Hero Hunter is on Parental Leave C42

Chapter 42

“Jaehee…!”

Yeongung was seeing his child in a way he never had before. The relief that Jaehee was not terminal lasted only a moment before Richmond’s words—that the child possessed two abilities—sent a chill of unease through him.

Richmond, who had maintained a flippant attitude throughout, was finally grabbed by the collar by Won Iheun. Hauled up in an undignified posture, Richmond flailed his legs.

“Keep this in mind—I could turn the country you belong to into scorched earth right now. Do you understand? Or should I rip those earholes open until you do? If you keep acting like this piece of shit, you’ll be the one who’s not having fun. So stop poking the Absolute and speak—politely, clearly, and properly.”

The pheromones of an enraged extreme Alpha flooded the reception room in an instant, crushing everyone present. Lee Chahyeon struggled to breathe, his entire body seized by fear.

Richmond was slammed onto the marble floor. Clutching his throat, he coughed violently. Iheun’s palm-shaped mark stood out starkly against his dark, tanned skin.

“Fucking hell…”

Muttering a curse in English, Richmond picked up his sunglasses and apologized to Yeongung.

“I’m sorry.”

Bertrand, who had clearly seen plenty of the doctor’s antics, clicked his tongue in exasperation.

“Honestly, Richmond. Didn’t I warn you? Even provocation has its time and place.”

Despite being the one he served, Bertrand showed no intention of shielding Richmond.

Clearing his throat several times, Richmond hurried straight to the point.

“Those eyes—there’s no need to panic. The child is simply reacting to an Appraiser.”

Settling back onto the sofa, he explained Jaehee’s abilities.

“I said earlier that the child has two abilities. That alone is rare—but what he has borders on outright cheating.”

Yeongung and Won Iheun exchanged a glance.

“One is Wish (念願).”

Wish…? Half-dazed, Yeongung listened closely.

“And the other is Nullification (無效化).”

Muttering, “I really thought he was going to kill me,” Richmond rubbed his still-swollen neck.

“Wish is exactly what it sounds like—if the user desperately wants something, it becomes reality. Nullification nullifies the opponent’s skills. Either one alone would be overwhelming. To be born holding both—”

A strange light gleamed in the doctor’s eyes as he looked at Jaehee.

“As you know, rare doesn’t always mean strong. But this child is not only rare—his abilities are extraordinarily effective in real combat.”

He clapped his hands together and exclaimed, “Nice.”

Unlike Richmond’s excitement, Yeongung’s expression darkened further.

Was this truly a good thing? Even an elementary-school child awakening would shake the nation. If word spread that a toddler—one who hadn’t even learned to walk properly—possessed abilities coveted by all…

The thought alone was horrifying. Yeongung himself had debuted as a Hunter at fourteen and, early in his career, had been dragged into research facilities to provide biological data. There was no guarantee the Administration wouldn’t try the same with Jaehee.

Fuck. Who would dare lay a hand on my Jaehee? I’ll protect my child myself. I’ll never let him go through what I did. Now of all times, I need to keep my head straight.

Resolute, Yeongung lifted his head from where it had rested against his son’s crown.

“My status window doesn’t recognize Jaehee’s abilities or rank. So what are you seeing, Doctor?”

Bertrand, who had been listening silently, stepped in.

“Doctor Richmond possesses S-rank Appraisal. Crude as he may be, this is why he’s sought after everywhere. In an Awakening era rife with inter-state wars, Gate battles, and monster subjugations, his ability is in high demand.”

In other words—he might look like a vagrant, but he was the real deal.

Yeongung continued.

“Then can you see Jaehee’s rank?”

Catching the hardened look in Yeongung’s eyes, Richmond regarded the Absolute with interest.

“The rank is undetermined. The abilities of children born from cracks sometimes fade naturally before adulthood—or they carry over when the child awakens as a Hunter.”

He grimaced while gulping down bottled water, apparently nursing internal injuries.

“And the abilities of Broken Children aren’t visible to the Administration. So the child won’t be dragged off as a research subject. Strictly speaking, he hasn’t awakened yet.”

When the doctor insisted everything was fine, Yeongung replied coldly.

“Yet there are already two people who know Jaehee is an ability user.”

Richmond glanced nervously at Won Iheun, as if to show he had no intention of doing anything foolish.

“I want to live too, you know. If I went blabbing and got my head chopped clean off by him—ugh.”

Slipping back into his flippant tone, Richmond quickly hid behind the door-sized Bertrand, peeking out as he reminded them why everyone was gathered.

“I heard the child’s growth rate was abnormal.”

At the word abnormal, Yeongung’s gaze darkened. Iheun shot the doctor a look sharp enough to kill. Richmond flinched and hastily corrected himself.

“No—not abnormal, I mean—just… different from other kids. Anyway, it’s most likely connected to one of the two abilities: Wish.”

“Wish…?”

“To put it simply—the child wanted to stop growing, so he did.”

Yeongung’s heart dropped.

“You’re saying Jaehee—this little—recognized his ability and used it?”

“Wrong!”

“….”

“He wouldn’t know what ability he has. The child simply wished desperately—and it came true.”

As if handing the stage to the next performer, Richmond nudged Bertrand toward Yeongung and his son. Bertrand then asked carefully,

“May I hold your son?”

This time, the blue light shimmering in Jaehee’s eyes shifted toward Bertrand. Richmond helped himself to the refreshments on the table as he spoke.

“Bertrand will figure out why your son formed that wish. This stiff guy here can read other people’s thoughts.”

The high-end snacks vanished rapidly into the doctor’s mouth. Burping softly, Richmond watched as Bertrand connected with the child’s mental world. Transparent mana flowed around him.

“…I see. So that’s what you were thinking, little one.”

“Tch. He’s only prickly with me,” Richmond muttered, eyeing Bertrand’s gentle manner with Jaehee in irritation.

Turning back, he addressed Yeongung.

“Have you ever said something like this? That you wished the child wouldn’t grow up—something along those lines?”

“What? No, I never—”

“The place the child remembers from that day was filled with food, like a celebration. There were balloons too.”

Balloons.

That was the clue. On Muhae-do, Yeongung was notoriously frugal—but that day, he had spent freely.

“Ah…! His first birthday! We had a party at home.”

“You definitely said something like that. Think carefully.”

“….”

A memory suddenly surfaced.

Oh, my little prince. My baby—so precious I could die.

They say children grow up in the blink of an eye. Daddy wishes you’d grow just a little more slowly.

It was something parents said without thinking, out of love. Yeongung too had murmured it, watching his child grow day by day—afraid of missing even a moment, overwhelmed by how angelic he was.

“…I remember. I said it. That I wished he’d grow slowly…”

“Aren’t children pure? They take words literally. Adults are always weighing hidden meanings—but children don’t.”

Jaehee had heard everything.

Yeongung had never spoken a single harsh word in front of his child, hand to his chest in earnest—but he had never imagined this would be understood.

“So Bertrand is saying that Jaehee heard me that day and… refused to grow…”

“Jaehee has extraordinary emotional development to match his unusual abilities. His attachment to you, Mister Yeong, is especially remarkable.”

No one blamed Yeongung. Yet learning his son’s true feelings for the first time shook him deeply.

“Then what… what should I do? Tell me the way—tell me what to do.”

Seeing how badly Yeongung was affected, Bertrand’s expression grew troubled.