Chapter 64

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]

Chapter 64: Mission Preparation (2)

Two days later, Kwon Hanul boarded a private jet for the mission.

“We’ll begin the briefing now.”

Inside the flying aircraft, Joo Hayun addressed the two of them.

She pressed a small remote in her hand, and a large screen hanging from the ceiling lit up with information.

“The client is the Takamine Clan. They’re renowned for running a general hospital specialized in hunters. I'm sure you've both heard of them.”

To say they’d merely heard of it often would be an understatement—they heard about it all the time.

Missing limbs, poisoning, curses—you name it.

The Takamine Hunter General Hospital was famous for being able to handle any injury or illness that could happen in a dungeon.

Famous hunters from around the world would always head to the Takamine Hospital after finishing a dungeon raid.

“The request is to stop a villain from Pandemonium.”

Pandemonium.

An underground hunter organization known to only accept the most heinous and vicious villains from around the globe.

Just being affiliated with them was enough to prove someone’s strength and brutality.

“The villain from Pandemonium has made the following demand: the Takamine Clan is to hand over one of their relics—the Coffin of Taechung.”

The Takamine Hospital owed its current prestige to its relics.

For generations, the Takamine Clan had imported relics related to healing.

Even low-grade, unimpressive ones—they spared no expense collecting them. And among them, one turned out to be a jackpot.

The Coffin of Taechung.

A rare relic said to regenerate the body just by lying in it. Depending on how it's used, it could even bring about a complete transformation of the body and soul—a literal "rebirth".

Thanks to this Coffin, the Takamine Hunter General Hospital had risen to its current stature.

And now someone wanted them to just hand it over? There was no way they’d agree to that.

“The Pandemonium villain warned that if the relic isn’t delivered by the agreed time, they’ll disrupt the succession ceremony.”

The deadline he gave was today—right around the time Kwon Hanul was expected to arrive.

“The Takamine Clan tried to hire hunters to stop him, but everyone turned them down the moment they heard the name Pandemonium.”

Pandemonium was, in a way, the global ranking board for evil.

Just being a member showed how brutal and powerful one was.

Where would you even find someone brave—or strong—enough to go up against that?

“That’s why they came to us—Hyukcheon.”

“And Hyukcheon accepted?”

“The previous head of the Takamine Clan and Chairman Kwon Seonwoo were close—close enough to be called dear friends.”

Kwon Hanul blinked.

If it was a friend’s family, then this mission must hold personal meaning for Kwon Seonwoo. It was unexpected that he’d entrust such a responsibility to him.

“This succession ceremony—who’s it for?”

“It’s for Takamine Ryoko, the eldest daughter of the clan.”

Three years ago, the head of the Takamine Clan died in an accident.

By custom, Takamine Ryoko should have inherited the clan and the hospital, but she was a minor at the time, so the succession was postponed.

“Hayun unni!”

Mei Hong raised her hand. Joo Hayun looked at her, signaling her to go ahead.

“Do we have any info on the Pandemonium villain?”

“I was just getting to that.”

Joo Hayun pressed the remote again. A young man’s face appeared on the screen.

“His name is Ferdrance.”

Kwon Hanul studied the man’s face. Strong, defined eyebrows and tanned skin—features typical of Latin descent—stood out.

“He’s a member of Pandemonium, and his specialty is poison-based skills.”

“Ugh, poison?”

Mei Hong grimaced. It was understandable. Poison-type skills were not only hard to counter but left lasting effects even after battle. Most people preferred to avoid such opponents entirely.

Suddenly, Kwon Hanul spoke up.

“Wait… Ferdrance—is he the one who killed all those people in Nepal?”

“Yes. Three years ago, at a national airport in Nepal, he turned over a thousand people into pools of blood in an instant. Just because he was annoyed about waiting in line.”

There was no other word for it—it was insane.

“Nepal mobilized all its hunters to try and capture him, but instead, Ferdrance killed them all and fled across the border.”

The entire incident was broadcast worldwide. The scene was utterly horrifying.

“Since then, Ferdrance has been an internationally wanted criminal and joined Pandemonium. He’s still at large to this day.”

