WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Chen
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Our Precious Demon King ◈
Chapter 52: World Peace Through Fine Dining
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Choi Hyunju immediately went to find the director.
He was better suited to handling this sort of thing.
“Director, the Adviser is in Japan right now.”
“Huh? All of a sudden?”
“Yes.”
“But I haven't received any notice.”
“What notice?”
“I should get an automatic alert when he goes through immigration.”
“Ugh.”
The Bureau director's carefree response made her sigh.
“Do you think the Adviser has a passport?”
“Huh? He doesn't, does he?”
What the fuck did he mean, “Does he?” If he weren't her superior, she'd have hit him already.
“Haah. The Adviser, Lady Remi, and Ed have teleported to Japan.”
“Huh? He can go that far?”
“For now, I've lifted the overseas spending restriction on his expense card.”
“Right, good work. Did you enable roaming too?”
“I did.”
“Do we have his location?”
“Ginza, Tokyo.”
“Got it. What should I do?”
By now, the director acted like her subordinate as a matter of course.
“From what I can tell, I think they went to Japan for a meal.”
“Hah. Last time, he went all the way to Andong for braised chicken.”
“If he went out of his way to visit Japan, could it be sushi? Or yakiniku?”
“That's what I don't know.”
The deputy director sighed before continuing.
“This is more serious than you might think. If the Adviser gets into an argument in Japan, there's a high chance Lady Remi will step in.”
“We're screwed. We have to stop that at all costs.”
If Kim Remi got involved, blood would spill.
A Korean going on a stabbing spree in Tokyo?
That would rapidly sour relations between Korea and Japan.
Tensions between the two countries would rise. In the absolute worst case, it might even become grounds for war.
“First, I'll report to the president...”
Park Taejun stopped himself.
For some reason, he could picture the president grinning from ear to ear as he listened to the report.
President Kim Seungtae was currently like someone with a hand on the launch button for a “new weapon,” just waiting to press it.
“I'll contact Japan directly and ask for their cooperation.”
“Yes. Whatever you do, please make sure the Adviser has a meal and comes home without any trouble.”
“Deputy Director, just leave it to me.”
Park Taejun, director of the Hunter Management Bureau, picked up the phone.
Ring...
[Hello?]
“Hey, long time no see! Kuroda! I'm afraid I've got some bad news.”
Park Taejun smiled as he spoke into the phone.
* * *
Japan's Superhuman Awakening Agency.
“Damn it!”
Even after hanging up, Agency Chief Kuroda Yunosuke couldn't calm down.
“‘Good luck’!? Those vicious bastards!”
Why couldn't Korea's Hunter Management Bureau keep even one of its own hunters under control? Why did they have to make trouble for Japan too?
“Wh-what's wrong, Chief?”
“The Mad... Korea's ‘special adviser’ is in Ginza, Tokyo, right now.”
“Whaaaat?”
“What!?”
The capable staff of the Superhuman Awakening Agency jumped in alarm.
Everyone knew he was strongly suspected of being the Mad Sovereign.
But no one could say it.
“Everyone, listen up!”
“Yes, Chief!”
“From this moment on, the Superhuman Awakening Agency is entering emergency operations! Consider us on a near-wartime footing!”
This was serious.
A bomb that even Korea couldn't keep under control had arrived in Tokyo, Japan.
“A group of Korean hunters consisting of the special adviser, the beautiful swordswoman, and the cat is currently roaming Ginza. Their objective is a meal that embodies Japanese culture.”
The agency chief's voice was grim.
“Our mission ends when they finish a satisfying meal and go home.”
One capable employee raised a hand.
“Ryusuke. Go ahead.”
“What do they want to eat?”
“The fact that we don't know is the central challenge of this mission.”
“Could Korea have deliberately withheld that information?”
“No, I doubt that. He's an aggravating man, but he wouldn't play games.”
Kuroda and Park Taejun, the director of Korea's Hunter Management Bureau, had been friends since studying together in America. Knowing his personality well, Kuroda firmly rejected the suggestion of a “dirty Korean plot.”
“Our clue is food steeped in Japanese culture.”
“That's a problem.”
“The bigger problem is that we have no idea which restaurant they might walk into at any moment.”
“How about dispatching agents immediately and assigning them a guide?”
Agency Chief Kuroda Yunosuke shook their head.
“That would be too obvious.”
