You Will Be Blessed If You Do Good Deeds¿ - Chapter 182

"If it's help..."
"Actually... I'm not sure if you've heard the rumors, but I was originally in contact with the NLE Guild."

I lowered my gaze.
Kim Ihyeon let out an overtly sympathetic sigh. Should I say her reaction was perfect in terms of showing empathy?
Kang Kyungjoon also let out a deep, pitying sigh.

"Ah, yes. Iâve heard the rumors. I heard you were close with Hunter Lee Un-gyeol, too."
As expected.
Officially, I've only had one meal with Lee Un-gyeol, but since his purpose was to recruit me, I figured the rumors would have spread.

In that case, I should make use of this rumor.
"Yes, the truth is I didnât quite get along with Hunter Han Jae-young."
This isn't exactly a lie.

Just because Iâm a demon doesnât mean I particularly like lying. In fact, I almost never lie.
By demon standards, Iâm actually quite truthful.
Kang Kyungjoon exclaimed in surprise at my words.

"Ah, so you were in contact with the NLE Guild because of Hunter Han Jae-young?"
"Yes. Since Iâm in alternative service right now, I can't immediately leave the HP Guild, but alternative service wonât last forever."
At this, Kang Kyungjoonâs eyes lit up. Kim Ihyeonâs expression was also interesting to watch.

"The NLE Guild... thatâs the one founded by Hunter Lee Un-gyeol, right? Iâve heard he's a good person. Itâs really unfortunate that things turned out this way."
Kim Ihyeon poured some alcohol into my glass, continuing with the conversation. While she said that, her expression didnât reflect any real sympathy.
They probably understand my words as a suggestion that Iâll likely register with the Hunter Association once my alternative service ends, not join another guild.

âWell, that's what I intended to convey.â
I needed to plant the idea in their minds that, after my alternative service, I wouldnât be joining any guild but might join the Association instead.
That would serve as a strong motivation for them.
"I see, well, time passes, doesnât it?"

"Yes, itâs really unfortunate how things turned out. Still, there are more guilds than just NLE..."
Kim Ihyeon said this with a subtle smile. Honestly, I was irritated, but there was no point in reacting here. I swallowed my frustration and continued speaking.
"Yeah, I didnât think a mother would do something like that."

"Ah, youâre talking about Lawyer Nam Seong-hee..."
"I really hope she gets the punishment she deserves. Donât you think?"
"Hahaha, yes... that would be good..."

Kang Kyungjoon responded ambiguously while wearing a strange expression.
Itâs true that Nam Seong-hee is the subject of the most bizarre recent news, but Kang Kyungjoonâs reaction isnât solely because of that.
The truth is, Iâd said I hoped Nam Seong-hee would be properly punished, but right now, the Association is working hard to reduce her sentence because of her "item."

Why is her sentence being reduced because of an item?
Nam Seong-hee claims that her item is in her "inventory."
However, since others cannot forcibly open another's inventory, the government and the Hunter Association have been trying to persuade Nam Seong-hee, offering a reduced sentence as a condition.

âAnd Kang Kyungjoon probably doesnât care about whether Nam Seong-hee gets proper punishment.â
If he were concerned with such moral issues, he probably wouldnât have even shown up at this kind of meeting.
"By any chance, the help you mentioned, Hunter Jeong Da-on, could it be that you're asking for help to make sure Lawyer Nam Seong-hee gets the punishment she deserves?"

"Hahaha, of course not."
I smiled slightly as I watched the two of them hang onto every word I said.
"During the recent dungeon break, I saw Lawyer Nam Seong-hee, who I thought was just an ordinary person, using magic. She probably used an item..."

Now, weâre getting to the main point.
I watched Kang Kyungjoonâs expression closely as I asked.
"From what Iâve heard, when a criminal possesses an item, the government confiscates it and uses it as national property. I heard that the Association can also borrow these items through agreements with the government."

"Yes, thatâs true, but..."

"I want to bid on this item."
Itâs not an unusual request.

