Chapter 61 – Swimming Emperor (5)
I quickly escaped the ruined site, devastated by the Sword Demon’s attacks that sliced through rock and even steel like straw.
“One night, please.”
I secured a room at a cheap lodging nearby and carefully opened the jewelry box I’d stashed in my bag.
Creak—
“…Worth the hardship.”
If I planned to stay in this era for a long time, I would have bought land.
Rising sea levels, increasing water temperatures, wars, desertification, volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, resource depletion, abnormal weather…
Countless countries would vanish in the coming catastrophes, and new cities would be built.
That land, still cheap with no development plans, could be bought up bit by bit…
However,
‘This’ll cover living expenses.’
Since all I needed to do was find and convince Mr. Nam Hae-soo, the Emperor of Swimming, I wasn’t attached to wealth.
Count Amolang.
That was a lesson from the dream world, where I shone as a founding contributor to a great empire. Upon waking, wealth, fame, power, status—everything disappears.
Love included!
“Haa… now I’m suddenly depressed.”
The TV was broadcasting breaking news about the Sword Demon that attacked me and the soldiers on duty at the coastal guard post.
(…An unidentified creature…)
(…The whereabouts of the chased young man in his 20s…)
(…Full efforts to recover the vanished shell casings…)
In Choi Kang-min’s dream, the “Sword Demon” was a well-known monster with a clear name.
But in Mr. Nam Hae-soo’s dream, it was treated as a newly discovered lifeform or mutant!
It didn’t even appear in Song Sun-young or Kim Eun-jung’s dreams…
‘What’s the difference?’
I wanted to learn more about the monster that threatened my life twice, but information was sorely lacking.
Limbs that cut through anything.
Reflexes that block bullets at close range.
Skin tough as iron plates.
Vitality that endures even a pierced brain.
Silver blood reminiscent of mercury.
Movements that ignore friction.
……
I knew a fair bit about combat from experiencing it firsthand, but beyond that, all I had was what the Earth Defense Force told me when they saved me in Choi Kang-min’s dream.
‘Too bad.’
If I’d known I’d encounter the Sword Demon again, I would have investigated more back then.
I reflected on my complacency—too focused on treasure hunting to prepare a weapon for self-defense.
Anyway,
(…The soldiers who bravely fought…)
(…Special promotion by one rank and 8 nights, 9 days of leave…)
(…The site’s surveillance cameras were damaged…)
Beep!
I turned off the TV as it started repeating the same news, washed up, and lay down on the soft bed.
“Phew…”
My stamina was still overflowing, but the tension from life-threatening danger had caused considerable mental fatigue.
A changed mindset from before.
The idea that it’s fine to die as much as I want because it’s a dream had vanished, making me cling to life.
Almost like,
‘This feels real.’
I’ll rest well today and start the full-scale search tomorrow.
***
The Republic of Korea, where the world’s lowest birth rate threatened the nation’s very existence.
But even so, wandering the entire country to find the “Emperor of Swimming” was impossible.
So, my solution?
Paying a detective agency to handle it.
“You’re looking for a person?”
“Yes.”
Detective agency.
A business that helps with cases or problems too difficult to solve alone.
A famous example would be Sherlock Holmes?
But “detective” is an extremely rare aptitude, making it hard to commission—yet this country was overflowing with them.
“What’s your relationship with the person you’re looking for? Ex-girlfriend, childhood friend who moved away, lifesaver, wife’s lover…”
“Does that matter?”
“Yes. Recently, a detective agency I know suffered because of a weird client. They tracked down a stranger woman and exposed an affair, ending up in court for privacy invasion.”
“Ah…”
I understood this detective’s cautious attitude, whom I’d met in person without a phone consultation or reservation.
“We get punished too if we’re involved in a crime. ‘I didn’t know’ doesn’t work in court.”
“A crime? Isn’t exposing an affair justice?”
“Unless they’re legally married, investigating someone’s private life is a crime.”
“Even if that someone is a criminal?”
“Criminals are people too. And adultery can be grounds for divorce but isn’t a crime. The adultery law was abolished in 2015.”
“……”
This era seems remarkably lenient on affairs.
“What’s your name and age?”
“Here’s my resident registration card.”
Slide—
I showed the detective my freshly issued resident registration card from just a few days ago.
“Hmm… Mr. Kang Moon-soo?”
“Yes.”
“What’s your relationship with the person you’re looking for?”
“I don’t know.”
“Pardon?”
“I suffer from amnesia. That’s why I only know the name and age of the person I’m searching for.”
“Hmm…”
The detective stroked his chin thoughtfully, his expression dubious.
“If you’re not comfortable with it, you don’t have to take the case.”
There are plenty of detective agencies. Surely one would accept my suspicious request.
However,
‘It feels off.’
The fact that “Nam Hae-soo,” who must know his own aptitude and the future of the world, doesn’t appear in any internet searches bothered me.
Why?
If he became a swimmer or track athlete, he would have dominated the Olympics again. If he invested in real estate or stocks, he’d be immensely wealthy in the long run.
So this situation—having to hire a detective agency—didn’t make sense.
“What information do you want about this person? Actual residence, contact details, assets, family relations, career, workplace…”
“Existence.”
“Excuse me?”
“Just confirm whether this person actually exists on Earth.”
“…That’s a highly unusual request.”
“If you find him, take a photo as proof and show it to me. I vaguely remember his face.”
Since it was just a request to confirm if someone was alive, there was zero risk of liability for the agency.
Did he realize that?
The detective’s expression changed.
“Tell me the name and age. You can check the results tomorrow afternoon.”
“Nam Hae-soo. 25 years old.”