“Pardon?”
“He values local food and wants to enjoy an ordinary life without interference.”
“What kind of...!”
Wasn't that like a world-famous pop star strolling down the street and hoping nobody would recognize them?
“I-impossible! Isn't that far too irresponsible and carefree of him?”
“We have to accomplish that impossible task.”
Suppose they sent a guide.
Or assigned him bodyguards.
Could they control the crowds that would gather, thinking a celebrity had arrived?
More importantly, would the “special adviser” tolerate the resulting commotion?
“Have you prepared an answer for when he asks how we knew where to find him, Ryusuke?”
“Ugh. I'm sorry.”
“Our only option is to make everything seem as natural as possible.”
“Tell us what to do, Chief!”
Kuroda Yunosuke immediately gave the order.
“Notify every restaurant in Ginza! If a Korean party consisting of one man, one woman, and one cat visits, they are to receive VIP treatment on par with the president of the United States! The Japanese government will cover all costs!”
“Yes, Chief! I'll send out an official request for cooperation immediately.”
“Wait!”
“Yes? Every second counts, Chief Kuroda!”
“Surely you weren't planning to use the fax machine, Ryusuke?”
“Ah!”
Kuroda Yunosuke frowned.
Procedure and tradition were all well and good, but an emergency like this called for flexibility.
“This is urgent! Use the telephone!”
“Yes, Chief!”
“You may mobilize every member of the Superhuman Awakening Agency!”
“Yes, Chief!”
There were a lot of restaurants to contact, so they needed a lot of staff.
Watching the employees rush about, Kuroda Yunosuke narrowed their eyes.
“Damn it...”
The Mad Sovereign.
No, Korea's special adviser, whom they could no longer call by that name, had come to Japan for a single meal.
‘Teleportation...’
Unless Mr. Park Taejun really was carrying out some underhanded scheme, he wouldn't give them false information.
Assuming all the information he had provided was true...
‘This is a powerful warning.’
They couldn't stop him from entering or leaving the country.
He had arrived in Japan's capital through the absurd ability known as teleportation.
It was an incredible show of force, proving he could launch a surprise attack whenever he pleased!
‘Wouldn't assassinating the prime minister be a piece of cake if he put his mind to it?’
What good would tighter security do?
This was Korea's “special adviser,” the man who had brought even Ryu Jai, East Asia's guardian deity, to her knees in a single encounter.
“Damn it!”
It was infuriating, but there was no denying it.
This was a warning, but it might also be an opportunity.
“Show him the finest flavors we have!”
Artisans of Japan!
Do your best!
Japan's future rested in their hands.
After all, no regular customer wanted a restaurant that had satisfied their palate to disappear.
Kuroda Yunosuke's eyes flashed.
‘I'll secure Japan's safety with the world's finest food!’
They would show him how precious Japan was and gain his protection.
Delighted with this splendid plan, the agency chief immediately prepared a report for the prime minister.
* * *
A street in Ginza.
A sushi restaurant with no fewer than two Michelin stars.
“Oh.”
“Mm.”
“Meow?”
The two people and one cat were impressed from the very first dish.
“Meow, Earth's fine dining is quite impressive.”
“Mm.”
Even Remi looked satisfied, a rare sight.
Seeing the retainers he had brought along enjoying themselves made Kim Junyong all the happier.
Was this what it felt like to introduce his home, Earth, to friends from a distant country?
“It's good, right? Huh?”
“It's fantastic, meow! This sashimi is even softer than I expected!”
Ed had expected the fishy smell unique to raw food and a firm, chewy texture, but it was surprisingly tender.
“That's because this sashimi has been aged.”
“Meow? What's he saying?”
“The chef says it's because the fish has been aged.”
“Oh, I see, meow.”
The chef who had appeared behind the sushi counter, where Kim Junyong's party were the only guests, was a gray-haired man. He had introduced himself as the owner and was both skilled and kind, but the language barrier got in the way of the fun of presenting and explaining the food.
That was why a member of the hosting staff stood beside him as an interpreter.
Ed found their awkward communication disappointing.
“Meow, what's your name?”
“I'm Mitsuko.”
Ed held out a green bead to the interpreter.
“Very well, meow. Would you trade your Japanese for this?”
“Wh-what is it?”
“A luck stone, meow. For a human like you, it'll have enough influence to change your fate.”
