episode_0105

105.

“So, what do you all think? How should we deal with Roksanu?”

Yoo Dahee glanced at the members, casually posing the question.

“Kill him? Spare him? Or maybe, do you have any other good ideas?”

Unlike earlier discussions, the matter concerning Roksanu couldn’t be unilaterally ignored.

It was because Roksanu posed a direct threat to the Rebellion members. Regardless of personal preferences, they had to take action.

“I personally think it’s better to take the risk and kill him….”

Yoo Dahee’s expression subtly hinted at anticipation as she wore a sinister smile.

She knew that Cynthia was under Roksanu’s command, but that fact only piqued Yoo Dahee’s interest even more.

The Executor, known as the sharpest blade of the church.

How strong was the Ranker and Third Executor really?

Did he possess the skills that matched his reputation?

“Ah, I’d love to face him in battle.”

Of course, even if that were the case, facing Roksanu’s forces alone would be suicidal, so the help of other members was essential.

If the other members didn’t cooperate, there was no point in risking confrontation with Cynthia without backup.

After all, she didn’t want to die just yet.

“We may have to take some risks, but wouldn’t it be troublesome if Roksanu continues to be a nuisance? So, how about considering assassination?”

“Do we really need to kill him? Even if we succeed in the assassination, I’m worried about what might happen afterward….”

While Yoo Dahee chuckled, Isabelle expressed a slightly disapproving opinion.

Because she was concerned about the aftermath of Roksanu’s death.

Currently, Roksanu’s faction boasted a considerable size.

Due to continuous expansion and the influx of believers, many people’s attention was focused on Roksanu.

In such a situation, if Roksanu were assassinated, the believers might interpret his death as martyrdom.

And they would spare no effort to find the culprit who killed the martyr.

Already, the situation was chaotic due to the assassination of one of the Saint candidates, Seong Yura, during her escort. If another Saint candidate were to be assassinated, especially the one most likely to be chosen as the Saint, it would be obvious that the media, church, and government would go to great lengths to find the culprit.

Furthermore, the fanatic followers who were drawn to Roksanu were also a problem. How would they react if Roksanu were assassinated? Fanatics usually didn’t know the meaning of moderation. If they decided to retaliate, it could be quite troublesome.

“Wouldn’t it be better to try threatening or negotiating? Even if you threaten Roksanu by taking people around him as hostages, surely….”

“No.”

Yoo Dahee shook her head vigorously.

“If he were the type to compromise with threats and negotiations, wouldn’t he have surrendered to Seong Yura long ago?”

Roksanu was not someone who would yield to good or bad intentions.

That’s why he had a history of tormenting individuals like Seong Yura, who had mental disorders, for a long time.

The footsteps Roksanu had taken so far clearly demonstrated what kind of person he was.

“Indeed, that’s true. Ugh… a ruler who doesn’t yield to evil… how annoying.”

Isabelle sighed, furrowing her brow.

“So, what should we do then? We can’t just leave him alone.”

“Is there anything difficult to think about? Let’s just kill him? The aftermath might be… a bit troublesome, but still, leaving Roksanu, who is targeting us, alone would be more dangerous.”

In any case, leaving Roksanu alone was not an option.

If negotiation, coercion, and persuasion don’t work, then what other options are there for someone who can only kill, even at the risk of danger?

“Just a moment….”

Suddenly.

“Well, shouldn’t we take a moment to assess the situation first…?”

Baek Yurin, who had been casually observing, suddenly raised her voice to retract her opposition.

Yudahee blinked.

“Huh? Why bother?”

“Roksan-nim might have already… figured out the identities of the new members…?”

With one meaningful word, Yudahee’s eyebrows twitched and trembled.

“Are you trying to say that someone among us leaked information?”

“Well… everyone has their own thoughts, right…?”

“I don’t particularly want to think that way.”

But it is the most reasonable suspicion.

Unless someone knows the future, the most realistic possibility is that someone within leaked information to identify the new members.

However, stories related to betrayal were quite sensitive, so she didn’t want to bring it up so openly.

Already lacking trust among the members.

If she were to say it like that, suspicion would only grow among them.

“Wait, am I being suspected again? Are you also suspecting me like Alex?”

“Well…?”

Among those who know the information about the new members, the most suspicious one is undoubtedly Kim Seohan.

He pointed at himself with his finger, wearing a troubled expression.

“Hey, that’s going too far. We’re all Union classmates. Right?”

“….”

“Or was there something that bothered you about me?”

“I just wanted to point out that the information might be leaking. I mean… we all expected that, right? I just didn’t say it out loud.”

Baek Yurin rolled her emotionless white pupils and stared directly at Yudahee’s face.

The ashen pupils filled Yudahee’s face.

“Right now… if we plan to assassinate Roksan-nim, the plan might be exposed to Roksan-nim… and we might fall into a trap… so how about we watch the situation and strengthen our foundation…?”

