Chapter 399

〈Chapter 399〉 Part 1, Chapter 17, Section 7

President Baek Se-joon had a chat with Phoenix.

And that evening…

Baek Hee-a, President Baek Se-joon’s granddaughter and also the Commander of the Korean Association Executioners, declared her intent to urgently fly off to Mexico.

The eyes of the entire world turned toward Mexico.

It was true that it was about time for the Korean Association and the Blue Wind Sect, who had been taking down S-Rank threats before the Azidahaka Gate incident, to start moving. But in this dire situation where the world might end, no one expected them to head abroad again.

Naturally, Baek Hee-a simply announced, “I’m going to Mexico tomorrow,” and then disappeared again.

Baek Hee-a’s skill at vanishing was already famous from the Pyongyang incident, where no one could find even a single hair of hers. As a result, people tried to satisfy their curiosity about someone who couldn’t be tracked through all official and unofficial channels.

One person who had been present during that meeting:

Seok Harang of the Snow Lotus Sect.

But Seok Harang wasn’t someone you could easily mess with either. So, the people, the citizens, and governments around the world begged for information through every formal and informal route they could find.

– The President knows everything.

In fact, President Baek Se-joon did know everything. From now on, all information released to the public would be thoroughly controlled by President Baek Se-joon.

And tonight at 10 PM…

President Baek Se-joon was scheduled to appear in front of the camera for a briefing.

* * *

<21:30, New Seoul, Yu-Sung Family Mansion>

“Everything’s ready.”

Yun Yuhwa handed me a metal case. On top of the black case, which resembled a 007-style bag, lay an unactivated smartwatch compatible with local networks.

Clack.

I transformed the Magical Gear into a bracelet using magic power, and then placed the old-school smartwatch over it in a wristwatch style.

“How much Euro did you prepare?”

“Twenty million Euros. There shouldn’t be any big issues using it. It’s a secret account my grandfather set up in Europe.”

“…Won’t this last less than a week?”

“It could take a week, a day, or maybe even a month. I’ve prepared more than enough for your journey, so feel free to use it all if you need to.”

Thanks to Yun Yuhwa, our funds for European operations were fully secured. Using Phoenix’s account would invite immediate tracking, so we had to rely on an account converted into Euros long ago.

If someone were making large payments in Korean currency right in the middle of Europe, wouldn’t that raise some eyebrows? Fortunately, thanks to accounts holding vast amounts of Euros set up long ago, we were golden. And as it turned out, Yun Yuhwa had plenty of such accounts.

Still, I hesitated to accept the smartwatch. Its surface bore clear signs of prolonged use, and I knew exactly who its previous owner was.

“Should I really take this?”

“Yes. Your father would be proud.”

Eun Ha-su.

Yun Yuhwa’s father and the former CEO of Yu-Sung Group. This smartwatch was the only property and legacy he left behind for Yuha, personally handed over during his lifetime.

“If things get bad in Korea, flee overseas and live off this slush fund.”

He clearly said that while handing it over, then passed away. Yun Yuhwa looked momentarily stunned upon hearing my words.

“Did Future Me really give this too? Wow, the world must be in bad shape.”

“In many ways, it’s been a huge help.”

A funding cheat exclusive to the Yun Yuhwa route. The Golden Throne’s legacy now rested on my wrist. If we gathered all the hidden funds scattered worldwide using just the genetic data and various data stored in this smartwatch, it would likely amount to 20 trillion won in cash alone.

“Luckily, it seems Future Me has good judgment.”

Yun Yuhwa readily handed over the slush fund. With 20 million Euros immediately available, it might seem insignificant, but once we started spending recklessly without worrying about revealing the money trail, it wouldn’t take long to burn through all that wealth.

This was essentially everything Yun Yuhwa owned. The sole item containing all the data of the Yu-Sung Group.

“What happens if I break or lose it?”

