To America
When the Awakened first appeared, nations around the world floundered, unable to settle on a clear stance toward them.
Korea, with its hidden family, was among the few that decided swiftly and with stability. That success was the fruit of the family's efforts, and it became the driving force that elevated Korea into one of the world's foremost hunter powers.
The United States, by contrast—a global superpower—treated Awakened like mutant superhumans straight out of comic books. The problem was that it was not the comic about a newspaper reporter who shot spider webs. It was the one with the bald professor in a wheelchair.
In other words, they regarded Awakened as diseased patients and abnormal mutants, and they discriminated against them accordingly.
Alarmed by the situation, U.S. Senator Richard Evans established the Awakened Committee and founded Nova, an organization of Awakened themselves. Nova began as a civic group meant to reframe public perception: Awakened were not mere slaughter-weapons for hunting monsters, but new members of society.
It had not started as a radical terrorist organization.
After hearing the full explanation from Richard Evans over video call, Jeong-Hoon gathered the Twelve Vassals and shook his head left and right. The royal suite had never felt cramped to him before, yet with every last one of the Twelve assembled it suddenly seemed crowded and close.
"The purpose was admirable. How did it turn into this?"
"There are many reasons, but I suspect the core cause is that Senator Evans is not Awakened himself. As founder, he lost his grip on the organization."
Butler Ju answered with a small sigh, the once-mysterious identity of Nova's founder now revealed with almost absurd ease. With the family's strength diminished, they had concentrated every asset in Korea, where the family head resided. Branches of the family's businesses operated abroad, yet they were run by local collaborators under headquarters' directives. When something important arose, a vassal was dispatched; none were permanently stationed. Influence and intelligence-gathering overseas were therefore limited, and information on Nova—whose base was the United States—had remained incomplete.
"Well, better late than never. So we need to decide who goes."
Jeong-Hoon tapped the table in front of him with a finger. The eyes of every vassal except Butler Ju lit up at once. Following Richard Evans's request, Jeong-Hoon himself would travel to America; the meeting had been called to choose which of the Twelve would accompany him. This was the first official act of the true family head, and each of them burned with the desire to go.
"Butler Ju comes with me, of course. And we'll leave out the vassals who lead the businesses."
The six who headed the front companies instantly looked crestfallen. There was no help for it. While Jeong-Hoon was in America they would have to remain in Korea and weld the businesses into a single structure.
"Legal trouble could crop up, so Lawyer Ko stays as well…"
"Family Head? America is the land of lawsuits. Walking in without a lawyer is the same as walking into a dungeon without a gun."
Ko Yu-Yeon spoke with absolute determination to accompany them. Jeong-Hoon's expression turned troubled. The man was not wrong—but then who would personally direct the labyrinthine legal process of consolidating the companies?
"Steward Ko Yu-Yeon will remain. I shall go in his place."
Elder Council President Fernandez cleared his throat lightly and spoke. The former chief butler who had once roamed the entire world was a superhuman thoroughly versed in the laws of every nation.
"…Elder Council President, are you not supposed to lead the Elder Council? And to guard the family's sacred ground as well?"
"What is there to lead among ten old men? And the family's sacred ground has already served its purpose the moment the Family Head completed the enthronement ceremony."
Fernandez's eyes flashed; he was as eager as Butler Ju to attend Jeong-Hoon henceforth.
"Well, with Sir Fernandez at SSS-class, that is reassuring."
Because no one could predict what dangers might arise in America, Jeong-Hoon agreed with Fernandez's proposal.
"Then I will go as well. I am rather more familiar with America than Fernandez."
Jeong Si-Min raised his hand at Jeong-Hoon's reaction, and Jeong-Hoon's face grew awkward again. Jeong Si-Min did not head a business, yet he held a critical post.
"What about trainee education?"
"I only oversee it; I do not teach every class myself. Leaving it with someone else for a short while is no trouble."
His unconcerned tone made Jeong-Hoon nod. Having an SSS-class volunteer of his own accord was, frankly, a comfort.
"Wait—doesn't that mean every SSS-class member of the family is coming? That should be more than enough."
Two elders plus the chief butler: the lineup was already overflowing. With so much work remaining at the family's home base in Korea, personnel had to be kept to a minimum. Satisfied that this was sufficient, Jeong-Hoon prepared to end the meeting.
"Family Head, have you forgotten me, the Head Maid?"
"…Head Maid, you have to oversee the business consolidation. With Butler Ju gone, there's no one else I can entrust it to."
Jeong I-Yeong hurriedly spoke up as Jeong-Hoon tried to adjourn, only to receive an immediate reply. As Head Maid of the family she ranked just below Chief Butler Ju; when both the family head and the chief butler were away she was the one who could issue orders to the vassals. Knowing this, Jeong-Hoon had never once considered taking her along.
"We don't know what noise the consolidation process will generate, so I'm even leaving Ambassador Park behind to keep communication with the government smooth."
"…Understood. By the time the Family Head returns I will have every preparation complete so that we can announce the Group."
Jeong I-Yeong knew perfectly well how vital the business consolidation was to the family's future path; she bowed her head and answered. With that, the roster Jeong-Hoon would take to America was decided.
In his entire life Jeong-Hoon had never once traveled abroad, nor even boarded an airplane. This would be his first flight and his first journey to a foreign country.
"Huh? Come to think of it, I don't have a passport."
"It has already been prepared."
Only upon arriving at the airport did Jeong-Hoon remember the existence of a passport. Butler Ju immediately produced one.
"Hm. I more or less expected this, but it really is the case."
