Episode 21
“Still, it seems my efforts weren’t entirely useless.”
With a faint smile on his face, Jeong Iheun looked exceedingly pleased.
The corners of his mouth had lifted softly, full of joy, as though all his efforts until now had been rewarded.
“It was worth revising the contract in all sorts of ways so it would suit your tastes, Mr. Han Chasu.”
His vermilion eyes were beautifully tinted by the sunlight, sparkling.
Faced with his openly satisfied expression, Han Chasu was at a loss for words.
Even if the idea that he would sign a lifetime contract was a misunderstanding, why was he so happy about it? Just how ridiculously kind are these Jeong brothers? There was Jeong Seoheun, who had stormed off saying he would fix Han Chasu’s body no matter what, and now Jeong Iheun, clinging to him saying he would repay his debt.
Weren’t they too kind and softhearted to be protagonists?
Han Chasu clicked his tongue inwardly.
If he had been the real Han Chasu from the original work, Jeong Iheun would have been stabbed in the back on the spot.
Ten times his current annual salary? What was that supposed to be? That bastard might have demanded Jeong Iheun’s life instead. Absolutely not. In that regard, perhaps it was better that he had possessed Han Chasu after all.
Thanks to that, he would live, and Jeong Iheun would not lose his younger brother, remaining so bright and innocent—
“Haa.”
Looking at Jeong Iheun, who still had not come to his senses and was simply delighted, Han Chasu let out a deep sigh.
“Guild Leader.”
“Yes, Mr. Han Chasu?”
“I’m sorry if I confused you, but I wasn’t saying I would sign the lifetime contract.”
“You weren’t?”
Only then did Jeong Iheun’s eyes widen as he grasped reality.
“I thought you meant you would remain in Cheonryeong Guild for the rest of your life, by my side.”
As if that would ever happen.
At those dejected words, Han Chasu felt a headache coming on. But without letting it show, he continued calmly.
“No. I meant that I would remain in the guild normally, just like the other guild members.”
“Hmm. That’s a little disappointing.”
He said “a little,” but his face looked extremely disappointed.
But only for a moment. As if he had never been dejected, Jeong Iheun nodded.
“All right, I understand. The fact that you aren’t resigning is fortunate enough for me, Mr. Han Chasu.”
“Then…”
Was he finally giving up on that damn lifetime contract?
Perhaps because a ray of hope had appeared before him, Han Chasu felt his heart begin to beat without realizing it.
“To be honest, it doesn’t matter in what form. Cheonryeong Guild, myself included, will all be happy as long as you remain with us, Mr. Han Chasu.”
Han Chasu was deeply marveling that such an easy mark could exist in this world when—
“Are you done talking?”
Geum Myeonggyeol strode over with brisk steps.
With his large build and tall stature combined, it felt almost as if a tiger were approaching.
“Then let’s start heading back. The others must be waiting too.”
At his sly words, Han Chasu silently looked up at him.
Then Geum Myeonggyeol winked at him with a smiling eye.
“……”
Han Chasu turned his gaze away, pretending not to have seen it. He had almost shoved his hand back into the inner pocket where his dagger was. Good grief. Is it because he’s S-rank? He’s just as shameless as Baekdam. The type of shamelessness was slightly different, but if the two were put side by side, they might be practically evenly matched.
The entire time he had been talking with Jeong Iheun, Han Chasu had felt Geum Myeonggyeol watching them while pretending not to.
He had probably intended to cut in the moment he saw even the slightest gap between Jeong Iheun and himself.
And considering how he had tempted him to join his guild to his face, only for the truth to be that he wanted him to sign a hunter contract… He truly was a man one could not let one’s guard down around.
In the meantime, Jeong Iheun seemed to have finished preparing to return, and gestured with his hand.
“Unlike other places, an irregular gate requires us to open the exit ourselves. Don’t stand too far away. Come stand over here.”
“Yes.”
Even as he moved, Han Chasu could not take his eyes off the bluish heat soaking the ground.
The return stone, obtained after slaughtering a thousand monsters, lay at the center of the circular formation.
As if it was ready, the return stone trembled faintly.
Wooong, woong—
Blue concentric circles gradually widened in rhythm with the vibration. Han Chasu watched with curious eyes as the rings touched his body.
The heat of the return formation warmed the air. It was when the haze rising from below began to blur his vision.
“You only need to wait quietly.”
Perhaps worried because this was Han Chasu’s first irregular gate, Jeong Iheun reached out beside him and held his shoulder.
Han Chasu glanced up at him and nodded. During the remaining time, he rummaged through his inventory. Let’s see, I think it was in the temporary storage earlier… Ah, here it is.
Han Chasu took out the “Specter’s Hide” that had been in the temporary storage.
It was one of the items he had acquired after killing the lingering resentment of the Frost Giant Shaman, and unlike the earring, it was closer to junk loot.
Still, to him, it was far more useful than the earring.
