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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: Might As Well Take the School Bus
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'The government, fine, but I didn't expect Infinity Guild to get directly involved in something like this.'
Before rescuing the children.
Rimon had considered fleeing the country.
He figured it would shake off the government's pursuit easily and secure the kids' safety.
The problem was that the place holding the children was Infinity Guild's safehouse.
No matter how prestigious a top-ten guild was, kidnapping healthy kids and holding them hostage wasn't something to overlook.
If the Infinite Monarch moved to cover it up?
Fleeing abroad wouldn't help.
Unlike nations bound by borders, the monarchs' influence spanned the entire world.
In the worst case, he might spend his life on the run.
'To draw him out as planned, I need to secure the kids' safety first...'
To catch a snake, you strike the head.
And Rimon had a plan to lure out the mastermind behind this conspiracy.
But it wasn't practical while dragging along 23 kids.
So Rimon pondered.
Was there a way he could move freely while still protecting the children?
'Any safe hideouts around?'
The first idea that came to Rimon's mind.
Hide the children somewhere.
Of course, it came with strict conditions.
A place that could evade both the government and the Infinite Monarch's eyes, and even if discovered, allow the kids to escape.
Equipped with the bare minimum for living—food, clothing, shelter—or at least able to provide it.
And if there was even a guardian to protect them in his stead, perfect.
'Tch, as if such a place exists.'
He knew the conditions were ridiculous even to himself.
With no money and branded a traitor, securing a perfect hideout was impossible.
No, even with money, it'd be the same.
In this country, a place safe from government agencies and the Infinite Monarch's gaze...
"Hm?"
Rimon blinked.
And muttered to himself without realizing.
"...Come to think of it, there is one."
Indeed.
There was one place that met these near-impossible conditions.
A place that didn't even require money.
But Rimon wasn't pleased.
No, he furrowed his brow instead.
The fact that he hadn't thought of it until now showed just how out-of-left-field it was.
'This is a bit of a gamble...'
Rimon tapped his sword.
No guarantee a perfect hideout meant safety.
If things went wrong, it could be far more dangerous than facing the government.
But the deliberation didn't last long.
"To catch a tiger, you enter its den... or something like that."
He let out a chuckle.
Then removed his hand from the sword.
And picked up his phone, dialing a number faintly etched in memory.
"Well, since I'm already a traitor, might as well live it up a little."
Beep beep beep.
Dialing 114 for the number.
Changing the end to 116 and calling.
Pressing 111 mid-ring.
After several bizarre combinations, a recorded voice finally connected.
[The number you have dialed is no longer in service. Please check and try again...]
"Wolryong Phonghwa (The crouching dragon meets its time and ascends to heaven)."
[...]
Rimon's lips curved slightly.
He'd worried it had been too long.
But the abrupt cutoff of the recording meant the call had gone through properly, at least.
And soon, a voice from the receiver confirmed his guess.
[Who is this?]
"You folks usually don't ask that."
[It's different when contacted with a dusty old silent code from decades ago.]
Hearing the resolute elderly voice, laced with years of experience, Rimon chuckled.
This was a far better response than expected.
What he had to say remained the same.
"Relay this to her."
[Her? Who do you...]
"The Sword Duke got fired from civil service."
[...!]
Rimon could tell.
The moment he revealed his name.
The other side had swallowed hard over the line.
Body frozen like a statue, heart pounding wildly.
Well, it was understandable.
Remembering that silent code alone put the man's age at least over 60.
An age where hearing his name could trigger a fit.
Especially for someone worthy of taking this call.
"You've already pinpointed my location, right? Come pick us up then."
[...]
A heavy silence, as if those absurd words had sunk in.
Yet no rash words, just a heart cooling to ice in an instant.
Truly befitting a person in charge of that place. Rimon chuckled and added one more thing.
"Oh, and don't forget to bring a school bus."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Slice.
He moved his hand.
Cutting into the steak with a knife, portioning it just right, dipping in sauce, and bringing it to his mouth.
The precise motions were art itself.
A teacher who'd served royalty lifelong would only marvel at the perfect court etiquette on display.
But Park Hyeon-gun couldn't appreciate it.
He just sweated profusely, waiting for the meal to end.
"About 150 high-level players excluding Liberation Brigade. 50 from the 909 Unit armed with cutting-edge weapons, plus two air support players."
Flinch.
The moment he spoke.
Park Hyeon-gun trembled involuntarily.
It was the first time he'd opened his mouth before the meal even finished.
"Did I hear that right?"
"Yes."
"Not only were they all completely wiped out without exception, but even the PAB director is dead?"
