Starting Earth's Cultural Revolution! [05]
Starting Earth's Cultural Revolution! [05]
I sat up and looked around the room.
The walls, the blankets, even the doll lying next to me were all the same color. I checked several times to see if I was still dreaming, but nothing changed.
I like pink.
But this is going too far.
Everything is best in moderation.
I told the maids to decorate the room moderately, but I had no idea they'd do it like this.
It's an unexpected situation. They seem to have done their best, so it's hard to say anything about it.
I looked down at what I was wearing.
Pink pajamas with teddy bear ears.
That's right, I fell asleep in these. I remember now.
I was exhausted in many ways even before I fell asleep.
Memories of being surrounded by maids and treated like a dress-up doll came flooding back. It was horrific.
Even Soyeon-eonni didn't stop them.
Instead, she got swept up in the atmosphere and just brought over all sorts of clothes I don't usually wear. There was no salvation for me.
That's too much! At this rate, I won't even have time to play!
In the end, I ended up wearing the teddy bear pajamas.
I gave in to their desperate pleas to wear them, but once I did, they were actually quite comfortable. But why is everyone so busy taking pictures like crazy?
Well, if they're satisfied, that's fine.
They look so happy, if I go and say something, I'll just ruin the mood. Yeah, yeah...
This is also an investment for entertainment.
I took out the smartphone I had put in the drawer.
There were tons of notifications piled up. There were too many to check them all, so I went straight to the community site and scanned the latest posts.
As expected, it was full of talk about the bags.
[I summarized Nadia's broadcast.]
I measured the capacity, and it was fine up to 100 tons. Doesn't seem to take more than that? Seems like the capacity varies by bag size. I'm buying one as soon as they're properly released.
ㄴ You're buying it without even knowing the price?
ㄴ I'm buying it if it exists.
ㄴ They call this a holy relic in the Salvation Church.
ㄴ In a way, it is kind of like a holy relic.
[Posting a review after pilot introduction at the logistics center]
It's really light. When it goes into the bag, should I say time stops? The contents don't spoil at all. I can't believe this is actually possible.
ㄴ Heard all the companies are having a mental breakdown.
ㄴ ...I'm a truck driver, I might end up unemployed at this rate.
ㄴ The logistics industry itself seems like it's going to be reorganized.
[Did you see the Salvation Church's official statement?]
They said they're cooperating with the Hunter Bureau in exchange for receiving the holy relics (bags). The number of believers is increasing rapidly, and their influence is growing, which is scary.
ㄴ The Salvation Church is already issuing official statements?
ㄴ The speed is no joke.
ㄴ Is that the religion that worships the Princess?
ㄴ The growth rate of the Salvation Church is no joke.
[This month's comic book sales hit an all-time high]
Entertainment industry stock prices skyrocket thanks to the Dragon Princess.
ㄴ Can't be helped if you want to survive.
ㄴ Thank you, the industry is reviving.
ㄴ Looking forward to what you'll bring next.
I scrolled through the screen with a big grin.
It didn't deviate much from my expectations.
Broadcasting, religion, logistics. It's fun to see one item spreading in such diverse directions.
The speed was also much faster than I thought.
Logistics people, in particular, were interested.
A new item that breaks existing common sense.
An item that defies Earth's laws of physics.
Because of this, the world will become chaotic.
There will be those who seize the opportunity,
but there will also be those who don't.
There will be jobs that disappear...
and jobs that are newly created.
And the new religion, the Salvation Church.
The founder is the Transcendental-rank hunter Lucia.
A group where those who praise me as the Messiah gather. At first, I worried about what to do about this several times, but the conclusion was to leave it alone.
There are no problems yet.
The activities themselves are wholesome. Soyeon-eonni doesn't say much about it either. It won't be too late to make a decision after watching a little longer.
I pressed the next tab.
Did they say various products were made based on my likeness? Since it's come to this, shall I take a look? I searched for merchandise.
Character dolls with pink horns.
Mugs and cushions with my name on them.
Even headbands shaped like pink horns.
Most of them were quite neat.
I clicked on the photos one by one.
These are all made with me as the motif.
Thinking about it, it was a strange feeling.
It was unfamiliar, and it didn't feel real.
However, there is one thing that's a little disappointing.
To be honest, the level is too wholesome.
There wasn't anything as provocative as I thought.
I was looking forward to it, so it's a shame.
...Was I expecting it in a weird direction?
Still, shouldn't there be at least one?
I put down my smartphone and got up.
