DB Vol 2 Part 7
“What’s wrong? Are you talking about the person who just left? Why them?”
“Something about them bothered me.”
“Bothered you?”
“The feeling… was strangely similar to that man.”
That man? Without realizing it, Won-woo half-turned his body to look back. Seung-wook, his brow deeply furrowed, spat out a name.
“Gye Yoon.”
A pause. Won-woo, who had been moving forward, stopped in his tracks. It was an unfamiliar name, but for some reason, it grated on his nerves. Then it clicked. Could it be someone from the Gye Family? Just then, Geon-young’s rebuttal came from behind.
“Hey, don’t talk nonsense. That brute is locked up in prison right now. If it really were Gye Yoon, he wouldn’t have missed the chance to run wild when Head Director Hong collapsed. You know the Gye Family hates the Head Director as much as they hate their own. You must have seen wrong.”
Despite Geon-young’s words, Seung-wook could not let go of his suspicion.
“It could have been Gye Yoon who took down the Head Director.”
“Aw, that’s not it.”
Geon-young shook his head vigorously.
“I find the Gye brute horrific too, but that guy doesn’t have the ability to drain energy. He’s more the type to slice things into pieces. There’s a reason the brute is called a swordsman, right? This is different from the brute’s ability.”
“I guess.”
Hearing Seung-wook agree defeatedly, Won-woo started walking again. Swordsman. That was the nickname he had heard from Seo-na. It seemed the person they called Gye Yoon was the Vice Head of the Gye Family. But why did Seung-wook mistake the man in black for him?
Since Won-woo was also curious about the man’s identity, he became interested in this Gye Yoon. Fortunately, the person who could explain was waiting in front of the room.
“Won-woo-nim.”
Seo-na looked around and called him softly.
“Just call me Won-woo.”
“I absolutely cannot.”
“…Absolutely?”
“More importantly, if you permit me, there is something I wish to ask. Could you spare some of your precious time for me?”
At first, he wondered if she was joking, but seeing the sincerity in Seo-na’s eyes, her manner of speaking seemed to come from the heart. Won-woo swallowed a sigh and nodded.
“It seems we definitely need to have a conversation.”
At this rate, he might end up being called ‘Your Majesty’ later.
“Hong Eun-tae collapsed?”
As soon as Chief Jung heard the news, he thought of the brute. He finally did it.
“Did Hong Eun-tae’s sibling not call Hong Eun-tae even after swallowing the bait we threw?”
As Chief Jung rarely let out a curse, an employee waved their hand as if that wasn’t the case.
“Chief, Hong Eun-tae’s collapse has nothing to do with the Vice Head.”
“What do you mean? Then why did Hong Eun-tae collapse?”
“They say nobody knows.”
“…Are you sure the Vice Head didn’t have a hand in it?”
Since Chief Jung could not shake his suspicion, the employee detailed the story heard from the informant. Because there were many witnesses to Hong Eun-tae’s collapse, information overflowed without the need for cross-verification. However, after hearing the situation, Chief Jung frowned, finding it even more incomprehensible.
“All the power was drained?”
“It’s not just drained. Hong Eun-tae’s secretary is a Guide, [visit our sitestyle="font-size:0;position:absolute;left:-9999px;">]and people around heard them rambling incoherently at the hospital. They said that currently, only an energy level of about D-rank low can be felt from Hong Eun-tae.”
What on earth… what kind of nonsense is that? How does an A-rank Esper become D-rank overnight?
“It’s probably a false rumor, but it’s worth checking. Is Hong Eun-tae at the Eastern Center hospital? Wasn’t there someone we planted there?”
“There is, but it’s useless. They say the Hong Family took Hong Eun-tae away. They took them as if it were some secret operation.”
Chief Jung’s eyes glinted sharply. The fact that the Hong Family was hiding something meant there was a high possibility that Hong Eun-tae had actually become D-rank.
“We need to know exactly what happened. Find someone among the witnesses at the scene who can be recruited.”
At Chief Jung’s order, the employee blinked.
“Chief, there’s no need for that. The Vice Head was at the scene.”
