The Knight King Who Returned with Gods : Chapter 10
Translators: Nyx and Ririi Rain
Episode 10 Chivalry (3)
The headquarters of the Korean Hunter's Association.
There, in the meeting of the executive staff above the
rank of chief, there was only one topic that unfolded.
"Leon Dragonia Lionheart... Why is his name so long?
I mean, he emerged from a Black Gate and......."
"He decapitated an Archdemon singlehandedly... Is
this the report you guys want me to believe?"
"Survivors vary in strength, so it's not impossible.
There is the case with Heavenly Demon, wasn't there?"
"What else did you find out? Divinity? Was it the
magic to make the crops grow?"
"He also assisted in the capture of the Honam Plain
Gate?"
"A combatant? That's good to know."
Information control ensured that the closing of the Black
Gate in the center of Seoul passed uneventfully.
The problem is that a survivor was found inside the Black
Gate.
The Association approached the survivor very cautiously.
"Chief Kim Jin-soo, I heard that you've been keeping
watch these past few days. Even attacking the Honam Plain together."
Oh Kang-hyuk, Chairman of the Hunter Association, asked
Kim Jin-soo.
"Yes, that is correct, Chairman."
"Which is he?"
When asked by the chairman of the association, Kim
Jin-soo thought for quite a long time, which was unusual for him considering he
was answering a question from his superior.
"That... I'm not sure."
His response was as vague as it sounded.
"You're not sure?"
"He is... not evil... actually, he is
righteous."
Of that, he was sure.
"But his values are very different from ours. I
suppose he's basically a medieval lord......."
"That's troubling."
"I was hoping to find him a little more
modern."
Their reaction was understandable. While a significant
number of survivors are integrating into society, an equally significant number
are not.
The lower the level of civilization is, the more likely
they are to be separated from the community either by their former caste or by
racial differences.
The survivors were unable to integrate into society,
causing all sorts of social problems.
If they were just a nuisance to society, they would be
ignored, but there were many survivors who were just as powerful as the
Awakened.
In short, the problem with the madman is that he's too
good with a knife.
"Hmm... In terms of philosophy and etiquette, I
suppose it's best to be cautious and keep him in line."
"Yeah, but he can be surprisingly forgiving. He
seems to understand our culture."
That was because Leon was originally an Earthling.
He was currently pretending to be from a completely
different world, not an Earthling, so he could get away with anything.
For Chief Kim, who doesn't know that, he's quite a
handful.
In terms of abilities, Leon was surprisingly impressive.
"The part about the descent of a goddess... Tell us
more."
Leon's miracle at the Honam Plain Gate. It appeared on a
personal YubTuber's live, but the video was taken down for fear of causing a
scene.
"Yes, Demera, the goddess of fertility and life,
possessed a straw doll, and it appears they actually had a conversation."
It was also captured on tape. Although for some reason
the straw doll's voice was inaudible, it was clear that the straw doll was
moving.
"You don't think he was just using some sort of
telekinesis?"
"A goddess, that's ridiculous."
Most of the officers dismissed it with similar comments.
A goddess was too much of a fantasy.
"But there's evidence......."
"Couldn't it just be some kind of magical effect?
The rice grew because a goddess blessed it? That's ridiculous."
"If there's a demon, why not a god?"
Opinions were divided within the Association, but there was
one common sentiment.
"The rice. It must be good."
With Leon's blessing, the rice grew rapidly. But that
wasn't all. The land contaminated with maso was instantly purified as the paddy
grew.
The mere fact that the maso was purified was shocking
enough, but when the appraisal showed that every single one of the paddy grains
was rated Rare, the room was once again in an uproar.
"Rice that cures cancer and gives long-lasting
buffs......."
This feat is just as remarkable as Leon's brute strength.
No, maybe even better.
Ordinary potions made by potion masters only worked for
about three hours, and their price was in the millions, so even large guilds
tended to use them sparingly.
However, this rice provides a longer buff than those
potions and can even stack up to three times.
If utilized properly, this meant that every hunter at the
gate would only need to take one or two servings to stay buffed.
"We'll have to talk to Leon Drago... nia Lionheart
about that."
"Yes, sir. And about the subsidy for survivors......."
"Maximum. Whatever he wants. We need to bring him
into our camp."
Even as he spoke, Oh Kang-hyuk was still insecure.
Since they had already contacted the Phoenix Guild, this information
shouldn't be theirs alone. At the very least, the Phoenix Guild knows about
Leon's abilities.
It's only a matter of time before the Ten Guilds find out
about Leon the Survivor.
Will the Association be able to compete with them? Oh
Kang-hyuk sighed as he looked at the remaining budget for the year.
"Excuse me... But, Chairman. There's one demand from
Survivor Leon."
"What is it? Whatever he says, I'll listen."
"It's......."
Kim Jin-soo hesitated, as if he didn't know what to say.
"He need to meet with the President."
"What? Why?"
"Because he'll be indebted to him for a while, so
it's only natural for a king to greet the country's king......."
"????"
* * * *
It had been four days since Leon returned to Earth.
Since then, he had been staying in a five-star suite in
Seoul. At first, the Hunter's Association had offered him a room to stay in,
but Leon's temper flared.
"'Thi is not a battlefield, so how can there be no
artwork in the king's chambers?"
In short, it was tacky.
He demanded a room with a luxurious bed, 24/7 servants,
and artworks that could be appreciated at all times.
Finally, in the middle of the night, Hari went around to
the five-star hotels and negotiated: They would rent a suite and place
paintings or pieces of pottery in the room of the hotel.
"Your Majesty... please let me rest!"
Two in the morning. Hari asked Leon to let her rest,
mimicking the famous 'throwing yourself flat on the ground to wait for
judgment' pose she'd seen in historical dramas.
