Chapter 4
"Hunter Seong Dohyeon?"
The kidnappers, who had been tense, made expressions of relief upon seeing me.
On the contrary, Baek Hamin's face was rigid. Even with that small head of his, it seemed he could tell I wasn't on his side.
"Haha."
The hunters who let out awkward smiles at me started to resume what they were doing. Right, since I was Seong Dohyeon who hated Baek Eunseong to death, they must have thought I would turn a blind eye if I saw the sight of Baek Hamin being kidnapped—Hamin whom Baek Eunseong cherished like his own child.
But I was not 'that Seong Dohyeon'.
I felt sorry for seemingly using Baek Hamin, but it was a very welcome timing for me who was trying to shed my scoundrel image.
I opened the skill window and used 'Heavenly Command'.
["Lullaby, lullaby."]
As soon as I sang a song filled with the will to put them to sleep, the hunters surrounding Baek Hamin dropped one by one. However, the one holding Baek Hamin was fine.
Well, Baek Eunseong wouldn't have entrusted his nephew to some mediocre guy, and he must have assigned only the elite as guards. A hunter dealing with them wouldn't go down easily.
"Why are you doing this, Hunter Seong Dohyeon."
At the clearly flustered voice, I took out my phone and replied lazily.
"Why do you think. Don't you know that kidnapping a minor hunter is illegal?"
Click, I took a picture of the kidnapper holding Baek Hamin, and scoffed at the hunter who was getting into a stance to charge at me.
Seeing that he could withstand the S-rank skill 'Heavenly Command', he seemed quite strong, but that didn't change the fact that he was still weaker than me.
[Splash, splash]
When I flicked my fingertip, the hunter holding Baek Hamin got a nosebleed. Even though his brain must be shaking violently, the hunter who didn't let go of Baek Hamin rummaged through his clothes.
"Where do you think you're going."
I flicked my finger once more and knocked down the hunter who was taking out a movement artifact, then looked at the trembling Baek Hamin.
"Are you okay."
"...Yes. Thank you."
Baek Hamin bowed while sitting down, seemingly too shaky to even stand.
"Get up."
When Baek Hamin couldn't stand even while holding my hand, I picked him up, and he looked at me with a bewildered face. Then he glanced at the fallen kidnappers once before tightly hugging my neck.
"I can't breathe. Hold me gently."
I patted Baek Hamin's butt and was about to reach out to the kidnappers who were sinking into the ground and disappearing, but stopped.
Do I really need to chase them? I took photos, so Baek Eunseong will find the culprits.
I turned around and went to find the Baekwoo Guild members who were sprawled out on the ground, whom I had seen on my way here. Seeing that they were still down, it seemed they had taken a proper hit.
After waiting a bit and getting bored, I made a hand megaphone.
[Heavenly Command]
["GOOD! MOR! NING!"]
"Uwaht!"
With a strange shout, the Baekwoo Guild member who jumped up looked around belatedly.
"Young master!"
"Mister..."
Baek Hamin reached out toward the guild member who had come to his senses, but didn't loosen his grip on his other hand wrapped around my neck.
The guild member who breathed a sigh of relief seeing Baek Hamin like that was about to bow to me but then frowned.
"Seong Dohyeon?"
"Hunter."
Where do you get off talking informally, you bastard.
When I glared at him as a warning, the guild member who coughed awkwardly asked cautiously.
"...What brings Hunter Seong Dohyeon here."
"As you can see."
I slightly lifted Baek Hamin. Thinking I was going to drop him, Baek Hamin let out a squeak and clung on tight, and the guild members who came to their senses one by one flinched as they looked back and forth between me and Baek Hamin.
"They were being kidnapped, so."
Not that I did it.
"Did you see their faces?"
At my words, the guild members looked at each other and bit their lips.
That meant they were attacked suddenly without even having time to see their faces. Guys with the ability to take down Baekwoo Guild at once are kidnapping a child?
Well, Seong Dohyeon was someone who lived recklessly, so that could be possible, but what's the reason for guys with that level of ability to do something so reckless that could end their hunter career in an instant?
No, that's not what's important.
I waved my phone at the person standing at the front. The phone clearly captured the scene of Baek Hamin being kidnapped.
After confirming that the guild members' expressions turned fierce upon checking the photos, I gripped my phone firmly.
"Thank you so—"
"500 per photo."
"...Excuse me?"
The guild member stopped mid-bow and looked at me with a bewildered expression.
"Are you perhaps saying you're going to sell the photos?"
"That's right. Wouldn't it be better to report that you at least took photos rather than reporting that you got hit on the back of the head and fainted while Baek Hamin was being kidnapped?"
At my words, the guild member who was biting his lip while pondering asked for my account number.
After confirming that 15 million won had been deposited, I tried to hand over Baek Hamin along with the photos, but Baek Hamin was stuck to my neck like a leech and wouldn't come off.
With a sigh, I nodded to the guild member who was glaring alternately at the photos and me.
"Guide us."
"Yes?"
"What if those guys from earlier show up again."
"You didn't catch them?!"
At the yelling retort, I furrowed my brow as much as possible.
I woke these bastards up when they were knocked out, saved Baek Hamin who was about to be kidnapped, and even took photos as evidence, but they're yelling at me without any gratitude? It was like saving a drowning person, only for them to demand my bundle and then throw a fit about their clothes getting wet.
As my expression turned sour, another guild member who was comforting Baek Hamin bowed deeply.
