Chapter 54 …
EX-Rank Reincarnation Picked
Tae Yongjin, forty-eight. That was the information on the middle-aged enchanter working near Gwangju.
The place we were called to before I could even finish buying the cake was the inside of the enchantment shop where Yoo Seongin had just caused a scene.
“Ah… I’m afraid this is all I have to offer the knights.”
Tae Yongjin carefully set down coffee. I gave a slight smile as I looked at it.
“No, it’s fine. Thank you.”
Honestly, I can’t drink coffee, but I couldn’t exactly make a fuss, so I stayed quiet.
I took a sip. Ugh, bitter.
While I was secretly smacking my lips, Tae Yongjin asked us:
“Um… First of all, I apologize for calling you here so suddenly. You really are knights, correct?”
At his worried question, I rummaged through my coat. Did I bring it…? Ah, here it is.
My knight ID. I showed it to him.
“Ah…! So you really are knights.”
Only then did he seem convinced. Relief washed over his face.
“What seems to be the problem?” I asked.
Was there really something that warranted that kind of reaction to the word “knight”? Tae Yongjin hesitated.
“Well…”
After a brief silence, he continued.
“I was hoping I might be able to ask for your help… which is why I committed this rudeness…”
“What kind of help do you mean?”
“…Do you remember the young man from earlier?”
“The one who said he’s the son of the Yujeon Corporation owner?”
An A-rank superhuman—Yoo Seongin.
As Tae Yongjin mentioned him, a shadow fell over his face.
“…Yes.”
“What about him?”
“For the past few months, Yoo Seongin has been relentlessly harassing our shop.”
“For months?”
So what happened earlier wasn’t just simple bullying?
“Yes… I believe it started a few months ago, when he brought an artifact to our store.”
Two or three months back, Yoo Seongin had visited Tae Yongjin late at night.
At the time, he brought an artifact and requested an appraisal.
Hearing he was from Yujeon Corporation, Tae Yongjin nervously examined it.
Up to that point, there had been no problem.
But—
“The issue… started when he confirmed the existence of a certain item in our shop.”
“An item?”
At my puzzled question, Tae Yongjin stood up.
“Please excuse me for a moment.”
He disappeared briefly, then returned carrying something.
It was a pure white box.
“What’s this?”
The moment my focus settled on the box—
[■ Illusion of Corca activates.]
The skill triggered.
[■ Fragment of Grace 4]
[■ The fourth fragment of Angel’s Grace (SS).]
[■ Current bound owner: Tae Yongjin.]
“…What is this?”
A fragment of an SS-rank artifact?
My eyes widened at the information Corca revealed.
“This is my father’s keepsake,” Tae Yongjin said.
“A keepsake…?”
That thing?
“Yes. He brought it saying it would one day bring about a miracle… But it seems Yoo Seongin knows this is in our possession.”
“You’re saying Yoo Seongin is after that?”
“Yes.”
“…Do you know what it is, sir?”
“I don’t. I may be an enchanter in name, but… my rank is too low to view this item’s information.”
It was an SS-rank artifact fragment. How many enchanters in Korea could casually appraise that?
To see SS-rank information—
At minimum, you’d need to be an S-rank enchanter.
And there was exactly one S-rank enchanter in the country.
On top of that, he was known for shutting himself away in the mountains with no intention of coming out, so there was no way Tae Yongjin could identify it.
“So Yoo Seongin knows about the item and is threatening you to hand it over?”
“…That seems to be the case.”
“…Hmm.”
I scratched my cheek.
“Something feels off.”
The explanation was a bit strange.
“…Is there really any need for him to threaten you like this? He wouldn’t even need to come personally to harass you.”
It felt unnecessarily roundabout—even if Yoo Seongin was after the fragment.
“B-but…”
Tae Yongjin spoke in flustered defense.
“There’s no other reason for him to harass me like this. It started the moment he confirmed the fragment was here.”
“…Hmm.”
He didn’t look like he was lying.
“In that case, what exactly would you like to ask of us?”
“…Could you stop Yoo Seongin from harassing our shop any further?”
“….”
I narrowed my eyes. I had expected that request.
“Have you reported this to the authorities?”
“Yes…! I tried everything. But…”
“No one listened, right?”
Jin Yeonhee, who had been silent, cut in. She hadn’t touched her coffee.
“If it’s Yujeon Corporation, they’ve been rooted in Gwangju for a long time. It wouldn’t be easy to go against them.”
“So they’re just letting him run wild like that?”
“That’s right.”
Jin Yeonhee nodded calmly.
“I understand what you’re saying.”
She turned to Tae Yongjin.
“I understand why you asked us, but this isn’t within our jurisdiction.”
“Knight…!”
“And it’s an issue outside our region. I don’t think we can move to resolve this.”
With that, Jin Yeonhee stood.
“Lee Jinwoo. Let’s go.”
“Jin Yeonhee.”
“Get up.”
Her expression was sharp and cold. It was obvious she’d get angry if I pushed further.
“…Alright.”
I followed her outside. I could see Tae Yongjin’s face darken instantly.
* * *
As soon as we stepped out, I spoke.