Well, it’s a reasonable point.

It is a reasonable point, but…

“Hmm.”

Yudahee scratched her chin gently.

She looked at Baek Yurin with a hint of surprise.

It was somewhat unexpected.

Baek Yurin was pushing her opinion this strongly.

If it were the usual Baek Yurin, she would have yawned with an expressionless face, as if it were a hassle, and ended it with a casual rejection.

But today’s Baek Yurin was subtly assertive.

Is she trying to prevent the leakage of internal information?

Unlike other members, Baek Yurin would be in serious trouble if her identity were exposed.

Because she was a direct descendant of the Baek clan.

Well… from the start, it seemed like Baek Yurin didn’t care much whether her involvement in a criminal organization like Rebellion was exposed or not.

Maybe she had no attachment to the clan?

“I agree with attacking Roksan-nim, but I think it’s more important to first reveal how Roksan-nim found out about the identities of the new members.”

Alex, who had been observing with his arms crossed, also slightly raised his voice to support Baek Yurin’s opinion.

“Because there might really be someone leaking information, like Baek Yurin said.”

Honestly, Alex was suspicious of Kim Seohan.

So he wanted to press that guy a bit more.

“Or… Roksan-nim might have found out on his own. The possibility seems slim, but…”

“Hmm.”

And so, the Rebellion members shared their opinions.

Just like suggestions to assassinate Roksan, to observe the situation for now, to expose the traitor, to try threatening, various opinions were exchanged.

After much debate among the members.

In the end, they decided to postpone the assassination of Roksan.

Because it was more urgent to expose the possible traitor within.

If there was no traitor, they needed to first find out how Roksan had identified the identities of the newcomers.

“Sigh, things have unnecessarily complicated. Doesn’t our organization seem like a mess?”

After the meeting.

Most of the members left the office building.

Inside the empty office, Yoo Dahee called Baek Yurin separately and had a conversation.

“A traitor… I don’t want to have such suspicions.”

“….Yoo Dahee.”

“Yeah?”

“Why did you leave me alone?”

“Oh, there’s no need to be so guarded. It’s not because I suspect you, I have something to give you. Here.”

Yoo Dahee handed her a book.

It was a martial arts manual that seemed like something from a Chinese martial arts novel.

“It’s a martial arts manual stolen from a master of the Bonkuk Sword. It’s been interpreted and reorganized in a modern style, unlike what’s in the martial arts encyclopedia.”

“….”

“How about this? Will it help you break through your current level? It’s like a secret book.”

“….Hmm.”

Baek Yurin quickly skimmed through the martial arts manual with an interested expression.

After flipping through it for a moment, Baek Yurin blinked her eyes.

She took out the sword she had on her waist and swung it a few times in the air before showing a subtle expression.

Although she was close to her usual expressionless self, there was a hint of excitement.

“….Thank you.”

“You don’t seem very thankful? Wasn’t it much help?”

“To be honest, I don’t think it will be of much help.”

“Really? Oh, that’s a shame. I obtained it quite difficultly.”

Yoo Dahee felt a bit awkward as she couldn’t offer much help in return for helping Baek Yurin break through her level or finding the Vigilante. Oh, come to think of it, is that Jinhyuk guy the Vigilante?

I suddenly became curious.

“Baek Yurin, you said you faced Jinhyuk in the ranking match last time, right?”

“Why all of a sudden?”

“How was he in the end? Was he the Vigilante you were looking for?”

“….”

Baek Yurin let out a deep sigh and closed her lips.

Then she raised her head and locked eyes with Yoo Dahee.

It was a gaze mixed with various emotions.

“….No.”

“What? He wasn’t? I heard he blocked your attacks several times in the ranking match….”

“It seems… he seems to be someone else.”

“Well, that’s surprising in itself. A regular trainee who’s not the Vigilante can either leave a mark on my hand or block all your attacks. Anyway, why are there so many talented people in the Union…?”

Yoo Dahee grumbled with a frustrated expression.

“All our talents were exposed to Roksan. Oh, it’s annoying to think about it again.”

“Yoo Dahee, are you done talking?”

“For now… yeah.”

“Then I’ll be going.”

“Ugh, so rude. Fine, go.”

Baek Yurin turned around without hesitation.

Yoo Dahee glanced at her back for a moment.

Eventually, Baek Yurin disappeared into the distance. Yoo Dahee let out a deep sigh. Leaning back in her chair, she muttered to herself.

“A traitor… I wonder what it could be.”

Is there really a traitor?

If there is, who could it be?

How should they expose them?

…Yoo Dahee was feeling overwhelmed in many ways.

***

“…There was an incident.”

“Thank you for your hard work.”

I sat silently in my chair, listening attentively as Baek Yurin relayed all the details of the meeting with the members of Rebellion.