Villain wants to live as a commoner chapter 14

“Hey.”

I tried to ignore him and walk past, but Kwon Sahyeok blocked my way and greeted me. Reluctantly, I looked back at him.

“I thought you left a while ago.”

“I was waiting for you.”

We must have been talking for at least an hour. Wasn’t our business done last time?

I tried to avoid him, thinking it was his wasted time, not mine. But he caught me and gestured towards his car.

“Want to take a ride?”

“No, thanks.”

Kwon Sahyeok’s gaze fell on me. He stepped closer and whispered.

“I have something to say about the monster you’re raising in the shadows.”

His words were as eerie as a ghost whispering in a horror movie. I rolled my eyes to look at him.

“What are you talking about?”

I tried to sound nonchalant, but it probably showed. I envied Baek Gunho’s ability to stay calm in any situation.

Kwon Sahyeok smiled, staring at my face.

“You know it’s no use pretending, right?”

Damn it…

It seemed pretending wasn’t going to work. If I could act this well, I’d be an actor, not a hunter.

I reluctantly asked the waiting driver for understanding and got into Kwon Sahyeok’s car.

I just wanted to talk and get out, but he leaned over and buckled my seatbelt for me.

“Put your address in the GPS.”

“Where?”

“Your place. I’ll drop you off.”

I entered the address. Baek Gunho’s voice nagging me to never follow strangers echoed in my mind.

I wasn’t following him by choice… I found myself silently justifying it to Baek Gunho, who couldn’t hear me.

But didn’t Baek Gunho say Kwon Sahyeok wasn’t dangerous?

Kwon Sahyeok wouldn’t attempt a kidnapping from Lee Shinhae’s place, so there shouldn’t be any danger.

…He wouldn’t be that crazy, right?

Despite my wary attitude, Kwon Sahyeok started the car, turning on some music and humming along instead of starting the conversation.

This guy listens to girl group songs… I tried not to laugh and stared straight ahead.

“How did you know?”

I omitted the subject, in case he was recording. Finally, Kwon Sahyeok spoke.

“You know I’m ranked second in the country for dungeon clears, right?”

“Oh, really?”

I pretended not to know, but I did.

There are six S-rank hunters in the country besides me. Baek Gunho is called an ecological disruptor due to his overwhelming skills. The other five excel in different areas.

Kwon Sahyeok is most specialized in dungeon clearing.

“One of my abilities is seeing names. Like a game, names appear above people’s heads. Even if they’re hiding behind a wall or in the shadows, I can see their names and take them down.”

It seemed like a useful ability. If he hadn’t used it on me, I would’ve said it was great.

“Why did you name it ‘Dust’?”

Kwon Sahyeok’s words were meaningful. It took me a moment to understand.

“I didn’t name it.”

“I can see it.”

“I really didn’t name it. It’s hiding, that’s true.”

I didn’t know when it got named Dust. It’s a black dust monster, so I just called it Dust.

Kwon Sahyeok laughed out loud.

“What’s so funny?”

“It’s interesting.”

“What’s interesting?”

“Wouldn’t it be amusing if Seo Hoon’s son is raising a monster? Don’t you think so?”

My heart dropped. As Kwon Sahyeok said, if this matter were discovered, the one who would suffer would be Uncle rather than me.

Even if the punishment was just a fine, raising a monster is clearly illegal. While it might not be a big deal for an ordinary person, it’s different for Uncle. He has as many enemies as he has supporters.

If the news spread that Seo Hoon’s son was raising a monster illegally, it would be perfect fodder for those who love to tear others down.

I had even hidden it from Baek Gunho, so I never imagined it would be found out. I was too complacent.

If I had known it would harm Uncle, I wouldn’t have hesitated to kill the Dust. Even though it’s too late now.

……Would murder be an option? If I eliminate the person who knows the truth, it would be a secret again.

Kwon Sahyeok glanced at me and exaggeratedly shivered.

“Wow, look at those eyes. You look like you’re about to kill someone.”

“…….”

