Chapter 113: Chronicles of The Hidden World (1)
Chapter 113: Chronicles of The Hidden World (1)
"Here's the report."
A stack of papers, handwritten rather than typed to maintain confidentiality, slid across the desk.
The desk's owner glanced at it briefly before returning his focus to the keyboard. He was likely finishing up a task or trying to save his progress.
My guess wasn't far off.
By the time I pulled up a chair and sat down, Park Hyun-seok had tapped the keys a few more times and picked up the documents.
"Your handwriting is as atrocious as ever."
"You'd be the same if you were in my shoes."
For me, writing was harder than it looked. I could manage a page or two, but writing a thick stack of papers by hand was practically a form of mental asceticism. If I hadn't learned how to discipline my mind through meditation with the Heavenly Demon Sword God...
"Why didn't you just print it?"
...Hm?
"Handwriting is the standard for any classified document above a certain rank, isn't it?"
"That's an old regulation. These days, if you bring a storage device equipped with the Management Bureau’s security system, they'll print it for you."
Hyun-seok dropped that bombshell in a nonchalant voice as he flipped through the report.
"Seriously...?"
"Is there any reason for me to lie?"
No, right?
It probably wasn't a joke, either. It was far too cruel to be one.
"All that effort I spent writing by hand for a full day at the base!"
"Didn't Oxymoron tell you?"
No wonder she was smiling with that weird look on her face while watching me struggle with the fountain pen.
"...Sigh. Fine, it's my fault for not knowing. I'll have to be more careful next time."
"Do you have a Security Memory Stick?"
"Do I look like I have one?"
"Then take one."
Hyun-seok tossed a Black Rod at me without taking his eyes off the papers. It was a round, thumb-sized rod that gleamed black as it caught the light.
As I snatched it out of the air, Hyun-seok spoke again.
"It's for official use, so don't use it for personal matters."
"Got it, got it."
Then, silence descended.
The only sounds were the rustling of the report pages and the low hum of the computer's cooling fan.
With nothing left to do, I stared at the rod in my hand. It was a small, cylindrical stick designed to be plugged directly into a universal input port. In the illusion, the universal ports were definitely rectangular.
The countless subtle differences between the two worlds continued to drift through my mind. Did a mere illusion really need to be that precise?
...Let's stop.
Even the Management Bureau’s basic guide said so: if you keep obsessing over it, you'll be trapped by the illusion again.
Just as I shook my head vigorously to clear my thoughts—
Thud.
The sound of the documents being placed on the table coincided with his gaze shifting toward me.
"What are you doing?"
"...Nothing."
Feeling a bit embarrassed, I stopped shaking my head.
Hyun-seok didn't seem inclined to comment on my eccentric behavior. He tapped the documents with one hand and spoke.
"Lee Ha-ram. This report wasn't written by you; it was written by Oxymoron. That wasn't what I requested."
"What are you talking about? I wrote that."
Sure, Oxymoron had edited and corrected a few parts, but over 95% of it was my own work. I could swear on Un-ho’s life.
"Transcribing it by hand doesn't change who the actual author is."
As if telling me not to lie, Park Hyun-seok began tapping the papers with his finger. A dull, rhythmic sound echoed in the room. A sharp glint emanated from his eyes, demanding the truth.
The pressure was so intense it felt like a criminal interrogation, but—
"No, I really wrote it. If you don't believe me, go ahead and call Oxymoron."
"You've probably already coordinated your stories. Given the relationship between you two."
What relationship? The kind where we point blades at each other's throats?
"I'm telling you, I really wrote it!"
This was driving me crazy. How was I supposed to prove it?
I could understand why Hyun-seok was acting this way to some extent. The old me would have turned in a much more pathetic report. I just hadn't expected to be suspected because I did too good a job.
Nothing else for it. Maybe this will work.
"Look at page 29... is it page 29? Anyway, there's a section with a pie chart and some formulas, right?"
Hyun-seok silently flipped through the pages at my words.
"This is definitely not something you would write. I'm certain of it."
"I wrote those formulas. Want me to write out the interpretation for you too?"
