Chapter 508: The White Land
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 508: The White Land
That evening, I arrived at Heathrow Airport.
Perhaps because my departure schedule had been announced in advance, the airport was crowded with reporters who had flocked to cover me.
Among them were quite a few ordinary citizens gathered with placards, and with a significant number of police officers deployed to control the crowd, there was hardly any room to move.
Amidst thousands of cameras and a crowd of tens of thousands, I walked leisurely through them, hand in hand with Delia.
Click, click, click—!!
The sound of shutters erupted ceaselessly from all directions.
The reason we could move so calmly in such a chaotic situation was thanks to the knights lined up on both sides like a police line.
I couldn't tell if it was a courtesy from Duke Winchester or a calculated move by the Queen to make me view England favorably.
“Baronet Lauderdale! Please look this way!”
“What is your relationship with Lady Delia?! Are you lovers?! Or engaged?!”
“Does receiving a title mean you intend to naturalize as a British citizen?!”
“There are talks that the World Hunter Association is adjusting your rank to S-rank! Could you please comment on that!”
Despite the barrage of questions pouring in from all sides, I remained silent.
With the attention and gazes of tens of thousands focused on her, Delia's face flushed beet red as if it would burst, but she didn't seem to entirely dislike the situation.
This was because she, too, knew why I was confidently walking hand in hand with her in front of the reporters.
It was a kind of warning to all the men in the world.
—Touch my woman, and you're dead.
Delia had successfully awakened as the master of Excalibur during her battle with the Black Flame Dragon, Zerkishinia.
As a result, she had ascended to the position of King Arthur, leader of the Knights of the Round Table.
Having risen to the third-highest rank in the British order of precedence at the mere age of twenty-one, it was no exaggeration to say that the entire world, not just Europe, was watching her.
This was because the Knights of the Round Table were, in name and reality, Europe's strongest military force.
The leaders of various nations would try to form amicable relationships with her by any means necessary, and historically, the most common method in such situations was none other than marriage.
Of course, they wouldn't dare make a rash move, if only out of consideration for Duke Winchester, but I couldn't just relax and assume everything would be fine.
‘Even after all this, if some bastards still approach Lia with impure intentions...’
Grit—
Then I planned to go and see their faces for myself.
Of course, that doesn't mean I'd kill them on the spot. I'm not some psychopath.
Still, as long as they're human, if you dig deep enough, you're bound to find some dirt.
So they'd better pray. Pray that the dirt I find isn't too big to ignore.
Click, click, click—!!!
Even while I was lost in thought for a moment, the camera flashes never stopped.
‘...It's so bright. How can celebrities smile without their expressions changing at all?’
For a moment, I was struck by how amazing celebrities were, then I glanced at Delia.
I had effectively blocked all her marriage prospects, but I didn't feel the slightest bit of guilt.
Because I was going to take responsibility for her anyway.
“Baronet Lauderdale!! Please, just one word... Ugh?! H-hey, stop pushing!!”
“Aah!! Lady Delia!! Baronet!!”
After reaching the gate, I slowly stopped and turned my head.
Delia, oblivious to the stares around her, looked up at me with teary eyes, as if she might start crying at any moment.
“...You said you were stopping by Russia for a bit before going to Korea, right?”
“Yeah.”
“You have to call me when you get to Korea, okay? I can't promise I'll be able to go, but... I'll try my best to make time.”
“I'll call you when I get to Russia, too.”
With that, I pulled Delia into a tight hug.
She hugged me back tightly with both arms, and camera flashes erupted ceaselessly from all around.
But that wasn't the end of it.
“I'm going.”
“...Okay.”
Along with a brief farewell, we kissed, and the airport instantly descended into chaos.
It was a moment, like a scene from a drama, that was broadcast live to the entire world.
*
Flump—
7:30 PM.
Thanks to Duke Winchester's consideration, I had the entire first-class cabin to myself. I sank into the luxuriously comfortable seat and let out a deep sigh.
It was because Choi Hyena had seen the scene of me kissing Delia broadcast worldwide and had called me.
“Hey.”
“Huh?”
“Who's that woman?”
“...”
“Didn't I tell you not to go chasing girls in England? But you couldn't even wait that long, and not only did you meet a woman, but now you're openly kissing her in front of reporters? And on top of that, she's King Arthur, someone even the British Prime Minister has trouble with?”
“...Sorry.”
“What are you sorry for?”
“...For fooling around while you were gone?”
“If you knew, why'd you do it?”
“...”
“You, the second you get to Korea, you get your ass over to my house.”
It was a short call, less than ten minutes, but I could feel my blood run cold in real time.
I felt like my days were numbered.
‘...Should I just naturalize as a British citizen?’
If Duke Winchester and Queen Katrina heard that, they would have welcomed it with open arms.
The moment the word 'naturalization' left my lips, they'd probably issue my citizenship in ten seconds without any special procedures.
No, they might have already made it, waiting for the moment I marry Delia.
‘It's not like I have any particularly good memories in Korea... but when I think of the nuns, I can't just leave completely...’
The debt of being raised was as heavy as the debt of being born.
For a moment, I thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to visit the orphanage all together someday when I get married, like a formal meeting of the families—
‘...How many were there again?’
Right now, there were 15 women registered on the dating app. Including those not yet registered, it would be around 20.
And if I think about the future...
‘...Would the head nun grab the back of her neck and faint?’
She wasn't a particularly close-minded person for a nun, but she also wasn't the type to remain calm if I brought home dozens of daughters-in-law.
After much deliberation, I had no choice but to conclude I would only invite her to the joint wedding ceremony.
