Chapter 124

〈Chapter 124〉 Part 1, Chapter 7 (4)

<5:00 PM, Hero Association Korea Branch.>

“Bro, you’re on cloud nine!”

Lee Seung-hyung smiled oddly as he watched Yu Yeong-ho practically floating with joy. It was strange to see him so neatly dressed in a suit after always looking so casual.

“I’ve been assigned to a mission in Seoul.”

“…Oh.”

Seung-hyung finally understood why Yeong-ho was so elated. He guessed meeting Kang So-yeon in Seoul must be making him this happy. Yeong-ho quickly read Seung-hyung’s expression and made an excuse.

“No, there’s that too, but first there’s another matter. ‘Beast Tamer.’ They seem to have reconsidered the case of the villain Cheongnyeon.”

“Reconsider?”

Yeong-ho nodded. In his hand was a crumpled document marked with pen scribbles.

“The Association has learned what happened during the Seoul Restoration Operation. Though only a few know it yet, big chaos is coming soon. The Pine Unit will likely be forcibly disbanded.”

“Is that so?”

Seung-hyung remained calm. Even in a situation where he himself might end up under investigation, his composed attitude gave no hesitation. Yeong-ho nodded approvingly.

“Yeah. You don’t need to feel intimidated. The only mistake here was trusting the wrong uncle.”

“Haha, ha…”

“If anything, you’ll have a lot of mental strain ahead. People who’ve been suppressed will start tearing into each other openly, and the backlash will reach you too. …Let’s go get some fresh air before all that happens. I’m scared to go alone, so I want to keep the guy who beat the dragon nearby.”

“How about Harang?”

Yeong-ho shivered.

“He hasn’t left his house. You know reporters are swarming outside Seok Harang’s place? I heard he just had one late lunch delivery brought in earlier today and hasn’t come out since.”

“So, he’s still in shock?”

The rumors of Light Blade’s survival. Seung-hyung somewhat agreed they were plausible. It was hard to believe someone could lose to an unknown enemy, especially when Seung-hyung himself now understood the level of Light Blade’s prowess. Yeong-ho clicked his tongue and shook his head.

“Man, Light Blade was cruel. If it wasn’t for me, at least he should’ve given his student some warning before pulling off such a surprise act.”

“…Thanks to that, Harang reached SS Rank, right? The Round Table sent representatives, and now the whole world’s in an uproar.”

“Hey, now’s your chance to feel regretful. If it weren’t for Harang, you could’ve filled that empty seat on the Round Table.”

Seung-hyung shrugged.

“I’m not interested. After this incident settles down and the investigation ends, I plan to move to Seoul and join the defense unit.”

“……What?”

Yeong-ho barely stopped himself from cursing. If they’d been alone, he would’ve definitely smacked the back of Seung-hyung’s head by now, but instead, he tightly gripped his own hands with superhuman patience.

His voice, however, was far from gentle.

“Say that again. Did I hear you wrong? That definitely wasn’t you saying you’d follow me on the mission, was it?”

“Yes. I’m planning to completely move to Seoul. Anyway, my hero license will likely be revoked, so I’ll become a hunter and hunt monsters above Seoul. Most named monsters are already dealt with, and with Harang’s abilities, Busan to New Seoul should be well-handled.”

“……So, you intend to atone this way?”

“It seems necessary. This is the best I can do.”

After Seung-hyung finished speaking, both fell silent for a while. Seung-hyung meditated peacefully with his eyes closed, while Yeong-ho repeatedly opened and closed the lid of his Zippo lighter from his inner pocket. Yeong-ho spoke first.

“…When I go to Seoul, there won’t be anyone left to look out for you. Are you sure you’ll be okay?”

“Bro, I’m past the age where I need protection, right?”

“Shut up. To me, you’re still a chick. A big S-Rank chick, but still. How did I end up mentoring such a guy?”

Grumbling, Yeong-ho stood up. Outside the window, the car waiting for him had pulled over.

“I’m leaving. Make up your mind.”

“Take care, Bro… Thank you for everything until now.”

They shook hands. Both silently hoped this wouldn’t be their last farewell, then Yeong-ho followed the people who came to pick him up and got into the car.

‘Hang in there.’

Seung-hyung waved goodbye to Yeong-ho until the black-suited men approached him. Yeong-ho couldn’t bear to look anymore and tightly shut his eyes.

* * *

<6:00 PM, New Seoul Government Building.>

“Sit down.”

Seung-hyung complied and sat down smoothly. Sun Icheol handed him the same herbal tea he was drinking, its aroma wafting through the air.

