He’s the Legendary Guard, Isn’t He?

Chapter 202




Chapter 202

“Hello, Department Head.”

A female staff member stood up with a bright smile as she spotted Si-hyun.

Si-hyun returned the greeting with a smile of his own.

“Warden, are you in there?”

“Yes, he is. Please go on in.”

Si-hyun knocked twice on the door and entered the Warden’s office.

“Oh, come in! Our hero, the Department Head.”

The Warden, who had been reading documents on his desk, got up to greet Si-hyun.

With a smile that filled his mouth, he patted Si-hyun on the back in encouragement.

The way the Warden looked at Si-hyun was as if he were gazing upon a precious treasure.

How could it not be so?

He was the hero who had saved the detention center multiple times. Moreover, he was the only correctional officer whose name was well-regarded.

Not just the Warden, but all the fellow correctional officers felt a special warmth towards Si-hyun, who had awakened to being an S-Class yet chose to remain at the detention center.

“Now, sit down.”

The Warden and Si-hyun sat facing each other on the sofa.

“Is there anything difficult about your work?”

“Not at all.”

“That’s a relief.”

The Warden offered Si-hyun a cup of freshly brewed black tea.

Si-hyun accepted it with thanks.

The Warden continued.

“The reason I called you here is quite simple.”

“Yes?”

“I have something to relay.”

“What is it?”

“As you know, you’re the Security Department Head. But at the same time, you are a very valuable S-Class Awakened Being in Korea. The headquarters understands your position quite well.”

“Yes.”

After taking a sip of his black tea, the Warden resumed speaking.

“The responsibilities of the Security Department Head are certainly immense. The Security Department is one of the core departments in the facility. However, I believe it’s not comparable to the risk posed by a serious gate incident like the one we’re dealing with now.”

Si-hyun listened attentively, waiting for the Warden to continue.

“That indicates the great burden you carry as an S-Class Awakened Being.”

“Yes.”

Si-hyun took a sip of his black tea too.

“That’s why the headquarters has instructed us to accommodate you as much as possible. I called you to convey that.”

“I’m just grateful for it.”

Si-hyun lowered his head slightly.

“Our correctional organization should be the one thanking you. In any case, if there’s an urgent matter, you can report it later, so feel free to act. If you’re not around, the correctional officers can take on your role. I will speak well to them about it.”

“Thank you for your words. However, I am fundamentally a correctional officer. I plan to remain faithful to my duties.”

“I understand your feelings. But honestly speaking…”

The Warden took another sip of his remaining black tea before continuing.

“You know well, but right now, the ward is running smoother than it ever has. It’s likely due to you. Just the fact that you are the Security Department Head affects the atmosphere among the inmates. Ever since they learned you are an S-Class Awakened Being, things have intensified. The point is…”

“Yes.”

“Even without you, simply having you as the Security Department Head means the inmates are compliant and listen to the correctional officers. So, if urgent matters arise and you need to leave, there won’t be any problems. The Security Department operations will continue to run perfectly fine. And I reported this situation, so the headquarters is well aware.”

“I see.”

“No matter where you are or what important job you are doing, it raises the status of correctional officers. Now when people see you, they naturally think of you as a correctional officer—you are the hero of our correctional organization. A hero who has saved this detention center multiple times and has elevated the status of all correctional officers.”

“…I’m embarrassed by your overwhelming words.”

Si-hyun took a sip of his black tea with an awkward expression.

“Haha, how humble you are. Just remember that the correctional organization and all the correctional officers are truly supporting you from behind.”

The Warden said with a smile.

“Yes, I understand.”

Si-hyun smiled as well.

◈ ◈ ◈

Time flew by quickly.

It had already been three months since the Abnormal Gate opened.

The season seemed to shift into a scorching heat.

“Has there been any news from him?”

Si-hyun asked.

In front of him were Ryu Geon-woo and the National Intelligence Service Director.

Matters concerning the Demon Realm and Demons were currently very important issues for the Hunter Association and the National Intelligence Service.

