Chapter 566

The story that came out of Chief Choi’s mouth was something I never expected.

If the increase rate of magic power stats hadn’t been high, I might have found this side even more interesting.

‘A traitor, huh.’

Through this incident, a few members of the Ares Guild switched over to our side, but that was just a simple transfer. Their positions were just ordinary guild members within Ares.

But an internal traitor is on a completely different level.

‘Especially if that traitor is even a big shot.’

If you put it in Murim terms, a master from the previous generation.

Just being from the elder generation that experienced the Great Cataclysm is enough to get my attention, but he’s even the head of an internal faction that could threaten Seok Go-jun.

Ah, that’s enough to make my mouth water.

“…Jin Taekyung?”

“Ah, yes. What is it?”

“First, this.”

I wondered what it was, and it turned out to be a handkerchief. Chief Choi pointed at my chin with a displeased look as I blinked.

“I don’t know why, but your mouth is watering right now.”

“…Ah.”

“It looks like it’s about to drip.”

Ugh, come on. What, I can’t drool a little?

I wiped my mouth with my sleeve and got straight to the point.

“So who is it? The traitor.”

“A traitor. He’d probably hate being called that. He’s more like… he’d probably prefer being called a business partner. Or the next vice guild leader of Ares.”

“What kind of nonsense is that? Listening to you, Chief Choi, it sounds like you’ve already worked something out, so I’m calling him a traitor because that’s what this looks like. Is this just mental gymnastics or something?”

Chief Choi didn’t answer. Instead, Butler Kim, who had been quietly listening, spoke in a low voice.

“He’s a person driven by honor.”

“Honor?”

“When people get old and death draws near, they start to cling to honor. No, looking back at the life he’s lived, maybe the word greed is even more appropriate.”

Has Butler Kim ever spoken this harshly about anyone before?

If I had to name someone, it would be Lee Jeong-ryong. But in the past, Kim’s feelings toward him were anger, while toward this person, it was closer to contempt.

‘It’s really rare to see him show such blatant emotion.’

From what I’ve seen, Kim is a person with a character on par with Jesus or Buddha.

Well, he did seem to have a fiery temper in his youth, but that’s just old stories.

‘So who is it, really?’

For him to talk about someone’s life like this, they must know each other well. But there are so many executives who hold weight in the Ares Guild that no specific name comes to mind.

And as if noticing my curiosity, Chief Choi suddenly spoke up.

“Director Song. Song Cheon-woo is that kind of person.”

“Song Cheon-woo. Song Cheon-woo…”

For some reason, that name felt familiar. When I searched it on my smartphone, a short summary came up.

In fact, it was embarrassing to even call it information: just a date of birth, a few lines about his life so far, and a photo of him from his younger years next to the page header.

But it wasn’t completely fruitless.

“Huh? This guy…”

“Have you seen him before?”

“Yes. I think I saw his portrait always hanging in the hallway of the Hunter Training Center. Or maybe not?”

“You’re probably right, Jin Taekyung. About twenty years ago, he briefly served as the director of the Hunter Training Center.”

“Ah…”

Although it was before the regulations were fully established, the director of the Hunter Training Center was always a top-ranked Hunter with a lot of achievements.

‘If that’s the case, he really is a big shot.’

But for someone with that reputation, the available information was far too little.

You’d expect someone with so many achievements and stories to have more than two or three lines of biography, but his profile hadn’t been updated in three years.

Three years? Even a mediocre B-list celebrity wouldn’t be like this. I frowned and tapped my screen to find more info.

Just then, my smartphone buzzed with a new notification.

Chief Choi: [File attached]

“What is this, all of a sudden?”

“I thought this would be faster. You probably wouldn’t find much detailed info about him with an internet search.”

“That can’t be.”

“It’s the modern world, you know.”

“Then should I just delete the file you sent? But since you took the trouble to send it, I’ll read it.”

“Please listen until the end.”

After giving Chief Choi some well-meaning advice, I opened the attached file. Unlike what I’d found online, this one was dozens of pages long.

I quickly started to absorb the information on the screen.

Name: Song Cheon-woo. Age: in his seventies.

Of course, he’s an A-rank Hunter, and twenty years ago, he was a top-ranked Hunter, third in the country.

Considering that the top two at the time were Cheon Tae-min and Lee Jeong-ryong, you could tell how powerful this person was.

He participated in many major battles during the Great Cataclysm, with notable achievements in dozens of big fights. Since his activities stood out more overseas than domestically, he received medals from eight countries, including the UK, Germany, and France.

Other than that, his résumé… is so full that it’d be hard to check every detail.

“He has quite an impressive career. How could I not remember someone like this?”

“He’s not actually that well-known in Korea. Most of his big accomplishments were overseas, and after the war, his domestic activities were brief.”

“Ah, I see.”

He has a solid achievement as Hunter Training Center director, but according to the file, he resigned voluntarily before serving even half of his four-year term.

The official reason was health issues…

“Two months later, appointed as the Ares Guild’s European branch chief.”

Reading the next line aloud, Chief Choi nodded.

“That was his last official post in Korea. For the past twenty years, Song Cheon-woo has remained the European branch chief for Ares.”

“So, just like me and Jin Taekyung, the younger generation of Hunters doesn’t really know much about him.”

“Let’s leave you out of that, Chief Choi. I’d bet you’re one of the people who knows Song Cheon-woo better than anyone else. Am I wrong?”

“Why do you think that?”

“Do you think I’m an idiot? Cheon Tae—sorry about that. Anyway, you seem pretty involved with him, and even Butler Kim knows, so there’s got to be a connection. For example…”

“For example?”

It didn’t take long to think. I pulled up a not-so-old memory and said plainly,

“European branch chief.”

“You mentioned it before, Chief Choi. Back when you were in the Ares Guild, you said you were always getting sent around to foreign branches. I think it was mainly Europe.”

A faint smile spread across Chief Choi’s lips. Correct.

“You have a good memory.”

“I’m not that clueless.”

“Your guess is correct. Song Cheon-woo followed my grandfather before I was even born, and five years ago, when I was assigned to the European branch, I kept him close using the branch chief’s authority.”

“So then, do you have any personal connection…”

“Now that I think about it, ‘kept him close’ isn’t the right way to put it. Let’s call it surveillance and isolation instead.”

“…So, not even a speck of personal relationship. Okay, go on.”

“From what I’ve personally seen and experienced, Song Cheon-woo is a man whose ambition far outweighs his actual ability. Maybe it’s because his past rivals were just that overwhelming.”

Rival?

There’s no need to think about this. I muttered a single name.

“Lee Jeong-ryong.”

“There can only be one master of the mountain. Even if they were once friends, one of them had to leave.”

Now it finally makes sense. Why someone of his caliber had to leave the country so soon after the end of the war.

Why he had to remain in that empty title of European branch chief for twenty years.

‘He was exiled.’

That’s right. This was clearly a demotion.

The one who won the power struggle within the Ares Guild, Lee Jeong-ryong, exiled his rival Song Cheon-woo to Europe, and over time, people slowly forgot about him.

No, knowing Lee Jeong-ryong, he made sure he was forgotten.

‘If that’s the case… this information I’m reading isn’t just gossip scraped from the internet.’

This is a thoroughly researched report with a professional’s touch—closer to surveillance than a simple profile.

‘So that’s why he sent the file separately.’

I muttered to myself, staring at my smartphone screen.

Unlike the internet profile that hadn’t been updated for five years, the final pages of the report covered recent events.

November 15, 2046. Discussed retirement at a British embassy party. Voice file attached.
November 28, 2046. Purchased a two-story, 300-pyeong mansion in Samseong-dong, Seoul. Appears to be for post-retirement residence.
January 1, 2047. Entered Korea through Incheon Airport. Held a secret meeting with key members of the Ares Guild board. Exact attendees listed in the attached supplementary data.
January 2, 2047. Attended Lee Jeong-ryong’s funeral. Held a second meeting with major political, business, and guild figures.
January 4, 2047. Official Ares Guild board meeting regarding appointment of a new vice guild leader. After three rounds of re-voting, Seok Go-jun was appointed.

From about two months ago until now, there was a flood of information about Song Cheon-woo’s activities.

And just from reading the text, I could tell there’d been a definite shift in his mindset.

“This Song Cheon-woo. He’s seriously aiming for a comeback.”

Chief Choi nodded at my words.

“He hinted at retiring in November, even bought a mansion in Korea for after his retirement. But…”

“Lee Jeong-ryong died.”

“Yes. No one could have seen that coming. For someone on the verge of retirement, it must have seemed like his last chance.”

“And now, his opponent isn’t even Lee Jeong-ryong, but Seok Go-jun. He must’ve figured he had a shot if he teamed up with you, Chief Choi.”

The fact that Seok Go-jun had to go through three re-votes to get the vice guild leader position was proof enough.

At seventy, Song Cheon-woo was gathering every bit of strength he could for one last push.

“For someone his age, he sure is living energetically.”

Chief Choi let out a small laugh at my muttering.

“That’s the allure of power. Thanks to that, I’ve got my own chance now.”

“That’s fine and all, but…”

What is this feeling, like I’ve got a mouthful of sand?

As I stared silently at Song Cheon-woo’s face on the screen, Chief Choi’s quiet voice slipped into my ear.

“And if this works out… after a long time, grandfather and grandson can finally meet face to face.”

What?

Blinking blankly, I realized the meaning of those words a moment later.

“No way?”

The savior of humanity in the 21st century. The immortal hero who would be remembered forever, but vanished one day beyond the invisible curtain.

‘Cheon Tae-min.’

Even when his only blood relative was in danger, even when Lee Jeong-ryong died, he never once appeared.

And the grandson who inherited the hero’s blood now spoke, his smile gone.

“Song Cheon-woo. That man knew where my maternal grandfather was.”

* * *

Chief of security Go Sewon quietly set down the teacup in front of him.

The cup that had once been warm was now cold, and the leftover tea leaves floated on the deliberately remaining liquid.

‘It’s like looking at myself.’

After finishing his report, he’d been staring at the teacup for over an hour and had even grown fond of it.

But it couldn’t be helped. His job was just to report the facts. He wasn’t the one who gave orders.

Given the seriousness of the matter he just reported, it was fortunate nothing had been smashed up like last time.

‘Deep thinking. The longer you ponder, the better the outcome.’

But the very next moment, at his superior’s words, Go Sewon realized his hopes were completely misplaced.

“…Kill them.”

“Excuse me?”

“Kill them. Son, grandson, daughter-in-law. All of them.”

A file folder slipped from the table and landed open on the floor.

The name Song Cheon-woo. The photo of his face, with pronounced cheekbones, stared up as fire flashed in Seok Go-jun’s eyes.