Chapter 165: Hunan Province (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 165: Hunan Province (2)
The very next day, I went to see the Old Man.
It had been a while since I’d last visited the Vanquisher’s quarters, not since the semester had started again.
The massive house, nestled incongruously between the skyscrapers in the heart of the city, had an atmosphere all its own.
I opened the main gate and went inside.
On the third of every month, the Vanquisher reviewed mission requests from all over the world and decided which jobs to take on for the month.
And today was the third.
“You’re here, Maknae?”
Seeing me enter, Park Gwang-cheol waved from the living room.
He was buried in a huge sofa, shoveling potato chips into his mouth with one hand while clutching a noisy gaming device in the other.
– Kaboom!
The character on the screen was wiping out enemies with a flashy special effect…
Wait a minute.
Neatly styled blue hair, yellow sunglasses.
No matter how I looked at it, the character on the screen was Park Gwang-cheol.
“…Isn’t that you?”
“Huh? Yeah, it is. They asked for a collab a while back.”
So this is what it’s like to be a globally popular hero.
“You look busy.”
“A little?”
“Where’s the Old Man?”
“In his study.”
I gave him a nod and headed for the study where the Old Man would be.
– Creeak.
The study door opened for the first time in a while.
The room, in stark contrast to the modern decor of the rest of the house, was filled with the scent of old paper.
The Old Man was sitting at a massive wooden desk, scrolling through dozens of mission requests displayed on a hologram.
“You’re here.”
His eyes fixed on the requests, he addressed me gruffly.
“Yes.”
I casually moved to his side and looked over the mission requests floating in the air.
[A-Class Request: Subjugate Himalayan Wyvern Nest]
[B-Class Request: Deal with Goblin Colony on Lord Howe Island, Australia]
[A-Class Request: VVIP Yacht Party Security Detail (Mine-Adjacent Area).]
Countless requests like these scrolled past on the holographic window.
But none of them caught my eye.
“Tsk.”
The Old Man clicked his tongue beside me.
“A yacht party… in a Mine-adjacent area?”
His voice was filled with contempt.
He clearly didn’t like the sound of that last request.
Mine-adjacent areas were places where space was distorted due to unstable mana reactions, often causing auroras to appear in the night sky.
The scenery is so beautiful that it's often listed as a place to see before you die, but…
That’s only for people who are willing to risk their lives.
Holding a party in a place like that and asking for security?
– Beep.
The Old Man immediately pressed a button, deleting the option.
“I hope they all die.”
He muttered as much before pulling up the next request.
“What is it?”
He asked me.
“Oh, I just wanted to see you.”
“……”
When I played it cool with a smile, the Old Man said nothing.
But I didn't miss the faint, satisfied curl of his lips.
He continued to display the next requests on the holographic screen.
[C-Class Request: One-Day Professor at the Nordic Union Academy]
[A-Class Request: Reconnaissance of Unexplored Region, Deep Amazon]
The one I was looking for wasn’t among them.
I guess… they don’t send these to the Vanquisher. Just as I was thinking that…
[B-Class Request: Fragment Security Detail During Pentagon's Public Viewing Schedule]
“Th-This one!”
I shouted before I could stop myself.
I’d found it.
The Pentagon had temporarily halted its research on the Fragment.
And, as they always did before resuming their research, they must have decided to display the Fragment to the public for a short period.
During the public viewing, they would request security from various guilds and teams.
It was a B-Class request and not really a job for the Vanquisher, but it seemed they’d sent it out to everyone anyway.
It was probably a ‘great if you do, no big deal if you don’t’ kind of offer.
The mission was for this weekend.
“This one… what do you think of this one, Old Man?”
If they took the Pentagon security detail, I could leave for Hunan with peace of mind.
At my words, the Old Man glanced at the holographic screen and tilted his head.
“This one…?”
I took a step closer and began to persuade him, massaging his shoulders.
“Come on, Old Man. It’s a B-Class security mission. It won’t be difficult, and it doesn’t look like there are any other worthwhile requests… Why not treat it like a little vacation?”
At my words, the Old Man’s eyebrow twitched.
“I’m sure Gwang-cheol and Ara would also…”
“……”
The Old Man puffed on his short pipe for a moment, lost in thought.
His eyes were fixed on the name at the very bottom of the request: [Contact: Alfredo Barton].
“Well… it has been a while since I’ve seen Alfredo.”
Alfredo. An S-Class Hero from the USA and an old friend of the Old Man.
“Alright, you brat.”
The Old Man nodded reluctantly.
“Be here by Friday evening.”
Huh?
He seemed to think I was pulling this stunt because I wanted to go to the US.
That I wanted to tag along for the ride, or something like that.
“I have plans this weekend, though.”
“…What?”
His face hardened.
I gave his shoulders a couple more squeezes before leaving the study.
“I’ll be on my way, then!”
I made a quick exit in case he tried to stop me.
Success.
The preparations for Hunan were complete.
*
That afternoon.
The promised 24 hours had passed.
I sat on the sofa, staring blankly at the clock on my floating Watch as it pointed to the exact agreed-upon time.
“……?”
But no message came.
The chat window with [haochia], a diligent user whose Hero Auction reputation was nearing 99 degrees, had been silent ever since I sent the deposit confirmation message yesterday.
What the hell.
A sense of unease began to creep in.
Was this a scam?
How could they pull a stunt like that with such a trustworthy business name?
I opened the Hero Auction again.
[WeWillDoAnything.]
[Location: China]
[Seller Description: We will do anything.]
The profile still oozed reliability, even on a second look.
Honestly, it wouldn't be a big deal if they ran off with the money. It wouldn't even be a true scam, since the Auction was holding the payment in escrow.
It was just annoying to have wasted a full day when I was in such a hurry.
‘Let’s just wait a little longer.’
Just as I was about to close my Watch with that thought…
– Ding.
A message arrived.
[haochia]: (图片资料.pdf)
Oh, what the.
It’s here? I let out a sigh of relief and immediately typed my next message.
[belief_]: Thank you for your hard work.
[haochia]: whatkindofinvestigationdidyouevenrequest
Huh?
I frowned at his message.
[haochia]: imetaghost
A ghost…
There were certainly various mechanisms in that place… but there shouldn’t be any ghosts.
First, I checked the file he sent.
“Oh.”
The moment I opened the file, a sound of admiration escaped my lips.
Hundreds of high-resolution photos. The pillars were shot from various angles, clearly showing the joints in the rock. The vegetation in specific areas was also neatly documented.
He did a really good job.
This was more than enough.
Smiling in satisfaction, I opened the chat again, planning to give him a bonus.
[haochia]: Hellooo? May I ask why you wanted the photos taken, by any chance?
“……”
What’s this?
His tone had suddenly changed.
From a stilted, translated tone to a flirty one.
[belief_]: No, you don't need to know. Thank you for your hard work.
I cut him off and wrapped up the conversation.
I was about to offer a bonus, but suddenly something felt off.
– Click.
I closed the Watch and enlarged the received files on a hologram.
Now that I had the data, it was time for analysis.
– Ding-ding-ding.
[haochia]: Aww ㅠ
[haochia]: (Photo)
[haochia]: Even after this?
Several messages arrived.
I checked the photo.
It was… a picture of Yu Serin lying down in a bathrobe.
“……?”
And then the photo was deleted.
[haochia]: Hae-in, did you get a good look at the picture?
With that final message, the chat with [haochia] was forcibly closed.
The next moment, a call from a completely different sender came through on my Watch.
[SERIN]
It was Yu Serin.
I answered immediately.
– Hae-in! What do you think you’re doing?
Yu Serin’s playful voice came through the Watch.
“That’s what I’d like to ask you.”
Weren’t you in Guangdong on a mission for Kang A-rin?
– I was being a good girl, listening to our Sub-Guild Master and catching some suspicious guys around here.
She added.
– And what do you know, I found some weirdos quietly taking pictures with so~me very professional equipment.
“……”
– So I caught them and took their phones, thinking they might be working with the Mines…
Her voice was laced with a playful laugh.
– Well, I was wrong. It was you, Hae-in.
For a moment, I was speechless.
I asked, fearing the worst.
“…You didn’t kill them, did you?”
– Hmm? Oh, I was thinking about it… but for now, I just tied them up! I should call my team members to let them go now. I just came in to take a break.
“That’s a relief…”
I let out a sigh.
Two innocent workers had nearly lost their lives.
– So why were you taking pictures?
Yu Serin asked in an innocent voice.
“I’m also investigating something with Kang A-rin.”
– Ahh, I see.
“Yes. Anyway… you must be having a tough time, going all the way out there.”
– Tell me about it~ No rest, and all this trouble in a foreign land. I just got in, showered, and now I’m lying in bed.
Her voice was languid.
The selfie of her in a bathrobe that had been posted and then deleted a moment ago flashed through my mind, but I quickly pushed it away.
Just then.
– Should we have a video call?
Before she even finished her sentence, my Watch screen automatically switched to a video call.
I hadn’t approved the call, so my face wasn’t showing, but my screen was completely filled with Yu Serin.
Perhaps because she’d just gotten out of the shower, her hair was damp and her cheeks were flushed a lovely shade of red.
– Show me your face too, Hae-in~
“W-Wait a second…”
I was flustered.
Yu Serin was too close.
The sight of her slightly loosened bathrobe through the screen muddled my thoughts.
– Ahh… sorry, I was too close.
Yu Serin then moved the camera further away.
– Is this better?
However…
– C’mon, hurry up and show me your face~
Before, it was just her face, but now her entire body was in the frame.
To me, this angle was even more violent.