Chapter 86
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 86
Chapter Title: Investigation
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"Yes?"
I could only blankly repeat her words in Seo Yu-ju's office. Because what she'd just said didn't make any sense to me.
"...Lee Yun-seong isn't included among the people taking on this request. It's just me, Jae-hyo, Ho-yeon, and Uncle Ho-won."
My name wasn't on the list.
"Why am I not on the list?"
"It's my judgment as clan master. This request could be dangerous, so I'm making this call with your safety in mind."
'Hah... Stop being so overprotective.'
This request was perfect for showing off my abilities, so I couldn't accept Seo Yu-ju's decision.
'Sure, staying back at the clan house and chilling sounds nice... But considering any unexpected situations and the rewards, it's better to go.'
Seo Yu-ju seemed confident about this request, so there might not be much chance for me to shine, but volunteering for a risky mission like this would help solidify my position in the clan.
'And the odds are it's not actually that dangerous.'
If it were something they couldn't handle, Seo Yu-ju wouldn't have taken it on in the first place.
"...Everyone else is going on the request, but staying holed up in the clan house for safety reasons feels off to me."
"No, it doesn't feel off at all. Don't even think that way—it's right for you to sit this one out."
"...Is it because I went off on my own last time?"
Her eyebrow twitched the moment my words hit the mark.
"...You know it."
'Damn it...'
"...Yu-ju, please reconsider. I... might be useful on this request."
"Of course you would be. Honestly, you've never not been helpful. Especially since intel-gathering is key for this one—you'd definitely pull your weight."
"Then..."
"But you know it's not about your abilities. From my position, there's no guarantee you won't go rogue again."
".....I get your stance, Yu-ju. If I were in your shoes, I'd think the same. But can't you trust me just this once?"
"....."
"I won't do anything reckless this time. Really."
She listened for a while, then let out a sigh.
"Sigh... Fine... This is absolutely the last time. If you pull something again... I can't cover for you anymore."
"Yes, of course. Thank you for trusting me, Yu-ju."
'Whew... That was close...'
That said... honestly, I wasn't sure if I could keep that promise. If a truly dangerous situation arose for everyone... I'd have to take a gamble then.
"We're not leaving right away anyway. It's not a request with a strict deadline, so no need to rush it. Of course... we can't drag our feet too much either."
I understood what Seo Yu-ju meant.
Other clans wouldn't pay much attention to this request, and the palace hadn't set a timeline, so there was no rush.
But if the palace handled it themselves, our clan would get nothing, so we couldn't be too lax.
"I understand."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
After the day Seo Yu-ju allowed me to participate in the request, I began researching the area called Silan, where drugs were said to be circulating.
Of course, I had documents I gathered myself, but there were also documents gathered by Wi Ho-yeon. Since it was a place I had never been to and didn’t know at all, the more data the better.
“…Hmm.”
“…Lee Yun-seong, is something wrong?”
“…No. I just have something to think about.”
‘This place called Silan… in short, it’s both a slum and an entertainment district.’
From the documents, the area of Silan was filled with casinos, taverns, brothels, and other elements stimulating people’s primitive desires.
‘This place has everything. There’s even an auction house. In a place like this… there’s no way only normal goods are sold.’
Looking at the auction listings of Silan’s auction house, surprisingly only ordinary items were listed.
‘Which makes it more suspicious. Would people in a place like this really be satisfied with just this?’
Human desire, once loosened, becomes endless. People constantly exposed to primitive stimulation wouldn’t be satisfied with such ordinary auctions.
‘…Something’s fishy. This can’t be everything.’
Looking at the auction house’s sales performance, as expected it wasn’t high. Rather, it was so low it seemed impossible to maintain the auction house.
‘…Is it just for show?’
Most likely the sales records were genuine. After all, the Neutral Nation conducts regular audits.
However, I suspected the auction house itself might exist merely as a cover.
In my guess… there might be a black market. But if there really was a black market here, one question remained.
‘…Is someone backing them?’
If the Neutral Nation was investigating, a black market couldn’t remain undiscovered unless someone inside the nation was protecting it.
‘…The money flow is strange too.’
A large portion of the wealth earned in Silan flows into one clan.
‘Red Ant Clan.’
It was a clan name I had never heard before. According to the information, it wasn’t a large clan but a medium-sized one. Still, not a clan to ignore.
