Starting a Reversal in Life From the Time of Release

8 – Suspiciously Round Gate (2)

A few days had passed since the opportunity to beg for forgiveness.

One day, a call came from Yu Sihu.

It was about going to the unarmed zone in about a month.

Naturally, I nodded in agreement, and Seo Haneul, who had heard the news, was no different.

“Are you all prepared?”

“Of course.”

The day before departure.

We sat facing each other in the living room of my house and had a conversation.

Most of it was about the upcoming hunting trip.

“I’ve got purification stones, two tents, and as many mana recovery acceleration bracelets as there are people. How about you, Ms. Lee Yeorum?”

“I have a few defense artifacts.”

Artifacts made from processed mana stones inside the Demons vary in price depending on their effects and quality.

The ones we obtained were of common types, but they were expensive because of their high efficiency.

“Then we’re all set.”

With a calm and cheerful smile, Seo Haneul nodded.

“Right. You didn’t get caught by Nam Bora, did you?”

“Of course not. Haneul knows as well.”

“Well, that’s a relief.”

I raised my head, recalling Nam Bora’s sharp expression and tone. Even though I was somewhat difficult to approach due to my nervous tics, Nam Bora was much more challenging than me.

Just a while ago, when the topic of Yu Sihu came up by chance,

“Why hasn’t that guy come in yet? If he’s innocent, he should hurry up and get in and work. This guy is just dragging his feet…”

She muttered so, and there was no need to say more.

Even I thought she was crazy.

“Did you take the weapons out of the guild storage?”

While I was pondering Nam Bora’s offensive remarks, Seo Haneul asked as she looked at the chest placed in the corner.

“Of course. We’re leaving tomorrow, so do you think I have time to stop by? I also took out Yu Sihu’s weapons.”

The representative discarded Yu Sihu’s personal belongings as if they were trash, but the weapons were left intact.

If you’re going to discard them, you should do it consistently.

Moreover, it’s not like she bought them herself.

“What if the representative says something?”

Seo Haneul asked, raising her eyebrows. She seemed indifferent, as if it didn’t matter.

“That guy? Does he even have the right to say anything? If he’s going to throw it away in the first place, he should’ve scolded and thrown it away as if he meant it.”

“Then what would Bora say…”

“What would she say? She’s not even the team leader. And even if she’s in the team, they don’t always go around together. They’re only needed for really big operations.”

Showing signs of irritation, Seo Haneul continued, and she nodded her head with a convincing expression.

There’s a certain sly aspect to her, so she probably doesn’t think I’ll be at a disadvantage even if I carry a gun.

“Anyway, make sure to protect the middle-aged man that Yu Sihu is bringing tomorrow. They say he’s like a parent.”

The biggest problem at the moment is protecting the middle-aged man that Yu Sihu is supposed to bring tomorrow.

Thanks to the joint operation, the risk has been significantly reduced, and the escape route is also stable, but he’s just an ordinary civilian.

Of course, we can keep him safe, but there’s always a chance of something going wrong, so we had to be extra cautious.

Seo Haneul nodded, her eyes flashing.

Who would have thought that the provisions created for the entertainment of the rich would be used like this?

As this thought crossed my mind, a sigh escaped involuntarily.

I also made various preparations while Alberto was getting released from prison.

I visited the remaining members and arranged meetings, and I secured a spot in the small guild that we used to get along with.

I also bought a new car.

In the meantime, there were reporters who wanted to interview me, but I turned them all down.

“Thanks to you, I’ve been doing quite well,” Alberto said as he sat in the passenger seat, looking out the window.

We were gradually heading to a remote place, and the countryside scenery seemed to stretch endlessly.

“It feels strange to be here after such a long time,” I replied.

“No wonder. But… we’re almost there,” Alberto muttered as he looked straight ahead.

In the distance, there was a large building and a checkpoint surrounded by barricades, which looked peculiar.

“Yes, we’ve arrived at the checkpoint. We should be able to go in directly,” I said.

Seo Haneul and Yi Yeoreum had contacted me earlier, saying they would arrive at the checkpoint a little earlier than me.

That was just 20 minutes ago.

So, I drove the car straight to the checkpoint’s main gate through the barricades.

“Are you a Hunter?” a stranger stood in front of us as we arrived at the checkpoint.

He was probably a Hunter.

I opened the driver’s side window and replied, “Yes.”

I reached near the door handle to take out the wallet that was safely stored there.

“Here,” I said.

When I showed the black card-like Hunter license from my wallet, the stranger’s eyes widened.

“Oh… um! I’m sorry. I was rude.”

He stuttered and handed me the license, hastily opening the barricade gate.

It seemed that being involved in a significant social event unintentionally had made a big impact.

It felt strange that my face had become known nationwide without my intention.

“Over here, come here!” Someone waved and shouted from one corner of the field, which looked like a sports ground.

She was dressed very lightly for this summer. Thinking it was perfect timing, I approached Seoha-nyul and got out of the car near her.

“You must be tired from today. How are you feeling?”

“A little, but it’s not a big deal, really.”

She first inquired about my well-being, trying to win my favor.

“Oh, is that gentleman over there…?”

Seoha-nyul, who seemed quite awkward, asked, looking at Mr. Alberto behind me.

With eyes filled with a sense of wonder.

