Chapter 62
"Ah! I only know how to sign my name in block letters! It might look like an elementary schooler's!"
"That's also kawaii, so it's perfectly fine!"
Twenty-eight years old, single since birth. Thrilled to have been noticed by the beautiful boy of her dreams and to have struck up a conversation, Renge shouted with a flushed face. Seeing this, Akemi, who had been poking her head out of the conference room to watch the scene unfold, gasped in shock.
"Eee?! Why?!"
The moment she heard that voice, Renge, wearing her thick-rimmed glasses, slowly turned her head.
"Oh, it's just stupid Akemi."
"Who are you calling stupid?! You're the stupid one!"
"Ah! Akemi-san! Do you and my fan know each other? Is it because you're both from Japan?!"
"Pfft!"
Taejun, unable to hold back his laughter at Yunjae's innocent question, bit his lip hard.
"I knew it, Guild Leader! You really are on my side!"
"Is being on your side an extension of Japan? If so, then yes, you are correct."
"Heheh!"
Yunjae beamed, delighted to have finally met someone who shared his sense of humor, while Taejun offered a gentle smile.
I-I love this combination! A gentle, beautiful boy and a cold, handsome middle-aged man!
True to her nature as a hardcore idol fan, Renge stared at Yunjae and Taejun with a deeply satisfied, blissful grin.
"It's not like that at all, Oppa!" Akemi shouted, her face a mask of utter frustration.
"Ah! Akemi-san! Then what is your relationship?"
Yunjae had noticed before that Akemi and Renge looked and sounded remarkably alike. Yet, back then, Renge had claimed she had no idea who Akemi was.
Hearing his question, Akemi burst out in exasperation.
"That idiot is my older sister!"
"At the time Secretary Trumpkin was assassinated, Lim Yunjae was at the Hwagok Portal. Given the circumstances, attempting to link Secretary Trumpkin's death to the hunter who cleared the monsters using holy fire seems highly unreasonable."
When damage control is necessary, even the fastest response can feel late. Therefore, the best strategy is to resolve the issue before it can even escalate.
"Hmm..."
Thanks to Taejun's swift and proactive defense, those who had raised suspicions regarding Trumpkin's death were instantly silenced.
The evidence Taejun presented was a photograph of a young boy and girl sitting side by side on the roof of an abandoned building, chatting warmly with the Hwagok Portal visible in the background.
Yunjae was smiling with a bright, innocent expression—one that made it clear he would never even dream of assassinating someone like Trumpkin—while Rosamy sat beside him, blushing shyly. The photo was so beautifully captured that it stirred a sense of youthful nostalgia in everyone who saw it. It looked less like a surveillance photo and more like a professional photoshoot.
"...It seems they were simply on a date."
Prime Minister Naoto of Japan spoke up with a light chuckle. Since the photographic evidence had been provided by Renge, one of Japan's top S-class hunters, he accepted it without hesitation. "But it really is a wonderful photograph. It looks like a pictorial."
"Miss Renge possesses an extraordinary talent for photography, after all," Taejun replied.
Renge's skill behind the lens was already legendary. She was a twenty-year veteran otaku who had spent decades secretly photographing and collecting pictures of idols; of course her skills were unmatched. She was easily better than most professional photographers.
When Prime Minister Naoto spoke up to defend the picture's artistic quality, Taejun let out a quiet smirk. If the Blast Guild had presented this photo, the other nations might have suspected manipulation. However, the one who took the photo was not a member of Blast, but Renge, an agent working directly for the Japanese government.
"It seems everyone has become overly sensitive due to the recent portal incident," Taejun added smoothly.
In the first place, the local authorities had already ruled Trumpkin's death an accident. The suspicions raised by the other nations were born purely out of paranoia, making this objective photographic evidence impossible to dispute.
"It appears so. After all, the very future of humanity is at stake."
The future of humanity? Or rather, their own personal safety? Taejun thought, keeping his expression relaxed and pleasant rather than letting his amusement show.
"In any case, the portals have begun to reactivate, and every nation must reinforce their defenses. As for Lim Yunjae, he wishes to minimize his involvement. Unless a situation arises that is absolutely beyond your control, he will never interfere first."
He would not shoulder the weight of the entire world. Yunjae already knew that trying to take responsibility for everyone would only suffocate him in the end.
"Yes, we understand."
"Are you saying that if a situation becomes completely unmanageable, he will appear to save us just as he did before?"
"Yes. But until then, Lim Yunjae wishes to focus on his daily life."
This statement actually seemed to put the world leaders at ease.
"His daily life...?"
"He plans to get a part-time job at a cafe soon."
A brief, stunned silence filled the virtual meeting room.
"A... a part-time job?"
"It may be difficult to comprehend, but Lim Yunjae truly desires nothing more than a quiet, ordinary life. He is not the kind of transcendent threat you all fear."
"But why would someone of his caliber..."
"It is a longing for the ordinary life he lost. As he has stated before, he simply wishes to be a friendly neighbor."
Taejun spoke eloquently as Yunjae's spokesperson, but the leaders still looked skeptical.
