Chapter 26
Chapter 26
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 26
Chapter Title: Roar (2)
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"That bitch was one hell of a spitfire..."
Oh Myung-tae smacked his lips, thinking back to the woman he'd met that morning.
Her pale pink hair brimmed with vitality, proving it was natural rather than dyed, and it blended into a fantastical harmony with the woman herself.
Not easy to pull off a color like that...
But even more seductive was her innate beauty that shook any man's defenses, paired with that faint peach scent wafting from her.
Sure, her chest was a bit lacking, but with that taut body and unmatched allure, even the flaws felt like features.
"Wonder how she'd cry in bed."
"Head, what've you been muttering about?"
"Oh, Manager Ji, you're here?"
"I've been here since earlier. I called you a bunch of times, but no response."
"Haha, I've got this piece I'm working on right now. She's really hitting the spot."
"'Quality' stuff, huh? Must be, to zone out like that."
"You know it. You'd flip if you saw her yourself. Oh, here's her profile pic."
"...Whoa. This chick's a total bombshell...!"
"Right?"
Oh Myung-tae had a friendly face that belied his utterly vulgar words. And Manager Ji was talking about the woman like she was merchandise.
No one in the office batted an eye at their trashy banter.
...Because Baek-ro was no longer among them.
"Got anyone who could pour drinks for this old-timer buddy of mine?"
"Check Team 2. They're crawling with 'em."
"This old man's got picky tastes...!"
"You think you're the only one?"
──It was just a place for black-ro like them to spit out their honest desires.
Rumor had it DM Production hadn't always been this way.
They'd been known in the industry for being diligent and upright. But after the former president dropped dead from a sudden heart attack, things started sliding. They claimed it was survival, and no one in the biz was clueless enough to buy that as an excuse.
"So, Head. Think she'll bite...?"
"I read people well. That chick's eyes were dripping greed. She'll call for sure."
"Good to hear. Oh, but the boss...?"
"Pfft, since when's that guy ever meddled in our fun? Just dodge him."
"Well... if you say so. ...Just make sure you call me in later if it works out."
"You animal."
"Says the guy talking."
"What? Hahaha! You little...-."
Bzzz...!
"...Well, look at that!"
Oh Myung-tae's face split into a massive grin as he spotted the far more important call cutting through his chat with Manager Ji.
He'd hooked a big one.
"...She took the bait."
"This easy?"
"Horny ones all act the same. Pretty faces are a curse, man..."
"......"
"What? Why the shady look-?"
"...I'll shut up."
Valian could only grimace, no matter how pretty she was, this wasn't it.
"...Really, just you two? Even a little, I could lend some power..."
"Quiet. It's decided. Why so chatty?"
"......"
Sylvia stabbed at Yuseong with her eyes, her face the picture of "I have nothing to say."
She vented her annoyance, as if to say Why do you have to phrase it like that?, but Yuseong didn't budge.
"...Sigh, we'd be useful too."
Growing exasperated with the iron wall of a man, Sylvia tried appealing to their necessity.
Leon, Alicia, and Luxy were all eager to help against demons.
Yet Yuseong had only sent Valian and Mirni.
"...I don't think Luke forgot us. But fighting demons means throwing everything you've got, every time. Complacency is..."
"Death."
"You know that..."
"That's why just those two. They've got the skills to escape if things go south."
"We could too...!"
"No, you couldn't."
"......"
"If you had mana or holy power, maybe. But in your current state? Useless. You couldn't even run."
"Do you have to say it like that...?"
"Just facts."
"......"
"Well, might need you if it gets dire. Even rotten fish has its uses. When the time comes--."
"We'll be shields if we have to, help and die. No need for empty words."
Sylvia showed her resolve.
A saintess wasn't meant to be protected—she was to smite evil at the vanguard, shield for the righteous!
Sylvia steeled her face, vowing to give her worthless life in full.
"...Crazy bitch."
Just when he'd thought she was improving a bit, that fanatic 'martyr syndrome' showed no signs of fading.
Yuseong ignored her, propping his chin as he pictured the trio making contact with the suspects.
'Hope they're staying sharp.'
He worried about the comrades he'd sent off, half-expecting the worst.
