Chapter 130
Chapter 130: Poison Demon and Christmas (1)
Im Ye-rin's request to arrange a meeting with the Nameless Hero.
I made a displeased expression.
At that, Im Ye-rin grew even more flustered and changed the subject.
"W-want me to explain other paintings too? Did you see the Mona Lisa?"
"It's fine. I've seen them all."
"Over there is the Murim Tower exhibition hall. It's mostly focused on artworks, but one of the exhibition rooms is completely empty."
"Is that so?"
Now this piqued my interest.
"Apparently France left the space empty to display the Iron Instrument God's Sword. Come to think of it, isn't France interesting? Everyone else tries to use the Iron Instrument God's Sword for tower climbing, but here they're making efforts to put it on display."
Im Ye-rin said with an incredulous expression.
Because of the Iron Instrument God's Sword, of all things.
My interest dropped completely.
I asked her for news about Chief Han.
"What about Chief Han?"
"She was with me until just now. We came to the Louvre together."
"Really?"
She showed me the bag she had slung over her shoulder and said,
"This bag is the chief's too. She went to meet the Louvre director, saying she had something to find here."
What could Chief Han be looking for at the Louvre?
I was suddenly curious.
"She said she came to retrieve a spear that France had taken. Isn't that strange? To think the chief's spear is here."
I had a guess.
‘The Azure Dragon Spear, I see.’
‘A replica of the Iron Instrument God's masterpiece, the Azure Dragon Spear.’
‘To think France had even prepared a special display space at the Louvre for the Iron Instrument God's Sword—it seemed they intended to put the Azure Dragon Spear on display.’
‘That thing is nothing but a counterfeit, so it doesn't matter whether it's there or not.’
Chief Han knew this as well, but since I was the one who gave it to her, she appeared to be retrieving it simply for that reason.
Come to think of it, seeing the Azure Dragon Spear displayed there as-is might actually be amusing.
If they proudly put it on display only to eventually discover it's a counterfeit, they'll be utterly humiliated.
Heh heh heh.
Just as I was smiling to myself, Chief Han returned.
"Ugh. Damn! These bloody French people."
"Chief."
"Oh? Tae-yang."
Chief Han had been fuming because things hadn't gone her way, but she beamed brightly when she saw me.
"How have you been? And the master?"
"You go looking for the master the moment you see me—I'm a little hurt, you know."
"Understand me. You know how it is."
She playfully nudged me.
"I was actually trying to meet you, Tae-yang. Ye-rin was right. She said we might run into you at the Louvre."
Chief Han winked at me and continued.
"Did you make plans with Ye-rin in advance? Heheh."
"Not particularly."
"That aside, the master and his student are exactly the same when it comes to not answering the phone."
"Is that so. The master is keeping a low profile. It's been quite a while since I've seen him myself."
"Let's all meet up sometime. Have a meal together."
"M-me too!"
Im Ye-rin chimed in.
"Well. I'll ask the master."
‘Impossible.’
‘That person is me.’
I asked Chief Han.
"Are you alright moving around so freely? From what I heard, you even kidnapped a police officer."
She shrugged and answered as though it were nothing.
"That's all been resolved. The government compensated sufficiently."
I tilted my head.
"President Park? Doesn't seem like something he'd do."
"No, France."
"Ha ha."
She grinned, and I let out a wry smile.
"I even received an apology. With a generous settlement on top of it. You know Chanel? The luxury brand."
"They say it's a limited edition just for the chief."
Im Ye-rin filled me in, and I asked with a look of surprise.
"Do you like that sort of thing, Chief?"
"When someone's offering it for free, there's no reason to refuse."
She laughed lightly and swept her hair back with her fingertips.
"What about the other women who were rescued?"
"Once treatment is finished, they'll be sent back to their respective countries, and there will be separate compensation as well. Though honestly, the compensation might not even be necessary."
She paused for a moment.
"Why's that?"
"They all saw the Nameless Hero's face, didn't they? Between broadcast appearances and book deals for those with the talent—they could get rich. Apparently one of the Americans has already signed a publishing contract."
"That's remarkable."
I nodded as though impressed.
"There's just one woman, a Syrian, who's a problem. She's also an illegal immigrant, and France agreed to grant her citizenship as a gesture of apology, but she's refusing."
"Why?"
"Apparently she has an older brother, and she wants the citizenship extended to him as well. But since his status—whether alive or dead—can't be confirmed, it seems to be causing complications. There's a refugee application on record but nothing can be verified. Beyond life or death, even his very existence can't be proven."
She explained with a furrowed brow.
