Chapter 70
Chapter 70
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 70
Chapter Title: Special Pursuit Squad 0 (6)
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Knock knock knock.
Someone knocked on the door of Vice Manager Martunis, head of the Mercenary Division.
“Excuse me. Vice Manager.”
“Who is it?”
“Special Pursuit Squad 0 Team Leader Ju Gonghyeok.”
Martunis tilted his head at the unexpected visitor.
“Come in.”
Creak.
The heavy wooden door swung open, and Gonghyeok stepped inside.
Martunis glanced out the window where dusk was settling.
“Calling on me at this hour. Care for a drink first?”
“No, I’m fine.”
The secretary had already clocked out.
Martunis brewed some black tea produced by the Company’s agriculture division and took a seat.
“Let’s get straight to it.”
“By all means.”
“Yesterday, I turned a few of those corpse sorcerer bastards into actual corpses.”
“That’s quite the metaphor for getting to the point.”
What’s more, the details he mentioned had already come through in reports.
So what exactly was he trying to say?
Martunis took a sip of his black tea.
“Yes. Roughly 8,000 of them...”
“Pfft!”
Black tea mixed with milk and spit sprayed across the table like from a mister.
“Eight thousand? You didn’t add two extra zeros?”
“Most were summons. Actual organization members number around a hundred.”
“Hmm...”
The vice manager swallowed a groan.
The report he’d received had simply stated another routine criminal organization sweep, as always.
But the unreported numbers...
“Team Leader Ju. Good work for now. We’ll review rewards later. Has it leaked to the papers?”
“Still under embargo. Even if we block it, it’ll probably slip out the day after tomorrow.”
“I see... It’d be ridiculous if I, the one in charge, heard it later than the press.”
Martunis fell into brief contemplation.
Gonghyeok handed him a few sheets of paper.
“What’s this?”
“Recent performance reports from Squad 7.”
The vice manager read through them carefully.
“Some achievements are missing. Like the serial killers and devil contractors taken down.”
“That’s right. And... please take a close look at yesterday’s incident.”
“Hm?”
Martunis’s face stiffened.
The Company’s underground sector, a hotbed of all sorts of crimes.
Who was in charge of security there, aside from a few secret labs and private zones marked off-limits?
It fell to the Mercenary Division.
The report noted that Sanchez and a few others had entered the underground sector with Mercenary Division permission and keys.
‘Those damn...’
Currently, the keys were managed by the Mafia’s Palgak Society.
And Martunis himself had handed them over.
He had a tight financial arrangement with the Palgak Society.
“Went in perfectly legally, didn’t they?”
“If we hadn’t stopped the incident down there, it would’ve been a disaster. Technically, it breached protocol in the end.”
“No, no. You did great.”
If thousands of Necro Mafia troops had poured in there.
And Sanchez had fallen into a trap and died?
It would’ve been obvious doom for the Mercenary Division—accused of mismanagement and effectively aiding the Necro Mafia legally.
‘Quick on the draw.’
The vice manager’s gaze toward him shifted.
“Anyway, this is...”
“No need to worry.”
“What?”
Gonghyeok handed over one more sheet.
“The embargoed story is...”
‘Mercenary Division Special Pursuit Squad 0 Trap Operation.’
‘Bold maneuver under Vice Manager Martunis’s lead!’
‘8,000 Necro Mafia slain. Crushing success.’
The paper held a draft article from the Company’s press department.
Astonishment dawned on the vice manager’s face.
“This is...?”
“You didn’t fail at management, sir. You feigned failure to lure them into a trap.”
“Hmm...”
Martunis stroked his chin in approval.
“Excellent.”
“You’re too kind.”
“Impressive, indeed. I’ll handle the rest.”
The vice manager seemed about to end it with ‘You may go.’
But three black cases were placed before him.
“I’ve handled the rest as well, meager as I am.”
The black attache cases opened.
Hundreds of indigo coins, skill coins, and scrolls gleamed.
The vice manager’s jaw dropped.
“Apologies from the Palgak Society, Desert Wolves, and Twin Pistols.”
“Uh...”
Trophies Gonghyeok had collected while visiting the mafias yesterday.
