Chapter 201

〈 Chapter 201: Episode 1, Part 10, Chapter 4 〉

In the aftermath of the Black Scorpion incident, one of the hottest topics stirring up the global hero community was the debate over “the appearance of the Black Scorpion.”

– Should we view the Black Scorpion as human-like or as a monster?

The destructive power that knocked out worldwide broadcasts from the Black Scorpion was as immense as its size. Its undulating thorax mesmerized many and sparked desires in some to modify their Xroids to resemble the Black Scorpion.

Yusung hoped to actively reflect consumer opinions by selling new models but the government swiftly rejected Yusung’s patent application.

– I find it distasteful to expose the public to vulgar items that sexualize monsters. The Black Scorpion is merely a monster designed to look human. Yusung must immediately cease sexualizing monsters.

Miss Baek Hee-a maintained a considerably conservative stance, forcing Yusung to reluctantly ignore consumer feedback.

– If Yusung plans to sell Xroids modeled after the Black Scorpion, we will express our deepest regret.

Baek Hee-a, a woman with highly conservative sexual views, made it hard to believe rumors of her flirting with Yun Yuhwa.

“Are you extremely flustered? Ah, are you perhaps the bride? Is Miss Baek also 1/16th?”

“Could you elaborate? Is this ‘flirting’ what I think it is?”

“…Your confusion makes me suddenly apologetic. Do you know what the Baek family is like?”

“I do.”

The Baek family has long been matriarchal. Even Prime Minister Baek Se-joon, who rose after Sun Icheol’s fall, had to change his surname to ‘Baek’ upon marrying into the family, highlighting the high status of women within it.

“No matter what, she wouldn’t like women, right?”

“Customer, your panic is making your thoughts overly simplistic. I might not be female, you know?”

“…Ah. Is it Eun Jaemin then?”

I sighed in relief. Yun Yuhwa seemed to stop teasing and revealed the relationship between Eun Jaemin and Baek Hee-a.

“Miss Baek is trying to bring Eun Jaemin, the next president candidate, into her fold as part of her plan to take over Yusung.”

“So you were trying to use that connection, huh.”

“More threads are always better. By the way, I didn’t know Miss Baek was on your target list too. What shall we do? I have no intention of fighting over a woman with you.”

“I don’t want to fight with you either.”

Since neither of us wants to become enemies, we should maintain a strategic partnership, maximizing our mutual utility. Losing Eun Yuhwa and Yusung due to issues with Baek Hee-a would complicate my plans significantly.

“Alright. I’ll send Baek Hee-a to Seoul for you. But how? As an undergraduate student? Or maybe as a professor?”

“Not at all. As my private jet captain.”

“…Master?”

“It’s inconvenient when planes keep exploding, isn’t it? There’s nothing safer than a plane piloted by Baek Hee-a. Everything suits except one thing—it makes me really want to make her mine.”

Eun Yuhwa frowned openly.

“That’s not a plane from Yusung, right?”

“Which is why it’s even safer… Sorry.”

“…”

Anyway, words can be troublesome.

***

<9:55 AM, New Seoul Second District Park>

“How about meeting some brides while you’re here since you rarely visit New Seoul?”

Following Eun Yuhwa’s sarcastic suggestion, I sat alone on a park bench to rest, deciding to think about the cube he gave me later rather than Baek Hee-a’s issue.

‘Should I just use this?’

Though I might face some questioning about where I used it, there’s no guarantee I’ll get another cube anytime soon, even with Horogwan Locust around…

“Director?”

A girl in a white lab coat sitting beside me adjusted her glasses. I tilted my head slightly upward. It was a cloudless day, and the sun shone brightly.

“Directorrriiim? Can’t I see everything with this?”

“…What have you developed now?”

I dispersed some magic power around to create an invisible barrier. Since my body became transparent, others wouldn’t see me, and the weekday morning park was sparsely populated. The research-coated girl—Himeji Hikari—giggled while fiddling with her glasses.

“A scout! With this, I can read the flow of magical energy. I heard Director arrived and chased after you immediately. Hehe.”

Hikari looked disheveled, as if she hadn’t slept.

“Didn’t you sleep?”

“I woke up. Director, can you let me study the cube?”

“Ugh…”

I could allow her to conduct research freely. If I handle it with magic, there won’t be any problems with the cube. However, doing so would further delay my meeting with Chang Yeom.

Should I use it immediately or lend it to Hikari for research? The answer was simple.

“No.”

“Why?”

“I need to use it somewhere.”

“Could you specify where and how you plan to use it? Just a little more research might lead to groundbreaking inventions like the magical detector you requested… magical detector… magical detector…”

“Are you threatening me, Director?”

“Eh, how could I threaten someone as heavenly as you? I merely…”

Hikari fidgeted with the hem of her gown, looking dejected.

“Feel like losing motivation without studying the cube… kind of?”

“Sleep.”

I tossed the cube to Hikari, who hastily caught it in surprise.

“Director?!”

“Study it well. I’ve already restricted it from going berserk, so go ahead.”

I decided to invest in the future. Though I may only gaze at Chang Yeom, using up the cube and talking about it would leave a bad impression on her.

“Thank you!”

Hikari hugged me enthusiastically while jumping around. The strong smell of instant noodles soaked into her gown made me dizzy, so I pushed her away.

“Did you eat cup noodles again?”

“No!”

Hikari proudly spread her arms wide.

“Packaged noodles!”

“…Doesn’t Eun Yuhwa say anything?”

“Hmm.”

Hikari adjusted her fallen glasses slightly.

“He says developing regular eating habits leads to balanced growth… but…”

“Who’s criticizing whose eating habits? Someone who drinks more coffee than eats meals shouldn’t be listened to. No matter how many days you eat ramen, you won’t gain weight.”

