Even the Absolute One is New to Fatherhood - Chapter 133

The next morning.

"Huuu..."

Seo Do-cheol, who had been waiting at a café in the Yeoksam-dong residential area, took a deep breath and adjusted his attire.

Just then.

The café door suddenly swung open, revealing Kang-jun dressed in a hoodie and shorts, dragging his slippers as he entered.

"Your Majesty, you've arrived?"

Seo Do-cheol immediately stood up from his seat and bowed deeply at a ninety-degree angle.

At those words, Kang-jun frowned and asked ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠with clear dissatisfaction, "Your Majesty?"

He plopped down into the seat across from Seo Do-cheol and replied in an utterly blunt tone.

"Hey, why are you calling me 'Your Majesty'?"

"But..."

"Just drop it and stick to how you used to talk."

Was this a side effect of Crabsley's enthusiastic storytelling session yesterday—where he regaled the hunters with tales of how a man from another world became an emperor?

"But..."

As Seo Do-cheol hesitated, lips trembling uncertainly, Kang-jun waved his hand irritably and cut him off.

"Seriously, it's fine."

Then he immediately asked, "So what did you want to talk about?"

In the midst of frantically preparing Seol for daycare, Kang-jun had received an unexpected message from Seo Do-cheol asking if he could spare some time.

After sending Seol off in the daycare van, he had immediately headed to the café Seo Do-cheol had mentioned.

"I have an impertinent request to make."

"A request?"

"I'd like you to help our nation's hunters."

Kang-jun motioned for him to continue with a tilt of his chin.

"I understand you've personally suppressed most of the recent high-risk gates."

"And?"

"In the process, I've received reports that our S-rank hunters were of no help whatsoever in the suppression efforts."

Kang-jun shrugged dismissively.

"What can you do if they're incompetent?"

Seo Do-cheol fell silent for a moment, blinking rapidly.

'Incompetent...'

Since the phenomenon known as "gates" began appearing worldwide, South Korea's military strength had surprisingly increased significantly.

In fact, according to assessments by a renowned U.S. military evaluation agency, South Korea's military ranking had jumped several places.

Among the 48 existing evaluation criteria—including population, troops, equipment, weapons, defense budget, and strategic resource reserves—a new standard had been added: the number of 'S-rank hunters' meeting the criteria set by the World Awakened Association.

'How many people in this world could dare call those who are now considered national military assets "incompetent"...'

If anyone else had said this, he would have dismissed it as thoughtless remarks.

But...

Since it came from Kang-jun's mouth, he had no choice but to accept it.

"Immortal..."

Seo Do-cheol corrected himself with a mutter, then spoke again in a solemn tone.

"Lee Kang-jun."

A brief silence followed.

"If a high-risk gate appears on our territory when you're unable to help, something terrible will undoubtedly happen."

"Well..."

"You may or may not have seen the news, but recently, the accident rate has skyrocketed regardless of the increased frequency of high-risk gates."

Kang-jun asked, "Accident rate?"

Seo Do-cheol continued as if he'd been waiting for the question.

"There's been a surge in unprecedented runaway phenomena where the observed danger level suddenly spikes ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠after hunters enter gates for suppression purposes."

"Since when?"

"Probably ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠since the Calamity-grade gate appeared in Shanghai's financial district—the one you helped suppress with minimal casualties."

At that, Kang-jun's expression also turned serious.

That was the day Kang-jun had defeated the 'Discarded ■■■'...

And witnessed the phrase 'The world's narrative has reached its origin (起).'

'Could that nonsense about the world's narrative reaching its origin be closely related to the recent runaway phenomena...?'

Though it was just a hunch, the suspicion lingered.

"While the calamities threatening the world are rapidly evolving beyond our ability to chase them, unfortunately, our hunters' combat capabilities have stagnated."

Seo Do-cheol bowed his head.

"Most of the budget allocated to the bureau is being invested in hunter training programs and equipment that could assist them, but..."

"No progress?"

"I humbly ask that you guide our nation's hunters in training for the sake of public welfare and universal peace."

After a moment of thought, Kang-jun asked, "You know Bong-gu, right?"

Seo Do-cheol immediately replied, "You mean Hunter Kim Bong-gu, the Filial Son?"