“Are you sure he was? If it was the bru… the Vice Head, he would have definitely taken the chance to slit Hong Eun-tae’s throat when they collapsed.”
With so many people and such chaos, he wasn’t the type to miss such a gap. There was no way he would hesitate when the chance to kill his enemy was right before his eyes.
“It seems he just watched and then left.”
“Why?”
“Huh? Well, I don’t really….”
The fact that the brute had withdrawn quietly bothered him more than the news of Hong Eun-tae’s collapse.
“So where is the Vice Head now? I heard the person we sent to the Farm found the Vice Head and is sticking with him?”
“Yes, that’s true… but they say he’s still at the Farm.”
What is he doing that he hasn’t come yet? Did someone put honey on the Farm?
“So… you’re saying Head Director Hong’s abilities have completely disappeared?”
After confirming the facts and hearing the explanation from Won-woo, Seo-na spoke up after a long while.
“Not completely. There are some powers that don’t detach from the main body, like residue. Because of that, the ability remains, though it’s weak. It would only be around D-rank low.”
D-rank low. Seo-na murmured the rank blankly before quickly nodding.
“I see.”
Then, as if her business was finished, she shut her mouth. Won-woo looked at her cautiously and asked.
“Nothing else to say?”
“Ah, thank you. Come to think of it, I’m late in greeting you, Won-woo-nim.”
“No, not a greeting. Are you okay with the fact that I can easily harm Espers?”
In truth, he had some concerns. Regardless of everything, the Seo-na of this world had pride as an Esper and was loyal to the Center.
Just as Espers had regarded the Purifier as an enemy in the original world, he thought she might feel repulsion seeing Won-woo harm Espers. However, at Won-woo’s question, Seo-na raised an eyebrow as if she didn’t understand.
“Are you planning to eliminate all Espers?”
“No.”
He had already done it once; there was no need to do it again.
“If Won-woo-nim only uses that power where it is needed, I have no reason to stop you, nor any reason to feel unpleasant. I barely have any close Esper friends, so even if you were to massacre Espers in large numbers, I would be fine. …But that smile is a bit not fine.”
Won-woo quickly straightened his face and pressed his lips together.
“What’s wrong with my smile? Should I stop smiling?”
“No, it’s not that. It’s just that Won-woo-nim has a beautiful smiling face. Um, I’m afraid I might develop feelings other than respect… But please don’t worry. That will absolutely never happen.”
“Respect is the worst one.”
“From now on, I shall change my expression to ‘infinite reverence.’”
Her expression was 100% sincere. Feeling the gravity of the situation, Won-woo shook his head seriously.
“Just treat me as a friend.”
“How could I possibly dare to be friends with Won-woo-nim?”
“That way we can fan-girl together.”
“!”
Gopnalssu! It felt as if those letters were being shot like lasers from her widened eyes. Won-woo pressed down on his lips to keep from laughing, turned his head to look around, and then stopped. He felt as if someone was watching him. He had sensed the same energy on the rooftop of the dormitory before, and as soon as he came up with Seo-na, he felt it again.
So, he sharpened his senses to find the Esper’s energy. But this time too, as if hidden by a ghost, nothing was caught. However, for some reason, the man in black came to mind. There was no reason; it was just a gut feeling, so he wasn’t sure.
“Deputy Team Leader, by any chance, do you know a person named Gye Yoon?”
When Won-woo asked, Seo-na, who was about to introduce the fan-made account she found yesterday, froze. Then, slowly lifting her gaze from her phone, she asked cautiously.
“He is the Vice Head of the Gye Family. Why do you ask?”
When he told her that Seung-wook suspected him, Seo-na’s expression gradually clouded.
“Team Leader Yoo Geon-young always spouts bullshit, but this time, that bastard’s opinion is correct. Gye Yoon is locked up in a place that is practically a prison. And just looking at the fact that he didn’t step forward when the Head Director collapsed, he probably isn’t the brute.”
Won-woo tilted his head at the nickname ‘brute’ coming from Seo-na’s mouth.
“He’s the Vice Head of the Gye Family, yet everyone speaks of him so carelessly. Yoo Geon-young too.”
“That’s because, due to the efforts of his family….”
