Chapter 35 - So It's You (3)

* * *

If he disappeared, that would mean the loss of a famous information broker. How far would the repercussions spread? Considering how sluggish the villains would become without their intelligence, the outcome of his disappearance would be good.

Hyeonyul thrust his dagger forward without hesitation.

"T-test subjects! I'll find that information for you!"

At the words "test subjects," Hyeonyul's dagger stopped on its way toward Yujong's eye.

"If you could have given it to me before, why didn't you?"

"... You never aaasked."

Yujong spoke while practically holding his breath. One tiny misstep now would cost him an eye.

'Well, that's true.'

Hyeonyul understood his point. He hadn't asked.

"Will you keep running your business here?"

"Y-yes! I'll keep running it."

Hyeonyul's eyes moved back and forth at the answer. He had, in fact, been wondering whom to ask whenever he heard a villain's name. He had found exactly the right person.

"Get out of the business."

"... Pardon?"

"I'm telling you to stop being a villain."

"I'll get out! I'll behave and just run the entertainment business."

Hyeonyul narrowed his eyes at Yujong's swift response. In truth, the man had kept his promise. The Poison King would have heard about him from Shin Daeho, and Yujong simply hadn't known he was a Black Eagle.

"You can't pull out immediately, so I'll give you some time."

"... Thank you."

"How should I go about finding you?"

"Y-you just need to show this."

Yujong held out a black card. Without withdrawing his dagger, Hyeonyul asked,

"If word of today gets out, who dies?"

"... Me."

"I'll come from time to time for a particular villain's location and information about them. If that gets out too, who dies?"

"I...do."

"Good. You understand perfectly."

Only then did Hyeonyul take the card. Yujong knew his place very well. In any case, he had only spared both this man and the other one because he needed them.

For now, he needed one man to wrap up this incident.

"Who handled this job?" Hyeonyul asked.

"... I'll bring him right away."

"I'm taking him to the Black Eagles. Make sure he's properly instructed."

"The Black... Eagles?"

"Do I have to explain why?"

"... No."

Yujong merely stole a glance at Hyeonyul, then immediately bowed his head. How could he possibly know what that man was thinking?

'Is he... planning to take down the Black Eagles?'

The thought gave him an odd sense of relief. Weren't those the bastards who interfered with him at every turn? Anyone who got on this man's wrong side was bound to be destroyed. It was simply the Black Eagles' turn.

"Oh, I have a question."

"Please, go ahead," Yujong replied stiffly.

"I'm not sure whether to call it a portal, but do you know someone who has the power to cross space and make eyes float in midair?"

"Pardon...?"

Yujong looked utterly clueless.

"If you don't know, find him."

"Y-yes!"

"And give me the information on test subjects."

"May I... stand up?"

"You may."

As Hyeonyul answered, gazing steadily at him, Yujong lowered his head. He didn't think he could get up.

"I'll just... stay seated."

"If that's more comfortable, go ahead."

'Would you be comfortable like this?'

Yujong swallowed the curses that threatened to spill out.

"And the Red Witch. Where is she now?"

Hyeonyul's next question startled Yujong.

'... He even knew she was the client I'd agreed to give the Black Eagles' information to?'

He had no idea how Hyeonyul had found out, but his head swam.

'... Fuck, just grovel. Just grovel to this bastard!'

How could he possibly beat him?

"I'll tell you."

* * *

"... I'm sorry for all the trouble."

Hyeonyul returned inside after changing his clothes. His eyes met Sinu's. He looked relieved somehow.

'Did he come out unhurt?'

Sinu wanted to ask what had happened right that instant.

"Wow. Wow, wow, those look incredible on you!"

The woman showered Hyeonyul with compliments the moment she saw him. The clothes were from the latest collection, yet they looked as though they were his own.

"Oh, right. Is your injury all right?"

"It's fine. I hope I haven't held up the conversation."

"Not at all. We'll have plenty more chances to talk like this."

Hyeonyul felt a pang of pity at the certainty in her eyes. There was no need for her to try so hard. The outcome had already been decided.

BZZZZ.

"Oh, just a moment."

The woman glanced at her vibrating phone. Her expression soon stiffened.

'That'll be Yujong calling,' Hyeonyul guessed.

He had ordered Yujong to call her. Soon she would tell them something urgent had come up and ask to meet another time.

"... What should I do?"

The woman hung up and addressed them.

