Chapter 142. Negotiations with the Celestials.
Advisor and his party straightened their attire with the mindset of subjects about to appear before a foreign king, then descended to the first floor. Following the guidance of soldiers stationed there, they moved to the palace next door.
They crossed a sprawling garden, entered the palace proper, and were ushered toward a reception room. Anyone could see that the person seated at the head of the table was the king. Advisor and his party bowed their heads in greeting. In a society accustomed to rigid hierarchy, merely bowing one's head before a king was actually a breach of protocol.
'He told us never to kneel to anyone.'
"Are you the ones from Titan?"
'A king using polite speech to commoners?'
Whether this was a sophisticated psychological tactic to set them at ease, Advisor could not yet tell.
"Yes, that is correct. We have come in search of our Yong Corps Commander."
The man who was king smiled benevolently and welcomed them.
"I, too, have heard that President Cheon once led the Yong Corps."
"..."
"I have yet to repay the favor of receiving invaluable information from that man, so it seems I shall have the chance to settle that debt now."
The king spoke to him with a playful grin.
"I was already planning to visit Korea soon, and as it happens, I will be able to deliver news that should surprise the Representative as well."
Having said that, the king suggested Advisor accompany him to Korea. Advisor agreed without a moment's hesitation and informed him that many more members were still at headquarters.
The king told him not to worry, assuring him he would dispatch a considerable number of helicopters to bring them over. He added that, for now, they should keep this from the Korean side and simply look forward to reuniting with the Commander in person.
'He's a rather interesting man...'
"While the other Yong Corps members are being brought in, I shall be bored. Please, tell me stories of your time on Titan."
"That much is nothing..."
Advisor, who had been longing for the Commander all this time, passed the hours regaling the king with tales.
Several more days passed after the incident at the Hanford Site. The research wing seemed to be investing considerable effort into studies involving the Slime. Terion, who had always been drawn to such things, joined in, and the progress of the research had reportedly accelerated significantly.
For the first time in a while, I was having a cup of coffee in my garden and chatting with people.
"By the way, weren't we told the U.S. President and the King of the United Kingdom are coming in a few days?"
"Yes. The United States indicated they wish to respectfully retrieve the remains of those who perished at the Hanford Site."
"The US, I understand, but why did the UK say they were coming?"
"I have not heard a specific reason... only that they are bringing good news."
"Hm... good news, from a king..."
In a world like this, good news delivered personally by a monarch... honestly, I was more curious than anything. Still, given he had spoken with a rather confident tone, it was probably news that would genuinely surprise me.
I sipped my coffee and looked up at the sky.
"Sometimes, when I have a moment to relax like this, I nearly forget the apocalypse ever happened."
"I feel the same, Representative. I used to be pushed around everywhere and had a very hard time."
"Well, even so, weren't you the president with the highest approval rating in the history of the Republic of Korea?"
"Haha, still, it is difficult to satisfy everyone. There were certainly citizens who despised me."
I finished my coffee, thinking that even a man who looked like that had his own private struggles. Just then, the President seemed to remember something and spoke with a smile.
"When you build your own nation, Representative, you will understand precisely how I feel."
"Is... that so?"
"Hmm, though it might be somewhat different if it takes the form of a monarchy."
"Now that you mention it, I don't know much about politics... don't Japan and the UK also have kings?"
The President launched into an explanation of the differences between substantive monarchies and those cases, but since I had no particular interest, I simply listened with an, 'Ah, I see.'
As we all relaxed together in the garden, various topics came up, but the hottest subject by far was the matter of my children. Naturally, the most active participants in that conversation were Chaeyeon's and Jia's parents.
"Son-in-law, do you prefer a boy or a girl?"
"Hmm... I'm fine with either?"
"Considering the nation you're going to build, you absolutely must have a son first! A solid successor to secure—"
"Good heavens! Everyone's here—what are you going on about!"
At my father-in-law's words, my mother-in-law smacked his back as if to shut him up; it looked like she put a fair amount of force into it.
'I've thought I should have children eventually, but I've never considered their gender...'
"I'm not so sure... whether it's a boy or a girl, if it's my child, I don't think running a nation would pose a problem regardless."
The group's gazes shifted between me and the two of them before settling on me. After a moment's thought, they nodded in agreement.
"Well, if it's your child..."
"Hmm, if it's the offspring of my brother here..."
"Haha, if it's your kid, they'll probably be sprinting around the moment they're born!"
"Good grief..."
We whiled away the time in pleasant conversation, and before I knew it, the sun had set and we even resolved dinner right there on the spot. That night, too, was especially heated—perhaps because the subject of children had come up.
'Well, it's always heated...'
Day broke, and I went through the same routine as always: patrolling the zone, offering encouragement, and taking in necessities and requests.