‘This works out well. National status was the problem for fulfilling Omar's dream of becoming a tower climber.’
‘Ah, but does that mean I'd have to leave Omar behind in France?’
‘He's the herb field manager I went to such lengths to find.’
‘That won't do.’
"His name is Omar."
I corrected her by telling her his name.
"Pardon?"
"He worked in Korea for a time. He was deported because he was an undocumented immigrant."
"How do you know that……?"
She couldn't hide the look of astonishment in her eyes.
"Let's do this. Why don't we bring him ourselves. To Korea."
She closed her eyes briefly in thought, then answered quietly.
"What France failed to do, Korea steps in to do—Park Jae-yeol is going to love this."
I let out a hollow laugh.
‘Just recently she was carefully addressing him as President or Your Excellency. Now she was using his bare name without hesitation.’
"Understood. I'll look into it."
Right then. The matter of Omar and his sister's nationality—resolved.
"Since we're on the subject, Park Jae-yeol says to pass something along to the master."
"……?"
"He says he's sorry. And that he lost."
"Hmm."
This is unexpected.
"He wants to meet at the embassy. He says he'll wait a few more days."
I stared at her for a moment before answering.
"The apology I understand, but I don't follow what he means by losing."
"What?"
"Did the master fight Park Jae-yeol?"
"Oh!"
"It sounds like Park Jae-yeol fought by himself, lost by himself, and is now apologizing by himself. What a funny man."
"Bwahahaha!"
Chief Han burst into laughter.
It was a single remark that rendered everything Park Jae-yeol had done utterly pointless.
While Park Jae-yeol had been shadow boxing—
The Nameless Hero had built the Golden Tower, rescued those who had been kidnapped and imprisoned, and demolished the European Black Market.
He hadn't even spared a thought for Park Jae-yeol.
"It's like watching some pathetic college boy who pines away in silence, works up the courage to confess, and gets rejected. Hehehehe. I need to save this in my phone. Kihihihit."
She laughed in admiration as she tapped away at her phone.
Im Ye-rin asked,
"Chief, are you really going to relay all of that word for word to President Park?"
"Why not? It's a perfect answer. Even if it was Tae-yang who said it."
"What's perfect about it? It's making the president look like a fool."
The two of them had grown close at some point, as Chief Han was speaking casually to her.
Chief Han smiled and said to her,
"That may be true, but it's also a perfect statement of reconciliation."
"……Oh!"
‘There was never a fight.’
‘So there is nothing to sour.’
"If anything, Park Jae-yeol is going to be pleased."
Im Ye-rin finally nodded.
"Chief! Let's go out and eat something delicious."
Im Ye-rin linked her arm through Chief Han's.
"Shall we?"
Chief Han tried to take her bag back from Im Ye-rin, but—
"I'll carry it. From now on, always!"
"Are you proposing we form a duo? You're a member of the Goryeo Sword Sect, Ye-rin."
"Chief, why not join our Goryeo Sword Sect while you're at it? I'll speak to the elder on your behalf."
"Trying to scout me, are you?"
"If I can bring you over, the elder might just give me a section chief position."
"Big dreams you've got there, this one."
Thunk.
Chief Han lightly rapped Im Ye-rin on the head.
On the way out of the Louvre.
The Murim Tower exhibition hall that Im Ye-rin had mentioned.
The empty space left for the Iron Instrument God's Sword came into view.
Im Ye-rin asked Chief Han,
"Looks like you couldn't retrieve the spear."
"Right. Didn't even make a dent."
As she said that, she looked at me.
"Oh, you don't know the story, do you? There's this Azure Dragon Spear……"
She explained.
I already knew the whole story, but I listened while pretending not to.
"You've had quite the ordeal."
"They absolutely refuse to give it up. Apparently they're going to put it on display at the Louvre starting tomorrow."
"Hmm."
"I also told them it would become a diplomatic issue, but then they came at me saying I'm not even affiliated with Gukmubon anymore."
"That's not exactly wrong."
She playfully placed both hands on her hips.
"Excuse me!"
"Wasn't the burden of being the number two at Gukmubon something you found overwhelming while you had it, only to feel a little wistful now that it's gone?"
"Not particularly."
"……"
"……Actually, a little."
‘Han Jang-mi really does suit Chief Han.’
‘Rolls right off the tongue.’
"It's not for any other reason—it's because it was something the hero gave to me, and then the old man repaired it for me, so I felt I ought to return it."
I smiled gently and said,
"Wouldn't it be more fun to leave it as it is?"
At that, Chief Han laughed too.