Thus, regular meetings like this were held to keep the discussions ongoing.

“No, nothing much has changed. There hasn’t been any unusual movement at all. He still doesn’t speak much and obediently follows the instructions of the staff.”

The National Intelligence Service Director replied.

Jin was still confined in the underground facility of the National Intelligence Service.

Moving him to another correctional facility could risk leaking information outside.

In that regard, the National Intelligence Service’s underground was the best choice for secret confinement.

“Have you discovered anything more…?”

Si-hyun asked again.

“It seems we’ve gleaned everything we can from him.”

The National Intelligence Service Director answered.

He had been compliant from the start, allowing them to extract information at a rather fast pace.

Thus, they had obtained considerable information about the Demon Realm and Demons.

However, it was stated that he had little knowledge about other Demons, as they were generally indifferent towards one another.

Despite tough interrogations, he consistently maintained that stance.

He wasn’t lying.

The National Intelligence Service Director and the staff in charge of the interrogation concluded that.

For that reason, they couldn’t learn detailed information about other Demons.

Still, perhaps that was a blessing in disguise.

Had Demons not been that way, they might have already led an army here.

“I see.”

Si-hyun nodded.

The National Intelligence Service Director regarded him and then spoke.

“As I mentioned before, I don’t believe significant problems will arise.”

During the first meeting, he had stated that due to the characteristics of the Demonic species, there wouldn’t be major issues from this incident.

Three months had only made him more certain of that statement.

“Then that’s a relief, but…”

Unlike the National Intelligence Service Director, Si-hyun’s anxiety remained unrelenting.

It was a lesson learned from facing numerous life-and-death situations.

One must never let one’s guard down.

So, to facilitate a quick transition to the National Intelligence Service from the Guild, To-ya had set up a Teleportation Magic Circle in a discreet location.

If any issues arose, they could easily teleport from the Guild to the vicinity of the National Intelligence Service.

“You needn’t worry about that.”

The National Intelligence Service Director said with a smile, reiterating his assurance.

Then he continued.

“Speaking of which, is there any way to gather insights about movements in the U.S. through that acquaintance of yours over there?”

“That would be difficult. That acquaintance is not a spy; they merely provided me with information out of goodwill.”

“Ah, I totally understand what you mean. But I was wondering if we could leverage that goodwill for further information.”

“I can’t put my acquaintance in a difficult position.”

Si-hyun replied without hesitation.

He understood that Po-ahim and Miriam shared an unusual relationship.

However, he was reluctant to use that relationship to actively gain something.

Of course, if a truly necessary situation arose, he would be willing to ask for help.

But that would only be under Si-hyun’s own judgment.

He had no intent to act under someone else’s requests or pressure.

“I see… That’s unfortunate.”

The National Intelligence Service Director displayed a look of disappointment.

Gathering vital information from the U.S. was indeed a tough task.

Especially information regarding plans to subjugate the Demon Realm was nearly impossible to obtain.

Such significant information would certainly be heavily secured.

If it weren’t for Si-hyun, they wouldn’t have known anything until the U.S. took action.

In any case, the acquaintance in question clearly held a high position in the U.S. government.

While there was a path to acquiring valuable information for Korea, it was unfortunately hampered by the acquaintance’s firm stance.

The National Intelligence Service Director spoke again.

“Honestly, we have nothing we can do at this point. It’s not a matter our country can handle right now. We have no choice but to wait for the motions of the U.S. After observing their movements, we’ll decide on our course of action.”

The plan to subjugate the Demon Realm was a huge project.

One could say it was a project that concerned the future of the nation—it wasn’t an exaggeration.

The scale of it was no small matter.

So, attempting to gain leverage through diplomatic maneuvering based on that information would be nothing short of madness.

Knowing this well, the government remained silent.

“If the U.S. succeeds in subjugating the Demon Realm and gains a vast territory, it could lead to significant conflicts on Earth.”

