Chapter 84

Before the incident happened.

At the home of the Cha family in a certain rural village, which had finally found peace after experiencing a series of events like a terror incident and a kidnapping incident, things others would find difficult to experience even once in a lifetime.

“Flower pig.”

Cha Eun-hyeok looked at his younger sister, Cha Ara, who had entered the kitchen.

“What’s with the meat?”

“Ah, this.”

“Why is there so much?”

Various ingredients, rarely seen on a normal day, were laid out as if she was planning to cook.

Things like thin cuts of meat with a texture that could never be obtained through hunting, or pears that were round and perfectly ripe in the middle of winter…

“Damn, there are kiwis too.”

“I’m going to make bulgogi with this.”

“Where did you get the money?”

“I received compensation money from the Collectors.”

“……”

At Cha Ara’s words, Cha Eun-hyeok looked at his sister with a strange expression.

“…Did they have something to compensate for…? Wasn't it a situation where we should have been the ones paying them?”

“Uhm…”

“I can’t think of anything more they did other than save our family when we were caught between monsters and dying, no matter how I think about it.”

“Uh…”

“Is this what they mean by ‘save someone from drowning and they ask for your belongings’? You’ve learned a thing or two about society, extorting money from a conglomerate.”

“Hey, I didn’t extort it, they just gave it to me.”

At her older brother’s valid question, Cha Ara stammered.

“No, well, I didn’t really get it either, but… anyway, they said the Black Cape and the Mermaid Princess have a deep connection, and the Black Cape is under the Collectors’ responsibility, so… it’s… like… not entirely unrelated…”

“……?”

Cha Eun-hyeok’s face crumpled.

“What the hell does that mean?”

“Anyway, they said we went through a lot, so we should eat something good and rest. They said they were sorry.”

“Is this a scam? Did you get scammed? I knew you’d get into trouble one day.”

“No, it’s not! The hell are you yelling at me for, acting like you’re so high and mighty.”

“I’m probably better than you.”

“Don’t give me that crap, you pushover.”

“Do you think I’ll lose my vigilance just because I’m being insulted like that? No, my dear sister with a desensitization to danger.”

Cha Eun-hyeok grabbed Cha Ara’s shoulders with both hands and said seriously.

“The people of this world only think about screwing over pushovers like us.”

“But they gave me money. The money isn’t at fault, and if they gave it, I should spend it.”

“No, you should return it. What kind of trouble are you trying to get into using this as a pretext? Why on earth did they give you this.”

“Compensation money…? No…?”

At his sister’s naive words, Cha Eun-hyeok smiled benevolently.

“Flower pig, my dear flower pig. You became a Hunter, got stabbed in the back so many times, and you still fall for the words ‘compensation money’?”

“Uh, uh…?”

“I don’t know who from the Collectors decided to give us compensation money, but all the employees there are either 1st or 2nd-class citizens. Why would they think of that?”

“Abububu…”

“No city person shows mercy to a 3rd-class citizen without a reason. Let’s sort out the situation step by step. Who exactly gave it to you.”

“Hu-Hunter Yu Seong-un…”

“Hunter Yu Seong-un.”

Cha Eun-hyeok nodded.

“In that case, this is closer to condolence money than compensation money.”

“Are we gonna die? Did I, did I spend too much? Should I not have bought the kiwis after all?”

“That’s not the problem.”

He thought he knew why Yu Seong-un gave them the money.

“We are among the few humans who know the true identity of the ‘Black Cape,’ who’s been setting the internet on fire these days. And how many people in this world would want to use and study the ‘Black Cape’? Then, how valuable would genuine information related to this ‘Black Cape’ be?”

“Uh… uh…”

“That value would not be matched even if they harvested the organs of 3rd-class citizens like us. The reason Mr. Yu Seong-un gave this money is closer to an expression of condolence for us having learned the identity of the terrifying ‘Black Cape.’”

“So are we going to die?”

“If we keep our mouths shut, we might not die, or we might just die…”

Cha Ara’s face fell.

“Then what do we do?”

“What do you mean, what do we do? We take the money they gave, enjoy it, and keep our mouths firmly shut.”

“Will it be okay if we just keep our mouths shut?”

“If we’re unlucky, the information might leak from Priest Kang Seo-dam or the Collectors.”

“Then we die?”

“Life would get very tiring.”

In the worst-case scenario, they could be dragged somewhere and be forced to give up information about the ‘Black Cape.’

They might die in the process, but Cha Eun-hyeok accepted the current situation quite calmly.

“In any case, it doesn’t seem like Hunter Yu Seong-un gave the money with bad intentions.”

“Really…? I’m getting nervous now.”

“From what I can see, he realized that our future, knowing the ‘Black Cape,’ won’t be smooth, so it seems like he gave the money with the genuine meaning of ‘hang in there.’ So, it’s okay for you to continue cooking.”

