Chapter 9: Pick a beehive

I was gathering the equipment and weapons I had made myself, when Kim Somi came downstairs after showering.

"Why are you packing those?"

"Why? I'm going to use them."

"Use them? You don't mean... that they actually work?"

"What do you want, I'll make you one?"

Kim Somi stood at the top of the stairs, blinking. She had watched me make equipment and weapons with my own hands yesterday. She probably thought it was just a hobby to kill time.

"Hold on. You're not saying that you can make hunter equipment and weapons like an artisan, are you?"

"You understand correctly."

"No..."

I decided to show Kim Somi, who seemed confused even after seeing what I could do, the power of the weapon I had made.

The shape was extremely simple. It couldn't be helped. I was an 'Artisan,' not a 'Designer.' I could only assemble it according to the basic recipe.

I held the long sword and took a stance.

Woo-woo-woo-

Of course, I had channeled mana into the blade of the knife last night. But that knife and the sword I was holding now were completely different. Kim Somi, who had been an S-rank hunter for years, couldn't possibly not know that.

She came down the stairs as if hypnotized, bending down to look at the blade of the sword I was holding.

"This can't be..."

She asked me in a voice full of wonder.

"What can't Hyunho do?"

"Lots of things. But it's getting smaller and smaller."

"Whew..."

She got up and reached into her inventory. She pulled out her weapon, a dagger.

"Can you fix this?"

I looked at her weapon and tilted my head.

"It'd be faster to make a new one. It takes a lot of time to sharpen the blade. That's going to hurt your shoulder."

Equipment repair. That was also an artisan's job. But a real, skilled artisan wouldn't waste their mana on repairing things. There was a reason why Kim Somi asked me to repair her weapon. Her dagger had become quite weak. She probably neglected to take care of her weapons after she was unable to function as a hunter.

"I'll pay you."

"No need. Between us."

I had some leftover materials, so it was just a matter of making it in a snap. Any hunter class would gain experience the more they used their abilities. It means they become more skilled. That's why making Kim Somi's weapon for free wasn't necessarily a loss.

"How can you live in a place like that all alone, without a car?"

Kim Somi asked as she drove.

"I have a learner's permit. And I'm not really into driving."

"You've only been there for a few days, but it's going to be inconvenient without a car."

"I told you. Delivery works fine."

"That's not what I meant. Whew... Okay, just tell me if you need it. I'll drive you anytime."

"Oh? Are you saying we should live together?"

"Wh, wh, what are you talking about? When did I say that?"

"It sounds like a proposal when you say you'll drive me anytime. Just in case, I'm not interested in marriage. I'm not really interested in women's bodies either."

"What are you saying?!"

"Oh! Look ahead, ahead! It's fine for us since we're hunters, but if we get into an accident, it'll hurt other people!"

"Stop talking nonsense. And I've never seen anyone who says they're not interested in women's bodies who isn't a pervert. Hyunho, you..."

"Aha! So you believe that too, Somi?"

"I wouldn't say I believe it... but the evidence came out, didn't it? Hyunho, you were in the female student locker room..."

"That was a manipulated photo."

"What are you talking about?"

"You know Kim Hogun?"

"Kim Ho... you mean the professor at Alpha Academy?"

"Yeah, it was his doing. He photoshopped my face onto his."

"Ah..."

"Park Seokcheol already knew about it."

"But why wouldn't he fire someone like that and keep him around?"

"His family is good. Well, they're the kind of families that collude together and make money. In other words, it's like a cartel, you could say?"

Park Seokcheol's family is a conglomerate, and Kim Hogun's family is a political family.

"...If I had known Alpha was like that, I wouldn't have accepted the offer to become Principal..."

"It's good that you came to your senses now, but don't say you didn't know. Park Seokcheol is the kind of guy who you can get a read on just by looking at his face."

"How can you tell people apart just by looking at their face?"

"Oh? I can tell pretty well."

Actually, it might not be his face. My ability is to look into someone's character and potential for growth. It wasn't a perfect ability. I was ultimately betrayed by all the students at the academy.

"Are you going straight to the academy when you go to Seoul?"

"If Park Seokcheol is there, I have to go."

"Why did you change your mind? You weren't going to get revenge slowly?"

"I don't like that Park Seokcheol is scheming alone. I think I need to stir up the hornet's nest, so they'll know they're screwed."

"Alright. I'll do my best too."

"That's reassuring."

Kim Somi wouldn't know. She wouldn't know that the reason she's unconditionally on my side is because of my ability. It was interesting. Maybe my psychology is reflected in the way my ability has changed. The feeling that I don't want to be betrayed again. The feeling that I'll get to know and repay them first.

"Chairman, the Principal is on her way here now. She should arrive soon. She wants to see you immediately."

Park Seokcheol frowned at his secretary's report.

"Kim Somi? She took a day off, didn't she? Why is she already back?"

He didn't like that she took a day off without asking. I treated her well because she was S-rank, but she was just a woman they hired to fill Han Hyunho's vacancy. I wished she would have listened to me while she was here, but seeing that she took a day off and didn't come back, I thought, as expected. They say there's no S-rank hunter who isn't self-willed. But more importantly, Park Seokcheol was curious if the assassins he had sent to Han Hyunho had done their job properly.

After the secretary left, he took out his phone and called Kim Hogun.

[Ah! Chairman-nim! I was just about to call you!]

Kim Hogun's voice had a characteristically slow way of speaking that was sure to get on someone's nerves. Hearing that he was talking quickly made me feel uneasy.

"Why! What's wrong!"

[It seems like those guys failed! Only one of them came back, covered in blood! And he was saying some strange things.]

"What strange things?"

[He said Kim Somi was there. He said that woman killed the guys who went with him...]

"What!"

Kim Somi said she was coming soon. Park Seokcheol felt his heart sink.

[Chairman? Why aren't you saying anything? I think he was just delirious and talking nonsense. But it's strange. Isn't Han Hyunho just a professor? How could he have killed the assassins you and I sent? Could it be that he really... ]"Is, is it true? You said he mentioned Kim Somi's name?"[It was night, and he was far away. But he said that some woman killed his skilled colleagues in a flash. He zoomed in with his scope and it was a familiar face.]"Hmm, let's hang up. Professor Kim Hogun, you should consult with your father."[What? What do you mean? You think Kim Somi is really in cahoots with Han Hyunho?]"There's always a possibility! It's better to be safe than sorry."[Chairman, just in case, I'm telling you this, don't try to pin this on me and get out of it yourself. I sent the killers to Han Hyunho at your request.]"Hey! We're not in the position to be talking about this! Anyway, hang up!"

Park Seokcheol felt his heart pounding.Han Hyunho.He had never thought he was scary. He was of humble origins, and even when he was at the academy, he didn't show any special abilities other than teaching students well.

He was sitting there blankly, holding his phone, when there was a knock, knock, knock.

"Holy shit!"

He jumped in surprise, his hand letting go of the phone, which fell to the floor with a loud clatter. But the one who opened the door wasn't Kim Somi, it was the Head of the Healer Department.

"Chairman, I'm sorry for barging in. I asked the secretary, and they said you were in your room..."

"How can you just barge in like that? This isn't a motel room!"

"I'm sorry. I have something important to report."

"What is it? I'm busy, keep it short!"

"It's about the students. Their condition has worsened. They seem to have contracted a mysterious illness."

"What's that supposed to mean? An academy like ours can't even cure a student's illness?"

"They're all experiencing symptoms on a large scale, but it doesn't seem like a contagious disease. The number of patients isn't increasing. The one thing all the sick students have in common is..."

"Common?"

"They were all mentored by Professor Han Hyunho. The symptoms also started right after Professor Han Hyunho left. Maybe you should check that out..."

"You're saying Han Hyunho infected the students with a virus?"

"He was such an unpredictable person. He had many character flaws, but his abilities are undeniable. We can't completely rule out the possibility that he did something we don't know about."

"Hmm..."

Just as Park Seokcheol furrowed his brow, the secretary's voice came from the intercom.

[Chairman, the Principal has arrived. She wants to see you right now.]

"Then I'll go now."

"Ah, that, that is..."

Park Seokcheol reached out his hand, as if grabbing for a lifeline. But the Head of the Healer Department, who didn't understand his desperate gesture, left the room.

As if in a shift change, a woman entered. It was Kim Somi, and she wasn't alone. She was accompanied by a man wearing sunglasses, a hoodie, and a mask, even though it was a hot day.

"You're here. I'm glad."

Kim Somi said. Park Seokcheol felt like his heart was freezing. But he opened his mouth, stammering, holding onto a sliver of hope.

"Y, you, did you have a good vacation? W, who's this next to you..."

The man who had come with Kim Somi removed his mask. Park Seokcheol's heart sank when he saw his lips form a smile. Han Hyunho, who had removed his sunglasses and hoodie, said.

"Long time no see, Chairman?"

"H, Han Hyunho... y, you seem to be misunderstanding something..."

"Misunderstanding? I haven't said anything."

"Ahem, but what's the relationship between the two of you..."

Park Seokcheol rolled his eyes, glancing between me and Kim Somi. His expression seemed to suggest that he already knew what was going on. One of the assassins last night got away. Park Seokcheol probably heard that Kim Somi was at the scene.

"What relationship? We worked together. You hired her to divert public attention before you fired me. Have you already developed dementia?"

"Dementia? Be, be respectful! What kind of language is that!"

"Language? Then let's stop talking and make a move?"

I reached out my hand into thin air. The sword that I had put into my inventory came out.

"What are you doing! You know how many CCTVs there are in here?"

"Why do I care?"

"St-stop! Why are you doing this to me?"

"I can tolerate one. But I can't tolerate you sending four more in less than half a day."

Sweat poured down Park Seokcheol's forehead. I knew there were no CCTVs in this room. I had seen the female secretary fixing her appearance while coming out of the Chairman's office. Besides, Park Seokcheol's secretaries changed frequently. It wouldn't make sense to have CCTVs in a place where all kinds of secret plotting was going on.

'It doesn't matter, though.'

S-rank hunters are national treasures. Most crimes are overlooked. Who's more valuable to the country, Park Seokcheol or me? Of course, when I was a professor, Park Seokcheol's background was better, but now the situation has changed.

'But it's not just that.'

Alpha Academy. Thanks to me, this place became world-famous. It had become a place where promising students from all over the world came to study. That's why the power struggles and political maneuvering started, centering on this place. Many people want to protect Alpha Academy at all costs. If I become a threat to this place, they will try to eliminate me, even if I'm S-rank.

Well, anyway, Park Seokcheol was an unimportant person. There are plenty of people who can take his place as Chairman.

"I'm sorry!!"

Park Seokcheol suddenly knelt. He bowed his head to the floor and shouted.

"I'm sorry! I was wrong!"

Sshhh

I thought I heard a sound, and then his lower body became wet, forming a puddle on the floor. He had peed himself out of fear.

"Tsk!"

Kim Somi said, covering her nose.

"Should I do it? Or do you want to do it yourself?"

"I'll do it."

"I'm sorry! Please, spare my life! I'll clear the professor's name!!"

Park Seokcheol, terrified, started sobbing uncontrollably.

"Name cleared? Who wants that?"

I lowered the sword. Park Seokcheol's unsightly head rolled off his body, falling into the puddle of urine he had made. (TN: Honestly speaking shit got real a bit too fast).