You Will Be Blessed If You Do Good Deeds¿ - Chapter 112

The plan of Han Jae-young and the so-called "Jeong Da-on Rescue Team" was simple.

They would track Jeong Da-onâs trail with the help of a summon with gray fur.
As for transportation, they could just borrow a vehicle owned by the embassy.
But reality was not as easy as it seemed.

"Hey, pup. Thatâs an alley where cars canât pass. Can't we take another route?"
"Woof!"
The dog barked several times with an expression that seemed to say it couldnât understand.

The puppy, resembling a wolf, couldnât fathom why humans, who had machines with wheels, insisted on going around tall buildings.
This had already happened several times.
It was one thing to look at the map and turn around, but every time the summon scratched the seat and tried to communicate that this wasnât the right path, it was beyond frustrating.

"Leo seems pretty smart..."
"Woof!"
The summon scratched its ears with its hind leg, as if it had heard something it shouldnât have.

Judging by its behavior, it certainly had a high intelligence, but it seemed that the concept of roads was unfamiliar to this otherworldly creature.
"I think we should just ditch the car and walk."
"Yeah, thatâs probably better."

After an hour of moving with the summon, Han Jae-young decided they couldnât even leave Manhattan at this rate, let alone track down Jeong Da-on, so they chose to abandon the car.
Yoo Han-ul, with a serious expression, surveyed the surroundings.
"Weâve already left Manhattan and made it to Brooklyn. Weâve traveled more than 50 kilometers... But, usually, this would be the maximum distance for teleportation magic, right?"

"Considering how the Hunter Association is fumbling with the chase, they might have used teleportation magic several more times to shake off the pursuit."
He sarcastically remarked about the Association members' struggle to track them, but secretly, he thought there might be a reason why the pursuit was difficult.
"Lopez isnât someone to underestimate. Someone like her couldnât last more than ten years at headquarters."
"If sheâs hiding in East New York, it could get tricky..."

East New York, part of Brooklyn, was a relatively poor area where workers lived.
The public safety was poor even before the dungeon appeared, but since the dungeonâs arrival, things had gotten worse.
Many of the dungeons in the area had no economic value, so there was little to manage.

Luckily, most were low-level D to F grade dungeons, but the eerie possibility of encountering low-level monsters in the alleyways caused people to leave the area in droves.
As a result, East New Yorkâs abandoned houses had surpassed several hundred.
âOf course, itâs not difficult for us to search since we have the summon...â

But what if, upon being discovered, Leila, in a state of despair, took the hostage into one of the nearby dungeons?
As Yoo Han-ul had said, that would certainly cause a lot of trouble.
"Are we too late?"

Lee Pyeong-hwa asked nervously, handing the dog a jerky snack.
"They say kidnappings have a golden time until theyâre rescued, right? Itâs already been half a day..."
"I did tell the Hunter Association the same thing," Han Jae-young shrugged.

"From the summonâs state, we can guess the condition of its master. This oneâs still calm. It means everythingâs fine."
If Jeong Da-onâs condition had been bad, the summon wouldnât just be scratching the seat; it would have broken the window and run out.
Especially since the summon was one of Jeong Da-onâs creations.

As Han Jae-young had said, Jeong Da-onâs summon was relatively calm.
"And since it wasnât a killing but a kidnapping, it must have a purpose, so she should be fine for a while."
"...That sounds reassuring."

At that moment, Han Jae-youngâs phone rang.
The number wasnât recorded, but...
There was only one person who would call him at this timing.

"Ugh, I donât want to answer."
"Han Jae-young Hunter."
"Alright, alright."

If Yoo Han-ul hadnât been there, he would have ignored the call, but it couldnât be helped.
Han Jae-young reluctantly picked up the phone.
"Getting in touch a bit late, huh?"

There was a brief silence on the other end of the line before the typical mechanical sound of the translator was heard.
Iâm sorry to hear about what happened.
 
"Wow, that really sounds sincere!"

Itâs sincere.
 
It was Estella, the President of the Hunter Association, who had called.
She must have heard about Jeong Da-onâs kidnapping.

Sincere, my foot.
Han Jae-young scoffed inwardly.
âItâs been a while since the news got out, and now sheâs calling. How predictable.â

It was all too obvious how the Hunter Association was handling the internal situation.
âThey mustâve blocked the media first.â
No journalists had shown up to report on the case of Hunter Association executive Leila Lopez kidnapping someone.

Of course, it was likely a matter of face for the Associationâs headquarters.
âPeople in power are always so predictable.â
Han Jae-young couldnât understand the publicâs praise of Estella.

She would try to be considerate and occasionally do some actions that made her somewhat likable, but...
âHuh, this is different.â
I heard theyâre conducting their own investigation.
 

"Itâs not really an investigation, just checking because Iâm worried."
Iâm not asking to hinder you, Iâm asking to help. If you need help with the investigation, just let me know. Iâll cooperate so that thereâs no issue with your identity or procedures later.
 
"...Hmm?"

Han Jae-young furrowed his brows.
This was unexpected.
He had assumed the call was to remind him that she didnât have investigation authority, but instead, she was offering to help?

"Whatâs your angle?"
Leila stole some items, and the victim in this situation is Hunter Da-on. And now, sheâs even been kidnapped. Honestly, I feel responsible.
 
