< 69. Dragon Lover, Dragon Hater, Dragon Abuser (3) >
After receiving the message from Asif-26,188,280, no further replies came in.
"Boss, I'm here."
When Jeongpal finally arrived and opened the office door at the appointed time.
"Hm?"
The orc sniffed around. Even with his species' inherently dull sense of smell, he could detect a lingering fragrance in the office.
"Did an elf come by?"
The scent of flowers, grass, and trees—typical of elves—was noticeable. Even with only half of their blood, such traits do not easily disappear.
"Oh, a half-elf."
"The client?"
"I'm still deciding whether to take the case or not."
Jeongpal didn't ask further and opened the box of beer he had brought.
"Cathy said she would be quite late."
Today was the day the three of them had planned to enjoy a drinking session together after a long time. Raikefield, who detests the smell of alcohol, and Dongcheol, who only drinks soju and imitates trolls after a single drink, typically avoid such gatherings.
As Jeongpal opened a can of beer, he suddenly asked.
"By the way, boss, you're a quarter elf, but you don't smell like one at all?"
It was something Cathy had asked before. Minjun mumbled the same excuse as before.
"It seems that by the time you're a quarter elf, it barely manifests."
"I see."
Minjun shifted the topic, setting up a go board on the table with a serious expression, declaring a duel.
"Since there's nothing else to do until Cathy arrives, why not show off the skills I've honed with Go TV?"
"Are we betting?"
"Let's go for a 50,000 won stake."
"Deal."
The game began. Unlike Minjun, who stared intensely at the go board without saying a word, the orc casually drank his beer and chatted about life.
"Now that gangsters have almost vanished and the orc community alleyways are almost pristine, I never imagined I'd see this day while I'm still alive."
With businesses gone, funding cut off, and the vicious criminals who once acted as the organization's assault team all captured, it was natural that the remaining members could no longer run wild as they once did.
Thanks to this, Jeongpal was enjoying peaceful days, unlike the past when he was constantly deployed to scenes of bullets flying and bloodshed.
Today, the most troublesome incident was merely subduing a drunken troll elder, which felt like a significant improvement. The troll, despite being old and impaired by alcohol, seemed vigorous. He stubbornly tried to pull open a convenience store door labeled "Push" and ended up tearing the door off. The irate troll then threatened a part-time worker before being subdued by Jeongpal's team.
"A troll is tough and doesn't faint easily... I had to tase him for a whole minute."
"Really?"
Minjun responded nonchalantly, not paying much attention.
"But honestly, I'm worried about the future. The current peace is only because the ones still at large are scared and hiding. However, it's rare for those who used to be bullet fodder to get legitimate jobs, and once their money runs out, they'll crawl back onto the streets."
"I suppose so."
"The problem is that there's no longer an entity to control and manage them. So, I expect issues will start to flare up sporadically here and there. Boss, it might be better to throw a stone at it."
"...Damn it. Let's play another round!"
Cathy arrived after Minjun had handed over an additional 100,000 won to the orc.
"I'm so sorry! I'm really late!"
Minjun's secretary, who had found a calling beyond her secretarial duties and had been cooking whenever there was a chance, laid out the prepared food on the office table. Minjun, who was tidying up the go board with a forlorn expression, was asked:
"Have you been donating actively today as well? How much?"
The orc replied with a satisfied expression.
"150,000 won."
"Why not just give the money directly to the uncle like a salary without all these complicated procedures?"
"Be quiet!"
"Hey, Seorin. Stop right there. That's salad, isn't it? Salad shouldn't need a frying pan."
"Don't worry. I made it under supervision while holding the pan in one hand."
Minjun suddenly realized.
Right, the frying pan.
He had forgotten to seal it due to the Chosun incident and had left it unattended. It seemed that the frying pan was still actively participating in his acquaintances' kitchens, offering its talents.
'I should set a date soon.'
While having these thoughts, the orc skeptically sniffed the salad.
"It smells pretty good... Does the frying pan also control things remotely?"
"We're soulmates now."
"Really?"
"Yes. The communication is so smooth. Sometimes it feels like there's a real soul in it, not just a magical data bundle. Minjun, do you think it might actually be something like that?"
Her superior firmly shook his head.
"No, there's no soul in it."
If there were a soul, it would either be fragmented into very small pieces or, conversely, be a high-ranking soul. If it were the former, the frying pan wouldn't be able to communicate freely, and if it were the latter, there would be no reason for it to inhabit just a frying pan.
Cathy shrugged.
"Well, if Minjun says so, then I guess that's the case. Now, let's eat!"
Just as Cathy brought up the story of the client she had visited today, Minjun had just finished opening his fifth can of beer.
"Did Edward come by today?"
Minjun nodded quietly. Jeongpal, who had noticed that the topic was about the client, listened attentively without participating in the conversation.
The secretary asked.
"Are you going to take the case?"
"I'm still considering."
"What's the case about?"
The agent pondered for a moment before replying.
"She asked to keep it confidential."
"Hm."
While it wasn't difficult to share work details with the secretary, being friends with Cathy made it a bit concerning.
For this reason, Minjun added one more comment.
"Are you quite close to that half-elf?"
"Well... if you can call it close, then yes."
With that rapist?
Minjun spoke in a serious tone.
"I'd recommend keeping your distance if possible."
