Chapter 51 - Orion Guild's Villain (2)

What an incredible old man he was.

I told him the location just in case, but I never thought he’d actually come.

I was flabbergasted by Han Byeong-cheol’s sudden appearance, but my unit members also seemed surprised.

“Good evening, sir!!”

They all rose at once to greet the great elder of the industry.

Han Byeong-cheol didn't seem to dislike it, wearing a pleased smile.

“As expected of a prestigious family. So well-mannered, just like the Haewon Sword Family!”

In fact, the ones who said we weren't from the Haewon Sword Family were right in front of us.

The expressions on the Orion Guild members’ faces were changing in real-time, which was quite amusing.

“Elder, would you mind waiting for a moment? We have a few things to sort out here.”

“If you have things to sort out, you must! Don’t mind me. All an old man has is time.”

With that, Han Byeong-cheol sat in an empty seat, popped the remaining dried squid into his mouth, and watched us.

The Orion Guild’s Team Leader Jo looked restless.

“Where were we?”

“……Pardon?”

“I think you said something about a young bastard, but I can’t quite remember.”

“Oh, no, sir! We just happened to meet an old colleague and were about to leave after saying hello!”

Team Leader Jo then hastily tried to get up from his seat.

“Where do you think you’re going. Sit.”

“Pardon? B-but!”

“And why the sudden formal speech? It’s unsettling. Just a moment ago, you were calling me a young bastard.”

“You must have misheard, sir!”

“Misheard? I guess I’ll have to add another charge. The sin of lying.”

As I murmured lowly, Team Leader Jo’s pupils quaked.

Han Byeong-cheol must be quite a figure.

To think a person could change so much the moment he joined my party.

“I’m sorry! It seems we misunderstood and didn’t recognize you!”

As Team Leader Jo bowed his head, the two men standing behind him bowed as well.

“Right. Misunderstanding isn’t a sin. Sometimes in life, you can fail to recognize people.”

“Thank you for your understanding!”

“The Haewon Sword Family is nothing special, so how could failing to recognize it be a sin. Right?”

“N-no, sir!”

“What do you mean, no. It’s not like this is a society with a class system.”

But as if they had committed a grave sin, their faces turned pale, and they repeatedly bowed their heads.

It was a classic case of a guilty conscience.

“But insulting a person and creating an atmosphere of fear is a sin. Honestly, I thought I was going to die of fright.”

“We were wrong!”

“Just with words?”

When I showed a sly smile, the men bowed their heads deeply again.

“Now, then. I suppose we should reveal the proper charges.”

“Pardon?”

“Not the sin against me, but the one against Baek Ji-ah here.”

It was just a hunch, but sometimes, these hunches were frighteningly accurate.

Today would undoubtedly be one of those times.

I looked at Baek Ji-ah.

“Baek Ji-ah.”

“Yes, Unit Leader.”

She was biting her lip gently.

“As the Unit Leader, I am in a position to be responsible for the safety and well-being of my unit members. So, you’ll have to help me fulfill that responsibility.”

“Th-that is……”

“I can promise you one thing for sure. You don’t have to think about the aftermath. So, tell us everything right here.”

Baek Ji-ah hesitated for a long time.

Then, she finally began to speak with difficulty.

“I was severely harassed.”

“Harassed? Why would that happen in a guild?”

In short, the problem arose when Baek Ji-ah rejected Team Leader Jo’s advances.

It was called harassment, but his actions were a crime in itself.

All sorts of violence, extortion of Mana Stones. And even an attempted sexual assault.

After that, she paid a hefty penalty and barely managed to leave the Orion Guild.

“I get that this Team Leader Jo guy is a piece of trash. But Baek Ji-ah, why did you just take it?”

What was more incomprehensible was that Baek Ji-ah still seemed intimidated by these men.

Even though she was no longer a part of the Orion Guild.

“Because I, too, have committed a sin.”

Baek Ji-ah swallowed hard.

“Keep going.”

“I was desperate back then! I needed money urgently. So, I ended up crossing a line I shouldn’t have.”

“What was it?”

“After a dungeon raid, I sold a part of a monster’s corpse on the black market without reporting it to the guild.”

It was not a light sin.

Depending on the case, it was serious enough to have one's Hunter License revoked.

Baek Ji-ah gently closed her eyes.

“So Team Leader Jo knew about it and overlooked it. It must have been easier to harass you using that as leverage.”

“It is my fault.”

She bowed her head deeply and continued.

“I will accept my punishment for the sin I have committed, even if it's now.”

“You might have to.”

If I hadn't known, it would be one thing, but knowing and just letting it slide was problematic.

“However, this Team Leader Jo and his lackeys will have to face a much greater punishment.”

Team Leader Jo, a man named Jo Byeong-gwon, already looked pale.

He had not expected Baek Ji-ah to make such a confession of conscience.

Honestly, I had intended to just rough them up a bit and be done with it, but it had escalated beyond that.

Just then, Han Byeong-cheol, who had been listening to the story, spoke up.

“May this old man interject?”

“Please, speak.”

“I originally came here with a light heart, thinking I’d hear an interesting tale from Unit Leader Seo, but I never expected to hear such a serious story. In any case, I can’t just let this slide either. Because I can’t just leave a piece of trash like this in the industry.”

As Han Byeong-cheol turned his head towards the Orion Guild, Jo Byeong-gwon’s already pale face turned even whiter.

“We were wrong!”

The men shouted in unison, as if on cue.

“It wasn’t me you wronged. Shouldn’t you be begging this young lady here?”

At Han Byeong-cheol’s words, the three immediately knelt before Baek Ji-ah.

These guys were quick on their feet.

Baek Ji-ah looked at them and then closed her eyes.

Her feelings must be complicated.

Regret for the mistake she had made.

Anger towards them.

And other emotions I couldn't fully comprehend.

“Unit Leader Seo. I’ll contact the Orion Guild first. Fortunately, their master is a reasonable fellow.”

“I will go there directly tomorrow morning. This also concerns a problem with my unit member.”

“Please spare me!!”

Team Leader Jo turned back to me and began to plead.

“I never said I’d kill you.”

If this were the Kalia Continent and not Earth, I would have killed him on the spot.

But since I was on Earth, it was necessary to respect Earth's ways at times.

“I will never appear before Baek Ji-ah again! I swear!”

“That’s a given.”

Pow!

“Keuk! Khek!”

As I planted my fist in his abdomen, Team Leader Jo let out a pained groan. And then.

Paaaat!

This time, near his dantian.

“Aaargh!”

His mana began to scatter.

For at least half a day, no matter what this guy did, mana would not gather in his dantian.

“Ho-joong.”

“Yes, Unit Leader!”

“That’s it for today’s dinner. Take these guys to the family estate first.”

“Yes, I understand!”

“Ah-yeon.”

“Yes, Unit Leader!”

“Take good care of Baek Ji-ah on the way.”

“Yes, I understand!”

A moment later.

Only Han Byeong-cheol and I remained.

The boisterous atmosphere of laughing and drinking was gone, but in a way, I felt it was a relief.

If not for that chance encounter and commotion just now, one of my people would have suffered in silence for much longer.

“You are a strange person. No, it would be more accurate to say you are mysterious.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m talking about how you messed with that Orion fellow’s dantian earlier. That’s not something you can do with brute force alone.”

He was right.

Temporarily paralyzing the function of a dantian was a much more difficult task than destroying it.

It was only possible by finding the precise point and shooting out a subtle force.

Of course, for me, it was an incredibly easy task.

“I happen to have good senses.”

“Is that something that can be done with senses alone!”

“Isn’t it something you can easily do as well, Elder?”

“The feeling I got from you just now was not in that sense. Should I say it felt like I was facing someone who had mastered all the martial arts in the world?”

His perception was astonishing.

To think that, even while being fully aware of my paltry mana.

“You are mistaken.”

“I know. But, I have a feeling that in a few years, it won’t be a mistake.”

“On that, you have seen correctly.”

I grinned at Han Byeong-cheol.

“I thought the tiger of the Haewon Sword Family was Seo Ji-hoon, but the real one was someone else.”

Seo Ji-hoon.

I still had not actually met him.

He had left for an expedition to the Abyss before I was reincarnated and had yet to return.

What in the world was he doing there?

“Well! That’s that. Now, tell me the stories you brought from the Burning Dungeon!”

This old man was suddenly in a cheerful mood.

***

The master of the Orion Guild I met today was a decent person.

He did not overlook the misdeeds of his affiliated Hunter.

He expelled the three, including Team Leader Jo, without a second thought, and Baek Ji-ah’s case was also to be handled according to regulations.

“Are you perhaps disappointed? That I didn’t use more of my power?”

“No, sir. I believe I should receive the appropriate punishment for the wrong I have committed.”

“Still, their master showed you leniency. It was a one-time offense, and the scale of it wasn’t that large. Crucially, he was very understanding of your difficult circumstances.”

“Thank you, Unit Leader.”

“For what?”

“That incident has always remained as a nagging feeling in a corner of my heart. The fact that I had no choice but to endure Jo Byeong-gwon and his cronies was also due to my own cowardice. Although I will be punished, my heart feels much lighter.”

She certainly looked that way.

When she had faced Jo Byeong-gwon and his cronies last night, Baek Ji-ah had been a mess.

“You have to shake off what you need to shake off to move forward. Even if it means taking a step back for a while.”

“I’m sorry. For bringing such disgrace to the sword unit.”

“If you’re sorry, then train harder while your license is suspended.”

“I will, Unit Leader.”

Baek Ji-ah’s lips were firmly sealed.

According to what I found out, the expected period of punishment was about two to three months.

During this period, she could not participate in dungeon raids.

So, there was no other way.

To make her earn her keep later, I had no choice but to push her hard from now on.

It was then.

“Unit Leadeeer!!”

As he often did, Ho-joong came looking for me, making a fuss.

No, on second thought, the tone of his fuss was a bit higher than usual.

That meant there was some kind of event.

“What is it?”

“It’s huge news!”

“So what is it?”

“The news is that the first young master is returning to the sword unit!”

“The first one, you mean……”

“Young Master Seo Ji-hoon is said to be coming soon!”

I was finally going to see the face I had only heard about.

And his Abyss raid, which had come to an end after several months. I was curious too.

Just what kind of quest did he receive in the Abyss that it took so much time?