Chapter 328

I left the door open only a little and erased Joo Seowon’s question again. It meant they should write a proper answer.

Joo Seowon flinched slightly, hesitated, then typed.

There was an agent in between, so I don’t know exactly

Then Joo Seowon had accepted a commission that came through an agent without even confirming the client’s identity?

‘They need to say something that makes sense.’

BullshitX

After typing that simply and showing it, Joo Seowon took the phone in my hand with eyes that looked truly wronged.

I’m saying even if I have someone I suspect I don’t know who it really is

Why were they working so sloppily? I jerked my chin, meaning for them to keep typing.

Probably one of the 5 great guilds

Was there one among the 5 great guilds that had reason to dig through the Hunter Association? I quickly excluded candidates.

‘It won’t be Damyeon or Prime, who are on bad terms with Joo Seowon, and it isn’t Haeseong either, so it would be Neo Core or Clavis....’

Neo Core was a guild insane over magic engineering and had no interest in petty things like this, so excluding them, did that mean it was Clavis?

For reference, Clavis’s representative Hunter was the S-rank Hunter Tae Hyunjin.

‘Was Tae Hyunjin interested in the Hunter Association?’

No way.

They could have interest, but they were probably not meticulous enough to hire an informant and dig behind the scenes like this.

‘Is it really Im Haekyung?’

They had been consistent in acting uninterested, but if I looked at it as acting, I could see it that way somehow. Of course, I was betting more on the side that there was no way that was the case.

In any case, in that sense, I trusted Im Haekyung to a certain degree. It did not mean I believed in their nature, but that I acknowledged this was currently too private a matter for Im Haekyung to step forward. Well, aside from that... it would be a lie to say trust had not built up.

On my side too, and on Im Haekyung’s side too.

‘Right?’

Now that I thought about it, it had only been a moment ago that I had been hit in the jaw. I rubbed my jaw once with the back of my hand, where a faint ache still remained, and calmly came to a conclusion.

There was no one among the 5 great guilds who would make this kind of commission.

Then what had possibility was someone who could privately hire a person to cut off a tail, and who had enough... information, or power, or money to be judged as belonging to one of the 5 great guilds, and among them, someone interested in the Hunter Association.

‘And in a negative direction, too.’

Then there were not many?

At most, Kwon Taehan or me, or otherwise, someone belonging to an outside company entirely... or perhaps, overseas?

‘Sung Uijae?’

It was a thought that came to mind for an instant, but I quickly crushed it. Sung Uijae was not the kind of person who would do that kind of background investigation. In the first place, he would want to step forward and solve anything himself, so there was no reason for him to set up an agent either.

And among so many people, deliberately choosing Joo Seowon, who had a connection to me, did not make sense either. Asking me outright would make more sense.

Then....

For cross-checking, I asked them.

Who did you run into today

At that, Joo Seowon hesitated for a moment, then calmly wrote a list.

Two guards one Hunter affiliated with Clavis two Hunter Association staff

They had come in after barely running into anyone.

Did they have some stealth item on them?

Do you have a stealth item?

This time, they answered by nodding. I was about to just let it pass as I see, then paused for a moment.

‘Then why did they go into the cabinet?’

Perhaps Joo Seowon read my thoughts from my dumbfounded expression, because they hurriedly typed.

I panicked because of you

Whether they used a stealth item or barged into the cabinet, both were meaningless in that a Status Window would appear anyway, but I did feel they had made an effort. Or that they had done something stupid.

That aside, the decisive person was missing from the list Joo Seowon had written.

‘Kang Sojeong isn’t there?’

It was not impossible. She was a bastard who had even laundered her identity overseas and had backing enough to participate in an auction. On top of that, she was also personally connected to Tae Hyunjin of Clavis, one of the 5 great guilds.

‘Then was that a bluff?’

If so, had she told me about Joo Seowon simply to check what kind of reaction would come from my side? Or did she not know which one of the two was the key informant, so she decided to place a foot on both sides?

‘Or maybe she suddenly ran into me and tried to improvise.’

Whatever the case, it was certain her talent was not in revenge but in acting.

I quickly turned my head and roughly reached a conclusion, then looked at Joo Seowon.

‘Then is this one acting?’

It made no sense that Joo Seowon did not know information I could deduce.

Well, in any case, if it was a job Kang Sojeong entrusted them with, then even if it failed, it would not be especially threatening. I unconsciously fiddled with the ring.

At that, Joo Seowon’s gaze slowly lowered there. After confirming that bastard’s gaze, I took the phone back and briefly conveyed the words.

If you’re digging behind the Hunter Association, give up

Toward Joo Seowon, who was arguing with the shape of their mouth, asking why, I kindly added the next words.

I’m before your client

Of course, if they gave up the commission, there would be risk. It did not seem like the timing where they would still be short on money... so I wondered if they had received safety as compensation again this time too.

I hesitated for a moment, then lowered my head and found that bastard’s ear. After grabbing the bastard who reflexively flinched, I shoved my hand into my pocket and whispered very quietly.

“Stick with Taehan. Of course, I... will use him, but that side will be best for you. Even taking that into account.”

“.......”

“Whether it’s pride or discomfort... I don’t know what it’s because of... but even if you avoid me, Taehan isn’t like that, is he?”

Rather than leaving things so that interference came in from somewhere unexpected like this, it would be more convenient to tie them together and manage them as a pair.

Joo Seowon also seemed to have read my intention, because they quickly opened their mouth to refute. I covered the bastard’s mouth with my other hand and continued speaking one-sidedly.

“Seowon, choose the second best.”

“.......”

“Because I can predict the best.”

After finishing those words, I immediately handed the cabinet key over into Joo Seowon’s hand. Well, they would come out on their own.

