Chapter 203. Academy
Squirm—
A few hours after Nam Daeun and Lee Hoyeon disappeared.
Park Mingyu's corpse began to move in the quiet, empty warehouse.
"Ngh..."
Huff, huff.
Staying conscious but not moving for hours was no easy feat.
Park Mingyu clenched and unclenched his fists, slowly raising his body.
"Keh... ptooey. They didn't even take care of the body. This is why rookies are no good. Haa..."
They're rookies because they make mistakes a veteran like him would never make.
Gasping, Park Mingyu drew the sword from inside his coat.
The blade, with visible veins, twitched like a living creature.
"... It feels gross, but whatever. I need to survive first."
A demonic artifact he had obtained through some fated encounter.
Anyone stabbed by this sword turns into a demon within 24 hours.
All wounds sustained during that time would heal, making it his backup life. He finally used it now.
"I'll tear you to pieces. Lee Hoyeon... Nam Daeun. That whore..."
Park Mingyu gripped the hilt so hard it looked like it might break, seething with rage.
Having just transformed into a demon, his body still needed time to adjust.
Once adjusted, he would have to flee immediately.
"How did they know about this... That's truly strange."
"If Scarlett doesn't know, then neither do I~."
At that moment, unfamiliar female voices came from behind Park Mingyu.
"W-who the fuck are you?!"
Tap, tap—
A blonde beauty and a black-haired woman in a neat uniform slowly approached Park Mingyu.
"Head of Iris Guild's Korea Branch... Actually, no point introducing myself to a test subject."
"What the hell are you talking abo—ugh!"
Before Park Mingyu could finish, a black hand from the shadows clamped over his mouth.
"Noisy trash. Branch Head, shall we take him?"
"Yes~. Thanks, Scarlett."
Kang Hyorin checked his mana and continued.
"Not quite S-rank... But given his power-up from turning into a demon, maybe we can give him the S-rank title."
"Pfft. W-wait a minute. What the hell is this...?!"
Park Mingyu still hadn't fully adjusted to his new demonic body.
He barely managed to escape Scarlett's grip to speak, but Kang Hyorin just snapped her fingers with a smile.
Snap—
At the same time, Park Mingyu's body began being sucked into a small bag.
"I'll be taking him now."
"N-no! Stop! Please, just let me live...! I even turned into a demon. Just one more chance...!"
"It's fine. I won't kill you. I paid good money, so don't ask to die. An S-rank demon will make a great long-lasting test subject."
"Grrk! You bastards, why me...?!"
In that moment, Park Mingyu truly regretted everything.
But it was already too late.
He would now undergo grotesque experiments that made prison seem merciful.
Experiments that would never kill him, never let him commit suicide, and would last a lifetime.
Clatter—
With the sound of a toilet flushing, Park Mingyu was sucked into the artifact.
"Let's use him for a while, then sell him. Mmm~ perfect."
Kang Hyorin happily patted the bag.
"... You did well, Branch Head."
"Nah, you did all the work, Scarlett. I just got a good deal."
Scarlett had come to clean up after following Lee Hoyeon's instructions, and was surprised to run into Kang Hyorin.
Normally, members of the Iris Guild don't interfere in each other's missions.
But they wear visible insignias in case of such encounters, and Kang Hyorin had the Branch Head's mark.
'How does Hoyeon know the branch head...?'
The mission ticket from Elise had been a personal favor, unknown to other Iris Guild members.
Since she used her status as a daughter to get it, it wasn't exactly admirable behavior.
Unaware of this, Scarlett once again admired Hoyeon's connections, nodding in agreement with herself.
"Scarlett. What have you been up to lately?"
"...Personal business for Lady Elise. I didn't expect to see you here, Ms. Kang Hyorin, or find out you were the branch head."
Scarlett and Kang Hyorin weren't strangers.
They had become close as two of the few young women in the information guild, and though years had passed since they last saw each other, they once shared a bond.
While Scarlett remained comfortable in her current role, Kang Hyorin had risen to become a branch head.
