The World’s Strongest Daughter.

After the match ended.

“…See you again next year.”

Jang Su-won showed his determination to challenge me again next year and returned to his class.

… He’s a decent guy.

Handsome, good abilities, talented, and even has a solid background.

He’ll probably become a good hunter later on.

But he’s lacking to be my daughter’s partner.

Returning with numerous cheers from my classmates, I immediately filled out the partner application form with Min So-yeon.

…Ability? Magic…, Name…, Yoo Ji-hwan….

While I was writing the form, I suddenly felt a sharp gaze.

Slightly turning my head, my eyes met Min So-yeon’s as she glared at me.

“…Why?”

Without any answer, she turned her gaze and started glancing at my application form.

Why has she been acting like this since earlier?

Since the match ended, Min So-yeon had been acting incomprehensibly.

Finally, as I was about to write the form in resignation,

“…You….”

I heard Min So-yeon’s voice calling me.

“…Your ability is ‘Magic’?”

…Huh?

She seemed to have seen what was written on my application.

“…Yeah.”

“Why?”

“…What?”

I let out a dumbfounded sound, startled by Min So-yeon’s question.

…No, if she asks why, how am I supposed to answer…

That I’m Min Sung-jae, but I died and came back to life as Yoo Ji-hwan, and luckily my ability was the same?

How can I explain this?

Putting aside the content, making her understand won’t be easy.

Even I don’t know the reason for this phenomenon…

At that moment, Min So-yeon, who had been looking at me, threw another question.

“…What was the technique you used earlier?”

“…What?”

“You set your hand on fire and threw it.”

“Ah… I just wrapped mana around my hand and set it on fi-”

As if she had no intention of listening to the end, Min So-yeon abruptly cut off my words.

“…Did you create it?”

“…Huh?”

…Oh.

I finally realized why she kept questioning me.

The ‘Fire Punch’ I used earlier is a technique Min So-yeon and I created together.

More precisely, it was made by imitating a technique from a cartoon.

When Min So-yeon was very young, she said the techniques on TV were cool and played a game called “Core Ranger.”

Whenever the cartoon hero defeated the villain, he finished with a flaming fist, and seeing that, I started imitating it.

It was a quite useful trick technique that I often used…

She seemed to be bothered by it.

“…No.”

“Then?”

As if she was very curious, she kept interrogating me.

“…In the past, I saw someone using it, thought it was cool, and imitated it.”

As if shaken by my words, Min So-yeon’s gaze, looking at me, slightly wavered.

“…”

Min So-yeon hesitated several times as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she closed her mouth tightly, and I continued writing the form.

….

She had consistently ignored me until now, but she was so concerned that she deliberately tried to talk to me.

Seeing Min So-yeon like that, my heart felt heavy, as if a stone had been placed on it.

Because my daughter, whom I met after 3 years, showed such a different side, I thought she had forgotten about “me.”

But… it seems to be my misunderstanding.

*

Nothing particularly changed after becoming partners with Min So-yeon.

We just spent more time together and had more conversations.

Compared to when we first met, it can be considered a lot of progress.

After a boring morning class, combat training time came around again.

“…Alright, gather again in an hour!”

At Lee Dae-san’s words, the students began to disperse.

The first hour is for self-training, and the remaining time is for partners to work together under the guidance of the professors.

Since it’s self-training time now, you can rest comfortably or train.

Of course, there are hardly any students who rest…

I immediately started looking around for Min So-yeon.

“…”

Among the students who gathered in groups and drew their weapons, I could see Min So-yeon’s back heading to a corner alone.

…Is she planning to rest today too?

I couldn’t see her training even once until now, and it seemed she had no intention of training today either.

But I can’t leave her like this.

I quietly moved my steps and approached Min So-yeon.

“…”

She glanced up at me who came close and turned back to her phone.

I’m used to her blatant disregard now.

Casually taking a seat as if nothing happened, I spoke to her.

“…Are you not training today either?”

She flinched slightly at my words.

She probably feels guilty about it too.

Most students who have awakened their abilities come to the Academy to become hunters.

There are also students who come reluctantly due to mandatory education.

Then what about Min So-yeon?

When she was young, she dreamed of becoming a cool hunter like her mom and dad.

At least until I died, that was the case.

However… I don’t know what happened during the past 3 years, but Min So-yeon has become a completely different person.

I couldn’t see her showing interest in any class; she only reacted indifferently to everything.

She even smokes cigarettes.

Cigarettes… Cigarettes at her current age!!!

Recalling what I learned online, she is currently in a transitional period.

Adolescence.

To simply describe teenagers during puberty, they are like very malleable clay.

If you poke it, it leaves a mark as you poke, and if you gently stroke it, it leaves a mark.

In other words, depending on how their surroundings treat them, they can become devils or angels.

I don’t know what her mother is doing at this crucial time.

2 years ago, after the news that my wife Ju Yeon-hee had retired, I couldn’t hear any other news.

She was a woman who loved her daughter so much, so I don’t know what she’s been doing to make the child like this.

She even retired, so she should have plenty of time to spend together…

“…”

I let out a deep sigh with a frustrated heart.