"...Yes."
Park answered while doubting if it even sounded real.
He himself had felt like it was a sick joke when first hearing it.
Even after multiple verifications confirming the truth before reporting, he still half-expected something wrong.
All of them killed by one man.
And that perpetrator wasn't a monarch or even a player, but a mere civilian.
By Park's common sense, it was more absurd than the world ending tomorrow—utterly impossible.
"National Savior Hero, Humanity's Guardian Deity..."
But he didn't rage.
Like savoring a rare find at a street diner.
He just nodded, murmuring Rimon's titles.
"Looks like those honors weren't given lightly."
The man unexpectedly accepted it coolly.
Flustered by Infinite Monarch Lee Cheongi's reaction yet bowing hastily, Park said,
"I'm sorry. My investigation was lacking."
"No need for Director Park to apologize. No one could've predicted failure with that much force prepared."
'Ah...'
Park understood.
Why Lee Cheongi wasn't blaming him.
Even he found the outcome that shocking.
Of course, if it were poor preparation, but this was like arming with a gun to catch a chicken, only for the chicken to deflect bullets and peck the hunter to death.
Ridiculous to assign blame.
In this player-dominated era.
A Sword Master who couldn't even use skills having such power was equally shocking and bewildering.
At least by their common sense.
But Park couldn't relax.
Beyond failing to handle Rimon, he still had responsibilities.
"So where is he now?"
"We confirmed up to him raiding our safehouse and using a pension near Bukhansan, but..."
Park hesitated.
Should he even report this?
The trap failure was at least plausible; this sounded like madness.
But with no choice, he squeezed his eyes shut and continued.
"Last sighted boarding a school bus, then he vanished."
"...What bus did you say?"
"A school bus. The yellow kind..."
"..."
Even Lee Cheongi, who'd taken 200 deaths calmly, was speechless this time.
A bizarre silence lingered.
Throat dry, perhaps, Lee Cheongi sipped from the wine glass beside him.
Then, as if nothing odd,
With a composed face, he asked,
"I think I heard his trail went cold. Correct?"
"Yes."
"That's unexpected. Our guild's tracers aren't so incompetent as to lose a bus trail."
In other words, it's your incompetence.
Park swallowed dryly.
He'd lucked out earlier.
Couldn't hope for it twice.
He'd want to behead a subordinate who couldn't track a school bus himself.
But fortunately, he had a card this time.
"Not certain, but I have a suspect location."
"Is that so?"
"Yes. Few places in the country our tracers can't pursue."
At that moment.
Lee Cheongi's eyebrow twitched.
His influence here was near-absolute.
Plus, guild tracers were top experts who pierced most defenses effortlessly.
Government deep sites or corporate private lands—legal or not, investigable.
Exceptions were rare.
Places touched by other monarchs.
Or...
"You mean Hotel Leviathan?"
The hotel with ancient history, holding the top spot for ages.
"Still just a possibility."
Lee Cheongi understood.
The chance Rimon was elsewhere neared zero.
Otherwise, Park wouldn't dare say "possibility" to his face.
"Rimon Asfelder and Hotel Leviathan... quite the amusing tale."
Amusing was an understatement.
What Hotel Leviathan was.
What it meant for Rimon to go there.
To anyone knowing the truth, it was more ridiculous than the prior reports.
But Lee Cheongi had reason to seriously consider the absurd premise.
"Director Park."
"Yes."
"You're certain she contacted Rimon Asfelder?"
"I'd stake my head on it."
"Ideally, confirm her location too."
"..."
At Lee Cheongi's calm point, Park fell silent.
Rimon was guessable, but
'Her' was truly untraceable, even after assigning hordes of top tracers and failing.
Lee Cheongi didn't press Park further.
Just spoke calmly.
"Dragging in Rimon Asfelder amid this—she must be cornered too."
"..."
"Director Park. Mobilize all guild resources to monitor Hotel Leviathan."
"You think she'll show?"
"On the contrary. If not to meet her, why would Rimon Asfelder go there now?"
Park was convinced.
Without prior arrangement with her, even Rimon would be walking to his death.
Instead, he confirmed orders.
"If we find her, then what?"
"Secure her by any means."
"...Even if it's okay?"
He asked unwittingly.
Anywhere else, fine, but
Touching her at Hotel Leviathan—even for a monarch like Lee Cheongi—was risky.
"Remember this, Director Park."
But Lee Cheongi didn't retract.
Just fixed cold, sunken eyes on Park and spoke lowly.
"No matter the cost, we must secure the Black Dragon Clan's supreme treasure."