Episode 177. Investigation Scene (2)

“Wow, your name as a genius mage really suits you.”

“Ahaha….”

“And thank you so much for the other day’s party. Back then….”

‘What is this…?’

I was flustered by Park Min-gyu’s sudden appearance, but surprisingly, the conversation flowed well.

Park Min-gyu was really good at acting.

He had the impression of a kind old man, a smile that put people at ease, and spoke in a suitable tone, considering the other person.

Well, you need this level of social skills to be involved in dirty business behind the scenes.

If I hadn’t known his dirty intentions, I would have been completely fooled.

I could have politely refused the conversation, but I was curious about what he would say, so I kept talking.

“Speaking of which, what were you talking about with Min Yeji just now?”

And then, the main point came out of his mouth.

“Ah, thankfully, she offered me a guild membership.”

“Oh… So from now on, we can see you as Lee Hoyeon of the Ironblood Guild.”

Park Min-gyu clapped his hands as if genuinely congratulating me, a warm smile on his face.

“No. I’m sorry, but I declined.”

“That’s unexpected. Did the terms not suit you? Did you quote too low a contract fee because you’re a cadet? Cadet Lee Hoyeon is already at the level of an active hunter.”

“It wasn’t about that… I just wasn’t really thinking about joining a guild.”

“Ah. Well, since Cadet Min Yeji is a woman, it might have been difficult for Hoyeon-ssi to offer terms that suited her.”

“…What?”

“In the actual hunter industry, there’s a lot more you can offer besides money or artifacts. Especially to male hunters… like women?”

After saying that, Park Min-gyu glanced at me subtly.

He maintained his warm smile, but my eyes couldn’t be fooled.

And when I didn’t react much, he immediately put on an apologetic face, as if realizing his mistake.

“Ah, I’m sorry. This kind of talk isn’t pleasant, is it? I apologize if I was rude. I just wanted to tell you about the reality of the hunter industry.”

‘Look at this crazy bastard acting.’

I’m only 20 years old, just became an adult.

It’s not easy for a man in his 40s to bow and apologize like that.

Park Min-gyu is going to such lengths to deceive me.

‘Woman… woman. Wait a minute, could it be…?’

If it’s a woman from the Buyer Guild… there’s only one person that comes to mind.

I looked around.

I knew there was no one around, but I did it to give Park Min-gyu a reaction.

“No… that kind of talk isn’t bad either.”

As much as possible, I pulled up the corners of my mouth, trying to put on a sleazy smile.

It’s something I can do since no one else is here.

“Haha… Well, Cadet Lee Hoyeon is a man too. There’s no man who dislikes that kind of talk.”

Park Min-gyu took something out of his pocket.

It was a contract.

“The famous first-year cadet, Nam Daeun. You know her too, Cadet Lee Hoyeon? She signed a lifelong contract with the Buyer Guild. And… she actually made a secret contract with me. To put it simply, like a sponsor.”

Hearing the word ‘sponsor’ sent shivers down my spine.

Holding Nam Daeun’s sister hostage and calling it a sponsorship.

Anyone who heard that would think Nam Daeun became a prostitute willingly.

Is that something you do to a girl who’s like your own daughter?

“Let’s be honest for a moment. If you come to the Buyer Guild… I’ll let you do whatever you want with Nam Daeun. Including her sister. This is a picture of Daeun’s sister, she’s very pretty, and in the future….”

“Stop. Just a moment.”

Park Min-gyu even took out Nam Dahee’s photo from his pocket and showed it to me.

He must have thought he’d really caught me.

But I couldn’t listen anymore.

Nausea was rising from my stomach.

“What? Cadet Lee Hoyeon?”

“Something urgent came up. Let’s continue this conversation later.”

“No. It’ll be quick….”

Park Min-gyu continued talking behind me, but I ignored him and left the party hall.

‘Accelerate’

I even used magic to get away as quickly as possible, but my heart pounded for a moment.

“…Ah, I can’t use mana.”

The recoil from trying to generate mana sent a throbbing pain through my whole body.

I wanted to escape so badly that I momentarily forgot I was injured.

“I left without even saying goodbye to Noona.”

I should have said goodbye to Moon Surin.

But if I went back and ran into Park Min-gyu again, I don’t think I could control my anger.

It was to the point where even [Clear Mental Fortitude] couldn’t cover it.

To be precise, I could suppress the anger, but I couldn’t act naturally without showing it.

‘Still, it wasn’t a complete waste.’

Park Min-gyu doesn’t know yet that Nam Dahee is gone.

He probably thinks Nam Daeun just went back to the academy.

If that’s the case… it’s not bad.

It’s fortunate that I gained something even while having that nauseating conversation.

Before leaving, I left Moon Surin a suitable excuse message.

