Kore VS Kore & Nymph VS Nymph # 5
Wham—.
Illinoi thrust a clenched fist high into the air.
"Both this one and that one are nothing but fakers who've never made the cut, it is…! Illinoi shall now teach you what true skill means, it is…! From this moment on, no mercy, it is…!"
Illinoi had declared her ruthlessness. It seemed she intended to reveal her genuine abilities and crush the Korean team outright.
I felt a twinge of tension. Say what you would about her, Illinoi was still a nymph full of question marks. There was no telling what area she might truly possess some terrifying, formidable power in.
"The loser of a match must choose the event for the next one, you see—. Illinoi hereby requests a Nymph Duel, it is…!"
A Nymph Duel. At those words, I felt a jolt of shock.
"…A Nymph Duel, you say?"
Who would've thought that would come up here of all places.
Soon Seo Yerim turned to me with a slightly tense expression.
"What's a Nymph Duel?"
"Honestly, I don't really know either."
Scrunch—.
Yerim furrowed her brow, and I added, "But since Illinoi's the one who called for it, it's probably an event she's confident in. My guess is it's some kind of contest using the nymphs' special talents."
Even to my own ears, it sounded like a fairly plausible theory.
Soon Coris spoke up.
"A Nymph Duel is the way nymphs resolve disputes peacefully and nymph-friendlily, it is…! It is the manner of fighting among nymphs…!"
I see. So that's how nymphs settle their quarrels.
Then Illinoi chimed in.
"Illinoi was once hailed by nymphs everywhere as a master of the Nymph Duel…! My win rate is a staggering 95 matches, 105 wins…! A win rate exceeding one hundred percent, it is…!"
Truly an incredible record, indeed. Playing 95 times and winning 105.
Coris marveled aloud.
"Illinoi truly lives up to the name, it is…!"
She really did.
Then Illinoi climbed onto the table and cried out at the top of her lungs.
"Illinoi requests a Mushroom Scarf-Off, it is…! Illinoi is the master of mushroom eating…! No one alive can stand against me, it is…! Bring forth the Mana Truffles, it is…!"
Mana Truffles. At that name, I nearly jumped out of my skin. This was the mushroom that commanded a going rate of ten million won per 500 grams—a truffle cultivated in fixed rifts through special methods, prized not only for its flavor and aroma but for its effect of stabilizing the mana of whoever ate it, wasn't it?
Slide—.
Before long, a box of Mana Truffles appeared in front of Illinoi. There were so many of them that my vision swam.
How much did all of that cost?
"Whoever eats more of these Mana Truffles wins…! The rules are perfectly simple, it is…! Simple is best…! Now then, who among you will face Illinoi, the Mushroom Genocider…? Step right up, come on, it is…!"
What a bizarre contest. But then Yu Ari began to tremble all over.
"Th-that's not good."
"Why not?"
"Mana Truffles taste amazing and smell amazing, but if a single person eats more than 500 grams, they suffer a severe mana rebound. Even for an awakener."
Apparently 500 grams was the absolute limit of the recommended monthly intake. And Illinoi could just casually wolf them down without a care?
It was truly a game by the nymphs, for the nymphs.
Reiko gave a hearty hohoho—.
"What do you think, Yerimu! This is your retribution for turning your beloved Illinoi into an enemy!"
"Muh-hehe, crying about it now won't get you anything, it is…!"
While the Japanese team brimmed with confidence on every front, the Korean team had sunk into gloom. That was when it happened.
"I, Oinoi, shall face you, that is what it is…!"
Slide—.
Oinoi stepped forward. Watching her, Seo Yerim exclaimed, "That's right! We have a nymph too! Oinoi! Your destiny hangs on this!"
"Oinoi loves mushrooms, that is what it is…! In truth, all nymphs love mushrooms…! All because of the rumors about the mushroom that makes you grow taller…!"
According to her, rumors abounded among nymphs about things like the mushroom that makes you grow taller or the flower that lets you breathe fire. Nymphs would often eat flowers and mushrooms in hopes of gaining strange powers and increasing their height, and in the process, all nymphs naturally came to love mushrooms.
