The Knight King Who Returned with Gods : Chapter 28
Translators: Nyx and Ririi Rain
Episode 28 Inner Justice (1)
After the capture of Cheongju Gate, Leon's meeting with
President Ahn quickly took place.
"Nice to meet you, I am President Ahn
Dong-gil."
"Pleased to meet you. Leon Dragonia Lionheart."
Outside the presidential office, President Ahn shook
Leon's hand and realized that he was more favorable than he thought.
'He's
handsome.'
On the surface, he looked like a handsome young man in
his 20s. How long had he been king?
"Let us take a few shots, here~"
The President waved his hand, smiling at the camera
flashes of the journalists. The headlines of the next day's newspapers were
clear.
'Huhu,
this will be a good image.'
President Ahn, photographed with Leon, a survivor of
prominence. Forging bonds with survivors.
Well, one couldn't get too many of these kinds of
headlines.
Thirty years after the cataclysm, the public's main
concern was the activities of the Gates and the hunters.
The Gates had caused a catastrophe so horrific that it
could wipe out human history, but it had also given birth to a class of
superstars: the hunters.
Hunters were the ones who wear the image of heroes who
defeat monsters and save humanity, so there was nothing wrong with keeping them
close to your side as a politician.
"Leon... may I address you as Your Majesty?"
"You may, President Ahn."
President Ahn and his advisors even held a meeting to
discuss how to treat Leon.
He claimed to be the king of a kingdom beyond the gate
and even said that he was the agent of the gods.
Should they take him as he claimed, or treat him like an
ordinary survivor or citizen?
In the end, they decided to treat Leon as if he was the
queen of England. Even if Leon doesn't actually have that standing, he is still
a force to be reckoned with.
There was no need to fuss over a title when dealing with
someone who had the strength and capabilities that surpassed even S-class
hunter.
"If you would, please have a meal first. We have
prepared a feast for Your Majesty Leon."
‘Okay,
the mood is not bad. If we can keep up the friendly mood throughout the meal,
my political goal will be accomplished.’
With that, they headed to the banquet hall, followed by
the journalists. Leon halted.
"That's uncouth."
"Um?"
The President, his secretary, and the journalists all
stopped in their tracks at Leon's action. When they all shared a confused look,
Leon turned to the President.
"President Ahn. Who are they?"
President An cautiously replied to Leon's finger pointing
at the journalists.
"They're journalists... are they not?"
"You mean they're not the servants serving the
meal."
"Servants?"
‘What
kind of old-fashioned word is that?’
President Ahn was wondering what to say, when──
"How insolent! How can commoners walk into the
dining hall of royals? Kings do not share the same table with commoners!"
""............!!!!""
The reporters, the secretary, and even President Ahn held
their breath.
'What did I just hear? How can that be spoken in the 21st
century?'
"Your, Your Majesty, wait──"
"Shut your mouth and conduct yourself in a manner
befitting your commoner status!"
"Wha, what?!"
'What's
wrong with this guy, is he trying to kill someone's political life?!'
The news headlines of the following day flashed through
President Ahn's mind.
「Shocking Rant from An
Authoritarian Survivor. President was Having Lunch With ──」
The damage to his image and the plunge in his
favorability rating was already visible! President Ahn rushed to defend
himself.
"Hahaha, His Majesty Leon must still be unaccustomed
to the eyes of the media. Isn't this an understandable cultural difference?
Multiculturalism, which I've been actively advocating lately, requires
understanding of these cultural differences──"
President Ahn passed off the outburst as a harmless
remark while sweating profusely. Only a handful of people were allowed to stay
at the luncheon.
But at least one journalist was able to avoid leaving.
'Huft,
well, thank goodness, it's the media that favors the ruling party.'
Before Ahn could finish letting out a sigh of relief,
Leon dropped another bombshell.
"It's better without the noisy rodents."
'Oh,
come on!'
'Are
you taking orders from the opposition party and trying to bring me down by
labeling me as a discriminator? Even bringing up 'commoners' in this day and
age...'
President Ahn tried to change the subject.
"Your Majesty Leon. How has your life been in
Korea?"
"I'm at ease thanks to your consideration, Mr. President.
By the way."
"Yes?"
"How can a king speak so respectfully to another
king? Please speak comfortably."
"N- no, this is fine. I am comfortable with
this."
‘What
king!’
"Hmm... I see."
Even though this man treated the journalists like commoners,
he was unusually friendly to him.
President Ahn wondered if this man really understood the
position of president or king.
The President was trying to make the dinner as cordial as
possible, and Leon understood that.
'The
President wants something from me.'
It was easy to figure out what that might be. In fact,
given his track record so far, the President probably doesn't need much.
'I've
read about his latest scandal, and I'm sure he wants to look good and boost his
image.'
There was one thing that President Ahn overlooked.
Leon was the king of a country. He ruled for 70 years
until the world was destroyed by demons and survived for 300 years.
A Lion-Hearted king who was known for his military
prowess, yet also a master of court politics who could handle uncooperative
empires, nations, and disparate tribes. In front of him, President Ahn was but
a young boy.
"By the way, Your Majesty, how is the meal?"
"Not bad. The food culture in this country seems to
be of a high standard."
"Haha, I'm glad you liked the meal. What did you
like best?"
"Hmm......."
Leon was once an Earthling. He was Korean too, and he
knew what would win them over.
'So
I left one journalist behind.'
He'd picked the journalist from the media outlet most
favorable to the President's party and could spin the story in the President's
favor as much as possible.
Leon chuckled and answered,
"I really like bibimbap1."
"Oh, bibimbap?"
The journalist's camera shutter snapped with the flash
disabled.
"This food called bibimbap. It's quite mysterious.
