WeTried Translations

Translator: Yasi

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◈ The Precious Demon King

Chapter 14: The Mad Monarch

"Our house."

A faint smile appeared on Kim Junyong's face. Memories slowly surfaced.

A two-story, western-style house. Their family lived on the first floor and rented out the second. He could almost remember the unemployed older man who lived in the room on the roof.

The house had been remodeled into a restaurant, but it was still recognizable.

"Yeah, this was our house."

"It's your building now."

"Not bad!"

A satisfied smile spread across Kim Junyong's face. He had been meaning to build a dungeon soon anyway, and this place was perfect.

"I'll take care of the registration. Starting tomorrow, you can manage it yourself."

Her brother deserved a reliable way to make a living. Managing a building was a good fit.

"No, I'm going to use it myself."

"Huh?"

Kim Jangmi looked flustered. Her brother was going to use it?

"Are you thinking of opening a restaurant?"

"A restaurant? Well, sure. That wouldn't be bad."

Kim Junyong chuckled. His eyes were full of satisfaction as he looked at the building.

"Uh, hmm...never mind. Just do something with it."

She bit her tongue, deciding it would be overstepping to tell him what to do now that she had transferred ownership of the house to him.

Men hated being micromanaged. Besides, she had already handed over their parents' inheritance to him. He would figure things out on his own.

"Let's go eat."

"Yeah."

They found a decent restaurant and placed an order.

< Bel's Scale is calculating karma. >

< Please collect your reward. >

While they waited for their food, the sun had already set. He pushed away the golden scale that had appeared in front of him. The reward could wait.

"So what's going on with the Hunter Management Bureau?"

"We decided to get along."

"That's it?"

"Yeah."

Should there have been more? Kim Jangmi looked far from reassured.

"Did you cooperate with them or something to get your charges reduced?"

"No. Why?"

"I don't know. I just feel uneasy..."

"Hmm."

Kim Junyong gave a thoughtful nod. Taking care of himself was easy enough, but perhaps that was why protecting his family seemed so challenging.

"Hold on."

"Huh?"

"Remi."

Flash.

The moment she was summoned, she scanned her surroundings. Who was she supposed to cut down?

"Bring me the guy who was tailing us this afternoon."

"Yes."

As Remi stepped out, Kim Jangmi gasped.

"You were being followed?"

"Yeah. I told them to leave, but they should still be around."

"Oh my, what are we going to do?"

Kim Jangmi's worry deepened. Being followed meant they were watching him, didn't it?

Soon, Remi returned with a man in a suit. His face had turned ghostly pale.

"Where's your team leader?"

"T-Team leader?"

"Yeah. Cheon Yubeom, right?"

"Uh, Acting Team Leader Cheon has gone home for the day."

"Oh, really."

Kim Junyong gave a wry smile.

"Tell Cheon Yubeom to come out."

"B-but..."

The man was just a field agent. He didn't know what to do. Even Kim Jangmi was caught off guard by Kim Junyong's brashness.

"He said he went home."

"Then he can come back."

"Don't harass civil servants after hours."

"All right, all right. I'll talk to him myself."

"Oh, okay. I'll just be in the way anyway."

Kim Junyong, Remi, and the Hunter Management Bureau agent stepped outside.

"You're making my sister more anxious, you know."

"S-Sorry."

"Why did Cheon Yubeom leave work?"

"...He's been doing overtime for two days straight."

"Ah, then just call the highest-ranking person available."

"Huh?"

Frustrated, Remi casually ran her hand along the hilt of her sword.

"Eek! I-I'll connect you right away!"

"Good."

Kim Junyong took the phone.

"Hello? It's Junyong."

[ Hmm? Ah! Yes? ]

"Who are you?"

[ I-I'm Jin Hojin, commander of the Special Investigation Unit. ]

"Have we met before?"

[ Y-Yes, we have. ]

Kim Junyong nodded. The surveillance agents must have been from the Special Investigation Unit.

"How's the bureau director?"

