Rogue Suspicion Cleared
“What’s this about?”
“Just follow me.”
Seol-hee’s demeanor was markedly different from last time.
She led the way into the tent used by the Association staff. As a result, the staff member inside was promptly kicked out.
Once Hyun-seong entered, Yun-seo, who had come with Seol-hee, stood guard at the tent entrance.
Now it was just the two of them face-to-face.
Hyun-seong asked calmly,
“What do you want to say?”
Seol-hee, who had been facing away, drew the sword from her waist and pointed it at Hyun-seong’s throat.
“What’s your real identity?”
The atmosphere froze in an instant.
It wasn’t just words—the temperature plummeted, and a chilling aura filled the air.
It had to be her ability.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Hyun-seong stood there with a genuinely baffled expression.
Seol-hee’s reaction sharpened even more.
“Anyone can see something’s off. A guy who was lying in a hospital bed just days ago beats a B-rank hunter, crafts Unique-grade gear, and shrugs off my powers like it’s nothing.”
Seol-hee was fully unleashing her presence with her ability, pressuring him to confess.
But Hyun-seong stood unfazed.
It only made her more suspicious.
“Someone’s been tailing me lately. Was it you guys?”
Hyun-seong responded as if it didn’t faze him in the slightest.
Crackle.
The surrounding air froze solid.
Ice crystals formed and melted in real time.
“If you knew that much, then you’ve said it all. What’s your connection to the rogues?”
At the word “rogues” from her lips, Hyun-seong finally seemed to understand.
“So you’ve been suspecting me of being a rogue?”
“Yeah. There’s no other way to explain your abilities.”
Seol-hee pressed closer, as if ready to slit his throat any second.
But—
Shiiing!
Hyun-seong slowly pushed her sword away.
Her blade fell away surprisingly easily.
“If you were sure, you wouldn’t have asked—you’d have just swung.”
Of course, I wouldn’t have let you.
“I can promise you this: I have zero connection to rogues. If you still doubt me, check my hospital records. I really woke up after ten years.”
“……But how do you explain your abilities? How can a class with that level of crafting be that strong?”
“Beats me. Maybe it’s compensation for lying comatose for ten years.”
Her pupils trembled wildly at his words.
Maybe she was inwardly relieved.
“But seriously, you too—you’re something else. How could you suspect your own friend? You know what kind of guy I am.”
Hyun-seong voiced his hurt feelings, and Seol-hee gritted her teeth before replying.
“Because you’re my friend……”
And now it was time to tell the truth, he figured.
“We always hung out as a trio, remember? Including Tae-hyun.”
Seol-hee’s eyes looked sad for some reason.
“Tae-hyun?”
Hyun-seong tilted his head, wondering if he’d had a friend like that.
Then a vague memory surfaced.
I don’t remember his face, but yeah… there was a guy like that. And we were pretty close.
“What about him?”
“He was a hunter too.”
Her use of past tense tipped Hyun-seong off.
“He’s a rogue now, isn’t he?”
“An S-rank one, at that. The worst kind.”
“Is that why you’re so obsessed with rogues?”
She nodded gravely.
“A friend’s mistake is my mistake too.”
Her sense of responsibility made her seem pitiful to Hyun-seong.
He blurted it out without much thought.
“I’ll help you.”
“Huh?”
“Like you said—a friend’s mistake is mine too.”
“Ha, I must be crazy for doubting you.”
Pretending otherwise, she wrinkled her nose, her eyes reddening.
“Don’t cry. We’re thirty now. Too old for that.”
Of course, he wasn’t about to give her the chance.
Regaining her spark, Seol-hee snapped,
“Shut up, you gorilla bastard! I’ll chop you!”
“Try it if you can.”
Provoking her without even using a taunt skill, Hyun-seong stepped out of the tent.
“That jerk……”
Seol-hee murmured softly, watching where he’d gone.
“Hasn’t changed a bit.”
Having verified Hyun-seong, Seol-hee finally left after telling him to contact her anytime he needed anything.
With both Hyun-seong and Hyun-ji done with their business, they were heading home by car.
“What was that about in the tent earlier?”
“Oh, she seemed pretty stressed. Wanted to confirm I was a real friend.”
“Real friend? What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It’s a thing.”
“Well, someone like Hunter Seol-hee probably lacks for nothing, but that kind of position can feel lonely sometimes. She’s not married yet—maybe she actually likes you, oppa?”
Hyun-seong shot her a pitiful look as she spun her wild delusions.
“Why? Friends sometimes turn into that, right? Hunter Seol-hee’s got the looks, great personality, top specs. I’m all for new sis-in-law.”
“That’s why you’re forever alone.”
He scolded her sharply.
“Hey! It’s all because of you I never had time to date! Trying to pay your hospital bills!”
He’d apparently hit her berserk button.
“Yeah, yeah, you worked hard. Now go find a good guy and date. I’ll cheer you on.”
Teasing her, Hyun-ji’s face flushed red.
“Ugh, I’ll walk from here!”
