On his way to the lodging where Kato Asumi and her group were staying, Seong-jun changed direction midway and headed to the Speed Detective Agency where Gyu-taek was.
“Haha, Seong-jun, come on in.”
Gyu-taek offered him a seat first, and Seong-jun sat down on the sofa.
“But didn’t you say you were moving offices, Hyung-nim?”
“Ah! Actually, a suitable property came up at a cheap price, so I bought it this time. It’s being remodeled right now, and I plan to move as soon as it’s finished.”
Having already made enormous profits from two transactions, Gyu-taek had decided to buy an entire building this time.
Of course, it wasn’t a building worth tens of billions in the city center, but one worth a few billion in a cheaper area.
Still, owning your own building was something else.
“I see. Anyway, the reason I came to see you, Hyung-nim, is that I have a favor to ask.”
When Seong-jun said he had a request, Gyu-taek wiped the smile from his lips and asked seriously.
“A favor? Tell me. What is it?”
“Do you happen to know a man named Choi Sangjin from the Shinwha Group?”
When Choi Sangjin’s name came out of Seong-jun’s mouth so abruptly, Gyu-taek made a puzzled face.
“Huh? Shinwha’s Choi Sangjin? Of course I know him. He’s the second son of Shinwha Group Chairman Choi Kanghoon. On top of that, he’s the CEO of Shinwha Electronics. Is there anyone in our country who doesn’t know Choi Sangjin?”
It was Shinwha Electronics that was hot on the heels of Mirae Electronics, which held an overwhelming share in the domestic electronics industry.
As such, it was Choi Sangjin who was frequently exposed in various mass media.
It might not be that everyone in Korea knew him, but it was certain that far more people knew of him than didn’t.
“I’d like to have him watched. Is that possible?”
At the unexpected statement, Gyu-taek looked bewildered.
“Huh, huh? Watch CEO Choi Sangjin?”
“It seems he has another identity besides being the CEO of Shinwha Electronics. Ah! And since it could be dangerous, just track his movements from a distance. For reference, that guy Choi Sangjin is an A-class Hunter. Of course, he’s an unregistered Awakened, not registered with the Association.”
Seong-jun informed him that Choi Sangjin was an unregistered Awakened.
If the target were an ordinary person, it might be fine, but if the target was a Hunter, it could be dangerous.
“What? Really? Huh! Choi Sangjin is a Hunter? And an unregistered one at that? How on earth did you find that out?”
“I found out by chance. So please, just track his movements from afar and make absolutely sure not to get caught.”
Seong-jun was almost certain that Choi Sangjin was a member of the organization.
He just didn’t know whether he was Pascal, the head of the Korean branch, or just a regular executive.
“That much seems possible, but is there a set period for how long we need to watch him?”
At Gyu-taek’s question, Seong-jun showed a momentary thoughtful expression.
Then he soon nodded and spoke.
“I can’t pinpoint exactly how long, but it shouldn’t take too long. I just need to confirm one thing. And they must never realize we’re watching them. So if it seems like you might get caught or it becomes dangerous, tell them to withdraw immediately. Failing to track his movements is fine, but we absolutely must avoid being exposed.”
If by any chance the people watching him were caught, there was a high probability they would be fully exposed.
That had to be avoided at all costs, so even if it meant failing the surveillance, he said to withdraw immediately if discovery seemed likely.
“Got it. Since the target is who he is, I’ll deploy our best personnel. And as you said, if by any chance they see anything suspicious, I’ll tell them to pull out right away, so don’t worry too much.”
Until they started dealing in monster loans and Mana Stones, the main business of the Speed Detective Agency had been tailing and surveillance of targets.
Of course, most private investigation agencies were like that, but among them, Gyu-taek’s agency was particularly skilled in that area.
So, even though the target was the CEO of Shinwha Electronics, he judged it was sufficiently possible.
Besides, it wasn’t close surveillance, just tracking his movements.
“Then I’ll trust you, Hyung-nim. I have an appointment with Kato Asumi, so I should probably get going now.”
