WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Arsène
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ How an A-Rank Hunter Lives ◈
Chapter 94: Ice Crystal Ability Users - [2]
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Honestly, that offer scared the hell out of me.
What exactly was this woman planning to help with? It wasn't like she wanted to help me raise the same kind of hell I had at the police station...
“How are you planning to help?”
Baek Dambi answered my question.
“I don't really know yet. I thought I'd go there first and see if there's anything I can do.”
“Why all of a sudden?”
“Well, I did get to know Jin Beom a little. He also helped with what we were doing...”
So there was no grand reason behind it. I briefly considered stopping her, then decided against it.
It wasn't like I had anything particularly violent planned for today. It would be fine to bring her along.
After finishing a day's hunting, I headed to the Freezer with my ring girl.
Baek Dambi realized what the facility was and frowned.
“This place is...”
It was the Incheon awakened-person containment facility. A place where only ice ability users were locked up.
The facility in front of the high-rise apartment building I was constructing still boasted the same hideous exterior and gloomy atmosphere. Anyone could see why Baek Dambi had adamantly refused to enter it.
When we reached the entrance, Baek Dambi's eyes widened behind her sunglasses.
“What is that?”
She was pointing at a banner I had put up, which read, “Villas Near Kim Geuk Estate for Rent: Monthly Rent 70,000 to 120,000 Won.”
“I bought a few villa buildings near my house and rent them out to the people here. It's an advertisement.”
“The rent is ridiculously cheap...”
“The villas were cheap to begin with, so I'm only charging enough that they won't trash the place.”
“Hasn't that caused any problems? Like nearby residents protesting...”
“Not really. They say ice ability users attract Monsters, but not a single Monster has shown up so far.”
“Really? Well, Kim Geuk lives here, so... Monsters inside Gates would probably abandon any attempt to come out and flee... right?”
I grinned and walked ahead.
Following behind me, Baek Dambi asked, “When did you start doing this?”
“Renting homes to the people here? After Jin Beom's suicide incident.”
“You've been doing it ever since?”
“Yeah.”
“This is much more serious than I thought. Anyway... you're amazing.”
“I think you've already said that.”
“Then I'll say it again. You're amazing in a lot of ways. Really.”
Why did this woman keep doing that? Had she watched Im Hyeongtaek and Jeong Jinyeong flatter me, decided that was proper social behavior, and tried to copy them?
Once again, I could only awkwardly laugh it off.
Baek Dambi seemed interested, because she kept asking questions afterward.
“So is there no one left inside the containment facility? If all the ice ability users here moved into the homes you rent them...”
“There are still quite a few. A lot of people can't afford even 70,000 won a month. Others are too scared to leave because they would lose the free meals the facility provides...”
We were talking as we entered the facility.
“Ah, Kim Geuk! You're here! Welcome! You came because of Uncle Jin Beom, right?”
A young man living in the facility greeted me happily, then blinked as he looked at Baek Dambi.
It wasn't because he had noticed my ring girl's crop top.
“Uh, Baek Dambi?”
The young man said her name.
Baek Dambi took off her sunglasses, her eyes going round. She asked in a flustered voice.
“You know me?”
“Ah, sorry. Anyway, I do.”
“How?”
The young man glanced at me.
“Kim Geuk told us...”
“Kim Geuk told you about me?”
“Yes! He told us all sorts of things.”
We walked past him. Baek Dambi protested from behind me.
“What on earth did you tell them about me?”
I scratched my head.
“I didn't say anything weird, like how you used to be an idol but you're a terrible singer. I just...”
Baek Dambi looked like she wanted to protest, so I hurriedly continued.
“...showed them one possible future they could choose. A future as Hunters.”
Baek Dambi trailed off as though she had been about to object.
“What? What do you mean...”
“A lot of ice ability users have trouble finding work, so they survive on the free meals at the containment facility. None of them have decent jobs. So I tempted them. I asked if they wanted to try being Hunters.”
“Icehea... ice ability users, as Hunters?”
I pretended not to hear the vile word that had nearly slipped from those pretty lips and explained.
“Yes, as Hunters. Ice abilities have a reputation for being bad for Hunter work. But now there is a clear success story, isn't there? Right beside me. So I used Dambi's name.”
“You used my name?”
“Nothing that grand. I showed them examples of what you've done and some video footage to persuade them.”
“What does that...”
“Look, people say you can't be a Hunter with an ice ability, but if you develop it properly, it's absolutely possible. This is how high an ice ability user's potential can go if they grow properly. Not only can they be successful Hunters, but if they become elementals, they won't even age. They can do things that seem like fantasy magic. I wanted to show them that...”
