Chapter 40: The Experts
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 40: The Experts
“Ahyu, I don’t know what you’re thinking, but it’s not like that. I just came here to talk to Ms. Baek Seol-hyang about Girasung.”
First, I tried to calm Ahyu down by explaining the situation.
Come to think of it, we hadn’t actually talked about Girasung at all.
But Ahyu, paying no mind to my explanation, shot a displeased look at Baek Seol-hyang.
“Then why is his face all red?”
Oh, she’s sharp.
Such keen insight, just as expected of the Heavenly Demon.
“It’s just hot in here. I should probably lower the AC temperature.”
Baek Seol-hyang fanned her face lightly with her hand, making an excuse as if she had something to hide.
For the record, I felt a little guilty myself, so I kept my mouth shut.
Wait, why should I feel guilty?
Thinking about it now, it’s actually starting to piss me off.
The moment I shot Ahyu a glare, she fired one right back, and I quickly looked away.
Scary.
“Fine. Then I’m listening in, too.”
With that, Ahyu plopped down on the sofa next to me, crossing her legs and arms.
Baek Seol-hyang watched her for a moment, shook her head, and then turned back to me.
“Right. Let’s get to the main topic now.”
“What have you been doing all this time if not discussing the main topic?”
Ahyu interjected, but I ignored her and started on the subject Baek Seol-hyang had mentioned.
“Catherine said that Girasung plans to sell artificial dimension gates to hunter companies around the world.”
At my words, Baek Seol-hyang nodded, seeming to have known about it already.
Ahyu, who also seemed to have some connection to the matter, wore a sour expression.
“On the surface, that’s likely why they targeted Ms. Ha Si-ho. Though I’m sure there’s more to it.”
As expected, Baek Seol-hyang seemed to have grasped most of the situation.
“Yes, and I also heard from her that they plan to contact JMC on August 1st.”
“That’s strange. She didn’t seem like the type to have such a loose tongue.”
Baek Seol-hyang’s eyes narrowed slightly.
Her gaze seemed to say, There’s more you’re not telling me if you want me to understand.
I glanced over at Baeksan.
He met my eyes and gave a slight nod.
“It’s fine to tell her. Like I said before, that woman probably has a good grasp of the situation. However.”
Baeksan stroked his chin, looking as if something was bothering him.
“It would be best not to mention the regression. I don’t know how much she’s figured out, but it’s unlikely she knows about that. She probably just knows you have something attached to you. Just say a lightning-attribute returnee got caught in some trouble during a dimensional shift and ended up possessing you. They'll get the gist of it.”
Baeksan quickly provided a plausible excuse.
I also thought it wasn’t a good idea to reveal Baeksan’s true nature just yet.
As he said, there was no telling how much the future would change, and I wanted to preserve the advantage of his regression, which my life depended on, for as long as possible.
It wasn’t that I didn’t trust Baek Seol-hyang, but with Baeksan advising against it, I decided this was the right course of action for now.
“Ms. Baek Seol-hyang, how much have you heard about what happened when Si-ho and I were separated on the island?”
“Let’s see. Our investigation revealed that Aoki Kaito didn’t go missing but was killed by a wide-area electrical attack.”
That was Baeksan’s doing.
“And that Catherine, despite being an electrical ability user herself with a natural immunity, was on the verge of death from electrical interference that scrambled her internal organs and nervous system. And we know Ms. Ha Si-ho is not an electrical ability user.”
She laid out the situation with perfect accuracy.
Ahyu was also looking at me with a troubled expression.
“…Domi-oppa, did you awaken as a hunter?”
It seemed Ahyu had also sensed that something strange was happening around me.
Considering she was there when they came to rescue me, it was perfectly reasonable for her to find the situation odd based on Baek Seol-hyang’s summary.
“About that…”
And so, I told them both the story Baeksan had suggested.
After hearing it, Ahyu crossed her arms. She still looked a bit unconvinced, as if the pieces didn’t quite fit, but she seemed to accept it.