“Then you’ll have to take responsibility for my life. Marriage would be ideal, but even if not, please ensure I can make a living. You don’t need to pretend anymore, right? Or how about marrying me and inheriting the Yu-Sung Group? Hehe…”

Yun Yuhwa tapped the magical gear to play back a video clip. Already recorded in high-definition, the image and sound quality were crystal clear.

– My name is Blazing Phoenix.

“…Stop playing the voice. Is this the original? That Lighthouse guy.”

“I’ve been listening to it for ten hours straight. Customer, can you change the voice? I want to drink coffee while enjoying this ASMR.”

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

Due to the male voice of Phoenix being broadcast worldwide, Phoenix inadvertently gained strange popularity. Some even joked that just hearing the voice could make women pregnant.

“I don’t understand why you hid this for so long. If you had used this voice earlier, both me and Cheon Gaeul might have opened up sooner.”

“Both sides?”

“Indeed, it took a lot of courage to love someone of the same gender. But now, it doesn’t matter anymore. Hehe, I’ll adjust according to what you prefer. Whether male or female, it’s fine.”

“…Sigh.”

An involuntary sigh escaped me. Was it because the end of the world was approaching? Everyone was becoming incredibly aggressive in their approaches.

At this rate, I might fall for another heroine before Seongju even arrives. I clapped my hands to bring Yun Yuhwa back to her senses.

“I have no intention of becoming the owner of Yu-Sung. That title belongs to you. I’ll take good care of this and return it later, Chairman Yun Yuhwa.”

“…Oh my, that was the final test, and you cheated!”

“Of course.”

Would Yun Yuhwa ever willingly hand over the reins of Yu-Sung? No matter how much she loved someone, even if it were the protagonist, she’d cling tightly to the protagonist.

“And Phoenix won’t marry or do anything like that with anyone else either.”

“You’ve already married once and even had kids, haven’t you?”

“That’s not what I meant!”

As she giggled and hurled insults, I found it difficult to counter. I missed my chance to explain about the time loop, but Yun Yuhwa had already pieced together my identity almost perfectly from the information she had gathered herself.

“You saved the world, had seven twins with me, and then came back to the past. Ah, I think I finally figured out why. Someone freed you from brainwashing and sent you back here, right? For that person, you’re willing to risk everything. Ah, it must be a man, since you’re currently living as a woman. Oh my, so this is the story of passionate love between men—”

“I like women.”

“There’s a woman right here!”

Yun Yuhwa spread her arms wide and smiled brightly. In the end, it was all part of her strategy to promote herself, and to avoid getting swayed, I stood up and approached her.

“Eh, eh?”

With a swoop, I pulled Yun Yuhwa into an embrace. Wrapping my arms around her waist, pressing my chest against hers, I locked eyes with her face-to-face. Thanks to the high heels on my slippers, I only had to look slightly upward to meet her gaze.

“Now, hold on. Customer, is this a joke?”

“Always grateful. Both as a business partner and as a comrade. Choosing you as my first ally, above everyone else, was my best decision.”

Thump, thump. Her heartbeat resonated through my chest. Yun Yuhwa, whose heart raced, placed her hands behind my waist.

“This was also my best choice, working directly with Customer.”

Yun Yuhwa countered my attack with another. For a long time, we held each other tightly, locking gazes. Yun Yuhwa didn’t flinch for a single moment, nor did she make the first move.

“Hehe, if it were Cheon Gaeul, she would’ve rushed in for a kiss by now.”

“…If it were Gaeul, I wouldn’t have done something like this.”

“That’s assuming she wouldn’t have covered me first, right? Whoa, naughty. Very naughty, Customer. I should report this.”

“What kind of report?”

“Marriage registration.”

“I knew that was coming.”

Eventually, I stepped back from Yun Yuhwa. When it comes to push and pull tactics, Yun Yuhwa was a master at making her opponent restless first.

“Customer, if you cover me in front of the whole world, I’ll gladly say yes.”

“Miss Yun Yuhwa, would you still say yes if I did that in front of the world?”

“That depends on whether it’s the monster form, the female Phoenix, or the male form you’re hiding so well. Situations differ, so could you specify?”

