◈ Episode 230. The Snout of Doom (2)

It was a strange thing.

“……?”

It was a work account from his days at Cosmo.

Even Park Minjae had forgotten about it until the notification popped up. Now that Cosmo had reorganized into AAU, even the usual spam hadn’t arrived.

“Reply? Who?”

But the moment he saw the sender.

“!”

Park Minjae remembered.

A memory from the past.

It was this account.

This was the account from which he had sent a long list of criticisms about the operational structure of Arcana and Cosmo to Raymond Sean, the CEO. This was a reply to that email.

I gritted my teeth.

“You’re an asshole.”

I was not pleased.

Raymond Sean.

Since his disappearance, the Cataclysm had begun.

I still felt a surge of anger at the thought of those who’d died in the cataclysm and the rift.

It was personal, too.

“Do you know how hard we worked?”

Even if it was in the past now.

In the early days of the cataclysm.

Cosmo employees were treated as accomplices to Raymond Sean and subjected to all sorts of surveillance.

Even if it was a misunderstanding, I still haven’t been able to get rid of the feeling I had at that time and the guilt that I couldn’t be of any help.

So Park gritted his teeth.

“You made a mistake.”

Now, Raymond Sean was the worst war criminal in human history, wanted by every country in the world.

Considering the superhuman abilities of the players, Raymond Sean himself would be no ordinary man.

But don’t ignore the science.

It’s not hard to trace a signal back to its sender. For the first time since the Cataclysm, we have a chance to track him down.

But.

“……!”

When Park saw the contents of the email, he couldn’t help but freeze.

His target wasn’t him.

Park muttered.

“You’re so fucking sly as ever.”

It was a simple one-liner.

──────

I want to meet with player Lee Hoyeol.

──────

It really looks like a snake.

“Damn.”

Park Minjae agonized.

What if he reported this to the AAU instead of letting himself be swayed by Raymond Sean? The whole world would immediately be trying to track down Raymond Sean’s location.

‘……I wonder if Raymond will see that?’

By now, attempts to track him down had been ongoing, with little success.

He might as well just disappear once again, which would be easy.

“Ha ha. Fucking asshole.”

Park Minjae spat out a laugh.

You didn’t send me a message for nothing, did you?

This asshole.

“You’re touching my half-bone temperament.”

Even if the other person is your boss.

Even if it’s AAU rules.

Park Minjae’s temper tantrums were always about what he thought was right.

Park Minjae immediately pulled out his smartphone.

“Yeah, I’ll hit you again.”

He immediately dialed the number…….

“After all, it’s not polite to make a sudden call, is it?”

He muttered and hastily composed a text.

Sure enough.

The recipient was Hoyeol, not AAU.

“Whoa-”

The text was sent.

Park Minjae let out a sigh as the tension eased.

Ding!

A reply from Hoyeol arrived immediately.

“Burr, already?”

Park Minjae knew a little about Hoyeol’s daily routine.

With a little bit of lying, you won’t have enough time to hide…….

Isn’t this a straight answer?

Park Minjae checks the reply in surprise.

“……?”

A question mark appeared on Park’s face.

It was inevitable.

The reply was only four letters long.

-I guessed it. (짐작했다)

“Gee, you guessed it? How?”

I couldn’t have been more shocked.

*

I’m less shocked now that I’ve prepared myself.

I dropped a big mouth in advance.

My head was spinning with the shock of the information.

“Raymond.”

Probably the cause of the cataclysm.

There’s no one on the planet who likes Raymond Sean.

I hate you, Raymond Sean, because I hate you!

Because, if it weren’t for you, I would have…….

‘I won’t have to worry about dark or shameful history!’

Of course, the same goes for Grandfell.

“Like I said.”

Why, after my duel with Sword Saint Shegwin.

The moment my Colosseum duel with Shegwin was embedded as a video on the official Arcana website. A duel with circumstances too complicated to explain in words, turned into a mere spectacle.

“I see no pride in your demeanor.”

That’s because Grandfell was in a state of deep resentment.

Or so I thought.

I remember what I said.

-“I look forward to our meeting one day.”

Sure enough, I said it.

‘Anyway, I’m looking forward to this meeting for a lot of reasons.’

If Grandfell is someone who has to make his words come true, then making a meeting come true is not enough. Because we might be able to find a way to return to the Arcana Continent.

“Please don’t let me down.”

I said coldly for a moment.

I manifested a portal.

The coordinates were the AAU Korea Branch.

It was Park Minjae, the Korean branch leader, who had brought me the news of Raymond Sean.

I needed to talk to him first.

Gooooooo!

In the glow of the receding portal.

I could see Minjae Park’s back.

He seems to be in the middle of a conversation with someone.

In the glow of the portal, one word stuck out in my ear.

” ……So, I wonder if he is an ‘asshole’ or not.”

Wait a minute, asshole……?

Was he talking about me?

Was I in some sort of thief-in-the-making situation?

But Grandfell is less of a thief.

It was more like a tiger that appeared when I spoke.

I took a step toward Park Minjae.

Ttogak-

“Uh, uh, uh, uh, uh?!”

The man who was talking to Park Minjae blinked.

“……What’s wrong with you all of a sudden?!”

Park Minjae’s face twists as he looks back.

He looks like he just saw a tiger.

I think he was really talking about me behind my back.

But I understand.

‘I’m an asshole, and I’m sure I look like one.’

Consider my history.

-“There’s nothing formal about you.”

-“Therefore.”

-“I’m not taking any questions.”

In the past, with reporters.

-“You’re out of order.”

I was the one who instilled formality into the Arcana rankers.. Of course, that doesn’t mean Grandfell is the kind of person who would accuse someone of talking behind their back.

