Chapter 23 – There's No Such Thing as a Perfect Crime

“I’m home.”

“Oh, you’re back early?”

“Yeah.”

Karin was home. A little earlier than her usual time after school.

Seeing her made my heart pound for some reason.

Karin was unusually quiet.

I lounged on the sofa and started flipping through the TV channels.

“Mister. Why are you changing the channel so much?”

“Uh, there’s nothing on.”

“Hmm, I see.”

“Yeah.”

There’s nothing to watch.

If there were a decent show on, I could actually kill some time.

“But, Mister.”

“Yeah.”

“By any chance, did you come to my school today?”

I paused my channel-surfing.

I never imagined she would suddenly ask me a question like that.

My voice was definitely modulated. And my face was unrecognizable.

I even tested it by recording myself with my phone, just in case. Come to think of it, the way that kid Karin kept giving me meaningful glances was bothering me.

“Your school? Why would I go there?”

“Hmph, really?”

“Yeah, of course.”

“What did you do today? You said it was your day off.”

She started interrogating me without even changing out of her school uniform.

I acted nonchalant, lying on the sofa. I could feel her gaze on me as she stood with her arms crossed, looking down.

“Me? I was super busy today.”

“Doing what?”

“I had to interview people joining our team. And I have to train, not to mention all the reporters who want to interview me thanks to my recent activities. I’m incredibly busy!”

“Ah, is that so.”

“What do you want to eat? You must be hungry, right?”

Karin said, “Yeah, I’m hungry,” but instead of changing, she started searching for something.

Under the sofa. The fridge. The wardrobe. She rummaged through the closet.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m sure it’s around here somewhere….”

“What is? Hey, what are you doing? Stop it!”

Did she figure something out?

Karin began to search the house thoroughly, like an investigator.

“Mister, looks like your tastes have changed. The actress this time has a different style from the last one I saw.”

“What? Hey, it’s not what you think. It’s just a pure romance story, okay? What are you thinking?”

Karin said nonchalantly as she scanned the DVDs I had hidden away.

“Hey, get out. This is an invasion of my personal privacy. You know that?”

“Hmm, where did he hide it….”

“What, hide what? Me?”

It was obvious now.

What that kid Karin was looking for was the Justice Armor. That shameful tokusatsu costume.

I wondered how on earth she knew, but I didn’t let it show.

I would deny it to the end, and she wouldn’t be able to find any evidence.

Because I’d stored the Justice Armor in my inventory.

A smile crept onto my lips without me realizing. It was just funny watching Karin bark up the wrong tree.

“Maybe he hid it in his inventory?”

“……!”

I crossed my arms. And gave her a relaxed smile.

“I knew it.”

“What are you talking about? Say something that makes sense.”

Be confident, me.

The evidence is with me, anyway. She’ll never find it.

“Just go wash up already.”

I said, trying to act unfazed.

Is this what a perfect criminal feels like? An excited sensation pulsed through my body.

It was a moment I wanted to cheer from an unknown sense of depravity.

“So it really was you, Mister?”

“Huh?”

My Justice Armor was being pulled out of my inventory and into Karin’s hand.

Why is that coming out of there?

No, how is she accessing my inventory?

“My dear Mister. So you wanted to be ‘Red’?”

“……!”

I couldn’t believe this was happening. I didn’t care how it had happened.

I started walking, then broke into a run. I curled into a ball and leaped out the window.

*CRASH!*

“Mister!”

Leaving Karin’s sharp voice behind me, I fled the scene.

* * *

When do you think a person dies?

When a bullet pierces their heart…?

When they’re afflicted with an incurable disease…?

…Right now, I, at least, wanted to die of shame.

The incessant vibration of my phone brought me back to my senses.

-Karin: Mister, aren’t you hungry? I’m hungry.

-Karin: Mister. It’s okay, these things happen.

-Karin: Mister, why aren’t you answering your phone?

