By Zephyria 
Although he had heard from Pi Min-hyeong and Seo Gae-un about who ‘the one whose name cannot be mentioned’ was, Yang Eun-ho hadn’t witnessed him with his own eyes, so he didn’t fully realize what the man meant to Tae-un. That is, until Tae-un handed him an unfamiliar phone number and told him to investigate the text records.
As a result of an investigation using illegal means, he obtained records of a middle-aged man arranging a blind date for his mother through his high school-aged son. If the man had been hitting on the son, he would be a filthy criminal who should be reported, but he explicitly mentioned it was for his divorced mother.
Without thinking much of it, Eun-ho printed the text messages and handed them over, only for Tae-un’s hands to tremble violently as he gripped the paper. Pi Min-hyeong, who had been peeking from beside him, burst out laughing, clutching his stomach.
〈Hey. It seems like the Big Brother has absolutely zero interest in you?〉
〈Shut up.〉
〈There’s a 14-year age gap; do you really think he’d see you as a romantic… no, a man? As a dating prospect? Besides, you can’t even ask him directly and are sneaking around printing text logs. Ugh, so gloomy.〉
〈Pi Min-hyeong. Die.〉
After throwing Pi Min-hyeong out the window and tearing the paper into shreds, Tae-un immediately canceled his schedule. It was a schedule that had been set for the day of ‘the one whose name cannot be mentioned’s’ blind date.
To get straight to the point, Yang Eun-ho ended up being dragged along with Pi Min-hyeong to the cafe that served as the blind date location for ‘the one whose name…’ He had been caught by Tae-un, who claimed it would look suspicious if he went alone.
‘I think three hulking men crouching together looks even more suspicious…’
Yang Eun-ho thought so, but he faithfully followed Tae-un’s instructions and even brought a change of civilian clothes. Tae-un, who covered his face with a cap and mask, wasn’t wearing his usual suit and coat, but a black baseball jacket and black jeans bought specifically for today. However, the gloves he wore even while eating remained.
‘Dressing entirely in black to tail someone… it really doesn’t suit him.’
Their efforts to blend in normally despite the suspicious situation were thwarted by Pi Min-hyeong.
“Um, are you Hunter Pi Min-hyeong?”
Though he wasn’t wearing a t-shirt that blended into his skin or neon shorts, Pi Min-hyeong, who dressed like a thug or a local unemployed bum, stood out wherever he went. Naturally, his companion, Tae-un, was quickly exposed. A woman who shyly asked for an autograph tried to ask Tae-un as well, but upon seeing his chilling gaze, her face looked as if she were about to cry, and she hurriedly turned away.
Whether it was a blessing or a curse, the person sitting over there, ‘the one whose…’ …Yang Eun-ho, becoming tired of recalling this long title, decided to just think of him as Kim Si-baek. Anyway, Kim Si-baek, who was in the middle of his blind date, seemed unaware of the situation here.
“Oh, the atmosphere looks good, doesn’t it?”
Pi Min-hyeong glanced over while sipping a sweet caffe mocha. Since the middle-aged woman, the date, had her back turned, only Kim Si-baek’s face was barely visible from this position, but they seemed to be chatting quite amiably. Tae-un’s gaze grew even more murderous.
“But who has a blind date on a weekday afternoon? It’s not even dinner time.”
The place they were in was a cafe in the Dunsan New Town. Dunsan New Town, where the former Government Complex Daejeon had been located, had become even more crowded as new government offices moved in.
Since she was raising two children alone, she probably wasn’t a full-time housewife, and since she was dressed in a suit that looked like work attire, she appeared to be a civil servant working at a nearby government agency.
“She probably took a half-day off. Even though she has two kids, Big Brother wouldn’t be looking for a woman who’s never been married at his age. If she’s a civil servant, her job is decent, and the eldest child likes Big Brother enough to arrange this for his mom… it’s perfect! A match made in heaven, man.”
“….”
Pi Min-hyeong was openly rubbing salt in the wound, but as someone who had to stalk in silence, Tae-un could only let his hands tremble. The three-hundred eyes, glistening with a terrifying bloodlust, felt incredibly chilling even to Yang Eun-ho, who was used to him. On the other hand, Pi Min-hyeong, having witnessed the pathetic displays Tae-un made in front of Kim Si-baek, felt no intimidation.
“The vibe looks great; maybe they’ll go for dinner together later? Tae, are you going to follow them to dinner too?”
“….”
“Since he knows the son, the lady might even invite him home for dinner. If that happens, you won’t be able to follow. Was the kid’s name Bae Jihan? For some reason, Big Brother seemed close to him in the portal.”
“….”
“Instead of stalking gloomily, why not barge into the blind date like in a drama? Ah, I can’t use that method because Big Brother doesn’t see you as a romantic partner. Sorry.”
“….”
