‘Setting the government aside, I didn’t expect the Infinity Guild to get directly involved in this.’
Before rescuing the children, Limon had considered fleeing the country.
He thought that would make it easier to shake off the government’s pursuit and ensure the children’s safety.
The problem was that the place where the children were held was an Infinity Guild safe house.
No matter how high the prestige of one of the Ten Great Guilds was, kidnapping innocent children and holding them hostage was not something that could be overlooked.
What if the Infinity Monarch pulled some strings to cover that up?
Fleeing abroad would be useless.
Unlike countries restricted by borders, the influence of monarchs reached across the entire world.
If he wasn’t careful, he could end up living his whole life as a fugitive.
‘To lure him out as planned, I need to secure the kids’ safety first…!’
To catch a snake, you have to strike the head.
And Limon had a plan to lure out the mastermind behind this conspiracy.
However, that plan wasn’t something he could use while moving around with twenty-three children.
That was why Limon was agonizing over it.
He wondered if there was a way to move freely while still being able to protect the children.
‘Is there a safe hideout somewhere?’
The first method Limon thought of was hiding the children away.
Of course, that came with difficult conditions.
It had to be a place that could evade the eyes of the government and the Infinity Monarch, and even if its location was discovered, it had to be a place where the children could escape.
A place equipped with, or capable of being equipped with, at least the minimum food, clothing, and shelter for the children to live.
It would be the icing on the cake if there were a guardian who could protect the children instead of him, but…
‘Tsk, there’s no way such a place exists.’
It was an absurd condition, even to himself.
It was impossible for someone like him, who had no money and was branded a traitor, to find such a perfect hideout.
No, it would be the same even if he had money.
In this country, a place that could evade the eyes of both government agencies and the Infinity Monarch would only be…
“Huh?”
Limon blinked.
Then, he muttered to himself in a reluctant tone.
“Come to think of it, there is one.”
That was right.
There was exactly one place that satisfied all these nearly impossible conditions.
A place that didn’t even require money.
But Limon wasn’t happy.
No, rather, his brow furrowed.
The very fact that Limon hadn’t thought of it until now was because it was such an outrageous place.
‘This is a bit of a gamble, but…’
Limon tapped his sword.
Even if it was a perfect hideout, there was no guarantee it would be safe.
If things went wrong, he could find himself in a situation far more dangerous than dealing with the government.
However, his hesitation didn’t last long.
“To catch a tiger, you must enter the tiger’s den… was that it?”
He let out a short, cynical laugh once.
Limon took his hand off the sword.
Then, he picked up the phone and dialed a number that was vaguely etched in his memory.
“Well, since I’ve already become a traitor anyway, it wouldn’t be bad to live in luxury for a bit.”
Beep, beep, beep.
He dialed 114 to ask for a phone number.
He changed the last digits of that number to 116 and called.
While the signal was ringing, he pressed 111.
After Limon pressed a sequence of strange numbers several times, he finally connected to a single recorded voice.
[The number you have dialed does not exist. Please check the number and dial again…]
“Waryongbongchu (The crouching dragon meets its time and ascends to the heavens).”
[……]
Limon smirked.
It had been so long that he was worried if it would connect.
Seeing how the recorded voice cut off abruptly, it seemed he had at least called the right place.
And after a moment, the voice heard from the other end of the receiver turned Limon’s suspicion into certainty.
[Who are you?]
“Don’t you guys usually not ask things like that?”
[The case is different for someone who contacts us using an old Silent Mark that was used decades ago.]
Hearing the old man’s voice, which was filled with experience yet incredibly firm, Limon chuckled.
This was a much better response than expected.
Although what Limon had to say was the same.
“Tell her.”
[Her? Who are you talking…]
“The Sword Lord got fired from his job as a public servant.”
[…!]
Limon could tell.
The moment he revealed his name, the person on the other end of the line gasped.
And that he was frozen like a stone statue while his heart hammered as if it were about to burst.
Well, it was understandable.
Considering he remembered the Silent Mark Limon mentioned and judging by his voice, the person on the other end was at least over sixty.
It was an age group where it was natural to have a fit upon hearing his name.
Especially if it was someone who could answer this phone call.
“You’ve probably already tracked my location, right? So come pick me up on your own.”
[…………]
A heavy silence drifted from the other end of the line, as if he had heard something preposterous.
Nevertheless, the sound of a heart that had instantly turned cold again didn’t say anything rashly.
Limon chuckled at the coldness befitting the person in charge of ‘that place’ and added one more word.
“Ah, and don’t forget to bring a school bus when you come.”
Click.
***
He moved his hand.
From slicing the meat with a knife and cutting a suitable piece of steak to dipping it in sauce and putting it in his mouth.
Those precise movements were art itself.
It was a sight that could only be described as a perfect implementation of court etiquette that would make even a teacher who had taught royalty for a lifetime marvel.
However, Park Hyun-gun could not appreciate it.
He merely waited for his meal to end while dripping cold sweat.
“About 150 high-level Players, excluding the Liberation Brigade. 50 members of the 909 Unit armed with advanced weapons. On top of that, two Archduke-level Players.”
Flinch.
The moment he opened his mouth, Park Hyun-gun trembled unconsciously.
It was because it was the first time he had spoken before his meal was even finished.
“Did I hear that correctly?”
“Yes.”
“Not only were they wiped out to the last man, but even the Director of PAB is dead?”
“That is correct.”
Even as Park Hyun-gun answered, he doubted himself.
He wondered if his answer would actually sound like the truth.
Even he himself felt like he was hearing a terrible joke when he first received this information.