“So, you’re quitting as a hero and moving to Seoul to live as a civilian?”

“Yes.”

Seung-hyung calmly nodded. Sun Icheol didn’t comment much on this. Instead, he touched the scar on his left eye.

“You’re really going to ignore all the material and financial support I’ve given you all these years and move to Seoul? Wasn’t I the one who took care of all your living expenses after your father passed away, found you countless mentors, and helped you rise to A-Rank?”

“……I truly am grateful for that. Thanks to Uncle, I became A-Rank very quickly.”

“And yet… WHY!!”

Sun Icheol slammed his cup down harshly. The cup didn’t break, but some tea spilled over.

“Why are you acting so independently?! What about when you suddenly decided to pursue acting because of Gaeul? Don’t you remember what you promised me then?!”

“I promised to do whatever you asked in exchange for helping her land leading roles.”

“So why are you changing your mind now? Is this because of Setwha Princess? Did you suddenly decide to chase after that girl who’s younger than you and reached SS-Rank?”

“……This isn’t jealousy. Uncle.”

Seung-hyung manipulated his smartwatch, sending several data files to Sun Icheol. Breathing heavily, Sun Icheol accepted the data.

“What is this?”

“…It will be disclosed worldwide soon. This is a backup; the original is already secured by the Association.”

Sun Icheol gasped sharply. The video was all too familiar to him.

“The hidden truth behind the Seoul Restoration Operation… You intended to use the Pine Unit to massacre Seoul residents?”

“……”

Sun Icheol remained silent. Seung-hyung sipped his tea to moisten his dry lips.

“I wondered why Seoul citizens kept refusing New Seoul’s support. Why they feared New Seoul’s ability users so much. Just surviving with villains’ help? No, that wasn’t it.”

“This is fabricated footage. False information. That hero, wasn’t he kidnapped by a monster during the operation? His brain must’ve been scrambled.”

“Are you going to deny it till the end?”

“What? I don’t know anything about it. I don’t recall any such thing. This is quite disappointing. I personally set up a program to reform criminals, but unfortunately, it seems it didn’t work. The Pine Unit needs to be dissolved. We should send them back to jail immediately.”

Sun Icheol spoke without restraint. Seung-hyung sighed deeply enough for Sun Icheol to hear clearly.

“……It’s a tip-off from ‘Cheongsong.'”

The hand holding Sun Icheol’s teacup froze mid-lift.

“He voluntarily reported to the Association. Uncle, did you think you could handle things even if someone higher up gets involved?”

“There’s no way. The branch director also colluded with me—”

Sun Icheol couldn’t finish his sentence. Seung-hyung nodded.

“It can’t be resolved at the branch director level. The Round Table has moved directly. Didn’t you think Oracle and Undine coming to Korea was solely to recruit Setwha Princess?”

“How, how… Now I get it! Cheongsong wasn’t working for the Association but for the Round Table! You set me up!”

Realizing he was caught in a trap, Sun Icheol seemed unable to make a rational judgment. Seung-hyung stood up calmly.

“I’ll also face an investigation. I’ll let you know in advance—I’ll cooperate fully.”

“……Cheongsong won’t escape either. Do you think I’ll go down alone? I’ll drag at least two hundred others with me.”

Sun Icheol removed his glasses. Without them, which softened his sharp features, he looked like someone who could crush several people with just a glare.

“…Let me ask you one last time. Who told you about this?”

Just as Seung-hyung was about to leave the office, he turned back with a wry smile.

“A ghost.”

* * *

<At the Same Time, Blue Wind Sect Hideout.>

“Preparations for the bomb detonation are complete. Are you ready?”

[Of course. You better not mess up in the middle.]

“What do you mean? You couldn’t even manage to bring strawberries.”

[Why are you bringing that up?!]

Yun Yuhwa screamed. Cheon Gaeul twisted her lips beneath her mask and mocked Yuhwa.

“You boasted about importing strawberries directly from Japan, but you couldn’t even catch the culprit. Yu Sung’s master is truly incompetent if they can’t even fetch a strawberry.”

[You know what? The core embedded in your chest was originally supposed to be mine. If it weren’t for the Customer, you’d just be an average A-Rank. That’s like giving a pearl necklace to a pig, don’t you think?]

“That’s why the snake core ended up in your possession, right? Hey, wasn’t it me who captured it?”

[It became contraband! And you knew it!]

Gaeul grew irritated by Yuhwa’s fiery reaction.

