Uninvited Guest and Houseguest
"Snap! If you don't speak straight, I'll rip your throat out right now…!"
I barely restrained Red Wing, who was growling especially ferociously, and continued our frank conversation with the uninvited guest.
"That thing on the back of your hand. It's already broken, so you'd better abandon any thoughts of running."
"Kuh! Y-You, a mere center employee…!"
"…Yeah. Just a mere center employee. But at least for now."
Shing. With a chilling friction sound, dozens of sharp illusory blades from my Materialization of Imagination pinned the man's throat and limbs without a single gap.
Leaving it to Red Wing to keep the man from trying any funny business, I slowly straightened up from my crouch.
"You can't make me talk with that fake threat! R-Rather than that…!"
Crack!
"Guhk…!"
Whether he was trying to bite his own tongue to kill himself or not, the man grimaced fiercely. But Red Wing's powerful hand, now sprouting blood-red scales, had already clamped down on his jaw.
"Behave yourself before I really rip out your tongue."
"Good job. Hmm… Well, there are a few things I can figure out without him saying a word."
I carefully examined the pattern engraved on the back of the man's hand. A bind rune structure where several rune characters overlapped geometrically. Engraving spells directly into the body in such a crude way—only those guys would do something like that.
The Magic Association.
[ᚾ ᛖ ᛟ]
"Naudiz, Ehwaz, Othala… Crisis, movement, and homeland. Put together, it's probably something like emergency teleportation? The destination coordinates are likely some regular assembly point."
"H-How do you know runes…?"
"Figured I might need them someday, so I studied a bit back then. Especially since I thought I might have to deal with… Magic Association types like you. Though that was back in high school."
"Magic… Association?"
"W-Wait! Red Wing!"
Reacting to the words "Magic Association," Red Wing bared her claws like a beast. I hurriedly threw myself in and grabbed her arm, but her strength was immense—her blade-like fingertips had already dug into the man's nape, drawing beads of blood.
"You can't kill him!! Heroes who murder civilians are immediately treated as villains!!"
"He's not a civilian… He's Magic Association!!"
"Still no! He only tailed us—calm down, please!!"
"Grrr…!! Answer! Why were you tailing this body?!"
"…I can't answer."
"Ha! Fine. Sin-u, as long as he's breathing, right…?"
Red Wing's vertical pupils blazed fiercely in her excitement. I'd guessed she had some bad history with the Magic Association, but I hadn't expected her to radiate such killing intent and react this violently.
"Ah, no. Now that we know he's Magic Association, interrogating him further here won't mean much."
"Why…?!"
"Unless you just want to beat him up for stress relief, let go. They can't speak even if they want to."
The man, who had been quietly listening to our exchange, let out a scoffing laugh and shot me a glance.
"Heh? What are you, anyway? How do you know so much about our association?"
"Quite a lot. For instance… the Spell of Silence on you. And that it's not some invincible security that can't be broken."
I pulled out my phone from my pocket. For the massive Magic Association to tail even a low-level operative like this on a current hero like Red Wing—it was perfect timing. I knew someone who could make good use of this fact.
"W-Where are you calling? The police?"
"Police? Then we couldn't extract info. I'm calling a hero."
"I-I'm a hero too? You haven't forgotten…?! You don't trust this body?!"
"No, not like that. I know a specialist. I'm a hero course grad myself, after all."
Ring ring ring.
After several dry tones, a gravelly male voice picked up.
"Sunbae. You busy right now?"
"Was until a bit ago. About to head out. Why?"
"Picked up something interesting. You said you wanted to reverse-engineer and dispel a Spell of Silence, right?"
"Spell of Silence…?"
A short silence, then a booming laugh exploded through the phone speaker.
"Hahaha!! This is why I like you, kid! Where? I'm coming right now."
"Sending coordinates."
"Okay! Hold tight!"
The call ended, and I sent the empty lot's coordinates via messenger. And just a few seconds later.
Vwooom!
A massive blue magic circle rippled under our feet, space warped grotesquely, and a huge figure appeared, slinging a heavy arm over my shoulder.
"Haha! Sin-u, did you see my arrival speed just now?"
"…Ah, you startled me."
"I cut out all the wasted mana sections from the original teleport formula! Plus, rebuilt the coordinate calculation matrix with a multi-parallel structure, shaving a full 24 seconds off the cast time! How's that, killer?"
The bald giant spat excitedly, even spraying saliva as he bragged. I sighed in exasperation and shoved off his thick forearm, which felt like it would crush my shoulder.
"Yeah, sure. Save the thesis presentation for the lab, please."