Baek Dambi walked silently for a while after hearing my explanation. Then she suddenly asked, “How did you show them all that?”
“There are plenty of videos out there. Footage from the news, videos uploaded to Naito's YouTube channel... I gathered them, hired a video editor, and made something like a Baek Dambi Hunter highlight reel for the people here.”
“Do people here actually watch something like that?”
“They watched it just fine. I heard even a middle-aged woman who clearly had no intention of becoming a Hunter watched it several times. I don't know exactly why, but maybe they get some vicarious satisfaction from seeing their own ability shine?”
Even after I explained that much, Baek Dambi still looked doubtful.
Did she think I was exaggerating, or that I was making it all up?
Her doubts disappeared as we walked through the facility corridor.
Every resident we passed recognized us. Not just me, but Baek Dambi too.
Many people greeted Baek Dambi as though they knew her, and my ring girl shyly nodded to each one as we passed.
Then one of her fans, someone even my ring girl, who tried to act cool, couldn't easily ignore, came up to speak to her.
“Dambi? You're Dambi, right? I'm your fan! I enrolled in a Hunter academy too...!”
Baek Dambi awkwardly asked the young woman, “You enrolled in a Hunter academy?”
“Yes, Bupyeong Hunting Academy! Kim Geuk paid my tuition, but that isn't the only reason. I watched your videos and fell for you, so...”
In other words, she had watched Baek Dambi's videos and decided she wanted to become a Hunter too. The woman then rapidly poured out all kinds of words.
She said Dambi was so pretty, that she had thought Hunter work was dirty in many ways but changed her mind after watching Dambi's videos, that she wanted to become like her...
She spoke exactly like someone meeting an idol.
After the little fan meeting ended, I showed Baek Dambi the highlight video I had shared with the containment facility residents.
Only then did she seem to believe I had been telling the truth. Baek Dambi muttered, “It feels strange.”
“What feels strange?”
“I don't really... Anyway, it feels strange.”
After murmuring that, Baek Dambi stayed silent again for a while.
Then I looked at her face, now that she had taken off her sunglasses.
Her face looked lost in complicated thoughts, though she wore a faint smile.
Maybe she had realized she could become a symbol. Maybe she had only now understood that she could be someone's hope and goal.
If that was the case, I wished this vicious woman would stop calling people iceheads on Huntweb. I couldn't say it directly, which was frustrating, when Baek Dambi asked, “So what are we doing now?”
“Nothing much. We're handing out flyers on the street about this case. I already made them all, so if you could just help hand them out...”
* * *
Handing out flyers wasn't the only thing I did.
I frequently barged into the police station where Jin Beom was being held and caused trouble. I wrote posts about the matter on Huntweb in a pretty tone, and I asked the Association for support.
The Association's response to my request was, “We will consider it.”
They gave me that vague answer, then kept putting off a decision and frustrating me.
At last, someone from the Association came to see me. Someone I knew well.
“You came as the Association's representative?”
Seok Jangsil nodded at my question.
“Yeah. Want to hear what everyone said after we discussed it?”
Seok Jangsil and I had gotten close enough to speak casually by then.
His sociability was exceptional. When he had arrived a little late to his assigned area during the Seoul Gate incident, I had covered for him. We had a meal afterward and became even closer.
“Tell me. What did they say?”
“First, Hyeongman is skeptical. He thinks this isn't Hunter business, so should the Association really be speaking out?”
I clicked my tongue at his words. I had expected it, but it still left a bitter taste in my mouth.
“Yeah. I figured he'd say that. And?”
“Jun-chi, as you probably expected...”
“He doesn't care?”
“Yeah. He said he doesn't want to stick his neck out over something that has nothing to do with him.”
“I knew it. So is that the Association's view too? That there's no reason to get involved?”
Seok Jangsil shook his head.
“That is the general mood, but you know how it is. Even Hyeongman said he feels uncomfortable about it, but since this is a request from you, he can't flatly refuse. The others also said they should pay more attention because you asked. So we haven't settled on a position yet.”
“If the Association hasn't decided, why did you come here?”
“I came to ask what you think.”
“Why?”
Seok Jangsil answered.
“I wanted to know why you're going this far. I went to the police station and asked around. It sounded like you'd already raised quite a scene there. If this had happened before Gates opened, or if you were an awakened person the police could subdue by sending in their special unit, you would've been arrested long ago... Aren't you afraid of having your license revoked?”
“What license? My Hunter license?”
“Yeah, that. You know that guy is still the Association president, right? He's basically a civil servant, so if the government says the word, he'll revoke your license immediately. Doesn't that worry you?”
I deliberately answered calmly.
“Once I finish clearing out Ganghwa Island, the Incheon Recovery Project will be over.”
