Chapter 9: Chapter 10: Chivalry (3)
Chapter 10: Chivalry (3)
Korean Hunter Association Headquarters.
There was one main topic discussed during the meeting of the field staff members who had gathered, including those in managerial positions.
"Leon Dragania Lionheart… Why does he have such a long name? So, he appeared in the black-grade and…"
"Are you telling us to believe this report that claims he defeated a Great Demon in one go?"
"The power of survivors varies greatly, so it's not impossible. Haven't there been cases of Heavenly Demons or Savage Warriors?"
"What else did you find out? The gods? Weren't they the ones who used magic to make crops grow?"
"They also assisted in the capture of the Gate in the Honam Plain?"
"Is he from the combat division? That's fortunate."
The Black Gate that appeared in the heart of Seoul passed without any major incidents due to information control.
The problem was that survivors were discovered inside that black Gate.
The Association approached the survivors with extreme caution.
"Manager Kim Jin-su, I heard you've been observing for the past few days. You were also involved in the Honam Plain operation."
Association Chairman Oh Kang-hyuk asked Manager Kim Jin-su.
"Yes, that's correct, Chairman."
"What kind of person is he?"
In response to the Chairman's question, Manager Kim Jin-su pondered for a considerable amount of time, given that it was a question from a superior.
"Well… I'm not sure."
His conclusion, despite the deliberation, was extremely ambiguous.
"You don't know?"
"He is… not an evil person. In fact, he leans more towards justice."
That was the only thing he could be certain of.
"But their values are quite different from ours. They have a medieval feudal lord vibe…"
"That's unfortunate."
"It would have been better if they were more modernized."
Their reaction was expected. While a significant number of survivors assimilated into society, there were also many who couldn't.
Whether due to a lower level of civilization, their original social status being the ruling class, or differences in race.
The survivors who couldn't assimilate caused various social problems.
If they were just a societal burden, they could be ignored. However, among the survivors, there were individuals as powerful as awakened ones.
In other words, the problem arose when crazy people with sharp knives appeared.
"Hmm… It's best to cautiously align with them as much as possible in terms of ideology and customs."
"Yes, but surprisingly, there are some aspects that smoothly overlap. It seems they understand our culture to some extent."
That was because Leon was originally from Earth.
He pretended to be a complete being from another dimension, not a current Earthling. So it was best to smoothly navigate through it.
Kim Jin-su, who didn't know this fact, probably had some limited understanding.
In terms of abilities, Leon was impressively remarkable.
"The part about summoning a god… Tell me more about it."
The miracle Leon showed at the Honam Plain Gate. It was briefly shown on a real-time YouTube video of a personal YouTuber before the video was stopped due to concerns about confusion.
"Yes, he embodied a presence called Demera, the goddess of abundance and life, in a straw doll. It seems they actually had a conversation."
It was captured on video. Somehow, the voice of the straw doll couldn't be heard at all, but it was clear that the straw doll moved.
"Isn't it just some sort of sorcery?"
"Couldn't it be some magical effect? Saying that the crops grew because of a god's blessing, it's utter nonsense."
"Considering that demons exist, it's not impossible for gods to exist, right?"
Opinions within the Association were divided, but there was one consensus.
"That rice. Its effects are certain."
The rice that rapidly grew due to Leon's blessing. But that wasn't all. The land contaminated by mana was purified in an instant as the rice grew.
Just the fact that mana was purified was shocking enough, but it caused another uproar in the meeting when it was revealed that every single grain of rice was of rare grade.
"Rice that can heal cancer patients and provide long-lasting buffs…"
This ability was as astonishing as Leon's combat skills. No, it might even be more impressive.
Even regular enhancement potions made by potion masters lasted for about three hours. Their price was also in the range of several million won, causing large guilds to use them sparingly.
But this rice could maintain buffs for longer than potions, and if the types were different, they could even stack up to three times.
If used properly, it meant that all hunters attacking Gates could maintain buffs with just one or two doses.
"On that matter, consult Leon Drag… Nia Lionheart for his opinion."
"Understood. And regarding support funds for the survivors…"
"Allocate the maximum limit. Give them everything they need. We must definitely bring them into our group."
Chairman Oh Kang-hyuk was unsure even as he spoke.
Since they had already made contact with the Blaze Guild, this information was not exclusive to them. At the very least, the Blaze Guild knew about Leon's abilities.
"Goddess, you say? It's nonsensical."
Most of the executives dismissed it with the same words. Calling it a god was too absurd and fantastical.
"But there's evidence…"
"Couldn't it be some kind of magical effect? Saying that the crops grew because of a god's blessing, it's utter nonsense."
"While there are demons, it's not impossible for gods to exist, right?"
Opinions within the association were divided, but there was one consensus.
"The rice. Its efficacy is certain."
The rice that rapidly grew due to Leon's blessing. But that wasn't all. The land contaminated by mana was purified in an instant as the rice grew.
Just the fact that mana was purified was shocking, but it caused another uproar in the meeting when it was revealed that every single grain of rice was of rare grade.
"Rice that can heal cancer patients and provide long-lasting buffs…"
This ability was as astonishing as Leon's combat prowess. No, it might even surpass it.