Seo-na stopped mid-sentence, but Won-woo could tell without hearing the rest. Ji Geun-oh was an expert at slander and accusation.
It was obvious how many false rumors he had spread and innocent slanders he had made to bring down the Gye Family, whom he regarded as enemies. And his efforts seemed quite successful, as everyone without hesitation called the great ruler of the North ‘the brute.’
“But is this Gye Yoon person really a brute?”
“Yes. Every Esper that the Gye Family needed to deal with was sliced to pieces by him.”
Ah, so that’s why he’s a swordsman. Others might be horrified by the nickname, but to Won-woo, it actually sounded quite cute. Better than me, anyway. Perhaps because Won-woo’s reaction was nonchalant, Seo-na shared one of the brute’s records.
“You know there are three central centers in the North, East, and West, right? Once a year, there is an exchange meeting for the top 10 Espers between centers. Because of that, Gye Yoon once came to the Eastern Center. But from the first day, he blew up a building. He is an S-rank after all. The superficial reason was that he didn’t like the voice of the education officer.”
“What was the reason beneath the surface?”
“Among the dead Espers, there were those who had sided with Ji Geun-oh.”
Ah, it was revenge. Won-woo nodded as if he understood and asked.
“How old was he?”
“Thirteen.”
Wow. Won-woo nodded in amazement and then asked back.
“The Gye Family has a unique wave, so aren’t there very few matching Guides? What if he rampaged after using that much power?”
“Yes, of course, he went to the brink of rampage. I think the Center probably gauged how great the damage would be if an S-rank rampaged that day. They say it was dangerous enough to affect the entire city, anyway, his family sent every Guide they had to barely settle him down.
And later, rumors circulated that this wasn’t simple revenge. They said he intentionally went to the brink of rampage to find information on a matching Guide because his family wouldn’t send one. No one would have thought that young boy would bet his own life.”
“Wow.”
Won-woo’s second exclamation came out loud. Seo-na immediately put strength into her eyes and warned him.
“You must not think of it as a childish act of youth. There is a reason Gye Yoon has been locked up for over a year now. Even while in a state of rampage without guiding for nearly 10 years, the number of Ji Geun-oh’s Espers he killed is not one or two. They call it an accident, but anyone can see it was intentional. There is a reason Ji Geun-oh grinds his teeth when it comes to the Gye Family.”
Seo-na paused for emphasis and urged him earnestly.
“So, Won-woo-nim, who is of that family, must absolutely not get involved with Gye Yoon. You don’t associate with the brute. Even if you see him, avoid him at all costs.”
“You must leave, Vice Head.”
An employee from the Gye Family stood beside Gye Yoon and urged him. Though he repeated the same words like a recorder, his eyes were carefully observing Gye Yoon’s expression and gestures. After all, the opponent was the Vice Head of the Gye Family, who ruled the North. Normally, he wouldn’t even be able to look him in the face, so being given the role of pestering him right beside him made his heart pound.
Even regardless of his status, he was nervous that an S-rank Esper might take offense at his words. He wanted to run away at this point, but the thought of being chewed out by Chief Jung was equally terrible. So, the employee watched Gye Yoon’s reaction and tried to open his mouth again. Please, let’s just go. But then, Gye Yoon spoke a single word for the first time.
“Fuck.”
The curse flowed out indifferently, as if talking about the weather, but the employee’s heart trembled like a storm. Is it because of me? As he tried to step back, he noticed Gye Yoon’s gaze was still fixed on one spot and followed it.
The rooftop of the dormitory far across. It seemed someone was there, but because it was high up, it was hard to tell from the ground. All he had seen earlier was a glimpse of someone’s head. Yet, for some reason, Gye Yoon could not take his eyes off that place. Hearing the curse, even that expressionless face seemed somewhat displeased.
“Is there a problem?”
He had asked this question about 50 times now. Of course, he didn’t expect an answer this time either. But Gye Yoon muttered something.
“I can’t hear it.”
“Pardon?”
The employee asked back and looked up at the rooftop once more. He meant he couldn’t hear the sound from there? But with Gye Yoon’s ability, he should be able to hear the sound of an ant crawling up there.
“Hiding their power this much, yet how do they know and look this way?”
