The World’s Strongest Daughter.

On the way home.

I was organizing the exercise routine I would do with Min So-yeon.

The running course would be up to the Han River… Would it be too hard for her?

In my experience, there’s no better exercise than running to increase stamina.

A hunter needs many things, but I consider physical strength the most important one.

If someone has an “ability,” technique becomes more important than physicals.

Long ago, after the gates opened, people who suddenly gained abilities began appearing all over the world.

The number of ability users increased rapidly, as if waiting for the gates to open.

The types of abilities were also very diverse, greatly impacting society as a whole. They were most commonly used to hunt down the “monsters” that emerged from the gates.

Those with abilities can handle mana, and by using mana to strengthen their bodies or by explosively releasing their abilities, they can exert tremendous power.

Therefore, for Min So-yeon, who must handle both mana and a sword, stamina is not an option but a necessity!

Moreover, she’s still at an age of growth, so an appropriate exercise will be of great help.

“…”

As I was walking and writing the exercise routine on my phone, I heard some students noisily chatting.

“At this rate, isn’t our country really going to collapse? I heard the Association was hit by a terrorist attack?”

“The Hunter Association? They’ll take care of it well.”

“No, the terrorists are also ability users. The Association got wrecked.”

“The S-ranks will handle it. Well…”

Terrorist attack? Association?

Their conversation was mixed with unsavory words.

When I checked the internet on my phone, portal sites were filled with content related to the terrorist attack.

… What is this?

I played a short news video on the main screen.

[Around 3 p.m., a major incident occurred at the Hunter Association in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.]

Soon, the news footage changed and began showing the chaotic scene.

Broken building debris and rescue teams busily moving and rescuing people.

Among the patients being transported on stretchers, there were young children and elderly people mixed together.

[The suspect, Jeong, who was killed at the scene, was revealed to be a B-rank hunter belonging to the Association and had been relying on religion…]

It was shocking news.

A hunter had carried out a terrorist attack on the Association, but the purpose and reason could not be determined.

The suspect, a B-rank hunter, used homemade bombs instead of abilities, and considering the time and location of the crime, the police announced that it was a planned crime, not an impulsive one.

No matter how many crazy people there are in the world, a terrorist attack on the Association… and a B-rank hunter at that.

Even a C-rank hunter can make a decent living, so why would a B-rank risk their life?

As someone living day by day on bean sprouts, I couldn’t understand it at all.

*

I arrived home before I knew it.

After having dinner with the pork I couldn’t eat yesterday, I immediately contacted Min So-yeon.

[So-yeon, what are you doing?]

Since it was dinner time, I thought she would be in the middle of eating.

[Min So-yeon: gaming]

But she was playing games again.

… She really loves games.

I asked Min So-yeon if she had eaten dinner, and the reply that came back shortly had a single letter: ‘n.’

No, she hasn’t even had dinner yet?

No matter how fun the game is, shouldn’t she at least eat properly?

I don’t know what my wife is doing, not even taking care of the child’s dinner.

[You haven’t had dinner yet. I’ll contact you again in a bit.]

After leaving a message for Min So-yeon, I started doing household chores.

After putting the laundry in the washer, I did the dishes and swept and mopped the floor…

I moved busily since I didn’t know when Min So-yeon would contact me.

By the time I had roughly finished the chores, I checked the time, and it was already a little past 8 p.m.

If I contact her now, the timing should be about right.

I was going to send Min So-yeon a message again, but thinking it would be faster to call, I immediately tried calling her.

Ring ring-

The dry ringtone continued for a few dozen seconds.

Suddenly, the connection was cut off, and no sound could be heard.

It meant Min So-yeon had answered the call.

I immediately spoke to Min So-yeon in a cautious tone.

“Hello?”

[…Why.]

Then, Min So-yeon’s small voice came from the other end of the phone.

“Ah, So-yeon. I called to check if you had eaten dinner. Are you available to talk?”

At that moment, a tapping sound came from the other side, like something being hit.

Huh? What’s that sound?

[…Why did you call?]

Since she didn’t deny it, it seemed okay.

“We agreed to exercise together today. I wanted to go before it gets too late.”

There was no immediate answer this time, and the tapping sound was heard again.

After a while, she replied.

[…Now?]

“Now.”

Tap tap tap-

The periodic noise was heard again.

Ah. Could it be…?

I realized the mysterious sound resembled a keyboard and thought she might be playing a game.

“…So-yeon, if you’re doing something, we can go tomorrow…”

[…N-No, if we go tomorrow, it’ll be bothersome, so let’s go today.]

I got her to agree unexpectedly.

“Then where should we meet? My house is a bit far, so I’ll come to your side.”

Min So-yeon suggested meeting at a park near a stream.

The park she mentioned was about a 20-minute distance from my house.

After agreeing to meet Min So-yeon in 30 minutes, I immediately started preparing to go out.

Even if the purpose is exercise, I can’t show Min So-yeon a shabby appearance.

Among my few training clothes, I chose a relatively clean outfit and left the house.

Since it’s the first day, I’m not planning to do intense exercise.

If you start too strong from the beginning, you might get tired of it quickly. Stamina doesn’t increase in a short period, so it’s better to guide her to do it consistently.

