Ding dong.
A small, modest chime rang through the hallway, strangely at odds with the prelude to destruction that had just begun.
"Yes, I'm coming—"
The visitor stood outside with their hands clasped behind their back, waiting as a woman's voice drifted from inside.
A moment later, the door opened and the homeowner appeared.
She was a woman in her twenties, her hair tied into a neat round bun, thick glasses resting on the bridge of her nose.
"Ah, you're here! What brings you by? Hahaha, you actually came all the way to my house."
"Hello."
"Anyway, come in... Oh my, what did you bring this time? Why do you always bring something?"
That's right.
Today, I had come to visit Gu Seohyeong.
And since I had already learned about Earth's customs, I had brought some food with me...
.
.
.
Gu Seohyeong.
Come to think of it, it had been quite a while since I last visited someone by that name on Earth.
Back then, I would at least show my face whenever the enchantment on one of my cheap rings began to wear off.
But ever since I replaced that layer of defense with the Sacred Tree Seedling, I'd hardly had any reason to visit her.
Gu Seohyeong's enchanting skills were still unstable.
The Sacred Tree Seedling.
Hydra.
Now that I possessed a sufficiently reliable workshop of my own, I no longer had much need for a beginner-level enchantment.
Her magic was certainly useful for short-term reinforcement, but it had one fatal flaw.
If a battle dragged on for too long, the enchantment could expire in the middle of combat.
So I stopped seeking Gu Seohyeong out.
She seemed busy with her own work, and for a while, she didn't contact me either.
"Is this a belated housewarming gift? Wow, I just saw these pastries from this bakery on SNS and thought I'd love to try them!"
But the awkwardness that had developed between us wasn't caused by the lack of enchantment alone.
"There are madeleines too! Wow, I really love madeleines. Back in middle school, I'd go to the snack shop and buy one during every break..."
To be honest, the greatest cause had been the recovery of my memories.
Last spring, I regained most of the memories belonging to the former owner of this body.
And with roughly sixty-five percent of that information restored, I had become extremely uncomfortable around Gu Seohyeong.
Half of what stirred inside me came from the emotions the former Kim Giryeo had once carried.
Inferiority.
Jealousy.
Discomfort.
And a small measure of warmth.
Those feelings surfaced every time I saw Gu Seohyeong.
The other half came from the guilt and anxiety that belonged to me—the soul inhabiting this body.
Whenever I met Gu Seohyeong, an awkward heaviness settled somewhere deep inside my chest.
"Hey, since you brought the bread, should I make some coffee so we can eat together?"
"No."
"You're firm."
When an old friend comes to visit, you're supposed to be happy just to see their face.
But the thing inside this shell was an alien occupying an abandoned corpse.
How could I simply accept her kindness without feeling uncomfortable?
Besides, Gu Seohyeong was one of the very few people who remembered Giryeo's past.
If I interacted with her too carelessly, it felt entirely possible that she might notice how much he had changed.
I did possess at least the bare minimum of a conscience.
Whenever I saw Gu Seohyeong treating someone who was already dead with such kindness, it still made me uneasy.
That was why I had deliberately been avoiding ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) the enchanter lately.
But today, circumstances left me no choice.
"By the way, there's something I need to tell you..."
Tak.
By the time the grape juice Gu Seohyeong had brought over was set neatly on the table, I wasted no time getting to the point.
"It's not confirmed yet, but it looks like the President of the Hunter Association may be replaced soon."
Incidentally, it had been about twenty hours since I reported the matter to Esther.
If I waited another day or so, various exposés prepared by that curse sorcerer would begin appearing in the media.
"The President of the Association is changing?"
"To be precise, we're trying to replace him. Another Hunter and I have something to settle with Go Byeongdo, but as long as he's sitting in the Association President's seat, it's difficult for us to make a move."
"Ah."
"The problem is, since this won't exactly be a peaceful transition, there's bound to be quite a bit of noise along the way."
I took a sip of the juice in my cup before continuing.
"In other words, there's a good chance you'll get caught up in it too."
That was the reason I had come here today.
To warn her.
"Nothing's certain yet, but considering the President's personality, I have a feeling he'll try to drag you into this once he's cornered."
"That old man is going to come after me?"
"Well, you're my old classmate."
"..."
"Isn't there a chance he'll take you hostage to threaten me? Go Byeongdo is exactly the kind of person who would do something like that."
A connection to an S-rank Hunter.
Normally, having such a relationship would work to one's advantage in life.
In Gu Seohyeong's case, however, it had become a liability.
President Go Byeongdo held a deep grudge against me.
If he discovered any way to restrain me, he wouldn't hesitate to use it.
Anyway, Go Byeongdo.
Why was that unawakened man suddenly causing such a commotion...?
Gu Seohyeong could easily become an innocent victim in the process.
No matter how rare her abilities as an enchanter were, she was still, ultimately, an employee under the Hunter Association.
Under these circumstances, I couldn't guarantee that Go Byeongdo, who controlled the organization, wouldn't resort to some kind of underhanded retaliation.
"That's why I'm telling you this."
After considering several possibilities, I had come up with one modest countermeasure.
"Gu Seohyeong, if I suddenly start ignoring you from tomorrow onward, don't be too surprised."
"What?"
"From now on, even if I see you outside, I'll pretend I don't know you. I'll act cold."
"Uhm."
"And depending on the situation, I may deliberately say something harsh. For example... I might tell reporters something like, 'What does it matter to me whether Gu Seohyeong lives or dies?'"
The enchanter looked visibly taken aback by my words, but there was no other option.
I had dealt with people like Go Byeongdo before.
When someone takes a hostage, showing that you care about the hostage only makes the situation worse.
Indifference was the better approach.
Fortunately, it didn't take Gu Seohyeong long to understand what I meant.
"I see. Yeah... now that I think about it, that probably is the better option."
Of course, if this method failed, I would simply have to ask Esther for help separately.
Or, if necessary, I could use some of my other connections to get the enchanter out of the situation one way or another...
"Anyway, I'm sorry for causing you trouble."
I covered my mouth with one hand and offered a brief apology.
Truthfully, I was being unfairly targeted in this situation as well, so I didn't feel much need to humble myself excessively.
Still, Gu Seohyeong was the only acquaintance Kim Giryeo had left.
As someone merely borrowing this body, I couldn't treat its original owner's old classmate carelessly.
Like a properly mannered alien, I maintained at least the minimum level of courtesy.
As I sat there absorbed in my thoughts, the woman's voice suddenly came from across the table.
"Hey, but isn't the method you just mentioned a little too passive?"
"Passive?"
"Well... if there's really a problem with the President, there are actually things I can do too."
She paused.
"I just never told you about them. To be honest, I've had quite a few problems with the President myself."
Gu Seohyeong's expression quickly turned serious as she made her suggestion.
She didn't want to simply sit back and do nothing.
She wanted to contribute to our plan in whatever way she could.
"Giryeo-ya, look around the house you're sitting in right now. Who do you think bought this place?"
"You?"
"No, that's not what I mean. If you hadn't caught me on that rooftop back then... and if you hadn't helped me so much when we were in middle school, I never would've made it this far."
"..."
"Thanks to you, I was able to pay off all that debt and live in a place like this. It's all because of you. Got it?"
After saying this, Seohyeong turned her gaze aside.
A bright living room stretched out before us, sunlight pouring through the windows as expected of a south-facing home.
After being betrayed by her parents and losing her shop in a terrorist attack, she had once lived trapped in a damp semi-basement infested with mold and insects.
"So of course I have to help you. Anyone with a conscience would."
The enchanter made her declaration then and there.
She would do everything she could, from her own position, to help the person she considered her benefactor.
Besides, if someone like Giryeo was fighting against another person, then there was a one-hundred-percent chance the other side was in the wrong.
She continued chattering away, insisting that there was no reason to hesitate over something so obvious.
"Kim Giryeo, I still don't think I've repaid even half of what I owe you."
"Is that so?"
"So stop apologizing. And from now on, come by more often to get your equipment enchanted again. I haven't seen your face much lately, but that's because you were worried about my income, right?"
Anyway, it was obvious.
Gu Seohyeong said this confidently before taking a bite of the bread her guest had brought.
"No. I just stopped coming because your enchantments weren't very good..."
Within five seconds, the D-rank Hunter's gaze turned ice-cold.
But that wasn't particularly important.
If she could reproduce that expression in public, this enchanter would never have to worry about being selected as a hostage.
***
[Exclusive] Korean Hunter Association Headquarters Confirms 'Magic Stone Grade Hijacking' Incident
[Police Investigation Into Grade Manipulation Scandal Uncovers Shocking Mastermind Behind the Scenes... Was the Goal to Create a 'Slush Fund'?]
[Insider Disclosure: Testimony Reveals President Go's Item Box Contains Numerous Items Prohibited from Public Possession... Citizens Demand Full Investigation Into 'Unfair Special Treatment']
Bam!
Exactly twenty-four hours after Esther's visit, the man who normally gave off a gentle impression suddenly slammed his hand down on the desk in his study.
Though already past fifty, his face was twisted in confusion, as though he had never imagined such a situation could possibly occur.
"What in the world is going on?!"
It had taken only a single day after Esther's visit for articles targeting him to begin pouring out.
The illegal possession of dungeon items prohibited to the general public.
Collusion with Association appraisers to deceive unsuspecting Hunters.
The accumulation of slush funds by pocketing the difference in the purchase prices of Gate-produced goods.
And more.
Go Byeongdo had assumed that the S-rank Guild Leader would come after him using brute force or threats.
But what confronted him now went far beyond a simple personal clash.
It looked almost as though someone had spent years methodically gathering evidence for the sole purpose of destroying a political rival.
"How could this happen?!"
As he watched his dirty secrets being laid bare before the press, Go Byeongdo clutched the back of his neck in frustration.
"When the hell did they start investigating me like this?! It's been almost two years since I fired that secretary! What grudge could they possibly still have?!"
To some, it might have seemed rather sinister.
But because of the nature of her awakening attribute, Esther had developed a habit of carefully collecting weaknesses on anyone who crossed her.
And the persistence with which she pursued that habit was genuinely terrifying.
[YTV 9 PM News LIVE ●: Appraiser Manipulation Scandal Spreads Rapidly...]
Before he could even react, his name had already appeared across all three major broadcasting networks.
Still, for the moment, it was manageable.
During the previous Malice incident, he had treated the matter carelessly and ended up leaving an opening behind.
But when it came to slush funds, he had always been meticulous about managing evidence.
If necessary, he could simply cut off the people beneath him and deny everything.
Just as he had during the Ally incident, he could survive by insisting that he had never been involved.
"Whoa!"
Besides, he still had one trump card in reserve.
A weapon he had been saving for his counterattack.
"Do you think I'm just going to sit here and take this? You bastard. You have no idea who I have under my control right now..."
The Association President muttered curses about Giryeo under his breath as he picked up a document.
It was an exclusive contract he held with a certain enchanter.
Since he had the enchanter's leash firmly in his hands, Go Byeongdo intended to use her to threaten Kim Giryeo.
If necessary, he could punish the enchanter by denying her proper work.
"Or I could threaten to reveal the enchanter's face to the entire world!"
And if Kim Giryeo knelt before him, Esther, who was supporting him, would naturally have no choice but to stop as well.
[Everyone, we have just received breaking news.]
That was when it happened.
The news anchor's voice suddenly grew urgent, carrying a faint trace of excitement.
It was obvious that YTV had just obtained an even bigger scoop.
The entire atmosphere of the broadcast shifted with the breaking report.
[The previously anonymous Korean Enchanter has submitted additional evidence regarding Association President Go's embezzlement of funds.
Shockingly, it has now been revealed that Chairman Go Byeongdo accepted illegal requests from overseas clients regarding Enchant contracts while openly neglecting urgent requests from disaster-stricken regions in need of reinforcement.
According to testimony, when workers protested these decisions, the Chairman allegedly hurled abusive remarks at the Enchanter's security personnel, saying, 'Make sure that bastard doesn't get any ideas.'
We will now play the recording obtained by our reporters.]
"What—what is this?!"
Clank.
A sharp crash rang through the room.
Go Byeongdo had staggered backward and collided with a nearby display cabinet.
One of the trophies he treasured from a university alumni golf tournament shattered on the floor.