"Yet, he gave us a choice. He warned us that he could easily become a demon."
"Hmm..."
Conversing with people who believed only their own assumptions were correct was always an exhausting task. Fortunately, Taejun was highly experienced in dealing with such individuals.
"There is one thing I want to make absolutely clear. If you antagonize Lim Yunjae, it is our loss, not his. It is only natural to fear the unknown. However, opposing or showing hostility toward him without cause is incredibly foolish. The reason he gave us a choice is to remind us that he is not a force of absolute, unconditional good like Superman. If we continue to reject him for no reason, he may very well turn his back on us and abandon us to our doom when the end comes."
If he abandoned them, humanity would be the only ones to suffer. Taejun, who had realized that the suspicions surrounding Trumpkin's death were slowly turning into distrust toward Yunjae, spoke with a cold, sharp edge to nip the issue in the bud.
"Hmm..."
The heavy warning forced everyone to nod in agreement. While there were some who had shared Trumpkin's radical views, none of them were foolish enough to push the issue further. They silently acknowledged that their suspicions had been excessive.
"We understand the Blast Guild Leader's perspective."
"As long as we receive regular updates on his status for the time being, we see no reason to worry."
"That is for you all to manage. As I have said, Lim Yunjae is merely a support assistant for the Blast Guild, not an official member."
I know exactly what you're planning. You'll all nod along now and try to contact him behind my back later, Taejun thought, watching them offer sly smiles instead of verbal replies.
Aside from a few dissenters, the majority of the leaders were already planning to deploy covert agents around Yunjae. Now that the portals were active again, they would select highly specialized individuals who could establish a connection with him, leaving the combatants to handle the dungeons.
"In any case, we apologize for the constant inquiries. We will ensure our nations do not overreact to every minor event moving forward."
Of course, the Blast Guild, which currently held a massive head start, would be doing the exact same. They all knew that winning over a transcendent being like Lim Yunjae could never be achieved through material wealth; it required a deeply emotional, personal connection.
"Is there any other news we should be aware of?"
Sullivan Baker, the director of the Phantom Research Institute, directed his question toward Taejun. He was the only one who had remained completely unfazed by Yunjae's sudden appearance during the previous meeting. Though exceptionally brilliant, his ideals were far more cold and detached than Taejun's, making him a man Taejun had kept a close eye on for a long time.
"There is no other news."
Taejun replied with a flawless poker face, having no intention of sharing any information regarding Mia. Revealing that an elf-like being from another world had crossed through a portal would only invite unnecessary complications. Aside from her pointed ears, Mia looked virtually identical to a human, and her existence had not been leaked on social media at all. Taejun judged that it would be far more beneficial to keep her hidden for now, or claim her appearance was simply a unique physical awakening if she were ever discovered.
In the end, this council existed under the pretense of securing humanity's future, but it was actually just a gathering to prevent conflicts of interest between global superpowers. There was no loyalty here that required him to share such valuable information.
"I see. Very well."
"Has the Phantom Research Institute made any progress in its research on the Unknown Power Stone?"
"I will contact you privately regarding that matter," Sullivan replied with a smooth smile.
Taejun nodded, not expecting a direct answer in a public setting anyway.
"Then let us conclude the meeting. I will assume there are no further questions."
Having successfully cleared up all suspicions regarding the "Slender Forearms" alias, Taejun logged off the video conference with a much lighter heart. Now, they could no longer physically link Trumpkin's death to Yunjae. The real task now was to uncover the truth behind Trumpkin's mysterious assassination and find out who was truly pulling the strings.
"Now that the meeting is over, things should quiet down for a bit."
"Whew, I can finally breathe! I won't have to deal with those endless interrogations anymore!"
Who could have guessed that Renge's secret candid photos would serve as the perfect alibi? Though, to be fair, the fact that Yunjae had been suspected in the first place was utterly ridiculous.
"Anyway, this is all thanks to you, Renge-san. Thank you so much."
"A-Ah, no! I just..."
"And the photos are absolutely stunning! I felt like I was looking at B-cuts from a professional magazine photoshoot!" Mari chimed in, though her voice carried a subtle hint of jealousy. "Rosamy-san looks incredibly beautiful too. I had no idea you two were spending time together like that."
"Ugh..."
Rosamy, who was surprisingly weak to having her privacy exposed, blushed deeply. "When on earth did you take this?"
Lupinus placed her hands on her hips and scoffed. "Mari is absolutely right! How dare you put the Goddess to sleep and sneak off on a secret date with the Saintess?!"
"I-It wasn't like that, Lady Lupinus!"
"They say it's always the quiet cats that steal the cream! Unbelievable!"
"And you, unni! You act all innocent, but you're just as bad!" Taerin added, glaring at Rosamy.
"N-Nothing happened, I swear!"
While Rosamy flusteredly tried to defend herself against the combined teasing of Lupinus and Taerin—who were supposed to be building a harem for Yunjae but were currently acting incredibly jealous—Renge stood to the side, looking absolutely ecstatic.
"I'm so glad everyone likes the photos! I'm so happy! Truly!" She had never expected to receive praise for her secret photography.
