Interlude – Lee Neon of the General Management Team’s Founding Family

The night Neon’s revenge ended.

Starting with the 8th, 29th, and 44th Districts, a large-scale cleanup of the slums that couldn’t be touched carelessly began.

The slum cleanup plan that Yeon-ah had been preparing for a long time with the Defense Team and Punishment Team.

Originally, it was planned to start about 2 weeks later, but with Neon going to take revenge this time, Yeon-ah wanted to handle it to match the timing.

From the moment she heard about the revenge conversation I had with Neon, Yeon-ah had already talked with the leaders of the Defense Team and Punishment Team, and quickly modified the plan.

Although the period was brought forward by 2 weeks, she modified the plan without any gaps to ensure there were no problems.

And as a result, on the night Neon came out after taking her revenge.

Under the orders of Yeon-ah, Seo-hyun, and the Defense Team leader, the slums were quickly being cleaned up.

As it was a time when many people were asleep, the cleanup led by the three Major Powers proceeded quietly.

What I could see that night, after receiving a tip from Yeon-ah in advance and going out to the terrace, were plant stems covering the slums like a huge dome.

The plant stems, which were probably from the Defense Team, were tightly wrapped around the slums like flower buds before blooming, and there wasn’t even a small gap between the tangled plant stems, as if no one should know what was happening inside.

Although the slums had been eating away at the city from within the shadow of the defense city for decades, it only took a few hours for them to disappear.

Of course, just because you remove the trash can doesn’t mean the trash completely disappears.

However, there would be no objection that those few hours of cleanup made the defense city much cleaner.

Watching the scene of the city that had become a little better for ordinary humans to live in, I looked at the cleanup continuing from night until dawn ended from the terrace, and at the end, I greeted the rising morning sun with open eyes.

And now, a day after Neon’s revenge ended.

…

……

………

“What’s wrong with that name?”

“No, it’s clearly strange no matter how you look at it!”

“Haah…”

I let out a deep sigh at the sight of Yeon-ah and Neon having a conversation in front of me.

---

“From today, we’ve decided to take Neon in as our family’s adopted daughter.”

“Yeah, that’s what happened.”

“…Oh?”

When I was resting in my room after returning from the terrace where the slum cleanup had ended.

I let out a short exclamation at the two who suddenly came to my residential floor and said that.

Yeon-ah’s radical statement that they had decided to take Neon in as an adopted daughter.

When I asked for more details on what had happened, Yeon-ah showed me her device and answered.

“When I showed Neon’s story to my parents who are currently preparing to return to Korea, both of them said to take her in as an adopted daughter.”

“So you decided to take her in as an adopted daughter right away?”

“Yes, I also thought it would be better to take her in as an adopted daughter to support Neon, who will be going to school from now on, even more than before.”

“Hmm, that’s certainly true.”

Indeed, as Yeon-ah said, if Neon entered Yeon-ah’s family as an adopted daughter, there would be a justification of ‘family’ between the two.

A justification to look after her more than necessary no matter what she does.

Therefore, as I nodded my head after hearing that truly reasonable judgment, Yeon-ah took out a few sheets of paper from her bosom as if there were still matters to convey, and began to open her mouth while looking alternately at me and Neon.

“Then, regarding the school Neon will be entering from now on…”

“Ah, right. You said you had already found a school for this kid, right? What kind of school is it?”

“That’s right, I haven’t heard about that either.”

Although Yeon-ah had told me the day before yesterday that she had found a school, neither I nor Neon had heard the details about that school yet.

So when Neon and I urged Yeon-ah to speak, Yeon-ah put down one of the papers she was holding in front of us and gave an answer.

“The school Neon will be attending from next week is ‘Gaeam Hunter Training High School’ located in the 14th District. It’s a high school for students with abilities that trains professional hunters.”

“…Well, that’s a school that sounds unpleasant just from hearing the name.”

And as soon as I heard the name of the high school Yeon-ah told us, I couldn’t help but frown.

I don’t know who named it, but why on earth did they choose such a name for a high school?

“What? Why?”

“…Perhaps the hazelnut tree story really was a folk tale related to goblins?”

At my reaction, Neon turned to look at me with a questioning expression, and Yeon-ah, who knew well about goblins, spoke of the folk tale she knew while looking at me with an expression that seemed to say “Could it be true?”

As if asking if such a thing really happened, Yeon-ah’s expression was full of curiosity.

And after mumbling for a moment, I let out a sigh of resignation and nodded slightly.

“A long time ago, some idiot heard the sound of hazelnuts cracking and made a huge fuss while running away from humans. Because of that, one of the few stories humans use to tease goblins was created.”

“So it wasn’t a fabricated story but something that really happened…? Th-then should we change Neon’s high school to somewhere else? It’s still possible if we do it now…”

“No, it’s fine. It’s not something to worry about that much anyway.”