“Getting a photo will require him to be out and about, so it might not be possible by tomorrow. In that case, there’ll be an extra fee.”
“Understood.”
He could lie without properly investigating. Better to pay more and be certain.
“How about the deposit? Cash payment gets a discount.”
“Then I’ll pay in cash.”
Clink!
The settlement funds from the government were already running dry.
‘This is troubling. Gold shop? Antique dealer? I should’ve sold it myself to know!’
Until the detective agency’s results come in, let’s find a place to sell the jewelry box for a good price!
***
From what I found online, the old era differed greatly from the present in policy.
‘Artifacts belong to the state…’
So citizens who discover artifacts aren’t recognized as owners and don’t receive proper compensation.
The intent to prevent artifact smuggling is good, but with meager rewards, people will surely hide discoveries from the government.
Like me.
“Here it is.”
Tap.
Expecting patriotic sacrifice from a citizen of less than a week is unreasonable.
“Ooh!”
“I heard you do the noble work of recovering artifacts stolen abroad, so I came to you.”
“You came to the right place!”
The gentleman with refined tastes showed keen interest in the jewelry box.
“This item…”
I recalled childhood memories of holding my parents’ hands at the museum and explained enthusiastically. That way, he’d pay a bit more.
Clap clap!
I even earned a standing ovation.
“Amazing! Such profound knowledge from a young man!”
“Thank you.”
“Oh my! You understand its historical and artistic value so well—I can’t lowball the price!”
“I do know a little, but how could I match your eye, sir, who recognized its worth at a glance?”
“You’re quite the smooth talker!”
“Haha!”
“Haha!”
Clink!
We exchanged pleasantries and closed the deal smoothly!
***
Since I was searching for the Emperor of Swimming, I kept checking articles related to the Olympics.
‘This feels unfamiliar.’
Athletes over 30 weren’t retiring and continued performing as first-string or national representatives.
The reason? Talent shortage!
So they kept using past-prime veterans.
“No choice.”
P’s aptitude tester could turn a boy who’d never touched a soccer ball before age 19 into a great footballer.
But in the old days, even with innate talent for soccer, lacking “opportunity” meant ending up an ordinary office worker.
Politics was even worse.
(…Indicted for bribery…)
(…Strongly denies allegations of sexual favors…)
(…Sentenced for spreading false information…)
Politicians stirring controversy with excessive patriotism by badmouthing other countries happens often, but news of them committing crimes? This was the first time in my life.
Character, conscience, integrity.
Among aptitudes, “politician” scrutinizes humanity the most.
‘Does Section Chief Seo Hye-joo really think this world is good?’
I couldn’t understand it.
“Mr. Kang Moon-soo. You’ve become quite the stylish fellow in just one day.”
“Thank you.”
On the way to the detective agency, I stopped by a salon and a department store to invest a bit in my appearance.
The detective pulled a thin stack of documents from his desk drawer and said,
“The results of your request are in.”
“I’m already excited.”
I was curious what Nam Hae-soo, who had given up swimming to choose a new life, was doing and where.
“Nam Hae-soo. 25 years old.”
“Yes.”
“He doesn’t exist.”
“……”
“Considering your amnesia, Mr. Kang Moon-soo, I investigated others around that age.”
“Ah, yes.”
There’s no way I’d have the wrong age for Mr. Nam Hae-soo.
I wasn’t expecting much anymore.
“This man is a 22-year-old Nam Hae-soo.”
Slide—
The photo the detective handed me showed a man, presumably a college student, dozing off on the subway.
“…Not him.”
The face was completely different.
“Then how about this one? A 29-year-old Nam Hae-soo.”
Slide—
The second photo was of an officer in a Republic of Korea military uniform.
“…Not him either.”
“Then the person you’re looking for isn’t in the Republic of Korea. He might have emigrated or changed his name, but that requires additional fees.”
“Hmm…”
I had considered he might not exist, but I didn’t think he actually wouldn’t.
‘Did I underestimate this…’
I thought with enough money, I’d find Mr. Nam Hae-soo quickly.
Reality was different.
“What will you do?”
“…Please investigate. How much more would that cost?”
“It’s on the house.”
“On the house? You said there’d be extra fees…”
I couldn’t believe it was free.
But the detective smiled comfortably, as if it wasn’t a joke, and said,
“Customer service. This industry is fiercely competitive.”
“Ah, yes.”
“When commissioning a detective agency next time, check thoroughly. If they use illegal methods and get caught, the client gets punished too.”
“Ah…”
“And specify the request details precisely. Unless you want the injustice of repeating a similar commission twice.”
“Thank you.”
This agency really takes customer service seriously.
“Should I come back in a few days?”
“No need to come.”
“Pardon?”
“The person you’re looking for, Mr. Kang Moon-soo, doesn’t exist on Earth. He hasn’t emigrated or changed his name either.”
“You already investigated…?”
“That’s why it’s free. I’d feel bad taking money without results.”
Slide—
The detective showed me documents that seemed to be proof of the investigation.
「Search Results: 0」
“Ah…”
“Come again if you run into trouble next time.”
“Yes. I’ll definitely come if that happens.”
Clink!
I paid the agreed fee and left the detective agency.
‘This is driving me crazy.’
If Nam Hae-soo, the Emperor of Swimming, doesn’t exist on Earth?
There’s only one answer.
Just like Kim Eun-jung, who became the protagonist Angelina Chimac of the romance fantasy novel <I Became the Youngest Daughter of a Count’s Family>.
Mr. Nam Hae-soo has become “someone else” too!
“Heh… A dolphin would be easier, huh?”
I need to scrap the plan and start over.