WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Chen
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ Our Precious Demon King ◈
Chapter 95: Same Bed, Different Dreams
──────
At a gathering of China's leaders, the chairman ended the call, and the Communist Party officials immediately flew into a rage.
“The king of that tiny country is far too arrogant!”
“Exactly! Demanding territory in return for squeezing out a single boil!”
“The price is far too high.”
Changbai Mountain.
That was China's name for Mount Baekdu, which Koreans considered their sacred mountain.
President Kim Seungtae had brought it up.
“His arrogance knows no bounds.”
“Give in once, and his demands will never end.”
“Our concessions in the West Sea were more than enough.”
South Korean President Kim Seungtae had made three main demands.
Remove all illegal maritime structures in the West Sea.
No Chinese intervention in North Korea.
Hand over Mount Baekdu and some of the surrounding territory.
The Communist Party government was under enough pressure to accept even these outrageous conditions.
Bang! Bang!
The chairman slammed the desk.
“Quiet, all of you! Why are you only thinking about what we're giving away while ignoring the blade at my throat?”
“Ahem.”
“Our apologies.”
“That tiny country's arrogance made us speak out of turn.”
Their displays of outrage were all meant to soothe the chairman and help preserve the chairman’s dignity.
“Agreements often fall through as international circumstances change.”
“Oh! Do you mean...?”
“As expected of you, Chairman. You had a deeper plan all along!”
The chairman nodded.
“A sparrow cannot swallow a pig.”
President Kim Seungtae was being too greedy.
Even without Chinese intervention, what could South Korea possibly do against North Korea?
As long as North Korea had nuclear weapons, South Korea couldn't recklessly start a war.
Then would they assassinate its supreme leader, Kim Jeongman?
Could South Korea really control the North Korean military factions that would splinter apart and run wild afterward?
“Chairman, do you believe South Korea will make a move against the North?”
“President Kim Seungtae is a reckless man. I know the ambition lurking inside him.”
The chairman's gaze turned chilling.
“Watch closely how he moves against North Korea. The Intelligence Bureau, in particular, must keep a close eye on developments there.”
“Yes, Chairman!”
Once they knew how South Korea intended to deal with the North, they could develop a response.
‘I won't be caught out like Japan.’
The chairman had made such generous concessions to South Korea because of what had happened to Japan.
It hadn't been made public, but China's Intelligence Bureau knew the inside story.
Japan's prime minister had given in to assassination threats and bowed down to South Korea first. South Korea had strutted around like a victorious nation before granting Japan a reward.
One of those golden tickets had ended up in the chairman's hands.
‘Eternal life isn't just a dream.’
Chairman Xi Wugang, the most powerful person in China, had become a hunter.
Growing younger by the day, the chairman was looking far beyond the next five or ten years.
“For now, all we're giving them are concessions in the West Sea.”
Even those would only be temporary.
Once the Beijing dungeon was dealt with, they could slowly resume their work.
What could South Korea do about it then?
‘I'd rather they really did make a move against North Korea.’
China would learn exactly what their strategy was and prepare a response.
For Chairman Xi, who had no desire to be assassinated, North Korea would make an excellent case study.
“What about Changbai Mountain?”
“If the local people oppose it, what can even the Party do?”
The Communist Party officials marveled at Chairman Xi's words.
What a revolutionary idea.
They had promised to hand it over, but they could simply refuse.
“Ah! That's brilliant.”
“Exactly! The people working in Changbai Mountain's tourism industry will be strongly opposed.”
The facts didn't matter.
This was a country where the Communist Party could force the process to fit whatever outcome it wanted.
In the end, South Korea would receive nothing.
Only Chairman Xi's dignity had suffered from personally hearing and accepting those unreasonable demands.
“China is blessed to have your foresight, Chairman.”
“A truly brilliant negotiation.”
Chairman Xi brought the noisy meeting to order.
“The foreign minister must conclude the agreement quickly. Resolving the crisis in Beijing comes first.”
“Yes, Chairman!”
The meeting ended on a cheerful note.