With a deep sigh, I shook off my distracting thoughts and abruptly stood up.

…Yes, it can’t be helped…

I should do my best.

“…This won’t do.”

Min So-yeon, leaning against the wall fiddling with her phone, glanced up at me.

“So-yeon. Let’s train too.”

She slightly avoided my gaze and said in a low voice,

“… It’s still self-training ti-”

“It’s self-‘training’ time.”

As I emphasized training and cut off her words, Min So-yeon started to glare at me.

She gave me a cold look with narrowed eyes.

Like a cat with its fur bristled.

If I go strongly here, it might backfire, so I decided to persuade her gently and lightly.

“…We have to do it soon anyway, so let’s do it now and take it easy later. Okay?”

Glaring at me, she pondered for a moment, rolling her eyes back and forth, and then slowly got up.

“…”

…It worked.

I smiled brightly at her and slightly distanced myself.

The best way to match breathing with a partner is to spar with each other.

You need to know well what techniques your partner uses and what patterns they show so there are no overlaps during combat.

How can you match tactics one by one on a constantly changing battlefield?

I looked at Min So-yeon while gradually drawing out mana.

“Let’s do it just once.”

She answered with a short sigh as if she had no choice.

“…Just once.”

Then she brought her hand to one of her earrings and drew out mana.

In an instant, Min So-yeon’s earring flashed briefly, and it had already transformed into a long sword.

The weapon she uses is a double-edged sword.

It’s an Academy weapon with no special functions, but it can shapeshift for easy storage.

Like her mother, Min So-yeon showed exceptional talent in swordsmanship, and thanks to my genes, she also showed similar talent in magic.

Her ability is Sword Magic, combining the two talents.

It can be considered the best ability as a hunter.

As if using the sword for the first time in a while, Min So-yeon awkwardly changed her posture back and forth, and when she seemed to have found a suitable posture, she spoke.

“… I’m coming.”

I answered her with a smile.

Min So-yeon glared at me and slowly lowered her stance, then instantly approached right in front of me and swung her sword.

A distance that barely doesn’t touch.

It’s a part that shows how fearsome talent is.

I wrapped mana around my fingertips and lightly flicked the tip of her sword.

“…!”

Min So-yeon seemed startled momentarily and hesitated but soon attacked again, aiming for an opening.

She boldly swung her sword, exploiting my lack of a weapon.

It may look like she’s swinging randomly, but she was showing a pattern.

One regrettable point is that despite the name Sword Magic, her mana utilization is lacking.

Nevertheless, she was making sufficiently effective attacks.

…As expected, considering whose daughter she is… She’s good, right?

I nimbly dodged Min So-yeon’s attacks and closely observed her attack style.

“…Haa!”

As if annoyed by the prolonged spar, she started attacking in earnest.

Waving mana around, unlike before, she didn’t easily get pushed back, and her speed was gradually ramping up.

…This should be enough, right?

Slightly fired up. This is the best.

Min So-yeon’s sword was thrusting towards my solar plexus.

I thinly wrapped mana around my skin and didn’t avoid the attack.

Since there could be a direct impact on my body, I slightly crouched in preparation for the shock…

…Huh?

I didn’t feel any impact.

When I slightly raised my head, I could see the sword’s tip stopped very close.

…Oh…

As I admired Min So-yeon’s skill, she quietly withdrew her sword and gave me a displeased look.

“…Why are you going easy on me?”

Thinking I went easy on her, she had an expression as if her pride was hurt.

Oh…

I quickly stiffened my expression and carefully spoke.

“…Are you playing around now?”

“…What?”

Grabbing her shoulders as she looked slightly flustered, I continued.

“I’m going easy on you? It’s not wrong, but that’s not what’s important right now.”

“…Going easy…”

“Do you still not know what you did? When I deflected downward, what did you do?”

“…No, right now…”

“You changed your stance and attacked right away. Does that make sense?”

“…H-Huh?”

As I kept pushing, she showed a very startled expression.

“…This won’t do. Let’s try again.”

“…What did you say?”

I gently released her and slowly drew out mana, distancing myself.

“Just once. Let’s do it just one more time, and let’s take a good rest.”

Min So-yeon looked at me as if dumbfounded and answered bluntly.

“No. We originally agreed to do it only once…”

“I’m coming!”

Ignoring her words, I took a stance as if I would rush at her at any moment. She hurriedly started to draw her weapon.

“Crazy bast-”

“Haa!”

No cursing!

When Min So-yeon fixed her stance, I raised my mana output and quickly approached.

Her wavering gaze disappeared, and she instantly showed a fierce look.

She instantly read my attack and immediately thrust her sword.

I lightly deflected Min So-yeon’s sword downward and waited for her reaction.

Tak-

The moment her attack missed, Min So-yeon quickly stepped on the ground and naturally connected to the next attack.

Smooth and fluid movements flowing like water.

This was her true ‘talent’.

Different from Ju Yeon-hee, Min So-yeon’s unique talent.

I felt like I had found a treasure.

Translator’s Corner

Hope you enjoyed the chapter!
-Seraloves