Chapter 56

Chapter 56: When Ria and Yu Seon-yeong Crossed Paths

Breaking news had dropped.

The Follow-Up Expedition that had set out to rescue the Sword Saint's group had completed its mission and arrived in Korea.

It had been 19 days since they left the Fourth Floor.

'It took over two weeks.'

Passing through the Third Floor was clearly no easy feat.

The Sword Saint appeared on screen.

'He looks healthy.'

Eriksson and Santos looked healthy too.

The Sword Saint then gave an interview with the press.

When asked how they had managed to survive, he answered that it was thanks to meeting a benefactor on the Fourth Floor of the Rift.

This was something the Sword Saint and I had already agreed upon in advance.

When reporters asked who the benefactor was.

He replied that the benefactor did not wish to be identified and that he could not answer.

'Eventually it will come out, though.'

There was no way to keep all 39 Hunters of the Follow-Up Expedition silent.

It was bound to leak sooner or later.

Still, it would probably take a fair amount of time.

But that was my miscalculation.

***

My name was revealed in just one day.

"Is this real?"

I had been diligently cooking meals for them, and someone opened their mouth after just one day.

Perhaps because I had not given them free meals but charged Magic Stones instead, they did not feel much gratitude.

'Still, I should collect what is owed to me.'

In any case, it seemed certain that one of the 39 was the culprit who had talked.

It first appeared as a post on an anonymous online community.

The post claimed that the Sword Saint's benefactor was a Mr. An, the rumored chef Hunter with a large-capacity Subspace skill who had previously run a food business on the Second Floor of the Rift.

An hour later, an internet news article mentioned my full name.

The article identified me as a Hunter named An Seon-u, who had been the Sous Chef at the famous restaurant Pungjeong.

'That article smells fishy......'

Anonymous communities were one thing.

But for a reporter to dig up information about me this quickly and mention my real name.

It seemed like someone had deliberately leaked information from behind the scenes.

About 30 minutes after the article went up, the reporter amended the name to "Mr. An."

Not that it mattered — it had already spread everywhere.

As a result, my phone was blowing up.

— Sous Chef, did you really become an Awakened?

— Chef An, are you doing well? Have you seen the news articles?

— Answer your phone, Seon-u.

— You should not be getting famous like this, man. You should be making a name for yourself as a chef.

From former Pungjeong colleagues to middle school and high school friends.

Even a senior from my culinary school days in America.

Many people had reached out.

Then a certain Mutuber who ran a rubbernecking channel posted.

— If you have any information about Chef An Seon-u, please send tips to our email.

They were clearly gearing up to produce a rubbernecking video.

It was not just rumors about me that had spread, either.

There was content about Ria as well.

According to the anonymous community rumors, a mysterious woman of breathtaking beauty who had appeared alongside me had overwhelmed and defeated the Sword Saint in a sparring match.

And that she appeared to be very close to Mr. An — meaning me.

News outlets, Mutube, social media, and every online community were abuzz with the news that the Sword Saint had lost in a sparring match.

"Fine, this actually works out."

Ria's existence would become known to the public once her naturalization went through anyway.

There was no way to quietly complete the naturalization process for someone who was not even a foreign national but a stateless person from another world.

Having rumors spread in advance was not necessarily a bad thing.

Another phone call came in.

'Should I just turn my phone off for a while?'

I looked at the screen just to check who it was.

"It is the Sword Saint."

I had to take this one.

"Hello."

— Oh, Seon-u. So you were outside the Rift.

"Yes, there was some interesting news on the internet."

— Indeed. Haah......, I earnestly asked the Follow-Up Expedition to keep it a secret for the time being, but it seems my request fell on deaf ears. I am sorry.

"Why should you be sorry? Anyway, congratulations on your safe return."

— Thank you......! Are Rin and Lady Ria doing well?

"Of course. Everyone is doing well. And when you come back, you will be surprised. The Rift house has changed quite a bit in the meantime."

New people and even a Barrier had appeared.

— Is that so? In that case, I will have to visit as soon as possible, if only to satisfy my curiosity. Haha! Though I suppose it will have to wait until I have dealt with the backlog of work and completed Lady Ria's naturalization process.

"I suppose so."

— When would be a good time for you and Lady Ria?

