ALL NOVEL Chapter 286
Chapter 286. Invitation
Just before the airplane to Japan from Korea was about to explode.
A bit of chaos had unfolded in the Hero Department as well.
It was because it had been reported that Yoo Ji-han’s party was on that plane.
“What’s the current situation?”
Yang Ji-cheol, who had just recently taken on the role of head of the Hero Department’s crisis response team, asked.
The staff member wearing a headset while typing on a keyboard replied, “The aircraft’s signal has been lost.”
“Did it finally explode…?”
“It seems so…”
Due to their successful entry into the other world and return, Yoo Ji-han’s party had become a subject of strict national management, just like a Rank 1 Hero.
Thus, the Hero Department’s response was swift after the incident.
However, even so, getting involved in a scene far away was challenging.
‘I don’t think Ji-han and his party will die in the explosion.’
One must always prepare for contingencies.
Yang Ji-cheol dedicated himself to communication with Japan and urgently requested the dispatch of rescue teams.
When he received the news that Yoo Ji-han’s party had rescued all the passengers from the explosion, he sighed in relief.
“Phew!”
“See! I told you to remain calm and wait.”
“Wipe the sweat off your forehead before you say that.”
“Please contact Japan again.”
“Yes!”
Finally at ease, Yang Ji-cheol roughly loosened his choking tie.
Based on his previous experiences, he believed that they would resolve the issue well.
‘Of all things, the airplane that Yoo Ji-han’s party boarded exploded…’
There are dozens of flights traveling between Korea and Japan each day.
Amidst this, the explosion that occurred on a plane filled with capable heroes was rather coincidental!
‘Could it be a coincidence?’
It might be an unpleasant thought for someone in the crisis response team, but if they had targeted a plane without heroes, it could have caused numerous casualties.
The terrorists who attempted to hijack the plane were no different in that regard.
The recently infamous terrorists didn’t even recognize the faces of the most famous heroes.
“Hm.”
Yang Ji-cheol scratched his nose while watching the live footage sent from Japan.
Regardless, he considered it fortunate that there were no fatalities or serious injuries.
Ding!
At that moment, a message arrived on his mobile phone.
[Yoo Ji-han: The person whose face I’m sending you now has clues about the recent airplane explosion incident heading to Japan.]
[Yoo Ji-han: Please find them as quickly as possible, whether it’s to release them or issue a wanted order.]
“Ah, no way…!”
The expression on Yang Ji-cheol’s face turned serious upon checking the message.
He was one of the few who partially knew Yoo Ji-han’s abilities!
If someone else had made such a request, he wouldn’t have easily believed or trusted them.
[Yang Ji-cheol: I will investigate immediately.]
There were no doubts since it was Yoo Ji-han’s request.
“Jae-hee!”
“Yes?”
“I will send you a photo of a suspect related to this terrorism, so please contact the police immediately…”
In Korea, where citizens are managed by their resident registration numbers.
And with the advancement of magic technology, there had been significant developments in facial recognition systems.
Since there was a montage almost indistinguishable from a photo, if the procedures were properly followed, a promising suspect could be identified in a short time.
“How long do you think it will take to find them?”
“If all goes well, I estimate around two weeks.”
“Faster than that…”
In incidents involving magic or heroes, it is easier for the Hero Department to secure cooperation from other organizations.
Unless they were hiding in some countryside or underground, they could probably find the face depicted in that image quickly.
During the hustle, Yang Ji-cheol received a phone call.
Sometimes even high-ranking officials call directly.
Yang Ji-cheol picked up the phone intending to answer briefly and hang up.
“I’m sorry. I’m very busy right now, so please… call me back later.”
—This is Yoon Do-ha.
“Yoon Do-ha?”
Yang Ji-cheol checked the number in surprise.
It really was a call from Yoon Do-ha.
—So it seems the plane Yoo Ji-han was on exploded, huh?
“Y-yes, we’re currently investigating it.”
—We will help with the investigation at Dice.
“Dice?”
—You see, I need to find out for sure.
“Excuse me?”
—Who on earth attacked Ji-han.
Yoon Do-ha’s voice from the mobile speaker was rigid and unyielding.
Having been able to return to Korea thanks to Yoo Ji-han, Yoon Do-ha was genuinely furious.
*
“[Nice to meet you. I’m Tamura Kenta.]”
“[I’m Tamura Toshirou.]”
“I’m Yoo Ji-han.”
Yoo Ji-han read the two business cards presented by the Tamura brothers.
The card, marked with the logo of Raiku Workshop, had their names and the title of co-representatives written in Japanese.
The chance of it being fake was slim.
Proudly showcasing Raiku’s exceptional processing ability, the special business cards were made from a resilient metal cut thin like paper.
“This is Tamura Toshirou, right?”
“[Yes.]”
Two men whose faces were almost identical, aside from a small dot on one of their faces.
They were certainly blacksmiths representing Raiku.
They were extremely reclusive and only known by name to the public.
“We were on the same flight as you.”
“[We were returning from a business trip to Korea.]”
An ultra-first-class one-way ticket costing an arm and a leg.
It was something representatives of Raiku could afford without issue.
Their equipment brand was so well-known that anything they made would sell no matter the price.
“[I wanted to greet you separately.]”
“[Thank you so much for saving my younger brother!]”
“It’s an honor for us to meet you in person.”
“[Honestly, I thought we were really going to die today.]”
The Tamura brothers were known for their brand that surpassed even the fame of the Sweet Fun guild.
For people of their status, one would expect them to have heavy heads.
They bowed deeply to Yoo Ji-han first.
It was a sincere expression of gratitude.
Listening to the translation assistance by the side, Yoo Ji-han nodded.
‘Life sure is unpredictable.’
