Kind Neighbor
"F-rank potion, what happened to that?"
"We found out. The address is in Guri-si, Gyeonggi-do."
The information team leader placed the documents filled with information in front of the president's desk.
Almost all the documents were digitized and could be transmitted, but the president, his superior, insisted on receiving important documents on paper.
It was a burden to print each one individually, and it was primitive, but it was also the most secure method for handling such matters if you could keep them.
"Developer's identity?"
"We extracted the information from the officials in the Union. The resident at the address is a recently returned D-rank returnee."
The Union Hunter Auction had surprisingly not taken any cases yet, but the Union government that returned the support funds from various guilds was different.
According to the Union law, it was illegal for the affiliated Union officials to disclose the returnee's information... but when probed with money, there was always some hole somewhere. After all, money was coming out of the guild's pocket, so they couldn't not have a say.
"Good. Again?"
"First, it's confirmed that only that returnee lives at the residence. We attached a monitor, but there was no entry or exit at all, only deliveries. We confirmed the identity during walks."
The information team leader, who was considering whether to say that a cat bigger than a normal cat was living there too, decided to just count the humans.
'It's too cat-like to be a companion monster.'
Looking at the photo taken from afar, it was cute, but not particularly a dangerous target. Rather, he thought that if the owner had an abnormality, he might even consider adopting it.
"Good. Is there anyone behind?"
"From what we've checked so far, there isn't. It seems like he just happened to learn the F-rank potion manufacturing method from another world."
"Hoo... unlucky friend, and also foolish. It would have been nice if he lived quietly... No, thanks to him, our luck has improved, hahaha"
"..."
The president smiled happily, but the information team leader silently put his hands behind his back and pitied the poor returnee in his heart. Whether he lived or died, the future would not be easy.
'Tsk, if he had known nothing, nothing would have happened.'
It was already difficult in the past, but having a skill that exceeded one's means was a crime in this world now, even if it was just having it. It was also a very big crime that could endanger one's life.
"No family?"
"Yes."
"It was fortunate that there was no hassle. Still, just in case, handle it quietly. Got it?"
"Understood. I'll have the mercenaries handle it without mentioning the company name."
"Haha, I can take a good gift to the chairman."
The secretary quietly opened the door and left, and for a long time, the president's happy laughter echoed in the room.
* * *
"Hmm..."
"Kku-ing, should I kill the master?"
When I made a sound that sounded annoyed, Samsaek showed his sharp claws and said in a low voice. Usually, he was the size of a tiger, but during walks, he transformed into a slightly larger body than a normal cat.
"Where did you learn that kind of tone?"
"Primitive humans can't be our match. Master, just give the order."
"...You're banned from the internet for a while."
"Kku... kku-ing!"
It hadn't been long since we started walking together like this. It was a bit strange that a cat, not a dog, was walking, but whatever, since it's not even a real cat.
The fact that Samsaek could freely go outside like this was thanks to the potion I sprayed on him to avoid the Union's detectors.
"What should we do..."
It had been two weeks since the gazes monitoring us started. Samsaek noticed it, and I couldn't not notice. After a moment of hesitation, I concluded in a direction that would cause less hassle.
"Well, the government... no, the Union could monitor returnees, so let's leave it. How about the leash?"
Even now, the word "Union" instead of "government" stuck in my mouth. The world had changed a lot.
"It's fine. Kku-ing, it's good to be able to walk freely like this."
Samsaek looked up at the sky, puffed out his chest, and took a big breath. From the old days, he couldn't move freely because he might be noticed by humans. Even in places with few people and lush mountains, but how much more so in modern times. A leash was nothing.
"Huh?"
"Someone is coming this way, kku-ing."
As Samsaek said, the gazes that had been monitoring us until now disappeared, and new, approaching presences were felt coming towards us.
"Damn, it seems like it's from the Union side."
I grumbled and nervously swept my recently short-cropped silver hair. It was said to be a trendy style these days, but I didn't know if it was cool, but it was easier to wash my hair than when it was long.
By the way, if it was the Union, they wouldn't just appear like this openly while monitoring... but here, I didn't do anything particularly noticeable? Shopping, watching dramas, selling potions... wait a minute...
"There it is."
Only one thing crossed my mind. But I heard that the auction couldn't be touched even by the Union? That was true. But no one would have expected that with the power of a large corporation, they would track down the distribution stages one by one.
"I feel hostility already, but I have to confirm. Those ugly guys!"
When I provoked the ugly guys who had come right in front of me, the owners showed expressions of disbelief and each put their hands on their weapons.
"Is this guy crazy?"
"But that guy is handsome. Honestly, compared to that guy..."
"Shut up."
The man who seemed to be the leader closed the mouth of the guy who was spouting useless words in an instant.
