Episode 196. The Girl’s Revenge (4)

2nd Floor of the Magic Academy. Im Sol’s Laboratory.

Im Sol’s research on core magic circles was nearing its end.

As the conclusion needed to be perfect, Im Sol was concentrating even harder.

However, it felt like something was blocking progress, and it wouldn’t move forward.

Just a little more. It was almost complete, just a tiny bit away.

Im Sol felt frustrated by the research that strangely wouldn’t finish.

“If only Hoyeon were here…”

Since the basic concept originated from Lee Hoyeon, this research would have been finished quickly if Lee Hoyeon had helped.

Things kept coming up, so I couldn’t get proper help.

“I’m doing all the research, yet he gets his name on the paper too. Where else can you find a teacher like me? Hmm.”

Im Sol praised her own character as a truly great teacher and left the laboratory.

The smartwatch she’d put aside to focus on her thesis research had accumulated messages.

Im Sol deleted all the unimportant messages and checked the ones from people she was close to.

• Lee Hoyeon: Professor. I’m getting discharged soon. You’ve kept your schedule open for the Magic Expo, right?

• Min Yeji: OMG, OMG. Did you see Hoyeon’s interview? You’ve got a great student~.

“An interview?.”

Lee Hoyeon’s interview.

Although I hadn’t seen it yet, Min Yeji’s message made me feel unexpectedly excited.

Of course, I need to reply to Lee Hoyeon first.

• Me: Yep. Just come over after you’re discharged. I’ll look up the schedule.

The Magic Expo.

Even if it’s a hassle, I should try.

A date with my student, well, it’s not bad.

After sending Lee Hoyeon a message, Im Sol checked the interview video Min Yeji had sent.

The reporter in the video was a famous reporter named Hayoung noona.

• Victoria Academy has numerous professors who taught the genius mage student Lee Hoyeon. Who is the professor you remember the most?

• All the professors taught us capably and kindly, but the one I remember most is Professor Im Sol. She helped a lot with my personal research, and I learned so much from her.

• Wow, is there some kind of connection between geniuses?

• The real genius mage is Professor Im Sol. I grew with the Professor’s help, but you achieved it all on your own.

• A wonderful master and disciple…

Im Sol smiled slightly as she watched the interview.

“Help… The one who actually received help was me.”

It started with a meeting born from Im Sol’s mistake.

And then, the brilliant magical talent discovered.

Of course, I fell for that talent and wanted him to work with me somehow.

However, if Lee Hoyeon hadn’t gotten caught up in an accident due to Im Sol’s mistake, I wouldn’t have allowed such intimate things.

It was a relationship forged with a sense of guilt added in.

Now, I’m actually grateful.

Thanks to that relationship, Im Sol has benefited greatly too.

The day I met Lee Hoyeon was a turning point in my life.

I even researched mana operation methods I’d never seen before, and wrote papers on new concepts Lee Hoyeon discovered.

I found something sweeter than the chocolate I used to relieve stress from mana research, and now my student’s fame has followed right to my feet.

Im Sol had never had anyone to discuss magic with throughout her life.

She was too brilliant for her peers, and the elders who understood her magic ostracized the young Im Sol.

In that sense, Lee Hoyeon was nothing short of a blessing to Im Sol.

Im Sol needed someone younger than her with whom she could discuss magic.

Even after becoming friends with Baek Ahyoung or Min Yeji, Im Sol’s desire for magic discussions never diminished.

That’s why he was an even more precious student.

“… I should probably look up the Magic Expo.”

The Magic Expo.

I don’t know what fun it would be to go with someone who only knows magic, but my student wants it.

Im Sol put down her research materials and started browsing the Magic Expo schedule.

*

“It’s dark…”

The address Park Min-gyu sent was deep inside an alley.

The deeper I went, the more red lights there were, and I occasionally saw scantily clad women.

As I watched women getting off a van and pouring into a building, a voice came from my shadow.

“I agree.”

“Shh.”

“My voice won’t be audible to anyone except you, Hoyeon-nim.”

“…”

Somehow, I felt magic imbued in the voice.

I nodded slightly and went further inside.

Among the various buildings, the largest one was the place Park Min-gyu had indicated.

‘Who sells their body in a place like this?’

It was so blatant that it was bewildering.

Anyway, since I had the perception-altering magic active, I confidently entered the building.

Inside, a man who looked like a manager approached me from behind a luxurious-looking counter.

“Welcome. Sir, did you make a reservation?”

“I’m with Mr. Park Min-gyu. Is he inside?”

“Ah, I see. Hey, escort this guest to Hyung-nim Min-gyu’s location.”

The manager rubbed his hands together with a smile and commanded the man behind him.

“Yes, sir. Right this way, please.”

