Chapter 82. First Move
“What, what did you say?”
However, that sentence had a significantly different meaning for the S-Class Hunter herself.
Seo Esther was taken aback by the sudden remark and asked back, wondering what it meant.
Then, Kim Gi-ryeo began to pour oil on the flames.
“I’m trying to make a good impression on you personally, regardless of the guild’s interests.”
He was just honestly admitting that he was being a sycophant to avoid causing unnecessary trouble.
That one sentence quickly had a massive ripple effect.
“Uh, uh?”
Esther was left speechless, as though she had been struck.
*
On a clear day with white clouds drifting.
“…This is ridiculous.”
A sharp voice echoed in the spacious office.
“Huh, seriously. Good grief.”
A woman with a striking presence, seated on a leather sofa, had been muttering something displeased for a while now.
The secretary of the Korean Magic Tower cautiously asked.
“Why is that? Did something go wrong at yesterday’s auction?”
The woman shook her head, denying it with a subtle expression.
“No, not that…”
Esther briefly recalled yesterday’s events.
– I only care about you, Esther.
Who would have thought that cold man would say something like that?
At the time, she was too flustered to give a proper response, but this was truly something to mull over.
‘Could it be that he was interested in me?!’
And yet, after all this time, he had been so shamelessly playing hard to get?
Esther’s lips curled into a smirk.
How could it not be good news that a Hunter who wanted to team up was showing interest in her?
“Hehehe.”
“Why did you suddenly get in a good mood this time?”
In that moment, Esther was convinced that the F-Class Hunter harbored romantic feelings for her.
“Well, of course, I feel good. I must really be pretty, huh~ I’m realizing that again.”
“Ah…”
“Ugh, being a beauty is exhausting.”
“Truth be told, if you just keep your mouth shut, you really do look like a celebrity…”
The secretary threw out a quick jab, but not even that could dampen her spirits.
Esther twirled her pen in thought.
‘Anyway, this is great. If that guy likes me, a little sweet-talking will turn him into an asset.’
Finally, her droopy eyes sparkled sweetly.
In her mind, she was already planning how to utilize the power of that Awakened.
“Ah!”
However, lost in her daydream, she suddenly thought about contacting him.
‘This week, my schedule is light; how about watching a movie together?’
Esther took out her phone and texted Hunter Kim Gi-ryeo.
By this point, her mood was at its peak.
(Sent message)
[Gi-ryeo~~ (>‿<) Did you enjoy the auction yesterday? I’d like to show you something different this time; do you have some free time this week?]
But just fifteen minutes later, Esther’s smile completely faded.
[No]
Is that really all he replied?
“Is he… feeling shy…?”
For a moment, she denied reality, but the more the messages continued, the more her expression grew rigid.
[Does that mean you can’t? Are you entering a gate or something this week? Busy?]
[Yes]
[Then when would be good? I’ll wait until your schedule clears. Hehe.]
[About three months from now]
The guild master of the Korean Magic Tower is saying he can’t spare time for three whole months just when an F-Class Hunter says to meet up. How absurd!
Yet, there was no time to be flabbergasted.
[Anyway, I can’t reply right now, so please contact me again later.]
Immediately, the blond man sent a response that felt harder than a wall.
“……”
This was clearly a rejection even from a perspective turned upside down.
Thud.
Esther weakly flipped her phone off.
And a moment later, she began to pull at her hair in confusion.
“He said he wants to make a good impression on me!”
How could the guild master of the Magic Tower be swayed by the actions of an F-Class? What could be funnier than this?
*
Jingle, jingle.
The sunlight reflecting off the necklace hit the studio wall.
I briefly followed it with my eyes before shifting my gaze back to the phone screen.
[Search History]
– How to make a smiling face
– Smiling expressions
– How many facial muscles are there?
Somehow, they felt like quite peaceful topics.
“Hmmm.”
As this search history suggests, I was currently in a somewhat relaxed state of mind.
[Pyromancer Necklace (Rare)]
I had also prepared a countermeasure for Kang Chang-ho’s murder attempt.
[1.2.31 Changes]
●Improved removal of fatigue substances
●Reduced sleep time
Physical modifications were progressing smoothly.
[National ‘Good News’… Gate danger level decreased by 31%]
According to news reports, the previously increased number of gates was returning to normal.
Peaceful times indeed.
So, I thought I’d take this opportunity to practice emotional expression that I had been putting off.
“Hmm…”
But now that I sat down, a lingering worry just wouldn’t leave my mind.
‘Nachalsawon.’
That cult organization was still weighing heavily on my thoughts.
Looking back, there was no guarantee they would remain quiet like this.
‘Could there be any information online?’
I searched for the word “Nachalsawon” on a portal site.
But the results were merely a few lines about how many people were falling into cults due to the anxiety caused by gates.
I couldn’t find out anything about those terrorists online at all.
Not a thing.
“……”
How unsettling.
At the same time, a rising animosity toward them began to glow.
‘They just abduct people out of nowhere, try to kill us…’
This was because I suffered from their actions just for having obtained an item first.
‘This is so unfair.’
So after deep consideration, I came up with a way to get back at Nachalsawon.
To be honest, just passively accepting this was against my nature.
“Alright then.”
Of course, charging directly into enemy territory… well, that would be too much.
