264 – Stranger (6)
“… “
“… “
Lee Hwa-rin and Chariot.
And Kasha Hanahan.
As the bridge called Ceylon that connected them disappeared, a suffocating silence came into the car.
“… “
Kasha, who had been looking out her window with excitement as if she was on a trip when she was in Ceylon, immediately became bored and started looking out the window.
‘… ‘
Lee Hwa-rin, who was driving a car, carefully looked at her through the rear-view mirror.
‘Transfer… ‘You said that, right?’
Lee Hwa-rin has met quite a few returnees.
Right away, her boss, Chariot, was a returnee.
But this was my first time meeting Jeon Ja.
‘So – if you compare it to a returnee, is it like a returnee who hasn’t returned to Earth yet?’
For example, people from another world, not from Earth.
When I realized that fact, I suddenly began to feel Kasha’s existence strange.
‘He’s exactly the same human being as us… ah. No. ‘Aren’t we the same human being?’
One of her parents is Canadian and of mixed race.
When the ability called white flame is activated, the long hair and eyes turn white.
Lee Hwa-rin’s exotic yet mysterious appearance has contributed significantly to her fame as a hunter.
Perhaps, if Lee Hwa-rin’s appearance had not been as unrivaled as it is now, her fame would not have been as unrivaled as it is now.
Lee Hwa-rin also knew this fact well, and she had quite a bit of pride in her appearance.
‘… ‘
Still, she could feel her pride shrinking as she looked at Kasha.
Something beyond her simple beauty made her aura even more vivid.
Should I call it elegance?
Just looking at the grumpy expression and atmosphere itself, it reminded me of a delinquent student who delinquent as much as he eats.
But even that bad image doesn’t cover up the elegance.
Her elegance, which seemed impossible to imitate even if one tried to imitate it, made Lee Hwa-rin feel a difference in class from Kasha.
‘Is this exactly what it feels like when the princesses of a royal family become crooked? ?’
Lee Hwa-rin looked at Kasha through the rearview mirror as if she were so fascinated.
As she rested her chin and looked out the window with a bored expression, her interest in the world was slowly blooming again in her eyes.
“?”
At that time, Kasha’s eyes shifted as she felt the explicit gaze.
The two gazes meet through the rearview mirror.
“!!!”
Lee Hwa-rin urgently returned her gaze to its original position.
“… “
Luckily, Kasha didn’t say anything about him and started looking out her window again.
‘Phew. Luckily – no, no. ‘This is not the time to be like this.’
Lee Hwa-rin came to her senses.
Now was not the time for her to be leisurely looking at Kasha like this.
‘Ceylon, that person is a returnee. And Kasha, that person is Jeon.’
The two knew each other.
Perhaps, Kasha is someone she met in the world where Ceylon was transferred?
‘Is she a lover? Or just friends?’
Actually, anything was good.
The important thing was that Kasha seemed like an important person to Ceylon.
Lee Hwa-rin was convinced at this meeting.
Wow, that Chariot looks like it’s being swayed!
Ceylon.
He is a huge giant, just as Kim Gyu-hwan and himself expected.
Maybe even more!
Ceylon will soon become a unique entity in hunter society.
When that time comes, what happened now, when we had a private treaty with Ceylon, will feel like a lie.
That is.
This is a unique opportunity.
Opportunity to put on a line!
‘Looking at it, these two people are still unfamiliar with Earth.’
All returnees, including Chariot, have a hard time adapting to the changed Earth.
It goes without saying about Kasha, the former child.
‘I’m helping with that.’
How to meet?
It was natural.
How did you come to help him?
It was also natural.
If you continue like this, you will be able to gain a great network of people called ‘Returnee Ceylon’.
‘hehehehe…’ ‘
Lee Hwa-rin, a flawless hero and righteous hunter, is known to have no interest in career advancement and her only interest is to protect her citizens.