Tae-un’s hand, gripping a coffee cup he hadn’t taken a single sip of, tightened, and a crack snapped through the cup. It was a bloodlust that could have sent Pi Min-hyeong—or the entire cafe—flying at any moment.
While a flinching Yang Eun-ho prepared to flee if necessary, Pi Min-hyeong nimbly slipped away.
“I’ll go scout for a bit to see what kind of conversation Big Brother is having.”
At those words, the tension left the hand that had looked ready to crush Pi Min-hyeong’s skull along with the coffee cup. At Tae-un’s sharp glare telling him to go quickly, he slurped the remaining coffee and stood up leisurely.
Pretending to leave after buying a cookie from the display near the counter, he walked straight toward the blind date table as if it were a chance encounter. Although they couldn’t hear what was being said, Kim Si-baek looked surprised yet pleased to encounter him.
The problem didn’t stop there.
Despite intruding on a blind date, he greeted the other woman with an exaggerated fuss and even shook her hand, then had the gall to squeeze himself into the seat next to Kim Si-baek.
‘Even for Min-hyeong hyung, this is a bit much. What is he doing at a blind date? …No way?!’
The “no way” was correct.
Hearing Pi Min-hyeong’s whispering, Kim Si-baek leaned his head far to the side to peek. Pi Min-hyeong even pointed toward their table, indicating that it wasn’t in that direction.
‘You crazy human! Are you doing this because you want to be killed by Tae-un hyung?!’
Even though he knew the man didn’t recognize his face, Yang Eun-ho reflexively turned away. Tae-un also tried to lower his head hurriedly, but it was too late. Kim Si-baek’s searching eyes met Tae-un’s gaze exactly.
* * *
He didn’t know what kind of quest would arise in the future, but one thing was certain: he had to continue eradicating magical beasts even on Earth. To do that, the recovery of divine power was indispensable.
That was also why he had performed what was essentially proselytizing at the Id Portal. It would be good if it served as a foundation for later, and even if not, it would be a good thing if they realized faith and gained the ability to protect themselves.
Even if he didn’t reveal every detailed circumstance—such as having just returned from mak slecht or being nearly 100 years old—Kim Si-baek felt the need to show some of his cards.
[Death and Beauty agrees to reveal the source of my apostle’s power.]
To that end, the person he met was Director Noh of the Supernatural Phenomenon Response Agency, who was also Bae Jihan’s mother. He had chosen a cafe as the meeting place to simultaneously carry out a quest that still had time remaining. Wouldn’t preparing the ground for his stay on Earth be an enjoyable time in its own way?
Director Noh smiled slightly awkwardly.
“I’ve heard a lot from Section Chief Gwak. My child also hasn’t stopped bragging about Mr. Kim Si-baek.”
“Jihan-gun must have witnessed many terrifying sights; is he doing alright?”
“He shook it off bravely. This is a belated greeting, but thank you very much for saving Jihan.”
“Not at all.”
Kim Si-baek returned the greeting as she bowed her head again.
“I only found out later, when we were alone, that Jihan-gun’s mother was the Director of the Supernatural Phenomenon Management Agency. I hadn’t noticed until then. I heard you were already well-acquainted with Section Chief Gwak?”
“I strictly instructed him that if a civilian were to be caught up in a magical beast incident, like at the Id Portal, he must never mention me to the hunters of the invitation bureau or act as if we are personally acquainted. A child of mine should not be given preferential treatment or priority protection over other civilians, should they?”
Her tone was calm, but it was not a principle that could be easily upheld. How many people forget their duty and falter in the face of personal greed, especially the safety of their family? Therefore, Kim Si-baek judged that he could trust her a bit more.
“I believe you have guessed, so I will speak honestly in advance. We have attempted a background check on Mr. Kim Si-baek, but we found no clues at all. A nail that sticks out is bound to be hammered, yet it makes no sense that an Awakened with skills like yours has remained hidden until now.”
Sipping her coffee, Director Noh smiled quietly.
“Moreover, your appearance is remarkably young for your age. My employees even joked that you were like a dinosaur from an old cartoon, discovered after being trapped in a glacier for 21 years, or perhaps kidnapped by aliens and then returned.”
“Hmm, that’s actually somewhat similar.”
Kim Si-baek let out a short laugh. Biyendwe, perched on the crown of his head today, felt the same way.
[Death and Beauty evaluates that if you replace the aliens with mak slecht, it’s a fairly accurate hit.]
“I cannot tell you everything, but you can assume that I disappeared and remained disconnected from the world for 21 years.”
“I thought so.”
Director Noh accepted this readily without prying. Kim Si-baek, who was cautious, felt a hint of suspicion at how easily she believed him—unlike Tae-un, who had followed him exceptionally well since childhood—but she had her own reasons for doing so.
“Isn’t the nature of Mr. Kim Si-baek’s ability different from the awakening abilities of hunters?”