Chapter 176
Jeong Ha-yul, who had gone to the Association to talk to the chairman, returned.
Because of that, a family meeting was held, summoning Eun-chae, Kang-woo, and even me.
“So, you’re saying you’re going on some kind of espionage mission to America and taking Gyeoul with you?”
“Yep. You heard that right.”
What on earth is this about?
The espionage mission they’re talking about… is the one I heard about when talking to Jeong Ho-min, the mission to bring back that Prophet.
So, you could say it’s a prerequisite quest for me to switch to being an instructor.
But wasn’t that prerequisite quest supposed to be handled by Ha-yul unnie?!
As Eun-chae and Kang-woo remained silent, Jeong Ha-yul, sipping her coffee, continued.
“I’ve requested the Association to provide security instead of taking Gyeoul with me, to prevent any mishaps like last time. Is that okay? If it’s inconvenient, I can leave Gyeoul out even now.”
Please say it’s inconvenient.
Please.
I beg you.
I looked at Eun-chae and Kang-woo with desperate eyes filled with sincerity.
When our eyes met, they nodded slightly, as if they had decided something.
Yes, that’s it! That’s the attitude! Fight back!
“…Gyeoul, look, you’re already saying it with your expression.”
Yes! That’s right! Baek Kang-woo, you’re doing great!
Oppa, go for it!
There’s something that family members understand without words.
Please defeat the evil Demon King who’s trying to use a 14-year-old middle school girl like a slave!
“She’s saying with her eyes that she wants to follow you, how can I tell her to stay?”
…?
What?
Baek Kang-woo just distorted my sincerity to the level of the Northeast Project.
Kimchi is Chinese food.
Hanbok is traditional Chinese clothing.
Samgyetang is also supposedly theirs.
And that’s not all.
They say Dokdo is Japanese territory.
They call the East Sea the Sea of Japan.
Kang-woo’s statement was on that level.
“Then it’s decided. Gyeoul is going with us, and unnie and oppa will receive security from the Association.”
“…Excuse me?”
“Okay, be careful and come back safely, and keep in touch often.”
“Excuse me?”
“No news is good news.”
“Guys?”
“That’s also true, if you do it too often, it gets boring.”
“What about my opinion?”
“Anyway, have a safe trip.”
“Okay, take care.”
“….”
And so, we set off for America.
Well, to be precise, Jeong Ha-yul set off for America.
I was just dragged along.
“…Why on earth am I going?”
“In case of an emergency, to bring back the Prophet, as I explained yesterday, this morning at home, and just before boarding the ship.”
“You said if that emergency happens, leave the Prophet behind and run back alone, right?”
I heard everything!
I even had meals with the Association chairman! I couldn’t go to the sauna, but I heard everything!
“I feel bad because I went through all the paperwork to make you an instructor. It’s also bad to go to rescue someone and then leave them behind.”
…The order seems reversed.
Shouldn’t you feel bad for abandoning a person and then feel bad for the hardworking Association employee?
Anyway.
“Is it right to go do hard labor for a cushy instructor position…?”
‘Okay, if unnie says so, then I have no choice.’
Even if it takes 15 days to get there, it shouldn’t take more than a few days to handle it, right?
And 15 days to bring back the Prophet.
So, at most, it’s a little over a month, and for a few years of an instructor position, it’s not impossible.
“You just mixed up your thoughts and words, didn’t you?”
“…?”
“What’s this about a cushy instructor position?”
“It’s, um, a trendy phrase among the MG generation. It means doing something difficult, hard, and exhausting but rewarding and meaningful.”
“…Do you think I’m some kind of grandma?”
“Ahahaha, wow, look at that scenery! The weather’s nice, and everything in front of us is the sea, the sea, it’s so fun, ahahaha, it feels like we’re on a trip.”
“The sun didn’t even rise today, and the weather’s not nice.”
“…Okay, sorry.”
The ship had already departed.
I was on board.
Let’s not provoke Jeong Ha-yul anymore and just stay quiet.
For future happiness, I can endure a bit of hardship this time.
‘But, it’s just this time, right?’
The fact that the Satan Church incident continued and it hadn’t even been 10 days since returning from the Demon Realm made me very anxious.
It felt like I had reverted to the Jeong Gyeoul who used to cause accidents and incidents.
I really won’t move after this is over.
I’ll commute with a job that’s written as an instructor but reads as unemployed, enjoying the perks and spending my free time eating delicious food and wandering around.
Really.
***
Jeong Gyeoul and Jeong Ha-yul boarded a ship prepared by the Association and headed to America.
Even though it was a ship registered in the departure infrastructure, the two passengers were stowaways.
They were Awakened Ones going to carry out an operation against the U.S. government.
But the ship that departed from the port hadn’t even left Korean waters yet.
The Jeong sisters couldn’t help but feel like they were on a trip.
As they were gazing at the sea, a strange man approached.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Ha Jun-seok, the deputy in charge of the Hero Care Team, here to serve the Heroes on this ship.”
“Ah, hello.”
“Hello!”
