I Became The Only Healer In The Academy [EN]: Chapter 178

178

“The Pilgrim himself has come. He said he would visit soon.”

“You mean he knows where we are?”

“He figured we couldn’t have left yet, so he assumed we must be nearby. If you tell me the exact location, I’ll pass it on.”

“Hmm… I understand.”

Kabulski’s expression wasn’t bright after hanging up the phone.

Even though he got the result he wanted.

“He knows we’re here…”

Though Tulua asked for the exact location, recalling Tulua’s words from before, the Pilgrim finds Tulua when he wants to.

“It’s almost as if he’s tailoring the situation on purpose.”

It didn’t require great wisdom, and if he had thought even a little, he would have asked for the location in advance.

But the Pilgrim didn’t do that.

It was as if he was hiding the fact that he already knew their location.

“Could it be that he’s not acting alone?”

A thought flashed through Kabulski’s mind at that moment.

The place that should be moving most urgently in this situation is none other than the United States.

Even though Russia moved directly, the United States wasn’t showing an active response.

At first, he thought they were wary of Hunter Kim Sung-hyun, but as the situation matched up this much, he couldn’t help but be suspicious.

Kabulski was convinced that the Pilgrim was already connected to the United States.

“Ha, I knew it.”

Kabulski’s hardened expression gradually brightened.

It was as if he had grasped a hidden, enormous secret.

“We’re going back. The Pilgrim says he’s coming in person.”

“Yes.”

Whether the Pilgrim’s movement ability was his own or equipment made with a crystal, if it was the latter, it would be further evidence of the United States’ technological prowess.

That’s why Kabulski had already gained a lot, and he wore a satisfied smile even though he hadn’t met the Pilgrim directly yet.

But there was just one thing.

If the Pilgrim really had deep ties with the United States, he needed something to overturn this relationship.

‘What Russia can give, the United States can also give. They could give even more, even better things.’

Kabulski immediately realized that Russia would have to give up a lot to hold onto such a Pilgrim.

“We need to prepare to welcome the Pilgrim.”

“We don’t have many people, so we’ll need to hire mercenaries.”

At the word ‘mercenaries,’ Kabulski frowned and scolded him.

“Mercenaries? Forget about mercenaries. It hasn’t been properly revealed whether it’s a movement ability or equipment, and if we prepare a bunch of riffraff, it’ll just backfire.”

“I-I’m sorry.”

“Still… mercenaries with search abilities wouldn’t be bad. Take responsibility and hire as many mercenaries with search abilities as possible.”

The subordinate, who had been deflated by the scolding, answered with renewed vigor at Kabulski’s agreement.

“Yes!”

“Those mercenaries will be stationed a little distance away from where we meet the Pilgrim. Even if the Pilgrim uses a movement ability to escape, he won’t be able to deceive the eyes of that many people.”

Tulua said he would contact them again before the Pilgrim appeared.

“Is he telling us to set up the stage appropriately? I don’t know if he’s confident or arrogant.”

He would prepare a lot of people and equipment, but he didn’t intend to use them right away.

This was the last resort. The final move to use when the Pilgrim rejected all offers.

Not long after Kabulski returned to his hotel, he received a call from Tulua.

“He says he’ll visit in person tonight.”

“…Tonight?”

“Yes. If tonight is difficult, he said he would meet with other parties first and then visit.”

“…I understand. Let’s do it tonight.”

After hanging up, Kabulski threw the phone down in annoyance.

“…Is he predicting everything?”

He had brought a small number of people from the start because he didn’t know where the Pilgrim’s eyes might be, so he needed additional personnel now, but the fact that he was contacting them today and coming to meet them today meant he wasn’t giving them time to bring in those additional personnel.

“As expected… there’s no way he’s not connected to the United States.”

As this happened, Kabulski’s suspicion was turning into conviction.

Unless the Pilgrim was a top-tier Hunter, he wouldn’t have been able to figure out his movements; that meant the United States was definitely passing on information from behind the scenes.

“Well, I’ll know everything when I meet him today.”

And simply knowing wasn’t the end.

He had to achieve the result of acquiring the Pilgrim at the very least.

“The hiring of the search team is complete.”

“Good work. What about from the homeland?”

“They said the personnel selection is complete. They’re scheduled to arrive by tomorrow morning.”

“Contact them again immediately and tell them to use the equipment. Tonight. The Pilgrim is appearing.”

“Oh, tonight?”

A much tighter schedule than he thought.

“Yes. So they need to arrive before tonight. Otherwise, everything will be for nothing. It seems the Pilgrim is connected to the United States.”

“…As expected, the United States…”

“Move quickly.”

“Yes!”

Kabulski began to anticipate his conversation with the Pilgrim, and time passed, drawing closer to evening.

“All personnel have arrived.”

“Phew, that’s a relief. What’s the total number?”

“A total of 47, and all of them are high-ranking Hunters.”

“Excellent. I’ve already finished talking to the hotel, so quickly disguise them as hotel staff and have them take their positions.”

“Yes.”

Just before night approached, all preparations were fortunately completed.

Now, all that was left was to wait for the Pilgrim to appear.

“Now… come quickly.”

This place might not become the Pilgrim’s tomb, but it will be the tomb of the name ‘Pilgrim.’

After today, the Pilgrim will be active as a Russian healing ability user.

