NoveLight ™
‘Why are they doing this to my father?’
What could his father have possibly done to deserve such treatment?
Baek Seo-jin briefly considered the possibility that his father might have done something wrong but quickly dismissed the thought.
His father and mother were righteous people. Even though they had a troublesome, wicked son like his older brother, Baek Seo-jun, they were good people who had mourned even for such a son.
That was Baek Seo-jin’s world—a sacred, inviolable realm that must never collapse.
But why was Pyo Jin-seong, the deputy guild master of the Kangin Guild—the most powerful guild in South Korea—acting as though his father had done something wrong?
This had to be a mistake.
While Baek Seo-jin thought this, Baek Hyung-won had his eyes closed.
‘Seomun Ye-jin… What’s so serious about what we did to that girl?’
It wasn’t like they had planned to sell Seomun Ye-jin overseas. At most, they intended to destroy her public image, break her spirit, and then hand her over as a plaything for their beloved son.
After all, what was an orphan girl, separated from her grandmother, compared to the honor of becoming the toy of his son, Baek Seo-jin, the guild master of the Baekho Guild?
How could such a trivial matter bring Pyo Jin-seong here under the direct orders of Choi Kang-in, the guild master of the Kangin Guild?
"Dear, please take Seo-jin to his room."
"Alright. Come on, Seo-jin."
Kim Yoo-jung held Baek Seo-jin’s hand and quickly headed to his room. There was no telling what kind of scene might unfold here, and it wouldn’t be appropriate for Seo-jin to witness as their child.
"May I ask why we are being investigated?"
Baek Hyung-won cautiously inquired, carefully watching Pyo Jin-seong’s expression. He was prepared to bow and apologize immediately if Pyo Jin-seong raised his voice.
"This is about the SSS-Class Hunter, Kim Ho-jun. That’s all you need to know."
Pyo Jin-seong didn’t seem to feel the need to elaborate further.
"We already know everything the Baekho Guild has done. This investigation is merely a formality. The guild master wants the Baekho Guild to face appropriate punishment."
Baek Hyung-won swallowed nervously. No matter how prestigious the Baekho Guild might be as one of the top ten guilds, it was ultimately a subordinate of the Kangin Guild.
If the Kangin Guild decided to disband the Baekho Guild, he wouldn’t be able to resist.
Rebellion? That thought didn’t even cross his mind.
No magical awakener in South Korea would ever consider rebelling against the Kangin Guild.
This was especially true for the top ten guilds, who understood the Kangin Guild’s might better than anyone.
If they crossed the line, survival wouldn’t be an option.
"The guild master wants the Baekho Guild’s leader to hold a live press conference, confessing to orchestrating this incident and publicly apologizing. Additionally, a compensation of at least 5 billion won must be offered to Seomun Ye-jin, and the Baekho Guild must endure public criticism and self-reflect for a while."
Baek Hyung-won felt a slight sense of relief.
While he felt the punishment was excessive for someone in his position as a top-ten guild leader, it wasn’t as harsh as he feared.
By South Korean standards, this was a severe punishment. However, considering that the guild master himself had intervened, the punishment seemed relatively lenient.
"Understood."
"Do not attempt to downplay, distort, or conceal anything in your statement. If you do, the guild master warns that he will not be this lenient."
"…I understand."
"The press conference must take place within thirty minutes. The guild master has already summoned the reporters."
In other words, this was an order.
Baek Hyung-won realized that if he dared to resist, the reporters would soon break the news that the Baekho Guild had been disbanded.
The stark contrast between the Kangin Guild, which held national authority, and the Baekho Guild, which was insignificant in comparison, was painfully clear.
‘Damn it.’
As Baek Hyung-won clenched his fists, Pyo Jin-seong added,
"Do not retaliate against the public criticism. If you attempt to suppress public opinion by force, be prepared for the Baekho Guild’s dissolution."
"!?"
"Do you understand?"
Pyo Jin-seong removed his sunglasses, glaring menacingly as he delivered the warning.
Baek Hyung-won, who had initially planned to suppress public opinion through coercion and appeasement after some time, gritted his teeth and lowered his head.
"I… understand."
He bowed his head, acknowledging that he would have to endure the public’s relentless attacks for now.
