

That man was different.

Normally, men made my stomach churn with revulsion, but I never felt that with women.

So, I thought I liked women.

But that day, I realized it was all a misunderstanding.

The moment I locked eyes with Minhoo Seol, my entire life felt invalidated, and the shock of meeting a real man for the first time made me faint in embarrassment.

Barely regaining consciousness with my senior receptionist’s help, I sorted my thoughts and understood everything.

Ahh. All the men I’d seen before were fake. That’s why they disgusted me.

There’s only one real man. Minhoo Seol.

Ding~!

Ding~!

While happily fantasizing about Minhoo’s face, an annoying text notification interrupted.

“Ugh, so irritating.”

==

[Big Sis Alio]

Shine~ Why aren’t you replying lately? 😢 Something wrong??

[Big Sis Alio]

Shine?

==

A message from Alio, the human woman I was dating.

I instantly blocked the number of my former lover, who kept texting.

[Merry] N(31)

[Jaini] N(999+)

[Phone Nersha] N(77)

[Miu] N(156)

[Iris] N(88)

I blocked, blocked, blocked all the messages from those clingy, filthy lesbian b*tches without reading them.

Females are drawn to males, and males to females.

Why don’t these b*tches get that obvious truth?

I was in their shoes until recently, but not anymore.

Pathetic, defeated female b*tches.

Forever doomed to cling to each other.

Hunter Academy Director’s Office.

The white-haired old man alternated between looking at a piece of paper and the man sitting before him.

“Hmm… So you’re Hunter Minhoo Seol?”

“Yes.”

“According to your records, you were afflicted with an A-rank mask curse.”

“I dispelled it.”

Minhoo’s admission profile showed a young boy’s face, not a masked one.

‘To think he used an 8-year-old citizen ID photo for his profile… Did the examiners overlook it because of the mask?’

The Director mentally noted to discipline the admission officers later and looked at the profile again.

A black-haired, black-eyed boy.

An uncommon appearance, but…

‘He’s way more handsome than he was as a kid. Did he undergo some racial evolution?’

When the Director cast a suspicious glance, Minhoo handed over his hunter ID.

Recently updated with a photo taken after removing the mask.

[C-rank Hunter]

• Minhoo Seol

The uncommon name confirmed it was the same person.

No further suspicion was needed.

“Ahem! You said you dispelled it just now? I heard your curse was A-rank. You found a skilled spellmaster.”

“Yes, well.”

It’s common knowledge that finding an A-rank spellmaster is harder than finding a needle in a desert.

The Director grew curious how a mere C-rank hunter managed it.

“If I get the chance, I’d like to connect with that spellmaster. Heh.”

The Director subtly probed for a connection.

Minhoo thought to himself,

‘There must be other Earth natives here, but they haven’t spread the easy way to raise spell ranks?’

Minhoo didn’t mind revealing he was an A-rank spellmaster, but he decided explaining how he reached that rank could cause trouble.

He didn’t want to be ostracized by fellow Earth natives.

‘But that’s not the point right now. He keeps going off-topic.’

Annoyed by the Director’s tangents, Minhoo steered the conversation back.

“Why did you call me here?”

Realizing he was rambling, the Director awkwardly pulled a crystal orb from a drawer.

“…Ahem! I called you about your admission. The mask issue seems resolved, but there’s another problem.”

“Problem?”

“…I’ll show you a video first.”

• Stop it!
• Heh! Feisty btch, your resistance is fcking hot!

What the f*ck is this?

So, the guy in the video is supposed to be me?

Utter bullsh*t.

“The mask in the video doesn’t even resemble the cursed mask I wore.”

“I don’t know what your mask looked like. But there’s more important evidence.”

The Director touched the crystal with his index finger, and letters appeared above the video.

º Fairin

º Minhoo Seol

“This is the evidence. This crystal, called the Crystal of Truth, can’t be edited and records only the truth. The names of those recorded can’t be altered either.”

“…Is that certain?”

“Certain.”

“Can I examine the crystal?”

