A Familiar Face?
9: Chapter 9.
A Familiar Face?
* * * “The Poison King…?” Hyeon-yul, the one who had actually received the recruitment offer, remained perfectly calm.
If anything, his reaction made it seem as though he had no idea who they were talking about.
“You don’t know who the Poison King is…?” Haeryeon looked genuinely flustered by his complete lack of recognition.
“Even if I worked there, I wouldn’t know.
I was only an office worker.” His job had involved killing villains.
Whenever his boss ordered someone killed, Hyeon-yul checked whether the target was an ordinary civilian and then simply killed them if they were not.
The dead told no tales, and perhaps he had been even more indifferent because some of them might have been connected to the people who experimented on him.
‘Will she think I’m incompetent because I don’t know the Poison King?’ Hyeon-yul looked at Haeryeon.
Not knowing something could be treated as just as serious a fault as being incompetent.
“Ah, then I guess that makes sense.
It’d be embarrassing for someone to go around introducing themselves by saying, ‘I’m the Poison King,’ wouldn’t it?” Haeryeon laughed as though it were no big deal.
Now that she thought about it, it was rather funny.
“If you explain it to me, I’ll make sure I know it next time.” As Hyeon-yul bowed his head, he conveniently presented his face as if making it easier for her to hit him.
Haeryeon’s laughter stopped instantly.
“…Did people hit you whenever you didn’t know something?” “Yes.” “You, Hyeon-yul?” “If I wanted to avoid getting fired, that much was something I could endure.” “You’re saying that when you’re the guy who brought us Shin Daeho’s head?” “Shin Daeho crossed a line I couldn’t tolerate.” Haeryeon swept a hand through her hair, unsure how she was supposed to respond to any of this.
“I’d rather you never do that again.
If you don’t know something, ask.
If you don’t understand something, ask.
There’s nobody on our team abnormal enough to hit you just because they had to explain something.” “…Understood.” Hyeon-yul raised his head as he answered.
Strangely, he felt as though his judgment was becoming muddled.
“The Poison King is the nickname of a major villain who killed countless people with poison.” “Did he enjoy killing people by coating business cards with poison?” Was that how she had recognized the method?
Hyeon-yul asked because he wanted to know.
“That’s right.
He became famous after using that method to kill off one corporate owner’s family one after another.
We don’t know his real name.
It’s possible you’ve even seen the Poison King before.” “Then where did Shin Daeho rank?” The Poison King’s subordinate had clearly called Shin Daeho trash, yet Shin Daeho had been the chairman of a corporation and important enough to appear on the wanted list.
“Shin Daeho was a big name too.” “That bastard was important enough to count as a big name?” “He didn’t have any particularly special ability, so I can see why it might not feel that way, but he had excellent connections.” “Yes.
I saw a lot of villains around him.
An incredible number of them.” “We considered Shin Daeho a major figure because we knew he had contact with several other major villains.
That’s why he didn’t have a nickname, though.
He was just Shin Daeho.” It would have been ridiculous to call him the Connection King simply because he had good connections.
That sounded more like praise.
“Even with a bounty on his head, he was incredibly good at escaping, probably thanks to those connections.
He’d even swap out the company’s brand name and disappear again.” As Hyeon-yul listened, he finally understood the situation.
Shin Daeho had escaped over and over by cutting off pieces of his organization like a lizard shedding its tail, and Hyeon-yul had simply walked in carrying the man’s head.
‘So I actually did something pretty significant?’ Only now did Hyeon-yul understand why they had been willing to accept him through special recruitment despite his employment history at a villain-run company.
“Ah, we’ve gotten a little sidetracked, but we’re also investigating the company Shin Daeho was running.
I should tell you that much too.
You’re the one who brought us this valuable information, after all.” Haeryeon grinned.
Hyeon-yul’s arrival had broken through a dam that had been blocking their investigation, and everything was suddenly flowing smoothly.
She was in a very good mood.
“Team Leader.” “Yeah?” “I have a proposal.” “…No.” Haeryeon narrowed her eyes.
She had naturally assumed he would reject the Poison King’s recruitment offer, but judging by the atmosphere now, she knew exactly what he wanted to suggest.
“Yes.” “Hyeon-yul, this is the Black Eagle.
We don’t assign that kind of work in the first place.
If a separate investigation is needed, it won’t be you moving.
The Managers will handle it.
I want you to understand that there’s a reason the two organizations are clearly separated.” Those words made Haeryeon realize that Hyeon-yul had been treated as a tool, something that existed solely to fulfill a purpose.