“Male form? What are you talking about?”

“Tsk, if you’ve got the male voice, obviously there’s a male form too, right? How could you not when we’ve got Karna too?”

“…”

Since there’s a male voice, there must be a male appearance. Simple deduction. Right now, I’m pretending the monster form is the male form, but Yun Yuhwa refuses to abandon the idea of a separate human male form.

“One of these three matters. Here’s a hint—one of them is always welcome. If you guess correctly, I’ll respond accordingly.”

“So you intend to seal the deal in front of the whole world?”

“Naturally.”

“…Then let’s exclude the monster form for now.”

Time was up. I pointed to Baek Se-joon, who had appeared at the press conference.

“The monster form, the owner of Phoenix, has already been decided separately.”

* * *

22:00.

Baek Se-joon stood in front of the microphone with his silvered hair. His face looked thinner than before, with deeper wrinkles carved into it.

“Hello, this is President Baek Se-joon speaking.”

Baek Se-joon introduced himself with those words. Since his inauguration, he hadn’t even held a proper ceremony, yet he managed to assert his presence nationwide, even globally.

[This morning, I met with one of the known officers of the Dark Legion, <Phoenix>. Many of you, citizens of our nation and the world, may be curious about what Phoenix and I discussed. I…don’t quite know where to begin.]

Baek Se-joon took a sip of water as if his throat was dry at the very start, calming his tense voice.

[Firstly, Phoenix arrived in Seoul around April this year. The reason? A dimensional gate opened on Gwanaksan Mountain in Seoul. He came to investigate why the dimension gate under his supervision, the Fire Dragon Gate, had opened without his control. According to him, the Seoul Gate was not something he opened.]

From the very beginning, it was fabricated.

[Thus, he infiltrated Seoul and discovered residents living underground in Dongjak. He met a young girl there. Yes, that’s correct. <Beast Tamer>, Cheongnyeon. A girl who lived as a refugee underground. Phoenix rescued the girl, who was being chased by monsters due to the dimensional gate, and awakened her as an ability user. Coincidentally, Miss Cheongnyeon awakened the power to control beasts.]

Suddenly, the script veered into a love story.

[During this time, Phoenix learned the culprit behind the Seoul Gate. It was former President Sun Icheol. While researching dimensional gates at a facility in Daejeon, he conducted an actual experiment on Gwanaksan… intending to sacrifice his nephew, Lee Seung-hyeong. Fortunately, as you all know, Lee Seung-hyeong overcame adversity and awakened as <Hwakwon>.]

Inside a prison inaccessible to ordinary people, a man with a scar on his left eye began throwing a violent tantrum. He shouted, “This is a fabrication!” But no one heard him.

[Originally an officer of the Dark Legion preparing for another operation, Phoenix became responsible for caring for Miss Cheongnyeon. Subsequently, as many of you know, many events unfolded. Miss Cheongnyeon taught Phoenix about life on Earth, and Phoenix struggled between his feelings for Cheongnyeon and his duty as an officer of the Dark Legion.]

Those already informed about the incident felt even more confused. The thoroughly distorted truth flowed smoothly from the mouth of the nation’s leader. After playing the role of a servile politician under Sun Icheol for so long, his shamelessness knew no bounds.

[And amidst the chaos enveloping the world, he made a decision. Believing that if someone could defeat him, the Dark Legion could also be defeated, <Snow Lotus> triumphed over Phoenix. Once again, we were saved by Snow Lotus. And Phoenix said this.]

Don’t misunderstand. I’m not saving the Earth.

I’m protecting the world where Cheongnyeon can live.

A villain falling in love with a righteous woman, betraying his organization, and joining the side of justice.

That was the theme of the grand Earth-saving drama collectively crafted by everyone aware of the situation.

“Customer, except for the part about Cheongnyeon, is it okay? No, call her directly. Say ‘Yuha.’ Then we can record and synthesize it.”

“…”

Today marked the day Phoenix officially declared to the world that she belonged to Cheongnyeon and Blazing Phoenix.