Chapter 127. A Game of Nerves Between Nations
Chapter 127. A Game of Nerves Between Nations
I... couldn't move a muscle...
I'd been thoroughly and utterly drained.
"Hero, get up and go wash up~"
Laila had already gotten up and finished her shower.
Her hair gleamed with a healthy shine, and having changed into fresh clothes, she looked immaculate and refreshed.
She came over to the side of the bed, gently stroking my limp cheek as she spoke.
"We have to go back to our house, remember~"
I barely managed to lift my eyelids to look at Laila without a word.
I was pretty sure Laila and I had both slept for about the same amount of time...
'...'
But while I was a total wreck, Laila was more energetic and radiant than ever.
'Laila was a succubus... How else could she be brimming with life every time we make love?'
Last night.
Laila was a literal storm.
"Just a moment..."
I barely managed to haul myself up, wash, and change clothes.
When we went to eat the meal the kingdom had prepared, Queen Serenia was already seated at the table.
"Did you sleep well?"
She bowed her head gracefully in greeting.
Laila also nodded with a dignified smile.
"Yes, thanks to Your Majesty's consideration, we rested well in a wonderful room."
'Rested... well...?'
"But... Sir Song Hoon..."
Serenia tilted her head and looked at me.
"Was the bedding perhaps a little uncomfortable?"
I slowly took my seat.
Then I waved my hand and shook my head.
"No, just... maybe because I'm not used to the bed, I'm a bit tired."
I glanced sideways at Laila sitting next to me.
She was grinning from ear to ear with an 'I knew nothing' expression on her face.
"Ahem... I must say again, I was truly sorry about yesterday...! I didn't know you two were lovers...!"
This timid queen must have still had it on her mind, as she apologized again.
"Hehe, I told you it's fine."
"Ugh..."
"The bed in the room Your Majesty provided was incredibly soft. There was no discomfort at all, even with vigorous movement."
"...Pardon? What do you mean..."
Serenia stared blankly into space.
Then, as if she understood the meaning of Laila's words, her face began to turn bright red.
"Hyaaah...!!"
"Hehe, isn't it natural for a married couple to share their love?"
Spicy.
Lately, the intensity of Laila's jokes had become way too spicy.
"Anyway, I can understand why Your Majesty made such a proposal to 'my Hero'."
"...Is that so?"
"As a monarch, you would want to protect your people."
A brief silence followed Laila's words.
"So, rather than that kind of relationship, how about forming a contract on equal terms?"
"Ah, what you mentioned yesterday..."
"Yes, the sea is still an unknown world to humanity. In that situation, if Your Majesty helps us, I think we could build a good relationship for both sides."
Freedom in the sea.
That alone was a tremendous advantage.
Currently, large quantities of resources such as rare metals and gas existed in Earth's deep sea.
'If we could procure those things without any risk...?'
It was no joke; we could do business with the whole world.
"Well, for the details, I'll have to talk to the people outside as well."
"Ah, is that so...?"
"They'll welcome it. I doubt anyone would specifically oppose it."
We shared a smooth conversation while eating.
The food was quite hearty for breakfast.
"We'll be heading back now."
"...Alright."
At the news of our departure, the Queen, the captain of the royal guard, and the guards themselves followed to see us off.
"Ah, right... take these."
I handed them a few Communicators.
And at the same time, I explained how to use them.
"With these, you can contact us anytime."
Serenia looked at it for a moment, then clasped it tightly in her hands and bowed her head deeply.
"Truly... thank you for saving our kingdom. Hero..."
The bow of a Queen who was always noble and dignified.
The guard captain saw this sight.
Ordinarily, he should have stopped the Queen from such an action, but...
"...Thank you."
He also silently bowed his head.
"Let's go."
---
As we exited the gate, a multitude of underwater exploration drones were floating nearby.
'They were waiting for us?'
Their camera lenses flashed as they approached our side.
I looked at the lenses and nodded slightly.
─ Whirrr...
As if they understood my intention, those drones began rising to the surface one after another.
─ Splash!
When we surfaced, several rubber boats were already waiting.
"Well done!"
I grabbed the hands of the special forces soldiers who were waiting above and climbed onto the boat.
"Sorry. You waited a long time because of us, right?"
"Haha, not at all. We'll depart now!"
Following their guidance, we went up to the bridge of a Republic of Korea naval fleet ship.
A screen setup was already completed there.
On the other side of the screen, the figures of multinational generals and command staff appeared.
