Corea returned home a little after nine o'clock.
When the sound of a key sliding into the lock echoed through the quiet house, Ivan opened his eyes.
He had taken advantage of the waiting time to get a little sleep. It had only been a light doze, but it helped relieve some of his fatigue.
The sound of the key turning paused slightly.
In that brief moment, Ivan felt as if he had been encompassed by a strange field of aura.
Then the key turned again.
The door opened.
Corea stepped inside and flipped on the lights as he closed the door behind him.
Ivan didn't bother hiding.
He rose calmly from the sofa and faced the entrance.
Corea walked through the foyer without hesitation and entered the living room.
His gaze fell directly on Ivan.
Ivan also noticed the steady aura surrounding Corea.
"Looks like something went wrong on your father's side," Corea said with a sigh.
He didn't appear surprised by Ivan's presence at all.
Which was perfectly normal.
Ivan had already figured out where that earlier sensation of being watched had come from.
It was a Nen technique.
A higher-level application known as En.
A combination technique built from Ten and Ren, extending aura outward from the user like a sphere. Anyone entering that aura field would immediately be detected.
Corea's En covered the entire house.
That meant its radius was at least ten meters—a very impressive level.
"Yes," Ivan replied calmly, nodding slightly.
But inwardly he relaxed.
Corea's attitude suggested he might already know something.
"You knew I would come?"
"No," Corea answered honestly.
"I only guessed that trouble might come knocking soon."
"I just couldn't be sure whether it would be you… or your father."
His gaze drifted toward the coffee table.
The plastic bag and empty water bottle there hadn't escaped his notice.
"Now that you're the one here—and you're carrying such heavy post-mortem Nen—your father is most likely dead."
He paused briefly.
"But your father probably anticipated this outcome."
"What he was investigating wasn't simple. In fact, it was something he never should have gotten involved with in the first place."
"Was it the Duoli Hotel case?" Ivan asked carefully.
Corea looked slightly surprised.
"You know about it?"
"I saw the files at the Judicial Bureau," Ivan said.
"That hotel belongs to the Fourth Prince. And I heard my father discussing the missing girl case at home."
Ivan hadn't expected the matter to truly connect back to the Fourth Prince.
"I warned him," Corea said.
"Anything involving a prince was beyond his jurisdiction."
"But he told me he had discovered a new lead."
"And that it had nothing to do with the prince."
Corea poured himself a glass of water.
He didn't drink it.
Instead, he sat down on the sofa, holding the glass in his hand.
Judging by the worn cushion, it was clearly the seat he used most often.
Ivan followed his gesture and sat down as well, patiently waiting for him to continue.
"The Duoli Hotel case led to the Third Affiliated Hospital of Kakin Medical University," Corea said.
"Your father went there."
"And he filmed something."
"He never told me exactly what he discovered."
"But he did tell me where he sent the evidence."
Corea's expression gradually became serious.
Then he stopped speaking and looked at Ivan carefully.
"Where?" Ivan asked immediately.
He knew about the Third Affiliated Hospital.
It was located near the eastern coastline of Kakin's capital.
The hospital had advanced medical equipment and top-tier doctors.
But the cost was extremely high.
Ordinary families in Kakin couldn't afford treatment there.
Before answering, Corea asked a different question.
"Before I tell you where the evidence is…"
"I need to know something."
He stared directly at Ivan.
"Do you intend to continue your father's pursuit of justice?"
"Or are you seeking revenge for him?"
"Or…"
"Do you simply want to escape all of this and live quietly?"
Ivan frowned.
He could sense that Corea's response might change depending on his answer.
"Was this a question my father left behind?" Ivan asked instead of answering.
"No."
Corea took a sip of water.
"Your father would have preferred that you live a good life."
"And judging from the death-Nen around you, he clearly made arrangements for that."
"Otherwise you wouldn't be sitting here right now."
"As for the mess he created…"
"He probably intended to dump that problem on me."
Corea gave a faint, helpless smile.
"But he overestimated me."
"This isn't something a mere Chief Justice like me can interfere with."
"Is it really that serious?" Ivan swallowed.
Just hearing Corea say this already made him feel the pressure.
"What if I choose to simply live?"
Corea answered without hesitation.
"Then I'll arrange for you to leave Kakin."
"I have contacts in Yorknew City."
"They can provide you with a new identity."
"As for what's happening here in Kakin…"
"It will eventually fade away once you're gone."
"At the very least, it won't involve you anymore."
Ivan shook his head.
He had the feeling Corea didn't fully understand the true danger he faced.
If the only threat came from Kakin's internal factions, then Corea's suggestion would have been excellent.
Once he left the country, even the Kasha Family—whose two members he had killed today—wouldn't pursue him relentlessly.
But the problem was…
The Phantom Troupe was involved.
Those people could track him down anywhere, even outside Kakin.
Which meant Ivan's best option was to stir the waters.
If the people hunting him clashed with the Phantom Troupe, he might be able to seize an opportunity in the chaos.
"So…" Corea said calmly.
"Is it justice, or revenge?"
Ivan's response didn't surprise him.
He had watched Ivan grow up.
He knew Ivan's character too well.
Even if the young man appeared calmer and more mature now, the core of who he was hadn't changed.
From the beginning, Corea had already guessed Ivan wouldn't choose to run away.
Still, he had offered the option.
He wanted to see whether Ivan could remain calm and rational under pressure.
In truth, it had been a test.
"Neither," Ivan finally answered.
"I just want to do what I believe is right."
He had always held his own sense of justice.
And even after experiencing two different worlds, that belief had never changed.
But it wasn't the same justice Corea spoke of.
Or more accurately—
It wasn't the kind of justice that relied on courts and laws to punish criminals.
As for revenge…
Ivan would deal with that in his own way.
Corea studied him carefully.
After a long silence, he set his glass down.
"Go get some sleep."
"There are clothes in the guest room on the second floor."
"Tomorrow morning, you'll come with me to meet someone."
"Who?" Ivan asked as he stood up as well.
"The First Prince of Kakin—Benjamin Hui Guo Rou."
Corea paused for a moment before continuing.
"Don't forget."
"You graduated from the Kakin Military Academy."
"You're an official investigator."
"And your father was the same."
"So Prince Benjamin…"
"…will help you."
With that, Corea turned and walked upstairs.