When a person with special abilities commits a crime, their item is usually reclaimed by the government.
At that point, if the government canât utilize the item properly, or if they think its use in the private sector would be more beneficial, the Association can borrow it.
And this borrowed item can be re-loaned by the Association under its responsibility to individual hunters for public use.

âItâs likely that there are very few government-affiliated hunters who could properly utilize this item.â
Itâs a strategy to avoid giving it back to the private sector entirely, but still earn a little rental fee from it.
Of course, the government technically still owns the item, so the Association wouldnât be thrilled with the idea of renting it out for profit.

"Ah, I see... Lawyer Nam Seong-heeâs item, you say. Iâd love to help, but..."
Kang Kyungjoonâs trailing words showed he understood my intent.
Although heâs not at the heart of the Association, he knows that the higher-ups are already trying to secretly remove Nam Seong-heeâs item at the request of an external investor.

In that situation, for me to suddenly approach and express interest in bidding on the item...
âThe higher-ups of the Association would probably think Iâve lost my mind if I suggested that.â
Right now, the upper echelons of the Association arenât nearly as desperate for my involvement as Kang Kyungjoon and Kim Ihyeon.

If you are reading this translation anywhere other than .net or SilkRoadTL, it has been stolen.
They might be afraid of a power shift if I join the Association, but if I expressed interest in the item, itâs likely they wouldnât give it to â ðð¨ð¯ðð¥ð¢ð ð¡ð­ â me.
"Is there a problem?"

I asked, feigning ignorance even though I knew the situation well.
Kang Kyungjoon fell silent for a moment before letting out a deep sigh.
"Honestly, itâs a bit embarrassing to say... but since weâll be seeing each other for a while, Iâll tell you. Actually, the Association is also coveting Lawyer Nam Seong-heeâs item."

"Oh, isnât that a good thing? Iâd be fine with just borrowing it for a while."
"Well... itâs not that simple. The Association plans to use that item as collateral to secure investment."
"Investment?"

I widened my eyes, pretending to be surprised. The shock was probably evident.
"Itâs not just about a simple cash investment. To be precise... Do you know how many A-rank and B-rank talents there are in Korea, even without someone like Hunter Jeong Da-on? Compared to Japan, itâs nearly double the number. Actually, Kim Ihyeon here is also a B-rank hunter."
"Even so, compared to Hunter Jeong Da-on, itâs nothing to brag about."

"True. But even within the same rank, it depends on whether the natural talent can be fully realized through the country's educational system."
In other words, even though Korea wants to train hunters, they lack the infrastructure to properly do so.
In reality, instead of nurturing high-level talent, the country is shifting the burden of education to guilds in the form of alternative service.

For someone like me, an S-rank, Iâm at least doing alternative service, but for most others, their talents are wasted with standard military training...
Whether this is true or not, itâs understandable from their perspective.
"But canât foreign investors solve the military service issue? Itâs a mandatory service under the Associationâs rules."

"Thatâs true, but they can address the problem with hunter training infrastructure. In Europe, the EU has provided each country with the necessary hunter training equipment. And this investor... theyâve promised to provide us with the entire training infrastructure if we transfer the item to them."
Ah.
I nodded in understanding.

I was curious how Theo Yovanovich had managed to lure the Association into this deal...
âThe European hunter education infrastructure is something Iâve been curious about.â
Since Theo has been teaching hunters since awakening, European hunters, even with middle-level rankings, have been actively breaking into the global market. This shows theyâre recognized for their skills.

âItâs not just a simple financial investment.â
I realized that the Associationâs upper echelons werenât simply taking Theoâs investment for their own benefitâthey were also focusing on infrastructure development.
âIt would have been easier if they were just greedy for money.â

If I considered my current balance, honestly, while it would be hard to engage in full-scale combat with Theo Yovanovich, bribing him wouldnât be out of the question. James Chen was ruthlessly turning low-ranking hunters to make money, and that money was washing through several rounds, eventually landing in my Swiss account. The last time I checked, the balance was nearing ten million dollars.
"But, it sounds good... but isnât the Association moving for more than just a public good?"
Kim Ihyeon interrupted suddenly.

