Chapter 9
She was the type of person who would be extremely dangerous to get involved with.
Her very presence was different from that of the ordinary people walking along the street.
Sensing that strange quality about her, I hurriedly tried to leave.
But the woman grabbed me with one arm.
Thump.
“Wait a moment.”
“Eek.”
This body had almost no resistance to being touched.
Aside from Seo-ha, even bare skin coming into contact with someone was enough to make my mind go completely blank.
Seeing how flustered I was, the woman lowered her face and met my gaze.
Her eyes seemed to be staring deep inside me.
Deeper.
Much deeper.
Perhaps, just as I had sensed something from her, she had sensed something from me as well.
Is she…… looking for a fight?
Since I’d come out with Seo-ha, I naturally hadn’t brought any magic stones with me.
As I nervously shifted my eyes around, the woman brought her hand to my cheek.
Then, with an amused smile in her eyes, she brushed something away with her finger.
“You have some ice cream on your face.”
“Ah, um…… yes.”
The woman gave a small chuckle before turning away.
“How cute.”
“……”
I had no idea what had just happened, but at least it seemed the immediate crisis had passed.
Looking at the ice cream that was beginning to melt, I pulled my hat down again and continued walking.
Lately, I really have been having terrible luck.
A luxurious café in downtown Seoul.
In this unusual establishment, which even had private rooms, one woman sat stiffly, completely overwhelmed.
It was Song Ha-yeon.
There are places like this in the world……
For someone who normally frequented nothing but franchise coffee shops, this was an incredibly unfamiliar environment.
For some reason, she felt as though she had suddenly become an important person.
However, she couldn’t afford to get carried away by that feeling.
The person she was about to meet really was an important person.
Tap. Tap.
Click.
Hearing the leisurely sound of the door opening, Song Ha-yeon turned her head, her entire body stiff as a wooden statue.
“It’s nice to meet you. This is our first time meeting, isn’t it?”
The woman standing before her was the famous European S-rank Hunter, Helena.
Song Ha-yeon couldn’t take her eyes off Helena’s radiant appearance.
Are all S-ranks normally like this?
Her very atmosphere was different.
That calm yet heavy pressure.
There was clearly an enormous power hidden beneath that tranquil exterior, something as vast as a storm.
“H-Hello!”
“You don’t have to be so nervous.”
Helena smiled like a girl her age and took her seat.
Seeing that, Song Ha-yeon’s tension eased slightly.
Come to think of it, she looks younger than I expected……
Of course, that didn’t mean she looked childish.
Yet there was something youthful mixed into her otherwise unmistakably beautiful appearance.
If she had to describe it in one word, perhaps this was what the noble princesses from old fairy tales had looked like.
“Is there something on my face?”
“Ah, n-no. I’m sorry. I just…… couldn’t help looking.”
“Hehe. Even if that’s just flattery, I’m happy to hear it.”
Helena smiled warmly once more before finally getting to the purpose of their meeting.
“That aside, there are quite a few things I’d like to ask you.”
“Ah, yes! Please, go ahead!”
“Then I won’t hold back……”
The first question completely overturned everything Song Ha-yeon had expected.
“The red Skeleton. Was it? How did you create it?”
“Uh…… the Skeleton Masher?”
“So that’s what you call it.”
Song Ha-yeon didn’t show her surprise outwardly, but from that single exchange, she realized that everything she had thought until now had been completely wrong.
W-Was she really not my master?
To be honest, something had always felt strange.
The Hell Lord 12 she’d normally spoken with and Helena didn’t exactly match in terms of their image.
But at the same time, she’d believed that if there was anyone in the world with such profound knowledge of necromancy, it had to be Helena.
“I’m actually somewhat different from what you’d call a traditional Necromancer, but the undead you’ve shown in your videos have quite a few things that I find fascinating.”
“Ah. Is that so……?”
She’s not him.
Then who exactly is Hell Lord 12?
But now wasn’t the time to casually dwell on that question.
How much can I actually tell her?
Now that she knew Helena was a different person from her master, she couldn’t simply tell her everything.
Even if their master-disciple relationship existed solely online and they’d never met in person, doing so would still violate her duty as a disciple.