Though it was called a hide, the item was closer to a mask. As he shook it out, Jeong Iheun quietly asked,
“What is that?”
Since Han Chasu had suddenly taken out something like a mask with cloth attached just as they were about to return, it seemed to have piqued his curiosity.
“Ah, this is…”
Han Chasu was just about to answer.
As if they had been waiting, bright blue messages rose up, blocking his vision.
Ding!
[ Irregular Gate (Synchronization) clear confirmed ]
[ Return request has been received. ]
[ Proceeding with survivor return. ]
[ Searching designated zone residual rate… ]
[ Designated zone residual presence confirmed ]
[ Executing temporary isolation of return zone ]
[ Isolation complete ]
[ Proceeding with return. ]
[ Warning! Sudden actions during return may cost you your life. Please always be careful. ]
Along with an alien sensation enveloping his body, the sound of the prairie wind soon vanished.
And what replaced it was—
“Waaaah! They’re out!”
“Where? Over there? Ah, no, there they are! You bastard, bring the camera and get over here!”
“You can’t do this!”
It was the fervor of the press, heated up by the scoop of “two S-ranks entering an irregular gate that erupted in the middle of the city.”
***
“Who’s that over there? Ah, damn it, I can’t see because you’re blocking the way. Lift your head a bit!”
“Mr. Jeong Iheun, is that you, Mr. Jeong Iheun? Please answer!”
Beyond the fence and screens set up by the Emergency Disaster Safety Bureau, the reporters who had been barred from entry shouted their names at the top of their lungs.
They had rushed over at once, despite the danger, after hearing that two S-ranks had been caught in the irregular gate that had erupted on the bridge.
And on top of that, those two had apparently been caught up in it right as they were fighting each other.
There was no reporter who would easily let go of such a scoop. I’ll dig up at least one thing, no matter what. The eyes of the people holding camera lenses gleamed with greed.
And inside the fence, Jeong Iheun, who had glanced over at the press, turned his head with a strange expression.
Beside him stood a man wearing an achromatic mask that covered him down to his shoulders.
It was Han Chasu.
“……”
“What is it?”
“…
Mr. Han Chasu, you truly are…”
“?”
“Prepared in all sorts of ways.”
At Jeong Iheun’s praise, Han Chasu merely shrugged instead of answering.
“I don’t want things to get noisy again.”
If word spread that the much-talked-about B-rank had come out of an irregular gate together with S-ranks, what would happen?
Without even trying, Han Chasu naturally pictured the future and sighed soundlessly.
He could not throw kindling onto a fire that had barely begun to die out.
Touching the edge of the mask, which had cloth attached that covered everything down to his shoulders, Han Chasu said,
“Guild Leader, shouldn’t you go over there?”
It was hard to see clearly because of all the people, but in the general direction Han Chasu was looking, Geum Myeonggyeol was there.
Ever since he had come out of the gate, he had been surrounded by people from government ministries and was undergoing an ordeal.
“Does it make sense to ask whether I knew the gate was going to erupt? No… I’m telling you, there was another reason I was there.”
Only then did Jeong Iheun check Geum Myeonggyeol’s side and let out an “Ah.”
Then, uncharacteristically, he smiled with a mischievous look on his face.
“Let’s leave him like that. That’s Guild Leader Geum Myeonggyeol’s own way of apologizing to us.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, that’s so.”
Jeong Iheun said that, then added,
“Those people know that it’s enough to catch either me or Guild Leader Geum Myeonggyeol anyway, so don’t worry too much about it.”
Come to think of it, Geum Myeonggyeol’s secretary was also leisurely drinking cocoa a little distance away. If he volunteered to be the bullet shield, then I’m grateful. There was no need for him to worry about an S-rank whom even his secretary was not worried about.
Han Chasu quickly lost interest in Geum Myeonggyeol. Then I need to find the right timing to slip out… The fence had been set up meticulously around the crater where the gate had appeared. Beyond it, crazed reporters were practically foaming at the mouth as they waved their cameras around.
“Tsk.”
No matter how he looked, there did not seem to be any opening to escape through. Do I have to just sit tight here like this? As he frowned behind the mask, Jeong Iheun smoothly approached his side.
“You’re thinking of going home, aren’t you? Shall I help?”
“……
How?”
“Before I tell you, I’d like you to promise me just one thing.”
“I won’t sign a lifetime contract.”
Jeong Iheun smiled as though Han Chasu had hit the mark.
“Wasn’t that supposed to be treated as nonexistent now?”
“You never know.”
“You really are a diligent person.”
Jeong Iheun let out a sigh mixed with laughter and said, shaking his device,
“Irregular gates tend to affect a person’s mind and body in ways one may or may not notice. I’ve experienced them several times, so I’m fine, but I don’t know how it might manifest in you, Mr. Han Chasu.”
Which meant—
“You’re saying we should go to the hospital.”
He really lived with the words “go to the hospital” on his lips.
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