Chapter 130: The Association President (4)
If words could take physical form, the ones coming out of my mouth would be as sharp as a freshly honed blade. They cut into old scars and humiliations, the kind that could make even the most composed person wince. But Song Taewon’s expression didn’t budge.
I had hoped, just a little, that he might get angry.
‘But then again, someone who’s been through hell with Seong Hyunjae wouldn’t react to a few sharp words from me.’
After all, Seong Hyunjae himself had said that Song Taewon wouldn’t be easy to deal with. The only reason he was here was because I’d shaken up the Association. If I’d tried to target him directly, he wouldn’t have batted an eye. Stubborn as ever, he was the hardest type to deal with—a person who’s perfectly content to stay chained to his position.
An empty cup can be filled. But his “cup” was more like a massive tank that couldn’t be emptied by force, nor could it be easily tipped over. I’d tried to kick it over myself, but my attempts hadn’t even caused a ripple on the surface.
“You seem closer to the Sesung Guild Leader than I’d thought.”
“Not at all. It’s a dry, purely business-like relationship. Nothing more.”
He’s just annoyingly useful, so I put up with him. Don’t get any wrong ideas, please.
“So, what brings you here? Are the higher-ups begging you to come silence me?”
“Hold out your hand.”
Hold out my hand? I extended it, and he dropped a small rectangular key into my palm. It was a portal key. Then he placed another key on top of it, one that looked like it was for a front door. Both keys had faint, fresh bloodstains on them. They looked like props from a horror movie.
“The Association executive secretly produced a few extra keys. They claim there aren’t any more, but be cautious for a while just in case.”
So this wasn’t from Han Shin. Making extra keys—how cute of them.
“Is the owner of the key still alive?”
“Of course. It was in their inventory, so I had to… do a bit of work.”
A bit of work, huh. Sounds like the person was awakened. I lifted my gaze from the keys in my hand and looked at Song Taewon. His dark, expressionless eyes revealed nothing of his intentions. But he had given me the keys, prioritizing my safety.
“You prioritized me over the key’s owner. I’m touched. Would’ve been even better if you’d held onto the opportunity I handed you instead of bringing it back to the Association.”
If only he’d kept it for himself.
If he’s going to act like a leashed dog anyway, couldn’t he have handed me the leash instead? Not that I’m not grateful for the keys, but a little extra wouldn’t hurt.
“Han Yujin.”
Did he catch onto my true intentions? His tone, which had been polite and businesslike, sharpened with an edge that would’ve been intimidating without my fear resistance.
He took a step closer, placing a large hand lightly on my left shoulder. Peace, who’d been tense for a while now, bared his teeth.
“It’s okay, Peace.”
— Grrr.
At my reassurance, Peace lowered his growl and closed his mouth, though he stayed alert, seated beside me. Song Taewon turned his gaze from the Flame-Horned Lion to me.
“You have every reason to feel confident. After all, you have several well-trained beasts.”
The hand on my shoulder slowly began to tighten. It wasn’t painful yet, but if he wanted to, Song Taewon could crush it in an instant.
“But you’re far too fragile to play the leash.”
“Is that supposed to surprise me? Isn’t your preference something delicate, a leash so thin it could snap with a flick of the wrist? Or shall I introduce you to some sturdy chains?”
If he really wanted a firm restraint to tie him down, he wouldn’t be standing here in front of me. He wouldn’t need to go any farther than Seong Hyunjae, who’d be happy to leash him up.
But Song Taewon, I suspected—no, I was certain—wanted something closer to normalcy. He wanted a thin string that could wrap around his abnormal self, something steady and safe. Not that such a thing existed. Maybe I should go looking for Gleipnir. After all, Fenrir’s technically a kind of dog.
“Besides, the role you’ve squeezed yourself into isn’t all that sturdy either, is it? There’s no one who could force you into it if you didn’t choose to bend down and crawl in yourself.”
“Even if it’s not strong, it won’t disappear. Even if you damage parts of it, it’ll be rebuilt as swiftly as a spider’s web with hundreds of spiders swarming to repair it.”
He had a point. No matter how much I might weaken or disrupt the system, it wouldn’t collapse—unless some insane S-rank tyrant popped up, willing to burn the entire structure to the ground. And that kind of tyrant was rare in modern times. Back in the medieval era, maybe, but in today’s world, it was just too convenient, too comfortable to let it all go to waste.
