Chapter 51

While Yang Won-hoon was engulfed in despair, the reaction from the Association people was also unusual.

It felt like watching a balloon that had been fully inflated, then deflated.

Some scrunched up their faces, while others clicked their tongues, saying things like, “I knew it would turn out like this.”

The common emotion was disappointment. It seemed they had been greatly anticipating it.

It made sense.

After all, for a Demon, Yang Won-hoon had been unbelievably friendly to us.

“…Of course.”

Head of department Kim Yoon-joong, standing next to me, crossed his arms and clicked his tongue.

“A Demon turning back into a human? Does that make any sense? I never believed it in the first place.”

For someone who says that, his expression is quite grim.

I rummaged through the briefcase I had brought and spoke.

“What will happen to Yang Won-hoon now?”

“We’re going into an executive meeting right now. It will be decided there.”

Head of department Kim Yoon-joong added bitterly.

“They’ll probably decide to kill him. In the end, he’s a Demon, and Demons shouldn’t be left alive.”

“It’s going to be a mess.”

It wouldn’t just end with killing Yang Won-hoon.

It meant we’d also have to have a go at the Black Market behind him, and the mercenaries the Black Market would hire.

“Still, it’s something that has to be done. That’s the Association for you.”

“Is there any chance I could go in too?”

“Where? Don’t tell me, the executive meeting?”

“Yes.”

“You can’t. The executive meeting is for Grade 2 and above.”

“Is there any way…”

Head of department Kim Yoon-joong frowned.

“Did you rush out of your hospital room just to get into the meeting?”

“Yes.”

If it weren’t for that, I would have been lying in a warm VIP room, eating delicious food.

Unlike everyone else, I knew this result from the very beginning.

That’s why I prepared the materials in my spare time.

“I won’t say a word, can’t I just watch?”

“Does your face look like you won’t say a word? If you’re curious about the result, just wait. I’ll let you know first.”

“Head of department.”

“Pleading with me is useless. Unless the Association President herself tells you to come in.”

The Association President, huh.

Should I go and see her?

As I was having a thought that would make anyone call me crazy, someone next to me spoke.

“Let him in, Head of department.”

I turned my head.

Oh, a familiar face. No, it wasn’t a face familiar only to me.

A handsome face that looked to be in his mid-30s, with a refreshing smile that seemed like it belonged in a soft drink commercial.

It was Seong Yo-han.

The Sword of the Association, the role model for young Awakeners, the Sword Demon, the treasure of South Korea who hit S-Rank at fifteen, and so on….

I never imagined I would meet such a big shot here. To think Seong Yo-han was also watching this experiment.

As I was thinking, Seong Yo-han approached me.

“I’ve heard a lot about you. The Ilseong matter, you resolved it, I hear. Oh, right. Is it okay if I speak informally?”

I took the hand he offered.

“I’m Choi Gi-woong. Please, speak comfortably.”

“If it were me, I wouldn’t have resolved it with words like that. The method was a little disappointing, but you did well. Good work.”

A sweet voice flowed from the end of his words.

Somehow, the atmosphere is good.

“Thank you.”

“You want to enter the executive meeting?”

“If possible, I’d like to observe. I’m curious about the atmosphere.”

I deliberately used the word ‘observe.’

To seem a little more humble. Though Kim Yoon-joong next to me was looking at me with a ‘don’t try any funny business’ expression.

“Let him in. Head of department. I’ll speak to the Association President. Please allow it.”

I’d heard rumors that Seong Yo-han had a good personality, and they were true.

How can he be so kind?

“When you think about it, he’s the one who caught Yang Won-hoon. He also played a proper role at the underpass this time. Letting him into one meeting isn’t a big deal.”

Nice.

I’m starting to like Seong Yo-han more and more.

At this rate, I might become a fan.

He’s easy to talk to, so once I’m in the meeting, I should just trust him and go all out.

Seong Yo-han said with a smile.

“Let’s just get rid of the Black Market on this occasion.”

Not good.

“I will take responsibility and stand at the forefront. Giving criminals like them a break has its limits; it was strange to have left them alone until now.”

It’s beyond not good.

I take back what I said about trusting him and going all out.

This is the complete opposite of my position.

“It won’t be difficult. If any of them resist, we just push them down and it’s over.”

It was to the point where I wondered if he had a personal grudge against the Black Market.

“We might have been played by Yang Won-hoon from the start. To give the Black Market time to prepare for us.”

Seong Yo-han, seated to the right of the Association President, had a firm grip on the meeting’s atmosphere.

“If Yo-han does that for us, it’s reassuring.”

