Chapter 153
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 154
Chapter Title: The Investigator's Promise
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A teahouse on the outskirts of Aqar Quf's bustling district.
Ha Seon-woo, who had rented an inner room, gazed at the person sitting quietly across from him.
"Hm..."
Lee Se-hun, sipping his tea in silence, seemed lost in thought.
Finding the atmosphere difficult to break into, Ha Seon-woo decided against starting the conversation first and instead reflected on his own situation.
'How on earth did things end up like this...'
He had only come to check on the investigation target at his great-aunt's request. To think he now had to take that person as his private tutor!
It was an embarrassing situation he couldn't even mention to others, leaving Ha Seon-woo racking his brains. Just then, Lee Se-hun, having drunk about half his tea, finally spoke up.
"Well, don't worry too much about it. You're not officially my disciple yet, and it was just the elder speaking on her own."
"D-Do you really think so?"
"Of course. Ah, but it might be good to act the part in public settings. She might be watching."
"..."
Ha Seon-woo's expression shifted subtly at Lee Se-hun's words.
To put it plainly, it meant they could be casual when alone but had to maintain the master-disciple dynamic politely in front of others.
'Well, that's a relief at least...'
If he'd been told to treat him with formal respect even in private, it would have been truly agonizing. As Ha Seon-woo inwardly sighed in relief—
"Anyway, that's enough on that. Let's get to the main point."
"The main point..."
"You're here to investigate, right? Might as well wrap it up now that we're together."
Ha Seon-woo looked at him slightly surprised but quickly composed himself and nodded.
"Understood. I'll prepare then."
Straightening his posture, Ha Seon-woo pulled a recording device from his sub-space pocket, set it on the table, and turned to Lee Se-hun.
"First, please recount the events of the incident day in chronological order."
"Alright then..."
Lee Se-hun detailed the day of the Myriad Demons' Mire raid, and Ha Seon-woo listened intently without interruption.
Once the general explanation wrapped up, he began asking about the points that raised questions.
"You said you noticed something off about the sparring gear used by the insiders beforehand. How exactly did you spot it?"
According to the artisan invited by the Association, those tools had been perfectly disguised—impossible to distinguish with the naked eye.
Yet a first-year student, even the top of his department, had seen through it? It sounded suspicious no matter how he sliced it.
"It just looked weird, so I tested it a few times during sparring, and the feel was totally different. That's how I knew."
"That..."
Ha Seon-woo nearly asked if that even made sense but suddenly recalled the mass-produced sword aura gear Lee Se-hun had recently created.
A technique once deemed nearly impossible in the gear industry. If he was genius enough to develop that, maybe it wasn't so far-fetched.
"...Moving on. Why didn't you report that to Babel?"
"Since it was disguised as sparring gear, it meant they got it through insiders hiding in Babel. Seemed risky to act rashly, so I just kept watch."
"Hmm... I see."
In fact, a professor-turned-insider had emerged in this incident, so his judgment hadn't been wrong in the end.
"Did you notice any suspicious signs at the exhibition hall too and prepare in advance?"
"No. I dealt with it on the spot."
Two cadets had taken down Professor Charles, an A-rank hero veteran, seized the compromised facility, and subdued the resurrected S-rank beast, the Vermilion Bird.
And that was all immediate response?
It should have raised even more red flags, but for some reason, Ha Seon-woo found himself accepting it.
'With the skills he just showed... it's not impossible.'
Quick adaptation to new environments, observational acuity to perfectly predict actions, and the execution to counter flawlessly.
Talent and skill even the great-aunt, Origin Temple's Ha Baek-yeon, had acknowledged enough to take as a disciple. It was plenty plausible.
With that realization, Ha Seon-woo's doubts cleared up, leaving him refreshed yet oddly unsettled.
'It's all just talent and skill, huh...'
It sounded absurd yet convincing, stirring an indescribably strange feeling.
Wondering if he should really conclude the investigation like this, Ha Seon-woo pondered long before sighing inwardly.
"One final question. I heard you subdued the Flame Blade Hunters who attacked former Professor Kim In-cheol. Could you explain how?"
"I used gear infused with the Academy President's power to create an opening and took them down."
"..."
Gear bearing the Ascendant Emperor's power—enough to bridge any power gap. Ha Seon-woo stared blankly before nodding.
"Thank you for your cooperation."
