Chapter 32
Dispel 3rd Branch’s records analysis room.
Thanks to the consideration of Branch Chief Gwon Seongjun, we had settled in a corner of the analysis room.
And it had already been an hour.
It would have been easy if we had just picked a plausible incident and created a presentation, but unfortunately, the lecture instructor was Jeong Harin.
Moreover, with Do Minyeong aiming for a high score, the time for data search was dragging on.
“Could you please stop spacing out and focus? This isn't a solo assignment.”
Do Minyeong constantly urged me and Gwon Chihun, and that guy Gwon Chihun had been absent for ten minutes already, using the excuse of going to the bathroom.
“At the vending machine the other day, you said you wanted to give it your all. Have you already become lazy just because the deliberation is over?”
“Ah, no, I’m still looking. Really.”
“Hmm…….”
Her eyes were filled with greed for points.
I thought I could comfortably ride the bus, but my reality was being nagged.
I turned the pages diligently with exaggerated motions, but the words did not enter my eyes at all.
No, in fact, my mind had already been somewhere else since before I entered the analysis room.
With the narrative of the character named Ji Seokhyeon.
“Wouldn't it be okay to just do an incident from a history book?”
“Are you serious? All the other cadets will be thinking the same thing.”
“I guess so…….”
I turned the page again.
At the same time, I fell into another thought.
The survivor of an exterminated family.
A common trope in fantasy novels.
According to the devoted reader's narrative, I was from a prestigious family in Gangneung, Gangwon-do.
But as you know, Gangwon-do was now a monster field.
Gangneung was a city that had grown rapidly after the Great Fissure, second only to Seoul, but it collapsed exactly 13 years ago due to monsters.
At that time, it was my family that led the historic families and talented Awakened of Gangneung.
My family was a clan with power so strong that they had sealed a Witch's tool like the Mirror of Greed on their own, and they had protected their hometown from Demonic Beings and monsters using a special ability passed down through their bloodline.
However, as the saying goes, the beginning and end of all ruin is man.
The head of the family at that time, my grandfather, who coveted power, became interested in the abilities of Demonic Beings, and in the end, he laid his hands on the Witch's tool.
That greed led to the downfall of Gangneung, which had been like an impregnable fortress, to the monsters.
A very small number of survivors fled to Seoul by sea, and Gangneung eventually became a sea of fire.
This was what the Bureau of Superpowers announced exactly 13 years ago.
“A poorly written narrative…….”
“……Huh? What did you say?”
“Nothing, I was just thinking that the reasons for the incidents are quite unimpressive.”
“But haven't you been staring at that same page for a while now?”
“Ah, uh, sorry.”
So persistent…….
Anyway, very few people knew about my past.
All the members of my family were wiped out on paper, and those who had fled with me 13 years ago thought I was an orphan who had been wandering around.
Above all, my bloodline was passed down through the maternal line, and I had inherited the surname of my father, who was an outsider to the family.
In addition, the family's ability was, without a doubt, the Demonic Eye.
The peculiar point here was that my mother had left home against the family’s opposition and had a dramatic love affair with my father.
Roughly, a love story between a well-bred young lady and a sincere man who had nothing but sincerity.
That part gave me goosebumps.
I cringed at the childishness.
There was another reason why I was displeased with this narrative.
A child of my age who was mixed among the refugees at that time.
Because I had gotten along well with that child in our childhood, he clearly remembered my identity.
That child’s name was… Lee Eunho.
The protagonist of this novel, and another person from Gangwon-do.
Lee Eunho’s family was a prestigious magic family based in Gangneung.
They were also exterminated by my grandfather’s greed.
His clan, his friends, and his parents.
Therefore, there was no reason for him not to hate me.
Of course, I would have to face him directly and see the change in his attitude to know for sure.
“…….”
The intention the devoted reader had planted in this narrative was obvious.
He did not like that I was using Lee Eunho to proceed with the episodes.
