Hallie’s Modern Diary (1)
Contrary to what he had steeled himself for, Hallie was able to wrap up his first schedule at the broadcasting station without any major trouble.
In truth, it wasn’t particularly strange.
It was difficult to openly display malice when facing someone in person, unlike on the internet, where anonymity and safety were thoroughly guaranteed.
‘Especially when they’re standing in front of someone with the power to hurt them at any moment.’
This was a world so accustomed to violence that even after the capital had been reduced to ruins by a large-scale terrorist attack, most stores were open for business as usual the very next day.
Though vampires had recently begun pursuing a more moderate path, they were still predators through and through.
If someone recklessly provoked one into anger and got hit, it could lead to a catastrophe. It was only natural for the other side to act cautiously on their own.
“Of course, every now and then, you get someone who’s lost all fear, like this guy.”
“Ggaaah…!”
In the underground parking lot of the broadcasting station.
Hallie looked down at the man struggling with his face caught in his grip, scratching the back of his head with his other hand.
The man clawed at Hallie’s arm and kicked wildly, but Hallie did not move an inch.
He merely added the slightest bit of strength to his fingers, forcing the man to quiet down.
“Hmm, I did anticipate that something like this might happen.”
It had been several days since Lycoris had begun its activities in earnest.
Nothing particularly noteworthy had happened during that time.
They had merely been commuting to various broadcasting stations and showing their faces, repeatedly, just as the idol project intended.
‘You have to start by becoming familiar with one another if you want to build familiarity.’
Since they were a group that had become such a major topic of public interest, there had been no need to worry about receiving invitations.
If anything, it had been more troublesome to filter out the malice hidden among the flood of offers.
It would be problematic to work with someone harboring ulterior motives, only to end up subjected to a demonic edit, wouldn’t it?
Fortunately, he could investigate the person in charge of a program and those around them to screen them to some extent, but…
There was no helping the fact that it was difficult to identify in advance when a low-ranking staff member like this decided to cause trouble.
“Still, I never imagined he’d try to plant a bomb in the vehicle.”
And not just an ordinary bomb, either—a special magical bomb equipped with a concealment function and a firepower-enhancement spell.
Hallie looked strangely at the unconscious man hanging limply in his grasp.
No matter how he looked at him, the man was not an Awakened.
He was merely a staff member at this broadcasting station who handled all sorts of odd jobs.
He did not look like someone capable of obtaining an artifact from another world, let alone one like this.
‘Looks like a serious conversation is in order.’
When it came to clearing up misunderstandings and resolving things amicably, nothing beat a conversation.
Of course, even then, there would be limits to what he could find out.
The man appeared to have been used, and Hallie doubted he possessed much information.
‘Well, that can’t be helped. I’ll just have to calmly dig into things one by one.’
He might not have known before, but now that he had sensed a danger, he could not simply remain idle.
It meant that somewhere out there, an enemy capable of acquiring an item like this was hiding and targeting them.
‘Perhaps the Heaven-Flipping Society’s people are starting to test the waters.’
Hallie tossed the subdued man roughly into the vehicle, then turned back toward the place where the idols under his supervision were filming.
‘We need to expand our intelligence organization. It would probably be best to fill it with people who possess abilities related to that field, like Andrew Weaver. Can’t people like that just fall from the sky somewhere?’
Though it was said that the Blood Alliance ruled Korea’s night, strictly speaking, that was only a figurative expression referring to them as the largest power in the underworld.
This was, after all, a democratic nation, as well as one of the world’s major powers whose government still maintained firm control.
‘I’ll have to work Andrew harder. He’d probably be even happier if he could work with someone in the same line of business. Somehow, I’ll expand the personnel first, and then…’
As Hallie walked along, making plans for the future, his steps suddenly faltered.
At the same time, his keen senses began to focus on a single point.
The brow hidden behind his sunglasses furrowed.
“Well, well?”
A hollow laugh escaped his lips.
What had happened while he was briefly away?
He rolled his wrist and strode forward.
It seemed he would have to do some serious housecleaning today.
***
A chilly atmosphere hung over the variety show set.
The broadcasting station staff, as well as the PD who served as the captain of this ship, could do nothing but fidget and stare at the center of the commotion, unable to bring themselves to say a word.
“Tsk. As if anyone needed more proof that they’re monsters. How dare they glare at us with those eyes?”
“It’s ridiculous. Who knows how many people those fiends devoured just today, yet they’re walking around the broadcasting station so brazenly.”
“Kyahahah! Doesn’t that just mean they’ve got powerful backing? We might actually get blacklisted from the entertainment industry over this!”
“Hmph. Then I’ll just immigrate somewhere else. A country that dances to the vampires’ tune isn’t for me.”