The conclusion was so straightforward it made him feel foolish for suspecting some massive conspiracy tied to the Summit Climbers' secrets.
As a wave of relief and emptiness washed over him, leaving him with that indescribable mood while reaching for his tea—
"Now, onto the bet."
Lee Se-hun looked at Ha Seon-woo calmly.
"Ah, right. Have you thought of something?"
Curious what conditions this genius might demand. With his guard slightly down post-investigation, Ha Seon-woo met Lee Se-hun's slow response.
"For the rest of this conversation, answer not as Investigator Ha Seon-woo, but as Hero Ha Seon-woo."
"...Pardon?"
Caught off guard by the unexpected request, Ha Seon-woo blinked in confusion.
'Not as an investigator, but as a hero?'
What was his aim? As Ha Seon-woo puzzled over it, Lee Se-hun asked again.
"Can you do that?"
Would agreeing harm him? After a moment's thought, Ha Seon-woo nodded.
"Yes. I can."
He didn't know the details, but it wasn't hard. After moistening his throat with tea, Lee Se-hun continued at Ha Seon-woo's agreement.
"I think this incident will bring changes outside too. Rooting out those colluding with Myriad Demons' Mire, subduing the Ten Evils, that sort of thing."
"Mm. Probably."
It was a topic openly discussed externally, so Ha Seon-woo readily agreed. Then—
"Who do you think is the first of the Ten Evils that needs subduing?"
Lee Se-hun asked, eyes gleaming.
"..."
Ha Seon-woo's eyes widened at the question he'd brushed off lightly until now.
Employees affiliated with the Hero Association never answered such questions. A single careless word could leak intel or derail operations.
Especially for someone in the Special Task Force, handling the Association's real muscle and plans—it demanded utmost caution. Yet Lee Se-hun asked straight out.
'...I see. That's what he meant by answering as a hero, not an investigator.'
Speak freely, unbound by the organization, based purely on personal insight.
It was a play on words, but also a way to fully separate this from the investigation.
'I thought he was emotional and arrogant... maybe not.'
Tension returning, Ha Seon-woo gathered his thoughts and spoke deliberately.
"If I had to pick candidates, three. The Adjuster, expanding forces through illegal modifications. The Puppeteer, ambushing heroes, stealing gear, and turning it into automatons. And the Phantasm Demon, lord of the pleasure dens."
Individuals who could bolster not just personal might but Myriad Demons' Mire's collective power.
They topped the threat list even before the Ascendant Emperor attack.
"And among those three, I'd say the Phantasm Demon. One reason the Ten Evils have evaded capture so long is that monster."
Just as humanity traversed the world instantly via the gates the Ascendant Emperor created, Myriad Demons' Mire roamed globally through the Phantasm Demon's pleasure dens.
Cutting off those bases was the first step to subduing the Ten Evils.
"But... it's not easy."
The Phantasm Demon's pleasure dens had deep roots in the shadows, easy enough to locate with minimal digging.
Yet they'd failed to take down the Phantasm Demon due to the dens' nature, forged from illusory mana.
"It's said the Phantasm Demon wields Summit Climber-level power inside the pleasure dens. No one who's entered has returned alive, true or not."
"If Summit Climbers stepped in..."
"It would seal the entrance or sacrifice insiders to collapse the zone and escape."
Lee Se-hun pondered Ha Seon-woo's explanation.
'As expected... the situation's much like before.'
Even in his past life, those three topped the list: Puppeteer, Phantasm Demon, Adjuster—in that order of subjugation.
Unlike the Adjuster, the Puppeteer rarely used the pleasure dens and couldn't shake pursuit, leading to death.
'And the Phantasm Demon was taken down with Ice Dog's help.'
Ice Dog, practically the successor, made it possible—though not smoothly. The key was it was feasible now too.
'Problem is, trying it in my current state would just get me wrecked.'
To recreate the past setup, he'd need prep work like Ice Dog's.
And for that, neutralizing pleasure den connections was crucial.
'Good thing the big picture matches what I knew.'
Minor differences would crop up, but he could adapt on the fly.
Thoughts sorted, Lee Se-hun turned to Ha Seon-woo awaiting his next question.
"Then realistically, we should clean up the insiders before the Ten Evils."
"For now, yes."
Beings not just touching the shadows but allied with Myriad Demons' Mire. They had to be uprooted to prevent chaos.