......And sure enough.
'Who am I? Where am I?'
The poor wage-slave zombie, hooked again by double pay, wandered blankly into the agency.
Fondling the watch the president had given him.
The meeting with Oh Myung-tae went down quick.
His face stiffened briefly at the sight of the guardian Valian and the manager(?), but he smoothed it over fast, unleashing a torrent of pompous flattery and a speech on the agency's perks.
'...Anyone clueless would fall for this hook, line, and sinker.'
'People in this world sure can talk.'
'Maybe quit security and job here...?'
Oh Myung-tae's eloquence was flashy, personality aside.
Fooling and turning someone into an idiot? Piece of cake for a con man like him.
Kang Gam-chan already looked ready to hand over his fortune.
"Snap out of it."
"Ah! Y-Yes sir!"
But Valian's heavy grunt jolted him awake.
Bonus: shame for zoning out after skimming the agency files.
'T-This is how people get scammed...'
Kang Gam-chan was there because he lacked street smarts, and they needed someone who'd call in the cops if push came to shove.
He wasn't just in it for the cash—more like voluntary justice after hearing about these shady agencies.
'Even if just 3% of those files are true, this place is toxic waste on top of trash.'
Young and unscarred by society, his sense of justice burned hot as he showed his zeal.
'Still green.'
Valian gave the kid a faint smile.
The youthful fire worried him a bit, but he wouldn't botch the job.
No combat help, sure, but that righteousness could spark miracles sometimes.
'Gets why they paired him with me.'
Valian understood his comrade's intent in saddling him with the baggage.
Getting into the agency building was way too easy.
They practically tripped over themselves to guide them ASAP—no illusion there.
"S-Sis. Looks like he's stamping the contract hard. We gotta watch out."
"I know. And when did I become 'sis'? How old are you?"
"T-Twenty-five..."
"...Y-Young."
Mirni was twenty-three.
No way she was honoring him with formal speech, so she'd hidden her age. As Valian eyed her pitifully, a woman approached with feigned delight, like it was pure chance.
"Oh, Head."
"Yeon-jeong? What's brings you here?"
"Came to see you, Head. Oh, newbies?"
"Not yet. Just scouting the place."
"Gotcha~. Hi, nice to meet you. Do Yeon-jeong."
"......"
"Mirni?"
"...Hi."
No smirk even escaped Mirni.
Her acting reeked of fakery.
'So this is what they call an actress...'
Do Yeon-jeong: Filmography looked decent on paper, but hits were rare. Subpar acting, yet somehow always working.
With all of DM's dirt Aram had dug up in a day fresh in mind, Mirni saw her motives plain as day—pathetic.
'Director's that horny pig. She's the hype girl.'
Show off the company's clout and hot actors, pitch you could be this?
Something like that.
Just... hype girl was too lame to matter.
"D-Do Yeon-jeong...! Insanely pretty..."
"......"
...It worked?
'Oh.'
She belatedly clocked this as the normie reaction.
And acting off here would look weirder.
Grateful for Luke's call on attaching Kang, Mirni launched into her 'act.'
"Wow! D-Do Yeon-jeong, right?! I'm a huge fan!"
"Heehee, really?"
"Yes! Seen all your movies and dramas! How~! You're too pretty!"
"Nah. You look prettier, Mirni."
"No way I could compare to you~."
"...Look at her. So cute."
Do Yeon-jeong's mouth slackened into a genuine grin, thrilled.
Girls idolize prettier girls too—even if not tenfold, double was enough to send her clowning to heaven.
She forgot her role amid the chat when—
"Mr. Oh. President wants you."
"Ah, I'm with clients right now, so later...?"
"Yes, I'll relay that."
Mirni and Valian's faces sharpened at the no-nonsense secretary.
'That...'
'......'
She wore a bracelet.
One you'd miss without close inspection—but not those two.
They knew exactly what that bracelet... no, its engraved symbol meant!
'No wonder the stench was so thick...'
One of the Demon King's direct 7 Legions—the ones Mirni dreaded and loathed most...!
Born from hell's brimstone, supping corpse-stink like water—the Fly Lord's minions—!
Their faces grew stonier at the sight of the bracelet bearing their symbol.