I nodded toward the tail-trapped stalker wriggling on the ground.
"Do whatever you want with that guy over there—take him, grill him, whatever."
"You got it! This the toy?"
Under the moonlight, his appearance was intimidating. A 2-meter hulking frame bursting with muscle, accentuated by a smooth bald head and fierce face. He looked like the epitome of a brute-force physical hero, but his true nature was the opposite.
Gu Tae-san. My high school senior by a year, current 2nd Grade hero. Formerly with the Magic Association, expelled for some reason. Now obsessed solely with screwing over the Magic Association and dismantling their spells—a bona fide brains hero.
"Hiiik…!"
At the towering bald giant, two heads taller than her, Red Wing—who'd been baring her teeth fiercely moments ago—tucked her tail and hid behind my back. Her eyes peeking out, clutching my jacket hem tightly, brimmed with wariness.
"Oh? This red miss… She's got quite the look."
"My client. She doesn't like magicians much, so keep your distance."
"Aw, harsh. Thought you'd finally got yourself a girl, Sin-u."
As I hid Red Wing, Gu Tae-san sighed regretfully and approached the sprawled stalker. He then grabbed the man's head with one hand and hoisted him up—like picking up a light bowling ball or a watermelon, utterly casual and natural.
"Guess I'll head back to the lab. Probably won't sleep—I'll message you the results."
"Yeah. Teleport out quick."
"Huh? Oh, teleport?"
Gu Tae-san scratched his gleaming bald head and grinned sheepishly.
"The new formula cuts mana use but needs anchor gear to work!"
"…Pardon?"
"One-way ticket, basically! See ya!!"
Flash!
Thud thud thud thud!!
No sooner said than done—Gu Tae-san bolted down the mountainside at insane speed, gripping the stalker's head and kicking up dirt. Watching his physique conquer the treacherous path, I once again plunged into deep doubt about calling that guy a brains hero.
"…G-Gone?"
"Yeah. Let's head back too."
Riding Red Wing, we returned to my house. As my feet hit the ground, fatigue washed over me, and I rubbed my stiff neck.
"It's late—let's call it. We can talk more tomorrow about that stalker and the villain proxy stuff."
"Mm, got it."
"Oh, where are you staying now? Don't want the center chief chewing me out for skipping work. I'll file an early field assignment form and meet outside."
I'd assumed she had some studio apartment or goshiwon. But at my casual question, Red Wing averted her eyes and fidgeted her red tail instead of answering.
"Well…"
"What? More privacy or real name excuses?"
"N-No! It's not that… This body has no house."
"…Pardon? No house?"
"Ahem! Seoul real estate is too expensive! The money I brought when I came up north ran out ages ago…"
Red Wing's Seoul life, confessed in a shrinking voice, was pathetically threadbare. The savings she'd arrived with vanished without even renting a room. For meals, she stuffed herself at the free hero cafeteria lunch at the Seoul Hero Association Center to last the day. Showers in the center's transformation changing room facilities, sleep by hopping rooftops of tall buildings, curling up hidden away.
"…You're a homeless person."
"D-Dragons nest high up by nature! This body is graciously using human rooftops as nests…!"
"Ah, sure."
"Don't treat this body like some pitiful homeless person!"
A laugh burst out. Looking back, maybe the dinosaur or chicken excuses were just that—no money to even buy chicken.
"Ahem! Then this body will head out! Today… thanks a ton, really. S-See you… tomorrow!"
To hide her embarrassment, Red Wing waved exaggeratedly and spread her wings. Off to some cold night sky, to huddle on an anonymous rooftop again.
"Nngh… Haah, seriously. What a worry."
Click.
I grabbed Red Wing's wrist as she was about to take off.
"Stay the night."
"…Huh?"
Red Wing's eyes went wide. Normally she'd blush and make a fuss—"You pervert! Lewd bastard!"—treating me like a creep. But tonight, she meekly lowered her gaze and gently pushed my hand away.
"N-No, it's fine. I don't want to impose on you again, Sin-u…"
Gone was her bravado; pure reluctance to burden me. Chuckling, I released her wrist.
"You've imposed plenty already. What's a little more? And did I say share my bed? Got a little sister—use her room or the living room sofa, whatever."
I creakily flung open the worn, stiff front door and stepped inside.
"Freeze on a cold rooftop if you want. Door locks in 10 seconds. 10, 9, 8…"
"O-Okay! I said okay!"
Red Wing had resisted to the end, but at my back as I left the door open, she finally trotted after me with feigned resignation.
"Pardon the intrusion…"