“…I thought it was strange how the inside of your body looked so clean.”
“Clean?”
“The ki was flowing so smoothly, as if all the blockages had just vanished. It kept bothering me, but if that’s the reason, it makes sense. I think I could probably do the same if I possessed an ordinary person’s body.”
Ahyu proposed a possibility similar to what Baeksan had said.
Are all returnees like this?
“So, is that person with you now?”
I nodded.
Seeing me, Ahyu gave a slight, smiling crinkle of her eyes and asked a question.
“Is it a woman?”
“A man.”
“Ah, this is serious. And here I thought Domi-oppa said he likes men.”
Despite her words, Ahyu looked strangely relieved.
Why is that so suspicious?
“Still, tell him I said thanks. He’s the reason you’re alive, after all.”
Her last words, however, seemed sincere. She even bowed her head slightly while looking at the empty air.
Baeksan snorted and gave a slight nod. ‘You got it,’ he seemed to say.
They get along so well without even being able to see each other.
I have a feeling these two would really hit it off.
Leaving Ahyu to her thoughts, I turned back to Baek Seol-hyang.
Ahyu was simple enough to believe me, but the real problem was Baek Seol-hyang.
She was knowledgeable and intelligent.
The Baek Seol-hyang I’d seen so far was not the type to be fooled by such a flimsy and suspicious story.
Perhaps that was why she was silent, arms crossed as if deep in thought.
My gaze was naturally drawn to her impressive chest, accentuated by her crossed arms, but I forced myself to look away.
“I understand.”
Then, Baek Seol-hyang smiled at me.
“A possession, you say. It’s not entirely unheard of. Please pass on my gratitude as well, for saving your life, Mr. Ha-chan.”
I’ll believe you for now.
That’s what Baek Seol-hyang seemed to be saying.
It looked like I could breathe a sigh of relief.
“And if you get the chance, you’re welcome to tell me more of the details.”
“I will.”
I gave a wry smile at her follow-up and nodded.
If the chance arises, I suppose I’ll have to tell her then.
“You said JMC Company is contacting Girasung.”
“Yes, I heard it’s on August 1st.”
“JMC, JMC…”
Baek Seol-hyang tapped her cheek with a finger, lost in thought.
“As a hunter company, they abide by the rules, and there are no reports of unfair treatment. They also have three S-rank hunters, the most in the country. I don’t see any reason for them to get involved with artificial dimension gates.”
It seemed Baek Seol-hyang believed JMC had no reason to touch the artificial gates.
“We’ve also been making our move because of the artificial gate issue. We’ve had quite a few clashes with Girasung recently. The hunter companies can’t be completely unaware of that fact.”
As she said this, she glanced at Ahyu, who had taken a bite of a coffee-flavored cookie she’d gotten from somewhere.
“It’ll take more time to wipe out Girasung. No, to be honest, it’ll be impossible to eliminate all of them on a global scale. They were formed by the ones who managed to escape or survive our pursuit. The only ones we can take down right now are the ones in ambiguous positions, like that Russian woman.”
“That’s true.”
Has Ahyu been hunting Girasung members all this time?
More importantly, it seemed there were many complications since they were both groups of returnees.
“Though it would be possible if we took our time.”
“And while we’re taking our time, Girasung will try to win over the companies. There will be no shortage of companies blinded by profit who will fall for it.”
“How about we just get rid of the companies that fall for it, too?”
“Dimensional phenomena are the responsibility of hunters. Returnees are too few to cover that front. If you want the whole world to fall into chaos due to a lack of manpower, then that would be fine.”
A serious discussion suddenly began between the two.
The conversation was getting deeper than I’d expected.
I wondered if it was okay for me to be listening, but neither of them seemed to be paying me much mind.
“Then we should at least uproot them in Korea. How many S-rank returnees are in Korea right now?”
“You, me, and Mr. Geumgangho.”
Geumgangho.