……However, the problem may be that he has a personality that goes beyond imagination in many ways. Yes. I have made fun of the snout of destruction once again.

I said, coldly, with a straight face.

“I hope the documents are prepared according to the six-down rule.”

“……, yes, what documents?”

“……Documents from the branch leader to the general manager?”

Park Minjae asked, and the man rolled his eyes.

I’m the general manager of Yusra.

You seem to misunderstand that you are a secret power in the AAU Korea branch. However, a document is just a fancy way of saying Granfell, meaning a text message that has just been exchanged.

‘I’ve been doing it.’

You pay attention to formality even in letters, Grandfell.

But circumstances are circumstances.

Sometimes you have to be flexible.

“But since it was unexpected, I’ll take it into consideration.”

Park Minjae replied lamely.

“Thank you, I will correct it next time!”

You don’t need to correct it, Mr. Park, because it’s Grandfell’s stubbornness.

Rather, I will correct it from next time.

Shouldn’t we hope there’s no next time?

“Then, I’ll tell you what happened according to the sixth principle.”

The branch leader’s office.

I listened to Park Minjae’s story there.

As I listened, I thought.

Why, around me, there are…….

‘Do you think there are only bad people around me?’

You ran over the CEO?

What a big liver you have!

As an adult, Lee Hoyeol could never have imagined such a thing.

‘No, I can imagine it.’

Why, right after I awakened as a player.

I was the one who handed in my resignation early because I imagined that if I went to work like this, I would throw coffee in my manager’s face. I had that kind of empathy.

“I understood your pride.”

Except for me, a small citizen, the two of you communicate well.

“Thank you!”

The enemy of my enemy is an ally.

It’s Grandfell, who doesn’t like Raymond Sean.

I can’t believe he attacked Raymond before he could show his true colors.

I understand why generous words are being said.

‘By the way.’

General manager of the Yusra branch and a member of the AAU.

I’m the kind of person who doesn’t take on anything lightly, even if it means sinking.

Thanks to this, I know every single one of the AAU’s rules.

‘Even when he broke the rules, he informed me first.’

Park Minjae hasn’t forgotten his explanation either.

“Raymond, I thought there must be a reason why he wanted to meet with General Manager Lee Hoyeol. I was relieved when I received a text from the general manager saying that you had guessed, and that I hadn’t made a mistake.”

……Actually, that guess wasn’t this guess.

In any case, we will find out even if we face each other.

No need to correct it.

“Finally, he added that he would like to arrange a meeting in advance.”

Set up a meeting.

Raymond, you must have heard my rumors.

Well, if you don’t know, you’re a spy.

Especially Baek Yiseol.

No, when I was making a succubus freak out.

I mean, it was just one article after another.

‘I wonder if my eldest sister would have called me.’

In that sense, you’re trying to be formal, Raymond.

I am currently on leave of absence from the Magic Tower and the Kingdom of Yusra.

I had plenty of time to make an appointment.

‘Under normal circumstances, I would have taken it.’

Time, or even place, doesn’t matter.

As a manifesting portal, distance doesn’t matter.

But the problem would be that the appointment was with Raymond Sean.

I opened my mouth to speak.

“I understand your consideration.”

“Consideration? That’s undeserved.”

“But I do expect you to be more disciplined from now on.”

“……, what do you mean, discipline?”

‘Raymond Sean, I think you’re sorely mistaken.’

You don’t think I’m just going to go along with your request.

I’m telling you.

Me and Grandfell are not giving up anything.

Not even pride.

For the sake of our promise to you.

There will be no compromise with our discipline.

I continued.

“As of this time, by the discipline of the AAU.”

“…… I’m listening.”

“To specify the location of Raymond Sean.”

“!”

Park’s eyes widened.

“That was something I considered, but……. thought there was a risk that Raymond Sean might escape. Even if we can pinpoint his location, it’s only a matter of time before he figures out the trace back to us……. I don’t think we can realistically expect to catch him…….”

“You really think so?”

“……!”

Park Minjae’s eyes widened even more.

It was as if he had been struck by a thunderbolt.

Park Minjae barely managed to spit out a laugh.

“I felt stupid, what was I thinking……!”

Yes, it seems to have finally clicked.

Ttogak─

The sound of my footsteps is louder than any other sound.

And not from a distance.

Why was it heard right behind my back?

An unreal appearance.

Portal manifestation.

‘It’s because of magic.’

Ttogak─

A dazed Park Minjae bowed to me.

“Thank you for waking me up.”

I was already feeling proud inside.

It’s very embarrassing to be greeted like this in public.

But I don’t feel bad about it.

“I’ll do as you say and follow the rules.”

Why is he so excited?

Maybe it’s because his problem has been solved.

As a branch leader, he must have been agonizing over breaking the rules.

‘After all, I’m glad I quit my job.’

The weight of society is enormous.

While I was feeling compassion.

I heard a small muttering to myself.

“I can finally give you a proper punch.”

……No, you were just excited to pay off Raymond Sean.

I’ll say it again, I guess it’s because we’re together.

I don’t know how people like this gather together, really.

But I do know one thing for sure.

‘Raymond Sean, you’ve touched the wrong person.’

Humanity, the Arcana, my past.

There will be consequences.

Somehow, he’s confident he can hide.

“The source has been captured!”

It’s troublesome if you look down on me.

[Science] of tracking the origin of a message.

And 『Magic, Portal』 manifests the origin as coordinates.

Gooooo─

This means that you should give up any thoughts of running away from [『Anomaly』].

A flurry of light.

In the brightening vision, I opened my mouth.

“I refuse any form of hospitality.”

Even if it’s green tea in tea bags that cost 300 won each.

With the intention of resolutely refusing.

I stepped through the portal.

Ah, it was ‘there’.