The colors of the vegetables are harmonious and beautiful. It must be because
your ancestors were wise and understanding that they came up with such a
delectable dish."
'Ohhh...
that's it! That's what I wanted to hear!'
Very good. That's a good reaction, and it's the kind of
comment that's going to be trending on YubTube for a while.
[King Lionheart of Another World, Praising K-Bibimbap]
[Japan Surprised, China Stunned, and the U.S. Envied! What
is This K-Food That Even The Royalty of Another World Praised?]
[The Amazing 'Thing' that Shook the World and Made Japan
Envious. What was His Majesty's Comment?]
'Khuhu,
good. Very good. Besides improving the country's image, it was a very nice comment
considering the amount of nationalists and the name of the president that would
be mentioned. So he can he say something nice without being forced, huh?'
"It's like the deities of the Pantheon and the
Lionheart Kingdom."
"Hmm?"
"My kingdom is all about the harmonious coexistence
of the divine and the mortal, just like this bibimbap. They intertwine and
complement each other."
"Is that... right?"
Now that this had been brought up, President Ahn couldn't
resist asking about the divinity and Leon's kingdom.
"That... what kind of country was the Lionheart
Kingdom?"
"It was a kingdom that valued honor, cherished its
subjects, and highly revered the divine, which is why it's a pity."
"What... do you mean?"
"The people of this country. In my short time here,
I've seen their lives, and I've seen so many sick, weak, and dying."
"Fu… It’s all because of my lack of ability. I will
serve the people and──"
"No, that is not the problem. 'Falling ill' is the
problem."
"????"
The journalist's camera panned to Leon, obviously waiting
for his next words.
"If you eat the crops blessed by the goddess Demera,
you'll never get sick in your life. I have heard of cancer. And people are
dying because they can't cure it... Honestly, I was shocked."
'What?'
President Ahn's mind went blank.
'Is
this guy advertising right now?'
'No,
he can't be. He's royalty from a medieval civilization. How would he know about
modern advertising techniques?'
Even after that, Leon kept talking about the Pantheon and
the miracles of the deities while praising Korean culture.
However, all of these words had a basis, because there
were actually examples of blessed rice and purified plains. The recent capture
of some Majin also added to the buzz.
As a result, the President and Leon's entire conversation
naturally turned toward the topic of the Pantheon.
"The meal was enjoyable. President Ahn, why don't we
take a walk and have a chat?"
"Sha- shall we?"
The two stood up and walked down the promenade. The
journalist followed along, but kept to a distance, snapping photos while giving
them some privacy.
'Now
is the time to get this man's true colors.'
"By the way, President Ahn."
"What is it, Your Majesty Leon?"
"I've been trying to understand your political
system and culture as best as I can."
"That's great. Many survivors do not even attempt to
understand Earth's civilization."
"Those are the ignorant ones. I am not one of them.
But, no matter how much I think about it, there's something I don't
understand."
“What is it…?”
President Ahn swallowed nervously. It was because what
this man was about to say was bizarrely nerve-wracking.
"Democracy. I heard that you were elected by an act
called the vote of the subjects. Forty-nine percent of the people in this
country voted for you."
"Haha, I have the people to thank for that."
"That is the issue."
"Yes?"
Leon began to speak in a disbelieving manner.
"I, an honorable knight, guardian of the Holy Grail,
chosen by the goddess, have a single vote, equal to that of the lowly masses...
Does this make any sense at all?"
"No, I mean, that's how it is in a democracy, of
course......."
"I am saying that democracy as a system is
inefficient."
The President was baffled: 'What is this barbarian talking about?'
"The duties of the common people, apart from being
faithful to the deities, are to toil and serve the knights and nobles. They are
easily tempted by evil because they want more than they need and are unhappy with
what they have."
Rejecting democracy.
Rejecting capitalism.
Leon casually rattled off his assessment of modern
Earth's political system.
"Here's some wisdom for you, Mr. President. A truly
perfect nation is one where the king is chosen by the gods and governs with an
iron fist. How can commoners who know nothing of politics elect a king?"
Unable to believe his words, the President responded
while stammering,
"A, are you saying that you do not recognize
democracy?"
Leon shook his head in reply.
"How can I deny a country's law? However foolish and
stupid it may be, that was formed through proper procedures."
Huu,
President Ahn patted his chest from the surprise. But
then a more shocking statement hit him.
"So I'm considering running for the election
myself."
"What?"
"I don't like the idea of having to get votes from
lowlifes, but I have to follow the procedures in place. Of course, once I am
the president, I'll have to tear up all these idiotic laws."
'You
mean... you're going to abolish democracy?'
President Ahn's heart rate rose again.
"Your Majesty, a country is its people! The
democracy of this country was built with the blood and sweat of its
people!"
At that statement, Leon looked aghast. And then he
declared.
"I am the country. It can never be the other way
around."
"......!!"
President Ahn was shocked by Leon's words.
How different could they be? How can someone be so
ignorant and arrogant?
President Ahn does not consider himself righteous. He was
moderately corrupt and moderately disrespectful to the people.
But not this. Not this.
'I'm
a bastard, but I'm not as much of a bastard as this guy!'
The spirit of the independence fighter and the democracy
fighter in his blood, which had diminished, was ignited. His goals for the rest
of his term became clear.
'Father,
Grandfather, are you watching? I will definitely stop this horrible
authoritarian from playing politics!'
President Ahn Dong-gil. The dormant justice within him
was awakened.
***
Notes:
1 Bibim means ‘mixed’ and bap means ‘rice’. This Korean dish incorporates steamed white rice with assorted fresh, marinated, and sautéed vegetables, along with raw or seared meat if desired. ↩
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