"Oppa! Don't let her fool you! On the inside, she's probably shipping you with Anton or Guild Leader Taejun and writing some degenerate BL fanfic!" Akemi shouted, exposing her sister's secret hobby. She absolutely refused to let Renge win Yunjae over.
"Shut your mouth!" Renge snapped.
Family truly was the greatest enemy, knowing all of one's deepest, darkest secrets. Since Renge had indeed been thoroughly enjoying the visual dynamic between Yunjae and Taejun, she reacted with extreme hostility.
"See?! Her true colors are showing!"
"Oh my, oh my! It's been a while since I've seen you, Akemi, and it seems you've developed some wild delusions! I am absolutely not that kind of person!"
"Don't lie! I saw the R-18 doujinshi you were planning to publish!"
"Doujinshi?" Yunjae blinked.
In an instant, every eye in the room locked onto Renge.
"Taejun top! Yunjae bottom! Or wait, maybe it's the other way around!" Lupinus muttered, her eyes sparkling with the deep, ancient wisdom of a goddess of greed and desire.
"Ah! Oh my goodness! It's been sixty-five years since I've been the subject of a fanfic like that!" Yunjae cried out, thoroughly traumatized by memories of his childhood idol days in the 'Pretty Boys'.
Renge froze on the spot, her face turning pale. She slowly turned her head to lock eyes with Akemi.
"Do you actually want to die?"
Her lips were curved into a smile, but her eyes were completely dead. The sheer, unadulterated rage radiating from behind her thick-rimmed glasses made even Akemi flinch.
"...I-I'm not the helpless little kid you used to push around anymore, Ren-chon!"
"This little otaku brat gets to play a few video games and suddenly thinks she can lose her mind."
Even though Akemi had grown significantly stronger and had been enhanced with advanced nano-machines, Hoshino Renge was no ordinary opponent. She was hailed as the greatest genius in the history of the Hoshino clan, after all.
"Urgh...!"
Feeling the terrifying, suffocating bloodlust creeping into the room, combined with the deeply ingrained fear from her childhood, Akemi instinctively took a step back.
"Ah! Renge-san! Please calm down!"
As Yunjae stepped in to defuse the tension, Renge snapped out of her rage. Her face flushed red as she bowed politely. "Oh my! I am so incredibly sorry! My little sister is so terribly ill-mannered!"
"A-Ah, I'm sure Akemi-san was just excited to see you after so long! Right?"
"No! I'm not excited at all, and I didn't want to see her! I'm done with Ren-chon! We are officially over!"
Flash!
With a sudden burst of light, Akemi teleported away.
"...Akemi?" Mari blinked, slightly taken aback by her friend's abrupt departure.
"She hasn't changed a bit since she was a child. Still throwing tantrums like a spoiled brat. I am truly sorry for her behavior."
"No, it's quite alright. I'm sure Akemi-san didn't mean any harm."
Yunjae didn't know much about Akemi's past. He had only heard that she had started working at the age of eight, never attended a normal school, and had turned to video games because she had no friends.
"Um, if you don't mind me asking... what kind of work does your family actually do?"
Yunjae himself had started working at twelve, but that was as an idol, which was common enough. Akemi, however, was not a celebrity, and she had referred to it as 'family work'.
"Our clan has served as ninjas for generations."
"Ah! Ninjas?!" Yunjae's eyes widened in sheer disbelief. He had never expected to hear that word in real life.
"I suppose it sounds rather foreign to most people." Renge offered a warm, gentle smile, finding his shocked reaction incredibly endearing. Yunjae nodded blankly.
"I thought those only existed in video games."
"No, we have operated in the shadows for centuries. Long before the portal incident occurred."
Yunjae nodded again, thoroughly amazed to learn that such a clan had existed in secret.
"I had no idea. So, Akemi-san was originally a ninja as well?"
Renge shook her head firmly at his question. "She cannot be considered a true ninja. While she was born with an extraordinary teleportation ability, she only managed to master basic taijutsu. A ninja who cannot perform ninjutsu is no ninja at all."
"Ah... why didn't Akemi-san learn ninjutsu?"
Renge crossed her arms and sighed, shaking her head. "She was far too spoiled. She complained about having no friends and feeling unloved, and eventually ran away from home. The next thing we knew, she was working here at the Blast Guild all by herself. From that day forward, our clan has treated her as if she doesn't exist."
"Ah... but she's still family..." Yunjae murmured, his expression softening with sympathy. Having started working at a young age himself, he could understand Akemi's feelings better than anyone.
"This is a tradition that has been preserved for hundreds of years. We cannot accept someone who abandoned that legacy as family."
Perhaps Renge's initial claim that she didn't know Akemi was an extension of that very rule.
...But still, they're family.
Did this mean Akemi had been completely alone ever since she ran away? Perhaps her recent trip to Japan hadn't been to visit her family at all, but simply to search for a copy of Mamon Saga in Akihabara.
"If she were to return and beg for forgiveness, the clan might consider taking her back. But knowing that idiot's stubborn pride, I highly doubt she ever will."