"Something... urgent has come up, so we'll have to stop here for today. I..."

She broke off and drew a sharp breath. This wasn't just any summons. It was a summons from their boss, Yujong, so of course she was terrified.

"Could I... apologize by treating you to a meal next time?"

Would there be a next time? Even as she spoke, she looked unsure.

"If something urgent has come up, it can't be helped."

Sinu went along with the turn of events. It seemed they needed to leave as well. There was no reason for anyone to suspect they had done anything here. These people had invited them in the first place.

"I enjoyed our conversation."

Sinu kept smiling to the very end.

"I'll wash the clothes and return them."

When Hyeonyul mentioned the clothes, the woman shook her head.

"No, we were the ones who caused you trouble. You can keep them."

"Thank you."

"Put your clothes... in here, and please, please come see us again."

She hurriedly packed them into a paper bag and left.

Sinu looked at Hyeonyul. They had plenty to discuss, but not here.

"Shall we go?"

"Yes."

Hyeonyul anticipated what would happen next. Yujong had sold out a subordinate, and that subordinate would willingly act on his instructions. Even knowing he would die, the subordinate would have no choice but to obey. There were any number of possible reasons: his family might be at stake, or he might have gradually fallen under psychological control while working at a villain's company.

Hyeonyul led the way. They were merely retracing their steps, but a remarkable coincidence here would change the situation.

"... They found out about the collaborators?"

They heard what sounded like someone talking on the phone. A situation no Black Eagle could possibly ignore had been staged.

Sinu stopped before Hyeonyul did. Sinu's eyes referred to the word "collaborators" they had just heard. Hyeonyul nodded to show that he had heard it too.

"What are you going to do if the Black Eagles find out we're the ones planted inside? Forget it! Hang up!"

With those final words, someone strode out without looking back.

Sinu signaled with a glance. The man had clearly mentioned the Black Eagles.

There was just one strange thing. Everything was going too smoothly—so smoothly that it hardly seemed possible.

'... Is it a trap?'

Sinu broke off that thought and looked at Hyeonyul, remembering how relieved he had looked for some reason. But his trip to the restroom had been very short. Only three or four minutes.

What could he possibly have done in such a short time? Even if he could do something, was that really possible?

Whatever the situation, one thing was clear: they had to pursue that villain. They needed to hear about the collaborators.

* * *

Catching the man was utterly straightforward. Before Hyeonyul could do anything, Sinu had taken care of it, pinning him with a summoned sword driven into his leg, then immediately knocking him out with a blow to the back of the neck.

It was cleanly done.

"Hyeonyul."

After handing the man over to a manager, Sinu approached Hyeonyul, who was waiting.

"Yes?"

Hyeonyul answered, preparing to explain what had happened during his restroom trip.

"You're off for the day. I'll handle the rest."

Sinu smiled, and Hyeonyul immediately looked at his watch, dazed. Even by a generous estimate, he still had a full five hours left before quitting time.

"... I-is that all right?"

The unbelievable words nearly made both his hands shake. He could leave work already.

"I said I'd take care of everything, didn't I? Nothing dangerous happened, and you weren't hurt, so it only makes sense for you to clock out here."

Sinu smiled. Hyeonyul remained dazed.

"You'll be busy looking into a house and all sorts of other things now, won't you?"

The unfamiliar expression on Hyeonyul's face amused Sinu.

"You'd better go before I change my mind."

Despite those words, Sinu was the first to wave and turn away.

Whatever Hyeonyul had done, and however he had done it, Sinu had no intention of prying. Someone capable of rooting out the villains had appeared. No one wanted them gone more than Sinu did.

'Not a single one... can be allowed to remain.'

Once turned away, Sinu's expression rapidly cooled, turning cold.

Hyeonyul walked slowly forward, then glanced back. Sinu really wasn't stopping him. Only then did he relax and walk lightly down the street.

Even after he had walked quite a distance, S.T.D Entertainment was still visible. How much money had Yujong made?

'... Anyway, I've got an information broker now. All that's left is the information Yujong will give me, then.'

It would be best to establish Asan's whereabouts, if only for later.

["Just a little longer. Please, you only need to wait a little longer."]

Yujong had pleaded like that, but Hyeonyul didn't believe him. The information he brought back might contain lies.

'Still, I'll have to wait.'

He wasn't sure what to do once he obtained information on Asan.

