#244. They Say the Waters in South America Are Good These Days.
“So you went along with Kang Moo-hyuk?”
Powel asked again, and Thomas nodded.
He had been separated from Kang Moo-hyuk’s group. He didn’t even have the qualifications to meet the guild master within Ithaca Guild, but Powel had summoned him separately to get a read on the situation.
“Yes. Just as I’ve explained, Jang Deok-gu the hunter saved my life when I was on the brink of death from those swarms of hornets. When my life savior asked me to introduce him to our guild, how could I refuse?”
“What right does a C-rank hunter have to speak up? He’s just a powerless grunt.”
“Of course not. But securing that right to speak isn’t my role. I’m just the guide. I can bring Kang Moo-hyuk’s group here, but whether the guild master meets them is up to her. I never expected she’d actually agree to it.”
Thomas’s words were perfectly consistent, without a single contradiction. In truth, he had only relayed Kang Moo-hyuk’s request to the higher-ups. The decision to meet had come from the guild master herself, Dolores.
There’s nothing suspicious in his circumstances. And that’s what bothers me most. I’ve never been able to read this guy’s thoughts, but that’s nothing new. But Kang Moo-hyuk requesting a meeting with the guild master... I can’t shake the feeling we’ve fallen for some scheme. It’s like he knew her tendencies and timed it perfectly.
If Dolores’s personal information had leaked, Thomas was the most likely suspect.
But as Powel himself had pointed out, Thomas was the lowest of the low in Ithaca Guild.
He had learned powerful magic, but in a world where rank was everything, C-rank barely scraped by without failing completely, keeping him far from any key positions. Naturally, he had no direct contact with the guild master.
People need frequent face-to-face interactions to learn someone’s likes and dislikes, but with no exchanges, the only info he could have on the guild master would be scattered rumors at best.
A guy who’s never met the guild master directly except maybe during initial recruitment couldn’t possibly know her tendencies inside out. Just coincidence? Or is Kang Moo-hyuk that capable?
Powel unconsciously ruled Thomas out as a suspect. It wasn’t incompetence or a mistake—it stemmed from looking down on him.
Watching the deeply thoughtful vice guild master, Thomas smirked inwardly.
In the guild, C-ranks aren’t even treated as proper hunters. You need at least B-rank before they start showing respect. Even promising prospects might catch the vice guild master’s eye, but a perennial C-rank like me? He doesn’t even register me. He’ll focus on Kang Moo-hyuk instead of suspecting my involvement.
That’s where the confusion would begin. Kang Moo-hyuk would judge Dolores’s tendencies based on the info Thomas provided and respond accordingly. Meanwhile, the other side knew nothing about them.
In Thomas’s view, that gap was enormous.
They’d never suspect I know far more about you all than they think. If I didn’t have this illness, I wouldn’t have believed someone like me existed either. If someone like Kang Moo-hyuk knows about this... it’s beyond prediction.
Mana addiction did that.
It let him instinctively grasp situations from people’s emotions, actions, speech—everything. Even if they tried to hide it, he saw through.
Though individual differences existed, mana addiction patients generally possessed an extrasensory intuition as a byproduct of the disease.
In severe cases, they couldn’t control the influx of info and senses, leading to mental breakdowns. It was a double-edged sword—powerful but risky if overused. Still, its effects were undeniable.
“For now, stand by at headquarters. I’ll call if I have more questions.”
* * *
Kang Moo-hyuk recalled Thomas’s single-word definition of the woman before him.
Nothingburger.
It was the nickname for Ithaca Guild’s master, Dolores Scott.
The term compared someone disappointing to a burger bun with nothing inside—like “all hat, no cattle” or in Korean terms, a hollow rice cake.
Of course, it’s not used that literally when describing her?
When applied to Dolores, nothingburger meant exactly that: a person empty inside.
No blood, no tears, no emotions.
Having shed all things human, she was called LA’s most ruthless hunter.
Even the current Ithaca Guild had been seized by her—through a bloodbath fitting her nickname—from a guild that wasn’t originally hers.
Rumors swirled that the death toll was enough to build a mid-tier guild from scratch.
Of course, some are immune to that notoriety.
Kang Moo-hyuk turned to Go Eul-ji, who was pretending to look at the ceiling.
“What did I do?”
“That hand trick in your pocket right now. What’s that?”
“Oh, this? Just recording a bit...”
The next instant, Dolores glared at Kang Moo-hyuk.
“Childish. You had one of my underlings outside my radar record our conversation? What do you want to hear that you’d pull this stunt?”
Kang Moo-hyuk met Go Eul-ji’s eyes. She looked away.
He let out a quiet sigh before speaking.
“Ithaca’s Scar Scott. Nothingburger. All your nicknames are on the ugly side. How am I supposed to trust you and talk? Obviously, I need evidence.”
“No one who’s tried to play me is still breathing. You know that and do this anyway?”
“Nah, come on. Plenty are alive and kicking.”
“Who?!”
“O.C.’s James Ulvert.”
“You dare mention that motherfucker’s bastard to my face. Got some balls.”
“He called you a bitch too.”
“You really wanna die?”
