Episode 645. Extermination of the Demon Cult (3)

Normally, it would be time for classes to be proceeding at the Academy.

Lee Hoyeon entered the Academy building for the first time in a while.

Unlike the deserted outside, employees were working inside the building.

The gate to the Underworld that appeared in the Pacific Ocean destroyed daily life.

As the Academy closed for recess, the cadets jumped into actual combat instead of classes, and the professors naturally became idle.

‘Still, there are many professors who come to work.’

Dr. Kang Hyorin is one of the professors who come to work.

Since she’s in charge of the Iris Guild’s work along with her professorship, she wouldn’t have time to catch monsters from the Underworld, right?

Thinking about it, she’s truly an amazing person.

“This place is really a long time no see. I came once or twice before and haven’t been here since.”

Knock knock.

[Yes. Please come in-.]

Dr. Kang Hyorin’s voice, heard after a long time.

Opening the door and entering the laboratory, I saw the smiling face of Dr. Kang Hyorin.

“Cadet Lee Hoyeon? You should have at least said you were coming.”

“I didn’t come for any particularly important reason. I just wanted to hear the progress of the investigation into the Demonic Cult.”

“Hmm. Normally, we don’t share investigation processes… but it’s probably okay for Cadet Hoyeon, right? Since you’re the Iris Guild’s son-in-law.”

“…Stop talking nonsense and just show me the data.”

“Understood. Please sit there for a moment.”

Lee Hoyeon looked at the teacup placed on the table and laughed as if dumbfounded.

The coffee, with steam rising hazily, seemed like it was just brewed.

She wouldn’t place the coffee she’d drink herself on the reception table, meaning Kang Hyorin knew I was coming.

‘That person is really strange.’

To secure a position in the Iris Guild, do you have to be a little strange?

If so, it’s a place too far removed from me.

Sip sip-

While drinking coffee and blankly watching Kang Hyorin’s back as she searched for documents, I suddenly felt something strange.

A faint stench was emanating from inside the laboratory.

‘Huh?’

My eyes opened.

Lee Hoyeon’s eyes shone with a golden light as he scanned the laboratory.

And soon, I was able to find the source of that stench.

“Haa….”

Right.

Something felt strange.

I wondered why the investigation wasn’t progressing when those Demonic Cult bastards were openly revealing themselves.

…So this person was the one who was affected.

*

The investigation’s progress was sluggish, as expected.

Even the Korean branch manager was subjected to brainwashing, so it’s only natural, right?

“Thanks to Cadet Hoyeon, you don’t know how much the Iris Guild’s assets have increased. When I meet Miss Alice and Team Leader 1 next time, I’ll be able to brag.”

“…You say such things so readily.”

“Team Leader 1 came to Korea just recently, right? They’ve been nagging me so much these past few days… There probably isn’t anyone who runs the Korean branch as well as I do, yet they act like that. Cadet Hoyeon, please mediate a little.”

“I’ll try.”

Dr. Kang Hyorin kept chattering incessantly, even while looking through the documents.

Since I couldn’t tell how strong the brainwashing was, I observed her condition while making small talk. Rather than lacking a self, she seemed unable to remember only things related to the Demonic Cult.

“You’ve already finished the coffee? Shall I pour you another cup?”

“Um… Dr. Kang Hyorin.”

“Yes?”

“Do you remember that? The brainwashing I mentioned at the press conference.”

“Of course, I remember. The sight of dignitaries from various countries vomiting in front of reporters is still vivid…”

“Say it once.”

“…? Tu Arma Maestro. Why?”

Lee Hoyeon raised his magic power with an uneasy look.

Since you said you remember the sight of them vomiting, you’ll probably understand even if I use magic power, right?

“Cadet Hoyeon. What is this all of a sudden…? Khhh. Ugh…?!”

Lee Hoyeon absorbed the magic power erupting from Dr. Kang Hyorin’s mouth and created a magic sphere.

Fortunately, unlike the high-ranking officials Kang Hyorin saw, Lee Hoyeon was beside her.

Since I’m controlling it beside her, she won’t vomit disgracefully.

“Ugh, ah… Gukhh…”

“Just take deep breaths slowly, Dr. Kang Hyorin.”

After about 10 minutes of retching, Kang Hyorin’s breathing gradually returned to normal.

When the brainwashing is lifted, faint memories surface properly, and a strong headache is felt.

The Iris Guild’s Korean branch manager, Kang Hyorin, basically knew such information.

However, she couldn’t even imagine that she herself would be brainwashed.

“Dr. Kang Hyorin. Are you feeling better?”

“…Thank you, Cadet Hoyeon. Brainwashing being lifted feels like this. Ordinary people would find it hard to endure.”

“It’s not necessarily like that. Hunters, as much as they have resistance, are subjected to even stronger brainwashing.”

Lee Hoyeon crushed the magic sphere and observed her expression.

As the Korean branch manager, being subjected to brainwashing might be a blow to her pride.

Fortunately, no such sign seemed apparent.

“Your memories aren’t confused, are they?”

“Yes. I’m fine. Thanks to Cadet Hoyeon’s help, the headache subsided quickly.”

“I’m sorry, but can we talk about work right away? Time is of the essence.”

“Of course. As the Korean branch manager, I almost made a huge mistake.”

Kang Hyorin shook her head and stood up from her seat.

The brainwashing ability of Maestro, the boss of Pandemic.

I knew of its existence, but experiencing it firsthand was truly fascinating.

The feeling of someone else’s memories being forcibly injected into the head.

However, this memory was something Kang Hyorin experienced herself.

