“You’ve heard something.”
“…Yes.”
Siwoo hesitated for a moment, then nodded.
Raon looked at him and cautiously asked.
“Do you also know who that Esper you resemble is?”
“Yes, I looked it up myself because I was curious.”
“Really?”
To think Siwoo had already looked up Hyun Yooha on his own.
If so, did he already know whether he was his biological father or not?
Raon stared intently at Siwoo, who was answering with some internal tension.
“I knew who he was, but I don’t know if he’s my biological father or not.”
“Why?”
“I could properly search his record before he was injured, but I couldn’t see the information about his life after that because of access restrictions.”
“…!”
Raon was surprised by Siwoo’s words.
It was surprising that Siwoo had already known and searched for the Esper who could be his biological father, and it was also surprising that Siwoo, despite his status, couldn’t access the records of his movements after his injury.
If the information was under such a high level of security, perhaps only executive-level officials could know it.
No, maybe only someone like the Commander-in-Chief could see it.
‘Did the Commander-in-Chief perhaps eliminate Hyun Yooha, too?’
Hyun Yooha was angry at the Commander-in-Chief.
He might have denounced the Commander-in-Chief because he witnessed his crime.
So, perhaps the Commander-in-Chief deliberately worsened his injury, isolated him by separating him from his marked Guide, and then quietly dealt with him.
But if Hyun Yooha was really Siwoo’s biological father, it meant he survived until at least 20 years ago.
‘Well, 20 years is a long time.’
In the original novel, Siwoo’s biological parents were indeed set up as having died in a Gate accident.
Regardless of the truth, and whether Hyun Yooha was Siwoo’s biological father or not, it seemed unlikely he was still alive.
‘Still, it seems worth investigating.’
Perhaps by tracing Hyun Yooha’s footsteps, the Commander-in-Chief’s actions might be exposed.
Then they could expose it and push the Commander-in-Chief out. Perhaps even the President who was shielding him.
‘The current President is said to be better than his predecessor, but he is still a dictator.’
Times are changing.
If the Black Gate is suppressed soon, the next generation might be even freer from Gates.
Such dictators, who seek to pass on their power to their descendants, will become unnecessary in such a peaceful era.
‘And I also need people to help remove them.’
There are those who oppose the current Commander-in-Chief’s faction, but what is more important is a greater power.
A greedy person with realistic power and wealth who wants even more power, and is very useful to exploit.
‘Han Chanmyeong.’
That is Han Chanmyeong, the de facto owner and chairman of Hanmyung.
He has been hospitalized due to a worsening chronic illness since around the time Raon transmigrated into this world, but it was still undeniable that he was the actual power within Hanmyung.
Moreover, like a sly old fox, he has placed his successors in competition, stepped back, and is watching the every move of Han Juon and Han Minon to see who is suitable to be the next chairman.
‘For now, it seems he wants to curry favor with the President…’
Raon initially thought so too.
But the more he thought about it, the more odd parts there were.
Hanmyung achieved its current influence by exploiting Guides.
But someday, the Gates will stabilize, and a much more peaceful atmosphere will be created than now.
The Chairman of Hanmyung wouldn’t have failed to foresee that.
‘Perhaps the Chairman’s goal is not simple.’
While Han Myunghoon and his sons, Han Juon and Han Minon, interpret the Chairman’s intention this way and are playing a game of chicken, the Chairman has never directly ordered them to.
It’s just the contenders for the successor position judging things on their own and engaging in all sorts of schemes.
‘If my guess is right, the Chairman’s goal is not the current President.’
It’s the next generation of Presidents and power that will lead a better world than now.
It was highly likely that the Chairman was looking at the bigger picture and aiming for greater gains.
If so, the Chairman might listen to him.
He might even be able to borrow Hanmyung’s true power.
Then, pushing out the Commander-in-Chief wouldn’t be impossible.
“Perhaps the record disappeared because it’s been a long time since he retired.”
“Ah, that could be.”
Raon just smiled at Siwoo’s innocent remark.
‘I should only tell Siwoo when I’m certain.’
Siwoo still doesn’t know what happened to the person who could be his biological father.