She turned her gaze back to Kasha with a very snobbish smile on her mind.
“Now that I think about it, I haven’t even been able to say hello to you yet because I’m in a hurry. “My name is Lee Hwa-rin, and I am a class A hunter.”
Lee Hwa-rin gave a friendly smile befitting the name of the flawless hero and greeted Kasha.
“Kasha.”
It was a short and indifferent answer.
It matched well with Kasha’s image and did not feel rude.
“Mr. Kasha. “Do you mind if I call you this?”
“As convenient as you like.”
“Thank you. By the way, you are truly amazing.”
“?”
“Teacher Ceylon said that Teacher Kasha is from another world. How are you so good at Korean? By any chance, did Teacher Ceylon teach you?”
“Ceylon taught you?”
Kasha’s eyebrows jumped as she looked out her window.
She rested her chin, relaxed her squinting posture and looked straight at her Lee Hwa-rin.
‘What, what is it? Did I say something wrong? !?’
Lee Hwa-rin continued her words with a gentle smile.
“Did I say something wrong?”
“Ceylon teaches Korean. “Why did you think that?”
“Yes? Well, it seems like Mr. Ceylon was originally from here in Korea as a returnee… “
“… “Ceylon is from this world?”
Kasha’s expression became serious.
“… “
But she only lasted a moment.
She shrugged her shoulders and relaxed her tense mood.
Ceylon is actually an assassin.
Ceylon is actually a warlock.
Ceylon is actually a powerhouse comparable to the Great Knight Commander.
Ceylon is actually a powerhouse comparable to the head of the great family.
Ceylon is actually the head of a group called the true Harasin.
In fact, Ceylon is the owner of a power that even the head of a great family cannot match.
Humans were animals of adaptation.
After Ceylon’s constant efforts(?), Kasha got used to the feeling of astonishment.
Results.
Despite the tremendous information that ‘Ceylon is actually from another world,’ we have reached a point where we can do that.
“Somehow… “
Even, Kasha smiled at the corner of her mouth, saying that she finally understood the unconventional behavior that Ceylon sometimes showed.
“… ?”
Lee Hwa-rin was taken aback by Kasha’s reaction.
Looks like this is the first time you found out that Ceylon is a returnee. How can you react like that?
“What kind of place is this?”
“Yes?”
My interest grew even more when I learned that this unfamiliar world was the hometown of Ceylon.
I have no interest in anything except Ceylon.
Kasha, who was giving off a negative vibe, actively asked questions to Lee Hwa-rin.
“What kind of place is this?”
Ah.
Was the question too vague and ambiguous?
Kasha realized that her question was strange and lost herself in her thoughts.
“… “
However, no matter how much I thought about it, nothing really changed.
This is not another country, but a different world.
I had no idea where to start asking questions and finding out more.
It was a miracle that we could communicate right away.
‘The reason we can communicate is because of his power – something like divine protection?’
‘Well, what should I answer!? I need to give the impression that I am a trustworthy person… !’
While Kasha and Lee Hwa-rin are locked in their own worries –
“Master Chariot. Im here.”
Before we knew it, the car carrying them had arrived at the parking lot of the ‘Cheongseong’ office building.
Before the driver who drove the car finished speaking, Chariot had already opened the door and left the car.
“Mr. Lee Hwa-rin.”
“Yes?”
Lee Hwa-rin was so preoccupied with Kasha that she only realized it now.
Chariot’s condition was somehow strange.
Even as he called out to Lee Hwa-rin, his eyes were looking far away.
Her hands were moving busily, as if directing the frantically moving situation in her mind.
“Please take care of that person.”
“Please take care of me?”
“Kim Joo-seong. Kim Hwan’s kids might try to trick him, so make sure nothing happens. “Please take good care of me.”
“Yes? I can’t believe Kim Hwan’s guild is playing tricks on this person. What is that-… !”
Lee Hwa-rin was embarrassed, but then her expression became serious, as if something had occurred to her.
