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Translator: Vine
Chapter Title: Vacation (2)
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Surprisingly, incidents targeting hunters' families were quite rare.
Of course, there were people who asked for money because they were the family of a famous hunter, or those who hovered around trying to leech off them,
But what kind of society was this, anyway? A modern, information-driven society where power was respected more than law, and if a hunter—the pinnacle of that power—decided to seriously hunt someone down, they'd quickly be caught!
Unless they wanted to commit suicide, it was safe to say no one would attempt kidnapping or hostage-taking against a hunter's family.
Therefore, Lee Yuri's words were shocking.
At Jin Yu-ha's summons, the Utopia party members gathered at his house were, honestly...
"Mr. Jin Yu-ha, wh-what in the world is this house!?"
"Mutt, you had a house like this, so why in the world have you been...?"
"Junior, were you perhaps some enormous rich person pulling the strings of our country from the underworld? The source of those top-grade magic stones was, as expected..."
"Whoa—as expected of someone like Lord Jin Yu-ha, you live in a house like this... Oh! The tea, thank you so much!"
And so on.
There was just so, so, so much they wanted to say about Jin Yu-ha's shocking hidden wealth!
Though they had grown somewhat accustomed to Jin Yu-ha's appearance, they once again felt a halo descending upon him!
Even now, as a kettle—the pinnacle of magic engineering—floated around in the air, pouring hot tea in front of them, they wore bewildered expressions!
But still!
"M-my siblings aren't answering their phones... A-and my mother and father, too... And the house is a mess..."
In front of Lee Yuri, who was trembling and explaining the situation, they weren't so tactless as to voice their curiosities.
The party members tried their best to ignore their surroundings and focused on Lee Yuri's words.
And what was absurd was that Jin Yu-ha felt the same way.
He had merely called the party members to get advice on what to do with the excessively generous gift he had suddenly received from Rina this time...
'Gukbap's family got kidnapped?'
Of course, among Lee Yuri's personal stories that I remembered, there was indeed a story about loan sharks contacting her.
—"Excuse me, are you Lee Yuri? This is SWC Bank. The reason we're contacting you is none other than..."
However, even they wouldn't dare to threaten a Velvet Academy student who had gained some reputation.
Holding family members hostage, or anything like blackmail, was unthinkable for them.
Instead, to avoid upsetting Lee Yuri, they approached her cautiously, relying as much as possible on legal grounds.
If one were to pinpoint the culprit who would commit such an act, it would be...
"The Demons, then."
At that, the party members gasped.
"D-Demons?"
"The Demons, you say?"
"..."
Lee Yuri bit her lip until it bled.
Because she recalled the malicious actions of those Demons she had experienced during the mid-term evaluation.
I immediately stopped Lee Yuri, who was about to spring to her feet.
"Wait, Gukbap. Sit down. It's unlikely to be the Demons. They're certainly capable of such things, but the timing isn't right now."
"Mr. Jin Yu-ha is right. Now is precisely the time for the Demons to lay low."
Once Shin Se-hee chimed in as well, Lee Yuri sat back down.
"What does that mean?"
Lee Yuri asked again, her voice chillingly low.
If those Demons were in front of her, she looked ready to stomp them repeatedly right then and there.
"Tell me for sure."
*Gulp.*
At that terrifying aura, Shin Se-hee, who was already weak against Lee Yuri, broke out in a cold sweat.
"...The Demons right now, they've provoked Director Rina."
"Yeah, those Demons really screwed Rina over in this mid-term evaluation. No matter how much public opinion and the media are now sucking up and saying that the Demon subjugation was also Rina's test, that doesn't erase the fact that they screwed her over."
At that, Shin Se-hee nodded.
"Yes, even without that, with the Demon Lord thoroughly searching for the Demons, the probability of them doing something so conspicuous is low."
"But if it really is... the Demons...!"
"Don't worry. It's not like there's no way to deal with it if it's the Demons."
Lee Yuri flared up, about to retort, but I cut her off.
"I know an expert for that."
"...An expert?"
"Yeah, someone who's mastered tracking those Demons. In our country, no one is better at hunting and killing Demons than them."
*Tap tap tap—*
*Ding—♬*
I immediately sent her a text message right there.
