Nam Daeun (1)
Several hours after Nam Daeun and Lee Hoyeon disappeared, in a quiet warehouse with nobody around, Park Mingyu's lifeless body began to stir.
"Ugh…"
Even with awareness, being immobile for hours wasn't an easy task. Clenching and unclenching his fist, he grumbled, "Kyaak… Tsk… Not even handling the corpse, this is why rookies are no good… Hoo…"
A veteran like him would never make such a blunder. Gasping for breath, he pulled a sword from beneath his clothes. The sword's surface squird as if alive, veins visible on the black blade.
"Feels unpleasant, but no choice. I have to stay alive."
A demonic artifact he acquired through so twist of fate. Stabbed with this sword, he'd transform into a demon after 24 hours, with any injuries healing during that ti. It was his backup life, and now, finally put to use.
"I'll rip them apart… Lee Hoyeon… Nam Daeun, that whore…" Park Mingyu vented his frustration, gripping the sword handle like it might shatter.
He freshly transford into a demon so he needed ti to adapt to his body. The mont he adjusted, he would escape.
"How did he know all this… pretty intriguing."
"Scarlett, if even you have no idea, neither do I~"
Voices of unfamiliar won chid in from behind Park Mingyu.
"Who the fuck are you?!"
A blonde beauty and a dark-haired woman in a neat suit strolled toward Park Mingyu.
"Iris Guild's Korean branch leader… No, wait, no point introducing myself to an experint."
"What kinda nonsense is this… Ugh!" Before Park Mingyu could finish, a black hand erged, covering his mouth.
"Hush, trash. You can take him."
"Yes~ Thanks, Scarlet."
Kang Hyorin gauged Park Mingyu's mana power as she spoke. "S-rank… not quite? Still, considering the rank rise during demonic transformation, it might be iffy, but I could give him an S-rank title."
"What the hell is this…?!" Park Mingyu, still adapting to his transford body, managed to break free from Scarlet's grip and speak. Seeing this, Kang Hyorin smirked and flicked her finger.
Snap—
In an instant, Park Mingyu's body started to be sucked into a small bag.
"S-Stop! Please, spare , just this once…! I even went through the whole demonic transformation thing. Just this once…"
"No worries. You'll live. No, you should—I've shelled out quite a hefty sum. An S-rank demon should make for a long-lasting experint, right?"
"Grrr! You bastards…!"
At this mont, Park Mingyu genuinely regretted everything. But it was already too late. Stuck in bizarre experints that made spending a lifeti in prison seem like a preferable option. Painful, yet not fatal, condemned to live as an experintal subject unable to die or commit suicide for the rest of his life.
Gurgle—
With the sound of flushing toilet water, Park Mingyu was sucked into the artifact.
"I'll use him for a bit and then sell him off. Hmm, sounds good~" Kang Hyorin tapped the bag with satisfaction.
"You've been through a lot, guild leader."
"Ah, Scarlet, you did the heavy lifting. I just got good material at a bargain."
Scarlet, who had co to handle the aftermath as per Lee Hoyeon's instructions, was surprised to see Kang Hyorin.
Generally, mbers of the Iris Guild didn't interfere with each other's tasks. However, as a precautionary asure when encountering mbers of the sa guild during a mission, visible marks were placed on prominent areas. Kang Hyorin had the mark of the branch guild leader, which caught Scarlet's attention during the cleanup.
How on earth does Hoyeon know the guild leader?
The request token he received from Alice was strictly her personal repaynt, and Iris Guild mbers were unaware of it. In truth, using the daughter's position to snatch the token wasn't the noblest act.
Unaware of this, Scarlet, reassessing Hoyeon's connections, nodded approvingly, acknowledging that he indeed knew how to handle things.
"Scarlet, what have you been up to lately?"
"I handle Miss Alice's personal matters these days. I had no idea I'd et you, guild leader. I didn't even know you were the Korean branch leader."
Scarlet and Kang Hyorin were not strangers. They had beco friendly as two of the few young won in the information guild, Iris, and naturally lost touch when their tasks separated them. Although they hadn't seen each other for years, their past friendship lingered.
While Scarlet settled in the guild, Kang Hyorin had climbed from a similar position to beco the branch leader.
"Hehe, you seem to be having a pretty good ti with Lee Hoyeon, for what it's worth. Well, I respect personal matters. Bye, Scarlett."
