Chapter 139

 

“Uh, what?”

“Nothing. Why, what’s going on?”

Seong San-ha, who was casually sitting on the bed, answered instead of me, as I was too startled to respond. His shameless attitude made me click my tongue in disbelief. Meanwhile, Lee Cho glanced outside and spoke with concern.

“I got a call from Seonghoon. People are starting to gather around the workshop. It seems like word has spread that Eui-jin nim is here. We should probably leave before more people show up.”

“What? Already? The area is blocked off, though.”

“We’ve kept regular people out, but there are quite a few workshop staff around. There could even be a reporter who managed to sneak in. It wouldn’t be good for any information to leak before your official return the day after tomorrow.”

With that much said, there was no point in resisting any longer. I reassured myself that I only needed to wait two more days and got up from my seat.

When we arrived at the hotel, an unexpected person was there.

As soon as Park Moo-il, who had been sitting and laughing in the lobby, saw me, he jumped up and ran over.

“Hyung nim! It’s been a while!”

“What the—what are you doing here? Did you come with Seo-jin?”

I glanced at the seat Moo-il had just been sitting in, but he just laughed heartily and shook his head.

“I didn’t come with him. Seo-jin will be here tomorrow.”

“Then why are you here?”

“Well, you know…”

Park Moo-il trailed off mid-sentence and just stared at me.

“What? What is it? What did you do?”

“Ah… Hahaha. It’s nothing. Wow, you’re really dazzling. It’s even more amazing than I expected. Ahem, anyway, I’m here for Center business too. You know the Center is handling half of the hotel’s security.”

I scratched my face at his comment about me being dazzling. Was my makeup really that intense?

‘Looks the same as usual to me.’

I glanced at my reflection in the glass window nearby. Just then, I saw Seong San-ha approaching with Lee Cho in the distance, so I turned away.

“I’m having dinner with the workshop staff later. You wanna come?”

“I have to step out for a bit in the evening, so I don’t think I can make it. Let’s have a meal together next time with Seojin.”

I envied how freely Park Moo-il could come and go as he pleased. Resigning myself to the fate of a Master, I simply nodded.

“Suit yourself. Just drop by the workshop sometime.”

“…Seeing each other anywhere is good enough.”

Park Moo-il flashed a good-natured smile.

***

The day of our departure from the hotel arrived.

From early morning, there was one issue that had the awakened buzzing—news that the Tower in England had opened.

Hunters who had been waiting for the gate to open lined up to enter the tower, while special correspondents from various countries flocked to the gate. 

No matter which channel you switched to, the news was broadcasting live footage of the tower and gate, and on Huntropolis, new information was being translated and uploaded in real time.

I wanted to keep watching the situation in England, as it was something I was personally very interested in, but the Tower-Holding Nations Conference was only a few hours away, leaving me no time to indulge. Seong San-ha had already left earlier to prepare.

Meanwhile, Seung-yeon, Baek Da-in, Ha-yan, and Jeong-hyuk were all busy packing up their luggage, which had grown considerably over the past month of our stay. As for me, I was sitting in my room once again, getting styled.

“We need to make sure this lasts until you enter the workshop, so it has to hold up until the afternoon.”

“Can’t you touch it up in between?”

“I already asked. But there’s no time. They said reporters will be on you as soon as you leave the conference.”

“When I enter the conference, the barriers will keep photographers at a distance. The real problem is when I go into the workshop—there’ll be a lot of photos taken then. They should just open a teleport gate for me…”

“Eui-jin nim, please try not to touch your face or hair today, if possible. Also, be careful not to run or make any sudden movements.”

“Got it.”

Honestly, when I washed my hair that night, the stiff, hardened strands felt strange, so I was planning to ask if we could skip whatever they sprayed on my hair today. But seeing how serious everyone looked, I decided to keep my mouth shut.

As I got my hair done and makeup applied, I listened to the briefing about the event’s schedule.

“Eui-jin nim, this is a photo of the conference venue. A barrier will be set up here, keeping the press behind it. Your vehicle will take the main road and enter through the west gate. Inside the venue, San-ha nim and other key figures will be present, and security personnel will be stationed from the hotel onwards…”

The briefing naturally extended all the way to my workshop.

“For the next few days, we will only be releasing pre-prepared press materials, meaning there won’t be any press conferences or interviews with other media outlets for now. The first articles and interviews will roll out sequentially after you enter the conference hall.”

“Understood. What about Seung-yeon and the others? Will I meet them separately?”

“To avoid any unforeseen incidents, we will be assisting all your acquaintances with transportation. They should arrive before you.”

Given that Tae Jae-heon had already threatened me once, I had arranged for Seung-yeon and everyone who had been staying at the hotel to relocate to my workshop. Satisfied that everything was proceeding smoothly, I nodded in approval.

Once my styling was complete, I went to the café on the second floor to wait for Cheong.

Because Zero had an unusual reluctance to attend the conference, only Cheong would be accompanying me as my mercenary escort today. It had been a few days since I last saw him, as he had left the hotel along with Lim Dan after that incident.

‘Since he was able to come, that must mean things were resolved, right?’

Still, since Lim Dan was Cheong’s family, I felt more inclined to leave a good impression rather than feel any resentment. Maybe once I had some free time, I could casually ask if he needed any potions.

I absentmindedly reached up to scratch my head but quickly lowered my hand, remembering my stylist’s strict warning not to touch my hair.

‘I need to buy weapons and armor as soon as I get back. Then, I should figure out the best way to sell them… and the material supply chain too…’

As the owner of a workshop, there was a lot to do.

I sipped my apple juice while gazing out through the large panoramic window, my eyes lingering on the towering structure and the two planets in the distance. My thoughts were gradually coming together when a large figure entered my line of sight.

Glancing over, I saw Park Moo-il and his group trotting toward me.

“Hyung nim! Good morning. You’re shining as brilliantly as ever today.”

“Yeah. Where are you headed?”

Unlike before, Park Moo-il was now dressed in combat gear, looking as if he was about to enter a dungeon. I asked curiously, and he scratched his head with an awkward grin.

“Just… on standby. Nothing serious.”

“Oh.”

Must be some Esper-related mission. I didn’t think much of it and waved him off to go about his business. But instead of leaving, Moo-il plopped down on the couch across from me. His entourage followed, settling around me as if surrounding my seat.

I raised an eyebrow at the odd formation.

“What’s this about?”

“Huh? What do you mean, hyung nim?”

Park Moo-il’s smile stretched a little too wide, his expression betraying a hint of nervousness. His awkward behavior made me scoff in amusement.

“What are you guys up to, Moo-il?”

“…”

“Where’s Han Seo-jin?”

“He’ll be here soon.”

The fact that he admitted it so easily made me sigh. Whatever this was, Han Seo-jin was involved too.

Just then, my phone vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out to see Seong San-ha’s name on the screen.

“It’s me.”

[Where are you right now?]

“I’m at the café on the second floor.”

[Alone? What about Lim Cheong?]

“Cheong’s not here yet, and no, I’m not alone.”

I stared straight at Park Moo-il as I answered.

“The Espers came to escort me.”

A low curse came from across the table.

[Just wait a little. I’m heading to the hotel now. Whatever they ask for, don’t agree to anything. Just refuse—]

As Seong San-ha’s voice came through the line, my phone suddenly slipped from my hand.

I turned around, and there stood Han Seo-jin, his expression cold as he stared down at my phone.

“I told you I’d take care of things.”

“Han Seo-jin.”

A loud noise echoed from somewhere, but Seo-jin casually ended the call and shoved my phone into his own pocket.

Watching his actions, I let out a sigh from deep within my chest.

Noona, I’m sorry.

Frustrated beyond words, I ran a hand through my hair despite the stylist’s strict warnings.

“Again? Seriously, you’re acting like a complete fucking lunatic again?”

“……”

I shoved Han Seo-jin’s hand off my shoulder and stood up, only to find Park Moo-il and the Espers subtly blocking my way.

In the distance, I could see Cheon Rang hunters rushing over, but at the same time, the Espers moved as one, stepping forward to intercept them.

Amid the brewing standoff, a group of what seemed to be ordinary civilians hurried into the café.

The moment I saw the documents they were carrying—each stamped with the hibiscus emblem—I felt a sharp headache coming on.

“Han Seo-jin, don’t tell me…”

“I’m sorry. I just… I can’t give up on you.”

“Motherf—”

“There won’t be anything difficult this time. I won’t tie you down. Just… just come back as Joo Ho-hyun.”

His grip on my arm tightened as I quickly glanced around, assessing the situation.

There were too many Espers. No escape routes. No useful potions in my inventory…

Damn, I’ve gotten way too complacent.

I made a mental note to stock up on escape potions, lethal ones, and tranquilizers as soon as I got back.

For now, I just needed to stall until Seong San-ha arrived.

But then, the two “civilians” approached and dropped an absolute bombshell.

“T-Then, we should proceed with the guiding wave compatibility test…”

“If we confirm Joo Ho-hyun’s status as a Guide, we’ll immediately cancel the missing person report and begin the identity restoration process.”