Chapter 17
Chapter 17
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 17
Chapter Title: If You Tip 2 Million (2)
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[Meanwhile, in one of the offices at the Awakener Management Committee. New Awakener Management Division, Team 2.]
"Director, please take a look at this."
A young administrative officer in his late twenties pointed at his monitor from his seat.
"Come over here and report it yourself. I'm busy."
The team leader, seated in a spot with a clear view of the young officer's desk, stared intently at his own monitor without so much as glancing his way.
With his back to the wall, no one else could see what he was viewing, but a reflective metal panel behind the director's desk gave away the gist of it to anyone paying attention.
Videos of hunters climbing the tower.
At a glance, it looked like he was reviewing the abilities of newly awakened individuals at the Awakener Management Committee.
But the young officer and the rest of the team members in the division knew better.
The director was only watching combat footage of young women in their early twenties scaling the tower in skin-tight suits.
He claimed it was to protect them from society's lecherous gazes toward young female hunters in their twenties, but no one on the team dared call him out on it directly.
They were civil servants, and he was the highest-ranking person in the division.
"Director, you still need to see this."
"Ugh, what is it?"
"We got a tip about the maid cosplayer."
"What?!"
Maid cosplayer.
At those words, the director bolted upright from his seat.
"Did she turn herself in?"
"No. No voluntary registration yet."
"Damn it, then what kind of tip is it? Just more of that nonsense flooding in?"
The director jabbed a finger toward the other team members.
"Some otaku who posted pics of a woman named Elaine on SNS might know something, or this guy who pulled off a 'quit-bang' without even hitting a million awakenings, or turns out it's a dude so we gotta check guys too—if you're gonna spout crap like that, tell 'em to piss off right now. Got it!?"
"It's not like that."
"Then what?"
"How about we investigate every vehicle that traveled from Seoul to Mungyeong before the [Mungyeong Saejae S-Rank Tower] was cleared? It's a citizen tip, but it seems pretty plausible."
"What?"
The director's face twisted at the young officer's suggestion.
"Plausible?"
"Yes. The maid cosplayer wouldn't have traveled alone, and they sure as hell didn't run all the way from Seoul to Mungyeong."
"On what grounds? You see something?"
"A citizen with a traffic cop buddy tipped us off. Not long after the Mungyeong Saejae Tower was cleared, a car left Mungyeong carrying a beauty dressed in a maid outfit."
"Damn it, that's just outdoor play... ahem."
The director coughed dryly at his own slip of the tongue and waved his hand dismissively.
"You called me over for a tip like that? A bunch of armchair detectives are running wild! If they're so eager, tell 'em to come down to the Committee and work for free!"
"But it's a citizen tip..."
"If you're gonna chase every single citizen tip, why are you even getting paid!? Ugh, forget it! It's almost 6 p.m.—just process any voluntary registrations from real awakeners, check if they're properly entered in the system, and call it a day!"
The director grumbled irritably as he returned to his seat.
His colleagues shot sympathetic looks at the young officer, who clenched his fists, his face flushing beet red for a moment.
Ding.
An alarm popped up on the officer's computer screen.
A new awakener registration request. Habitually checking the profile, he approved it and shot up from his chair.
Beep.
The proof photo of the registered individual looked like a standard company employee who'd wear an ID badge to work, but the popup vanished soon after, burying the data among countless other awakener records.
The young administrative officer.
He handled dual nationals, multicultural families, and Koreans abroad.
He headed to the bathroom without a second thought, not even suspecting that the company man's face looked every bit the pure-blooded Korean.
Raaaaagh!!
A roar of frustrated rage erupted from somewhere, but it didn't reach the office.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ [Raaaaagh!!]
I nearly jumped.
The president clenched his fists tight and bellowed.
He threw quick uppercuts and right hooks at the air, looking every bit the boxer in celebration.
[Congratulations, Mr. Kim. Registration complete.]
"Really?"
[Yes. As of now, you are a dual citizen of Korea and the United States, officially registered with the Korean Awakener Management Committee as an 'American.']
"......."
I'd left it to the president, figuring he'd handle it well.
But I never imagined I'd suddenly become American in the blink of an eye.
[Of course, Mr. Kim remains Korean. But Korea can't impose obligations on you as an American.]
"Why not?"