“Just kidding, just kidding. Why would I make Seo Hoon my enemy? Although, without Seo Hoon, the Administration’s power might diminish just a little.”

Strictly speaking, Kwon Sahyeok and Uncle are not on good terms. Kwon Sahyeok’s Samho Guild is at the center of the Hunter Association, so it’s hard for the Administration, which monitors and manages hunters, to have a good relationship with the Association, which protects hunters’ rights.

“I said it’s a joke.”

Kwon Sahyeok laughed as he spoke, but my heart was already cold as ice. Instead of responding to his words, I just fiddled with my phone.

“What are you doing?”

“Searching for ways to kill someone without getting caught.”

Of course, no useful search results came up. If there were, the world would be ending…….

Kwon Sahyeok sighed at my words.

“Are you really going to kill? Aren’t you going to listen to what I have to say?”

“What do you want?”

“What can you gain by being hostile? Let’s get to know Baekmyeon Sect together. It won’t be bad for you either.”

“I don’t really want to know.”

“Really? They might be interested in you, though. You have no thoughts about that?”

How much does this guy know?

When I gave him a suspicious look, Kwon Sahyeok grinned. Even though we were alone in the car, he whispered conspiratorially.

“It’s not much of a secret that you’re from the Black Sea Guild’s research lab, right?”

……He knows quite a bit.

Well, yes. It’s no secret among the high-ranking officials that Seo Hoon’s adopted son was once from the Black Sea Guild’s illegal lab.

After all, I was rescued in a very public manner, and Uncle even adopted me.

From age ten to twelve, I was in the Black Sea Guild’s illegal lab for three years.

They conducted various experiments on humans there, and I was one of their test subjects.

When people think of test subjects, they often imagine extreme suffering, but my situation wasn’t that bad from my perspective at the time.

Sure, it hurt sometimes after experiments, but everyone was much kinder afterward, so it was okay.

At least, I was never hungry enough to hurt, and no one hit me with malicious intent.

Maybe because I was well-behaved, the researchers treated me well. When they gave me candies for doing well, I felt proud as if I had achieved something great.

The peaceful life, according to my standards back then, was shattered when the Hunter Administration raided the lab.

I clung to the captured researchers, crying my eyes out. Uncle approached and forcibly separated me from them.

‘Were you scared? It’s okay now. Uncle will catch all the bad people…….’

‘Please don’t take them away……. They’re not all bad people.’

‘Not bad people? Didn’t they hurt you?’

‘Even if it hurt, it’s okay. It didn’t hurt that much. I can endure it. I’ll be good……. Okay?’

Looking back now, I was utterly crazy. I was the only idiot clinging to the researchers and pleading not to take them away.

From then on, Uncle took special care of me. He must have pitied me for defending those criminals who had conducted illegal experiments on me.

So, when the incident concluded, instead of going to an orphanage, I went to Uncle’s house. It was a big decision for Uncle, who hadn’t even thought about marriage, let alone raising a child.

That’s how I became Uncle’s son.

For the past fourteen years, I’ve received a lot from Uncle. He even compromised his principle of living honestly to raise a Grade S child disguised as Grade F. Causing harm to Uncle is unacceptable.

“I cut ties with the Black Sea Guild a long time ago, and I don’t want to deal with Baekmyeon Sect either. But since they’re threatening Uncle, I’ll help.”

“It’s not a threat, but a request for help based on a mutually beneficial relationship.”

“Say it however you want.”

“You’re no fun.”

Kwon Sahyeok responded to the girl group song playing on the radio and hummed along. I suppressed the urge to escape immediately.

“You’re not planning to keep using this one favor forever, right?”

“Why not?”

“…….”

“Just kidding. How about helping me out or providing information three more times? I won’t ask anything too difficult for an F-grade, and you can refuse if you want.”

After some thought, I agreed.

“Fine. Are we writing a contract?”

“Do you want to?”

“No.”

Writing a contract would mean putting my secrets on paper, and I didn’t want to leave evidence. Kwon Sahyeok lightly agreed with me.