Chapter 91
I only stopped walking after leaving the elevator and reaching the small garden attached to the annex grounds.
At the center of the garden stood a statue modeled after the figure of a hero from the Great Rift.
Judging by the faint light shimring across its surface, it did not appear to be a simple stone sculpture.
With the statue at my back, I turned to look at the three of them.
“It is a staged incident. My reasoning is still incomplete, but the likelihood is high.”
Lee Eunho was already leaning against a nearby vending machine, Do Minyeong stood in front of with her arms crossed, and Cha Yeri, at my side, looked at as though she could not understand.
“Wait a mont. I know that Cadet Ji Seokhyeon being in danger is serious. But if you only state the conclusion like that, no one is going to understand. Why are you claiming that Senior Choi Suhyuk is the culprit? There is not a single clue yet.”
“The absence of clues is itself the evidence.”
“What did you just say?”
“Given the structure of the Broadcasting Room, it is impossible to steal a mana stone while avoiding the closed-circuit system. Well, unless soone used a subspace. In fact, we did not find any conspicuous clues earlier either. Which ans that all we have is this: ‘Broadcasting Club President Choi Suhyuk was the first to discover that the mana stone had been stolen.’ That is all.”
Do Minyeong interjected.
“So? If there are no clues, why does that make him the culprit?”
“I have three grounds. First, despite an ergency in the Broadcasting Club, where he is the president, he did not even show his face.”
“What if he was busy because of the tactical evaluation?”
“Busy? That is nonsense. According to the testimony, the mana stone was stolen last evening. There was more than enough ti to notify the advisory instructor of the situation via a smartwatch. But Senior Choi Suhyuk did not do that and instead delegated everything to Kim Dasol. And Kim Dasol, trying desperately to contain the situation, ended up asking us for help. …Does that not strike you as odd? Why would Kim Dasol co to us instead of reporting it to the advisory instructor?”
“That is….”
Cha Yeri answered in place of Do Minyeong.
“No matter how the situation ended, it would still harm the president, right?”
I nodded.
In short, it ant that Kim Dasol was also one of the many won who had been drawn in by the noxious pheromones that were Choi Suhyuk.
“For Cadet Kim Dasol, the ideal outco would have been to recover the mana stone. Even if it later caused harm to herself, she chose a difficult path for the sake of the person she liked….”
At that mont, I trailed off unnaturally and avoided Cha Yeri’s gaze.
I had tried not to be conscious of it, but she was staring too intently, and my words beca tangled.
As if pretending not to notice my reaction, Cha Yeri quickly continued.
“So, what is the second ground?”
Maintaining a calm expression, I looked toward the annex and answered.
“The next ground is that the value of the mana stone is abysmal. In other words, there is no reason to take the risk of breaking into Hero Prep just to steal it.”
“Because its replacent cycle is approaching?”
“Yes. Mana stones used as power sources lose most of their comrcial value once their lifespan ends. On top of that, disposing of an item that had gone through an auction would require handling it as stolen goods. No matter how you run the numbers, it would be hard to assign it a price.”
“But could it not be used for another purpose?”
Lee Eunho, who had been silent until now, spoke up.
I turned my gaze toward the vending machine and asked back.
“For example?”
“Processing a mana stone that still has residual mana. Jewelry embedded with mana stones has a fair amount of demand.”
It was not an unreasonable argunt.
However, it was nothing more than a fragntary inference.
“That line of reasoning can be answered by the third ground. The thief only broke into the Broadcasting Room.”
“…So you are saying it was an insider after all?”
“Yes. If the thief had been an outsider, the mont they crossed the walls of Hero Prep, they would have been riddled with bullets by the guards.”
“What if an insider targeted the mana stone to sell it as stolen goods?”
“That still does not add up in terms of profit. Selling stolen goods ans they needed money. In that case, it would be better to pick up bolo ties that cadets often lose.”
Bolo ties decorated with gems embedded with mana.
The sa item Cha Yeri had worn at the entrance ceremony.
