The current head of the Hunter Association, Igarashi Natsuko, arrived at the lobby on the 1st floor after taking the executive elevator.
She had just raided Seo Sunwoo’s branch head office as usual to snatch some green tea, installed a bug, and came out.
Oddly enough, every camera she attempted to install got discovered and destroyed immediately. “Looks like those Silo guys have been scattering cameras again,” she reported to Natsuko. Yet, Seo Sunwoo was completely oblivious to the bugs, no matter how many she installed.
So, Natsuko gave up on the cameras and only focused on installing bugs for surveillance.
It’s not like she’s treating Seo Sunwoo specially, either. Most mid-level managers in the Hunter Association are being bugged and photographed by Natsuko.
But, well, Seo Sunwoo does have it a bit worse.
She barges into his branch head office without any notice.
This is based on her instincts and personal judgment.
Considering Seo Sunwoo’s identity, it seems she’s been spot on.
Well, anyway.
Just as Natsuko was about to leave after wrapping up today’s “business,” something caught her eye that was incredibly conspicuous.
A suit, a hat, sunglasses, and a mask.
…Is that a bodysuit she’s wearing underneath?
Natsuko, an impulsive hedonist by nature, immediately approached the bewildered Parang.
Because, well, she was curious. Also, it looked entertaining.
“Suspicious.”
That was Natsuko’s first impression of Parang.
To be fair, it was a hot summer day, and here she was, wandering around the Seoul branch of the Hunter Association on the first floor, masked, in sunglasses, and wearing a hat.
Is that really what you’d call a disguise?
Now that she paid closer attention, she noticed the hair wasn’t purely black; there was a hint of blue and green in it.
She felt like she’d seen that somewhere before, but she just couldn’t place it.
So she stared blankly at Parang for a few minutes, trying to recall who she was, only for Parang to be staring blankly at the elevator sign at that very moment.
Intriguing, amusing, and so on. All of these tangled reasons compelled Natsuko to strike up a conversation with Parang.
“Oh, you’re pretty.”
On the other hand, Parang didn’t think much of Natsuko. After all, she didn’t even know Natsuko was the head of the association.
“Wait, doesn’t a Hunter know the face of the association head?” Well, yes, that’s true.
The truth is, Igarashi Natsuko has only recently surfaced into public view.
Before she took the head position, she had lived a pretty unremarkable life. Then again, that was during the chaotic times when Slayers were on the rise, so she kind of faded into the background. Natsuko had a hand in that.
The point is, Natsuko is still somewhat of an enigma.
And Parang, aside from when she’s selling materials, didn’t even step foot inside the Hunter Association.
She didn’t even know what the head of the Pohang branch looked like, so how could she recognize a far-off association head?
It’s no wonder Parang didn’t know Natsuko. Plus, Natsuko doesn’t even carry bodyguards around. She looked every bit like a regular employee.
However, Parang did feel a slight sense of unease. Pretty, fit, and her personality… still unknown, but something felt off.
Yet, their encounter seemed devoid of any noteworthy twists.
Just an ordinary yet oddly unsettling employee and a somewhat suspicious passerby. That’s about it.
“Ah, are you looking for the general branch head office? That’s in the east building, not this west one. It’s pretty hot outside, so I’d recommend going up to the 3rd floor and using the skybridge.”
“Oh, thank you!!”
Just then, the elevator arrived, and Parang jumped inside as soon as the doors opened.
Natsuko waved kindly with a smiling face until the doors closed.
And as the elevator smoothly ascended, Natsuko’s cheerful expression turned frosty before it even reached the 2nd floor.
An expression so cold it felt like a lifeless steel plate, bringing forth a sense of the uncanny valley.
Before she knew it, three unidentified men in suits and sunglasses stood silently behind her.
They said nothing and stood upright behind her.
Then came Natsuko’s single remark.
“Follow me and report every move I make.”
They vanished even more awkwardly than when they appeared.
#
Meanwhile, in the Hunter Association Asia headquarters, East Building 13th floor, branch head office.
