WeTried Translations

Translator: Yasi

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

◈ The Precious Demon King

Chapter 72: Golden Ticket

Vroom.

"..."

After being practically forced out of the cram school under watchful stares, Yu Jia sat troubled in the car on her way home.

"Young Miss, please don't trouble yourself too much."

"I'm not in the mood for jokes."

"Haha, my apologies."

The joke from the man in the passenger seat didn't reach her at all.

There were two people in the driver's and passenger seats. Four more were in the vehicles ahead and behind them.

As many as ten bodyguards had been mobilized just for her.

She knew about the remote security detail, but she hadn't realized there were this many people.

What am I, that...

How great must her uncle be to warrant such excessive protection? And why were her friends so interested?

From the jealousy plain in their eyes to the way they treated her like a monkey in a zoo.

Compared to the friends who felt betrayed, asking why she hadn't said anything, the ones who filed complaints to the cram school about the noise and disruption almost made her feel grateful instead.

So living normally is gone now?

She had agonized over it for quite a few days. At first, she had no particular thoughts about her uncle's existence.

She just thought, "Oh, we've found a missing family member." And that her mother seemed really happy about it.

But then she found out that her uncle was a hunter. An incredible one, at that.

After slaying the demon of Yeouido and saving Seoul, he was now regarded as someone who vied for the very top in the world.

Beyond the childish nickname of national-level, her younger brother insisted he was regarded as world-power-level.

As the only niece of such an uncle, honestly, how valuable would she be as a hostage?

Thinking about it that way, ten bodyguards no longer seemed excessive.

Wanting a normal life was just greed.

She just wanted to study hard and become a wonderful doctor like her mother. But with an uncle this incredible, even that dream felt trivial and unattainable.

"Hahh."

"Please, don't be too heartbroken, Miss Jia."

"I'm not heartbroken."

Yu Jia just felt stifled. She took out her phone.

Should she at least call it a relief?

The name Kim Junyong never appeared in the media. He was only referred to as Special Advisor, and he received shockingly little coverage compared to his achievements and importance.

The whole country really is trying to shield him, but still...

As one blogger had put it, hunters should be treated as secret weapons, not public figures. But what was the point if the media just kept it under wraps?

People's curiosity wasn't going anywhere, and online communities were still abuzz.

"Oh! Miss Jia, you use the Demon Realm Forum too?"

"...I only know about it because of my brother. I just peek sometimes."

"Hahaha, I see."

Ugh, that sly bodyguard ajossi. She ignored him and looked at the posts.

– Wow, just one G-rank shows up and the country's prestige shifts this much? Seeing Japan bow that low is damn striking.

– Insane. They're admitting to everything they used to absolutely deny.

– Wow, taking him to Seodaemun Prison...President Kim Seungtae is no ordinary guy.

– Ruthless. Absolutely ruthless.

– Look at the photo lol. Prime Minister Masanobu Mishima's face looks awful lol.

– Can't believe I lived to see a Japanese prime minister shouting manse in front of a comfort woman statue.

– Is this real life?

– Kim Seungtae is a badass.

– This government's seriously crazy lol. I mean, who invites the Japanese prime minister and demands this? lol

Yu Jia couldn't help but laugh a little. The South Korea–Japan summit had kept the school noisy all day.

Classes could hardly proceed properly because the teachers were so excited. The history teachers were especially excited. They even came to seek out Yu Jia–rumored to be the Special Advisor's niece–and personally offered their thanks.

The strange mix of pride and loss from back then still stifled her.

Perhaps she had already felt it even then.

She would end up living not as Yu Jia, but as Kim Junyong's niece.

The armored vehicle carrying her now, and the ten bodyguards, weren't for Yu Jia the ordinary high school girl. They were to protect Yu Jia, Kim Junyong's niece.

"Impressive, isn't it? The media hasn't given details, but they're all the Special Advisor's achievements."

"My uncle? Oh, the yakuza incident?"