I stood up from my chair and roughly snatched a ballpoint pen from the pen holder on his desk.
"Look. This data here? Oxymoron gave me this part, but if you use this formula..."
I calmly drew a line on the document. What I wrote next was a formula that even I didn't fully understand, yet it flowed from the depths of my subconscious.
"...So, if you reference this data here, the resulting value is—"
"Stop."
Hyun-seok cut me off just as I was about to continue my explanation. He pushed his chair back and reached into his coat.
"...Are you really Lee Ha-ram?"
With those words, he pulled out a black pistol. It was a weapon coated in matte black paint that seemed to absorb the light.
My jaw dropped in sheer absurdity. I had only come to deliver a mission report, and now I had a gun pointed at me? What the hell was going on?
"Hyun-seok. Put the gun down first."
I reached out a hand to calm my friend, but—
"If you don't provide a plausible explanation, I'm calling for backup."
Hyun-seok took a step back, his aim steady.
What is this? Just how terrible were my usual reports for him to react like this? Was that document so shocking that it made him doubt my identity?
"Sigh..."
I let out a sigh filled with lamentation for my life and slumped back into the chair. Hyun-seok’s gun remained trained on me.
"..."
The atmosphere suggested he might actually pull the trigger if I stayed silent, so I spoke up, feeling the tension.
"Fine, I'll tell you. Just don't shoot while I'm talking."
"I won't."
His tone was incredibly dry.
* * *
"...I got caught up in another strange incident there too. I'm not sure if it was related to my Story, but..."
"..."
After a long explanation involving frantic hand gestures, all I got in return was cold silence and a piercing glare.
"Anyway, after I resolved that, I ended up getting a power-up."
"..."
Give me something here. You're scaring me.
"But that power-up was in paperwork, statistics, and mathematics. Funny, right?"
Hahaha.
Even I found the dry laugh escaping my lips pathetic. Who would believe this? Dammit.
"...That's a bit too clumsy for a joke."
However, Park Hyun-seok seemed to take it differently.
"Lee Ha-ram. Refrain from such jokes in the future."
Hyun-seok spoke as he quietly tucked the revolver back into his coat.
"You could have just been honest and said Oxymoron helped you. To go as far as preparing a performance like that out of stubbornness... it's just like you."
...That worked? Seriously, how do other people see me?
"Ha. Ha. Ha."
The absurdity of it all kept the dry laughter flowing.
"From a quick glance at the report, there don't seem to be any major issues. This concludes the request. However, I may contact you again if any questionable details arise."
"Ha. Ha. Ha."
"Do you have brain damage? Go see Oxymoron for a checkup on your way out."
No, I'm just laughing because this whole situation is ridiculous. What even is this?
"Sigh... fine, whatever."
Let's drop it. If it ended well without any issues, then everything's fine.
"Has the media calmed down a bit?"
It's been about three weeks since I left Korea. That should be enough time for things to quiet down, right?
"Don't worry about that. It's already been settled with your disciple, Han A-bin, receiving the Brave Hero Award."
"That's good. Her pension will probably go up."
"Though the recipient herself had a clueless, idiotic look on her face even during the ceremony."
That's a bit pitiful. But imagining her face makes me curious. I'll have to dig through some news sites later.
"But isn't there something more important?"
"What now?"
Are there more problems left? Leaving my disciples alone for three weeks? That's definitely an issue, but it didn't seem like something Hyun-seok would bring up.
"The park is still demanding compensation."
What compensation? I couldn't remember, so I searched my memories for a moment. Finally, I recalled what he meant. Ah, that was the reason I took the request in the first place.
"Wasn't that supposed to be covered by the payment for this mission?"
"It's not enough."
Dammit. I thought the reward would cover it, but I guess not.
"I can tell what you're thinking. You're wondering why the payment wasn't enough."
"Yeah."
"Apparently, that day was shortly after the park's grand opening. Because of that, additional costs were charged for the urgent repairs."
"Ha. Ha. Ha."
Today is just one absurd thing after another.
"So, I have a proposal."
Ignoring my dry laughter, Park Hyun-seok pulled out a single sheet of paper. It was a document stamped with a Black Seal.