My eyes widened the moment I heard that alias.
His real name was Gye Du-sik.
A returnee from North Korea, which was ultimately destroyed by a large-scale dimensional gate phenomenon, he was now one of Korea’s most representative returnees.
He was the Diamond Mountain Tiger who had single-handedly stopped both North and South Korean soldiers from attacking civilians during the Korean War.
He was an incredibly famous returnee that even an ordinary person like me knew about.
“Why is that old man still so spry?”
“In Murim terms, they say he’s achieved Banrohwandong twice.”
“That’s all meaningless, you know? Besides, that old man isn’t even a Murim returnee.”
“He has been enjoying wuxia novels lately, though.”
Why?
Just hearing this story made my heart pound.
I had always studied returnees in the hopes of creating a world where they could come back to, so I had a keen interest in their stories.
That’s why I was so thrilled to hear a behind-the-scenes story about one of Korea’s most famous returnees that I could barely contain myself.
“Stop fangirling over returnees. Your expression is creepy.”
Perhaps because I was listening with my ears perked up, Baeksan, who couldn’t stand to watch any longer, spoke up, and I quickly fixed my expression.
“That Geumgangho geezer is personally a pain. He’s too obsessed with righteousness.”
“But his skills are undeniable. And he thinks of me as a granddaughter. You too, Heavenly Demon.”
“Hmph, granddaughter. What granddaughter? We’re not even blood-related.”
She’s treated like a granddaughter by the Geumgangho?
I’m so jealous. I want to be treated like a grandson.
“You’re having stupid thoughts again.”
Ignoring Baeksan, who had read my mind perfectly, I listened quietly to their conversation.
“Where did the others go?”
“Girasung isn’t just in Korea.”
Ahyu clicked her tongue at that and leaned back in her chair.
“Tell them to protect our country first.”
“They must trust us to handle it.”
“Don’t make me laugh. They’ve completely forgotten what happened back then.”
Back then?
When I turned to Ahyu with a questioning look, she pressed her lips together as if she’d said something she shouldn’t have.
What happened between these two?
It seemed they had been through much more than I had imagined.
‘Ahyu definitely told me at first that she was done with hunter or returnee business.’
Did she work for the Returnee Association before that?
That would explain why Ahyu was so familiar with people like Eunhyeon and Geumgangho.
‘Was there something that wasn’t revealed to the public?’
I was curious, but I had no intention of prying if she didn’t want to talk about it.
I wasn’t yet in a position to delve deep into the affairs of returnees.
“I’ll tell you about that separately later. What’s important now is JMC, as Mr. Ha-chan mentioned. JMC is the largest hunter company in Korea. If JMC is swayed by Girasung, it will affect the smaller companies, so it’s best to stop them.”
“But you said they have no reason to go over to their side?”
“We can’t know the detailed internal affairs. I’ve heard there’s a power struggle among the heirs now that they’ve come of age. That might be the problem.”
Hearing the word ‘heirs,’ I looked up.
Because Kwak Sa-yeon, the woman I hated so much I wanted to tear my hair out, was one of those heirs.
I couldn’t help but react whenever she was mentioned.
“Mr. Ha-chan, is something wrong?”
Seeing my reaction, Baek Seol-hyang tilted her head as if asking if I had something to say.
“Um, the person I mentioned earlier, the one who filed the false report against me.”
“Domi-oppa, you mean that woman who ruined your life?”
Ahyu’s face contorted in anger as she remembered.
Baek Seol-hyang’s expression also changed as she recalled what I’d told her.
“That would be Kwak Sa-yeon, one of JMC’s heirs.”
I looked at the two of them and gave an awkward, sheepish smile.
“Actually, the reason I started getting involved this time was, well, partly because of that.”
The biggest driving force behind my actions in this incident wasn’t for Seo-ho or Si-ho, but for revenge.
Honestly, it was a bit embarrassing.
Thinking that in their eyes, I looked like a saint who would throw himself into the fire for Seo-ho and Si-ho, I couldn’t just stay silent.