And a reply came back instantly.
"I got a reply. She said she'll check it out right away. She's also organizing a tracking team."
"..."
At that, the party members' eyes widened.
They were thrilled by his connections!
An expert at tracking those dangerous Demons! When had Jin Yu-ha established such a pipeline?
'Ah, these guys don't know that Instructor Baek Seol-hee is the leader of the Demon Extermination Squad, do they?'
Coming straight here was indeed the right choice.
Jin Yu-ha, helping as if it were his own problem.
The gratitude Lee Yuri felt was on a different level entirely.
"Th-thank you... Jin Yu-ha..."
"The situation isn't resolved yet. You can thank me later."
Jin Yu-ha looked around at the party members with a serious expression.
"Everyone, please take this seriously."
"Yes, we understand."
"Alright."
Even the party members who didn't speak nodded gravely.
"We'll split into groups for efficiency."
In a situation like this, moving all together would be inefficient.
It was better for everyone to take on a role.
"First, Shin Se-hee. Gather information, including background checks on Lee Yuri's family."
"Yes, I understand."
"Kang Do-hee, you should locate hunters skilled in tracking, and also request cooperation from the police."
"Got it."
Since Kang Do-hee and Shin Se-hee each had their own reputation and connections, it would be best to utilize them to investigate the surroundings.
"...And, Sophia and Senior Gaeul will come with me."
"Y-yes! Got it!"
"Okay, I understand, Junior."
"Then, if you find anything, contact me immediately."
After nodding to Kang Do-hee and Shin Se-hee once each, I immediately headed to the scene.
* * *
Shin Se-hee, along with Secretary Kim, lent them a car.
Jin Yu-ha, Lee Yuri, Sophia, and Im Gaeul departed for Lee Yuri's house to confirm the situation.
Lee Yuri's heart pounded violently with anxiety and tension.
'Really, nothing happened to my siblings, my parents, did it...?'
They'll surely be fine.
They will be fine.
Nothing will have happened.
She kept repeating it to herself, but she couldn't help her imagination from constantly drifting towards negative scenarios.
Unable to control her anxiety, she fidgeted with her clasped hands.
"They'll be fine."
Jin Yu-ha, who was sitting beside her, covered her hand with his own.
Lee Yuri's head turned.
"Don't worry. Everyone will be safe."
He said it as if he had not a shred of doubt.
Even though his words offered no concrete assurance, there was a strange magic in his single phrase that made her want to trust him blindly.
"Okay..."
Lee Yuri slowly nodded.
*
And then they arrived at Lee Yuri's house.
"Senior Gaeul, please investigate the surroundings."
"Okay, I got it, Junior. Leave it to me."
Sophia and I would check the interior of Gukbap's house.
At the chaotic scene, my expression hardened.
Inside the cramped, old room, clothes were scattered everywhere in a mess,
And all the household items were either open or broken.
The traces of searching were left as if there was no attempt to hide them.
I took off my shoes and entered the house.
And immediately checked the floor.
"Definitely, someone was here."
As if they hadn't even thought of taking off their shoes, footprints were left inside the room.
Using the tracking skills I learned from Baek Seol-hee, I recited the characteristics of the culprits.
"There were four people. All female. And it doesn't seem like much time has passed."
"..."
"They seemed to be in quite a hurry, didn't they? They forced the door open to get in."
The family kidnapping theory, which had truly been up in the air, gained a sense of reality.
"Did they know Gukbap would come today, and was this a planned crime targeting her?"
"Uhm... I-I don't think that's it."
"Sophia?"
I hadn't expected her to say such a thing, so my eyes widened.
I tilted my head, as if telling her to elaborate.
"...Well, if it was a kidnapping, I don't think there would be a need to search this place so thoroughly."
"No need?"
"Hmm, because kidnapping is about taking a person, right?"
"And?"
"W-when you're taking a person, would there really be a need to search the entire house? Even if they took them while they were asleep, they'd be focused on the person, so they wouldn't have time to bother with valuables or anything."
"Ah."
Hearing that, it really made sense. If they had truly intended to demand a ransom from Lee Yuri, there would have been no need to search the house!
