The Hunter and the Hunted
Nova's prison raid struck Korea—no, the entire world.
It was a terrorist organization everyone had assumed was entering natural dissolution after its roster was exposed in the United States and its leadership annihilated.
Yet that same Nova was still very much alive, demonstrating the capacity to assault a Korean prison and recruit the Awakened held within.
"Are those bastards preparing for an all-out war with us? They're going completely off the rails."
Jeong-Hoon, who already knew the Nova that attacked the prison was not the real Nova, shook his head as he watched the news.
He had finished the meeting and returned to the television for a rest when he never imagined The Organization would move this boldly.
And in broad daylight, no less—raiding a prison.
"It may also mean that the family's information network has become so threatening that they would resort to such reckless acts."
Since the kidnapping incident, the family's information network had poured every resource into grouping the businesses and establishing the PS Association.
That was why Jeong-Hoon tilted his head—The Organization had nothing left to lose by getting caught.
"If it's something else… maybe they're just trying to take out that guy who keeps ringing like a spam call the second you finally fall asleep?"
"……It seems my grandson's circle of friends is rather problematic."
Still thinking it a sharp analogy, Chief Butler Ju shook his head with a bitter expression.
When Jeong-Hoon ordered Han Su-Ho to investigate Yong-Ha, he had wanted to defend the boy—that he was merely a fool, never an enemy.
But as chief butler, he accepted the Gaju's decision.
Moreover, Jeong-Hoon had felt an unusually strong aversion, and he himself felt uncomfortable somewhere in a corner of his heart.
So he had thought that once the investigation showed Yong-Ha was surprisingly clean, Jeong-Hoon's inexplicable distaste would vanish.
Then the investigation began, and Han Su-Ho came to him.
He informed him that Yong-Ha had more suspicious aspects than expected.
It was still only in the realm of suspicion, so he had not reported it to Jeong-Hoon, but as the grandfather, he felt he ought to tell Chief Butler Ju.
Depending on the results, he said, they might even have to prepare for the worst.
"What kind of circle of friends?"
"Do you remember Kim Gi-yeong, the person Yong-Ha was speaking with at the time?"
Since it had not been long, Jeong-Hoon nodded, wearing an expression that asked what problem a wastrel chaebol third-generation heir could possibly have.
"The backgrounds of the people he contacts, including that Kim Gi-yeong, are extremely dirty."
Having been ordered to investigate everything about Yong-Ha, Han Su-Ho had also looked into the surrounding figures and managed to filter out those who seemed potentially connected to The Organization.
They were still digging deep into that part, so the investigation was not yet complete.
"To take the example of Kim Gi-yeong I just mentioned—there are traces of him embezzling company funds to sponsor Nova."
"Oh? That's surprising. But why didn't we know until now?"
Jeong-Hoon had believed that Nova inside Korea had been completely eliminated by Diana and Flamma working together during the last hotel terrorist incident.
Discovering only now that a wastrel chaebol third-gen had sponsored Nova inevitably cast doubt on Diana's intelligence capabilities.
"It was quite intricately tangled. The money that flowed to Nova looked so much like a money-laundering process that Nova might not even have been the final destination."
It was a method so cunning that no one would use it without knowing the family's tracking methods.
"So, in other words, people connected to that guy who melts and drips through your fingers like ice cream were siphoning money somewhere while evading the family's eyes, and since using that method requires knowing the family's ways, the odds of a connection to The Organization are high?"
When Jeong-Hoon rapidly organized it and drew the conclusion, Chief Butler Ju silently nodded.
He wanted to think it mere coincidence, but The Organization involved Kang Hyeon-jung, a traitor to the family.
Yong-Ha had been close enough to call Kang Hyeon-jung "Granduncle."
That was because Chief Butler Ju and Kang Hyeon-jung had been childhood friends who lived like brothers—but if he had inherited Kang Hyeon-jung's will and taught The Organization the family's countermeasures, it was entirely possible.
At this point, the evidence was so solid that even as a grandfather he could no longer defend his grandson.
Of course it was circumstantial, but circumstantial of this caliber was solid evidence.
"Chief Butler Ju……."
"I apologize, Gaju. As that boy's grandfather, it was my selfish desire to delay the report until the results came out."
"No. I understand that. A person's heart doesn't always do as it's told, does it? What I was going to say was—though I just dismissed everyone, I need to reconvene them all."
At Chief Butler Ju's honest explanation of why he had delayed the report, Jeong-Hoon shook his head and reconvened the 12 Vassals.