[ ...In critical condition. ]

"All right. I have an offer you can't refuse."

[ ...Let's hear it. ]

"My sister is worried because I killed a thug, yet I haven't been arrested. Take care of it."

[ ... ]

Didn't he call it a deal? It sounded more like a demand.

"Why aren't you saying anything?"

[ ...Can you heal the bureau director? ]

"Then I lose my hostage."

[ If you do that, we'll remove you from the Hunter Management Bureau's villain list. ]

"Wait, I'm on the villain list?"

[ ...You wrecked the Special Investigation Unit Headquarters. Isn't that obvious? ]

"You guys started it."

[ ... ]

"Whatever. Let's just call it a truce."

[ Please, heal the bureau director. ]

"Well, fine."

Hostages could always be replaced. Kim Junyong immediately recalled the Mind Slime.

Flash.

He could feel the runaway demon's soul returning to him.

"It's done."

[ I'll handle things on my end right away. ]

"Do you have any paperwork or something? My sister likes that stuff. She likes official-looking things she can believe in."

[ Understood. ]

"Great. Good deal."

Kim Junyong handed the phone back.

"Off you go. Good work."

"Ack, yes!"

He dismissed Remi and returned to the restaurant.

The food had been served, but Kim Jangmi hadn't touched hers. She looked worried, as if she were carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders.

"It's taken care of."

"Junyong."

"Hm?"

"Why are men like this?"

Neither her son nor her brother ever shared any details. Whenever she asked her son how school was going, he would just say, "Fine." Was her brother really so different?

"Come on, it went fine."

"..."

"Let's eat. It's getting cold."

"Hahh."

Reluctantly, Kim Jangmi picked up her chopsticks.

"Wow, it has been a while since I had budae-jjigae."

Kim Jangmi, who was moved to tears by Kim Junyong's remark, served some budae-jjigae into the bowl.

"Eat slowly. It's hot."

"Hehe, okay. Wow, this is how ham should taste."

He had good budae-jjigae in Belhaim, too. But nothing beat South Korea's local flavor.

Perhaps food truly was the essence of world peace. Certain tastes could only be achieved by blending ingredients from around the world–a feat possible only on the globally connected Earth.

Just as Kim Junyong finished his second bowl of rice...

"Sorry to interrupt your meal."

The Hunter Management Bureau agent from earlier returned with someone else. It was a woman with orange hair who looked to be in her thirties.

"Hello. I'm from the Hunter Management Bureau."

"C-Choi Hyunju?"

Kim Jangmi's face showed both confusion and surprise. It was as if she knew Choi Hyunju.

"You know me?"

"Ah, y-yes. Who in Korea doesn't know Choi Hyunju?"

Kim Jangmi got overly excited.

After all, Choi Hyunju was the highest-ranking hunter in South Korea. She was a patriot who chose the Hunter Management Bureau over private guilds. She was also famous for turning down a trillion-won salary from Saudi Arabia to stay in South Korea.

"You know her?"

"Oh, I know her. She's really famous."

"Hmm, is that so?"

Kim Junyong looked Choi Hyunju over.

"I feel like I've seen her somewhere before..."

He tilted his head in puzzlement as Choi Hyunju smiled awkwardly.

"I'm here to deliver this."

At her nod, the suited man who had come with her handed over several documents.

"C-Can I look?"

"Here, look."

He passed the papers to his sister.

As she read them, her eyes widened.

"Y-You're joining the Hunter Management Bureau?"

"Hm?"

Kim Junyong looked confused. Choi Hyunju explained with a smile.

"If Kim Junyong agrees, we would like to appoint him as a special advisor to the Hunter Management Bureau."

"Junyong?"

"Yes."

"Wow, I tortured a few people and now I'm an advisor?"

"Quiet! Don't make lame jokes."

"Tch."

Kim Junyong grumbled in response to Kim Jangmi's words but remained silent. At that, Choi Hyunju's eyes sparkled secretly.

"There are no work hours, duties, or missions. All we ask is for the occasional bit of advice when needed."