Since he had only stopped by on his way to the appointment, he couldn’t stay long.
As Seong-jun got up from his seat, Gyu-taek also stood up.
“Alright, go ahead. If any unexpected situation arises, I’ll contact you right away.”
“Yes, then I’ll leave it to you.”
With that, Seong-jun left the office.
As soon as Seong-jun left, Gyu-taek immediately called his staff.
*
Having met with Kato Asumi’s group, Seong-jun took them around various places.
At a glance, it might seem like Seong-jun, an S-rank and the so-called Saint of Korea, was just playing the role of a mere guide, but Seong-jun didn’t particularly mind.
After all, tomorrow he was sure to get a massive blow to the back of his head and be left reeling.
And now, they had settled into a bar near their lodging.
“Thank you for your hard work today. Thanks to you, we were able to look around comfortably.”
They had a lavish dinner at a famous restaurant, but Kato Asumi had suggested a drinking session, saying it was a shame to part ways like this.
But Seong-jun knew exactly why she had created this occasion.
“Not at all. Since we have to go to Jeju Island early tomorrow morning, let’s just have a light drink and call it a night.”
The Jeju Island schedule would take a full day.
Since the entire Jeju Island had suffered damage, it seemed it would take quite a bit of time to travel around everywhere.
Seong-jun said they should have a light drink and part ways, as they would have to start moving early in the morning.
“Right. Shall we drink?”
Thus began the drinking session.
Contrary to the initial plan of drinking lightly, bottles began to pile up.
Even Hunters get drunk when they drink.
Seong-jun, tempered between the heavy drinkers Gwang-taek and Yuseon, still looked perfectly fine, but Kato Asumi was showing signs of being somewhat drunk.
Judging that the atmosphere was ripe, Kato Asumi brought up the topic of artifacts again.
“Anyway, I’m sorry about yesterday. But is it really difficult to show me? Ah! I’m just asking, so don’t feel pressured.”
Kato Asumi also had some sense, and she had no intention of throwing a tantrum today after yesterday.
In fact, this statement was just a probe; she planned to do the real work tomorrow or the day after.
But then.
Tap!
Seong-jun, without anyone noticing, tapped the leg of Takahashi Mamoru, who was sitting next to him.
Kato Asumi had deliberately seated Takahashi Mamoru next to Seong-jun in case an opportunity arose, but from Seong-jun’s perspective, it actually made it easier to give them a signal secretly.
When Seong-jun tapped his leg, Takahashi Mamoru, who had been getting quite drunk, jumped up in surprise from his seat.
Bolt upright!
“Huh! Oh, oh, I-I’m going to the restroom.”
In fact, Seong-jun had given Takahashi Mamoru a heads-up beforehand.
He had told him that if he gave any kind of signal, he should leave the spot first and not return for at least thirty minutes.
And when he signaled by tapping his leg, Takahashi Mamoru, his drunkenness instantly gone, hurriedly headed for the restroom.
As he headed to the restroom, Seong-jun smiled and spoke.
“Are you that curious? Alright. Then I’ll show you.”
When Seong-jun suddenly said he would show her, Kato Asumi was momentarily flustered.
It had just been a probe on the off chance, and more importantly, wasn’t this a situation where Takahashi Mamoru had gone to the restroom and wasn’t here?
So for him to suddenly say he’d show her in this situation, she couldn’t help but be flustered.
“Huh? Haha, I am curious, but you don’t have to show me now.”
“No. This topic might keep coming up during the remaining schedule, so I’ll show you now. Here.”
Thud.
As Seong-jun took off the ring and handed it over, Kato Asumi momentarily showed a flustered expression.
But she managed her expression in an instant and received the ring from Seong-jun’s hand.
“Finally, I get to see this. Ha, haha.”
Kato Asumi received the ring with a smiling expression, but inside, she was exploding with frustration.
‘Dammit! That bastard had to go to the restroom at this exact timing! I need to buy as much time as possible first. I should check if this ring is the right one, right?’
She planned to first check the ring’s options, and if it had a skill-canceling option, she intended to buy as much time as possible.