“No way…” !”
Chariot shook her head.
“Oh my-“
Currently, Chariot’s guild, Cheongseong and Kim Hwan’s guild, were in conflict with each other over an issue.
The Cheongseong guild succeeded in securing the right to attack the space-type S-class gate that appeared in the East Sea, but the Kim Hwan guild, which lost the competition, made a suggestion.
I will pay a certain price, so transfer the right to attack.
That specific price was not enough to be the price for the authority to explore and attack S-class gates.
In fact, it was as if Kim Hwan’s guild believed in the existence behind it and acted half-forcedly.
Chariot rejected the offer from the Kim Hwan Guild.
That was exactly what she did today when she kicked out Kim Joo-hwan, who visited her office.
“Crazy guys… “
Until they kicked out Kim Joo-hwan, Chariot thought Kim Hwan’s guild was crazy.
He suddenly came to my office without an appointment and ‘recommended’ me to accept the offer.
But it wasn’t.
The actions of Kim Joo-hwan and the Kim Hwan Guild were not done half-heartedly, but were done with thorough calculation.
Bondi.
The authority of the S-class gate secured by the Cheongseong guild belonged to the Kim Hwan guild.
However, for some reason, the association officials criticized Kim Hwan’s guild severely and took away its authority and placed it in the hands of Cheongseong.
Because it was such a huge number, the Cheongseong guild accepted it without any hesitation.
“When things are going well, you should start with doubts… “
Now that I look back, it was an obvious mistake.
From the beginning, the Kim Hwan guild planned to ‘take away’ the authority of the gate to the Cheongseong guild.
Why?
To secure a cause.
Kim Hwan planned to attack the Cheongseong guild, using the fact that he had been treated unfairly by the Cheongseong guild as justification.
This was only Chariot’s guess, but it was objectively a reasonable guess.
Unlike the Cheongseong Guild, which had been active as a mainstay in the western part of the Korean Peninsula since the beginning of the Gate, the Kim Hwan Guild was a group that emerged suddenly and aggressively increased its power.
How was this possible in the hunter industry, which can already be called a red ocean?
People in the industry knew.
The fact that Kim Hwan’s guild will do whatever it takes to increase its income.
And why that is possible.
It was none other than the boats behind them.
“Kosuke… “
The devil.
As a returnee from Japan, he was trying to take control of the archipelago and further spread his influence over the Korean Peninsula.
“Is this your way…?” “
He was cowardly, vicious, and thieves.
The name ‘Demon King’ was truly fitting.
“Will the association just sit back and watch this?”
“… “
Kosuke was a cunning person.
No matter how much of a justification the Kim Hwan Guild has secured, they will know that the Association will not stand by and watch as the two returnees collide head-on.
“There must be a corner of belief.”
Like any other group.
From Noble mtl dot com
The Hunter Association, which was completely transparent at first, also became corrupt as its size grew.
Kosuke the Demon King was a member of the Japanese branch of the Hunter Association.
It was clear that the association’s intervention would also be included in his calculations.
-!~
At that time, Chariot’s cell phone rang.
Chariot chewed her lips after checking the newly arrived message.
“Unfortunately. “It seems my predictions were correct.”
“No way…” !”
Information has arrived from one of the Ginza whom Chariot planted to observe the movements of persons of interest.
It was information that the Dark Knights, the devil’s closest associates, had gathered at Kim Hwan’s office building.
“Shall we summon the guild members!?”
Lee Hwa-rin’s urgent question.
After thinking for a moment, Chariot shook her head.
“No, that’s not something that can be solved.”
No returnee brought their own subordinates with them when they returned to Earth.
On the other hand, the devil was a greedy person.
He proceeded with his return with much more trouble than other returnees, and succeeded in bringing all of his minions to Earth.
If we look at Ilshin’s strength alone, Chariot alone was enough to stop the Demon King.