“Ugh… no, still…”

“It’s probably compensation money that also includes the fact that Cha Isold was kidnapped. It’s a fact that both the youngest and you suffered, so just spend what you received.”

Cha Ara crumpled her face.

“Are you telling me to be relieved or not?”

“I’ll worry, so you just continue cooking without a thought in your head.”

As long as Cha Eun-hyeok, who was not without some wisdom in life, was alive, it was okay for his two younger siblings to be a bit foolish.

This money also had no ill will, so there was no need to be greatly anxious right away.

Considering Hunter Yu Seong-un’s personality, which he had learned through conversation, and the actions of the conglomerate, the Collectors, there would probably be a security team assigned to them separately.

It would also be for protection since there was a history of kidnapping, but it was more likely that they were surveillance personnel for information control.

Anyway, it didn’t matter.

“You like cooking, don’t you?”

“W-well, that’s true, but…”

“It’s been a while since we got some money, so it’s okay to spend this much.”

Of course, they could save this money to fix the house or pay for the youngest’s dormitory fees.

It could also help Cha Eun-hyeok with his bungeoppang business, or they could buy equipment so Cha Ara wouldn't die.

But if you only ever spent money on necessities, could you call that a human life?

“We were earning the money we needed on our own anyway. On top of that, we got some extra funds very luckily, so it’s a bit much to ask to spend that on essentials too.”

“Eung…”

“If we don’t relieve stress like this, when will we?”

Cha Eun-hyeok knew that to live, people needed these big and small pleasures.

If you just worked to eat and survive, you would ultimately just consume your own physical health and mind and die.

“So how much compensation money did you get?”

“Oh, right.”

“Oh, right? Flower pig, are you living with your head on straight?”

“I-I was just so out of it after coming back from Seoul…”

Cha Ara held up her fingers.

“A thousand.”

“…A thousand? A thousand without any negotiation is quite a lot, isn't it?”

“I went grocery shopping in Seoul for the first time in a while, that’s why.”

“Dinner’s going to be a feast tonight.”

“Heehee, right.”

“Show me what you’ve got.”

Cha Eun-hyeok looked at a corner of the room where a slight draft was coming in.

“I’ll go be with the youngest.”

“You’re not joining?”

“Not only do I not really like cooking, but what if the youngest gets kidnapped again?”

“…N-no way, again?”

“The way I see it, our youngest’s life is not ordinary.”

This was an intuition that only Cha Eun-hyeok, who saw strange monsters differently from others, could feel.

“I think he’ll live a much less smooth life than us. I’m anxious. My heart is unsettled.”

“Hey, what the hell, are you cursing him? He’s about to become a 2nd-class citizen soon. If he lives a less smooth life than us, who are 3rd-class natives, isn’t that a problem?”

“No matter how I think about it, it won’t be an ordinary life at the very least. That kid, Cha Isold, keeps getting involved in strange things… his personality, too.”

The fact that he himself was fearless probably played a part.

A kid who was pointlessly cheerful and also sociable.

“If you’re a pushover and you’re fearless, what’s that? You’re just twisting your own fate.”

“Ah, are we screwed? Did we raise him wrong?”

“What can we do, he’s already grown up like that. Still, if he enters the Solar Cult, he’ll learn a thing or two and get some protection. He’ll restrain himself for the sake of the cult's honor.”

“Haigo…”

Cha Ara waved her hand.

“Hearing that doesn’t make me feel any more relieved. I was going to feed him something delicious before he goes to the dorm, so go sit by the youngest and talk to him a bit.”

“Talk about what.”

“Tell him not to live like a pushover…”

“You think that’ll work? We’re already screwed ourselves.”

Even as he said that, Cha Eun-hyeok went straight to his youngest brother, Cha Isold.

The recent kidnapping made him very anxious about leaving his youngest brother alone.

“Youngest.”

“Hyeong, what’s noona doing?”

“She said she’s making bulgogi.”

“Wow, bulgogi! Isn’t that expensive?”

“It is expensive. The ingredients are insane. Just pray your sister doesn’t ruin dinner.”

“Should I pray to the Sun God for starters?”

“No, you’re not even that close to him yet, what…”

“You think?”

Seeing his youngest brother happily holding a pencil, all excited, Cha Eun-hyeok sat down next to him. He had no idea what he was drawing.

Cha Eun-hyeok loved his brother, but he couldn't bring himself to love his drawing skills.

“You’ll eat even more delicious things than this when you go to the dorm.”

“Should I bring some out?? Wanna eat together??”

“They said you can’t come out often until you officially become a priest.”

“I’ll sneak out.”

“…Just buy me a meal after you complete your training. I’ll be waiting.”

Thinking that Cha Isold might really sneak out of the dorm and walk all the way to this remote countryside, Cha Eun-hyeok postponed the promise to the future.

Cha Eun-hyeok's gaze, which had been stroking his brother’s head, shifted lower.