So Kato Asumi checked the ring.
But her eyes widened.
“Oh my! SS-rank? And what are these options…….”
Having checked the ring, she couldn’t help but be surprised by its rank and monstrous options, contrary to her original intention.
Just the fact that it massively boosted offensive Divine Magic, buffs, and healing efficiency was amazing, but on top of that, it had two special skills attached.
And although she didn’t know what ‘Successor of Ermia Jeylin’ meant, having it gave additional stat increases.
“Has your curiosity been satisfied a bit now?”
At Seong-jun’s question, Kato Asumi swallowed dryly and spoke.
“By any chance, don’t you want to sell this to me? I’ll give you as much money as you want.”
Apart from the skill-cancel ability, Kato Asumi purely coveted this ring.
“No. As I mentioned before, these are like a part of my body to me. Even if you offered me hundreds of millions, no, billions, I have no intention of selling. If your curiosity is satisfied, please give it back now.”
Although Seong-jun asked for it back, Kato Asumi still seemed reluctant.
“A set artifact. And with two special skills attached. Where on earth did you get such an SS-rank artifact?”
“I was lucky. The temple ruin I mentioned last time. I got it there. It’s something that suits me perfectly, as if it was prepared just for me. By the way, this is the first time I’ve taken it off my finger since I got it. If the other person weren’t you, Kato Asumi, I would never have taken it off.”
What could she do? No matter how much she coveted it, she couldn’t throw a tantrum here.
After all, she was the Saintess of Japan, and she couldn’t show an ugly side over a single artifact.
“I, I see. Here you go.”
Though Kato Asumi reluctantly returned it, her hand was trembling slightly.
Anyway, Seong-jun, having received the ring back from her, immediately put it on his finger.
“Anyway, I hope this has satisfied your curiosity a bit.”
At Seong-jun’s words, Kato Asumi looked at the necklace and asked.
“By any chance, is that necklace also…”
“Yes, it’s a set with the ring. They say collecting a full set is originally difficult, but I was lucky with this too. Like the ring, it’s SS-rank.”
The highest rank of artifact she possessed was S-rank. And that was just a single piece.
But Seong-jun was wearing as many as two SS-rank set artifacts.
Set artifacts themselves were very rare, and if he had already collected a two-piece set, it meant the set bonus was already active.
Perhaps because of that, Kato Asumi coveted both the ring and the necklace.
‘Those set artifacts. They’re too good to be held by a mere healer from a small country, aren’t they? At least someone of my caliber should be qualified to have them. Anyway, first, there was no skill-cancel option on the ring. Does that mean it’s attached to the necklace? Since the ring had two special skills, it’s highly likely the necklace also has two. Maybe the cancel skill is attached as a set bonus.’
Coveting was one thing, but first, the ring didn’t have a skill-cancel option.
That meant it was highly likely to be attached to the necklace, so Kato Asumi asked to see the necklace this time.
“By any chance, could I take a look at that necklace too?”
To that, Seong-jun smiled and said.
“Haha, the necklace is for next time. Be satisfied with the ring for today.”
Of course, Seong-jun also had no intention of showing it willingly.
Now that she had checked the ring’s options, she would clearly believe the skill-cancel option was attached to the necklace, not the ring.
He wanted that belief to last a little longer.
“Hmm, does that mean you’ll show me while I’m in Korea?”
“If the situation allows it. Anyway, let’s get up slowly. We planned to drink lightly, but we drank more than expected. To handle tomorrow’s schedule, we should go in and rest now. I’m weaker with alcohol than I look.”
In fact, Seong-jun was the strongest drinker here, but he had no intention of continuing the drinking session with them.
As Seong-jun got up from his seat, Kato Asumi looked toward the restroom and said.
“Our administrative team leader hasn’t come back yet. Let’s wait and go together.”
At her words, Seong-jun nodded.
“Haha, alright. Let’s all get up when the administrative team leader comes out.”
After finishing his words, Seong-jun downed the drink in his glass.
Gulp.