"Yes, it seems he gave some kind of signal to the Japanese prime minister at the time. Haha, truly remarkable."

"..."

Her uncle's influence on the South Korea-Japan summit? Just what on earth did he do that made Masanobu Mishima go to Seodaemun Prison and shout manse in front of the comfort woman statue?

"President Kim Seungtae too. Isn't he remarkable? Even with favorable cards, playing them like that couldn't have been easy."

"My history teacher said the same thing."

"Haha, it seems we really voted well this time. He seems to have an exceptional political sense."

Kim Seungtae's approval rating was sky-high–85 percent!

With Kim Junyong applying pressure, Kim Seungtae seized the opponent's throat in a single move. Using the advantageous high ground, he wrested everything from them.

Public opinion, which had fretted over his weak diplomacy early in his term, was now busy praising him.

* * *

Kim Seungtae had endured an exhausting day.

The relationship between the two neighboring countries, South Korea and Japan, was highly complicated. With so many historical entanglements, conflict intensified easily, but reconciliation was difficult to achieve.

All right. If not Taiwan, then it's war with Japan!

Those bastards. He would teach them a lesson.

It's no different from the Special Advisor already declaring war!

A yakuza massacre occurred in Tokyo. This was not something that could be covered up. Kim Seungtae accepted it solemnly and prepared for war.

"But these bastards tried to cover it up and then asked for reconciliation first?"

He thought Masanobu Mishima must have had a hidden motive. So, he deliberately brought up all the sensitive issues.

"Dokdo, it Korean land."

"Huh?"

The provocation didn't work. Japan meekly gave up everything and flew straight to Seoul to conclude the negotiations.

"Hahaha, next on the itinerary is Seodaemun Prison."

He continued his provocations with a smile. Could they endure even this?

"Such tragic history must never be repeated. Because the sins of our ancestors are grave, I once more, on their behalf, pray for the repose of the deceased."

Masanobu Mishima did not turn away from history. He humbly accepted responsibility and sought forgiveness for the sins.

"The suffering of the comfort women was a terrible crime that never should have happened. Before even making every effort at acknowledgment and compensation, I first offer a deep apology..."

In front of the comfort woman statue, Masanobu Mishima and Kim Seungtae raised their hands aloft.

"Manse! Manse! Long live Korea's independence!"

"..."

Was this real? Shouting "Long live Korean independence" alongside Masanobu Mishima, Kim Seungtae suddenly felt a jolt of cognitive dissonance. Was this some hidden-camera prank?

He wasn't immune to provocations, so how could even this be okay? These bastards...weren't they even angry?

"Check Japan's public opinion."

As expected, Japanese public opinion seethed with anti-Korean sentiment. People cursed Masanobu Mishima, and his approval ratings were plunging to the floor.

"I knew it."

No matter how much Masanobu Mishima acknowledged everything, he would soon be replaced. Japan had its pride! The far right would rise like wildfire, shouting for war! Fine, he would accept it! It was war!

"As the Special Advisor dealt with the Kobe dungeon, public opinion swung dramatically!"

"...?"

Everything had turned out well. Kim Seungtae felt goosebumps.

Was all of this part of the Special Advisor's plan?

Just how many moves ahead had he foreseen? Were even Masanobu Mishima and he himself nothing more than pieces in the Special Advisor's game?

After the Tokyo incident–however he had managed to persuade Masanobu Mishima–his unconditional acceptance turned the summit into a gift for South Korea.

And the swift clearing of the Kobe A-rank dungeon quelled Japan's seething outrage.

The Mishima administration's approval ratings are climbing again.

At this rate, the chances of him being ousted were slim. If things went on like this...

South Korea and Japan could develop an unprecedentedly close relationship. It was as if a big brother had stepped in, smacked two squabbling friends, and forced them to reconcile.

Is peace truly what the Special Advisor desires?!

Kim Seungtae deeply regretted wanting to wage war at least once during his term.

"Hahh, I can't forget to be grateful."

He had been helped to his highest approval ratings, so of course he had to send a gift. To hell with the Kim Young-ran Act or whatever else.