When Jeong-Hoon reconvened the 12 Vassals, the expressions of the reassembled 12 Vassals could not have been more grave.
Even if he had been dropped from the vassal candidates, the current chief butler's grandson was under suspicion of being a family traitor.
And the 12 Vassals Han Su-Ho and Chief Butler Ju had known and concealed it.
Not only the 12 Vassals—Hwa-rim, who had returned this time, also wore a serious expression.
She did not want to think that not only her father but even a nephew-like figure was a traitor.
"Before we begin, let me say this—I have zero intention of reproaching Chief Butler Ju or Director Han."
Raising his hand with thumb and index finger completely pressed together, Jeong-Hoon looked around at everyone.
"Family, Gaju, vassals—whatever we call ourselves, first and foremost we are all human. Everyone has something they want to hide, something they don't want to believe. So I understand."
At Jeong-Hoon's words, everyone slowly nodded.
Jeong-Hoon had firmly driven home that he did not consider their actions wrong at all.
"But without some disposition for the two of them, discipline won't hold, right? I'll dock Chief Butler Ju and Director Han three months' pay."
Everyone was startled at the word "pay cut."
They never expected Jeong-Hoon would personally decide on a disposition.
Even if it was a lenient disposition of a pay cut, the fact that Jeong-Hoon had decided it himself was surprising.
"For Director Han, the mitigating factor is that he had already consulted with Chief Butler Ju as chief butler; for Chief Butler Ju, that he ultimately reported to me of his own accord. Any objections?"
"""We are grateful for the Gaju's generous disposition."""
It was a disposition that could be called meaningless, but knowing it was a decision to establish the family's discipline, everyone accepted it.
He had deliberately explained the grounds for mitigation while handing down a lenient disposition—no fool would cross Jeong-Hoon's mood by calling it too lenient.
"Chief Butler Ju, then try contacting that noise-pollution guy who blasts music at max volume in the middle of the night."
At Jeong-Hoon's order, Chief Butler Ju called Yong-Ha on speakerphone.
His hands operating the phone trembled noticeably.
It was a trembling filled with the hope that, since it was still only circumstantial, his grandson would truly not be a family traitor.
Ring. Ring.
"Ah, hello?"
After about two rings, Yong-Ha answered immediately, and Chief Butler Ju let out a sigh of relief.
The Organization had carried out a terrorist attack raiding a prison under Nova's name.
If Yong-Ha were truly one of The Organization's people, he thought, he would never boldly answer his call in a situation like this.
"Yong-Ha, where are you right now?"
"……Uh, I'm doing self-study with some new friends I made."
"Those new friends aren't wastrels like Kim Gi-yeong, are they?"
Knowing full well his fool of a grandson would never study, Chief Butler Ju let out a small laugh.
The 12 Vassals and Hwa-rim, who knew Yong-Ha's personality well, also burst into laughter.
"Come on, after getting scolded that hard by Grandpa, you think I still haven't learned my lesson?"
"Hey, fake rapper. Let's be straight with each other. That self-study you're doing—it's the magic and martial arts Kang Hyeon-jung taught you, isn't it?"
"G-Gaju?!"
Jeong-Hoon, who had been wearing an unpleasant expression at Yong-Ha's voice, suddenly cut into the call, and Chief Butler Ju nearly made a mistake in shock.
He never expected Jeong-Hoon would be hostile enough toward Yong-Ha to interject like this.
"……How does the Gaju know about Granduncle? Ah, did you hear it from Grandpa? Come on, what magic and martial arts? You must have been reading too many novels, Gaju."
"I didn't jump in to exchange jokes with you. You're the one who orchestrated this terror attack impersonating Nova, aren't you?"
At Jeong-Hoon's direct approach, everyone wore confused expressions.
No matter how strong the circumstantial evidence, they could not understand what grounds he had for being this decisive.
The Jeong-Hoon they knew was absolutely not a person who pursued the tyrannical path.
Yet the hegemonic remarks of this moment were confusing.
The figure who had handed down a lenient disposition earlier was nowhere to be found.
It was a stance as if he would brand Yong-Ha as a member of The Organization even if he were not.
"……What, I've already been found out? Grandpa seems to have been fooled, but I guess I shouldn't take the family's Gaju lightly!"
Realizing that Jeong-Hoon was already certain, Yong-Ha dropped the fool act and spoke in a serious voice.
"Haa, where exactly did I get caught? Should I have ignored Kim Gi-yeong's call back then?"
"No. From the moment I first saw you, you made me feel filthy."
