Chapter 703: Mask (7)

The weekend after Christmas was like a road trip.

Even though it was a holiday, there were many people who couldn’t rest.

One of them was Sung Gukeon.

He had to listen to reports on the incident in Eungwang High, as well as events in the lawmakers’ offices such as debates. and academic conferences, and special meetings in January next year.

“Perfectly smeared!”

Sung Gukeon lamented after checking the front pages, social media sites, political pages, and second-level articles of major media outlets.

All of them were full of stories about Eungwang High.

Timeline that summarizes the incident, the performance of students and professional player teams, gossips from that day, etc.

Since it drew attention not only at home but also abroad, articles pouring out like this was natural and inevitable.

But thanks to that, important issues were buried in the case.

One of them was the collision between the otherworld division of the government and the Players’ Association on the nationalization of satellites.

“It’s better for public opinion to be buried than leaning in favor of nationalization.”

Jeon Muyeong spoke calmly.

He was disturbed by his worry about Kim Shinrok and the students at Eungwang High, but he regained stability once he confirmed everyone’s safety.

“There has been a lot of noise since the Minister of Otherworld Division was replaced.”

At the end of Sung Gukeon’s gaze was a small newspaper article.

[Result of the Association-Division meeting. “No room for conversation”]

Photos were not included, but Sung Gukeon knew the faces of those who were pointing their fingers.

There was no way a conversation could happen because the Otherworld Division put forward demands that couldn’t be heard by authority.

Sung Gukeon was lost in thought as he recalled the face of the minister who was shouting in anger to call for the head of the association.

“How did it look from your perspective, Congressman?”

“I got the impression that they’re in a hurry.”

“Hurry? Not ‘foolish’ or ‘irrational’?”

Sung Gukeon replied with a smile at Jeon Muyeong’s acrimonious words.

“The association follows the words of the Otherworld Division and things work out quickly. Even so, the actual ownership of the satellite will be transferred in a few years. And yet the minister acted hastily as if he had a knife to his throat.”

Even in the midst of the chaotic meeting, Sung Gukeon kept his sharp eyes on the minister.

When Jeon Muyeong recalled it after hearing Sung Gukeon’s words, it really did seem like that.

‘He checked his watch often. It might be a habit, but it wasn’t at the hearing.’

Jeon Muyeong checked the personal information of the new minister.

His career wasn’t problematic, and he had no shady family history.

He investigated up to his relatives of 8th degree, and he found no problem even in their assets.

“There was nothing unusual when I investigated during the confirmation hearing, but it’s possible that a new problem occurred. I will look into it again.”

“I’ll leave it to you.”

Sung Gukeon closed the file on which the newspaper article was clipped before checking the following documents.

Influenced by his old teacher, both Sung Gukeon and Jeon Muyeong were used to handling paper documents.

The new file that Sung Gukeon opened was titled “Trends of the Fomorian Demons.”

“I heard they’re coming to Korea.”

“Yes, the Black Forest is currently in charge of them.”

The two didn’t say it out loud, but they thought of the same thing.

The auction of the Fomorian demons and a confrontation between them and the Tuatha Dé Danann.

The suggestion that the blue-masked demon made to Sung GUkeon.

“Haha! To suddenly leave England and come here. Are they looking for me?”

The blue-masked demon asked Sung Gukeon to break the Lia Fáil, the coronation stone of the Tuatha Dé Danann.

In return, the Fomorians offered unconditional support until Sung Gukeon became king of the country.

Sung Gukeon didn’t intend to respond, but he communicated through borrowed names and devices to confirm the activities of the Fomorians.

“I was so careful. Did they find out that I was in Korea?”

“If they investigated everyone who attended the auction, no matter how careful we were, it’s inevitable that they’d find your country of origin.”

“Considering the financial and intelligence power of the Fomorians, it’s not strange.”

Sung Gukeon put down the file and spoke to himself.

“I’m glad they’re coming for me but…”

Sung Gukeon’s eyes turned to Eungwang High, the place where the young Jo Euishin, who accompanied him that day, was studying.

***

Monday, after the weekend, the last week of December begins.

I stayed in the tigers’ mansion all weekend.

Since the big incident was over, there was a lot to discuss with the tigers.

I had to play with the descendants and keep an eye on Ahn Dain who was staying in one of the annexes, so I couldn’t really leave the mansion.

That’s how I started off the worst end of the year.

“Here, Jo Euishin! It’s your morning medicine. Drink it well.”

Medicine time arrived after breakfast.

Hwang Jiho handed a small bowl that contained medicine.

Then, Olmu, who had been wagging his tail near me, coughed and sneezed cutely.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Even the good genius warrior couldn’t stand the smell of the medicine.

Sanryeong, whose presence became clearer these days, pulled out far before Hwang Jiho handed me the bowl.

He’s unlike Olmu who stood by me and endured it.

“It’s an antelope with a unique color combination. I doubt Hyangrok’s taste every time I see it.”

