# Chapter 173
Contrary to Iyeon’s worries, Eunju readily shared the information she knew without any particular suspicion.
“I know a bit about Cheongho. Keep in mind that there aren’t many high-level variants, so it’s hard to tell what’s a species characteristic versus an individual trait.”
“Yes…”
“Cheongho is a variant with clear likes and dislikes and a possessive nature, so its reactions to things it likes and doesn’t like are quite distinct. If it suddenly became aggressive when it wasn’t before, it likely identified you as an enemy. Cheongho doesn’t react much to beings weaker than itself. You must be quite a strong hunter?”
I mean, how could I have shown off my strength… Wait, did it perceive me as stronger because I knocked down Je Sano? Iyeon blinked with an incredulous expression. It was a completely ridiculous misunderstanding. He’d have to clear it up as soon as he got home. Iyeon asked gravely:
“Would it help if it just realized I’m weaker than it?”
“It won’t be easy to change its mind. It’s not stupid.”
“…”
Eunju shrugged lightly.
“In a way, you’ve been acknowledged by a top-tier variant. Think of it as a good thing.”
I’d rather not be acknowledged if it means I can pet it. Iyeon asked gloomily:
“…Is there no chance it’ll calm down again with time?”
“Well… who knows, if you save its life, it might become docile.”
Though her last comment was clearly joking, there was a strange sense of dissonance. Iyeon discreetly glanced at Eunju.
Her tone had been odd from the start. She spoke as if she knew a specific Cheongho.
If her previous comment about dealing with variants meant she had handled top-tier variants, it was certainly something to boast about. Among the numerous research institutes in Chohosi, those with permits to research top-tier variants could be counted on one hand.
But when Iyeon first met Cheongho, the information Hyegang found stated that Cheongho had successfully escaped every time. Not every hunter would release Cheongho just because it showed no aggression like Iyeon did; they would have captured it if possible.
If some private research institute could capture Cheongho, the government certainly could have. The pool of hunters the government could mobilize versus those that could be privately employed was completely different in scale.
“You know more details than I expected.”
At this casually dropped comment, Eunju smiled brightly.
“I said it might become docile if you save its life, didn’t I?”
“…Are you saying you saved a Cheongho’s life, Doctor? Were you perhaps a hunter too?”
“Oh my, I’m not a superhuman.”
Iyeon slightly furrowed his brow. For a regular person to not only encounter a Cheongho and survive, but to actually have saved a Cheongho’s life when it was in danger seemed like an implausible series of coincidences.
However, if that statement was true, then the stories Eunju was telling about Cheongho were likely real as well.
“Doctor, would it be possible for me to meet this Cheongho?”
“Come on. How could I arrange for you to meet a Cheongho?”
“But just now…”
“I don’t think I ever confirmed that.”
Eunju’s smiling face was like a solid mask without any cracks. Though she had been friendly with Iyeon throughout, she was clearly not someone to be trifled with. Since she didn’t seem willing to elaborate, Iyeon took a step back.
“I guess you’re right. I must have misunderstood.”
At that response, Eunju’s eyes narrowed slightly. As her scrutinizing gaze showed no sign of relenting, Iyeon deliberately changed the subject.
“Do I absolutely have to save its life? Would just helping it not be enough?”
This time, Eunju willingly followed the change in conversation. Her voice returned to its original lively tone as she replied:
“Well, I suppose that depends on the extent of the help.”
Is finding its jewel not enough… Can’t it cut me some slack… While Iyeon was glumly thinking this, Eunju moved on to the next topic.
“I don’t know much about Dabalsin and Jilleneub since I haven’t properly worked with them. They’re probably similar though. Speaking of which, did you know a Dabalsin was recently captured? I’m waiting to request research permission as soon as the transfer procedures are complete, but I don’t know when that will be.”
Eunju licked her lips. The fact that she was interested in the Dabalsin being captured but had no interest in who caught it made Iyeon realize she truly was a variant otaku similar to Jaekyung. Since he had learned a bit about Dabalsin, Iyeon casually pretended to know:
“Ah, but I heard the jewel was destroyed. Can research still be done?”
“Yeah. That doesn’t matter. No, it might even be better…”
After confidently speaking, Eunju let out a “hmm” and shifted her gaze toward the wall as if thinking about something.