Reading Ha Seon-woo's mind, Lee Se-hun continued slowly.
"This is purely hypothetical. Just if."
"..."
"How dangerous would a ruthless clan— one that treats its own blood as tools—be if colluding with Myriad Demons' Mire to develop gear for heroes?"
Ha Seon-woo's eyes widened at the question, then calmly settled, deeper than before.
"If true... extremely dangerous."
"Could I count on an investigator's help against such people?"
"With solid evidence."
Ha Seon-woo answered instantly, meeting Lee Se-hun's probing gaze.
"As much as needed."
A bond has been established with target 'Ha Seon-woo'.
Seeing the alert window, Lee Se-hun smiled satisfactorily and extended his hand.
"Looks like we'll be seeing a lot of each other."
The words carried layers of meaning. Ha Seon-woo hesitated, weighing if this was right, then gripped it firmly.
"I think so too."
Pouring rain—
A massive mansion on the outskirts of Munich, Germany.
Michael Valmut, a gaunt man with neatly combed-back blond hair, walking the corridor as rain pattered against the windows, furrowed his brow.
"Tch..."
The mansion's interior maintained optimal conditions via magic, unchanged as ever. Still, just seeing the downpour made him feel unpleasantly damp.
Idly adjusting his attire, Michael steadied his rattled mind and continued to the door.
"..."
The largest, most ornate door in the mansion.
Even in middle age, it loomed massively heavy. Michael steadied his breath before knocking cautiously.
"Family Head. It's Michael."
"Come in."
Granted entry, Michael carefully opened the door and stepped into the study.
Red carpet, lavish furniture and decorations—opulent yet weighty. His gaze immediately shifted to the room's master.
"..."
But all he saw was the chair's backrest.
Not even glancing his way despite his entrance, Michael felt a chill deep in his chest and spoke deferentially.
"What did you summon me for..."
"You tell me."
Throat tightening, Michael broke into cold sweat. Why had he been called?
Innumerable possibilities, but the Family Head's back-turned posture revealed the answer. Michael forced out the words.
"I believe it's to discuss my punishment for this incident."
"No need to say it twice."
Calmly affirming Michael's guess, Family Head Max Valmut continued.
"No complaints about the raid itself. The culprits were Myriad Demons' Mire and the Observers, after all. Their failure means either their incompetence or the Ascendant Emperor's excellence."
"..."
"But one thing I can't understand... why send Pierre like that?"
Faint anger laced the dry voice. Facing his father's—the Family Head's—wrath, Michael's eyes trembled as he dropped to his knees.
"Forgive me! Just this once—!"
Silence followed Michael's plea, then Max's voice emerged, somewhat calmer.
"Do you know the time, money, materials—and the family's power—invested in Pierre?"
"Y-Yes! I know full well."
"Yet you wasted it like that? You lack even the right to the Family Head's seat."
Michael's eyes bulged at Max's words, but protest was impossible.
The incident had weakened Babel's embedded Myriad Demons' Mire, Observers, and clients, diminishing their influence too.
His recent projects had all failed besides. Objecting now wouldn't save his position—it'd land him in the 'basement'.
'Lee Se-hun... that baseborn scum...'
The root of all this. Grinding his teeth at the hated face—
"Asking twice."
Startled by Max's flat mutter, he replied.
"Y-Yes! I have no right now!"
"...Fine."
Max sounded pitying as he turned the chair he'd kept facing away.
"From today, you're the next Family Head. Felix."
Michael whipped around in shock at Max's declaration.
Half his blond hair turned stark white. His shirt was wrinkled, buttons undone, reeking of booze everywhere.
Utterly vulgar. Michael's face twisted; the man, Felix, smirked.
"Handing me all this opportunity. Brother must've been real trash, huh, Father."
"No need for useless words."
Max cut him off sharply, addressing his two sons.
"The Observers say they'll observe for now. Freeze all related ops and prep other projects first."
"Other projects..."
"The Phantasm Demon's pushing 'Expansion' aggressively. Start deals there. Considering the coming tides, it won't hurt."
Michael's eyes widened at Max's words.
The Phantasm Demon's long-running 'Expansion' project.
Pushing it harder meant mobilizing the entire pleasure den network.
"Plenty of other clients, so don't lag—move aggressively. And."
Pausing, Max continued coldly.
"Find a way to deal with that Lee Se-hun punk."