Lee Jina, who'd been listening, piped up. "Sounds like Super Mario."
No kidding. Once she mentioned it, it really did.
Anyway. Illinoi and Oinoi stood facing each other, then took their seats at the table.
"Illinoi will show no favors simply because you are Oinoi, it is…! Victory is a cruel thing—the rule of the nymphs, it is…!"
"Oinoi is well aware, that is what it is…!"
And so, at that tense moment, a beep—sounded, and the nymphs' hands shot into motion at the same instant. Then, by the fistful, the ten-million-won-per-serving Mana Truffles began vanishing into the nymphs' mouths!
Gulp-gulpgulpgulp—.
The two nymphs vacuumed up mushrooms like a pair of vacuum cleaners!
A perfectly even match!
Watching this, Lee Jina of the common folk spoke in a state of extreme tension and shock. "…T-tens of millions of won are disappearing every second. Every second! Tens of millions of won are vanishing straight into the nymphs' stomachs! Wh-what in the—"
Tens of millions of won per second—. Ten seconds meant a hundred million. A minute meant 600 million. An hour meant 36 billion—.
I was getting lightheaded too, in my own way. Was this actually real life?
Then Coris said, "Honestly, regular mushrooms would have been fine too, it is…! But Illinoi loves Mana Truffles, it is…!"
I see. So this contest was really just the manifestation of Illinoi's personal greed—she'd wanted to stuff herself silly with Mana Truffles all along. Or was it pure revenge against MegaCorp Telos for cutting her allowance?
I had no idea. I decided to stop thinking about it in every direction.
So how much time had passed? How many Mana Truffles had made their way into the nymphs' stomachs? How much money—!? Fortunes I'd never even glimpse in my lifetime were vanishing furiously into the mouths of nymphs—!!!
After about ten minutes or so—. Illinoi began to tremble.
"……"
"……"
And Oinoi, too, stopped her hands. They'd gorged themselves on precious mushrooms, so it was only natural they'd be full.
So how did the match shake out? Seo Yerim, who'd been waiting on the judge's reading, spoke up.
"A-a dead heat. They each ate four boxes and left 500 grams!"
Nymph Illinoi. And nymph Oinoi. Astonishingly, their match had ended in a draw!
Slide—.
Then Oinoi extended her hand to Illinoi first.
"That was a magnificent match, that is what it is…! Oinoi learned mushroom eating from Master and had never once lost to anyone, yet we drew…!"
"Muh-hehe, it is I who should say that, it is…! Oinoi is truly worthy of being called Illinoi's rival…! It's been a long while since Illinoi gave her all…! A splendid match, it is…!"
Clasp-clasp-clasp-clasp—.
The nymphs shook hands heartily in a gesture of reconciliation. A match played out on a scale of nearly 5 billion won. And it ended in a draw.
"So like I said, that nymph Oinoi just wolfed down those mushrooms! Wolfed them down!"
"Wow. A fistful of mushrooms worth ten million won apiece, huh? Impressive."
"It was a thrilling match from start to finish!"
People chatted about the afternoon's events. It was certain to go down as legendary on every count.
"Oinoi did her very best, that is what it is…!"
Slide—.
Oinoi puffed out her chest proudly. Perhaps it was the Mana Truffles, but she positively radiated energy.
"Prospective Kore Jina must measure Oinoi to see if she's grown taller, that is what it is…! Oinoi ate so many mushrooms, so perhaps she has grown…!"
"Yup. You grew one centimeter."
"Magnificent, it is…! Oinoi has become an adult at last…!"
"Actually, that's a lie. You're exactly the same as before the mushrooms."
"Hieeek…!"
Before we knew it, evening had come. Today's matches were over. All that remained was the final showdown tomorrow.
Team Korea's record stood at one win, one draw. Japan's at one draw, one loss. Tomorrow's match would decide the fate of hundreds of billions of won.
And the problem was, the deciding right for that match was in my hands!
