Villain wants to live as a commoner chapter 22

* * *

This incident made headlines. These kidnappers had a history of infiltrating other guilds and stealing information.

Although the Somang Guild didn’t suffer significant damage, other guilds reported assaults and property damage during the process.

To the public, it was known that the culprits were caught after infiltrating the Somang Guild.

The kidnapping aspect was downplayed to protect the victims, which was fortunate for Choi Dokyum and me.

The terrorists were handed over to the Hunter Administration Bureau by the Hunter Association.

The problem erupted four days later. All the kidnappers disappeared without a trace. The motives and the mastermind behind the crime were still unknown.

This fact quickly spread through the news.

Headline: All Terrorists Escape from Prison

(Article Link)

Comments:

• This is insane…
  • Is this okay? What if they commit another terrorist act?
  • LOL, how could they let this happen?

Headline: Terrorists’ Identities Revealed

Chief: Shin Chaeyoung

Others: Park Taeoh / Kim Youngue/ Lee Jihee / Seo Inhu

Comments:

• That was quick.
  • They let them loose in society…
• Now that their faces are out, they’ll get caught soon, right?
  • They should have prevented the escape in the first place.

Headline: Which Guild Do the Terrorists Belong To?

Did I miss something?

Comments:

• No, nothing has been revealed. They fled before anyone could find out.
  • This is a massive blunder.

Headline: Bureau’s Utter Incompetence

Hunter Association does all the work, and the Bureau just lets them go. Great job, Bureau!

Comments:

• They had them all but let them escape. Proud to be part of this incompetent administration.
  • I want to escape Hell Joseon (a derogatory term for Korea).
  • Our Bureau is competent compared to others.
  • Someone’s defending the Bureau here, LOL.
  • The Association is competent, not the Bureau.
  • Just hand all the authority back to the Association.

Headline: Just Let the Hunter Association Handle Everything

What has the Bureau even done? This is unbelievable.

Comments:

• The Association did everything. They stabilized the Gates, and the government just reaped the benefits.
  • The government supported the Association at that time. It wasn’t just the Association’s work.
  • It was merely support. The Association did all the leading work.
  • Looks like there are hired commenters here.
  • So, you’re saying we should give public power to private entities? Ridiculous.

Headline: What’s Seo Hoon Doing These Days?

Missed the terrorists again. What’s he up to?

Comments:

• Is this Seo Hoon’s fault? It’s the Bureau’s incompetence.
  • Isn’t the Bureau equal to Seo Hoon?
  • Bureau – Seo Hoon = 0
  • Living off the Bureau’s benefits but distancing himself when things go wrong?
• He should retire.
  • How old is he, still working in the field?
  • 52.
  • He’s outdated.

The problem was that they were unjustly targeting Seo Hoon. I

t was true that the Bureau failed to manage the situation, but why attack someone completely unrelated?

In the early days of Gates and Awakeners, the Hunter Association was established to protect the rights of Awakeners. The Association worked to organize the Hunter community and combat the Gates.

Once the Gates were relatively stabilized, the state established the Hunter Administration Bureau under the Department of Special Abilities, taking over part of the foundation laid by the Association.

The Association felt like they had their hard work taken away.

Thus, from the beginning, there was tension between the Bureau and the Association. The current public opinion likely had some influence from the Association.

I was getting angry reading the comments about Seo Hoon when Kwon Sahyeok called.

I answered irritably.

─ Hi.

“Are you going to keep acting dirty like this?”

─ What do you mean?

“Don’t play dumb. I’m talking about the Bureau getting bashed right now.”

─ I had no idea about that.

“Stop bullshitting. I cooperated, but this is unacceptable.”

─ Cooperation was for hiding your secret, not for protecting Seo Hoon.

This bastard.

When I stayed silent, I heard a sigh from the other end.

─ I understand you’re angry, but it wasn’t me. I don’t meddle in Association affairs.

“……”

─ And I’m the most frustrated about this. We had the clues but lost them.

Listening to Kwon Sahyeok calmly speak, I felt my anger subside. I bit my lip and then apologized.

“Okay, I’m sorry. I got too worked up.”

─ Didn’t expect an apology.

“I was wrong. And honestly, I don’t think you have the power to do that anyway…”

─ You’re not missing a beat.

“Just stating the facts.”

People tend to get more upset when faced with the truth.