"Hmm. For someone saying that, you seem to be having fun with Cadet Lee Hoyeon. Well, I respect personal work. Bye-bye, Scarlett."
"...Yes."
Kang Hyorin waved as she left, and Scarlett smacked her lips.
'She noticed.'
That meaningful smirk showed she knew Scarlett was slacking off.
Considering Hoyeon's name came up, she probably knew everything.
Kang Hyorin wasn't the type to go around blabbing, but it still wasn't a good sign.
Scarlett had been cautious around Hoyeon, but still got caught.
Even if her stealth was advanced, there was always someone better.
'I might need to stay away for a while.'
Playtime was over.
Scarlett slowly left the warehouse, thinking of Elise.
*
Whether it was a cafe, movie, or amusement park, even Mount Geumgang must be visited after a meal.
"How much is this?"
"Hmm... not sure. It should be on the menu."
"Menu? Ah! Whoa... How many reactions does this sashimi plate cost?"
Liliana widened her eyes at the price of the flounder sashimi.
"It comes as a full course, not just that."
"Ah... still expensive!"
Her reaction was so cute, I couldn't help but smile inwardly.
After completing our revenge on Park Mingyu...
To lift the gloomy mood, I brought Nam Daeun, Nam Dahee, and Liliana to a restaurant.
It was the same place Moon Surin often brought us to.
I always wanted to bring Nam Daeun here, and the chance finally came.
With the Buyer Guild gone, she could now go anywhere freely.
"Eat as much as you want. It's on me today."
"Thank you, Hoyeon oppa."
"I'll eat well. It's delicious, right, Dahee?"
"Yeah. Sis, sis, you should try this too."
I was a bit worried about Nam Daeun's condition, but she wasn't down at all.
In fact, she seemed happy thinking about all the fun she could have with her sister.
"Let's go to a cafe after, and then the amusement park."
By the way, the amusement park idea came from Liliana and Nam Dahee after much deliberation.
"Yay! Hoyeon oppa, Liliana unni, and Scarlett unni will come too, right?"
"Yeah. Of course."
"Nom nom. Come to think of it, where is Scarlett?"
"She had personal business. She'll join us later."
I thought of Scarlett, probably cleaning up right now, and popped a slice of sashimi into my mouth.
Mmm. It melts in my mouth. Worth the price.
'What if Scarlett hadn't been around for this?'
From infiltrating Buyer Guild to cleaning up, she had a hand in everything.
Imagining the mess it would've been without her gave me chills.
I need to repay her somehow.
"Sis, why are we going out today?"
"Hmm... Because now we can. Hoyeon and I took care of everything."
"Wow! Now you can play with Hoyeon oppa too?"
"Yeah. Of course."
Nam Daeun answered Dahee's question with a smile.
She must want to give her sister everything she couldn't before.
"Then... are you and Hoyeon oppa dating now?"
"...Huh?"
"Pfft."
Seems she wasn't expecting that question.
I smiled secretly at Nam Daeun's flustered face.
Nam Dahee had been isolated in a hospital room for so long without seeing decent people.
Even though she should be in middle school, her pure heart was adorable.
I wouldn't mind having a little sister like that...
"I-I think so?"
Lost in thought, I was surprised by Nam Daeun's response.
"What?"
"Ah, maybe not. Forget it."
She stuffed a piece of beef into her mouth, face red.
Her right hand with the chopsticks was visibly trembling.
"What! Sis! Why won't you finish your sentence? Oppa, tell me! Are you two dating?"
"Hmm..."
I glanced at Nam Daeun.
She acted like she didn't care but was clearly on edge.
Meanwhile, Liliana had finished her ribs and was now stealing mine.
Well... since Nam Daeun gave that response, there's no reason to hesitate.
"Yeah. We are, Dahee."
"Wow! Amazing! Sis~! Now you can live with Hoyeon oppa forever, right?"
"...Yeah. I guess."
Watching Nam Daeun avoid my gaze in embarrassment, I smiled warmly.
Victoria Academy lunchtime.
"Hmm..."
Elise furrowed her brow as she sat at her desk after lunch.
