Ranker's Return

Supplementary Story 44

After the live stream, Hyeonu and Reina returned to the officetel in good spirits. Seeing Reina getting on the elevator, Hyeonu stood in place and waved. “Go in first.”

“Aren’t you going up?” Reina asked with puzzled eyes.

“I have an appointment. I have decided to meet Hyung-nim,” Hyeonu replied with a smile.

“Ah...! I understand. Get in touch.” Reina figured out the identity of the ‘Hyung-nim’ Hyeonu was talking about and shook the smartphone in her hand.

“I’ll be in touch. See you tomorrow.” Hyeonu nodded.

After confirming that the elevator door was closed, he left the officetel again.

‘Hyung-nim told me to go to your home.’

Hyeonu caught a taxi that was passing by.

“Please go to Hannam-dong.”

That was where Kim Seokjung’s home was located.

‘What does he want to talk about?’

If it were a normal story, they could talk over the phone. However, Kim Seokjung said he needed to see Hyeonu in person. This meant that it was really important.

‘I am curious...’

Hyeonu didn’t know what Kim Seokjung was going to say. All he could do alone was guess.

“We’ve arrived.”

The taxi arrived in front of Kim Seokjung’s house while Hyeonu was lost in thought, looking at the night view of Seoul.

“It is here.”

After getting out of the taxi, Hyeonu pressed the doorbell of Kim Seokjung’s house.

Ding dong! Ding dong!

The tightly closed door opened after a few familiar rings.

“Ah, you’re here?” Gang Junggu’s face appeared through the open door.

“Hyung-nim, you’re here as well?” Hyeonu looked pleased to see Gang Junggu.

“Yes, I’m here.” Gang Junggu approached Hyeonu and placed an arm around his shoulder. “Look at this improved skin. You seem to be doing well these days?”

“I am taking care of it like that so it should improve.”

“That’s not what I’m saying... You know, right?” Gang Junggu winked at Hyeonu with a playful expression.

“Well... that too.” Hyeonu smiled and nodded. “Right, do you know why Hyung-nim called me here today?”

“Today? Hyung-nim didn’t say anything?” Gang Junggu asked with wide eyes. He thought that Kim Seokjung would’ve been the first to speak to Hyeonu.

‘Why did he do this?’ Gang Junggu asked himself.

‘Is he trying to surprise him?’ He quickly found the answer.

“Yes, he just told me to come and that I would find out when I came.”

“Then you’ll find out soon.” Gang Junggu roughly shrugged it off and took Hyeonu inside.

“Right. You’re here, Brother?” Kim Seokjung, who was sitting on a luxurious sofa, got up as soon as he saw Hyeonu entering with Gang Junggu.

“Hyung-nim, how have you been?” Hyeonu approached Kim Seokjung and bowed his head.

“I’m always well.” Kim Seokjung sat Hyeonu down on the sofa and handed over some coffee that was made in advance. “Let’s talk about it while drinking. Junggu, why aren’t you sitting down?”

Gang Junggu moved quickly at Kim Seokjung’s words. Hyeonu smiled at the sight and sipped the coffee that Kim Seokjung had given him.

‘It’s okay?’

The taste of the coffee was better than he expected. He thought it was better than the coffee from a franchise cafe or a bunch of private cafes.

“I guess the coffee machine wasn’t a decoration,” Hyeonu said.

“What decoration... It is all up to me to make it.”

“You are great, Hyung-nim.” Hyeonu gave a thumbs-up.

“You are making a fuss over nothing...” Kim Seokjung waved his hand a few times and drank the coffee. “Right, you must be wondering why I called you today?”

“Yes, Hyung-nim.” Hyeonu nodded.

“There is good news. You will love it when you hear it.”

“Me?”

The Kim Seokjung that Hyeonu knew was never one who would say empty words.

‘I think it must be really good news for you to be saying this...’ Hyeonu felt his expectations soar.

“Don’t drag things out and just tell me,” Hyeonu pressed Kim Seokjung with bright eyes.

“I found it,” Kim Seokjung said with a smile.

“Were you looking for something?” Hyeonu had a puzzled expression as he gave an answer that was closer to talking to himself.

‘I never asked him to find anything…’

No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t remember making such a request.

“Did I get drunk and ask Hyung-nim to find something?” Hyeonu asked carefully. If he didn’t remember it, that meant it could only have happened when he was drunk.

“You did. You asked us to find someone,” Gang Junggu answered with a nod.

“Really?”

“Yes, you did. You were so desperate... I couldn’t help wanting to agree to your request.”

Hyeonu fell into deep thought with a serious expression.

‘I met the Hyung-nims around a month ago... What were we talking about while drinking?’

There was once when he met Kim Seokjung and Gang Junggu and drank until they were cut off from the alcohol. However, he didn’t remember what they were talking about. His memory was hazy like a fog.

“Look at this.” Kim Seokjung put a tablet PC in front of Hyeonu. A handsome blond young man was shown on the screen of the tablet PC.

‘Who is it?’ Hyeonu cocked his head at the blond foreigner. It was a face he didn’t know.

‘It is a face I am seeing for the first time.’

“I asked you to find this person? I couldn’t have done that...” Hyeonu made an expression like he was being wronged.

“You naturally don’t know the face... You have never seen it. However, it is true that you asked me to find him, Hyeonu.” Gang Junggu smiled. Hyeonu’s confused appearance was worth seeing.

“You should know when you look at it like this?” Kim Seokjung used his thumb and forefinger on the screen of the tablet PC to zoom out. Two new people, who weren’t on the screen before, appeared. They were a man and a woman.

‘This...!!’ Hyeonu’s eyes widened when he saw the newly appeared man and woman. They were faces he knew.