Thus, without a second thought, he shattered the relationship between Lee Eunho and me.
Not only that, but he also planted the risk factor of Lee Eunho revealing my identity.
Because I was the descendant of a traitor to humanity who should not even set foot in Seoul.
Then the remaining question was, with what kind of mindset did ‘I’ enroll in Hero Prep…….
The answer to that was kindly written on the very last line of the setting text here.
‘To cultivate the power to take revenge on the Bureau of Superpowers, who had framed his clan.’
“…….”
Ah, I felt like I was going to lose my mind.
As if she knew what was going on in my head, Do Minyeong glared at me, who was spacing out.
At the same time, she parted her lips, but at that moment, the door to the analysis room burst open.
“Hey, hurry up and pack your things.”
It was Gwon Chihun.
“What’s going on?”
“I’ve discovered an incredible incident.”
“Ah, really……?”
Do Minyeong reacted with a dismissive attitude, but Gwon Chihun was not deterred.
“Don’t be surprised. Right now, my uncle is preparing to be dispatched at the request of the Special Affairs Division for cooperation. If we’re lucky, we might be able to join in. We get to present an assignment on an incident we experienced firsthand.”
An incident investigated by the Special Affairs Division would naturally be classified.
Logically, there was no way we could join such an operation.
I poured cold water on his excitement.
“The premise of the assignment’s theme is an important event in the history of superpowers.”
“Hmph, that’s no problem. The investigators said it’s related to Ghouls.”
“……!”
Suddenly, a chair scraped noisily against the floor.
Do Minyeong had stood up, her eyes gleaming.
“Are you serious about that?”
“Of course, who do you think I am. With one phone call from me, I can find out exactly how many coffee mix sticks there are in each branch of Dispel.”
A sudden burst of pride.
Do Minyeong cut him off sharply.
“Forget it, did you hear anything else?”
“Of course, I did. The important reason I brought this information in such a hurry, my uncle’s dispatch location is none other than…….”
“……?”
“The old guild building of Hong Dahee’s family.”
Hong Dahee, who had been sacrificed as a Ghoul by Lee Gangju…….
Do Minyeong slumped back into her seat.
It was definitely a novel and effective topic, but she felt burdened by the fact that it was related to Hong Dahee, who had been a fellow cadet until recently.
I opened my mouth.
“But we can’t select an incident from the Special Affairs Division as a presentation topic. It’s classified.”
“Tsk tsk, you don’t know anything because you’re from the outskirts. The Hong Dahee incident is a major event that’s getting a lot of attention all over Seoul. Because the trail of a Demonic Being has been revealed for the first time in over a decade. No matter how the Special Affairs Division proceeds with the case as classified, it will be publicly announced by the time the investigation is concluded.”
The accent of the boastful guy was really annoying, but he was not entirely wrong.
Above all, the group assignments were presented in order every week, so there was plenty of time until our turn came.
However, the fact that it was an incident involving Hong Dahee and the Special Affairs Division at this time bothered me.
Furthermore, since it was not a main episode, it was an episode of which I only knew the result.
Since I did not know the process, it meant I had to tread the development myself.
I observed Do Minyeong, who was lost in thought.
Now that she had not made a decision, I had to refuse Gwon Chihun’s proposal.
“Putting other things aside, there’s Do Minyeong.”
“Why’s that?”
“Don’t you know how many paparazzi are following her outside? It will definitely just be a hindrance to the investigation.”
“……Th-that’s true.”
“Besides, what if it comes out in the news that Hero Prep Investigation cadets interfered with the Special Affairs Division’s investigation? And if your name, Gwon Chihun, is in the headline, it would be a big deal. ……You’re the young master, of this investigation world.”
“Ugh…….”
A simple guy.
I opened my mouth again to put an end to this topic.
However, Do Minyeong’s voice, who had been silent, came out first.
