Paolo Bettina Fermun and Vanessa Jeriel Fermun.
The two Fermun brother and sister were looking out of the window in Leolen Mansion’s hallway. They could see Siemens yelling at waiters in the garden below.
“…I hope it’ll go well.”
In truth, Venessa Fermun was the one who requested the Jeronimo Mercenary to assassinate Siemens. She did not want a dirty cockroach like him tarnishing the honor of their godfather.
“I’m sure it will. They’re the Jeronimo after all.”
“No… I think we provided too little compensation. What if they do things half-heartedly?”
To the infamous Jeronimo Mercenary, killing a member of the Italian Mafia was a trivial matter. Venessa Fermun didn’t offer that great of a reward either.
Of course, Venessa and Paolo Fermun considered taking the matter into their own hands, but they quickly changed their mind when they realized how big of a risk it entailed.
To the Mafia, killing a member of one’s own family was the most heinous crime. It was looked down upon even if it was through proper procedures, and Siemens was even an individual who gained the trust of the branch chief.
“What does Uncle Ezio see in that man?”
Venessa muttered with her teeth clenched. It was then.
She met eyes with Siemens through the window. Siemens looked at Vanessa with a lustful smile. The way his serpentine eyes scanned her grossed Vanessa out.
“Tsk… I hope the Jeronimo will show no mercy.”
Vanessa prayed inwardly.
“May he burn to ashes.”
**
“….”
I didn’t pull the trigger. It was because I saw a faint blue light surrounding the garden. If my eyes were correct, that should be a mana barrier, a defensive mechanism that blocked attacks from the outside.
Of course, it would have been stranger if there wasn’t any security for a Mafia family’s fellowship party.
Breaking that barrier… seemed possible. It didn’t look particularly strong.
Since the party hasn’t started yet, they probably had the intensity lowered to save mana.
The anti-magic attribute should be able to easily penetrate a mana barrier of that degree.
“Haa…”
I poured almost all of Stigma’s remaining magic power into the bullet, giving it the property of anti-magic.
Then, I took a deep breath.
Once I pulled the trigger, there would be no going back.
With my hands, I would be killing someone who I didn’t know to be human or Djinn.
However, it was a resolve I needed to make.
I needed to stay in this world for at least the next ten years.
During that time, I would need to kill many people. These murders would be by necessity.
As such, I needed to be more bold. My emotions needed to be worn down even more.
I hoped today’s experience would serve as the trigger.
I clenched my teeth and placed the target in my eyes. Was he a human or a Djinn?
I hoped he was a Djinn.
But if that was the case, what was the difference between a Djinn and a human? Were Djinns deserving of death? What about humans? Was I supposed to hesitate to kill them? Also, was I trying to kill a character in a novel, or was I trying to kill a living, breathing human being?
All sorts of thoughts emerged in my head, and my mind became chaotic.
I closed my eyes, then reopened them. I cooled my heated head.
I couldn’t come to a conclusion to a problem without answer. I also didn’t have time to distinguish between reality and imagination, and question my morals.
I put my finger on the trigger and pulled it slowly. The trigger was pushed softly, then was hooked to the end with a click.
I pushed the trigger through.
There wasn’t a loud noise, only the sound of the forest’s leaves rustling at the raging wind pressure.
The bullet that flew out of a muzzle shot through the air at an incredible speed.
There was a tiny gap between the firing of the bullet and its impact. However, the target couldn’t escape during that time.
The bullet’s anti-magic attribute crushed through the mana barrier, and the target who was standing in the garden… was shot dead with his eyes still open.
**
Boss watched the scene from afar. Kim Hajin’s bullet shattered the mana barrier and pierced the target’s head. The shattered crumbs of the mana barrier fell down on the collapsed target like snow.
A white bullet, blue glass-like fragments, and crimson blood. The harmony of the three drew a beautiful picture, and Boss quietly closed her eyes.
Crimson blood.
Hot blood.
The target wasn’t a Djinn.