"You're right. Let them get a good taste of humiliation. Ha."
France's disgrace was still to come.
But even so, she didn't look entirely at ease.
"I'll speak to the master on your behalf. I think he'd actually find it amusing."
"That would be a relief, but……"
We stepped outside.
"Whoa. A tree."
Im Ye-rin ran ahead and stood in front of the Christmas tree.
"I was so caught up in everything that I completely forgot—Christmas is almost here."
I too had been lost in thought as I walked and had passed right by the Christmas tree without noticing.
‘Since being possessed by Kim Tae-yang.’
‘I had technically experienced one Christmas already, but it hadn't felt real at the time.’
‘Getting stronger was the pressing concern, and even adjusting was no easy task.’
‘So it was that seeing a Christmas tree in Paris felt like something entirely different.’
I sifted through Kim Tae-yang's memories.
Christmas.
‘The vulgar product of crass capitalism.’
‘On Christmas Eve, everyone heads into motels……’
Ugh.
‘This guy Kim Tae-yang's memories are somehow distorted and sordid.’
Im Ye-rin walked up with a smile.
"Since we're in Paris, I should go buy some gifts."
I asked her,
"Gifts?"
"It's Christmas. It's about giving presents that carry your heart to people you're grateful for."
Chief Han also said in passing,
"I wonder what present I'll receive this year."
"Who's giving it?"
"Santa, of course."
"Candy?"
Slurrrp.
‘Just hearing the word makes my mouth water.’
"No, Santa!"
"Satan?"
"Santa! What's gotten into you? You're acting like someone experiencing Christmas for the first time."
"Hmm."
‘Can't be helped.’
I searched through Kim Tae-yang's memories again.
Some bearded old faction elder wearing crimson armor—
—grabbing the antlers of a divine stag and slashing down couples left and right.
Slash—! Slash!
Blood spilling across a white snowy field.
【Kim Tae-yang says: ‘What an impressive master’. +1 Happiness】
……Kim Tae-yang.
‘Stop forcibly distorting the memories.’
‘Perhaps because things have gone too smoothly—he's even started pulling pranks.’
Stop doing pointless things.
‘The memories need to be accurate. If they're wrong, both of us are in danger.’
I sent a firm warning.
【Kim Tae-yang says: ‘I'll be more careful going forward’. +1 Happiness】
Damn.
‘Can't trust this guy.’
‘He's probably just in a good mood because things wrapped up well.’
I shook my head to clear my thoughts.
As we stood near the tree, a Black man came carrying a heap of figurines, trying to sell them.
"Key rings, bracelets. Cheap cheap."
"Not buying."
"Nameless Hero. Cheap cheap."
"What's he saying?"
"Looks like Nameless Hero figurines."
Looking at the figurines, there was a shabby-looking middle-aged man clutching a tower.
It was the Eiffel Tower, not the Murim Tower—but close enough.
"I can tell it's the Nameless Hero, but what's this rag-looking thing next to the tower?"
"Probably the ghost."
……That's harsh.
It was a laughably crude figurine, but there was something endearing about it.
"He looks like the master."
At that, Chief Han and Im Ye-rin cried out at the exact same time.
"He looks nothing like him!"
"He looks absolutely nothing like him!"
‘Looked alike to me.’
The two didn't buy one, but I purchased one as a souvenir.
"Have dinner with us."
Chief Han invited me to eat with them that evening.
"Come with us. I made reservations at a good place."
I quietly shook my head.
"Another time."
"Understood. Can't be helped. Next time, let's see Bo-reum too."
"Yes. Enjoy your meal."
I said my goodbyes and returned to the hotel.
‘That was a rather meaningful day.’
Kim Tae-yang.
‘The advice your schoolmate gave proved quite helpful.’
【Kim Tae-yang replies: ‘See? Good thing I didn't feed you the Gu Poison, right?’ +1 Happiness】
The reason I came back to the hotel rather than the herb field was to check the tablet that the Choi Brothers had sent through Im Ye-rin.
I plugged in the power cable and turned on the tablet.
‘Too many unlock attempts have been made.’ appeared on the screen.
‘Why is it like this?’
‘Looks like Im Ye-rin meddled with it.’
‘This girl.’
I pressed my fingerprint to it and the screen unlocked.
All the other apps had been deleted.
Just one notepad on the home screen.
I tapped to open it.
There was a message left by the Choi Brothers.
‘You'll return, won't you? We believe in you.’
The contents were brief.
Except for this one line they added at the end.
‘Im Ye-rin appears to be a spy.’