That made her even more determined not to permit this kind of assignment.
“Then are you planning to let the Poison King go?” “I don’t know what misunderstanding you’re having, Hyeon-yul, but I’m saying that I don’t see you as a tool.
I’m not saying I intend to give up on the Poison King.” Haeryeon made herself perfectly clear, but Hyeon-yul did not believe her.
He had heard the same words countless times at his previous companies.
He simply could not understand the distinction.
They had agreed to use him to expose whatever was happening inside the Black Eagle, so why did she suddenly view the Poison King differently?
‘Either way, they’re using me for that matter and the Poison King matter in exactly the same way.’ Hyeon-yul had made the proposal because he knew the Black Eagle could never afford to abandon the chance to catch the Poison King.
Still, Haeryeon’s expression was firm.
‘I should give way once.’ Nobody wanted to play the villain.
Villains were simply the people willing to do it without hesitation.
Haeryeon, of all people, would be even less willing because she was a Black Eagle team leader.
“I fully understand your situation, Team Leader.” “Hyeon-yul, this isn’t about understanding me.
This is dangerous.” “I know.
But if I approach the Poison King, it will be easier to determine whether a villain’s influence has reached inside the Black Eagle.
On top of that, if we catch the Poison King, won’t we save countless lives?” ‘Just how badly did his old company work him for him to be this committed to dealing with villains?’ Haeryeon could not help worrying about it.
Hyeon-yul had joined only two days ago and was still in his probationary period.
“There’s enough opposition inside the organization that we had to hold another vote about you.
If you make contact with the Poison King in a situation like this, people won’t view it favorably.” “I know they might think I’m a spy, if they find out.” The corners of Hyeon-yul’s mouth stretched into a smile.
“Hah.” A hollow laugh escaped Haeryeon.
He was effectively saying it would be fine as long as nobody found out.
“You’re telling me to keep my mouth shut?” “I think we’re reaching the point when the people inside who want to drive me out will start making their move anyway.
I’m in a fairly urgent situation myself.
I don’t want to get fired from this place.” ‘He’s only missing a tail.
He’s sly as a fox.’ Haeryeon barely suppressed a laugh.
Was she supposed to call this boldness?
BZZZT.
The smartwatches on Haeryeon’s and Hyeon-yul’s wrists sounded an alarm at the same time.
Haeryeon let out a long breath.
She had been about to tell him that they had discovered a secondary location from the man they captured last time.
“What happened?” Haeryeon answered the call without further hesitation.
<There is a ‘toxic gas leak’ somewhere in the city’s ‘corporate district.’ The poison is extremely strong, making it difficult to approach.
It has already spread to the surrounding commercial area, so we need rapid detoxification assistance.> “Poison has spread…?” Hyeon-yul looked strangely pleased by the news.
‘Is this good timing or terrible timing?’ Haeryeon could not decide.
Who did they have with poison resistance?
‘Nayun might be the best option.’ Nayun was a sniper, a role made possible by her exceptionally rare eyes.
Since she could provide support from long range, she had more freedom to operate around poison than most people.
“Send me a sample of the poison.
I’ll make an antidote immediately.” <It’s already on the way.
It should arrive in five minutes.> “Understood.” Haeryeon furrowed her brow.
Now it was her turn to work because she was an alchemist.
“Given the circumstances, it appears the Poison King is responsible.” “Looks that way.
What convenient timing.” Haeryeon shrugged, and Hyeon-yul immediately added something else.
“Poison doesn’t affect me.” “Hold on, Hyeon-yul.
Moving too fast isn’t always a good thing.” Haeryeon operated her smartwatch.
She needed to ask the other teams about their situation.
“Hello, it’s me.
Do you have anyone with poison resistance…
Ah, they’re out on another mission?
Yes, yes.
Understood.” Haeryeon pressed her lips together and contacted another team, but no matter how many calls she made, she received the same answer.
‘Damn it.
Why are we so understaffed?’ Haeryeon released a long, frustrated breath through her lips.
“Hyeon-yul.” “Yes, Team Leader.” “Until we reach a conclusion about your situation, you are not to meet the Poison King.
You are not to do anything dangerous either.
Don’t forget that you’re still in your probationary period.” Hyeon-yul’s expression asked what exactly she meant, so Haeryeon explained it in the clearest possible way.
“The mission matters, but I’m telling you to take care of yourself.
Understand?” “…” A subtle change crossed Hyeon-yul’s face.
He seemed unsure what answer she expected.