“You were drawing?”

“Yeah.”

“What were you drawing?”

A pitch-black something, smudged on the back of a piece of scratch paper, caught his eye.

“The Black Cape!”

“……”

Cha Eun-hyeok fell silent.

“…What?”

“Huh? The Black Cape!”

“You… what… Do you know what that is?”

“Isn’t it a good ghost that gives presents to good people?”

“That, what is it, um, uh.”

“I was embarrassed to pray to the Sun God, so I drew the Black Cape for starters!”

“What does that have to do with anything? Besides, the Black Cape is a monster…”

“Aren’t they the same thing?”

“No.”

Cha Eun-hyeok broke down.

“Who told you about the Black Cape?”

“Inseo did.”

“Inseo… the village chief’s daughter?”

“All the kids in our neighborhood know the Black Cape.”

“Why on earth…?”

“He’s cool.”

“……”

Cha Eun-hyeok, who knew the true identity of that Black Cape, took a deep breath.

“…Your brother doesn’t really know, but is the Black Cape very famous these days?”

“Huh? Yeah, they say so.”

“What exactly is the Black Cape? Do you know?”

“Actually, I don’t really know either…”

Scribble, scribble. As he drew a pitch-black lump with a blunt pencil, Cha Isold continued.

“Isn’t he like Santa?”

“…That old man who gives presents to children who haven’t cried?”

“She said he likes good people and really likes it when you talk with him. She said if you're polite, the Black Cape gives you presents too.”

“Oh…”

Just as Cha Eun-hyeok was wondering how to respond to this.

“……”

“…Huh?”

The two Cha brothers’ gazes fell upon the ‘Black Cape’ in the paper.

“…Didn’t that just move?”

The black lump, drawn with a child’s clumsy skill, had squirmed.

“……”

Cha Eun-hyeok broke out in a cold sweat.

A mysterious portrait whose identity even a massive guild like the Collectors had yet to figure out.

And sometimes, such unrealistic and dreamlike beings, including the gods called destinies with a will of their own, had their own summoning rituals.

‘…Don’t tell me this is…’

Of all things, hadn’t Cha Isold, who had awakened as a priest, drawn the Black Cape instead of the Sun God?

Unaware of his older brother’s insides burning up with dread, Cha Isold smiled brightly.

“Wow, I think the Black Cape is here!”

“Wait, just a moment, Isold. Please, just a moment… this isn't right.”

“Be my friend!”

“Please!”

Cha Eun-hyeok grabbed his brother and begged, but it was already too late.

“Wow!”

From within the drawing.

The clumsy picture moved, and it took form.

“The Black Cape…!”

“……”

“…The Black… Cape…??”

He was wearing a pitch-black cape.

The deep shadow, with its face completely hidden by a deeply drawn hood, was unnaturally dark.

No light could be seen from the black shirt and suit visible inside the cape, but his well-proportioned, long body was recognizable.

“…It’s Jio-hyung?”

It was the ‘Seo Jio’ that Cha Isold knew.

“Jio-hyung?”

“Yes, I am Seo Jio.”

“Uh, it really is Jio-brother.”

A blunt tone as if run through a translator and a strangely heavy air.

He was no different from the follower of the sun, Hunter Seo Jio, who had eaten with Cha Isold.

“Why are you here?”

“Did you not ask me to be your friend?”

“That wasn’t meant for you, hyung.”

“That is sad. Do you not wish to be friends with me?”

“Hyung is hyung, you know…?”

Cha Eun-hyeok, who was watching the situation, put a hand to his forehead.

“……”

“A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Cha Eun-hyeok.”

“…Yes, a real pleasure. It is a pleasure, but…”

Hesitating, Cha Eun-hyeok asked.

“Do you normally get called out like this?”

“Student Cha Isold called me.”

“……”

Cha Eun-hyeok was suddenly reminded of the compensation money Cha Ara had received.

‘…Was it in preparation for a time like this?’

Cha Eun-hyeok, who had unintentionally learned the summoning method for the Black Cape, naturally took out his phone.

This information was too dangerous for them to keep to themselves.

His fingers were, as if by instinct, searching for Hunter Yu Seong-un’s direct number.

‘Help me.’

It seemed Yu Seong-un had probably given them the money for this very reason.

“Excuse me, but I’ll be stepping outside for a moment.”

“You may act as you wish.”

“…In the meantime… my sister, Cha Ara, will serve you. It will only be a moment.”

“I apologize for the sudden visit. Please make yourselves comfortable.”

“Yes, thank you.”

And so, Cha Eun-hyeok had come to request rescue from Yu Seong-un.

Not long after, Yu Seong-un arrived at the Cha family’s house.

“Where is Jio?”

“He is conversing with the youngest.”

“No one’s dead, right?”

“Why on earth… would you… ask such a question…?”

“Ah, just in case.”

“…W-well, yes…”

It had been a terribly tiring day.

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