Chapter 194: Incitement
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 194: Incitement
Chika waits in front of the Gate, her expression etched with anxiety.
Looking both expectant and nervous, Chika has been guarding the Gate for an hour. Before long, a blue film ripples outward, and guests from Alfheim emerge.
“Father!”
Roman Fraser stares blankly as his daughter runs toward him, her voice bright.
As a father, he should have been pleased to see her, but his face remains so devoid of emotion that it is hard to believe he is facing a daughter he hasn't seen in a long time.
Chika, who had been running, flinches at Roman’s cold expression and approaches with a subdued posture, unlike her usual self.
“Father, you’ve arrived…”
“As undignified as ever, I see.”
“I’m sorry…”
Like a scolded puppy, Chika hangs her head, her expression turning gloomy.
Roman stares at Chika, who is unable to hide her emotions, before leading his entourage away.
It is a cruel way to treat a daughter who greeted him so warmly.
The attendants, including the butler Kyrillos, feel pity for her, but they know Roman’s personality all too well and follow him without a word.
Despite receiving not even a shred of attention, Chika quickly sticks to Roman’s side, volunteering to guide him.
If Yeon-woo had seen this, he would have shouted that this wasn't the "Mad Dog" he knew; she was polite to a fault and possessed not an ounce of pride.
Longing for her father’s affection, Chika talks about herself and shares information she thinks might interest him, but Roman doesn't give her so much as a glance, let alone an answer.
Even though she has experienced this many times before, Chika is dejected by the time they reach the hotel. Roman scans the lobby, which is filled with members of Greyhound.
As he glares coldly at the noisy, uncouth mercenaries, Park Yu-jeong approaches to greet him.
“Hello, Lord Roman Fraser. I am Park Yu-jeong, the owner of this hotel and the agent for the ruins. What brings you here?”
“I intend to use the ruins.”
“Ah~ the ruins? We aren't taking guests for those right now. I believe that was communicated when you contacted us yesterday? Was the message not delivered properly?”
“Are you saying those insignificant mercenaries are allowed, but a Fraser is not?”
When the mana radiating from Roman’s body begins to pressure Park Yu-jeong, she simply gives a bright smile.
“Oh, come now~ How could I ever ignore the Fraser family? It’s you I’m ignoring.”
“… …”
“Since when does a mere son-in-law who married into the family dare to invoke the Fraser name? The only thing you were granted was the surname at the end of your name, not the power of the house.”
Flinch—
Chika looks on in shock at Park Yu-jeong’s blatant mockery.
To say she was being contemptuous would be an understatement; Park Yu-jeong’s face is wearing a look of pure, blissful delight.
Rumble—
As a terrifying bloodlust erupts from Roman’s body, Chika quickly moves to protect the weaker attendants and pushes them back.
“Say that again.”
“Again? What did I say? Did I call you a 13th Zodiac? No, no, that’s not right. What 13th Zodiac? There are so many 12 Zodiac-class mages out there. Calling you a 'perpetual runner-up' might even be an overstatement. How about 'perpetual second-string'?”
“Park Yu-jeong!”
Chika screams as she watches Park Yu-jeong casually poke at Roman’s nicknames and his greatest insecurities.
She isn't angry because her father is being insulted.
Knowing Roman’s temperament, Chika is trying to stop her out of fear for Park Yu-jeong’s life.
‘Heee—scary…’
Despite the talk of being a "13th Zodiac" or a "perpetual runner-up," Roman is undeniably a powerful mage capable of aiming for the 12 Zodiacs.
Facing his enraged aura head-on, Park Yu-jeong senses death.
She feels terrified in this razor-thin situation where a single step over the line means death, yet her entire body tingles with excitement.
She feels grateful to Yeon-woo for giving her this thrill, even as she vows to make him pay dearly for risking her life.
Refusing Roman Fraser was Yeon-woo’s idea.
