[Transnational Peace Conference D-24]
I was at the President’s residence located at the heart of the capital. To be exact, I was at the office of the President’s Secret Service Inst.i.tute. It was imposing but had substance and was well-cleaned.
With a director’s suit hanging in the closet, a teakwood desk, and a clearly luxurious black chair, the room was the perfect director’s office.
“…Hm.”
I ended up becoming Head of Presidential Secret Service. I tried sitting on the chair. It was comfy.
I picked up the nameplate on the desk with the words, [Director of the Secret Service Heiji], written on it. It was heavy.
“Hm….”
Seraine told me that my job was the protect the core members of the Republic, including the President and other high-ranking officials. Now that I recovered my stats to a certain degree, it wasn’t so difficult.
—You’re at work?
At that moment, a voice rang out from the desk. Startled, I stared at the desk. The crystal ball standing on a miniature pedestal at the corner of the desk was shaking.
“…Ah, yes, I am.”
I replied.
—Great. Your job as the director is simple. All you have to do is protect my father and I during the upcoming Transnational Peace Conference. Oh, and also other high-ranking officials.
Seraine mentioned the Transnational Peace Conference. For a moment, I stood still without replying. If Baal would really descend that day, I wasn’t sure if I could annihilate him, who was the strongest devil in existence.
—Your subordinate will arrive soon. The Secret Service is something we quickly formed, so it doesn’t have many employees.
Tok, tok—
Someone knocked on the door at the perfect timing.
—Ah, that person must be here. Then please take care.
The crystal ball stopped shaking, and Seraine’s voice cut off.
Tokk, tok—
The knocking continued.
I walked to the door and opened it myself.
“…Hm?”
I saw an unexpected face.
“h.e.l.lo.”
Her mouth curled up into a beautiful smile, and her blue eyes shone radiantly like jewels.
“My name is Rachel.”
My first subordinate was the elementalist swordswoman, Rachel.
**
[Transnational Peace Conference D-23]
I went out on a business trip with Rachel. The goal was to inspect the Plaza of Glory, where the Transnational Peace Conference would take place.
“The plaza is s.p.a.cious, but I hear the conference will take place in that small temple-like place.”
I nodded my head at Rachel’s explanation.
The Plaza of Glory was located in the Republic’s capital. The place was too open to properly protect a large number of people, but the ‘International Summit’, the most important part of the conference, would take place in the small temple at the corner of the plaza. Since there was a high ground in the center of the plaza to serve as a watchtower, seeking out threats should be easy.
“…The problem is that there’s only one enemy.”
But we already knew there weren’t multiple enemies.
There was only one, the world’s strongest evil G.o.d and the rank 1 devil, Baal.
“I’m sure we can win.”
Rachel encouraged me with a smile.
“Well, we can only hope that’s the case….”
Just as I was about to smile back at her…
Jiing—
I felt a strange, penetrating gaze on me.
Feeling the intensity of it, I paused and tracked the source of the gaze. The Thousand-Mile Eyes easily spotted the person glaring at me.
“…What.”
My thoughts cut off for a moment. The culprit was someone I knew. In fact, it was someone I was very close to.
The woman named Yi Byul was hiding behind a wall, glaring at me.
Has she been following me this entire time?
“Hajin-ssi? What’s wrong?”
“Uh… nothing. Let’s go.”
I walked through the plaza with Rachel and checked up on Boss at the same time. She was still following us while hiding her presence.
“…I am a bit worried. I hope she’s doing well.”
At that moment, Rachel spoke up. She was talking about Evandel.
I smiled bitterly and nodded my head.
“I’m sure she is. She has Hayang and Ah Hae-In-ssi with her.”
Plus, Spartan should be playing with her as well. Both Ah Hae-In and Spartan were people I could trust.
“…Yes, I think she’ll be as cheery as always. She’s like me, after all.”
Rachel said proudly.
“You’re right.”
I stared at Rachel and laughed. Then, I remembered something.
“Oh yeah, Rachel-ssi, what happened with Lancaster?”
“Huh? Ah… I’m not really sure.”