Committing such a serious crime, would they have searched even a shabby room like this?
Only then could I feel a little relieved.
"For now, it doesn't seem like the family was subjected to anything dangerous."
"...Really?"
"Yeah, if there had been any resistance, there would be traces, but there aren't any. There are broken items, but they weren't attacked towards people; they targeted the items themselves. Of course, we can't be certain. For example, they might have threatened the family and taken them out, and then the remaining people searched the room."
Still, Lee Yuri's expression was a little firmer than before.
"Hmm, first, I think I need to check the surroundings. Sophia, please examine the room further with Lee Yuri."
"Yes!!"
Leaving them inside the house, I went outside.
"Squinty Shadow Lord! Squinty Shadow Lord! Squinty Shadow Lord!!"
*Whoosh—!*
"Whoa! I'm really fast!!"
"Unnie! Unnie! Unnie! Me toooo!!!"
"Whoaaah!! Do it again! Again!!"
The neighborhood children were all clinging to Im Gaeul.
And amidst them, Im Gaeul, with a solemn expression, covered half of her face.
"Carrying black karma on my back, with the power of the Black Flame Dragon—feet that can run faster than anyone else..."
I looked at her, and an incredulous laugh escaped me.
"...Senior, what are you doing?"
"The hatred of the world—eh!? *Gah!?*"
As if caught in an embarrassing act, Im Gaeul's face turned beet red.
Normally, I could have just found such a silly act cute, but now was not the time.
"...In a situation where Gukbap's family might have been kidnapped. Are you playing right now?"
"J-Junior! I-I wasn't playing! It was investigation!! R-really!!"
At that, Im Gaeul stammered, as if trying to clear up a misunderstanding.
"Investigation?"
No, it was hard to believe.
I looked at her with eyes full of distrust.
"...I-I asked the kids at first, but they were too wary, so I j-just... to lower their guard, I started playing with them, and I just g-got a little too into it!"
Im Gaeul whispered to me in a small voice.
"Hmm?"
"It seems like these kids come here to play every day... I thought maybe they might have seen something suspicious and could tell me..."
'She was doing a better job than I thought?'
I looked at Im Gaeul with renewed admiration.
"...Junior, your gaze is a little strange."
"So, did you find anything?"
"Ah, huh? Uh, yes! J-just a moment!"
Im Gaeul patted the head of a boy clinging to her head.
"Hey there, little one. Did you happen to see any evil forces entering this house?"
"Evil forces?"
"Your unnie is 'Squinty Shadow Lord,' the hero who defeats villains!"
'Doesn't she get embarrassed saying things like that herself...?'
However, those words were truly effective on the child.
"...The hero of justice! S-Squinty Shadow Lord!"
"Yeah, yeah, someone you don't usually see. Did you see anyone unusual?"
"Someone I don't usually see and is unusual?"
The little boy thought hard, then stared intently at Jin Yu-ha in front of him.
"Ah, no! This hyung is Squinty Shadow Lord's comrade! I'm talking about someone else!"
"Oh! The four women who came here this morning?"
My eyes snapped open.
Four women.
It perfectly matched the traces I had seen in Lee Yuri's house.
I felt a slight urgency, so I asked the child directly.
"Were there any other distinguishing features, perhaps? Like, were they one-eyed, or limping? Or did they call out a name...?"
As if thinking, 'Surely a child like this wouldn't know such specific details,' Im Gaeul looked at me with an incredulous expression.
"Aha!"
"Oh! The other women who came with them called her Hyeji! Hyeji!"
"...There was one?"
"...Hyeji, you say...?"
Suddenly, from behind me, a chilling voice spoke.
When I turned my head, Lee Yuri was there, her face contorted into a fierce grimace.
"Th-that bitch...?"
At her intense reaction, I paused to think who Hyeji was.
My eyes widened.
"Ah, don't tell me...?"
Now a faint memory,
My first meeting with Lee Yuri.
The memory of when we were clearing the E-rank dungeon, Carmella's Forest, with her party.
Back then, Lee Yuri's party originally had one damage dealer.
And when she deserted, I had luckily filled her spot as a substitute.
'That deserted damage dealer... Wasn't her name Hyeji?'