When I made a face showing I wasn’t very pleased, Yeon-ah carefully asked me if we should change schools, but I shook my head at those words.

Is there any need to do such a troublesome thing just because of one story from the past?

Moreover, if it’s a high school chosen by Yeon-ah, it must be an excellent high school that meets all reasonable conditions.

The 3 years Neon will be educated from now on were more important than my momentary feelings, so we couldn’t change high schools.

“Ahem, then I’ll tell you about a few things that have changed as we take Neon in as an adopted daughter.”

And after briefly explaining about the school like that, Yeon-ah continued speaking while showing us the rest of the papers.

Various types of documents created as Neon entered as an adopted daughter.

However, if there was one problem.

“First, as she’s entered our family as an adopted daughter, Neon’s surname will be Lee, so ‘Lee Neon’…”

“What? No, wait a minute!”

It seems that Neon’s new name, which came out as the first start, was problematic for her in many ways.

Neon interrupted Yeon-ah’s words and shouted at her name being changed to the subtle ‘Lee Neon’.

“What kind of person’s name is Lee Neon?! Why Lee Neon of all things, instead of completely changing my name?”

“What’s wrong with that name?”

“No, it’s clearly strange no matter how you look at it!”

Just attaching a Korean surname to her original name that had a strong foreign feel.

Neon was indignant at her name that was created in such a patched-up way.

Honestly, it didn’t sound very ordinary to me either, but Yeon-ah tilted her head as if asking what was wrong with it and said:

“I don’t think it’s strange at all? I’ve already changed it to that name and sent it to the school.”

“Hey, you crazy human!!!”

“…Is it really strange?”

“How twisted is your sense of naming?!”

Neon shouted in shock at Yeon-ah’s words that she had already sent the name Lee Neon to the school she would be attending.

Yeon-ah asked Neon back with pure doubt, as if she really thought there was no problem with that name, and I turned away for a moment at their argument.

“The one who named it and the one who will use it should decide for themselves.”

『Isn’t that too irresponsible?』

“Honestly, if I step in, it will be decided with just one word from me, so isn’t it better for them to decide among themselves?”

『That’s true, but…』

It’s true that I felt pricked by Hwa-gon’s words saying it was irresponsible, but it was also true that I had nothing particular to say.

After all, the moment I took either side, it was obvious that the name would be decided that way.

Rather than that, it would be a rational choice for the two with one opinion each to decide through conversation.

Therefore, I chose to ignore the situation for a while until a decision was made, and how long had it been since I zoned out for observation?

Beep—

“Hm?”

At my device that suddenly started ringing, I picked up the device that had been face down.

When I checked the caller, it was none other than Lee Baek-jin.

I let out a questioning sound for a moment at the call from the eldest son I had barely met a few times, but soon answered the call and brought it to my ear.

“Hello?”

[Ah, Ancestor. This is Lee Baek-jin. I’m sorry, but since Sister Yeon-ah isn’t answering her phone, I called you directly. Is that alright?]

“Well, didn’t I say it’s okay to call me if there’s something? So what’s the matter?”

Baek-jin, who greeted politely and started the conversation.

To that, I immediately turned the conversation to the main point and asked him, and to my question, Baek-jin concisely explained the situation to me.

[I met Ahn Seo-hyun, the leader of the Punishment Team, who said she came to see you on my way back from a short business trip. If you allow it, I’ll bring her up.]

“That kid said she came to see me? Well… Alright. Send her up.”

[Understood.]

Eventually, after a few seconds of silence, the call ended.

And I let out a nasal sound as I recalled Seo-hyun, whom I had just heard was coming to see me.

“Why did she say she wanted to meet me?”

I immediately gave permission since there was the matter from the hunter exam, and Seo-hyun was helping the General Management Team in many ways as the leader of the Punishment Team, but I couldn’t think of a reason why she would specifically want to see me.

After all, if she was coming to meet personally, it would be to meet ‘Shin-yeon, the ancestor of the General Management Team’, not ‘Shin-yeon, the A-rank 1st hunter’.

No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t guess why Seo-hyun said she wanted to meet me.

『Well, won’t you find out when she comes up?』

“That’s true. It’s not like she’s coming to kill me, so there’s no need to think too deeply about it, right?”

However, after briefly trying to guess Seo-hyun’s purpose, I threw away unnecessary thoughts and lay down on the bed at Hwa-gon’s words that came to my mind.

If it’s something good, she’s coming for a good reason, so how could she be coming to meet me directly for a bad reason?

As my head felt lighter after throwing away my worries, I waited for Seo-hyun to come up while inwardly making one more wish.

“Taking the surname of the General Management Team’s founding family is something to be proud of enough!”

“That’s why I’m saying I don’t want it!!!”

‘…Sigh.’

For their argument to end quickly.