“Still, research was definitely more convenient in the past. There were better facilities and technologies. Sometimes I miss it, even though it shut down.”
Though the sudden change in topic struck Iyeon as odd, he readily responded:
“Was funding the issue?”
If it was such a good research institute, financial issues must have been quite important. Especially since variant research is famously unprofitable. Things couldn’t have been different back then.
“No, my institute was in a special situation, so finances weren’t a problem… but there was chaos when one variant almost escaped due to negligent management.”
“That… would have been problematic.”
Iyeon nodded with a serious face. If a high-level variant being researched had escaped and been released into the civilian population due to poor management, it wouldn’t be strange for the director to take responsibility and close the institute. Hadn’t Iyeon himself encountered a variant on the street as a child? Thankfully hunters arrived in time, otherwise it would have been a real disaster.
“But it almost escaped, not actually escaped, right? Of course it’s something to be cautious about… but it didn’t actually happen.”
“Ah, to be precise, it wasn’t because of that. We were reported and that’s why we shut down.”
“What?”
What report? Iyeon asked in confusion, but Eunju didn’t seem inclined to elaborate and changed the subject.
“Well, it wasn’t a complete loss. It gave me a new research topic. I was getting sick of the politics there anyway…”
“So there was politics involved.”
“Hey, do you have any idea how bad the politics were there? Just a bunch of gloomy types gathered together… At that time, under the pretext of guilt by association, not just my institute but other cooperating institutes were shut down one after another. They used me as bait to cut off the tail. You have no idea how much resentment I heard for a while.”
After her complaints, Eunju suddenly grinned.
“So when I saw those people who brought us down later getting caught by Je Sano one after another, I laughed so hard!”
…Wait a minute. Iyeon paused.
The researchers Je Sano captured would all be… leaders of illegal research institutes.
“…You’re saying your colleagues were captured by Je Sano?”
“Oh my, I’ve already settled everything.”
When Iyeon immediately asked with a suspicious voice, Eunju opened her eyes wide with an innocent expression.
“I told you my field is variant research, right? The only regulation I violated was researching dangerous variants without permission. I was even helping them, you know? I never went anywhere near experiments on humans like those other guys! So I paid a fine, all of it. Nowadays I’ve completely reformed and only do properly permitted research.”
Eunju added decisively that although her institute had become somewhat smaller, she had no major complaints. Indeed, she couldn’t possibly enter the Superpower Management Office with a record as an illegal researcher. If nothing else, they were thorough about that. Though still feeling uneasy, Iyeon nodded for now.
“It’s true. I even pay my taxes so well.”
Eunju joked, deliberately putting on a solemn face. At the same time, there was a knock and the door opened.
“Kwon Eunju-ssi?”
The person who appeared beyond the door was a man with a strong impression wearing a uniform similar to a police uniform. Eunju brightened as if this was someone she had been waiting for, her eyes twinkling.
“Oh, can I finally meet them?”
“Yes. Please follow me.”
“It was fun talking with you.”
As Eunju stood up, Iyeon bowed politely. Eunju also waved her hand affectionately, saying it was an interesting conversation.
“Ah, right, this.”
Before passing by Iyeon, she rummaged through her pocket and handed him a business card. Accepting it awkwardly, Iyeon also took out his own card from his bag and glanced at Eunju’s. Information was written in a neat font on thick white paper.
<Symbiotic Research Institute / Director Kwon Eunju>
After casually scanning the contact information listed in small print below, Iyeon looked up to see Eunju smiling as she lightly waved his business card.
“Since this is a connection, contact me if you have more questions later.”
“Yes, thank you… Take care.”
Iyeon checked the time after politely saying goodbye. Maybe I should get going too. Quite a bit of time had passed while talking with Eunju. By now, there probably wouldn’t be anyone waiting for Iyeon in the lobby. Just as he was getting up lightly, he faintly heard the man and Eunju conversing as they walked away from the door.
“It seems his condition has worsened, so he’ll need to be moved to the hospital.”
“Oh my.”
“According to protocol, visitors are prohibited, but since Lee Taejin-ssi himself was insistent, a short visit accompanied by a supervisor may be possible…”
Iyeon, who was about to take a step, stopped abruptly. The voices of the two people had now completely faded and were no longer audible, but the word that had struck his ear like lightning just before was clear.
…Did they say Lee Taejin?