“Don’t you think we should watch until the very end to see what happened to that child, Hong Dahee?”
“……What? Have you forgotten what she did to you?”
“She was being controlled. It wasn’t of her own will.”
What was she going to watch in a situation where we were just going to peek at an incident.
“And if I become a problem, I’ll stay here and look for more materials.”
“Wait a minute, does that mean now…….”
Do Minyeong nodded her head.
“You two go. That would be better, wouldn’t it.”
“Me and him?”
“Me and this bastard?”
Gwon Chihun glared at me as if he was dumbfounded.
However, he soon made a ridiculous expression.
“Ah! Now that I think about it, it seems like a stupid suggestion.”
“You only realize that now. Hurry up and find more materials.”
“More importantly, it’s almost lunchtime, so how about we order something?”
“Hey, you should have ordered that before you even asked. Where’s a good place? Is there anywhere that handles normal meat?”
When did I get on such good terms with this guy, Gwon Chihun.
But despite our efforts, we failed to persuade Do Minyeong.
That was because Do Minyeong’s eyes, filled with greed, were now shining.
“Sorry, but would you mind not making me say it twice?”
***
Hong Dahee’s family ran an alchemy guild.
Since it was a profane thing to even utter the name of that guild, I just took in the nameplate abandoned at the main entrance of the building with my eyes.
-Alchemy Guild Poisonous
The location of the building where the nameplate was abandoned was Seoul's District 2.
Since it was a relatively short distance, we arrived quickly, and from inside the building, we watched the investigation process from a distance from the investigators.
With this guy, Gwon Chihun.
“Do you see any Special Affairs Division investigators?”
“Do you think I can see anything?”
“At least you’re better than me, who’s illiterate. They say even a dog at a village school can recite a poem after three years.”
“So I’m worse than a dog? This bastard, you really want to go at it?”
“Go ahead. But you should know that I’m something of an expert when it comes to assaulting cadets.”
“Damn it, you crazy bastard.”
“If you know, then figure out who’s who, quickly.”
Before we left, Gwon Chihun had asked Gwon Seongjun for an observation of the case, and the observation was permitted on the condition that we would not interfere.
I had secretly hoped he would refuse, but the episode that popped up just in time pushed me on.
<Extra Episode>
Title: None
Characters: Ji Seokhyeon, Gwon Chihun
Reward: None
What would happen if I did not complete the extra episode?
It was something I could find out by experiencing it myself, but unfortunately, I did not have the life or the leisure for that.
Usually, the only thing waiting for a failed episode in the writing process was ‘backspace’.
“Who’s that person over there?”
“Just an officer. Stop nagging me. What’s the point of asking when you don’t even know them.”
“We need to know who the investigator from the Special Affairs Division is. Especially if they’re in a position to give orders to the branch chief.”
“Haaah……. You probably don’t know because you’re from the outskirts, but the Special Affairs Division is the dark side of the Bureau of Superpowers. They’re a completely different agency from Dispel.”
Who would have asked without knowing that.
What I meant was that if we excluded the familiar faces, we could find the Special Affairs Division investigator.
But I decided to just remain silent without explaining.
Well, even the young master of this world would have faces he did not know.
I gave up on the hope I had for him and secretly followed the surrounding officers, eavesdropping on their conversations.
Moving like that, the place I reached was the guild master's office.
Here, unlike other places, there were quite a few clues worth noting.
A desk with traces of something having been manufactured, an inkwell that was not fully closed, and desk frames left without photos…….
“Interesting.”
It had already been a month since Hong Dahee’s incident.
Immediately after that incident, all the officials of Poisonous had left the guild, and only Hong Dahee’s family remained.
The family insisted on their innocence by working at the guild as usual.
In other words, a behavioral protest that they were not involved with Demonic Beings and had never betrayed humanity with a proper view of history.
However, during the investigation, circumstances emerged that they were all Ghouls, and naturally, it led to a verdict to eliminate the traitors to humanity.