Although he had reported it after cross-checking several times and realizing it was true, he still couldn’t help but feel that something was wrong.
To think they were all killed by one person.
To think the perpetrator wasn’t even a Monarch or a Player, but an ordinary person.
Common sense dictated that this was more absurd and impossible than the world ending tomorrow.
“The hero of the country, the Guardian Deity of Humanity…!”
But he didn’t get angry.
Like someone who had discovered a delicacy at a cheap street restaurant and was savoring its taste, he merely nodded while reflecting on Limon’s epithet.
“It seems such a title wasn’t attached without reason after all.”
The man had accepted the situation unexpectedly calmly.
While flustered by the reaction of the Infinity Monarch, Lee Cheon-gi, Park Hyun-gun quickly bowed his head.
“I am sorry. My investigation was lacking.”
“There’s no need for you to apologize, Chief Park. No one would have expected failure even after preparing this much power.”
‘Ah…’
Park Hyun-gun understood the reason why Lee Cheon-gi wasn’t rebuking him.
It was because he himself found this result just as unexpected.
If the preparation had been insufficient, that would be one thing.
But this was like preparing a gun to catch a chicken, only for the chicken to deflect the bullet and peck the hunter to death.
It was ridiculous to even ask for responsibility.
In this era where Players were the mainstream, the fact that a Sword Master who couldn’t use Skills had this much power was that unexpected and baffling.
At least, that was their common sense.
But Park Hyun-gun could not rest easy.
Even excluding the failure to deal with Limon, there were still things he had to take responsibility for.
“So, where is he now?”
“After raiding our safe house, we confirmed that he used a pension near Bukhansan, but…”
Park Hyun-gun hesitated.
He wondered if he should really report this.
The failure of the trap felt like a joke, but this was something only a crazy person would say.
However, knowing he had no choice, he eventually closed his eyes tightly and continued.
“All traces were lost after he left on a school bus.”
“…What kind of bus did you just say?”
“A school bus. That, yellow one…”
Lee Cheon-gi, who had calmly accepted the news that about 200 people were slaughtered, couldn’t find anything to say this time.
After a strange silence passed, Lee Cheon-gi picked up the wine glass next to him and took a sip, as if his throat were dry.
Then, as if nothing were strange, he asked with a calm face.
“I believe I just heard that all traces were lost, is that correct?”
“Yes.”
“That is quite unexpected. Our guild’s Tracers wouldn’t be so incompetent as to lose someone who was moving on a bus.”
In short, he was asking if it was his incompetence.
Park Hyun-gun swallowed hard.
He had only been lucky enough to get by earlier.
He couldn’t hope for luck again.
If he were in the same position, he would want to fire a subordinate who couldn’t even track a school bus.
Fortunately, he had something to say this time.
“It’s not certain, but I have a place in mind.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. There are only a few places in this country that our Tracers cannot follow.”
At that moment, Lee Cheon-gi’s eyebrow twitched.
His influence in this country was nearly absolute.
Furthermore, the guild’s Tracers were top-tier experts who could easily penetrate most defenses.
Whether it was the depths of a government agency or the private property of a large corporation, it meant they could investigate as much as they wanted, legally or illegally.
There were only a very few exceptions where that was impossible.
A place touched by another Monarch. Or…
“Are you talking about the Leviathan Hotel?”
A hotel with a long history that had maintained the top position for many years.
“It is still at the stage of possibility.”
Lee Cheon-gi could understand.
The possibility of Limon being somewhere other than the Leviathan Hotel was nearly zero.
If that wasn’t the case, Park Hyun-gun wouldn’t have brought up such an absurd word like ‘possibility’ in front of him.
“Limon Aspelder and the Leviathan Hotel… that is a very interesting story.”
In fact, it was more than just interesting.
Knowing what the Leviathan Hotel was and what it meant for Limon to go there was a story more ridiculous than the previous two reports to those who knew even a bit of the truth.
However, Lee Cheon-gi had a reason to seriously consider that nonsense assumption.
“Chief Park.”
“Yes.”
“Is it certain that she had contacted Limon Aspelder?”
“I can affirm it with my life.”
“I would prefer it if you could also affirm her location while you’re at it.”
Park Hyun-gun remained silent at Lee Cheon-gi’s calm remark.
At least they could make a guess about Limon.
He had only realized after failing even with a pack of top Tracers that ‘she’ was a truly untraceable target.
Lee Cheon-gi didn’t blame Park Hyun-gun any further.
He merely spoke calmly.
“To think the one she dragged in amidst all this was that Limon Aspelder, she must be quite cornered.”
“…”
“Chief Park. Mobilize all the guild’s resources to monitor the Leviathan Hotel.”
“Do you believe she will appear there?”
“Let me ask you instead. If it wasn’t to meet her, would there be any other reason for Limon Aspelder to go there in this situation?”
Park Hyun-gun was convinced.
If he hadn’t made an arrangement with her, it would be a suicidal act even for Limon.
Instead, he confirmed Lee Cheon-gi’s intentions.
“What do we do if we find her?”
“Secure her by any means necessary.”
“…Will that be alright?”
He asked unconsciously.
In any other place, it would be fine, but touching her at the Leviathan Hotel was something that could be dangerous even for someone like Lee Cheon-gi, one of the Monarchs.
“Bear this in mind, Chief Park.”
But Lee Cheon-gi did not reverse his instructions.
He merely looked at Park Hyun-gun with eyes that had sunk coldly and continued in a low voice.
“No matter what price we have to pay, we must secure the Treasure of the Black Dragon Clan.”