"Wow, trying to put a ring through my nose, huh?"

"I told you to stay quiet."

Kim Jangmi's face turned serious. The initial shock on her face had faded and was replaced by suspicion.

No one got offers like this. This one was so good that she naturally suspected it might be a scam. But the other party was Choi Hyunju.

She was South Korea's official top hunter.

With a face that served as her business card, she was hard to doubt in person. Just one question remained.

"But why my brother?"

"We value his experience in Belhaim."

"..."

Kim Jangmi looked at Kim Junyong with new eyes. Had he done something that impressive?

"You really achieved a lot in Belhaim."

"My achievements were pretty impressive."

Choi Hyunju's face darkened at Kim Junyong's self-praise, but only for a moment.

Kim Jangmi finally understood everything.

It wasn't the murder charge that mattered.

The old saying was true. Even killing someone could be considered a meritorious deed if it happened on the battlefield. And the person he had killed was a criminal...

It looks like my brother was an impressive soldier.

He must have done very well in Belhaim.

"What do you think?"

"I don't really care either way."

As long as his sister was convinced, that was enough for Kim Junyong. At least she wouldn't worry about him getting arrested anymore.

"All right. We'll accept."

"His consent is what's important."

"Just say yes already."

"Well, sure, I'll do it."

"Is Choi Hyunju your friend?"

"Tch. Fine, I accept."

Choi Hyunju smiled softly and bowed.

"Thank you."

The suited man opened a small, hard case.

Click.

"This is your employee ID, and this is your expense card."

"I already have my sister's card."

"Just take it, Junyong."

"All right."

Inside the case were only the employee ID and the expense card.

Once Kim Junyong took them, Choi Hyunju looked visibly relieved.

"Then, enjoy your meal."

"Ah, y-yes."

After the two bowed and left, Kim Jangmi started to fuss.

"Oh my goodness! What's happening?! Choi Hyunju came here in person to recruit you!"

"Is that such a big deal?"

Joy, delight, and relief were evident on Kim Jangmi's face.

"Of course it is! My little brother's going to serve the country! Isn't that a good thing? And Korea's top hunter came in person!"

"Is it really that big?"

"Hoho, now I can finally breathe. When I got that call from the police, it felt like the world was ending."

Kim Jangmi was genuinely overjoyed. Even Kim Junyong smiled quietly as he watched her.

I feel strangely proud.

So this was what being acknowledged felt like? It was an unfamiliar feeling, perhaps because he had led a life closer to infamy than fame.

* * *

Outside, Choi Hyunju climbed into her tinted car and finally exhaled the breath she had been holding.

"Hahh."

"Did something happen?"

"Let's get going first."

"Yes."

The car carried two others. Her driver and her personal assistant. Both were Rank 2 hunters and together, the three of them were practically a team.

"So? How did it go, Unni? Recruitment? Elimination?"

National treasure of the Korean hunter world, Choi Hyunju, hadn't made a personal visit for nothing.

The commander of the Special Investigation Unit had made a dire request.

We have a potential villain. Meet him in person. If he can be eliminated, do it. If that would cause too much damage, assign him as "Special Advisor" and recruit him instead.

She had been dispatched to assess his power and act accordingly.

Should she eliminate Kim Junyong? Or should she recruit him?

"Somi. Hold my hand."

"Huh? Why are your hands so sweaty?"

Startled, Park Somi looked at her and saw that her face had turned pale.

"Somi. When did you return?"

"Year 21."

That was just under two years in Earth time.

"Then you wouldn't know."

"Know what?"

"The man I just met."

"Huh? Do you know him?"

"...Yes."

"Who the hell is he? Oh wow, look at this sweat."

Choi Hyunju had returned after ninety-one years in Belhaim. She was the last returnee affiliated with South Korea.

The moment she saw Kim Junyong's face, her heart nearly stopped.

"The Mad Monarch."

Eliminate him? That was absurd.

Just standing in front of him and exchanging words had drained her completely. Even the memory of his presence made her hands tremble uncontrollably.

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