Chapter 24: You shouldn’t underestimate our superior

“What are you doing here?”

Even the grasshoppers held their breath.

Jin Tae’s voice thundered through the trees.

Fortunately, thanks to Ba’al’s warning, it didn’t seem like Juhyeok’s presence had been discovered.

‘There’s no need to be nervous for nothing. It’ll only draw more suspicion.’

Unlike the other children, Taehoo had earned Jin Tae’s approval, so a certain level of freedom in his actions was guaranteed.

“I couldn’t sleep, so I just stepped out to get some air for a bit.”

“Is that so?”

Jin Tae turned his back to the moonlight. His shadow slowly approached.

He came right up to Taehoo, placed a hand on Taehoo’s forehead, and swept it across.

“For someone just out for air, you’re sweating quite a bit, aren’t you?”

All.

All.

Though he wore a calm expression, Taehoo’s heart pounded against his chest.

‘He noticed the only real trace left from the fight just now. This is dangerous.’

One wrong move, and everything he’d built up over a long time could come crashing down.

Taehoo calmly met Jin Tae’s gaze.

Was the mission ending like this?

After coming this far?

If not now, there wouldn’t even be another chance to accept the Holy Relic’s power and get into the Belial House.

No, I can’t let that happen.

‘I need to find a way.’

Taehoo’s mind raced, searching for a solution to this predicament.

Just a little more. When he’d just begun to find some possible ways forward—

Suddenly, Jin Tae burst out laughing.

“Puhaha! So embarrassed, are you. Well, you’d have to put in this much effort to get those results, wouldn’t you?”

Contrary to Taehoo’s fears, Jin Tae simply walked past him.

He acted as if he wasn’t concerned about the situation at all.

If anything, it was as though some lingering question had finally been answered.

[What’s this? He’s not even suspicious? Maybe he thinks you’ve been doing secret training or something.]

Ba’al snickered.

“For now, forget the training and come inside. I’ve got a job for you lot.”

Jin Tae looked back at Taehoo as he spoke.

From that, Taehoo was sure Jin Tae really wasn’t concerned about what had just happened.

He let out a silent sigh of relief.

The fact that not a single solution among those he’d considered felt truly reliable made him feel even more at ease now.

‘A job to be entrusted…’

As his mind calmed, another thought followed.

He trailed after Jin Tae.

From the way he’d said “you lot,” Taehoo could guess that he wouldn’t be working alone.

Their steps stopped in front of Jin Tae’s office.

Among all the children in the Safehouse, only Taehoo had access to this room.

“Haa, I’m a little tired…”

Jin Tae flopped down onto the sofa.

Clearly, there was a reason for his dulled senses tonight.

“Did something tiring happen to you?”

“Yeah, something did. I had to run around myself for the first time in a while. It was rough.”

Even his deep sigh was the very image of a worn-out man.

“What was it?”

Taehoo sat across from Jin Tae.

He acted with the courtesy due to the Family Head, but their interaction was more like that of older and younger brothers.

This was thanks to the rapport Taehoo had built during his stay.

Soon Jin Tae raised himself from the sofa and placed a stack of papers on the table.

The result of his recent efforts, perhaps.

Otherwise, there’d be no reason to hint at how he’d handled things.

‘Is he already about to assign a mission to the kids he’s got his eye on?’

That’s what came to mind when he saw the thick stack of papers.

It was still too soon to jump to conclusions, so Taehoo waited for Jin Tae’s next words.

“What are you waiting for? Open it up.”

Jin Tae spoke as if wondering why he was just sitting there.

Only then did Taehoo pick up and open the file.

[What’s this? That’s a familiar guy, isn’t it?]

The papers contained a photo of a man, along with a dense record of his background.

The man in the photo Ba’al reacted to was the very same spy who’d met Juhyeok a moment ago.

‘Did he manage to catch a lead, one way or another?’

Taehoo had spent quite a bit of time with Jin Tae here.

What he’d come to realize was that Jin Tae was more capable than he’d first thought.

And someone like that wouldn’t just sit idly by, letting the Dantalion House do as they pleased.

