Chapter 37
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Translator: Silver Dragon
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: Devotees with a Plan
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Park Si-hyun's devotees all had a plan.
"..."
A brief silence fell after my words.
The six devotees exchanged glances, their faces showing they weren't sure if this was reality or a dream.
But their reaction soon exploded.
"Whoaaaa!"
"Lord! Thank you for re-signing with Essen!"
"A three-year contract! This is a miracle!"
One young female devotee shouted through streaming tears.
"To think the Lord will stay by our side..."
I walked forward slowly, deliberately lifting my chin in an arrogant manner.
"Rise. Kneeling is fine, but I want to talk with you all."
Hans, standing beside me, shouted to liven up the atmosphere.
"Rise! Today is a historic day! We can't waste a single moment!"
As the devotees scrambled to their feet, I scanned each one of them.
Two middle-aged men, one middle-aged woman, two young men, one young woman.
They seemed to have different ages and jobs, but they shared one clear commonality.
They were all utterly devoted to me, their eyes practically shooting lasers.
'Ha... If someone snaps a photo of this scene, I'm done for—branded a cult leader for life.'
Do-yoon hyung whispered softly from behind.
"Hey, Si-hyun. This is getting way too intense. Maybe we should bail?"
But I had made up my mind.
As long as I was playing for Essen, the Red Devotees were an inescapable shadow.
Better to seize control and become their true god.
That way, they wouldn't pull off something insane like plastering my face on the uniforms.
I lowered my hand and asked sternly.
"Good. Then let me ask: Do you truly believe in me?"
"Yes! We believe!"
All six answered in unison.
"Do you really believe?"
"Yes! We pledge our lives to our belief!"
I nodded slowly, the corner of my mouth curling up slightly.
"Excellent. Then... reveal your professions."
The devotees stepped forward one by one.
"I'm Joachim, CEO of the German clothing brand Roth Weiß!"
"I'm Klaus, president of Essen Collectibles, a figure production and distribution company!"
"I'm Ingrid, CEO of Essen's largest real estate agency!"
"I'm Heike, head nurse at Essen University Hospital!"
"I'm Gerhard, a civil servant with the Essen City Construction Office!"
"I'm Rudolf, president of a taxi company!"
I was impressed inwardly.
'Whoa... This lineup is insane. Clothing CEO, figure company president, real estate mogul, head hospital nurse, civil servant, taxi company boss... This is basically the Essen Avengers?'
With just these people and Hans, the vice-mayor and their leader...
We could probably control the city from the shadows like some novel's mastermind antagonist.
Which was exactly why I needed to rein them in. Their professions opened up too many possibilities.
"Very well. But why did you make everyone wear uniforms with my face on them? There's only one Park Si-hyun in this world."
The devotees shouted in unison.
"No! That's precisely why we must engrave Lord Park Si-hyun's face everywhere!"
'...Huh? That's not the answer I wanted.'
"Why is that?"
Joachim, the clothing brand CEO, explained with sparkling eyes.
"There are still too many who see Park Si-hyun as just a prospect! Plenty don't even know your face. But when our uniforms get caught on camera, featured in articles, and shown on broadcasts... everyone will chant your name!"
Ingrid, the real estate queen, followed with fervent passion.
"Exactly! We must spread Park Si-hyun's name far and wide. Only then will you receive the treatment your skills deserve. Even if you leave Essen someday, you'll rise to soccer godhood even faster!"
Nurse Heike added.
"Plus, we can make even those who dismissed you as an Asian take it for granted that you'll win the Ballon d'Or!"
I nodded inwardly.
'...That makes sense.'
I had gained fame, but it was still limited to Germany.
Across Europe, far more people didn't know me.
But increased exposure like this would lead people to search for my plays, and eventually fall for my story and antics.
The Ballon d'Or came down to votes in the end.
Even with prejudices against Asians, if I built enough fans and public opinion they couldn't ignore...
I could force their hand through achievements and prestige.
'...You guys aren't just fanatics—you all had a plan.'
