Transferred to an SSS-rank Production Class

The discovery of Lee Kang-to’s transgression was the result of Han Cha-hyun’s foresight combined with chance.

“I think I should go see Sa Mok-yeong after all.”

“Why is that big Mr. Kim going?”

“I feel like I need to hear at least a bit of his story before entering the western palace.”

After seeing Chae Seong-a off, I had done my own information gathering, but with little success. The NPCs would talk freely until the royal family was mentioned, then clam up.

‘If it weren’t for the alcohol, even the tavern keeper would have been like this.’

I grew increasingly curious about how Lee Kang-to, with his poor conversational skills, had managed to gather information. In the midst of this, I recalled Sa Mok-yeong’s mention of working in the palace.

While I didn’t expect that man to spill all the palace’s secrets, I thought I might be able to coax something out of him. With Cheong-jae’s tactful assistance, it might just work out. If the atmosphere was right, I could even casually inquire if his sister had ever been to the palace.

As I organized this scenario in my mind, I checked my Hunter Watch.

“If I hurry a bit, I won’t be late for the palace entry time.”

With the goblin on my shoulder shouting “Run, Mr. Kim!” I headed east. My steps were brisk, having a clear destination in mind.

My feet, racing against the setting sun, came to a halt due to the goblin’s question.

“Mr. Kim, are you planning to go straight to the palace after visiting there?”

“Probably. Is there a problem?”

“Shouldn’t we go pick up that unlucky Mr. Kim? He’s probably passed out sleeping by now, and it’d be trouble if he can’t wake up!”

It was a valid point. Lee Kang-to was certainly capable of such behavior.

“We could leave him behind if necessary.”

For my own safety, it would be better to have him along. While I didn’t expect anything dangerous to happen inside the palace, this was a hidden quest after all. We needed to be extra cautious.

Should I send a message? No, if he’s asleep, he won’t check it. As I was thinking I’d need to hurry to meet Sa Mok-yeong and then stop by the inn, I realized there was another way.

“Ah, if I use this…!”

I pulled out the necklace I had tucked away in my clothes. The goblin, seemingly taken with the brass pendant, circled around it.

“Mr. Kim, what’s this necklace?”

“I received it from Hunter Han Cha-hyun.”

“Hmm?”

Before leaving Cheonsan, Han Cha-hyun had quietly called me over and handed me this necklace. It was a location tracking item, along with the collar. I was already familiar with such things.

‘Press this pendant once to see Lee Kang-to’s location, and press it again to send him a warning sound.’

‘…So the collar wasn’t just a metaphor?’

‘I’ve simply taken necessary precautions.’

Though his tone had been gentle, it had sent chills down my spine for some reason. In the end, it turned out to be useful.

For now, let’s just check if he’s asleep or not. If the coordinates don’t change, we can assume he’s sleeping. As I pressed the pendant, a system window showing the coordinates popped up.

Seeing that I wasn’t saying anything, the goblin started to pester me.

“Mr. Kim, what’s wrong? Is it broken?”

“…The coordinates are strange.”

“How? How are they strange?”

“They keep moving. And more importantly, they’re in the opposite direction.”

I carefully reread Han Cha-hyun’s message on how to read the coordinates, but the result was the same. I frowned as I watched Lee Kang-to’s coordinates continuously moving eastward.

“Where on earth is this guy going?”

Sa Mok-yeong’s house? Beyond the city wall? Given Lee Kang-to’s unpredictable nature, we couldn’t rule out the possibility of a third location.

And the result of hastily following those coordinates was…

“I-I’m sorry!”

I clicked my tongue as I looked at Lee Kang-to, who was prostrated before me. The goblin, after glancing at me, leaped onto Lee Kang-to’s back and started bouncing.

I had expected Lee Kang-to to cause some trouble at least once during the mission. Since I had no expectations to begin with, I wasn’t even angry.

But thinking this was a good opportunity to correct Lee Kang-to’s behavior, I lowered my voice.

“I cannot overlook this incident. I should contact Hunter Han Cha-hyun, no, Guild Master Gyeon Ji-woon right away and hold you accountable.”

Lee Kang-to’s face turned pale as he opened and closed his mouth. For some reason, hugging the tail behind his back, he looked on the verge of tears.

To think that the one who had been prancing around like a spring foal would be so flustered. It was a stronger reaction than I had anticipated. Just like how he had tried to bring Chae Seong-a for Gyeon Ji-woon’s sake earlier.

‘Could he have some weakness being held against him?’

As I pondered, I recalled him mentioning receiving the tail as payment from Gyeon Ji-woon. Perhaps he had promised to take it back if Lee Kang-to caused trouble? Come to think of it, Kim Ji-hwa wouldn’t have sent someone like this without any safeguards, given how terrified Gyeon Ji-woon was of her.

Seeing Lee Kang-to tighten his grip on the tail as I stared at it intently added weight to my speculation. While it was good for me to have this leverage, I couldn’t help but sigh.

