“You… have nothing to say to me.”
Yoo Hee-yeon spoke to Lee Hyun-seung with a fierce glare. However, Lee Hyun-seung was not surprised at all. He had already anticipated this kind of response.
Lee Hyun-seung thought to himself,
If I had intended to back down from the beginning, I wouldn’t have been treated this way just because there’s a phone with evidence of covert filming in my drawer without any solid proof.
He looked at Yoo Hee-yeon and spoke,
“That was your last chance.”
Yoo Hee-yeon glared at Lee Hyun-seung as if she couldn’t believe it and replied,
“I understand that your fingerprints and mana traces didn’t come from that phone. The appraiser from the Magic Tower guarantees it, so there’s no room for doubt. But does that mean it proves you’re not the culprit?”
Yoo Hee-yeon rambled on, not even fully aware of what she was saying.
“You mentioned that there are two unidentified mana traces, right? Couldn’t they be linked to someone related to you, Lee Hyun-seung?”
Mana traces. In this game, when a person touches an object, the mana energy lingers on that object, much like fingerprints.
Just like fingerprint analysis, to confirm whose mana traces they are, the person with that mana energy needs to be nearby. In other words, a comparison subject is required.
There were a total of four mana traces found on the phone: those of Yoo Hee-yeon and Seong Hyun-wook, who had
fiddled with the phone in class, and two minions of Hileon whom Lee Hyun-seung had killed in the labyrinth. Since
Yoo Hee-yeon and Seong Hyun-wook were right next to him, it was easy to confirm their mana traces, but there was
no information about the other two besides the fact that they were dead.
In other words, Lee Hyun-seung knew that the two unidentified mana traces belonged to Hileon’s minions, but others did not.
I can’t bring up Hileon here.
If he were to say, The remaining two traces belong to Hileon’s minions, and it was Hileon who stalked Yoo Hee-yeon, who knows what might happen?
Would they really let him off the hook for exposing that they had killed their own subordinates? No. They would try to kill him within a day.
While Jeong Eun-seo is on my side, she won’t always be right next to me.
Lee Hyun-seung knew who the two remaining mana traces belonged to. So he was in a position of confidence. There was a method he could use in this situation.
“If you’re that suspicious, why not request a detailed mana analysis?”
Yoo Hee-yeon flinched.
[A detailed mana analysis.]
The name of the country where Lee Hyun-seung resides is [Ledation]. Ledation has a database that stores all citizens’
mana energies. This database is permitted to be used only for severe crimes such as national terrorism or serial
murder.
In other words, it means that they could use the information from the mana database to identify whose mana traces are unidentified. Of course, the mana database is protected by top-tier security. The unique mana information possessed by each individual is treated as highly confidential.
Thus, it would never be a feasible approach just to catch a stalker. However, if it were the “Artemis Guild” that wanted to use the database, the situation would change.
Lee Hyun-seung said,
“Tell your parents. Mention that you suspect a guy named Lee Hyun-seung, who keeps dodging responsibility and feels wronged. So, you want to use the mana database to find out who the two unidentified mana traces belong to.”
It wouldn’t be easy, but if the leader of the Artemis Guild pushed hard enough, the state would permit the use of the
mana database. Of course, they probably wouldn’t end up using it for real.
The reason Lee Hyun-seung said such things was simple.
[Innocence.]
He was speaking about how the two identifiable mana traces had nothing to do with him. Since he was confident, he suggested they check it freely.
Additionally, he was wary of Hileon.
If they were to proceed with the investigation using the mana database, the fact that the true culprit stalking Yoo
Hee-yeon was Hileon’s minion would naturally come to light.
What’s particularly important here is that if they use the mana database, it would be under the premise that it was Yoo Hee-yeon’s request.
If the use of the database, the inspection, and the entire process were initiated because Yoo Hee-yeon wanted it, Lee
Hyun-seung would have no burden, and when the inspection results came out, it could naturally turn the blade
toward Hileon, the true culprit.
If successful, it would be a two-for-one deal.
However, Yoo Hee-yeon naturally refused.
“W-Why should I ask my parents for such a thing? Ha. Do you think the Artemis Guild has that kind of free time? It’s obvious that you’re the one at fault. Don’t say such ridiculous things.”
Seeing her like this, Lee Hyun-seung inwardly laughed.
