Behemoth's Maw (2)
It was strange.
"……What the hell?"
It was his old work account from his Cosmo days. Even Park Minjae had completely forgotten about it until the notification popped up. With Cosmo restructured into the AAU now, it meant not even common spam emails had been arriving.
A reply? From who?
But the moment he checked the sender.
"!"
Park Minjae remembered. A memory from the past.
This account. He'd sent a barrage of criticisms about Arcana and Cosmo's operational structure straight to CEO Raymon Sean through this very account.
This was the reply to that email.
His teeth ground together involuntarily.
"You crazy bastard."
Not the least bit welcome.
Raymon Sean.
After he vanished, the cataclysm began.
Thinking of those swept away and killed by the cataclysm and rifts still filled him with rage.
Personal feelings included.
"Do you have any idea how much we suffered?"
Even if it was all in the past now.
In the early days of the cataclysm, Cosmo employees were treated as accomplices to Raymon Sean, subjected to all sorts of investigations.
Even if it was a misunderstanding, the frustration from back then, the guilt of being utterly useless—it still hadn't faded.
So Park Minjae gritted his teeth.
"You made a mistake."
Right now, Raymon Sean was the worst war criminal in human history, wanted by every nation on Earth.
Considering players' superhuman abilities, Raymon Sean probably wasn't ordinary either.
But don't underestimate science.
Reverse-tracing the reply signal to pinpoint the sender's location wouldn't be hard.
This was the first lead on Raymon Sean's whereabouts since the cataclysm.
However.
"……!"
Park Minjae froze upon checking the email's content.
Because it wasn't aimed at him.
Park Minjae muttered.
"Same as always, you slimy bastard."
To sum it up in one line:
What a crafty fox.
"Damn it."
Park Minjae agonized.
If he ignored Raymon Sean and reported this straight to the AAU?
The whole world would scramble to track Raymon Sean's location immediately.
……But would Raymon Sean just sit there and let it happen?
Even now, efforts to track him were ongoing.
They'd yielded no results so far, that's all.
For someone like Raymon, vanishing again would be a piece of cake.
"Haha. You rotten bastard."
Park Minjae let out a laugh.
Not for nothing did he send it to me, huh?
This guy.
"You're poking at my rebellious streak."
Even if the other side was his boss.
Even if it was AAU protocol.
He had a habit of charging headfirst into what he thought was right.
Park Minjae pulled out his smartphone right away.
"Fine, I'll charge in this time too."
He started to dial……
"But a sudden call might not be proper procedure, right?"
He muttered and hastily typed a text instead.
Of course.
The recipient wasn't the AAU—it was Hoyeol.
"Phew—"
Sent.
The moment tension-eased Park Minjae exhaled.
Ding!
An immediate reply from Hoyeol.
"Al, already?!"
Park Minjae knew Hoyeol's schedule roughly.
Not even time to catch his breath, exaggerating a bit……
This was lightning-fast, wasn't it?
He jumped in shock and checked the reply.
"……Huh?"
Soon, question marks floated on his face.
No wonder.
The reply was just four characters.
"Su, suspected it? How?!"
It was utterly shocking.
*
Sure enough, mental preparation dulled the shock.
Thanks to preemptively blabbing about it.
Even earth-shattering news had his mind spinning clearly.
"Raymon Sean."
Probably the cataclysm's culprit.
Who on Earth would welcome Raymon Sean?
But I—Lee Hoyeol—despise him!
Because if not for you, I wouldn't have to……
'Worry about my dark history, my shameful past!'
Grandfell probably felt the same.
"As I said."
Why, after the duel with Sword Saint Shreyg ended.
The moment our colosseum duel was uploaded as video to the official Arcana homepage.
From that instant, when our complexly entangled duel became mere spectacle.
"Thy path lacks all pride."
He'd thoroughly earned Grandfell's ire.
Thinking that way brought back what I'd said.
—"I look forward to the day we meet."
I'd definitely said that.
'Anyway, I'm looking forward to this meeting for various reasons.'
With Grandfell, who turns words into unbreakable oaths, not only realizing the meeting but possibly finding a way back to the Arcana continent.
"Fail not to disappoint."
A chilly murmur, brief.
I manifested a portal.
Coordinates: AAU Korea Branch.
Since Park Minjae, the Korea branch chief, had relayed Raymon Sean's news.
I needed to discuss details with him first.
Whoooosh—
Through the parting portal light.
Park Minjae's back came into view.
Seemed deep in conversation with someone.
One word pierced my ears clearly amid the talk.
"……So, are you a 'boomer' or not?"
Hold on, boomer……?
Was he talking about me?
Thief's foot burns, that kind of situation?
But Grandfell was less thief, more the tiger that appears when spoken of.
I stepped toward Park Minjae.
Click—
"Wha, wh-wh-what?!"
The man talking to Park Minjae blinked in shock.
"……Why the sudden freakouuut?!"
Park Minjae turned late, face twisting.
Like he'd seen a real tiger.
Guess he really was badmouthing me.
But I understood.
'Boomer, yeah, I can see looking that way.'
Look at my track record.
—"No decorum to be found."