“…You don’t think he followed you all the way here, do you?”
I said jokingly. Rachel also took it as a joke and laughed.
“Haha, what if he really is? Lancaster might…”
Rachel replied light-heartedly. But as I thought more about it, a chill went down my back. This wasn’t something to laugh about. If Lancaster was alive, he most definitely would have followed Rachel to this world….
“Well, there’s no use worrying about ifs.”
To be honest, I was more worried about Boss, who kept following us secretly. Her gaze also seemed to carry more and more killing intent as time pa.s.sed.
“Should we go back now?”
“Go back?”
“There isn’t much to inspect, and there’s something I need to do.”
Rachel stared at me for a moment and then smiled like she knew what I meant.
“Ah~ I understand. Then let’s do that. See you later.”
Rachel spun back. Ssk— The nearby trees shook, as if to react to her movements, and a cherry blossom-like flower fell on her shoulder.
I said to her back.
“See you tomorrow.”
After sending Rachel off…
I a.s.sembled Stigma’s magic power according to s.h.i.+murin’s teachings.
I planned to use ‘Teleportation’ to appear behind Boss’s back.
Woong—
My feet seemed to float. In the next moment, my surrounding scenery s.h.i.+fted.
“…Where did he go?”
Boss peeked her head out like a meerkat and stared at the spot I disappeared from. I placed my hand on her shoulder.
“…!”
Startled, Boss turned around.
“What….”
Her eyes, nose, and mouth widened when she saw me. I gave her a grin.
“What are you doing here?”
“Uh… nothing.”
Boss pushed her hair back and coughed.
I stared at her fixedly. Boss was wearing casual clothes and not the robe she usually wore. Frankly, she was even more beautiful in casual clothes.
“Nothing much… just….”
“Just?”
I smiled faintly and grabbed her hand.
“Well, if you’re not busy, why don’t you go on a walk with me?”
With the plaza being so beautiful, I wanted to stroll around with Boss openly.
**
[Transnational Peace Conference D-16]
“…I won—!”
In Priton Mansion’s backyard, Chae Nayun’s voice cut through the air. Lying on the ground next to her was a pair of man and woman. One was s.h.i.+n Jonghak, who had already fainted, and the other was Jin Sahyuk.
The surrounding area revealed that a fierce battle had occurred.
“Whew… I’m exhausted.”
With a faint sigh, Chae Nayun staggered until she plopped down on the ground. Jin Sahyuk turned her head slightly sideways and stared at Chae Nayun.
“…Aren’t you embarra.s.sed?”
Chae Nayun flinched for a split second before she turned to Jin Sahyuk.
She had certainly won against Jin Sahyuk. But the problem lied in the process. Chae Nayun had teamed up with s.h.i.+n Jonghak to fight Jin Sahyuk. Right, it was a 2 on 1 battle.
“….”
Chae Nayun dodged Jin Sahyuk’s gaze without replying.
“Pft.”
Jin Sahyuk smirked and raised her body.
“Eh? You can still stand? I thought you were out!”
What Chae Nayun didn’t know was that Jin Sahyuk’s Authority gave her an insane rate of recovery.
“I’m different from you.”
“…Ha, there you go again, being annoying. Just wait. I’ll be ready to go in three minutes—”
Jin Sahyuk ignored Chae Nayun and entered the mansion. A maid greeted her.
“Shall I prepare your meal?”
“No, it’s fine.”
Jin Sahyuk was staying in the mansion as s.h.i.+n Jonghak’s guest. She walked up the stairs to her room on the fourth floor.
Kiik—
But after she opened the door…
“…?”
She was faced with an unexpected guest. A robed man stood tall in her room. The sword on his waist was taller than him, and Jin Sahyuk easily recognized his appearance.
“Kim Suho.”
Kim Suho had come to see her.
Jin Sahyuk stared at Kim Suho and smiled.
Kim Suho took off his robe and faced her with a stiff expression.
The tension broke when Jin Sahyuk spoke.
“You’re finally here.”
“…You knew I’d come?”
“Of course.”
Kim Suho’s eyebrows went up at how confident she was.
