The foundations of the United States and Europe, clans of Korea, sects of China, and schools of Japan.
Though the names differ slightly by country, they all share one commonality.
They are all charitable and non-profit organizations while simultaneously being illegal (非法人) private groups.
Apart from individuals pursuing money, the organization itself being non-profit allows them to receive certain tax benefits, and because they are illegal, closed operations became easier.
Some say that recently, wizards seem more obsessed with money than businessmen.
However, because of the Guillotine matches held globally every 4 to 6 years, members of parliament dared not touch the sacred and inviolable domain.
Japan was no exception.
“But what is this?”
As he was sorting out the secret funds secretly exchanged among the many factions of the Liberal Democratic Party.
The head of the Katsuhata Financial Group raised questions about an unexplained sum of 5 billion yen.
“Is this a secret fund too?”
It wasn’t a small amount that could be openly ignored.
The head of finance, having been thrown into the job without proper handover when his predecessor died from acute myocardial infarction, made the risky decision to contact the Katsuhata Sect directly to inquire about the source of the 5 billion yen.
“Wasn’t that thrown to us when they sold the Bio-Akashic? Let’s take a look.”
“Bio-Akashic…?”
“Recently, Johnson & Johnson acquired a Korean startup, didn’t they?”
“Oh, I just remembered. Are you saying that the Katsuhata Group was an early investor?”
He quickly searched the Internet and found translated Korean articles.
“Wow, it really was… If I had known it would grow this big, our group would have considered making a formal investment. You have remarkable insight.”
“Then have all your matters been resolved?”
“Excuse me, but I have one more request. Given that the article has reached Korea, it seems a bit difficult to categorize it as a secret fund.”
“How could something that big be a secret fund? Just reflect it properly in the accounts.”
“That’s exactly my point. According to the regulations, any cash flow exceeding ten million dollars must have the representative’s seal. If you could convey a request for a visit to the Lord, I would appreciate it.”
“Well… it might be a bit difficult right now.”
“Excuse me? Is there a problem?”
“The Lord has gone to Korea for on-site training with the successor. I can give you the address, so go find him directly if you want to get approval.”
Beep beep—
The call ended.
And Japan was still using an analog payment system even in this advanced age.
“Ugh!”
The head gripped his neck.
Surely the cause of his predecessor’s death must have been due to rage or overwork.
*
“I’m sorry, but there’s an insufficient balance…”
“Insufficient balance?”
“Do you have another card? I can try again.”
“No, that can’t be! Insufficient balance?”
“Yes, yes.”
“Could you check it again for me?”
“Still insufficient balance…”
“Saetbyeol, just let me pay for it!”
Adella, who stopped by the convenience store on her way home from school.
In the end, her friend paid the bill to avert the crisis.
“Wow, what an odd occurrence. Thank you for paying, Da-hee. I’ll definitely pay you back tomorrow.”
“Saetbyeol, if your family is really struggling, maybe I could help you find a scholarship? Surprisingly, Korea has good welfare in that regard!”
Da-hee’s words left Adella momentarily speechless.
“Huh? What? A scholarship? No, our family is doing fine! This bag alone costs 3 million won!”
“Was that a fake?”
“Who said that? This is something our… no, my dad bought for me at the department store.”
“You haven’t been able to buy any cosmetics until now.”
“Are you seriously misunderstanding that I haven’t worn makeup? It’s not that I couldn’t, but that I didn’t want to.”
“How can a high school student not wear makeup? Especially someone as pretty as you!”
Adella finally understood the sympathetic looks she had received over the past week.
She thought she needed to clear up misunderstandings before her image became irreparably fixed.
The area where Adella lived probably contributed to extending that misunderstanding.
Even the Parthenon Apartment complex was located on the border of a slum.
“Ugh… I’m back from school.”
Returning home, Adella put her jjajangmyeon in the freezer and pulled out a stick to suck on.
Na-me, wrapped in a blanket, crawled out of her room to greet her.
Her face looked haggard, likely just waking up.
“I want one too.”
“It’s in the freezer. Are you still feeling sick?”
“Almost better. By the way, you really seem to like this. I guess it looks a lot like churu.”
“No, the ridiculous thing is that churu tastes so disgusting that I couldn’t eat it! I honestly thought I was going to throw up.”
“You still tried it…?”
Na-me looked at her with a disdainful gaze.
“Why! I was curious!”
“Nope. Nothing at all.”
“By the way, Na-me, I think my card was hacked. I got an insufficient balance at the convenience store today. Where should I report this first?”
“No need to report it. I transferred everything.”
Na-me explained while chewing on some yogurt.
“Transferred? To where? It’s my money!”
“Since when has it been your money? I helped pay back the debt to the manager.”
“What? You transferred two hundred million won?”
This shocking news hit without warning.
Adella couldn’t process the sudden change in situation, crashing to the floor as she reacted dramatically.
“Ahhh, I had so much to buy today! I gathered this for six months!”
“What did you have to buy?”
“Summer clothes, cosmetics… concert tickets.”
