Gogang let out a scoff as if he couldn't believe it.
“I had no idea On Jurim cared so much about public order in South Korea. There are plenty of people who can go besides you—”
But Jurim tossed the blindfold straight at the Chief.
“I’m going.”
“—Go, you bastard. Go!”
As Jurim roughly flung the car door open, the startled driver looked back.
“Guild Master On!”
The moment Jurim stepped onto the road, the car screeched to a halt.
The driver, who had slammed on the brakes in a panic, turned his head toward the back seat.
“Are you all right—huh?”
Jurim was nowhere to be seen. All that could be heard was the blaring of car horns behind them.
The Chief shook his head with a displeased expression.
“Don’t mind that monster and just get a move on.”
*
Having responded to the backup request, Jurim couldn't hide his confusion upon spotting the fugitive.
“...?”
If what he had seen was correct, an ugly, oversized teddy bear was pedaling a toddler tricycle for all it was worth to make its escape.
Perhaps due to its low vantage point, the teddy bear failed to spot Jurim and whizzed right past him.
“....”
Jurim immediately took out his phone as he started following the tricycle.
“This is On Jurim, responding to the backup request. Is it correct that the suspect fleeing the illegal transaction site is riding a toddler tricycle?”
\- Yes! That's correct!
That thing was correct?
Though skeptical, upon hearing the confirmation, Jurim swiftly snatched the bear by the scruff of its neck.
At that, the doll that had been moving just a moment ago went limp, as if someone had switched it off.
He shook the doll out thoroughly, but it was just a doll. No special mechanisms were visible.
'Just a doll?'
Jurim furrowed his brow. A nonsensical situation with a nonsensical fugitive. He needed to get to the bottom of this.
Carrying the doll by its dangling leg, Jurim found the Awakened Crimes Unit officer who had requested backup.
“Guild Master On! It's an honor. I'm Officer I Minu.”
Glancing past I Minu at Jang Yeongung, who was handcuffed and fidgeting, Jurim held up the doll.
“So, what is this?”
“It’s a fairly well-known Awakened item distributor on Yangpa Market. Goes by IAMGROOT123.”
“That’s all?”
“Huh?”
But I Minu didn't seem to know much either.
“Wow, it's just a doll. No other devices either—meticulous work. Looking at how prepared this is, they must've made quite a killing.”
I Minu kept exclaiming in admiration as he turned the doll over in his hands.
“Guild Master, don't you think there's someone backing them? Making a doll like this can't be cheap.”
“Hmm.”
A backer. Jurim observed the doll with a strange expression.
Traces of a skill remained intact on it.
Normally, one would at least apply anti-tracking measures, yet it was far too crude to think there was a backer behind it.
It felt almost endearingly naive—so much so that it was strange it had even been found at a crime scene.
Taking the doll back, Jurim tucked it under one arm and jerked his chin beyond I Minu.
“Officer, you head in first. You need to take care of that matter.”
“Ah, yes. That I do. Thank you for the backup. As for that doll...”
“I'll look into this myself and bring it to the Awakened Crimes Unit when I'm done.”
Acting as though he would tolerate no objections, Jurim opened his inventory and stowed the doll away.
The junior officer couldn't dare nitpick an S-rank's handling of the affair, so after fidgeting, he took off his hat and saluted.
“Y-yes, Guild Master On. I leave it in your hands... Then I'll head in first.”
I Minu repeatedly bowed at the waist before leaving with Jang Yeongung.
Confirming his departure, Jurim opened his super senses. Following the traces of mana, he sensed the location sending signals to the doll. It wasn't very far.
He read the sign on the building emitting the signal as he approached.
'Miral Orphanage?'
*
Geuru let out a heavy sigh and turned off the old TV.
The screen had shaken as if someone had grabbed it, so she had cut the connection immediately.
She should have cut the link the moment she saw the police. Instead, she had panicked and fled.
I suppose this kind of thing happens when you run a business.
'The sirens are scary.'
Geuru steadied her pounding heart and rose from her seat. It was time for bed now.
Any later and the caretaker would come looking for her; they might discover that she had secretly set up a workshop in the storage room.
That was when her body lifted into the air, her legs dangling.
“Hng?”
Just like the teddy bear that had been dangled by the scruff of its neck, her own view rose and shook as she was lifted up.
“...Han Geuru?”
“Huh?”
This voice? Geuru blinked her eyes while dangling in the air.
Flapping her arms and spinning around, she saw a familiar face. Geuru beamed in welcome.
“Guild Mastew!”
Jurim looked once at the child who was overjoyed to see him, and once around the old warehouse that seemed to be her workshop.
Inside the warehouse, traces of someone using skills haphazardly remained everywhere.
“Guild Mastew, did you come to see Geuru?”
“....”
Even in response to Geuru's question, Jurim was carefully observing the surroundings without giving much of an answer.
Geuru tilted her head in confusion. Why did he look like he was holding in a poop?
“Guild Mastew, bafwoom dere.”
Unable to understand why she was pointing to the bathroom, Jurim ignored her and gently placed Geuru on top of the desk.
“Han Geuru, let's be honest.”
Geuru, kneeling and sitting properly, nodded her head.
“Yeth.”
Jurim opened his inventory and took out the unfinished large teddy bear.
“Is this yours?”
“Ah! Yeth, it'th Geuru's!”
Geuru took the doll with both hands and hugged it tight, burying her face in its fluffy fur.
“Fank you for finding it.”
“....”
The Guild Master had that look on his face again. Geuru pointed to the right again.
“...? Bafwoom dere.”
Jurim shot to his feet.
So she really had wanted to go to the bathroom after all? While Geuru watched curiously, he closed the distance to the bathroom in a single stride and opened the door to check inside.
But he couldn't sense any trace of another person.
“Han Geuru, are you alone?”
“Yeth.”
Jurim moved around, checking the jars of star candy and syrup bottles lined up on the shelf. They were all Awakened items.
“Your parents.”
“Don't have any...”
“Then did the orphanage director tell you to be here?”
“Huh? What?”
“To tell you to stay here....”
“Huh?”
As Jurim trailed off, the child wore an innocent expression that showed she truly had no idea what he meant.
While he was thinking that children were indeed difficult to deal with, the words of the Crimes Unit officer suddenly came to mind.
“It’s a fairly well-known Awakened item distributor on Yangpa Market. Goes by IAMGROOT123.”
If his imagination hadn't suddenly become unusually vivid, then gathering the clues led to only one conclusion.
“IAMGROOT123?”
“...Ah.”
There was no need to wait for an answer.
The child's face had turned completely pale.
She seemed to have only just realized why she had the doll and why she had come all the way here.
Now Geuru was the one who looked like she needed the bathroom.
Jurim lightly grasped Geuru's arm. At that, Geuru's status window popped up before his eyes and moved on its own.
Following it with her eyes, Geuru rolled them from top to bottom.
Soon, after reading Geuru's information with his skill, Jurim let out a mutter.
“A Legend...?”
*
“I'm sowwy....”
Jurim sat before Geuru with his arms crossed and legs folded, sending her a terrifying gaze.
“So the reason you wanted to join Hyeonak was because you wanted to commit illegal trade, tax evasion, and money laundering?”
“Umm... Yeth.”
The truth was, Geuru hadn't understood most of what he meant, but she said yes anyway.
Because the older girl at the orphanage had told her that saying you understood got you halfway there.
But at that even more incomprehensible answer, Jurim pressed one hand to his face.