Chapter 47. After the Trouble (3) (2/2)
“Oh right.”
Soon, an itinerary would be posted for the traveling club’s next trip.
I checked my smartwatch for an announcement.
[Traveling Club – There will be a trip this weekend.]
Yun Hyun, unfortunately, destroyed the academics club, and the hunting club was suspended because of Sven. The traveling club was the only club I had left. Everything was happening according to the original story.
During this trip, another incident would occur.
The traveling club would soon be caught in an assassination incident.
The traveling club’s leader was kind and gentle, but his indecisiveness and naivety made him the target of a French conman. The conman, disguising himself as a rich businessman, coaxed the club leader to bring the traveling club’s cadets to his giant mansion, saying that he would pay for all expenses.
The club leader made his decision after visiting France and enjoying his time during the trip.
However, the rich businessman’s real identity was an infamous conman who was constantly under the threat of assassination by people he had conned in the past. Although he didn’t need to worry about them because most of them were powerless, he had accidentally provoked a group he shouldn’t have.
Footsteps of Darkness.
—While the time changes from Saturday to Sunday, your life will be taken.
He had received an assassination notice from Footsteps of Darkness, a notorious assassination group known to target criminals.
When he received the notice, the conman despaired.
Because he was a wanted criminal, he couldn’t report it to the Hero Association to receive help. He also didn’t have enough time to liquidate his assets, so he didn’t have enough money to hire mercenaries.
After pondering over the matter for a long time, he came up with the idea of inviting cadets to protect himself for the weekend.
But there was another secret behind the event…
“Hm.”
This should be the correct event since the assassination incident was supposed to happen a week after the combat exams.
Ding dong—
At that moment, a violet bordered alert popped up on the corner of my laptop screen.
It was from Violet Banquet.
I quickly clicked on the alert.
Truth Agency had received its first customer.
—Here is a detailed information on someone I wish to find. He’s an evil man who conned my family and ran away. Can you tell me where he is?
“…What’s this?”
A beer belly, snake-like eyes, and chubby cheeks. It was the stereotypical face of a conman.
This man was the conman behind the assassination incident, Belbet.
**
In a dark, abandoned factory used as the Chameleon Troupe’s hideout, the presence of people was felt for the first time in some time.
Stuck to the surface of the concrete floor were ten shadows. All ten colors besides the currently empty seat of Black were gathered in this place. It was to discuss the seat which had been empty for three years.
The shadows were positioned around a round table, watching a video projected by Droon. Shown on the video was a person Droon personally witnessed.
It was part of Droon’s Gift, an ability which could project or materialize anything he experienced with his five senses.
The ten shadows watched the video, some with curiosity and some with disapproval.
[KWANG—!]
“Oh geez, that surprised me.”
The end of the video was marked by a thunderous gunshot and a brilliant white flash.
When the video came to an end, the leader of the shadows signaled the start of the discussion.
“Raise your hand if you see potential.”
However, the voting didn’t begin, as a high-pitched female voice quickly cut in.
“By the way, Boss…”
Boss stared at the source of the voice, a beautiful Caucasian woman.
“When did we become a group that needed to meet to analyze some greenhorn?”
Her complaint quickly clashed with a man’s gentle voice.
“I think he has potential. Most importantly, I like that he doesn’t have parents or a significant other.”
“What does that have to do with anything?”
“If you don’t have people by your side, you start to indulge in other things. We might not be able to give honor, but we can give money.”
The Chameleon Troupe was one of the extremely few groups listed on the Hero Association’s violet list. However, only the name of the group was known to the public and its members’ identities remained completely hidden.
The Chameleon Troupe guaranteed the freedom of its members. They could live their lives however they wished. Only when there was work to do did the members gather or work in teams to complete missions.
“So what, you want to bring him in? A kid who can be sent flying by a little nudge?”
“We’re strictly talking about his potential…”
“Quiet.”
Boss crushed the rising debate between the two members.
“From this man…”
In truth, the Chameleon Troupe was like a mercenary group. Of course, their goal was much grander than making money and living a lavish life. But that didn’t mean their goal was unattainable.
To achieve their goal, the Chameleon Troupe did what they needed to do at the right moment. Currently, their goal was to kill the ‘traitor’.
“I confirmed the power of anti-magic.”
Boss threw a glance at Droon.
Receiving her look, Droon projected another video.
The man in the video was using an ordinary gun to fight an opponent using qi reinforcement. When the bullet he fired shattered the qi reinforcement, the weight of the air was clearly heavier than before.
“…It’s illogical to think that the same thing will work against that guy just because he managed to break a qi reinforcement of that level.”
“Like I said, Jain, Boss didn’t say we were recruiting him right away. She asked if he had ‘potential’. At least in my eyes, he seems to have it.”
At the man’s snarky rebuttal, Jain sent him a glare.
“Fine, let’s say we bring him in after he grows up. Black is the only color we have, so is he getting that seat?”
Black wasn’t a color that suited a greenhorn.
Black was the color belonging to the man who betrayed the previous boss. At the same time, it was the color of the ‘strongest member’ of the Chameleon Troupe. This rule remained unchanged for over 20 years.
“…Then I’ll take over that color.”
At that moment, a giant man spoke up. It was Cheok Jungyeong, who had stayed silent this entire time.
“Rejected. You’re too stupid.”
“I also reject. I’m stronger.”
“Then what do you bastards want to do?”
“Aren’t there others? Are we just going to ignore Kim Suho and Shin Jonghak?”
“We’re going to vote on them next. This discussion is for who we’ll select as candidates.”
Troupe members who had remained silent began to speak up one by one. Voices overlapped on top of each other, causing a headache for Boss. She spoke in a suppressed voice.
“Show of hands.”
Everyone immediately quieted down.
“We’re voting.”
With no other choice, the troupe members began to vote.
8:2
Jain, who already voiced her objection, and Cheok Jungyeong, who didn’t like the man, were the only ones to vote against him.
The rest of the members voted in favor.
“Hmph.”
Jain snorted, clearly dissatisfied at the result.
“By the way, Jain, take this. It’s an invitation letter for the VVIP masquerade party in France.”
“Oh, stealing that ring, right? Don’t worry.”
But Jain’s sulking didn’t last for long as she took the invitation letter with a bright face.