The Gathering Crowd (1)
People have a natural affinity for the sensational. Perhaps it’s because most of modern human life is dreadfully boring. Or maybe it’s an innate human spirit of challenge. Or perhaps it’s just the result of some selected gene—who knows? Regardless, seeing as people will seek out "nuclear-spicy" chicken or "death-defying" tonkatsu despite knowing they’ll be passing blood the next day, the proposition that humans love stimulation is a truth bordering on absolute.
Therefore, it was only natural that the public’s attention would be drawn to the tragic and fierce fate of Kang Hyunseo.
With 14 hours left until the President’s emergency address, the internet began to burn with new information. The so-called "OnePunchGirl," presumed to be the biggest contributor to the recent Abyss defense battle, hadn't just been a hunter since childhood like Jin Seoryeong. She had lost her parents young and been trapped in the Tower, completely isolated from modern civilization. This sensational news spread like wildfire. It was an unprecedented speed, with the majority of the Korean population knowing about it within just a few hours.
And such rumors spread just as quickly to the most dangerous region in Korea: Void, the lawless zone controlled by villains.
“So that OnePunchGirl is meeting the President?”
“Yeah, I heard.”
“But they say she lived in the Tower her whole life.”
“You believe that? You idiot.”
“If it were a lie, would they be broadcasting it?”
“Dumbass. That’s how you grab attention and debut as a celebrity hunter.”
“Is that so...”
“It’s all a show, you moron.”
“But the Hunter Bureau announced today that it’s true.”
“They probably got paid off by the Hunter Bureau.”
As the men talked in the dark alley, someone suddenly cut in. “Hey, boys. Talking about something fun? What about the President?”
It was hard to see because of the darkness, but a faint light caught a pair of adorable purple buns. “Oh, oh! The, the purple hair.”
“Shit, we’re screwed!”
“Hm? What were you saying?” As the girl who spoke stepped forward, the streetlight revealed a girl with a frail physique. Her light purple hair and inhumanly white irises were unsettling to look at. “I’m interested in that. Say it again.”
“...”
“Hic.”
The two men, perhaps sobered by the sudden fear, backed away with panicked expressions. One of them even tripped and fell in a pathetic display while trying to retreat.
“I asked you to tell me. That thing you just said.”
“I, I’m sorry. Please, just let me live...”
“We’ll tell you anything, so please, spare our lives!”
“You guys are strange.” At the girl’s words, one of the men prostrated himself completely. “Ah, I’ll tell you! So please, just spare my life!”
At the man’s shout, the girl smiled faintly. “Actually, I already know.”
Thwack—
With the sound of a skull cracking, a scream echoed through the street. This was Void, located in western Seoul. A so-called lawless zone.
I arrived at the Presidential Office in Sejong City and was guided by a secretary to the reception room. The meeting with the President was scheduled for 1:00 PM. They said that after a brief conversation with me, we would head outside for the public address and the awarding of a title.
Eun-ah, who was behind me, whispered quietly. “I told you that a hoodie and shorts weren't appropriate for meeting the President...”
“Really?” Honestly, Eun-ah looked like a career woman in her black suit. “Still, I’m comfortable like this.”
As Eun-ah and I were talking, the secretary continued explaining while flipping through some papers. “Haha, it’s fine. The President will actually prefer it.”
“See?”
At my words, Eun-ah smiled awkwardly. “If you wait a moment, the President will come to the reception room. After that, we’ll hold the ceremony for the title outside.”
“Title? What’s that?”
At my question, the secretary, who had been organizing papers, looked at me and Eun-ah with a flustered expression. Eun-ah hurriedly whispered in my ear. “It’s like a nickname.”
“...I don’t want a nickname.”
“No, that’s not exactly what it is.”
“It’s like an honorable attribute.”
At the secretary’s explanation, I clapped my hands. “Ah, I think I get it. If the President is giving it, does it come with bonus stats?”