He was a rare hunter who had achieved a two-rank promotion and stood out as a rising rookie with remarkable achievements in just a few months.

Moreover...

According to the bureau's investigation, he was known to be the first hunter to establish close ties with Kang-jun, codenamed Immortal.

"Actually, before Bong-gu took his promotion test, I personally trained him."

"Ah, no wonder..."

"I realized something back then—I have zero talent for training."

Kang-jun had been asked similar questions countless times by numerous enemies.

"How did you get so strong?"

It was akin to asking a scorpion born with venom, "How were you born with poison?"

He was strong.

When he came to his senses, he already possessed absurd power, and despite not putting in the same effort as others, he kept growing stronger.

Just by eating well and sleeping soundly, he continued to grow stronger without limits.

Unlike others, he never hit a wall, never tasted failure, nor gained profound realizations by narrowly escaping death.

"Bong-gu was so lacking in basics that he might have made rapid progress in a short time, but that's an exception."

"Excuse me?"

"Even if I, someone with no talent for training, were to lead the training for S-rank hunters, they wouldn't gain much."

Seo Do-cheol pleaded again.

"If you help us, the bureau will do everything to show sufficient sincerity to satisfy you."

It was a well-phrased way of saying they'd pay satisfactory compensation, but...

"Inefficient."

Kang-jun's meaning was clear.

Another brief silence passed.

Then Kang-jun spoke again.

"Still."

Seo Do-cheol looked at him with renewed hope in his eyes...

"There might be an alternative."

When Seo Do-cheol asked, "An alternative...?", Kang-jun smiled faintly and added in a low voice.

"Iriel."

Then he immediately muttered, "No," correcting himself as he continued.

"Seo Gyu-ri."

The name of the woman in her early twenties who lived with Kang-jun's family.

"Seo Do-cheol? I'm Seo Gyu-ri."

Perhaps because her first impression had been so striking, Seo Do-cheol remembered her clearly.

"She was once the Minister of the Royal Household, but before being appointed, she was a training instructor from the Military Affairs Department."

"So...?"

"Lately, she's been bored with nothing to do besides SNS, so I think she'd be a good fit."

Kang-jun added, "I'll send Gyu-ri instead."

Though she would undoubtedly rank last if the five ministers of the imperial palace were ordered by combat prowess...

'Since she has experience as a training instructor in the Military Affairs Department, training a bunch of minnow-like S-rank hunters shouldn't be hard...'

At the very least, comparing Iriel's abilities to those hunters, the gap between them was as vast as that between life and death.

Moreover...

Before being appointed as the head of the newly established Royal Household Department, Iriel had been considered second only to Nazgul, the Minister of Military Affairs.

"Let's start today while we're at it."

"Excuse me?"

"Tell everyone to gather this evening."

At the same time.

"This is troubling."

Iriel was deep in thought.

"Why won't my follower count increase...?"

Since becoming interested in SNS, she had been posting at least four or five times a day, but...

[ Followers: 3 ]

Only three people followed Iriel's Instagram account.

"Why...?"

Even those three seemed suspicious.

[ Blog part-time jobs housewives can do from home! ]

[ College student, 20, anyone want to go on a date with me? ]

[ Diet water that melts fat just by drinking! ]

All of them were spam accounts.

"I can't understand it."

As Iriel agonized while meticulously scrolling through her Instagram feed...

"Hey, Gyu-ri."

Kang-jun, who had just returned home, called out to her. Iriel immediately stood up and replied respectfully.

"Yes, my lord."

Kang-jun asked teasingly, "Were you staring at SNS again?"

"My apologies..."

"Is it really that fun?"

"It brings me joy..."

"So how many followers do you have now?"

Iriel answered in a shrinking voice, "As of today, three."

Kang-jun looked incredulous. "Three? That's it?"

Iriel immediately protested, "Gaining followers is harder than it looks. Despite my considerable efforts, I've only managed to reach three today..."

Kang-jun scoffed. "Bong-gu has tens of thousands."

"How could that weakling human...?"

As if struck by a great shock, Iriel staggered on the spot before voicing her doubts with rising excitement.

"H-he must have bought them!"

"Bong-gu is famous."

