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Information regarding all monsters that have appeared in Gates to date was also managed by the Information Team. This meant that I, too, was familiar with information regarding most Gates and monsters.

The Gryphon is a creature with the upper body of an eagle and the hind legs of a lion; it was a species that first appeared about 60 years ago in a Gate that opened in Türkiye.

At the time, it was classified as an A-class. Considering the technology and the ability levels of Espers 60 years ago, it was powerful enough to leave all of Türkiye in ruins.

While monsters surpassing that grade, like S-class or EX-class, are popping out nowadays, back then, A-class was the absolute top tier.

The time it took for that Gate to be completely subjugated and closed was a staggering three years. Currently, it isn’t a species with a particularly high subjugation difficulty, but even so, for Kang Juha to face that alone?

I saw the creature flap its wings, menacingly whipping up the wind. As it soared high into the air, a tornado instantly grew in size as if it were about to swallow the temple whole.

“…Is this right? Something seems wrong.”

The moment Kang Juha’s figure on the monitor became blurred was instantaneous.

To accurately judge the situation, I scanned the surroundings and noticed that the complexions of the Alpha Team members—the rookies—were exceptionally poor. Among those sitting on the sofa with us, one had a face turned pale white and was biting his lower lip, while the Esper named Kim Min-jae, who was supposed to help start the training, was trembling violently.

At that moment, Manager Hong opened his mouth with a small sigh.

“Ah, dear…”

“What is it?”

Since I had been waiting for any kind of reaction anyway, I immediately stood up and approached him.

“The wrong training scenario was selected.”

The wrong one was selected? What on earth does that mean?

“What do you mean, the wrong one was selected?”

“It seems the scenario I had selected earlier while suggesting that the Gate training be done together with the Alpha Team started up as is. It looks like Esper Kim Min-jae failed to properly check the configured training…”

Manager Hong glanced at Kim Min-jae, who was standing before the machine controls. I saw his body flinch and stiffen significantly.

It was an absurd mistake. It was clearly obvious that Kang Juha was entering alone, yet he activated a team-unit training scenario?

In an instant, heat flared up to the top of my head, but seeing that youthful face drained of blood like someone about to die, I was so dumbfounded that words wouldn’t even come out.

Even as I tried to remain calm, my stomach kept turning. I didn’t want to make negative associations, but why did the images I saw in Kang Juha’s memories keep overlapping with this?

Whether it was because the suspicion that they might have intentionally placed Kang Juha in danger had already taken root, the current situation did not feel like a mere mistake.

Manager Hong signaled Kim Min-jae with his eyes. At that, Kim Min-jae trembled as if he were about to faint.

“Gasp! I-I’m sorry!”

His fumbling hands hovered between numerous buttons and sticks. Eventually, unable to watch any longer, Juyoung stood up and reached for the emergency button.

“…”

Simultaneously, Kang Juha on the monitor kicked off the roof of the temple and sprang upward.

Everyone lost their speech at once, as if by design. Juyoung also froze with his hand raised in mid-air, unable to take his eyes off the monitor.

The waiting room was so silent that not even the sound of breathing could be heard, and only Kang Juha on the monitor hunted the monster with formidable movements. It was a display of agility and precision so swift that it was impossible even to follow with the eyes.

I heard the sound of someone catching their breath. This was followed by a low exclamation of awe.

The scene unfolding before my eyes surpassed wonder and felt borderline unrealistic. I had encountered countless records and audiovisual materials, but the sight Kang Juha was showing now was closer to a movie or game graphics than reality.

I had intended to stop the training immediately. But looking only at his current performance, it felt like he could easily handle the Gryphon all by himself.

Only then could I understand why he was called South Korea’s only Alpha, why the Center Director wanted to reinstate him so quickly, and why so many burdens were attached to the back of just one man, Kang Juha.

Beep—

The training was halted with the sound of a buzzer. The rookie Esper had finally found the training stop button.

Kang Juha lightly leaped down from the structure he was standing on and landed on the ground. The protruding steel frames quickly disappeared back into the walls, and the training room became an empty lot in an instant.

“It seems Esper Kang Juha’s physical condition is quite favorable, more than I expected.”

Muttering lowly, Manager Hong stared intently at Kang Juha on the monitor.

Before long, Kang Juha returned to the training waiting room, pulled off his goggles, and stood tall in front of Manager Hong, walking past me.

“I wasn’t expecting much, but you’ve given me such a welcoming gift.”

“I believe one should be able to embrace a rookie’s mistake.”

Since Kang Juha had never even replied to Manager Hong’s words until now, I was surprised by this sudden confrontation.

Furthermore, not just Kang Juha, but even Manager Hong was retorting without a hint of surprise.

“Ah, the rookie.”

Replying briefly, he turned his gaze to apathetically stare at the shivering Kim Min-jae.

“How pitiful.”

At those four syllables, devoid of any emotion, Kim Min-jae gulped.

“What did you just say?”

At that moment, Joo Won-wook jumped to his feet and approached threateningly, but Kang Juha ignored him and came toward me.

“If the training is over, can I go now?”

“Uh… yes. Let’s stop here for today… We’ll be leaving first to check on Esper Kang Juha’s condition.”

I tried to leave the area quickly due to the strange atmosphere circulating in the waiting room, but to do that, I had to fasten the restraint around Kang Juha’s neck again.

I didn’t want to do this in front of the Alpha Team members, but I wasn’t in a position to ignore the rules either. If word got out that I had released the restraint even in a non-authorized area, my disciplinary measures would only increase.

“Mr. Kang Juha, lower your head a bit.”

As soon as Kang Juha lowered his head, I was fastening the restraint as quickly as possible when Joo Won-wook’s sharp voice, accompanied by a faint sneer, pierced through from behind.

“He’s nothing but a dog on a leash.”

I felt a surge of anger, but I didn’t want to escalate the situation further.

I had to be clear. Kang Juha belongs to the Field Operations Department, and I belong to the National Security Bureau. Although I am temporarily acting as Kang Juha’s person in charge, that didn’t mean I had the authority to interfere in every single detail of his life.

Therefore, even if Kang Juha hears such shitty remarks and experiences garbage events at the Field Operations Department, for me…

“Teacher.”

For me…

Sigh.

“Teacher?”

“…Yes?”

“Your lip.”

My lip? Looking up in bewilderment, I saw Kang Juha firmly pressing his finger against my lower lip.

“It looks like it’s going to bleed.”

It seemed I had been biting my own lip without realizing it.

I wondered if he lacked pride; despite hearing such insulting words, Kang Juha’s expression hadn’t changed at all, and he was acting like someone who hadn’t heard a thing.

“It’s done, let’s go.”

I forced a smile as if everything were fine and pulled Kang Juha by the arm. I also sent a look to Juyoung, who was standing nearby, and he quickly packed our things and followed beside us.

As soon as we stepped out of the training center building, I let out the breath I had been holding.

“From now on, let’s not do anything that warrants punishment ever again. It makes me feel so indignant and angry just watching.”

“Yes, I won’t.”

In fact, the person who should have been the angriest in this situation was Kang Juha, but since he seemed so unaffected, strangely, my own anger flared up even more.

“Are you normally on bad terms with Manager Hong?”

“Yes.”

“Then why didn’t you tell me?”

“Because I thought you would worry.”

“…”

He was right. I knew for a fact that Kang Juha wouldn’t be on good terms with the Alpha Team, but I hadn’t anticipated that he would also be on bad terms with Manager Hong. If I had known that his relationship with Manager Hong was also poor, I would have been worried sick before today’s training even started.

“But why don’t you ask why I’m on bad terms with the Alpha Team?”

“Because it seems that way.”

“In your memories?”

I stopped walking. Turning back to look at Kang Juha, I saw him watching me with his usual composed expression that was difficult to read.

“If I said so, would you be displeased, Mr. Kang Juha?”

If Kang Juha wanted it, I would have to erase those memories from my mind immediately. If he said he couldn’t trust me, I would have to carve out the memories with the help of Director Shin or someone else.

“No.”

“Yes, I saw. Although they were fragments, they were scenes where they were not favorable to you, Mr. Kang Juha. Was there a specific reason it turned out that way? Or…”

“It was always like that.”

Kang Juha looked truly unaffected as he said that. In that face and those words, my own past self overlapped.

“Is there anyone else in the Center with whom you have a personal acquaintance, Mr. Kang Juha?”

“Yes.”

“Who?”

“You, Teacher.”

“…Other than me.”

“Then, no one.”

Since he said he entered the Center when he was about eight years old, it had been a full 20 years. In those 20 years, was he saying that Kang Juha had never opened his heart to anyone?

“I see.”

“Why? Do I need to have one?”

“Um… It’s not that, but if you said you did, I was going to try and request that you could train or be deployed to missions with that person.”

Even if it’s business, constantly running into people you’re uncomfortable with can cause stress. And if that happened, other problems could arise during the subsequent treatment process.

As we conversed, we eventually arrived at the National Security Bureau building. With a ding, the elevator doors opened and we arrived in front of the office door.

“I only need you, Teacher.”

To think that the only person he could trust and rely on in the Center he had been part of for 20 years was someone from another department he’d been with for barely a few months.

I didn’t know how to comfort someone, so I was just parting my lips to find the words.

“Mr. Kang Juha!”

With a thud, Kang Juha collapsed.