The Hunter’s Gonna Lay Low - Chap 240
Between the towering bookshelves reaching the ceiling, librarians appeared and disappeared in turn. Amid the scent of old books lingered a sharp smell of disinfectant— and a faint whiff of blood. Could they be sheltering patients here? Cha Eui-jae could see scenes overlapping with memories of a ruined world; toppled bookshelves, books scattered everywhere, hunters sitting wearily atop them. The library had become the last bastion.
Click, a librarian placed a steaming cup of coffee and a neatly arranged plate of cookies on the table. Cha Eui-jae bowed in thanks, though he knew he couldn’t eat them with his mask on anyway.
“Thank you.”
“It’s no trouble. The Guild Leader has asked if you could wait a little longer. Will that be alright?”
“Yes, it’s fine. Would it be okay if I read some books while I wait?”
“Of course. Is there a specific book you’d like? I could help you find one…”
“Oh, I didn’t have anything in mind. I’ll just take a look around.”
“Understood.”
The librarian bowed politely and vanished between the shelves. Cha Eui-jae stood without touching the coffee and wandered along the rows, gazing at books densely packed to the ceiling. Has Nam Woo-jin read every book here? Without looking at the titles, Cha Eui-jae pulled a book from the shelf and opened it. It was so old that the cover and pages were rough and crinkly, filled with characters he couldn’t recognize— ones he’d never seen before.
“…”
He narrowed his eyes, flipping through the pages. Absolutely incomprehensible. As he turned the pages, a peculiar illustration caught his eye. A drawing that depicted a pattern of intricate lines and dots— it felt strangely familiar. He traced it with his finger, frowning.
“Why does this look familiar?”
“You’re the first guest to find that book. Can you recognize it?”
A clear voice inquired. Cha Eui-jae glanced down. A boy in a white coat was looking up at him, hands respectfully clasped. His clear green eyes, like glass beads, reflected Cha Eui-jae’s face. The library’s owner, Nam Woo-jin’s marionette.
“That book was found in a dungeon. No one has been able to decipher those characters. It might be a language from our world distorted by dungeon magic, or perhaps an entirely foreign language. For safety, the Seowon Guild keeps it here.”
“This illustration?”
“Aren’t you already aware of it?”
“…”
“It’s the pattern of Hunter Hong Ye-seong’s Eyes of Appraisal. We have no idea why an illustration of it appears in that book.”
Ah. Finally realizing, Cha Eui-jae studied the illustration again. He hadn’t recognized it immediately since he was so used to seeing the Eyes of Appraisal in its constant swirling motion. Cha Eui-jae asked the boy,
“But how did you know?”
“I know the contents and location of every book in this library so that I can retrieve them immediately if my master requests them.”
The boy responded as if it were the most obvious thing. Cha Eui-jae skimmed through the book a little more, but aside from the Eyes of Appraisal pattern, nothing else looked familiar. He gestured to the book.
“Even you can’t decipher this?”
“My knowledge is based on my master, Hunter Nam Woo-jin’s knowledge. If he doesn’t know it, I can’t either.”
So, he’s not omniscient. Cha Eui-jae placed the book back on the shelf. The boy watched his every move before bowing his head.
“My master asked me to hear your business and resolve it myself if possible. Just so you know, he’s currently occupied with urgent matters and won’t be able to meet you right away.”
“What’s so urgent?”
“He’s conducting research on a rare resource. It will likely keep him occupied for a while.”
Cha Eui-jae regarded the marionette’s face, its clear eyes waiting patiently for his response. Could he trust him? Perhaps this was for the best. Unlike his master, the boy probably wouldn’t pry too much. Cha Eui-jae pulled a crumpled memo from his pocket and handed it over.
“I have two reasons for being here today. First, I’ve heard that people I know are working in the Seowon Guild. I’d like to meet them.”
“The people listed here?”
“Yes.”
The green eyes quickly scanned the memo. The boy nodded.
“Yes, they are indeed affiliated with the Seowon Guild. I can summon them if you wish. What’s the second matter?”
“Where is Lee Sa-young?”
“…”
The boy looked at him with an unreadable expression. Cha Eui-jae stood slightly askew.
