Self-Destruction (6)
I stared at the items Chairman Jeon Nando had handed me, a faint sense of confusion settling in. A thick stack of papers and a small USB drive. No matter how hard I thought about it, I couldn’t figure out what they were for or why he was giving them to me.
The man sitting across from me cleared his throat quietly, his expression unusually cautious as he spoke.
“...Those are the DNA test results.”
DNA test results. Whose? And why was he suddenly giving them to me?
“...Why are you giving these to me?”
When I showed clear bewilderment at the unexpected contents, he fiddled with his lit cigar and continued slowly.
“...You remember Director Gong from the Association, don’t you?”
Director Gong. Gong Jemun. A first-generation hunter who had been with the Association for a long time and an old acquaintance of Chairman Jeon Nando. As someone who had also spent many years in the Association, there was no way I wouldn’t know him. But why was he bringing him up now?
“...Did something happen to him?”
Jeon Nando brought the cigar to his lips, his face tinged with bitterness as he answered bluntly.
“He’s dead.”
Sip—
With a clouded gaze, Jeon Nando exhaled smoke mixed with a sigh and continued.
“Hoo…. The cause of death was listed as robbery. There were no signs of significant resistance. Time of death was….”
The Toyland incident. Just a few days ago.
As I listened to Jeon Nando, I quickly understood what he was implying. Even though he was getting on in years, Gong Jemun had been as skilled as any veteran hunter. The fact that he had died without leaving a single trace was suspicious no matter how you looked at it. And the fact that he specifically mentioned the Toyland incident suggested it was connected to that event….
“Was he a spy for the Gujae Church?”
Jeon Nando glanced at me, then pulled the cigar from his mouth and said,
“...How could we possibly know the heart of a dead man?”
The way he avoided saying it outright told me that, under the circumstances, he was indeed a spy. The stack of papers and USB in front of me were probably the evidence.
Jeon Nando picked up the glass of liquor on the table, took a small sip to wet his lips, and continued with the rest of the story.
He said that during the investigation of the terrorists who had invaded the Academy, unidentified hair had been found on their bodies. They had apparently hollowed out a tooth and hidden it inside… a truly cult-like idea. The Association suspected that the owner of that hair was a high-ranking Gujae Church official known as the ‘Lady,’ and that there seemed to be some connection between that ‘Lady’ and Gong Jemun.
And the evidence of that connection was….
“The DNA test results.”
As expected, it was the stack of papers sitting in front of me.
I immediately reached out and opened the bundle of documents.
“....”
A quick scan confirmed it was exactly as Jeon Nando had said—someone’s DNA analysis. But….
[Gong Jemun]
[Gong Haeseon]
The DNA results listed not the ‘Lady,’ but Gong Haeseon’s name. Even though they shared the same family name, the combination was so unexpected that it felt absurd.
“...What is this?”
I looked up from the documents and glanced at Jeon Nando. He put the cigar back in his mouth and answered.
“We ran the ‘Lady’s’ DNA against every database we could access. Only one person in the entire country matched. That person is the girl named Gong Haeseon. When we compared her DNA with Director Gong’s, the results indicated a high probability of a paternal relative.”
...What?
My head suddenly felt tangled.
“Wait, isn’t it illegal to just casually use someone’s genetic information like that?”
“...I only made use of it. How would I know what the state is doing?”
At a loss for words, I took a small sip of the now-cold tea to moisten my throat and slowly organized the situation in my mind.
Let’s think this through….
First, there was an unidentified high-ranking Gujae Church official known as the ‘Lady.’
After tracing her DNA, they found that Gong Haeseon’s genetic profile was nearly identical.
Then, Director Gong suddenly turned up dead, revealing his connection to the Gujae Church, and the results showed a high likelihood that Gong Haeseon and Director Gong were paternal relatives.
In other words, Gong Haeseon was either deeply involved with the Gujae Church or possibly the ‘Lady’ herself.
Jeon Nando probably wanted me to use my close relationship with Gong Haeseon to dig into the cult’s affairs.
Just to be sure, I tested the waters.
“...So what exactly do you want from me?”
He stared at me quietly for a moment, then exhaled a puff of cigar smoke and spoke in a low voice.
“...Are you really asking because you don’t know?”
When I gave him a steady look, he eventually clicked his tongue as if he had no choice and continued.
“...From what I’ve gathered, you and that girl Gong Haeseon seem to be quite close…. I need you to look into her background. I’ll make sure the compensation is more than fair.”
Just as I had expected, he was asking me to use my friendship with Gong Haeseon to extract information.
But… did I really need to accept this?
If he had investigated my relationship with Gong Haeseon, he probably already had a rough idea of our current situation. That must be why he had told me to come alone without telling my wife.
It was true that Gong Haeseon had been bothering me lately, but I had no intention of approaching her while hiding it from my wife. There should be no secrets between husband and wife. I didn’t want to do anything I couldn’t be proud of in front of her.
Besides, the so-called compensation would probably just be money or expensive materials. The money my wife and I had already earned was more than enough. This proposal held no appeal for me, and there was certainly no reason to take on the risk of hiding something from my wife.
“...I don’t think I can do it.”
Jeon Nando made a tired face as if he had expected this answer.
“...What’s the problem?”
“It’s wrong to deceive my wife, and I don’t want to drag that poor girl into this.”