Martunis stared silently at the black cases.
“Didn’t we agree to bolster the established mafias when notifying them of the Necro Mafia crackdown period?”
“Indeed.”
“I made sure to let them know I was sweeping the necromancers around them on your orders, sir. They stepped up their own sweeps even harder, showering us with tribute in gratitude.”
Gonghyeok’s mouth itched for a smoke.
In front of a guy staring blankly like this, you had to light one up.
He settled for fidgeting with the case in his pocket.
“They’re apparently quite worried about the blunder of handing over the underground keys improperly. They turned the ones who crossed me in front of them into paste. I politely declined the heads pickled in slime for safekeeping.”
“Hah.”
Martunis let out an empty exclamation and clapped.
“Excellent.”
“They just overstepped without knowing their place.”
All done, and they overstepped without knowing their place.
Even in empty flattery spelled out so plainly, Martunis shook his head.
“No. I’m genuinely surprised right now. I’d heard you weren’t the type to bulldoze achievements with brute force alone. But to handle things this masterfully...”
He leaned back against the sofa and chuckled.
“Section Chief Jung. Now I see why that guy’s on edge.”
“Section Chief Jung...”
As Gonghyeok trailed off, he showed interest.
“Why? Some issue...? No, wait.”
Martunis narrowed his eyes.
“This. It hasn’t been reported to Section Chief Jung, has it?”
“If I report to Section Chief Jung, won’t it get buried again?”
Gonghyeok laced his fingers and cast his gaze downward.
“It’s not just about my achievements getting omitted. For me, I can rack up another one like this anytime. Inside the city or out.”
This level?
For most, this was a once-in-a-lifetime feat.
But coming from Ju Gonghyeok, who routinely pulled off cases that required the entire Mercenary Division, it didn’t sound like a joke at all.
“The real problem is...”
His downcast eyes met Martunis’s.
“...that Section Chief Jung might be slipping out from under your control, sir.”
“Hmm...”
A delicate matter.
The Company was an organization formed by merging various hunter clans.
Major clans had rebranded into divisions upon unification.
Alchemy clans became the Alchemy Division, merchant groups the Commerce Division.
Likewise, the Mercenary Division was a fusion of multiple mercenary clans.
Helen’s Office, which handled city security, became Security Squad 2.
James & Billy’s Office, which escorted merchants, transformed into Escort Squad 5.
Martunis’s Office, the strongest faction, claimed Squad 1 and the top position.
But such a motley crew wasn’t about to cooperate seamlessly.
Excluding Squads 1 and 0, the divisions operated almost independently.
Rumors abounded of them skimming tribute meant for the entire Mercenary Division.
For Martunis, Special Pursuit Squad 0—his direct elite unit—was a sword of judgment.
He always assigned his most trusted subordinates to Special Pursuit Squad 0, so the squad leader turning on him would signal the collapse of his authority as top boss.
“I see. I get what you’re driving at.”
The vice manager eyed Gonghyeok with keen interest.
“So, Team Leader Ju. What is it you want?”
“I hear Section Chief Jung is escorting Secretary Sessk for the upcoming 10th-floor shortcut mission.”
Gonghyeok broached the topic gravely.
“I’d like to join that shortcut mission as well.”
“Right, come to think of it, neither you nor Section Chief Jung have cleared the 10th-floor shortcut yet.”
Martunis rubbed his chin.
Once every six months.
Hunters without the city lord’s protection were forcibly entered into missions.
But the progress differed vastly between frontline hunters who’d cleared 30 floors and rookies just emerging from floor 5.
To catch up, rookies faced exams every 10 floors.
To reach 30, that meant clearing the 10th, 20th, and 30th-floor shortcuts.
Three in total.
Cleared floors could be re-entered separately, but only with special items.
“It’s feasible.”
“I’ll probe his intentions while running the mission alongside Section Chief Jung.”
“Yes... Having a sharp young talent like you working properly under me isn’t a bad thing.”
Martunis rose and gazed out the window.
“It’s been a pleasure.”
At the light dismissal, Gonghyeok bowed and left the room.
