"Mr. Yoo, when you went to the media, did they see this original video?"

"No. They just kicked me out before I even had a chance to show them anything..."

Hehehe. This was a jackpot. This had enough impact to make the public's pent-up anger toward the Healer's Union explode all at once.

"However, even if we release this, the Healer's Union will insist it's fabricated until the end," Seojin said, pushing up his glasses.

"I agree." Even if things went well, the Union would just pin all the blame on that one healer and cut him loose. In the end, nothing would change. That's why a little 'work' was necessary.

"Leave it to us, Mr. Yoo," I said, trying to reassure him. "We will absolutely clear your name. Furthermore, we'll make them bring back the stolen relic of their own accord."

Changshik shook his head. "The relic doesn't matter. After what happened, my spirit was broken. I've decided to quit the hunter business."

"...Ah."

"I just hope that no one else has to go through what I did."

Seojin and I nodded silently. "We'll handle it."

After he finished his story and left, we immediately began our discussion.

"The material we have is good, but it's risky to show all our cards from the start," I said. "The best approach is to provoke a reaction from the Healer's Union and then deliver the final blow."

"You're right," Seojin agreed. "But if we only reveal one or two cards, we won't elicit a definitive public response. If it doesn't become an issue, they'll just lie low and hunker down."

"...That's true, too." There was a reason the media outlets had turned him away. If we carelessly released the data, it might cause no public stir at all. First, we needed to find a media company that could make this a major story.

"Seojin, do you have any personal connections in the media?"

"...Hmm, if I make some calls, I might be able to get through to one place."

"To follow the plan, we need at least two."

Seojin, who was pondering, let out a small, "Ah. You asked me to investigate Shin Nara, didn't you?"

"Yeah. What about it?"

"I found out something. Actually, I didn't need to investigate for long. Anyone who's anyone in this industry knows."

Yusin looked at him quizzically.

Seojin smiled. "She's the granddaughter of the chairman of the Vien Group, which owns IBN."

...So she wasn't an ordinary person after all. The Vien Group was a solid media conglomerate that ran IBN, a major Korean broadcast channel, as well as newspapers, an entertainment agency, and sports and leisure businesses. It wasn't on the level of Seojin's Unix Group, but it was a household name. In that case, it would be better to make the most of the current situation rather than searching for other media outlets.

I called Nara.

"Yes, Ms. Shin. Would you like to sign a two-year exclusive contract with me?"

At the sound of her squeal, I briefly held the smartphone away from my ear.

* * *

I succeeded in securing Nara's cooperation. She immediately sent someone to our office.

"I'm reporter Honda Kim from IBN." Unfortunately, he was a man whose hair loss had progressed considerably, leaving the center of his head completely bald.

I shook his hand. "Are you by any chance Japanese?"

"Born and raised in Busan," he replied, clearly used to the question. "My name uses the character 'Hon' for marriage and 'Da' for many."

"That meaning is also a bit strange... Ah, never mind."

"Though I'm actually a bachelor," he added.

This man, who seemed to carry all the world's contradictions, sat down nonchalantly on the sofa next to me and asked, "You want to write an article targeting the Healer's Union?"

"Yes."

"Let me tell you in advance, our newspaper mostly covers entertainment news. I'm not sure if our readers will pay much attention to an article about the hunter world."

"Entertainment, you say..."

Then that's even better. I thought for a moment. "Let's see if we can find a connection. Seojin, pull up the Healer's Union's external schedule."

"Understood." Seojin operated his laptop and projected the Union's homepage onto a forty-inch screen. Their public schedule was listed there.

'These guys don't do any work.' There were no special events this month other than a regular seminar. We would have to wait at least two months from now for a major event.

"Seojin. Can you show me last month's schedule?"

"Of course." Seojin turned the calendar back. I looked at the screen and slapped my knee.

'Just as I thought!'

No wonder the schedule was so empty; there had been a big event just last week.

The 7th Seoul International Healer Human Resources Development Convention.

It was as grand as its long name suggested. The Union seemed to have put a lot of effort into it, booking a famous auditorium in Seoul, and many people attended. Looking at the event photos, it seemed many high-ranking government officials and celebrities had also visited. I scanned the photos with wide eyes. 'A lot of famous hunters, but no celebrities. Please, a celebrity, a celebrity, a celebrity...'

As we were diligently looking through the photos, Honda pointed and said, "Oh, Choongyeon Choi was there."

"Huh? Who?"

"You probably wouldn't know his real name. He's the lead vocalist of the group Omega."

"Ah...!"

I had heard of Omega; they were a famous band. Their most popular song was played to death in cafes every summer, so they definitely had public recognition.

"Reporter Honda Kim."

"Please just call me Reporter Kim."

"Right. Reporter Kim. Can you write an article about Choongyeon Choi?"

