A Dangerous Woman
A Dangerous Woman
Despite the suffocating killing intent, the two people seated in front of her showed no reaction whatsoever.
Well, killing intent of this level was something they experienced so commonly whenever they entered an erosion zone worthy of their involvement, and the gap between Jang Maria and the two of them was far too vast for her to crush them with merely this much killing intent.
Taking Jang Maria's killing intent head-on, the two looked at each other and soon nodded in satisfaction.
'This child will do nicely.'
'Indeed, choosing this child is the right call.'
Jjak!
"?!"
"Now, now, getting angry is all fine and good, but shouldn't you consider the time and place?"
With a single light clap, the killing intent Jang Maria exhaled was crushed head-on.
Only then realizing what she had done, Jang Maria bowed her head and apologized.
"I am sorry. At the news that Sia almost died, I just...."
"Fufu, we know as well. That just shows how much you cherish Sia-yang, doesn't it? And we happen to have a mission just for you."
"Yes. Pardon?"
"Although the Hunter Association did say they would assign bodyguards for protection, where would that leave our reputation? She is the child of our Director, no less, so if anyone is going to protect her, it should be us. If we just leave everything to the Association and sit still, others will curse us, wouldn't they?"
"Th-That is..."
Is that so?
Was there anyone in South Korea who would openly curse one of the Five Great Guilds?
However, it wasn't particularly wrong either, so Maria tentatively nodded her head.
"Yes, I think so too."
"Fufufu, right? So we also decided to assign bodyguards to Sia-yang at the guild level. However, unlike the personnel who will guard her from a distance, we need someone who can stay right next to Sia-yang and clearly display, 'We are guarding this child'...."
At Kang Sua's trailing words, spoken as if tempting her, Maria raised her hand eagerly without a shred of doubt.
"M-Me! I, I will do it!"
"Good. After all, that was precisely the reason we called Maria-yang. Director Han Jaehoon, what do you think?"
"I also have no particular complaints as long as that child stays by Sia's side."
"That's settled then. Please take good care of her from now on, Maria-yang?"
"I will do my absolute best!"
Thus, Jang Maria was selected as Han Sia's close-quarters bodyguard.
Returning to the present, Jang Maria stopped by Han Sia's house, picked her up, and stepped out.
It was for the sake of Hunter registration, her very first assignment after being selected as a close-quarters bodyguard.
And since Hunter registration first required a photo to put on the identification card, she drove the car and arrived at a pre-booked studio.
The studio she reserved using the guild's influence was a membership-only venue accessible only to top stars.
And true to its reputation of possessing that level of skill, the studio director came out personally as soon as they arrived, took Han Sia inside, finished her makeup, and began the photo shoot.
"Ele↗gan→t! Very good YO! One more photo in that exact pose! This time with a slightly colder expression, Yeah! Truly the fairy of the snowfields! The master of the north wind!"
Watching Han Sia strike poses according to the director's instructions despite wearing a sullen expression as if displeased with something, Jang Maria thought.
Once the shoot ended, she would pay an extra fee and buy a separate album before leaving.
**
"Sia-ya. Was it very exhausting?"
"No, just...."
I tried not to show on the outside that it was exhausting, but I guess hiding it from Maria-eonni was impossible.
To be honest, it would be a lie to say it wasn't exhausting.
How many times in one's life would one go to a studio like that and pose properly for a photo shoot?
It's not like I'm a celebrity either.
I clearly heard at first that we were just going to take a photo for the Hunter ID card, but before I knew it, I found myself caught by the studio director, getting styled in various ways, and striking poses.
I wondered if this went on the Hunter ID card too, but of course that couldn't be the case.
The photo that actually went onto the Hunter ID card was taken at the very end and took less than 30 seconds.
Looking at Maria-eonni carefully placing a shopping bag in the back seat with a somewhat satisfied expression, I asked.
"What's that?"
"H-Huh? N-Nothing at all."
"Hmph... Something's suspicious."
The way she acted was like she was revering a sacred altar tablet, stuttering over her words as if she had a guilty conscience—something was definitely fishy.
Eit!
Quickly turning my body around, I snagged the shopping bag in the back seat.
Then, I checked the contents inside.
"Th-Th-Th-This is!"
Opening the booklet inside the shopping bag, it was full of photos of me taken just moments ago.
"Ah, aaaah...."
"Why did you take my album!"
"Th-That is... since we went through the trouble of taking them, I was going to bring it to ommonim and abeonim."
"Theeeen you should have told me first!"
Since she said she intended to give it to my parents, I couldn't even scold her. Sigh... Huh?
"By the way, why are there two albums?"
"Ah."
"...If you speak truthfully, I'll let it slide this time."
"To be honest, I was planning to keep one for myself too. I am sorry."
Seriously, what was she planning to use this for after taking it?