-Karin: Sorry I didn’t tell you sooner. I guess since you used to live in my domain, we can share inventories.

-Karin: I was actually in a tough spot, so I’m glad you helped today. All my friends were going crazy saying how cool you were.

-Karin: I cooked something I learned at school, so hurry back!

* * *

In the end, I went back home.

The way Karin awkwardly seemed to be defending me was strangely uncomfortable.

“Mister, you’re hungry, right? I cooked something delicious.”

“Yeah.”

“Hey, don’t be so sulky. Just sit there.”

“Yeah.”

As I sat at the table, Karin, wearing an apron, neatly scooped rice and set out chopsticks and a spoon.

“Actually, that trash—I mean, Teacher Tak was really hated by the kids. They said he used training as an excuse to relieve stress and was super discriminatory.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah. I heard he has injuries that will take eight weeks to heal, so he won’t be able to teach for a while.”

“……”

The truth was, after I hit him, the teacher pulled out a weapon and charged at me. I had no choice but to hit him a few more times. I was a bit flustered when he started foaming at the mouth, though.

I thought I heard he was a first-generation Awakened and was supposed to be super strong…

“The third-years you hit were all carried away, too.”

“Oh…”

“They were bullies, so you don’t have to feel guilty. Everyone was happy, saying they got what they deserved.”

I couldn’t see her face, but Karin’s voice sounded cheerful.

“Uh, but didn’t you say you cooked?”

“Yeah. Smells good, right? Looks delicious, doesn’t it?”

Karin brought some kind of stew to the table. An unidentifiable creature with suckers was crawling out of the pot, trying to escape for its life.

As if she didn’t notice a thing, Karin used a ladle to press the strange creature’s head back down into the broth.

“They say eating delivery food all the time is bad for you. Too much sodium.”

“Oh, really? But… this looks like it might be worse for my health…?”

“Huh? What does?”

“Ah, nothing.”

Our eyes met again.

The strange creature in the pot stared at me resentfully.

Hey, what did I do? Did I dunk it in the soup? Did I slice it up for sashimi?

“Still, I honestly felt a little reassured today. Like I had a guardian? Pfft.”

The meal began.

With a trembling hand, I brought my spoon toward the stew.

It was the first meal she’d ever made for me. If I didn’t eat it, even Karin would be hurt.

I squeezed my eyes shut and took a bite.

Oh, it’s surprisingly good.

Right, with this kind of setup, the taste is usually inversely proportional to its appearance.

Only then did I open my eyes and start eating. It felt like the stew was pixelated.

It was a lesson in how perception shapes reality.

I had an epiphany today. What you see isn’t everything.

And the next day, I had an upset stomach.

Since my stomach was upset anyway, I took the day off to rest at home. I might have the title of Team Leader, but since the team isn’t really functioning, there wasn’t much for me to do.

‘It’s about time I got some proper teammates.’

Team 3 and I were already completely at odds.

I’d always thought of myself as having good social skills. My interpersonal relationships were fine.

No, even if it had been a well-functioning team, I was planning to replace them all anyway.

The members of Team 3 I’d investigated and confirmed were all a mess.

They didn’t train properly and were blinded by the rewards.

Hunters are supposed to train relentlessly to become stronger. But these guys had no interest in that.

So, they mostly hunted on the first or second floors of dungeons.

The lower floors only have low-level monsters, so they could mine in relative safety.

They get a base salary from the guild, and if they occasionally farmed a good material along with some mana stones, it was like hitting the lottery. It wasn’t a bad life.

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with safe mining.

Mana stones have become an indispensable resource in modern society where Gates exist, and many businesses wanted them.

These businesses develop new materials or create weapons and armor. Then they sell them back to Hunters for a profit.

Because of this cyclical economy, even Hunters who only hunt on the lower floors could be said to be contributing to society.

‘I need my own team.’

A team that’s truly mine.