I opened the closet. Today is the day I visit the Hunter Bureau. Just as I was about to pick a familiar one from the many clothes, the door opened.
It was Soyeon-eonni.
Pure white hair, expressionless face.
She scanned me up and down once and didn't say anything. When we made eye contact while I was in my pajamas, an awkward silence flowed for a moment.
"We don't have much time left, do we?"
"That is correct. Are you ready?"
"I'm about to change now. Wait just a moment."
Soyeon-eonni leaned against the door and crossed her arms.
"Meals are prepared, so please go down first."
"It's okay, it's okay. I can eat later."
"You must eat before going to the Hunter Bureau."
"...Yaaawn. I don't have an appetite right now."
"That's because you've been reading comic books all day."
"I was reading them for work! I need to know about Earth well. They're important trade goods."
Soyeon-eonni looked at me. She didn't say anything.
I knew the meaning of that look.
Alright! I won't read all night next time!
But I have so much work to do usually.
Give me freedom!
Soyeon-eonni continued.
"What do you plan to do at the Hunter Bureau? There are a few meetings scheduled, but you will have plenty of time afterward."
"Sightseeing. And registering for a Hunter license."
"A license? Do you need that?"
"They have a ranking system here, right? Wouldn't it be convenient for me to register too?"
Soyeon-eonni didn't reply.
...It seems she agrees with my opinion.
Great. I won today!
"We depart in thirty minutes."
The door closed.
I thought while changing clothes alone.
What kind of people will be gathered there? It will be full of things I've never seen in my life, right? Will incidents and accidents happen like in novels? Whatever it is, I'm looking forward to it.
I feel this way every time I come to Earth.
A familiar yet unfamiliar land of my hometown.
That expression fits perfectly.
✦✦✦
"So this is where Earth's military forces gather. It's woefully lacking compared to the Empire, but considering the level of civilization, it's quite excellent in its own way."
Oh! Ooooooh!
Is this the Hunter Bureau!
The building itself looked different.
The outer wall was coated with a magic-based barrier. Even from a distance, I could feel the structure layered with protective barriers.
It's only been 10 years since magic spread on Earth, and to develop to this extent. Honestly, it's surprising. Humanity is quite something.
As soon as I stepped inside, I could clearly feel the air change. Unlike ordinary buildings, magic was spread throughout every space.
A space where magic and science are mixed.
It's a combination hard to imagine if it weren't Earth.
One wall was filled with hologram screens.
Gate coordinates and reaction data flowed in real-time, and on the other side, hunters were lined up checking their weapons and equipment.
It was interesting that these two things coexisted naturally. Have I ever felt my heart race like this since coming to Earth?
Of course, excluding entertainment.
That's special...
Comparison is impossible.
It seemed there was a basement floor.
A heavy smell of magic came from the stairs.
Probably training facilities or storage.
Can I look around later if I have time?
While walking down the hallway and looking around.
A woman came running towards me in a hurry.
Is she an employee here?
"I, I'm sorry I'm late."
"It's fine. Don't worry too much about it."
"I am lacking, but I will guide you through this place. Please forgive me even if I am clumsy..."
"There's no need to be that scared."
"Y-yes! H-here is the pride of the Bureau..."
The employee guided me from the front. Hunters stopped in every direction I walked. They took their hands off their work, and their gazes were drawn to me.
Murmurs flowed from people's mouths.
The sound that wasn't much suddenly grew louder.
"Isn't that pink-haired person the Dragon Princess?"
"Who is the person next to her? I saw them in a photo."
"Did they say she was the Princess's attendant?"
Soyeon-eonni turned around once.
The talking suddenly stopped.
A male hunter approached from the end of the hallway.
He was wearing a badge that said C-rank.
He hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"U-um, could you shake my hand just once?"
It was strange to see a man as huge as a mountain acting so shy. He's a man who really doesn't live up to his size. But his courage is commendable.
"Very well. I grant it."
I smiled and held out my hand.
The hunter blushed and grabbed it eagerly.
His hand was so big that he even grabbed my wrist.
"Thank you. Seriously."
His voice trembled slightly.
Could he be someone who was there that day?
There really are a lot of hunters who survived the gate back then. Well, they gathered from all over the country.
It was definitely a good thing I participated in the battle that day.
That was the signal. As if the emotions they had been desperately suppressing burst out all at once, the hunters approached me in unison. The female employee who was guiding me panicked at the sight.
"E-everyone?! Please calm down!"
