Chapter 93
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“Oh, I see. Very interesting.”
Jason, a tall Western man with a polished demeanor, moved briskly around the banquet hall, wearing a sociable smile.
If Ji-a was the busiest person at the party, Jason was certainly the second busiest.
That’s how dedicated he was to his mission.
“Hmm…”
After finishing his conversation with Yeo Do-hyung, Jason glanced at the watch on his wrist with a peculiar expression.
‘Even Hunter Yeo Do-hyung didn’t trigger it.’
Just what kind of criteria had Evan used to set this up?
Even in the presence of Yeo Do-hyung, Korea’s—and arguably the world’s—top magician, the watch remained silent.
Jason could feel his heart pounding with growing excitement.
There was no way Evan could have made a mistake when crafting the magic tool.
He was always a perfectionist.
Because of that, Jason was certain.
‘The target is definitely hiding somewhere in this room.’
What kind of person could it be?
How powerful might they be?
He couldn’t wait to face them in battle!
Jason scanned the room intently.
People he had already met, those he had yet to meet, and even the newcomers entering the hall—he committed every face to memory.
He had an excellent memory, which allowed him to speak multiple languages fluently.
“Well, well, isn’t this Jason Turner?”
“It’s been a while, Hunter Kang Chul-min.”
Exchanging greetings with Kang Chul-min, Jason habitually glanced at his watch.
As expected, there was no reaction.
He quickly wrapped up his conversation with Kang Chul-min.
After all, they had already fought once before.
To be honest, Kang Chul-min wasn’t a particularly fun opponent.
“Now then, who’s next…”
One by one, Jason continued meeting people.
As he moved about, his eyes landed on a woman.
‘Oh, seeing her up close, she’s even more stunning.’
A dazzlingly beautiful woman was drawing the attention of everyone around her.
Her graceful demeanour exuded a natural elegance, and her soft white hair swayed gently each time she turned her head.
And then there was her attire.
It was almost identical to the outfit worn by Kim Ji-a, the star of the party, to the point that they could be mistaken for matching outfits.
‘Heh, intriguing.’
In many ways, his curiosity was piqued.
Jason decided to change his priorities and took a step toward her.
But Hunter Kang Chul-min approached the woman first.
‘Hmm?’
Jason stopped in his tracks and watched the interaction with interest.
Kang Chul-min, his face twisted in a scowl, pointed a finger at the woman.
The woman, unfazed, flicked her fingers lightly.
Kang Chul-min suddenly made a strange face and began chugging the drink in his hand.
His expression grew increasingly grim.
It looked as though the situation couldn’t get any worse, his face twisted in anger.
Then, unexpectedly, Kang Chul-min flailed and fled.
‘What just happened?’
Jason followed Kang Chul-min with his eyes.
He was downing water as if his life depended on it.
It was incomprehensible behaviour.
Jason tilted his head in confusion before turning his gaze back to the woman.
This time, Kim Ji-a, the star of the party, had begun a conversation with her.
They appeared to have a close relationship, as their comfortable, laughter-filled exchange suggested.
Jason began to move toward them again.
The distance between them gradually closed.
And at that moment—
Buzz——
What was this?
Finally, finally, the watch reacted!
Even Hunter Yeo Do-hyung hadn’t triggered this watch!
‘Hahaha! So it was her all along!’
Jason’s excitement made his grin stretch to his ears.
He paused briefly and placed a hand over his chest.
His heart was pounding wildly. He needed to calm himself.
Evan had specifically requested discretion for this task.
***
“Wow, really? You’re absolutely sure about this?”
“Mm-hmm. Even if I’m short on time, I’ll make it happen.”
“Promise!”
When Ji-a nodded with a smile, a radiant grin spread across Si-hyun’s face.
Although the exact schedule hadn’t been finalized, it was now certain that they would be traveling together in the summer.
Ji-a’s reaction had been overwhelmingly positive.
‘Si-yoon also mentioned planning her break once the schedule was set…’
Now, all that remained was to finalize the details.
Feeling satisfied with the steadily forming plan, Si-hyun smiled contentedly.
She was already beginning to feel excited.
“P-Professor…”
“Hmm?”
As Si-hyun took a sip of wine, lost in her thoughts, Areum, sitting beside her, spoke up.
“L-Look over there…”
“……?”
Si-hyun followed Areum’s pointing finger.
Behind Ji-a stood a tall, polished man.
Jason Turner.
He was looking in their direction with a soft smile.
But there was something unusual about the way his eyes glinted.
Si-hyun turned back to Areum with a perplexed expression.
“…He’s looking at us, right?”
“Y-Yes… Why do you think he’s doing that?”
“Hmm, I have no idea…”
Just minutes earlier, she had resolved to avoid getting involved because it seemed exhausting.
But now, despite doing nothing, she found herself potentially entangled.