"We are available anytime. We now have a way to protect the house and Rin."

— Is that so? In that case, I could proceed with the Director right away.

"Please do. With all the rumors floating around, dragging this out would not be good. Someone seems to have been watching me recently as well. So let us move quickly."

— Surveillance......? Hmm, understood. I will consult with the Director, set a schedule, and leave you a message.

"Understood. Thank you always, sir."

— I should be the one thanking you.

The call with the Sword Saint ended.

Immediately, another call came in.

It was my mother.

"Hmm......"

I had to tell her sooner or later.

I answered the phone.

"I picked up. It has been a while, Mother."

— Seon-u, did you really become an Awakened? Is the person in the internet article really you......?

She went straight to the point.

Her voice seemed to tremble slightly.

"Yes, that is how things turned out."

— You should be working as a chef. Why are you doing something as dangerous as being a Hunter......?

"It is not dangerous. Not at all."

There had been a few dangerous situations.

But things were fine now.

I continued.

"I am doing both — being a Hunter and a chef."

— ......Can you not just stop being a Hunter? It is dangerous.

Is she worried about me?

This was the first time my mother had shown concern like this, and it caught me slightly off guard.

I had to continue the conversation to reassure her.

Eventually, my mother said she would visit Korea in the near future.

'Then I will have to introduce Ria to her at that time.'

Dealing with headaches like this made me miss Ria and Rin.

I opened the Gate portal and entered the Rift.

***

Things progressed quite quickly.

The Director of the Rift Management Bureau scheduled an examination date with immigration and Ministry of Justice officials.

He tipped me off that the examination would be conducted as an interview and would include a brief Korean proficiency assessment.

Since it was informal, she only needed to be able to introduce herself verbally.

And be able to write the basic Korean consonants and vowels by hand.

'That level is easy for Ria.'

Everything else about Ria would be guaranteed by the Sword Saint as her sponsor.

"Shall we go, then?"

"Yes......!"

Ria was quite nervous.

As if trying to ease her tension.

"You can do it."

Rin cheered her on using words she had learned from Ria.

Ria lowered herself and embraced Rin.

"Rin, thank you. I will do my best and come back."

"Ria, have a shafe twip."

Rin hugged Ria back.

'The two of them look so sweet together. It warms my heart.'

Rin then left Ria's arms and spread both arms toward me.

'This kid......'

I lowered myself and gave Rin a hug.

"We will be back, Rin."

"Seonu, have a shafe twip."

My heart warmed up.

Ria and I asked the knight order quartet to look after Rin and stepped into the Gate portal.

After transferring to the countryside house, I made a phone call first.

"We are about to depart."

— Confirmed. We will follow behind.

We got in the car and began driving.

The destination was the Rift Management Bureau.

Today, the three agencies — the Rift Management Bureau, the Ministry of Justice, and Immigration — would jointly conduct Ria's examination there.

Ria still wore a stiff expression.

"Ria, there is nothing to be nervous about."

"It is just, what if my Korean is not good enough and I fail the examination?"

"That test is just a formality. With your Korean ability, there will be absolutely no problem."

"You think so......?"

"Absolutely."

She was usually fearless, but she always became timid when it came to things involving me.

While driving, I checked the rearview mirror.

Far behind, I could see a yellow van following us.

'They are keeping up nicely.'

We drove on, exited the highway, and were passing through Seocho Boulevard on our way to the Rift Management Bureau in the Seocho district of Seoul.

SCREECH!

Several vans cut us off, and multiple people got out and approached my car.

The situation I had been worried about had finally occurred.

"Ria, stay in the car."

"Okay."

I got out and addressed the men in suits and sunglasses.

"What is this about?"

"Hunter An Seon-u, you will need to come with us."

"Before requesting my cooperation, should you not identify your affiliation first?"

"We are from the Hunter Association. There are matters to investigate, so please come with us."

I had figured as much.

'So the people who have been watching me were from the Hunter Association after all?'

In any case, the Hunter Association had no authority over public law enforcement.

"I refuse. By what authority are you conducting an investigation and requesting my cooperation?"

"The Association has the authority to manage members registered as Hunters. We also have the authority to revoke Hunter qualifications if there is cause for disqualification. Therefore, we have the authority to investigate."

That was technically correct.