“That’s not my problem. You can earn it by broadcasting today.”
“Kariri said she would settle up at the end of the month!”
Adella nibbled her nails anxiously.
Although her income from being a Virtual YouTuber was significant, she didn’t receive any extra pocket money.
But, that meant she had to live as a penniless person until she received her payment.
“Just this month, I can hold out with just 100,000 won… I promise to double it!”
Finally, Adella decided to kneel and plead desperately.
“Alright, 300,000 won.”
“Really?”
“I’m not giving it to you; I’m lending it to you. But could you do me a favor?”
“Sure, anything!”
“Just go buy me a wooden sword that fits my height.”
Adella’s gaze was filled with confusion.
“Where on earth can you even buy a wooden sword in our country!”
“I wouldn’t know. I’ll give you two hours, so find a way to get one.”
*
Shh shh shh—
Thud.
Shh shh shh—
Thud.
The unique clear sound of the bamboo mingled with the sound of water, refreshing the heart.
But outside the limit of the limousine, the only scenery visible was asphalt and concrete.
Katsuhata Akitaro, the leader of the Katsuhata Sect, was sleeping peacefully while listening to ‘Shishiodoshi ASMR 10 Hours.’
“Katsuhata Lord. We’ve arrived at the hotel.”
“Huh? Have we arrived?”
“Yes.”
“It seems the traffic was quite heavy.”
“I apologize. I neglected to consider the rush hour on the way home.”
“It’s alright. Just unload the luggage and go in quickly to rest.”
“Yes, understood.”
The Lord put his pink rabbit eye mask in the drawer and briefly took in the view of Gangbuk.
Hanok Village, located in Bukchon, Jongno District of Seoul.
A long limousine came to a stop in front of a hotel made of hanok.
The thick, dusty air of Seoul welcomed them.
Typically, the Katsuhata Sect conducts their training in nature where the mountains are beautiful, and the water is clean.
For them, rooted in Taoist thought, training in nature aids significantly in achieving success.
However, this year, thanks to the strong will of the Katsuhata Lord, they chose to travel to Korea, breaking the stubbornness of the old senate.
A tremendous schedule of 34 nights and 35 days.
As the venue for the 2052 National Exchange Tournament had been decided to be in Tokyo, Japan, the desire for victory was intense.
But entering Korea without a plan would allow Japanese far-right factions to go wild.
Thus, the Katsuhata Lord had secretly completed immigration procedures at Gimpo Airport with a private jet.
“From here on out, it’s all our people, right?”
“Yes. The training arena has been booked for five weeks until the last day of June.”
“Without reporters, our minds can be at ease. Hahaha!”
Katsuhata Akitaro laughed heartily.
In truth, a leader of a sect often emphasized political standing over sheer force.
This means that wielding a pen became more common than wielding a sword.
From the beginning of May to the end of July, it’s a tough time for the sect members.
But for the Lord, it must seem like a vacation.
Since it was an event held in Japan, he had an excuse to engage in guidance training, and he decided to directly participate in the on-site training in Korea, far from the influences of the Senate.
‘Korea isn’t participating this year either, so there’s no worry of strategy leaks. Of course.’
After the aides finished unloading all the luggage, one suddenly asked the Lord.
“But was it really necessary to come to Korea?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“I thought, if you wanted to escape the Senate’s interference, Singapore would have been a better choice with its infrastructure and security.”
He was questioning why they had quickly changed their route to Korea.
“Did you not see the Sports Day?”
“Excuse me? The Sports Day…?”
“Anyway, let’s drop that for now. I’m busy, so I’ll explain later.”
As the Lord stepped into the main gate, the assembled people bowed in unison to greet him.
No sign of disarray whatsoever in their bows, with some even performing the Saikeirei (最敬礼), bowing at a 45-degree angle in the most reverent manner.
“Thank you all for your hard work. Did you find any issues with the hotel?”
Koizumi Yoshihiro, the closest aide to the Katsuhata Lord, stepped forward as a representative.
“Everyone has a strong determination for this training. An uncomfortable night means the training didn’t go well that day.”
“Oh Koizumi, you really must’ve had a tough time taking care of the kids. The atmosphere already feels tense; I can really feel that you’ve already got them disciplined from the get-go.”
Everyone’s expressions were tinged with cold ice.
“Don’t they seem like warriors?”
Akitaro looked over the sect members, suddenly lost in nostalgic memories for a moment.
“By the way, where’s Katsuhata Emika? I don’t see her at all…”
Shhhhhh—
Suddenly, the atmosphere grew tenfold heavier.
‘Are they tense because of Emika?’
That was the answer.
The protagonist of this training was missing.
An obedient child wouldn’t have run away.
“What is Emika doing?”
The Lord asked her master for the reason.
“Currently, Katsuhata is…”
Koizumi trailed off, gathering his resolve to get to the point.
“She has bumped her head and is momentarily unconscious.”
Thud—
The phone the Lord held dropped to the stone floor of the garden.
Once again, it hit the screen side and cracked the display.
