Jeong Ha-yul and I protected the ship with our magic power, wrapping it like a warm hug. Thanks to that, we could withstand the insane speed led by Sea Serpent, and the sight of the Prophet Ship cutting through the sea… it was like a new urban legend was about to be born. “Even the Black Pearl couldn’t match this speed,” I thought. Deputy Ha Jun-seok, who had gone inside to check the GPS, came running out in a panic. “If this speed is maintained, we’ll arrive at Long Beach Port in 3 minutes!” “Already?” Even as I looked ahead after hearing Ha Jun-seok’s shout, all I could see was the ocean. A vast, endless sea. Nothing in sight, and we’re arriving in 5 minutes? “The speed is truly insane! If it weren’t for you two, the ship and crew would’ve been torn to shreds!” “If it weren’t for us, Sea Serpent wouldn’t have pulled this ship. But why are you shouting so much?” Jeong Ha-yul, who was concentrating on her magic, covered her ears and glared at Ha Jun-seok. Thanks to that, my workload increased, but it’s fine. I can handle this much, so I wish someone would deal with that noisy Ha Jun-seok. “S-sorry. The speed is so fast that the noise just naturally…” Just a glare from Jeong Ha-yul was enough to silence Ha Jun-seok. Whether I’ve gotten stronger or not, Jeong Ha-yul is definitely the top in that area. A Demon King is a Demon King, after all. The world is vast, and there’s so much to learn. I need to learn that kind of charisma to become a cool hero. Before I knew it, land finally came into view—Long Beach Port, I guess. *Tap*— “Hey, slow down.” “Groooar.” Sea Serpent, the sea’s extinction-level creature, my lackey. I tapped its head with telekinesis, and it somehow understood and slowed down. Whether it’s humans, animals, or monsters, everything gets solved once you beat them. Even with Sea Serpent slowing down, the speed was still insane compared to other ships. It seemed like a commotion was breaking out at Long Beach Port, but that’s not my concern. That’s why Ha Jun-seok is here, right? “Please wait here for a moment.” “Okay.” As soon as the Prophet Ship docked, Ha Jun-seok disembarked. He talked with what seemed to be officials and returned to the ship shortly after. “You can disembark now.” “…Already?” I thought there’d be face checks, ID verification, passport checks, and all that. Honestly, I was a bit worried, but it turned out to be so anticlimactic. ‘I thought they’d bribe us or instantly subdue us…’ I even planned to cause a scene at the port, declare we’d hijacked the ship, and make a run for it. But nope, all the excitement just fizzled out. “We’ll stay on the ship and provide support. If you need any staff, you can take a few with you…” Ha Jun-seok handed us a phone, saying he’d stay on the ship. It’s a phone that can bypass various communication jamming technologies, but I don’t know the details. I could tell he was really nervous. In my opinion, the so-called support isn’t really for us. It’s more like he’s scared of the heroes, CIA, FBI, and other agencies we might encounter in the U.S. “It’s fine, we’re more comfortable moving on our own.” “If we really said we’d take you, would you come along?” “…” Ha Jun-seok’s expression brightened at Jeong Ha-yul’s words but darkened again at mine. I learned today that a person’s complexion can change that quickly. “Just kidding, don’t worry.” “Th-thank you.” Leaving Ha Jun-seok and the Prophet Ship behind, we headed to LA. We hadn’t put on our suits yet, moving around with pre-prepared hats and masks. Thanks to that, no one seemed to recognize us. We also completely concealed our magic power. We had to maintain magic in our eyes, mouth, and ears for translation, but hiding that much isn’t a big deal. *Zzzzzz*— A strange camera-like object, possibly CCTV or radar, was rotating all around. The moment that camera detects unregistered magic, an alarm would go off at the nearby Association. “America is definitely America, they have systems like that.” “…That exists in Korea too.” …? I’ve never seen or heard of it… Maybe they’re testing it in some rural city or military base. “Where in Korea?” “It’d be faster to find where it’s not.” “…?” “I mean, that’s why we catch villains so quickly. If we waited for crime reports, we’d be too late no matter how fast we moved.” Was she mocking me? If that were possible, we wouldn’t have been toyed with by the Apostles. “Then what about the Satan Church members?!” Jeong Ha-yul gave me a look of disbelief at my incredulous tone. “Then how do we avoid that?” Oh, right. We’re hiding our magic to avoid detection by that radar-like thing. Hiding magic isn’t something only S-Class can do; any villain who knows how would use it. The Satan Church followers only showed up during the Academy raid. Otherwise, it was the Apostles moving around. At their level, hiding magic would be as easy as breathing. As Jeong Ha-yul and I chatted while walking, I suddenly saw something. *** “It’s been around in our country for about 5 years, didn’t you learn about it at the Academy? They must’ve taught it… Or haven’t you seen the news? They always talk about how foreign hacking attacks shut it down, something about network-based DDoS attacks… Wait, where’d she go?” Jeong Ha-yul, who had been rambling, suddenly noticed Jeong Gyeoul was gone. She turned around in a panic, only to hear— *Slurp*— Even with the mask on, the sound was unmistakable. Her eyes, now sparkling like she’d put on lenses. Jeong Gyeoul had stopped in front of a hot dog stand and wasn’t moving. “…Sigh.” The fate of the nation was at stake. (Well, maybe not.) All government agencies had collaborated. (It was just the Hero Association, Diplomatic Department, and National Intelligence Service.) A historic, top-tier espionage operation. (There are bigger operations happening simultaneously.) And yet, here she was, distracted by food. Even Jeong Ha-yul, who adores Jeong Gyeoul, couldn’t help but sigh. Serena Olson, who was waiting endlessly, came to mind. This time, I decided not to let it slide and moved to drag Jeong Gyeoul away. ‘She’s too cute…’ As if entranced, I ended up holding Jeong Gyeoul’s hand and walking into the hot dog stand. “20 hot dogs, please.” “Should I pack them for you?” “No, we’ll eat here.” “…20 of them?” The person ordering was two women. I thought they’d order two, but it was a whopping 20. The staff naturally assumed it was for takeout, but that assumption was wrong. “We’ll eat here.” “Are you sure it’s 20? Not 2?” “Yes, 20. We’ll eat here.” “…20 is too much for two people.” “Two? No, she’s eating them all.” “…?” “Please proceed with the payment.” The staff was confused, wondering if this was a prank or a hidden camera show. But the cash Jeong Ha-yul handed over was enough for 20 hot dogs. Suspicious but convinced, they started preparing the order. The Jeong sisters successfully placed their order and sat down. “Sister…” Jeong Gyeoul looked at Jeong Ha-yul with a touched expression. “…Just eat quickly, okay?” “Got it! I can finish them all in 5 minutes!” The hot dogs, which took over 15 minutes to prepare, looked like they’d disappear in less than 5 minutes. The speed was incredible. The staff watched in amazement, but then a memory flashed through their mind. “Winter Jeong, they say the Demon King has a younger sister.” “What are you talking about? I’ve never heard that.” “You don’t watch the news, do you? Korea’s in chaos right now.” “…?” The staff had heard about Winter Jeong, the youngest Awakened One who had once shaken the world. They even remembered seeing a photo of her, which a friend had obtained with great difficulty thanks to K-pop connections. ‘That’s exactly how she looked…’ Jeong Gyeoul’s baby fat had mostly faded, so she might’ve gone unnoticed if she hadn’t been stuffing her cheeks with hot dogs. But the moment the staff saw her puffed-up cheeks, the memory came rushing back. “Are you… Winter Jeong?” “…” Jeong Gyeoul, mid-bite, froze. Jeong Ha-yul, watching beside her, also stiffened. “Then the one next to you… Oh my god!” The Jeong sisters had just arrived in LA and were caught eating hot dogs. Their cover was blown.