Guided by the burly man standing behind the manager, I entered a room and saw the kind-looking middle-aged man I’d seen before.

It was Park Min-gyu, the head of the Buyer Guild.

“Student Lee Hoyeon. It’s been a while.”

“It’s the first time since I saw you at the party.”

This is my first time in a place like this.

Of course, I wasn’t trembling, but I sat down, pretending to be nervous.

But this guy is taking the seat of honor as if it’s natural, even though this meeting was arranged to recruit me.

What good is a kind appearance? His attitude is already rotten.

Knock knock-

While I was exchanging greetings with Park Min-gyu, the manager from earlier slightly opened the door and entered.

“Greetings.”

“Ah, Manager Kim. This is a younger brother I cherish, so bring in some good-looking girls.”

“What? What do you mean?”

I started acting, mindful of Scarlet, who was filming.

“Now, now, Student Lee Hoyeon, just stay put.”

“Then we’ll do the full course, as always.”

“Mm-hmm. Do that.”

After the manager bowed and left, I glanced at my shadow, pretending to be flustered.

Although I couldn’t see her, I could faintly sense Scarlet’s mana.

Scarlet will handle it properly, I’m sure.

I continued my act.

“P-President Park Min-gyu. What is this situation?”

“Hm? It seems Student Lee Hoyeon is new to a place like this?”

“I came here to discuss the contract…”

I acted anxious, trembling like a leaf in the wind.

‘Am I coming across as too much of a pushover?’

Even I, who was acting, thought it was pathetic, but it wasn’t bad.

People tend to like innocent images.

Especially when a handsome person is innocent, they seem to love it.

Calling him things like ‘pathetic guy’.

Knock knock.

“Everyone’s like that at first. But you know what’s funny? Later, the guys who were hesitant are the ones who have the most fun. Ah, Manager Kim. Are the girls here?”

“They’ve arrived. Now, take your places next to the patrons.”

Behind the manager appeared women dressed in room attendant uniforms and men in waiter attire.

“Hello. Oppa.”

“Hyung-nim. Your younger sibling has brought you Bokbunja wine.”

“Huh? Wh-why are you doing that?”

The women clung to me, and the men started pouring drinks and calling me ‘Hyung-nim’.

These waiters don’t get a salary; they live solely on tips.

That’s why they cling to me, calling me ‘Hyung-nim’ even though I’m younger than them.

Of course, I pretended not to know.

“Uh, you seem older than me.”

“No, Hyung-nim. Your younger sibling…”

“Oppa, what do you do for work?”

The waiters trying to get tips somehow, and the room girls who couldn’t recognize me due to the perception-altering barrier.

Amidst them, I continued my act of being flustered.

“Uh, uh…”

To avoid any potential scandal, I never touched the women’s bodies.

“Come on, pour the drinks.”

Park Min-gyu, perhaps thinking things would resolve once alcohol was involved, ordered the women to pour drinks.

‘Isn’t this enough?’

If this situation continues any longer, I feel like I’ll become suspicious too.

The women sitting on either side poured me drinks while placing their hands on my thighs.

‘Gross.’

It sent shivers down my spine that women who’d sleep with anyone for money were touching me.

Just then.

Tap tap.

A finger emerging from the shadow touched my ankle.

It must be Scarlet’s signal.

“Ah, excuse me for a moment. I need to use the restroom.”

As soon as I received the signal, I bolted outside.

As I exited, I heard the manager calling from behind, but it wasn’t my problem.

After using acceleration magic to distance myself from the entertainment district, I spoke to the shadow.

“How was it? Did you get it?”

“Yes. Anyone could see you looked like a total newbie who’d never been to a place like this.”

“… Thanks.”

“As expected, Hoyeon-nim, your acting is superb.”

“Right. It was all an act. Yep.”

Actually, I wasn’t extremely nervous or tense.

I was just embarrassed about looking like a pushover.

The women were okay in their own way… but there were so many pretty women around that ordinary ones barely registered.

“So, should I edit this video appropriately and release it?”

“Uh… No. Let’s start small first. Something that allows for cutting off the tail.”

At first, they’ll try to manage it by cutting off the tail, but it won’t work.

Bigger things will explode eventually.

“Understood. I’ll head out right away then.”

“Yeah. Do it as quickly as possible.”

Scarlet disappeared somewhere, merged within the shadow.

‘Wait, if you can move through shadows, why didn’t you do that earlier?’

Then I wouldn’t have had to watch Scarlet crawling on the ceiling.

Once Scarlet causes a stir, I need to prepare for the next step.

On my way back to the hospital, I pondered how I could act innocent enough for people to believe me.

*

“Hoo, seriously, why hasn’t the person who went to the restroom come back?”

