Chapter 128: The Association President (2)
[He’s an important person. Even if we set aside his national significance and value within the Hunter community, he’s still important on a personal level.]
Seok Gimyeong spoke from the laptop monitor. It wasn’t a live broadcast; it was a pre-recorded video. His voice was calm, with just the right touch of sorrow. A voice that seeped not only into the ears but into the heart. They must have invested a lot in sound equipment.
He wore a perfectly pressed suit and even a pair of thin, unnecessary glasses. Seok Gimyeong already had a reputation for being intellectual, but with the added touch of his tailored outfit and hairstyle, his voice became even more persuasive. He could probably convince people that the sun orbits the Earth, and they’d nod along.
‘That fraudster, seriously.’
I did ask him to subtly prepare the public while I was kidnapped, but this was over the top.
I glanced through the documents on the table again, which included key articles and summaries of public reactions. Look at the stock index dropping. If I had placed some options… would that count as fraud if I had arranged my own kidnapping?
‘Well, that old man sure knows how to stoke public opinion into a roaring flame.’
The method was simple.
First, we pretended to stay calm and polite, holding back our anger while the Association did the same. But I, on the other hand, acted like I couldn’t control my emotions. Sure, the Association was in the wrong, and Haeyeon had every right to be upset, but Seok Gimyeong’s slightly over-the-top attitude drew a wave of criticism against him.
Just as public sentiment began to lean toward, “Seok Gimyeong went too far, and the Association did what they could,” the apology speech dropped.
It was a textbook-perfect apology, admitting his overstepping and appealing to the Association—though it was really aimed at the public—by addressing the Association’s shortcomings, the sorrow of Haeyeon, the tragedy of the kidnapping, and the massive national loss.
And once again, the media went wild—this time with a complete reversal of sentiment.
With his polished face and unnecessarily pleasant voice, Seok Gimyeong and the media together managed to instill a sense of guilt in the public. They began to think, “He might have gone a bit far, but he wasn’t wrong, and looking back, he had a point. But I got caught up in the moment and ended up criticizing him too.”
It had started as someone else’s problem. Even if it was called a national loss, it wasn’t personally relevant to most people. But once they felt guilty, they couldn’t just watch from the sidelines anymore—they needed to join in to clear their conscience. It also allowed those who hadn’t been swept up to stand on a moral high ground and raise their voices.
He’s already a victim in a tragic situation, and now we’ve added insult to injury. This is all the Association’s fault. Let’s take down the root cause—the Association. That narrative wasn’t hard to sell.
‘He must have put some pressure on the media too.’
Seeing how smoothly everything unfolded. Haeyeon couldn’t have done it alone; Sesung probably lent a hand as well.
And the result was a public outcry of “Poor Han Yujin. We should have protected him. How could we let such a valuable Hunter, whom the country should be safeguarding, be sold out like that? Let’s protect him from now on!” Damn it.
All I asked was to distribute some flyers in the neighborhood, and they went ahead and aired a high-quality commercial on public TV. And I’m the main star of that ad, not some celebrity. How am I supposed to show my face around now?
‘…But it’s a waste not to use this opportunity.’
Might as well make use of it. I petted Peace, who was resting on my lap, then turned my head to look at the man seated by the wine bar on the side. The laptop and stack of papers in front of him must contain far more dangerous information than mine—things like the material gathered from the hotel.
“Mr. Seong Hyunjae.”
He must have noticed my gaze, yet he pretended otherwise as he turned towards me.
“I have a question.”
“I’m afraid I can’t answer. The young master threatened me not to talk to you or even approach you.”
Yuhyun had gone to the night market with the others. When I said I was tired and would skip it, he tried to stay back too, but I pushed him out, telling him to watch over the kids since he was the oldest. Though honestly, I just wanted them to have fun together.
I even set a time limit so they wouldn’t return too quickly. Hopefully, the four of them are having a good time.
“Stop with the nonsense. Since when have you cared about that?”
“You wouldn’t understand, having not witnessed your brother’s rampage. I still have these burn marks, after all.”
“Are you planning to milk that burn for the rest of your life? Anyway, I’m talking about Chief Song Taewon.”
“That won’t be easy.”
Seong Hyunjae stood up, taking a bottle of wine and two glasses, and walked over. Neither of us would get tipsy from this, but I took what he handed me anyway.
“He’s second to none when it comes to being unyielding.”
