Interlude: The Story of the Chairman Who Blew 800 Million
On a plane bound from France to Korea.
In first class...
That person.
Bones carefully gauged her master's expression and spoke in a cautious voice.
"...Chairman..."
"...Gulp! Gulp!"
Without answering Bones, the Chairman simply kept pouring the crimson liquid down her throat. A moment later she set the glass down a little roughly and let out a heavy sigh.
"Haa... What a real waste. Who would've thought the instruments would turn out to be fakes and vanish into ash right there? They would've made perfect gifts for Mom."
"I find it truly regrettable."
"I even spent a fortune bringing Lee Jinhyun all the way out there... and in the end I never got my hands on what I wanted. It just ended like this. Ugh, damn it... If those bastards had shown up even two days later, things never would've gone this far."
"...I am deeply sorry, Chairman."
"Haa..."
The Chairman sighed again, thick with regret, and held out her glass. Bones refilled it without delay, and the Chairman began drinking with renewed vigor.
Yet in that moment, Bones was fully aware that the disappointed figure of the Chairman sitting before her was nothing more than a thin excuse.
As expected... she's terrifying...
The Chairman had failed to purchase the instruments that had been the purpose of this trip. But Bones knew the truth. The glass her master held right now was not meant to soothe a bitter stomach. Its true identity was a victory toast—the glass of someone who, in less than twenty-four hours, had nearly achieved every goal she had set for herself, and was now drinking in pure delight.
You really can never let your guard down around her... To think she was already planning that far ahead from the very moment she hired Dreamouth...
Throughout this entire affair, the Chairman had never gotten to see the performance she had expected from Lee Jinhyun. Before he could even lift a finger, every last artwork had been reduced to nothing. And yet the 800 million she had paid Dreamouth was by no means money thrown away. Through the chain of events that followed—unfolding as if she had anticipated every single turn—the Chairman had already secured profits that easily dwarfed a mere 800 million.
Filled with quiet admiration at that fact, Bones poured more of the crimson liquid into the Chairman's glass and found herself replaying the events of the previous night.
"..."
"Haa..."
Inside a church wrapped in darkness, Ro stood watch with a troubled expression. Watching their leader like that, the other two—Hoof and North—spoke with a touch of frustration in their faces.
"If you're that disappointed, why didn't you just try recruiting her, Leader?"
"Seriously. You said she was a victim of this damn world just like us, right? From where I was standing, if you'd sweet-talked her a little more she might've come over."
They were talking about Yu Gwon-sun, their leader's old comrade, who had just left this place. Watching Ro brood over that brief reunion and abrupt parting, Hoof and North offered their thoughts. Ro hesitated for a beat, then slowly shook her head.
"...No. It wouldn't have worked. The Gwon-sun I know—and the one I just saw—isn't someone who breaks that easily. Unlike us, she went through that hell and still kept her humanity. And... she probably always will."
"So in other words... her mental fortitude is that strong?"
"You could also say she's just scared. Once you fall into this world it gets easier, but until you actually drop, it's pretty damn terrifying."
So Ro mourned the departure of Gwon-sun while trying, in her own way, to understand her situation, and the other two interpreted it according to their own lights.
Then—
"Hmm?"
"...We've got a visitor."
In the next instant all three of them sharpened their expressions and reached for their weapons. This place was their private hideout, known to no one except Gwon-sun. But they had just returned from pulling off a massive incident. There was no guarantee a tracker hadn't somehow found them.
They stayed on high alert, ready for the worst.
Then—
Creeeak.
The door slowly opened. Immediately, murderous smiles spread across their lips.
"A hunter? And just one?"
"Oh my... Looks like she came to hunt us. Even so, barging in alone is a little too careless, don't you think?"
A white woman stood before them holding a glaive. The three of them regarded her with expressions that mixed mockery and cruelty as they began to close in.
Then—
"...Huh?"
"What?"
In the next moment the woman politely bowed her head toward them. Faces that had expected an immediate fight now showed a flicker of confusion.
"A pleasure to meet you all. My name is Bones Bore. I serve as Chief of Staff for the multinational corporation Laie."
"Laie...? That mega-corp?"
"So Laie sent someone to catch us? Well, well... Having people of that caliber pay us a visit like this is almost an honor."
At Bones's words, Hoof and North radiated even thicker killing intent. Bones simply shook her head slowly and answered.
"No, that is not the case. Regrettably, I have not come to capture you, nor do I have any intention of fighting. I am here solely to present you with a very fine proposal."
"A proposal? Haha, what kind? Money? Power?"
"Or maybe you're planning to write us some kind of free pass? Sorry, but we couldn't care less about trash like that. You can tell just by looking at us, right? What we just finished doing."
The two of them sneered at Bones and leveled their weapons. Ro, too, fixed her with a cold voice.
"Looks like you came to half-assedly talk us over. That was a mistake. We have nothing more to discuss with someone who doesn't even understand why we move. Die quietly."
With those words she drew her sword and unleashed her killing intent.
Then—
"Of course! I am well aware that none of you have any interest in such things."
"!..."
"Huh?"
The next voice that rang out—and its owner. Bones stepped smoothly aside and bowed her head with perfect respect toward the newcomer. Deep bewilderment settled over the three assassins' faces.
Looking at them, that person smiled brightly and began to speak with open enjoyment.
"I shall grant it to you. The very thing you desire! Yes—'death.' As the price of the contract, I will give you the finest death you have been longing for!"
Something no ordinary person could understand. Yet the three people standing here understood it with perfect clarity. They glanced at one another, deliberated for a moment, and before long reached their decision.
They would accept the proposal of the little monster standing before them.
Recalling the scene of those terrorists—who only hours earlier had slaughtered countless people without so much as blinking—being brought to their knees by a few words after she had tracked Yu Gwon-sun slipping secretly out of the hotel, Bones once again felt the terror of the person sitting before her.
"Yaaawn... Still, if this whole thing planted an 800-million-won psychological debt on Lee Jinhyun, I guess that counts as a win in its own way? Either way, if we're going to end this headache of a war, his performance is going to be essential."
That person spoke with a touch of expectation in her voice.
Then—
She suddenly pulled out her phone as it began to ring and checked the contents.
And—
"As expected... it ended up like this after all."
"...What has happened?"
The Chairman spoke as if it were nothing. Bones asked with a note of curiosity, and in response he—
No.
That girl answered in a voice that held not the slightest trace of surprise.
"Yeah. The Korean military took a massive defeat in this large-scale operation. All thanks to the 28th Guild screwing everything up."
"I... I see..."
"I knew it from the moment they kicked Lee Jinhyun out. Those people are hopeless. Well, how things develop from here will take a little more watching to tell. Nice and slow."
Watching her master smile faintly as she said those words, Bones quietly murmured something the girl would never hear.
No matter how things turn out... they will ultimately flow in the direction you have already envisioned. Isn't that right, Chairman Han Ran...?