WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Chen
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Our Precious Demon King ◈
Chapter 58: An Unexpected Win
──────
[We are deeply grateful to South Korea for its help in this matter.]
“Yes, it’s most regrettable... What?”
President Kim Seungtae thought the translation coming through the receiver must have been wrong.
He covered the receiver and looked at the interpreter.
“Is this translation AI broken?”
“No, sir. The translation was correct.”
Kim Seungtae took his hand away and asked again.
“What do you mean, you’re grateful?”
[Haha, we’re thanking South Korea for helping us launch an operation to wipe out the yakuza, something Japan has long wished to do.]
“...Ah, the yakuza.”
Kim Seungtae hadn’t become president for nothing.
He was quick on the uptake, catching hidden intentions and emotions from the slightest change in tone.
‘Please, just play along.’
The other side was desperate.
This was an unscripted performance.
‘Our adviser really went all out in Japan.’
Judging by the Japanese prime minister’s reaction, they wanted to pretend this had all been agreed upon in advance.
‘Should I mess with them a little?’
Kim Seungtae had no idea where this sudden confidence came from, but a cheeky thought crossed his mind.
“I’ve heard what happened. An agent from our Hunter Management Bureau massacred Japanese civilians, didn’t he?”
[Th-that is absolutely untrue! A massacre? He eliminated vicious criminals for us.]
“Without a trial.”
What democratic country executed criminals without a trial?
Japan was clearly stretching the truth.
[The situation on the ground left him no other choice.]
“Hmm. We thought we’d at least hear a declaration of war from Japan.”
[So it was true after all...]
The voice on the other end was so quiet that even the AI couldn’t translate it properly.
“Pardon? I didn’t catch that.”
[Ah, my apologies. Japan is a friend of South Korea. We would never do anything to break up the alliance between South Korea, the United States, and Japan against China.]
“...”
But we’re the ones who did that?
The Japanese prime minister was cleaning up the mess their special adviser had made.
“So what is it you want to say?”
[We’ll agree to anything you ask.]
“Pardon?”
[Please, just call this incident a joint Korean-Japanese operation to wipe out a criminal organization.]
“Hah, why should we simply give Japan what it wants?”
[We’re willing to make any concession.]
Well, would you look at that?
South Korea had thrown the first punch, but Japan was insisting it had never been hit.
Watching Japan try to announce that there had been no fight at all, President Kim Seungtae felt a strange thrill.
“All right, then. Let’s start with Dokdo.”
[As expected... Very well. We’ll issue a statement recognizing Dokdo as entirely South Korean territory.]
“Huh?”
The prime minister’s immediate agreement left not only Kim Seungtae but also the ministers in the room bewildered.
“You haven’t forgotten the comfort women issue either, have you?”
[We’ll offer a proper apology for that as well and make every effort to compensate the victims.]
Huh? What’s gotten into them?
“And the name East Sea.”
[We’ll recognize East Sea as its international name.]
Wait, what?
They’re agreeing to that too?
President Kim Seungtae began to get carried away.
* * *
At the Japanese prime minister’s residence.
After hanging up, Prime Minister Mishima Masanobu bowed their head in defeat and buried their face in both hands.
How had it come to this?
“Prime Minister, you had no other choice.”
“We may have lost, but it wasn’t a defeat.”
The ministers’ words of comfort did nothing to ease the prime minister’s heart.
Not even a sigh could drive away this deep exhaustion.
“Whew. Yes. The public may not see it as a defeat, but today, we lost a war against South Korea.”
“...”
No one could argue with that declaration.
“Director of the Superhuman Awakening Agency.”
“Yes, Prime Minister.”
“Expand our surveillance of South Korea.”
“I will.”
“We must never repeat today’s mistake.”
Kuroda Yunosuke, head of the Superhuman Awakening Agency, slumped to their knees.
“I deserve to die for my failure.”
“Who could have predicted it? That South Korea had carefully prepared for war and laid such a trap?”
They had nearly fallen for South Korea’s scheme.