Kang Kyungjoon sternly scolded him.
"Kim Ihyeon, donât say nonsense."
"Hey, weâll be seeing each other for a long time. If thereâs a secret, shouldnât we know?"

The drinks were poured again, and it was clear that both of them were acting. I decided to just listen.

Kim Ihyeon whispered as if revealing a secret.
"Those in the upper ranks of the Association... they all want to send their children abroad. You know? They all do their mandatory service, but in foreign countries... especially Europe, alternative service is much freer."

"So they donât want to send their kids to the military..."
"Honestly, everyoneâs probably suspicious. Itâs good to get the training infrastructure, but in a few years, their kids might all be moving to Europe. Honestly, before taking the ability test, awakening people could even consider emigration as a strategy."
Kim Ihyeon sighed.

"For someone like me, itâs a dream I could never achieve... sigh, I really envy those lucky enough to have good parents."
This didnât seem like something he was saying to flatter me, but more like his genuine feelings.
Both of them were probably half flattering me, half showing dissatisfaction with the investorâs idea.

I saw an opportunity and spoke up.
"Could I... possibly meet the investor and try to convince them?"
"Huh?"

"How would you convince them?"
"If the Association is dealing in the publicâs interest, Iâll step back. But, isnât it a waste to hand this kind of item to a foreigner just to avoid military service?"
The key here is to make them think Iâm acting for "justice," not just for personal gain.

"Of course, I wouldnât ruin the investment..."
"Iâm not saying Iâll ruin it, just change the terms. How about we research the item and share the findings? Theyâll probably want to take the item to analyze it, so if I step in and offer to research it and share the results, itâd be a pretty good deal for them."
"Ah, that might be possible... but, would the research be that quick? Not that I donât trust Hunter Jeong Da-on, but..."

He trailed off, hinting at doubts about the feasibility.
"Of course."
I nodded, putting on the most arrogant expression I could muster.

Even Kim Ihyeon, sitting beside me and constantly refilling my glass, surely frowned for a moment.
Kang Kyungjoon and Kim Ihyeon exchanged glances.
Whether they truly believed in my abilities was honestly irrelevant.

"Then, what should we do?"
"I heard the investor will be visiting soon to take the item."
I gave them a friendly smile as I spoke.

"Could you arrange a meeting with them? Iâll try to convince them personally."
"Arranging a meeting with the investor shouldnât be difficult... Ah, Hunter Jeong Da-on. Would you like to make an appearance at the investment reception?"
"Iâd rather request a formal meeting separately. If an S-rank hunter like Hunter Jeong Da-on requests a meeting, no investor would refuse. If youâre okay with it, Iâll put in the formal request."

That was their plan, not mine.
I knew exactly what they wanted.
These two were probably hoping Iâd join the official investor reception organized by the Association, where Iâd at least take a picture with them for appearances.

That way, it would give them leverage over the Associationâs current higher-ups.
âThey donât care about my goals, they just want to manipulate the situation for their own benefit.â
In the end, theyâre all just trying to get away with corruption.

Iâm not interested in hearing any of this.
âAnd I donât want Theo Yovanovich to know Iâm going either.â
The moment my name comes up, Theo will probably flee the country, even if he has to turn the plane around.

So, I need to find a gap.
I looked at the two of them and raised an eyebrow.
"Thatâs a good idea, but honestly... after hearing the conversation, I donât think the upper ranks of the Association would approve of me meeting with them. Also, the investor might not want to meet me since they donât know much about me."

"Thatâs true, but..."
"So, hereâs what I propose. Kang Kyungjoon Hunter, youâre going to the investor reception, right? Iâd like you to pass this along when you go."
With that, I placed an item that glowed a deep red on the table.

Kang Kyungjoonâs eyes widened as he stared at it.
System warns user, âJeong Da-on,â
âBlessed if you do good deeds?â quest is ongoing.

System detects âSoul Core.â
âSoul Coreâ is in an unstable condition.
 

Ignoring the systemâs flashing red warnings, I smiled.
"An insightful investor will immediately recognize the results of my work after seeing this."