Translator: Vine

Translated At: Nyx Scans

"Breaking news."
"A burst gate appeared near Yeouinaru Station in Seoul around 7 a.m. today."
"Reporting, Lee Seyoon."
"Yeouinaru Station Exit 2 is under strict control by police officers."
"At 7:13 a.m., following a report from a citizen—"
The anchor's voice from the TV cut off abruptly.
Siwoo, who turned off the TV with the remote, roughly towel-dried his wet hair.
His dark blue hair, which looked merely black in the shadows, dripped steadily under the fluorescent light.
"...Hahh."
Letting out a short sigh, Siwoo tapped his phone, and the most recent message popped up on the screen.
Park Jehwi 9:01 AM
I just arrived at Hunter Lee Yura's underground parking lot.
A burst gate appeared in Yeouido this morning.
The estimated difficulty was A-Class.
Auctions for high-difficulty gates, A-Class and above, were far more competitive than those for lower-level gates.
This was understandable, given the expectation of high-value resources.
When wealthy guilds like Corps or Wolf made staggering bids, the auction often concluded in under an hour.
However, if such major players didn't participate, the auction could last up to five days.
So, was the gate simply left unattended during that period?
That wasn't the case.
The Association dispatched agents under specific circumstances:
If a winning bid wasn't decided within two hours of the gate's appearance.
If there were reports of civilians being caught inside the gate.
Just like today's situation.
Bzzt—
His cellphone vibrated.
A new message notification lit up the dark screen.
Siwoo checked it immediately, as if he'd been waiting.
Park Jehwi
By the way, President, is it really alright to send Hunter Lee Yura to an A-Class gate?
9:06 AM
When the number of agents was insufficient, the Association could invoke a special law to request the dispatch of a few hunters from general guilds.
Especially for high-difficulty gates like this one, such requests were frequently made to large guilds like Wolf.
However—.
'Why Sunbae?'
Siwoo put down the wet towel and sat heavily on the edge of the bed.
He remained motionless for a long moment, as if frozen.
The Princess of Dark Flare was F-Class.
She was even a concept hunter.
The Association couldn't be unaware of that, yet they had specifically requested her dispatch.
Siwoo couldn't understand why.
'What the hell are they plotting?'
Brow furrowed deeply, Siwoo rested his chin on his hand.
A cold drop of water fell from his still-damp hair.
'Surely Corps isn't pulling some strings?'
Regarding the dispatch request for the Princess of Dark Flare, Jehwi seemed to suspect Corps first.
However, Siwoo thought differently.
Corps, Trickster's side, still hadn't retrieved the gate core Eunha had taken.
Considering Trickster's personality, he would have either written off the gate core as lost or punished her directly;
He wouldn't resort to a bothersome method like harassing her through the Association.
'In that case...'
His blue eyes narrowed.
Suddenly, the image of a man with light blonde hair flashed through his mind.
The memory of that overly confident smile made his neat eyebrows twitch.
—No, that couldn't be.
Siwoo shook his head.
Even if he was a first-generation Korean hunter, he was currently affiliated with the United States.
There was no way he could influence the Korean Hunter Association.
He sat there on the bed, lost in thought, for several long seconds.
Biting his lower lip, Siwoo snatched up the cellphone he'd left face down.
「Yes, President.」
The ringing stopped, and Jehwi's voice came through the receiver.
"Sunbae?"
「She's waiting in the car. Is something wrong?」
"If you think anyone approaches Sunbae, report it to me immediately."
A droplet clinging to his wet hair slid down his sharp jawline.
Finally, Siwoo slowly raised his blue gaze.
As if harboring some hidden thought, a faint, cold light flickered within his deeply shadowed eyes.
"...I need to find out."
It was vigilance.
Or perhaps, something else entirely—something even Siwoo himself didn't recognize.

'Looks like he's in a bad mood again.'
Jehwi sighed shortly, staring at his phone after the call ended.
