Chapter 431: Promotion Match (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 431: Promotion Match (1)
The date of our return was quickly decided.
China, with plenty of skeletons in its closet, took charge of the aftermath.
Those who had devised the dangerous, secret plot during the operation were also made an example of.
I heard that after receiving the warning from the three nations via the Minister of National Defense, the President of China quickly cut his losses. He had all his subordinates arrested and dismissed, and their accumulated wealth was confiscated to be given to us as compensation.
For these reasons, there was no need to stay in China any longer.
The representatives from each country were staying a few more days to discuss future matters, but that was none of my business.
Exactly one day before our return.
I went to the hotel suite where the Saintess was staying.
“The fact that you’ve come to see me… means you’ve made your decision, I presume.”
“Yes, that’s right.”
I furrowed my brow as much as I could.
I slowly began to speak, trying my best to etch the traces of my supposed deliberation over the past few days onto my face.
“Honestly, I’m not sure. It’s surprising enough that such a world exists, and I don’t know if I can live up to your expectations, Saintess.”
“I understand.”
She slowly nodded at my anguish-filled words.
“Accepting a new world is a very difficult thing to do. But I have faith.”
She reached out and placed her hand over mine.
It felt incredibly warm and comforting.
“I believe that with your talent and character, Hunter Kim Do-jin, you will be a great help to us.”
“Saintess…”
“I can’t promise you much. But I can guarantee that you will be rewarded for your efforts on our behalf. So, will you help us?”
Her earnest voice, coming from behind the veil, tickled my heart.
I would have had to bite the bullet and work for free, but she was even offering to pay me for my efforts.
Isn’t this an amazing deal?
Hiding my pleasant inner thoughts, I put on a heavy expression, nodded, and spoke.
“…Since you’ve put it that way, Saintess, I’ll trust you and give it a try.”
The worry of my identity being discovered along the way had long since vanished.
As long as I didn’t directly display my Divine Authority, I wouldn’t have to worry about being found out.
Gula, the one who granted me this Divine Authority, had told me so herself.
She said it was one of the unique characteristics of her Divine Authority. Something about being constantly starved by a hunger that never fades, no matter how much she eats, leaving no energy to leak outward.
Hearing my words, the Saintess immediately stood up, grabbed my hand, and shook it joyfully.
“Thank you so much, Hunter Kim Do-jin! I’ll make sure you never regret this decision.”
“You have to keep that promise, okay? I’m really putting all my trust in you.”
“Should I write you a formal pledge, if you’d like?”
“No, you don’t have to go that far…”
I faced the veil that remained impenetrable no matter how hard I tried to see through it.
Her words and actions seemed genuinely joyful. But the veil, which allowed not even a sliver of a gap, kept bothering me, making it hard to believe her completely. I had no way of knowing what kind of expression she was making behind it.
I tightened the slightly loosened string of tension and asked her.
“By the way, Saintess, you said ‘us,’ didn’t you?”
“Yes, I did.”
“Then, do you have a group name by any chance?”
“Of course!”
She gently let go of my hand, which she had been holding until now, and cleared her throat with a “Hmph, hmph!” right in front of me.
…Shouldn’t she at least turn her head to do that?
Whether she did or not, after clearing her throat, she began to speak.
“Guardians.”
At the same moment, a brilliant light burst forth from behind her. It was a mystical sight, as if she were bathed in a platinum-colored aura.
Amidst the light, she continued.
“Welcome to the guardians of humanity, Hunter Kim Do-jin.”
Hmm…
A guardian, huh.
Filled with overwhelming emotion, I asked her.
“…Was it really necessary to waste your divine power just to say that?”
To which she triumphantly replied.
“It’s for the dramatic flair!”
…So she says.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
The day of our return finally came.
The Hunters who had participated in the operation all walked through the airport with smiles on their faces.
Just like on the way there, we used Han Ju-hee’s private jet for the return trip.
Ah, but Han Ju-hee wasn’t with us. She said she was staying behind, probably to squeeze something more out of the Chinese bastards who’d been thoroughly caught.
On the way back, the seat next to me was inevitably taken by Seo-yeon.
She’d been stuck to my back since we boarded the plane, and the moment I sat down, she plopped down in the seat next to me.
“Um, Do-jin?”
“Yes, Sunbae.”
“What are you going to do when you get back to Korea…?”
I didn’t have a set schedule. But there was one thing. One thing I had decided I absolutely had to do as soon as I got back.
“I’m going to eat kimchi stew.”
“You like kimchi stew…?”
I do. But not just any kimchi stew.
“Jeong… no, the landlady at my boarding house makes an amazing kimchi stew.”