Knock. Knock.
At the sound of knocking from beyond the door, Seo Sunwoo, sipping on green tea, opened his eyes.
Looking at the clock, it was 1:55 PM.
As he opened the door, Parang, wearing a mask, hat, and sunglasses, walked in.
“…You actually came here dressed like that?”
“Yes.”
“…I’d offer you a mask if you needed to leave.”
“Ah.”
Parang sighed.
How did she not think of the mask?
The Hunter Association provides free masks to Hunters who want to hide their identities.
They’re solid red masks without any designs or even holes for eyes.
Needless to say, visibility is perfectly fine.
Many Hunters wear them, and sometimes celebrities use them at airports or during travel.
So, clearly, a mask would have been better than her disastrous disguise.
A sad quirk of reincarnators.
Well, anyway, Parang and Seo Sunwoo took their seats.
It was the very same spot where Natsuko and Seo Sunwoo had sat before.
As soon as Parang sat at the desk, Seo Sunwoo pulled out two piles of papers.
One was a document concerning the establishment of a test to assess underwater Hunter grades.
The other was just a blank sheet.
Seo Sunwoo greeted Parang with a friendly smile and took out a pen to write something down.
“Nice to meet you, Yu Parang Hunter.”
[There's a bug installed in this room.]
“Would you like a cup of tea?”
[I feel like we should have a conversation about work while also writing to each other. Is that okay?]
“Wow, your writing speed is incredible.”
How does a person write that fast?
So, we need to write and converse simultaneously? That sounds incredibly demanding.
But the hero who’s going to save the world, Yu Parang! She decided to rally for her noble mission.
Still, hydration seemed necessary.
“Ah, just water is fine for me.”
[Just about 20L, please. I need it to concentrate.]
Seo Sunwoo’s expression momentarily turned to one of confusion. But then he quickly called someone to bring the water.
A brawny, muscular man sparkled his eyes when asked to bring 20L of water and vanished.
Why?
Anyway. The conversation between Yu Parang and Seo Sunwoo began.
“I’m Seo Sunwoo, the head of the Asia headquarters.”
“I’m Yu Parang. Nice to meet you.”
[I believe you’ve heard something from the Silo side beforehand. It’s nice to actually meet the hot topic in town.]
[Ah. Thank you.]
She could only manage short sentences while concentrating. Seriously, how is this person doing this?
“This must be a busy time for you, and I appreciate you taking the time to meet.”
“Oh no. It’s no problem. I’ve got some time lately, and thanks to that, I managed to do some sightseeing in Seoul.”
[Let’s cut to the chase and get to the point.]
[Yes.]
Gulp, gulp.
“Today, we’re meeting because of this document you see here.”
“Oh… What is this?”
[Silo intends to take over the association.]
[Take over the association? What do you mean by that? ]
“It’s just as it sounds. As you know, the grades of underwater Hunters have been undervalued thus far.”
“That’s… definitely true.”
[It’s exactly as I said. Before we initiate a full-on confrontation with the government, we plan to completely take over the association.]
[Why do you need to do that?]
“After all, you, Yu Parang, are classified as a B-grade Hunter. There are virtually no Hunters who can exert such strength on land.”
“That makes sense.”
[As you’re well aware, there are two major reasons Silo cannot strike against the government right now. The first is because we cannot predict the chaos after the government falls, and the second is that their influence is too widespread across the globe.]
[So, taking over the association will solve those issues?]
“That’s why we’re trying to establish a grading test for underwater Hunters. We need your assistance, Yu Parang Hunter.”
“I see.”
[That’s right. By controlling the organization when the government falls apart, we can avoid any unnecessary conflicts, and the Hunter Association has branches spread throughout the world, wider than the government does.]
[I understand. But what does that have to do with me? ]
“What we’d like from you, Yu Parang Hunter, is your insight on grading criteria for underwater Hunters.”
“I understand.”
[To swallow the association, we need to exclude the current head, Natsuko. You’re aware of that, right?]
