Chapter 386 – Thin Ice Plate (2)
5 years ago now.
The Vatican, the heart of the Orthodox Church, was attacked and breached by villains.
The correct high-ranking divine magic was neutralized, and the Paladins, the pride of the Orthodox Church, collapsed.
An unprecedented crisis in history in which the Pope, one of the two faces of the Orthodox Church, fell into critical condition and hundreds of priests died.
The Orthodox Church suffered numerous casualties and barely succeeded in defeating the villains.
They realized
It was their mistake to rely only on divine magic.
So they turned to magic, one of the emerging security methods at the time, and competed with wizards from around the world.
And at that time, the person who designed the security of the Vatican Holy See, beating out many wizards, was Han Ju-hee.
From then on, she became a benefactor of the Vatican and was treated with utmost respect.
“… “She is a saint of the Vatican.”
Her eyes, which seemed to be thinking deeply about something, turn to me.
“Professor Baek Hyun-ah… , So you’re still alive.”
“Not yet.”
“… “It must be Joo-yeon’s strength.”
“You’re right.”
A somewhat bitter expression.
Maybe it’s because she feels bitter that her younger brother is helping her husband instead of herself.
“Surely… “If you’re a saint, it might be possible.”
She erases her bitter expression and shakes her head as if in understanding.
Soon sharp eyes turn in this direction.
“Instead, there is one condition.”
“… “It seems sufficient to omit Hunter Han Joo-hee’s name from the ledger handed over to the prosecution.”
“Well. If that’s entirely your will, then… , Isn’t it?”
“…”
That’s clever.
As Han Joo-hee said, the reason for erasing her name from the ledger was not 100% voluntary.
When her name was cleared by prosecutors, the repercussions she would have in this country.
There was also concern about that.
“I will first listen to what the conditions are and then decide.”
Then she answered right away.
“I guarantee the lives of Professor Baek Hyun-ah and you. So stop antagonizing the organization any more.”
“I don’t want it…”
Just as she was about to say no.
“Please answer carefully. This… “Because this will be the last offer I give you.”
I can feel the earnestness entangled in the sharp gaze.
It seemed like she sincerely hoped that I would no longer be at odds with the organization.
Anyway, that’s probably true.
Her daughter, Seoyeon, and her younger brother, Juyeon, are by my side.
If the organization starts to become hostile toward me in earnest, they too may become dangerous.
Therefore, her suggestion now is actually aimed at them, not me.
I understand her concerns to some extent.
I am also most concerned about people around me getting hurt because of me.
But you shouldn’t be afraid of that.
Because that is what those who oppose me want most.
“I understand what you’re worried about, but don’t worry.”
When he euphemistically expresses his intention to refuse, she frowns and pours out cold anger.
“Do you think you can save everyone?”
“That would be impossible.”
The number of enemies targeting me is at least hundreds.
Unlike him, I have only one human body.
No matter how great your power is, there are limits to what you can do.
Even if I run around until my feet get sweaty, I can’t protect everyone around me.
That doesn’t work either.
“You don’t have to protect them, you just have to enable them to protect themselves.”
“… !”
As if she had never thought about it, an expression of shock appeared on her face.
“Hunter Jooyeon Han, as well as senior Seoyeon, are no longer children. But I don’t know why you think you have to protect them.”
As I penetrate into her exposed blind spots, she screams as if she is struggling.
“That’s because you don’t know the true power of the organization! They… !”
It’s probably not worth listening to anymore.
He cuts her off and goes in.
“Hunter Joohee Han doesn’t know either.”
“What… “What?”
“How strong is Hunter Juyeon Han, who has reached S rank? And how hard Seoyeon is working to become stronger, and how strong she is now.”
I ask while looking straight at the violently trembling pupils.
“You don’t know, do you?”
“That…”
An overbearing attitude takes away the space for dialogue.
My words are right, so just follow them.
What kind of words would be relevant to the person who lays down the premise in this way?
She believes that only what she says is correct, so she cannot understand her partner clearly, and her partner does not want to talk to her and does not want to talk about himself.
“Seoyeon senior said that.”
“… ?”
She raises her head, intrigued by Seoyeon’s name.
“Hunter Joohee Han of the past may have been polarizing, but she was not an overbearing person.”
“…”
That wasn’t what Seoyeon said.
However, I am just talking about the change I felt in her, as her ex-husband.
“This time, after realizing that Hunter Joohee Han was an external advisor to Hexagram, she suddenly had that thought.”
It is rare for her to reveal such emotional turmoil in front of others.
So, we must use this opportunity to push forward.
“I wonder if the hexagram may have had an effect on Hunter Han Joo-hee’s change.”
The trembling of the pupils becomes even more intense.
“Tell me please.”
“… “What?”
“What is their purpose, and why is Hunter Han Joo-hee interacting with them?”
He drives her away with his calm tone of voice.
Concern briefly appeared in her eyes.
Eventually she opens her mouth.
“… “They have lofty goals that go far beyond what you can think of.”
She lets out her breath briefly and then gets up from the sofa.
As if she felt stuffy even in this large space prepared just for her, she walked to the window with a clear view of Gangnam, looked down, and continued her words.
“What do you think a Hunter is?”
A random question.
But the answer is fixed.
A being that protects the world from unknown threats that come at any moment.
An entity that brings various elements that promote rapid change in this era beyond the cracks.
The development of hunter society is entirely centered around cracks and the dungeons that arise within them.
So that.
“It is something that cannot be dispensed with.”
“That’s right.”
She places her hand on the clear, dust-free window and nods her head.
“If Hunter doesn’t exist, this country… “The world will not last even a month before it comes to an end.”
It may be a bit of an exaggeration, but it is not impossible at all.
A world without hunters will come to an end within half a year no matter how much we endure.
“It’s a precious thing. “Deserves respect, deserves to be treated well.”
Reacting to an empty tone of voice somewhere.
“… “I think I am treated well.”
As dangerous as it is, the rewards that follow are also enormous.
Not only is it a reward that is incomparable to any other job, but with the right looks and skills, it is possible to become as popular as a celebrity.
A representative example is Son Si-woo.
Didn’t he enter the world of hunters as an orphan with nothing? He accumulated enough wealth that he couldn’t possibly use it even if he wasted his entire life, and gained both fame and fame under the name of the national hunter.
A job that is dangerous, but has ample rewards.
For me, the job of being a hunter was like that.
“Well…”
I guess she doesn’t think so.
“The hunter who risked her life to raid the dungeon but failed is criticized by everyone. “They don’t realize how many variables the dungeon is, and they blame it on their failure.”
She continues her words with one corner of her mouth curled up.
“It’s not just that. Since hunters have such power, some people think that their sacrifice is natural.”
Her emotions become increasingly intense as she pours out quite a long line of words.
“Even hunters have more restrictions. “If there is an argument with the general public, the hunters are inevitably accused of being at fault, and they may be subject to aggravated punishment for not being able to tolerate their anger.”
The Awakened are the guardians of this world, but they are also a potential danger.
In fact, aren’t villains considered one of the biggest threats to the world along with cracks?
Due to the various problems they cause, some people treat awakened people as potential criminals.
There are even some groups that make radical claims, claiming that all activities of awakened people should be conducted under strict control.
“Wealth? Honor? It’s all just compensation for our sacrifices. There’s no reason you have to endure all that humiliation just because you got them!”
Her expression, stained with unfair emotions, appeals to me.
It was as if he was asking me to sympathize with him, to understand my feelings.
After pouring out her emotions for once, she continues her words with a slightly calmer expression and tone of voice.
“I am… , I wanted it to be that kind of world. I tried to make it like that. But it didn’t change. Even alittle.”
The world hasn’t changed.
No, it changed a little bit in a bad way.
With the widespread use of the Internet and SNS, a world has emerged where it is all too easy to spread criticism.
After complaining about her cynical attitude, she speaks again in a refined tone.
“You asked. “What is the purpose of the hexagram?”
“…”
“They want the world to change just like me. “A world where hunters who dedicate themselves to the world can be treated with more respect and treatment than they are now.”
At that moment, a dizzying picture is drawn in my mind.
Changing the world is just a well-dressed phrase.
There is a separate word for an organization that operates behind the scenes to change the world.
Revolution or birthmark.
If they succeed, it will be called a revolution, and if they fail, it will be called a rebellion.
Let’s look at her with her teeth and her astonished expression.
“A world that revolves around hunters who are indispensable to this world.”
She has the most emotionless gaze and expression.
“That is the world Hexagram hopes for. And…”
They poured out comments that sympathized with their absurd goals.
“I am a person who sincerely hopes that such a world will come.”