It would be useless to shout that quietly at the hunters. As expected. She was pushed back quite a distance by the wave of the crowd.
"Me too, me too!"
"Can I take a picture?"
"I, I want to touch your cheek!"
"You're cuter in person."
"Is that tail real?"
Soyeon-eonni stepped forward.
Everyone flinched and stopped.
"How rude. Everyone, please step back."
"I will make an opportunity next time, so I would like you to wait for that time to come. I am very busy today, so it is difficult to deal with everyone."
I answered like that and walked away.
The hunters didn't approach any further either.
They just watched from afar.
The guide employee stopped in front of the registration counter.
"You can register for a Hunter license here."
The employee sitting at the counter looked up and froze. They looked back and forth between me and Soyeon-eonni, then straightened their posture. There's no need to be scared.
"Do you wish to register?"
"Yes. Can I also register?"
The employee opened the screen.
They entered the name, entered the affiliation.
After checking something, they said.
"No problem. Please wait a moment."
A moment later, the card came out immediately.
I held it in my hand and examined it. My name was written on it.
Affiliation or nationality was private.
These points are fine.
It was lighter and thinner than I thought.
It seems to have magic detection devices built-in. I can feel it reacting slightly when I flow magic into it.
"Are you not measuring the rank separately?"
The employee broke into a cold sweat.
"We have already grasped the Princess's ability on our side. I don't think we need to measure it separately. I-if you wish..."
"That's enough. There's no need to force it."
It was a shame.
I wanted to experiment myself on how the ranking system works. I was also curious about how they extract the figures. And how dragon-standard magic would register on Earth's measuring instruments...
From behind, Soyeon-eonni said in a low voice.
"It's actually a good thing."
I thought I'd get nagged if I said it was a shame, so I just let it slide. For a world that's like fantasy, why doesn't it flow like a novel in times like this?
I took the card and turned around.
It ended more simply than I thought.
I didn't know getting a license was this fast. Just putting in a name and affiliation and it's over.
If it were the Empire, it would have taken a month from screening to testing. Maybe because it's Earth, the procedures are simple and the processing speed is fast.
At that moment, the hallway became noisy.
What happened?
Did a big incident break out? Could it be a gate?
I turned my head out of curiosity.
The hunters naturally stepped aside, opening a path. A woman was standing there.
Silver bobbed hair. White wings folded at her shoulders.
The air changed just by her entering.
I've seen that face before. The Transcendental-rank hunter from the US who leads the new religion that worships me. What was her name again? Ah, right. It was Lucia.
Even though she was just walking slowly, the surroundings cleared up on their own. Her presence was definitely different from ordinary hunters.
"......Why is Lucia-nim here?"
"It's my first time seeing her in person, she's holy."
"Did she come to see the Princess?"
That woman looked this way.
The eyes of someone who had discovered something they had been looking for for a long time.
Her steps stopped.
As if she had confirmed something.
She approached step by step.
Without hesitation, she knelt on one knee.
Towards me, with her head bowed.
"Rise. There are many eyes watching."
"......I did not know I would meet you here. I am only sorry for committing a rudeness in my haste. My name is Lucia. I am but a fleeting member of the masses who believes in and follows the Lord."
The surroundings went quiet all at once.
A Transcendental-rank hunter knelt.
And she did it so nonchalantly, so naturally.
The hunters who were watching this scene in real-time didn't know where to look, their gazes wandering around in the air.
Soyeon-eonni stepped in front of me.
Standing between Lucia and me, she silently drew a clear line.
She does not allow anyone to approach the Princess without permission. As if leaving that warning.
She didn't tolerate even a single step.
"Did you say Lucia?"
"Yes. That is correct. O right arm of God."
"I have something to say to you separately later. It is something that will definitely be helpful to the Princess. If you are not interested, you may pass by."
"No! Please use me anytime!"
Listening to the two's conversation from the side.
I narrowed my eyes quietly.
It had been a bit strange lately.
She went outside particularly often.
Gathering people like that...
what is she plotting?
It feels ominous somehow.
At that moment, someone shouted in a rush.
"They say a gate opened in the Atlantic!"
"W-what! I looked it up and it's true!"
"Transcendental-rank hunters tried to handle it, but they all failed?! What happens now? Is there any other way?"
The surroundings began to stir in an instant.
The hunters' gazes turned to one side.
Everyone seems to be looking at me.
...The Atlantic.
I got a little interested.
The schedule is mostly over anyway.
And I have some time left.
Shall I go and take a look?