WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Hydrogen B.
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
Chapter 91: 091
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That was when everyone around us froze.
“Jiho, what kind of crazy shit are you saying now?!”
Smack!
Noona hit me hard across the back.
What was that for?
I looked at her in confusion, and she spoke urgently.
“How dare you speak to the president like that?! Apologize right now... Hurry!”
“Ah.”
In that moment, I realized my mistake.
Jang Daehan, standing before me, was the president.
He held the highest authority and power in the country. The representative our people had elected with their own hands!
And I had arrogantly told that man, “You’re having a rough time, Baldy. Keep your chin up.”
It was because of that damned wizard ego.
‘Ah. I made a mistake because everyone around me looked so far beneath me.’
The rank of my soul as a wizard was simply too high.
Everyone around me looked so insignificant and weak. Even the president, the supreme commander of this country, had looked like a pitiful, unfortunate human being.
That was why I had treated the president so casually without realizing it.
What a mistake...
How rude must I have looked?
Then I suddenly remembered that Black Mage bastard from the Tower.
‘Aren’t they nothing more than bugs incapable of handling even a speck of mana?’
‘Are all people truly the same? Commoners are nothing more than livestock that can speak. Humans who can’t handle mana are only useful as labor or sacrifices.’
‘I don’t understand why you care about commoners at all.’
That Black Mage had thrown thousands, perhaps tens of thousands, of people to the Ghouls as food.
Without a shred of guilt.
He had treated commoners as nothing but livestock.
I think I understood how he had become that way.
Everyone around him had looked insignificant, so he no longer treated humans as humans!
A surge of alarm shot through me.
‘Fuck. Am I going to become like that someday too?!’
Right now, I was only treating the president like someone beneath me.
But someday, I might start treating humans like livestock, just like that Black Mage bastard I’d seen in the Tower.
Me, treating the people of King Korea like livestock!
That couldn’t happen!
This body was meant to save the citizens of King Korea, not exploit and slaughter them!
I quickly came to my senses and opened my mouth.
“Ah! I’m sorry. I spoke without thinking.”
“I’m so sorry, Mr. President! This brat is so immature...! Hey! Baek Jiho! What the hell is wrong with you...?!”
I apologized while noona kept smacking me across the back.
Hmm. It was my mistake, so I had nothing to say.
Just as I was expressing my apology...
“Hahahaha!”
President Jang Daehan burst into hearty laughter.
Why was he laughing?
Had the situation been so absurd that he’d lost his mind?
He grinned.
“You truly are as I heard, Mr. Baek Jiho. I feel much more at ease now. You seem like a genuinely honest person. If anything, I’m glad to see how deeply Hunter Baek Jiho cares for his homeland.”
“It’s me.”
“You’ll be meeting President Trump soon, so I was worried you might suddenly leave for America... Thankfully, it seems my fears were unfounded.”
Jang Daehan smiled with satisfaction.
Hmm... Anyway.
So he wasn’t too offended by my mistake?
That was a relief.
“I’m sorry I misspoke. That’s just how I am.”
“Please don’t worry about it. And compared to the other Hunters who came from Hard-rank, your behavior isn’t particularly excessive.”
“Other Hunters... You mean...?”
“Yes. Hunter Choi Yejin. When she gets especially drunk, she sometimes comes to the Blue House at dawn and grabs me by the collar. She hounds me relentlessly, demanding that I bring in more Points as soon as possible... Ha ha. The Presidential Security Service employees have suffered quite a bit because of it.”
“Um.”
So that crazy bitch Choi Yejin sometimes got drunk, stormed into the Blue House at dawn, and grabbed the president by the collar.
What the hell was that lunatic doing with her life?
Getting drunk and shaking the president by the collar?
Was she seriously insane?
As I stood there in shock, President Jang Daehan continued quietly.
“I came to speak with you before the formal contract, away from President Trump’s eyes... Though it seems the words I prepared aren’t necessary.”
“What did you want to say?”
“It was nothing unusual. Please work for your homeland, don’t go to America, remain in the Republic of Korea... Those sorts of things. Put simply, I came to grab Hunter Baek Jiho by the pant leg. When I, the president, lie flat on the floor and beg desperately, other Hunters tend to reconsider at least once or twice.”
“...”
“But it seems you don’t need that. That is fortunate. Truly fortunate...”
It seemed the president had come to ask me to stay in the Republic of Korea.
After the formal contract, I would meet Torumph at the banquet, so he must have been afraid I would go to America.
I smirked.
‘What a pointless worry.’
Where would this Extreme Lunatic Hell Patriotic Chungmugong Hunter go after abandoning King Korea?
All I thought about was sweeping every last Point out of the Tower and saving the people of my country.
Did he think I’d shamefully leave Korea like those ordinary traitorous Hunters?
“Don’t worry, Mr. President. Just trust this Extreme Lunatic Hell Patriotic Chungmugong Hunter. You should get hair loss treatment too. Your head looks so bare that it seems cold.”
