Though Goto Ryuji was bursting with excitement, he kept a firm grip on his senses, knowing full well that bringing up such an offensive topic wasn't feasible given their current relationship.
But just giving up didn't sit right with him either.
After mulling it over, he shifted his focus to Akari Shimizu and Kanae Tawata.
These two were arguably the hunters in Japan with the closest ties to Castorice.
This mission to support Korea probably wasn't about gaining the title of National-Level Hunter—the real prize was earning Castorice's friendship.
Still... that title might slip through his fingers.
Sure, the enemy they faced this time was leagues stronger than the dragon that had wreaked havoc in America, but anyone with eyes could see that Cha Hae-in and Sung Jinwoo were the ones truly carrying the fight.
Yep, even Castorice looked like she was coasting along in the eyes of outsiders.
After all, while those on the ground could feel the terrifying power of that unknown entity that had burst in later, and were utterly stunned by how Castorice obliterated it in seconds, people who weren't there couldn't grasp the sheer weight of that feat.
All they saw was Cha Hae-in and Sung Jinwoo putting on a dazzling performance, battling the enemy boss in a fierce, earth-shattering clash.
So, even if a National-Level Hunter were to be chosen from this operation, it would likely be either Cha Hae-in or Sung Jinwoo—or maybe even both.
The rest of the fight practically turned into cleanup duty.
With Cha Hae-in staying behind as insurance, everyone else headed to the island to mop up the insect hordes.
The hunters originally stationed on the island were initially startled by the shadow army Sung Jinwoo summoned, thinking enemy reinforcements had arrived, only to realize later that these were allies.
Already riding high on morale, the hunters were further invigorated upon hearing that the decapitation squad had achieved its objective.
Teaming up with the hunters who had returned to the surface, they cleared the island of monsters at a breakneck pace.
Soon, a day had passed.
Unlike the tense, heavy atmosphere before the battle, the mood within the joint attack force—except for the first intense minutes of combat—had grown subtly peculiar.
A vast number of hunters, ranging from A to D-rank, had been waiting on ships around Jeju Island, poised for possible insect breakouts and attacks, but nothing came.
Then, out of the blue, they received orders to return home.
The people of Korea were left with an indescribable mix of emotions.
That was it?
The crisis was just... effortlessly crushed? What did all their pre-battle fear and worry even mean then?
Go Gunhee, however, had anticipated this.
Though the appearance of the Monarch, Castorice's easy defeat of it, and Cha Hae-in's complete suppression of the Monarch had surprised both him and the Fragment of Brilliant Light, such a smooth resolution was expected from the start.
After all, with both Castorice and Sung Jinwoo deployed, and Cha Hae-in inexplicably reaching top-tier strength, Go Gunhee had silently mourned for the Ant Queen the moment the team set out.
"We should keep in touch after we go back! Don't you forget about me, Castorice-chan!"
Akari Shimizu couldn't help feeling a bit sad to leave.
Her impression of Castorice was excellent—a beautiful, gentle peer she found easy to like.
Plus, Castorice was incredibly strong; becoming her friend would bring plenty of prestige and bragging rights.
But her little sister was waiting for her back home. To Akari Shimizu, nothing in the world mattered more than her sister.
The DFN couldn't allow their country's strongest guild to linger on foreign soil indefinitely.
As soon as the operation concluded, they issued Goto Ryuji a direct order to return. Goto himself wanted to further strengthen Japan's ties with Castorice, but he knew pushing too hard could backfire.
"I will."
Castorice was no longer the Amber who lacked friends and craved connections, but she was still happy to respond warmly to others' sincerity—as long as it came from the right people.
"If you become a National Authority-Level Hunter, Castorice-chan, you absolutely have to come visit! We can fight side-by-side again, and I won't even charge you a fee!"
Akari Shimizu winked at Castorice.
Kanae Tawata sighed and shook her head. "Don't embarrass yourself."
This miserly attitude was truly beyond saving. And with Castorice's formidable strength as a hunter, how could she possibly get injured easily?
"Hunter Castorice, you're always welcome in Japan, whether you hold the National-Level title or not."
Kanae Tawata stated.
Hunters didn't need a National-Level status to visit other countries, but entering a gate required either an invitation or winning a personal bid.
Invitations aside, bidding personally required a local hunter's license.
Neither Korea nor Japan recognized dual citizenship. Korea had some loopholes around birth citizenship for skirting dual nationality rules, but Japan did not.
However, the National-Level status bypassed this restriction, granting the holder the right to bid on gates in any country.
After accepting Japan's friendly gesture, Castorice joined the others in watching the hunters of the Draw Sword Guild board their plane home.
A few more days passed, and undercurrents of public opinion began to stir.
Over the next couple of weeks, Castorice noticed clearly that bidding on gates now cost her significantly more than before.
What used to be an instant full team whenever she posted a recruitment notice had turned into waits of over ten minutes, even an hour, to gather enough people.
At first, Castorice wondered if Choi Jong-In couldn't keep the other guilds in check, leading them to quietly cause trouble for her—using this soft pressure to annoy her, hoping guild members would then extend an olive branch.
Castorice wasn't too bothered by these soft tactics, but Han Song-Yi grew furious upon hearing her analysis, loudly insisting on confronting those guilds to clear things up.
But... the question was, which guilds?
She doubted it was the guilds of those S-rank hunters causing trouble—that would be unnecessary and too provocative.
But if they looked at small to medium-sized guilds, it would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.
Han Song-Yi, at a loss, brought the matter directly to Cha Hae-in.
Upon learning of the situation, Cha Hae-in immediately launched an investigation, but the results were... inconclusive.
No, it wasn't so much inconclusive as... most guilds, along with many individual and group hunters, were intentionally or unintentionally contributing to this situation.
The pool was too large, and their actions weren't coordinated through agreements or deals—they were spontaneously isolating Castorice.
Not everyone or every guild was doing it, but the number involved had become unmistakably significant.
After receiving Cha Hae-in's report, Castorice couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
Because she didn't understand why either.
Until one day, she sensed the protection she had placed on Han Song-Yi being triggered.
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! Webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.