‘What’s the big deal about that tail anyway…’

But reins are meant to be pulled. Suppressing a wry smile, I casually threw out words that would be a lifeline for Lee Kang-to.

“Tell me everything you’ve been up to until now. I’ll decide on your punishment after hearing it all.”

“You mean…!”

“There won’t be a third chance. Don’t even think about lying.”

Lee Kang-to, his color returning quickly, nodded vigorously.

“So, well, yesterday I…”

The more Lee Kang-to unfolded his story, the more my anger simmered.

Let’s set aside the fact that he snuck into the palace without my knowledge. But if he obtained such crucial information, he should have reported it. And what’s this about the Commander of the Royal Guards being a black magician?

It struck me anew that this was a person I could never understand, no matter how I tried.

“So you came here to uncover the Commander’s weakness?”

“Y-yes! As expected, Hunter Yun Gaho isn’t just beau-beautiful in technique, but also bril-brilliant…”

“Flattery won’t help you.”

“Tch.”

As Lee Kang-to pouted, he sensed a presence and turned around. A shadow flickered behind the paper door. Judging by the long hair and careless footsteps, it seemed to be Cheong-jae.

Well, I was thinking of heading out soon anyway. It would be a waste of time to deal with Lee Kang-to and return without meeting Sa Mok-yeong, my original purpose.

As I stood up, leaving him behind, Lee Kang-to blinked in confusion. Passing by him and pulling the door handle, I said:

“I’ll cancel everything.”

“Huh?”

“The promise I made beyond the city wall, I’m canceling it.”

Unable to grasp the situation, Lee Kang-to silently watched my back as I opened the door. Just as both my feet were about to cross the threshold, Lee Kang-to desperately grabbed my ankle.

“Th-that’s impossible! You said you’d make my tail even more beautiful! How can you just…”

“Shall I report this then?”

The hand gripping my ankle slowly lost its strength. He must have realized he couldn’t risk losing his tail entirely just for the sake of enchantment. A wise decision.

‘And this is when a carrot is most effective.’

As I fully exited the room, I glanced at Lee Kang-to. At my next words, he started bowing so deeply it seemed he would give me his liver and gallbladder if I asked.

“Really? You’ll really do that?”

“Yes, I’ll reconsider based on how you behave from now on.”

“How beautiful and merciful! I-I’ll do anything Hunter Yun Gaho says!”

Ignoring his meaningless praise, I crossed over to the next room. The goblin whispered to me:

“Mr. Kim, you’re starting to resemble that brown-haired Mr. Kim more and more.”

“You mean Hunter Han Cha-hyun?”

“Yeah. The way you subtly guide things to your liking, it’s just like him.”

Aside from a bit of annoyance, it was true that I had gained without loss.

I obtained high-quality information that Lee Kang-to had brought, and I discovered his weakness. On top of that, I managed to properly leash him using the enchantment I was going to do anyway as leverage.

But if it had been Han Cha-hyun, he wouldn’t have created such a situation in the first place. Feeling a bit embarrassed, I joked:

“No way. I’m still a novice compared to him.”

“Well… Sori’s not so sure about that.”

Instead of replying, I just smiled once and knocked on the door of Sa Mok-yeong’s room.

“Yes, please come in.”

“I’m sorry for disturbing you at this late hour.”

“I was just passing the time with a small task, so please don’t worry about it.”

It wasn’t a lie, as an unidentifiable object sat in front of the upright Sa Mok-yeong. A thin bamboo stick with a lump of paper attached to it looked like an ugly hot dog.

“I was making a floating lantern with Cheong-jae.”

I didn’t dare ask if that was really a lantern, but Sa Mok-yeong seemed to read my thoughts. Looking warmly at the hot dog—no, the lantern—he continued:

“She said it’s her first time making a floating lantern herself. It will improve with practice, don’t you think?”

“…Ah, yes.”

“If you’d like, I can make one for you as well, Player.”

“Thank you for your consideration, but we’re planning to leave this place soon.”

Hearing my words, Sa Mok-yeong handed me paper and a brush.

“In that case, why don’t you at least leave your name? I’ll float the lantern on your behalf.”

“My name?”

“The name of someone precious to you. There’s a saying that those who burn a name on a lantern will receive blessings until the next new moon.”

Sa Mok-yeong explained at uncharacteristic length.

Some write names for those departing this world, while others ask the spirit of the lantern to bestow blessings on the living.

However, there was one taboo. Sa Mok-yeong warned that one must never send off one’s own name. Doing so would cause all given blessings to flee.

“Only prayers purely for others are accepted on this night. Mok-yeong liked that aspect as well.”

So that’s why he was insisting so much—it was because of Sa Mok-yeong. With the situation unfolding like this, it became awkward to refuse. I awkwardly held the brush and glared at the white paper.

‘But whose name should I write?’

It should be a simple matter of writing down any name quickly, but why was I agonizing over it so much? Faced with the monumental challenge of a “precious person,” I couldn’t come up with any answer.

“Why is this so difficult…”

I stared blankly as a drop of ink fell from the brush suspended in my hand.