——————————————–

“Is this the place?”

Sung-hyun, who had already finished disguising himself as the Pilgrim, had been spending time near Kabulski’s hotel from lunch until night.

“He’s moving very busily.”

People who started appearing in places where people shouldn’t be.

They were Hunters, and they were maintaining their positions at regular intervals.

“He’s hiring local mercenaries too…”

This wasn’t all.

A huge amount of magical power momentarily appeared and disappeared inside the hotel.

There was only one reason for this phenomenon.

They couldn’t have launched a huge attack inside the hotel, so it was naturally a phenomenon related to movement.

“If it’s this size… is it roughly close to 50 people?”

He had deliberately set a tight schedule in case something like this happened.

Of course, it wasn’t because it was difficult to deal with them.

He just didn’t want to start a troublesome situation.

But the stage had already been set.

Russia was also a place within Sung-hyun’s plans, so there was no option to not go.

Sung-hyun moved after confirming that all the hotel staff were suddenly being replaced near the hotel.

“How did you come?”

“I have someone to meet. A suite room.”

“I’ll escort you.”

Kabulski was the only one staying in the suite rooms of this hotel, so Sung-hyun followed the hotel employee, who looked suspicious at a glance.

The hallway on the floor with the suite rooms was filled with people exuding a suspicious aura, just like the hotel employee who was guiding Sung-hyun.

“Here it is. I hope you have a pleasant time.”

“Thank you.”

As he entered through the opened door, Kabulski greeted Sung-hyun with a broad smile.

“Hello. It’s truly an honor to meet the Pilgrim like this.”

“Don’t mention it.”

“Then, would you like to sit down?”

“I will.”

In that fleeting moment of sitting down, Sung-hyun checked the inside of the room.

Considering he had a lot of people stationed outside, there wasn’t anything particularly special inside the room.

‘He’s not going to give me any physical evidence, huh.’

“May I call you Pilgrim?”

“Please do. Then I…”

“You can call me Kabulski.”

“Then, Kabulski, may I ask why you came to find Tulua?”

Kabulski, meeting Sung-hyun’s eyes, immediately realized that Sung-hyun wasn’t asking because he didn’t know.

This formal question was just a signal to get straight to the point.

“Before that, it seems you already knew where I was?”

“How could I not know when you came all the way from Russia?”

“It’s just that… you seemed to be moving as if you had received information in advance from someone.”

Kabulski glanced at Sung-hyun as he finished speaking, but his expression wasn’t visible because of the hood.

“If that’s the case, does it matter?”

“…Excuse me?”

“For example, if I received information from somewhere, whether it’s the United States, Korea, Japan, or China, would it change what you have to say and your purpose in this place, Kabulski?”

“That’s… no.”

“Then I’ll ask again. Why did you come to find Tulua?”

As Sung-hyun said, even if Kabulski’s question was true, what would change was Kabulski’s response and attitude, not the result.

“Since the articles were published in the media like that… we can’t just stand still. As you know, Pilgrim, the power is practically in the hands of South Korea right now. All because of that one Hunter with healing abilities.”

“Then can I take it that Kabulski’s words mean you came to find me to gain power?”

Kabulski paused for a moment at Sung-hyun’s question and said, staring straight at Sung-hyun.

“To have power… it’s not wrong, but it’s also wrong.”

“Why is that?”

“Originally, power is most unstable when one person holds everything. Well, there were leaders called wise rulers in the distant past, but even if such a person appeared in this era, they wouldn’t be able to exert the same influence as back then.”

“So you’re saying you need me to divide the power that will be concentrated in one place. Is that what you mean?”

“You see it accurately.”

Sung-hyun lightly sipped the tea placed in front of him and said, staring at Kabulski’s eyes.

“Is there a reason why it has to be Russia?”

“Before answering that question, do you have any specific wishes, Pilgrim? I have a lot of things prepared, but if I know what you want first, wouldn’t it reduce meaningless conversations?”

“Actually, what I want is simple. It’s to not interfere with me at all. Of course, I know that’s impossible too.”

“We don’t ask for much from you. Just solid proof that you belong to Russia. That’s all.”

Kabulski was the one in a hurry in this place.

Since he moved first in the first place, he had to get a definite result first.

“So is that why you prepared so many people?”

“…”

“It’s as if something will happen if the conversation doesn’t go well.”

“Are you connected to the United States?”

“The United States? What’s that…”

Sung-hyun, who was about to answer Kabulski’s words, stopped speaking for a moment.

Why did Kabulski have such a question?

‘The United States isn’t moving, and is it because I have a lot of information that he’s thinking that way?’

“Well… it’s not a deep relationship.”

“As expected!!”

There was no need to correct this misunderstanding.

Dealing with Russia or other countries right now was quite troublesome for Sung-hyun.

“Then you have nothing more to say, right?”

“…What is the United States giving you?”

“You don’t have to go that far. It’s just a matter of time, I’ll have relationships with everyone someday.”

“Can I believe those words?”

Kabulski’s expression wasn’t that of someone hoping for belief.

A look as if he was demanding thoroughly reliable evidence.

Sung-hyun wore a smile that wouldn’t even be visible at that ridiculous look and answered.

“If you don’t believe me, any other options…?”

“…”

“Then goodbye.”

Sung-hyun disappeared from sight in an instant.