WeTried Translations

Translator: Yasi

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ The Precious Demon King

Chapter 29: Public Proposal

Bubble, bubble.

While cooking ramen, Yu Jia repeatedly glanced at the three unfamiliar adults.

She had been startled earlier when two of them rang the doorbell.

They were from the Special Investigation Unit...

When they asked about her uncle's whereabouts, she told them he had gone out. They said they would stand guard in the hallway, and since her mother wasn't home either, she felt it wasn't right to let strangers in, so she agreed.

Whoa, Noona, did Uncle go on a mission and they're guarding us?

Idiot. Quiet down. They might hear you outside. What if it's a scam?

Yu Jia immediately looked up online the names on the IDs they had just shown her. She found real photos of the two of them, as well as a few news articles about them.

Whoa, that's insane. They're really from the Special Investigation Unit.

Call Mom.

She's out of town and won't be back until late.

Ugh, I'm so anxious I could die.

What could she expect from a middle schooler? While her younger brother, who gazed with admiration and longing at anything hunter-related, was left to the side, she spent a tense thirty minutes keeping watch. When adults weren't around, the older sibling had to protect the younger one.

In the midst of it all, her uncle arrived.

"Uncle, thank you for your hard work."

When Kim Junyong arrived, Yu Jia's tension released all at once. She couldn't believe how happy she was to see him, even though they had only met a few times.

Having grown up without ever knowing a relative they could truly rely on, the siblings came to lean heavily on their uncle's presence.

"Oh, you guys come in too."

Her uncle brought the guests inside, and Yu Jia hurriedly started boiling ramen. For someone whose only real skill was frying eggs, this was the pinnacle of her culinary prowess.

After muttering something to himself, the burly man who had introduced himself earlier as Cheon Yubeom came to the kitchen.

"Here you go, eldest niece. Your pocket money."

"She's in her last year of high school."

"Oh! I-I had better give her more."

Cheon Yubeom took out more cash from his wallet and handed it to her.

"Oh, no, that's okay."

Raised right, Yu Jia rejected it the first time, as her mother had taught her.

"Hey, she's not taking it because it's too little, right?"

"Ack, understood!"

After her uncle stepped in, Cheon Yubeom pulled out more cash and gave her a pleading look. Yu Jia had no choice but to accept it.

"Here, studying must be tough–go on, please take it."

"Th-Thank you, then."

Several crisp 50,000-won bills.

That looks like over a million won.

Looking toward the table, she saw Yu Jihun grinning from ear to ear, having eagerly snatched up his share.

Good grief, that ill-mannered brat. He at least pretended to turn it down once out of courtesy, right?

"Oh my, the niece and nephew are so cute. They take after Special Advisor."

"Haha, yeah. They must take after my side of the family."

"Ahahaha, absolutely."

Her uncle's influence must be greater than she thought. They overreacted to something that didn't sound like a joke at all. Anyone could see they were trying hard to win his favor.

"Uncle, here's the ramen."

"Wow, ramen cooked by the Special Advisor's niece? What an honor."

"Thanks for the food, Miss Jia."

"Yes, please enjoy."

Feeling awkward about staying any longer with these unfamiliar adults, Yu Jia gave a polite bow and slipped back into her room.

"Hahh...Is this seriously happening?"

It felt like something that shouldn't be happening was happening to her.

She had just accepted it when her uncle suddenly showed up and said he was a returnee.

With her schedule full of nighttime self-study and cram school, she hardly saw him anyway. Maybe it was just a little uncomfortable having a stranger in the house all of a sudden?

But then he said he had been scouted by the Hunter Management Bureau, which was a relief. The fact that he hadn't gotten caught up in a crime was a blessing in itself.

But today...Her uncle saved Seoul.

"Whoa, Noona. Isn't Uncle amazing?"

"...Who said you could come in?"

"Ah, it's awkward being out there alone."

"Hahh."

"Oh, Noona, how much did you get? I got five hundred thousand won!"

She gave a small laugh at her brother's excitement.

When she counted her own thick stack of bills, her eyes widened. It was much more than she had expected.

"Whoa, Noona, you got 1.5 million won?"

"Shut it, brat. Did you take yours right away?"

"Of course. An adult was giving it to me."

"Ugh."

That's why you're hopeless, little brother.

"Get out."

"Ah, it's awkward being out there."

"Then just go to your room!"

"That's basically Uncle's room now, so I can't."

"Jeez."