Once Haeryeon realized their conversation was somehow missing the mark again, she offered the single argument most likely to work.
“You won’t be fired for doing that.
Absolutely not.” “Understood.
I’ll respond accordingly.” Did he actually understand?
Hyeon-yul answered with a brilliant smile, but the sight left Haeryeon strangely uneasy because such a bright expression did not suit him at all.
* * * Haeryeon had said he would not be fired as long as he did not do anything dangerous.
Hyeon-yul was rather pleased to receive such a clear condition.
‘I’m best at that sort of thing.’ He acted efficiently, not dangerously.
It was an essential principle if he wanted to live a long life.
‘Now I just need to adapt to this place…’ Truthfully, the atmosphere here was so different from his old companies that adapting was proving difficult.
Even accounting for the fact that only two days had passed, there were still quite a few hurdles to overcome.
People sometimes went out of their way to do things the difficult way when they could simply handle them efficiently, and he did not understand why people who were ultimately strangers insisted on sticking together so closely.
Even the unfamiliar policy called a probationary period seemed strange.
‘…No.
I probably knew about things like this once.’ Hyeon-yul knew what kind of person he had been in the past, but most of his memories had been erased by the countless drugs forced into him while he suffered as an experimental subject.
He also knew that his way of thinking had become strangely twisted.
He was still undergoing rehabilitation at the hospital, and some of his symptoms were being suppressed with medication.
Yesterday, he had even bought a book in the hope of reducing that sense of disconnect.
It was titled 101 Ways to Navigate Office Life Smoothly.
Hyeon-yul checked the time.
It was 12:32 p.m.
Nayun had spent time preparing various things before departure, which had delayed them.
“…Are you listening?” Nayun’s voice finally pulled Hyeon-yul out of his thoughts, and he nodded.
“I’m a good shot up close, but I’m a good shot from far away too.” Nayun carried a bag larger than her own body with effortless ease.
It appeared even heavier than Hyeon-yul’s because it was packed with ammunition and weapons, but she had explained that a weight-reduction spell made it manageable.
“If it weren’t for the poison, I’d have a chance to show you what I can do.
Such a shame!” “Then show me next time.” “You really mean you’ll go on another mission with me?
I sometimes go with other teams too, but for some reason people don’t seem to want to go with me very often.
I have no idea why.” Hyeon-yul immediately understood the reason.
Nayun talked far too much.
Ever since they traveled by eagle and then continued on foot, he had listened to her chatter without pause and had yet to see her mouth rest.
As they passed a convenience store, Hyeon-yul stopped walking.
“Put it on.” “Huh?
We’re not in the affected zone yet.” Nayun checked her smartwatch.
According to the device, they had not yet entered the region contaminated by the poison.
“It has already spread here.” Nayun immediately put on her gas mask, and Hyeon-yul did the same.
Poison did not affect him, but Shinwoo had suggested that pretending otherwise would be wiser.
It was good advice.
“Then I’ll head to the roof of that building over there.” Reaching the contaminated area meant the mission had officially begun.
Nayun pointed toward a nearby high-rise.
“There probably aren’t any survivors, but if you find one, contact me.
I’ll join you immediately.” “Understood.” Hyeon-yul answered and walked deeper into the city.
“…Hah.” He let out a long breath and almost felt liberated.
He had not done anything yet, but he was already exhausted.
Hyeon-yul forced his fading focus back into place and looked around.
A normal poison might have been colorless and odorless, but this one hung in the air like a dense fog.
Hyeon-yul used the map on his smartwatch to examine the surroundings.
The display floated above the device like a beam projector, making it easy to read.
He had lost count of how many corpses he passed with faces stained black.
A baby inside a stroller and the parents who had clutched the child close were all dead, their bodies blackened by the poison saturating the district.
Hyeon-yul calmly listened to his surroundings as he continued forward.
After walking for some time, he encountered something that felt almost like a barrier.
Before touching it, he cautiously sent his vision beyond it.
There were people inside, though he had no idea what they were doing in the middle of an area saturated with poison.
The mission summary had been filled mostly with question marks, so he had barely bothered reading it.
Among all those people, however, one face looked strangely familiar.
‘…Where have I seen him before?’ Hyeon-yul stopped and searched through his memories for a moment.
—Ah, good work.
You can leave now.
I need to speak with my guest.
Along with Shin Daeho’s voice, he remembered the man who had looked directly at him that day.
‘Ah.’ Hyeon-yul quietly suppressed the smile threatening to surface.
‘I remember now.’