4
“It’s been a while since anyone claimed to be your brother. This time… Honestly, I’m not sure.”
“…”
“This man’s fingerprints and appearance correspond. But our lie detector does not seem to be working properly… Master, I believe you’re the only one who can figure this out.
Lee Ho sighed and put his brush down.
He had worked so hard to find his brother. It didn’t matter whether he was dead or alive. He needs to find him. After all, he was Ho’s family.
There were a lot of scam artists who pretended to be Ho’s missing brother. The world had changed a lot. Now, it was possible to alter fingerprints and DNA test results. These methods were no longer credible sources.
“I’ll lead you to the lobby,” Jong-Geun told him.
Ho closed his eyes for a bit.
Is it really him? Where has he been? Why did he show up now?
With those questions in mind, Ho moved forward.
* * *
“Wow, this is… amazing.”
We arrived at a building with more than 50 stories; each floor was filled with busy people.
“Are you sure this entire building is my brother’s?”
“Yes. Master Lee’s guild, Cheon-Myeong, employs 3000 hunters and thousands of staff members. It also has more than ten affiliated guilds. It is a global company that deals with the artifact industry, K-Pop and broadcasting industry, etc. It’s the third-largest guild in the world, valued at $945 billion.”
As I assumed from our car ride, this woman was a fangirl of my brother.
“Because of Master Lee, Korea has grown into a respected country in terms of hunting. He achieved many awards like the Hunter of the Year, which he achieved twice; The Presidential Prize five times, and was even selected as a hunter approved by the world’s leaders. And…”
She went on with a long list of awards, enumerating them as if they were as common as pieces of bread.
“It’s great, isn’t it?” I interrupted her endless recitation.
“Of course he is! He is a hero of our country!”
“No, I meant you.”
“…Me?”
“I’m surprised that you memorized all those things.”
“…These are just basic stuff.”
I laughed hard. It had been a while since I last felt like this.
“Would you like some autographs from him?” I asked her.
Her face immediately brightened. “You mean it?”
“Of course. Besides, my brother will do it if I request it. Signing an autograph is not a difficult task anyway.”
“Then, you must keep that promise. Master Lee doesn’t usually share his autograph. If I get that, my rank on the fan club will rise….”
Ee-Na suddenly covered her mouth as if she caught herself saying something she shouldn’t have.
“He has a fan club?”
My eyes widened with astonishment. What was more astonishing was that the fan club also had an official name. CLHL, known as Club for Lee Ho Lovers. Such an old-style name! It was quite cringy, but also hilarious at the same time. I could not help but burst out laughing.
“He has a fan club?” I asked her again.
Ee-Na blushed before she nodded slowly.
“My brother used to be a guy who would rather avoid fights. Does he fight well now?”
“I beg your pardon?” Ee-Na looked offended by my question.
“You told me that he is one of the strongest hunters?”
“Indeed. Master Lee is strongest.”
To be honest, that part confused me. The Ho I remembered was really a gentle boy. No, that was not the word to describe him precisely. He was quite weak, even struggled to kill an ant.
I was pretty sure he was an introvert.
And now, this woman was telling me that he was one of the strongest hunters.
This time, it was Yoo Ee-Na who asked me.
“Did he avoid fights before?”
“Yes. When we were kids, we fought with others in a playground. I was nine, and three ten years old boys appeared. They told us that it’s their territory. Can you guess what my brother said?”
“Really? How did he respond?”
Her eyes were shining bright, interested in such an exclusive story. She was ready to post that on the fan club community. I thought that it was not a big matter. It was not even an event to hide.
“‘We will only use the swing over there. Let’s be friends.’ That’s what he told those boys.”
“Oh…”
“And that was when these kids pushed my brother. He fell backward, and his legs and arms were scratched from the fall.”
“I see…”
She just laughed. Then, as if she was curious about something, she asked a question.
“What happened after? On that playground?”
“The playground?”
“Yes. Master Lee said that he would only use the swing.”