“Haha.”
Suddenly, Ahyu let out a dry laugh.
At the same time, I felt the table in front of me and the surrounding area begin to tremble slightly.
An earthquake?
When I looked at Ahyu, her expression was so full of killing intent she looked like a demon.
Just how enraged was she? Her hair was gradually turning a deep crimson.
The Heavenly Demon, Cheon Hong-ryeon, was emerging.
“So, that bitch was the one who tormented my Domi-oppa.”
She’s dead.
Kwak Sa-yeon is so dead.
“Yes. Kwak Sa-yeon.”
At that moment, Baek Seol-hyang set down the teacup she was holding with a soft click and smiled.
But it wasn’t a genuine smile.
Something began to shimmer above her head, though I couldn’t tell what it was.
“Heavenly Demon.”
“Don’t stop me.”
“Stop you? Of course not. Just… don’t kill her. We need to bring her back alive.”
Ahyu and Baek Seol-hyang’s eyes met.
For some reason, it felt like I was witnessing the first moment their opinions had ever aligned.
“Um, excuse me.”
Seeing them both display such intense emotions, far beyond what I’d expected, I called out in a fluster. Their gazes shot toward me.
I flinched, but I was able to calm down quickly when I realized the emotions in their eyes were all concern.
“Thank you. But I want to deal with Kwak Sa-yeon myself.”
The reason I told them about Kwak Sa-yeon was that, as the person who brought this matter to them, I felt I should explain my connection to it.
It wasn’t a request for them to get revenge for me.
Hearing my words, the two fell silent for a moment.
Ahyu’s hair soon returned to its original color as she let out a deep sigh, and Baek Seol-hyang nodded as well.
“I understand. However, even you might not be able to do anything about JMC, who’s backing Kwak Sa-yeon.”
“Uh, yes, that’s true, isn’t it?”
There was no way a single individual like me could take on JMC, the top hunter company in the country.
I wasn’t expecting to go that far.
“Yes, that’s all I needed to hear.”
What did she mean by that?
What’s going to happen to JMC now?
As I imagined JMC disappearing in the not-so-distant future, Ahyu leaned over and rested her head on my shoulder.
“Still, if things get too tough, you can rely on me. Got it?”
She was telling me not to try and do everything by myself. I gave her a grateful smile and nodded.
Was it my imagination, or was Baek Seol-hyang’s gaze, which was fixed on us, starting to look scary again?
“Ah, speaking of Kwak Sa-yeon, there’s one more thing I should mention.”
Then, I suddenly remembered something else I hadn’t told them.
As the two of them listened intently, I got straight to the point.
“That woman seems to be a little too fond of Seo-ho.”
I’d heard bits and pieces of how Seo-ho had been pestered, and Baeksan had confirmed they were even supposed to get married, so it was a sure thing.
Frankly, that marriage between Seo-ho and her was definitely Kwak Sa-yeon’s doing.
How dare she set her sights on our Snow Mountain Wolf.
As expected of the psycho I know she is.
“It just came to mind.”
“…Ha Seo-ho is Ha Si-ho’s older brother. And Girasung is targeting Ha Si-ho.”
With just those few pieces of information, Baek Seol-hyang began to rapidly assess the situation.
“I see what Girasung’s plan was. Originally, they must have intended to kidnap Ms. Ha Si-ho and then make a deal with Mr. Ha Seo-ho.”
She spoke smoothly, as if the entire scenario was playing out before her eyes.
“They would have offered to guarantee Ms. Ha Si-ho’s safety in exchange for him convincing Kwak Sa-yeon to cooperate on the artificial dimension gate. Since Kwak Sa-yeon has feelings for Mr. Ha Seo-ho, she would have agreed to his request.”
“If that happened, the position of JMC’s heir would…”
“Go to Kwak Sa-yeon. With an S-rank hunter like Ha Seo-ho, the artificial dimension gate, and Girasung’s support, it wouldn’t have been difficult at all.”
