Chapter 345
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 345
Chapter Title: Something to Show
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‘What the hell is that chain-smoking princess scheming?’
Rimon felt uneasy.
Ever since she'd suddenly taken him as a concubine, Hasneti's actions had always veered off the expected path.
But lately, that unpredictable side of her had grown even stronger.
‘Damn, impossible to read her.’
Against most opponents, he could at least guess their intentions with his Sword Master senses and No Gangho's experience.
But with Hasneti, even that was no easy feat.
A poker face was the baseline.
Too lukewarm for outright hostility, too cold for genuine goodwill.
So Rimon had no clue what she wanted from him.
‘Come to think of it, wasn't there a sultan like that ages ago?’
Living so long hadn't been for nothing.
After some pondering, Rimon recalled a sultan from centuries ago in the Middle East who ruled through terror, only to suddenly start benevolent acts, stirring up quite the fuss.
‘Hmm, why did that bastard do it? Rumors said he was possessed or had gone mad...’
The problem was it was so long ago and insignificant, his memory was fuzzy.
Rimon tried desperately to dredge up the details to figure out Hasneti's motives.
“Follow me.”
But his musings were cut short today, as always, by Hasneti's abrupt arrival.
She was dressed in an impeccably crisp military uniform, sharper than usual, and tossed out the command the moment they met. Rimon tilted his head.
“Follow you where?”
“I'm going on an inspection.”
“You want me tagging along on a Pharaoh's inspection? Why?”
“No need to kn—...”
Hasneti started to reply in her gravelly voice but suddenly clamped her mouth shut.
She fell silent as if listening to someone, then spoke again.
“Don't you get bored cooped up in the detached palace?”
“So you're taking me for a walk because you think I'm bored?”
“Yes.”
“Should I be grateful?”
It wasn't like giving medicine after poisoning someone.
Locking him up then offering a stroll—what kind of nonsense was that?
To Rimon's curt question, Hasneti replied coldly.
“No need for thanks. Just follow.”
“...Well, if that's the Pharaoh's will.”
Her tone brooked no refusal, so Rimon shrugged and trailed after her.
All without knowing what voices echoed in her head.
[Th-that's right!]
[It's not something to be thanked for!]
[I'm sorry for keeping you locked in the detached palace, so let's go out, have a meal together as an apology, and do some sightseeing!]
[Just say it like that—why do you always have to sound so stiff?!]
Bluebird—Yuna Kyung—had been eavesdropping through the lip-reading item Hasneti fetched from the royal vault herself, paired with the super-hearing item. She hopped around in frustration, shouting.
Hasneti's response was clear-cut.
‘...It'd make me look weak.’
[What's that got to do with anything!?]
‘Weak rationality has no charm.’
[That's logic that only works on steppe beasts! Women acting weak is charming too!]
‘Is that so...?’
[Yes! So pretend to be weak on purpose! Make him want to protect you!]
Her combat power was level 100.
But her romance level? Hasneti barely scraped level 1. Yuna Kyung hammered it home.
[Remember: the goal of this date is ‘Aim for the unexpectedly kind tyrant’!]
Someone who always does bad feels refreshingly different with one good deed.
Use that gap to win favor.
With Yuna Kyung's telepathy as serious as a strategist proposing world conquest, Hasneti nodded gravely like a villainous overlord.
Thus began Yuna Kyung's meticulously crafted date plan, mobilizing every romantic cell she had.
And it promptly fell apart.
“This tourist spot seems poorly maintained for a tourist area. Shouldn't it be spruced up more?”
“Is that so.”
[Why are you doing a real inspection instead of tourism...?]
“These clothes are supposed to be luxury brands, but the quality's off—they're clearly peddling Russian fakes.”
“...Indeed.”
[Eek! Those clothes were fakes?]
“Why the movie theater? Oh, wait—is there a rumor about black-market deals here?”
“............Yes.”
[Don't agree with that!!!?]
Maybe because she'd framed the outing as an inspection.
Or the military uniform.
Or her icy demeanor.
Whatever the case, Rimon never suspected it was just a date and threw himself into it full throttle every time.
And with her affirming his misguided efforts, the date plan morphed into a full inspection before they knew it.
Yuna Kyung, who'd prepared her first date plan in ages, was fit to burst with frustration.
[Try to make it more lovey-dovey!]
‘Feed her alcohol?’
[Soldier sis, is that the only way you know to set the mood?]
‘Yes.’
[Ugh, I'd rather die.]
Yuna Kyung groaned inwardly.
‘At least White Dragon sis would charge ahead on her own...’
Ainsha often did foolish things, but her action was top-notch.
Plus, acting on precognition meant even mistakes felt like they'd work out somehow.
Hasneti was the opposite.
Outwardly a bold, iron-blooded tyrant, but a total blockhead in romance.
And she showed no emotions, making it all the more nerve-wracking.
Like watching a kid juggle flaming torches over a glass orb full of gunpowder.
She wanted to leave her be but couldn't, leaving Yuna Kyung on the verge of a heart attack from sheer frustration.
‘...Dating is impressive.’
But Hasneti was utterly content with the situation.
For the past decade, she'd only known him through photos and articles.
Unable to even watch from afar, now walking and talking with Rimon—this alone set her heart racing.
If not for psionics cooling her flush, her face would've been beet red ages ago.
She wished time would freeze like this.
Unlike her cold exterior, Hasneti savored this innocent joy inwardly.
Trouble struck mid-inspection-that-wasn't.
“Pharaoh, doesn't the basement here feel suspicious?”
“What basement?”
“This one, right here.”