—"Therefore."
—"I shall entertain no questions."
In the past, not just reporters.
—"The order is amiss."
I'd drilled decorum into Arcana's rankers too.
Well, Grandfell wouldn't stoop to grilling someone over backtalk.
……Just, his personality transcends imagination in various ways.
Yes.
Having toyed with Behemoth's Maw again this time.
I spoke coldly, abruptly.
"I expect documents drafted per the five Ws and one H."
"……Ye, yes? What documents?"
"……Branch Chief Park submitting documents to the head overseer?"
Park Minjae questioned back; the man rolled his eyes.
Expression mistaking me, Yusra's head overseer, for the AAU Korea branch's shadow boss.
But "documents" was Grandfell's lofty term for our recent texts.
'Now even texts demand decorum, Grandfell.'
But given the situation.
Flexibility was needed.
"Yet unforeseen circumstances warrant leniency."
Park Minjae bowed deeply.
"Thank you! I'll correct it next time!"
Grandfell's iron will—no need to correct, Branch Chief Park.
More like, hope there's no next time.
"Then, per the five Ws and one H, I'll explain the circumstances."
In the branch chief's office.
I listened intently to Park Minjae's account.
As I heard it out, a thought struck.
Around me, somehow……
'Only utterly extraordinary people, huh?'
Charged at the CEO?
How bold!
As salaryman Lee Hoyeol, unimaginable.
'No, I did imagine it.'
Why, right after awakening as a player.
Wondering if I'd splash coffee in my boss's face if I went to work like this, I submitted resignation early.
Maybe that common ground.
"Thy pride, I comprehend."
The two excluding small-folk me got along well.
"Thank you!"
The enemy of my enemy is a friend.
Grandfell disliked Raymon Sean.
Charging at him before he showed his true colors.
Made sense why magnanimous words came easy.
'Anyway.'
As Yusra branch head overseer and AAU member.
I never half-assed responsibilities, even if sinking.
Thus, AAU protocols fully memorized.
'He reported to me first, breaching protocol.'
Park Minjae didn't forget to explain.
"I figured Raymon wanting to meet Head Overseer Lee Hoyeol had some reason. Seeing your 'I suspected' text, I knew I hadn't erred."
……Well, my suspicion wasn't that suspicion.
Anyway, I'd crash into it head-on to find out.
No need to correct.
"Finally, Raymon added he wants to schedule a prior meeting."
Schedule and meet, huh.
Raymon, heard the rumors about me?
Makes sense; ignorance would make him a spy.
Especially Baek Isul. No, when I made the succubus beg tenfold.
News articles nonstop.
'Even big sis called about it.'
In that sense, Raymon Sean tried some decorum.
I'm on leave from Mage Tower and Yusra Kingdom.
Plenty of time to schedule.
'Normally, I'd just set it.'
Time, even place, no issue.
Portals make distance irrelevant.
But the appointee is Raymon Sean.
I spoke.
"Thy consideration is noted."
"Consideration? Hardly."
"However, henceforth, adhere to protocol."
"……Protocol, you say?"
Raymon Sean, big misunderstanding.
Think I'll follow your request meekly?
I repeat.
Grandfell and I compromise nothing.
For a promise with you, bereft of pride.
No compromising protocol.
I continued.
"From this moment, per AAU protocol."
"……Listening."
"Pinpoint Raymon Sean's location."
"!"
Park Minjae's eyes widened.
"I considered that, but…… Worried Raymon might flee. Even pinpointing, he'd detect reverse-trace soon…… Practically, capturing him……."
"Dost thou truly believe so?"
"……!"
Park Minjae's eyes widened further.
Struck by lightning expression.
Park Minjae barely forced a hollow laugh.
"I was a fool. What was I agonizing over……!"
Yes, finally it clicked.
Click—
My presence announced by shoe clicks louder than any sound.
Hearing them not from afar, but right behind.
Unrealistic entrance.
Portal manifestation.
Magic was why.
Bow—
Suddenly, Park Minjae bowed to me.
"Thank you for awakening me."
Already smug inside.
Receiving overt thanks felt awfully embarrassing.
But shamelessly, no sign.
"As you say, I'll act per protocol."
More like, he looked thrilled?
Relief from resolved dilemma?
As branch chief, tormented over breaching protocol.
'Good thing I quit corporate.'
Salaryman's burden is heavy.
Mid-sympathy.
A tiny mutter reached.
"Finally, I can land a solid hit."
……No, just excited to pay back Raymon Sean.
Again, birds of a feather?
How do only such people gather around me? Really.
But one thing certain.
'Raymon Sean, you poked the wrong one.'
Humanity, Arcana continent, my past.
The price heavy.
Bold enough to contact, thinking I'd hide?
"Sender location captured!"
Don't underestimate me.
Trace message origin with science.
Manifest portal at those coordinates with magic.
Whoooosh—
Don't dream of fleeing from [Strange].
Scattering light clusters.
Clearing vision, I spoke.
"I decline any form of welcome."
Even cheap 300-won teabag green tea.
With firm refusal resolve.
I stepped through the portal.
Ah, 'there' it was.