The Question Mark License

A freshly issued, stiff hunter license emblazoned with a question mark. Let's take a look.

A question mark?

What the hell, you crazy bastards?

This isn't a joke. Spitting out nothing but an error code as the result?

Nothing's changed at all like this.

"What is this?"

"W-well, the rank calculation just won't work. The system is refusing the measurement."

Didn't they make a huge fuss on the phone about twenty papers' worth of data and demand to ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠see me right away?}

"I remember you saying the measurement data analysis results were out. Is it a machine malfunction?"

"It's not a machine malfunction. This is the data analysis result we barely salvaged from the melted wreckage after the entire upper panel flew off during the measurement."

The researcher looked troubled.

"As you already know, the system has already rejected Baek Sa-eon as out-of-spec."

I could sum it up like this: 'We hit it, and the core slotted right ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠in with a thud. Then it rejected as out-of-spec.'

Honestly, there's not a single lie in that statement. Time to shift my thinking. Actually, this is good.

Now I don't have to go through the hassle of explaining that question mark rank in detail.

"We're still trying to figure it out, but unfortunately, that person saw this data..."

'That person.' The researcher shuddered as if recalling someone.

"Hey! W-wait a second!"

Crash-clatter—!

Before the researcher could finish.

Someone crashed unceremoniously onto the marble floor.

"Ow, that hurts..."

A white researcher coat big enough to cover even her hands. She scrambled to gather the A4 sheets scattered like snow on the floor, then her head snapped up.

Her target was the hunter license in my hand.

More precisely, the [???] printed on it.

Her large glasses, slick with sweat and barely hanging on the tip of her nose.

Beyond them, madness began to swirl in her round, teary eyes.

"I-I'm from the Association, researching mana anomalies! You're the awakener I talked to on the phone, right?!"

Ah. No wonder her voice sounded familiar. It's the woman who screamed last time.

At least she's got that convinced gleam in her eye.

"I cross-verified the burned-out circuits from that day three times! It wasn't a standard overload! It's the reversal of physical laws that happens with abnormal fusion of mana circuits or forced implantation of an external core!! A phenomenon that's never been observed..."

She's rambling on, getting all worked up by herself.

And the key bit that caught her: forced implantation of an external core.

Did she pierce right to the essence of the phenomenon just from the data?}

I scanned her up and down.

She looks pretty pathetic on the outside, but she's clearly got the brains to interpret what's happening right now.

Time to play along a bit.

As the situation quieted down, the researcher beside me freaked out and stepped forward.

"Ch-Chief Choi! You have to be careful in the hallway—"

"Manager Jeong, step aside for a bit! Do you know how valuable a case this person is for my research?!"

She barked it out with a flap of her arms. Looks like 'that person' is this one.

She seems way younger, but the researcher let out a gasp and backed away like he wanted to crawl into a mouse hole.

Maybe my expression looked unimpressed as I watched?

She desperately grabbed the end of my sleeve.

Her small hands poking out from the sleeves trembled.

"Just one drop of blood! No, even five minutes of an interview! I can buy you hanwoo beef with the corporate card! No no, unlimited premium cuts!"

"Hold on."

I looked down at her clinging to my sleeve.

She was desperate, like an abandoned puppy.

"Is the budget for this research properly allocated?"

"Huh? The department budget is still at my personal hypothesis stage..."

"Unpaid passion-pay volunteer recruitment, huh. Good luck with that."

"Ah, wait! Baek Sa-eon-ssi!"

Her voice cracked like she was about to grab my pant leg.

She clutched a bundle of papers covered in dense equations and mana wave graphs, desperately trying to hold my gaze.

"Can you really figure out how this error works with just one drop of blood from the lab?"

"But starting with coaxing... I mean, persuasion, felt like you wouldn't listen..."

"Why would I refuse? I'm dying to know as much as you are."

The woman's breath caught.

"Right, Choi Hayan-ssi?"

"Gasp...!"

Her shoulders jerked up. Her round eyes widened like they might pop out, sparkling wildly.

"H-how do you know my name?! Don't tell me you've been following my research papers on mana anomalies—"

"No."

Casually, I reached out.