Wait, who exactly? The employee blinked while looking at the rooftop again.
“Could it be a mistake, Vice Head?”
Gye Yoon’s eyes turned toward the employee for the first time. At that indifferent gaze, a strange chill ran down his spine. Gulp. The employee instinctively felt that now was the time to bolt.
Whether Gye Yoon decided to set up house here or not, it was out of his hands now. Just as he was about to say, I’ll be going now, an order came through the communicator.
[Rain is forecast for the evening. The Vice Head is sensitive to sound, so advise him to hurry into the cave before then.]
At first glance, it was a trivial statement. The employee’s expression didn’t change. However, as he tried to escape, he spoke to Gye Yoon in a calm voice to carry out the final order.
“They say it will rain this evening. It would be best to leave right now.”
The employee was confident there was nothing wrong with his words. He had done exactly as told by the higher-ups. But seeing a coldness settle like mist in Gye Yoon’s eyes, his heart sank. Surely he didn’t notice something? As he tried to hide his surprised expression, a slow voice reached him.
Gye Yoon’s voice was impressively attractive every time he heard it, but there were many who had been enchanted by that voice, only to realize too late that their inner thoughts had been exposed. Thus, the employee remained on guard, but he couldn’t easily open his mouth at Gye Yoon’s question.
“Rain. That’s the slang you use when a problem occurs among yourselves. Did something happen at the main house?”
“…No, it did not.”
He denied it belatedly, but it was useless for Gye Yoon. The employee’s heartbeat had already quickened. Gye Yoon turned away without looking back and headed toward the mobile portal device. As the employee had so desired, he was leaving the Farm, but the employee closed and opened his eyes tightly to hide his despair. Then, he quickly connected the communication and notified the Gye Family.
“Be on standby. The Vice Head may be coming.”
“Let go! I said let go!”
A male Guide in his 40s shouted angrily, roughly brushing away the hand holding him. He was currently trying to leave recklessly, carrying a large suitcase as if he were running away from home.
“Guide-nim, please calm down. The young lady is still young, and every time she receives guiding, it’s painful….”
“Fuck, do you think I enjoy guiding every time? I’m dying because of that fucking wave too! Do you know how much I’ve been anxious because that brat causes a scene every time?! And that brat used their power today!! I was hit by flying glass shards and got hurt all over my body, damn it!”
The Guide lifted his injured arm, but most of it was just red scratches. Nevertheless, no one could say anything to his stubbornness. He was a precious Guide, brought in with great difficulty as a reward for putting the Vice Head in prison.
Therefore, everyone was catering to his whims. There had been countless times he threw a fit saying he would leave, but since it had all been a bluff, he had stayed after being persuaded. But today, no matter how much they coaxed him, it didn’t work. As if he had made up his mind, he had packed his bags and looked ready to leave for real.
“If there is anything uncomfortable, please tell us. We will fix everything….”
“Fix it? Even if you fix it, that brat isn’t going to change, is he? Ha, I’m sick of it now. I want to get out of this cursed house. Do you understand?”
The Guide pushed away the person stopping him again and moved forward. However, after a few steps, someone blocked his path. It was Jae-hak, who was panting as if he had run, yet wearing a smile.
“Mr. Park. Ah, where do you think you’re going? I’ve got the liquor I mentioned before, and I’m working hard on grilling the smoked duck you like for today. Come on, let’s go.”
As soon as Jae-hak tapped the Guide’s arm with a friendly voice, the Guide’s face hardened and he pushed him away.
“Don’t touch me. Do you think I don’t know you’re trying to butter me up with mere alcohol? And grilled duck? Ha, fuck, you’re trying to brush off all my dog-like suffering with a single duck. Right, I’ve been too much of stolen content[class="wm" style="opacity:0;font-size:1px;user-select:all;">Read on Read BL Novels]an idiot all this time. But I won’t be fooled anymore.”
Despite the Guide’s words, Jae-hak managed to maintain a pleasant smile as he blocked the man who was trying to step forward.
“Ah, who said I was going to rip you off? I’m disappointed. I’m not such a shameless person. Whether it’s jewels or cash, I can provide more than enough as compensation.”