Lost in these thoughts, I arrived at the park Min So-yeon mentioned before I knew it.

A small park with only a small slide and a swing set.

Perhaps because the park was so small, the few street lamps barely illuminated the park.

It was already 30 minutes past the agreed time, and it seemed Min So-yeon had not arrived yet.

With no bench in the park, there was no suitable place to sit, so I sat on the swing and waited for Min So-yeon.

“…”

Then, feeling a presence, I spotted a woman lingering at the park entrance.

It was Min So-yeon.

“So-yeon!”

As I called out to her and approached, she looked at me with a startled expression.

Min So-yeon was wearing a black training suit with white accents, looking very neat, as if it had been newly bought.

Seeing her even wearing sneakers, the corners of my mouth slightly rose, thinking she had prepared properly.

After briefly exchanging greetings with Min So-yeon, I headed toward the walking trail with her.

As we walked, bringing up the terrorist attack that happened today, Min So-yeon casually spoke.

“…So, how far are we going?”

“You know the fountain in the middle of the walking trail? Let’s just go up there.”

“…The fountain? You want to go that far?”

I was slightly taken aback by her very reluctant reaction.

The original plan was to go past the fountain to the plaza.

But considering the late hour and thinking she might find it difficult, I reduced the distance…

“…Is it a bit far?”

So what? It’s only the first day, so there’s no need to overdo it.

I carefully brought up the topic, gauging Min So-yeon’s reaction.

“Then should we just go up to the bridge before the fountain…?”

“…The bridge, well…”

“Let’s do that. Since it’s the first day, we’ll gradually increase it starting tomorrow…”

At that moment, Min So-yeon spoke up, starting an argument.

“Tomorrow? You’re saying we’ll come out again tomorrow?”

“Huh? Of course. Exercise is only effective if you do it every day.”

“No, why are you talking as if you’ll win again tomorrow?”

I was slightly taken aback by Min So-yeon’s absurd remark.

That’s right. The reason we’re walking side by side like this is all the result of a bet.

It’s not Min So-yeon’s own will, but she’s out here because of the bet’s conditions.

Coming to my senses, I immediately spoke to her.

“…I didn’t tell you. We won’t bet tomorrow.”

“…We won’t?”

“If you exercise with me this week, I’ll accept your challenge.”

Then she started glaring at me, twisting her expression.

“…You jerk.”

I’ve gotten quite used to her verbal abuse now.

“You’ll have a hard time winning if you don’t do anything anyway, and we might as well do it together.”

As if she had also felt something, Min So-yeon turned her head away.

I tried talking to her about this and that, but she seemed thoroughly upset and didn’t respond to my words.

After walking a bit more, the bridge, the turning point, came into view.

“So-yeon, shall we head back now?”

I spoke and glanced to the side.

Huh?

But Min So-yeon was nowhere to be seen.

Looking around, I spotted Min So-yeon far away, walking back to where we had come.

Startled, I hurriedly turned and followed her.

“S-So-yeon, let’s go together!”

Min So-yeon glanced at me as I caught up to her and began to quicken her pace.

I quickly followed her, speaking cautiously.

“So-yeon, let’s try what I suggested earlier. The thing about spreading mana on the shoes.”

It was the training method I had explained on the way to the turning point a little while ago.

If you walk with a thin layer of mana spread on the soles of your shoes, a small repulsive force is created on the bottom, making your steps faster.

This is different from wrapping mana around your legs to increase movement speed.

It was a training method devised by my wife, Ju Yeon-hee, and it was one of the very efficient training methods I used often.

First, it’s not easy to spread mana thinly and evenly, and you need to make it strong enough to withstand your body weight.

It’s quite difficult training that requires paying attention to several things at once.

“Let’s just try it up to the entrance. You can do it, right?”

Min So-yeon glared at me sharply as if I was bothering her and walked away with her mouth shut.

…Can’t be helped.

Slowly drawing up mana, I spoke to Min So-yeon.

“…So-yeon, if you arrive earlier than me, I’ll accept your bet tomorrow.”

She glanced at me, tempted by my words.

“But if you can’t win, we’ll exercise together tomorrow too. Got it…?”

Tap tap tap!

Before I could even finish my sentence, Min So-yeon started dashing off.

Seeing her so obsessed with the bet, she must have been quite provoked.

I immediately wrapped mana around my shoes and strongly stepped on the ground.

Tap!

The moment I stepped on the ground, my body bounced off quickly.

My mana capacity is small, so I can’t make it large, but I can maintain it firmly.

Lowering my upper body slightly to reduce air resistance, I kicked the ground a bit harder.

Tap!!

With just a few steps, I caught up to Min So-yeon.

She was even wrapping mana around her legs to outpace me.

“Tsk…”

Realizing I had gotten close, she began moving even faster, whipping her own legs.

She was racing along the open walking trail as if it were a runway.

She looked so cute that I inadvertently laughed.

In the end, the result of the running contest ended with Min So-yeon’s victory, who had taken the lead first.

I went a bit easy on her, but Min So-yeon’s physical abilities were unbelievable.

Perhaps because she was in a slightly better mood after winning the match, Min So-yeon showed me a small smile when I arrived late.

Her smile was always pretty, no matter when I saw it.