I touched the plastic dangling from one side of her baggy coat pocket.

Just before my fingers made contact, Choi Hayan reflexively clutched her coat and stepped back.

"Th-that's...!"

"...Your name tag."

"Ah."

Choi Hayan's face flushed red all the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠way to her neck.

I chuckled and pushed up her glasses, which had slipped down to the tip of her nose.

Our eyes met through the lenses.

She's small.

Her stubborn hands that wouldn't let go of the papers even if she fell, the arms gripping my sleeve, her frame buried in the loose coat—all petite.

Except for the prominent chest pushing against the coat.

While I was at it, I patted her sweat-matted, tousled black bob hair.

"Eek...!"

Choi Hayan's shoulders twitched. The hair under my fingertips was fine and soft.

Her eyes behind the glasses lost focus, darting left and right wildly.

Her reaction's fun. Feels like I just got a puppy.

"In exchange."

I tapped around my solar plexus where the core had taken root.

"Make me an artefact that can contain mana. Not food or fame."

"...!!!"

"That's the first payment. You can do it, right?"

Choi Hayan swallowed hard. Then she nodded vigorously.

"Deal! Absolutely deal! I'll grind my bones to make it for you!"

Her eyes were blazing with fervor again.

"One more thing I want to ask."

"Yes! Anything~!"

"Does the system ever talk to you through a status window—"

Screech—

Shoe sounds rapidly approached from the end of the hall. A suited Association employee stopped, catching his breath.

"Baek Sa-eon-ssi."

The employee's voice was urgent.

"You need to head to the interview room on the 3rd floor of Building B, main headquarters."

"I came today just to get my results, wasn't expecting an interview. What's this about?"

"A request from Myth Guild's legal and inspection teams. They say they'll proceed with compulsory summons if you refuse."

Timing's fucking perfect. Guess the system talk has to wait.

Choi Hayan blinked wide-eyed, looking back and forth between me and the employee.

"Huh? Legal team? Why would Baek Sa-eon-ssi...?"

I turned to Choi Hayan.

"Choi Hayan-ssi."

"Y-yes?"

"You've got a chance to show your sincerity. Come with me."

"...Huh?"

"Having someone who can give a technical opinion present should speed things up."

"Wait, I'm not mentally prepared yet... Kyaa!"

I grabbed the back of her coat collar and started walking.

"I-I'm a lab ghost, you knowww...!"

Choi Hayan's whimpering trailed long down the hall as she was dragged along.

Passing Association employees freaked out and plastered themselves to the walls.

Cognitive dissonance from seeing the chief researcher dragged off by some unaffiliated hunter, no doubt.

But none dared to intervene against my momentum.

In front of the interview room.

Mana was leaking from the tightly shut door.

A chilling mana. The contrast stood out even more thanks to Crimson Flame.

I gauged the presences beyond the door.

Two inside.

One with no mana at all—a regular human. Probably a lawyer from the legal team.

The type looking to yank my chain within legal bounds.

And next to him...}

C-rank hunter level, similar to Cha Do-yeon.

'Big sword of a lawyer for legal pressure, and if I don't listen, unleash the hunting dog to build a scary atmosphere?'

Typical, clichéd large guild playbook.

Made me want to yawn.

Maybe that's why—my instincts were warning me instead.

Let's list what I've done lately.

Screwed over Cha Do-yeon.

Sided with Han I-seo.

Blew up the measurement device at the Association.

And got the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠out-of-spec judgment.

From Myth's perspective, I'm someone to tear apart. But their response is way too underwhelming.

They've definitely got something up their sleeve.

Hostile reaction? The core hummed.

For remnants of a core transplanted into someone else's body to emit malice on its own...

...What happened to Cha Do-yeon?

Choi Hayan was pressed right up against my back.

Clutching her bundle of papers tight, she trembled like a leaf.

"You shaking?"

"N-no! Just, the AC is a bit strong...!"

Scoring: Intelligence 100. Lying 0.

Her eyes behind the glasses, full of fear, only peeked at my back.

Don't talk stupid. Caution over one C-rank mutt? Perfect night for a lesson.

I snorted and placed my hand on the doorknob.

"Let's go in."

Click.

The interview room door opened.