Chapter 25

Chapter 25. Scabbard (Sword House) (2)

"Shin Si-woo-san, honto ni—"

And so on, and so forth.

The Japanese Prime Minister, Hatoyama Jiro.

The white-haired old man's speech was long and drawn-out.

I calmly observed him.

Despite being seventy, he was quite well-built for his age.

'I heard Japanese Transcendents were gentle, but his hair is thick too.'

His white hair was so voluminous that even parted 5:5, the volume showed through — it was striking.

I studied his appearance alone and let everything he said pass by me.

He was rambling on without a break for nearly a minute, and I wasn't particularly fond of long-winded speech.

I didn't understand Japanese to begin with.

'If only I had something like Jesus's forced-translation authority…'

Regardless, while I was thinking that, the Japanese Prime Minister's speech ended.

"Nice to meet you."

Big Sis Seol-a, who had come along as my interpreter, summarized his words briefly and concisely.

Perhaps because she knew my personality well, she was spot-on at this sort of thing.

"……"

Perhaps offended that his long-winded greeting had been compressed, the Prime Minister frowned.

I fixed my gaze steadily on him.

"Sumimasen—"

He bowed his head.

And then he guided us onward.

'For the Japanese Prime Minister, he seems to have less backbone than I expected?'

As I was thinking that, Big Sis Seol-a whispered in my ear.

"When the Patriot's thing happened, Japan took a hard line and got bombed for it — that's why he's like that."

I nodded lightly.

The Dokdo incident that had once set South Korea ablaze with madness came to mind.

At that time, the Patriot had deployed aircraft carriers forward to Japan and then suddenly issued a statement.

—Dokdo is Korean land! The East Sea is the East Sea!

Apparently thinking it was a mere threat, the Japanese Prime Minister came at it hard.

—We will not tolerate being looked down upon! We are not mere zako!!!

Immediately after that statement, bombs poured down on the Japanese archipelago.

"…At that time, through my own blunder, I inflicted grave harm upon the people."

Big Sis may have spoken quietly, but he apparently heard her.

The Japanese Prime Minister said so in halting Korean.

"You speak Korean?"

"Chotto dake…"

After that, he went back to speaking Japanese.

The earlier line was apparently something he'd been forced to memorize because he'd had to recite an apology in Korean—

'Unbelievable.'

In any case, I continued the conversation with the Prime Minister, relying on Big Sis Seol-a's interpretation.

"He says as long as there's SSS-rank Transcendent Shin Si-woo, the brother of Jesus, he isn't dumb enough to act out of line."

"I see."

Strictly speaking, my position was the stronger one.

I was there to clean up Japan's headache — the lava Gate.

"He says you've had a long trip and he looks forward to working with you."

"Is that so."

Just then, a man who had been silently following at the Prime Minister's side sighed and spoke.

"Could you stop… translating in weird one-line summaries like that?"

A Japanese who was fluent in Korean.

He was the SSS-rank Transcendent Yacha, who guarded the Prime Minister.

A being famous in Japan as the Bizarre-tearing fiend.

Buzz-cut hair and hulking muscles — a close-quarters combat professional.

And while he'd directed his words at me, their meaning was clearly aimed at Big Sis Seol-a.

'Big Sis's nerve is no joke.'

Big Sis Seol-a's face twisted.

It was that expression — the one that appeared when the venom-tongued Kang Seol-a was about to emerge.

But her opponent was an SSS-rank Transcendent, a natural Awakened.

Chances were high that he was a madman.

Best if I stepped in here.

"This is easier for me, actually."

I stepped in before Big Sis could speak.

In truth, Big Sis hadn't done anything wrong.

One remark from the Japanese Prime Minister went on for about a minute.

Trimming what could be trimmed and keeping only the key points was easier for me too.

"You—"

"Enough!"

As Yacha made to flare up, the Prime Minister stopped him.

With his head already pounding over the lava Gate, I understood his desire not to be on my bad side.

And I was stronger than the Japanese Transcendent Yacha.

Far stronger at that.

Even holding an un-Transcended 'Baby Sword,' I could feel the gap.

'Then again, it'd be strange if men like Jesus were a dime a dozen.'

4 seconds, 10 seconds, 8 seconds.

Adding the manifestation durations of my swords together gave 22 seconds.

Jesus was a monster beyond that.

Still too much to handle right now.

But that Yacha was different.

I could say with confidence he could be cut down in 2 seconds.

"We have arrived."

The place we arrived at wasn't Mount Fuji.

A spacious, luxurious conference room greeted us.

Before handling the lava Gate, this was where we would discuss the compensation for it.

Even if I came for the Baby Sword's house, working for free didn't suit my temperament.

"First, I'd like to discuss the matter of clearing the Gate corrosion."

"Very well."

I sat across from the Japanese Prime Minister.

Then I surveyed the surroundings.

'Two of them behind the wall.'

I felt powerful energies.

They had to be at least SSS-rank Hunters.

Which meant all three of Japan's Transcendents had come to this location to prepare for me.

It seemed they had set aside the [Lava Gate] and thrown all their strength into the negotiation table with me.

'Three Transcendents.'

Including Yacha at the Prime Minister's side, we were outnumbered in Transcendent count.

On top of that, I had Big Sis Seol-a tagging along.