"Thank you once again for saving the young master. The Guild Leader will compensate you separately for this."
The person who bowed glared at the guild member who had yelled at me.
"I'm sorry..."
I scoffed at the guild member apologizing with a shrinking voice and grabbed Baek Hamin's armpits. He wouldn't come off even when I tried to peel him away. Looking closely, grass growing from Baek Hamin's clothes was holding onto me.
"Let's go together."
I nodded at the guild member who reluctantly invited me and got into the car while supporting Baek Hamin's bottom.
I made a plan to buy some weapons with the compensation money I'd get after dropping off Baek Hamin, and got out of the car, but—
"How do I trust that this kid is Hamin?"
It wasn't the Guild Leader of Baekwoo Guild nor Baek Eunseong who greeted us.
The man with dark navy hair was glaring at me and Baek Hamin with his eyes wide open.
"Hunter Seong Dohyeon, you really are something else. After everything, now you bring a fake made while Hamin was away to sneak in?"
"A fake? No, Baek Hamin was away? Where did he go?"
"It's confidential, so I can't tell you any more."
I didn't understand what he was saying, but honestly, I wasn't that curious either.
I looked at the man who was wary of me, then forcefully peeled Baek Hamin off my chest.
Baek Hamin, who had been stuck to me as if he'd die if separated from me, seemed to feel safe now that he was at his own home, slowly loosened his grip and smiled brightly at the man before him.
"Uncle Hwan!"
I was tracking Baek Hamin running off with my eyes, then chased after him and snatched the back of his neck. Baek Hamin looked up at me with a face asking why I was doing that, then felt around the invisible wall spread out before him with his hand.
The wall was so thick and hard that if I hadn't grabbed Baek Hamin, he would have been seriously hurt. It seemed he had put up the wall to prevent the fake from approaching.
"Uncle...?"
The guy called Uncle Hwan openly showed his wariness toward me and even ignored the teary-eyed Baek Hamin. Then he kicked the shin of the guild member who had been guarding Baek Hamin.
"Hunter Yang Jihwan!"
When the guild member who had been guarding behind Baek Hamin shouted, the man raised his eyebrows. So that guy was Yang Jihwan.
Without even needing to search my memories, I recalled that he was the one who followed Baek Eunseong around like goldfish poop.
But wait, where did Baek Eunseong go and why is this guy acting up? Even if you strip that guy's joints, it should be Baek Eunseong or the Guild Leader who does it. When you get hit, you should at least get hit by the one paying you to feel less unjust about it.
"Why aren't you leaving?"
"Never mind that, call the Guild Leader."
At my words, Yang Jihwan crossed his arms and stood at an angle.
Baek Hamin, who was looking back and forth between Yang Jihwan and me, approached me with tearful eyes. I picked up Baek Hamin who was reaching his arm out and peeked inside the building.
"Where are you trying to go in. The Guild Leader isn't here right now."
"Baek Eun—"
"Eunseong too. There's a family event, so he's away..."
Yang Jihwan, trailing off at the end, sneered while looking at Baek Hamin who had his face buried in my neck.
"Of course Hamin went too. I don't know where you got such a fake from, but I guess you brought a mimic looking like Hamin to sneak in amidst the confusion. Wake up and go back."
At those words, I pressed my forehead.
Seong Dohyeon, so you tried to infiltrate the Baekwoo Guild.
If so, it was understandable that Yang Jihwan was this wary. But he was that close to Baek Eunseong and couldn't recognize the real Baek Hamin? Isn't he the fake one instead?
No, no.
Even if it were me, I wouldn't trust Seong Dohyeon. A guy who was grinding his teeth wanting to kill Baek Eunseong—who would believe that he saved Baek Eunseong's nephew who was about to be kidnapped? In their eyes, Seong Dohyeon was the kind of person who would not only leave kidnappers alone but also help them with all his might.
"Uncle Hwani..."
Tears welled up in Baek Hamin's eyes as he watched Yang Jihwan turn away from him.
Something... felt strange. The Baek Hamin I knew from the novel was someone with the image of shouting "Because I said so!" while grabbing Yang Jihwan by the hair and shaking it. Looking at Baek Hamin quietly swallowing his tears, I headed to the Association to report the kidnapping.
"You're saying this kid is Baek Hamin?"
"Yes."
At that, the Association President burst into laughter.
"Why are you laughing?"
Baek Hamin, who was about to cry, looked for me. He had been earnestly recounting how he was waiting for his uncle when suddenly someone appeared and tried to kidnap him, and to have someone burst into laughter at that—his feelings must be really terrible.
I patted Baek Hamin's butt and glared at the Association President.
"Wow, Dohyeon. I misjudged you. I thought you finally came to your senses and started living properly since you suddenly went quiet, but you pulled this off."
Like Yang Jihwan, the Association President didn't believe my words either.
Not just the Association President, but everyone looked at me with suspicious eyes. Even Baek Hamin, who had been stuck to me, after hearing the Association President's words, looked at me with distrust and cautiously became wary.
"Well, if he's really Baek Hamin as you say, Baek Eunseong or Guild Leader Baek Jiseong will compensate you incredibly later. Keep him with you."
At the mocking words of the Association President, I had no choice but to head home with Baek Hamin who was stuck to me like a leech.
When we arrived home, Baek Hamin looked around the house with an expression of disbelief.
"...This is your house?"
Hey, don't call a house where someone is living quite frugally but comfortably like that.