It was a joke, but there was even a saying that rummaging through the trash Hero Prep produced could make you better off than an average office worker.
“So it is highly likely to be soone who knows the cadets’ absence schedules.”
Do Minyeong nodded, as if she was beginning to understand.
I imdiately agreed.
“And soone with the knowledge to dismantle the mana stone from the device.”
“And they would have prepared a place to hide the mana stone within Hero Prep as well?”
“That is right.”
“By your reasoning, there really might be a culprit among the Broadcasting Club mbers. …But there is one thing I do not understand. What benefit could they possibly gain from stealing the mana stone? Whether it is Senior Choi Suhyuk or another Broadcasting Club mber.”
Before answering, I glanced down at my smartwatch.
There was still plenty of ti.
“Would it not be best to ask him directly?”
“That would be the most satisfying, but from what I heard from the mbers earlier, it seems he went out. I should go back to the Broadcasting Room and ask.”
“No, even if you ask, he will not answer.”
“Why?”
“Did you not notice that all the Broadcasting Club mbers were female cadets? The mont we ask about Senior Choi Suhyuk’s whereabouts, they will think we suspect him and will not give us a proper answer.”
“That is prejudice. And do you even have another thod?”
I answered confidently, without even needing to nod.
“Yes. There is an expert in this field.”
***
To et this “expert in the field,” we headed to the Hall of Justice.
Specifically, to Gwon Chihun, who had his finger on every piece of gossip and every issue in the 4th Scholastic District.
Gwon Chihun had gathered several cadets weaker than himself and taken over a prop storage room on the top floor of the Hall of Justice.
Calling it an occupation was generous. It was little more than a childish hideout, filled with various amusents, where they lounged around in broad daylight.
It was such a thug-like sight that I felt embarrassed about having called him an expert earlier.
It was hard to believe he was a cadet facing an upcoming tactical evaluation.
I almost felt sorry for his teammates….
No, forget it.
At least one good thing ca of it. When we opened the door to the prop storage room, all of Gwon Chihun’s underlings vacated the area.
It ant he had at least mastered the most important skill in human relationships: reading the room.
“Ha, damn it. Why are you here again this ti?”
Gwon Chihun glared at us from where he sat by the window.
In truth, this was not the first ti I had co here.
I had once co with Do Minyeong to drag him out for a group assignnt in a criminal psychology lecture.
I nudged a discarded cup ran container rolling on the floor aside with my shoe and spoke.
“I am looking for soone.”
“What do you think this place is, a private detective agency? Why do you not find them yourself, oh mighty you? You are in the Special Affairs Division, the one that makes even crying children shut up.”
The Special Affairs Division….
From the mont Gwon Chihun learned that I belonged to the Special Affairs Division, he had held a grudge against .
And he took it seriously, as though I were a once-in-a-lifeti rival.
Considering that his dream was to enter the Special Affairs Division, it was not hard to understand, but….
Watching him behave like this right before an important evaluation, I doubted Baek Dojun would ever recruit him.
“Help while I am asking nicely. Otherwise, I will tell your uncle everything you are doing here.”
“Y-you…! Are you really trying to start sothing now?”
Gwon Chihun raised his voice but did not move an inch from his seat.
He knew that getting up would not change anything.
After all, the people standing in front of him were not ones he could deal with lightly.
Lee Eunho, who made perfectly normal people feel inferior, Cha Yeri, for whom the na Hyeonseong alone carried enough weight, and Do Minyeong, who reigned at the peak of notoriety among awakened beings….
As a result, he was venting his bluster at , the one he found the easiest to deal with.
“I am not asking for free. If you find the person properly, I am willing to call you in on a Special Affairs Division investigation later.”
Participating in a Special Affairs Division investigation.
Making an impression on Baek Dojun.
As expected, he sprang to his feet.
“Tch. So who are you looking for? I will say this first, my information network only covers the 4th Scholastic District.”
“That is enough. I am looking for Choi Suhyuk, a cadet of Hero Prep.”
“What?”
