By Zephyria 
Cheongju Airport was bustling not only with guild officials and civil servants from the Supernatural Phenomenon Response Agency, but also with members of the press.
“Guild Master of Great Arrow! The Banmo is a magical beast that failed a raid once last year; how do you view the probability of success for this second attempt?”
“Hunter Kim Kyung-pil! Is it true that you engaged in real estate speculation in the areas near Pyongyang and Hamhung under a borrowed name, eyeing redevelopment after unification?”
“You’re the head of the Field Analysis Division, right? Please give us a word on the field analysis!”
This raid was a hot issue capturing the public’s attention, causing the President’s approval ratings to soar amid expectations for unification and the recovery of Seoul. Reporters set off flashes and thrust their microphones forward, desperate to catch even a single word.
‘It’s absolute chaos.’
Seeing the reporters swarming in such a disorderly fashion, it was inevitable that old memories resurfaced. The images of reporters stationed everywhere—when he became the youngest gold medalist at the Asian Games, and when the Tae Cheol-hun assault incident occurred, as they sought him out at the orphanage and school.
“…….”
In the past—perhaps 50 or 60 years ago—those latter memories would have made his stomach churn, but now he could shake them off with a simple frown. Perhaps it was because he had grown older…
[Death and Beauty comment that when humans age, they usually become numb to past memories or become tempered. They console that this is a sign of maturing and hardening through the years, so there is no need to view it unfavorably. They pat your shoulder, saying they look forward to the further growth of my apostle.]
Just how much older do you want me to get…
Seeing the swarming press, Tae-un seemed to have a similar thought and subtly checked Kim Si-baek’s expression. Kim Si-baek gave a thin smile and lightly punched him on the shoulder.
“It’s not like these reporters harbor any malice toward me. Even if they did, well, maybe it’s because I’ve aged, but I don’t let it get to me like I used to.”
He had even brought up the topic of age—something he usually avoided for fear of worrying the boy—to soothe him, but Tae-un’s voice became even more cautious.
“Men get, you know, the menopause when they age, right? Anyway, I heard their personalities become sensitive. You’re not like that yet, are you, Hyung? Just in case, should I get you some medicine or something?”
“…….”
“Ow, ow-ow!”
Tae-un, who had been slapped on the arm and back with loud smacks, groaned exaggeratedly and twisted his waist. The air stirred. For the sake of the mental well-being of the guild members, who instinctively flinched in the background despite being used to this, Yang Eun-ho smoothly stepped in.
“I will take the lead from here, Mentor.”
“The Chief? Didn’t the Guild Masters of the other guilds enter the airport first?”
“In our guild, the interviews are handled by me, not the Guild Master.”
“Aha……”
‘Un-i speaks so prettily. He’s handsome, so he’ll look great on screen,’ Kim Si-baek thought as he looked up at Tae-un, who lowered his long eyelashes and let out a long, precarious breath.
“I get too nervous if I have to do an interview in front of so many people.”
“The Guild Master eats when he’s with the Mentor……”
Low, chant-like mutterings could be heard from somewhere, mixed with curses.
“Ugh, fuck. Crazy bastard.”
The source of the curse was Pi Min-hyeong. Appalled, he glared at Tae-un with a look that said, ‘You crazy bastard, stop acting out. How many times have you wiped out the entire surrounding area just because reporters were annoying you for an interview? You’re just scared you’ll actually die because of your own power, that’s why you can’t do the interview.’ In response, Tae-un’s eyes narrowed.
Unaware that a fierce and useless staring contest was taking place from an angle he couldn’t see, Kim Si-baek boarded the plane to Pyongyang. There was no need to turn back, but Tae-un was in the seat next to him.
“What happened with the thing you said you’d tell the Strategy Department?”
The origin of a magical beast is not necessarily its weakness, but knowing it allows one to predict the beast’s behavioral patterns to some extent. In the case of the mak slecht, they had cornered Edokus by utilizing the fact that he, originating from fear, focused solely on his own protection and survival.