“Nam Woo-jin was Lee Sa-young’s attending physician, right? He must have stopped by here at some point.”
After a pause, the boy spoke.
“Hunter Lee Sa-young visited the Seowon Guild yesterday. He came with Hunter Seo Min-gi.”
“…Seriously?”
“Yes. He hadn’t slept well for a week, so he came for a prescription sleep aid. He took it, slept for about 20 minutes, then woke up and handed my master a tablet with valuable information…”
“And then?”
“He threatened that many people curious about him would soon come around, and he told my master to keep quiet. My master agreed because of the data on that tablet.”
But why are you telling me, then? Even though his expression was hidden, his body language must have shown his puzzlement, as a faint smile appeared on the marionette’s usually expressionless face. The boy bowed politely.
“He only threatened my master, not me. In fact, my master also instructed that if any curious guest should come, I should decide on my own whether to tell them.”
“…”
“Hunter Lee Sa-young mentioned he was headed to Incheon. He planned to be away for a while and took a two-week supply of medication. That’s all I know.”
“Incheon…”
What could be there? Incheon International Airport and the West Sea rift. Could he be planning an escape overseas? Or perhaps he went to visit the West Sea rift again? A dungeon, maybe? What was with the week of sleeplessness? Was he having nightmares? Was it because of Ga-young? A flood of thoughts swirled around. Cha Eui-jae irritably rubbed the back of his neck.
“You don’t know anything more?”
“No, that’s everything. Shall I call in the people you wanted to meet?”
“…”
Cha Eui-jae studied the boy’s face. The faint smile had vanished without a trace, and his clear eyes revealed nothing. He nodded silently, and the boy replied.
“A librarian will guide you to the reception room. Please follow them.”
The boy disappeared between the shelves with quick steps. Soon after, the same librarian who had brought Cha Eui-jae coffee and cookies returned and bowed. Cha Eui-jae followed. He was led to a small, cozy reception room with a two-seater sofa across from him and a low table in between. A fresh flower arrangement sat on the table. The librarian brought new coffee and treats. Cha Eui-jae, as before, didn’t touch them but sat down and crossed his legs.
When he closed his eyes, the voice of Mackerel flipping the memo resurfaced in his memory.
“Honestly, it wasn’t hard to find. He didn’t even try to hide it. It’s all listed out clear as day. I guess it makes sense, though; it’s all work experience on the record.”
“He’s in the Seowon Guild’s medical team, it seems. The guild Leader’s direct team.”
Before long, the door to the reception room opened. An older but familiar face appeared, even more aged than he remembered. The middle-aged man, spotting Cha Eui-jae, gasped in disbelief and muttered,
“J… J?”
“Long time no see. It’s been… almost ten years?”
Cha Eui-jae slowly read the name embroidered on the man’s white coat.
“Jang… Min-jun.”
“…It has been a long time. I’d heard you were back, but…”
Jang Min-jun wore a half-anxious, half-pleased expression. Cha Eui-jae feigned ignorance and gestured to the sofa across from him. Jang Min-jun sat without crossing his legs, repeatedly rubbing his hands against his knees. Cha Eui-jae leaned against the sofa’s backrest and spoke.
“Do you know someone named Ga-young?”
“…”
“I’d like to know more about her.”
Jang Min-jun’s expression hardened. J slung an arm over the back of the sofa and added,
“You work at the Seowon Guild, so you must know about Prometheus too, right? I already know she’s part of that organization.”
“…”
“I won’t ask about her background since it’s probably fabricated. But you worked on the same team, didn’t you? Tell me about Ga-young as you saw her.”
Jang Min-jun bit his trembling lip, saying nothing. With a sigh, Cha Eui-jae leaned forward and looked directly at him. Surely, this small lie would even be excusable to Jung Bin… maybe.
“I’m here as a proxy for the Awakened Management Bureau. That means I’m here on official business. So talk.”
“W-why are you so curious about her?”
“Why am I curious?”
Cha Eui-jae responded indifferently.
“Because I want to know the source of the malice.”
“…”
“So talk.”
Jang Min-jun nervously clasped his hands, flexing and extending his fingers repeatedly. Eventually, he muttered in a cracked voice,
“I think… she said her younger sibling died.”