"It's a request from Ms. Shin, so I suppose I have to. Still, Omega has a pretty strong fandom, so I'm a bit worried. An article that openly attacks him is a big burden..."

"We'll keep it within bounds. The goal is just to escalate the controversy."

I apologized in my mind. 'I'm sorry, Choongyeon Choi. I'll buy your entire discography when this is all over.'

* * *

I found out that Choongyeon was a long-time golf buddy of the Healer's Union chairman. I had no personal grudge against him, but given the circumstances, it couldn't be helped. Honda wrote an article based on Choongyeon's congratulatory speech at the convention and uploaded it to the IBN homepage's main section.

<Omega's Choongyeon Choi: "The Healer's Union is Not to Blame! A Necessary Choice for the Advancement of the Hunter World.">

In truth, the guy hadn't said anything remarkable. He had just attended as a distinguished guest and offered some pleasantries, but in the hands of a reporter, words can be twisted to fit any narrative. The article was posted on the main page, and thanks to his name, it got a decent number of views. At first, it was just comments from fans.

Then.

—Disappointed in Choongyeon. Why is he defending the Healer's Union?

—Aren't those guys trash?

—It's just his personal opinion, what's the problem?

—Here come the stans. Look up the Healer's Union before you talk.

—Is he serious right now?

Comments from people with negative perceptions of the Union started to appear. Naturally, his fans got upset and fought back, and soon a comment war erupted. It didn't take long for the comments to surpass three thousand. The article quickly moved beyond the IBN main page and climbed to the top of the 'Most Viewed Entertainment News' section on a major portal site, officially becoming a hot issue.

One article gives birth to another. To generate views, other competing media outlets quickly jumped on the trend.

[Reckless vs. No Big Deal: Netizens Debate Choongyeon Choi's Remarks.]

[Issue Escalates, Choongyeon Choi Switches SNS to Private.]

[Choongyeon Choi's Defense of Healer's Union Extinguishes Excitement for Omega's Upcoming Album.]

This was the moment we've been waiting for. Riding the wave of controversy, we naturally posted the core article.

[Following Choongyeon Choi's Defense, A Look Into the Healer's Union (Video)]

Thanks to laying all the groundwork and building up the atmosphere, this article instantly garnered hundreds of thousands of views. The attached video included a fluent explanation from an announcer, along with the audio file from the incident with Changshik. It contained everything: the threats to his colleagues, the moment they turned on him, and the healer taking the relic.

—Disgusting. They're actual human garbage.

—I'm an Omega fan, but I really can't defend this.

—This is chilling. This isn't about policy, it's about basic human decency.

—This is nothing. There are countless stories about the Healer's Union's abuses. Does anyone still see them in a good light?

Just as we intended, the focus of the incident naturally shifted from Choongyeon to the Healer's Union. From the top of the entertainment news, to the main news homepage, and now 'Healer's Union' was trending in the top search rankings of the portal site.

It was catching fire, and even I—the one who had started it all—could no longer stop it. Media outlets that had once treated the Union story like damp firewood were now rushing to release their stockpiled articles to ride the wave.

[Healer's Union Abuse of Power Scandal Explodes]

[Five Dead in Rank-3 Dungeon; Only the Healer Survived.]

[Controversial Healer's Union Terminating Contracts 'As They Please'.]

["Do you know who I am?" Inside the Healer's Union's Culture of Abuse.]

The media outlets, seeing their chance, began to publish the stories they had been holding back. IBN had taken the lead, and the public's reaction was hot, so there was no reason not to publish.

Ahh. A perfect picture.

I lay on the Magic Tower's sofa in a state of pleasure while listening to music on my smartphone and browsing through the articles.

"Oh my, you usually only listen to sad ballads. What's with the pop music all of a sudden?" Bora asked as she was making potions.

"Just felt like listening to it."

"It's not even summer, and you're listening to Omega. Ah! Are you listening because you feel bad for ruining Choongyeon Choi?"

"...N-No."

"You really are a villain!" she said.

I chuckled and looked at my smartphone.

[Choongyeon Choi Apologizes to Fans for Causing Controversy with Reckless Remarks.]

[Statement: "Congratulatory speech was just reading a script prepared by an official, I have no connection to the Healer's Union."]

Right. That's how it should be. In the end, he also quickly cut ties with the Healer's Union. If he stuck to a burning house, he'd turn to ash too, so it was wise to get away quickly. No matter how much the Union had maintained a stance of no response in the past, this time would be different.

I was browsing the news, searching for the Healer's Union, when the article I had been waiting for finally appeared.

[Exclusive: Healer's Union: Voice Recording is a Complete Fabrication; Vows to Take Strong Action Against Rumors.]

"Yes!" I shouted, pumping my fist as I shot up from my seat. I immediately grabbed my jacket.

"Oh, where are you going?" Bora asked.

I grinned. "To meet the chairman of the Healer's Union."

* * *

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