Ryu Geon-woo spoke up.

China or Russia would surely not sit idly by as a competitor grew far stronger.

“However, there isn’t a single country that can stake a claim to the lands of the Demon Realm. The true owners of that land are merely enemies who cannot coexist with humanity. Hence, the U.S. has a solid justification for declaring that they are the ones who bled to eliminate the Demons—the enemies of humanity. There are hardly any nations that would dare oppose a strong country like the U.S., especially not smaller nations. Even countries in the pro-U.S. bloc, like the UK or Japan, would likely back the U.S., trying to reap whatever benefits they can. Furthermore, the U.S. has one decisive advantage that they won’t shy away from.”

The National Intelligence Service Director held up a finger.

“What is that?”

“The only country capable of opening a passage to the Demon Realm is the U.S.”

“That means….”

Ryu Geon-woo widened his eyes as he understood what was implied.

They currently held a Demon captive. And that Demon had the ability to open gates to the Demon Realm.

“The U.S. probably intends to wipe out all the Demons. After all, human rights don’t apply to them.”

Demons might look similar to humans.

But they were not human.

To real humans, Demons posed a threat more akin to monsters, regardless of their appearance.

No nation would protest even if countless monsters were slain.

Thus, the U.S. would likely view the extermination of Demons as a goal with little moral conflict.

If that were to happen…

The National Intelligence Service Director nodded as he read Ryu Geon-woo’s features.

“Yes, the U.S. alone holds the key to access the Demon Realm.”

According to Si-hyun’s information, the Great Sage of both sides knew the way to the Demon Realm.

If all the Demons were eliminated, he would be the only one left who knew how to do so.

And should the situation unfold as anticipated, the value of the captive they held in Korea would be…

Ryu Geon-woo swallowed involuntarily.

Then he spoke up.

“…Could it be that the U.S. already knows about this incident?”

“It’s unlikely. The U.S. already sent us regrets for not predicting the Abnormal Gate three months ago, right? If they had known, they wouldn’t have kept quiet this long. So, it’s clear that they haven’t caught wind of the Demons emerging from this latest gate. There simply hasn’t been an opportunity.”

The National Intelligence Service Director stated with conviction.

As he argued, if the U.S. had been aware, they wouldn’t have remained silent this entire time.

“Still…”

The National Intelligence Service Director continued.

“We can say for sure that this is a very valuable captive. I trust that both the association president and the department head will keep security a top priority.”

This matter went directly to the president.

No one else, not even the prime minister or the cabinet ministers, knew about it.

Only a select few within the National Intelligence Service and the Hunter Association were privy to matters closely related to this incident.

Si-hyun and Ryu Geon-woo nodded in understanding.

◈ ◈ ◈

“Lord Dagin has arrived.”

A goblin serving as a messenger bowed deeply as it spoke.

“Really?”

The Flame Demon King Igni looked perplexed.

Dagin, the King of Fortune and Divination, was a unique type among Demons.

He was the only Demon without a territory, living a nomadic life in the Demon Realm.

While other Demons viewed him strangely, he paid no heed to their glances and continued his wandering life.

Of course, he was not just a simple wanderer.

He possessed the ability to foresee the future through divination.

Thus, Demons often sought him out for readings to determine their fates, only for him to obstinately refuse.

He was never one to proactively offer divination unless it was convenient for him.

So why did he suddenly come now?

“Let him in.”

Hearing that, the goblin quickly dashed outside, soon returning with a young-looking man, his hair white like the snow, an odd match for his youthful face.

That man was none other than Dagin, the King of Fortune and Divination.

“It’s been a while, Dagin. What brings you here?”

Igni inquired.

“Renchik is dead.”

Dagin replied shortly, without elaboration, but Igni immediately grasped the weight of those words.

Renchik was dead? That meant his younger brother also…

Igni’s red eyebrows twitched.

“What about Jin?”

“He’s not dead.”

“What do you mean?”

“He has been captured by humans.”



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