Chapter 182
Chapter 182
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 183
Chapter Title: The Heroine Saves the World Part 2 Chapter 3
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Looking back on it all, I'd always been the one getting dragged around by Sama Young.
Ever since that bastard suddenly popped up in the middle of the market square and tried to sweep me off my feet.
I'd been constantly on the run, doing everything I could to avoid bumping into him or getting tangled up with him.
But somehow, I'd ended up entangled beyond repair, and unless Sama Young suddenly lost his memory, there was no escaping him anymore.
'So I need to seduce him properly.'
Whether I liked it or not, I had to raise that guy's affection level.
He might have a black heart inside, but he was still an S-rank hunter—not to mention the guild master of the Sama Guild, commanding a massive number of hunters under him.
Who knew when or where I might need to purify his darkness?
He was annoying as hell, but for the sake of the future, he was someone I needed to keep close.
I naturally came to a stop and checked Sama Young's affection level.
A pathetic number.
And even that had only gone up a bit while we hadn't seen each other—for some reason I didn't know.
Yet there he was, grinning ear to ear at the sight of me.
Enough that the people around us were staring at me and Sama Young with wide eyes.
What a scary guy.
"I was waiting for you the whole time, figuring you'd show up today, Nayeo-ju-ssi."
If it had been before, I'd have recoiled in disgust by now, making my revulsion crystal clear.
But not today.
"Ah, I see."
I nodded casually, meeting Sama Young's gaze head-on.
Showing neither hostility nor friendliness.
"......"
For a fleeting moment, I caught a flicker of bewilderment in his eyes.
It was just an instant, but I'd seen it clearly.
Ever since the schedules were set for the Awakener Association's "Guild Alliance for Coexistence" and the "Justice-Camellia Alliance" countermeasures meeting.
I'd been mulling over how to boost Sama Young's affection.
And then it hit me.
The guy was the incarnation of desire.
He was honest with his desires and always followed their call.
So the way to go was to become the object of that 'desire.'
"Hello, Sama Young Guild Master."
I gave a polite little nod, just like I would to any random stranger, then immediately looked away.
Grabbing Kang Han's elbow, I steered him in the opposite direction.
"Looks like our seats are over there. Let's go."
With each step, the distance between me and Sama Young grew.
Work, work!
I inwardly prayed a few anxious times.
Ding~
It worked!
'The things you can't have are always the ones you crave most.'
I'd been a little worried this might not pan out.
I secretly swallowed a sigh of relief.
"There are way more people here than I expected."
I smiled at Kang Han like it was no big deal, but Sama Young's gaze burning into me from afar made my face prickle.
Ding~
Affection up again.
Keep staring at me like your life depends on it—I dare you to make me turn around.
I desperately fought down the grin tugging at my lips and made a vow.
I'd become Sama Young's S-rank weakness.
Once the appointed time arrived, the meeting began.
The Awakener Association president was presiding.
"Ahem. Alright, let's get this meeting started."
Won't be long now before I never have to see that irritating face again.
I mentally ran through my checklist, forcing my eyes forward so I wouldn't glare at the president.
'Who the hell arranged the seating?'
With the president at the head table, the long U-shaped setup had the Justice-Camellia Alliance reps facing off against the Guild Alliance for Coexistence reps.
The smaller guilds' reps were lined up in the back like spectators in a courtroom.
It made us look like people who hated each other's guts but were forced into a peace treaty.
I couldn't help lamenting the association's total lack of tact.
Still, one upside to the seating was that I could see all the Guild Alliance reps at a glance.
From my seat, going left: Sama, Fantasia, Utopia, then Cheongmun Guilds.
Basically, every top guild except Camellia was over there.
Even looking at all awakeners overall, the Guild Alliance had more clout than the Justice-Camellia Alliance.
"First item on the agenda: how to respond to the tentatively shelved Awakener Legislation Bill. Any opinions?"
