The Basar Mall Fire Quenched in an Instant
The fire that broke out at Basar Shopping Mall was extinguished in the blink of an eye by the Seoul East Knight Order. Among the notoriously lazy knight orders, especially the ones famous for their incompetence like the Seoul East bunch, there were two main reasons they managed to put it out so quickly.
First was the newly appointed captain, Han Dae-ho. While the other paladins were still fumbling to grasp the situation, Han Dae-ho single-handedly rescued 27 civilians. On top of that, he'd doubled the firefighting training hours in response to the recent spate of fires, which made all the difference this time.
And second was the apprentice paladin whose name no one knew. Braving the roaring flames, he charged into the building, not only suppressing the fire on the second floor but also saving a whopping 12 civilians. It was half of what Han Dae-ho had pulled off, but for an apprentice, it was an insane feat.
"So, what's the name of that guy they sent over this time?"
Han Dae-ho grabbed one of his subordinates at random and asked about the apprentice paladin dispatched to them. He was already plotting to recruit the kid before any other order could snag him.
The subordinate tilted his head in confusion at the question. "Uh, could you say that one more time, sir?"
"I'm asking for the name of the apprentice paladin from Florence Academy. I was gonna praise the little shit, but he didn't even give his rank and serial number before vanishing on his own..."
"Captain, um... there was no dispatched paladin this time. I thought dispatch season hasn't started yet."
"What the hell are you talking about? Then what I saw was a ghost? There's no dispatched guy?"
Han Dae-ho bellowed in frustration. He couldn't let that guy slip away to another order—no way. Hell, if the kid suddenly switched tracks to become a holy warrior or something, that'd be even worse gut-wrenching. He had to snag him first.
Unlike Han Dae-ho's urgency, the subordinate just kept tilting his head like he'd never heard such a thing.
"Captain, you sure you didn't see a ghost...? Dispatch season's around July, and right now... Plus, the students are all buried in exam prep—no way they'd have time for dispatch."
"What? Hey, you. You were with me when we went into that building, put out the second-floor fire, and rescued like 11 or 12 people, right? Didn't you see him? The guy said himself he was an apprentice paladin."
"Oh, I saw. But wasn't that Pi Du-ho Paladin?"
"Pi Du-ho was on night shift yesterday and went home to crash. No, what the— If it's not dispatch season, then... what I saw really was a ghost?"
Han Dae-ho let out a disbelieving chuckle. A ghost impersonating a paladin, rushing into a burning building to save 12 civilians? No matter how he spun it, that didn't add up. It was pure bullshit.
As Han Dae-ho pondered, three or four members of the Central Knight Order support team came rushing over.
"Are you Seoul East Knight Captain Han Dae-ho?"
"...Yeah, that's me. Captain Han Dae-ho."
Han Dae-ho quickly gathered his thoughts and gave a curt bow to the support team. He was smiling through his teeth, but deep furrows creased his brow. These guys, who ranked as priests or bishops at best in the church hierarchy, had the gall to drop the honorific and just call him "Han Dae-ho." It pissed him off.
Normally, he'd be yelling and chewing them out already, but the Central Knight Order was directly under the Papal Office. Seoul East wasn't small potatoes, but compared to "Central," they looked pathetic.
"So, what brings Central Knight Order folks all the way out here?"
Han Dae-ho forced down his boiling rage and flashed a grin. The apparent team leader rummaged in his pocket and pulled out a single sheet of paper.
"This is the invoice for the support dispatched from Central. Please review and respond ASAP."
"Ah~ yeah, yeah. Invoice. Central's got that going on. Thanks. Safe travels back~"
Han Dae-ho crumpled the invoice and stuffed it in his pocket, then hurried the support team into an ambulance and sent them off.
"They didn't lift a fucking finger but send a bill? Sitting on their asses jerking off."
Once the car carrying the team vanished from sight, Han Dae-ho muttered sharply under his breath, fuming. Better the tail of a dragon than the head of a snake—at this crossroads, he'd chosen the snake's head by coming to Seoul East, and he was regretting it.
"Isn't that too much, even for fellow paladins? Billing without doing shit."
His subordinate chimed in, piling on the Central hate. Unlike other orders, Central always slapped an invoice on their "support." Their logic: manpower's precious, so pay up for sending it.
That made Central a thorn in every other knight order's side.
"What can ya do? Central's all the same. Still, compared to those priest pricks, we're angels, angels."
"Right? Last time with that villa fire, the priest squad shows up out of nowhere demanding grapes this, pears that—total chaos."
"Yeah. Priests and their nosy asses... Ah."
Han Dae-ho nodded along until a flash hit him like lightning—a face from that villa fire. The crazy bastard who'd plunged into the flames for some "belongings."
"...That's right, that fucker."
"You mean Pi Du-ho Paladin?"
"No, no, not him."
Han Dae-ho shook his head. A faint smile tugged at his lips.
"...There was this one real nice crazy bastard."
*
The grand auditorium, in the midst of the appointment ceremony, was pure chaos. All because Do Seon-woo, selected for the Charity Holy Mark, was a no-show.
"He dead?"
"This counts as refusing the appointment. Should pick someone else..."
"He's always late anyway. Probably still sleeping at home."
Speculation buzzed everywhere. Do Seon-woo's name bounced around, turning him into a corpse, a delinquent, or some ballsy psycho rejecting the honor.