• Me: Noona. My hospital leave time is up, so I’m heading back first. See you next time.

I watched my smartwatch for a moment, but she didn’t reply right away, probably busy with the investigation.

I left the party hall as I was.

*

“Unnieee!”

“Mhm, mhm. Come here.”

Since I spent so much time at the party, the timing was awkward to meet anyone.

So, before heading back to the hospital, I stopped by the dormitory.

It was to check on Liliana and Nam Daeun’s condition.

It felt strange having five people in the dormitory.

Scarlet, Liliana, and I were watching Nam Dahee and Nam Daeun play.

The sisters, Nam Dahee clinging to her Unnie and Nam Daeun smiling and accepting her sister, seemed close.

It was even better because they both looked genuinely happy.

Nam Dahee, despite being a middle schooler, clung to us like a child.

It’s probably because she didn’t receive much love.

Nam Daeun knew that too, so she took good care of Nam Dahee.

“Dahee is bright, which is nice. Right, Scarlet?”

“That’s correct. I was also bright like that when I was young.”

“Hey. Why are you suddenly trying to be funny?”

“…I’m serious.”

“Nom nom.”

“Liliana. What about you?”

“Nom… Huh?”

I spoke to Liliana, who was eating something that looked like jelly, though I wasn’t sure what it was.

“When you were young. What were you like? Did you just play games all the time?”

“Me? Well… yeah.”

“…All the time? You couldn’t have just played games from birth until now.”

“That’s not true! What do you take me for?”

Liliana shoved the jelly into her mouth as if offended.

“So… what did you do? I’m curious about what you did in your hometown.”

It was simple curiosity.

Since Nam Daeun and Nam Dahee were in the living room, I referred to the Underworld as her hometown.

“Hmm… Just a sec. For the 15 years after becoming an adult, I only played games. And until I was 35… what did I do…?”

“Scarlet and you are both telling lame jokes. If you can’t remember that, you have dementia.”

“I’m not joking.”

“…What did I really do?”

Liliana furrowed her brow and started thinking.

What, is she serious?

★ Heroine Status Window

[Liliana]

• [Affection: 97] (+1.4)

• [Lust: 76]

• [Hunger: 42]

• [Fatigue: 30]

Current State: Before becoming an adult… Ugh. My head hurts.

This is serious.

It seems she’s not joking.

“Liliana. You really don’t remember?”

“Uh, uh… I don’t know. Maybe it’s because 15 years have passed.”

“…You wouldn’t forget something just because 15 years passed.”

I’m starting to suspect actual dementia.

What should I do? Should I take her to the hospital?

But again, it’s hard to call it dementia when she remembers other things well…. Or maybe it’s a phenomenon that occurred when she came here from the Underworld.

“No, it’s not! People usually forget! Do you remember 15 years ago? Can you remember when you were 5?”

“No, is being 5 years old the same as being 35?”

What kind of strange logic is this?

But Liliana seemed quite pleased with her own logic.

“Anyway, you don’t remember either. It’s the same for me.”

Mhm.

Liliana nodded to herself and seemed convinced.

It’s weird that she’d be convinced by something like that…

If she says she’s okay, then she’s okay, right?

Just then, I heard a murmur from beside me.

“…If Liliana-nim was 35 years old 15 years ago, does that mean she’s 50 now?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“…!”

Scarlet’s eyes widened, as if she just realized Liliana’s age.

And Nam Dahee, who had been listening to the whole conversation, gaped and quietly muttered.

“Whoa. Auntie….”

“I’m not an auntie!”

“Auntieeee!”

Liliana started chasing the fleeing Nam Dahee.

It’s a good thing this is a high-class academy dormitory; if it were a normal house, the neighbors upstairs, downstairs, and next door would already be gathered at our front door.

“To be 50 years old… that’s surprising.”

Scarlet seemed genuinely surprised.

She probably thought Liliana was younger than her. Based on her appearance alone, she definitely doesn’t look 50.

“In human terms, she’s 5 years old.”

“What?”

“Never mind.”

Tsk. What’s the point of explaining?

I can’t explain in detail anyway because of Nam Daeun and Nam Dahee.

I’ll just watch Liliana chase Nam Dahee and kill time until it’s time to return.

“Hoyeon-ah. No, Lee Hoyeon?”

“Let’s just call each other comfortably. Daeun-ah. How about that?”

“Okay.”

Just then, Nam Daeun, who had been playing with Nam Dahee, approached me.

Originally, we didn’t call each other so familiarly, but when Nam Dahee was around, we used only first names to pretend we were close.

But now that we’ve gotten a bit closer, I suggested we just use first names.

“Flowers… what kind do you like?”

“Huh?”

“Flowers. Pretty colored ones.”

Why is she suddenly asking about flowers?