To put pressure on Barbat, he intended to invite highly skilled mages—ideally, the 12 Zodiacs.
Mages of that caliber are already so powerful that increasing their strength is no easy feat.
But what if one of the 12 Zodiacs saw results from the bathhouse? If they could increase their power so easily, even if only slightly, would the other 12 Zodiacs stay still? What about the mages aiming to be the next 12 Zodiacs? Or the mages training hard to catch up to them?
Once the strong began flocking to Barbat in a chain reaction, Park Yu-jeong planned to close the ruins, using the issues surrounding Barbat as a pretext.
When a crowd of human weapons is suddenly cut off, it is obvious where their frustration will be directed.
While Yeon-woo was negotiating with the Jorge faction, the plan was proceeding step by step, and in that process, Roman—who hadn't even been invited—was the first to arrive.
Yeon-woo knew how great Roman’s thirst for power was, so he had asked her to block him if he showed up.
Of course, he only told her to block him; the mockery and provocation were entirely Park Yu-jeong’s own doing.
Just as Roman is contemplating about twenty different ways to kill Park Yu-jeong, a loud voice reaches his ears.
“Hey, you fucker, you are a virgin. Stop pretending you aren't.”
“I’m not! I just tricked the ruins! I’m not a virgin!”
“Wow—you’re really stubborn, denying it to the end. Big sis, I think this guy’s gonna betray us if things get heavy later. Should we just cut him loose here?”
The noisy conversation continues as if the mana Roman is emitting has no effect on them whatsoever.
It is Frey and her teammates, sitting on a nearby sofa.
Dressed casually as if they had just enjoyed a bath, they look like a group of rowdy tourists, but the aura they give off is formidable.
Frey, sipping from a bottle of banana milk—something Yeon-woo insisted be stocked in the bathhouse—is the picture of composure.
Slurrrrrp—
The sound of her straw hitting the bottom of the empty milk bottle grates on Roman’s ears.
As if provoking him, Frey continues to make the noise while staring calmly at Roman. The two lock eyes for a long moment.
“… …”
Without a word, Roman turns and leaves, his attendants scurrying after him.
“We have plenty of rooms in the hotel. Aren't you staying?”
“… …”
“Next time, please have the Fraser family make a formal reservation. If it’s the Fraser family, you’re welcome to use the facilities anytime.”
As if she has an extra life to spare, Park Yu-jeong throws one last taunt at Roman’s retreating back.
Roman pauses for a moment but doesn't look back as he leaves the hotel. Only then does Park Yu-jeong let out a long breath of relief.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“Yeon-woo told me to tell you this.”
“What?”
As Chika approaches, ready to scold her for doing something so dangerous, Park Yu-jeong speaks in a grumbling, dissatisfied tone.
“He said you are far superior to Roman. You don't need to crave Roman’s attention, nor do you need his recognition.”
“… …Yeon-woo said that?”
Yeon-woo believes in her more than anyone else.
Even when she was deeply frustrated during the Tournament, or when she made a mistake on a mission, Yeon-woo never doubted for a second that she would become strong.
It wasn't just simple faith; she was comforted by his trust, which seemed as certain as if he had seen the future. It allowed her to stand up every time she faltered.
However, while she is grateful for the trust and praise, how could a child not crave their father’s affection?
As Chika stands there with a complicated heart, Park Yu-jeong pouts.
“He never said anything like that to me. Yeon-woo thinks quite highly of you, doesn't he?”
“Ha…”
Before Chika can respond to Park Yu-jeong’s jealous gaze, Hera appears on the TV.
“Looks like it’s started.”
Chika wants to ask what has started, but Park Yu-jeong’s smiling face looks so wicked that she turns her gaze to the TV instead.
Standing before the reporters, Hera takes a moment to catch her breath before slowly beginning to speak.
“First, I would like to begin by apologizing to the citizens…”
After bowing in apology, Hera explains the events that have transpired.