In one hand, he held a large axe that looked threatening just to look at.
"Brother, I heard you're D-rank, don't hold back and cooperate."
"Sad premonition is correct."
"Kku-ing."
As expected, the ones who came with good intentions were not. Samsaek raised his tail threateningly, but I lowered my hand to tell him not to interfere, and the quick-witted guy quickly retreated a few steps back.
"Though your mouth is rough, since our additional pay is there if you're decent, let's go nicely."
It was 1.5 times the additional pay. That crazy guy immediately started swearing the moment he saw us, but that was enough to close his eyes considering the additional pay he would receive.
'For a while, I can rest.'
The leader already felt like that money was coming into his account. After all, the goal was handsome, but obviously his body was skinny.
'It's a free meal.'
Bung, bung
The leader deliberately shook the axe with a sharp edge in the air to threaten. According to the info, the guy was D-rank, himself C-rank, and the ones behind were also D-rank.
This much, I thought the weak guy in front would tremble and kneel, but the words that came out of the goal's mouth went far beyond the leader's expectations.
"You will be spared"
Even though the mercenaries were standing there solidly, the voice was like greeting a new neighborhood friend he just met, and the leader felt uneasy.
"What?"
"There are no CCTV around that were destroyed long ago, and there are no people around, so you are a carrier pigeon."
"Carrier... pigeon?"
The unfamiliar word, whether the leader muttered or not, I continued speaking.
"Gu-gu-gu, it's a pigeon. Samsaek!"
"Kku-ing"
"Dig the ground. One, two, three, nine people? You brought a lot. Subtract this one, it's eight. Just in case, to prevent noise if they turn into restless ghosts, prepare some salt too."
"Understood."
Samsaek instantly ran and transformed to his original size and started digging the ground in the yard where he used to sleep.
He had dug once and covered it again, and with his strength, holes were quickly made.
"Creak, I heard you were a returnee... living in that other world for a long time, are you really crazy? Hey, what are you doing? Bring them."
The leader, who seemed like he would break an arm if he used his own hand, endured the anger and ordered the D-rank behind him. 1.5 times was precious.
"...."
"What? Hurry up and get out?"
"..."
"Do these guys ignore us too? I can't beat that guy, but you guys..."
The leader was so angry that he turned around, but there was no one there that the leader could face.
"What... what is this?"
Strictly speaking, there were no faces to face. Because the head that should be on the neck was rolling on the ground. The terrifying sight made the legs of the mercenary leader wobble.
The even more horrifying fact was that the body that had been cut by something extremely sharp still stood firmly in place without realizing that the head was dead.
Not a single drop of blood came out from the cut surface of the neck, because a semi-transparent film of unknown origin was blocking the bleeding.
"Don't forget and deliver."
"Hic... hic"
"Haa... should I kill you too?"
Slap
The mercenary leader's pants instantly became wet, and because he couldn't concentrate due to fear, I lightly hit his cheek with a shield and said in a low voice.
"No!"
As expected, fear is the best concentration enhancer. The leader answered like a knife in one go this time. Like a new recruit who just joined the army.
"Who sent you, don't ask such trivial things. I don't care if you know the client or not. I don't care who it is."
"Eh?"
The leader, who had expected a horrific torture and interrogation, asked with a blank expression.
'Not asking?'
It was common sense for everyone to be curious about the person who kidnapped them. Of course, the leader hired as a mercenary was supposed to answer everything, throwing away the mercenary's honor.
Of course, life was more important. In fact, the request came anonymously from across the sea, and there wasn't much to know anyway.
"No torture."
"G... thank you!"
Why would you do that. Torture was also a legitimate profession, classified as a technical and service job. An amateur like me couldn't do it because it was hard and bothersome.
"Just remember what I say and deliver it to the person who hired you. Since my mood is good these days, I'll spare you just once! If you come again, I'll go find you and kill you, so don't come. Did you remember?"
"Yes!"
"Memorize it."
"Remember what I say and deliver it to the person who hired you. Since my mood is good these days, I'll spare you just once! If you come again, I'll go find you and kill you, so don't come. Did you remember?"
Because the effect of fear was too excessive, the leader not only memorized what I said but even imitated my voice awkwardly.
Was it too harsh? I scratched my head and kindly corrected a few things.
"No... you did well. Remove the front part and the very back part from there. You don't have to imitate the voice either."
"Understood!"
"Good, the guys you brought, ask and go. I processed them without bleeding, and since I dug the ground, just bring them. The ground, we'll fill it ourselves."
"Ye.. yes!"
The leader closed his eyes tightly because he had to bury the corpses too, but there was no choice. When the two entered, the leader's face turned pale as he trembled and dragged the corpses of his colleagues into the hole, and without looking back, he fled.