"Everyone watched my stream, right? I trust you've grasped the situation to some extent."
At my words, the figures beyond the screen nodded.
"Queen Serenia... I intend to begin discussions with her regarding ocean exploration. I'm thinking of pursuing formal diplomacy with them, including information on deep-sea exploration and the trends of underwater gates."
"..."
The word 'diplomacy' had come from the mouth of an 'individual'.
Yet no one could take issue with it.
"If 'diplomacy' is a sensitive term... let's call it a contract."
A brief silence fell over the conference room.
"Of course, nothing has been decided in detail yet. I'd just like you to be aware that I'm thinking along these lines."
They began calculating the gains their own nations would reap.
It would be nothing but beneficial; there was absolutely no downside.
After the brief report was over, the Commander-in-Chief of the Republic of Korea Fleet rose from his seat and approached me.
"Hunter, you've worked hard. Now, let's return to our homeland."
And so, all fleets turned their bows and headed for their respective nations.
Before returning to Korea, we briefly docked at a port city in a friendly Southeast Asian nation.
"Honestly... Hero, you're far too impatient."
"Ugh... just thinking about having to go by boat for days makes me feel suffocated..."
At the city docks, Max, Chen Longwei, and Reina had come to see us off.
"Everyone worked hard. You guys should come visit Korea sometime too."
"Wahaha! Emilia was already asking me when we'd go to Korea."
Max laughed, thumping me on the back.
"I'll come visit sometime."
Reina spoke with a soft smile, and Chen Longwei formally saluted with a fist in his palm as he spoke.
"Yes, great one. I shall visit bearing gifts with both hands full."
Before heading to the airport, I waved my hand once and smiled.
---
Korea, Incheon International Airport.
The automatic doors of the arrivals hall opened and we stepped outside.
─ Click! Click! Click!
"Whoa, shi..."
Countless flashes burst, turning my vision white.
"Mr. Song Hoon! The situation at the underwater gate...!"
"It's the discovery of a new civilization, what are your thoughts...!"
"What is your relationship with Queen Serenia...!"
"On the matter of joining hands with them..."
Dozens of reporters swarmed us, holding cameras and microphones.
'I felt like there was a weird question mixed in there...'
I gently closed my eyes and quietly brought my index finger to my lips.
"..."
In an instant, the voices of the people died down, and even the flashes went silent.
I opened my eyes again and chuckled.
"I get that you're all curious, but we haven't rented out the entire airport, right? Why don't we move somewhere else first?"
---
"We absolutely must do it. We have no choice."
Having received reports from each fleet, the government conference rooms of the world's nations didn't have a single quiet day. High-ranking officials from the defense ministry, as well as the energy ministry, were making calls everywhere, and heated briefings continued.
"If a contract with that kingdom is possible... it means deep-sea resources like cobalt, nickel, and manganese can be supplied virtually without limit..."
"If we can secure a part of those distribution rights...!"
"If that becomes reality, the battery industry won't fall into China's hands, but ours."
Other nations were currently racking their brains over this same issue.
"Methane hydrate..."
"If that can just be commercialized, energy import dependency will be cut in half."
The diplomatic and defense lines of each country were rapidly analyzing the possibilities.
Yet they all arrived at the same thought.
"The problem is... the price of the equipment that can withstand that water pressure is no joke either."
"Also, hiring hunters won't be easy..."
Thus, the final conclusion they reached was just one thing.
'Wouldn't it be cheaper to just lobby through the Republic of Korea government...?'
Rather than spending that money to hire equipment and hunters, they'd rather offer it to the Unknown Hunter.
It'd be killing two birds with one stone: gaining his favor in the process, and hopefully getting some help too.
---
And at that moment.
Song Hoon and Laila were continuing their stream as if such issues were none of their business.
[So damn it, what's your relationship with the Queen?!]
[You son of a bitch, did you have to take everything to feel satisfied!!!!]
[I yield a hundred times over for the Saintess. Why? Because Hero and Saintess being together is an unwritten rule!!! But I won't accept the Queen too!!!]
The reporter's question, 'What's your relationship with the Queen?', had the chat window exploding with all kinds of profanity.
"You want to see the Queen come here in person and cuss you out for talking shit?"
[I'd actually like that lol]
[Heugh... please step on me with your shoe heel...]
[Being cursed out by the cold Queen... hnngh]
[Wow, I imagined it... give me a sec, I gotta go somewhere]
"Crazy bastards..."