He was the one they had to face now.

Kwon Hanul’s shoulders trembled slightly—not from fear.

But from a thrill stirring deep inside.

“Notably, he’s known to forcibly enslave multiple hunters to serve under him.”

“How is that even possible?” Kwon Hanul asked.

Joo Hayun responded immediately, “He threatens them using latent poison.”

“Like... ‘If you don’t take the antidote on time, you’ll die’?”

Joo Hayun nodded.

“These are photos sent by the Takamine Clan.”

The screen changed again, showing a cargo ship and what seemed to be its interior.

The ship’s floor was soaked in blood. Amid the gore, blackened bones could be seen.

“This was discovered early this morning at a Japanese port. It’s believed that Ferdrance and his subordinates arrived in Japan via that ship.”

“So we could be attacked as soon as we arrive?”

“It’s unlikely. Ferdrance said he’d act on the day of the succession ceremony. A Pandemonium villain wouldn’t break their own word.”

Even villains, it seemed, had their own twisted sense of pride. Joo Hayun believed he wouldn’t break his promise.

“Still, it doesn’t hurt to be cautious. Once we arrive, we’ll check the mansion’s security first.”

“Please do.”

The briefing continued for some time after that.

Eventually, the plane arrived in Japan.

After landing at the Japanese airport, Kwon Hanul rode in a vehicle sent by the Takamine Clan.

As they headed toward the Takamine mansion, Hanul mentally reviewed the plan.

First, meet the Takamine heir Ryoko to explain the plan. Then inspect the mansion’s security system.

But things started to go off course from the very beginning.

“You’ll have to wait about an hour.”

The attendant’s words irked Hanul.

He had arrived precisely at the time the Takamine Clan had requested.

And now they were late? By a whole hour?

“Is Miss Takamine not here?”

“She’s here, but… she said she still has things to prepare.”

Hanul’s annoyance deepened. So it wasn’t some unavoidable emergency—they just weren’t ready yet?

“Excuse me. This is kind of unacceptable, don’t you think?”

“I agree completely.”

Mei Hong and Joo Hayun spoke up in Hanul’s stead, their anger clear. The attendant panicked.

“M-my apologies. I’ll inform her again right away—”

“No, it’s fine. We’ll just wait.”

Hanul stopped the maid.

“You said it’ll take about an hour? Can we look around the mansion in the meantime?”

“Yes, of course.”

The maid nodded quickly.

Hanul led the two women out of the room. As soon as they stepped outside, Mei Hong protested.

“Why’d you stop her? They begged us to come and now they’re making you wait?”

“This is incredibly disrespectful.”

Even Joo Hayun was quietly fuming. Hanul gave a wry smile and calmed them down.

“We can chew her out after we meet her. We need to inspect the security anyway—this just changes the order of things a bit.”

The two nodded, though reluctantly.

“Let’s start with the outside of the mansion.”

“Not the inside?”

“It’s better to ask someone familiar with the layout before checking the interior. There could be hidden passages we can’t spot with the naked eye.”

That was Joo Hayun’s opinion, and it made sense. Hanul nodded in agreement.

* * *

“This estate isn’t too large—just the right size. I think I can cover the entire area with magic.”

At those words, Kwon Hanul couldn’t help but be a little dumbfounded.

The Takamine estate was surrounded by a spacious garden. Sure, compared to the Hyukcheon family, it might be a drop in the bucket, but that didn’t change the fact that it was still vast.

He didn’t know much about magic, but covering all this ground within the range of a single spell couldn't be an easy feat.

“There aren’t any large trees in the garden. From the rooftop, you’d be able to spot anyone trying to sneak in.”

Mei Hong chimed in.

She had gone through various training sessions back in the Mei family. She had at least some knowledge of both assassination methods and how to counter them.

Kwon Hanul walked a bit further in.

And then—

“Hm?”

Behind a boxwood hedge trimmed into a square like a fence, he spotted a girl.

She was holding a large pair of garden shears, snipping away at the branches sticking out awkwardly.

With every clip of the shears, her shoulder-length bob swayed slightly.

“A gardener?”

