Chapter 9: Condemnation

Before leaving the Director’s office.

I subtly touched Fairin’s shoulder, planting three spells.

Spells I barely managed to craft under the table without the Director noticing.

[Return Spell (B)]

A spell that instinctively makes one recall their intended destination.

Commonly used to mark a gate’s entrance as a safety measure to avoid getting lost.

Originally a C-rank spell, I refined it into a B-rank Return Spell.

It adds the effect of unconsciously guiding someone back to the designated point.

Like they’re hypnotized.

[Suppression Spell (B)]

A spell that suppresses emotions.

Extremely harmful to humans, as it dries up their feelings.

It’s mainly used to restrain beasts.

I cast it to prevent Fairin from doing something reckless in a fit of emotion.

[Tracking Spell (C)]

A spell that lets the caster track the target’s location once the spell array is applied.

The Return Spell would lead her to my designated point, but variables always exist.

I cast it as insurance to prevent anything from going wrong.

Crafting three spells without the Director noticing was grueling, especially since they required intricate, miniature spell arrays, leaving me exhausted.

I’d planned to curse Fairin out when she arrived, but I was too tired and lost the urge.

So, I just cast the spells discreetly and left, now resting on a bench in the Academy’s park.

Buzz, buzz.

Sitting with my arms crossed, I felt the heavy gazes of numerous students.

An outsider not wearing the Academy uniform stands out, naturally.

Back when I wore the cursed mask, people would’ve confronted me, telling me to leave.

It’s not that bad now.

I’m still unattractive, but at least I’m treated like a person.

I can tolerate it as long as they’re not openly insulting me.

I heard faint whispers about me but ignored them and closed my eyes.

After about ten minutes with my eyes shut.

The tracking information on Fairin in my mind started updating.

‘She’s finally out.’

Her location was getting closer to my designated return point.

No variables, it seems.

“Ugh. Time to go?”

I stretched and dragged my tired body up.

*

A blonde woman walked limply, like she’d lived her entire life.

The Suppression Spell worked perfectly.

‘It’s really not suited for humans.’

With that thought, I tailed her to a deserted area.

As she neared the return point.

I silenced my footsteps and approached right behind her.

And whispered.

“Time to pay for your sins.”

“Back in my homeland, South Korea, framing someone was a death penalty.”

Before Fairin could turn, I slammed my fist into the back of her head with full force.

Even with my average strength, it’d knock her out.

Thud!

With a slump, Fairin collapsed face-first into the dirt, like a paper doll.

“Hey. Hey.”

I nudged her with my foot, but no response—she was definitely out.

Just in case, I decided to cast another spell. I’m cautious like that.

[Sleep Spell (B)]

She won’t wake up now.

I hoisted Fairin over my shoulder and ran at full speed, too fast for anyone to see.

*

A deserted dock.

Further inland, there are abandoned warehouses, untouched for decades.

‘Still as creepy as ever. Shouldn’t have set the meeting for night.’

Minhoo Seol moved naturally, as if familiar with the place, stopping in front of a warehouse.

He checked a small, carved mark on the door.

Creak—

Without hesitation, he pushed the massive door open, and acrid dust stung his nose.

Squinting, Minhoo stepped inside, one step, then two, and faced a familiar figure deep in the warehouse.

Despite the figure being cloaked in darkness, Minhoo waved as if he already knew who it was.

“Long time no see, Bel.”

Closing the distance, his eyes adjusted to the dark, revealing the figure.

“Welcome, Father.”

A middle-aged man with black bandages over his eyes greeted Minhoo respectfully.

Bel Korn Knight.

A vampire Minhoo met a year ago through bad blood, now his loyal subordinate.

For some reason, Bel swore complete loyalty to Minhoo, but Minhoo avoided meeting him unless it was for shady business.

He’d also refused Bel’s desire to serve closely, simply because it felt burdensome.

“That ‘Father’ crap… Whatever. Did you handle the job properly?”

“Yes. I took care of it quietly, leaving no trace. And I captured the man you mentioned.”

Snap!

Bel flicked his fingers, and a small rift opened in the air, dropping a rope-bound man onto the floor.

‘That dimensional storage skill is always enviable.’

With that thought, Minhoo’s gaze shifted from the rift to the man on the ground.

“Mmph! Mmph!!!”

“You sure it’s him? If you got the wrong guy, it’ll be a headache.”

“Yes. This is definitely Block, the guildmaster of the unregistered guild ‘Chrome.’ I confirmed multiple times, so no worries.”

“Good. Your work is always reliable, Bel…”

Minhoo tossed Fairin, still unconscious, next to the man.

“Father, may I ask what you plan to do with them?”

Bel asked, staring at the bound man and woman.

“Hm? What else? Kill them, obviously. I only had you bring Block so I could see his face.”

The death penalty for framing wasn’t a joke.

Back on Earth, Minhoo was an SS-rank hunter and assassin, so killing came easily.

“I’ll kill them now.”

“No, hold off. I’ve got something for them to do. Wait until the girl wakes up.”

“Understood.”

“Where’d you pick up that tone?”

“From a drama.”

“…”

Minhoo thought Bel’s vibe had changed a lot since they first met.

‘He used to be super stoic and serious. Is he finding his true self after being freed from that guild?’

Lost in random thoughts while waiting for Fairin to wake, Minhoo, unable to stand the boredom, spoke to Bel.

“So, how exactly did you take down Chrome?”

“I gathered info on all guild members and assassinated them one by one. The bodies are stored in my dimensional warehouse.”

“Nice. No blood traces, right?”

“Of course, Father. I was meticulous, leaving no trace.”

Chrome, an unregistered dark guild, handled illegal contracts.

Led by Block, with four lieutenants and 170 regular members, it was a mid-sized guild with a reputation in the underworld.

That guild was wiped out by a single vampire in half a day.

‘You worked hard. Must’ve been tough.’

Minhoo stared at Bel.

Seeing the bandages over his eyes, a pang hit his chest.

Minhoo quietly muttered, trying not to show it.

“Your… eyes. Can’t you heal them now? I’ve taken off the mask.”

“I haven’t found a skilled healer yet.”

“…I see. …Sorry.”

“It’s fine. I gouged them out by choice, so don’t worry, Father.”

After becoming Minhoo’s subordinate, Bel gouged out both his eyes.

Because he’d looked at his “Father” with contempt.

He couldn’t forgive his own eyes for viewing the one he swore to serve with disdain.

He told Minhoo it was self-punishment, but there was another reason.

The cursed mask.

It wasn’t certain, but it seemed to not only look grotesque but also instill hostility in those who saw it.

Bel’s hunch was correct.

Recently, he obtained information about the cursed mask, confirming its effects.

The details were:

—

Curse Effect:

Causes disgust in those who see the mask.

The more someone values beauty, the greater the disgust and baseless hostility they feel.

—

The A-rank cursed mask had been found five times, including Minhoo, and all other wearers were dead.

All killed by others.

Minhoo’s life had been tough, with many assassination attempts.

If he were an ordinary human, he’d have met the same fate as the other wearers.

‘Compared to Father’s suffering, my lost eyes are nothing.’

Since Minhoo dispelled the mask’s curse, Bel saw no need to mention it and stayed silent.

Past midnight.

Minhoo and Bel’s conversation stopped, and the harmony of darkness and silence made the atmosphere colder.

Unable to stand the awkward vibe, Minhoo stepped toward the sleeping Fairin and spoke.

“Ahem. She’s still not awake? She’s not faking it, is she? There’s a limit to waiting.”

Annoyed by her peaceful sleep, Minhoo kicked her stomach hard.

“Guh…!”

“Oh, she’s up.”

Waking from sleep, Fairin coughed up blood and groaned.

Breathing heavily, she scanned her surroundings to grasp the situation.

The Suppression Spell worked well, keeping her calm.

First, she saw the tightly bound Block.

Then a middle-aged man standing with his hands behind his back.

Finally, her gaze landed on.

“You… the guy from the Director’s office…?”

Minhoo Seol.

[Submission Spell (A)]

Originally known as an S-rank spell.

A forbidden spell, completely banned on Earth.

Though illegal, I’d seen a fellow spellmaster use it casually and memorized the spell array.

When I tried drawing it, it manifested as an A-rank Submission Spell.

Being lower rank, it’s imperfect with weaker effects, but I don’t need much, so it’s fine.

“Bel, you can untie them now.”

“Understood.”

“And you two. Don’t move from the floor even after you’re unbound. That’s an order.”

[Submission Spell (A) activated.]

Bel untied Block and Fairin, even removing Block’s gag.

Block tried to lunge but immediately collapsed to the floor. Pretty effective.

“Ugh, you bastards…”

“Don’t open your mouth. That’s an order.”

[Submission Spell (A) activated.]

“Mmph! Mph!”

Watching this, Fairin calmly looked at me and asked,

“What do you want from us?”

“What do you think?”

“I asked first.”

“Cheeky b*tch. Think before you ask. Can’t you figure it out by connecting yourself to this guy?”

Fairin looked at Block, lost in thought.

Soon, her face showed realization.

“Minhoo Seol… Did that ugly guy hire you?”

Ugly guy, huh.

What a sh*tty thing to say.

I shook my head.

“Who hires themselves?”

“What do you mean…?”

Fairin’s eyes wavered.

“…No way? That’s impossible…”

Even with the B-rank Suppression Spell, her panic was visible.

Was it cognitive dissonance?

She trembled, unable to accept I was Minhoo Seol.

“You’re… Minhoo Seol?”

She asked in a tone desperate for denial, with pitiful eyes.

But reality’s reality.

I gave her the truth she didn’t want.

“Yeah. I don’t quite remember, but long time no see, you f*cking b*tch.”