They started to look different to me.
Then Gerhard, the construction office civil servant, clenched his fist and yelled.
"Moreover, right now, some insolent Ajax player is shamelessly imitating Park Si-hyun!"
"...What? Imitating me?"
"Yes! A guy named Zlatan Ibrahimović. How dare he mimic a god—utterly disrespectful!"
'Dude, he's the original...'
I burst out laughing in disbelief.
Zlatan imitating me?
What kind of nonsense...
Wait. If things went their way and I won the Ballon d'Or first...
'Zlatan said he's the best even without a Ballon d'Or. Cool, but the real winners are the Ballon d'Or recipients. But if I snag one first... I'd be the true original, right?'
At this point in time, Zlatan was struggling at Ajax, not yet showing his iconic interview flair.
Meanwhile, I'd gotten famous first, so effectively, I was the original in the public's eyes.
I knew Zlatan was the real deal, but the world didn't.
'That's kinda nice...'
As I talked with them, I gradually got swept up in their ideology.
"As expected of Park Si-hyun—you're incredible!"
"Is Beckham handsome? With our Park Si-hyun here? He's the handsomest soccer player ever!"
"Ahem. Tell me more."
"Truly Park Si-hyun!"
"We feel the Lord's gracious leisure!"
"Keep going."
A... Being around them was starting to mess with my head.
But it didn't feel bad.
No, it felt good.
'Ah, keep it coming!!!'
Time passed, the short break ended, and the entire squad gathered back at the training ground.
Their faces were all bright.
And for good reason.
After the winter transfer window, the club's sponsors and investments had exploded, doubling—quadrupling in some cases—every player's wages.
Plus, facility investments had transformed the place into something unimaginable just half a year ago.
"Hey... Is this really our training ground?"
Vice-captain Andreas Hermann gawked around with wide eyes.
State-of-the-art weight machines were neatly arranged, and the locker room looked like something out of a Bundesliga club.
The training pitch had automatic sprinklers shooting water like fountains, and instead of dirt smell, fresh grass scent wafted through the air.
"Whoa, aren't sprinkler systems like that only in the Bundesliga? And now we have one?"
"You see the locker room? I got my own personal locker! Does this even make sense in German third division?"
"Hey, they replaced the goals over there too?"
"Man, this has to be a dream. I still feel awkward."
As the players buzzed around, marveling at the facilities, Andreas glanced around and said.
"But where's Si-hyun?"
Christoph Bauer nodded timidly.
"Yeah, Si-hyun's a bit late."
Park Si-hyun could come off arrogant and misunderstood, but he was actually the most dedicated—always first to arrive and last to leave.
Him being late was unusual.
Andreas grinned playfully.
"This won't do. Getting paid big now, so he's late?"
The players exchanged looks at Andreas's words.
Park Si-hyun's wages had already sparked controversy in Germany.
No matter how good he was, a third-division player earning top-tier second-division money was huge news.
"No way. Si-hyun's not like that."
Captain Matthias said it.
"If he was the type to change for money, he wouldn't have stayed with Essen."
"C'mon, Captain, why so serious? It's a joke."
Then a familiar voice came from the training ground entrance.
"It's really improved."
"Oh? It's Si-hyun!"
Every head turned, eyes locking on the entering Park Si-hyun.
Everyone had gained a bit of weight and felt sluggish from the break, but Park Si-hyun still boasted his chiseled, muscular build.
Clear signs he'd trained solo consistently.
Andreas rushed over first.
"Si-hyun! Buy us a meal. With that salary, treat us to something fancy!"
Park Si-hyun smirked casually.
"Dining with me is what everyone in the world wants. But..."
His gaze landed on Andreas's belly.
"If you want to eat with me, you'd better tuck away that gut. We're soccer players, right? Get back in shape, and I'll treat you all to that dream meal."
"..."
Silence fell over the training ground.
Seeing Park Si-hyun, they all thought the same thing.
'He's even stranger than in the first half.'