"Yes, thatâs what should be done."

From Estellaâs perspective, it was a situation where she would indeed feel responsible.
Regardless of the reasons, the Associationâs mismanagement of items led to a Dungeon Break in Korea, resulting in casualties.
If you need help rescuing Hunter Da-on, we wonât hold the Hunter Association accountable for any accidents.
 

But still, Han Jae-young couldnât believe Estella would lower herself like this.
He couldnât believe his ears.
"Are you serious?"

Saying they wouldnât hold the Association responsible for any accidents meant she was declaring that even if Leila Lopez died, there would be no responsibility.
Given Han Jae-youngâs nature, he knew this conversation was being recorded, meaning it could be used as evidence without issue.
For Estella, who was known for protecting her own, this was an incredibly uncharacteristic move.

I must have misjudged the situation.
 
Even through the translator, Han Jae-young could hear deep regret in her voice.
According to the report, Leila... took a bomb from the item storage while fleeing. We need to stop the situation from escalating.
 

"..........."
If you need help, contact me at this number. I wonât let her die before midnight. Thatâs it.
 
The call ended.

Han Jae-young stared at his phone, his face contorting in frustration.
"Ugh, every time I talk to her, it always leaves a bad aftertaste. I have to wonder whatâs really hidden behind her words."
"Yeah."

Yoo Han-ul, who had been quietly listening, crossed his arms.
"Isnât it kind of a mirror treatment?"
"...What kind of words are you using to an adult?"

"Honestly, I was prepared for a confrontation with the Hunter Association...â
"Look at you dodging the subject."

"Yeah, this whole cooperative attitude is certainly strange."

"Sorry to interrupt, but..."
Lee Pyeong-hwa tilted his head.
"What kind of person is Estella, really? Shouldnât she be reacting like this from the Hunter Associationâs perspective?"

"Normally, Estella would have tried to convince us to trust the Hunter Association with the investigation in this situation."
"Since if we solve it, it would be a matter of pride for her Hunter Association subordinates."
If they solved this case, it would be a matter of face for the headquarters.

In fact, if something like this had happened at the HP Guild, Han Jae-young would have tried to clean it up himself.
However, Han Jae-young and Estella were different.
"And behind the scenes, she mustâve met with Leila and tried to convince her to come back, promising to take responsibility."

"Even after committing so many crimes?"
"Yes, because sheâs one of her own, she would have tried to fix it somehow. Plus, the U.S. is a place where money can solve many problems more than in Korea."
Estella cared about her subordinates.

But strong emotions always have their shadows.
"Well, maybe after taking a bomb and kidnapping someone, Estella decided she couldnât trust Leila anymore..."
Or maybe Estella decided Jeong Da-on was an important asset worth saving, even if she had to give up Leila Lopez.

After all, she had even tried to scout her personally.
At that thought, Han Jae-young suddenly turned to Yoo Han-ul.
"By the way, Yoo Han-ul, why didnât you tell me that Estella visited Da-onâs hospital room?"

"Ah."
Yoo Han-ul blinked slowly.
It seemed he had completely forgotten about that event.

"Sorry. I forgot."
"...Itâs clear you havenât been in your right mind since the last dungeon. When we get back to Korea, you need a thorough check-up."
Regardless, it was a good turn of events that Estella had allowed them to investigate so freely.

Now, all that was left was to find Jeong Da-on.
Han Jae-young kneeled down to make eye contact with the summon, which was alert and guarding the passersby.
"Alright, little summon. Do you understand the concept of traffic lights now?"

"Sniff?"
The green-eyed summon stared at Han Jae-young, clearly confused.
It was obvious that it had no idea what he was talking about.

Han Jae-young looked up at the sky.
"This is going to take forever..."
As expected, it was true.

It was almost dawn by the time the three of them arrived at a small, abandoned house in East New York.
A small house that seemed on the verge of collapsing.
The three of them held their breath and hid by the houseâs fence.

"Is this the place?"
The summon wagged its tail silently, panting.
Yoo Han-ul kept still, carefully listening to the sounds inside.

"There are two people inside. One seems to be injured."
"How do you know that?"
"The footsteps are uneven. It seems like theyâve hurt their leg."

At those words, Lee Pyeong-hwa bit his lip, growing anxious.
"An injury... It hasnât been long since they were discharged."
"Doesnât seem like thereâs any magical barrier. This is odd."

Han Jae-young, who had been scanning for magical traps, tilted his head.
Logically, a mage like Leila wouldnât have left a hiding place unprotected.
But no matter how much he stretched out his magic and examined it, there didnât seem to be any traps.

"Did she use up all her magic on teleportation?"
The three of them quietly passed over the fence and into the garden.
After putting noise-reducing patches on the door handle and hinges, Han Jae-young quietly opened the door with his shield held at chest height.

The door opened without a sound.
Through the dark hallway, the living room light was visible.
The three of them crept toward the light, keeping their steps as silent as possible.

And when they peered into the living room...
"Are you here?"
A calm voice rang out.

Jeong Da-on was lying on a worn but comfortable-looking sofa, waiting for them.
She looked nothing like someone who had been kidnapped. Instead, she looked like a typical office worker spending a casual Sunday afternoon.