"Hm......."
Leon relented. He didn't want to pester the bureaucrat
too much.
The next morning, Hari was in charge of room service
herself.
"Your Majesty, this is Han Hari!"
-Come in.
Hari swiped the room card to open the door and offered
him a tray of breakfast.
"I hope you're feeling better after your stay."
"Good."
Hari set the food down on the table personally.
"Here is a royal meal, Yooour Majesty......."
The prepared meal was a Korean short ribs dish that cost over
100,000 won. The ribs, marinated in spices and grilled using the finest Korean
beef, made her mouth water.
"Have you had breakfast?"
"Oh, not yet."
"Eat when you can. Don't go hungry."
"Oh, yes...."
She decided she should get a sandwich from the café on
the first floor when Leon had finished eating.
"Have a seat."
Leon invited her to take a seat.
"Your, Your Majesty...!"
He asked me if I had a meal and offered me a seat.
Apparently, he was going to share his meal out of consideration for her.
Hari reached for chopsticks with a touched expression.
"What are you doing?"
"Yes?"
"I asked, what are you doing with these ribs,
instead of making them easier to eat?"
"Did you not mean to give them to me?"
"In what country in the world does a king humble
himself to a commoner?"
"Ugh......."
Hari bent her head down and began to separate the bone
from the flesh of the seasoned ribs.
......
...
After checking out, Hari loaded Leon into the Hunter's
Association's official vehicle and headed off somewhere. As they drove to their
destination, she began to explain things.
"The Hunter's Association has decided to provide you
with a grant and resettlement assistance. They will take you to a place where
you will have enough to live, though not as much as the royal palace."
"That is very considerate of them. When do you think
the President of the Republic of Korea will be free?"
"Ah, well, that's... well, there's the matter of our
security, and──"
"Do you think I'd assassinate a fellow king in such
a dishonorable manner? A king does not kill another king!"
"Oh, no, it's not like that!"
Although she doesn't think Leon is going to stab the
President, she can't assume that he's safe just because she believes it.
He's a force to be reckoned with, one that even an
S-class hunter can't stop, and if he goes off the rails, it could be the worst
disaster in Korean political history.
"And, and the place for Your Majesty to stay! I've
already mentioned that land in the capital is very expensive, so it will be
much more cramped than when you lived in a palace. Do you mind?"
At first, she thought about finding a decent apartment in
Seoul. Rent support for survivors with a high assessment totaled 15 million won
for a year.
Of course, if you think about it, a monthly rent of 1.3
million won would be a palace for a modern person, but Leon was a king.
He had his own royal palace, with hundreds of rooms, and
a bedroom that must have been enormous.
You'd have to give him the Blue House or Gyeongbokgung
Palace to match his aesthetic. Of course, this was impossible.
"As a guest, how can I be extravagant?"
Hari didn't mention that the Hunter Association had
lobbied the museum to bring in the art Leon had requested.
Nor did she mention that they were worth hundreds of
millions of dollars.
Neither did she tell him that the housing allotted to him
now was the private vacation home of Oh Kang-hyuk, the chairman of the Hunter
Association.
The Hunter Association was trying to accommodate Leon's
demanding tastes, and she didn't bother to say that she hoped it would prove
favorable.
She knew that if she said something, he'd yell at her.
"Your Majesty, speaking of which, the distribution
of the spoils..."
"I've ordered that you handle that yourself. But I
like the cloak, so leave it alone."
"Yes......."
In the end, it was decided that the loot from the Honam
Plain Gate would be exempt from taxes as a special case.
Technically, they were saying, "We don't have any
loot from the Honam Plain!”
It was a greater benefit than the Phoenix Guild and the
other ten guilds, but Leon hadn't bothered to listen to the Association staff.
He insisted that if he could speak to the king of the
country, the president, he would hear him out, and in the end, the Association
agreed to secretly arrange a meeting with the President.
Until then, Leon would be granted immunity and tax
exemption from all charges.
Leon's share of the spoils, as allocated, consisted of the
Dullahan's Greatsword, the Dullahan's Cloak, and a 5 million won of the 10
million won worth of magic stones that had been mined in the haste of the
dungeon's closing.
Despite handing over most of the loot to Leon, none of
the employees were unhappy, as it was practically Leon who closing the gate on
his own.
"We have arrived. Your Majesty."
They arrived at an office building in Bundang. It was a
high-end condo that was close to the Hunter's Association and had a helipad on
the rooftop, so it was favored by the Hunters.
The lobby is just as lavish as the rest of the building.
The elaborate framed paintings and contemporary artworks on display created a
convincing atmosphere.
'Those
things are just dots of paint.'
Leon's aesthetic didn't make sense to her, though.
"Ah, are you hunter Hana Hari of the Hunter
Association?"
It was then. A well-dressed man in a business suit spoke
to the two as they made their way to the lobby.
"Who are you?"
Hari was wary of the man who spoke to them as if he had
been waiting for them. It was a secret that they were coming to this
residential complex.
"Haha, what a coincidence. I'm Park Jong-chan, CEO
of Doojeong Group, Doojeong Future Food."
"Doo- Doojeong Group?"
Doojeong Group was one of the top three conglomerates in
Korea, so why would a managing director of such a conglomerate be waiting for
them under the guise of coincidence?
"Ah... You must be the famous 'survivor' of these
days. Nice to meet you, Leon Dragonia Lionheart."
He had already figured it all out. Hari's heart sank at
the sight of Park Jong-chan.
Leon, on the other hand, stared in disbelief at Park
Jong-chan's hand that was offered in a handshake.
"This merchant... a handshake?"
***
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