A new, unexpected dilemma had emerged lately.
News was playing on the screen in front of her.
- The mysterious monster Centaur. A major headache in France. This beast with incredible strength and speed is being tackled with full force by the French government...
The centaur.
A monster with intelligence that settled in France.
Since Iris Guild was based in France, they had suffered significant losses.
It was absurd that one monster could cause such losses, but the situation there was dire.
"...Should I visit home?"
As important as the academy was, Iris Guild came first.
"No, what could I even do there."
One more person wouldn't change anything. If she distracted her father, it would just be a nuisance.
- In other news, Buyer Guild, recently exposed for massive corruption, has been revealed to have managed illegal drugs, prostitution, counterfeit artifacts, and more. Guildmaster Park Mingyu is missing, and experts suspect he fled abroad...
"He looked so kind, too."
Elise remembered seeing Buyer Guild's master a few times.
A gentle-looking man, but she hadn't liked how he looked at her.
'Speaking of which, Lee Hoyeon got discharged, didn't he?'
Thinking of resuming massages made Elise happy.
She had told her dad to report once the masseur was hired, but there had been no word yet.
Since Sebastian wouldn't forget, he must be busy.
'Even better.'
The later the nagging, the better.
As Elise passed time lost in thought, the classroom door opened.
Silky black hair entered confidently.
'Nam Daeun?'
She hadn't shown up for a while, making Elise wonder if she had been involved with Buyer Guild's crimes. But it seemed she was back today.
'She must have her reasons.'
Elise nodded, then realized something.
'They said all Buyer Guild members were investigated. If she's walking around confidently... she must be cleared. And if Buyer Guild's gone, she's not affiliated anymore, right?'
According to previous intel, Nam Daeun had been blackmailed by Buyer Guild.
There was concern she might be complicit in crimes, but if not, she was top recruitment material.
Elise had long planned to recruit Nam Daeun.
She failed before, but now she might have a chance.
Especially with the guild she signed with gone.
Since they were alone in the classroom, Elise decided to speak.
"Ahem. Daeun, long time no see."
Her official tone even sounded cute to her own ears.
"Yeah."
Returning from lunch, Nam Daeun turned at the sudden, cute voice.
Elise smiled sweetly, meeting her gaze.
"I was worried something happened. Glad you're okay."
"Thanks."
Nam Daeun felt awkward returning to the academy.
She used to be used to being alone, but living in Lee Hoyeon's dorm had taught her some warmth.
That's why she felt grateful to Elise for talking to her.
'Come to think of it, Elise is the reason I repaid Hoyeon.'
Elise's thoughtless jab had changed Nam Daeun's heart. So maybe it wasn't wrong.
Though Nam Daeun never realized it was a jab.
"Thanks for the other day."
"Huh? For what?"
"Your advice at the flower shop really helped."
"Advice?"
Elise thought for a moment, but she'd never given advice at the flower shop.
She had just badmouthed Lee Hoyeon... No way she meant that.
'Whatever.'
If someone says thanks, just accept it.
No need to dig deeper.
"Right. So... your contract with Buyer Guild ended, right?"
"Yeah. Buyer Guild's gone."
"...Yeah."
Elise felt a chill.
Nam Daeun's hatred for Buyer Guild felt contagious.
'She must have had her reasons.'
Being under a scumbag guild leader probably meant she suffered a lot.
Feeling pity, Elise continued.
"Still not thinking of joining Iris Guild? We'll treat you the best. You won't get a better offer anywhere."
Info guilds weren't just secretive.
They were loaded with money.
Elise was confident.
She would never lose to other guilds in terms of offers.
But what she didn't know was that Nam Daeun didn't care about offers.
"Sorry. I don't think I can."
Nam Daeun felt grateful Elise spoke to her.
But she couldn't give a positive answer to that question.
Her affiliation wasn't something she decided anymore.
It was up to Lee Hoyeon.
"...Oh, okay."
'Why is that such a problem for her?'
Not understanding her situation, Elise awkwardly returned to
There was still a business smile left on his face.