“…I came to hear your plan.”
“Oh? That’s a surprise. You’re going to trust me?”
“I know you’re not a liar.”
This time, Jin Sahyuk’s stiff expression changed. The corner of her mouth twisted up.
“Right, right. I don’t lie. But….”
Jin Sahyuk glanced behind Kim Suho. The person she was looking for wasn’t here.
“Kim Hajin’s not here?”
“Hajin? I didn’t think I needed to bring him with me.”
“…Tsk, useless.”
Jin Sahyuk clicked her tongue, then pushed Kim Suho to the side and sat down on her bed.
Kim Suho glared at Jin Sahyuk and said imposingly.
“Tell me what you know and what you’re planning to—”
“There’s 16 days until Baal’s descent.”
Jin Sahyuk interrupted Kim Suho and said with a serious face.
“Before then, you need to kill Yi Yeonjun.”
**
Priton Mansion after Kim Suho’s departure.
Jin Sahyuk stared at the ceiling on her bed. It was already dark outside, and a cool breeze entered the room through the opened window.
“…It’s almost time.”
She murmured quietly as the night made her a bit more emotional.
“The return to my beloved home. The ending I strived for my entire life. Soon, my life’s purpose will be fulfilled….”
“What do you mean?”
At that moment, a voice that wasn’t Jin Sahyuk’s rang out.
The voice arrived suddenly with no trackable source.
Jin Sahyuk even wondered if the voice came from her heart.
“…?”
But she knew that couldn’t be the case. She blankly raised her head.
“I’m going to ask again.”
A man was standing next to her bed.
The moment Jin Sahyuk saw him, a smile emerged on her face.
“…It’s you.”
A black robe inscribed with a lotus flower covered his body, and his face was fully covered by a mask. Still, Jin Sahyuk knew who the man was.
“You told Kim Suho that we had to kill Yi Yeonjun.”
He was the infamous Black Lotus, but his real name was Kim Hajin.
“Explain to me in detail.”
Jin Sahyuk stared at Kim Hajin. Perhaps because it had been a while since she last saw him, she felt happy. She wanted to keep staring at his eyes.
“Hey.”
“….”
“How long have you been watching me?”
Kim Hajin didn’t answer. He had followed Kim Suho secretly and had watched his conversation with Jin Sahyuk.
“A while ago.”
Just as Kim Hajin was about to speak…
—HEY!
Kw.a.n.g—!
A loud shout rang out, and Jin Sahyuk’s door burst open. Chae Nayun stomped in from the other side.
“Is it true that Kim Suho came and le…?”
But Chae Nayun couldn’t finish her sentence. She noticed the robed man standing in Jin Sahyuk’s room.
“Uh….”
Her eyes naturally fell on the lotus symbol on his robe. A jet-black robe with a lotus symbol.
“…?!”
Chae Nayun jumped slightly. The robe was clearly a symbol of Black Lotus.
“Who’s….”
Black Lotus was well-known by both Heroes and Djinns. Some wors.h.i.+pped him like an idol and some despised him. Some called him the world’s strongest man, and some criticized him as the world’s worst criminal.
He was both an anti-hero and a villain.
Seeing Black Lotus up front, Chae Nayun’s eyes widened to a full circle.
“….”
On the other hand, Kim Hajin was drenched in cold sweat under his robe. He was fl.u.s.tered to the point his thoughts temporary stopped, but he quickly regained his calm.
Even with Chae Nayun’s incredible intuition, there was little chance she would figure out his ident.i.ty. After all, the Black Lotus Uniform was designed to hide his ident.i.ty.
Even Chae Nayun’s sharp senses shouldn’t be able to see through the equipment made with Dwarf’s Dexterity…
“…Puhaha.”
While Chae Nayun and Kim Hajin were standing in a daze, Jin Sahyuk burst into laughter and got up.
“Looks like even an idiot like you knows who he is.”
“…Idiot?”
Chae Nayun scowled. Jin Sahyuk grabbed Kim Hajin by his collar and said to Chae Nayun.
“Let me introduce him. He’s my friend, Black Lotus.”