Only then did the Guide stop in his tracks. He scanned Jae-hak from head to toe and asked,
“But you don’t have much power in the Gye Family, do you?”
“Even if I don’t, it’s about saving my child, so I’ll do whatever it takes. Tell me what you want.”
When Jae-hak asked point-blank, the Guide tilted his chin up and named one thing.
“Give me the Farm in the OO district.”
The people gathered around simultaneously looked on with disbelief and anger. The farm the Guide mentioned was the largest monster Farm in the North. It was massive, accounting for about one-tenth of all the farms owned by the Gye Family. Even Jae-hak, who had not lost his smile, couldn’t help but have his expression stiffen. At that, the Guide let out a short laugh and sneered.
“See? You can’t give it, can you? Honestly, I’m the one saving your brat—no, is he just a brat? I hold the life of the next Head of the Gye Family in my hands. That means this family can only continue its lineage because of me. And yet I can’t even have that?! Without me, you’d all be dead from the curse by now… Gack!”
While speaking, the Guide suddenly coughed up blood and collapsed forward.
“Mr. Park!”
Startled, Jae-hak tried to rush toward him, but someone stopped him from behind.
“Leave him.”
Jae-hak flinched and turned his head, his eyes widening. From a distance, a man in black walked slowly toward them, pulling down the hood of his cloak under the gaze of the shocked crowd. The numerous piercings in his ears glittered under the bright lights, as if warning of his danger. Jae-hak gasped and called out his name.
“Yu, Yoon. Why are you here…?”
“Since when has this bastard been like this?”
Gye Yoon’s voice was low and calm. Stiff with tension, Jae-hak couldn’t easily open his mouth. He knew that when his brother-in-law, who was like a younger brother to him, was angry, he spoke in that indifferent tone.
“Yoon, go back.”
“You’re making me ask twice. Do you think I can’t kill you?”
“Yoon… Gasp!”
As Jae-hak called him again, he was suddenly hoisted into the air, flying rapidly like a ball before slamming into the wall.
Crash!
With a loud noise, Jae-hak fell to the floor, his body curling up as if crumpled. Several people rushed to Jae-hak, but no one screamed or called his name. The Vice Head had returned after a year, and the fear of him instantly engulfed everyone.
Everyone held their breath and kept their mouths shut instinctively. However, Gye Yoon needed someone to open their mouth and give him unauthorized copy -->unauthorized copyan answer. He turned his gaze toward someone nearby.
“You. Answer me.”
The designated employee squeezed their eyes shut. They knew Gye Yoon might get angrier depending on the answer, but they couldn’t bring themselves to lie.
“…Guide Park’s attitude has been like this from the very beginning.”
Upon hearing the answer, Gye Yoon looked down at the Guide, who was gasping for air and coughing up blood.
“While I was trapped in that fucking cave, this kind of trash was running wild at home.”
Tap. As Gye Yoon took a step forward, the Guide looked up in terror.
“Gasp, if… if you kill me, his family won’t just stand by! The Gye Head’s child will die too!”
Gye Yoon looked down at him and called someone.
“Chief Jung.”
Having just rushed over after hearing the news, Chief Jung approached with a grim face. He should have asked why Gye Yoon had come here first, but seeing Gye Yoon’s current state, he couldn’t ask anything. He simply bowed his head and answered cautiously.
“Yes.”
“Where did the Head of the Gye Family go?”
It was a disrespectful way to refer to his sister, but Chief Jung recognized the anger embedded in it. Why was she not appearing to fix the state of the household when it had become such a mess?
Chief Jung suppressed a sigh and spoke. In truth, while it was publicly known that she had gone far away for work, she had actually gone to meet a Guide whose Wave matched her daughter’s by about one-third.
“…She went to find a Guide. The other party demanded that the Head herself come to meet them.”
“A bastard who makes such a demand can’t possibly be a proper Guide. Since when did the Head of the Gye Family become such an idiot?”
“Vice Head…”
“Contact their family. Tell them the Guide they sent is dead.”
“Th-that is…”
“Yoon, no!”
Jae-hak’s loud voice tried to stop him, but he couldn’t prevent the small ‘thud’ as the Guide’s head exploded.