I slowly looked over Joo Seowon, then soon turned my body and left the Association Chairman’s office.

‘Did Im Haekyung hear?’

I had whispered almost like breathing, so it seemed possible they had not heard.

Well, that was something I would soon confirm.

***

When I relayed the words to Im Haekyung, the bastard gave a short order without saying anything in particular.

Stay at home.

For reference, by that, they meant not my home, but their own home.

It was not for any other reason, but to switch the mana restraint on my wrist with one that had been in the bastard’s house. Since getting another restraint right now would take effort.

Seok Jiwon and Do Yehyun were at the site to wrap up the event, and I was supposed to be leaving the venue because of an emergency support request that had come down from Haeseong.

I entered the house after pressing the passcode, and instead of switching the restraint, first sat on the sofa. To let them know I was at the house, I snapped a photo of the bastard’s house and sent it as a message, then took off the ring on my ring finger and put it on the sofa table.

They would not contact me and tell me to wear the ring even after confirming I was at home, right.

Anyway, it was impressive that there were more attempts to touch the Hunter Association than I had thought.

‘No matter how it’s scratched, the Hunter Association is definitely set up to come down.’

It was just that among those, the most efficient method was intuitively blowing off the heads at the top. Of course, I still liked this method very much.

I saved Kang Sojeong’s number, and while I was at it, scrolled down and checked the contacts I had ignored.

[Sung Uijae]

‘He’s entering the country today.’

And tomorrow he would go to the venue. For a Hunter who was on bad terms with the Hunter Association, I did think he was showing his face here and there quite well.

‘Should I tell him this, or not?’

If I explained the amazing coincidence with Kang Sojeong to Sung Uijae, he would probably be quite pleased?

I loosely pulled up the corners of my mouth and stared at the phone screen. First, I postponed contacting Sung Uijae until later and checked the other contacts.

‘I need personnel with unknown sources too.’

Not only personnel, but it would also be good if I had ‘money’ that was not under my name.

And, indeed... there existed one-use personnel that could be used appropriately. The only issue was that I did not know whether contacting him now was a bad move or not.

After hesitating, I called with the thought that I would just convey the core matter. For reference, the recipient was Choi Yujun. The ‘younger brother’ who was living proudly and well in this place.

The call connected quickly.

-H-he-hello? Big brother? You’re big brother Seo Jehyun, right.

“Where are you?”

-I-I came out to hang out right now. With the guys! But I saw you on the news, big brother. That camp? The interview from there was uploaded too. Big brother, you’re no joke, right now my SNS is all filled with your interviews and.... Your star quality is completely insane. Wow... I respect you.

It was simply amazing where the hell he had learned this kind of speech and was using it from.

I pushed aside the idle talk and went straight into the main point.

“Do you have 1 billion?”

-Excuse me?

“Don’t have it?”

-I don’t....

Fuck, this bastard was the son of a chaebol family and did not even have 1 billion? Even I had that.

When I sighed, the bastard confessed obediently.

-Ah! I only don’t have it in cash. If you put together my stocks and everything, I totally do.... But if I take those out, my dad will beat me to death...? Why? Big brother, do you perhaps need money?

“No, I need an artifact.”

-That artifact... is 1 billion? Then isn’t that the same thing?

Strictly speaking, it was a different thing. It did not mean I was going to buy one thing worth 1 billion, but that I wanted to have around 1 billion in money from a different source.

“Enough, prepare some money.”

-...Big brother, are you extorting money from me?

“Then what the fuck else would it be?”

-Ah.... But then my dad will kill me.... And strictly speaking, we don’t know each other.

“No, you and I have quite the connection.”

-...Eh?

“If you don’t have money when I contact you again, you die.”

-What?

I ended the call with those words. A callback came right away, so when I rejected it one after another, a text came.

ㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠㅠyou’re not really going to kill me right?

I answered simply.

No

You mean you won’t kill me right?

No

After those words, I ignored all the messages coming in and checked the next contact with a light heart. This time, it was truly a contact after a long while.

‘I thought I would be able to meet them this time.’

Seong Eunha of Neo Core, whom I had asked for an artifact back in the very early days.

I lightly threw in a greeting and the main point together.

Professor, you have been well, right? I saw the article a while ago too Neo Core is really a complete son of a bitch I truly feel sorry for you, Professor, struggling under a son of a bitch

Soon, I will ask you just once to modify an artifact along with research funds Let us research together after a long time ^^

Then the reply came a short while later.

Since you are affiliated with Haeseong now, it probably will not work....

This was an issue that would be resolved simply.

Then I think you can come to Haeseong Guild, Professor I will prepare it so you can come and go secretly and safely^^

At that, Seong Eunha answered ambiguously.

Would Haeseong’s side not dislike that...

I will resolve that too

Well, in the end, I had received consent, so it probably did not matter.

Now that my business was over too, I got up from my seat while ignoring all contact, intending to stay quietly as Im Haekyung had said.

Come to think of it, even though I had not done anything, before I knew it, it was evening.

I got up from the sofa, opened the refrigerator, and checked roughly if there was anything to eat.

‘There’s something here, unexpectedly?’

They did not have the image of someone who would cook. Then again, they did not exactly have the image of someone who would eat everything bought outside either. On the refrigerator door side, there was even milk, unexpectedly. Did they eat cereal or something?

I was about to take out the milk, then paused at the strange sensation I felt in that instant and checked the expiration date.

[Until 20XX. 07. 09]

It was October now.

‘What is this?’

After cleanly giving up on the thought of eating food, I sealed the refrigerator Dungeon and contacted Im Haekyung.

Let’s eat dinner together

Since I had no intention of waiting for a reply, I sat back down on the sofa and checked news articles. I passed through all the main articles and checked the ones pushed down from the issues, and among them, one article stood out.

‘Hmm?’