She took out the documents she had thrown into the trash can a few hours earlier.

“This place is the Demonic Cult’s main base.”

She had met Maestro directly.

*

What Kang Hyorin unfolded was a map.

A bright red X mark was placed on the outskirts of Seoul.

“You met Maestro directly here?”

“Yes. I remember clearly. I don’t know his face, but… as soon as that man’s magic power enveloped my body, my memory cut off.”

“He’s a black-haired young man. If he had hollow eyes and lifeless skin, that’s likely him. Do you have any other memories?”

“It’s just my feeling, but… his expression was like someone who had given up on something.”

“Given up?”

“To be precise, should I say he was someone who became reckless because he had nothing left to lose? Due to the nature of my job, I often meet people pushed into a corner. I can tell that kind of person just by their eyes.”

The Demon King will soon descend upon the world.

In other words, Maestro’s lifelong wish has been fulfilled.

But why is Maestro showing such an attitude?

For Lee Hoyeon, it was impossible to know.

“For now, let’s inform the Iris Guild of this fact. We should probably form a subjugation team by joining hands with the Korean Hunter Association.”

“Understood. I’ll deliver the message.”

Lee Hoyeon clicked his tongue and gulped down the coffee.

I gained an unexpected harvest from a place I dropped by without much thought.

‘I had planned to go see Ms. Ahyoung today.’

It seems like that plan needs to be discarded.

Since we were together for a whole week in America, she’ll understand, right?

*

The next day.

The Demonic Cult subjugation team was formed in just one day.

Since Victoria Academy and the Iris Guild requested it simultaneously, the Korean Hunter Association had no choice but to form a subjugation team.

Thanks to Kang Hyorin’s experience of having infiltrated the Demonic Cult herself and Lee Hoyeon’s input, the operation plan could be quickly made.

“Nice to meet you. I am Kim Tae-hyun, the Ironblood Guild Master, who is commanding this Demonic Cult subjugation operation.”

The Demonic Cult subjugation operation.

The subjugation team, centered around the Korean Hunter Association, received help from Victoria Academy and the Iris Guild’s Korean branch.

Upon hearing that Pandemic, which had been committing terrorism worldwide, was in Korea, the Hunter Association also took decisive action.

This is because Ironblood Guild Master Kim Tae-hyun was chosen as the operation commander.

The Ironblood Guild Master looked around and continued speaking.

“The opponent is an illegal mind control organization. The operation is simple. Infiltrate pretending to be devout followers of the Demonic Cult, then attack and wipe them out completely. Everyone has memorized the operation plan, right?”

“””Yes!”””

The team was mostly composed of elite members sent from major guilds.

Among them, the largest number was from the Ironblood Guild.

The strongest guild in Korea, the Ironblood Guild, also had a connection with Lee Hoyeon.

Since Team Leader Min Yeji of the Ironblood Guild is friends with Im Sol and Baek Ahyoung, I’ve met her a few times.

By the way, Lee Hoyeon stood quietly among them.

Originally, they said they would entrust the command to me, but I refused it.

‘I must kill Maestro.’

The only one who can face him while resisting Maestro’s brainwashing is me.

Therefore, the command must be taken by someone else.

Lee Hoyeon turned his head, looking around for any familiar faces.

The heroines had all told me not to follow, but faces I’d seen occasionally might be in the subjugation team.

“It’s been a while, Lee Hoyeon. Or rather, should I call you ‘Genius Mage-nim’ now?”

Just then, I met an unexpected face among the Ironblood Guild members.

A delinquent-looking man with blond hair and tattoos.

“You were alive?”

Kim Young-han.

Kim Young-han, Lee Hoyeon’s only male friend, greeted me among the Ironblood Guild members.

Honestly, I had forgotten about his existence, but upon receiving the greeting, I felt a sense of familiarity.

Anyway, it looks like you’ve worked hard to get into the Ironblood Guild.

“Saying I was alive? That’s a bit harsh.”

“It’s a joke. But you’re even more amazing than me? How did you get into the Ironblood Guild?”

“Ah… haha, actually, my dad is that person over there.”

Turning my head, I saw a man with passionate eyes commanding the operation.

It was Ironblood Guild Master Kim Tae-hyun.

Now that I see, we’re the same Kim clan.

“You were born with a silver spoon, huh. I should have been friendlier.”

“Sorry for hiding it.”

“Forget it. It’s not like it was that important.”

If I had known in the early stages of possession, I would have been friendlier… but now Victoria Academy is behind me.

That’s not all.

In France, the Iris Guild; in America, the Wizard Association.

Already, Lee Hoyeon no longer needed backing.

“Cadet Lee Hoyeon! It’s been a while?”

The voice that came from right beside me was Team Leader Min Yeji.

She was a close friend of Im Sol and Baek Ahyoung.

“It’s been a while, Ms. Min Yeji.”

“You’ve become so composed in the time I haven’t seen you. As expected, the news doesn’t say wrong things.”

“Haha, thank you.”

Receiving praise like this for the first time in a while made me feel strangely awkward.

In reality, the personnel in the subjugation team were glancing nervously at me.

The name Lee Hoyeon had become that famous now.

Before my face got hot unnecessarily, I brought up another topic.

“Ms. Yeji and Kim Young-han are participating in the subjugation operation too, right?”

“Of course. Ms. Yeji is Team Leader 1, and I’m the guild’s successor.”

“Right. Take care of yourself. Don’t die.”

To say ‘Don’t die’ to a friend met after a long time.

Truly, it’s a hard world to live in.

Lee Hoyeon gave a wry smile.