The family's businesses maintained countless branches and subsidiaries overseas. Lumen alone was a hotel chain with locations across the globe. The idea that its chairman could not visit a branch for lack of a passport was simply ridiculous.
"The plane will be… a charter, right?"
"A private jet."
His first trip abroad, a private jet, and free-pass immigration. While waiting in the VIP lounge for takeoff clearance, Jeong-Hoon picked up his phone.
He typed into the group chat with friends he had barely spoken to for months.
Yeong-min replied the instant the message went out, and the other friends piled on. Most of the messages were complaints about how little Jeong-Hoon contacted them. His middle- and high-school friends had no idea that Jeong-Hoon was the same person as Lee Jeong-Hoon, chairman of Lumen. They simply believed he had been lucky enough to land a job there. That was why a business trip to America only a few months after joining astonished them.
Nodding at Yeong-min's request for liquor, Jeong-Hoon closed the chat and messaged someone else.
The youngest S-class hunter and his friend Si-Eun fired back a reply the moment she received Jeong-Hoon's message. She had seen the news that Jeong-Hoon had visited Diana on business and that a raid had broken out there, but she did not know he had personally run around cleaning up the aftermath, so her answer was ordinary concern.
After giving advice on Flamma's assignment Si-Eun had immediately entered a dungeon and only cleared it yesterday; Jeong-Hoon had not expected her to know anything of his situation and was mildly flustered.
Si-Eun truly meant she needed nothing; it was not mere politeness. Jeong-Hoon shook his head.
At Si-Eun's words Jeong-Hoon tilted his head, wondering whether he had ever done anything that frightening. Looking up from his phone, he met the intense gaze of the girl who had been staring at him—Ju Min-Ha.
"…Something wrong?"
"No. I was just curious who the Family Head was chatting with so enthusiastically."
As a trainee vassal she was supposed to be receiving education, yet awakening to S-class had left her status ambiguous. Ordinary S-class would still have kept her a trainee, but her loyalty—the quality the family valued most in its vassals—had already surpassed the passing mark. With both ability and loyalty secured, Jeong Si-Min, who oversaw trainee education, had decided to place Min-Ha on actual vassal duties under the pretext of field training. Thus Ju Min-Ha was now accompanying Jeong-Hoon on the American trip.
"If it's field training, shouldn't you rotate through other departments first and learn from the bottom up?"
"My goal is to become chief butler. I figured studying the family's overall flow first would be better, so I came this way!"
At Min-Ha's declaration Jeong-Hoon could only shake his head. She was essentially announcing that she intended to become his right hand someday, and he had no idea how to respond.
"Ah—if I bring souvenirs from the American trip, what do you think would be good?"
"…Hmm, snacks for sure!"
Jeong-Hoon, who had never once considered snacks, nodded. He had been thinking of something far too grand for a gift; snacks were light enough that the recipient would not feel burdened. Perfect.
"Then snacks it is."
With the gift decided, he checked the time. It was nearly time to board.
Even in a world of dungeons and monsters the sky remained safe. Flying monsters existed, yet the dungeons that spawned them always opened on the ground. Airplanes were therefore still reliable. The real problem was the sea, used for bulk cargo transport. Oceanic dungeons birthed colossal marine monsters. That was why battleships, once considered obsolete for modern warfare, had been built again.
"Nngh!"
Thanks to that, Jeong-Hoon enjoyed the comfort of the private jet without incident and arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport, the closest major airport to New York. He stretched long and hard. The trouble began at immigration.
"…Uh, I'm can't English. OK?"
As a VIP who had arrived on a private jet he had expected a free pass, yet he had been stopped at immigration. The officer kept grilling him about something; unfortunately Jeong-Hoon spoke no English and could only shrug helplessly.
"Uh, Chairman. He's asking the purpose of your entry."
"Is he? Wait—more importantly, you speak English?"
"It's required for vassals."
The inspection was unusually strict; Butler Ju, Fernandez, and Jeong Si-Min had been processed separately while Jeong-Hoon and Min-Ha were paired together. Jeong-Hoon, who had been floundering without English, brightened at the discovery that Min-Ha could speak it.
"Tell him it's business."
"…He's asking what kind of business. Says someone as young as you shouldn't lie."
Never having imagined he would be treated this way, Jeong-Hoon heaved a deep sigh, pulled a business card from inside his suit jacket, and held it out. That, he thought, would be solid proof.
"Um… he's asking what kind of hotel Lumen even is. Wants to know if it's just a lodging broker."
Suspicion, suspicion, endless suspicion. The officer's attitude reeked of a determination to make Jeong-Hoon's life miserable. Jeong-Hoon shook his head in disbelief.
"This isn't some shakedown for a bribe, is it?"
"No. I've just heard America is like this. Especially since among all the Awakened around you, Chairman, only you are Non-Awakened—so they're being extra suspicious."
Jeong-Hoon had never expected to waste this much time. The moment he saw the immigration officer smirk at him, the last thread of his patience snapped. This was not a man fulfilling his duty; it was open mockery. The officer was using the authority of his post to ridicule him.
"Butler Ju. Sir Fernandez. Professor Jeong."
Jeong-Hoon spoke the three names and flicked his fingers. The three men, who had already cleared immigration and were waiting, appeared behind him in an instant.
"You called, Chairman?"
"I believe I've just been subjected to racial discrimination. That is grounds for a formal complaint, correct?"
Even if it meant turning the private jet around and flying straight back to Korea, this was an insult Jeong-Hoon could not swallow.