“Really? What’s your basis for saying that?”

“Your brother.”

Hikari’s expression crumpled instantly.

“Is Director now mocking me because my brother is prettier than me? Is that it? Huh?”

“Of course not. That’s not what I meant.”

As I tidied up Hikari’s rumpled research gown, I asked her politely.

“Take care of your brother while he’s still acting like himself, alright?”

“…??”

It wasn’t appropriate to explain further to a minor. After transferring the cube to Hikari, I left the park. Unfortunately, none of the heroines living in New Seoul were visible.

Protagonists usually bump into heroines just by walking around, but I exited the park and moved toward my destination on the sidewalks of New Seoul.

“There are so many people.”

I arrived at the New Seoul Central Bus Terminal. A group of people wearing blue headbands occupied the plaza, staging a protest.

“Prime Minister Baek Se-joon, increase bus routes to Seoul!”

“Expand! Expand!!”

Hundreds of citizens gathered in the square, raising their voices. Next to the blue-headband protesters, another group with white headbands shouted.

“Prime Minister Baek Se-joon, increase bus routes to Busan!”

“Expand! Expand!!”

“Tch.”

The protesters’ intentions were clear. They intended to abandon New Seoul once Seoul and Busan became safer. Among the leaders of the protests, I spotted a familiar face.

“Foreigner.”

Though they appear typically Korean, these foreigners have renounced their nationality and live abroad. Some of them mingled among the protesters, inciting the crowd with their magically amplified voices before quietly dispersing among the people.

“They’re slipping away separately?”

I stealthily followed them. The foreigners, having removed their headbands, pretended to gather in a café for conversation. I observed the situation inside. They met with people who had been seated in the café beforehand.

Their meeting was secretive enough to fit the term “rendezvous.” It was definitely not a casual meet-up or blind date.

“Tch.”

Unable to approach closely due to their move indoors to a back corner, I sat at a sunny outdoor terrace seat instead, perking my ears.

“…So, how long do we have to keep doing this? It’s annoying me to death.”

“Hey, we need to reclaim the properties we left behind in Seoul. Are you okay with letting someone else snatch those shops in Jongno right under your nose? Luckily, …whatever-it-was got restored, right?”

“Ah.”

I understood their intentions. They were gathering public support to reclaim their properties legally confiscated.

“Now, isn’t that guy who hangs around Prime Minister Sun Icheol easy to manipulate? Aren’t we all people who lost real estate in Seoul?”

“What are you talking about? I came down to New Seoul, while you guys fled overseas.”

“It’s the same thing. Don’t you know who owns your land in Seoul now? Isn’t it occupied by some villain group called Blue Wind Sect or something?”

“Indeed. People claiming ownership of restored infrastructure are starting to appear sooner than expected.”

Though anticipated, their emergence was faster than imagined. Refugees and the Blue Wind Sect rebuilt Seoul, but legal ownership of most properties remains with the original owners.

“In a sense, my hideout is technically illegally occupied too.”

This problem arises because Architect’s special ability leans towards “building restoration.” If entirely new buildings were erected on ruined lands, it might be different, but since structures resembling those before leaving Seoul have been reconstructed, greed naturally emerges.

“The foreigners are piggybacking on this to try recovering their own assets too.”

Though the Blue Wind Sect restored Seoul, they’re ultimately villains and cannot legally claim ownership. Moving northward is impossible due to monsters, and heading southward to Seoul will result in the same situation.

“Looks like I’ll have to use the cube again.”

I could easily relinquish Seoul’s infrastructure. However, I have no intention of leaving Seoul.

“We need to capture Hydra quickly.”

“Among spirits, none are more orthodox regarding land issues than the Spirit of Durability.”

Unfortunately, locating the material is challenging. I decided to address the issue of property disputes through <Ji Ryun's Hydra> at a later time.

“There are bigger problems right now.”

“Isn’t the Round Table also monitoring Korea? Oracle practically stays in New Seoul, and Undine and War God are currently in Seoul.”

“Seok Harang hasn’t moved from Busan. So who’s left in New Seoul? Think about it.”

The foreigners pointed at a monitor hanging on the café wall. On it, the blond middle-aged man, the leader of the Round Table, Sir Gawein, ascended a podium for an official announcement.

“Why would the Round Table gather in Seoul instead of New Seoul? Isn’t that right?”

Gawein convened the Round Table.

Not in New Seoul, but in Seoul.

‘That’s why Rusalka moved from Busan to Seoul.’

Not just Rusalka. War God Xiao Lin and Gale Guest Hayate are currently stationed in Seoul.

“Wow, that girl Cheongnyeon. Her special ability is truly remarkable.”

“Where do you plan to go? America? Or your home country, India?”

“Don’t know. How can I predict the actions of crazy vagrants trying to save people?”

“…”

My mood soured slightly. While it was inevitable that I’d be mentioned during the Round Table conference, their talk about Cheongnyeon irked me.

‘I’ll remember your faces.’

There will surely come a day when something significant happens in Seoul. I left my seat and returned to my original destination—the terminal.

“Expand! Expand!”

People continued to demand more routes, and the protests showed no signs of stopping. Avoiding them, I leaped onto the terminal roof and perched on the railing.

“I’ll wait until the bus arrives.”

The bus I’m waiting for is coming down from Seoul. Originally, “Cheongnyeon” was supposed to ride it, but she descended early in the morning to complete her errands.

“Huh?”

A familiar and welcome face entered the terminal. I quickly slipped inside.

‘I didn’t expect her to show up here at this hour.’

Hiding awkwardly among the crowd, I smiled upon seeing the black-haired woman with a low profile.