Matan’s Shooter

“Hmm! Let’s see, give me that.”

“Yes, ma’am. Here it is.”

When Leeha handed over the documents respectfully, Ram Hwayeon giggled.

Hearing her laughter, Leeha also smiled at her.

“Instead of looking at me, review just one more document!”

“Alright, alright. Geez, always nagging. If anyone sees… Uh, ahem!”

Embarrassed when their eyes met, Ram Hwayeon pouted, and Leeha, not realizing she was pouting, stopped grumbling and closed his mouth.

He found the next words too embarrassing to say himself.

Fortunately(?), Ram Hwayeon, who was now fully engrossed in the documents Leeha had handed her, didn’t understand what his next words meant.

Pretending to read the documents, Ram Hwayeon barely managed to calm her racing heart before speaking again.

“So, what are you planning to do about Pyrot-Cocri? Are you confident? You said you wouldn’t participate.”

“As I mentioned earlier, it’s not that I don’t want to participate, I simply can’t. The only reason I’m here is that Chiyou can read my location. Going to the north now would only increase the risk. Besides, you know who Master Kay is, right? And don’t forget Raphaela, Rubini, and Hyein also joined. Oh! Rubini isn’t officially in the quest party, though.”

“Adding Hwajung to the mix… If Pyrot-Cocri can really create undead out of the users it kills, then Hwajung becoming an undead would be a massive risk.”

“That’s why having assurance is crucial. If Ram Hwajung doesn’t participate and accidentally turns into an undead, it could jeopardize the Holy Knight.”

Both choices carried risks.

Having heard enough details since arriving at City Gaze, Ram Hwayeon knew calculating was far from over.

Most importantly, the thoughts and will of the combatants were the key conditions for clearing the quest.

“What about Petyr and the Midnight Circus?”

“Missing. Couldn’t find them even through the Intelligence Guild. I’ve heard they are also targeting Pyrot-Cocri on their own. Seriously, I wish they’d team up with Kijung and move together… Damn fools. Shouldn’t have told them.”

“You gave them information?”

“No, no way. What’s the point of telling non-accepting morons? I’m probably the only one who knows where Pyrot-Cocri might be roaming. Well, maybe Rubini could find it too.”

Though he hadn’t found Bluebeard personally, Rubini had a history of identifying incomplete states of Toon and others like Ghibrid.

Ghibrid, being a Demon King’s Fragment, had shown itself, but since Rubini had sensed it once via map skills, it was expected that detecting Pyrot-Cocri was possible, according to Leeha and Kijung.

‘Especially since this Pyrot-Cocri is not the original. Assuming it can’t perfectly hide its traces as a clone… it will definitely get caught.’

Hearing Leeha’s words, Ram Hwayeon pondered.

She had many points to consider herself.

But her conclusion had already been made.

“It will be necessary for the future.”

“What?”

“If the real Pyrot-Cocri awakens… then, experiencing its combat patterns and power level now would be invaluable. Also, the rewards from Ezwen wouldn’t be small.”

Ram Hwayeon, actively promoting Ram Hwajung’s second job advancement, couldn’t miss such an opportunity.

The existence of Ram Hwajung had already significantly raised the guild 〈Hwajung〉’s standing within Fibiel.

For someone currently commanding the 〈Partisans〉 in the new continent, she needed another chance to boost her fame.

“So, you permit it, right? You permit it?”

“We should ask Hwajung’s opinion too—but anyway, if you ask, of course, she would agree.”

“Okay! That’s great! As expected of Ram Hwayeon! Making such great decisions!”

“You’re happy though it doesn’t concern you personally.”

“How is it not my concern? Kijung’s business is my business! My business is Kijung’s business too! Haha, thank you!”

Leeha, excitedly thanking Ram Hwayeon with double thumbs up, hurriedly whispered to Kijung.

Watching this, Ram Hwayeon felt a strange sensation.

Would Leeha step up like that for her too?

A smile formed on her face as she mused.

‘… Of course, he would. That’s just who Ha Leeha is.’

If something was within his reach, he treated everyone’s issues as his own.

To call that simply meddling would be an understatement considering the warmth it contained.

―Kijung! Hey, hey, hey! Ram Hwayeon gave her permission!

– Hey, hyung? Is Ram Hwayeon here?

– Yeah, dude! I’ll tell Ram Hwajung right away! When she contacts you again, you should reach out to her personally. Got it?

– Hmm, if that’s the case, can’t we just handle it now?

– What? What do you mean?

Leeha was puzzled as he overheard Kijung’s whisper. Now?

However, Kijung was equally bewildered upon hearing Leeha’s whispers.

“Uh, excuse me, Ram Hwajung-ssi?”

“Yes?”

“Leeha hyung said he has something to tell you.”

Kijung and his party were already with Ram Hwajung as they wandered through the northernmost part of Shazrashian.

“Opp?! Okay. I’ll contact him right now.”

Ram Hwajung, who had been indifferent, brightened up and focused on the whisper.

Watching this, Kijung averted his eyes.

Raphaela, Rubini, and Hyein stared at Kijung, bewildered by the situation.

“Wait, did she just say oppa? That ice witch?”

“Well, from Minis’s perspective, Ram Hwajung might seem like an ice witch… Even from Fibiel’s perspective, she once was.”

Although Fibiel more often referred to her as an ice princess, Hyein could understand Raphaela’s sentiment as someone who also once fought guild wars.

“It’s amazing how close Ha Leeha has gotten.”

Rubini murmured, covering her mouth with her hand.