I shrugged and answered, “My brother and I played at the playground together. Using swing and other attractions as well. Especially the slides. We rode it more than ten times.”
“But I thought those three older kids…”
“Yes?”
“Did they just leave you?”
“Yes, after I beat them up.”
Ee-Na was speechless. The only thing she could manage was an awkward smile.
“How can a nine-year-old boy defeat three ten-year-old boys?”
I just smiled, then turned my head. From a short distance, from 20m away, two men were coming.
The man in the black suit looked like a guard. Ee-Na told me that the man was a Hong Jong-Geun, the chief secretary.
She told me that my brother was the third strongest hunter in the world.
His aura was much stronger than that of an orc. He had black shirts and black pants, and longer hair. Indeed, he was the man that I knew.
He got taller and more handsome. Probably a height of 6 feet. I couldn’t hide my smile.
It was my brother Ho.
He and I finally faced each other. I noticed that I was still about an inch taller than him. He stared at my face, especially my eyes.
People from the lobby, including Mr. Hong and Ee-Na, witnessed our reunion. However, I supposed they never noticed what was going to happen next.
Smack-!
The sound echoed through the entire lobby.
It was the sound of my brother punching my face. Everyone was surprised.
“….Master Lee threw his fist?”
“What’s going on? Is this emergency?”
I ignored the crowd’s murmurings and stared straight at my brother.
“That hurt quite a little, brother.”
Then, he grasped my collar. Despite his slime appearance, he lifted me quite effortlessly.
“….Where have you been, and why did you come back just now?”
His voice was shaking. I slowly shifted my view towards his right hand.
“I’m so glad to see it,” I murmured.
“…..What do you mean?”
“Your hand. It looks great. I have always felt guilty about it.”
Ho looked like he had a lump in his throat.
I was relieved. At least he still thought of me as his family, even after what I have done to him.
“You worried about it all these years?”
“Of course. I’m a failure who ruined my brother’s path.”
His eyes were getting misty. He clenched his teeth.
“Who says you are a failure?”
He paused for a bit. Then, with his voice breaking, he continued.
“….You son of a b****.”
Ho rushed in and hugged me tightly. Once again, I couldn’t help but feel amazed at the strength in his slim arms.
That was how my reunion with my brother went.
* * *
Including the basement, Cheon-Myeong guild’s building had 66 floors. My brother used the top floor as his office while the rest of the building were for the other functions and offices of the guild.
I had also heard that he also got an affiliated office overseas. He had definitely become successful.
As I entered his office, I couldn’t resist smiling.
There were several paintings inside. Works of art, should I say? I heard that the reason behind his nickname was his ability characteristics. He could manifest his drawings into reality.
It sounded simple, but it was a very useful ability. My brother’s career was proof of it.
At the terrace where more artworks were placed, my brother leaned his back and asked me some questions.
“So, where have you been?”
A few moments ago, he was crying with joy. Now, he was applying pressure on me. What a cute guy.
“Valhalla continent.”
“…What continent?”
I had no reason to hide where I had been. Why would I? it was not like I had done some crimes anyway.
“16th of August, that was the day when everything changed, right?”
The answer came out from Ee-Na.
“Indeed, that was the date.”
“Thanks. But why are you still here? Don’t you have other jobs to do?”
I supposed she totally forgot about it. Her surprised face told me everything. However, my brother and his chief secretary were also surprised.
Ho was the first to regain his composure.
“I’m sorry that my introduction is late. I’m Lee Ho, the leader of Cheon-Myeong guild.” As he brought his hand out for a handshake, Ee-Na quickly reached out to take it.
Ee-Na was an extreme fan meeting her idol for the first time. It was clear that she was nervous, but she managed to smile and greet my brother.
“I’m Yoo Ee-Na from the office department of hunters… It is an honor to meet you.”
I observed this moment for a while then informed my brother.
“She is your fan.”
“Oh…”
“She brought me here, and her wish is getting your autograph.”
My brother smiled and ordered his secretary to bring a paper. After scribbling something on it, he passed it on to the blushing Ee-Na.
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