Before her words finished, Dolores’s fist flew toward Kang Moo-hyuk’s face. No—it was blocked just before impact.
Jang Deok-gu’s palm intercepted her fist.
The two stared daggers at each other, hands pressed together, hers trembling faintly.
A powder keg.
The next breath would signal the fight’s start.
“Once this crisis ends, Ulvert will hit Ithaca. If you want to hear the rest, sit down.”
Kang Moo-hyuk spoke without flinching, even after nearly losing his head moments ago.
Dolores would never back down under normal circumstances—pride wounded by her blocked attack—but the info Kang Moo-hyuk dropped was too critical to ignore.
Breathing heavily, she retracted her fist.
“Interesting talk. Keep going.”
With the opponent yielding a step, Jang Deok-gu eased his stance too.
As tensions settled, Kang Moo-hyuk continued.
“You know LA’s two major guilds have entered defense mode, right?”
“What’s that got to do with O.C.’s rabble?”
“Figured you knew. No need for long explanations. Then, Alexander Hamilton being at the Hunter Investigation Bureau branch? You know that too?”
“Hamilton? The White House one?”
“Yeah.”
Dolores struggled to hide her surprise.
North America’s top hunter policy chief showing up in LA out of nowhere?
Hamilton, the ex-spy whose every breath sparked suspicions of ulterior motives, had a terrible rep in hunter circles.
He wouldn’t come without reason.
“I’m not lying. Check if you want. But I won’t wait around for it.”
“Fine. Why’s he here?”
“Told you. At the Hunter Investigation Bureau.”
“So?”
“You’re not asking because you don’t know, are you? Or testing me? What do those bureau guys do? Catch bad hunters for a living.”
“So Hamilton’s targeting us now?”
“You admit you’re bad hunters?”
“Cut the word games.”
“Would Hamilton move without cards to play? O.C. probably egged him on to come to LA.”
Dolores felt her chest tighten.
In hunter affairs, Hamilton’s actions equaled White House decisions. She wanted to verify the situation, but with carnivorous hornets severing all comms, fast intel was impossible.
Ignorance left her at this man’s mercy.
“White House is moving. O.C. too. Gunpowder and Call My Name gonna sit it out? Chance to remove eyesores like them?”
“You think they’re idiots? Hit us without reason? They won’t rush in unless they’re ready to bleed too.”
“Really no reason at all? Heard your side’s business has been busy lately. Right?”
Dolores was speechless again.
How much does this guy know? Sniffed out the butter business? Did O.C. tip them off?
Kang Moo-hyuk stopped talking and stared her down openly. He recalled Ulvert’s shared intel.
Ithaca’s got dirt everywhere. They haven’t been caught yet, that’s all. One of our deputy’s recent cases involves hunter drug called butter. Suspect it’s them.
No hard evidence, just strong suspicion.
Kang Moo-hyuk didn’t care if Ithaca was behind it or not.
Guilty folks get twitchy feet. Fine when ahead, but when cornered, they ache everywhere like an old man in the rain.
Dolores couldn’t tell truth from lie. She clamped her mouth shut to avoid any slip-ups.
Kang Moo-hyuk gave her no time to brood.
“White House stepped in. Hamilton’s tight with East Coast guilds too—heavyweight no one touches lightly. He links with O.C., shows at LA Hunter Crime Bureau, recruits Gunpowder and Call My Name. All that’s left is hitting Ithaca.”
“Hmph! Now I see you’re full of shit. Listen, I know Gunpowder and Call My Name well. Fine if they hit me, but fight a hornet defense? They’re not that sacrificial. They want me gone for the bigger slice of pie, not justice.”
“Yeah, you’re right. Not the type for defense. But they are. Why? Solid gains? Who’d offer that?”
“...”
“All thanks to the carnivorous hornets. Got me all riled up alone.”
“What bullshit?”
“Heard the rumors? Came to sell rider wolves.”
“So?!”
“East Coast blocked us with the dragon horse deal. Then hornet swarms hit the city? Midterms are soon. Hamilton needs this solved. Otherwise, folks question the administration’s monster defense. Hits the ruling party’s votes. So Hamilton pulls me in to fix it—blocks East Coast interference. In return, I contact Gunpowder and Call My Name, offer rider wolves for their defense participation. But two guilds aren’t enough. East LA needs covering. Ithaca’s all that’s left. That’s why I’m here.”
“You want me to fight the defense?”
Kang Moo-hyuk nodded.
Dolores ground her teeth before speaking.
“What’s the price?”
“I’ll squash O.C.’s attack. Hamilton guarantees it. Shut down your business instead. Not a great one anyway? We call it even, part smiling. Happy ending.”
Dolores nearly fell for Kang Moo-hyuk’s proposal.
He definitely knows butter’s our gig?
Otherwise, no such confidence.
But she couldn’t just accept.
“Hey, that’s too much. Who are you to tell me to shut down my business?”
“Fight the government then. Be fun watching TV again. Mafia guild stamped on the news. LA crumbles, you’re the scapegoat. You take all blame, go wanted. Heard South America’s waters are nice lately. Criminals flock there. Want me to book a flight? First class special.”
“Fuck!”
Dolores’s slamming fist splintered the table.