Chapter 36

As the son of a wolf and the sixth S-class Hunter in South Korea, 'Baekrang' was a well-known figure, but ironically, Siwoo was not a celebrity. While it was widely known that he was the only son of the wolf's master, Shin Gwihoon, his personal information, such as his face, was not public knowledge. Therefore, even though Siwoo recognized Minju, Minju could not have identified him just by looking at his face.

"From the way you saw through my trick, it seems you're quite a capable grade. Which guild are you from?"

However, it seemed that Minju had already noticed that Siwoo was an Awakened and a Hunter long ago.

Clatter...

The table faintly trembled. The arrogant kid was shaking his leg.

Siwoo let out a small dry laugh at the sudden change in attitude, which was as easy as changing a mask, compared to how he treated Yehwa. It wasn't particularly surprising.

"It's quite touching that you gave me such high praise for seeing through such a shallow trick."

"Whatever. The state of Hunters these days is so messed up. It's worth praising to some extent."

The Trickster wiggled his fingers, which had stopped moving, and resumed folding the napkin. His small hands were quite dexterous. Without even looking at Siwoo, the Trickster moved his plump lips.

"Did you have something to talk about? Not really, I just got interested in someone with the same hobby. It's natural, right?"

"Same hobby?"

Siwoo slightly furrowed his brows. As far as he knew, Yehwa's hobbies were watching 90s pop music specials and classic movies.

'Could this green kid really have such hobbies?'

It was hard to believe. Therefore, he concluded that the kid was lying.

"Let me make one thing clear."

A strange atmosphere flowed between the two as the Trickster began speaking in a flat, calm voice.

"It would be best not to get too close to her."

Sss—

White frost formed on the glass in front of them. The air became chillingly cold, as if winter had suddenly arrived.

"Is that a warning? Or a threat?"

The Trickster laughed as if amused and tapped the frozen cup. He didn't seem intimidated at all.

"Do you know who I am?"

"I do. But so what?"

"You seem pretty confident facing the Legion. Brother, are you a wolf or something?"

"Maybe. Do I have to answer?"

Siwoo's response made the smile on the Trickster's lips disappear like smoke. A cold silence enveloped them again.

Tap, tap.

The sound of small fingernails hitting the ice cup was unusually loud.

"Ah, I get it."

The wandering gaze finally settled on the man opposite him. The Trickster's round eyes curved into a crescent moon.

"Seeing you go this far, brother, it seems you have a pretty deep relationship with that lady, huh?"

Deep relationship.

Was their relationship really that deep?

In fact, the answer was clear. Their relationship was simply a contractual one, nothing more, nothing less.

However, for some reason, he didn't want to say this simple fact out loud, especially not to this arrogant kid.

"Then what?"

The boy's cute lips curved into a smile as if he had been waiting for this response.

"Actually, that lady stole a gate that our Legion won in an auction."

"…What?"

A crack appeared on Siwoo's usually unshaken face.

Did I hear that wrong?

Stole a gate… what?

The Trickster, sensing his reaction, said with a playful smile:

"You're a Hunter, right? You should know. When a stealer appears in an auctioned gate, the guild has the right to apprehend and punish the stealer. The Association can't intervene in this matter."

"That's ridiculous."

Siwoo, who had briefly closed his eyes, opened them and spoke steadily.

"She's not the type to do something like that."

That's right. He was somewhat surprised by the news about the gate, but this was the truth.

Siwoo had no trust in the Trickster, whom he met for the first time today. It was a better judgment to trust his senior.

"Check for yourself. It's in her right front pocket. 'My' gate core."

However, the Trickster's attitude was strangely confident, as if he was telling the truth.

Of course, if everything he said was true, it would be a troublesome issue.

As the Trickster said, stealing an auctioned gate was considered a serious crime in the Hunter community.

In Yehwa's time, there was no system for auctioning or winning gates, so she might not know. If it really happened, it was his fault for not explaining it in detail.

But.

'No matter.'

Siwoo lifted his chin with a relaxed air.

"Wouldn't it be enough if she compensates for the gate core?"

Ask for any amount. I'll throw it at you and hope you take it and leave.

"No."

However, the Trickster grinned meaningfully, showing his sharp canines.

"Stealing a Legion's gate is a crime that can't be measured in money."

"…Then what do you want? Speak clearly."

"I want one thing."

The Trickster shrugged slightly and continued.

"I hope you stay out of it."

"…What?"

Siwoo's eyes turned fierce. However, the Trickster spoke lightly, without a care.

"I told you. I just got interested in someone with the same hobby."

"…."

"Proof? I didn't hold the lady who stole the gate core responsible. See? My teammates behind me didn't touch her either. I could have, but instead, I brought her here to eat gukbap."

The Trickster tapped the empty gukbap bowl. His curved lips revealed small, sharp canines.

"If you don't want this to escalate into a guild conflict, I recommend you pretend you don't know."

With that, the Trickster reached for the half-folded napkin. He hummed a tune while focusing on folding the napkin, looking like an ordinary boy, but Siwoo continued to watch him sharply.

Pretend you don't know.

It was a kind of threat. But Siwoo wasn't the type to be intimidated by a middle school kid.

It didn't matter if the other party was an S-class Hunter. He had no intention of losing to a kid with blood still on his face.

"Hey."

Just as Siwoo opened his mouth.

"Let's go."

Yehwa, who had returned, stood beside the table.

Suddenly, a frozen ice cup was reflected in Yehwa's pitch-black pupils. It was definitely lukewarm water before she went to the bathroom.

"…."

After staring at it for a while, Yehwa finally turned her head back to them.

From the outside, they didn't seem to have changed much.

"…Are you already done?"

Siwoo looked up at Yehwa. His words sounded like he wished she had come a little later.

"I've paid. Let's go."

Yehwa turned around. Then, Siwoo and Minju slowly got up from their seats.

But at that moment.

"…."

Siwoo's gaze was fixed on Yehwa's bulging pocket.

"Senior, what's in your pocket?"

"Oh, this."

Yehwa rummaged through her pocket nonchalantly. She pulled out something calmly—

"Gate core."

"…!"

Siwoo's eyes widened at the purple sphere.

'Meow.'

The Trickster, who suddenly caught his eye, stuck out his tongue defiantly from behind Yehwa.

"I was swept up in a burst gate on the way here. I defeated the boss and picked it up."

"A burst gate… you mean."

Now that he thought about it, his terminal had rung while he was waiting for her.

The crack that occurred at the H Hotel in Banha-dong.

Could she have been swept up there? How could anyone be 'accidentally' swept up in a burst gate? Unless the agents from the Association, police, and firefighters were just decorations, it was impossible.

"Yeah, a burst gate."

Yehwa nodded calmly, holding the gate core. Her indifferent attitude, which he had thought she was used to, left him speechless.

The Trickster's words were true.

How should he handle this? While he was deeply pondering this,

"What should we do with this?"

Yehwa suddenly held the gate core in front of Siwoo.

In Yehwa's time, the protocol was to submit any acquired gate cores to the higher-ups. And the current higher-up for Yehwa would be the wolf who hired her, Siwoo.

"That gate core—"

Just as Siwoo opened his mouth urgently,

Buzz—

A vibration sounded. It was Siwoo's phone.

Park Jee-hwi

010-XXXX-XXXX