Chapter 45: The Unveiling of a Hearing

Lee Hyun-su pressed a canned drink against Sagyeol’s cheek, who remained fixated on the monitor like a cat before a fish tank. It was cold coffee. Confirming the caffeine content, Sagyeol didn’t refuse, opening the can and downing it in a single gulp. Lee Hyun-su spoke, his voice like a sigh.

“This is an urgent message from the Guild. It appears a man named Choi Chi-taek from Samra Castle has stirred up some trouble.”

Lee Hyun-su operated his terminal, and a holographic document materialized before them. Mayor Grisha’s official seal was affixed to the bottom, with an official notice from the Hunter Association accompanying it on the reverse side.

Sagyeol didn’t even deign to glance at it. Having fully anticipated this, Lee Hyun-su abruptly pushed the hologram directly between Sagyeol and the monitor. The superimposed image obscured the view behind it. Sagyeol’s brow furrowed, and he shifted only his eyes to glare at Lee Hyun-su.

Lee Hyun-su then provided a general overview of the situation. Despite his casual description, he recounted nearly every detail, causing Sagyeol’s eyes to narrow more with each passing word.

“…Consequently, a summons for a hearing has been issued.”

In the bygone era, predating the city-states, hearings typically fell into four categories: investigative, legislative, oversight, and personnel. Yet, the public’s primary association was overwhelmingly with personnel hearings.

This remains largely true today, though the underlying meaning and causal relationships have subtly shifted. Where once the objective was to vet a person’s qualifications—’Is this individual suitable for this position?’—the current focus is on debating whether the incumbent remains appropriate for their role: ‘Is the person currently holding this position still fit to be there?’

On occasion, the hearing itself could even devolve into a summary trial.

Hunters inherently possess a certain degree of immunity. Although this privilege should, in principle, extend equally to all, its application in reality flexes significantly based on rank. High-grade hunters are invaluable assets, even to Grisha. Thus, it was perhaps an inevitable consequence that their moral compasses began to loosen.

Hearings, then, served as a crucial bridle, periodically tightening the reins on such individuals.

In essence, it was a public forum designed to ‘publicly chastise high-grade hunters who had caused societal issues but were too valuable to discard, thereby taming them into obedience.’

Modern guilds were essentially corporate entities, often running various businesses independently. A negative public image directly impacted their perceived value and, crucially, their revenue. They might not have feared monsters, but they undoubtedly feared financial losses. Thus, hearings served as an exceptionally effective bridle.

It was a widely known fact that the Hestia Guild Master had faced a hearing three separate times. Though exceptional for the leader of a colossal guild, this publicity ensured the people of Grisha became acutely aware of his violent and impulsive tendencies. Consequently, the Hestia Guild suffered considerable disadvantages.

For Sagyeol, this marked his second such summons. However,

“Conducted without public disclosure, you say… is this what I’m thinking?”

A small smile played on his lips as he spoke, an air of understanding about him. The very essence of a hearing lay in its function as a bridle. Yet, to conduct it without public disclosure? A strong suspicion had already formed in his mind.

“You’re likely correct.”

Many details were left unsaid, but an unspoken understanding passed between the two men.

Only then did Sagyeol finally begin to scrutinize the layered holographic document. While an outsider might assume he was merely skimming, Lee Hyun-su, who had observed him for years, knew better. Sagyeol was meticulously reading every single word.

Ultimately, a guild was no different from a corporation. By the rank of Credit, it constituted a colossal enterprise, where the term ‘unrivaled power’ was hardly an overstatement. In comparison to the past, such an entity could easily sway nations. The leaders of these guilds inevitably amassed many enemies, facing a constant barrage of attacks, both overt and subtle. This latest incident was merely another such assault.

The document itself was a relatively condensed report. It merely served to highlight how extensively a man named Choi Chi-taek had been stirring up trouble.

“Amusing. It doesn’t seem like I need to prepare anything, does it?”

“Nevertheless, shouldn’t you at least know the subject of the hearing?”

“What, then, is the hearing about?”

“It concerns the Credit Guild’s abuses and tyranny.”

“Haha. Just because I haven’t had much to laugh about lately, you’re trying to humor me like this—”

Sagyeol’s playful grin instantly vanished, his face hardening in real-time. Perplexed, Lee Hyun-su followed his gaze. What could possibly have caused such a reaction.

His thoughts were abruptly cut short. A colossal explosion ripped through the air, followed by a commotion from the forward section of the vessel.

“W-what was that?!”

“Report the situation at once!”

Sagyeol sprinted toward the door. The automatic doors slid open just as a panting crew member rushed in, colliding directly with him. The crew member froze in sheer panic, finding themselves nose-to-nose with the Guild Master. Sagyeol yanked their arm sharply inward, then bolted out into the corridor. Losing their balance, the crew member stumbled and tumbled forward.

“Ugh. What in the—?”

“It’s the Guild Master!”

“He’s incredibly fast.”

“An S-rank Hunter, indeed…”

“Is this truly the time for admiration?! Everyone, regain your composure and prioritize extinguishing the fire!”

A blaring siren pierced the air. The bow section and corridor buzzed with frantic activity as people scrambled to address the unforeseen crisis. The automatic door slid shut once more, muffling the cacophony. Lee Hyun-su turned to the crew member, who was now huddled beside a chair, and questioned them.

“What precisely occurred?”

“T-to ascertain that, I was heading to the security room…”

‘Naturally,’ Lee Hyun-su thought, clicking his tongue. He remained steadfastly in front of the monitor. The crew member, fidgeting nervously, began to speak again, but Lee Hyun-su cut them off.