The secretary’s expression trembled. “I, I apologize, but... is that really...?”
“Huh?”
“It’s just hard to believe.”
I scratched my cheek. “Wow, news travels fast...”
At my nonchalant expression, Eun-ah covered her eyes. “I’m sorry. I should have explained everything calmly one by one.”
“No, it’s fine. It happens. Do better next time.”
“Is that really what you should be saying right now?!”
At Eun-ah’s words, I smacked my lips. The secretary still seemed to be waiting for my answer.
“Well, anyway, I was there for a long time. About 20 years.”
“...”
The secretary’s eyes filled with pity. She pulled a handkerchief from her pocket, dabbed at her eyes, and said, “I see... You’ve really been through a lot.”
“It’s nothing.”
“Hehe. Then, please wait just a moment.”
The secretary who had guided us to the reception room left, and Eun-ah and I were left alone in the flashy space. “Hmm, do we have to wait here until the President comes?”
“I suppose so.”
While I was looking around the fancy waiting room, the door swung open and someone walked in. The man, who entered alone without any guards, laughed heartily when he saw me. His laugh felt quite unpretentious. ‘The atmosphere is the opposite of the Seoul Guild.’ As I was staring at him with that thought, the man reached out his hand.
“Are you the heroes of this time? You always have my gratitude for your hard work.”
“Gratitude...?” Jeez, this guy uses difficult words too. As my eyes flickered, the man smiled broadly.
“I meant that you’ve worked very hard.”
“Ah, yes.”
The middle-aged man was unexpectedly quite sturdy. The energy he exuded was similar to Park Jungsoo’s; he looked enough like a hunter that one might mistake him for one at a glance.
“I am the 25th President, Kim Jungtae.”
“Oh, President. It is an honor to see your face?” Is this how I’m supposed to say it? Is this right? When I glanced at Eun-ah, she shook her head rapidly. Seeing that, Kim Jungtae laughed heartily.
“Hahaha, you can be comfortable. You’re not a politician, after all. Though I’m sure I’m older than you.”
“Ah, right. Then, uh, Hyung-nim..? Should I call you that?”
As I bowed my head, a moment of silence descended. What, is this not it? I saw on TV that people called each other Hyung-nim all the time.
“Hyunseo-nim, that’s what gangsters call each other...”
At Eun-ah’s words, my face flushed. “Uh, uh? But, if you think about it, the President is like a state-sanctioned gangster...”
“Hyunseo-nim..!”
“No, that’s not it, it’s just...”
As I started to malfunction, President Kim Jungtae laughed and told me to be comfortable. “Think of it as being comfortable. I mean, aren’t you stronger than me? Haha.”
“Haha, is that so?”
When I said that, Eun-ah poked my waist with her finger. “You didn’t introduce yourself. And please, maintain some decorum.”
“Ah...”
Right? That was too casual, wasn’t it? I hurriedly bowed my head. “I’m Kang Hyunseo. A hunter. I’m probably twenty years old.”
“Haha, it reminds me of when I went to a blind date in the old days~ I’m Kim Jungtae. The President, and I’m sixty-one.”
At Kim Jungtae’s words, Eun-ah smiled. “Anyway, that’s not what’s important. We’re both busy people, so let’s get to the point.”
Kim Jungtae sat up straight and said, “What do you need for you to stay in this country?”
Hmm. Straight to the point. He’s the type to throw a fastball. A slight silence flowed. ‘Was this event prepared just to ask this?’ I thought he was just going to give me a nickname, and I wondered if the President had nothing better to do.
“How much do you know?”
“I probably know most of it. S-class or higher ability, an absurd level of swordsmanship, a weapon presumed to be of a high grade, and even a hidden class.”
“...”