“Coming from you, that’s rich.”
“There’s a world of difference between twisting those around me and twisting myself. Besides, I never deceive myself.”
How enviable. I’ve lied to myself plenty of times. Suddenly, I felt like turning off my poison resistance. Not that I could afford to get drunk right now.
“What I’m curious about is how much patience dear Chief Song has. From what I’ve seen before, he seemed like someone who’s been through a lot of provocation.”
“I’ve certainly pushed him several times.”
“How far have you gone?”
“To the point where he knelt and begged in front of me.”
…What the hell did he do? When I gaped at him in disbelief, the man lounging in his armchair flashed a playful smile.
“What did you do?”
“I took a leave of absence due to ‘poor health.’”
“…Right when an S-rank dungeon was on the brink of breaking? The other S-rank Hunters must have been engaged in clearing it, and Chief Song wouldn’t have been able to step away. So, there were two S-rank dungeons close to breaking simultaneously?”
“Add in the fact that the Association was overreaching, and you’d be right.”
It seemed that the Hunter Association had bitten off more than it could chew, trying to monopolize dungeons beyond their capacity. Song Taewon must have been caught in the middle of a power struggle between the Association and Seong Hyunjae.
“Then why not kneel the Association president himself? Why take it out on someone who wasn’t to blame?”
“He’s not entirely innocent. After all, the biggest reason the Association can keep its head high is because of Chief Song.”
It wasn’t wrong. To be honest, it was Song Taewon’s fault.
He knew full well the power he wielded, yet he played the role of a compliant weapon, tied to the flimsy strings of public service that could snap at any time. For those of us hindered by him, it’s infuriating to see him refuse to cut those strings.
“Still, I did show him some consideration by stepping up when things got tough. Otherwise, I would’ve stayed on the sidelines.”
“Think about the civilian casualties a bit, will you?”
“I wasn’t the one holding the public’s safety hostage while clinging to dungeons they couldn’t manage. The Association did that.”
“Sounds like the power struggle was intense.”
“In retrospect, I wonder if I was too lenient.”
When could that have been? Up until two years into the dungeon era, the number of S-rank dungeons was low, so probably around a year to a year and a half ago? It was likely around the time high-rank dungeons started increasing suddenly.
Yuhyun must have struggled during that mess too. He was already so young.
“It was a time when the young master was getting pushed around quite a bit.”
As if reading my thoughts, Seong Hyunjae spoke.
“Adults being heartless to a kid, huh. Then again, they haven’t changed.”
If I thought about it too much, I might end up throwing myself off the second-floor terrace into the pool, so I steered the conversation back on track. Or maybe I should just pour the wine over my head.
“What do you think would happen if I dragged him out of his cave, forced him into an unpleasant position, and kept pressuring him? Would he try to kill me?”
“As long as you’re an F-rank without offensive skills, he wouldn’t go that far. More likely, you’d see him acting ridiculously to protect you.”
That sounds… weirdly plausible. Even if I were his mortal enemy, as long as I was like any regular civilian, he’d still try to protect me. It’s not normal, but for me, it’s a crazy personality that I’m more than happy with.
I mulled over the possibilities while finishing my wine.
Currently, much of the blame for my disappearance had been pinned on Song Taewon. As he’d mentioned to me the day I was kidnapped, he must have volunteered himself as a scapegoat. The Association would’ve eagerly accepted, seizing the chance to offload responsibility. That’s how they planned to protect the Association.
‘No chance in hell.’
Sorry, Chief Song, but I’d rather see the Association burn.
The video had long since paused, leaving only the quiet sound of pages turning. There was one more thing I needed to address. I tapped my pen on the paper a few times before speaking.
“It seems that the skill-sharing was still active when I passed out during the Babar incident. Did you try to kill the others who were there?”
At my casual question, Seong Hyunjae smiled.
“Well, the young master did figure it out, it seems.”
So that was a yes. I had suspected as much, but a chill ran down my spine nonetheless.
“Shall I apologize?”
“No need. It was my own mistake.”
“I deeply regret breaking your trust.”
“I never trusted you to begin with.”
I was simply disappointed in my own carelessness.
“Let me make it clear this time. Don’t touch the kids. Stay within reasonable boundaries. I trust you know where those boundaries lie better than I do.”
“But isn’t he an adult?”
“As long as Yuhyun’s younger than me, it’s a no.”