"...An assassination?"
"It's nothing that grim. A slightly lower classification."
A Black Seal. It had been a while.
"Why are you showing this to me?"
Regardless of the content, I honestly didn't like it. Even if it wasn't an assassination, a Black Seal meant it was that kind of work. Still, I had no choice, so I steeled myself to look at the document.
"It's related to the Black Marauder. If I leave it, it'll go to Baek Si-hyun."
Hyun-seok’s words were completely unexpected.
"...Give me that."
I snatched the document off the desk the moment I heard him.
[-Expungement of Spokesperson Kim Tae-jun's Hero Record and Villain Designation.]
The information that met my eyes was startling. The mission I had been wondering how to obtain after getting information from The Society had fallen right into my lap like this. It was good that I didn't have to do any behind-the-scenes work, but...
...Why was this related to Baek Si-hyun and the Black Marauder?
I scanned the document with suspicion, but it only contained orders to capture him alive. There were no detailed circumstances provided. The information I had received from The Society was merely that Kim Tae-jun had done something and fled, and that they had found his location.
But a Black Seal? Did he do something even bigger than just running away? I was lacking information...
Maybe I should fish for some.
"What did a guy who was a Management Bureau spokesperson do to get labeled a villain?"
"They say he fell into a state of paranoia after being attacked by the Black Marauder."
Paranoia, huh?
"When his request for protection was rejected, he was caught attempting mental manipulation on high-ranking officials."
That's actually impressive. No matter how much he'd lost his mind, it was obvious what would happen if he got caught.
"Setting that aside, how did he escape? Is he stronger than he looks?"
If his crime hadn't been discovered, it would be one thing, but if it had, the Bureau’s specialized task force would have been deployed.
"He had backing. Apparently, he had connections in the slums, and a group of villains showed up to interfere."
Hmm. Didn't this guy have something going on with a high-ranking Bureau official? And yet he has connections in the slums too? His networking skills are incredible.
"Then, even though it's not written here, this includes the discovery of that manipulation and the cleanup, right?"
I held the paper in one hand and gave it a slow flutter.
"Essentially."
"And since this was classified as a Black Marauder-related case, it would go to Baek Si-hyun if left alone?"
"Correct."
Hmm. Things are turning out better than expected. An official Bureau mission, not an assassination, just securing a human target. And a fight with villains...
After a brief moment of thought, I gave my answer.
"I'll handle it for now. But your concern was misplaced."
I slowly placed the document back on the desk and began to sign it.
"What do you mean?"
"It's fine if my disciples come along, right? Oh, and I'm done signing."
I could feel his glare.
"...What are you thinking, Lee Ha-ram?"
What am I thinking?
"I need to give them some field experience. The chance to fight another Hero in earnest is quite rare."
It's not like the old days when we fought as easily as we ate; in modern times, it's a skill that's almost meaningless to learn. Except for Baek Si-hyun, who needs it.
"Weren't you the one who was reluctant to let your disciples touch the darker side of things?"
"I was, but..."
I couldn't find the right words, so I scratched my head with the pen. What should I say? After a moment of deliberation—
"Don't you think they should at least know this much?"
"..."
"Seeing as a job like this fell to Baek Si-hyun once, there's a chance it'll happen again..."
Under Hyun-seok’s silent observation, I continued quietly.
"Han A-bin is aiming for a Command Position in the Bureau, right? Then she'll find out about this kind of stuff eventually anyway."
"That's not an answer, Lee Ha-ram."
His voice was cold as he threw his opinion back at me.
"Yeah, I guess it isn't. It's more like giving them a vaccination because I'm guessing 'it'll probably be like that in the future too.'"
But still.
I looked up with a smile.
"Those kids said they wanted to get stronger while looking at me. So, I should let them try everything I can."
I answered with a grin. At my response, Hyun-seok’s expression softened, and he let out a sigh.
"I won't comment on your teaching methods, but don't overdo it."
"Yeah. Just enough. Just enough."
Since things seem to be going well, I should keep it moderate. Especially since I'm about to get a good new card in my hand.
Clink.
I felt like I could hear the sound of the ampoule hidden in my coat.