However, on Earth, where there is no knowledge of chaos, there is also no knowledge regarding the occurrence and origin of magical beasts. In a world where gods do not exist before humans, the truth about Chaos, the ancient god, was difficult even for Kim Si-baek to make them understand.
Therefore, Tae-un had agreed to convey the following to the Strategy Department: ‘How about analyzing the kun by focusing on the strongest instinct the magical beast possesses?’
Tae-un placed his long fingers on his chest, his voice trembling slightly.
“When I told them, they looked at me with faces that said, ‘Are you spouting bullshit just because we pamper you for being the Guild Master?’ It was scary……”
“Why are they scaring a good kid? How mean.”
“Right……”
Yang Eun-ho, who had just finished boarding and sat down next to Tae-un, overheard the conversation and looked at them with a face that said, ‘Are you spouting bullshit just because we pamper you for being the Guild Master?’ Feeling slightly embarrassed in front of his juniors, Kim Si-baek cleared his throat. With Yang Eun-ho present, he decided he should travel to Pyongyang quietly.
✽ ✽ ✽
From early morning, there was only one topic of conversation. Whether the individuality field conquest by the hunters entering North Korea today would be successful, whether they could truly recover Seoul if they succeeded, and whether it would become the foundation for unification.
People were restless, combining bits and pieces of information they had gathered from here and there as if they were experts. Sister Benedicta was also slightly excited, though in a different direction than the general public.
“I heard Un and the other kids are participating in the Kaesong field operation this time. Everything will be fine, right?”
While praying for a safe return along with Sister Benedicta, Sister Hyo-ju Agnes’s mind was wandering elsewhere. After agonizing over it for several days, she eventually slipped out of the cathedral, which was buzzing with excitement.
She lingered for a long time near the cafe, the designated meeting spot, but she couldn’t settle down. Only when the appointment time was nearly upon her did she enter the cafe, pressing down on her chest, which felt tight enough to make her nauseous.
What had made Hyo-ju Agnes so nervous was an email she had received recently. The owner of the unfamiliar email address had abruptly claimed to know her half-sibling and demanded a meeting.
It was no great secret that Hyo-ju Agnes was searching for a half-sibling whose name she didn’t even know. Although her father never spoke of it, he occasionally seemed to meet her mother’s acquaintances to ask if they remembered anything. Because her mother had thoroughly hidden her past, there had been no results for twenty years.
She had occasionally imagined meeting her half-sibling as if by a miracle, but that imagination had never started with a sudden incoming email.
‘Could it be for money? Like voice phishing?’
She had even gone so far as to think that. Just in case, she searched the email’s domain, and it was indeed an official email address issued by the Oregon National Laboratory in the US, where the sender claimed to be affiliated. When she looked up the name, it belonged to a researcher with a high reputation in the field of magical beast studies.
Despite looking into it in various ways, the anxiety would not fade. Don’t voice phishers these days even impersonate prosecutors?
Unable to tell Sister Benedicta or her family, Hyo-ju Agnes had chewed over the thought alone and finally made an appointment with the man. She clung to the hope that since a nun’s salary is meager, he couldn’t possibly be a scammer demanding money.
Still, unable to completely discard her anxiety, she decided to meet at a franchise cafe near the orphanage. Since it was a crowded place, he wouldn’t be able to harm her.
Pressing her sweaty palms together, Hyo-ju Agnes anxiously bit her lip. When ten minutes passed and the exact appointment time arrived, the cafe door she had been staring at opened, and a middle-aged man entered. He was a tall, handsome man, about 180 centimeters—or rather, since he was American, about 6 feet.
Looking around, the man walked straight toward Hyo-ju Agnes, who was in her nun’s habit, and sat down. Then, without even confirming who she was, he greeted her abruptly.
“I am Cloud Carter.”
“……I am Hyo-ju Agnes.”
She swallowed hard. Cloud’s tone was slightly awkward, but he was quite proficient in Korean, unlike someone who had been adopted into the US decades ago.
“…….”
“…….”
After that, there was silence. Even after receiving their ordered coffees, Cloud merely observed her as if analyzing her.
Unable to bear the silence, Hyo-ju Agnes spoke first.
“How… did you know about me……”