If Hyun Yooha were truly Siwoo’s biological father, he would tell him right away, but since he wasn’t sure, he couldn’t easily open up about it.
Siwoo seemed to have looked up Hyun Yooha’s information with some expectation, and he might be even more disappointed than before if he turned out not to be his father.
“Shall we go back for today?”
“Yes.”
Siwoo nodded docilely at Raon’s question.
Siwoo, who had been unfazed and acted composed despite Nahee’s reaction, was reassuring.
Raon embraced Siwoo with affection.
Ding.
“Huh?”
Just then, a message notification arrived on the work phone he had recently received.
Raon examined the screen with a puzzled look.
[You bastard, do you think you’ll get away with this?]
“Hmm.”
The sender wasn’t listed, but he knew who it was.
Minon must have been furious because he found out Nahee was taken away.
Moreover, Raon had deliberately cut off contact with Minon after catching K and the leaders.
There was no longer any reason to cooperate with him.
He had probably intended to boast to the Chairman that he had a share in the achievement of capturing Apophis’s leaders.
Since Raon cut off contact, he would have been in a difficult spot with no way to prove it.
And now that Nahee, the only means of blackmail, was also gone, it was natural for him to be raving mad.
‘I didn’t even tell him my changed contact number.’
However he managed to find out, he was a persistent man.
Raon scoffed, set his phone to silent, and turned it off.
It didn’t matter, as important calls came to his watch anyway.
“What’s wrong?”
“Ah, Han Minon keeps contacting me.”
“That second older brother?”
“Yeah.”
Since Siwoo had been present when Raon talked with Han Minon, Siwoo knew he wasn’t a favorable person.
Siwoo’s black eyes darkened.
He asked in a chilling voice.
“Should I take care of him?”
“No, take care of what.”
“What if he tries to do something to Hyung…”
“It’s okay. He’s not a man with that kind of nerve.”
Unlike Han Juon, Han Minon wasn’t the kind of guy with that recklessness or resourcefulness.
Raon chuckled and patted Siwoo’s shoulder.
“Anyway, let’s go back now. Hyung is tired.”
“Yes.”
He had to interrogate K soon, as the military demanded.
Since he didn’t know what might happen when facing someone with such high-level psychic ability, he had to think about the most efficient way to question him.
‘The important thing is not to be swayed by him.’
K was the same type as him.
He seemed quite skilled at reading the opponent’s psychology and responding accordingly.
It wasn’t surprising that his image looked like that of a cult leader.
“When you interrogate him tomorrow, be sure to call me if anything happens. Understood?”
“Understood.”
Siwoo was also worried about the interrogation of K.
Raon nodded and patted his back.
“Don’t worry too much. He’s detained, so he won’t be able to do much.”
“Still.”
Siwoo was still uneasy.
He seemed to often recall the situation where he was brainwashed by K.
It pained Raon that the incident seemed to have become a trauma for Siwoo as well.
While he himself was in danger, if things had gone completely wrong, his relationship with Siwoo, his pair, could have also been damaged.
“I’ll be careful from now on too.”
But for now, all he could do was offer such empty words.
Siwoo looked at Raon with complex eyes, and then only nodded heavily.
The next day, Raon went straight into the military base, not the Center.
It was the official headquarters of Sector 1, where he had been several times before.
“Hello, Team Leader Han Raon.”
A military official was dispatched to guide Raon and Siwoo.
He explained that the interrogation of K would take place in a specially treated room.
“Will outsiders not be able to hear the conversation between K and me?”
“Yes, and it will not be recorded.”
“Then only the information you receive from me after the interrogation will be usable…”
“That was the mutual request of both the Team Leader and K.”
“Hmm.”
Of course, both of them would have requested it since they would be discussing sensitive topics like transmigration and regression, but it was surprising that the military readily agreed.
It seemed they were that desperate for information about Apophis.
‘This is adding more weight to my shoulders.’
If the interrogation wasn’t smooth, there was a high possibility the military would change their minds.
They would be quite angry if they did all this and there was no gain.
“Please wait here for a moment.”
“Ah, yes.”
Raon entered the prepared room, then flinched in surprise.
A familiar person was waiting for Raon inside.
Raon stared quietly at the man who slowly rose from his chair.