“Hahaha! Thank you for your concern, Hunter Baek Jiho. Unfortunately, I have heard that modern medicine cannot do much about hair loss. Unfortunately.”
“That’s too bad.”
“Yes. It truly is unfortunate...”
The president gave a bitter smile, and I shrugged.
Then, suddenly.
-Bow.
He bent deeply at the waist.
The president had suddenly given me a perfect ninety-degree bow!
It was sharp enough to rival Han Seonga’s.
His smooth crown gleamed like a mirror.
“Gasp!”
“Mr. President!”
“!”
The surrounding employees all held their breath in shock.
They seemed stunned because a man who was the president had suddenly bowed so deeply.
But the truly surprised one was me.
‘Why is he suddenly bowing like that?’
Things like this made me uncomfortable.
The president continued quietly, his head still lowered.
“Hunter Baek Jiho. I sincerely thank you for all your efforts so far.”
“...”
“For bringing back so many Points, for resolving our country’s power shortage, and for dealing with threats from foreign countries... I thank you for all of it. If you had not been here, the situation in the Republic of Korea would be even more terrible than it is now.”
“It’s me.”
“...Please continue to take care of us. If there is anything you need, tell us at any time. The government of the Republic of Korea will spare no effort in providing every convenience for you.”
The president slowly straightened up.
With an awkward smile, he said, “Hmm. The formal contract will begin soon. I should go calm President Trump. He seems quite angry because I forcibly stopped him from meeting Hunter Baek Jiho before the contract.”
“You should go. I heard Torumph has a nasty temper.”
“Haha. Then I’ll be going now. I’ll see you at the banquet after the formal contract.”
Step, step.
President Jang Daehan walked away with his secretaries.
Perhaps his back was stiff from forcing that deep bow, because he kept rubbing his waist as he walked.
A middle-aged man in his forties should be starting to take care of his back.
That was what happened when you forced yourself into a perfect ninety-degree bow.
Watching his retreating back, I muttered quietly.
“Noona, that old guy’s kind of cool.”
“I know. It couldn’t have been easy for him to bow like that when he’s the president...”
“His ninety-degree bow was no worse than Han Seonga’s. It was excellent. If I have plenty of Reverse-Aging Potion left later, I should give him some after you.”
“...What about Hyeji?”
“The president comes before that bus-riding leech Na Hyeji. It’s only right to take care of a commendable person like him first! Yes!”
“Hyeji will be sad. She looked like she was really expecting to get a Reverse-Aging Potion soon too...”
“But would a Reverse-Aging Potion cure hair loss?”
President Jang Daehan.
He was no extraordinary Hunter, only an ordinary civilian...
But as a person, he was quite admirable.
Even after reaching the highest position in the country, he did not care if he lost face and treated this body with sincere respect.
Then again, he had always been that kind of person.
A man who had thrown away his own face and pride, willing to use any means necessary to save the country.
He truly deserved to be the man who had risen above all the established politicians and become president.
Checking the time, I muttered softly.
“Is it almost time for the formal contract?”
* * *
At that same time, Chungmu Hall in the Blue House’s main building.
It was where Baek Jiho’s formal contract would take place.
A commotion was underway there.
Because of Torumph.
“Those goddamn CMM bastards are here too! Which aide brought those fake news assholes here?! CMM was kicked out of the White House press corps a long time ago! I kicked them out myself! Which stupid aide let them in? Answer me right now!”
“Th-that was me.”
“You’re fired! Pack your things and get out of my sight! And throw every one of those CMM bastards out of here right now! Trash like them!”
President Trump had spotted his sworn enemies from CMM.
It was customary for the American president to bring reporters aboard the presidential plane during overseas visits.
But a new aide had made the mistake of including CMM.
Torumph roared.
“These terrible CMM bastards...! I’m sick of those fake news assholes! They’re a total disaster! Pox News! Where’s Pox News? My beloved Pox News!”
“They’re over there.”
“Oh! Our beautiful Pox News is here! I’ll give them an exclusive interview. I’ll tell them that those fucking CMM reporters bribed our stupid aide and stowed away all the way to Korea! They’re demons who interfere with me at every turn while I’m trying to make America great again!”
“...I’ll call the reporter over.”
“Damn CMM! Damn fake news! Those terrible people! I really hate CMM!”
Torumph flipped off the CMM reporters as they left.
While Torumph caused a scene, Korean and American news outlets clicked their camera shutters.
It was the usual grandeur of the world’s greatest attention seeker.
Amid the uproar in Chungmu Hall, one man stood quietly beside President Trump.
His skin was slightly darker than that of most white people.
Though he had a small build, his body was covered in sturdy muscles.
Steadfast determination filled his brown eyes, and a certain pressure surrounded his entire body.
“Oh, Captain! My Captain! David!”
That man was none other than David.
Grab.
