“Would you consider joining our Abel Guild?”
“Pardon? Abel Guild?”
“I would like to make you one of my guild’s own—! How about it? Will you come to Abel? If you wish, I have extraordinarily generous terms prepared.”
Abel Guild was one of South Korea’s top ten prestigious guilds. Moreover, its Guildmaster himself was offering to recruit me with exceptionally generous terms.
“Generous terms? I am sorry, but I do not think I am remarkable enough to deserve that.”
“Do not be modest. My granddaughter has already told me of your abilities—! And after seeing them with my own eyes this time, I became certain that I must make you one of my own. How about it? If you wish, I can arrange a seat among Abel Guild’s Elders for you as soon as tomorrow.”
“Pardon? An Elder?”
‘What? He is even offering Baek Seon-woo a seat as an Elder in Abel Guild?’
As I and even Helios’s Seventh Elder, who had been secretly eavesdropping nearby, were greatly surprised by Seo Do-gyeom’s extraordinary offer, he naturally placed a pen and paper on the table as though it were nothing. Then, wearing a broad smile, he looked at me.
“If you merely sign here, a luxury penthouse overlooking the Han River, a vehicle of your choice, and an unlimited credit card will be provided in your name. What do you say? Will you become one of Abel’s people?”
‘He is offering Baek Seon-woo such extraordinary terms... They are the same terms as those given to our Elders in Helios?’
While the Seventh Elder, who had been secretly eavesdropping, was astonished by Seo Do-gyeom’s offer, I held the Abel Guild contract on the table and stared at it silently for a long while. Then I set it down again and opened my mouth.
“I am sorry, but I will have to pretend I never heard this offer.”
“!!! What? W-what did you just say? Are you refusing this offer?”
‘He is refusing this offer? Is that bastard Baek Seon-woo insane—!’
As Seo Do-gyeom and even the Seventh Elder were deeply surprised that I had rejected such an extraordinary offer, I maintained the calmest expression I could and spoke.
“That is correct, Guildmaster.”
“C-could it be that my terms are insufficient?”
“No. The terms you offered are so good that they are far more than I deserve.”
“As I understand it, you have not received such good treatment here at this Academy. And had you not been framed as well? Rather than remaining in a place like this, would coming to Abel Guild not be a great help to your career, Baek Seon-woo?”
“Of course, as you say, choosing that path might be of greater help to me. However, I still have something I must do here.”
“Something you must do here?”
“That is correct.”
At my words that I had something to do here at the Academy, Seo Do-gyeom looked as though he found them absurd, yet he also seemed curious.
“What is it that you must do here?”
“It is to guide the children so they graduate on the right path.”
“Graduate on the right path?”
“That is correct.”
“Could you explain that in more detail?”
Surpassing his expectations, my answer appeared to interest Seo Do-gyeom, and he wished to hear more.
“The children who graduate from this Academy will someday become Hunters, officially register with the country, and join either the government or a guild to eliminate Villains.”
“Naturally, that is what will happen. Is that not why Academies exist?”
“However, while living at this Academy, some children move in the right direction. On the other hand, there are those who are treated as troublemakers, ignored, and isolated until they begin to go astray. There are also those who, because of various other factors, change their minds from dreaming of becoming Hunters to seeking to become Villains.”
“That cannot be helped, can it? It is not possible to guide everyone down the right path...”
“I possess an eye that can detect the wicked.”
“!!! What? You have an eye that can detect the wicked? Could it be that your ability includes not only the Gun Mage type but also a detection-type class?”
“Well... I suppose you could see it that way.”
‘More accurately, I am borrowing a skill called Third Eye, but I can distinguish them either way, can I not?’
Just as Seo Ha-yoon had, Seo Do-gyeom also seemed to mistake me for a dual-awakening class holder with both gunmanship and detection abilities. However, I decided it was better to say it this way than explain everything, so I continued speaking to him.
“If I use this eye and can guide children who might become Villains in the right direction, what do you think will happen?”
“Naturally, the number of Villains will decrease.”
“That is correct. We may not be able to eliminate every Villain, but if we can reduce the number of children who become Villains as much as possible, would that not make the lives of the people that much safer?”
“So what you are saying is that you will try to reduce the number of Villains here as much as possible?”
“That is correct. It is also what I must do as a teacher.”
“What you must do as a teacher...”
Having heard that I would voluntarily take on the role of guiding children so they would graduate on the right path as a teacher, even to the point of refusing a position in Abel Guild, Seo Do-gyeom thought deeply about something. Then he destroyed the contract on the table with his own hands and opened his mouth.
“I understand your resolve. It is regrettable, but let us treat this offer as though it never existed.”
“Thank you for understanding.”
“Although you have refused a place in Abel Guild, you are still the one who saved my life. I will have my granddaughter deliver separate compensation to you later.”
“No, that is all right.”
“No. That is the only way I can set my mind at ease. And if you have the time, I would like to have tea with you like this from time to time in the future. Surely you can grant me at least that much?”
“Of course.”
“Hmm... It seems our conversation is finished. I shall be on my way now.”
“I will see you next time.”
As though our conversation had ended, Seo Do-gyeom rose from his seat. He took a few steps, then stopped for a moment. Looking at the wall within his view, he spoke a single sentence, clicked his tongue, and left.
“Tsk—! It seems this Academy uses some very expensive surveillance equipment.”