Cathy's face showed a complex expression. Her eyes, staring at Minjun, sparkled with unmasked anticipation.
"Why? Is it because of the vampire traits? Are you worried she might enchant me?"
Minjun didn't answer and picked up a crab leg.
"Why? Why? Why?"
"Be quiet."
Cathy gave a small smile and said:
"He's not that kind of person."
Minjun decided that later, when Jeongpal wasn't around, he'd need to tell Cathy about what the half-elf had done, excluding only the sensitive information.
However, what came next was unexpected.
"Edward really hates his own abilities. Maybe because he's a half-elf... He's also not interested in women compared to other guys his age."
"Even so, a man is still a man. Unless he's a pure-blooded elf, you can't be sure about that."
"No, he was really quite severe. You know, among the vampire traitors, there are those who are cynical about romantic relationships? They say things like, 'Love is just an illusion. It's like a mirage you can never catch, no matter how much you chase it. Hmph.'"
Jeongpal, who had been listening quietly, spoke up.
"Huh? I think I heard that story from Su-Young."
"Yes, that's the type he is."
It's not hard to find nihilists among vampire traitors who question the necessity and meaning of love, as they can win over the opposite sex with just a glance.
But Cathy seemed to have misunderstood. Lack of interest in women was a load of crap. Edward had fallen for an alien at first sight.
He had even used his enchantment abilities to rape her without her consent.
"Still, avoid getting too close."
When Minjun spoke firmly, Cathy's lips twitched slightly.
"Actually, I'm really grateful, but..."
She hesitated, as if contemplating something.
"Hmm."
As the pause lengthened, the smile that had been on her lips disappeared.
Finally, she said:
"I'm debating whether to share this, but... Since you're so concerned, I guess I should tell you."
Minjun responded bluntly.
"What is it?"
"He nearly caused a major accident in high school because of that ability."
"What?"
The following story was unexpected.
"He almost blinded himself by poking his own eyes?"
"Yes. I can't go into details, but there was a trigger for it. He thought it would be better to live as a blind person than to have such uncontrollable abilities. He considered it such a horrific act to enchant others against their will. He's a real idealist."
Even so, the only thing Minjun could say, after hearing a confession of a crime directly, was:
"People can change."
The drinking session, focused solely on beer, ended without any incidents of intoxicated trouble, and Cathy and Jeongpal walked home on their own.
As Minjun finished tidying up the office and was about to head to his apartment across the hall, he heard a sound that stopped him in his tracks.
Ding!
'Another reply?'
He sat down at the computer.
A white alien script covered the black screen.
His eyes fell on the newly arrived message.
"Huh? This person?"
Sender: Asif-1,892
This was the same inmate who had sent just one sentence in reply to the news of Bradley's death: "Be careful."
Shortly afterward, there had been a surprise tax audit.
He opened the message with a slight tension.
The reply was direct.
"Isn't this the 'Auber Spider'?"
What? Auber Spider?
Minjun searched his mind, but nothing came to him.
'I thought it was an insect-type species, but...'
He continued reading the next line.
Female Auber Spiders could determine the sex of their offspring before giving birth. Depending on whether they were going to produce worker or soldier males, they would lure a male of another species to approach of its own volition. Then... they would tear out and consume the testicles.
Upon reading this, Minjun felt a phantom pain between his legs.
In human terms, it meant consuming a vital part.
With the sperm they secured this way, they could conceive and produce male offspring for a long time. The appearance of the offspring was identical to the species that provided the testicles, and no spider traits were mixed in.
Minjun recalled the story about the children in the video all being male.
If that wasn't a coincidence?
But it's still difficult to be 100% certain. There are some significant differences when compared with the characteristics mentioned in the message.
The differences were more pronounced than he had expected.
Firstly, there was a reason why his former colleague used the past tense.
The spider species is said to have gone extinct when the ancient race vanished from the dimensional plane. So, it's a species that had already disappeared by the very early historical era.
Another differing point was...
There's no evidence that the spider was an intelligent entity. It also seems that it did not obtain sperm through normal copulation as you mentioned.
Certainly, Edward's gait didn't look like that of a man who had undergone castration just ten days ago.
Even so, it's awkward to completely rule out Auber Spiders. As far as I know, they're the only species that reproduces in that manner. They use methods to lure males from species with almost no genetic overlap, secure their sperm, and produce offspring several times.
Minjun fell into thought.
'I see... Maybe Cathy was right. It's possible Edward wasn't the one who initiated the seduction. If the alien was up to something, Edward might not have been aware of it?'
Minjun sent a brief reply expressing his thanks and immediately contacted Edward. He answered the call very quickly.
Yes, Agent.
Minjun, like his former colleague, got straight to the point.
"I can't guarantee that the woman won't be harmed. However, we can isolate the alien so that it won't be able to torment Miss Mi-Cham any further. I will also stop the reproduction."
...What about the children?
"I won't harm the children. Miss Mi-Cham should also avoid touching them."
Huh? But if someone finds out later... If they claim inheritance rights, it could be a serious problem!
Minjun murmured while reading the closing lines of the inmate's email.
"No, if the alien is the species I'm thinking of, Miss Mi-Cham doesn't need to worry about 'the boys'."
Huh?
He added quietly.
"Time will take care of those kids."
< 69. Dragon Enthusiast, Dragon Hater, Dragon Breeder (3) > End