“Yes, that’s him.”

“Wow… he’s quite handsome, isn’t he? And someone like that was in prison?”

“hahahaha. I suppose it’s an honor to be called handsome. You’re also quite beautiful.”

As if the moment had come, Alberto stepped forward and extended his hand.

“I’m Alberto Sabeli. Please feel free to call me however you’d like.”

“Ah… nice to meet you. I’m Iyeoreum.”

Iyeoreum shook his hand, looking somewhat flustered.

“By the way, where’s Seoha-nyul?”

“Here.”

As if someone was missing, a voice came from behind.

When I turned, Seoha-nyul appeared, carrying a large backpack over his shoulders.

He had long, black hair tied back, much like when he entered the gate.

“Is that all your luggage?”

“Yes. One is a tent bag, and the other is a mix of artifacts and food.”

Seoha-nyul smiled at me, then nodded politely to Alberto.

“I’m Seoha-nyul. Please take care of me.”

“hahahaha… It should be me taking care of you. I’m sorry for causing such an inconvenience today.”

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“No need to apologize. I’m happy that Sihu-nim respects you.”

Alberto seemed to appreciate Seoha-nyul’s politeness, chuckling.

Iyeoreum’s mutterings about wishing to score some points also tickled my ears.

“Shall we start then? Our main goal is for Sihu-nim to get a sense of it…”

“Oh, just a moment.”

Seo Ha-neul looked at the small iron gate leading to the demilitarized zone and gestured with her eyes, but suddenly Yi Yeoreum ran off somewhere in a hurry.

Curious about why, Seo Ha-neul waited with her head tilted, soon being able to figure out the reason.

Yi Yeoreum came back carrying something large and long like a chest on her shoulder.

“Hey… did you intentionally not say anything?” Seo Ha-neul questioned.

“I don’t know?” Yi Yeoreum replied.

As Yi Yeoreum placed the chest on the ground and sharply raised her eyebrows, Seo Ha-neul’s lips tightened.

Although she was clearly smiling, there was a thick sense of ominousness.

“Well, forget it. Just take a weapon. You too, Yu Si-hoo,” Yi Yeoreum said.

Yi Yeoreum opened the lid of the chest, sticking out a black iron rod and a small knife.

And… a large spear-like fish spine caught Seo Ha-neul’s eyes.

“How did you find this?” Seo Ha-neul asked.

“What does it matter if the owner will give it to me? Here, take it,” Yi Yeoreum said as she pulled out the fish spine and handed it to me.

Seeing the weapon I used before like this made me feel both happy and amazed.

“Thank you,” I said.

“It’s nothing. Don’t worry about it too much,” Yi Yeoreum said, blushing and pursing her lips.

Seeing Yi Yeoreum’s embarrassed expression after I gratefully accepted the weapon was refreshing, probably because I hadn’t seen her like that in a long time.

“Are you sulking?” Seo Ha-neul said while bowing her head and taking out the black iron rod.

“If I knew this would happen, I would have brought the whole armory sooner,” Yi Yeoreum replied.

The two of them exchanged difficult-to-understand words and argued.

In the meantime, Alberto was still laughing happily alone, unaffected.

After causing a ruckus unintentionally, we finally stepped out of the iron gate at the back.

Since it was a training and real battle to sharpen our senses, it was natural for me to take the lead.

Originally, to leave the iron gate, you had to go through the procedures inside the large main building, but it had been a long time since the two of them finished.

I guess it was because they were members of the Blacksmith Guild, they were quick and efficient.

On the wide road where two cars could pass smoothly, there were long iron fences stretched out on both sides.

The newly built gate next to the iron fence.

Mr. Alberto was constantly turning his head in awe of everything.

Of course, the untouched natural landscape in its wild state.

“Let’s go.”

As I opened the gate and stepped through, everyone followed behind me in silence.

From now on, we had to be mindful of monsters and wild animals.

Both of them, as well as Mr. Alberto, seemed a little tense.

Nevertheless, the situation was not so serious that we had to hold our breath completely, so we walked while exchanging occasional conversations.

“Are there really so many monsters here?”

“They are not as abundant as before. Um… to give you an analogy, it’s like wild boars appearing a bit more frequently?”

“Why? There are stories that say if you work in a remote area, you occasionally feed rice to wild boars.”

“Oh! Is that so?”

The two of them chatted with Mr. Alberto in between, and as a result, he appeared even more relaxed.

“Hmm?”

As we walked deeper, the sound of rustling leaves stimulated our ears.

It was easy to hear such sounds in tall grass, like in a jungle, but this one was different.

“What will you do?”

Mr. Seo Ha-neul asked, lightly holding a thin metal rod.

It actively showed that he intended to hunt himself.

This summer, Mr. Yi Ye-seom felt the same way.

Naturally, there was no need to hesitate.

“I will catch it. Mr. Alberto, please just watch over me.”

I answered with a hint of a scary tone, and threw the net in my hand towards the direction of the noisy sound.

With a forceful throw, it felt like it tore through the air and flew away.

Poo! As soon as the net gently sank into the ground, the area around it started to stir.

As if there was a weak earthquake.

[ Kyaah! ]

A red kingfisher hidden in the grass forest flew out, letting out a sharp scream.

As I disturbed the beehive, the bees inside swarmed out.