117.
Hero's Chain. The item that once troubled Hyeon-woo was wrapped around him once again. In that state, he was locked in a cube-shaped room. But even so, it seemed that they were not satisfied. Awakened stood guard on all sides.
'Very determined, huh.'
Hyeon-woo clicked his tongue. Still, it was fortunate that Seon-woo and Do-jin did not know his current situation. He knew how much they cared for him, so he couldn't show how bad his condition was.
'I'll regret it later.'
He didn't want to let that happen. As he was dozing off like that, he heard a familiar voice in his ear.
"It's nice to see you being so calm."
It was Leon's voice. Hyeon-woo raised his eyelids and glared at him. Leon was standing across from the restrained Hyeon-woo, looking down at him.
'Who are you to look down on me!'
If only his body was free, he would have beaten him.
“Isn’t it funny? People don't even know who their enemies are, and they doubt you without thinking. Your country has abandoned you.”
“So what?”
“I was flattered, and then I changed my mind in an instant.”
The whispering sound tried to stir his heart. Because of that, Hyeon-woo learned what Leon was doing. He seemed to want Hyeon-woo to hate the same human race.
“For their own benefit.”
He knows. Despite knowing this, Hyeon-woo was able to gather his mind. In the first place, Hyeon-woo did not have high expectations for people.
It was because he had seen many people in the Demon Realm who became despicable depending on the situation. People were weak. When he was in trouble, he didn't hesitate to throw others as scapegoats. There were some who did not, but only a few.
Knowing that, revealing Leon's identity and trying to save the world was all about protecting the people he loved.
He hoped Seon-woo was happy. He wanted to see Do-jin's smile. When he reached Ga-jun, he was a bit worried, but he didn't want him to be unhappy. He didn't like him at first and beat him up, but lately he felt like a friend.
“In a way, it seems that humans are more evil than demons.”
Hearing Leon whisper like a snake, Hyeon-woo closed his eyes again. Because it didn't sound good.
***
Amber spit out the tea she was drinking at the sudden news.
“Pff- what now?”
“I heard that Ji Hyeon-woo was identified as a villain and was being transferred to the United States.”
The man who had come to deliver the news wiped his face in displeasure. But he couldn't even think of apologizing to Amber.
“Isn't there something wrong with that? Ji Hyeon-woo is not that kind of person."
If it had not been for Hyeon-woo's help that day, more people would have died at the hands of Bacardi. If the Central Headquarters could not do its job, the Awakened who were fighting in other regions would have suffered great damage. But now suddenly the person who helped them was a villain?
Amber couldn't believe it.
“You have to believe. Leon said he witnessed it himself.”
“Leon-nim saw?”
"That's right."
The man nodded his head with a firm expression.
“Leon-nim must have misunderstood something.”
Considering what Hyeon-woo had done up until now, it was not unreasonable for him to think that way. But the man's reply was cold.
“Are you suspicious of Leon-nim?”
It was not like that. It was not that she doubts Leon-nim. She knew what she had to say, but strangely, her words didn't come out.
“I’ve known you for a long time, so I understand that you are shaken. But make sure to not share that. Your life's on the line in this business, Amber.”
"Yes."
The man left only those words and turned back. Amber, who was left behind, ran her hand through her hair and bit her lip.
'It can't be.'
Something was wrong. Amber wanted to dig into the situation a bit more closely. She found out that the reason Hyeon-woo was villainified was because he used demonic energy. It was like Bacardi.
'But the only harm done was injuring some people in the airport, right?'
He said that no one was seriously injured in the riot.
Amber bit her nails. She thought she fixed the habit she had as a child, but it popped out again because of stress.
Amber believed in Leon. Thanks to his achievements, people could live more comfortably avoiding the threat of monsters. He was a righteous man who was indispensable to the world.
She knew that, but strangely, she kept thinking of Hyeon-woo. Amber, who hesitated, got up from her seat and asked to go out. And she hurriedly drove out of the Guardian Guild headquarters.
Arriving in a remote village on the outskirts, Amber rang the bell of a house. Shortly thereafter, an old woman with a gentle impression came out.