* * *
At the South Korean Presidential Office.
“Wow, Mr. President! That was incredible!”
“I can't believe they accepted!”
President Kim Seungtae was more stunned than any of his cheering cabinet members.
‘Wow, that actually worked?’
People had a natural sense of curiosity.
Like when they tested the limits of someone's patience.
That impulse had kicked in while President Kim Seungtae was talking to Chairman Xi.
‘You'll accept that? Then how about this?’
The other side must have been more desperate than he'd thought, because they had accepted everything.
His final demand for Mount Baekdu had been something he'd thrown out half-seriously.
Even if China had refused, he had intended to settle for the other terms.
Concessions on the illegal structures in the West Sea, territorial disputes, crackdowns on illegal fishing, and the Ieodo dispute alone would have been a major diplomatic achievement.
The clause preventing Chinese intervention if the North Korean regime collapsed was another major achievement, even if they couldn't announce it publicly.
It would become an important stepping stone toward reunification in the near future.
At present, South Korea didn't actually have the resources to make a move against the North.
The nuclear weapons alone were a major threat.
Assassinating Kim Jeongman wouldn't make those weapons disappear.
If some other bastard pressed the launch button, it would be a disaster.
Reunification by force, rather than by absorbing the North, carried far too much risk.
They also lacked the resources and preparations to take in the huge number of refugees a war would create.
“Isn't all of this for future generations?”
“Exactly! The next administration, or the one after that, might be able to discuss reunification seriously.”
“We now have leverage to keep China from interfering when that time comes.”
“Wow, this really is an incredible diplomatic achievement!”
“Ha ha ha.”
“Congratulations, Mr. President!”
“Ha ha ha.”
“Wow, I honestly thought China was bluffing. I can't believe this is real.”
“Huh?”
President Kim Seungtae's heart sank.
“Bluffing?”
“Pardon?”
“Foreign Minister!”
“Yes, Mr. President.”
“Get this in writing immediately.”
“Oh! Understood.”
“As soon as it's on paper, prepare a press conference!”
Those bastards.
He wouldn't let them back out.
“And get the Chinese government to hold a press conference too.”
“D-do we need to go that far?”
“What if we announce it, only for them to deny everything and tell us to do our worst?”
There had to be an official request for help from China.
“Have Chairman Xi, the foreign minister, or another senior Communist Party official publicly request our assistance. Tell them to announce the transfer of Mount Baekdu and some of the surrounding territory too.”
“Oh!”
“If they won't, we'll tell them to do their worst as well.”
President Kim Seungtae decided to take a hard line.
The Beijing dungeon was in a very dangerous state.
“They can't clear that dungeon without our Adviser. What are they going to do? Hmph.”
There were three established G-rank hunters.
Vikram was busy raiding a dungeon in the United States, leaving only France's Sophie Giro and South Africa's Jabari Okoye.
Even if China managed to bring those two over, they still couldn't clear it.
‘Without meaning to, Hunter Yang is giving the homeland quite a gift.’
Beijing's A-rank dungeon.
The strike team sent in by China's Central Special Department, the equivalent of South Korea's Hunter Management Bureau, was still alive.
Unless someone forced their way into the dungeon, no more hunters could enter.
Beijing was waiting for a bomb to explode in the middle of the city.
“Let's see how long they can hold out.”
China would be the one to surrender in the end.
“M-Mr. President. For the sake of future relations between our countries, wouldn't it be better not to pressure them too much?”
“Come now, it's fine. What pressure?”
“China could start a war over a personal grudge.”
“Hmph! Who said I was scared?”
The cabinet members' faces darkened at President Kim Seungtae's outburst. His aggressive nature had been well known ever since he'd first entered politics.
“If they don't want to hand it over, they can stop asking us for help.”
Well, the thirsty one would dig the well in the end.
‘It feels so good to have someone to rely on.’
President Kim Seungtae gazed fondly at Bureau Director Park Taejun.
“Why is the Hunter Management Bureau so careful with its budget?”
“Pardon?”
“Half our military strength comes from your Bureau. You should be spending as much as the Ministry of National Defense.”