“Aren’t they the emperor and Saintess?”

Those were the identities of the man and the woman.

‘Wait...?’ Hyeonu moved his hand to enlarge the photo that Kim Seokjung had shrunk a bit. The face of the young man he was seeing for the first time was strangely similar to the couple.

“Yes, it is him. The imperial prince that our brother was searching for so much.” Kim Seokjung’s mouth curled up in a smile.

He found the imperial prince—the son of former emperor Alexander, whom Hyeonu had been searching for.

“His name is Heizer. His age isn’t well known. He seems to be stronger than me or Junggu. He grew up in the Holy Kingdom... He isn’t a member of the temple,” Kim Seokjung generously relayed the information he’d found to Hyeonu. In any case, it was an NPC he found because of Hyeonu, so there was no need to hide it.

“What is his personality like?” Hyeonu looked at Kim Seokjung with a serious expression.

“His personality? Let’s see... Junggu, what do you think?” Kim Seokjung turned his head to ask Gang Junggu, who was drinking tea.

“His personality? I think it was okay, right? There were no terrible parts. Instead, I think there was a slight sense of timidness.”

“Timidness?”

“He couldn’t go against the words of the Saintess.”

“Does the Saintess have a strong spirit?”

“It isn’t just at the level of being strong. She is a heroine, a heroine. Even the emperor seemed to be avoiding her.”

Hyeonu roughly realized it from these words. ‘It is a scene I have seen a lot.’ It was a very common sight in Hyeonu’s own house or in Yeongchan’s house. Their mothers were the number one in rank in the family. The father and children were under the mother.

‘I know how to get the prince out of the Holy Kingdom.’

In Hyeonu’s mind, several plans were based on this fragmentary information alone. Hyeonu chose the one that was most likely to succeed.

“Brother, thank you for telling me about the imperial prince. Can I ask you for one more favor?”

“A favor? Tell me. I will listen to anything if it is possible.” Kim Seokjung nodded without even listening to Hyeonu’s request.

“Please seduce the prince.”

“Pfft!” Gang Junggu spat out the tea he was drinking. It was because Hyeonu’s words were so ridiculous.

Gang Junggu said, “The imperial prince? Hyung-nim?”

It was a really unreasonable request.

Hyeonu shook his head and explained again, “That isn’t what I meant. Take the prince out of the Holy Kingdom and lead him to the battlefield. That is what I mean.”

Finally, Gang Junggu looked like he understood.

“Then which direction should we take him?”

Gang Junggu knew that there would be a war taking place in three directions.

“Wouldn’t the north be the best? The distance is close... It is good in many ways there.” Hyeonu chose the north without any hesitation.

‘The only place where I can control everything is the north.’

Raccoon and Jeras wouldn’t move readily at Hyeonu’s words; they were just giving a bit of help. Meanwhile, the north was different. Edward would move as Hyeonu wanted.

‘There are two shackles... He has to do it.’

John Blake and Callioraks—they were safety devices that Hyeonu had prepared in advance.

‘Callioraks... All I need is Tang-E.’

The monster named ‘Callioraks’ was always going to help as long as Tang-E was with Hyeonu. Of course, he wouldn’t do unreasonable requests, but Hyeonu’s requests were really easy for Callioraks.

‘John Blake has a moral obligation.’

John Blake was similar. He would be willing to pressure Edward if Hyeonu put forward the justification of transferring power to Heizer, the legitimate heir of the Yusma Empire.

‘I’m sorry... It can’t be helped.’

It was no different from being a puppet, but Hyeonu didn’t care about this. Right now, it was Hyeonu himself who was in a hurry.

“The north? Won’t it be convenient for us as well?” Gang Junggu agreed with Hyeonu’s choice. The north was the war with the undead. There was no better place to create a situation for Heizer to move.

“I made a scenario. Listen. Listen to your hyung-nim,” Gang Junggu said, attracting the attention of Hyeonu and Kim Seokjung. “First of all, Hyeonu, send a request for support to the Holy Kingdom. Multiple wars broke out at the same time, so you need help. However, going against the League of Different Species will be uncomfortable for the temple to do, so ask them to help instead in the north where the undead come out.”

The Holy Kingdom and the League of Different Species weren’t in a hostile relationship. However, that wasn’t the case with the undead. From the perspective of the Holy Kingdom, the undead were beings that had to be dealt with.

“Okay, it won’t be easy for the Holy Kingdom to say no.”

The plan was perfect so far. He might be the interim emperor but it was still a request from the emperor of the great Yusma Empire. There was a definite justification.

The Holy Kingdom had to listen.

“Then Hyung-nim, you will be talking next to the imperial prince. Mention things like noblesse oblige or that one should experience the world when they become an adult. Say things like this,” Hyeonu added his opinion to Gang Junggu’s scenario. “In addition, the opponents are the undead. From the perspective of the imperial prince who grew up in the Holy Kingdom, he can kill the undead and protect the empire. He might think of it as killing two birds with one stone.”

Gang Junggu nodded at Hyeonu’s words.

‘Good, if this is the case... it is perfect.’

“Then let’s start like this. If something goes wrong, we can make a correction at that time.” Hyeonu smiled slightly and put his hand in front of him.

“It is interesting. Let’s go ahead with this.” Kim Seokjung put his hand over the back of Hyeonu’s hand.

“Don’t think about backing out. Your hyung-nims will move with you.” Gang Junggu also put his hand on the back of Kim Seokjung’s hand.

“Brothers!” Kim Seokjung screamed loudly.

“Freedom!!” Hyeonu followed up.

“For the cause!!!”

The moment Gang Junggu’s cry exploded, the hands of the three men shot upwards.

‘There really isn’t much left...’