Jeong Gyeoul, who usually acts casually and gets scolded by Eun-chae and Kang-woo daily, is an S-Class Hero of South Korea.
The Association couldn’t help but pay attention.
To care for them, Deputy Ha Jun-seok boarded the ship with them.
“If there’s anything uncomfortable or anything you need, just tell me, and I’ll take care of it.”
“Wow, really? Would you install a computer for me?”
“…For what purpose?”
“To go to Summoner’s Rift.”
“Unfortunately, it’s impossible to create an environment comfortable enough to enjoy games.”
“Ugh.”
Jeong Gyeoul knows.
Even if she brought a computer, the internet would be a problem.
Even if it somehow works, the network latency would make the game’s response speed worse than the North American server.
But it’s an operation jointly conducted by the government and the Association.
She wondered if there was some method unknown to the general public, but there wasn’t.
Even if there was a way to use the internet comfortably, it wouldn’t be approved for gaming.
“What game are you talking about? Unnie told you to stop going to the Rift.”
“I couldn’t go for even a day while I was in the Demon Realm!”
“…That’s true. It was quite a long time for you.”
As Jeong Gyeoul whined, Jeong Ha-yul comforted her.
Deputy Ha Jun-seok could only look at them in confusion.
‘Demon Realm? What’s that about? Infinite Cheongdam is called the Demon King’s house, so if it’s the Demon Realm… Did they go to the Demon King’s hometown? I haven’t heard any news about that…’
Anyway, he decided to look into it after returning to the Association.
He handed over the suits they would wear during the operation.
Two Hero Suits specially made by Park Seol-hwa, commissioned with a lot of money and interests.
The suits themselves were no different from the latest models.
They even had automatic masks and covered the hair.
But the appearance was made to look like old models that could be found on the black market.
Click— Zzzzz—
The Jeong sisters, who received the two necklace-type suits, put them on right there.
“Wow… If I stay still, no one would recognize me. But… even if I don’t, unnie would be recognized if she uses her abilities, right?”
“It’s just a formality, it’s okay if the government side finds out, just not the citizens.”
“That’s right. Before they officially announce that they’re conducting operations against the world, they can’t act like they know.”
“I see…”
“Yeah, you can’t just openly steal, so it’s easier to understand if you think of it as pretending to hide out of courtesy.”
Jeong Gyeoul, who deactivated the suit by pressing the necklace again, continued.
“But doing this makes me feel like a villain.”
“Actually, isn’t that right? We’re going on a mission against the U.S. government and the Association.”
“Oooh, this is getting interesting. Maybe playing villain sometimes isn’t so bad.”
Listening to their conversation, Deputy Ha Jun-seok couldn’t stop the sweat pouring down.
“…You’re not villains, right? You’re working for the government and the people.”
“Why are you sweating so much? Are you feeling unwell…? You should go in. We’re fine.”
“I’m fine! I really want to guide you through the rest!”
“…Okay then.”
The Hero Care Team envied Deputy Ha Jun-seok, who was in charge of Jeong Ha-yul and Jeong Gyeoul.
He only had to care for two Heroes.
Being on a ship, there wasn’t much trouble he could get into.
Being close to them, he didn’t have to run around until his feet were drenched in sweat.
But Deputy Ha Jun-seok felt something was wrong.
If Jeong Ha-yul and Jeong Gyeoul were to take the villain route because of this.
Not only the Association employees and the chairman who devised this operation but also his own neck would be on the line.
No, before that, Korea, and even the world, might be in trouble.
Jeong Gyeoul’s playful remark was hitting Deputy Ha Jun-seok, bringing him to the brink of death.
“Let’s go to the restaurant, the restaurant!”
“The restaurant?”
In fact, the thing Association Chairman Jeong Ho-min paid the most attention to in this project was the restaurant.
The money spent on the chef was more than what went to the captain and the engineer.
Deputy Ha Jun-seok urgently leading Jeong Gyeoul to the restaurant was all part of the plan.
-If it seems like something might go wrong, take them to the restaurant first. Almost all problems will be solved there.
-…What? What do you mean?
-Ah, you’ve never been in charge of Jeong Gyeoul before? Just try it.
Being treated as VVIPs, Jeong Gyeoul was managed by department heads, so Deputy Ha Jun-seok didn’t have much to do with her.
That’s why he thought it was nonsense when he first heard that.
But now, Deputy Ha Jun-seok had no other place to rely on.
“The chairman paid special attention to you two.”
“Wow, that’s thoughtful!”
Jeong Gyeoul, in a good mood, ran off.
“Did you receive directions to the restaurant before boarding?”
“…No, she’s definitely going to get lost.”
“…What?”
“Just order, and she’ll smell it and come on her own, so don’t worry.”
Jeong Ha-yul and Deputy Ha Jun-seok headed to the restaurant and ordered food.
Jeong Gyeoul arrived at the restaurant exactly 20 minutes later.
“It’s so big here! Wow, I don’t even know how many times I got lost. This is way bigger than the Titanic…”
“Stop getting lost and come sit down.”
“Okay!”