“That’s enough.”

“Pardon?”

“The Guild Master has gone to resolve the situation, so you and the others should attend to your own duties.”

The crew member’s face instantly brightened. Their expression unequivocally conveyed that there was absolutely nothing to worry about. With a nod of understanding, they dashed out of the security room and headed toward the bow.

Lee Hyun-su drew a deep sigh from the very depths of his lungs. Crossing his arms, he fixed his gaze on a single screen. The camera feed, riddled with static, was tilted sharply to the side, a direct consequence of the explosion’s impact.

He had anticipated this outcome from the moment he heard the initial sound. Seeing Sagyeol sprint out, his face utterly pale, left no room for further confirmation. The epicenter of the disturbance was undoubtedly the cargo hold.

Yeowon gnawed at his lip, his gaze fixed on the enormous hole blasted through the wall. Sparks crackled from one side of the gaping maw, hinting at something mishandled. Though the flames were minor, the smoke billowed dramatically, creating a scene that might lead an observer to believe the airship was plummeting.

Yeowon thought to himself.

‘I hadn’t intended to start a fire,’ he mused.

This turn of events would inevitably draw a crowd. He would have to make his escape before even having a chance to recover from the jump.

‘Then again,’ he thought wryly, ‘when has life ever gone according to my will?’

He scoffed, a bitter self-reproach. This very situation was a testament to that. While he had made the ultimate decision, he had arrived at this point almost as if cornered, driven by forces beyond his control.

Here.

A simple word, yet its implications were anything but. Yeowon pushed away extraneous thoughts and gripped the edge of the hole torn by the explosion. The metal plate, still radiating heat, crumpled slightly under his grasp.

He leaned his upper body forward. A fierce, biting wind, strong enough to sweep an ordinary person away, buffeted his form. Yet, the height wasn’t as great as he had initially imagined. Since entering the city, the airship had begun a slow descent, and the scattered farmhouses below were now quite clear and large.

‘At this height, I won’t die.’

Even with a body strengthened by countless transformations, falling from this altitude without wings would not leave him unscathed. He hadn’t expected to be entirely whole from the start.

‘I must accept a certain degree of injury.’

His acceptance was akin to resignation, particularly in the way it involved acknowledging phenomena or circumstances beyond his control.

However, if he were in the Demon Realm, it might be different. But now, having crossed into the Middle Realm, Yeowon faced something he could never compromise on.

The Three-Day Crescent.

To avoid being torn apart by the resurgence of his emotions, he needed an outlet for them, and nothing else could ever substitute for it.

As he pondered, he stared at the ground, which was drawing steadily closer. His body slowly tilted forward. The biting, razor-sharp wind lashed against him.

“……”

This had been his intention ever since he extended his hand to Sagyeol.

He could no longer endure being confined or trapped in a cage. To live a life where he didn’t have to resign himself to fate. To resist and struggle. That was the very reason he had risked his life to escape the Demon Realm.

His original plan had been to escape quietly, but choking Sagyeol had already ruined that option. Come to think of it, why had he done that? Yeowon, with belated self-reproach, wondered. No matter how many times he replayed it, he hadn’t intended to kill him. So, he shouldn’t have acted that way. It was obvious such a complicated and disadvantageous situation would arise.

Yet, in that moment, he couldn’t overcome the impulse.

‘Impulse’

For Yeowon, that was a word as unfamiliar as ‘freedom.’

His days with Sagyeol had largely been like that. A time of experiencing new things, while simultaneously accumulating an equal amount of questions without clear answers.

Look. Even now. He merely needed to throw himself out of the hole, so why was he hesitating?

The metal door shattered inward. Through the opening, Sagyeol rushed in.

“Yeowon!”

At the sound of that call,

Yeowon finally received a clear answer to the questions that had accumulated within him. The reason he had been lingering at the hole, lost in useless thoughts, was simply to see that man’s face one last time.

Sagyeol’s eyes widened upon seeing Yeowon precariously perched on the edge of the hole. Understanding the gravity of the situation, he froze in place instead of rushing forward.

“…What are you doing? It’s dangerous, come over here!”

Yeowon understood Sagyeol’s words from the few fragmented sounds and the shape of his mouth, torn apart by the deafening roar.

Little of it had been properly heard due to the immense noise. Nevertheless, he was certain. Sagyeol’s voice had trembled with an unfamiliar anxiety.

The agitated Sagyeol, in his very essence, became a small stone thrown at Yeowon, causing a rough ripple. The wave of memory carried him back to a recent moment.

The day he learned the truth. The day he scattered magic stones like breadcrumbs. Yeowon had solidified his resolve to leave for Grisha.

Then, for some reason, not only Park Myeong-seok but also the faces of the workers he had merely exchanged greetings with remained vividly etched in his mind. He wouldn’t see them again if he left for Grisha.

As he thought that, he recalled the administrators and knights of the small territory he had once governed. The distant, forgotten routines of his past now felt as vivid as if they had occurred yesterday.

The genesis of these inexplicable phenomena lay with the man before him. He had nurtured and watered the emotions within Yeowon, which had begun to awaken since his arrival in the Middle Realm.

‘Were those peaceful… days?’

If his heart had a form, it would now resemble soft, curdled tofu.

Yeowon conceded. The man had taken root within him, his stem, and ultimately shaken him profoundly.

However, that tremor was not enough to kill the son of Lee Myeong-hwan, nor was it enough to dispel the festering resentment within him.

That was simply all there was to it.

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