“Ah, then maybe I should seriously consider immigrating too.”
They had no choice.
The five men and women who had suddenly barged in and frozen the set in place possessed enough power and authority to warrant such caution.
‘So many famous people who are usually impossible to even see, all at once!’
If they had not come over something unpleasant, the staff might even have tried to ask them to appear on the show.
But the PD and the other staff could do nothing but hold their breath and observe the situation, making themselves as inconspicuous as possible.
They were not keeping their heads down merely because of the visitors’ reputations. There was a far more practical reason.
“Oh? What are you going to do if I glare at you? Why? Want to have a go?”
The woman at the head of the group scowled and poked Lycoris’s leader, Yun Seol, repeatedly in the forehead.
Even though she already knew that Yun Seol was a vampire, there was not the slightest trace of hesitation in her attitude.
“……”
The members of Lycoris, including Yun Seol, simply kept their mouths shut.
They were not enduring it despite possessing the power to fight back merely to prevent the commotion from growing.
They knew.
Even if they resisted in earnest, they would not be able to defeat that woman at the front—not even one of her.
‘Sword Empress Cheon Seolhyang…’
Cheon Seolhyang was an actress who had worked as a Guardian hunting fiends in the early days of the Great Cataclysm, then retired after an unfortunate accident and entered the entertainment industry, where she rose to its pinnacle.
A Returnee who had reached the Sword Master realm—the limit of humanity—she was far stronger than Yun Seol, who had risen to Level 6 thanks to the Lord’s blessing.
The appearance of the Returnees had had a tremendous impact on every corner of society, and the entertainment industry was no exception.
Lycoris had become a topic of discussion because they had announced their entry into the entertainment industry as vampires saddled with the stigma of being fiends.
But there were already plenty of Awakened who had entered and established themselves in the industry around the world.
Among them, Cheon Seolhyang was one of its leading figures, having worked in the entertainment industry for well over a decade.
In addition to her beautiful appearance and exceptional acting ability, she possessed overwhelming skill in action scenes—enough that she had no need for CGI or wires.
Backed by the distinction of being a former Guardian, this powerful woman had risen to become South Korea’s greatest actress, and she was now openly radiating hostility.
‘That’s not all. Everyone else there is at least as strong as Sister Yun Seol… We can’t stand against them.’
Standing toward the back of the group, Lee Nahee bit down hard on her lip.
Her anger surged at the fact that she could do nothing, even as the eldest sister who had stepped to the front to protect the members endured every humiliation.
‘I knew it. I already knew we’d be treated like this, but…’
No matter how successful their debut song had been, it was impossible for that alone to change people’s perception of vampires.
That was precisely why this difficult project had been created in the first place.
They had been fully prepared to face such hostile reactions.
“PD, I’m deeply disappointed in you as well. Even if you were desperate for ratings, how could you invite fiends onto the show?”
“T-that’s, I…”
“Hmm, I suppose I’ll have to speak with the station director separately… No, perhaps the executive director.”
“Gasp! A-Actress Cheon!”
When she had been working as an administrative assistant for Heterosis, her decision to be the first to apply for this project had not been a joke.
Images flashed through her mind: Jin Soran enjoying herself as they carried out the plan, and the members who had shared every hardship and struggle along the way.
‘How far have we come to get here? Do you really think I’ll give up over something like this?’
Memories of the past overlapped with the reality before her.
And in that instant, something inside her mind snapped.
“Phew.”
That was why the outspoken remark burst from Lee Nahee’s lips as she stepped forward after letting out a deep sigh.
“…Ma’am. We have work to do now, you know? So why don’t you just state your business and leave?”
The air froze instantly.
The people who had been making a commotion and picking a fight, the staff who had been watching from the background, and even the other Lycoris members all turned to stare at her with widened eyes.
“M-Ma’am… You…!”
The corners of Cheon Seolhyang’s eyes trembled.
Though her cultivation allowed her to retain her youthful appearance, she had already entered her forties.
Naturally, being called that by a girl who looked like a middle school student struck her all the harder.
“Nahee… Even so, she’s your senior…”
“Oh, right. She is, isn’t she? My mistake, my mistake. But isn’t it true? Can’t you see what’s going on around you? Everything’s come to a complete stop because of you. Se-niors. If you have a complaint, come back and make it after we’re finished. How many people do you think you’re inconveniencing? Just because you’re seniors, does that make it okay?”
Her tone was a little harsh, but anyone listening would have to admit she had a point.
They had all been through the highs and lows of the industry, so they could not possibly be unaware of how much damage barging in as a group and causing a disturbance would do to their reputations.
