ALL NOVEL Chapter 276
Chapter 276. Connection (5)
—However, we have a condition as well.
“Please go ahead.”
—We will deliver the items you just requested after we find Sian Pierce.
Angels Garden’s demand to fulfill their requirements only after locating Sian.
In a sense, it was a reasonable request.
We couldn’t hand over the items without even finding Sian first.
At that moment, Kim Si-hu spoke up.
“I have a question!”
—Yes.
“So what exactly does Angels Garden want from us?”
—We need to establish contact with Sian, who has gone to Grudia, or find out his whereabouts there.
“Is there any chance, even the slightest, that our Sian Pierce might have already… passed away?”
—…
Clark Hill fell silent at the worst-case scenario question.
What if Sian Pierce was found dead after establishing contact with Grudia?
How would that affect the final settlement of this transaction?
—We can send the Elixir.
“What if I request paper instead of the elixir?”
—That would be a bit difficult.
“So you’re saying you can’t give us the paper that was our second requirement?”
—That seems to be the case.
“But we can’t exactly save Sian’s life, can we?”
Kim Si-hu expressed his disappointment to Angels Garden, glancing at Yoo Ji-han’s face.
From the moment he received his first job application email from the hero from Keroes,
Kallem had risen to a significant standing, being able to have a private meeting with such a large guild as “Sweet Fun” led by Yoo Ji-han.
Yoo Ji-han had focused on the growth of the organization and party members and had hardly made any personal requests until now.
——I need that paper. I must have it.
But for some reason,
Yoo Ji-han intensely desired a certain treasure currently stored by Angels Garden.
He had seen the same item in Kallem, or so it was said.
‘Though I don’t know the details…’
Still, as a guild master, he wanted to retrieve it urgently.
—Then let’s add one more requirement. If Sian Pierce is dead, allow us to at least recover his body.
“You mean we should go to Grudia and bring back the body?”
—I didn’t necessarily mean you must go to another world…
Feigning innocence, Angels Garden indeed hoped Yoo Ji-han’s party would venture to another world to investigate Sian’s whereabouts.
At that, Lee Mi-a, who had been quietly listening, frowned and spoke up.
“That doesn’t add up. Going to another world has a lot of risks.”
Yoo Ji-han’s party had faced several crises even when things were going smoothly in Kallem.
Going to yet another different world was a decision that came with considerable risks.
They certainly had reasons to feel apprehensive.
“Is Angels Garden just a petty guild?”
—P-petty?
“It’s not just about one or two elixirs or treasures. You all must know this, right?”
—….
“You should have some conscience.”
Clark Hill bit his lip at Mi-a’s cutting remarks.
However, Mi-a, with her arms crossed, continued to express her dissatisfaction.
—Didn’t you return swiftly from Kallem?
“So you think that makes it easy?”
—It’s not that I think it’s easy. If you could head to Grudia and help…
“You think we’re a joke?”
—…!
Mi-a’s glare intensified.
They say that when a usually quiet person gets angry, they become even scarier.
Seeing the ominous glint in her eyes, Clark Hill immediately closed his mouth.
‘Did I underestimate them too much?’
Clark Hill carefully observed Mi-a’s gaze, who stood beyond the camera.
Thanks to Keroes’ aggressive overseas marketing, Angels Garden was among the guild members who knew her best.
Usually, Mi-a had an image of being composed, aside from her reckless fighting.
So he thought it wouldn’t be a problem, but apparently, he was wrong.
“……”
“……”
“……”
An awkward silence filled the meeting room.
Propping his chin on his hand, Yoo Ji-han quickly pondered.
‘The best course would be to establish contact with Sian Pierce.’
However, if he failed to contact Sian through the Dimension Phone or learned of Sian’s death,
he would have to go to Grudia personally to secure a paper from Angels Garden.
‘But I can’t go alone.’
As the party leader, he couldn’t just set out alone for a personal wish, leaving behind his party members.
Yet dragging the whole party to another world would carry considerable risk.
‘Though, it’s not like there aren’t any solutions.’
Counting on his fingers, Yoo Ji-han opened his mouth.
“Clark Hill Guild Master.”
—Yes.
“If we end up going to Grudia, let’s add a requirement.”