“That’s a relief.”

“Those bastards need to pay dearly for playing with the Association.”

And, the twenty Association members seated there all seemed to agree with Seong Yo-han’s words.

It could be because they were angry that the experiment had ended in failure, or because they had faith in the one and only Seong Yo-han, who was taking responsibility to crush the Black Market.

For a combination of reasons, the meeting was on the verge of ending just 10 minutes after it began.

In any case, this was the complete opposite of the scenario I had expected.

I was planning to make my entrance when the pro and con sides were fighting back and forth, their opinions divided.

What do I do about this?

This isn’t the time to weigh my options. Let’s just go for it and see what happens.

Just as I was about to raise my hand high.

“What do you think, Squad Leader Choi.”

The Association President, who had been listening quietly until now, looked at me and spoke.

“Still, since you attended the meeting, we should at least hear what you have to say.”

“His thoughts are probably similar to mine. I heard he completely wrecked the underpass recently.”

Seong Yo-han smiled faintly and looked at me.

It was true that I wrecked it. The photos showed that the buildings had crumbled to pieces.

I furtively glanced at Seong Yo-han.

He was looking at me with an expression that said, You think the same as me, right?

The Association President next to him had an unreadable expression.

What’s there to hesitate about?

I even clung to the Association President’s coattails, so why can’t I take on Seong Yo-han?

After a moment of hesitation, I shook my head.

“They weren’t people from the Black Market.”

“Hmm?”

“The ones I eliminated at the underpass last time. They were Demons pretending to be from the Black Market.”

“…Is that so?”

“I was also unsure after hearing what he said, so I investigated, and it turns out to be true.”

Nice timing.

From beside me, Head of department Kim Yoon-joong provided covering fire.

“They had set it up to make us misunderstand that it was the work of the Black Market.”

The Black Market executives died fighting the Demons, and the humans living there escaped in the meantime.

Such a story flowed from Head of department Kim Yoon-joong’s mouth.

Of course, it wasn’t swallowed in the slightest.

“So? Looking at the big picture, it doesn’t seem to change much.”

Seong Yo-han’s face, staring at me, hardened.

“So, I’ve come up with something.”

I took a stack of documents out of my bag and gestured to the side.

“I’m sorry, but since we’re short on time, could you please pass a copy to the person next to you?”

At my words, the executives passed the documents along, looking bewildered.

After confirming that everyone had one, I slowly stood up and opened my mouth.

“First, the Black Market’s estimated revenue last year was 72 trillion won. The domestic share is half of that. If it weren’t for the stigma of being a criminal organization, it’s a scale that would be praised for enhancing national prestige.”

Why bring that up all of a sudden?

That was the look on their faces.

“The positive thing is that among its sales, there are no items that the Association has designated as illegal.”

I quickly continued before anyone could object.

“Contrary to public perception, the most important thing for the Black Market recently is to go legitimate.”

“So what about that…”

“Do you really think there isn’t a single person in our Association who has used the Black Market?”

The executives stared at me, their expressions as if I’d hit a nerve.

It was filled with displeasure.

As expected, Seong Yo-han crossed his arms and gestured at me with his chin.

“You’re saying the Black Market is too valuable to throw away? But the Association doesn’t work like that. The fact that they are criminals doesn’t change.”

I am someone who endured being nagged by Han Seung-hoon for three years.

That means I can prepare for this kind of rebuttal with my eyes closed.

“For that part, you can refer to the third paragraph. As the Black Market aims to go legitimate, there has been a steady campaign for voluntary surrender within the market recently. A virtuous cycle is occurring, where they are rewarded within the market upon returning after paying their just dues.”

The executives who were about to rebut something shut their mouths. Silence fell. Their sullen lips remained the same.

The favorable gazes I had received were long gone.

Now is the time to hit the highlight.

“All of this has been improving since Yang Won-hoon took the helm five years ago.”

As if to gently soothe them, I gradually lowered my raised voice.

“In that sense, the loyalty the entire Black Market shows to Yang Won-hoon is extraordinary. It’s on the level of a religious group. If we were to kill Yang Won-hoon in this situation….”

After speaking up to this point, I observed people’s reactions.

They still weren’t convinced, but the number of people looking at the materials I made with serious faces had increased.

Although Seong Yo-han’s face remained hardened.

“Are you not going to make soy sauce because you’re afraid of maggots? The Association has never been afraid of getting its hands bloody.”

“Wouldn’t it be better if we could end it without getting any blood on our hands?”

“The more that happens, the more the outside world will look down on the Association.”

Seong Yo-han said, frowning.