‘I’m sorry, Seo-jin. I wanted to give you that girl, Seomun Ye-jin, as a gift… but things have become complicated.’
The realization that he couldn’t deliver the girl his son desired stabbed at his heart.
‘Kim Ho-jun… Damn it! If it weren’t for him!’
***
‘There’s no way my dad did anything wrong. No way… but then why?’
Holding onto his mother Kim Yoo-jung’s hand, Baek Seo-jin walked into his room, desperately trying to make sense of the situation unfolding around him.
However, the only explanation he could come up with was that the Kangin Guild was at fault.
But if the Kangin Guild had made a mistake, then why wasn’t Baek Hyung-won protesting his innocence?
‘The Kangin Guild… they must be wrong, right?’
Unlike his usual certainty, Baek Seo-jin found himself unable to reach a firm conclusion.
It was common knowledge in South Korea that Choi Kang-in, the guild master of the Kangin Guild, had established order throughout the nation.
But for Choi Kang-in to send someone to accuse his father of wrongdoing…
‘No, no! That can’t be true!’
Baek Seo-jin frantically rejected every thought that surfaced in his mind, refusing to accept them.
Yet, within his heart, a tiny crack had started to form.
For now, it was only a minuscule crack.
***
After only a few hours of articles insulting Seomun Ye-jin flooding the internet, the headlines were soon replaced with reports exposing the atrocities committed by the women's organizations behind it.
Major news outlets and numerous other media platforms released breaking news, and a live public apology by Baekho Guild's guild master, Baek Hyung-won, was broadcasted nationwide.
"We, the Baekho Guild, deeply regret our actions in this incident. We sought to recruit Kim Ho-jun, an SSS-Class Mana Awakener. However, when he resisted, we retaliated by targeting Seomun Ye-jin, who appeared to be his lover…"
With a tormented expression, Baek Hyung-won confessed his guilt live on air.
He did not mention their deeper plot to shatter Seomun Ye-jin’s spirit and hand her over as a plaything for Baek Seo-jin. Still, what he admitted was enough to send shockwaves across the nation.
Personal information of over 2,000 members of these women's organizations was leaked almost instantly, and all of them were arrested. Alongside them, high-ranking officials, including editors and executives from women-focused media outlets, were also taken into custody.
Even those who weren’t officially part of the organizations but joined in the slander spree for fun were arrested and sentenced to prison.
The Kangin Guild had handled the matter decisively, as promised.
[Kangin Guild Declares Them Villains.]
The Kangin Guild officially designated these individuals as villains.
There was almost no public backlash to this. From the public’s perspective, targeting a 15-year-old girl simply because they had influential backing made them no different from villains.
On the contrary, the public welcomed this outcome.
In a world plagued by the endless atrocities and threats of villains, particularly with the existence of SSS-Class villains in South Korea, being labeled a "villain" was essentially equivalent to being recognized as an enemy of society, deserving to be wiped out.
Meanwhile, the Baekho Guild, which had orchestrated the slander campaign, found itself under heavy public criticism and deeply cornered.
Although it was possible to push them further, this level of pressure was enough for now.
If they were pushed too hard and ended up destroyed, it would be problematic for both me and Seomun Ye-jin.
‘When national power steps in, things are resolved this easily.’
Watching the immediate results unfold, I turned to Seomun Ye-jin, who was also looking at her phone.
"Miss, how are you feeling about this?"
"It’s a good outcome. The Baekho Guild still exists, too," she replied, seemingly satisfied with the fact that all those who had insulted her with baseless claims were now arrested.
"But, Miss, don’t you think letting those villains sit comfortably in prison isn’t quite right?"
Hearing my words, Seomun Ye-jin looked at me curiously and asked,
"Seo-jun, you have something in mind, don’t you? Can you tell me what it is?"
"Of course. It’s only the first day, so there’s no point hiding it. I’ve already prepared a place in Somalia—a location where villains can suffer endlessly. I plan to send all of them there."
Even the villains who were already held there might scream in horror at the sight of what awaited, but that wasn’t my concern.
"I can’t let those who did such things to you live comfortably."
While Choi Kang-in, a hunter wielding national authority, had arrested them, it was now my responsibility to ensure they experienced a continuous hell.