—What…?
“Completely open Angels Garden’s treasury and let us freely select 10 treasures from it.”
—W-what?! 10?!
Clark Hill’s mouth dropped open at the outrageous request for ten treasures.
What kind of space was Angels Garden’s treasury?
A space that wealthy individuals from around the world would pay to explore.
Even Rank 1 Hero Yoon Do-ha had expressed envy after visiting it.
A treasury that perfectly showcased Sian Pierce’s character as a treasure collector!
Asking to freely choose ten treasures from there was an unreasonable demand.
“Let’s say two treasures for each party member. That should be a pretty fair deal.”
—10 is too much! And I know that Sweet Fun’s Yoo Ji-han party is only 4 members!
“If you count Chilla, it’s 5 people.”
—Whoa! That’s nonsense…!
“Hey! Are you disrespecting Chilla? Should I call him to the meeting room?”
—No, not like that…
Clark Hill floundered about, seemingly flustered.
—Just a moment…
Once more, Angels Garden’s mic cut off.
Hushed discussions happened on the other side, with people wearing much more serious expressions than before.
In the similarly muted meeting room of Dice, Kim Si-hu cautiously spoke up.
“Ji-han, isn’t 10 too many?”
“It is too many. There’s no way they’ll give us 10.”
“So you were planning to lower it from the start?”
“Exactly.”
Yoo Ji-han confirmed Kim Si-hu’s question while watching the discussions in Angels Garden’s meeting room displayed on the large monitor.
When the mic was turned back on, it continued.
—We can open the treasury for you, but the number of treasures you can take is 5… no, let’s make it 6.
Yoo Ji-han reached an agreement that exceeded his expectations.
“Not bad at all.”
He simply didn’t show his satisfaction outwardly.
*
“I’ll look into Grudia through my mom’s friends.”
“I’ll contact you immediately if I find anything I can help with.”
“I’ll join in too.”
Wrapping up the meeting on a positive note, Yoo Ji-han exchanged farewells with his party members and left.
The time was late evening, with dark clouds hanging in the sky.
They intentionally held the meeting in the evening to sync with the time in Europe where Angels Garden was located.
‘Should I head home and do a little cleaning?’
Though Aunt Han Seo-in visited occasionally, dust lingered in the corners of the house.
Yoo Ji-han planned for a big clean-up as he made his way home.
“Hey? Aren’t you the Hero Yoo Ji-han?”
“Ahem. I think you’re mistaken.”
“You seem to be the one…”
Citizens stared curiously at Yoo Ji-han, half obscured by his face.
The Sylph that had been quietly resting in Yoo Ji-han’s pocket spoke up.
—No! It’s not Yoo Ji-han!
“Uh? What is this sound?”
“The sound feels like it’s trying to pound into my head…!”
“Sylph! That’s Sylph’s voice!”
“It really is Yoo Ji-han!”
Yoo Ji-han’s identity was blown as Sylph intervened.
People passing along the wide street rushed toward him.
“Wow, seeing Yoo Ji-han here!”
“Today is amazing.”
“Handshake! Just one handshake!”
“Please sign this for me!”
“He looks much better in person than on screen!”
A torrent of handshake and autograph requests flooded in his direction.
Not wanting to ignore all their pleas, Yoo Ji-han grabbed a pen with his right hand while shaking hands with someone else with his left.
But as the crowd surged beyond his control.
Whoosh!
He leapt atop a building, riding the wind.
“I’ll see you all next time!”
“Ah! He’s escaping!”
“Catch him!”
Although there were attempts to chase after him, they couldn’t catch the hero who disappeared like the wind.
Once Yoo Ji-han reached a sparsely populated area, he promptly gave Sylph a playful smack on the head.
—Ow!!
“You better have some awareness.”
—But, I was so bored sitting around doing nothing! Ji-han, enjoy your popularity!
“I’m tired.”
—It’s the fate of an unavoidable celebrity!
Rising fame came with its fair share of annoying inconveniences.
Having silenced Sylph, Yoo Ji-han rushed past the people who recognized him.
Eventually, he reached near his home where he spotted someone loitering by the entrance.
—Ji-han! Isn’t that your aunt?
Slightly wary of a follower, it turned out to be Aunt Han Seo-in.