However, if his subordinates, the Black Knights, intervene, the story will be different.
The Dark Knights consisted of twelve members, each and every one of whom was a member of the elite.
Even if all the guild members of the Cheongseong guild were summoned, it was not enough to handle them.
“Then how-“
“… “
Tch.
Soon, Chariot clicked her tongue in exasperation.
“He didn’t want to get help from that person.”
“Yes?”
Chariot contacted me somewhere.
Through electric magic, not a cell phone.
Boom!
Then, a strong vibration came from outside the parking lot.
“This…!?”
While Lee Hwa-rin was panicking, a gust of wind blew into the place.
The gust was the aftermath of something moving at an incredible speed.
“Lady Chariot.”
A person suddenly appeared at the scene and was holding Chariot’s hand as if it were precious.
Red short hair and eyes filled with passion like burning fire.
And it is an anachronistic yet classy behavior that is ingrained in us.
He was a nobleman who looked like he had just stepped out of a romance comic.
Her name is Mikhail von Rdiners.
He was another returnee who was called ‘Sword Saint’ in the world.
“I can’t believe you called me first.”
Mikhail looked at Chariot with his characteristic passionate red eyes and kissed the back of her hand.
“What kind of wind was blowing?”
“Ha…”
Chariot let out a sigh of relief, barely able to suppress all the words that tried to jump out of her mouth.
Mikhail, who at first glance seemed like a handsome man, was surprisingly a woman.
And surprisingly, Mikhail, a woman, was a womanizer.
She must have had another woman by her side right before she arrived after receiving Chariot’s call, and she was smelling of various types of perfume and shampoo.
“Hmm?”
At that time, Mikhail slowly turns around and finds Lee Hwa-rin next to him.
“Oh! Lady Hwarin! It feels like I received a bouquet of flowers as a gift! “There are so many beautiful flowers gathered in one place, waiting for me!”
“Ha, hahahaha… Mikhail… Hello… ?”
“Mikhail ‘sir’. That’s a very rigid title. Lady Hwarin. “If it’s okay, would you please call me Michael in a friendly manner?”
“Well, let’s do it… Mikhail… “
“hehehe, thank you.”
Mikhail approached Ihwarin and repeated the series of movements she had made to Chariot.
“So, Lady Chariot. “What on earth is that urgent business?”
And then I looked at Chariot again and was about to get to the point.
“…!”
Her red pupils dilated.
That was the moment she spotted Kasha coming out of the car.
“Uh… “
Mikhail was staring at Kasha with her mouth open for a while, mesmerized.
And when she came to her senses.
“What is our beautiful lady’s name?”
She was already approaching Kasha and trying to hold his hand.
Kasha pulled her hand away with her signature prickly expression on her face.
Mikhail’s hands waved aimlessly in the air.
“…”
Mikhail looked dumbfounded for a moment, but then the corners of his mouth went up.
‘This is burning.’
The harder a flower is to obtain, the more attractive it is.
This was Mikhail’s theory.
Mikhail took a step back from Kasha and greeted her with dignity, holding his back with one hand and drawing a soft line with the other.
“I apologize. It seems that I was momentarily entranced by your beautiful appearance and ended up being rude. My name is Mikhail von Rudinus. “If you don’t mind, may I ask your name?”
It was a sight that everyone, regardless of gender, watched with fascination.
‘Wow…’ ‘
Immediately, Lee Hwa-rin was mesmerized by the sight and could barely maintain her expression.
“No. “I refuse.”
But Kasha’s reaction was calm.
Mikhail’s manners were anachronistic, but they were familiar to Kasha.
She naturally ignored Mikhail, as she had done many times.
“…”
Then Mikhail’s eyes burned with even more passion.
A smile full of victory appears on your lips.
I felt a strong determination to somehow win her heart.
“Ha… Mikhail. “I don’t know if you’re making fun of me, but I want you to leave that person alone.”