After the Guildmaster of Abel Guild, Seo Do-gyeom, disappeared from sight while clicking his tongue, I too looked at the wall and let out a sigh before opening my mouth.
“You can come out now.”
“Well, well~! I expected that Guildmaster Seo Do-gyeom had already noticed, but I did not expect you to know as well. You are a more capable fellow than I thought.”
“Is it not a little improper for someone in a guild Elder’s position to hide and eavesdrop?”
“I had many things to secretly confirm as part of my investigation into this incident. In any case, it was surprising—! To reject Abel Guild’s offer so decisively. Frankly, I would call it unexpected.”
“You already heard everything, so you know.”
“Yes. I had held a slight suspicion that there might have been some secret deal between you and Abel Guild in connection with this incident.”
“Has your suspicion been put to rest, then?”
“Well~ we both noticed that I was eavesdropping, so I have not completely put my suspicions aside. Still, at least it is clear that you have no connection to this incident.”
“If you have nothing more to say, I will be going now.”
“Yes, do that. Ah~! Now that I think of it, something suddenly came to mind that I am curious about.”
“What is it?”
“Are you really Mythic Grade?”
“That is correct.”
“Huh~! You are quite bold!”
At my words that I was Mythic Grade, the Seventh Elder wore an expression as though he found them absurd. Then, as if he had already confirmed all the information he wanted to hear, he waved his hand through the air as though he found everything bothersome.
“It seems we have said everything there is to say, so be on your way.”
“Then I will be going.”
After watching the Seventh Elder’s seemingly annoyed expression for a moment, I immediately began leaving. Once I disappeared from his sight, he let out a hollow laugh and opened his mouth.
“Should I call him bold... or reckless... He is irritating in many ways, yet he is also an intriguing fellow.”
***
CRUNCH—!
“Is this what you brought back as results? And you still think you are qualified to be called the Elders representing our Root? This is why I strongly opposed the Lord’s intention to appoint you as Elders... If the Lord learns of this, their fury will be great! Either take your own lives immediately, or repay that indelible sin by dying at my hands!”
“W-wait a second! Calm down first! As I said earlier, it could not be helped! You are not planning to kill us here, are you?”
“Ji Geon-hyeong was helping from inside the Academy. Moreover, I understand that there were no people capable of dealing with you, including the principal and teachers. You took countless organization members with you, yet you could not bring back even a single Academy cadet? Do you think this situation makes any sense?”
The woman furiously displaying her power as though she would kill the two Elders was Yu Ji-hyeon. She, too, held the position of Elder within Root, one of its senior figures.
“It could not be helped! What were we supposed to do when Seo Do-gyeom suddenly appeared?”
“Seo Do-gyeom?”
“Yes, not only Seo Do-gyeom, but his granddaughter Seo Ha-yoon and Seok Jin-young, who was guarding them, appeared as well!”
“Even so, I cannot understand how skilled people like you could not bring back even one cadet. Seok Jin-young may be strong, but his combat ability should not be greater than yours. As for Seo Ha-yoon, the lower-level organization members could have kept her occupied easily enough. Moreover, if the two of you had joined forces, you could have stopped Seo Do-gyeom’s movements, even if only briefly, and abducted every cadet. Is that not right?”
“Kgh, that is...”
“If you have no more excuses to offer, then die here. You were never suited to hold the position of Elder in the first place. I only had no choice because of the Lord’s command!”
“I-if you kill us like this, the Lord will instead hold you severely accountable. Can you bear that? Calm down first...”
“I will gladly accept whatever punishment the Lord gives me. You two should disappear from here now!”
“W-wait! There was another variable besides those bastards—!”
“Another variable?”
“Yes, some Gun Mage bastard interfered—!”
“A Gun Mage? You withdrew because of nothing more than a Gun Mage, said to be the weakest of all Awakened classes?”
“He was not merely nothing! He may have been at least our equal... No, he might have been even stronger!”
“What?”
“He made my black sphere disappear in a single blow!”
“He made your black sphere disappear?”
“Y-yes—! You know better than anyone how tremendous the power of the black sphere I summoned is, do you not? With a single bullet, he made it disappear as though a black hole were sucking it in!”
“!!! A bullet? He made it disappear with merely a bullet?”
“Yes, even Seo Do-gyeom had to gather his power to block it, but that bastard made it disappear easily with a single shot.”
“You are spewing nonsense now just to save your lives!”
“It is not nonsense! That bastard beside me saw it too! We could die at your hands at any moment here, so why would we be insane enough to lie? Hey—! You saw what happened too, so say something!”
“H-he definitely blocked that attack. Not only I, but the other organization members who participated also witnessed it. If you wish, you can confirm it immediately.”
‘Even if they are idiots, they are Elders. Yet he may be stronger than them? Hmm... If what those bastards are saying is true, then something tremendous has happened.’
“What is that bastard’s name?”
“What?”
“I asked what the name of the Gun Mage who blocked your attacks was.”
“W-we do not know that either.”
“Find out.”
“What?”
“I will spare your lives as a special favor, so use any means necessary to find out everything about that Gun Mage. Immediately!”
“A-all right—! We will find out at once.”
At Yu Ji-hyeon’s command, the two Elders, seemingly relieved to have had their lives spared, hurriedly ran out.
‘No matter how stupid they are, they are still Elders. Yet he may be stronger than those two? Hmm... If our Root can persuade that man to join us...’
Yu Ji-hyeon wore an inscrutable smile.