However, there was one thing missing.

And that was enforcement power.

"In other words, you have no authority to compel my cooperation or conduct a forced investigation. Please move your vehicles. I will be on my way."

"If you are this uncooperative, we may conduct our own investigation and revoke your Hunter qualifications."

The Rift Management Bureau and the Hunter Association.

One was a government agency, and the other was a private association.

The two organizations had been in conflict over their respective interests ever since their founding.

The Bureau had ceded one authority to the Association — namely, the authority over Hunter qualifications.

The Association could both grant and revoke Hunter qualifications for Awakened individuals.

The Rift Management Bureau, on the other hand, did not have the authority to grant Hunter qualifications to Awakened individuals outside of its own employees.

However, it was not as if there was no alternative at all.

"Revoke my qualifications or not, do as you please. If they are revoked, I will just join the Rift Management Bureau."

Becoming a member of the Rift Management Bureau would grant Hunter qualifications.

That did not mean becoming a full-time government Hunter stationed at the Bureau, though.

It meant joining as a combat asset to be mobilized during national crises caused by Rifts.

The Rift Management Bureau's own response team, with a capacity of 15 members.

'They said there are currently three vacant spots, and Director Jeong Jae-yong told me he would give me a spot if I wanted one.'

If I joined, I could be mobilized during national emergencies caused by Rifts, but that was not a bad deal.

I would have stepped up even without being a member of the Bureau.

"Anything else to say? If not, please move your vehicles. Do you not see the traffic backed up behind you?"

They were blocking three of the four lanes, and cars behind were honking like mad.

The Hunter Association employee was at a loss for words.

What more could he say when I was telling them to go ahead and revoke my qualifications?

Then, a single person walked out from behind the Hunter Association employees.

"Deputy Im, you should have kept at least two lanes open."

"My apologies. I will have them moved immediately."

It was none other than Team Leader Shin.

You again......?

"Hunter An Seon-u, it has been a while. You wound me by making that face when you see me."

"So what is the meaning of all this? Surveilling me for over two weeks, tracking my movements, blocking my path, and threatening to revoke my Hunter qualifications if I do not cooperate. Is this not all illegal?"

"My......, allow me to correct one thing. The Association has never surveilled Hunter An Seon-u."

I could not take those words at face value.

Though it was possible he was telling the truth.

"Then how did you know I would be passing through here at this time and set up this roadblock?"

"Well, we have our own sources of information."

"Who would that be?"

"I am afraid I cannot disclose that. Anyway, it appears you are heading to the Rift Management Bureau? The purpose being the naturalization of the woman in your car, I presume."

So they knew everything after all.

It seemed information had leaked from the Rift Management Bureau.

Or someone inside the Bureau was acting as a spy.

I glared coldly at Team Leader Shin and asked.

"What is the purpose of all this?"

"It appears you are planning to ally with Director Jeong Jae-yong of the Rift Management Bureau. Why not partner with the Association instead? I and the Association will treat you with the utmost respect. We will also do our very best to help with the naturalization matter."

"What authority does a mere team leader have to make such promises?"

"I have been promoted to department head and am now a bureau chief. I have considerable influence within the Association."

The Association had lost its mind.

Putting someone like this in a bureau chief position.

In any case, the answer was predetermined.

"I will never shake hands with someone whose true intentions are sinister. Clear the road."

"You will regret leaving like this."

"I will absolutely not regret it."

"Are you sure about that? If Hunter An Seon-u's past crimes come to light and you end up with a criminal record, you would be unable to join the Rift Management Bureau, would you not? And if the Association revokes your Hunter qualifications on top of that, you would never be able to enter a Rift again."

"What crimes are you talking about? I have never committed any."

"We have both a witness and evidence."

Team Leader Shin then spoke toward his phone.

His phone had an active call connected to someone.

"Come out now."

The door of one of the vans opened, and a single person stepped out.

When I saw who it was, a sigh escaped on its own.

'Birds of a feather, truly.'

It was none other than Yu Seon-yeong.

I then thought of Ria, who was in the car.

Ria knew about the history between Yu Seon-yeong and me.

Long before Ria and I started dating, I had told her about what had made me quit my job and enter the Rift.

So I had hoped the two of them would never cross paths, but it had happened after all.