He muttered without thinking—but that clearly wasn’t it.

She was far too young to be a gardener. And there was something strangely refined about her presence.

She seemed to genuinely enjoy tending the garden, even humming a tune as she worked.

After trimming the boxwood into shape, the girl moved to the side—

That’s when she locked eyes with Kwon Hanul.

“Oh?”

Her eyes widened slightly.

“Who might you all be?”

“We’re from Hyukcheon.”

“Hyukcheon? Ah... then you must be Kwon Hanul. And behind you—that must be Joo Hayun and Mei Hong?”

She rattled off all three names instantly. Kwon Hanul immediately sensed that she wasn’t an ordinary person.

“Pardon me, but who are you?”

“Oh! I should’ve introduced myself first.”

She set the shears down beside her, tidied up her clothes, and bowed politely.

“I’m Takamine Ryoko, soon to be the successor of the Takamine family.”

Now it was Kwon Hanul’s turn for his eyes to widen.

He hadn’t expected to meet Takamine Ryoko here, of all places.

“You had us wait while you were out here trimming the garden?”

Mei Hong’s voice had a sharp edge. She was clearly scolding Takamine Ryoko for making them wait.

“Wait? What do you mean?”

But Takamine Ryoko looked genuinely confused.

“I just found out you arrived... Ah—Nana must’ve made that decision on her own again.”

She murmured to herself knowingly, then bowed her head once more.

“I apologize. As the heir to the Takamine family, my response was inadequate.”

Since Takamine Ryoko offered a sincere apology first, it was hard to press her further.

Still, the name “Nana” stuck in Kwon Hanul’s mind.

“Let’s head inside. I’ll show you in myself.”

Kwon Hanul followed Takamine Ryoko toward the estate. They were nearly at the entrance—

“Miss Ryoko! Miss Ryoko!”

A woman came rushing out with a flurry of footsteps.

She had her hair tied in a round bun and wore circular glasses. Her tightly pursed lips and deep frown lines gave her a highly irritable air.

“Where on earth have you been?! I told you to stay inside today!”

“I noticed the garden trees had grown too much.”

“You should’ve left that to the gardeners! What if people start saying the Takamine heir is running around with oversized shears like a common laborer?!”

The woman continued to berate Ryoko relentlessly. To anyone unfamiliar, it would’ve looked like she was the master of the house.

“Nana, I understand. I’ll be more careful from now on.”

Takamine Ryoko responded with a constant, calm smile throughout the scolding.

“Honestly, what would you do without me? …And who are these three?”

Only then did the woman notice Kwon Hanul and the others.

“We’re from Hyukcheon.”

At Kwon Hanul’s answer, the woman frowned.

“Hyukcheon? I told you to wait inside. Why are you outside?”

“We were surveying the estate for security purposes.”

“I’m pretty sure I clearly told you to wait inside, didn’t I?”

Kwon Hanul’s expression hardened—but not because of the woman.

It was due to the killing intent radiating from behind him—from Joo Hayun and Mei Hong.

“Nana, that’s enough. What are you doing, scolding an honored guest who’s come all this way because of me?”

Takamine Ryoko intervened at just the right moment. The woman clamped her mouth shut, albeit reluctantly.

“...Well, I suppose your timing is just right. The others have arrived too.”

With that, she turned and headed back inside.

Once she was gone, Takamine Ryoko let out a sigh of relief.

“Who was that?”

“Oh, Nana... Her full name is Goriki Nana. She’s someone I’m deeply grateful to—she’s been supporting me until I came of age.”

Hmm.

Kwon Hanul touched his chin.

Since Ryoko’s succession had been delayed due to her being a minor, it made sense that someone like Nana would’ve acted as a guardian in the meantime.

So that’s why she’s so domineering?

But something felt off. It wasn’t just that she was acting in a guardian’s role—she behaved as if she were the head of the household herself.

“Let’s go inside.”

Kwon Hanul followed Ryoko into the estate.

And inside—he saw a familiar face.

“H-Hanul... H-have you been well?”

Waiting for him were Kwon Hudon and his team.

[Translator - Helga ]

[Proofreader - Starfall ]