Parang nodded with a cautious expression.
“As you know, there’s an alarming lack of information about underwater Hunters. Also, there are individuals who transcend our usual classification criteria.”
“That’s definitely the case.”
[We’ll proceed under the assumption that you comprehend. We want you to target the head of the association, Natsuko.]
[Why are you entrusting that to me? ]
“Thus, we’ve decided to introduce a grading system that includes levels above S, SS, and SSS as a trial run.”
“Oh…”
[The strength of Association Head Natsuko is at a monstrous level. Yu Parang Hunter. No one we have can defeat Natsuko one-on-one. It would require a force almost at military level.]
[If that's the case, it sounds difficult for me too. Just because I use 'Departure' doesn't mean I’m invincible. I can’t even use personal skills.]
Parang felt her confidence wavering.
From her tests, she found that the space created by ‘Departure’ was too small to summon the Kraken.
Of course, even without the Kraken, she was incredibly powerful.
She could crush the current S-rank top 1-10 simultaneously.
But realistically, fighting against the army prepared by Silo without the Kraken would be tough for her too.
Silo knows this.
They don’t know exactly what her personal skills are, but they do understand that the difference between having and not having her personal skill is immense.
“What we would like to ask from you are the grading criteria for S, SS, and SSS-grade Hunters. This is something of a new venture for us, so we’ll be seeking input from an expert.”
“Um, understood. But if I’m setting the standards for the exam, won’t that cause fairness issues?”
[We’ve thought a lot about that. Nevertheless, Yu Parang Hunter, you found a way this time. ]
[What do you mean by that? ]
“Of course, we won’t leave everything entirely in your hands. And… Whatever exam we prepare, we’re confident you’ll pass as an SSS-grade without an issue.”
“Oh…”
[We’ll utilize 'evidence'. Yu Parang Hunter, you must have seen something that can crush a person’s mind in an instant, right?]
[Yes.]
[We’ll inject that memory into Natsuko using 'evidence'. No matter how powerful she is, it’ll be tough for her to endure such a mental assault.]
[Oh.]
Upon hearing this, it clicked for her.
Just as the ‘Departure’ skill, originally intended for debuffing, had its function completely switched when placed in Parang’s hands, ‘Evidence’, which merely served as a USB drive, also becomes the deadliest assassination weapon when used by Parang.
A weapon that can shatter the mental state of a target just by being placed against their body.
“You don’t need to worry about this immediately. I just wanted to ask for your collaboration today. So, will you help us?”
“Alright. I will cooperate.”
[Of course, I mean the information we shared as well.]
[Wait a moment. We still have more to discuss here.]
“Nice to have met you today. Let’s have a cup of tea, it’s truly delicious.”
“Then please pour me a cup.”
[What’s going on here? ]
[Natsuko, why must you turn that person into that way? I mean, you could try to persuade her or just avoid violence entirely. I'm not your hunting dog.]
[Natsuko cannot be persuaded. Yu Parang Hunter. Moreover, the moment she realizes what resides in the sea, the situation will begin to spiral out of control.]
[Couldn’t we control the information so she can never learn about the sea? Is that not possible? ]
[Until recently, that was possible. Until the 'Brachium Shock' incident.]
Ah, this is my fault.
Parang sipped her tea.
“…The tea is nice.”
“Thank you.”
[But that doesn’t mean I can take your words at face value.]
[Of course, we’ve prepared evidence as well. Here you go.]
Seo Sunwoo handed Parang a USB drive. Parang grasped it tightly in her hand.
[If I don’t find a valid reason to eliminate Natsuko from this, I'll refuse without hesitation.]
[Of course, you’re welcome to do so. It will just mean more hardship for us.]
[That's not my concern.]
[That’s right. I understand.]
“The tea is indeed wonderful.”
“Thank you. I knew you’d enjoy it.”
After a short while, Parang exited the branch head office.
“Hooh…”
She took a deep breath and pressed her forehead.
Her head hurt.
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