WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Chen
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Our Precious Demon King ◈
Chapter 89: A Difference in Perspective
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“Y-you're quitting?”
Lee Mina stopped walking.
Her face was full of betrayal.
Team Leader Cheon Yubeom, of all people!
Was he really so easily tempted?
“No, I'm not going somewhere else.”
“Then what?”
“I'm leaving the Bureau.”
“That's the same thing!”
He was always talking about money. Was he going to the Middle East?
Or America?
China, like Yang Minchan?
“I'm going to serve the Adviser.”
“Huh?”
A weak sound escaped Lee Mina at the unexpected answer.
“But that's no different from what you're doing now!”
“It is. I'll have a different affiliation.”
What was this? Some kind of word game?
Lee Mina studied his face, but he looked completely serious.
“I won't be serving the Adviser on the Bureau's behalf. From now on, I'll truly be following him.”
It was no exaggeration to say that Cheon Yubeom had been reborn.
“This is my destiny.”
The paladin who had been drifting through life had finally found someone truly worth serving.
“...”
Lee Mina's expression grew troubled.
Knowing what was on her mind, Cheon Yubeom spoke gently.
“You should stay at the Bureau, Deputy Department Head Lee.”
“What? Why?”
“Because someone has to.”
They needed a bridge between Kim Junyong and the Bureau.
Lee Mina was the best person for the job.
“Whew. Should we just start a guild with the Adviser as our leader?”
“He wouldn't like that.”
“...”
That was true too.
“Ugh! Fine.”
Lee Mina kicked the ground.
“You're going to the Bureau, right?”
“I should wrap things up before I leave.”
“All right, fine.”
Before going home, the two headed to the Bureau.
The personnel staff, deputy director, and director, who had yet to leave work, welcomed them warmly.
Seeing the tension behind those bright smiles made Lee Mina want to tease them for no particular reason.
“Deputy Director, can we talk?”
“Of course.”
The director, deputy director, Cheon Yubeom, and Lee Mina sat down together.
Lee Mina was the first to speak.
“I'm staying.”
“That's great...! Uh... Huh?”
The director belatedly swallowed the rest of the sentence.
Did that mean Cheon Yubeom was leaving?
When the director's anxious gaze shifted to Cheon Yubeom, the man smiled warmly.
“I intend to follow the Adviser.”
“Then can't you simply keep doing what you're doing now?”
“I'm making my position clear.”
Cheon Yubeom spoke seriously.
“When the Bureau's interests conflict with the Adviser's, I will no longer take the Bureau's side.”
“...Goodness. This is quite a situation.”
The director didn't know what to do.
These words were coming from Cheon Yubeom, who had become the world's second-ranked hunter.
“Deputy Director, say something.”
When the director nudged her in the side, Choi Hyunju sighed.
“Look at Team Leader Cheon's eyes. Does he look like someone we could persuade to stay?”
“...”
Choi Hyunju didn't think this was such a bad situation.
He wasn't going anywhere. He would remain by the Special Adviser's side.
Either way, he would still be based in Korea.
“Are you going to form a guild?”
The Special Adviser, who had been acting alone, now had someone at his side.
And not just anyone, but a major figure who had become the world's second-ranked hunter.
If he decided to expand his following, the strongest organization on Earth would be born.
“Is there really any need?”
Having received divine power, Cheon Yubeom now understood at least a little of Special Adviser Kim Junyong's intentions.
“Please contact me through Jun Dragon Kitchen.”
“...”
“He wants us to hunt actively, so I'm sure you'll have plenty of reasons to call me.”
“...Understood.”
“Then I'll be going.”
“Already?”
“It's not as though we'll never see each other again. Better to settle things quickly.”
Cheon Yubeom bowed and left.
Ding!
[Teukgoji Group Chat]
- Team Leader Cheon Yubeom has left the chat.
“Haah.”
Choi Hyunju let out a deep sigh.
It was a shame.
She would have been willing to give up her own position as deputy director if it meant he would stay.
“Ms. Lee Mina.”
“Yes?”