“Didn’t he use this because it was Christmas when we ordered it? I think the red part is raspberry juice, but it’s amazing that it doesn’t smell or taste like it at all.”

Jeokho and Eunho conversed as they watched me sit in front of the medicine.

Half of it was red and the other was green, and it was clear that Hyangrok tried to make it feel like Christmas.

However, despite the pleasant colors, the elixir with bad taste and smell tasted like poisonous mushrooms.

“Hahaha! Make sure you take it all.”

Hwang Jiho said that the effectiveness of the medicine decreases if I just chug it, so I have to keep it in my mouth longer.

As I stared at the pills with dead eyes knowing that I couldn’t take it, Eunho talked to me.

“Go on, Red Wall Thief hyung.”

Ah, isn’t it about time to stop using that?

Eunho seems to intend to make me suffer until the end of the year.

‘Him saying that means that it’ll be more painful if I keep delaying it.’

I ignored my screaming spirit and poured the medicine into my mouth.

It was bad the moment it touched my tongue!

Once or twice, the taste grew worse.

Can’t excessive bad taste be poisonous?

But why am I still alive?

In pain and doubt, I chewed and swallowed the medicine.

The taste remained in my mouth even after I swallowed, making my eyes dizzy.

“Hahahha! It’s Hyangrok’s medicine indeed. The benefactor’s blood circulation has improved remarkably.”

Maybe the anger and pain caused by the bad-tasting medicine caused my blood pressure to rise.

As Hwang Jiho’s laughter grew louder, I felt blood circulating quickly in my body.

When it was time to go to school…

“Alright, let’s go! It’s finally vacation after today’s closing ceremony.”

“I’ll make sure you’ll be comfortable during the vacation. Take care.”

Why are they talking as if I’ll stay at the mansion for the whole vacation?

I had many things to do, and some of them needed to be discussed with the tigers in advance so I guess I needed to see them often, but I didn’t want to be rude and overstay at their home.

Hwang Jiho said something, but his words just passed through my ears.

‘The most important thing during vacation is to prepare for the Dragon Palace. Second, to prevent Sung Gukeon’s assassination attempt…’

Pop, pop!

We passed through the main gate and my thoughts were interrupted by the sudden sound of firecrackers.

In front of the clock tower was a huge sign in oak and a clear message in neon.

[We will find out who is behind the masl.]

Under the word “mask” the shape of a crow mask was drawn.

I couldn’t grasp the situation at first, but then it became clear.

It was a message from Phantom Thief Neon and the Duidress to that word.

***

In the deep darkness.

Instead of a red dress, Ungnyeo was wearing achromatic clothes and staring at the hologram that displayed Eungwang High.

‘The two of them are safe.’

From her research, no one was killed or seriously injured in Eungwang High.

In other words, Ungnyeo’s son, a teacher at Eungwang High, is safe.

According to the goodwill of a superior being pure-white bear, Jeokho’s only injury was his leg.

The last time she saw him, he was already healed.

Still, Ungnyeo couldn’t shake off her worries.

‘Yong Jegun…’

The rumor quickly spread as the Cintamani Yong Jegun began to cover his eyes.

Even if Ungnyeo didn’t deliberately collect information, she would’ve heard of it.

‘That child must be very sad.’

Her child’s only friend will ascend to heaven.

She vaguely guessed why Yong Jegun made such a choice, but she didn’t feel pleasant about it.

Ungnyeo knew well because she had a connection with a superior being.

How far the relationship between a superior being and someone on earth could be.

“Ungnyeo, Ungnyeo…!”

Her thoughts were interrupted by a voice calling her from outside the cave.

Aside from her, some other Eight Real Bears lived there.

The fed-up Beonmin was captured, but there were many bears left.

‘One is gone. Except for me, there are six left. Three of them are asleep, so that leaves three.’

Two of the three went mad, but being crazy didn’t mean being weak.

Ungnyeo alone couldn’t beat the remaining bears, so she hid her true intentions and masked herself.

“Come in.”

Her voice had no sorrow in it.

As her alluring voice rang out in the cave, the door opened silently and a bright-faced bear appeared.

It was one of the three bears that didn’t go crazy, Hwanhee the Bear of Joy.

“I have good news!”

“Huhuhu, good news? But Beonmin failed so badly.”

What Ungnyeo considers as “good news” would only be the extermination of the Bear Clan, the Heavenly God forgiving Jeokho, and her son being accepted into the Tiger Clan.

Hwanhee doesn’t know this, of course.

In any case, it would be unusual for Hwanhee, who was busy studying and experimenting with new techniques, to come in such a hurry.

Ungnyeo waited for the answer with a dutiful face, trying her best to mask her vigilance.

“The eyelids of the asleep bears shook deeply.”

The moment she heard the news, Ungnyeo covered her mouth with her silk fan.

Hwanhee didn’t notice her agitation as she covered her trembling lips.

The gesture must seem like surprise and joy to the other bear.

“They’ll wake up soon!”

Three of the Eight Real Bears fell into a deep sleep.

And they were about to awaken.