Bongshik looked visibly troubled by my request. Even though he was under my control with the brand, he couldn’t hide his discomfort, as if he genuinely found the situation immensely difficult.

"Um… I’m not sure how much you know, but he’s not someone I can just…deal with."

"I know."

"No, I mean, really. You don’t understand."

Even though he knew I could dispose of him in an instant and add him to the Abyss’s growing list of bodies, Bongshik argued back.

‘Bongshik, arguing back?’

But the difficulty he was expressing also confirmed his sincerity.

“The Shadow Puppeteer’s organization might not …