While I was going about my day as usual—three square meals, passing the time—I sensed a deeply unpleasant aura from far away. It was the kind of goddamn energy I hate most.
I tried to endure it, since there was no malicious killing intent, but the aura kept drawing closer. Just as my patience was nearing its limit, the emergency alarm sounded by the guards at the entrance, tearing through the air ear-splittingly loud.
― WEEEEEEEE-OOOOO!!!
The villagers, who had always drilled for such contingencies, snatched up their weapons and began moving to their assigned posts according to their given duties. But the alarm ceased far sooner than expected, and word came to the officers.
The message was that the bastards bearing that unpleasant aura were entreating to be granted an audience with me.
"Don't worry about a thing. Bring them to the Assembly Hall."
Not knowing what kind of rampage they might start, I concealed my presence and kept my eyes locked on them, fully prepared to kill them before they even noticed if they made a single wrong move.
They obediently followed the humans' guidance and entered the Assembly Hall, though their numbers were a bit large. My companions, who knew the depth of my hatred for them, watched with anxious eyes.
"So, why have you come all the way here, when you've been so busy hiding from me and keeping your heads down?"
"..."
"What, too scared to open your mouths now that you actually have to speak?"
"As I thought... it really is you, the Calamity."
"Did your kin in North Korea not tell you?"
"..."
The one who appeared to be their representative gestured to a subordinate behind him. The subordinate brought forward several boxes and presented them to me.
"With these, I wish to apologize for the rudeness we have shown toward you."
When I opened them, I found the heads of other Celestials—the ones we had clashed with in North Korea.
"You brought this disgusting filth as compensation?"
The bastard cocked his head, as if genuinely not understanding, and asked.
"We were told that among humans, one presents the head of the guilty party. Are we misinformed?"
"When a subordinate screws up, the leader should come in person and bow his own head, don't you think? Or are your wings so heavy you can't lift your head once you bow it?"
Despite the blatantly insulting remarks, the bastard's expression did not shift in the slightest. But another one of them furrowed his brow, betraying his displeasure.
Of course, I am not the kind of man to let that slide.
― BOOM!!!
I kicked the one displaying his displeasure with nothing but pure physical strength, without a shred of mana behind it. The kicked bastard smashed through the wall, flew outside, and rolled several times across the ground.
"Who gave you permission to make a face like that?"
Even though his subordinate had just been humiliated by a human, the bastard's expression remained utterly unchanged. Instead, he gestured at the fallen subordinate, summoning him forward.
― Slice!
He cut off his own subordinate's head and apologized to me.
"I apologize on behalf of my subordinate's rudeness."
"Not funny. I was hoping you'd get angry so I could kill you along with him."
"..."
"So, why did you bastards from China come all the way here?"
"I wish to propose a negotiation to you."
At the absurd word "negotiation," I couldn't hold back and burst out laughing.
"Pfft... pfff-hahahahaha..."
"..."
"Phew, it's been a while since I laughed this hard."
"... We will not touch you, so... a non-aggression pact under which you would also not touch us..."
I raised a hand and cut him off.
"You should phrase it as begging, not negotiating."
"Regardless... we will provide you with suitable compensation on a regular basis."
"I'll come collect the compensation myself. So."
I let my words hang and unleashed my killing intent.
"Get the fuck out, right now. Even looking at you any longer disgusts me."
The face of the bastard who had maintained a blank expression the entire time finally hardened, and his pupils quivered microscopically. But, true to Celestial form, he could not release his self-regard and said something he should not have.
"No matter how much of an irregular powerhouse you are, protecting the humans here as well..."
"Did I sit down face to face with you, talking as equals, and make you think we're on the same level?"
― Shhhhhaaaaaa
The Chaos within my body spilled out and enveloped every last one of them. Some even collapsed, smoke seeping from their mouths.
"I guarantee you, if anything happens, I will hunt you down to the ends of hell. Just like when I killed your Heavenly God."
Hearing the words 'just like when I killed your Heavenly God,' the bastard bowed his head and began trembling violently.
"Until I come for you myself, you will commit not a single act, and you will wait."
"..."
"If you understood, take the rest of these bastards and get lost."
I called after him as I watched his back while he hurried to flee the premises.
"Raphael isn't among you, is she?"
Hearing my words, he stammered as if I had struck somewhere raw.
"Y-yes... Raphael will never, under any circumstances, emerge again."
"Good. There will never be another child suited to the name Raphael but that one. Not now, not ever..."
"I-I will bear that in mind..."
After receiving that satisfying answer, I smiled and waved my hand at the bastard as he left the Assembly Hall.
"Still, I heard some welcome news. Now, get lost."
The moment they stepped out of the Assembly Hall building, the bastards vanished from my sight at a tremendous speed.