Hong Eun-tae’s accident shook the Esper society all day, but for the Ji Family, who held the highest position among Guides, this was also quite troubling news. Since Hong Eun-tae was practically a partner cooperating with the Ji Family, Ji Dong-hyeon spent the entire evening trying to find out her condition. However, he couldn’t get any information.
“You still haven’t found out where the Hong Family hid Hong Eun-tae?”
When Ji Dong-hyeon asked Director Shin, who worked like a secretary, he shook his head.
“They say the Hong Family is moving in absolute secrecy internally, so our informants cannot find out.”
“Fuck, just how bad is Hong Eun-tae’s condition? Do we still not know who did it?”
“Yes. However, it is reported that it seems to be a problem with Hong Eun-tae herself rather than an attack.”
“So you’re saying it’s because of the Alpha seed?”
Damn it. That absolutely cannot happen. He had controlled the Espers using the Alpha seed. Because the Alpha seed was involved, his father was flying into a rage, and Dong-hyeon was just about to go to him with the reporting materials.
“Is it really not an attack? What about the Gye Family?”
“The Head of the Gye Family has already taken the bait we threw.”
Ah. Only then did Dong-hyeon recall the prank they had played on the Gye Family. As the number of Alpha seeds had decreased recently, his father, Ji Geun-oh, had become desperate to find Alpha seeds in the farms. Thanks to that, they had searched all the farms in the East and West but found nothing.
The only remaining farms were in the North, but they couldn’t just search them at will. The best way was to take over the Northern farms from the Gye Family.
Fortunately, there was one Guide in the North who could be utilized very well. However, no matter how much her daughter’s guiding was at stake, the meticulous Head of the Gye Family would never agree to an unreasonable demand. The Ji Family planned to lure the Head out and then cause a commotion among the remaining members of the Gye Family to extort the farms.
So, they leaked information by disguising the Wave of a single Guide. Unaware that it was bait, the Head of the Gye Family rushed there personally like a dog with its paws on fire.
“What is the Head of the Gye Family doing now?”
At Seong-hyeon’s question, Director Shin let out a small chuckle, as if the thought alone was funny.
“They say that haughty Head of the Gye Family has been kneeling for several days.”
Since it was a society where the power of Espers was absolute, it was natural for the public’s interest to be focused on them. Which Esper was the strongest, who earned the most money, how great a certain family was, and so on. Because the interest was higher than that for celebrities, many billboards on the streets used Espers as models.
Among them, Hong Eun-tae had been heavily exposed to the media since her youth due to her prestigious family, A-rank skill, and polished appearance. Of course, this was based on the idea of using public support to seize power within the family. Therefore, she did not hesitate to personally participate in the promotion of the companies run by her family.
She managed her image well, so the public regarded her as a righteous person. Despite being an A-rank Esper of the Hong Family and being able to rake in money through various businesses, she worked at the Eastern Center for public safety.
Her upright image, as perceived by the people, had a great promotional effect. One could see her face in advertisements just by walking down the street.
Unlike the people of the Hong Family who avoided public exposure, she stood at the forefront, to the point where many people thought of her first when they thought of the Hong Family. Thus, the rumors about Hong Eun-tae came as quite a shock to people. Hong Eun-tae’s name was also familiar to Sang-cheon.
“No, what on earth happened?”
Sang-cheon couldn’t contain his curiosity about the stories of Hong Eun-tae that had covered the internet for the past few days. However, Hong Eun-tae’s name never appeared once in the news. While all sorts of speculations ran rampant along with rumors that the Hong Family was controlling the media, strangely, the Hong Family continued to keep their mouths shut.
The reason Sang-cheon was more curious about the full story of this incident was that the place where she was injured was the very farm where Ji Won-woo had been. Moreover, Ji Won-woo had said today that he had someone to introduce and would bring them along. While doing so, he had asked:
‘Is Nani under repair?’
He said there had been no communication from the farm for several days. That was what Sang-cheon wanted to ask. To wake someone up in the early [[Read on Read BL Novels]style="opacity:0;font-size:1px;user-select:all;">stolen content]morning, take the communicator, and then have contact cut off like that.