Ten minutes later, Section Chief Jung’s angry shouts echoed.
And Martunis caught sight of him leisurely heading home.
“Some red herrings, but he stabs sharply enough.”
He muttered while watching Ju Gonghyeok’s retreating back as he left the office.
“A fine tool. But still green.”
Gonghyeok had certainly brought intriguing material to the table.
Yet his direct, all-in rhetoric stemmed more from audacity than polished rhetoric.
“Audacity without the proper weapon is worthless.”
The veteran hunter’s gaze pursued the darkening streets.
＊ ＊ ＊
Gonghyeok pulled a cigarette from his pocket.
Smoke coiled around his lungs before scattering into the sky.
‘Bait’s laid.’
Red herrings?
It could’ve been a throat-slitter.
But this was just right.
‘Let’s see you bite.’
‘B’.
Bergoglio of the future.
If they knew the future, they couldn’t resist the bait.
Regression game. Hell difficulty.
‘Time to play hard, friends?’
A feather-light thrill stirred in one corner of his heart.
His roughened breath turned the cigarette to gray ash.
＊ ＊ ＊
Necro Mafia underground worship hall.
Three chairs around a triangular table.
But only two occupants.
One seat empty.
The hulking figure in black armor, arms crossed, spoke.
“The Lord of Legions, Isaac Jerolbane, is dead.”
The giant’s words hardened the remaining man’s face.
The contractors and necromancers eroding the Company.
These three represented them at this table.
And Isaac Jerolbane was a monster among monsters.
Where else to find a necromancer commanding ten thousand legions and casting three high-rank spells at once?
Word was he ranked third even in the Reaper Church.
Died yesterday, though.
“Kill Ju Gonghyeok.”
The black giant declared.
The other scratched his head.
“It’ll be tough right away. But I’ll manage somehow...”
“No. Kill him now.”
The scratching fingers twitched.
“How?”
“I’ve summoned the apostles scattered across each city.”
“What!?”
Clatter!
The man shot up, toppling his chair.
“Gathering the slaughter machines for what? I can handle that bastard!”
“No choice. Already done.”
Frustrated at the giant’s curt reply, the man thumped his chest.
“Do you know how I climbed this high? If you pull that stunt, we’re all fish food! Why do it without a word? I don’t agree.”
“No.”
The giant’s finger pointed at him.
“You must step up to kill Ju Gonghyeok too.”
“Hey. You listening? I said no? Or are you ordering me?”
“Not my will. Not my order.”
The raging man froze.
Come to think of it, apostles didn’t take orders from anyone.
Only a higher being could command them.
“The Reaper and the Devil. Both demand Ju Gonghyeok’s death.”
“My god.”
The man was speechless.
The giant looked down on him pityingly.
“I know how hard you worked to reach that seat. We supported you to the hilt. Losing a spearhead like you in the depths would be a waste.”
“...”
“But all is as the Devil wills.”
The giant placed a hand on his chest and intoned gravely.
“Compared to the journey to the new world, it’s all trivial.”
With final prayer done, the giant left the worship hall.
Two empty chairs now.
The man alone.
“Damn it.”
Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!
Bang!
The triangular table shattered.
‘Me, how I clawed my way here!’
The unique city ‘Kingdom’ had the Sanchez incident.
The city lord died, plunging the Kingdom into perfect chaos.
Seemed good for the Necro Mafia at a glance.
But without sovereignty or strength against invasion, the Kingdom was thoroughly cleansed by the Deus-led city alliance.
Mafias scattered, citizens fled, and the half-abandoned city became a Company colony.
‘And six years. From a rolling stone, a full six years!’
Six years in Babel were no light matter.
Four great summonings in that time.
While millions of humans perished, he’d survived tenaciously.
‘Can’t lose it all now. Never!’
The man ground his teeth.
Time to gamble.
Lose everything, or gain it all.
He’d thought his power insufficient...
But with apostles gathered from everywhere, it’d be enough.
‘Turn the Company upside down. And I’ll...’
Become its master.
He didn’t know.
In the past, he’d had one comrade.
A reaper named Outer Mer Ashk.
And now.
No one stood beside him.