"Yes…"
Kang Hyorin waved her hand and left, leaving Scarlet with her mouth agape.
Was I caught?
That suggestive laugh unmistakably indicated that she knew Scarlet wasn't fully focused on her work and was up to sothing else. Considering the ntion of Lee Hoyeon's na, it seed she knew everything. Despite Scarlett's high-level stealth techniques, there was always soone at a higher level in the world.
I might need to keep a bit more distance for a while.
The fun and gas were over now. With thoughts of Alice in her mind, Scarlett slowly left the warehouse.
***
Whether it's a cozy cafe, catching a movie, hitting up an amusent park, or even a trip to Mount Kumgang, they all serve as a delightful scene after a good al.
"How much does this go for?"
"Hmm… Should be on the nu. Check it out there."
"The nu? Oh, wow… How many thumbs up does one plate get?" Liliana's eyes widened as she eyed the prices of two servings of halibut fish.
"That's not all; it cos as a whole course al."
"Ah… Still, pretty pricey!"
I couldn't help but chuckle at her adorable reaction.
After settling the score with Park Mingyu, to lighten the mood and shake off any lingering gloom, I took Nam Daeun, Nam Dahee, and Liliana to Pungmidang for a al. It's the spot Moon Soorin and I often visit.
I've been aning to bring Daeun here, and now that the opportunity's here, I seized it. With the Buyers Guild out of the picture, we're free birds.
"Eat whatever you fancy. Today's on ."
"Thank you, Hoyeon oppa!"
"Thanks for the al. Dahee, is it tasty?"
"Yeah, sis! You should try this too."
Honestly, I was a bit worried about Daeun's state, but thankfully, she didn't seem too down. Instead, she looked pretty thrilled about spending ti with Dahee.
"Let's have a feast, hit a cafe, and then maybe check out an amusent park."
By the way, the amusent park idea was a brainchild of Liliana and Nam Dahee.
"Sounds aweso! Are Hoyeon oppa, Liliana unni, and Scarlet unni joining too?"
"Absolutely."
"Yum yum. Oh, by the way, where's Scout?"
"She had so personal stuff to attend to, so she couldn't make it. She'll catch up with us later."
Thinking about Scarlet managing the aftermath, I took a bite of the fish. It lted in my mouth, totally worth the splurge.
I wonder how it would've been without Scarlet around.
From infiltrating the Buyers Guild to handling the aftermath, she's been the invisible hand in everything. Just imagining how tangled things could have gotten without her gives
a shiver. This ti, I've got to find a way to repay her sohow.
"Sis, why are we heading out for so fun?"
"Well… it's okay now. Hoyeon and I handled everything."
"Wow! So, Hoyeon we are gonna have a good ti together now?"
"Yeah, of course." Nam Daeun replied to her sister's question with a smile. It seed like she wanted to do all the things she couldn't as an older sister.
"Does that an you and Hoyeon oppa are dating now?"
"What…?"
"Hehe."
Clearly caught off guard by her sister's unexpected question, I secretly grinned as I looked at Daeun's bewildered face.
Dahee spent a considerable ti stuck in a hospital without eting many people. Consequently, despite being at the age to enter middle school, she had such an innocent side that it was charming.
Having a little sister like that would be nice…
"I… I guess?"
Lost in my thoughts, I questioned my ears at Daeun's soon-to-follow answer.
"Really?"
"Uh, nothing. Or maybe not." Nam Daeun, with a reddened face, stuffed a piece of beef into her mouth. Her right hand, attempting to use chopsticks, was trembling slightly.
"What's up? Sis! Why aren't you talking? Oppa, tell ! Are you two dating?"
"Um…" I sneakily observed Daeun's reaction.
Pretending not to care, she was putting all her attention on her al. By the way, Liliana, while enjoying her share of braised short ribs, sneakily stole so of my braised short ribs.
Well… if Daeun is willing to be like that, there's no need to worry.
"Yeah, that's how it turned out, Dahee."
"Wow! Amazing! Sis~! Now I can live in Hoyeon oppa's place forever. Right?"
"Yeah, sure…" Looking at Daeun, who couldn't et my eyes due to embarrassnt, I smiled with a pleasant feeling.
***
Victoria Academy's lunch break.
"Hmm…"
Alice, having completed her al, sat at her desk, furrowing her brow. Lately, unexpected concerns had arisen. On the screen she was looking at, news was flowing.