“Oppa, you can just have fun with us alone. Here, have another drink.”

“Just a moment, just a moment. Unnie, please call the manager.”

Park Min-gyu, who was drinking with a woman, felt something was off when Lee Hoyeon hadn’t returned after an hour.

When he called the manager via intercom, the manager soon entered the room.

“Yes, you called?”

“Manager Kim. My companion who went to the restroom isn’t coming back. Please check on him.”

“Your companion left the premises earlier…?”

“What?”

Park Min-gyu shot up from his seat.

He came all this way just to run away?

‘Is he really nervous because it’s his first time?’

It wasn’t uncommon for first-timers to leave, but the men Park Min-gyu had seen were usually busy laughing and having fun once the drinks started flowing.

Ring ring ring-

As Park Min-gyu frowned, his smartwatch rang.

“I told you I’m entertaining someone right now, why are you calling?”

Even though the guest he was entertaining had fled, he had strictly warned against calls during business hours.

Feeling annoyed at the manager for ignoring his words, he answered the call.

• G-Guild Leader! Something terrible has happened. The news, the news is out!

“News?”

The manager’s voice sounded incredibly urgent.

Park Min-gyu kept the call connected and accessed the internet on his smartwatch.

At the very top of the search results were keywords like [Buyer Guild] [Park Min-gyu Drugs] [Buyer Guild Drug Distribution].

“… What is this? Drugs?”

“The drug dealers we associated with in the past have exposed us! They submitted all the evidence while confessing themselves, so there’s nothing we can do!”

“Son of a bitch….”

Park Min-gyu gritted his teeth.

“Oppa, what’s wrong?”

“Shut up. Tell the manager I’ll be there later.”

“Oppa, the bill? Oppa!”

Park Min-gyu ran out of the building as if sprinting and headed towards the Buyer Guild.

‘It’s still okay. I can escape by cutting off the tail.’

I just need to pick a few guild members involved in drug distribution and cut them loose.

I have the image I’ve built up so far, so if I shed tears and make a public apology, it should offset some of it.

At least I won’t fall into ruin.

“I absolutely won’t fall like this….”

I’ve only just started rising into the light; I can’t let it end now.

Park Min-gyu rushed into the Buyer Guild building, contemplating his future plans.

*

Click clack.

The sound of high heels echoed within the dark building.

“Huh? What the? Did the boss call for a girl?”

“Why would he call for a girl…”

The dozens of men working inside expressed confusion upon seeing the mysterious blonde woman enter the workspace.

“Miss. You must have taken a wrong turn. How about a cup of tea?”

“Of course, it’s tea that’ll keep you from waking up if you drink it.”

Hahahaha!

The men continued their work while making lewd remarks.

Then, a large, burly man waiting in the corner approached Scarlet.

“I can’t even feel any magic… She really seems like just a young lady.”

“Duckgu. Subdue her and make sure she takes the drug. I’m going to have my way with her after work.”

“Yes. Understood.”

“… It’s truly worrying how poorly secured this country’s safety is, with people selling drugs without even knowing my face.”

Tsk.

Scarlet shook her head and secretly moved her mana.

It wasn’t mana that low-level drug dealers could detect.

“What is this crazy bitch saying…!”

The moment the man called Duckgu raised his fist, black tendrils writhed out from the shadows of the people in the workspace.

Like eagles snatching fish, the black tendrils pierced the men’s necks simultaneously.

Crunch- Squish-

In the workspace, which instantly turned into a bloodbath, only a few people Scarlet deemed important survived.

“Ugh. Ah… Ughhh….”

The man called ‘Boss’ gaped as he watched Duckgu spewing blood while still standing.

It was understandable to be bewildered, as dozens of people had collapsed, bleeding, in an instant.

Scarlet calmly gathered her mana as if accustomed to the scene and questioned the boss.

“Make a decision. Either confess to the police, or…”

“I’ll confess, I’ll confess! Please, just spare my life…”

Thump- Thump-

Blood trickled down the man’s forehead as he repeatedly banged his head on the floor to survive, but Scarlet paid it no mind.

It was a common sight after doing this job for a while.

“The Buyer Guild… We’ve worked together before, haven’t we?”

“Yes, yes. But I don’t know anything. We just had a small transaction. Really…”

“I’m not interested in that. Take all the materials related to your transactions with the Buyer Guild right now and confess to the police. As quickly as possible.”

“Understood. Understood…”

Scarlet brushed the dust off her clothes and exited the building.

“Hoo. Where else can you find talent like me?”

Who else works this hard for a boss who doesn’t even pay them?

Having finished one task, Scarlet returned to Lee Hoyeon with a light heart.

Ten minutes later, news reports about drug offenders collectively surrendering to a nearby police station flooded the internet.