Chapter 72
Chapter 72
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 72
Chapter Title: I'm Eating Right Now
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After rushing through a shower and brushing my teeth, Ophelia asked if I could hold out a bit since they'd provide food there. I scarfed down a piece of butter toast and said sure.
Honestly, my body was just tired, not starving or anything.
And this body of mine gets pretty full off just one or two slices of bread anyway, so the toast did the trick.
"But... do I really have to wear that..?"
"Since this is an official event, yes."
"B-but... England has a queen, so if I wear a tiara or something, won't I get punished..?"
"There's no such law."
Apparently, wearing stuff on your head is fine. Impersonating royalty is obviously illegal and punishable, but the princess outfit I'm putting on is basically cosplay-level. No one's gonna look at this getup and think, Whoa, a real princess!
"Ophelia, but what's the point of going there anyway?"
"You mean the British Hunter Association headquarters?"
"Yep."
Ophelia dried my hair as she gave me a quick rundown of the day's schedule. Officially, yesterday's incident would be reported as a black agent from the British Hunter Association subduing the terrorist Cedric Moro using their abilities.
Because if word got out that a pint-sized Korean kid who came for a week of modeling did what no British Hunter could, it'd be a total embarrassment.
Plus, the visa I got on entry was a general business one, not a Hunter visa, so technically I wasn't supposed to use my abilities in the UK.
Of course, it was an emergency, and they're not gonna make a fuss over it. They just don't want a precedent where people start using powers without a Hunter visa and cause confusion.
"So, are they giving me some kind of award or something?"
"Yes. There are several items on the negotiation table, and we're reviewing them one by one."
"Whoa, now I'm curious."
"Are you?"
"Yeah!"
The moment I answered, my phone dinged with a text. Ophelia had forwarded a list of topics that came up in her discussions with the British Hunter Association reps.
"What's this? British citizenship and a place to live in London?"
"Yes. It seems they covet Your Highness's abilities."
"Eh, not really all that appealing."
"Is that so."
Sure, the UK's a developed country and London's a nice city, but to me, it's just a tourist spot. I don't have any desire to live here. For starters, I don't speak English.
"What's this one? Crown Guard collaboration?"
"It's a Hunter equipment manufacturing subsidiary under the parent company BAE Systems."
BAE Systems is Europe's largest defense contractor and one of the world's top three arms companies. They're offering a channel to collaborate with Crown Guard, their Hunter weapons and gear division.
Minium's already got lower S-rank anti-personnel power with just a hunk of rare metal and an old jet engine slapped on. Imagine what it'd be like with real, proper anti-monster weapons built into a golem.
"This... isn't this amazing..?!"
"I proposed that condition myself. Since it wasn't on their pre-prepared list, it may be difficult to secure."
"Aww."
"Still, I believe we can obtain it with some additional buffer conditions."
"Really?!"
Under international treaties, weapons that use mana or deploying mana Awakened in wars comes with so many restrictions it's practically impossible.
That's why non-mana weapons are still military secrets, just like before the Gate incidents. Even high-end Hunter gear mostly mirrors non-mana firearms structurally, just swapping the power source to mana.
The global standard is not handing out domestically produced high-end mana weapons—even finished products—to foreign Hunters.
"We should be able to get items from at least one generation prior."
"Ooh."
One generation old doesn't mean they're bad. If anything, they've proven their effectiveness and utility through countless real battles and gotten the green light.
"So... I can load Minium up with super powerful weapons?"
"That part will require more aggressive negotiation."
"Ugh, why."
"Because receiving Crown Guard mana weapons as a user is entirely different from getting approval for subsequent modifications."
"Aww. Such a hassle."
I flinched a bit after saying that. Come to think of it, Ophelia's handling all the work while I just laze around. Why'd I call it a hassle?
"Must be tough for you, Ophelia."
"Thank you."
She doesn't even say it's not.
"Whoa."
We rode in a British Hunter Association vehicle to their headquarters building near Canary Wharf in London's financial district.
It took about 30 minutes from Claridge's? The car went deep inside, passing through several black curtains before we could finally get out. Security was insanely tight.
Beep...!
"Huh? What's up, Mecha-Doggo?"
Beep! Beep-beep...
"Your internet's cut off..?"
