Time passed, the bitter winter receded, and the warmth of spring drew near. On a drowsy afternoon in March.
"Ughhh!!! Ah!! Damn… I'm so tired…"
"You okay…?"
"Damn it, my legs are killing me, I haven't slept a wink…"
"That's just growing pains, kid."
"Think any cases might pop up, boss?"
"No news is good news, kid."
"But time's dragging so damn slow… might as well take me along to that small operation we did last time. Huh?"
"You cleared them out so fast their seeds dried up. We'll have to import a crime syndicate from abroad at this rate."
Imported crime syndicate… Speaking of which, have the [Black Cloud Society] scumbags even set foot in [Yongmun] yet?
I've been tailing them for almost three and a half months since December, but I haven't caught a glimpse of those blasted tattoos. I got so frustrated I was hunting down anyone with ink on them.
'Just look at how optimistic the bosses got.'
"Hahaha! Hey! Everyone, check this out! This is a jackpot!"
The night we cleared out those small cells, Vice Officer Wei Yenwu was grinning ear to ear at our numbers tallying up. Barely dry on this morning, he paraded around, celebrating like it was a tour…
'All those weird rumors spread because of it.'
They say I carve people up on sight, that I torture recruits every weekend, that I'm actually an operative from some secret organization…
'Not that they're far from the truth…'
'Shut your mouth.'
If there's an innocent Rhodes Island cadre out there, let them step forward. There won't be any.
"What're you gonna do if they do?"
"Slice 'em up, and problem solved, right?"
"…You're about as harmless as a venomous bird. A downright menace."
Only the Emperor of [Yeomguk] carries that phrase with proper weight.
"Alright… I'll head out. Don't look for me."
"What a jerk… Hey, bring back the numbers when you get back."
"Like I'm fetching ice cream for you, just saying it offhand."
The numbers, my ass. In spring, I might sneeze myself to death from pollen… Anyway, this guy said there's nothing left to clear out himself.
'Should find something if I search around.'
I followed the now-familiar streets until the scent of dumplings drifted to me. Today, Magpie's spring day was tranquil.
No, it had to stay tranquil.
"Hey Nora. Come out. I'm here."
"Oh, you're here? I was just catching a whiff of something good."
Noya, my back-alley contact, whom I met in [Yongmun] after coming over from [Danguk]. His intel is rock solid—so much so that I reckon he accounted for over seventy percent of our last takedown.
"Oppa? Baekhyun oppa really showed up?"
"Ah, Nora. Yeah. Can you round up the hungry ones?"
Nora, the white-haired Fero with no real name, received that name from Noya and me when we pooled our heads together.
"So she's really your blood sister?"
"No idea. She was abandoned that day by chance; she could be a total stranger. White hair and her race are common enough. But… to me, she's family."
Noya introduced Nora and answered my question. In that back-alley, I secretly respected him for the genuine familial bond he ignited.
"So, any news lately?"
"The [Black Cloud Society] is still only a rumor. Just occasional sightings."
Still no solid leads… damn, they're out there for sure.
"I see. Got it."
"What? You heading off already?"
"If I don't know, I'll roll around until I find it. Isn't that how it goes?"
I will catch those snake-like bastards no matter what. They're the reason I'm here—I'll tear them to shreds.
"….Yes, Lord Honglu. It seems to be that kid from the [Sword Sect]."
『Really? Impressive. I'd like to meet this kid in person~』
"Black hair with streaks of white—that matches the kid Lord Roja mentioned."
『Black hair with white locks… ah! I think I've heard that before~』
"Alright. Then let's track—"
"No need to bother. They're right here."
"…!"
On the rooftop overlooking the back-alley, a [Pidia tribe] man with a long, snake-like tail felt a chill and spun around.
"Hey, you there… Konglu? Switch me to that bastard."
His feathers, once pure white, now dripped with dark-red blood. He must have dragged someone down and then climbed up himself.
『Oh? Looks like you're in a bit of trouble?』
"…I'll wrap this up quickly and call back."
"I'll do the wrap-up. You filthy criminals think you can roam [Danguk], [Yeomguk], [Ursus]… you're not plugging your nose into a plate—turns you into a venereal disease, you bastards."
"Well seasoned with words, aren't you."
"Añeju eum-- seureukgeun~~"
He replied with a ridiculous retort, but the [Black Cloud Society] man couldn't help but tense up.
'How can something so small… seem bigger than me?'
He seemed impossibly large. Though he looked like a boy barely over 150 cm, his presence felt like a giant capable of swallowing this building whole.
"Who did you drag up?"
"Some guy smoking by the pipes. I cleaned him up then grabbed the pipes up here. Why?"
"Came alone, huh? Brave, I'll give you that…"
"Hey, hold on—that was my line. How dare you stand against me…"
—Whoooosh!
"…Wind…?"
[Movement Arts], [Whirlwind—Sword Wheel]
The blade drew, unleashing a razor wind. He hastily drew his sword and met the childlike monster head-on.
—Clang!!
"Single… strike?"
"I spent a lot of thought on what I'd say if I found you. Now that we're meeting, I see it clearly."
Crack. From the ceiling above, the sound of something snapping echoed. Alarmed, he reached for his men, but there was no need.
With a thunderous crash, the rooftop gave way. The boy and the man vanished into the collapse, killing two more bewildered thugs below.
Six more syndicate members approached, surveying the wreckage. There, they saw the cause.
"Brother Make!!"
"Who is this guy?"
"...Pleasure to meet you roaches."
The boy who'd crushed their brother on the floor grinned with chilling precision as he drew his sword.
"We can't reach Maki-san. Should I scrap this number and delete the logs?"
"Yes, Lord Honglu."
"Sorry~ Looks like something went wrong on our end; got some people dead?"
The long-haired dragonborn with an odd-eye grin cheerfully addressed the man before him.
"No worries. Death for worthless bugs like you is just the punishment."
The man opposite offered a cold, merciless verdict, but Honglu just kept smiling like it was the best joke he'd ever heard.
"So… what is it you intend to offer us, Duke Kashei?"
The man was Kashei, a towering will of [Ursus], now the figure Baekhyun most feared.
"I want to strike a deal. I'll grant you the power to challenge the [Sword Sect]. In return, you bring me that one magpie."
"Power, huh… intriguing."
A colossal threat was steadily tightening the noose around him.
"I'm back, boss."
"Your reports keep getting shorter… What now, you fight again?"
"Go see him. I'm hitting the showers and then sleeping."
"Team leader! It's the [Black Cloud Society]! Five more from the syndicate that Baekhyun caught! Wei Yenwu said to bring them in!"
"What? Hey, kid… you…?"
"…The numbers. I brought them back."
"…One hell of a badass. Hey! Anyone—no, dammit, get me dried persimmons! Anyone!"
…I'm filthy tired. And… in a foul mood. What's wrong with me?