Even regular enhancement potions made by potion masters lasted for about three hours. Their price was also in the range of several hundred thousand won, causing large guilds to use them sparingly.
However, this rice could maintain buffs longer than potions and, if the types were different, could even stack up to three times.
If utilized well, it meant that all hunters attacking gates could maintain buffs with just one or two servings.
"On that matter, consult Leon Drag… Nia Lionheart for their opinion."
"Understood. And regarding support funds for the survivors…"
"Allocate the maximum limit. Give them everything they need. We must bring them into our group unconditionally."
Chairman Oh Kang-hyuk spoke to himself, lacking confidence.
Since they had already made contact with the Blaze Guild, this information wasn't exclusive to them. At the very least, the Blaze Guild knew about Leon's abilities.
It was only a matter of time before the top 10 guilds started to assess the survivor, Leon. Can the association truly compete with them? Oh Kang-hyuk sighed as he examined the remaining budget for the year.
"Well… But Chairman, there's one thing that Survivor Leon has requested."
"What is it? Regardless of what it is, we'll have to fulfill most of their demands."
"Well…"
Kim Jin-su hesitated, as if finding it difficult to speak, but eventually managed to voice it out.
"We need to meet the President."
"Huh? Why on earth?"
"We'll owe them for a while, so it's only natural for a king to greet another king…"
"???"
* * * *
It had been nearly a day since Leon returned to Earth.
During this time, Leon had been staying in a 5-star suite in Seoul. Initially, he was guided to the lodging facilities operated by the Hunter Association, but that didn't sit well with Leon.
"Am I on a battlefield? Does it make sense for a king to have no artworks in his sleeping chamber?"
In other words, the standards were lacking.
He demanded a room with a top-notch bed, as well as servants at his beck and call and artwork that he could always appreciate.
In the end, after touring various 5-star hotels in the middle of the night, he compromised by renting a suite and displaying the hotel's paintings and ceramics within the room.
"Your Majesty… Please, get some rest!"
At two in the morning, Hari, imitating a scene from a historical drama, pleaded with Leon to go to sleep.
"Hmm…"
Leon graciously stepped back at this point. It was unbecoming to torment the bureaucrats too much.
The next morning, Hari took care of room service himself.
"Your Majesty, it is I, Han Hari, representing."
"Come in."
Hari opened the door with the room card and greeted Leon, pushing in a tray containing breakfast.
"Have you slept well, Your Majesty?"
"Yeah."
Hari personally set up the food.
"Here is the table, Your Majesty…"
The prepared meal was a galbi dish that cost over 100,000 won. Grilled galbi, made with the finest marinated Hanwoo beef and accompanied by various side dishes, made one's mouth water.
"Have you had breakfast?"
"Oh, not yet."
"You should eat when you can. Don't go hungry."
"Ah, yes…"
When Leon finished his meal, he thought he should go to the café on the first floor and grab a sandwich.
"Have a seat."
Leon gestured for him to sit.
"Your, Your Majesty!"
Asking if he had eaten and inviting him to sit. It seemed that he was trying to share the meal to consider Leon.
At that moment, when Hari was searching for her chopsticks with a touched expression…
"What are you doing?"
"Excuse me?"
"I asked what you were doing without properly preparing this galbi for eating."
"Weren't you trying to share it with me?"
"In what country does a King dine alongside commoners?"
Hari didn't mention that the Hunter Association had brought out artworks from a museum at the end of the lobby to accommodate Leon's request.
She also didn't mention that the artworks were worth hundreds of millions of won. Nor did she mention that the accommodation provided to Leon was the personal villa of the Hunter Association's chairman, Oh Gang-hyuk.
The Hunter Association was making efforts to cater to Leon's demanding taste, but Hari didn't explicitly express their hopes for this effort to bear fruit.
She didn't want to risk angering Leon by showing any sign of trying too hard.
"Your Majesty, speaking of which, regarding the distribution of spoils…"
"I have ordered you to take care of that matter on your own. But I like the cloak, so leave it alone."
"Yes…"
In the end, the spoils from the Honam Plains Gate were decided to be tax-exempt as a special case.
More precisely, it was more like "We didn't acquire anything from the Honam Plains!"
It was a greater benefit than the top 10 guilds, including the Phoenix Guild, but for the time being, Leon didn't listen to the words of association staff or the like.
He insisted that if he met the President of this country, the King of this country, he would surely listen to their story. Eventually, the association secretly promised to arrange a meeting with the President.
Until then, all impositions on Leon would be exempt and tax privileges would apply.
As a result, the spoils allocated to Leon were the Dullahan's Greatsword and the Dullahan's Cloak. Additionally, there were 10 million won worth of Magic Stones, of which only a portion was hastily mined due to the dungeon closing, worth 5 million won.
In reality, most of the spoils were handed over to Leon. However, since Leon essentially closed the dungeon on his own, there were no employees who had complaints.
"We have arrived, Your Majesty."
They arrived at a high-rise apartment in Bundang. It was close to the Hunter Association, and there was a helipad on the rooftop, making it a preferred place for hunters as it allowed for helicopter transportation in emergency situations.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone