NOVEL WEB Chapter 24
Chapter 24. Inquiry (3)
TL: xLordFifth
ED/PR: The reader
“Have a taste.”
“Thank you.”
A rich aroma that was both savory and vibrant.
The coffee, with just its smell, revealed its luxury. Kim Shimun took a sip of it and said,
“So, you came to seek me out because of a request?”
“That’s right.”
In stark contrast to the luxurious coffee,
The rough and beefy man, Park Jinwook, reminded one more of tequila. Kim Shimun nodded at him,
“I am looking for someone.”
“Someone…you’ve certainly come to the right place for that. We are quite reliable in that domain.”
Park Jinwook, with a sly grin pulling at one corner of his mouth.
Anyone would assume he dabbled in the underworld.
Yet, Kim Shimun just nodded in response to his words,
‘Finding a person should be no trouble for the Night Hunter.’
Park Jinwook, the Night Hunter.
Despite his forbidding appearance that resembled a gangster, he was a notable figure in the assassination world.
His SS-class ability, ‘Blessing of the Night’, was perfectly suited for assassination.
Moreover, like other assassins, he wasn’t just useful for killings but also for espionage and gathering information.
That’s why Kim Shimun had sought him out.
‘But what’s he doing here?’
Kim Shimun looked at the young man opposite him, who was fiddling with his hands and had his head bowed down as if guilty.
Maybe feeling Kim Shimun’s gaze on him, Kim Shihyuk bowed his head even deeper.
Kim Shimun sighed softly and spoke up,
“Hey. What are you doing?”
“Uh, huh?”
“What are you doing, man? Anyone would think I am about to eat you. Lift your head.”
It was worth pointing out, “Can I…do that?”
His younger brother looked as though he had committed a crime, looking all dejected.
The image of Kim Shihyuk known so far, was completely at odds with the bright and refreshing image Kim Shimun knew.
The fact was, “Kid, why wouldn’t it be okay?”
Kim Shimun guessed why his brother was displaying such behavior.
‘It must be because of that incident 10 years ago.’
Just like Yujeong he met in Galaxy Agora, he must be feeling guilty about the incident that inflicted him with magic inability.
What was ironic was, when South Korea was destroyed in a previous life and when he first met Shihyuk, he had shown the same demeanor.
Therefore, “Anyone would misunderstand. Lift your head already.”
Kim Shimun did not want to see his younger brother’s spirit so dampened, “This response is enough from Yujeong alone.”
He had said something similar when he met Lee Yujeong in Agora.
Even if he were to go back, he would make the same choices.
Perhaps his words made an impact?
“Yujeong?”
Kim Shihyuk, who had been sulking, suddenly sparkled in his eyes,
“Yeah. I met her in Agora recently. Didn’t she tell you?”
“No. I didn’t hear anything about it… Wait. Why did you go to Agora?”
“I went there to sell some items, man. What’s with the interrogation?”
“No, it’s not that… But why did you meet Yujeong? I thought you weren’t in contact?”
“I stumbled into her when I dropped by the Holy Trinity store.”
“Holy Trinity?!”
More than sparkles, his eyes were now blazing.
Kim Shihyuk, with his voice a notch higher and eyes a bit more intense, asked,
“Hyung! Are you okay? Did anything happen?”
“Why the sudden outburst? You scared me.”
“So, sorry.”
“No need to apologize. And as for something happening…”
Ah! There was one instance.
I nearly got accused of fraud while trying to get rid of the [Hobgoblin’s Battle Axe].
It even happened in the shop of Holy Trinity, of all places.
But it wasn’t really a big deal.
Above all, I couldn’t just say, ‘It’s a common item 11 years later, so I acted without thinking it through.’
“No, there wasn’t,” was all Kim Shimun lightly shrugged in response.
“I see. Alright.”
Kim Shihyuk leaned his chin on his hand for a moment and then nodded.
Even though it somewhat felt like being interrogated, “By the way, Shihyuk.”
Instead of prying further, Kim Shimun chose to ask a different question.
“Do you know Park Jinwook-ssi here?”
The reason was simple.
‘Isn’t Park Jinwook, the Night Hunter, supposed to become Shihyuk’s ally after Korea is destroyed?’
According to Kim Shimun’s memories from his previous life, Kim Shihyuk and Park Jinwook weren’t allies at this time.
“Huh? Ah! Um… well…”
A refreshing smile hung naturally on his face.
However, underneath it, his clear eyes darted around busily.
Certainly looking suspicious, “Ha! Shihyuk is not only a junior from the academy, but also one of my main clients.”
At the robust voice coming from the side, Kim Shimun dropped his suspicions.
“A client?”
“Yes. Given that Shihyuk is a Ranker, he inevitably faces a lot of inconveniences here and there, doesn’t he?”
“Ah!”
Kim Shimun nodded at Park Jinwook’s words.
Ranker.
A dream-like position that every player aspires to, but also a position that entails many losses.
‘It’s basically no different from being a celebrity.’
Even without doing personal streaming, it’s common for players’ personal information to be exposed by other players.
Especially for rankers unaffiliated with any large forces, there were many inconveniences, starting from privacy.
‘At this time, Shihyuk didn’t have a guild yet.’
It was a cumbersome period for Shihyuk, who would later establish his own guild.
Kim Shimun nodded lightly.
“I get it. Anyway, I didn’t know the two of you were senior and junior. You must be quite close?”
“No. We are sworn enemies.”
“Excuse me?”
“Due to the status of being a Ranker, I have no choice but to attend to him like a slave.”
Grinning, Park Jinwook smiled broadly, smoothing over his rugged face.
“Ha… Senior.”
Kim Shihyuk, leaning his forehead on his hand, seemed to have a story of his own, grinning.
“It must be hard.”
Instead of defending his younger brother, Kim Shimun chose to smile in the same manner as Park Jinwook.
“Speaking of which, this guy has a way of being bothersome to people.”
“Bro, brother?!”
“It seems you know your brother well.”
“Don’t mention it. He’s not entirely a rotten guy. Please think kindly of him.”
“Ha! I’ve finally met a client to my liking!”
Park Jinwook burst into hearty laughter and extended his solid hand.
As Kim Shimun shook the hand, Park Jinwook savored Kim Shihyuk’s crumbling face and said,
“So, you’re looking for someone? Might it be someone overseas?”
“No, it’s someone in Korea.”
“That’s good. The chances of finding them increase significantly if they’re in Korea.”
Taking a pad from his desk, Park Jinwook grabbed a pen and asked, “Do you have a description or any information on the person you’re looking for? The more detailed, the better.”
“Her name is Go Malsuk, she lives in Busan and is 24 years old.”
“She’s the same age as our damned junior. Seems like she’s a woman… Do you know her?”
“Yes… No, not exactly.”
Kim Shimun nearly answered ‘yes’ unintentionally but smoothly corrected himself.
‘I should check before the regression, not now.’
Fortunately, it sounded natural.
“If you’re not acquainted, then I suppose just the address will suffice.”
Park Jinwook continued without any question.
“Yes. Will you be able to find it?”
“Ha, if I can’t find her with this information, then I might as well quit my line of work.”
“Eh? Then, senior, does that mean you have to retire right now?”
Kim Shihyuk flicked through the documents handed to him before Kim Shimun arrived, a refreshing smile on his face, but his eyes sparkled with the intent of revenge he had just divulged.
“It’ll take a few days, but it won’t take too long.”
For once, Park Jinwook crisply ignored his damn junior’s words.
Normally, this would lead to an outrageous scene where the junior would dare to throw a punch at his respected senior.
Crunch.
Maybe it was because his elder brother was there.
Kim Shihyuk’s grinding complaints felt exceptionally satisfying.
“Luckily. I heard you only accept cash, how much would the fee be?”
“Given the substantial information Kim Shimun-ssi has provided, and that the request isn’t too difficult…”
Park Jinwook, with a pleasant look, tapped on his iPad.
Glancing briefly at Kim Shihyuk, who was fully irritated from the back, he said,
“Since it’s your first request and I personally like you, I’ll do it for free.”
“I appreciate the sentiment, but that can’t be. It must not be free.”
Kim Shimun resolutely shook his head.
“You’re a diamond-ranked agent, aren’t you? It’s unthinkable to use such a high-class resource for free.”
“Ha! You’re so different from your brother, makes me even more inclined to offer it for free.”
Park Jinwook chuckled lightly and looked over at Kim Shihyuk.
“If it bothers you that much, let this damned junior of mine take the cost. How about it?”
“…Any amount.”
Just as expected.
Park Jinwook smirked with an. ‘I knew it’ look.
But perhaps it wasn’t the same for Kim Shimun.
“It’s my request. I can’t let my brother pay for it.”
“It’s okay, hyung. I have the money…”
“I’m not okay with it, damn it. And it’s not about the money.”
Kim Shimun lightly brushed off Kim Shihyuk’s interjection and continued.
“It’s about the relationship.”
“Oh? It seems you’re not looking for a one-time request?”
“Right. I want to have a long-term relationship with the Night Hunter.”
“So, you’re rejecting the free service… Really, I wonder if you really are from the same bloodline.”
Both Kim Shimun and Kim Shihyuk flinched at that comment, but it was subtle.
Subtle enough that even Park Jinwook, the Night Hunter, couldn’t notice.
Kim Shimun naturally smiled and said, “How about we settle the service fee with another condition?”
“Another condition?”
Park Jinwook tilted his head in curiosity.
Kim Shimun, with a smile mirroring Kim Shihyuk’s, said,
“I’ve heard that you’ve been purchasing quite a high-grade of materials recently…”
Park Jinwook’s face stiffened immediately.
‘As expected.’
Kim Shimun was convinced of his past life’s memories being right at Park Jinwook’s reaction.
“Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t mean it in a bad way. I thought I could help you out.”
“Help, you say?”
“Yes.”
Kim Shimun nodded confidently, making one of Park Jinwook’s eyebrows shoot up.
Despite his intimidating appearance, the threat seemed to roll off him.
‘Night Hunter Park Jinwook. A diamond-ranked power despite retiring suddenly from the arena, now runs a business that only takes cash.’
Sort of like a detective agency.
Why would such a talented individual be doing this kind of work?
The answer was simple.
‘It must have been due to Mana Petrification Disease, right?’
After the downfall of South Korea.
This was a fact learned by Park Jinwook after joining Kim Shihyuk’s guild.
It was said that the sudden retirement from the arena was due to Mana Petrification Disease.
A type of arena disease where mana gradually solidifies – literally becoming concrete.
‘The recipe for the cure of Mana Petrification Disease will appear in about 5 years.’
And the ingredients were surprisingly simple.
Naturally, that recipe had settled well in his mind.
It was before acquiring the Emerald Tablet, after all.
He had sifted through every possible treatment to cure his powerlessness.
Moreover, “Having Park Jinwook join us sooner wouldn’t hurt Shihyuk either.”
Park Jinwook had been by Shihyuk’s side, protecting him until the day he died at the hands of Zhang Liqiu.
He was to be a core member and a key ally in the guild that his younger brother was about to establish.
Hence, if Park Jinwook could be brought into Shihyuk’s circle sooner, it could suppress issues within Korea, including those with the association, and to some extent, even across the continent.
With his thoughts organized, Shimun lightly broached a topic.
“Judging by the list of ingredients, it seems like Mana Petrification Disease… am I correct?”
“What?! Senior! Are you afflicted with an arena disease?”
Kim Shihyuk, who had been merely blinking in surprise beside him, suddenly stood up.
However, Park Jinwook just glared at Shimun with a fearsome look, resting his chin on his hand.
“You’ve got the list of ingredients too? Ha! The black market is done for. How dare someone leak another person’s transaction details.”
“Well, that’s what the black market is all about. A place devoid of anything but money,” Shimun casually deflected everything onto the black market.
It was well known that the Night Hunter Park Jinwook was a regular there.
Besides, in transactions not on Agora but on the black market, there really was nothing to trust but money.
“…sigh, that’s true.”
Park Jinwook sighed heavily and roughed up his forehead with his hand.
It didn’t matter to him how Shimun had come by this information. More fittingly, it was impossible to question Shimun on how he found out.
It was partly his fault for using the black market in the first place.
“I can’t mess with Shihyuk’s brother, after all.”
So, “I should secure what I can.”
With his emotions settled, Park Jinwook asked, “So, what aid can you offer for my Mana Petrification Disease?”
“It’s simple. Give me those ingredients, and I will create a cure for the Mana Petrification Disease.”
“What?”
Even Park Jinwook was taken aback by Shimun’s reply, let alone, “Hyung? What do you mean cure?”
Kim Shihyuk was also shocked.
“I’m sorry, but… all of this is hard to believe. Even current diamond-ranked alchemists can’t create an arena disease cure, so how could you…”
“There’s no reason for me to explain that far. What’s certain is,” Shimun, sipping his cooled coffee, leisurely placed down the cup and continued, “I can indeed make a cure for Mana Petrification Disease. You’re welcome not to take my offer if you don’t like it.”
Park Jinwook’s mouth snapped shut. It was a given.
‘Who would refuse after hearing something like this!’
The arena disease was officially incurable. There was supposed to be no cure, yet to have one?
‘Even if it might be a lie, I have to believe it.’
Besides, it would be unlike the man who is Kim Shihyuk’s brother to tell such a lie.
Considering he had already semi-retired from the arena due to Mana Petrification Disease, this was an offer Park Jinwook couldn’t refuse.
“Shimun, I have one question.”
“Go ahead.”
“Why are you making such an offer? You could’ve just taken this as a commission for free.”
At Park Jinwook’s query, Shimun replied with a gentle smile,
“Well…” It was. “Because I liked how straightforward you are?”
The same indecipherable smile as that damned junior. “What will you do?”
“…sigh, do I even have a choice?”
Perhaps blood truly was telling. With that thought, Park Jinwook wet his face with his hands and extended it.
“Please, I’ll entrust the cure to you. Like I said, I will hand over all the ingredients I’ve bought.”
“You’ve made a wise choice. Ah, but don’t worry.” Grasping his hand, Shimun winked. “I doubt there will be any issues with skimping on the ingredients.”