After that, I opened the dating app.
A few notifications that had piled up caught my eye.
Tiring—
[The number of women registered on the Another World Dating App has reached 15.]
[10,000 Love Coins have been awarded.]
[New items have been added to the Shop.]
This was the screen that had popped up when I registered Lee Serin on the app. I was too distracted back then and just swiped it away, and it seems I'd completely forgotten about it.
‘New items...?’
In that moment, a feeling of half-anticipation and half-anxiety welled up in my chest.
Going by the pattern so far, it was obvious that they'd put an item in the shop that I couldn't resist buying, forcing me to spend every last coin I had.
Just like with the Black Flame.
I glanced over to check the state of my wallet.
[Owned Coins: 78,000 Coins]
‘...Still, they wouldn't make me spend all of this, right?’
Hoo...
With slightly trembling fingertips, I opened the Shop.
Tiring—
[Shop
1. Fortune Cookie of Meeting
2. Dinkilling's Knife
3. Weather Change Ticket
4. Cheonhwa's Magic Power Enhancer
5. Blessed Fertilizer
6. Hellfire Bug
·
·
·
10. Match Warp]
Among the ten items, one in particular stood out.
[Match Warp
Grade: Epic
Allows you to teleport to a registered partner on the Another World Dating App.
※Can only be used within the same dimension.
Cooldown: 48 hours]
“...Insane.”
[Price: 50,000 Coins]
As expected, the price was so vicious it would skin a flea for its liver, but there was no way I couldn't buy this.
Not only could I go see someone like Delia anytime, even if we were physically far apart, but I could also see at a glance that it had incredible synergy with the ‘Pure Love Knight’ title I'd recently obtained.
The Pure Love Knight title immediately alerts me when a woman I have affection for is in danger, but it couldn't rule out the possibility of me arriving a step too late.
Just look at what happened with Yoo Ah-rin; I was almost too late.
But with Match Warp, that worry was practically gone.
Tiring—
[Purchase 'Match Warp'?]
[Y/N]
[Y]
“Keuk...!”
In an instant, 60% of my entire fortune was gone.
I'd heard the saying 'earn like a dog, spend like a gentleman,' but no matter how I looked at it, it felt more like I was earning like a dog and spending like a dog.
‘...Right, this is worth it.’
It's not like I was saving up coins to go to Mars; it was right to spend them boldly when needed.
Holding back tears, I checked the other items.
[Fortune Cookie of Meeting
Grade: Rare
Tastes very good.
Contains a fortune related to the person you want to meet.]
[Dinkilling's Knife
Grade: Epic
One of 12 hidden weapons crafted in his later years by the infamous most-wanted criminal, Dinkilling.
Automatically mixes a total of 79 poisons inside the knife and injects them into the target.]
[Weather Change Ticket
Grade: Epic
Can change the weather for one hour.]
[Cheonhwa's Magic Power Enhancer
Grade: Rare
Greatly amplifies magic power for 10 minutes.
User experiences magic power exhaustion afterward.
※Causes permanent damage to the magic circuit.]
[Blessed Fertilizer
Grade: Epic
Fertilizer imbued with the blessing of Peschulcotar, the god of plants.
Provides significant help to the growth of all plants.
There is a rare chance that Peschulcotar's blessing will be bestowed upon the plant.]
[Hellfire Bug
Grade: Rare
A fire bug that lives in hell.
Its bite causes excruciating burning pain.]
“Hmm...”
After checking each item description, I breathed an inward sigh of relief.
It wasn't all must-buy items like Match Warp.
‘The ones worth buying are Dinkilling's Knife, the Blessed Fertilizer, and maybe the Weather Change Ticket?’
The three of them together cost 40,500 coins.
But I only had 28,000 coins left. It was time to pick and choose.
‘...I guess I'll have to give up on the Weather Change Ticket.’
It was expensive, but the item itself also felt a bit like a dilemma.
[-26,500 Coins]
[Owned Coins: 1,500 Coins]
My 78,000 coins had become 1,500 in an instant, but I had no regrets.
This was what I'd been saving them for.
“Anyway, a fortune cookie...”
Since I couldn't take out a knife and fertilizer on the plane, I examined the ‘Fortune Cookie of Meeting’ that I'd impulse-bought because it was only 500 coins.
On the outside, it looked like an ordinary fortune cookie.
Except, perhaps, for the savory aroma that was so fragrant it made my mouth water.
I considered just eating it, but I had a feeling I'd have a use for it someday, so I put it in my inventory.
“Excuse me.”
Just then, a flight attendant cautiously approached.
She was a beautiful Latina woman with attractive, copper-toned skin.
“For the in-flight meal, we have beef, lamb, fish, pasta, and a vegetarian option. Which would you like?”
“The beef, please.”
“And for your drink, would you like champagne, wine, whiskey, beer, or a Coke Zero?”
“Hmm... I'll have a Coke Zero.”
“Understood. Do you have any allergies?”
“No.”
“Very well. Thank you.”
The flight attendant retreated quietly with a kind smile.
A short while later, an appetizer consisting of caviar, smoked salmon, and mini canapés was served, along with my Coke Zero.
‘...The taste is just so-so.’
However, the beef steak that came as the main course was quite good. The chocolate cake for dessert was nice, too.
But it wasn't as good as the chocolate strawberries I'd had with Delia at Borough Market.
Pfft—
‘I guess that's only natural.’
Anyway, after fully enjoying the first-class service, I put on an eye mask and fell asleep.
“Ladies and gentlemen, our flight will shortly be landing at Sheremetyevo Alexander S. Pushkin International Airport.”