“Thank you for deciding to stay.”
“Haha, well, someone has to do it, right?”
Choi Hyunju nodded.
They were like a protective shield around the time bomb known as the Special Adviser, keeping it from going off.
“The terms are as offered. From now on, Director General Lee Mina will head the Special Adviser Support Headquarters.”
“Please handle the office work yourselves. I'll be out in the field.”
“Yes, of course.”
Choi Hyunju's current annual salary was seven billion won.
Lee Mina's was immediately set at six billion.
On top of that, her work involved frequent field assignments, so her extra allowances would be considerable.
Director General Lee Mina, a Grade 2 official, would probably receive the highest annual pay in the Bureau after its external adviser, Kim Junyong.
“Then I'll go get some rest with my family too.”
“Oh, of course. I'll get the details sorted out right away.”
“Thank you.”
“Headquarters Director Lee.”
“Yes?”
Choi Hyunju smiled and held out her hand.
“Thank you. Truly.”
“Don't mention it.”
Only now did Lee Mina feel she understood Choi Hyunju a little.
The patriotism that had made her turn down the enormous sum offered by the Middle East was real.
“Let's do our best together.”
“Yes. Thank you again.”
Lee Mina hurried home.
For the first time in ages, she was actually going home after work.
* * *
Morning came to Hansan 2-dong.
The residents who had evacuated for safety after the appearance of the mysterious alien stone monument, the Conquest Monument, had returned.
“They promised us new homes and financial support, and now they're canceling everything and telling us to go home! Are they playing games with us?”
“Exactly! Shouldn't we hold a protest or something?”
Since the government couldn't force them to relocate, it had prepared generous benefits. Now all of them had been canceled.
The residents were furious at the government's change of plans, but one person saw things differently.
“Don't just get upset, everyone. Look at the bigger picture!”
“Hey, Mr. Kim! You think an apartment in Banpo is some kind of joke? Huh?”
“Sure, Banpo looks expensive now, but who knows what'll happen later?”
“What do you mean, who knows?”
“They said dungeons won't appear around that monument, didn't they?”
“So what?”
“Oh, come on! Don't you get it? This neighborhood is the safest place in the world.”
“Huh?”
“No matter who tries to sweet-talk you, don't sell your homes. Just hold on! Before this year's over, prices will rise so much you won't even think about those Banpo apartments.”
The residents murmured among themselves.
Now that they had heard him out, he had a point.
The government wasn't stupid. It could have simply provided temporary shelters, so why had it gone out of its way to relocate them?
‘The Banpo apartments were bait!’
Hansan 2-dong was worth more, so the government had tried to encourage them to move by offering apartments in Banpo, which looked like a huge reward right now.
But then...
“Huh? Then why did they suddenly cancel it?”
“Exactly! If land prices here are going to soar, why would the government hand it back to us?”
“Wouldn't it be better to move to Banpo before that monument disappears or something?”
The residents grew restless again.
The man thumped his chest in frustration.
“Oh, do whatever you want! I'm taking this house to my grave.”
At Mr. Kim's confident declaration, some began to wonder if he might be right, while others still couldn't stop thinking about those Banpo apartments.
As always, the many people living in the city made different choices based on what each valued.
Just as Mr. Kim had predicted, the Hansan 2-dong property market began stirring that very day.
But the government moved quickly to crack down.
[All land transactions involving foreign buyers banned in Hansan 2-dong!]
[All indirect routes through corporations, private individuals, and other means blocked.]
[All of Hansan 2-dong designated a land transaction permit zone, restricting transactions even among Korean citizens...]
Breaking news followed immediately after the president's emergency order.
* * *
The South Korean Presidential Office.
“We've issued instructions to review everyone involved in these transactions.”
“Those spies are persistent. They'll obviously try to buy through Korean citizens, so keep a close eye on that too.”
“Yes, Mr. President.”
This was about acquiring property in Hansan 2-dong.
Even now, more than half the shops along its shopping street were suspected of being bases for foreign intelligence agents. They couldn't allow them to openly settle in.