He had served Siwoo since before Silver Moon was founded.
While he might have upgraded from nanny to executive secretary over the years, he still couldn't avoid getting caught in the crossfire.
He thought he'd grown accustomed to Siwoo's moods plummeting into the abyss at a moment's notice.
'He's been even more sensitive lately.'
At times like these, it was best for everyone if he just quietly and thoroughly carried out his orders.
Returning to the parking spot after the call, he saw Eunha in her black dress.
She must have gotten out while waiting; she was leaning casually against the car, her parasol open.
"Finished with the call?"
"Yes. Thank you for waiting."
"That black parasol must be good for blocking the sun."
Eunha glanced at her parasol and answered briefly.
"...I suppose it is."
Actually, this was the first time Eunha had used the 'Elegant Parasol' as an actual parasol.
She had always wielded it more like a weapon, using it to crush monsters.
"Nothing important discussed?"
"No. Just... relayed a few instructions."
Jehwi glanced at Eunha.
Then he smiled warmly.
"I always thought our President was indifferent to everything, but he seems to pay quite a bit of attention to you, Ms. Hunter. Haha."
"To me?"
"Yes. On days I escort you, Ms. Hunter, I get about three calls."
"Wondering if the job went well, if there were any accidents..."
"He's curious about every little detail."
"That call just now was from the President, too."
Jehwi's eyes darted around thoughtfully.
Now that he'd said it out loud, he felt even more certain about it.
"Hm. Maybe it's similar to how I feel about my younger sister?"
"You have a younger sister?"
"Yes. She works in Busan..."
Jehwi trailed off, gazing into the distance for a moment as if choosing his next words.
"Hasn't the gate appearance rate near Busan surged recently?"
"I told her to come back to Seoul for a while, until things stabilize, but she refuses to listen."
"I might have to just drag her back here soon."
"Hahh."
Jehwi sighed.
Though she didn't know the details, he clearly seemed to care deeply for his sister.
"Well then, shall we get going?"
The two headed towards Yeouinaru Station.
Perhaps because the burst gate alert had already been sent out via terminals and cellphones, the streets became deserted at some point.
It looked like the police had cordoned off a 300-meter radius, prohibiting civilian entry.
"Thank you for your hard work."
They walked a bit further, passing the police officers at the barricade.
Perhaps due to the burst gate's influence, the nearby street trees were withered like winter trees, despite it being summer.
Crunch, crunch.
Stepping on the unseasonable pile of dry leaves, Jehwi spoke.
"It's an A-Class gate, but since you're only dispatched as a provisional agent, just hang back and observe until the winning guild enters."
"There likely won't be much fighting."
"Okay."
"And... if anyone approaches you inside the gate, remember who they are, which guild they belong to, and what they said."
"Why?"
Eunha glanced at him.
At that, Jehwi scratched his cheek and spoke hesitantly.
"Um... It seems the President is rather bothered by the fact that you were called up as an agent this time, Ms. Hunter."
That's certainly plausible.
There was the recent incident with Trickster, too.
Being called up for an A-Class gate as the F-Class Princess of Dark Flare was indeed strange, even to Eunha.
"Understood."
Eunha nodded without probing further.
Jehwi liked this about her.
Unlike someone else he knew, she never put him in an awkward position.
She always respected boundaries, doing neither more nor less than what was asked.
There couldn't be a better partner to work with.
Perhaps the President valued this aspect of her highly, too.
The thought occurred to him suddenly.
Walking like that, the two soon arrived at Yeouinaru Station.
"Wow. I'd heard the Association was severely understaffed, but this is pretty bad, isn't it?"
Jehwi's eyes widened as he looked at the hunters gathered in front of the station.
The number of agents deployed for a burst gate was usually around ten.
However, there were only four official agents in Association uniforms before them.
That meant the other six were all special dispatch hunters like Eunha.
The Korean Hunter Association's staffing crisis seemed far more severe than expected.