“Aunt?”
“You’ve come.”
“If you’re here, you should be inside waiting.”
This was their first face-to-face meeting since his return from the other world.
Aunt Han Seo-in circled around Yoo Ji-han, inspecting him closely.
“Injuries?”
“As you can see.”
“Internal injuries?”
“None at all.”
“What about that curse spell?”
“Uh…”
Yoo Ji-han hesitated momentarily before answering.
The mark that had appeared on his neck was almost certainly a type of curse.
But Aunt Han Seo-in was just as unaware of it.
Informing her would only increase her worries.
“I’m fine.”
—Ji-han! Don’t lie to family…
“Shut it.”
—Ow!
“Well, let’s go inside.”
Seeing the tussle between Yoo Ji-han and his spirit, Aunt Han Seo-in shrugged her shoulders and went inside with them.
However, when she saw the entrance of the house, she let out a sigh.
“This entrance I tidied up not long ago has already become a mess.”
“Such is the nature of a man’s home. Just leave it be.”
“I can’t tolerate this.”
Clack! Clack! Clack!
She arranged the scattered shoes in order with a swift efficiency.
It was something she couldn’t abide, as her military service habits still lingered.
“Have you eaten?”
“I already had something.”
“I have frozen octopus dishes from the other world left in the freezer.”
“You’re the one who should eat more of that.”
Aunt Han Seo-in frowned while placing a bag of fruit down and sat on the sofa.
Not bothering to tidy up his coat, Yoo Ji-han moved closer to her.
“What did you learn about Father’s investigation?”
Yoo Ji-han’s expression turned serious as he broached the topic with Aunt Han Seo-in.
The reason he met with her today wasn’t just for a casual greeting.
He intended to hear the information she had gathered regarding his father since before the journey to Kallem.
“Do you remember the Spirit Master Moon Jung-hee whom you introduced to me? The friend of my brother that I met?”
“Yes.”
“Here’s the information I’ve gathered starting from them.”
Aunt Han Seo-in opened her bag and pulled out a large folded paper.
Unfolding the paper and pinning it to the wall revealed a chart resembling a connection diagram.
Centered around Yoo Ji-han’s parents, branch-like coverings spread outward.
Yoo Ji-han was taken aback, seeing the larger chart than expected and clicked his tongue.
“Wow, when did you manage to organize all this?”
“If you’re going to do something, do it properly. And as I investigated, more and more oddities emerged.”
“What kind of oddities?”
“Here, here, and here…”
Aunt Han Seo-in pointed to individuals with question marks drawn above their names.
“These people I’ve indicated all had significant interactions with my brother in the past.”
“What does the question mark mean?”
“It means they’re missing. And all around the same time, mind you.”
Every single one of them was a missing persons case without clarity on its cause.
And they all had one common trait.
“These missing persons are mostly either adopted or, like me, have half-siblings.”
“That definitely seems strange.”
Unlike the relationship between Yoo Ji-han’s father and Aunt Han Seo-in, these individuals had slight genetic differences within their families.
While it might not raise suspicion for one or two people, it was surely odd for many to be in such situations.
“But how did you find out about these people and investigate them?”
“I got help from someone I know.”
“Someone you know?”
“…The Minister of the Hero Department.”
“Wait, you were on friendly terms with Minister Jo Du-jin?”
“Just a bit in the past.”
Hearing about Aunt Han Seo-in’s connection with Jo Du-jin, Yoo Ji-han let out a hollow laugh.
Is this also a connection…?
“But Aunt, there’s that person without a question mark.”
“They aren’t missing.”
“Oh! Can we meet them?”
“That’s difficult.”
“Why?”
“They’re currently receiving life support at a hospital. They’ve lost the ability to breathe on their own and are relying on an oxygen ventilator.”
A patient in a state where they couldn’t even share a short conversation.
But Aunt Han Seo-in continued.
“It’s called… what was it again? Syndrome?”
“…Magic Discoloration Syndrome?”
“Oh, that’s it! Right.”
“Huh!”
Why is that name coming from Aunt’s mouth?
Yoo Ji-han couldn’t help but grab his hair momentarily.
‘Damn it.’
The reasons to lift that damn curse just doubled.