Apart from Hong Eun-tae’s business, he wondered if something had happened to the Gye Family. Just in case, he tried to ask Chief Jung, but the only response was that she would contact him later. He didn’t have good memories of the brute, but perhaps it was a kind of affection born of hatred. Thinking of the brute who had come out of prison, Sang-cheon muttered to himself again.
“What is going on, seriously.”
Since young Espers cannot easily control their emotions and power, the help of a Guide was absolutely necessary. Since Gye Yoon had killed his daughter’s only Guide, Jae-hak was in a position where he should have been resentful and angry. However, as soon as the situation was settled, instead of getting angry, Jae-hak held Gye Yoon down and seriously asked for his opinion.
“What should we do from now on?”
At his words, the people gathered in the conference room all looked at Jae-hak as if he were suffocating them. Gye Yoon himself was currently in a dangerous state because he wasn’t receiving guiding. In such a situation, how could there be a way to save his niece’s Guide? The people gathered here today were vassals who had served the Gye Family as their masters for a long time, including Chief Jung.
They had come here for one reason only: to prevent the soon-to-arrive Head of the Gye Family and Gye Yoon from clashing. No, would they even be able to stop it? They simply hoped that an Armageddon between the siblings wouldn’t occur and wipe the Gye Family off the face of the earth.
“What?”
Gye Yoon asked back as if annoyed. Even though he was the Vice Head, everyone frowned because the person who caused this situation was acting that way. Could something have happened to his head while he was in prison? Even if he had no solution, to just sit idly by for several days without doing anything.
However, unlike the vassals, Jae-hak was looking at Gye Yoon with desperate eyes. He trusted Gye Yoon more than he trusted the Head of the Gye Family. It had always been that way. He had always defended him, saying that Yoon doesn’t do things without thinking. Even now, not letting go of that belief, he asked desperately despite the arrogant response.
“Now that the Guide is gone, our Hwan-i’s energy is shaking to the point of being on the verge of a rampage. Is there any way?”
“We have to stop the rampage and find a new Guide.”
When an answer that anyone could have given came out, one Esper couldn’t help but interrupt.
“Is that your answer? After getting rid of a precious Guide who could save the successor of the Ji Family, is that all you have to say?”
“Ah, it’s you.”
When Gye Yoon cast an indifferent glance, the Esper asked back in confusion.
“What do you mean by ‘me’?”
“I’m talking about the idiot who treated that damn Guide with such preciousness that he was allowed to act out as he pleased.”
“Haa, Vice Head. No matter how young you are, do you really not understand the situation? Why do you think we put up with that Guide? It was obviously for the young lady’s sake.”
“Put up with him? No, you were just too lazy to find a better way.”
Gye Yoon looked around at the gathered people and twisted the corner of his mouth.
“Thanks to trusting you lot, I’ve become an idiot for going into prison.”
Anger lay beneath Gye Yoon’s low voice. His voice filled the room like an invisible mist, making people shudder.
Therefore, even if they had much to say in response to his criticism, they couldn’t summon the courage. No matter how much the Gye Family’s prestige had fallen and Gye Yoon was on the verge of a rampage, he was still an S-rank Esper. He could instill fear with just a dry voice filled with emotion. Everyone lowered their gaze in fear, but Jae-hak was different.
“Yoon, what is the way to stop the rampage and find a new Guide?”
He leaned his upper body toward Gye Yoon and asked desperately. Even when Gye Yoon turned away with an emotionless gaze, he didn’t give up, pulling his chair closer and pleading with him.
“Hey, I’m an idiot, so I’m asking. I’ve got constipation in my brain, so I really don’t know.”
Irritation spread in Gye Yoon’s eyes at Jae-hak’s analogy, but Jae-hak only pressed closer.
“Is there a way to stop our Hwan-i’s rampage?”
Since Gye Yoon wasn’t a Guide, how could he have one? Just as everyone turned their frustrated gazes toward Jae-hak again, Gye Yoon replied rudely.
“Then, would there be none?”
There is? This time, everyone’s gaze shifted simultaneously to Gye Yoon. Surely he wasn’t talking nonsense about kidnapping a Guide? Only Jae-hak, with a delighted face, grabbed Gye Yoon’s arm.