“Already? Well...”
“I've already bought all the construction materials for the high-rise apartment. I've saved enough money too. Even if they suddenly take away my license, I think I'll still live well.”
Seok Jangsil sighed.
“You're really firm about this. Honestly, it's almost surprising...”
“Is that really so surprising? Anyway, what do you think?”
“If you're asking for my opinion... honestly, I feel the same way.”
“You think this isn't Hunter business, so I'm going too far by stepping in?”
“No, that's not it. I think controlling ice ability users is necessary right now. So it makes me uncomfortable seeing you go after the policy of controlling them so aggressively.”
What was this bastard doing? Was he openly taking the government's side just because he was a spy?
I stared at Seok Jangsil in protest. He continued.
“Look at America. Ice ability users assassinated politicians, but they were released because there was no evidence. Now the place is a complete mess, isn't it? These days, even random middle school and high school punks in America awaken ice abilities, call themselves superpowered assassins, take assassination contracts online, and go around killing people.”
“So you're saying this is necessary to preserve social order?”
“Yes. That's what I think. America already has so many gun incidents that they seem to accept people dying like that, but if Korea ends up the same way, that would be too...”
I said, “Social order and all that isn't my concern.”
“Why not?”
“Because there are already plenty of people worrying about that. There are already plenty of people taking the government's side. People who say the government is competent, so rice prices are stable. People who say fewer people starve to death because the government does its job well, so we shouldn't get in the government's way for no reason... There are plenty of people who say suppressing ice ability users is a necessary evil even if it creates human rights issues. There are even more people who act like they're coolly facing reality.”
“So what are you trying to say?”
“There are already plenty of people willing to take the government's side. Do I need to do it too?”
“Hmm...”
“Hardly anyone takes the awakened people's side. Even fewer take the side of ice ability users.”
Everyone was like this. Why should anyone take the side of awakened people who were already living well? Before you start talking about human rights, would you be happy if an ice ability user lived near your house?
Just thinking about those words made my blood boil.
I was so worked up that I had to take a moment to breathe deeply. Once I had calmed down, I finished.
“So I should be the one to take their side!”
After a short pause, Seok Jangsil spoke.
“I understand how you feel, but when I went to the police station and asked, they said Jin Beom is definitely the killer. And even before awakened people existed, there were plenty of cases where people were convicted based only on circumstantial evidence, right? It isn't like this case is so terribly unfair...”
It looked like he still wanted to persuade me. I answered firmly.
“Whether Uncle Jin Beom is really a murderer isn't my concern. Honestly, I think my younger sister, who's in prison right now, might have really killed someone too.”
“What?”
“Even so, I wasted years trying to get that bitch out. Whether she killed someone or not, it pissed me off that she was convicted without any evidence.”
Apparently, that was unexpected too. Seok Jangsil raised one eyebrow.
“Your younger sister is in prison? What's that supposed to mean?”
“Didn't I tell you? I have a younger sister, and what happened to that bitch was...”
I briefly explained what had happened to my younger sister. I also told him how I met Park Mihyeong and about my activities with Korean Awakened Solidarity.
Once Seok Jangsil had heard everything, he said, “Ah, I see. Now I understand why you're putting so much effort into this. I wondered if you'd gotten caught up in something strange...”
Seok Jangsil nodded and finished.
“In that case, there is nothing I can do.”
“So I don't need to explain any more?”
“Probably not. I've heard enough, so I'll go pass it on.”
Was he going to relay what I said to the Association? Or was he, as I suspected, some kind of government agent who would report it to the relevant authorities?
Even if it was the latter, I didn't care. Let him report it.
That would be even better. If the government learned how firm my position was, and how especially worked up I was over my younger sister, perhaps that bitch would get out of prison sooner.
Honestly, seeing that ugly face sooner wouldn't make me happy, but still.
* * *
A few days later, the Association issued a statement of regret over the matter. Kang Jun-chi did not join it, so it carried less weight, but all those awakened people had taken my side regardless.
A week later, Jin Beom was released without charges.
Had threatening the police worked? Or had the Association's statement of regret done the job?
Maybe the government didn't want this matter to grow any larger and ended the investigation early so they could bury it quickly...
“Thank you! Thank you so much, Kim Geuk!”
It didn't matter which it was. It didn't particularly matter whether Jin Beom, crying as he thanked me after his release, was pretending to be wronged or not.
I just smiled.
I had finally achieved a victory that I had never managed during my days with Korean Awakened Solidarity. Unlike Kim Geuk of Korean Awakened Solidarity, Hunter Kim Geuk's actions had results. I was certain of it, so I smiled.
* * *
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