Bodyguards in the scene quickly rushed up to the target. They guessed the position of the sniper through the target’s collapsed posture and began racing forward.
Boss opened her notebook. Kim Hajin’s location was being displayed in real time. Currently, he was in the middle of running away. He quickly reached the city streets, then slowed down when he reached a certain point. It seemed he got off his bike.
Boss began to run to where he stopped.
One minute was enough.
He was sitting on the terrace of a coffee shop wearing a pair of sunglasses and a suitcase on one side.
“….”
Boss felt a bit proud. Was that the attitude of a person who just killed a man?
However, she soon realized she was wrong. His hands were shaking, and his forehead was dripping with cold sweat.
Boss approached him slowly.
“Little Apprentice.”
When she called him, his shoulders shook. Boss sat down in front of him and stared at him. His eyes were hidden beneath his sunglasses.
“You did well.”
“…Did I?”
“Yes.”
Kim Hajin stared at her for a long time without a word, then spoke in a shaking voice.
“That’s… good.”
Boss didn’t have anything to say to him. At that moment, a staff brought over a cup of Americano coffee. Kim Hajin picked it up with shaking hands, and…
“Aak! Fuck, that’s hot!”
“….”
He stuck out his tongue as if to cool it off, then carefully blew on the surface before taking another sip.
He looked fine from the outside, but it seemed his mental state was all over the place.
Boss gave him a compassionate look.
“Kuhum. Ah~ damn it. I ordered an ice coffee too….”
Embarassed, Kim Hajin let out a dry cough. Boss nodded and asked back.
“How was it?”
“…People say there’s a first time for everything. That was it.”
“Right, it’s not easy to make money.”
Boss held the coffee cup Kim Hajin put down. Then, she unleashed her magic power and blew away the heat.
“But Little Apprentice, money is the only thing you can trust, especially for people like us.”
“…Us?”
Kim Hajin tilted his head, looking confused.
“We don’t have a family. We grew up without ever having a family.”
“….”
Kim Hajin seemed to fall in thought at Boss’ words. He then nodded and replied with a grin.
“Well, I guess so.”
Boss liked his answer. She liked him the more she got to know him.
Today was especially so.
His bullet broke the mana barrier and killed the target. What broke the mana barrier was undoubtedly the power of anti-magic.
‘My eyes weren’t wrong. Kim Hajin will certainly become the silver bullet that will kill him.’ Boss thought joyfully.
“Oh right, can you give me the reward as an item?”
Kim Hajin suddenly spoke.
“Item?”
“Yes, item.”
Kim Hajin knew Boss had many precious and valuable items. Since Boss didn’t know much about their market price, he knew that choosing an ‘item worth 300 million won’ would net him a rarer and more expensive product.
Simply put, Boss was bit of a pushover. Kim Hajin was also aware of the incredible luck he had.
Boss, who didn’t know about Kim Hajin’s thoughts, nodded after a little bit of thinking.
“Understood. I will prepare your reward myself.”
“Great. Then since I’m done with the mission, I’ll go back now. Have a nice day, Li Xiaopeng-ssi.”
‘If I knew it would end so quickly, I wouldn’t have bought that cat…’ Kim Hajin got up as he muttered incomprehensible things.
However, Boss grabbed his sleeve before he took off.
“Wait.”
“…Yes?”
“From now, don’t call me Li Xiaopeng.”
Boss raised her head and looked at Kim Hajin.
“Call me Boss instead.”
“….”
In that instant, a cool breeze blew past them. Boss’ hair fluttered in the air, and Kim Hajin stared into her eyes.
After swallowing hard, he slowly moved his mouth.
“I don’t want to.”
“Good… Huh?”
Boss, who was full of confidence, suddenly fell into a daze.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, I haven’t decided yet.”
“…What?”
Boss frowned.
However, Kim Hajin wasn’t fazed in the slightest and even spoke more daringly.
“It’s up to me to decide where I belong. Now is too early to decide, so… hahaha.”
**
Late night.
I returned to Cube. I felt drowsy, but the sensation of the trigger and the image of fresh blood shooting up into the air were still vivid in my mind.