“You’re not planning to destroy evidence, are you?”

“I won’t.”

“Fine, I’ll allow it. But if you try anything funny, it’ll be taken as admitting your crime, so act carefully.”

“Yes.”

With permission, I stroked and inspected the crystal.

It felt both foreign and familiar.

“Director?”

“Yes?”

“What rank is this crystal?”

“I believe… C+ rank.”

This might…

“Excuse me for a moment.”

I bit my index finger.

“Hey, what!? Why are you hurting yourself!?”

“I need to use a spell.”

“A spell? Why not borrow a pen instead of using blood…?”

So dramatic.

Doesn’t he know a spellmaster’s blood is the most efficient medium for spells?

There’s one better medium, but it’s a bit much to use.

“Shut— I mean, please watch quietly.”

I controlled the flowing blood with mana.

Then, I formed blood-stained letters in the air, creating a spell array.

[Dispel Spell (A)]

“Spell Dispel.”

The red spell array floating in the air solidified, then dissolved back into liquid, flowing down.

As the blood covered the crystal, a chilling, metallic voice pierced my ears.

“Spell dispelled.”

“Invisibility Spell (B) dispelled.”

Psssh!

A hidden spell array on the crystal was revealed.

“What… what is this?”

“It seems an invisibility spell was placed on it.”

“Invisibility spell? I heard that strange voice say so, but… I don’t understand. Why was an invisibility spell on the crystal?”

“You can’t see it from your side. Come over here, and you’ll see a small spell array. The invisibility spell was likely used to hide it. A double spell.”

“…It’s true.”

I formed the dispel spell array again and activated it.

“Spell dispelled.”

“Distortion Spell (B) dispelled.”

The remaining spell was undone.

This crystal’s manufacturer is going out of business. Crystal of Truth, my ass.

They should tone down the false advertising.

“Now, try infusing mana into the crystal again.”

“…I don’t fully understand, but alright.”

The Director, more cooperative than he looks, complied.

As he infused mana, the names appeared again, as expected.

Not the same as before, of course.

º Fairin

º Block

The man’s name wasn’t mine but someone else’s. That’s right.

The Director, who’d been wearing a dumbfounded expression during my dispel, now had a stern look.

He must’ve pieced together what was happening.

Our conversation paused.

Tick.

Tick.

In the silence, only the clock’s second hand echoed in the room.

The Director’s lips trembled slightly, breaking the quiet.

“Hunter Minhoo Seol.”

“Yes.”

“I don’t know much about spells, but I know the dispel spell you just used. I know its level.”

“Is that so.”

“To think you’re an A-rank spellmaster.”

The Director’s eyes gleamed more than at our first meeting.

That’s not the point right now.

“Put that aside for later. You said the girl in the video gave you this crystal?”

“Yes, that’s what I was told.”

“Call her here. That b*tch. Now.”

Distortion and invisibility spells.

Using either requires approval from the National Hunter Association.

Ignoring that is a clear violation of the law.

No way the Association would approve spells used to frame and fabricate, so this Fairin girl used prohibited spells illegally and must face justice.

“I urgently summoned her, but since you dispelled all the spells, Hunter Minhoo, isn’t the evidence gone?”

As the Director said, the evidence was lost.

Only witnesses remain.

That’s fine.

“Just hold her accountable for trying to frame me.”

“You’ll overlook her breaking the law?”

“Well, yeah.”

“Hah. The more I see you, the more impressive you are. Skill, looks, character—nothing lacking. This year’s top entrant is exceptional.”

“You’re too kind.”

My lips curled up slightly without me realizing.

He’s probably buttering me up to build a connection with an A-rank spellmaster, but even empty praise feels good.

There seems to be a misunderstanding—I have no intention of forgiving Fairin.

I just don’t want the hassle of legal punishment. I’ll handle it privately.

As the Director’s offered tea grew cold.

Knock knock.

“Director, prospective student Fairin has arrived.”

“Let her in.”

Creak.

A girl with dull golden long hair hesitantly entered the room.

The three-way confrontation began.