Mitsuko was extremely confused by the situation, but the pressure from those around them and the sense that they ought to agree won out.
“All right.”
“Good, meow.”
Ed placed the green bead in Mitsuko's hand.
“With this, our transaction is complete, meow.”
“Pardon? Oh, yes.”
Pop, pop.
The green bead sank into Mitsuko, and Ed turned to the chef.
[We don't need an interpreter anymore, so let's talk directly, meow. I have so many questions!]
[Oh? You've suddenly become fluent in Japanese. With that accent, I'd believe you were born in Tokyo.]
Of course. He'd taken a Tokyo native's mother tongue.
[Mitsuko. You can go now.]
“Pardon?”
Mitsuko was bewildered.
They couldn't understand what the chef was saying.
“Meow, you can go now.”
“Oh, yes.”
The cat's “Korean” came through perfectly, but the chef's “Japanese” made no sense at all. It felt like hearing an unfamiliar foreign language.
As Mitsuko stepped away, Kim Junyong shook his head.
“So you can do more than just Luck Extortion?”
“Meooow! That's right!”
“Extorting languages...”
“Meooow!”
Thinking he was being praised, Ed proudly puffed up his fur, but...
“Why waste a luck stone? We could've just sent in a mind slime to extract it over a few days.”
“Meooow! I can make copies of the languages I extort too!”
Speaking proudly, Ed worked his magic and produced two beads, offering one to each of them.
“Hmm?”
“It's Japanese, meow!”
Kim Junyong accepted his bead and infused it with mana.
Pop, pop, pop.
“Huh?”
The language settled into his mind, much like learning a new skill from a skill book.
“Wow. It's like taking in information extracted by a mind slime.”
“Meow.”
“You little rascal. That was worth a luck stone.”
Now that they could understand the language, the three continued their meal in satisfaction.
Ed chattered nonstop, and the chef became absorbed in conversation with a cat whose knowledge of cooking was surprisingly vast.
It felt like two masters of different paths discussing the common subject of food.
“This is my Starsta account, meow.”
“Hoho, I've followed you. If you're coming with your companions, contact me anytime. I'll serve you personally.”
“Meow, let me know if you visit Korea too.”
By the time the meal ended, Ed had made friends with a two-Michelin-star chef.
“Ah, that was good.”
“It was unusually decent.”
“Meow, Kurokawa Renji is quite a fine fellow. Enough to make me want to snatch him up and put him to work as my assistant.”
Coming from a devil, that was close to the highest praise.
“Since we're here, should we stay for dinner too?”
“Meow? Can I try some street food, then?”
“...Master. Let's follow our usual routine.”
“Our routine?”
“A cafe after a meal.”
At the quiet anticipation in Remi's voice, Kim Junyong chuckled.
“Sure, let's go. Time for our Remi to get her sugar fix.”
When the three entered a nearby cafe, the owner hurried over to show them to a table.
For some reason, they were given the best seats by the window, perfect for enjoying dessert while watching the streets of Ginza.
Now fluent in Japanese, Ed ordered everything he wanted to try, much to Remi's satisfaction.
“Peaceful. Just how I like it.”
Thoroughly pleased with their outing, Kim Junyong was looking out the window when someone approached. He turned, wondering if it was another pest drawn to Remi's beauty.
“We're running a promotion. Spin the wheel, and you're guaranteed a prize.”
“Meooow! I want to try!”
Ed excitedly spun the wheel.
Among some fairly nice prizes, from stuffed toys to wireless earbuds, the pointer landed on a very narrow section.
“Oh! You've won a one-day pass to Ginza's finest pub. You're very lucky.”
“Meowhaha, I am lucky!”
“The pass is only valid today, so please be sure to use it. You can sample every alcoholic drink in the world.”
“Meooow!”
Ed's fur stood on end. The variety of alcoholic drinks interested him just as much as Korean food.
Kim Junyong quietly watched the man leave. Under the cover of a promotion, he had deliberately stopped the wheel on that prize.
The man had approached carrying tension, desperation, and fear. After handing over the ticket, he left with a sense of release, accomplishment, and relief.
“Hmm. So he approached us on purpose.”
“Meooow, Master. Let's go here.”
“Well, why not?”
Kim Junyong grinned.
Sensing the mood, Remi took a long drink of her smoothie.
“Let's go get some exercise after our meal.”
Her face was full of excitement.
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