The discovery of the ancient ruins, the fact that the discoverer was not a citizen of Barbat, and the framing of that person in an attempt to covet and steal the ruins.
“The Seni faction framed an innocent and talented Yggdrasil student in order to seize the ruins.”
“Don't lie!!”
A representative of the Seni faction, who had been practically living at the hotel following Park Yu-jeong every day for ruin negotiations, screams.
However, Hera is on the screen and cannot hear the representative’s furious voice. She continues calmly.
“As a citizen of Barbat, I understand the Seni faction’s heart. The thought of handing over Barbat’s ruins to another country must have sparked a sense of patriotism. However, no matter how patriotic the intent, what they did was robbery.”
The Seni faction representative, foaming at the mouth, rants loudly before scurrying off somewhere. The people gathered in the lobby focus silently on the TV.
Hera acknowledges the Seni faction’s patriotism but vows to the citizens that she will hold them accountable for their atrocities and the chaos they have brought upon Barbat.
She apologizes to the other nation, promises compensation to the wrongfully accused Yeon-woo, and declares that she will bring everything to light to make Barbat a just and righteous nation. A few mercenaries in the lobby even begin to clap.
“'Justice' is such a nice word, don't you think?”
Sensing that the "nice word" Park Yu-jeong is referring to is different from what she has in mind, Chika doesn't bother answering.
“Furthermore, the Seni faction used the Taehwan Jewel—a national treasure and a gift from God—to commit this foul deed. I will never forgive those who dared to use a holy relic, which should be more sacred and wondrous than anything else, for human greed, thereby defiling it.”
“Aha, 'religion' is just as good a word as 'justice.'”
Hera, who had been speaking calmly until now, shows a flash of fiery anger when the topic of religion comes up.
The people of Barbat, whose religious leanings were strong enough for Yeon-woo to describe them as fanatics, are moved by this point. The image of the enraged Hera burns itself deep into their hearts.
Though she had built some influence within the Jorge faction, Hera was a young politician with little public recognition. Through this event, she has become a celebrity not only in Barbat but worldwide.
The media had been in an uproar over international issues, and with the exaggerated effects of the ruins, it was the event the entire world was watching most closely. Having delivered such a shocking conclusion, Hera is now the face of the Jorge faction.
“Citizens! I cannot hold my head high knowing that the person who insulted our great God is one of our own! This is not a disaster, but a man-made calamity committed by greedy humans who disregard God! I need your strength! Please, rise up! Help us restore the defiled sanctity, overcome nature, and raise high once more the will of Barbat that built this civilization!”
By the end, it isn't a prepared statement but an incitement relying on pure emotion.
As soon as her speech ends, loud noises erupt from outside the hotel, with voices shouting for the punishment of the Seni faction.
To Chika, it sounds like an enraged public rising up, but Park Yu-jeong, knowing that most of those voices belong to pre-hired shills, simply smiles quietly.
‘Please begin the commission.’
Frey, who had been watching the TV leisurely, smirks at the text message.
Along with the short message, a list of key figures in the Seni faction was delivered.
It seems this damn disciple of hers intends to swallow Barbat whole.
He had hired all of Greyhound for an astronomical sum and even given them a vacation; now it was time to work.
“Greyhound.”
“… …”
“It’s time to work.”
As Frey stands up, the aura of the mercenaries shifts.
The noisy, rude tourists transform in an instant into killing machines with a chilling glint in their eyes. The bloodlust filling the lobby is so intense that staff members with low mana begin to convulse and faint.
As Frey walks slowly toward the entrance, the mercenaries follow her one by one.
“We’re going to tear apart the bastards who framed my disciple.”
“A fine pretext.”
Turk, following behind her, grins as he transforms his stick into a weapon.
Weapons are gripped in the hands of the mercenaries emitting a murderous aura, and the Greyhounds scatter to tear their prey limb from limb.