On the surface, it sounded like open discussion for everyone, but the president was looking at the Guild Alliance side.
Just like during the Pangyo incident, when he'd just stood by, watching their faces.
And sure enough, the first speaker was Fantasia's Seong Rosa.
"We need a hardline response. If we let the government push us around like last time, our position as awakeners will shrink in no time. We can't afford to act as carelessly as Justice and Camellia Guilds did before."
Yu Myeong-hwa's eyebrow twitched at Seong Rosa pointedly calling out the two guilds sitting right there.
They acted so chummy usually.
What a piece of work.
And right on cue, the Justice-Camellia Alliance's first response came from Camellia Guild Master Yu Myeong-hwa.
"Even a hardline response has lines that can't be crossed. Careless? If the hunters had gone ahead with collective action back then, it would've caused tens of thousands of casualties and fueled the legislation. Who's calling who careless here?"
She was right.
Considering public opinion at the time, we'd probably already have restrictions on where awakeners could live by now.
But the Guild Alliance fired back just as firmly.
"So we just sit back and watch non-awakeners strip away our freedoms? We have to do something! Whose side is the Justice-Camellia Alliance even on?"
Utopia's middle-aged guild master, Ha Young-hyun, raised her voice.
Yu Myeong-hwa started to reply, but Kang Han's calm voice cut in first.
"Whose side, you say?"
The heated bickering among the guild masters had thrown the room into chaos, but it went dead silent in an instant.
"Mind your words. Pitting non-awakeners against awakeners like that could make this meeting look like something it's not."
"......I apologize. But my opinion stands. If the government tries to unreasonably restrict hunters' rights, we need to assert our position by any means necessary."
"But not by holding lives hostage."
I chimed in too.
"No need to divide awakeners and non-awakeners—we're all people, right? Even if you see someone trip on the street ahead, you'd stop to help. I agree with Camellia Guild Master. We can't cross that line, not as people."
After a few more volleys like that, the floor opened up to the other hunters in the back.
"So what's the realistic plan here?"
"We should form a response team of representatives who can speak for all awakeners and negotiate."
"Negotiate? They're treating us like beasts right now!"
"So because they're calling us beasts, we should act like ones and flex our muscles?!"
No amount of quick back-and-forth was bridging the massive opinion gap stretching across the room.
If anything, it was just confirming how far apart everyone was.
"If the government pulls that crap again, we just sit there and take it?!"
"Why didn't you think of solving it before it even happens?"
"Ha, the hypocrisy!"
"Don't advertise your ignorance!"
This was heading for a brawl.
These were all burly hunters, so every time someone slammed the table in rage, I worried for the poor furniture.
At this point, you'd think the meeting host—the association president—would step in.
But the previous president had stepped down after an unfortunate accident, and this one had snagged the seat through Sama Group's lobbying. He was a non-awakener.
So whatever came out of this meeting didn't matter to him one bit.
That's why he was just fiddling with his phone instead of paying attention.
"Hey! What's your rank?!"
"B-rank! What about you?!"
Now it was escalating to rank comparisons.
Any minute now, someone might challenge another to a dungeon duel.
I tapped Kang Han's leg next to me.
He naturally leaned toward me, and I whispered in his ear.
"Call a 20-minute break and move to the next agenda."
"Sounds good."
He replied softly, then smoothly stood up.
As if by magic, the room—deafening with arguments—went quiet as everyone turned to Kang Han.
"Let's take a 20-minute recess."
There was an official moderator, but no one even glanced at the president for confirmation.
Everyone just rose from their seats and dove into heated debates with their own side.
I pretended to stretch as I stood, confirming no one was watching me, then slowly started walking.
My destination: the table opposite, where the Guild Alliance reps sat.
I lightly tapped the shoulder of the man lost deep in thought, not even noticing my approach.
"Huh......"
Startled, he looked up at me with wide aquamarine eyes.
I greeted him as sweetly as I could.
"Hello, Cheongmun Guild Master."