BZZZZ.

His phone rang.

[Dr. Jeongmin: Just wanted to say.]

[Dr. Jeongmin: In case you've forgotten our plans today~]

[Dr. Jeongmin: I'm not rushing you, okay?]

[Dr. Jeongmin: I'm just looking forward to it a little.]

'... Oh.'

Hyeonyul remembered their plans.

[I forgot for a moment, but I won't run away.]

[Dr. Jeongmin: You haven't forgotten to take your medicine, then?]

[It isn't time to take it yet.]

[Dr. Jeongmin: You know to tell me if you feel even a little off, right?]

[I know.]

[Dr. Jeongmin: Good. See you later~]

[Understood.]

Hyeonyul smiled briefly at the tildes he only ever saw in Jeongmin's messages, then lowered his phone. Apparently using them made the words look gentler, though he found that difficult to understand.

'... Oh. The new weapons.'

Shouldn't he examine those today, before their meeting? Hyeonyul looked at the mountain.

'I need to look into housing too.'

Hyeonyul frowned as the tasks piled up. He really hated working after he had clocked out. But what could he do? He had already brought them away.

'... Let's go.'

He headed toward the mountain.

* * *

Traveling through the darkness, he reached the summit. Only after making sure no one was there did Hyeonyul take out one of the new weapons. Even on a second look, it resembled two overturned rice bowls.

As far as he knew, a subordinate of Asan, known as the Red Witch, had once shown Shin Daeho a new type of weapon. The person behind the recent incident in which poison spread around a building had also been Asan's subordinate.

He had taken these new weapons from inside the Nest, the Black Eagles' base, and the assassin Yujong had sent had planted them. In other words, Asan was most likely the person to whom Yujong had intended to sell the Black Eagles' internal information.

Hyeonyul narrowed his eyes.

'First, I should figure out how it works, right?'

Only then could he destroy it. The moment he sat down, darkness surged around him.

He knew what was inside: a complex mixture of poisons.

'They are working on an antidote, aren't they?'

How many people would fall victim to this poison if they couldn't make one?

'If they can't, I'll have to pay the Poison King a visit.'

By now, the Poison King would be on the way to the special criminal detention facility. Finding out where that was wouldn't be particularly difficult.

Having worked out all his answers, Hyeonyul examined the new weapon.

It appeared to be activated by pressing a button or operated remotely.

'But there are several buttons. If I press the wrong one...'

BOOM!

With an explosive sound, a multitude of poisons leaked out in every direction.

"... Cough, cough."

Hyeonyul waved his hand, then belatedly realized his mistake and absorbed all the poison into the darkness. He looked at the nearby plants. They had wilted from the poison's effects.

'Then what happens if I hit it?'

He took out another new weapon and slammed his fist down on it.

BANG!

It exploded on impact. He sucked the spreading poison into the darkness again.

'How do I disarm it?'

Hyeonyul took out another new weapon, held it in his hand, and sent darkness probing inside. At its very center was a liquid containing the poison. He extracted only the container holding that liquid.

'I'll give this to the Team Leader.'

Feeling around with the darkness again, Hyeonyul lifted the corners of his eyes slightly.

'This is it.'

There was a button inside, positioned so that it could only be stopped remotely. Hyeonyul looked at the exterior. It was where the pattern was inscribed.

'So that's how they hid it.'

He thought he had more or less figured it out.

As Hyeonyul was about to stand, he felt someone watching him. The instant he turned his head, he threw his dagger.

THUNK.

Something was hit and fell.

He approached to investigate and found a drone rolling on the ground. Covering his face, he stomped on it thoroughly.

CRUNCH.

He intended to consume it with the darkness anyway, but inspected it before swallowing it. A black eagle was emblazoned on it.

Hyeonyul blinked for a moment.

'... Did it spot me while on patrol?'

His eyes shifted. The fact that the drone had stopped working here meant someone would come.

'I'd better leave before I get caught.'

Hyeonyul immediately melted into the darkness along with the drone.

A little later, someone descended onto that spot with an eagle. Jihwan looked around, then covered their mouth.

'... It's poison.'

The report said a violent reaction had occurred here at the same time the drone was destroyed. This was more or less a patrol assignment.

'But the Poison King has definitely been caught...'

Jihwan put on a gas mask and surveyed the area. Poison, of all things. There was no telling what another villain was trying to pull.

Who was it this time?