At that time, Chariot sighed and tried to dissuade Mikhail.
“Why? Oh, are you sure you have a body? hehehehe. “Is this burning more?”
“…”
“Oh my, this is rude. I was so excited because Lady Chariot wanted me. She felt sorry for being distracted. From now on, I will focus on you. For that reason, Lady Chariot. “Can you tell me about the business that called me urgently?”
“I need your help.”
“Wow. Lady Chariot wants my help. This is really a big deal.”
That was when Mikhail tried to hold Chariot’s hand with a sly smile.
“The devil is targeting our guild.”
“…!”
Mikhail’s hand moved away from Chariot’s hand as if it had been burned.
“No way, you need my help…”
“Soon, the Demon King will come with his men. I want you to stand on my side and mediate there to prevent the Demon King from making a futile move.”
“…”
Mikhail’s fiery mood suddenly cooled down.
A rare feeling of embarrassment appeared on the Sword Saint’s expression.
“The Demon King…And the Dark Knights…”
Mikhail was willing to put in any effort and take any risks to win a woman’s heart.
However, if it is an effort and risk related to the Demon King, the story is different.
The devil that Mikhail knows is-
In a word, it was a dangerous being.
He was a man who would not hesitate to do anything to get what he wanted.
In a matter where the devil’s interests are at stake, you take the opposing side?
Are you fighting with the devil like that?
“Hmm…”
Mikhail was a sword saint.
A being who rose to the top of the world with just a sword.
Wouldn’t it be better if it were a heavenly horse?
The devil?
I wasn’t afraid.
However, I was worried about all the troublesome things I would experience if I was out of his sight.
“What if…”
After deep thought, Mikhail opened his mouth.
“If this goes well, what will happen to Lady Chariot and my relationship?”
Ha.
Chariot sighed as deeply as ever.
“We’ll discuss it then. Anyway, I’ll do my best to accommodate you. Until you get sick of it.”
Mikhail got down on one knee toward Chariot.
She then gently took her hand and kissed it.
“Lady. Now this Mikhail von Rdinus is your sword.”
It was an oath of such dignity that it was forgotten that it was a contract concluded for extremely philistine reasons.
“Okay. Then let’s go.”
“Where are you going?”
“Kim Hwan Guild. Before they do anything in vain, let’s make our move first.”
The headquarters of the Kim Hwan Guild happened to be located a short distance from the headquarters of the Cheongseong Guild.
“hahahaha, a strong young lady. Hmm? By the way, Lady Chariot, is she accompanying you as well?”
Mikhail’s gaze turned to Kasha.
Then Chariot turned to her and cautiously opened her mouth.
“…Well, if you don’t mind, would you please accompany me? It would be the safest for Kasha.”
Kasha shrugged her shoulders indifferently in response to the extremely cautious question.
“Thank you for your understanding.”
“…”
Mikhail’s mouth opened wide as he watched the series of processes from the side.
“No, who on earth is that lady, our Lady Chariot…?”
“I tell you this clearly, don’t bother bothering that person. No matter how much you do, you won’t be able to handle it.”
“Hmm… But it’s too fascinating a flower to just leave alone.”
The conversation ends there.
Chariot ignored Mikhail’s chatter and continued on her way.
“…”
From then on, until arriving at the location, Mikhail would occasionally turn his head to look at Kasha and smile brightly.
Tsk tsk.
Kasha clicked her tongue as if she was pathetic and asked Lee Hwa-rin next to her.
“Is this normal in this world?”
“Yes?”
“Like that human being, a woman treats a woman-“
“Huh? How did you know that Mikhail was a woman?”
“Well, just look at it.”
Just look at it –
Mikhail was a nobleman who looked like a painting.
She thinks that she is a handsome man who is more beautiful than a woman –
Not many people saw Mikhail for the first time and immediately recognized her as a woman.
