You Will Be Blessed If You Do Good Deeds¿-Chapter 161

Two weeks ago, I realized something strange about Lee Un-gyeol's mother, Attorney Nam Seok-hee.

I began by having James Chen hire a private investigator to look into Lee Un-gyeol's background. I wanted to find any possible connections to Orbis.

"Lee Un-gyeol... This guy is a real troublemaker."

And then, as I received the first findings from James Chen's office under the guise of attending an English academy, I frowned.

"There's nothing to see here. Even if Orbis was desperate, I wouldn't expect them to pick up such trash."

Lee Un-gyeol’s track record was that of a spoiled rich kid.

He attended an international school in Europe as a child and returned to Korea around the time he entered high school, where he immediately got involved in a school violence incident. Of course, thanks to his family’s influence, it ended with just a minor disciplinary action.

As an adult, he was known for multiple incidents, including drunk driving and causing enough trouble during his mandatory hunter service to settle things with money. Although he was acknowledged as a skilled hunter in the public eye, his dungeon clearing records weren’t extraordinary.

Compared to fellow A-ranked examiner Shin Ji-eum, his frequency and number of dungeon clears were much lower, and more importantly, he was only tackling low-level dungeons.

It made sense; with all the appearances he made on broadcasts and photos taken with Yoo Han-ul, there was no time left for dungeon clearing.

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"This one... There's nothing here either."

Next, I looked into his father, the politician, but he too turned out to be a typical rich man who, having acquired money, wanted to create a politician to gain more honor.

Though he wore the title of congressman, it was a position bought with money, not earned through skill.

"Could it be a bust this time?"

Was it just an attempt to recruit me for personal gain and to keep Han Jae-young in check?

"Should I continue investigating, Master?"

As I pondered James Chen's question, suddenly...

"Huh."

I caught sight of Lee Un-gyeol’s mother’s name.

Nam Seok-hee, attorney.

When I saw that name, I froze. James Chen asked.

"Is this a name you've heard of, Master?"

"Yeah, it’s not like she’s famous enough to appear on broadcasts, but..."

I remembered the name for this reason:

It was before I signed the contract with Han Jae-young.

At the time, I had reviewed some case laws, and one particularly unusual case involved whether a hunter’s family had to return the contract deposit if the hunter died during mandatory service... It was an odd case, and the lawyer representing the minor relatives was none other than Attorney Nam Seok-hee.

"...I thought she was just a human rights lawyer, but I didn’t know she ran such a large law firm."

I never expected to see her name here.

Nam Seok-hee was an ordinary person and ran a law firm, so I had just put her on the back burner for investigation, assuming she was just a typical financial backer.

James Chen, sensing my mood, quickly asked.

"Should we look into her side now?"

"...We might as well, just to be thorough."

There was nothing to find on Lee Un-gyeol or his father, but there was no doubt that Nam Seok-hee was a capable lawyer, having left behind some significant case precedents. It was worth investigating further.

I made the decision to proceed with a more in-depth follow-up investigation.

However, up until then, I had almost given up on the idea that Lee Un-gyeol had anything to do with Orbis.

But as the investigation progressed, oddities started to emerge.

"...Attorney Nam Seok-hee, she lived with Lee Un-gyeol for over two years when he attended the international school in Europe?"

When I only looked into Lee Un-gyeol, he was notorious even at the international school, and the case seemed closed. But now with Nam Seok-hee involved, it became strange.

A woman who had already made a name as a skilled lawyer suddenly cut off her career in Europe for over two years... That was odd.

"Master, this Nam Seok-hee... She got caught up in the Monaco incident and has medical treatment records from that time."

The Monaco incident James Chen referred to was the massive squid monster attack that nearly destroyed the coast of the Principality of Monaco about 15 years ago.

I tapped the documents.

"And very coincidentally... This was the same time when Theodora Yovanovitch made her last public appearance."

Could this be a coincidence?

Statistically speaking, it was highly unlikely that Nam Seok-hee would have developed a connection with someone like Theodora during the Monaco incident.

Nam Seok-hee was an attorney, not a hunter, and it would be rare for an ordinary person to meet a European powerhouse hunter like Theodora.

However, even if the chances were low...

"It's worth checking."

This was an unexpected clue leading to Theodora. If there was any possibility that Nam Seok-hee had contact with Theodora, it was worth confirming.

I then set Layla Lopez in motion.

Of course, James Chen grumbled.

"Why didn’t you ask me to do it..."

"You’re discarded in the international Hunter Association. If you approach them, you’ll raise suspicion. Do I need to tell you that?"

"...Yes."

Layla Lopez wasn’t as well-connected as James Chen, but having worked for a long time, she had her fair share of contacts. Among them were hunters dispatched to Korea's Hunter Association.

When I instructed Layla to make contact with Attorney Nam Seok-hee, Layla hesitated at first.

[There are people I know, but... I’m not in a position to order them around, and as a researcher, I’m not sure how much information I can gather.]

"That’s good. We don’t want someone who looks too capable of spying."

[What?]

If Nam Seok-hee was truly connected to Theodora, there was no way I could gather information directly. I needed to drop subtle hints so the target could bite the bait without suspecting my involvement.

"Tell them to say what I asked. For now..."

Layla seemed bewildered but followed my instructions.

Emma, sorry to ask this suddenly, but can you do me a favor?

Long time no see, Boss! What’s up?

There are some experimental materials I want to import from Korea.