Taking it as a real patrol, Rimon skipped the movie and scoured for oddities with his Sword Master senses and PAB experience.
He led her to an iron door in the theater basement.
Melted the lock and forced it open.
Clunk.
“......”
“......?!”
“The intel seemed solid?”
Hasneti went silent.
Rimon nodded to himself.
The men hauling machine guns, grenades, rocket launchers—everything froze.
“Sh-shit!”
After a beat of silence,
the men dropped their crates and aimed the weapons at Rimon with shouts.
Sparks flew from Hasneti's eyes.
[Why the hell is a smuggling ring in a place like this...?]
Until moments ago, a tidy secret warehouse.
Now just scrap metal. Arms crossed in silence, Hasneti responded calmly to Yuna Kyung's dazed voice.
‘Common occurrence.’
[Common!? Do movie theaters around here all have arms smugglers?]
‘Rare for theaters, but common elsewhere.’
Egypt was far more prosperous and stable than other nations, but no utopia.
Especially for smuggling.
Weapons to appliances—
As Africa's top developed nation, Egyptian goods were cheap and quality, turning huge profits across the continent.
Choosing a theater to avoid Red Dragon Clan interference was unusual, but that's all.
Unlucky for Yuna Kyung picking the spot,
and the smugglers struck by lightning.
Especially those who'd aimed guns at Rimon and ended up half-roasted by Hasneti.
But Hasneti, who'd ruined the date, didn't care much.
She silently watched Rimon slather emergency meds from the smuggled goods onto the groaning, burned smugglers.
“Why the stare?”
Noticing her gaze mid-application, Rimon glanced back. Hasneti asked lowly.
“Why treat them?”
“What else? Let them die?”
“Death would be kinder for them.”
“Yeah, probably.”
Rimon agreed readily.
Smuggling was a heavy crime in Egypt.
Especially resisting with guns against her and him—their futures were grim enough that death might be mercy.
Had Hasneti not noticed his gaze, she'd have incinerated them outright.
“Knowing that, you still treat them because they want to live?”
“Not really thinking that.”
“Then why?”
“Dunno?”
Just looking at their trigger-happy ways, most were murderers.
Innocents were one thing; he didn't care if vicious criminals lived or died.
So why bother?
Rimon scratched his cheek after a moment's thought.
“If I had to say, habit?”
“......”
“Or boredom relief.”
“You little brat, treating us like toys...! Guak!”
“Be good and sleep. Patients need rest, got it?”
Her reaction to his absurd answer was so ridiculous,
one smuggler flared up mid-treatment, only to eat a solar plexus strike from Rimon and pass out. Hasneti watched a moment, then murmured.
“So that's it, after all.”
“That's what?”
“......”
“Ah, no need for me to know, right?”
To her silence, Rimon gave up and resumed smearing meds vigorously.
Yuna Kyung, listening via the super-hearing item, tsked and was about to chime in when
Hasneti spoke.
“Now I truly understand you.”
“Understand me? What?”
[What do you mean?]
Hasneti didn't answer.
She just handed the smugglers to Red Dragon Clan members summoned via Nadia, then turned crisply.
“Follow.”
“......?”
[Soldier sis, where to? That's not the next date spot!]
‘No more dates needed.’
[Huh?]
Yuna Kyung blinked at the sudden declaration, but Hasneti ignored her.
Others might miss it.
But after obsessively collecting data on Rimon for over a decade,
and as Red Dragon Princess,
she understood.
That trying to win his heart with gifts or dates was a mistake from the start.
That it wasn't her way—and her true task was elsewhere.
So Hasneti strode ahead, saying lowly.
“There's something I want to show you.”
Moments later,
Rimon was baffled.
From cars to military choppers,
changing transport multiple times—what the hell?
And Hasneti's destination was utterly unexpected.
“Dragging me to a power plant out of nowhere—what for?”
[Power plant? You went to a power plant?!]
Yes.
A power plant,
in the middle of nowhere, far from Cairo, smack in farmland.
A state-of-the-art facility towering amid endless golden wheat fields was quite the spectacle.
But the reason for coming here? No clue.
“No rush. What I want to show is elsewhere.”
Rimon and even palace-bound Yuna Kyung both cocked their heads. Hasneti followed Red Dragon Clan escorts from the helipad into the plant.
She paused the super-hearing item linked to Yuna Kyung, then asked gruffly.
“You know the Apophis family controls over 80% of the world's energy industry?”
“Only an idiot wouldn't.”
“How we did it?”
“Your clan runs most thermal plants and refineries, right?”
“Yes.”
Hasneti affirmed calmly.
Then denied.
“But that's not all.”
“If not plants and refineries, what else?”
“What you're about to see.”
“What do you m—...?”
Chatting down a long corridor, Rimon paused with a strange expression.
Not just from the massive metal door blocking a huge passage after layers of security doors.
Something emanated from beyond, cloaked in magical forces.
Weeeeeeng.
Finally, the last door opened.
Revealing the interior.
Rimon's face hardened.
“...Pharaoh, what the hell is ‘this’?”
“The true reason our clan dominates the world's energy industry.”
As if expecting his reaction,
Hasneti answered lowly.
She lit a cigarette from her pocket, inhaled deeply, then continued in her raspy voice.
“Also humanity's future—and proof we deserve to rule the world.”
The Red Dragon Clan's ultimate secret.
Unknown even in concept to most, save a few dusty shamans and select scientists.
A vast space tangled with observatories, experiments, computers, wires—more lab than plant.
At its center, a blazing artificial sun.
Its nature?
Hasneti revealed plainly.
“Nuclear fusion.”