But as a former Great Mage, I could at least help in their apprehension, right?
“Hmm.”
And among the people I knew, the one closest to the investigation of Nachalsawon was…
*
A few hours later.
Boom!
The Hunter Association Seoul Headquarters. At 6 PM, the staff members finished their work and rushed out through the back door.
Among this procession was a woman with long black hair.
“Phew…”
She was looking around as if searching for someone.
Soon, her gaze landed on one spot.
Coming into view was a man in black clothes leaning against the stone wall of the back gate.
“Hello.”
It was Kim Gi-ryeo, the F-Class Hunter.
Seonwoo-yeon approached the man as he bowed his head slightly.
“Yes. Hello, Hunter Kim Gi-ryeo.”
By the way, it’s rare for this F-Class to initiate contact first; I wonder what he wants to say all of a sudden.
“Thank you for taking the time to meet me. Shall we move to a different spot first?”
Since she had no other dinner plans that night, why not?
Seonwoo-yeon agreed cheerfully to his suggestion.
Thus, they arrived at a Chinese restaurant.
“I think our conversation will take some time. Let’s talk while eating.”
“Ah, okay.”
“This place was recommended by Yoon Seung, and it’s really delicious.”
Is that what they mean when they say you can’t see even a step ahead in life?
In that instant, Seonwoo-yeon felt a wave of nostalgia wash over her.
To put it plainly, her first impression of Kim Gi-ryeo was the worst.
‘I figured we wouldn’t end up sharing a meal together.’
But after a few months, her evaluation of him had completely turned around.
Contrary to his rough appearance, Kim Gi-ryeo was surprisingly courteous.
‘I never expected this kind of personality.’
The prejudice she had held had long been stripped away.
Now, the question was what this polite young man would bring up.
“Um, you’ve probably noticed by now, but the truth is I have a favor to ask of you today.”
Click.
Just as the staff serving the food closed the door when leaving, Gi-ryeo finally got to the main point.
“Do you know Nachalsawon?”
“Excuse me?”
“If I manage to pinpoint a key person in that Nachalsawon, can I imprison him right away?”
At those words, Seonwoo-yeon paused her chopsticks.
“The Nachalsawon…? No, shouldn’t you be reporting that kind of information to the police?”
However, the response she received was somewhat negative.
“I want to do that too, but the fact is, it’s a bit difficult.”
“Why?”
“First off, there’s the issue of whether the police will believe me willingly…”
He fiddled with the sweet and sour pork he had ordered.
“To get that key position, I’d need to participate in the investigation several times, but as you know, I’m not currently in a position to do that.”
“Ah.”
“Even if luck were to allow me to receive an Awakener’s cooperation request through the association, there’s no guarantee it would be for the Nachalsawon case.”
Crunch. He popped a piece of sweet and sour pork into his mouth and chewed it.
A brief silence followed.
“So here’s my proposal.”
But the silence didn’t last long. He swallowed the food and continued.
“Seonwoo-yeon, if you were to join the pursuit of that cult, could you pass on some information to me?”
His piercing gaze slid across her.
“If you help just a bit, I might be able to catch the most significant member of Nachalsawon. Perhaps even someone more crucial than the leader.”
His eyes widened like a snake ready to strike.
Faced with that, Seonwoo-yeon gulped nervously.
But her tension wasn’t merely due to the man’s menacing atmosphere.
She felt a certain conviction rising from this conversation.
‘As suspected…’
Acts that would be deemed akin to the lowest tier.
Two counts of abduction.
The myriad suspicions surrounding all the circumstantial evidence.
With that, Seonwoo-yeon came to one conclusion.
“I don’t think personal retribution is a good idea.”
Up until now, the abduction incidents were because he deliberately infiltrated that criminal organization.
‘How could this be?’
Looking back, there had been plenty of evidence related to this from the start.
His overly calm reaction when it almost seemed he was going to be sold overseas.
The terrified testimony from the Nachalsawon member who was in charge of torturing Kim Gi-ryeo.
And the common conclusion that both incidents ended with the destruction of that organization’s hideout.
It all pointed to one clear path.
‘There’s no doubt.’
In the flow of the narrative, it could only appear that Kim Gi-ryeo was intentionally dismantling criminal groups.
‘Why?’
Whether it was for justice or merely boredom, I couldn’t tell his intentions.
“Why not just let the police handle it?”
After all, this is a lawful country. Isn’t this kind of act still a type of crime?
Seonwoo-yeon cautiously advised him to back off from this matter.
“Ah, so you think the police could manage to wipe out Nachalsawon without my cooperation?”
But the next question from Kim Gi-ryeo sealed her lips tight.
“……”
He was right.
Even though Korea was currently battling the ever-growing power of the Nachalsawon cult, no one had managed to scrub that malignant tumor away.
This was a democracy.
The freedom of religion was guaranteed.
‘I know in my head that the leader, Tak Kwang-jo, is inciting terror among the believers, but they say there’s no justification to arrest him. Rumors are already swirling about some under-the-table deals.’
Seonwoo-yeon rubbed her forehead as silence enveloped her.
‘Even now, many are suffering because of that cult…’
Then, at that moment.
A dull voice reached her ears.
The Hunter across from her broke the silence.