“Why did you use an S-Rank core to revive Light Blade anyway? That guy would’ve been strong even without an S-Rank core.”

[Of course we had to use an S-Rank core. Do you know how rare someone like Master is? Someone who saves the world and sacrifices their life for their daughter?]

“‘Master’? …Hohoho, my goodness. Miss Yun Yuhwa, are you really planning to welcome Setwha Princess as your bride? What if you actually file for marriage?”

[……Yes, officially. But remember this.]

Yuhwa smirked.

[Even if it costs me to throw money into the sea, I’ll legalize polygamy.]

“…Will you legalize same-sex marriage next?”

[Maybe. All it takes is ten million won into each legislator’s account—]

“Calm down. You know she’s not a Phoenix woman.”

Yuhwa chuckled.

[Of course, I can only have such conversations with you. Any updates?]

“Yeah. Xiao Lin and Unjang are definite suspects. She slipped up unknowingly. Irritating.”

[Then there’s me, you, Harang, and that person who mentioned passing by…]

“Lee…Yuinah? She said she wanted to meet you badly.”

[Not entirely certain, but adding her makes five. Wow, already a trainwreck?]

Yuhwa counted on her fingers.

[Yun Yuhwa, Seok Harang, Xiao Lin, Lee Yuinah, Cheon Gaeul. Given the Customer’s personality, he probably doesn’t love multiple people at once—]

“My point is correct. He’s a reincarnator. He’s probably reincarnated several times already.”

[That doesn’t explain his reckless behavior, does it? Even though the Customer may be slightly naive… Hmm, surely he’s not that dumb.]

“……Sigh.”

Gaeul and Yuhwa simultaneously sighed. The day they secretly formed an alliance to resurrect Light Blade using forbidden rituals, they vowed to keep it secret from Phoenix.

“Will there be more additions?”

[We’re trying to prevent that. Don’t forget fair play. I’m tolerating your move to Seoul as much as possible.]

“Got it. You prepare ‘that’ well. Give Sun Icheol a taste.”

[Understood. Then good luck, S-Rank Villain <Phantom>.]

Cutting the screen, Yuhwa leaned back. Beneath the table, Gaeul clenched her fists so tightly her tentacles felt like they might burst.

“……Phew.”

Gaeul finally exhaled the victorious smile she’d been suppressing. On her lap, hidden from the screen, a mini Phoenix slept soundly.

“……Hehe, hope no one noticed.”

Gaeul gently brushed the flames of the mini Phoenix with her hand. It was one of the trophies she obtained following Phoenix during her China trip. A guardian spirit attached exclusively to her so Phoenix could reach her anytime, anywhere.

“Ack. Look at my focus.”

Gaeul adjusted her mask in the mirror. The makeup underneath added a bit of life to her pale complexion.

“Hmph. Let’s get started then. Ah, this is Phantom.”

[…Didn’t you say you’d just fix your makeup?]

On the connected screen appeared Kim Ji-hwa, the Lighthouse, looking exhausted. Gaeul, hiding her pricked conscience, snapped back.

“Have you ever dated a woman? Do you know how long fixing makeup takes?”

[Alright, alright, you look pretty after taking so long. Are you ready? Can we proceed?]

“Of course. Pretty is a given. Get the recording ready.”

[The recording has been ready for forty minutes already… Are you prepared? Are you sure we should go ahead?]

Ji-hwa criticized her while sounding genuinely concerned about Gaeul’s condition. Gaeul nodded confidently and smiled faintly.

“Naturally. At worst, our parents will be shocked, right?”

[…Chairman Yun Yuhwa did station heroes near your parents’ house, didn’t she? Then let’s start filming, Y-Tuber Ghost.]

“Roger that, Director. Give me the cue.”

Gaeul closed her eyes gently and cleared her mind. Ji-hwa, operating the camera remotely placed in front of Gaeul, signaled with his hand.

Three, two, one. Start filming.

Phantom parted her lips.

“Hello, dear citizens. Today, I’m here to reveal the truth behind the Seoul Restoration Operation… Ah, cut. NG. I lowered my voice too much. Again.”

[…Can we upload it within today?]

Ji-hwa checked his watch anxiously. It was already nearing 7:00 PM. Gaeul confidently nodded.

“Of course. I’m Cheon Gaeul. Do you think I half-heartedly act? If it doesn’t feel right, I’ll reshoot. For the perfect footage. Ah, hello… Isn’t the lighting too dim?”

[Uploading today is impossible.]

Ji-hwa resigned himself to fate.