Seeing her stutter like that, she must think I’m not the culprit. And yet she still comes at me like this?
Lee Hyun-seung shook his head and provoked her.
“If your daughter is being stalked by a dangerous person, do you think the leader of the Artemis Guild wouldn’t do something about it? If you just mentioned it, I’m sure they would request it from the state.”
“D-Don’t just say whatever you want!”
Then, as if waiting for the right moment, Lee Hyun-seung whispered to Yoo Hee-yeon,
“Don’t you go spouting nonsense. I’m innocent; no matter how you investigate, I won’t be guilty. Why? Because I really didn’t do it. You think so too, don’t you?”
Yoo Hee-yeon pushed Lee Hyun-seung’s chest away as he came closer. Then, she smirked and shouted,
“Everyone knows you’re the culprit, so why should I go through that annoying hassle? Should I ask people?”
Yoo Hee-yeon turned her head to the onlookers and shouted,
“Is there anyone here who thinks Lee Hyun-seung standing in front of us is completely innocent? Anyone can speak up!”
Of course, no one stepped forward. They feared that if they went against Yoo Hee-yeon, they might be targeted by the Artemis Guild as well.
However, breaking the silence, one person stepped forward.
Jeong Eun-seo. She walked forward and said,
“I think Lee Hyun-seung is innocent.”
Yoo Hee-yeon glared at Jeong Eun-seo and said,
“Who are you? You don’t seem like someone from our academy.”
“I am a student from Broad Academy. If you don’t believe me, check. I may have dropped to F class since I haven’t attended, but I enrolled in A class.”
“Jeong Eun-seo…? Isn’t your father the leader of the Theor Guild?”
“Oh, you know well!”
“I understand that the Theor Guild has no grudge against the Artemis Guild. Is your current behavior truly representative of the guild?”
Jeong Eun-seo faced Yoo Hee-yeon directly, subtly pointing out her attempt to use the guild as a threat.
“Why is this suddenly turning into a dispute between guilds? Yes, my father is the leader of the Theor Guild, but I’m not even a guild member yet. I’m just Jeong Eun-seo, a human speaking to Yoo Hee-yeon as another human. Are you really that ignorant? Or are you trying to threaten me by mentioning the guild?”
Perhaps getting more agitated as she spoke, Jeong Eun-seo began to press Yoo Hee-yeon more aggressively. Lee
Hyun-seung watched the scene unfold and thought,
Damn… I’m grateful, but what’s her deal? How is she going to handle the aftermath?
Of course, it was true that the Theor Guild was a high-ranking guild. However, in a one-on-one confrontation, they
wouldn’t be able to defeat the Artemis Guild. There was no benefit in making an enemy of Yoo Hee-yeon. Yet, Jeong
Eun-seo’s demeanor was obviously confrontational.
Yoo Hee-yeon glared at Jeong Eun-seo.
“Are you really insane?!”
As Yoo Hee-yeon shouted, Nam Jin-seok, standing beside them with a troubled expression, stepped in to mediate.
“Please calm down. Miss Jeong Eun-seo, I ask that you also exercise restraint. We are not here to fight.”
He spoke with the grace of a gentleman, trying to ease the situation.
“I will consult with the Tower Master to see if we can use the mana database.”
At that moment, Yoo Hee-yeon’s body stiffened, and Jeong Eun-seo looked at her with a smug expression.
“Ah, then this resolves everything, doesn’t it? As long as the results come out, it’s fine. It might take a month for permission to use the mana database—maybe a bit longer—but if we have time, we can prove Lee Hyun-seung’s innocence, right? We just need to find out whose two unidentified mana traces they are.”
Yoo Hee-yeon clenched her fists and trembled. She couldn’t find the words to respond. It would be absurd to block
help that could identify the true culprit at the magic tower.
Yet, she couldn’t admit that she had misjudged and pressured Lee Hyun-seung, treating him like a criminal and
using the guild’s authority to get him suspended. It was obvious her father wouldn’t remain silent once he learned
the details of the incident.
While Yoo Hee-yeon stood there speechless, Nam Jin-seok turned to the president, who had been standing back.
“President, I’d like to discuss the storage and utilization of the evidence with you, so could we talk for a moment?”
Yoo Hee-yeon looked at Nam Jin-seok with trembling eyes.