The special adviser’s visit to Japan and the chaos he had caused were no coincidence.
The prime minister had sensed it during that first call with the president.
‘South Korea wants a war.’
Only then had everything fallen into place.
Those sneaky Koreans had plotted all of this.
The special adviser.
They had pretended they couldn’t control the superhuman known as the Mad Sovereign, then used him as a knife to stab Japan in a vital spot.
What if Japan had fallen into their trap and expressed regret or lodged a protest?
‘There would have been war.’
South Korea would have launched a war as though it had been waiting for the chance.
Just as Japan had done in the past, South Korean troops would pour in and ravage the Japanese islands!
Those cruel bastards!
‘Unfortunately, the first battle would take place right here.’
Looking back now, every one of the special adviser’s actions had been a message.
Walking through Ginza like a tourist and enjoying Japanese food and culture had been an open declaration that South Korea would invade Japan.
The additional report from Sasaki Yoichi, who was now being held hostage(?) in South Korea, made the events at the scene even more chilling.
‘They’re demanding Dokdo.’
He had forced Takahashi Kenchi to sing the Dokdo Song.
The meaning was obvious.
Then, in the end, he had drained all of Kenchi’s life force, turning him into a mummy and killing him.
The prime minister trembled.
Wasn’t that a declaration that they would squeeze the Japanese islands dry and suck out every last drop?
As a final warning, he had herded all of Orochigumi’s hunters and its boss underground and killed them.
Wasn’t that a message that this war would leave them as corpses in an underground tomb?
Along with those brutal messages, something else sent chills down the prime minister’s spine. They had planted ways to encourage Japan’s willing surrender throughout the incident.
‘There were no actual civilian casualties.’
Chillingly, every person who had died had been a member of Orochigumi.
Like most yakuza, they generally had at least one criminal record, and countless members were wanted by the police.
Japan’s best minds had decoded the meaning.
They had discovered South Korea’s demands and found a way to prevent war.
Then, during the call with the president, everything had fallen into place with chilling accuracy.
How had this happened?
Every misjudgment had begun with the Korean Hunter Management Bureau’s carefully planned, deceitful request for cooperation.
The Superhuman Awakening Agency should never have taken it at face value.
‘Their claim that they can’t control the special adviser is a lie.’
South Korea was working closely with its special adviser.
In the worst case, he might even be faithfully serving as an agent of the Korean government.
South Korea, using the Mad Sovereign as an agent...
Wasn’t that horrifying?
That was why the prime minister’s gaze was so cold as it fell on the agency chief.
“Prime Minister, look on the bright side. Had war broken out, the first battlefield would have been this very residence.”
“...”
Prime Minister Mishima nodded at the defense minister’s words.
If they had fallen into South Korea’s trap and war had broken out, at the very least, all the Japanese leaders gathered here would have died the moment Kim Junyong appeared, before anything else even began.
“Unfortunately, South Korea has now become a country that can never lose.”
“...There’s nothing we can do about it.”
It was frightening.
No one could stop him.
Why had he chosen Japan for his show of force?
He had openly demonstrated his teleportation ability.
On top of that, he had treated three G-ranks like children while a hunter from the Superhuman Awakening Agency, Sasaki Yoichi, watched.
He had announced it to the world.
He could teleport, and no amount of security could stop him.
Was there a national leader who wouldn’t fear that?
Who would dare pick a fight with South Korea?
“We must use this opportunity to establish a firm alliance with South Korea.”
“Agreed. If we can’t resist the tide, we should be quick to follow it.”
“Before that, let’s handle this incident properly.”
“We can’t afford to let anti-Korean sentiment spread.”
As Japan’s cabinet moved swiftly after escaping a major crisis, the South Korean president, who had somehow scored an unexpected win, was simply confused.
Click.
Kim Seungtae hung up, still dazed.
“Wow. That actually worked?”
“C-could Japan have some weakness they don’t want exposed?”
“How on earth did this...?”
The cabinet members were just as bewildered.
Every unresolved dispute that had stood in the way of Korean-Japanese relations had just been settled.