‘Kurom… never heard that name before. Not even as an alias.’

In Taehoo’s memory—even his past life—the name didn’t appear.

“Kurom? That’s a common name. Why give this information to me?”

Jin Tae’s fatigue vanished from his face as he began to speak.

“The name listed is probably an alias. His real name… I couldn’t find it out, either.”

There was a hint of wounded pride in his tone.

“Even without the real name, that file has his movements, the location of his boarding house, ability level. Everything’s written down.”

So that’s what he meant by running around himself. Taehoo’s eyes scanned the papers, matching Jin Tae’s explanation.

Truly, everything but the real name was there.

All but two things.

The fact that he was part of the Dantalion House, and that Juhyeok was his contact.

‘It probably would have happened a bit later, but in my previous life, Juhyeok would have gotten this mission. Makes sense how he was able to blindside Jin Tae.’

Taehoo let out a silent sigh of relief and met Jin Tae’s gaze.

“You catch on fast, as always.”

Jin Tae grinned.

“Kill him.”

It was Jin Tae’s first order as Master of Belial.

[That guy from earlier, even if he’s just a low-rank, he’s got a contract with Dantalion. He seemed to like you, but now he’s sending you into a death trap?]

It was true.

According to the file, someone at Taehoo’s level—at least as Jin Tae understood it—would be doomed if they took on this mission.

“Take Juhyeok with you.”

Now it was clear—the “you lot” from earlier had referred to Juhyeok.

‘But it’s still not enough. Is he still suspicious of me?’

If he wasn’t suspicious of either of them, it didn’t add up.

No matter how exceptional a normal person was, the difference between a Hunter and a civilian was as vast as between one and two.

‘Another test, then.’

That was Taehoo’s conclusion.

Jin Tae himself had explained to him just how great the gap was between a Hunter and a normal person.

‘If he wanted us dead, he could’ve kept quiet and left Kurom’s details off the paper.’

But Jin Tae had included Kurom’s detailed stats.

‘Maybe he wants to see if I can assess the situation and ask for what I need—just like a proper spy. Or maybe he’s testing the qualities needed of an heir.’

Taehoo smiled inwardly.

‘Belial’s basic abilities were the Shadow Blade and Assassin’s Talent.’

He recalled the Belial skills he’d seen in his previous life.

The perfect skills for this assignment.

And now, the opportunity to obtain them had come faster than he’d expected. Taehoo smiled to himself.

“Family Head, I’ll do my best to complete this mission, even if it costs my life. But… do you really wish for us to die?”

He purposefully used the formal title.

“Puhaha! Yoseph, do you think I’d want that?”

Jin Tae’s laughter was full of satisfaction.

His gaze toward Taehoo was so full of affection, it was almost dripping honey.

“Of course it doesn’t add up, like you said. Naturally, I don’t want you two to die, so I need to balance things out.”

He buried himself back in the sofa and spoke with genuine arrogance.

The time had come. Those called out earlier—and you—are finally qualified to receive my lord’s Holy Relic’s power.

“Now. You’re ready. You’ve trained enough.”

Receive the power.

Jin Tae spoke with weight.

With that, kill the person recorded there.

He gave no reason.

Simply,

Only the mission that Taehoo and his team had to complete.

‘A double agent and a double assassination order.’

Things were getting more and more interesting.

“I’ll do as you wish.”

Though Taehoo could guess Jin Tae’s intent, he didn’t show it.

That was his answer.

“You’ll receive the power tomorrow. Once all the training’s finished, bring Juhyeok and come to the underground of the Middle Safehouse.”

With those final words, Jin Tae sprawled out on the sofa.

No wonder he was tired, having tracked every move of a person, all while avoiding the eyes of Dantalion.

At the same time,

[A Quest has begun!]

A message rang out.

And at the same time, an Expulsion Order was issued by Jin Tae.

Taehoo stepped outside.

As soon as Taehoo left the room, Jin Tae collapsed on the sofa as if all his energy had drained out.

Taehoo headed straight back to the thicket where he’d left Juhyeok.

‘Things might get more complicated than I thought…’

Originally, he’d planned to use Juhyeok to manipulate the information reaching Dantalion.