“There is? What is it?”
“Can’t you tell just by looking at me?”
“You? You… .”
Jae-hak paused and examined Gye Yoon, then his eyes widened as if he had remembered something. Unlike the few who didn’t notice the method and looked puzzled, a few who understood Gye Yoon’s words had their eyes sparkle. Huh? Maybe it could be a way. However, Jae-hak shook his head.
“No. I can’t take Hwan-i into the cave.”
The reason Gye Yoon hadn’t rampaged for over a year. He meant to use the way the mountain suppressed power. However, for the child’s father, it was an unacceptable method.
“Hwan-i’s condition is bad right now. She’s already showing symptoms of mutism and avoids all people; if she’s trapped in an unfamiliar cave blocked on all sides, she might have a seizure.”
“A seizure is better than a rampage.”
Jae-hak couldn’t answer and bit his lower lip hard. While a rampage could barely be suppressed in the cave, it didn’t mean the energy causing the child pain could be calmed.
Literally, it only stopped the rampage. If she didn’t receive guiding, the pain would remain. He didn’t want to leave the child in pain inside a scary cave. As if noticing Jae-hak’s hesitation, Gye Yoon suggested indifferently.
“I’ll take her in.”
“You can’t.”
Jae-hak refused firmly. Gye Yoon’s eyebrows twitched, but Jae-hak added strongly, ignoring him.
“Do you know how severe our Hwan-i’s shyness is? Besides, you don’t have a kind personality.”
“…I’ve been told I’m kind.”
“You probably heard that in your dreams. There’s no way a sane person would call you kind.”
It was an accurate guess, but unfortunately, Gye Yoon was also telling the truth. Gye Yoon our site">visit our sitefelt wronged, but he couldn’t confess the truth. That he had not only acted like an AI but had also been praised by someone from the Ji Family. Gye Yoon turned his head and let out a curse like a sigh.
“Fuck.”
Whether Gye Yoon spat out or swallowed the curse, the time-pressed Jae-hak now pressed him.
“So, what about finding a Guide? What should we do? Huh?”
“I was told I’m kind… damn it.”
“Just in case, I’m saying this, but kidnapping a Guide is not allowed.”
When Jae-hak ignored his words and spoke as if sternly scolding him, Gye Yoon, who already felt wronged, opened his mouth in disbelief.
“It’s not kidnapping; we can just buy the dedicated Guide attached to another Esper. Fuck.”
“All the Esper families are walking on eggshells around the Ji Family, so they won’t give up their Guides. You know that, right? They all refused even though we offered a huge amount of money.”
“Then we can give them something even more amazing.”
Gye Yoon spoke and looked back at Chief Jung.
“Use what Director Hwang gave.”
What was that? Except for Chief Jung, whose eyes widened, no one understood. However, upon hearing the word that soon came out of Gye Yoon’s visit our site]aria-label="unauthorized copy">unauthorized copymouth, everyone reached an epiphany as if their eyes had been opened.
“They’ll go crazy for an Alpha seed.”
The person who would actually go the craziest over the sudden mention of an Alpha seed was someone else.
“…What?”
Sang-cheon could only utter this in response to the purpose of Chief Jung’s sudden call.
“…What did you say?”
[It’s an Alpha seed.]
“…What is?”
The same conversation had been continuing frustratingly for over five minutes, but Chief Jung didn’t show a hint of irritation and repeatedly confirmed.
[The seed that Director Hwang requested to sell.]
“…That one?”
[Yes. The one he brought in a zipper bag.]
“…A zipper bag?”
[Yes. That black seed.]
“That… what did you say?”
[An Alpha seed.]
Sang-cheon put his hand to his forehead and bowed his head. Only one thing came to mind.
“Is this voice phishing?”
[It is not.]
Sang-cheon staggered and sat in his chair. Chief Jung waited for him to calm down and then called him in a low, serious voice.
[Mr. Hwang. We definitely want to buy this seed. Have you mentioned this to anywhere else?]
“No. Who would I tell about something that is clearly a fake?”
[It’s real.]
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