Judging by Mecha-Doggo's connection dropping, external Wi-Fi was blocked inside too. I checked Roblox on my phone, and it gave a connection error, telling me to check my internet.
"Aww...."
"If you need internet, just say so. I'll connect you to the internal network."
"Oh, yeah, please!"
"Sure thing~"
The driver up front and the staff lady in the passenger seat hooked us up with the Wi-Fi. Mecha-Doggo latched onto my phone's connection and was back to normal.
"You okay, Ophelia?"
Ophelia's internet seemed fine, but she just quietly nodded without answering. Guess she has a way to bypass the British Hunter Association's signal jamming. Impressive.
After that, we entered some super secretive area, got out, and followed black-suited, sunglass-wearing guys into the headquarters lobby. We could've entered normally from the front, but this felt like a secret route.
Feels like I've become a black agent or something. Kinda fun.
"Heh, cool."
The corridor we walked had large frames with old men's photos lining the walls—probably past British Hunter Association chairmen. The black-suited guys silently led us, and when we reached the reception room, a slightly elderly man greeted us.
"Oh, welcome. Good to see you."
"Ophelia..! Who's that old guy..?"
"Hoho, allow me to introduce myself first."
Malcolm Redington, director of the Awakened Crisis Response Division. Active Hunter for about 30 years, retired a few years ago to take this job. Total veteran.
"I've heard the story. This young lady resolved the incident, yes?"
"That's correct."
"And... what is your relationship to her guardian?"
"We're legally mother and daughter in Korea. Is further explanation needed?"
"Ah... that should suffice. We can discuss more details as needed. For now... would you like to eat first?"
The reception room table was too low for a proper meal, but there were some desserts. Honestly, I wanted sweets over a full meal. And if we eat and then move somewhere else right away, it's annoying to keep walking around.
"Haha, looks like the young lady prefers desserts."
"Huh! How'd you know!?"
"Your Highness was staring at the treats on the table."
"Oh, right."
But desserts stand out! Why serve them if you're not gonna let me eat? Wasteful!!
"Do you prefer to eat quietly? Shall we talk later?"
"It's fine."
"Understood."
We followed the old man into an elevator up to the second floor or so. In a room with a single round table, Ophelia, me, Mecha-Doggo, and the old man sat down.
The moment we did, a stream of course dishes started coming out without us even ordering. Guess this is where they host VIPs.
"You're not vegan, correct?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Good. People need meat, after all."
I half-listened while scarfing down food, while Ophelia elegantly used her fork and knife, chatting with the old man. The pasta was delicious.
"The Association is doing everything possible to keep Eve's identity under wraps."
"Yes, we also wish to proceed without Miss Eve's name becoming public."
"I see."
Formal chit-chat. Thanks so much for saving everyone. We tried to resolve it quickly too, but things kept not lining up. Blah blah. Man, this pasta's good.
"Now, to the main point. Is there anything specific you desire? You've rejected most of the Association's proposed rewards."
"They weren't particularly enticing. Especially the non-publicized honorary ones."
"Oof."
They're not gonna publicly announce that Princess Eve stopped the terrorist!! so plaques or certificates from the Association are pointless. What would I even do with them?
Of course, I just thought that to myself—no need to say it out loud.
Ophelia straight-up said something like, Are you seriously offering useless junk like that? Wanna get smacked??
"Hohoho... I see. Some Hunters value personal honors, so we had to include them. But I agree, they lack real meaning."
"Yes."
Ophelia sliced into the lamb roast, popped a piece in her mouth, and nodded slowly. The old man, sensing a tough opponent, slowed his eating and started talking more.
"So... we've reviewed your proposals, but is there anything in particular you want more of?"
"At least three unused production models of Crown Guard's minimum 4th-generation anti-mana heavy firearms. From the product numbers we proposed."
"Hmm...."
The old man set down his knife and fork completely, tapping his furrowed brow with his finger, looking troubled.
"May I ask the reason?"
"What reason does a Hunter need for mana gear? We highly value Crown Guard's technology."
"I see...."
You could feel the total dilemma in the old man's finger-tapping on the table. The tap-tap-tap echoed in the quiet room. I ate more quietly too.
"There is one condition."
"Related to tech leakage?"
"No, not that."
Suddenly, the old man stared right at me.
"Would it be alright if I saw Miss Eve's abilities?"
"...?"
Why me all of a sudden.