Honestly, I don’t understand why people buy flowers.

With that money, I’d rather buy a hearty bowl of gukbap.

“…Something cost-effective?”

“Cost-effective…”

I answered partly as a joke, but Nam Daeun seemed satisfied with that answer.

She nodded, saying ‘mhm, mhm,’ and then started looking at Nam Dahee.

‘What the.’

Is she planning to buy some for my next visit?

‘By the way, she doesn’t even seem bothered that Liliana is 50 years old.’

She really is a strange girl.

I didn’t think too deeply about it either and let it pass.

*

The day after Lee Hoyeon and Park Min-gyu met.

Thursday.

The investigation into the party attack was concluded, and after handling the guild’s backlog, Park Min-gyu went out for a guild patrol.

“Thank you for your hard work! Guild Master!”

“Mhm, mhm. You’re all working hard. Always be careful and stay safe.”

“Yes! Thank you!”

Park Min-gyu kindly responded to the greetings of the regular guild members.

Among the regular guild members, there were those who didn’t know how dirty and sordid the Buyer Guild’s actions were.

It’s only after gaining a certain level of seniority that they gradually start taking on such tasks and their salary increases.

Moreover, since work must be entrusted only to trustworthy people, the conditions are even stricter.

“Thanks to you, Guild Master, the guild atmosphere is always bright.”

“Right. That’s why I’m staying here too. It’s small, but the atmosphere is good.”

‘What are they talking about. Trash.’

Park Min-gyu grew annoyed by the voices of the regular guild members.

He didn’t like those guys chatting instead of getting their work done quickly.

“Is Dahee doing well?”

“Yes. She’s been playing quietly for a few days, so I’ve just been giving her food and leaving.”

“Yes, yes. You guys shouldn’t interact with her unless absolutely necessary.”

Park Min-gyu forbade the guild members from conversing with Nam Dahee.

Instead, he intended to treat her more affectionately himself, making her dependent on him.

Knock knock.

“Dahee-ah. Uncle’s coming in?”

Park Min-gyu opened the door without waiting for an answer.

In the center of the room, Nam Dahee sat blankly.

“Today, Uncle…”

Park Min-gyu’s face, which had opened with a kind expression, hardened.

The air in the room was thick with the scent of mana.

It was the trace of magic.

Park Min-gyu immediately unleashed his mana.

Mana was leaking from a magic circle whose power had already faded.

“Ah, fuck…!”

There were signs of an intruder.

Park Min-gyu immediately dismantled the magic circle in the room.

Then, Nam Dahee vanished like smoke, leaving him facing an empty room.

“W-what is this? Nam Dahee! Where is Nam Dahee!!!”

“What’s wrong! Guild Master!”

“Hey, you crazy bastard! How did you manage this!”

Guild members rushed into the room at Park Min-gyu’s roar, and they too discovered Nam Dahee was gone.

Mana had been flowing from the magic circle for days.

This meant the caster hadn’t continuously infused mana into it.

That meant quite some time had passed since Nam Dahee disappeared, and the fact that no one noticed meant the caster was also incredibly skilled.

Someone like that holds a grudge against the Buyer Guild…

“Who on earth…”

Wait.

That’s not important right now.

A more important person flashed through Park Min-gyu’s mind. He spoke to the manager who entered the room upon hearing the commotion.

“Nam Daeun. Contact Nam Daeun!”

“Well… she hasn’t been answering calls since she went to the party with you, Guild Master. We thought you were with her….”

The manager didn’t know about Nam Daeun’s situation.

This was because Park Min-gyu had kept the information from the guild members to keep Nam Daeun and Nam Dahee all to himself.

The manager hadn’t acted because communication between them had always been non-existent, and he assumed it was fine as usual.

This was the result.

He was even more flustered because Nam Daeun, who had always obediently followed their instructions, suddenly stopped responding.

“Are you fucking kidding me, you idiots!”

“S-sorry!”

Park Min-gyu’s kind facade crumbled.

This can’t happen.

I have to find Nam Dahee somehow.

All the plans he had built were on the verge of collapse.

“Find Nam Daeun and Nam Dahee right now. Whatever it takes!”

“Ah, understood! I’ll contact our informants!”

“Not just informants, but request it from information guilds too. Carefully, to places that absolutely won’t get caught. Understood?”

“Yes, yes!”

At Park Min-gyu’s words, the manager rushed out, sweating profusely, to carry out the request, and Park Min-gyu watched him go, clenching his teeth.

‘This absolutely cannot be the end. Daeun-ah. Dahee-ah.’

Nam Daeun’s body seemed to shimmer before his eyes.

It was a body that would soon be his.

He had gazed upon that body for over 10 years.

He absolutely couldn’t give up like this.

Park Min-gyu clenched his fist and walked off somewhere.