"Nothing better than a bottle of soju after work!" Ivan exclaimed as he chugged down his cup of alcohol.
After the court trial, they rode to a nearby Korean BBQ restaurant to celebrate. Valentin raised his glass to toast their victory. "You were on fire today! I can't believe they all answered your questions truthfully," he said.
"Maybe I developed some kind of power," Ivan joked.
"Thank you, Mr. Ivan, for being my lawyer. I can't thank you enough for bringing justice to my parents." Seojin bowed.
"No need to thank me. It's our job to do so."
As Seojin excused himself to the bathroom, Ivan asked, "What are you going to do with the kid?"
"I don't know, it depends on the kid," Valentin shrugged. "Either he continues to live with me, I find him a place to stay, or the government takes care of him," he added.
"I think it might be safer if the kid stays with you. Who knows if the assassins have other accomplices?" Ivan worried.
"What are you guys talking about?" Seojin, who just returned from the bathroom, asked.
"Where do you plan to live?" Valentin asked while grilling the pork belly.
"I don't know." The boy ruffled his hair, feeling lost. He had nowhere to go.
"You are always welcome to stay at my place, or I could find you another place to live," Valentin offered.
Seojin pondered for a while. As a minor, having an adult around would simplify a lot of things.
"Then, I'll be in your care." Seojin bowed.
"You don't have to be so polite. You can call us hyung," Ivan laughed.
Suddenly, the restaurant's television featuring the news caught their attention.
"This afternoon, on their way to prison, two criminals ended their lives, causing a car accident. The two police officers accompanying them received severe injuries and are now on their way to the hospital," the reporter on the television said.
A video of the actual scene portrayed the upside-down police car and the traffic it caused. The pictures of the two assassins appeared on the screen.
Valentin sighed out of guilt; he should've guessed that the assassins won't give up to the police easily.
"I guess that ends our dinner. I'll go to the hospital," Ivan said.
"Call me when they are out of danger. I'll go visit," Valentin said.
The judge's expression darkened. Maybe it would've been easier to kill them himself. He hated it when the criminals hurt innocent people. The assassins must've stolen the police officer's gun to end their lives.
[Warning!
Due to the sudden death of two of their members, the assassin organization has their eyes on you. You and Seojin might be in danger.]
It wasn't that simple. Now, he had something else to worry about. Even if the assassins were to be sent to prison successfully, the organization would still blame the judge who sentenced them.
At night, Valentin finally received a call from Ivan and headed out to the hospital. Outside the medical room, he could see the heavy bandage and the tubes keeping them alive.
"What did the doctor say?" Valentin asked.
"They have to undergo a long period of rehabilitation. They won't be able to work for the next year," Ivan replied.
"Those bastards," Valentin cursed. "Tell their family members that they don't need to worry about the medical expenses, I'll take care of them," he added.
Ivan tapped on his friend's shoulder, consoling him. It's been a long time since he saw Valentin angry. His friend was always a gentle man, the kind who doesn't curse a lot. It seems like his friend has changed a bit since they graduated. After Ivan left, Valentin asked the system, 'Is it possible to accelerate their recovery?'
[Of course! The system can shorten their healing time, but it will cost 1 billion dollars.]
'No worries, what I have most is money.'
Now that the assassin organization was after him, he needed to enhance security.
'By the way, do you know why the assassins killed themselves?' he asked the system.
[They didn't want the police to get information on their organization. They were scared that they would speak out the truth against their will, just like in the courtroom.]
'I guess that ability was a double-edged sword.'
[You don't have to feel guilty. They would've killed themselves anyway. Their pride as assassins won't allow them to stay in prison for life.]
'Still,' Valentin thought. Maybe if he had been more careful, the two police officers wouldn't have been harmed.
Early the next morning, Valentin ordered the butler to hire more bodyguards and headed to the black market. The black market often switched places to escape the police's eyes. He needed to find a man named Ghostblade, who once belonged to the assassin organization.
As he walked further in the abandoned alleys, more people appeared in sight. They were all eyeing his expensive black suit, hoping the man would do business with them. Valentin walked in front of a bearded man. His strong build stood out in the dark alley. His clothes were dusty and covered in holes, but they didn't hide his scary aura. How did the famous character in the novel end up in this state?
"Hi, Ghostblade-"
Before Valentin could finish his sentence, the man slipped behind him, holding a knife to his throat. The surrounding people fled, afraid that the man would go for their throats next. The man was famous in the neighbourhood for being ruthless and skillful with his knife. Not a lot of people saw the assassin's face, so how could the youngster in front of him know his identity?
Valentin raised his arms in the air, signalling that he didn't mean any harm.
"Sir, I just want to hire you as a bodyguard."
"How do you know me?" the man asked, pushing the knife closer to his throat.
"I have my intel. Don't worry, I don't mean any harm. I can even help you with your daughter's sickness," Valentin insisted.
The man called Cassian Dusk hesitated and put the knife back into his pockets. He recognized the boy. He was a rich kid and a famous judge who recently solved a crime case. The bearded man remembered that his mom was the director of the city's hospital. Maybe his daughter would have a chance to be cured.
"How much are you willing to give?" Cassian asked.
"As much as you want. I can cover all your daughter's medical expenses. You just have to protect someone," Valentin replied.
After fleeing the organization for true love, Cassian hasn't used his knife. His wife wanted him to live an honest life forward on. They were poor, but they had a happy life until his wife died of a disease. And now, even his daughter was sick with Leukemia.
He could see from the young man's eyes that he needed him, and it wasn't as a normal bodyguard. His wife won't be happy to see him use his assassin's skills again. But, he had to do it for their daughter. His daughter's sickness can't wait anymore.
"Alright. I'll do it," Cassian agreed.
"Perfect! I'll wait for you at the Haneul Hospital. Don't forget to bring your daughter!"