[Mr. Kim, I'll provide the details in writing later, but for now, just the conclusion—please stay calm.]
President Luigi pointed alternately at me and Elaine standing behind me.
[Your existences have been newly added to the databases of the United States, Korea, and the International Hunter Association. Even if the CIA or FBI run background checks, it won't raise suspicions—two awakeners born to Korean-American parents via expeditionary birth in the US, holding dual citizenship.]
"......."
[Fortunately, Korea still... hasn't forced 'black-haired foreigners' into mandatory awakener service. There's talk of legislation, but it hasn't passed yet.]
"So I've become one of those black-haired foreigners."
[Exactly. Dual citizen of Korea and the US.]
As expected.
In movies, they pay brokers to forge resident IDs or hire Chinese hackers to tamper with records.
[Someone might think 'that's odd.' But most requesting your data will chalk it up to a 'system error' and move on. Those who dig deeper... will find out.]
President Luigi pointed to his Stars and Stripes necktie.
[The data's been manipulated, and not just anywhere—the White House did it. Classified as a national secret personally designated by the president. 'Oh, this is serious! We can't touch this.' That's as far as they go—we ask for your understanding there.]
"That's fine..."
Anyone bold enough to tamper with White House records would uncover me no matter what I did.
Better they think, 'Who the hell is this guy messing with the White House?'
[One more thing to ask your understanding on: since you've chosen to stay in Korea, we can't offer overt, direct assistance. Please understand.]
"I do. If I could..."
[I'd load you both onto Air Force One and fly you to the US right now. I'd stay behind to draw their attention.]
President Luigi was genuinely committed to supporting us.
[We'll set up a US bank account and deposit whatever amount you desire. We can acquire land anywhere you like and build a mansion for you both. For purchases via Amazon, we can have government staff furnish it with appliances and furniture. Mr. Kim... and Mrs. Elaine—]
"Hold on. Isn't 'Mrs.' for married women?"
I jumped in quickly, worried the title might offend Elaine.
"It's fine. If it's from Master."
Fortunately(?), Elaine didn't seem bothered by the honorific.
Mrs. was okay with her, huh.
Hmm.
"...If Elaine's fine with it."
[My apologies. Anyway, we'll arrange housing through messenger for you both, and ensure you can do anything once you're in the US. However...]
President Luigi mimed zipping his lips.
[Since you've chosen to 'hide away' in Korea, I'll support you discreetly, avoiding detection by Korea or other governments.]
Top secret.
[The White House, intelligence agencies—wherever. We'll secure everything so no leaks inconvenience you. And when you feel 'ready' someday...]
"I just board the plane?"
[Yes. Say the word, and it'll be waiting, always on standby.]
"In that case..."
I pulled out my smartphone.
"We've confirmed some things here, and more to come, but since you've given us this gift, I should return the favor appropriately, right?"
[A gift?]
"To celebrate our deal."
Whirr.
"Let's take a commemorative photo."
Standing behind me, I made a V-sign toward Elaine and her aide Patrick.
"Kim... no."
Pointing at my face.
"Cheese."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Monday, 6 p.m.
The voluntary registration deadline hit, and people started buzzing with tension.
"Is the cosplay maid gonna show?!"
People began scouring the 'Awakener Roster'—transparently run by the Republic of Korea's Awakener Management Committee for the public's right to know.
Faces scrolled by in droves, including black-haired foreigners among them.
📰 Breaking News [Breaking: Just in. A photo on President Aizen A. Luigi's SNS...] Korean time around 5 p.m., right after wrapping up talks with the Foreign Minister—where he'd shown clear displeasure before boarding his plane back to the US—the American president's SNS posted a single photo.
[...'Cosplay Maid' photo with the president has been uploaded.]
In the photo taken by the aide: President Luigi seated on a sofa, mid-'amicable negotiation' with someone.
"Huh?"
And across from him.
"Why's this person standing behind the sofa?"
The cosplay maid stood behind the sofa opposite the president, as if attending someone.
Whether the photographer was right behind her or not, the maid had turned her head, gazing blankly at the camera.
Two teacups on the table.
"Looks like someone's sitting across from the US president...?"
President Luigi's gaze wasn't on the cosplay maid—it was fixed on the sofa opposite him.
"......Master?"