It was no different from defense spending for South Korea's security.

* * *

At Kim Jangmi's new home.

"I'm back."

"Oh, Jia, you're home."

"Yes."

Kim Jangmi noticed the boxes being carried in one after another by the bodyguards following behind Yu Jia.

"Huh? What are all those?"

"Oh, they're gifts from the presidential office."

"Gifts?"

"There's also a letter from the president expressing deep gratitude for the Special Advisor's achievements."

"Wow."

Kim Jangmi was delighted by the ornate plaque and letter, but Kim Junyong was even happier about the fruit basket that accompanied them.

"Wow, the color of this fruit is incredible."

"Nyaa, I'll cut them up, nya!"

"Sure."

"Since you're here, please have some before you go."

"Oh no, not at all. We're just here on an errand."

Despite their polite refusals, they couldn't overcome a Korean ajumma's stubbornness–no guest leaves without at least a glass of water.

"Come on, how can you refuse? Have some before you go."

"Well then, we'll shamelessly accept...haha."

A few officials from the presidential secretariat, along with the bodyguards who had come with Yu Jia, joined the gathering.

The garden party, doubling as a housewarming, became even more festive. But Yu Jia didn't really welcome the situation.

As a sensitive nineteen-year-old high school girl, she only wanted to quickly fill her stomach with beef and hurry into her room.

"Hey, niece. Take this."

"Huh? What is it?"

"A clock-out card."

"What?"

When Yu Jia accepted the golden ticket from Kim Junyong, a flash of light swept over her body before vanishing.

Flash!

"Huh?"

< Yu Jia >

Class: Archer

Mana: 0

Skill: Focused Shot

"Th-This...what is this? Did I awaken?"

How was this possible?

"Wow, an archer."

"No way, Noona is an archer?"

Startled, Yu Jihun looked at his sister.

"Whoa! Noona was in the archery club in middle school!"

"Huh? What does that have to do with..."

"I guess Noona was pretty serious about it? They say awakenings get decided by what influenced you a lot in your life!"

"R-Really?"

Archery had been a little fun, but she quit when she entered high school to focus on her studies.

"What about you?"

"Me? I'm...uh, Student."

"Pfft."

"Why are you laughing?"

"So typical of an eighth-grader."

"..."

Yu Jihun pouted, then suddenly froze in surprise.

"Wait, has there ever been a case of someone awakening before eighteen?"

"...?"

All acquired awakenings had occurred in people eighteen or older. Yu Jihun put a hand to his forehead, unable to hold back the chuckle slipping out.

"Hahh, am I the world's first?"

Was his uncle a god? Haa, that was insane.

"...!"

Yu Jia wasn't the only one shocked.

"W-What was that just now?"

"H-Has she awakened?"

"This is unbelievable!"

"An item that makes acquired awakening possible?!"

Despite conducting repeated research over the years, countries around the world had not achieved even the slightest breakthrough in this field.

It was the emergence of an item that made acquired awakening possible.

Just as everyone's curiosity exploded, Kim Junyong let out a small chuckle.

"Oh, this?"

"What?!"

"Is-Is that all of them?"

"Yeah, two left."

"...!"

The presidential staff set their chopsticks down.

"Ah, w-we'll be taking our leave now."

"We'll be going too."

"Oh? Why not stay and eat a little more?"

"Haha, no, it's fine."

The presidential staff and Hunter Management Bureau officials streamed out, leaving only Kim Junyong's family and Yoichi Sasaki.

From the atmosphere alone, Kim Jangmi could sense the value of the ticket in Kim Junyong's hand.

"That's not something to keep carelessly. Put it away quickly."

"This?"

Kim Junyong chuckled. To him, it was no different from a coupon for a ten-percent discount at a restaurant.

If I were to ask God Earth, he would give me more.

Anyway.

"You're not leaving?"

"Hahaha, I'm not full yet-desu."

Yoichi Sasaki grinned brightly.

Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried