By Zephyria 
The name was unfamiliar to Kim Si-baek, but Jo Byeong-seok and Vice Guild Master Tobazishu Husarski seemed to have a vague recollection of it.
“Ah, is that the person who discovered the ecological habits of the red ants?”
He seemed to be a well-known figure among hunters. Tae-un also gave a thin smile, confirming Kim Si-baek’s guess.
“He’s a doctor at the Oregon Research Institute in the US and one of the top researchers in magical beast studies. Ordinary people wouldn’t know him, though.”
Gwak Yun-sang, who was being excessively kind to Kim Si-baek, added further explanation.
“He’s of Korean descent, adopted into the US as a child. His age was forty… something? Anyway, he should be in his early to mid-forties.”
Since he was an excellent magical beast scholar, his desire to observe the raid for research purposes was neither offensive nor strange. There were researchers from Korean institutes who observed raids as well.
However, since Kim Si-baek was concerned about what Edokus might be plotting, this sudden addition bothered him.
“Is there a reason this was decided so abruptly?”
“Actually, since it’s a large-scale raid, there were several inquiries from foreign research institutes to observe, but I cut them off by offering to share the video footage. I believe the Oregon Institute was also rejected, but Dr. Carter sent a separate, urgent request.”
Tae-un asked crookedly as Gwak Yun-sang replied that he had no choice but to comply because the request had mobilized all of the doctor’s Korean connections.
“What about safety measures? It would be problematic if you’re asking us to escort an uninvited guest at this point.”
“For now, I’ve agreed to provide security for the doctor… Hmm, perhaps because he’s American, he was very thorough with the contract. It states that during the period from his entry into North Korea through the raid and his departure, the Korean government and Korean guilds will not be held responsible for any mishaps regarding his personal safety. Even in the extreme case of death, the same applies.”
At this point, the conditions were practically the same as if he had begged to be let in. Jo Byeong-seok and the Vice Guild Master gaped slightly.
“I mean, even so, it’s just an S-class magical beast; is it really worth that much? S-class magical beasts are everywhere in the US.”
“He said it was absolutely necessary for a research paper on magical beasts that appear on land despite having an aquatic appearance.”
Gwak Yun-sang scratched his head, as if he didn’t know the deeper details. Kim Si-baek listened in silence, but his expression grew subtle. Noticing the change, Tae-un leaned down and whispered lowly. His tone was casual.
“If it bothers you, shall I search for him on the internet and show you?”
“Hmm, no. I’ll see him in two days anyway.”
Kim Si-baek steadied his mind, thinking that since the difficulty of the dragonfish raid wouldn’t be that high, he could simply keep an eye on the man.
✽ ✽ ✽
“And my Korean name is Kim Si-woon.”
At his answer, Hyo-ju Agnes momentarily looked devastated. It was a strange reaction to simply hearing a meaningless name, causing Cloud to frown slightly. However, after a long while, she asked an even stranger question.
“Um, excuse me… what are the Hanja for your name?”
“I don’t remember.”
How could a young child have known the Hanja of his own name? If his older brother hadn’t called him by the name Kim Si-woon constantly, he wouldn’t have even known it. The only way his father referred to him was through curses.
Hyo-ju Agnes fell silent again. Color gradually returned to her face, which had been clouded with bewilderment. It was puzzling that his answer—that he didn’t remember—seemed to have given her trust.
Cloud had no way of knowing that she was thinking, ‘If he had prepared meticulously to scam me, he would have revealed the meaning of my second brother’s name; since he doesn’t know, he’s actually more believable.’
In any case, the reaction of Hyo-ju Agnes, who might be his half-sister, was of no importance to Cloud. Cloud took two genetic testing kits out of his bag.
“What are these?”
“I brought them because we’ll need genetic testing. If I investigate alone, there’s a possibility you’ll misunderstand and think I manipulated the results, so let’s request them from separate institutions.”
Faced with Cloud’s extremely rational and cold demeanor, Hyo-ju Agnes merely blinked her eyes wide before nodding. Cloud demonstrated the sample collection first, and Hyo-ju Agnes followed suit, collecting saliva from her mouth.
With that, the preparations were complete.
Though his heart burned with the desire to ask if she knew his brother’s whereabouts or name, Cloud maintained his composure. There was still a probability that Hyo-ju Agnes was not his half-sister. It wouldn’t be too late to gather information after everything was revealed.
To do that, he had to request the analysis from the genetic institution as soon as possible. Cloud checked the time. If he left the cafe now, he could catch the evening flight. If he sent it via express mail upon returning home, the results would arrive within a few days.
Having quickly organized his plan, Cloud pushed his chair back.
“Then, as soon as the forensic results come out, I will contact—”
“Ah, excuse me.”
Hyo-ju Agnes, who seemed lost in thought with a vacant expression, suddenly looked up. Cloud calculated that he had about 20 minutes of spare time and gazed at her.
“What should I call you? Dr. Kim Si-woon?”
“Please call me Carter.”
“Yes. Dr. Carter…”
Hyo-ju Agnes clasped her hands, repeating his name as if to confirm it. It was visible to the naked eye that the hands resting on the table were trembling slightly.
“You said you heard stories about your mother from your brother?”
“That is correct.”
“Then… were you adopted together with your brother?”
A tiny crack appeared in Cloud’s composure. Hyo-ju Agnes’s words suggested one unwelcome fact: she also did not know where his brother was, what he was doing, or what kind of person he was.
A bitter disappointment surged, threatening to drown him. He finally realized how much blind hope he had placed on a single email from an unknown sender. The price of a brief glimmer of hope appearing amidst the disappointment that had dominated him for twenty years—years during which he had grown numb to failure—was this great.
…Then, was there any reason to come all the way to Korea to meet Hyo-ju Agnes, or any need to do a genetic test? Everything up until now had been a meaningless action.
The devastated Cloud remained silent, but Hyo-ju Agnes found her answer by looking at his expression.
“Ah, I guess not…”
Hyo-ju Agnes fidgeted awkwardly with her fingers, speaking incoherently.
“My mother hardly ever talked about my brothers. I don’t even know what their surnames are… The most I heard was the Hanja used in their names and their ages… If Dr. Carter is indeed my little bro-ther, then my big brother is probably around fifty, and his name is… uh, uh…”
Hyo-ju Agnes’s timidly fading face suddenly changed. Her unfocused, wide eyes and parted lips proved that she was experiencing an immense shock. What Cloud noticed was the information spilling out of her mouth in fragments. The Hanja used in the name and the age. Information about his brother, captured for the first time in nearly 40 years.
“Do you know the Hanja and the age?”
Whether she noticed that Cloud’s tone had become uncharacteristically urgent or not, Hyo-ju Agnes merely let her lips quiver blankly.
It was then. Over the soft music flowing through the cafe, the refined pronunciation of a news announcer began to overlap.
—Meanwhile, Hunter Kim Si-baek, who possesses the world’s only healing ability, is also participating in the dragonfish raid, right? He should have arrived at Sunan Airport by now. Haha, of course, in the case of Hunter Kim Si-baek, it’s not an awakening but a matter of faith…
“Ack, sorry! I pressed the wrong button!”
An employee who had made a mistake while playing music on a laptop quickly turned off the broadcast video. Hyo-ju Agnes pushed out her voice haltingly.
“That, that’s the name… The one that uses the Hanja for arborvitae…”
“What?”
At the question of Cloud, who was ignorant of Hanja, Hyo-ju Agnes blinked her eyebrows and stared at the man sitting before her.
Only then did the features of the man, whom she hadn’t observed properly due to her anxiety over whether he was a scammer, come into view. The youthful appearance that erased the traces of time to the point that his age was questionable, and the gentleness that now dwelled within his cold, frozen expression—someone she knew overlapped upon him.
Someone who had lost their composure, saying that their own appearance, which resembled their mother, was similar to someone they knew in the past. The image of a man who might have recognized who she was long ago and simply passed by, pretending not to know.