Kim Jungtae’s sharp gaze turned toward me. ‘Look at this? A super-strong opening move right from the start?’ S-class or higher ability. Swordsmanship. High-grade weapon. In other words, he was saying, ‘You’re the Lone Demon King, aren’t you?’ I received that gaze, which felt like it was poking me with an awl, and said,
“...To be honest, I’m thinking of retiring.” (I’m never doing that again.)
At my words, the President’s fist clenched tightly.
“As you know, many hunters have passed away recently.” (You know it too. Because the Lone Demon King wasn’t there, many hunters died.)
“Yes.” (So what?)
“If we cannot clear the Tower, the Republic of Korea will collapse.” (If we don’t have you, we’re ruined; we’re all going to die like this.)
“I suppose so.” (🖕)
At my indifferent reaction, the President changed his strategy as smoothly as water. “...What do you want? Whatever you want, the state is prepared.”
Yeah, that’s how you should act if you want to talk. I grinned.
“Complete disposal of my information, and item trading rights.”
Kim Jungtae’s expression turned troubled. “...Complete disposal of information is...”
“Please erase all information about me. All existing data. If there’s anyone who knows too deeply...”
As I hardened my expression, Kim Jungtae pursed his lips. “There must be a way to manipulate memories.”
“Hmm, I like things to be clean.”
Kim Jungtae, who had been thinking for a moment, opened his mouth heavily. “...But I am a civil servant. I cannot kill someone who has served the country. I will ensure that absolutely nothing leaks out.”
“Haa, okay.”
Kim Jungtae glanced at me and read the room. He seemed to be agonizing over something, his lips moving, but soon he spoke.
“Do you want to wipe away everything, even the past?” (Are you not going to be the Lone Demon King anymore?)
At Kim Jungtae’s direct hit, I thought for a moment before slowly nodding. “...You’re a man who knows.” (Would you do it if you were me?)
Stop fishing, just stop fishing. Kim Jungtae, with a cautious expression, didn’t ask further and moved on to the next question.
“You said you want to trade directly, not through the Auction.”
“Yes.”
“Haa... there will be some conflict of interest over this.”
I pointed at Eun-ah and said, “I’d like it if this guild had the authority to sell items. I know the Seoul Guild has it too. It’s called ‘Auction’.”
This was something Park Jungsoo had told me. That the actual owner of the Auction was the Seoul Guild, and that the reason I had a hard time trading items at the Auction was all because of that. Therefore, for me to easily acquire or sell items, I would need item trading authority.
“...I understand.”
President Kim Jungtae nodded calmly, then laughed heartily.
“Wow, I’ve been completely fleeced, haven’t I? My plans were completely blocked by your previous conditions. My goodness, I thought I’d finally get a card to play.”
“...The only person who should know is the President.”
“Haha, of course. Would anyone believe this anyway? Then, I’ll see you at the awarding ceremony later.”
Then, the President pulled something out of his pocket.
“And this is a personal gift.”
“...”
I frowned as I received the small bead.
[Veil of the Unknown – B]
Disrupts recording devices within a certain range.
“Stars used to carry these around sometimes in the past.”
“Ah, this.”
Isn’t this an item that came out during the Tower of Earth era?
“It’s an item that invalidates all video, photos, and recordings in the vicinity.”
“If it’s B-rank, it must have a pretty wide range.”
“These days, it’s an era where 50x and 100x zooms exist, so if they really want to take a picture, they can, but it will be of some help in concealing information.”
This is actually quite useful. It’s an old-model item you can’t even find these days.
“Then, I’ll see you later.”
The President left. I leaned back in the chair and soothed my fatigue.
“Ugh.”
“Are you tired?”
“Yeah... he looks like a bear, but the way he acts is a total raccoon.”
“Yes?”
I stared blankly at the ceiling and said, “Wow, he’s not easy, that President person.”
“What... are you talking about?”
Eun-ah should know by now. I thought for a moment, then turned around and smiled bashfully.
“I mean, well. He knows my identity. That man.”
“Your identity?”