Chapter 517: The Blood Sanctuary (4)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 517: The Blood Sanctuary (4)
“Snnniff… Haaaah! The scent of home after so long… Mmm!”
Drunk on the long-missed air of her homeland, Elena walked ahead.
I followed her out of Sophia Harbor.
An exotic landscape began to unfold before us.
Amidst it all, a familiar face was waving at us.
“Hey, over here! Over here!”
A beauty and wildness that captured the gazes of everyone passing by.
“Angela?”
She was none other than Angela.
Seeing the large bus parked behind her, it seemed she’d heard our arrival time and come to pick us up.
As I got closer, Angela wrapped her arm around my neck as if she’d been waiting and pulled me in.
“Long time no see, huh? You didn't miss me?”
Helplessly pulled forward, I was met with a bountiful chest.
With my face half-buried in it, I barely managed to speak.
“I-It's good to see you, but… this is a bit much!”
Damn, she’s so strong I can’t get away.
A playful look crossed her face as she looked down at me.
“Hmm~? You say you're uncomfortable, but your expression looks… quite pleased?”
Ah. She caught me.
Soon, stinging glares poured in from all around.
If this goes on for a few more seconds, I might actually die.
“Ahem… You can let go now.”
As I spoke, trying my best to hide my satisfaction, Angela finally released me from her embrace.
“Well, that's enough teasing for now.”
She pointed with her thumb at the bus parked on the road behind her.
“Get on. Mr. Francis is waiting.”
“Okay.”
I gestured for the guild members to get on, and after they had all boarded one by one, I was the last to get on.
Soon, the bus departed.
We left the relatively bustling city center and reached the outskirts.
Before long, we arrived in front of a hotel on a quiet street.
“Alright, let’s get off here.”
“Where is this…?”
“The hotel where you’ll be staying for the time being.”
It was a gray building that looked quite old, but it was well-maintained and exuded a classic, elegant feel.
“It’s not five-star, but you’ll be comfortable. We rented out the whole place.”
I was once again surprised by their wealth.
Even if it wasn't a five-star hotel, renting out an entire building this large was no small feat.
Well, I suppose it was also a testament to how important this operation was.
“This must have cost a pretty penny.”
“You think so? I don’t know the details. I’m not involved in that side of things. Anyway, let’s go in!”
As we entered the hotel, doormen who had been on standby approached and took our suitcases.
“First, unpack your things and rest for a bit. We’ll be calling for you soon, so don’t fall asleep.”
“Will do.”
I followed the doorman ahead of me and got on the elevator.
Ding!
We arrived on the 7th floor.
From the nearest room, 701, to 707.
Each person was assigned their own room key card.
The key I was given was for room 701.
“Everyone, go to your rooms, unpack, and rest for a bit.”
“Yeah.”
“Got it.”
“See you in a bit.”
The guild members headed to their assigned rooms.
The person with the key to 702 was… Seo-yeon.
As if on cue, she turned her head, and our eyes met.
“…Hey.”
“……?”
“Ah, it’s nothing.”
And with that, she slipped into her room.
“…What was that about?”
It seemed like she wanted to say something.
I had no idea.
If it was important, she’d bring it up herself eventually.
*
Knock, knock, knock!
“Hey, you in there?”
It was about an hour later when Angela came looking for Kim Do-jin’s room.
Click!
As I opened the door and stepped out, she pointed toward the elevator and spoke.
“We’ve set up a conference room on the 15th floor. We’re going to hold a brief meeting there now.”
“Who’s attending?”
“Hmm, everyone participating in the operation. Mr. Francis doesn’t really like talking to small, separate groups. What was it… there’s a Korean proverb for it, right? Something about paper being better when held together?”
“Well… something like that.”
The correct saying is, ‘Even a single sheet of paper is lighter when lifted together.’
In short, his thinking is that if many people gather and throw out all sorts of plans, a good one might emerge from the mix.
It wasn't a bad method.
At the same time, it was a method that not just anyone could easily attempt.
Someone like Francis Meyer would be surrounded by outstanding individuals, so only good ideas would come out. For anyone else, it would be a case of too many cooks spoiling the broth.
“Anyway, I’ll head up first, so come up with your guild members.”
“Yes, you go on ahead.”
As I replied, she suddenly reached out, gave my butt a firm squeeze, and grinned.
“You’re a cute one.”
“……”
It seems I'll have to show her my dignity as a man again soon.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
I gathered the resting guild members and headed to the 15th floor.