Comrades who can support me at any time, who I can always trust to have my back.

Just because I’m strong doesn’t mean I can handle everything alone.

I keenly felt the importance of having a faction in the other world, too.

The reason I joined hands with that Demon King fellow.

He promised exceptional support, but what really resonated with me was something else.

Interested in raising a knight order again?

What the Demon King had said to me. Just as he said, from now on, I need my own people.

In high-rank or top-rank dungeons, monstrous creatures pour out.

Just watching videos of overseas raids, the large-scale battles were magnificent.

You can’t do everything by yourself.

A while ago, I tried to train some people I knew to put them on my team. But I guess I was too harsh, because they all ran away.

‘I need to go out and scout people myself.’

The Hanul Guild has a scouting team, but I wanted to pick my own people myself.

On that thought, I called the Demon King.

After a few rings, a voice came through.

-Team Leader Lee.

“Forget ‘Team Leader Lee,’ do you remember what I told you before?”

-Before? Ah. You must mean that.

The Demon King paused for a breath, then responded with a low chuckle.

-I’ve reviewed your curriculum with interest. I understand the implications of your plan to release prospective Hunters into a survival zone and have them fight in a battle royale.

I had proposed a ‘Hell Train’ training curriculum.

As I’ve said before, Hunters jump into real combat after only clumsy basic training.

Thanks to that, when an unexpected situation arises, they can’t respond and just get wiped out.

So I plan to create a genuine, hardcore practical training system and turn it into a business.

-But you must consider the human rights issue.

“To hear ‘human rights’ from the mouth of a Demon King.”

How absurd.

The guy who used to collect human heads like he was going for a ride, horns and all, is talking about human rights?

-Unfortunately, I cannot invest in your business.

“That’s a shame. Anyway, that’s not why I called. What about that person you said you were signing a contract with?”

That an S-rank rookie would be joining the guild.

-As a matter of fact, I was planning on putting them on your team. How about an interview today?

“I’m on my way now.”

To take on high-rank dungeons in the future, I need teammates who can sync up with me. Above all, if they’re S-rank, they’ll be permitted to enter high-rank dungeons.

* * *

When I arrived at the Hanul Guild, the entrance was swarming with reporters.

Unfortunately, their cameras were not pointed at me.

I passed through the barricade of people and entered the building through a path prepared by the guild.

Still no one recognizes me. Not a soul.

“I’m here to see the Guild Master.”

“Ah, Team Leader. He’s in an emergency meeting right now, would you mind waiting for a moment?”

Following the guidance of the royal floor’s desk staff, I sat in a waiting chair.

It seemed there was an emergency meeting because of the commotion outside.

“Ugh, Hyun-ji. I don’t think I can hold it. I-I’ll be right back!”

“It’s fine. Go ahead.”

It’s rare for people to come up to the royal floor. It’s literally a place for the boss.

The man in the suit and tie must have really needed the bathroom, as he scurried away, leaving just me and a woman with a black hat pulled down low.

‘Could that be her?’

The Demon King asked me to meet an S-rank Hunter. The person here right now is a very likely candidate.

‘She looks too frail.’

Looking at her thin arms and legs, it didn’t seem like she exercised properly.

The woman in the hat glanced at me.

*Sigh*.

The person looked at me and let out a deep sigh. Then she strode over.

What the?

“Just give it to me.”

“Sorry?”

What is she asking for so suddenly?

“I’ll sign it for you.”

Unable to follow the conversation, I just blinked.

“This stupid hat can’t even hide my beauty. I’ll have to wear a mask from now on.”

What is she talking about? Is she crazy?

“I’ll make a special exception just for today. Since I’m in a good mood.”

I smiled back at the woman who was smiling as she spoke.

“Who are you?”

“……?”

A moment of silence.

Then, the lower half of her face began to flush bright red.

Her lips moved as if to say something, but then she returned to her seat in a fluster.