I glanced at Baeksan, and he nodded as if to say she was right.
This was officially confirmed by the regressor, Baeksan.
Amazing.
To predict the future so perfectly with just a few fragmented pieces of information I’d given her.
I knew Baek Seol-hyang was smart, but I never imagined she was this brilliant. I stared at her with wide, surprised eyes.
“But the situation has changed now. You protected Ms. Ha Si-ho, and the kidnapping was thwarted. We’ve also assigned a returnee to Ms. Ha Si-ho, so they won’t be able to target her carelessly anymore. Of course, we’ve placed someone with her mother as well.”
She had taken care of all that behind the scenes?
Baek Seol-hyang was seeing the bigger picture to an extent I hadn’t even imagined.
Moreover, even though she likely knew about Si-ho’s circumstances, she had still made sure to treat her mother with respect.
“However, there is one person who is in an ambiguous position to guard, and who is also confident in his own abilities. In that case, who will Girasung target next?”
Only one person came to mind.
“Seo-ho.”
“Correct.”
She stated Girasung’s objective with the certainty of a checkmate.
“He’s the best card to play to make a deal with Kwak Sa-yeon. Furthermore, if they succeed, they’ll get Ms. Ha Si-ho as a bonus. She wouldn’t be able to abandon her brother.”
“Then we have to, right now—”
“Let’s wait for now.”
As I shouted that we had to protect Seo-ho, Baek Seol-hyang raised a hand to stop me.
“Girasung has been laying low since they failed to kidnap Ms. Ha Si-ho. That’s also why our efforts to root them out have been delayed.”
“Are you suggesting we use Seo-ho as bait?”
“I know it’s not morally right. Of course, we would inform Mr. Ha Seo-ho beforehand and make secret preparations. But it is an opportunity. This is the best possible situation to uproot Girasung within Korea. On top of that, we’ll be able to draw out Kwak Sa-yeon.”
A faint smile graced her lips.
“Of course, if you’re against it, Mr. Ha-chan, we won’t do it.”
“…Is my opinion really that important in a situation like this?”
“Why wouldn’t it be? Ms. Ha Si-ho and Mr. Ha Seo-ho are your acquaintances. It’s not my place to ask this of you.”
Hearing that, I understood.
As she said, I was the most suitable person to explain this situation to Seo-ho.
But it was also true that I was worried about his safety.
Knowing Seo-ho’s personality, he would definitely agree if I told him.
As long as Girasung was around, Si-ho’s safety would constantly be threatened, and more than that, he would also want revenge for what happened to her.
But what if something went wrong and he got seriously hurt?
Or, thinking bigger, what if he died?
There could be no greater disaster.
No matter how strong an S-rank hunter Seo-ho was, he would be up against a criminal organization composed of returnees.
We couldn’t afford to lose Seo-ho just to catch Girasung.
“Mr. Ha-chan, I know you’re conflicted.”
As I was wrestling with these thoughts, Baek Seol-hyang spoke.
“But I think it would be fine for you to trust us a little more.”
The World Returnee Association.
How much effort must Baek Seol-hyang have poured into maintaining this organization?
When it comes to returnees, returnees are the experts.
And that meant the Returnee Association were the experts when it came to dealing with Girasung.
“Domi-oppa, it might be strange for me to say this since I’ve been out of the game for a while, but I don’t think a job like this is that dangerous.”
Then, Ahyu also spoke up, as if to lighten my burden.
“If anything goes wrong, I’ll be the first one there to smash everything. So don’t worry. Whether it’s JMC or Girasung, I’ll crush them all for you.”
Seeing Ahyu’s confident grin and Baek Seol-hyang’s apologetic smile, as if she understood my worries, I made my decision.
“I’ll talk to Seo-ho.”
For the safety of the Ha siblings, even more than for my own revenge.
Come to think of it, this makes Catherine unnecessary.
I guess we can just write Catherine off.