At the very least, since Gong Haeseon’s DNA didn’t perfectly match the ‘Lady’s,’ it was clear she wasn’t the person herself…. The real issue was the possibility that she might still be connected to the Gujae Church.
Not long ago, Gong Haeseon had helped me fight against the Gujae Church members. She hadn’t shown any signs of going easy on them, and the cultists hadn’t hesitated to attack her either. Wasn’t that strange?
The Gong Haeseon I knew wasn’t the kind of person who could harm her comrades. That was something I could say with confidence after working with hunters of all different personalities over the years.
In other words, there was a high chance that Gong Haeseon knew nothing about the Gujae Church. So what was the point of dragging her into this?
I told Jeon Nando about how I had found Gong Haeseon abandoned and alone, explaining that she didn’t seem to have any direct connection to the cult. However….
“...I don’t doubt your judgment, but we have zero information on the Gujae Church right now. You’re the only one I can rely on at the moment.”
Jeon Nando tried to persuade me once more.
I already had my hands full just raising my daughter. I had no desire to take on extra work, so I casually suggested he handle it himself.
“Doesn’t the Association have its own intelligence department?”
Jeon Nando let out a low groan, his voice heavy with distress.
“...The Association is in no position to move freely right now.”
The Association couldn’t move freely? What did that mean?
“What do you mean?”
“Well….”
Jeon Nando explained that the spy, Director Gong Jemun, seemed to have planted agents throughout the Association. After discovering his true identity, they had tried to root out the spies within the organization, but… there were no obvious suspects, and because Gong Jemun had worked there for so long, they had no idea where to even begin their investigation.
“...That’s why we need outside help. If even Director Gong was one of them, who can I trust to handle this?”
Hearing it put that way, I could understand Jeon Nando’s difficult position. Whether Gong Haeseon was truly part of the Gujae Church or not, the fact that she was connected meant they had to grasp at any straw they could find. And right now, I was the only person he could trust to approach her.
“...Just help me this once. If Yeonhee finds out, I’ll take full responsibility.”
Seeing how desperate Jeon Nando looked, I began to waver.
No matter what our relationship was like, to Soyeon he was practically a grandfather, and to my wife, he was like a father. He had cleaned up after my wife’s many accidents over the years, and I owed him in more ways than one. Helping him just this once was only right.
Most importantly, the Association needed to remain strong so that Soyeon could live comfortably no matter what path she chose in the future. Having connections to both the Academy Chairman and a high-ranking Association official was not something to take lightly.
After thinking long and hard, I considered what kind of compensation would make this risk worth taking.
And then….
“...Then how about this?”
After much deliberation, I finally found an answer.
Jeon Nando, who had been nervously fiddling with his burned-out cigar, took a sip of his drink and met my eyes. It was as if he was telling me to name any condition I wanted.
“Please issue me and Soyeon official Gate access permits and formal hunter ranks.”
What I wanted was official qualification to enter Gates and formal hunter ranks—the basic requirements to work as a proper hunter.
Until now, I hadn’t placed much importance on growth because of Soyeon’s situation. But now that my wife had returned and our relationship was very good, it was time to start doing what I truly needed to do.
What was my ultimate goal? To make Soyeon the strongest.
To achieve that, she needed steady, step-by-step growth and the experience that came with it. However, the Academy’s curriculum, which focused on education and training, made it difficult to gain real experience. Waiting for the temporary rank she would receive later was also extremely inefficient.
But if we had the Association’s support, my wife’s guidance, and my assistance?
Soyeon would be able to grow rapidly.
Of course, in my heart, I wanted to quit this dangerous hunter life and let Soyeon live doing whatever she truly wanted. But to do what you want, the world first needs to be safe, doesn’t it?
If I worked a little harder and endured a little more hardship, Soyeon would be able to grow up safely.
“Hmm….”
Jeon Nando pondered my suggestion for a moment before speaking, as if he had made up his mind.
“...You don’t need anything else?”
It seemed he was willing to accept. With a faint smile, I laid out my conditions.
First. Grant official authority to both me and Soyeon.
Second. Allow us access to the Association’s treasury.
Third. Provide full backup whenever necessary.
“This should be enough.”
To be honest, aside from the formal authority, there wasn’t much else I needed from the Association. With the ‘Sword Empress’ standing behind me, what could possibly be lacking? Even though my wife had retired three years ago, that title had not faded.
Still, she had already suffered enough. It would be good for her to teach students at the Academy and enjoy a more comfortable life. Relying on her constantly wouldn’t be right either.
And above all, if I didn’t receive at least this much, how could I face my wife with a clear conscience? There are no secrets that can be kept forever. Eventually, everything comes to light.
“...Very well. I accept your terms.”
And so, Jeon Nando agreed to my conditions.
By the time evening came, while Chairman Jeon Nando and I were still engaged in an intense discussion about Gong Haeseon….
“...Why isn’t he coming?”
Min Soyeon, who had been chatting with her friends, glanced at her still-silent phone and began to feel anxious. Yu Jihwan had definitely said he would contact her, but even though it was already evening, there was still no word.
In her nervousness, she unconsciously began biting her nails. Then a short, dark thought flashed through her mind.
...He’s not staying out all night, is he?
And at that exact moment….
Crack—
The tip of Min Soyeon’s fingernail broke clean off.