"Hahaha! Caught for a reason like that? Ridiculous. Grandpa, it must feel great serving a tyrant like that, huh?"
At Yong-Ha's voice mocking Chief Butler Ju, he slowly shook his head and opened his mouth.
"Yong-Ha."
"Yeah, I'm listening. Go ahead. Honestly, I've always wanted to hear it. The feelings of a grandfather who makes himself a slave under the excuse of protecting the world."
"That the likes of you is my grandson is truly shameful. At this rate, I can very much understand Hwa-rim's feelings."
"Oh my, Uncle. Are you dragging me into this?"
As Chief Butler Ju covered his reddened face with his hand, Hwa-rim retorted, and a sigh from Yong-Ha was heard over the phone.
"What, Aunt Hwa-rim is there too? I thought you'd retired after Granduncle passed away?"
"Heh. I had retired. But when a foolish nephew continues the idiotic deeds of his stupid father, I had no choice but to come out, didn't I?"
"Is that something someone who purged countless friends with their own hands should say with a smile?"
Mocking even Hwa-rim, Yong-Ha let out a sneer.
He had always expected his identity would be exposed someday, so he was not flustered.
The timing of discovery was simply a bit earlier.
Bang!
"Whoa! Who did that? Ah, could it be the Gaju?"
"Yes, I did. So what position do you hold in The Organization?"
At the sound of Jeong-Hoon slamming the table, he snapped at the playfully speaking Yong-Ha, murderous intent in his eyes.
"Uh, would you believe me if I said I'm just a mere member of The Organization? You wouldn't, right?"
Having thoroughly reorganized the family while purging the traitors, everyone nodded at Yong-Ha's words.
If there had been more traitors like Yong-Ha, the family would already have collapsed before Jeong-Hoon even became Gaju.
"So I'm the head of The Organization. Haha! How about that? Surprising, right?"
"Ah, right. So you're the boss, but The Organization's control is weak, and the reason is that you built it on the connections inherited from the traitors, so your influence is insufficient—I understand that well enough."
"Huh? Did I slip up somehow? How did you know that?"
"Hmph!"
At Yong-Ha's words, Jeong-Hoon had no intention of explaining and answered with a short snort.
He had already guessed that Yong-Ha was the head of The Organization. Without the family's techniques, The Organization could not have been established.
So he would have taken the most important position—the head.
But if he had complete control as the head, the clumsy appearance The Organization had shown so far would have been impossible.
Someone who knew the family's methods and had inherited everything from the traitors would never take actions that left a trail for the family to step on.
"Anyway, now that I've been found out, I can't stay quiet either. If you'd noticed and just pretended not to know, I would have stayed a bit quieter, you know?"
"Are you threatening me right now?"
"Hey, Gaju? Think carefully. Just from raiding the Awakened prison this time, I recruited four people of S-class or higher. Among them is even that SSS-class guy called the worst criminal among the Awakened. What do you think will happen if I let someone like that run wild as he pleases?"
When he mentioned the criminal he had recruited this time with a smirk, Jeong-Hoon let out a hollow laugh.
"Ah, that guy who blew away an entire city by himself? Well, Sir Fernandez could probably handle him easily enough?"
"Oh my, Gaju. Won't you leave that to me? I'd like to teach that foolish nephew a dose of reality."
Hwa-rim cut in, speaking to Jeong-Hoon who was looking down on the existence who had become a symbol of terror by burning an entire city.
She was SS-class, but she had purged the most family traitors.
Even an SSS-class, if they had not properly learned magic and martial arts, was no match for her.
"Ah, if Aunt steps in, it'd be a bit tough. Well, our side absorbed Nova, you know. How about it, Gaju—doesn't that scare you a little?"
"How about you be the one who's scared of our side? From this moment on, Lumen, Shine, Myeongil, Apollon, Flamma, Diana, Photon—every elite of the family is going to smash your Organization to pieces. Do you think you can withstand the power of the family that moves the world from behind the scenes?"
Meeting Yong-Ha's threat with a threat of his own, Jeong-Hoon had no intention of ending it with mere words.
His loathing toward Yong-Ha had already surpassed a level he could endure.
"Is that so? Then go ahead and try. Good luck."
"I have no luck to wish upon you."
"Haha! So cold!"
Mocking Jeong-Hoon to the very end, Yong-Ha hung up.
"……."
After the call ended, only silence filled the conference room.
The shock that the head of The Organization was the grandson of Chief Butler Ju, and Jeong-Hoon's fury, settled over the conference room alone.