“As expected, you have great insight. That’s right. Mikhail is a woman. And… If you ask me if Mikhail’s case is typical… Uh… This is complicated to explain again….”
“Well, it’s okay. It’s not an important question. You don’t have to try so hard to explain.”
“Ah, thank you for your consideration.”
While we were talking like that.
In no time, they arrived at the headquarters of Kim Hwan Guild.
“…”
Mikhail’s expression, which had been smiling slyly while looking at Kasha just before, immediately became serious.
‘Is this… Right…?’
At first, I tried to win Chariot’s favor, but-
Deep inside, she was still a conflicted Mikhail.
Kosuke Mitsurugi.
It was none other than the devil.
A person who has taken control of the Japanese Hunter Saho in a short period of time and is spreading influence throughout the world.
If she empowers Chariot.
Unless the Demon King is prepared to die, he will retreat right now.
But just in case.
What if he has a more violent personality than you can imagine and doesn’t bend his will?
‘Damn…’
In that case.
No matter how much he and Chariot joined forces, the results could not be guaranteed.
Under the Demon King, there were many people with skills rarely seen on Earth.
‘If I had known it would be like this, I would have brought some of my own people…’
Who knew?
I wonder if the Earth would have suffered a catastrophe due to the gate.
‘…Just wait. So what the heck is that guy? ‘What was he thinking that brought his minions to Earth?’
As the accident progressed, Mikhail’s expression became more serious.
I guess.
The Demon King may be a more dangerous person than he imagines.
Enough to be worthy of the name Demon King.
“I’m going in.”
“Wait a minute.”
It was the moment when Chariot was about to confidently enter the front door of the building.
Mikhail was lost in thought with a complicated face.
“…”
In a moment.
A fire lit up her waist.
There was a sword hanging where the fire passed.
Will of the world-
A sword forged by war and chaos, the Ego Sword recognizes only the strongest.
It was a magic sword, one of Mikhail’s nine favorite weapons.
-You called me from this world. ‘What’s going on?’
A mad voice flowed from the magic sword.
Soon-
-…
The magic sword began to shake as if it would explode at any moment.
“…!”
Mikhail was embarrassed and calmed down the magic sword.
-Why are you doing that?
-Over there. There is a strong person there… A strong person from another dimension that I have never encountered before…!
-…
-Mikhail. Is it me? Your opponent? Oh. Feel so good. Really good…!
Mikhail’s expression distorted.
‘Oh my God. The Demon King was like that?’
This was the first time the Demon Sword showed such a reaction.
“There are strangely no people.”
I didn’t even know Mikhail’s condition.
Chariot felt reassured by the fact that she had her ally named Mikhail in hand, and she moved through the building without any obstruction.
She got into her elevator to head to the top floor of her office building.
“What are you doing? I’m not riding.”
“…”
The elevator picked up Mikhail last and headed to the top floor.
“Lady Chariot.”
“?”
“…It’s nothing.”
The elevator soon reaches the top floor and stops.
The door slowly opened, revealing a luxurious office that had been renovated on an entire floor.
“…”
From Noble mtl dot com
“…”
“…”
Chariot.
Lee Hwa-rin.
And Mikhail.
The three strong felt the tension and their hands getting wet as they greeted the being waiting for them there.
“Huh? Master Chariot? Ms. Lee Hwarin? And Miss Kasha! What are you doing here?”
“…Huh?”
A man with narrow eyes was mopping the floor with a mop.
At first glance, the sight of him wiping the floor with a bright smile seemed completely harmless.
But.
It looked extremely suspicious in the eyes of those women who knew about the concept of ‘squinting’, which is occasionally discussed in the media.
***
“Well… I don’t know about the blue-haired woman who appeared in the video, but you can find Lee Hwa-rin and Chariot who appeared in the video here. Probably.”
“Really?”
A woman arrived at the location after being guided by someone and looked up at the headquarters of the Cheongseong Guild.
Her pulled back ponytail hair fluttered in the wind.