“Th-that's far too much, Mr. President.”
“Ha ha ha! It's just a figure of speech. If you need anything, tell me. Anything!”
“Yes, Mr. President.”
Ah, what a relief.
Nuclear powers?
Fuck, he wasn't jealous.
Did they have a Junyong?
While he was still enjoying himself, another Conquest Monument appeared in Seoul.
“Oh! It seems our Special Adviser has returned.”
“What? A second monument? Ha ha ha! If this isn't a blessing for Korea, what is?”
Hansan 2-dong and Seoul Station.
South Korea now had two dungeon-free zones.
* * *
Kim Junyong's family emerged after their long expedition to the Demon Realm.
[Admin - Whoa, Boss! Grats, grats!]
[Admin - I knew you could do it!]
[Admin - But putting everything into Korea was a bit much lol.]
[Kim Junyong - What, punk?]
[Admin - Oh, haha. I'm just a little disappointed, that's all.]
[Kim Junyong - Aren't you doing that update or whatever?]
[Admin - I think it'll take a little longer to prepare than I expected. Haha.]
[Admin - I'll check with you about the timing before I start, Boss.]
[Kim Junyong - Suit yourself.]
[Admin - Yes, Boss! Salute, salute!]
[Kim Junyong - gj.]
Kim Junyong used the chat skills he'd learned from his nephew Yu Jihun, then put his phone in his pocket.
“Ah, this is nice!”
“There's no place like home.”
Back at the house, everyone finally relaxed.
Then Kim Remi quietly approached Kim Junyong and asked,
“What should I do if I have a debt?”
“Hm? Pay it back.”
Remi nodded.
She had Master's permission.
‘He's allowed me to kill.’
As Remi grinned, Kim Junyong scolded her.
“What are you so happy about?”
“...”
This little rascal.
She still lacked basic knowledge about life in modern society.
“Starting tomorrow, you're going to school every day.”
“Yes.”
Remi nodded.
She had to go anyway to guard Yu Jia.
Though, come to think of it, wasn't Yu Jia strong enough now that she hardly needed a guard?
“Teach her a few basic fighting techniques while you're there.”
“Will do.”
For now, Kim Jangmi, Yu Jia, and Yu Jihun had only grown stronger in raw power.
Enormous amounts of mana and vastly improved physical abilities.
Their bodies had become stronger far too quickly, leaving them without the skills or ability to make proper use of that strength.
Of course, they could already manage basic self-defense, but Yu Jia had unusual talent. It would be a shame to leave it at that.
With proper teaching from Remi, she had the potential to become a fairly useful hunter.
“Meow! I'll prepare a special feast to restore the strength of Master, Madam, the young master, the young lady, and everyone else, meow!”
Ed couldn't have been happier to have the family back.
“Ugh, I'm going to bed.”
Yu Jihun's eyelids felt as heavy as lead. He tried to slip away from the family dinner, but his mother smacked him on the back.
Smack!
“Ow, Mom!”
“Ed's working hard to make us dinner. Eat before you go to bed.”
“Okay, okay.”
Kim Jangmi had grown much closer to Ed.
The house was lively again.
Kim Remi headed outside as usual.
Getting her sugar fix had become part of her daily routine.
When she stopped in front of Mango Tango, the now-familiar owner, Wichai, smiled and took her order.
“Six mango juices again today?”
“No.”
Master was back, after all.
It wouldn't be right to buy only her own.
“Twenty.”
“Oh!”
Looking at the startled owner, Remi felt that the time had come.
She had already received permission to pay back her debts, after all.
“I'll pay off my tab.”
“Really?”
“Would one kill be enough?”
“Th-then, could it be a devil?”
Tsk. She'd gone to the trouble of getting permission, only to be asked to kill a devil.
She could do that even with the restraints.
“Fine.”
“Then could I ask you to take care of Murashi, the boss of Bangkok's B-rank dungeon?”
It was no big deal.
“Fine. I'll deal with it after school tomorrow.”
“Yes! Understood.”
Hm? After school?
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