* * *
I don’t even know how many days it’s been since I last got off work on time…
The moment I got home, I collapsed into bed without even washing up.
Back when I was preparing for employment and doing part-time dungeon raid gigs on the side, I think I was much happier.
If you calculate by hourly wage, isn’t this technically a loss right now…?
-Completion Reward: 7,000 Gold
…No.
It’s true that once the quest is completed, an enormous sum comes in.
On my long-awaited day off, after sleeping twenty hours straight, I reflexively checked my smartwatch.
No summons.
Next, my phone.
What caught my eye first was a massive stack of missed calls.
Sun (56)
“Sun” is Kang Ilyeon’s nickname.
Since it felt a bit inappropriate to have calls from a former juvenile criminal suspect showing up under his real name on my private phone, I had changed it.
But what happened?
I bolted upright and checked the messages.
Sun
I made this! (video)
Do you think I should upload it to the site?
Are you asleep?
What are you doing?
Are you sick by any chance?
Investigator, I made an alarm machine that wakes people up really effectively, and if they don’t wake up it twists them and—
…There’s a photo of some bizarre torture device attached.
‘He really is churning out items at an incredible speed.’
For reference, the “site” he’s referring to is the item trading website Kang Ilyeon created in just three days.
However, since trading items made by hunters requires approval from the Hunter Administration Bureau, it needs legal review.
So the official opening has been postponed—but—
‘If he keeps making stuff like this, it’s going to turn into some kind of gore site!’
I shuddered and sent him a reply.
How about making something a bit more mainstream and user-friendly?^^ I just woke up. Good morning.
The person on the other end is a minor. Let’s not forget that. I have to coax and soothe him well.
The reply came immediately.
Sun
I’ll try. Oh right, that slime came to me. Can I use it as a test subject?
Right. The slime we rescued from that subspace had been sent to Kang Ilyeon’s apartment instead of a dungeon.
Even though it was a high-grade slime, its aggression was low, so instead of a neck…… well, instead of putting a restraint on whatever passes for its neck, I was able to designate it as Kang Ilyeon’s property.
I don’t think that’s a good idea ^^ Why don’t you try raising it well for a while while feeding it the feed I sent?
No response.
Well, surely he won’t kill it.
I didn’t have time to worry about it for long.
There was another important message besides the ones from Kang Ilyeon.
Ham Ina
This is the Class 57 group chat^^
…And so I was invited into a rookie group chat with about a dozen people.
Were there this many in Class 57?
I wondered, but it seemed to include not just Team 5 investigators but also new hires from various support divisions and even re-hires who were rookies but didn’t quite feel like it.
And the last message in the chat read:
(News Link)
Wow, is Team Leader Kwon really picking a fight with the Daeyoung Guild?
The thumbnail of the news link featured Kwon Ikseung’s stern face.
And in the characteristic font of YouTube short news, it read.
Daeyoung’s Kevin Choi Faces Travel Ban Request, Team Leader Kwon Takes Aim at Daeyoung Guild!
It finally came to this.
As expected, after hearing my conversation with Choi Woojin in the interrogation room yesterday, Kwon Ikseong decided to summon Choi Mincheol for questioning.
‘Is this really okay…?’
‘We’re simply doing our job.’
‘…Didn’t you tell me to handle it moderately?’
‘I also said I’d be the one not going easy.’
As expected.
He’s cool. But—
In the original story, Kwon Ikseong didn’t uncover Choi Mincheol’s crimes until much later. This was because Choi Min-cheol’s crimes were so sophisticated.
‘Since the trail was caught through a different route than back then, it’s uncertain whether other crimes can be linked beyond just the purchase of illegal items.’
Furthermore, the Bureau focusing on Choi Mincheol is a completely different matter from summoning Choi Woojin for questioning.
‘This is something that directly hits Daeyoung and Choi Jungu.’
There’s a high chance the Daeyoung Guild will act directly.
And getting entangled with a guild that manipulates even national politics is something a mere civil servant must absolutely avoid.
For example, if you’re a civil servant working at a district office, you’d want to avoid sending an official notice to a construction company run by the District Head’s cousin.
However—
‘It would be best to end the cooperation with Investigator Lee Yu-ji here. Thank you for cooperating with the investigation. I’ll speak to Team Leader Pi and have our side submit the investigation report for the Geumho-dong weapons smuggling case…….’
‘I… want to be part of it too!’
The problem is that I am currently at risk of death by dismemberment!
-Failure: Death by dismemberment
I should have possessed a common medieval setting with some Duke’s daughter.
How did I end up in a hunter story…… and a crime thriller at that!
‘Investigator Lee Yuji, this isn’t something that can be done on a sense of duty alone. I understand your intentions, but….’
Kwon Ikseong looked troubled.
Of course he did. This investigation was not of a size that I, who had just joined as a rookie, should be dipping my toes into.
In times like this, I have no choice but to appeal to Kwon Ikseong with a sense of duty.
‘These items were made by a boy about my brother’s age while being abused. I want to know what they intended to do with such items.’
‘….’
Kwon Ikseong’s brow twitched.
As expected.
Ikseong’s weakness lies in justice.
…Or so I thought.
‘I heard Investigator Lee Yuji put a lot of thought into the transfer of the brothers Kang Ilyeon and Kang Wolyeon. That must be what’s bothering you.’
‘Yes… well, in a way….’
‘I’ll make sure to find out. Don’t worry.’
Ikseong slipped past me!
And when I returned to Team 5, as expected, I was told by Team Leader Pi to “keep your hands off that case.”
‘You were just unluckily caught up in another team’s case anyway. Consider yourself lucky to be getting out of it now.’
She casually erased the number 2 from the “Performance” section of the whiteboard and changed it to 1.
There wasn’t even a hint of passion in her eyes.
If that person truly were a psychopath, she probably wouldn’t even commit murder out of lack of diligence.
In any case, what matters more than my involvement is, of course, uncovering Choi Mincheol’s crimes.
However—
But will Kevin Choi actually comply with the HIB investigation? I wonder if the HIB will be abolished first at this rate……. Every media outlet is making a fuss. They’re saying the HIB is conducting a coercive investigation.
ㅠㅠㅠㅠ Are we losing our jobs? I passed the first round at Taebaek Guild and switched hereㅠㅠ
The problem is that the backlash is no joke.
As soon as Kwon Ikseong notified Choi Min-cheol of the summons for weapons smuggling charges, numerous yellow journalism outlets were attacking the HIB.
There was plenty of ammunition to attack with.
Missing a criminal they’d practically caught by mistake, failing to prevent civilian casualties when an illegal gate opened, or half-destroying a building during a villain’s arrest.
In truth, the HIB, which deals with criminals possessing transcendent powers, inevitably lives with mistakes and controversy during the working process.
They were nitpicking such things and creating public opinion that touching the quietly-behaving grandson of Daeyoung was a case of the HIB conducting an unreasonable investigation just to flaunt its own existence.
‘It’s obvious who created this situation…….’
At this rate, instead of catching Choi Mincheol within a week, Ikseong might get dismissed first—and at the same time, my limbs might get severed—
‘Nooooooo!’
I opened my contacts.
And when I called the number I found—
[Oh, what’s the occasion, Miss Lee? I was actually just looking for an F-rank porter. As expected, Miss Lee knows how to time things.]
It was the supervisor from an illegal raid gig I used to work.
I lowered my voice and replied.
“My younger brother was in a car accident, sir. We don’t have enough for the surgery.”
Sorry, little brother.
[….]
A long silence.
Then he spoke.
[How much do you need?]
“Two big ones.”
[Haah….]
The manager let out a long sigh and spoke with a voice that sounded like he had made up his mind.
[I really… was going to wash my hands of this kind of thing. But hearing it’s about Miss Lee’s brother, my heart softens.]
And the next morning, on what should have been another day off.
I stood in front of an illegally modified dungeon.
“If you survive for ten minutes inside that ring with a C-rank monster, two big ones will be deposited immediately! If you last thirty minutes, I’ll save your life and deposit an additional three big ones!”
The manager, with an excited face, pointed at a Lamia inside a cage, which was baring its teeth and hissing.
Where on earth does that look like the face of a soft-hearted person!
Hi! Thank you for reading this chapter, I hope you enjoyed it. Please continue to support this novel by giving it a good rating on Novel Updates. Thank you! ^^ ❤︎
Related Series
Comments (1)
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Oh my, it seems our Lee Yuji was involved in some illegal things before becoming a Hunter Civil Servant!