“……The problem here is that the said verdict was handed down just a few hours ago.”
Because of that, the Special Affairs Division and Dispel's 3rd Branch were dispatched, but as you can see from the surroundings, Hong Dahee’s family had disagreed with the verdict and had already fled.
Of course, they would not have left Seoul yet.
In the original work, they were caught just as they were about to leave Seoul.
However, in a situation where the original plan had been changed, it was questionable whether Gwon Seongjun would continue to take us with him.
Sure enough, a little later, Gwon Seongjun called me and Gwon Chihun over and said firmly.
“Go back now. It’s an investigation under the jurisdiction of the Special Affairs Division, so it’s impossible to let you observe any further.”
“No, uncle, I’ll just watch from a distance so I won’t interfere.”
“In a situation where the operation has become uncertain, we don’t have the capacity to protect you, who are just cadets. If you continue to be stubborn, I’ll have no choice but to call my brother directly.”
“…….”
Like uncle, like nephew, Gwon Seongjun subdued Gwon Chihun with just one sentence.
He soon gave the order to move, and Dispel withdrew from the building for the next destination.
Naturally, we were kicked out of the building.
As I was watching the Dispel vehicles heading somewhere, Gwon Chihun suddenly said with his eyes shining.
“Are you just going to stand by?”
“What are we going to do?”
“We have to follow them. It’s not cool to go back now.”
Not cool, he says…….
What a useless pride.
Well, I had no intention of giving up either, so it was welcome news.
“Besides, if we’re lucky, we might have a chance to play an active role in this incident.”
“True, it is a chance to make an impression on a Special Affairs Division investigator.”
“That’s what I’m saying.”
“So do you have a proper plan or something?”
When I asked, he pointed to a Dispel vehicle that had not yet departed, without a moment’s hesitation.
A vehicle that seemed like it would depart any moment, as the engine was running.
“Let’s take that one.”
“What?”
“Trust me. There’s nothing that can’t be done with my name where there’s a shield emblem.”
He was a remarkable guy in many ways.
Is this why they call it deep-rooted evil.
I followed him to the vehicle.
When Gwon Chihun knocked on the driver’s side window twice, the man inside lowered the window.
“Uncle……. No, mister, you know me, right?”
“Hmm?”
Gwon Chihun, who suddenly asked if he knew him.
“Sorry, but I don’t think I…….”
The man who looked like an officer trailed off and his eyes met mine.
Then, with a subtle change in expression, he smirked with one corner of his mouth.
“I think I do know you. But what’s the matter?”
What is it.
He definitely seemed to recognize me.
Not only that, but he even glanced at the name tag on my cadet uniform.
As if to confirm my face and name over and over again.
I, engulfed in a sense of incongruity, examined his attire, and soon fixed my gaze on his delicately grown mustache.
Judging by the emblem sewn on his uniform, he was indeed an officer of the 3rd Branch, but…….
As far as I remembered, there was no one in the 3rd Branch with such a mustache.
“Can you give us a ride?”
“A ride?”
“Yes, we need to follow the vehicle ahead. I’ll take responsibility for whatever happens later.”
Also, the size of his uniform seemed a bit large.
All of Dispel’s clothing was made from monster leather, so it was custom-made to fit the wearer.
In other words…….
This person was currently in disguise.
When my thoughts reached that point, I reflexively took a step back.
It was not out of caution.
I was just a little surprised by the contextless coincidence.
“Hmm, in short, you want me to accompany you in tailing someone.”
“You’re quick to understand. Besides, it wouldn’t hurt to get on my good side.”
As far as I knew, there was only one character with the peculiar hobby of disguise.
The man with the most power after the Director-General, the pinnacle of power in the Seoul Special Self-Governing City of Superpowers, the Special Affairs Division Chief, Baek Dojun.
“Well, if you say so, I have no choice. Get in.”
It was definitely him.