Ding!
The moment the doors opened, Kim Do-jin and the guild members felt the atmosphere turn heavy.
It was because of the Hunters standing shoulder-to-shoulder down the long hallway.
The aura of these men, their sharp gazes scanning the area as if guarding against an invasion, pressed down heavily on the atmosphere in the hall.
The reality was slowly starting to sink in.
The fact that they hadn't come here for a vacation, but to carry out a very dangerous operation.
Then, Kim Do-jin’s voice echoed softly in their ears.
“No one is to act rashly. If you have something to say, say it clearly and act like an adult.”
It was both advice and a warning.
From now on, they had to show not the face of an inexperienced Hunter, but the sharp edge of a real one.
The guild members silently swallowed his words as if they were golden rules and followed behind him.
At the end of the hall, they opened two large doors and entered. A spacious table surrounded by chairs came into view.
And the first thing they saw was a man sitting at the head of the table.
“Hey, you're finally here!”
The man shot up from his seat the moment he saw Kim Do-jin and rushed over.
The guild members behind him froze stiff.
It was only natural.
Anyone who knew who the man before them was would have the same reaction.
Her eyes wide, Shin Yu-jeong murmured his name.
“F-Francis Meyer…”
The greatest hero of humanity.
He was standing right in front of them.
“W-Woaaah…!”
“T-This isn’t a dream, is it, Ha-rin?”
“…No. Surprisingly.”
But the shocks didn't end there.
“Are the young people in the back our friends, the guild members?”
“Yes, they’re the talented individuals I carefully selected.”
“Wow, that’s really incredible! We’re going to see a whole bunch of S-ranks born soon, uhahahat!”
The Hunter above all Hunters.
The ideal that all who dream of being a Hunter aspire to become.
A man who was always on the list of candidates for the most influential person in the world.
“Oh, right. I told you, didn't I? That I’d have some good liquor ready. There’s a bar right above us with a killer night view, you know? How about a drink there…”
He was having a private conversation with Kim Do-jin, his arm slung around his shoulder.
And far too casually at that.
Like they were friends who had transcended age.
“…What the hell is that bastard, really?”
It was astonishing.
This man, Kim Do-jin, who only revealed more incredible sides of himself the more you peeled back the layers.
What he’d shown so far was already mind-boggling, but now he was friends with Francis Meyer?
Did that even make sense?
“Hahaha! Great, great. Let’s get this meeting over with quickly. Everyone, take a seat! Are the others still on their way?”
“They’re all coming now.”
“Tell them to hurry up! The sooner they get here, the sooner we can finish and the sooner we can rest!”
“Haha, yes.”
With a charisma that was both gentle and powerful, Francis took command of the conference room.
At his word, people came rushing in, and soon, the dozens of seats were filled.
Confirming that every chair was taken, he rose to his feet and raised his voice.
“First, I want to thank all of you!”
He began with a grin, then immediately bowed deeply.
“Thank you so much for participating in this dangerous operation!”
The impact was astounding.
Who would have thought that the man called the greatest hero of humanity would bow his head so easily?
At the same time, they felt it.
That he was truly a good person, a true hero.
After finishing his greeting, he spoke again.
“Ahem… for those who haven’t heard the full story yet, let me explain.”
He cleared his throat once, preparing for the shock that was to come.
His eyes gleaming, he began his story.
“There is an enemy that threatens this world. Not monsters, but beings in human form who harbor intentions more wicked than any monster.”
Pride, Lust, Envy, Avarice, Sloth, Wrath.
And Greed.
“The seeds of evil who harbor the root of all sin as defined by the scriptures. We call them the Seven Deadly Sins, and those who have inherited their power most deeply and lead them, we call Apostles.”
His words flowed without hesitation.
And not a single person treated them as lies.
“That is why I have gathered you all here. To face humanity’s greatest enemy, the Apostles of the Seven Deadly Sins. To put an end to one of them.”
In other words.
“It means you will all be standing on the front lines of a war to protect humanity and the world. Before that, I will ask one last time. Is there anyone who wishes to go back, even now?”
“……”
“……”
A heavy silence descended.
It was an affirmation.
Not a single person would abandon the ship they had boarded to protect humanity.
Pleased by this, he grinned and concluded with his final words.
“In that case, we will now begin the operational briefing for the subjugation of the Apostle of the Seven Deadly Sins.”