Oh, should I ask HP Guild?

Well, no. Actually... When I calculated the unit price for mass purchasing, HP Guild was over my budget. So I want to find a new supplier.

Layla subtly expressed her dissatisfaction with HP Guild, which wasn’t odd at all. As a researcher, balancing the budget and desired research is always a dilemma.

Her contact in the research field responded by engaging in the topic.

HP Guild’s materials are of good quality, but they’re expensive. However, it’s hard to change partners carelessly.

But the budget’s exceeded. Do you know of any other guilds in Korea?

I’m just a researcher, so I’m not sure... But if you want, I can try to ask around.

Thanks.

If Nam Seok-hee was indeed pressuring HP Guild to sever ties with me, then hearing about the innocent inquiry from a researcher about switching guilds would likely trigger the bait.

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I found a lawyer willing to help. I’ll meet with them tomorrow and let you know.

And as expected, things progressed exactly as I hoped.

The lawyer Layla’s contact met with was none other than Nam Seok-hee, Lee Un-gyeol’s mother.

Boss, it seems like there really is a problem with HP Guild. They’ve been complaining about the high unit prices. If you're looking to purchase dungeon materials in bulk, they recommended NLE Guild.

With this information alone, I could already be half certain of her guilt. Nam Seok-hee had even whispered wisdom into the ear of a naive researcher.

But if you break the contract right away, HP Guild might make a fuss, so she offered to help with the administrative issues. She even set up a meeting with a congressman.

She really was a capable lawyer.

When it looked like they would break the contract with HP Guild, she smoothly arranged a meeting with a member of the ruling party, proving that Nam Seok-hee was the real power in that family.

If the International Hunter Association was mistreated by HP Guild over the contract, they promised to publicize it. They seem like good people!

Layla’s contact, clueless about the circumstances, enthusiastically relayed this information to Layla.

Layla pretended to be oblivious and asked.

But there’s something suspicious. Does this new guild have any connections to those people?

Well, maybe, but from our perspective, we just need the materials at a cheap price. We don’t care much. Of course, the quality must be guaranteed, so we should get a sample or make a small initial # Nоvеlight # contract.

The contact, living in the land of lobbyists, shrugged it off as if it was no big deal. For a researcher like Layla, it was just innocent curiosity, but for someone in the International Hunter Association, it was likely a logical calculation.

Or should we use this as leverage to negotiate a better price?

Well, rather than that...

Layla brought up the main point, as I had instructed.

...I’ve been looking for a few items for research purposes, and it’s been a hassle to get them. If you could find them for me, I’d sign the contract.

And the items Layla provided... Were, of course, Orbis-made snake-engraved items.

This was the gamble.

If Nam Seok-hee was truly connected to Orbis, seeing her reaction to finding these items would likely make her back off.

But...

‘She couldn’t possibly imagine the relationship I have with Layla Lopez or James Chen.’

A newly awakened, weak hunter tied to mandatory service.

That was Jeong Da-on as known to the public.

No one knew the real story that I was actually pulling the strings with Layla Lopez and James Chen.

The fact that Layla Lopez “kidnapped” me had not been widely known, and James Chen, being the perpetrator, would have a hard time imagining I had a deeper relationship with him.

That’s why I saw this as the perfect bait to catch a big fish.

Boss, they’ve agreed to the conditions. Shall we proceed?

And with that, my gamble paid off, and the other side took the bait.

"You really are skilled."

And watching all of this unfold, James Chen was busy praising me.

"The great will of the phoenix... I couldn't possibly understand it, but I thought I could follow the traces. Turns out, the dignity you carry is beyond imagination. You got the information you wanted so easily."

"Enough with the flattery. Stop."

"Then, is this woman related to the beautiful woman... No, the woman you were looking for?"

"Who knows."

I stared at the chessboard on James Chen’s desk, lost in thought.

Reflecting his twisted personality, not only were the chess pieces scattered, but there were also Chinese chess pieces mixed in disorder.

It was like the chaotic battlefield between Orbis and me.

No rules.

Only the goal of catching the opponent.

‘I’ve caught their tails before, but they’ve always been cut off...’

When I captured Lee Man-bok from the Sunbit Church, when Choi Ji-su brought dangerous items into the military.

In both cases, there was more room to dig deeper, but at the time, they didn’t lead to any further clues.

Thus, the deaths of Lee Ah-rin and Lee Seung-hee ended in vain.

I had no power at the time.

The system warns user ‘Jeong Da-on’.

The quest ‘Good deeds bring blessings?’ is ongoing.

I closed my eyes, ignoring the system message.

But somehow, it felt like this time...

The time had come to turn the tables on what had been an overwhelmingly unfavorable situation.

"...Now, I need to kidnap Lee Un-gyeol."

"Lee Un-gyeol has been secured."

With a single phone call, I recited lines like a kidnapper... No, lines worthy of a kidnapper, and Nam Seok-hee arrived alone at the designated location.

Her face was pale.

A woman in her 60s, with a sharp face, got out of the car alone.

She had covered her anxiety with makeup, but her eyes betrayed the fatigue that couldn’t be hidden.

However, truthfully, appearance didn’t matter.

What was important was...

I raised the corners of my mouth.

The system informs user Jeong Da-on of the existence of the "Soul Core."

A snake-shaped brooch hung on Nam Seok-hee's collar.

Even without the system’s notification, there was no way I could miss it.

Finally, jackpot.