A short while later, Takahashi Mamoru returned to his seat exactly thirty minutes later, and immediately the drinking session was wrapped up.
*
The next morning, Kato Asumi, who had gotten up early to handle the schedule, received unexpected news.
Bang!
“G-Guild Master!”
Sasaki Genshiro hurriedly opened the door and came in, and Kato Asumi frowned and asked.
“What is it? Without even knocking.”
“A, a big problem! Takahashi Mamoru has disappeared!”
What kind of nonsense was this now?
“What? What do you mean…….”
To Kato Asumi, who made an expression of incomprehension, Sasaki Genshiro handed over a note.
“Look at this. It’s a note found in Takahashi Mamoru’s room!”
Kato Asumi hurriedly took the note and read it.
The note had a brief message written in Japanese.
[
I’m sick of cleaning up after you all, so let’s end it here. I plan to lie low in Korea for a few more days and then move to another country, so don’t bother looking for me. Let’s never see each other again.]
Since it was clearly his handwriting, Kato Asumi’s face twisted violently.
“This is insane! Is this for real? He really disappeared? Why!”
“I think it might be because you pressured him too harshly last night, Guild Master.”
After returning to the lodging last night, Kato Asumi had severely pressured Takahashi Mamoru.
The reason was that he had gone to the restroom right before Seong-jun took off the ring, but strictly speaking, it was just taking out her anger.
The real reason was that she couldn’t stand the fact that a mere healer from a small country possessed not one, but two SS-rank set artifacts that she herself didn’t even have.
So that anger was directed at Takahashi Mamoru.
Sasaki Genshiro thought that perhaps Takahashi Mamoru, upset over yesterday’s events, had disappeared in a fit of anger.
“If he did something wrong, of course he should be scolded! Enough! Forget the schedule and everything else, find that guy first right now! Use any means necessary to find him and make him kneel before me!”
At her words to cancel everything and find him first, Sasaki Genshiro made a bewildered expression.
“No matter what? We can’t unilaterally cancel official schedules. I think it’s better to handle the scheduled appointments first and then look for him carefully.”
In a situation where the schedule was already set, they couldn’t unilaterally cancel it without a proper reason.
They had probably already made all preparations for the schedule, and would they cancel everything just because one administrative team leader disappeared?
Would the other party really accept that?
To cancel the schedule, they needed at least a corresponding reason.
“These low-grade schedules from some backward peninsula that don’t even compare to my toenails! I don’t care about them! What’s important is that guy Takahashi Mamoru! Why do you think I came all the way to Korea!”
The reason Kato Asumi came to Korea, even swallowing her pride.
It was, of course, to use Takahashi Mamoru to steal Seong-jun’s skills.
But now that the very person with the copy ability had disappeared, her entire plan had fallen apart.
“Who is he that you’re acting like this? What exactly is his identity that you even created a non-existent administrative team leader position to disguise him?”
Among the guild members who came to Korea this time, the only person who knew Takahashi Mamoru’s true identity was Kato Asumi.
Even Vice Guild Leader Sasaki Genshiro didn’t know his identity, so he couldn’t understand why she was acting like this.
“You don’t need to know that! Anyway, right now, finding him takes precedence over anything else! So hurry up and mobilize people!”
As Kato Asumi became obstinate, Sasaki Genshiro sighed and shook his head.
“Sigh, this is not Japan but Korea. In a situation where the Korean Association is watching with wide-open eyes, we can’t just rummage around here and there as we please. He knows that too, which is why he openly disappeared.”
“Dammit! I’m telling you to find that guy first…”
“Are you saying I have to mind the feelings of some small country? Enough! I’ll take full responsibility!”
Just as Kato Asumi was shouting angrily.
Bang!
Someone opened the door and came in.
“G-Guild Master! Big trouble!”
Big trouble? What could be bigger than Takahashi Mamoru disappearing?
“What now!”
“It’s Break Dungeons! Five of them in Japan! We should return to our home country immediately!”
Break Dungeons have simultaneously spawned in five regions within Japan!
What kind of talk was this now?
Break Dungeons out of nowhere?
“What