“Did you really have to be that blunt?”
Jin Yeonhee looked back at me.
“It’s fine to be meddlesome. But stopping Yoo Seongin earlier—that was the appropriate limit. Anything beyond that isn’t our place.”
“If they’re genuinely being threatened with malicious intent—”
“Then the local police should handle it. Not us. Knights aren’t meant for this kind of work.”
“….”
“Especially knights like us. You know that.”
She was right. Knights weren’t meant to handle matters like this.
Especially a knight corps created to deal with terrorists.
“I understand how you feel, but this is their issue. If we step in, things could get bigger. Especially since a corporation is involved. Can you handle that?”
“So we’re just supposed to watch someone in trouble?”
“Who said to just watch? Get involved when there’s proper justification. This isn’t it.”
Our voices rose.
I knew she was rationally correct. Which meant I had nothing more to argue.
“…Alright.”
There was nothing more I could do. Stopping what happened earlier—that was probably the extent of what I was allowed.
Logically, I knew that.
I knew it, but—
‘Strangely…’
I kept wanting to get involved. It felt like I had to.
“…As long as you understand. Let’s head back before it gets late.”
Jin Yeonhee walked toward the car we came in.
As I slowly moved to follow—
[Hero’s Super-Senses activate.]
I froze.
Something brushed my senses. I immediately turned around.
‘What is it?’
Where was that coming from?
I narrowed my eyes and looked toward the source.
Across the street—on the rooftop of the opposite building.
Someone was there.
—…!
The moment our eyes met, the figure hid.
But—
[■ Mystic Eye activates.]
I had already seen him.
[■ ??? : Orga’s Killer (S)]
At the same time—
‘The mask.’
Before he vanished, I saw the mask he was wearing.
That mask. Definitely—
“Lee Jinwoo. What are you—”
“…Wait a second.”
I tensed my legs. Muscles swelled as power filled my body.
Then—
Boom—!!!
I launched myself roughly toward where he disappeared.
“Lee Jinwoo…!”
Jin Yeonhee’s voice faded behind me.
* * *
‘Where?’
Where did he go?
I focused all my senses on the space where he vanished.
[Hero’s Super-Senses activate.]
My heightened perception swept the area—and fortunately, it caught his trail.
‘Left.’
I moved quickly.
Before long, I had entered the distant forest.
A bit deeper in—
‘An abandoned factory?’
A large building came into view. It looked long closed.
Did he go inside?
Tap.
Upon arrival, my tension rose.
My super-senses quickly picked up presences nearby.
Someone was inside.
‘This…’
There seemed to be several people in there.
I narrowed my eyes and carefully entered.
Slowly.
I circled wide from where the presences were strongest.
‘What am I doing?’
Why am I even here?
Now that I thought about it—
‘…Isn’t this dangerous?’
I knew it was.
I shouldn’t have chased him in the first place.
Not chased—
‘I should’ve approached more safely.’
I should have contacted the Association to report suspicious activity. Or at least brought Jin Yeonhee with me.
‘Why…’
Did I come here alone?
I had rushed out without thinking.
Even to myself, it felt strange.
Click.
I slowly approached the source of the presence.
Even while thinking it was odd—
Strangely, I didn’t retreat.
My head was filled with the feeling that I had to go.
And when I finally entered—
“So, he noticed?” a voice said inside.
“Not sure if he noticed, but we did make eye contact.”
“That means he noticed, you idiot!”
The shout echoed through the space.
“Hey now, no need to raise your voice.”
A voice laced with amusement.
Since I was already on the upper floor, I peered down over the railing.
Cracked flooring everywhere.
Two people stood below.
“…!”
One of them—I recognized.
The one scowling fiercely.
‘Yoo Seongin?’
The very same guy from earlier.
Why was he here?
And the other—
‘…The mask.’
The masked man facing Yoo Seongin.
The one who had been watching me.
[■ ??? : Orga’s Killer (S)]
The information appeared.
No name was visible. Was it because of the mask?
“I told you to check what kind of guy he was and mess with him if needed, and you get spotted right away? Are you insane?”
“Relax. I said I wasn’t spotted.”
“You said your eyes met.”
“They just met, that’s all.”
“You call that—!”
“Don’t worry. I’m not a rookie who’d leave traces. Our young master has nothing to worry about.”
“…Tch.”
Yoo Seongin ground his teeth.
“…You’d better do your job properly. I’m not paying all that money for sloppy work.”
“Hey now, you know us. We’ve got high expectations for you too, young master.”
“…Enough nonsense. Deal with that enchanter soon. I need the fragment before I can do anything.”
“That’s not so easy. You know the fragment disappears if the bound owner dies.”
‘What?’
My eyes widened at the conversation.
The fragment they were talking about—was it the one Tae Yongjin had?
‘Looks like the shop owner was right.’
It really did seem Yoo Seongin was after the fragment.
The problem was—
‘That mask.’
No matter how I looked at it—
‘Terrorists.’
He seemed connected to them.
Which meant—
‘…Doesn’t that give me justification to intervene?’
The justification Jin Yeonhee talked about.
It seemed—
I had it now.
And in a very, very clear way.