Even if I’m six feet under, it has to be at least another five years. Actually, no—if I died right now, he’d only be twenty-five. It’s got to be after he’s at least thirty.
“Then where do you think the young master’s boundaries lie?”
“We adults can adjust things as we go.”
“A bit like a sandpiper, aren’t you?”
What’s that supposed to mean? Anyway, I warned him that if he did anything reckless, he’d risk losing the item right in front of him. If I were being honest, I wanted to threaten him outright, but I couldn’t let on anything about that final favor.
He’s only indulgent with me because I’m an F-rank. If he realized I could grow far stronger than him… would he really let me live?
At the very least, maintaining our current loosely bound relationship would become impossible.
“Do you have Chief Song’s personal number saved? Let me borrow your phone.”
I didn’t have my own phone on me, nor did I have the business card he’d given me. What time was it in Korea? There was about an hour’s difference, I think. Seong Hyunjae unlocked his phone and handed it to me. As I scrolled through the contacts, one name caught my eye.
[My Item]
“Stop attaching possessive terms to everything.”
“And I think it’s too much to edit my contacts without permission.”
“If you want to put a label on it, at least pay the proper price.”
It’d have to be the equivalent of all his skills for me to accept. I found Song Taewon’s number and dialed. It didn’t take long for him to answer with a polite but guarded tone. He must have recognized Seong Hyunjae’s number—his voice already sounded tired, as if bracing himself for what might come.
“Hello, Chief Song. I imagine it’s been a rough time for you.”
[…Mr. Han Yujin.]
“Apologies, but I am not Han Yujin. I’m just an unnamed blackmailer.”
He hesitated, and a tense silence followed. I already felt a bit sorry for him, but what could I do? I smiled as I began to blackmail him.
Entering the airport with me were Yuhyun and Kang Soyeong. Yuhyun was recognized as my rescuer who’d come all the way to Hong Kong, and Kang Soyeong was listed as a collaborator from the Sesung Guild. Yerim and Noah had no official travel records, so they left quietly with Peace and Chirp. With flight capability, teleportation, and invisibility at their disposal, their escape was easy.
“Do I look tired?”
I’d stayed up on purpose, struggling to avoid sleep throughout the flight.
“Yeah. You look pale, and your lips are chapped.”
“I’d love to add a bruise somewhere visible.”
Having two high-ranking Hunters with me and not using potions would look too suspicious. Not that I’d waste a potion just to hide a bruise.
I sighed and turned off my fear resistance. The creeping tension wasn’t a bad feeling. A victim freshly rescued from an underground human auction.
“Yuhyun, stay close to me. I’m supposed to still be frightened, and you should look slightly on edge too. But don’t go scaring people around us.”
Just the right balance, just the right amount.
With Hunters from Haeyeon and Sesung forming a barricade around us, I stepped out into the crowd waiting at the airport. Camera flashes popped from all directions. The place was packed like a bustling marketplace. Once this is over, I really need to hole up at home for a month. Things will be noisy for a while, but if I lay low, people will eventually forget.
“Mr. Han Yujin! Do you remember the faces of your kidnappers?”
“They say you were rescued from an awakened auction. Could you tell us more?”
“Is there any connection with the Kraken in Hong Kong? There’s talk that the auction took place in a hotel that was submerged!”
Where did they get that information? Maybe some higher-ups among the auction attendees let something slip. I turned my head away, clutching Yuhyun’s sleeve and avoiding the cameras with a weary expression.
I’d prepared myself for this, but it didn’t make the experience any more pleasant. Then, Song Taewon appeared. Accompanied by some Association officials, he walked past the reporters, who made way for him as he stopped a few paces in front of us. Despite the barrage of questions directed his way, he kept his lips firmly pressed shut.
‘He looks reluctant.’
I had ordered him to come to the airport. With a thinly veiled threat that if he didn’t, I might start speaking badly of the Association. As the hottest victim in Korea right now, my words could slice anyone down like a sharp knife.
“Chief Song Taewon.”
Amid the accusing gazes directed at him, I smiled, approaching with a welcoming expression. The weight of his presence bore down on me, but I could handle it.
The noise around us quieted, as people strained to catch our conversation. Meeting Song Taewon’s gaze, I deliberately raised my voice.
“Thank you so much.”
–TL Notes–
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yujin def is gonna turn the association upside down