Yoo Ji-han remembered his first time hunting the Giant Monster after joining Sweet Fun.
There, he had stood out with his worn equipment, while Rank 5 Heroes donned expensive gear crafted by Raiku.
It felt just like yesterday to experience the equipment gap like that.
Now, the representatives of the workshop producing those expensive gears were bowing their heads before him.
“[Yoo Ji-han’s party. Do you have any plans after this?]”
“I did, but… it seems my schedule will have to be pushed back due to the airport shutdown.”
All flights between Korea and Japan planned for today were canceled due to the explosion incident.
There were concerns that explosives or magic could be embedded in other planes as well.
Thanks to that, Yoo Ji-han’s schedule of meeting Watanabe in Tokyo had been thrown into disarray.
“Ji-han, should I look into trains or buses?”
“Yes. That seems to be the best option right now.”
At that moment, while contemplating alternative ways to get to Tokyo,
The Tamura brothers lit up with excitement, saying, “Would you like to drop by Raiku for a bit?”
“Us?”
“[As a token of appreciation for saving Kenta’s life, we’d like to invite you to the workshop and give you a small gift.]”
“[We can even take you to your destination afterward if you wish.]”
The Tamura brothers were offering a gift as a reward for saving Kenta’s life.
What’s more, they even kindly offered to take them to Tokyo.
Thanks to the proximity of Raiku’s headquarters, there were no hesitations for Yoo Ji-han’s party, and they accepted the invitation.
“Ah, can you hear me?”
“Yes, I can hear you well.”
After donning an expensive translation device, they were able to communicate freely.
The Tamura brothers then pointed to a black rectangular vehicle bearing the Raiku logo.
“Let’s get in here.”
“Could this be a car?”
“It’s a magical vehicle we’re developing.”
“Whoa?! The entrance is enormous!”
“Ha ha! Even someone as big as Chilla can fit in without a problem.”
A car that runs on magic without using gasoline or electricity or wheels.
Raiku was demonstrating ambition not just in equipment but also in the future automobile industry.
“Wow! This car is awesome! Vroom!”
“It’s quite attractive…”
Min Yu-ri examined the car with curious eyes.
The vehicle carrying the party sped along the nearby road for about 30 minutes.
As Lee Mi-a looked out the window and watched the giant building approaching, she murmured, “It looks exactly like the picture.”
The large triangular building resembling a red volcano featured the Raiku logo on it.
It was a workshop that had even made a name on the list of the world’s unique architectural structures.
‘The air is getting warmer.’
As the vehicle entered the volcano-like building, Yoo Ji-han gradually felt the temperature rising.
“Where’s my hammer?!”
“I’m going to make a masterpiece today!”
“Yahha!”
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
The sounds of hammers and rough shouts filled the air from all directions without distinguishing up from down!
Japanese blacksmiths, entirely focused on crafting equipment, didn’t even spare a glance at the vehicle entering.
Although the heat was so intense that sweat dripped from their foreheads, the passion of the blacksmiths seemed even hotter than that.
“We rarely bring outsiders to our workshop.”
“Today is the first visit by an outsider in over a year.”
“Ah, thank you for the invitation.”
“Don’t mention it.”
The vehicle driven by the Tamura brothers came to a halt in front of a door.
It was a large door locked with three complex locking mechanisms, in addition to fingerprint recognition.
Clack! Clack! Clack!
As the twin brother Tamura Toshirou unlocked the mechanism,
The thick door, 30 cm thick, began to open automatically.
His younger brother, Tamura Kenta, watched the slowly opening door and said, “This is Raiku’s masterpiece repository.”
“Masterpiece repository?”
“Raiku conducts strict inspections on the equipment produced in the workshop and assigns ratings. There are a total of four rating levels, which are ordinary, good, fine, and masterpiece.”
“So, this repository is where the best equipment exists.”
“That’s right.”
The repository houses the finest quality masterpieces.
It mainly contains equipment personally crafted by the Tamura brothers, co-representatives of Raiku.
They had brought Yoo Ji-han’s party here to gift them their masterpieces.
“You can choose one item of your choice.”
“By the way, 95% of the items stored here are artifacts.”
“95%?!”
“And most of the artifacts enhance physical abilities.”
“Impressive…”
“I can confidently say that they are all top-notch.”
As Yoo Ji-han entered through the door, he gazed at the equipment displayed in the repository.
Armors and various weapons densely filled the walls.
There were enough to equip more than 30 hero parties.
‘As expected, it’s impressive.’
And to think that 95% of them are artifacts!
Artifacts that boost physical abilities are highly sought after in the market, and there’s always a severe supply shortage.
Yoo Ji-han thought that Raiku truly deserved its reputation as Japan’s leading workshop.
Swish!
Yoo Ji-han pulled out a conspicuous sword to inspect it.
It was an extremely well-crafted weapon, just as it had appeared from afar.
Anyone who used a sword would undoubtedly be tempted by this equipment.
If placed on the market, how much would it fetch?
Being a Raiku piece, it would easily fetch at least 1 billion won.
“Hmm…”
But at that moment, Nam Ho-yeol’s face flashed through his mind.
It wasn’t merely due to their friendship.
The QD he created was no less than the sword in the repository.
In fact, considering the material of Drimium, it could be seen as much superior.
‘Each piece is impressive, but…’
What Yoo Ji-han particularly desired wasn’t anything here.
Thus, after a while of admiring the equipment with his eyes, he said, “Tamura representative.”
“Yes.”
“Is it possible for me to request something other than the equipment displayed here?”
“…Are you serious?”
“…You’re turning down our masterpiece?”
What on earth could he possibly want that he would pass on Raiku’s masterpiece?
Slightly hurt, the Tamura brothers awaited Yoo Ji-han’s response.