“You are not going to say you do not know him, right?”
“Are you crazy? How could I not know that guy? He is ranked first in Incry followers.”
Ah, so that was part of his character setting too.
“So there is no problem finding him?”
“It is the opposite. He moves around so much that it is annoying.”
Gwon Chihun was already staring at his smartphone.
His fingers were nimbler than when loading bullets, and his gaze was as serious as if he were staring at a target.
It seed he really was an expert in this field.
Then why did he look so pathetic…? Maybe it was just my imagination.
“Based on recent posts claiming to have seen him, there are two most likely locations. One is the ward affiliated with Saint Sienna Magic School in the 4th Scholastic District, and the other is… huh? This place is sowhere I know.”
“Where?”
“The arena in District 26. You know, the place I went to back then.”
Seoul’s District 26 was where we had conducted a stakeout along with Dispel’s 3rd Branch.
The place Gwon Chihun had run off to on his own, insisting on going to the arena.
“Wait.”
Do Minyeong turned her head toward and spoke.
“Could it be that he really needed money? Sothing like gambling addiction….”
“Perhaps. We will only know once we check. More importantly, at this point it would be efficient to split into pairs.”
The ward affiliated with Saint Sienna Magic School was in the 4th Scholastic District.
The arena Gwon Chihun had visited was in District 26.
We could have gone to the ward first, but we had Do Minyeong with us, who attracted paparazzi the mont she stepped out of Hero Prep.
Therefore, sending Do Minyeong to the ward in the 4th Scholastic District was the rational choice.
Additionally, in the original work, Cha Yeri went to the ward, and Lee Eunho went to the arena.
Of course, I did not like it.
Traveling with Lee Eunho all the way to the outskirts of Seoul at this point in ti?
But there was no other option, so I could only hope that the devoted reader would not play tricks at a ti like this.
“I will move with—”
“I will go.”
Do Minyeong volunteered before I could finish my sentence.
The problem was that Cha Yeri raised her hand at the sa ti.
“……”
“……”
The two soon faced each other, creating a strange atmosphere.
An air that was hard to describe.
I could understand Cha Yeri, but why was Do Minyeong volunteering?
I looked back and forth between them, hesitating over how to break the silence, but thankfully, Gwon Chihun raised his arm high and butted in.
“Well, I will go too. The location might change in the anti. I-it is not like I was bored or anything.”
At that, two pairs of eyes shot toward Gwon Chihun.
“……”
“……”
“W-what? What is it?”
***
A secluded alley in Seoul’s District 26.
Choi Suhyuk, a third-year cadet of the Combat Division, was on the phone with soone from within a sparsely populated shadow.
“Really? That works out well. Good job.”
—N-no! It was your request, senior.
He was wearing a cloak pulled so deep that it was difficult to make out his face.
Only the occasional bitter smile could barely be distinguished.
—Um… then later, during the Autumn Arts War, for one day, could you maybe… with ….
“You want to walk around with you? Of course. Naturally.”
—Really? Thank you so much, senior!
The cheers from the other end of the line continued right up until the call ended.
In contrast, Choi Suhyuk casually slipped his smartphone away, looking utterly indifferent.
He soon exited the alley and quickened his pace toward a crude sign visible in the distance.
There were no letters written on the sign.
It was decorated only with busy lights around its border.
Choi Suhyuk stepped into the shabby entrance beneath the sign.
He descended the stairs deep underground to the second basent level, where he ca face to face with a large man guarding a thick steel door.
“We have been expecting you.”
The man recognized Choi Suhyuk at a glance, even with his face concealed.
He bowed deeply in a posture of utmost respect, but Choi Suhyuk paid it no mind and instead pulled out a thick piece of paper from his coat and handed it over.
“The settlent will be within this week. I am keeping a separate record of the amount, so do not try anything funny.”
The paper was an arena betting ticket made from a special material.
What set it apart from the tickets of other patrons was the substantial sum recorded on it.
“Just to confirm, the betting target is still….”
“Snowman.”
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