"Fancy meeting you here again."
Just then, an unfamiliar male voice came from behind them.
"...And you are?"
As Eunha tilted her head, the man's expression cracked.
"Mobius."
He said stiffly.
He was the hunter who had led the B-Class aquarium gate.
"I wondered who the F-Class hunter assigned to an A-Class burst gate would be, but it's you again."
Mobius twisted his lips.
It might have looked like a smile, but it certainly wasn't a welcoming one.
"This Hunter? She's..."
"I don't really know him."
Neither seemed particularly pleased to see the other, so there was no need to pretend.
Shrugging lightly, Eunha started to walk past him.
"It seems you've managed to wrap not only Wolf but also the Association around your finger this time."
Mobius blocked Eunha's path.
"And if I have—."
The moment Eunha moved her lips.
"Huh? Noona!"
Thwack!
Something slammed into Mobius, sending him staggering back like a paper doll.
'What the—'
Barely regaining his balance, Mobius snapped his head up to look at whoever had pushed him.
And then.
"...!"
He froze on the spot.
His eyes widened as if they would tear, like he'd just seen a monster.
"Noona, what are you doing here?"
The culprit who had shoved Mobius aside was none other than Trickster, Song Minjoo, with his orange hair and camouflage hoodie.
Minjoo looked as delighted as an elementary school kid meeting their parents after school.
He seemed completely oblivious to Mobius, who he'd nearly knocked flat on his rear.
"You..."
Mobius stammered, bewildered.
Only then did Minjoo slowly shift his gaze to Mobius.
"What?"
The innocent smile vanished from his lips like smoke.
"Something to say?"
Before him, Mobius forced his stiff lips to move.
"N-no..."
"Then move. You're in the way."
"..."
Facing the cheeky middle schooler, Mobius could only stare blankly, speechless.
Meanwhile, there was one other person at the scene just as surprised as Mobius...
"M-M-Ms. Hunter?"
—It was Jehwi.
His eyes were shaking violently, as if he'd seen an earthquake.
Unless his eyes were deceiving him, the kid clinging to Hunter Lee Yura like a cicada was—
'Trickster...?!'
How could she possibly be acquainted with Trickster, an S-Class hunter of Korea?
And judging by their interaction, their relationship seemed anything but casual.
In front of the stone-faced Jehwi, Eunha casually placed a hand on Trickster's head and spoke.
"He's the child I saved before."
"Ah, I see. The one Ms. Hunter saved..."
Huh?
First my eyes, now my ears too?
Who exactly saved whom?
"Looks like you got home safely that day."
"Yes. Thanks to you."
"Were you called here as an agent?"
Eunha looked down at Minjoo, who was clinging to her, and asked.
"Huh?"
This time, it was Minjoo who froze.
As if finding the question difficult, his round eyes started darting around nervously.
"Um, well..."
"No need to hide it."
Eunha chuckled softly at the seemingly flustered Minjoo.
Then she glanced towards Jehwi.
"Well then, I'll be going."
"Huh? Ah, yes..."
"Let's go."
Eunha reached out her hand to Minjoo.
That alone was surprising, but Minjoo then grabbed her hand again, looking pleased.
Jehwi stared after their retreating figures, which looked more affectionate than real siblings, like someone completely dumbfounded for a long moment.
'What on earth is going on.'
Then, snapping back to reality, he pulled his phone from his back pocket.
He had to report this to the President immediately.
As he hurriedly dialled, the atmosphere around him suddenly grew chaotic.
A man suddenly appeared, leading Association agents.
"Hello. I'll be taking command today."
Placing a leather-gloved hand over his left chest, he bowed his head slightly.
Pale blonde hair.
And a black suit.
Tall, with handsome features.
Jehwi knew him well.
"I operate under the alias Maestro."
Thump.
The cellphone slipped powerlessly from Jehwi's hand.
'...President.'
We're screwed.