Si-hyun lowered her head slightly, fiddling with the hem of her soft dress as she fell into thought.
‘Is he interested in Areum?’
After all, her student was a super rookie.
Now that she was all dressed up, she was bound to attract attention.
‘…But he’s a battle maniac, isn’t he?’
It probably wasn’t Areum.
A weirdo who bothered high-ranking hunters wouldn’t target a D-rank supporter.
‘Then… could it be me he’s after?’
But that didn’t make sense either.
Sure, she had dressed up nicely with a dress and heels, which was unusual for her, but she was just a C-rank hunter.
Which left only one possibility…
‘Ah, of course! He’s after Ji-a!’
This made the most sense.
Ji-a was the undisputed best spear-wielder in Korea.
An S-rank hunter, Kim Ji-a.
She was exactly the kind of target a battle-obsessed weirdo like that would be interested in.
Si-hyun looked at Ji-a with a pitying gaze.
“Ji-a, you’re in trouble.”
“Huh? What do you mean, trouble?”
“Don’t turn around, just listen. There’s a creep targeting you from behind.”
“Huh…?”
Ji-a let out a confused noise at the sudden statement.
A creep was targeting her?
At a banquet celebrating her promotion to S-rank? How absurd…
“His name’s Jason Turner. He’s an American hunter, and he’s famous for being a battle maniac.”
“Ah, that guy.”
Ji-a had heard the rumors.
He was known to cling to strong hunters and persistently challenge them to duels.
She never thought she’d become one of his targets.
It hit her for the first time that she was now an S-rank hunter because of such odd reasons.
“Is he behind us now?”
“Yeah, he’s watching you with a creepy look, waiting for the right moment.”
“I… see.”
A creepy look, huh.
Imagining Jason Turner’s face, Ji-a felt a wave of discomfort wash over her.
At that moment, Areum, who had been quietly listening to the conversation, cautiously spoke up.
“P-Professor… Could it be that he’s looking at you instead?”
“Hmm? No way.”
“I-I think he might be….”
“Uh…”
Si-hyun turned her head again to look at Jason.
He was standing still, glancing back and forth between Ji-a and herself.
When their eyes met, he smiled politely and gave a slight bow.
Returning the bow instinctively, Si-hyun turned back to Areum and said,
“No, it’s because Ji-a and I are wearing similar dresses.”
“Is that so…? Now that you mention it, that might be true.”
“He has no reason to be interested in us, right?”
“Well, that’s true! You’re right about that!”
Areum tilted her head slightly and took another sip of her drink.
She could feel the alcohol starting to kick in.
Watching her student, Si-hyun also took a sip of her wine.
“It looks like he’s just waiting patiently to talk to Ji-a. You haven’t talked to him yet, have you?”
“Hmm, not yet.”
“What are you going to do? Want me to help?”
“Hmm…”
Ji-a thought for a moment before replying.
“I’ll try to handle it gracefully. Both he and I are busy people, after all.”
“If you need help, just let me know.”
“Pfft, thanks, Si-hyun.”
Ji-a glanced at Si-hyun’s slightly flushed face, a faint smile playing on her lips.
Her concerned expression was oddly adorable, despite the situation.
“Well, I’ll be off now.”
“Okay, good luck!”
Ji-a slowly stood up.
Though it was a bit disappointing, it was time to talk to Jason and other guests as well.
After exchanging goodbyes, Ji-a walked toward Jason.
Si-hyun watched as the two began to converse.
…It seemed relatively peaceful.
‘Looks like it’s resolved.’
Nodding to herself, Si-hyun turned to leave the banquet hall with Areum.
Their steps were quick.
Both the rising intoxication and the discomfort of the dress and heels made her eager to leave.
***
…After Ji-a’s promotion celebration ended.
I spent my weekend relaxing on the cozy sofa at home.
Except for Si-yoon subtly suggesting a collaboration, it was a peaceful weekend.
Weekends were like that.
On Monday morning, I received a message from Areum.
-Professor! There’s a Western man in sunglasses and a hat wandering around the Academy!
-Huh? A Western man?
A certain someone popped into my mind. Surely not… right?
It’s not like there’s only one Western man in the world.
-I think it’s Jason Turner!
-Wait, seriously?
-Oh oh oh! He’s coming toward me!
-Areum?
Suddenly, the messages stopped.
I debated whether to call her.
Thankfully, after a short while, she sent another message.
-That man was asking about you, Professor… But he was more gentlemanly than I expected.
-Why?
-Maybe it’s your undeniable presence…
-…Well, I’m just glad nothing happened.
-Don’t worry! I didn’t share any info! Haha. But I did get his business card.
Areum uploaded a photo to the chat.
A picture of Jason Turner’s business card resting in her palm.
Clicking on the image revealed the stalker’s number.
—
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