Despite her frown, Yu Jia couldn't hide her smile. Her mother, Kim Jangmi, didn't believe in giving large pocket money, so 1.5 million won was a significant amount of money.

She should show her uncle more respect. Still, this bratty brother...

"If you don't want to die, get off my bed."

"Okay, okay."

As they bickered, the door lock beeped.

"Oh! Mom's back!"

When the homeowner arrived, Cheon Yubeom and Lee Mina froze, unsure what to do with their ramen halfway in their mouths.

"Ah, good evening."

"Yes, and you are...?"

"Ah, I'm Team Leader Cheon Yubeom of the Special Advisor Support Division."

"I'm Deputy Director Lee Mina."

"Oh my, you must be the ones helping Junyong."

"Yes, that's right."

"My dear, what a surprise."

Kim Jangmi scanned the table sharply and quickly rebuked Kim Junyong.

"Junyong, guests are here and you served them ramen?"

"Jia cooked it."

"Huh? Jia did?"

She was stunned. Yu Jia made ramen? Her daughter?

Under Kim Jangmi's gaze, Yu Jia cleared her throat and retreated back into her room.

"Ah, we should be going now."

"Sorry to intrude so late."

"Oh, yes, of course."

Cheon Yubeom and Lee Mina hurried off, and Kim Jangmi relaxed.

"Whew, I'm so glad everyone's safe. I was so worried when I heard that Seoul was in chaos."

She looked at her younger brother with pride.

"You worked hard, Junyong."

"Hehe, it was nothing."

Kim Junyong felt sheepish.

"So, what are we doing tomorrow?"

Tomorrow was Saturday. It was the day he and Kim Jangmi had made plans.

"What else? We're going to visit our parents' graves."

"Huh?"

"You came back. We should pay our respects."

"...?"

Kim Junyong's eyes widened.

"Oh, right."

In Belhaim, people only visited graves to harvest corpses for materials. But Earth had a culture of honoring the dead.

"Let's get to bed."

"Okay."

A long day had passed. After a good night's sleep, the whole family got ready to go out.

"Where are the graves?"

"They're not buried in a cemetery, but in a columbarium. It's in Yongin."

"I see."

"Let's go."

They got into Kim Jangmi's car with her niece and nephew. Since Kim Junyong didn't have a license, he naturally took the passenger seat.

Vroom.

As the car started moving, two black vans appeared out of nowhere and began to follow them.

"Oh my, are those escort vehicles?"

"No idea."

Kim Junyong shrugged.

"Mom, do you know how important Uncle is? Of course they are escort vehicles."

"Let's ask."

Kim Junyong called Cheon Yubeom.

[ Yes, Special Advisor. This is Cheon Yubeom. ]

"Are those black cars yours?"

[ Not mine. They're from the Special Advisor Support Division. ]

"Really?"

[ We would like to accompany Special Advisor to ensure that no accidents occur. Please allow us to protect your family from a distance. ]

Yesterday's live broadcast unknowingly spread Kim Junyong's face. While the general public tended to lose interest quickly once someone's face was everywhere, those in the hunter industry already knew what he looked like.

Since the price of fame was often paid by family and friends as well, having a bodyguard wasn't a bad idea.

"Hmm, okay."

[ Ah, thank you. We'll do our best to protect your family. ]

When Kim Junyong hung up the phone, Yu Jihun made a fuss.

"Wow! We have bodyguards thanks to Uncle!"

"Is that a good thing?"

"Of course! I bet I'm the only middle schooler with personal bodyguards!"

With a big, goofy grin, Yu Jihun lost himself in his imagination.

"More like surveillance."

"Come on, they're bodyguards."

"...?"

Kim Junyong had never looked weak enough to need bodyguards, so the idea was foreign to him. To him, they were just a nuisance. However, Yu Jihun seemed to welcome them.

Well, even kings and nobles used to travel with a string of escort knights.

"Hmm."

If word got out that he was the Mad Monarch, would his family be in danger? Would he then have no choice but to seek revenge?

Ultimately, would he be the one to destroy Earth?

"What are you thinking so hard about?"

"Oh, independence."

"Huh?"

"I should live on my own."

"What? All of a sudden?"

Kim Jangmi was startled.

"Hm? W-What's bothering you?"

"The children are uncomfortable."

"..."

Yu Jihun had made the biggest sacrifice when he lost his room. Since that wasn't entirely false, Kim Jangmi bit her lip. However, the idea of letting her younger brother go made her uneasy.