Even so, they had chosen to do this because they judged that accomplishing their goal this way would be more advantageous, despite the damage they would suffer.
They had confidence that they could smooth things over to some extent, given the reputations they had built up over the years.
But quite apart from that…
“You’re insolent.”
At Cheon Seolhyang’s cold voice, Lee Nahee’s throat abruptly locked up in the middle of her next words.
Only then did she belatedly come to her senses, but the water had already been spilled.
A frigid gaze looked down at her rigid body.
Together with it, an aura that swept through the surroundings like a blade of frost plunged the area into silence.
“Well, well. That little brat seems to have gotten on Big Sis’s bad side.”
“Unnie~ Go easy on her. You can’t kill her, okay? It’ll make things troublesome to clean up.”
“Hah. This is going to become a nuisance.”
The world was different now from what it had been before the Great Cataclysm.
The Ability Management Bureau and the Guardians worked day and night to somehow maintain order in society, but it was impossible to prevent many things from changing with the flow of the times.
One such change concerned conflicts between the Awakened.
There were no monsters on Earth that needed to be defeated, nor any Demon Kings threatening the world.
Under such circumstances, it was impossible to suppress the use of abilities by those who possessed them.
“It seems you’re acting up because you’re relying on that great Phantom of yours… Perhaps you need to be taught just how dangerous it is to act arrogantly under another’s protection.”
The most important factor in such situations was an individual’s martial power.
The moment someone recklessly unleashed it and harmed civilians, they would be branded a villain. But using it as a means of resolving conflicts between themselves was not considered a particularly serious offense.
So long as they did not kill their opponent or inflict excessively severe injuries.
‘She’s a vampire, so she should at least have basic regenerative abilities.’
Cheon Seolhyang raised the edge of her hand and swung it lightly.
Lightly, that was, by her standards.
“Wait…!”
“Nahee!”
A sharp wind whipped around them.
At the same time the members of Licorice surrounded the frozen Nahee and dragged her backward, the three strongest among them, including Yunseol, drew up their blood magic and stepped in front of her.
‘That wasn’t an all-out attack! We’ll have to withstand at least one strike…!’
It was an attack from an opponent who, by vampire standards, surpassed Level 7 at the very least.
Even if they succeeded in blocking it, they would hardly come away unscathed.
The thought that flitted through her mind—How are we supposed to film if we end up a complete mess…—was almost an act of escapism, when—
“My, my. What is a grown man doing, just because a child said something that happened to be true?”
The indifferent voice of the man she had grown accustomed to flowed into her ears.
Crack—
A broad back had appeared in front of them before they knew it, blocking their path.
The man stretched one hand forward and clenched it around empty space. From within his grasp came the sound of something being crushed.
““Manager Ha!””
The towering man, with slicked-back hair and sunglasses, glanced over his shoulder at the voices calling him.
After giving them a quick once-over, he calmly nodded.
“Everyone looks fine. Once you fix your hair, filming shouldn’t be a problem.”
“…Manager, are you a psychopath?”
One of the members blurted out in disbelief at his attitude.
As if to say, Was filming even remotely possible in a situation like this?
“Kahahah! Well, that’s not entirely wrong, either. But what can we do? We have another schedule coming up, so we can’t afford to waste any more time.”
“No, the filming is obviously canceled—”
Ignoring her protest, Harley turned his gaze forward.
Toward the five men and women glaring at them with deeply furrowed brows.
‘Could these people also be in league with the ones who tried to plant the bomb?’
His eyes scanned the opposing party in an instant.
The celebrities who had come here as Returnees were all fairly advanced in age.
In other words, they belonged to the generation that had experienced firsthand, in one way or another, the cruelty of “Demon” vampires.
They had more than enough motivation to step forward like this, driven by their own sense of justice.
‘Especially that woman…’
His gaze settled on the actress standing at the very front.
The relevant information, rapidly organized through Hesperon, was relayed to him.
‘Cheon Seolhyang. She was strong and well regarded enough to be nominated as Guardian’s next branch director, but…’
More than a decade ago, she had fallen into a trap set by the Blood Alliance at the height of its rampage. After losing every member of her unit and surviving alone, she had abruptly retired and entered the entertainment industry.
Judging by both her abilities and her connections, she was not someone to treat carelessly.
Of course, Harley did not concern himself with such trivial matters.
“…What exactly are you? No matter how I look at you, you don’t seem to be a vampire…”
“Enough. I’m busy, so let’s wrap this up quickly! We can have individual interviews while we’re filming.”
He took off his suit jacket and tossed it carelessly to the side, then rolled up the sleeves of his dress shirt and cracked his neck.
His brilliantly white, even teeth showed through his radiant smile, sparkling dazzlingly under the lights of the filming set.