To keep him in the palm of his hand and make him move only when the timing was right.

However,

‘If they realize their tail’s been caught, the hounds won’t try to make contact. They’re the kind who’d discard anyone at any time.’

Taehoo knew all too well how Dantalion operated.

If something like this had happened in his past life, Juhyeok would’ve been discarded the moment this information surfaced.

But Taehoo had no intention of throwing Juhyeok away.

‘That doesn’t mean I can give up information on Dantalion, either.’

So there was only one way.

‘I have to make him talk.’

That man, using the Japanese alias Kurom.

When Taehoo entered the bushes, Juhyeok was already up.

He didn’t seem to have any thoughts of running or hiding. When he heard the sound, he simply looked at Taehoo.

“Why did you spare me?”

It was a question thrown out in response to Taehoo’s actions at the end of their fight.

‘As I thought, Juhyeok’s always had sharp judgment, even as a kid.’

If not for Taehoo’s existence, he’d have easily taken control of the other kids.

“No, before that, what are you? How did you know things even Kim Jin Tae couldn’t catch?”

Juhyeok’s manner was calm.

Once his cover was blown, there was no going back to Dantalion.

Now that Taehoo had completely bested him, he knew a single word from Taehoo could end his life.

“Can’t you guess?”

Taehoo grinned slyly.

“Are you planning to go back to Dantalion?”

He asked, as if confirming.

Juhyeok surely knew he couldn’t return, but facing that as a thought and admitting it out loud were two very different things.

“Why ask? You already know my situation, don’t you?”

Juhyeok answered in a subdued tone.

“Knowing something by inference and hearing it directly from the person—it’s not the same.”

“Damn. You really are something. So? When are you going to answer my question?”

Juhyeok fired back.

“Me? I’m someone who intends to overturn the game Belial and Dantalion created.”

Taehoo spoke, feeling the tide of the conversation had shifted to his side.

Juhyeok’s eyes wavered for a moment.

If Taehoo’s words were true, it meant a third family had intervened.

‘With information like this, maybe I could survive even if I return…?’

The thought flashed through Juhyeok’s mind.

Of course, Taehoo knew that possibility existed in a spy’s head. It was easy to see through the mind of an exposed agent.

‘If not for Jin Tae’s mission, I couldn’t have spoken this frankly. The files he handed over helped more than I expected.’

It was a variable, but not a bad one for Taehoo.

“You’d best drop those useless thoughts. Even if you escape, you won’t survive—no matter what information you try to bring back.”

Taehoo handed over the file he’d received from Jin Tae.

Page after page turned.

As Juhyeok read the contents, his eyes trembled non-stop.

“Wait, don’t tell me…”

“You shouldn’t underestimate our superior.”

With information about someone above him in the family laid bare, Juhyeok’s reaction was natural.

Not only did it contain things he’d have no way of knowing, it also showed just how difficult it was to uncover this much about one of Dantalion’s hounds, with their strict cell-like system.

With all the information on the table, the real battle was how to use it.

But unlike Taehoo, who grasped the situation, Juhyeok was lost.

Everything was happening so fast, he was completely at a loss.

Even his earlier composure seemed to fade.

No matter how much natural talent and steely nerves Juhyeok had as a spy, this was too much.

The situation was complicated—far too complicated. Taehoo decided to remind him.

“I’ll give you plenty of time to think things through. Until the mission’s over, take all the time you need. But once you’ve made up your mind—don’t hesitate from that moment on.”

Their superior’s identity was also compromised, so he’d be cast out from the family for sure.

There was nowhere to go back to. So the choices were few.

Time to think was just time to steady his mind, not change the outcome.

“After tomorrow’s training, we’ll receive the power of the Holy Relic.”

The thing every hound desired.

The power of the Holy Relic.

“Complete the mission and stand on my side, and you can have whatever you want.”

He’d know that reporting this to Jin Tae would be suicide.

The die was cast.

The situation kept changing at a dizzying pace.

Juhyeok would have to adapt accordingly.

Without hesitation, Taehoo turned his back on him and headed toward where the other children were.