"It's not far. What's there to worry about?"

"Still..."

"Don't feel bad."

"..."

Despite her disappointment, Kim Junyong remained firm.

"If I keep coming and going, it'll only make things harder for the children."

"..."

He had a point. Kim Jangmi hadn't realized just how incredible of a hunter her brother had become. At yesterday's gathering, everyone had been talking about the "Special Advisor." It left her with a strange feeling.

Fame came with a price. It was only natural for the family to suffer along with it.

She was especially worried about Yu Jia, who was in her final year of high school. She was also concerned about Yu Jihun, who was still immature.

"All right. Let's do that."

Kim Junyong's house, Kim Jangmi's apartment, and her clinic were all within close range.

Ten minutes by taxi.

"Let's buy a birdcage or something on the way back."

"Why a birdcage?"

"A gift for my nephew, for lending me his room."

"Ah! Uncle, I'm touched!"

He gave a small chuckle at Yu Jihun's flattery.

Still, just in case, I should plant a sentry.

He couldn't release a rat in their apartment, so a bird was the perfect alternative. If real danger ever threatened his sister's family, the sentry would alert him.

Vroom.

The mood turned quiet after Kim Junyong's declaration of independence. As silence settled in, Yu Jihun, who was browsing his phone, shouted.

"Oh? Uncle! There's breaking news coming out right now."

"What's the breaking news?"

"The Hunter Management Bureau is holding a press conference!"

"Really?"

"Whoa, they must be briefing about what happened yesterday."

Kim Jangmi was driving when she spotted a rest stop and quickly pulled in to park.

"Let's watch it together."

"Okay, Mom."

All four family members fixed their eyes on a single phone.

The livestream showed nothing but an empty podium. The host's voice directing the reporters gathered like a cloud and the sound of clicking camera shutters leaked from the speakers.

Soon, Choi Hyunju appeared.

Click-click-click–!

Amid the constant camera shutters, she gave a polite bow, stepped up to the podium, and greeted the audience through the microphone.

– This is Deputy Bureau Director Choi Hyunju of the Hunter Management Bureau.

She pulled out the documents she had prepared and began reading them. They were materials that had been revised and shortened repeatedly throughout the night.

– The Hunter Management Bureau will now announce its official position regarding the A-rank demon incursion that occurred yesterday. The dungeon in question was originally classified as B-rank. After investigation...

Details began to emerge, including why a B-rank dungeon became A-rank and why it suddenly erupted despite the originally generous break time.

"Wow, how could they think of making drugs from dream demon poop?"

"...You two, never take strange pills or drinks from anyone, got it?"

"Come on, Mom. Do you think we're children?"

"Of course you are!"

Kim Junyong chuckled.

– There is also a matter many people are curious about.

Click-click-click–!

The sound of camera shutters increased at least threefold. In truth, the public's focus had shifted from why the dungeon had erupted and the details of the event. The question on everyone's lips was: Who was the hunter that took down the A-rank demon?

That's our uncle!

He was sitting in the passenger seat right there.

– The Hunter Management Bureau is currently cooperating with a recently returned hero.

– Woah! Are you saying they returned after twenty years?

– We will not be taking any questions.

Once the murmuring quieted down, Choi Hyunju continued.

– Under the Hunter Management Bureau's Returnee Program, the hero is currently adapting smoothly to society. They have established a cooperative relationship with the Hunter Management Bureau, and, out of necessity, stepped forward to handle yesterday's A-rank demon incursion and the A-2 dungeon in Daejeon. We take this opportunity to express our sincere gratitude once again.

Choi Hyunju stepped down from the podium and gave a deep bow.

"Wow, that's awesome."

Yu Jihun wasn't directly involved, but he felt an adrenaline rush. He was so excited that he was shaking. That person was his uncle!

– The hero wishes to live quietly, so we ask the media, businesses, and citizens for their understanding.

Choi Hyunju cleared her throat.

– Just as the hero protects our country, we must protect their privacy. While you may have many questions, we earnestly ask you to exercise restraint.

South Korea was a small country. A single piece of gossip could spread so quickly that the entire population would know about it by the next day. Even so, it was better to be clear.

– To help them adapt to and settle into modern Korean society, we kindly ask for your restraint and respect for their privacy.

"Kuh..."

– That concludes the Hunter Management Bureau's official statement.

As Choi Hyunju gave a polite bow and left the podium, the press conference erupted. The identity wasn't revealed directly, but countless articles began flooding out.

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