LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 17
Chapter 17: Inspection Bureau
10th floor of the Korea Hunter Association Building.
Ordinary Hunters would rarely have a reason to visit this place.
Well, that’s because the Inspection Bureau of the Korea Hunter Association was located on the 10th floor.
Whenever there was a report of an issue with a guild or a hunter, or whenever an incident occurred, it was the Inspection Bureau’s job to investigate.
As a result, the staff of the Inspection Bureau consisted of capable hunters or, even if they weren’t hunters, individuals skilled in various areas.
At this moment, a Black Tiger Guild Member along with Lee Si-hyun and Eun-hye were summoned and undergoing an investigation.
It was a case where two hunters had died, and it wasn’t a common murder case.
Being questioned as witnesses was unavoidable.
“You mustn’t disclose anything discussed here outside.”
Contrary to the image of the Inspection Bureau, a friendly-looking male staff member entered the investigation room and said just that first.
Lee Si-hyun was alone in the room.
It seemed the others were being questioned in separate rooms.
The man sat opposite him.
In front of him lay a laptop, seemingly for taking notes.
“You’re Lee Si-hyun, right? Today you filled in for a guild member on a raid.”
“Yes.”
“You’re a Correctional Officer, right?”
“…That’s correct.”
Si-hyun’s mouth twisted slightly, conveying discomfort.
It was the thought that his side job might get out.
Of course, initially, it would only result in a pay cut, but the problem was that all his hard-earned promotions and evaluations could go down the drain.
The man observed Si-hyun’s expression and spoke with a smile, as if to reassure him.
“Ah, don’t worry. I’m also in public service, and the salary of junior public officials is predictable. We even have people here who juggle side jobs on weekends. I won’t report anything, so just focus on the investigation, okay?”
Of course, Si-hyun knew very well that it couldn’t be similar just because they were both in public service.
It was well-known that even if they weren’t affiliated with a guild, specially hired skilled hunters at the Association received at least a good amount of money. If not, they would never have been able to gather such talent.
Still, he appreciated it nonetheless.
“Thank you.”
Si-hyun’s expression relaxed again.
“Now, please tell me step by step what you witnessed.”
“Okay.”
Si-hyun began to slowly explain what had occurred at the gate.
Naturally, he omitted all information obtained through skills or the help of Po-ahim. He only spoke of what he had actually seen with his own eyes.
The man listened carefully, typing rapidly on the laptop as Si-hyun spoke.
Once Si-hyun finished, the man opened his mouth.
“I think I have a general idea of the situation.”
I came in after checking statements from others outside, and there were no particular discrepancies.
It seemed that everyone had witnessed a similar scene.
However, the man posed a formal question nonetheless.
“I have a few things to confirm.”
“Yes.”
“Is it certain that the woman in the cat mask appeared in the gate before the boss monster was defeated?”
“She directly defeated the gate’s boss, so it’s absolutely not a mistake.”
Si-hyun replied firmly and then posed a question of his own.
“But is it possible for someone to enter a closed gate? I’ve never heard of that before. At the time, I was too disoriented to pay much attention, but looking back, it seems quite absurd.”
“Um.”
The man made a slightly troubled expression.
Then, he thought for a moment about how to express it before speaking.
“Actually, I was about to explain, but first, could you sign and stamp here?”
The man took a document from a folder on a shelf in the investigation room and placed it in front of Si-hyun.
“What’s this?”
“Just read it.”
Si-hyun turned his gaze to the document.
After skimming through it, he realized it was a non-disclosure agreement.
The contents stated that one must not disclose secrets to the outside, and doing so could lead to severe penalties.
“Wow, I’ve never seen anything like this in my life. It’s a bit scary.”
“Haha, really? I’m not sure about that, but don’t prisons have similar confidentiality obligations? I’ve heard you shouldn’t just blurt out what happens inside the prison.”
“I’ve heard there’s something like that, but… this feels on a whole different level.”
“Well, the security here is a bit critical. You know about the terrorist incidents involving Awakened Beings, right?”