Of course, investigating only through documents has limits.
Ultimately, unless I went there myself and felt the atmosphere, it was meaningless.
‘Well… it’s not like I gained nothing.’
What was certain was that the money flow in Silan was strange.
“Anyway… Ms. Ho-yeon, thank you. Your help was very useful.”
This wasn’t empty flattery. There was a limit to what I could find alone, and thanks to her help we managed to detect the strange money flow.
“It’s nothing. I’m glad it helped.”
“As you found, the money flow is strange. Most of it goes to the Red Ant Clan… but then the money disappears, and this…”
Wi Ho-yeon answered my doubt.
“I’m not certain… but I think it might be related to the Eastern Alliance.”
“…The Eastern Alliance?”
I was surprised to hear that name suddenly.
We were investigating drug distribution in the Neutral Nation, so hearing the name of another region was unexpected.
“Yes. Hmm… do you know that I am from the Eastern Alliance?”
Of course I knew. She had mentioned it before.
“Yes, I know.”
“Before I came to Baronia from the Eastern Alliance… drugs were already widespread there. It was common to see people lying in the streets intoxicated by drugs.”
‘…Was it really that bad?’
Every story about the Eastern Alliance seemed negative. At this point it was impossible not to develop prejudice.
“It might be unimaginable in Baronia… but in the Eastern Alliance there are many drug factories operating.”
‘…Drug factories.’
Hearing that phrase made me run my hand through my hair.
‘Hmm…’
This was something I thought about when Seo Yu-ju first mentioned drug distribution.
‘Then… there must be a recipe too?’
Facilities could simply be replicated from blueprints, and the drug ingredients could be identified using my Unique Trait.
‘If I have the formula and the facility… it’s possible.’
Of course, that doesn’t mean I intend to run a drug factory in Baronia.
‘But… outside Baronia, it might not matter. For example… somewhere already hopeless like the Eastern Alliance.’
If the Eastern Alliance had already fallen that far, there was no saving it.
Criminals and outlaws already ran rampant there anyway.
‘If it can’t be saved… using it might not be bad. Controlling something like that could be useful.’
Seo Yu-ju is honest and upright, so she wouldn’t be interested in such underworld matters.
But I’m different.
The problem is that dealing drugs would be dangerous for me to enter that world, and even if successful the risks would be enormous if exposed.
Selling drugs didn’t particularly bother me.
‘If I had moral objections to that kind of thing, I wouldn’t have lived the way I did on Earth. Well… I wasn’t exactly a drug dealer, though.’
Still, until it actually happens, it’s just a fantasy.
But the idea was good enough that my lips curled slightly.
‘Ha Yu-ri… I was wondering what to do with her. This works perfectly.’
As far as I know, the Magic Bullet Clan earns most of its wealth through artifact and potion businesses.
Since they’re mainly composed of mages and focus heavily on alchemy and blacksmithing, it makes sense.
“Lee Yun-seong, did you come up with a good idea?”
Seeing me grinning to myself, Wi Ho-yeon asked.
“Ah… it’s nothing. Anyway, I feel stiff. Don’t you?”
“Ah… now that you mention it…”
“Then how about getting some fresh air?”
“As you wish.”
“Then let’s go out for a bit. Staying inside feels stuffy.”
As we walked outside together, my thoughts continued.
Naturally, my thoughts were about Ha Yu-ri.
Thinking about it objectively, she never directly crossed a line with me.
Of course she bullied me during the Training Facility days and looked down on me, which annoyed me, but was that really enough reason to destroy her?
So at first, I truly had no intention of acting.
‘She’s a top-tier powerhouse with strong social standing. It would be dangerous, and not easy either.’
It was different from when I dealt with Joo Seung-hwan. Back then I was still a trainee, which made it possible.
Now I’m no longer a trainee, and Ha Yu-ri is far more troublesome than Joo Seung-hwan.
However, my thoughts changed recently.
‘When Seo Yu-ju and I had dinner together.’
After seeing Ha Yu-ri’s attitude then, it was obvious what had to be done.
Not only was she hostile to me, she even showed hostility toward Seo Yu-ju.
That’s when I realized.
I had no choice but to take her down.
‘…Soon I’ll make you a drug criminal, Ha Yu-ri, you bitch.’