"...What the hell are those two idiots doing?"
In the midst of it, Jeong In-ah muttered to herself and set down her phone. The ceremony had started 30 minutes ago, but Do Seon-woo was nowhere in sight. Texts, SNS messages—no reply. Calls ignored.
He wasn't the only no-show. Gu Jun-hyeok was MIA too, same radio silence.
Jeong In-ah kept sighing, her heart heavy.
Screeech!
Suddenly, the mic on stage powered up with a piercing screech. The noise died down, and in the heavy silence, Chairman Kim Chang-won gripped the microphone. Deep wrinkles furrowed his brow.
"Due to the absence of student Do Seon-woo, who was scheduled to receive the Charity Holy Mark, the ceremony has been disrupted. Before the announcement, my apologies to the students for the wait."
Kim Chang-won spoke sharply. Note the shift: not "selected for the Charity Holy Mark," but "scheduled to be."
Jeong In-ah swallowed hard and dialed Do Seon-woo again. No answer.
"As we cannot reach student Do Seon-woo, the appointment is indefinitely delayed. After conferring with the teachers, we have decided— cough, cough!"
Kim Chang-won coughed mid-sentence. Harsh, heavy coughs. Healing priests and teachers rushed over with a handkerchief. He covered his mouth, coughing nonstop. Even after it stopped, he panted for a while. The handkerchief came away soaked in blood.
Everyone knew the chairman suffered from a chronic illness, worsening lately—teachers and students alike.
"Guess it's about time he kicks it."
"What? Y-you crazy bitch, keep it down!"
Yeo Min-seo muttered low watching the death-rattle coughs; Han Su-ryeon freaked and clamped her mouth shut. Next to them, Kang Dae-man dozed with arms crossed; Seong Ha-yeon frowned, head tilted in confusion.
Absence? Seong Ha-yeon recalled Do Seon-woo from the Ark. His eyes blazing with determination as he scaled the waterfall, coldly rejecting her offer. No way he'd skip without reason. Something was up, but what?
"Continuing: After conference with teachers and elders, his absence is deemed clear refusal of appointment. Thus..."
Kim Chang-won paused to catch his breath. His illness made long speeches tough, everyone assumed. The hall hung in profound silence.
"...we must inevitably revoke the decision."
The silence deepened. Revoke meant Do Seon-woo wouldn't get the Charity Holy Mark.
Students sat silent, but a strange undercurrent rippled. The Charity slot was open again—a chance for the average kids staring longingly at the stage.
Some sparkled with open glee. Jeong In-ah felt disgust watching them. Yeah, Do Seon-woo's fault, but gloating like that? Infuriating.
"What a letdown. Came all this way for nothing. Boring."
"...Whoa! W-who are you?"
Someone beside Jeong In-ah muttered. She whipped around. Seat empty moments ago—now some stranger sat there.
"Huh? Seat free? Scoot over then."
The man eyed her with sharp, upturned eyes, slimy and unpleasant.
"...No, that's not it."
Jeong In-ah shuddered lightly and shook her head.
He grinned. Slimy, fishy smile.
"So, what class you in? Don't recognize you."
"..."
"Won't even say your class. Wanna hang after? Where you live? Nearby?"
His sleazy tone. Jeong In-ah bowed her head, lips tight. No Do Seon-woo, no Gu Jun-hyeok—sudden creep approach. Beyond awkward.
Ahem, ahem.
Timely, Kim Chang-won cleared his throat on stage. Jeong In-ah looked up, grateful. The clingy guy turned too.
"With that, the appointment ceremony is concluded. Regarding reselection for Charity Holy Mark, we'll confer and announce later—"
Thud!
A heavy crash from the back. Students turned. He'd flung the doors wide, staggering through, weaving past students.
"..."
Kim Chang-won stared silently. Sweat-matted hair. Ragged breaths. Clothes crusted black with someone else's blood, patchy. Bloodshot eyes locked on the chairman.
Body on the verge of collapse, yet he crossed the auditorium to the stage.
Thud, thud, thud...
His steps weak, leaden like shackled. Climbing the stairs echoed loudly.
The silence was deeper than ever.
Thump.
He collapsed to his knees center-stage. Ash-like flakes drifted from his bowed head.
Kim Chang-won frowned down. Up close, worse than thought. Beyond wrecked—a walking corpse. Miracle he'd made it up.
"I'm late. Sorry."
He said, head low. Voice trembled, words clear.
Kim Chang-won gripped the mic, brought it close. Hesitated.
"...Do Seon-woo."
Finally, he named him.
"Is it over?"
Do Seon-woo said. Kim Chang-won couldn't reply.
"The appointment ceremony..."
Thud.
His words cut off unfinished. Do Seon-woo collapsed.
The thud echoed through the silent hall. Time froze in stunned hush.
As all gaped at the fallen boy, two students smiled. Yeo Min-seo—and the man beside Jeong In-ah.
"Yeah... now it's worth coming."
The man nodded, smirking.
Jeong In-ah finally snapped to, bolting from her seat to the stage. Others followed late, hall erupting in chaos.
"Chairman! Y-your daughter..."
Word came then: Kim Chang-won's daughter, Kim Jin-seo, hospitalized.
(To be continued)