‘Spies becoming our Adviser's neighbors?’
Wasn't that the most basic kind of espionage, building a friendship to gain easy access?
“Hmph. Who do they think they're fooling? Have the government buy it all up wherever possible.”
“Yes, Mr. President. Also, it's time for you to leave.”
“Hmm. Honestly.”
The planes carrying the presidents of France and Italy had arrived.
He would be meeting them in a few hours.
The Special Adviser had taken one trip to Europe, and the presidents of the countries he had visited had come scurrying over.
They wanted mutual defense treaties against dimensional invasion.
They called it mutual assistance, but it was closer to a request for support with Kim Junyong in mind.
Other countries were already calling these treaties “Korean Care.”
Japan, the first recipient, was experiencing an enormous economic ripple effect.
The Nikkei had reversed its decline, tariff negotiations with the United States had suddenly reached a dramatic agreement, and the dispute over the Senkaku Islands had ended.
Even public opinion in Japan, which had accused the prime minister of selling out the country by giving up Dokdo and apologizing for historical issues, had turned overwhelmingly positive.
Mishima Masanobu's administration was going from strength to strength, with approval ratings among the highest ever recorded.
Taiwan, in particular, had entered a decline in every area, including the economy, national security, and public safety. Comparisons with its situation were making the effects of Korean Care, the mutual defense treaty against dimensional invasion, stand out even more.
“Still no word from China?”
“No, sir.”
President Kim Seungtae chuckled.
“Those bastards must be getting desperate.”
Three A-rank dungeons had appeared this time.
One each in the United States, France, and China.
A-rank dungeons with fifteen-day deadlines.
Considering the time needed to scout them, plan a raid, and carry it out, that was a tight schedule.
The Americans had sent in a team led by Vikram, while their own Special Adviser had dealt with the French dungeon.
“Their pride is going to get them into serious trouble, and they still haven't called... Honestly.”
The president shook his head with a dry chuckle.
There were currently two G-rank hunters who could help China.
Jabari Okoye in South Africa.
And Sophie Giro in France.
China seemed to be trying every possible way to contact them, but apparently without success.
“They'll come to us soon, won't they?”
The solution was right next door, but they couldn't easily ask for help because they didn't know what President Kim Seungtae would demand.
Just look at Japan.
It had given up practically everything.
That was what China feared.
President Kim Seungtae's demands.
“According to recent intelligence, they're assembling their own raid team.”
“Hah. On their own?”
“Yes. They may choose to develop their own raid capability, even if it means accepting some losses.”
The president frowned briefly, then shook his head.
“Well, let them try.”
“...”
“If it doesn't work, they'll call.”
The location of this Chinese dungeon really couldn't have been better.
“Hehehe. Beijing, of all places.”
Those bastards must be beside themselves.
Would our Special Adviser enjoy Peking duck?
* * *
Sunday morning.
Kim Junyong's nephew, Yu Jihun, and niece, Yu Jia, came to their uncle's house.
“Uncle! Come eat!”
“Yeah, coming.”
Kim Junyong wandered down to the first floor and found that the siblings had gone into the kitchen and made sandwiches.
“Wow, you're pretty good at this.”
“Hehe, we followed a YouTube video.”
Kim Junyong chuckled and ate a sandwich.
“Uncle, what are you doing today?”
“Today?”
He didn't have anything in particular to do.
Oh, should he go summon Malsun?
His dark mana core had now grown enough to summon him too.
Just then, an early visitor appeared in the yard.
Pop, pop.
“Huh? Uncle Sasaki?”
“Hey, Jihun!”
Sasaki Yoichi stood there with a huge backpack and a bright smile.
“What's this? Did you run away from home?”
Thud! Sasaki Yoichi set down his bag, then dropped to his knees in front of Kim Junyong and bowed his head.
He couldn't offer some flimsy excuse about being “on vacation.”
“Please take me in!”
“What do you mean, take you in?”
“Please let me train by your side, Brother!”
“Hah.”
At the mention of training, Yu Jia's eyes lit up as she ate her sandwich.
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