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chapter 96
Sarang tried to bite Katie Hunt, but Katie didn’t die or anything like that.
Sarang hated seeing anyone bleed in front of her owner, Lee Ha-eun.
In other words, if Ha-eun hadn’t been there, Katie Hunt would have been chewed to death by Sarang’s teeth.
Grrr…
“(…Eek?!)”
And Katie Hunt seemed to fully grasp that she could have really died if she made a mistake—every time Sarang’s eyes landed on her, she flinched in terror.
“Hmph!”
It seemed that Ha-eun was genuinely angry at Katie Hunt, as she kept Sarang summoned—but not in puppy form, in the form of Fenrir.
Thanks to that, whenever Katie Hunt tried to speak, she ended up flinching constantly, and no conversation could progress.
“…Ha. I’ll apologize on her behalf.”
An Oracle subordinate, who briefly gave Katie Hunt a pitying glance, lowered her head as if performing her role as a secretary.
“So… could you please… get that wolf away?”
“Hmph!”
She politely requested it of Ha-eun, but Ha-eun didn’t even acknowledge her.
Then she glanced at Yeon Mi-rae, who was in the position of Ha-eun’s guardian, as if asking for help…
“……”
Yeon Mi-rae also chose silence.
After all, the rudeness had been Katie Hunt’s fault in the first place. There was no reason for them to yield.
‘That’s not the only problem.’
The real issue was that Katie Hunt had come to meet them in the first place.
Even if prior consultation had taken place, Katie Hunt had quietly arrived in Korea and then demanded, without hesitation, to meet Ha-eun.
There was no reason for the Iron-Blood Guild to comply with such a request.
“…Ha…”
Knowing this, the Oracle’s subordinate let out a helpless sigh.
She must have been frustrated. Regardless of the Oracle’s objective, if Katie Hunt remained terrified of Sarang and couldn’t act, achieving that objective would be difficult.
‘Now, how will this play out?’
Ha-eun revealing Sarang’s Fenrir form in front of others was something unplanned—a spontaneous act even I hadn’t anticipated—but in the end, it wasn’t a bad thing.
Now that it was clear Ha-eun was Fenrir’s owner, the Oracle, watching through the camera, couldn’t just remain passive.
‘Normally, I’d leave it to the subordinate on-site to decide…’
But the appearance of Fenrir wasn’t something the on-site subordinate could judge.
‘So, somehow, the subordinate here will receive instructions.’
Whether to take Katie Hunt back to the hotel, apologize while stalling for time, or push for extra information—they’d receive minimal guidance on what action to take.
‘(It’s the Oracle’s instructions. Hide your expression and listen carefully.)’
Exactly.
As expected, I felt someone giving instructions to the Oracle’s subordinate standing in front of us.
‘Interesting.’
And the method was very familiar to me.
‘Transmission of sound into secrecy (Jeoneumipmil, 傳音入密).’
It was slightly modified, but it was definitely the transmission I had created and used.
[Trying to use Jeoneumipmil in front of the person who created it? Bold move.]
[Among the many techniques stored in the database per the Awakener system, Jeoneum was included.]
I surmised that the Oracle’s terrorist organization had found information on Jeoneumipmil in the Awakener database, then modified it for use.
Even so, the original form of Jeoneumipmil remained, and the modified method was familiar to me.
‘They altered it using a ritual. The method… is imitating a god delivering an oracle.’
Although a one-way transmission, I assumed this method was chosen to send secret messages. Oracles are typically only heard by specific individuals, like priests or clerics.
Thus, in this case, only the Oracle’s subordinate could hear it, and no one else would notice.
‘Unfortunately, I’m here, so their goal wasn’t achieved.’
Jeoneumipmil is a type of sound technique.
‘I’m not very skilled in sound techniques either…’
I had used it the first time I went to the dungeon with Yeon Mi-rae.
[However, I only had the framework down; the technique’s mastery wasn’t high, so I supplemented with incantation magic.]
Since it was only the basic framework, eavesdropping on the transmission to the Oracle’s subordinate was the limit.
Still, if I had developed my sound technique fully, it might have been possible not only to intercept the transmission but to trace its sender.
‘…If only using sound techniques…’
Simply tracing the transmission would be difficult, but tracing the ritual used to modify it wasn’t impossible.
‘If they used an oracle to send messages down, the reverse should be possible too.’
If a god communicated with humans, humans would perform rituals and offer sacrifices.
‘And if you sent a powerful explosive via the offering… that would be very interesting.’
The person who sent the transmission to the one in front of us probably wasn’t the Oracle directly, but someone very close to them.
This means a bomb could be metaphorically dropped right at their headquarters. But that’s for later.
‘(The plan to plant a bug in Ha-eun via Katie Hunt continues, but I’ll modify the method slightly.)