“Yes, I know. Just recently in France…”
Si-hyun nodded.
Of course, he knew.
It wasn’t an era where terrorism only involved bombs or guns.
A few months ago, there had been a significant incident where an Awakened Individual committed murder against employees of a French newspaper who mocked the Prophet Muhammad. Over ten people were killed, and more than twenty were injured.
Most of the incidents were connected to Islamic fundamentalism, causing a negative perception of Islam in foreign countries.
Thus, the public’s perspective on Awakened Beings was sharply contrasted between the West and the Middle East.
“But you see, the Name-less woman you saw this time isn’t on that level.”
“Excuse me?”
“If she wants to, she could just blow up the Blue House or the National Assembly. The entire system of a country could just collapse. Missiles could come from anywhere, but with this kind of terrorism, it’s highly likely no one would know which country it came from. Now you understand how dangerous this is, right?”
“Ah… Yes.”
With that explanation, Si-hyun truly realized how dangerous an S-Class Awakened Being was.
It wasn’t without reason that most countries did not allow S-Class individuals to be affiliated with guilds; it was a matter of national management.
In short, they were treated like tactical nuclear weapons.
“Therefore, the National Intelligence Service and the Information Bureau of the Hunter Association collaborate to closely monitor any known S-Class Awakened Beings entering the country. However, this Name-less woman is not on the list. There have been no records of female S-Class Awakened Beings entering the country for half a year. If there were, they would have been notified immediately.”
“I see.”
It meant there was an S-Class Awakened Being hidden away in another country.
If he had to guess, it was also a fierce intelligence war surrounding S-Class Awakened Beings between nations.
“But could that woman really be at that level…?”
Though he knew full well that she was the silent Great Sorceress Hyris, Si-hyun hesitantly ventured the thought.
The man wore a bittersweet smile as he spoke.
“Do you know how she entered a closed gate?”
“Huh? You know? But then why did you ask earlier if it was certain someone entered a closed gate…?”
“That was just a formality. Actually, there was a Hunter Association employee at the gate entrance, right? That employee was the first to witness her and report it. They said she simply blasted through the closed gate with brute force. Ah, not brute force—magic.”
“…What? Is that even possible?”
“I found that out just this time too.”
Si-hyun wore a dumbfounded expression.
Is she even human?
Isn’t she a dragon or something instead?
“So, please keep this strictly confidential. We’re already going crazy due to this sudden appearance of a monster. Just remember that there will be immensely severe penalties if you breach the agreement.”
As he said that, the man made a slight gesture across his neck.
It didn’t seem like a joke, so Si-hyun couldn’t take it lightly.
◈ ◈ ◈
“Make sure you educate your son properly.”
That was Lin Xue’s voice.
She must have just finished showering, as she was wrapped in a towel, holding a phone in one hand while talking.
With her other hand, she took out a slender, white menthol cigarette to smoke.
Puff.
She lit it up and exhaled the smoke.
-I have nothing to say. I clearly warned you, but I never thought you’d go that far.
“Is it because he’s your only son that you’re being too soft? You almost killed him, but if you want to see your son for a long time, you need to educate him properly.”
-…
“And I’m not doing what you mentioned earlier. I told you I came here for vacation, right?”
It was extremely rare for someone in China to refuse the requests of a man like that.
But Lin Xue was one of those rare individuals.
“Killing Ryu Geon-woo… If there’s diplomatic trouble, just do what you always do and start a boycott as usual. Go ahead and sing your Major Nation song while looking petty.”
Ryu Geon-woo was an S-Class Awakened Being and the head of the Korea Hunter Association.
-Um.
The man was displeased, but he held it back.
An average S-Class wouldn’t have been able to endure this much.
But not all S-Class beings were the same.
Even an 8-class wizard would be S-Class, yet she was 9-class.
She was not someone who could be suppressed by power.
“I’m going to send my son back home right away, just so you know. I’ll be relaxing in the Maldives, so don’t bother looking for me.”