“Ooh, Amber. How long has this been?”
"How are you, Grandma?"
After the second generation of missing people, the number of people who spontaneously awakened intermittently had increased. And Amber's grandmother was one of those people.
“I guess I’m Awakened. What a joke, huh?”
Of course, Amber's grandmother treated it as a joke. It was true that her body became more healthy, but she could not do great things like the common Awakened. There was only one thing she could do.
“Grandma, I have a request for you. Could you take a look at this person’s picture?”
The feeling she had originally had intensified. She couldn't do much with her powers, but it was quite a help in everyday life.
Amber showed her grandmother a picture of Hyeon-woo that she had prepared in advance.
“Oh, what a pretty boy he is.”
“He’s a young man.”
"Oh my, it's hard to guess Asian people's age because they look young."
Her grandmother fixed her glasses and stared at her picture. Then Amber asked her.
“Is this person a bad person?”
“Is he a bad person? No, I don't think so."
“Is he a villain?”
“Villains are bad people who ruin society, right? Then, no.”
When everyone doubted her abilities, Amber was sure. Her grandmother had the ability to uncover the truth. She was especially clear after her awakening. She was convinced for that reason.
'Ji Hyeon-woo is not a bad person!'
There was some misunderstanding. Amber thought she should tell Leon about this. Since Leon was a fair person, if he listened to Amber, he would change his mind about Hyeon-woo again.
She thought so and left her grandmother's house. And the moment she was about to get back into the car, an ominous feeling ran down her spine.
Amber carefully removed her hand from the car and stepped back. Although not like her grandmother, Amber, a strong mental Awakened, also had a sense of it from time to time.
'Someone touched the car.'
She slipped away and leaned over to look under the car. At first glance, it looked fine, but her mood deteriorated to the point where her head was throbbing.
Amber, who stood up again, fell away from the car.
'How do I get back now?'
While thinking about it, she thought of the nearest Guardian Guild headquarters. At first, she felt like she had to go there. It was a bit far to walk, so she looked around to find a means of transportation. Then she saw an old bicycle strewn about under a streetlight.
“It’s been a while since I’ve ridden a bicycle.”
Amber got on the bike and pedaled vigorously. Fortunately, its condition was good enough to get to her destination.
***
As soon as the private jet of the Guardian Guild left, Seon-woo and Do-jin followed along. However, it was not a private plane like theirs, so they inevitably took more time to get there.
They were nervous the whole time, unable to relax even on the plane.
“We’ve arrived at our destination.”
Seon-woo and Do-jin looked at the data that Yoram Guild handed over. In the materials, Leon's activities were recorded. The two of them decided to start their investigations focusing on the places they visited most often.
“For now, let’s split the role in half. One person will check the location written on the document, and the other will monitor the Guardian Guild.”
“Then I’ll go to the Guardian Guild.”
When Do-jin stepped forward, Seon-woo spoke in a cold voice.
“I’ll go to the Guardian Guild.”
“Hiding and watching is my specialty.”
"It's a really sinister ability."
Even under these circumstances, the relationship between the two could not improve. Still, it was Hyeon-woo's safety that depended on it, so in the end Seon-woo stepped back.
“We’ll investigate as quickly as possible.”
Saying that, Seon-woo cautiously moved along with some of the guild members of Seon-hyeon guild. Most of the guild members of the Seon-hyeon Guild joined only after seeing Seon-woo, so their loyalty was very high. He did not hesitate to step out to help him even though the prior explanation was poor.
'On the other hand, the Peace Guild.'
They were also people who gathered after seeing Do-jin, but it felt a little different. Since there were many people who had a hard life originally, there was a strong tendency to lean on Do-jin rather than moving forward together. So he couldn't ask for help. Instead, A-yun sent some people from the Yoram Guild who had excellent stealth skills.
Now was the time to act.
HM: a filler chapter~ des~
YRR: I wonder who tampered with the car?
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Credits:
Translator: Hoshi Miya
Editor/Proofreader: Davine, YaagRabRag
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