"No matter how famous, how could..."

"He's a social star."

In reality, Bong-gu had become so famous that people stopped him on the street for photos and autographs.

He had contributed to capturing a notorious murderer from the anti-bureau alliance, participated in suppressing several dangerous gates, and achieved the rare feat of a two-rank promotion, making him a rising rookie star.

"Gyu-ri, how about it?"

"Yes?"

"Interested?"

A brief silence followed.

"Don't you want to be an Instagram star?"

Iriel gulped dryly and...

Nod-nod.

Vigorously nodded her head up and down.

"I do..."

Then she repeated as if reciting, "I want to be an Instagram star..."

That evening.

"Let's see..."

A young man entered the underground training hall of the bureau's Seoul branch, looking around curiously.

Pyromancer Lee Hwa-jun.

He had recently passed the mid-year Awakened promotion assessment, barely scraping into the S-rank at 49th place.

"Maybe I should tidy up before the seniors arrive..."

He had received unexpected notice from the bureau that he was obligated to attend a newly established special training program...

Excited at the prospect of finally meeting the S-rank senior hunters he idolized, he had rushed over immediately.

As he neatly arranged the chairs in the training hall, humming cheerfully...

Thud, thud.

As the appointed time of 7 PM approached, the S-rank hunters he worshipped began arriving one by one.

'Oh my god...'

He immediately bowed at a ninety-degree angle.

"Seniors, hello! I'm Lee Hwa-jun, newly promoted to S-rank at 49th place! I look forward to your guidance!"

Go Du-yeol smiled at his disciplined demeanor and asked, "Do you like weight training?"

"Huh? Yes! I do!"

"Good, initiation at the gym then!"

Just then, Seol Eun-bin interjected with a laugh, "Why don't you run away now?"

"Excuse me?"

"Though it might already be too late."

As Jung Yoon-chan approached and offered a handshake, saying, "We're the ones who should ask for your guidance."

"I-I admire you!"

"Welcome, new colleague."

The S-rank hunters applauded Hwa-jun, and...

Just as he thought this must be a dream...

"Look at these weaklings, all gathered and giggling."

A young woman in pristine formal attire and high heels appeared...

"Weaklings?"

Hwa-jun bristled and asked, "W-who are you?"

"The instructor."

"The instructor?"

As Iriel nodded and tied up her hair, she took control of the atmosphere with an authoritative tone.

"I'll explain the basic rules of training. Anyone who speaks before I ask a question will be severely punished."

Just as silence fell...

"W-wait. Who exactly are you to lead training for S-rank hunters?"

At that moment, Jung Yoon-chan and the other S-rank hunters paled and shouted.

"S-stop!"

"Don't!"

"Shut up!"

Having recently heard Crabsley's tales about the emperor from another world, they knew of Iriel's majesty, but...

"Seniors, isn't this strange?"

Hwa-jun still couldn't comprehend it.

"Who does this woman think she is, daring to educate the nation's top hunters...?"

Just then, Iriel stepped onto the training platform and asked, "Fine, I'll give you a chance to experience it firsthand."

"A spar?"

"Yes. If you win, I'll resign as instructor."

After ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a pause, she added quietly, "But if I win, you'll have to do something for me."

"What could that..."

"S-rank hunters average millions of followers, right?"

This was the easy method to become an Instagram star that Kang-jun had told her about.

"If I win, you'll post my photo on your Instagram and promote my account."

Looking incredulous, Hwa-jun muttered under his breath with a scoff, "She's out of her mind..."

Then he immediately stepped onto the platform, saying, "I won't go easy just because you're a woman."

He saw this as the perfect opportunity to prove his worth to his seniors.

"Right, this is my chance..."

Just as Iriel gestured for him to make the first move...

"She won't die, at least."

At Go Du-yeol's quiet murmur, the other S-rank hunters' attention focused.

"Think about it, everyone."

Du-yeol added matter-of-factly, "To promote her Instagram account, she'll need to stay alive, right?"

The hunters nodded in agreement.

That was the only silver lining in this situation.

Unfortunately, Hwa-jun misinterpreted Iriel's consideration as provocation...

"How dare you look down on me—!"

With a furious shout, he charged at Iriel.