But……
The person sitting in front of her was someone who absolutely could not be underestimated.
Helena wasn’t particularly active publicly, so Song Ha-yeon couldn’t even begin to guess what she was really like.
She might look elegant and refined, but who knew?
What if she suddenly snapped like Hitler whenever things didn’t go her way?
Song Ha-yeon was optimistic about most things, but she understood one thing clearly.
If someone was an S-rank Hunter, burying a person was probably nothing difficult for them.
Rather than unnecessarily provoking her, it seemed better to reveal some information while showing her a degree of goodwill.
“Ah. Strictly speaking, I wasn’t the one who originally created these……”
“……What do you mean?”
“Most of my necromancy was taught to me by my master, so there are limits to what I can tell you.”
“Your master?”
It must have sounded rather unexpected to Helena as well.
As far as the public knew, there was no Necromancer in Korea as skilled as her.
So Helena’s next question was only natural.
“Then, what kind of person is your master?”
“……”
Song Ha-yeon thought for a moment, but her decision was quick.
“I’m afraid I can’t tell you that.”
It was a firm answer.
A clear declaration that she would say no more about the subject.
“……I see.”
For a moment, Helena’s eyes changed.
But the change disappeared almost immediately.
“Then I won’t ask any more about that. Let’s talk about something else.”
Unlike the extremely tense Song Ha-yeon, Helena simply laughed it off and continued the conversation.
About an hour later, after they had finished what they came for, the two prepared to leave.
Maybe she’s actually a good person.
A small smile appeared on Song Ha-yeon’s lips as she left the café.
She had met an S-rank Hunter she’d only ever heard about, received various pieces of advice, and even received a valuable gift.
For Song Ha-yeon, it was sure to become an unforgettable memory.
However, after Song Ha-yeon had completely left, Helena remained behind.
With a meaningful smile on her face, she called someone.
Tap.
Brrring.
After several rings, the other party answered.
“Yes. Investigate everything around her. Don’t leave anything out, and I mean everything, no matter how insignificant.”
Helena was the type of person who couldn’t rest until she had confirmed anything she was curious about.
“Oppa, we’re here.”
“……Yeah.”
I lifted my face from Seo-ha’s arms and blinked.
The day had finally come.
When we’d first left the house, I’d regretted going out for no reason, but the hotel room we’d finally arrived at was genuinely luxurious.
“……Is this a standard room?”
“Hm? Of course not. I don’t really know either, but it’s something better.”
Come to think of it, Seo-ha was an A-rank Hunter.
From the government’s perspective, she was essentially one of the most valuable talents in the country.
This looks ridiculously expensive.
Was it really okay for me to just lie around playing on my computer in a place this extravagant?
That thought only lasted for a moment.
The room was even more comfortable than I’d expected, so I immediately set up the laptop and equipment I’d brought with me.
This might be heaven.
“I’ll be going out for the event tonight, so I’ll just have them prepare your meals in the room.”
“Okay.”
“If you need anything, you can call through the phone connected to the room and they’ll take care of it. You can at least handle a phone call…… right?”
“I can do that much.”
She worries too much.
I answered in a slightly dissatisfied tone.
After several hours of lounging around like that, Seo-ha emerged into the living room dressed in an elegant outfit.
Seeing her like that, she looked completely like a celebrity.
“……It suits you.”
“Thanks. I’ll be back.”
Soon, silence descended over the room.
Since the environment has changed, playing ranked might be a little much……
I logged into the RPG game I usually played and sent a message to my Internet friend.
Tap-tap-tap.
[I’m going to run a raid, so get on.]
Ding.
[JP: Ah, sorry. Work is taking longer than expected today.]
Honestly, he was completely useless whenever I actually needed him.
The limitations of an incompetent cyber friend.
……
I was killing time alone when the intercom in the hotel room suddenly chimed.
Apparently, dinner had arrived.
“I-I’ll go.”
Crash!
I quickly pulled the blanket I’d been wearing over my head and hurriedly opened the room door.
But there was no one carrying dinner.
Instead, someone who clearly didn’t look like a hotel employee was standing outside.
Wait.
Who are you?