“C-congratulations!”
“Yes! Congratulations, Mr. President!”
“But I didn’t do anything...”
Kim Seungtae was baffled.
“You negotiated boldly with the Japanese prime minister!”
“I’m not sure you can really call that a negotiation...”
He had only asked for things.
His negotiating skills had barely gone beyond “Give me snacks. Give me a drink.”
“A-anyway, it’s a tremendous achievement!”
“That’s right! Congratulations!”
“Hahaha, well, now.”
In exchange for everything Japan had promised, South Korea had agreed to just one thing.
They would say that the recent incident in Japan had been planned and carried out by both countries together.
It was a proposal that greatly benefited not only Japan but South Korea too.
‘There won’t be any public backlash against our adviser.’
Murder had become a meritorious deed.
Now, South Korea’s special adviser had been dispatched to play a vital role in an operation to wipe out the yakuza.
Could things possibly have worked out any better?
“Director. You know I’m counting on you, don’t you?”
“O-of course, Mr. President.”
“Hahaha! If the Bureau ever needs more funding, just say the word! No, just spend it and ask us for it afterward!”
“Haha, I’m full just hearing that.”
“I’m not telling you to fill your belly, Director. I’m telling you to give our special adviser all the support he needs.”
“That’s the Bureau’s top priority. Please don’t worry.”
“Haha. By the way, why did he go to Japan this time?”
“Well... just to have some sushi...”
“Oh!”
President Kim Seungtae stroked his chin.
After thinking for a while, he asked Director Park Taejun in a casual tone.
“Does our adviser not like Chinese food?”
“...I’m not sure.”
“Hahaha. Why don’t you ask him?”
There was a quiet look of anticipation on the president’s face.
* * *
Earth’s only base, and Kim Junyong’s dungeon.
Jun Dragon Kitchen.
“Wow! Chef Kitty, your skills are amazing!”
“Meoow, it’s nothing special, meow.”
“Wahaha! Sometimes I missed the food in Belheim, but to think I’d get to eat it again here! I’m touched! So touched!”
Sasaki Yoichi was speaking fluent Korean.
“Kitty, you’re so talented! Thank you for teaching me Korean too!”
“Hehe, you’re Master’s guest. Of course I would, meow.”
“Haha, Big Bro. I’ll come visit often.”
“Uh, sure.”
Somehow, Kim Junyong had even let Sasaki Yoichi register with the base. Now, Sasaki could come to Kim Junyong’s home in Korea whenever he wanted.
“I’d like to stay longer, but it’s time I went home. My mother absolutely hates it when I stay out overnight.”
“Wow.”
Kim Junyong could only marvel at this pure soul’s shamelessness.
They had already crossed from Japan to Korea in the middle of the night and started a drinking party with snacks made by Ed.
Dawn was beginning to break.
He’d been drinking all night, and he still didn’t consider that staying out overnight?
“All right. Get home safely.”
“Hehe, I’ll visit again, Big Bro.”
Kim Junyong took out his hunter phone, formed a party, and sent Sasaki Yoichi to a dungeon near Tokyo.
“Wow, I can teleport someone without going along.”
He’d only tried it on the off chance. Who knew it would actually work?
Once Sasaki Yoichi was gone, a deep sense of regret washed over him.
“Ugh, what a shame.”
“Master, you’ve got a nasty hobby.”
“Hey, you try having a swordsman come at you with bloodshot eyes and a sword.”
“...”
Remi’s silence left Kim Junyong feeling strangely tormented.
Sasaki Yoichi was like a blank sheet of paper.
Like a field of snow that no one had stepped on.
For Kim Junyong, whose character had become so twisted that people called him the Mad Sovereign, the temptation was simply too cruel.
“Ugh, should I just corrupt him?”
He didn’t think he could hold back the next time they met.
Should he? Shouldn’t he?
As though someone knew of Kim Junyong’s struggle, a familiar voice called from outside.
“Uncle!”
“Hmm?”
Kim Junyong leaned out from the terrace and saw Yu Jihun waving with a bright smile.
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