As she slowed the car,
“Okay, okay, I won’t tease anymore.”
She quickly cooled off and focused on driving again.
After thirty minutes, they arrived at the Hunter Market and swiftly sold off the byproducts.
Emptying bags stuffed from the D-rank dungeon netted them a clean 9 million won straight to the account.
Now the balance exceeded 100 million.
“We can pay off the debt and still have plenty left!”
Hyun-ji hopped like a rabbit in joy.
“For real? Let’s pay it now. Probably about 75 million principal left.”
She’d been diligently paying it down, so she knew the details.
Hyun-seong wanted to settle the principal right away too, but—
“First, let’s get you a sword.”
“Oh yeah, it broke today.”
She’d forgotten amid the repayment excitement.
“No helping it. Half’s a loan, half’s private debt anyway. Let’s clear the private debt first.”
They headed straight to the floor stocked with decent gear.
“Guild master, so he really wasn’t a rogue after all?”
Yun-seo asked in the car back to the guild with Seol-hee.
“Team Leader Im—no, Yun-seo.”
“Yes.”
“Hyun-seong’s my friend.”
Seol-hee’s cheeks flushed unusually.
“I knew it? I sensed it when you started paying him extra attention.”
“Did I?”
“But we still don’t have solid proof he’s not a rogue……”
“Know what he told me? He’d help me. Isn’t that hilarious? Who talks that boldly in front of an S-rank unless they’re something special?”
Yun-seo pondered before continuing.
“An S-rank rogue……”
“Why so narrow-minded? Hyun-seong’s different. Always has been. Know why I call him gorilla?”
“No clue.”
“He charges headfirst at injustice.”
“A trait I see often in someone I know well.”
Seol-hee burst out laughing at Yun-seo’s subtle self-reference.
“Hahaha! Exactly.”
“If you like him that much, why not recruit him to the guild?”
“To the guild?”
Yun-seo eyed her expectantly, but Seol-hee shook her head.
“He won’t join.”
She knew him better than anyone—not the type to join anywhere.
“Still, his abilities would help the guild, and with a huge signing bonus……”
“Nah. This distance is perfect for him. Oh, and don’t worry about him joining another guild.”
Yun-seo always thought of the guild’s benefit first.
“Understood.”
The conversation was wrapping up when Seol-hee’s phone buzzed wildly.
“What’s up?”
Recognizing it was from a guild staffer, she answered.
Her expression darkened quickly.
“White Magnolia?”
Yun-seo’s face grew serious as she drove.
“Got it. Focus on assessing the situation.”
Hanging up, Seol-hee told Yun-seo,
“Step on it to the guild.”
Recognizing the gravity, Yun-seo unleashed her honed skills, accelerating.
Vroooom!
True to S-rank, the car was S-rank too—the road cleared like the Red Sea.
White Magnolia Guild Master Ryu Jin-yong had called a press conference and dropped a bombshell, sending the Hunters app into chaos.
Ryu Jin-yong, watching the heated Hunters app, couldn’t suppress a leaking grin as he read the last comment.
-Silver Eagle’s image is fucked this time.
Successfully turning public opinion against Silver Eagle, he set his phone down and examined the spread photo.
It showed Hyun-seong and Seol-hee talking in front of a dungeon gate.
Then—
Shwick!
His shadow-like subordinate appeared.
“Silver Eagle guild master has arrived at her guild.”
“Got it. Go.”
Dismissing him, Ryu Jin-yong stood and glared through the office’s full window at the rival building directly across.
A structure marked with a soaring silver eagle.
How will you play this, Snow Woman?
Hands behind his back, as if ready for anything, he smirked imagining crushing Silver Eagle and soaring higher.
At the Hunter Market, Hyun-seong snagged a decent sword for 20 million won.
It resembled Hyun-ji’s old one, made partly from dungeon byproducts, with solid forging.
Hyun-ji already treasured it.
Ignoring that, they headed to repay the private debt from their mother’s loan, using the rest of the money.
The car pulled up to a rundown building rare even in Seoul.
Many floors vacant, no elevator—stairs it was.
Hyun-seong carried a bag with a whopping 40 million won.
Hyun-ji, tense for some reason, gulped and stuck right behind him up the stairs.
Third floor: a glass door for ‘Infinite Capital,’ plastered with incomprehensible phone numbers.
Mentions of “such-and-such deals” boasted their loan sharking—definitely the spot.
Ding-a-ling!
No need to return anyway.
Hyun-seong entered briskly.
Cigarette stench wrinkled his nose.
A thug-faced man greeted him.
“What do you want?”
Casual speech right away—not great service.
“Here to pay a debt.”
“Ha, name.”
“Under Kim Yun-suk.”
“Oh, that bitch. Pretty lucrative. Where’d you scrape the cash……?”
“None of your business. 40 million, right?”
Hyun-seong wanted to drop the bag and bounce.
“Hey, fuck, you think it’s that simple? Look at the overdue interest.”
Face twisted to max, Hyun-seong stared him down dead-on.
“Spit it out, then.”