A bug. Not an ordinary one… perhaps a gu poison?
‘(While all eyes are on Katie Hunt, you plant the bug yourself.)’
“……”
Even the Oracle’s subordinate seemed a bit shaken by this transmission.
‘Don’t worry. You’re not an Awakener, so even if the bug is discovered, no one will think you did it.)’
Hmm. So they’re pinning the crime on Katie Hunt?
It seems Katie Hunt has no real connection to the Oracle’s organization—or at least, not a close one.
“……”
After all the instructions via transmission ended, the Oracle’s subordinate carefully looked at Katie Hunt.
For her, Katie Hunt had to attract attention to make things easier.
“(Ms. Katie?)”
“(…Huh?)”
“(It seems Ms. Katie should apologize personally.)”
“(Ha… but…)”
Katie Hunt hesitated, making sure not to look at Sarang, then spoke to Ha-eun:
“Um… I’m sorry…”
An apology. But it didn’t seem sincere—just a way to get out of the situation.
Ha-eun’s expression twisted.
“…Ma’am. Is that supposed to be an apology?”
“Ugh…! No, it’s just…!”
Ha-eun exuded magic, mixed with her aura. She was clearly angry.
‘And she unconsciously emits aura too…’
Fortunately, no one present except Yeon Mi-rae and me could distinguish her aura from her magic.
Ha-eun’s magic suppressed Katie Hunt’s magic. Ha-eun’s aura weighed down Katie Hunt’s body.
“Ugh?!”
Even as a great magician, Katie couldn’t act under suppressed magic. With Ha-eun’s aura pressing down, she had no choice but to yield.
Then…
Whoosh!
“(Aaaah?!)”
Something black swung, and the Oracle’s subordinate screamed.
Her arm below the elbow vanished.
“Trying something, huh.”
The one who erased her arm was Yeon Mi-rae. Holding the severed arm, she spread her hand and said:
“What were you trying to do with this bug, hmm?”
She released her magic to prevent the bug the Oracle’s subordinate was hiding from acting.
This meant…
“(Ah….)”
The plan to plant a bug in Ha-eun failed, and the culprit was obvious—no way to deny it.
The Oracle’s subordinate was desperate.
‘Did I do well?’
‘Yes, well done.’
Meanwhile, Yeon Mi-rae and I exchanged transmissions. I had eavesdropped on the Oracle’s subordinate’s transmission and relayed it to her.
Thus, while Katie Hunt made her insincere apology and Ha-eun got angry, Yeon Mi-rae focused on the Oracle’s subordinate, not Katie.
Thanks to that, she could sever the arm in time.
‘This woman is impressive.’
‘Indeed. If I hadn’t eavesdropped and realized the target was Ha-eun and the executor was this woman…’
We might not have realized she did something at all. Her actions were subtle and natural. Being a non-Awakener, we hadn’t been wary of her.
‘In that case, couldn’t the master remove the bug?’
‘Sure. Gu poison is famous, so we know how to handle it. Even if theirs was stronger, I could still remove it.’
So even if the plan succeeded, it wouldn’t be a big problem.
While we discussed this, an Iron-Blood Guild member brought a glass jar and placed the bug captured by Yeon Mi-rae inside.
“(……)”
Seeing this, Katie Hunt bowed her head. She didn’t deny it, indicating it wasn’t related to her.
“First, we’ll arrest you and send a report to the British side.”
Brace yourself. Even a great magician couldn’t cover this up. Yeon Mi-rae said it firmly.
But…
[Ah, no need.]
“?”
A familiar voice came nearby.
[I saw everything that happened over there through the camera.]
Everyone turned toward the voice.
There stood Ji-hyung, holding a laptop.
[(Going abroad and doing such a thing… Even if you hadn’t, prison was inevitable.)]
The laptop screen showed Arthur and William, the head of the London Awakeners’ Association.
“(…Prison?)”
[(Evidence proves you cooperated in smuggling. Enough that terrorists could infiltrate Britain.)]
“(!)”
Katie Hunt’s face went pale.
[(After punishment in Korea, returning to Britain… you’ll spend your life on a prison ship, battling sea monsters.)]
“(No…! I can’t…!)”
[(Oh, there’ll be criminals you captured on that ship too. A reunion of sorts.)]
“(Don’t joke…! I can’t… Ugh…!)”
When Katie Hunt tried to escape, Yeon Mi-rae struck her neck, knocking her out.
Thud.
As Katie Hunt collapsed, William on the laptop sighed:
[(Ha… Anyway, thank you Korean Awakeners for your cooperation.)]
And then:
[(We apologize for the troubles caused by our foolish British magician.)]
William, the Awakeners’ Association head, bowed on-screen.