Seo Yerim's mother, Lee Sara, came gliding over to me as I drifted around the banquet hall, offering me a glass of wine.
"Mr. Ildo. You received the right of designation from Reiko, didn't you? Looks like the Korean team could win this. So much rides on you, Mr. Ildo. Hundreds of billions—no, perhaps even trillions—."
"……"
I felt like a hole was about to open up in the top of my head. Just as my stomach began to churn, Yerim's mother patted me heartily on the back.
"I'm only teasing. Of course, it's true that an outrageous amount of money is on the line—but the essence of this gathering was never about wagers and contests in the first place. Do you feel it, Mr. Ildo?"
I looked around. It was true—.
For people supposedly fighting over the fate of their companies, the atmosphere was surprisingly—.
━Woof-woof…!
"Dog-squirrel is so kawaii-desu-ne! Come here, come!"
"This big Tiger Owl is sugoi too!"
The mood was one of warm, festive cheer. I was starting to understand why this gathering was called an executive retreat.
Ms. Sara said to me, "At its heart, it's simply a place to build camaraderie and see old faces again after so long. I decided to stake our shares on the wagers just to get everyone fired up while we were at it."
It felt like the Lunar New Year cousins' betting money on a yut-nori game. Just scaled up considerably.
"Still, as long as we have roles to play, we have to give it our best."
Slide—.
I clenched my fist tightly. Because the fact that hundreds of billions rode on my match tomorrow hadn't changed one bit! And if I happened to lose…
Plus, wasn't there supposedly some political marriage angle with Japan's Kangekiren riding on this wager too?
My shoulders grew heavier by the moment.
Tremble-tremble—.
My whole body shuddered in every way. Seeing this, Ms. Sara chuckled softly.
"I see. No wonder Yerim has her eye on you. Yerim has a good eye for people, you know. You can climb higher, Mr. Ildo. Yerim says so too. She says that if it's you, you'll make it all the way to S-rank without fail."
I could hardly believe Seo Yerim had said such a thing. Given how she was always badgering me and losing her temper, I'd assumed she hated me.
Gulp—.
Ms. Sara drained her wine. Setting her empty glass on the table, she went on.
"You know, we were actually against Yerim becoming a hunter. It's hard, dangerous work—that hasn't changed. But—. If you become S-rank, Mr. Ildo, then perhaps we can finally rest easy."
I felt a little embarrassed. Climbing from B-rank to A-rank was a far harder road than F-rank to B-rank had been. And the gap from A to S was so enormous that it demanded ordeals more brutal than the entire F-to-A journey combined—plus a generous helping of luck.
And me, an S-rank? Please. Of course, I believed I could climb higher too!
And that was exactly when it happened.
The banquet hall stirred. I wondered if Keongkeongi had breathed fire from his mouth again—he did that from time to time when he got bored.
I'd even named the move Ramzui Fire, but it wasn't a technique I got to see easily; it only showed itself on rare occasions, depending on Keongkeongi's mood.
But—.
When I turned my head, figures in black suits and strange masks were filing into the banquet hall. The masks bore horns, resembling those of Japanese yokai.
"That's Kangekiren."
"Why would Kangekiren people come here?"
Slide—.
Japan's union of yakuza and awakeners. They entered the banquet hall and bowed their heads. And through their midst, someone came walking.
"I am Yagami Tsubaki, heir to Yagami Irochi, Supreme Chief of Kangekiren. I heard that those who will soon become my marriage candidates were gathered here—so I came to see for myself."
Yagami, the Chief of Kangekiren. So this was Yagami Tsubaki, his only child. She'd likely come to look over Reiko and Seo Yerim.
She was enormously tall, nearly my own height, dressed in a black suit with slim, long trousers. But beneath the black jacket her chest was quite full, and her face—framed by silver hair swept back into a ponytail—was that of a striking beauty, so—.
Hold on.
She's a woman?
According to the results of this executive council, the Chief's only child was supposed to get engaged to either Seo Yerim or Reiko, wasn't it? And the only child was a woman!