Hmm, but looking closely at it, even I have to admit it's cute.
Originally, I wasn't lacking in confidence about my appearance since I strongly inherited the blood of my model mother, but after awakening, did that appearance feel like it blossomed even further?
I read through the album carefully from beginning to end, put it back into the shopping bag, and left it in the back seat.
"Ahem! I'm only letting it slide this time."
As soon as permission was granted, Maria-eonni's expression brightened drastically as if she had gained the entire world.
Is she that happy?
Well, since she likes it so much, I guess I'll just consider it giving a present to an eonni who has taken good care of me until now.
As I sat down demurely in my seat, the car smoothly set off toward the Hunter Association.
After driving on the road for about ten minutes, the car soon parked in the Hunter Association's underground parking lot, and we grabbed the photos to be used for registration and went inside the Association.
Then, we walked straight to the information desk and stated our business.
"We made a Hunter registration reservation under the name Han Sia for today."
"Ah! Welcome. We were waiting for you."
Following the guidance of the information desk staff, we took the elevator up to an upper floor.
At a glance, the floor we arrived at did not look like an ordinary floor.
People wearing white lab coat-like garments reminiscent of scientists were moving around here and there, and inside several rooms, even though it wasn't an erosion zone, Hunters wearing equipment were measuring something.
We walked straight down that corridor and were assigned to the room at the very end.
"If you wait here for a moment, I will bring Examiner-nim shortly."
Leaving the two of us inside the room, the Association staff member bowed deeply and went outside.
Only then did I stand up from my seat, looking around the room and checking out the fascinating devices.
"Sia-ya. You shouldn't touch things recklessly."
"I know that much too, okay? I'm only looking with my eyes."
Is it because I was a man in my previous life? My eyes naturally get drawn to high-tech equipment for no reason.
As I waited while examining the neatly arranged equipment, before long, the door opened with a Ziing— and two women came inside.
The woman with a purple ponytail on the left was smirking and saying something, while the black-haired woman on the right, who appeared to be the examiner, was scowling, completely drained with fatigue.
"Hah, how did I end up getting hired at such a black-hearted company? Maybe I should just quit."
"Fufu, if that were possible at will, wouldn't I have quit already?"
"You? Bullshit, like you ever would. More importantly, who is that rare case patient—no, test subject—no, Hunter?"
"It doesn't matter when you talk to me like that, but you had better watch your mouth from now on, you know? If Cheonryeok decides to storm in, even we can't protect you, alright? In the blink of an eye, your neck might snap with a Bbogak—! Now, if you look over there, there is a cute little girl, right? That person is none other than Cheonryeok's doted-upon only daughter and the rare case Awakener who came for examination today."
Who the fuck is that bitch to know about me in such detail?
I know at least that Cheonryeok is my father's title.
And all that woman said was merely the relationship between my father and me.
Nevertheless, somehow I felt certain that she knew me very well.
Besides, I know I shouldn't judge people by their appearance, but somehow her smiling face looked suspicious too.
The woman who introduced me to the examiner beside her walked Ddubuk-ddubuk over to stand right in front of me.
At that, Maria-eonni, who was in charge of my security, quietly gathered her mana, putting her guard up against that woman.
"My. Aren't you being too wary for a first meeting?"
"I know you are an Association Director, but on my end, I am in the position of guarding Sia."
"Hmm, I intended to just exchange a few light words today... If I step any closer than this, I'll be hated, won't I?"
"Well. I wouldn't particularly recommend testing that."
An atmosphere that felt like a clash could explode at any moment swept through the examination room.
At that, the one who moved first was the purple-haired woman.
The instant her hand moved toward me, Maria-eonni, who was holding her body's tension at its peak, extended her bandage-wrapped fist.
Pang!!
Along with the sound of striking the air, as if dropping frames, the postures of the two shifted in the blink of an eye.
Maria-eonni was punching into empty space, while the purple-haired woman, somehow having moved, had passed Maria-eonni and stood in front of me.
Turning her head halfway back, the purple-haired woman spoke.
"Skill unbefitting of that age—indeed, your level is worthy of being evaluated as the next-generation hope of the Changgung Guild."
"How...?"
"I am no magician, but I am also not kind enough to tell you the hidden trick."
"Kkuh!"
"Yes, yes, that's enough. Really now, I am someone who came merely for greetings and an apology."
Maria-eonni, having failed her attack, tried to move again, but like prey caught in a spiderweb, she trembled all over yet couldn't move.
Meanwhile, turning her head back forward, the purple-haired woman extended one open hand forward as if offering a greeting.
"Hello, Princess. I am Dan Cheonghwa, serving as the Strategy Coordination Director belonging to the Hunter Association. Please take good care of me from now on?"
From beginning to end, a dangerous scent wafted from her smile.