Feeling somewhat dirty, I walked along the dark road blankly.
“Huu.”
Before I noticed, I was inside my dorm, standing in front of my room.
When I opened the door using the fingerprint scanner, I saw Evandel and Hayang sleeping on the couch in each other’s embrace.
I walked up to them and stroked Evandel’s sleeping head.
“….?”
Evandel opened her eyes narrowly. With a face full of drowsiness, she smiled sweetly. I held her in my arms. Evandel rubbed her cheek on my shoulder and asked.
“Did you bring yummy food…?”
“Ah.”
I had forgotten. I should have brought some Italian food.
“Uun?”
“Tomorrow. We can eat it tomorrow. It’s late now, so you should sleep.”
I went into the bedroom and put her on the bed. As the bed was Evandel’s sleeping place, I slept on the living room couch.
“You’re up too?”
When I went back to the couch, Hayang was sitting straight and yawning. I smiled and lied down on the couch. Hayang looked at me for a moment, then hopped onto my stomach. After taking a big yawn, she curled herself into a ball.
“…Hayang’s surprisingly cute.”
I stroked Hayang’s back and slowly fell asleep.
**
The midterms began. However, Cube’s second semester midterm period was more bleak and desolate than the first midterm period. It was because entrees of reporters and family members were prohibited due to the trouble that happened during the last midterm.
There were even rumors that Cube was planning to get rid of midterms entirely.
Although things were going a bit differently than in the original story, I didn’t care too much. Even in my novel, I glimpsed over the second semester, so I didn’t know much of what would happen in the first place.
—Today’s test was way too hard.
—Yeah, what was up with that hell-mode difficulty? Shouldn’t we sue the professor?
After the end of the first written exam, I could hear many cadets complaining.
They were saying how the exam was unfair, but for a first place cadet like me, written exams were just days where classes ended early.
“Hey, Kim Hajin.”
At that moment, someone ran past me and blocked my path.
It was Chae Nayun.
I tilted my head silently.
It seemed Chae Nayun didn’t know what to say after her grand appearance as she fiddled with her fingers and glanced at me. After a little while, she finally spoke.
“…Are you going to the library?”
“No, I’m going back to my room.”
Then, Chae Nayun’s eyes narrowed.
“What, you’re not going to study?”
“Nope.”
I retorted bluntly and began walking once more. Chae Nayun followed after me.
“Then um, you don’t have study guides or anything?”
“No.”
Chae Nayun’s shoulders flinched. In the next moment, she blocked my path again and stared into my eyes. Her eyes were a bit pitiful.
“…Can you help me out? I bombed today’s exam too.”
“Now? It’s the middle of the exam week.”
“I can stay up and cram. Apparently just having key points memorized will boost your score by 10 points.”
“I think you’re better off asking Yoo Yeonha for something like that.”
“But I… had a fight with Yoo Yeonha.”
At that moment, I received a message on my smartwatch.
It was from Kim Hosup.
[Hajin-chan! I found out who Agus Benjamin is!]
Immediately, my eyes widened.
Agus Benjamin, or his real name Fernin Jesus.
Tomer’s father had finally been located.
[Where is he?]
I quickly sent a reply.
[Nowhere. He already passed away.]
“…Huh?”
[What do you mean? Can you explain in more detail?]
[He was living in a Korean retirement center until 4 years ago, which was when he passed away. Who would have thought? What a twist, what a twist.]
“….”
I finally understood why the Book of Truth couldn’t locate Fernin Jesus.
It was because he was already dead.
[Got it. Thanks.]
[By the way, Hajin, I decided to quit my job. I put in my resume at the place you recommended.]
[That’s a good idea. For now, can you tell me the location of that retirement center?]
After sending this message, I checked today’s date.
September 7th.
The next main story was coming up. If I could deal with Tomer before then, that would be a great burden off my back.
“Come on, I’ll buy you something delici—”
Ignoring Chae Nayun who was murmuring to herself, I ran to the Portal Station.