“What’s your point? Are you seriously suggesting we just leave Yang Won-hoon as he is?”

The executives’ faces showed they had snapped to attention.

“You, you do know that Yang Won-hoon is a Demon, right?”

One of the executives asked in a stern voice.

“Even if he’s easy to talk to, a Demon is a Demon. There are no exceptions to the rules. Isn’t that right, Association President?”

The Association President, who had been quiet, took a sip of her tea and nodded.

“We can’t let a Demon live.”

Seong Yo-han looked at me with a ‘see, I told you so’ expression.

“Or do you also think Yang Won-hoon can become human?”

“Yes.”

I nodded at the question he had thrown out sarcastically.

“I think it’s too early to give up.”

“…On what grounds?”

“It’s a field I’ve been researching personally. I don’t think it’s completely baseless.”

With those words, I sat down.

Adding more words here would be ineffective.

It would be better to bring clear evidence.

For example, a Yang Won-hoon who has become human.

Everyone’s gaze turned to the Association President.

All that was left was for her to make a decision.

The Association President, who was looking at the paper I gave her with a still unreadable expression, rubbed her chin and said.

“How much time do you need?”

This was directed at me.

I cheered inwardly and said.

“Please give me a fortnight.”

I thought a week would be enough, but I asked for double.

“You can’t give him more than three days.”

Seong Yo-han objected firmly.

“As Squad Leader Choi said, considering the money they have, we don’t know where they’ll drag mercenaries from. We need to finish this with a blitzkrieg before that.”

His gaze towards me was not favorable.

No, it had gone beyond unfavorable.

It’s confirmed that I’ve gotten on his bad side with this.

The Association President, who had been looking between the two of us for a moment, gave a mysterious smile and said.

“I’ll give you a week. Can you do it?”

“He really said that. That you were wrong, Seong Yo-han.”

“Really?”

Im Han-na’s eyes went wide hearing Head of department Kim Yoon-joong’s words.

What do you mean, really.

“How could you think of picking a fight with Seong Yo-han?”

“Picking a fight?”

Why would you say something so brutal?

It was just a slight, a very slight, difference of opinion while working.

So, it was like a healthy debate.

“……”

Unlike before, Seong Yo-han passed by, looking at me with a displeased gaze.

Hmm.

Let’s just say the clash was a little intense.

Head of department Kim Yoon-joong, who was watching the scene, placed a hand on my shoulder.

Then he made a pitiful expression.

“Even for you, if you fail this, you should be prepared to tarnish your name. It’ll just look like you bought time for the Black Market to prepare.”

“And if I succeed?”

“Hmm?”

“If I succeed, doesn’t it come back to me even bigger?”

“Well, yes. If you can bring in the Black Market without shedding a single drop of blood.”

Head of department Kim Yoon-joong, who had nodded reluctantly, tilted his head.

“Did you really have something to back you up?”

I looked at him and nodded.

“It’s not like I have nothing. In that sense, can I see Yang Won-hoon now?”

Under the dim light of the interrogation room, Yang Won-hoon’s head was hanging low.

“Have you become human?”

“……”

“I was looking forward to seeing you as a human when we met again. Was that all nonsense?”

“……”

“Looks like you went mute after the experiment failed. I thought it would fail. A human? Don’t make me laugh. With that half-assed Divinity, how could you become human.”

As I sat down, I tore into him scathingly.

To be honest, I still don’t like this guy.

Whatever the reason, he’s a Demon.

I’m just doing this because this method doesn’t shed blood and allows me to build up my own merits higher.

If there had been another way, I would have been the first to say let’s chop off Yang Won-hoon’s head.

Finishing my thought, I clicked my tongue.

“It’s called Divinity.”

“……?”

“That power you were making a fuss about discovering, it’s called Divinity.”

He lifted his head. His expression would have been perfect for a patient in the final stages of depression.

“I’m sorry, but I’d appreciate it if you’d leave. I’m not in the right state of mind to have a conversation right now.”

A hoarse voice flowed from between his chapped lips.

“I was planning on leaving anyway.”

With that, I held out a piece of paper.

It was something I had written in our language, making the principles of rotation, condensation, and explosion as easy as possible after wracking my brain all night.

How much of a headache this had caused me.

“Understand this by tomorrow. If you can’t understand it, you can just die.”

He was so confident about having researched Divinity. If I chewed it up and shoved it in his mouth, he should at least do the swallowing himself.

With those words, I stood up.

Through the crack in the door, I could see Yang Won-hoon.

His unfocused eyes were wavering as he looked at the complexly intertwined equations.