Her genuine surprise was evident, and Hyein, catching her small whisper, decided to tease her lightly.

“Are you curious about who he got close to, or how close they’ve become?”

“W-What? No, I mean…”

“Huh? What does that mean, hyung?”

“No, it’s nothing, Kay.”

In just two days of teaming up, Hyein had already figured out Rubini’s feelings.

Raphaela looked back and forth between Hyein and Kijung, shaking her head.

“Two questions arise at once. How did he step down from the guild master position, and how did he become the guild master in the first place?”

The stark difference in perception and intelligence between the two, yet belonging to the same guild and serving as the first and second guild masters, was astonishing.

As they bickered and joked around, Ram Hwajung finally walked up to Kijung.

“I want to join.”

“Okay! I’m sharing the quest!”

Master Kay, Raphaela, Hyein, and Ram Hwajung—the elite team of five was nearly complete, ready to capture Pyrot-Cocri.

* * *

Hearing that Ram Hwajung had joined, Ram Hwayeon asked Leeha,

“So, Ha Leeha, what do you plan to do now?”

“Well. I’ll have to stay here until today… But I might need to leave again from tomorrow.”

The day was nearly over in Middle Earth.

Leeha was beginning to feel anxious.

The recharge rate drops after a day in real-time.

If today passes, three more days in Middle Earth without progress would mean a decrease in his recharge rate.

Having barely managed to reach 2%, he was frustrated that wasting more time could mean never achieving 30%.

Ram Hwayeon understood Leeha’s anxiety but knew she had to hold him back.

“It might be better to wait for another day.”

“Huh?”

“Chiyou is a cautious woman, so she can probably wait for a day.”

Seeing the bewildered look on Leeha’s face, Ram Hwayeon continued speaking.

“But someone who deals with information can’t afford a two-day information blackout, right? What I’m saying is, let’s wait for another day. If I were Chiyou, I’d definitely keep an eye on you, Ha Leeha.”

It wasn’t just Leeha who was cautious about Chiyou.

The collection and analysis of information about users who had sided with the Demon King’s army were being handled not only by Ram Hwayeon but also by many guilds and individuals in Middle Earth.

Ram Hwayeon had analyzed those users as well, comparing her own tendencies and behavior patterns, revealing many aspects.

“I can tell.”

Ram Hwayeon spoke confidently to Leeha, who was staring blankly at her.

Leeha could only nod with a dazed expression.

“O-Okay. Then let’s wait for another day. Here—”

“No, your arrival at Gaza City might have already been confirmed through the Shinobigumi. Someone who usually has no interest in city management suddenly playing the role of lord? For two days? That would seem suspicious. Instead—”

“Instead?”

“Come with me. If you’re at the 〈Partisan Headquarters〉, Chiyou will feel reassured. She’ll try to trace your movements based on that.”

“That sounds more like me, doesn’t it?”

“Well, you said you’re going back to the Eastern New Continent anyway, right? Waiting in the Western New Continent for another day is more efficient than staying in Gaza City, isn’t it?”

Ram Hwayeon’s analysis didn’t stop at Chiyou. She had also thoroughly understood Leeha’s behavior patterns to an excessive degree, devising the most natural course of action for him.

“… Ram Hwayeon?”

“What, why? Why are you looking at me like that?”

“I’m so relieved you’re not the enemy. If you were gone… we might have genuinely been puppets in Chiyou’s games.”

Leeha deeply resonated with Ram Hwayeon’s words.

As she said, it would indeed be better to start vampire hunting from the Western New Continent.

Feeling a sense of security after planning, Leeha took a sip of the tea the butler NPC had served him.

Ram Hwayeon looked at Leeha and lifted her stiff neck proudly.

“Of course! You really can’t manage without me—”

“Uh?”

“—uh… ahem! No, nothing. By the way, you should definitely come to Hong Kong soon. No, you must make time for it.”

“Hong Kong? Why all of a sudden?”

Hong Kong, despite having its share of incidents, mainly held joyful memories for Leeha.

After all, what allowed him to stand on his own two feet in reality?

The memories of treatment and rehabilitation in Hong Kong had wiped out even the nightmares associated with Ram Hwajung’s kidnapping incident.

As Leeha’s mood lifted at the thought of Hong Kong, Ram Hwayeon spoke.

“Getting married.”

Pfffff────────gh!

Even Bailephus’s breath wouldn’t have been as fast as the tea Leeha just spat out.

“What the hell! What are you doing?”

Ram Hwayeon yelled at Leeha, but he didn’t react. Tea was dripping from his chin, but he didn’t even wipe it off as he blinked.

“What? Me? You want to marry me?”

“W-What are you saying! My hyung! Peng is getting married! So—”

Ram Hwayeon couldn’t fully endure Leeha’s intense gaze.

Though she tried to clear the misunderstanding, she felt a strong urge to nod. Yet, the pride of a Hong Kong woman managed to uphold her ‘womanly dignity’.

“—he asked me to invite you.”

“A-Oh, ha…”

Leeha let out a breath, something between relief and disappointment.

Seeing him exhale deeply from his belly, Ram Hwayeon felt similar emotions.

“But who asked you to invite me? Who?”

“Who else.”

“C-Could it be… Ram Hwayeon’s father? No, no! The chairman of the Ram Long Group?”

Leeha tried to speak normally, but he wasn’t in his right mind. Starting from the title issue, he didn’t know how to react, and Ram Hwayeon’s “getting married” kept echoing in his mind.