“I see.”
She nodded up and down with a peculiar expression, then spoke as if something had occurred to her.
“W-will you come to my house next time?”
“…To your house, Sunbae?”
For a moment, heat rushed to my head. This brazen girl, trying to bring an unrelated man into her home…!
Regardless of my thoughts, Seo-yeon nodded with a bright smile and continued.
“The ajumma who cooks for us makes really good kimchi stew, too…! Even my dad is always impressed.”
“Ah… is that so?”
Yeah, that’s right. That ajumma does make good kimchi stew. But my Jeong-hee makes it better.
Of course, they each have their own charm, so I wouldn’t mind trying it again sometime, but…
“Some other time.”
I couldn’t go to that house right now, nor did I want to.
Even aside from the fact that my relationship with Han Ju-hee had hit rock bottom, Son Si-woo was on my mind.
Just seeing his face would probably be fine, but you never know with people.
I was about to politely decline and subtly turn my head toward the window, feeling a bit sorry, when she spoke again.
“Then can I come visit you?”
Visit me out of the blue?
“…Visit where?”
“The house you live in. I want to try that ajumma’s kimchi stew, too.”
“Uh, um.”
Why is she being so persistent today…?
* * *
After a short flight, the private jet entered the runway at Incheon Airport.
As Kim Do-jin stepped out of the landed plane, his face looked a little more haggard than it had just a few hours before.
The cause was Son Seo-yeon, who had been sitting next to him.
“So, I’ll see you next weekend, right?”
“…Sure.”
“Hee, I’m looking forward to it.”
It was the first time I realized it. My own daughter was a question-assassin.
The number of questions she threw at me in such a short time was staggering. What’s more, her questions grew more persistent with each one, making it even more exhausting.
‘If the flight had been just two hours longer, I would have died.’
Shuddering lightly at the dizzying thought, he stepped out of the gate and was greeted by a chaotic atmosphere.
A barrage of camera flashes.
“It’s Hunter Kim Do-jin!”
The shouts of reporters who had spotted him.
“…What is this.”
An operation involving a large number of A-rank Hunters, including Kim Do-jin. The start of the operation had been kept secret, but after the fact, it was inevitable that everyone would find out.
A massive Black Market that had been eating away at China had disappeared in a matter of days. It would be stranger if people didn’t know.
The reporters filling the airport had all rushed here after hearing the news.
They were all hoping to write their articles based on more detailed information as quickly as possible.
And among all the targets, Kim Do-jin was the most mouth-watering one for them.
“Hunter Kim Do-jin! Could we please have a moment for an interview!”
“It’ll only take a moment…!”
“Uh, um.”
He was momentarily flustered by the human wall that greeted him as soon as he left the gate. But then, as if that had never happened, a pleasant smile bloomed on his lips as he answered.
“I’m tired, so let’s keep it short.”
He could have ignored them if he wanted to, but that wasn’t a good idea.
The Republic of Korea isn’t a country that can be swayed by power alone. There are times when the pen is mightier than the sword.
The little bit of time he gave them was an investment for such moments.
As soon as he gave his permission, questions poured in.
“We heard that the seditious force within the Black Market was the group you mentioned, Hexagram.”
“Yes, they were a truly wicked bunch.”
When answering questions related to Hexagram, he mixed in all sorts of exaggerations to portray them as villains.
This was mutually beneficial. The reporters were happy to have rich material for their articles, and Kim Do-jin was happy to be able to drag Hexagram’s image through the mud.
After answering a few more questions, the final one was asked.
“What is your schedule after returning to Korea?”
Speaking into the microphone held out by a female reporter, Kim Do-jin answered seriously, “First, I plan to go home and eat some kimchi stew.”
Hahahaha!
A wave of pleasant laughter erupted.
“After that, I don’t have anything specific planned, but… ah.”
Something came to mind as he was speaking.
A single sentence that could turn not just the Republic of Korea, but the entire world, upside down.
“After a short rest, I plan to visit the Hunter Association.”
Question marks appeared on the reporters’ faces at the unexpected answer.
“If you don’t mind my asking, may I inquire as to the purpose of your visit to the Association…?”
To the question posed by one reporter on behalf of the others, Kim Do-jin replied with a grin.
“I’m going to apply for a promotion.”
“……”
A momentary silence fell.
The reporters’ faces, after mulling over his answer a few times, became colored with shock.
One of the reporters, overcome with joy, screamed at the top of his lungs.
“This is a scooooooop!”
The youngest A-rank Hunter applies for a promotion.
The shocking news that the youngest S-rank Hunter might soon be born dominated the online news articles.