Torumph, who had been rambling at a reporter, grabbed David by the shoulder.
Pulling his red cap low, he spoke quietly.
“That Korean guy will show up soon. Watch closely and see what kind of person Baek Jiho is, how strong he is. Many people are making a fuss, so verify him yourself.”
“Understood, Mr. President.”
“Good! I only trust the judgment of our great captain! You’re the best! Great! Of course, I’m the best too!”
Torumph had instructed David to assess Baek Jiho.
The main purpose of the visit to Korea was to recruit Baek Jiho, so Torumph wanted to gauge his ability through the eyes of David, America’s proud world number one Hunter.
Captain David’s eye would give him a decent estimate.
Baek Jiho.
Was he truly a Hunter worth recruiting?
Or was he only another Hard-rank Hunter?
Torumph’s attitude at the banquet afterward would depend on David’s judgment.
“The formal contract will begin shortly. Members of the press and broadcasting stations, please remain quiet.”
At the announcement from a Blue House employee, the noise gradually died down.
David watched the entrance with deep-set eyes.
He thought to himself.
‘Baek Jiho. The sixth Hunter from Hard-rank to appear in the Republic of Korea...’
He was thinking about Baek Jiho.
Baek Jiho’s record was unbelievable in many ways.
‘A Hunter who climbs one floor every day. A Hunter who brings back hundreds of thousands of Points every day despite still being in the High Floors. A Hunter who brought back multiple Magic Stone Reactors from the Middle Floors...’
It went beyond difficult to believe.
His record was bizarre.
How could someone who was only in the High Floors earn hundreds of thousands of Points every day?
How could he bring back Magic Stone Reactors, which could only be found in the Highest Floors, from the Middle Floors?
How could he clear floors that took others days at the shortest and weeks at the longest in a single day?
By anyone’s standards, he was absurd.
The chance that it was real had to be extremely slim.
Even so, David did not jump to conclusions.
‘...I’ll know when I see him. Whether he is real, or whether he’s part of a Korean ploy in their final struggle before destruction.’
David was a Hunter with countless combat experiences and seasoned instincts.
He had seen many Hunters and killed many enemies.
If he examined Baek Jiho’s bearing, expression, and movements, he would be able to gauge his level without much difficulty.
The eye of the world’s number one was that precise.
David.
The presidents of Korea and America.
The cameras of the press and broadcasting stations.
They all watched the entrance to Chungmu Hall.
Then, at one moment.
-Bang!
The doors to Chungmu Hall finally opened.
Right afterward.
-Flash!
An intense golden radiance poured into the room.
It was so bright and powerful that everyone was forced to lose their sight for a moment.
“Aaaagh! My eyes!!! It’s too bright, damn it! What the hell is this?! Is it another assassination attempt?! David! Check my ears! Are they still attached properly?!”
“What?!”
“What is this light...?!”
“It’s too bright to open my eyes...!”
The reporters and broadcasting staff panicked.
The sudden bright light naturally caught them off guard.
But it was too early to be surprised.
-Step. Step. Step. Step.
A certain figure made of light began to stride confidently across Chungmu Hall!
Light was walking.
What on earth was happening?
“Could that be... a person?!”
“What? That’s a person?!”
“What are you talking about?”
The reporters floundered.
The human figure made of golden radiance walked across the center of the room, then approached the table at the far end.
Then...
“Do I sign here?”
The figure of light casually picked up a pen.
Scribble.
The human of light signed the prepared document without hesitation.
He spoke to the president across the table.
“I signed it. Does that make it a formal contract?”
“...That voice, could you be Mr. Baek Jiho?”
“Yes. Did you forget my face? Why can’t you recognize me? We just met a moment ago... Ah! Is it because my aura changed so much that you can’t recognize me?”
“...?”
“Heh heh. I must look pretty holy right now. What do you think? This is the grandeur of an Extreme Lunatic Hell Heaven Hunter. My aura changed so much that you can’t even recognize me. The effect of a Cosmetic Effect truly is incredible...!”
“No, of course...”
How could he recognize him?
The light was so bright that it was difficult to even open his eyes...!
But the president had no choice but to swallow his words.
His mouth would not move.
What was that intense golden radiance?
It felt reverent and sacred, yet it also carried overwhelming and domineering power...
It felt as though he stood before a being of an entirely different order.
President Jang Daehan could only stare blankly at Baek Jiho, unable to speak.
Then Baek Jiho said brightly.
“Now that I signed, is it time for the press conference?”
“Um, Mr. Baek Jiho...?”
“Ah. I just need to go up to that podium, right?”
Step, step.
The human of light, Baek Jiho, strode over and climbed onto the podium set up in one corner of Chungmu Hall.
Bringing his mouth close to the microphone, he spoke quietly.
“It’s me.”
Baek Jiho’s voice flowed through the speakers connected to the microphone.
It was Blue Dot’s debut.
Footnotes:
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