─ I got it… Can we meet for a moment? I have something to say.

“Sure.”

It was obvious what Kwon Sahyeok wanted. With the five people presumed to be from Baekmyeon Sect having escaped, he probably wanted to gather evidence again.

The strategy using me as bait was still effective and worth trying again.

Moreover, considering Choi Dokyum and I shared commonalities, those bastards seemed to be collecting individuals from the Black Sea Guild’s lab, making me even more valuable as bait.

Previously, I had no choice but to cooperate. This time, I was motivated. Catching Shin Chaeyoung again was the best way to calm the current uproar.

─ Where are you?

“At home.”

─ I’ll come over.

After ending the call, I sent my home address via message. He must have been nearby because Kwon Sahyeok arrived quickly.

Discussing Baekmyeon Sect outside was inconvenient, so I ended up inviting him over.

Kwon Sahyeok arrived holding juice and looked around my house with curious eyes.

“Wow… you live modestly.”

I thought it was just normal. I don’t have much stuff, but I have what I need. I shrugged.

“Public servant salary is what it is.”

“Still, most people have a side income, right? Impressive. I don’t think you’re someone to be attacked for no reason.”

“Why the sudden compliments?”

“Even though we belong to different groups, I acknowledge what deserves to be acknowledged.”

Even if it was just lip service, it didn’t feel bad. Kwon Sahyeok, who was staring at me, added.

“I’m not kidding.”

“Got it. Have a seat.”

Kwon Sahyeok handed me a drink from his carrier and sat on the sofa. I sipped my iced Americano.

“So, what’s the matter?”

“I just wanted to see you.”

“Don’t waste my precious day off. Get to the point.”

He could never be serious from the start.

Fortunately, Kwon Sahyeok got to the point instead of joking further.

“You know Choi Dokyum, the one who was caught with you.”

“What’s with Choi Dokyum?”

“I was thinking about digging into him.”

I frowned. I could contact him if needed, but I wasn’t keen.

Unlike me, he was still in the hospital suffering from the aftermath of the kidnapping.

I didn’t want to bother him without reason.

“I don’t want to poke around unnecessarily.”

“I’m not saying this without reason.”

“Then what?”

“You know Choi Dokyum is from the same lab as you, right?”

“I didn’t know.”

I replied casually, and Kwon Sahyeok scrutinized me to gauge the truth. Then he shrugged.

“Well, now you know.”

“Alright, I didn’t know, but now I do.”

Kwon Sahyeok frowned, displeased. But he quickly shook his head and continued speaking.

“First, take a look at this.”

Kwon Sahyeok took out a tablet from his inventory, opened a file, and handed it to me.

It contained information about four seemingly ordinary individuals: Kim Narae, Park Seola, Woo Hyungsik, and Heo Kyungmin.

“There’s a gathering of people who were experimented on at the lab. All four of them belong to that group.”

“A gathering like that exists? I had no idea.”

“Well…”

Kwon Sahyeok looked at me with pity, as if he was dealing with someone who had no friends, just because I sounded skeptical.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be your friend.”

“But why are these four suddenly important?”

Ignoring his nonsense was the best response. After some more grumbling, Kwon Sahyeok finally got to the point.

“Woo Hyungsik brought Choi Dokyom into the group. And the last people Choi Dokyom met before he was kidnapped were those four.”

I couldn’t help but frown. It was all too suspicious.

“If it’s that suspicious, the Bureau would’ve already investigated it.”

“They did… but the Bureau might have missed something.”

I clenched my fist. So this jerk wants to re-investigate because he doesn’t trust the Bureau?

“I said I don’t trust the Bureau, not Seo Hoon.”

“Who said otherwise?”

“You’re pissed because of that. Listen, even the Association would have had a hard time finding evidence. So let’s approach this from a different angle.”

I mulled over Kwon Sahyeok’s words and slowly relaxed my fist.

“How can a mere company employee find what experts couldn’t?”

“Get close and pry. People from the same place might loosen up.”

Does he think being from the same lab is like being high school buddies?

Normally, I would’ve refused such an absurd idea, but now I had a lot on my mind.

Since the old man was attacked, if I could do something, I should try. After some thought, I spoke up.

“I’ll look into it.”

* * *

*Summary page is only available for login users. Non-users can view the chapters on the chapter list.*