They say a middle-class person today lives better than kings of the past. Rather than creating an entirely new system, it’s easier and more rewarding to enjoy the fruits of capitalism, earned through dungeon profits.
“Meanwhile, you, Mr. Han Yujin… You’d be gone with a single bite.”
“My kids don’t bite.”
“But I do.”
Both of our gazes fell on the blood-stained key in my hand. So that’s why he brought it with the blood still on it. A little message, was it? My apologies, Chief Song. I thought you’d come with a muzzle on; guess it was just the leash.
“I may look delicate, but I’ve been through plenty. A few bite marks don’t bother me. And you’ve already bitten me once before, haven’t you?”
“That’s precisely why it’s problematic.”
He released my shoulder and took a step back. Why exactly is it problematic?
“Be content with a partial purge of the Association.”
His tone was back to formal. Was he here to give me a warning, to tell me to take what I could get and back off? He must really care about his cage.
‘What should I do?’
Though he’d always been a physically imposing figure, he suddenly felt like a towering wall. It was as if I’d set fire to the mountain to flush out a tiger, only to have it tell me to stop playing with fire before retreating back into its cave.
‘This purge will improve the Association compared to my previous life.’
But that alone wouldn’t be enough. Dungeons would escalate faster this time, and if the Association’s response lagged, they’d still end up holding back the guilds. Especially when it came to regulating and trying to balance competition among guilds—they’d meddled too much before, enforcing unnecessary regulations.
Saying “No monopolies” might be reasonable under normal circumstances, but not when the world is teetering on the brink of disaster. If the Association wasn’t going to crumble and be swallowed up like last time, they’d need someone tough at the top who could adapt to the rapidly changing situation.
With a sigh, I looked Song Taewon straight in the eye.
An S-rank awakened chained to his past, fitting himself into a role that didn’t suit his strength. It was both selfless and selfish, seeing someone of his size try to squeeze into something so small.
‘Still, the role of Association President would be within his “cage,” wouldn’t it?’
He wasn’t exactly in a low position now. His work, by nature, kept him close to the field, receiving orders more often than giving them. Perhaps he felt that if he rose too high, he wouldn’t be able to hold himself back.
I didn’t know everything going on inside his head, filled with contradictions as it was.
“Well, since you’re here, how about a drink? We can get draft beer delivered here.”
At my casual suggestion, Song Taewon’s eyebrows twitched slightly.
“…You’re in the mood for that, right now? I’ll pass.”
“Really? I was planning to talk trash about Seong Hyunjae. Don’t you want in on that?”
Not many people would join me in that, especially not regular folks. I called the building’s security desk to arrange a delivery while I kept urging him. Song Taewon frowned but didn’t walk away.
“Yeah, no big deal. Just having a drink. You know I’ve got poison resistance, so no need to worry. Don’t overwork yourself and get some rest.”
I reassured him over the phone, saying everything was fine, really fine, nothing to worry about. It seemed Yuhyun had heard that Song Taewon had come by. Not long after, Yerim texted to ask if I was okay, and even Moon Hyunah checked in. Seong Hyunjae was quiet, likely preoccupied with a dungeon raid. If he’d called, I would’ve told him we were having a Seong Hyunjae roast session.
“So imagine if one day, with Seong Hyunjae and Chief Song together, I say Chief Song looks like the older brother. That’d really get under his skin, don’t you think?”
“I’d rather not be present for that.”
“Why? Wouldn’t you want to see it?”
“It would just upset my stomach.”
He spoke gruffly, but there was a hint of relaxation in his expression. Though we couldn’t get drunk, the beer was cold, and the snacks weren’t bad.
“Still, he’s not exactly the type to go for blatant revenge.”
“He doesn’t avoid it, either.”
“I can’t imagine him holding a grudge over something like that.”
“It’s not a grudge. He just has a habit of getting back at people out of the blue when they least expect it.”
I wondered if he’d experienced that himself. He’d known him for far longer than I had, so he’d have plenty of reasons to bear a grudge. Yet, he seemed unfazed. Or perhaps the fact that he was talking about it at all was a sign of how much he’d kept bottled up.
— Cheep!
Chirp, who’d been flitting around us, landed right on top of Song Taewon’s head. No, not there, Chirp. Even with a small bird sitting on his head, Song Taewon calmly sipped his drink.
And we continued with inconsequential chatter. Neither of us brought up anything too personal, as if by unspoken agreement. I subtly tried to nudge the conversation toward the Association President role, but Song Taewon deftly changed the subject every time.
On TV, there was a report about another corrupt executive within the Hunter Association. Though the offense seemed minor compared to the S-rank item smuggling scandal, public sentiment was still red-hot. Calls for his resignation erupted instantly. Some were even pushing for a full-scale investigation into the Association, and there were rumors about forming a special task force to investigate Association corruption.
Those with skeletons in their closets were in a constant state of anxiety, fearing when the hammer would fall. Anyone with major dirt hidden away was probably not sleeping well at night.
And, of course, those who’d been warned by Han Yujin were especially on edge.
“We can’t let this go on. We have to divert the public’s attention.”
It was a valid point. Usually, small issues would get buried, but right now, every little thing was being exposed, all because the public’s attention was fixed on the Association due to the kidnapping incident.
But how?
“A celebrity dating scandal won’t cut it.”
Nothing could top the sensationalism of the Beast Tamer’s kidnapping. Tales of billion-dollar human trafficking auctions and all the added embellishments were impossible to compete with.
Then one man spoke up quietly.
“Let’s release a dungeon.”
The other two men froze at his words. But their surprise was short-lived.
“Can we time it right?”
“It’s an illegal A-rank dungeon that should’ve been cleared over ten days ago. The raid was delayed due to this mess, but it’ll break within two or three days at most.”
“So you’ve been sitting on this, waiting for the right moment?”
“Nothing diverts attention like a dungeon break.”
No matter how scandalous the news, it wouldn’t outweigh the immediate threat to people’s lives. Losing an A-rank dungeon was unfortunate, but the Hunter Association’s position allowed for more than enough to cover for the loss.
A high-ranking dungeon break after so long would be more than enough to dominate the headlines.
— Kyuuu.
Peace rubbed his head against my chest, reluctant to leave. He clung to me for a moment, then glanced over at Yuhyun before hopping down.
“Be safe, Peace.”
— Grr!
Peace responded with a growl and moved to Yuhyun’s side. My brother gave me a worried look.
“It won’t take long, so just stay home and don’t cause any trouble.”
“I’m the older brother here.”
He really was acting like my guardian. This wasn’t the first time, though.
“With all the media attention on me, I don’t plan on going anywhere. I’ll just stay put—unless a dungeon breaks nearby or something.”
“Seriously, Mister, stay out of trouble!”
Yerim added her own worried voice. Honestly, these kids. My mental age is twice yours, kiddo.
“You should be worrying about yourself, Yerim. This is your first official S-rank dungeon raid, and it’s not even a low-level one.”
After Hong Kong, Han Yuhyun had decided that Park Yerim had grown enough to handle S-rank dungeons. With more experience, she could even handle mid-level S-rank raids, depending on the environment.
So this was her first real outing on an S-rank raid.
My Yerim, she’s grown so much. It’s only been two months since she awakened, yet she’s already here. Her growth has been incredibly fast, even with the help of the Mermaid Queen’s power.
“Don’t worry! I already went head-to-head with the Guild Leader. I’m strong enough.”
“That was three against one.”
Yerim raised her eyebrows at Yuhyun’s response.
“Seong Hyunjae was just holding you off, and Noah only supported. I did most of the work, okay? And you had buffs from the Guild Leader, remember?”
“Attribute buffs, stat sharing, support from Noah and Seong Hyunjae, a fire-resistant coat, plus the environment was perfect for you. And halfway through, I put Hyung in a safe spot, so I didn’t have his buffs anymore. Even then, it was a draw.”
“I was two months in; you were three years in! And Seong Hyunjae backed off halfway to protect Hyung. It was really two against one! Noah was still just supporting.”
How cute, these two.
“Alright, no fighting in the dungeon. Yuhyun, Yerim, I love you both. And you too, Peace. Remember, safety comes first. Don’t rush, and Yerim, learn as much as you can.”
“Got it.”
“Okay.”
“Seriously, don’t fight. Be careful.”
With Peace included, the three of them got into the car. Holding Chirp, who’d perched on my head, I watched as they drove off. Yuhyun better not go on a rampage again. He needs to let Yerim gain some experience too.
‘By the way, only a few responses so far.’
Out of all the Association executives I’d politely asked to resign, only four had agreed. I’d given them until tomorrow, but if they kept stalling, I’d have to forcibly remove them. I’d really hoped for a smoother process.
The unexpected news came that evening.
–TL Notes–
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