[Mysterious monster centaur. It's a headache for France. The monster, with trendous strength and speed, is being dealt with by the French governnt with all its might…]
It's about the centaur. An intelligent monster that has settled in France. Alice's Iris Guild is also based in France, and the losses were quite substantial. The situation, where losses occurred just because of one monster, is ironic, but it was a serious situation.
"Should I go back ho?"
As important as the academy was, the Iris Guild took precedence.
"No, there's nothing for
to do there."
Integrating Alice into the situation wouldn't change the dynamics; in fact, it might prove burdenso if her father's attention is divided.
[In other news, the Buyers Guild, recently exposed for nurous corruptions, has been unveiled to be involved in substantial illegal activities such as drugs, prostitution, and illegal artifacts, despite its previously established image. Simultaneously, Park Mingyu, the leader of the Buyers Guild, has gone missing, with experts suggesting the possibility of fleeing abroad…]
"I had a good impression of this man."
Although the Buyers Guild leader appeared gentle, his gaze towards Alice left her uneasy.
Co to think of it, Lee Hoyeon has been discharged.
The thought of resuming massages uplifted Alice. She had inford Sebastian to report, but her father hadn't ntioned it yet.
Sebastian must be occupied with work, and Alice mused, ‘It's actually better than him nagging.'
While imrsed in her thoughts, the classroom door opened, and a confident black-haired girl entered.
Nam Daeun?
Having not attended the academy for a while, Alice wondered if she had been involved in criminal activities with the Buyers Guild.
She must have her reasons.
Recalling that all Buyers Guild mbers had been investigated, Alice noted Daeun's confident deanor, suggesting no connection. With the Buyers Guild gone, she was technically not affiliated with any guild.
According to the obtained information, Nam Daeun was in a vulnerable position within the Buyers Guild. Her vulnerability exposed, there was anxiety about her potential involvent in cri. However, if that possibility was ruled out, she beca a top recruitnt priority, especially now that the guild she had a contract with has disappeared.
As there were only the two of them in the classroom, Alice decided to talk to Nam Daeun.
"Ahem, Daeun, long ti no see." Alice's voice, diverging from official business, even sounded cute to herself.
"Yes." Nam Daeun, who had returned after finishing her al, turned her head at the sudden cute voice. Alice grinned and made eye contact with her.
"I was worried sothing happened. I'm relieved."
"Thanks."
Nam Daeun felt a bit out of place back at the academy after a while. Used to the solo life, staying in Lee Hoyeon's dorm added a touch of human warmth, making her appreciate Alice for starting a chat.
Now that I think about it, Alice played a part in
getting the chance to pay back Hoyeon.
Alice's casual comnt actually shifted Nam Daeun's perspective, even if she wasn't sure if it was on purpose or not.
"Thanks for last ti."
"Huh? What for?"
"That advice you gave at the flower shop? It's helpful."
"Advice?"
Alice, upon hearing Nam Daeun, pondered slowly, not recalling any advice at the flower shop. Sure, they discussed Lee Hoyeon behind his back, but that couldn't be it, she thought.
Well, whatever.
If soone's thankful, Alice figured she could just roll with it. No need to dig into the nitty-gritty.
"Yeah, sure thing. So, I was thinking… your deal with the Buyers Guild wrapped up this ti."
"Yes, and the Buyers Guild… is history now."
"Yeah…"
In that mont, a chill ran down Alice's spine. The disdain for the Buyers Guild in Nam Daeun's words seed to rub off on her too.
She must have her reasons.
Under a trashy guild leader, Nam Daeun probably faced all sorts of absurdities.
Feeling for her, Alice suggested, "Is Iris Guild still not on your radar? We'll provide you the best treatnt. Better conditions than anywhere else, guaranteed."
Tinformation guild's strength lies in secrecy and big financial backing. Alice was confident she could compete for recruits without compromising on conditions. Little did she know, Nam Daeun wasn't concerned about the conditions.
"Sorry, I don't think I can."
Grateful for Alice's chat, Nam Daeun couldn't give a positive nod to that question. Her affiliation wasn't her call anymore; it was up to Lee Hoyeon.
"Uh, yeah… Sure."
She can't? What's that even an?
Not privy to the situation, Alice returned to her seat with a bit of confusion, but her face still sported a friendly smile.
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