'Of course, it's unlikely to come to a confrontation, but…'

I kept it in mind all the same.

Offering a cup of tea, the Prime Minister began to speak.

"First, the root source of the lava Gate, which came over from Korea—"

He looked like he intended to come out swinging from the very start.

But me — Shin Si-woo.

I'm not that easy a man.

"Who the hell are you people?"

I immediately drew my blade as I asked.

The Prime Minister was bewildered by the sudden situation, and the Transcendent Yacha tensed.

Did I mention?

'The Japanese government is suspicious.'

Negotiations, whatever — that was all fine.

But I wasn't easygoing enough to fight with a blade at my back.

'Best to come out strong like my swords do.'

Because in [Raise a Sword], the top priority for me had always been not getting stabbed in the back.

* * *

'I thought her looks were as mystical as Yuki's, but—'

On the way to the negotiation room with Shin Si-woo.

The Japanese Prime Minister found himself in an awkward spot.

"Nice to meet you."

An impudent woman who had compressed a greeting he had poured his heart into preparing into a single line.

But she was such a beauty that he couldn't bring himself to call her impudent.

A beauty at a level one might argue unrivaled in all the land.

How could an ordinary human exist who rivaled the half-elf Yuki?

'What's the deal with Kang Seol-a?'

Their plans might end up derailed.

S-rank brainwasher Sato Masaki — a possessor of massive Authority who had once charmed even Jesus.

He had the constraint of being usable on only one person and zero combat ability, but—

The output changed drastically based on who that one person was — wasn't that massive Authority?

They had planned to use him to naturalize Shin Si-woo into Japan.

'—An unofficial Transcendent, perhaps?'

And yet the woman beside Shin Si-woo, despite not being an Awakened, gave off a mystical aura that matched an Awakened's.

'For now, Shin Si-woo first.'

The Japanese Prime Minister, Hatoyama Jiro, thought.

He needed to grasp this man Shin Si-woo's tendencies.

Once he confirmed the lava Gate was annihilated, the plan was to draw Shin Si-woo into Japan.

'I'll come on a little strong from the start.'

To extract information, surfacing negative emotions was more efficient.

'Let me emphasize that it's Korea's responsibility.'

His intent was to check whether Shin Si-woo, as a Korean who knew the truth, felt guilty toward Japan.

So he asked.

"First, the root source of the lava Gate, which came over from Korea—"

But…

Shin Si-woo abruptly drew his sword.

Phuk—!

And then, without hesitation, he thrust it at the Japanese Prime Minister's throat.

A cold blade touched his neck.

"Gkh!"

When the Japanese Prime Minister let out a panicked cry, Shin Si-woo said something.

The woman interpreter relayed it.

"Don't move and you won't die. —Is what he said."

Since it was a Transcendent's word, it wouldn't be wrong.

But…

Talking with a blade held to one's throat was a genuinely terrifying thing.

'They said he wasn't a madman like the Patriot!!!'

The Japanese Prime Minister was utterly shaken.

The SSS-rank Hunter Yacha, who had followed along as his escort, could do nothing.

"Prime Minister, for the moment, you absolutely must do as this man says. I sensed no sign — no trace — when he drew his blade…"

Roughly, it meant Shin Si-woo was stronger than him.

The Japanese Prime Minister's body trembled, but he answered calmly.

"I-I will do whatever you ask."

At that, Shin Si-woo asked,

"What's the real reason you've left the lava Gate alone for years?"

* * *

"He says Japan's Transcendents are powerful but specialized in single-target processing. And the half-elf Yuki wields the power of great nature, so her compatibility with the lava Gate is poor."

Before me, the Japanese Prime Minister poured out his grievances.

Big Sis Seol-a relayed them.

He said they hadn't left the lava Gate alone at all, and were putting in their best effort to respond to it to the fullest extent.

"Why didn't you hold the Korean government responsible?"

The corners of the Japanese Prime Minister's eyes trembled.

He said,

"With the Patriot raining bombs down on our mainland, how could we possibly press a claim?"

The Patriot's strength lay in firepower.

Yi Sun-sin, who commanded twelve massive aircraft carriers, was armed with all manner of cutting-edge weaponry and could sway a broad front.

On top of that, when the 'Constellation—Yulgok Yi I' was summoned, 100,000 special-forces troops specialized in anti-Gate combat appeared.

With a Patriot like that, how on earth could Japan press a claim? That was the gist.

"…Besides, he says that even if they attempted an assassination, there was no way through, because of Sword Master Cheok Jun-gyeong."

Japan's situation was deeply suspicious.

But the Prime Minister's excuse right now did hold plenty of reason.

'Should I use it?'

Yuria's power.

If I used [Heretic Inquisition], I could hear the truth obediently.

Of course, there was the side effect of leaving the recipient a husk…

As I pondered briefly—

【Sword Master, from that man's physical responses, he has not told a lie. However… I cannot rule out the possibility that an existence who has reached the pinnacle — like the King of the Mage Nation — is concealing his energy and playing a part.】

Reinhardt, who had been silently watching, spoke.

'The possibility that someone who has reached the pinnacle, like the Mage-Lord, is hiding himself.'

I held the same opinion.

The King of the Mage Nation, commonly known as the Mage-Lord.

He had been both an Apostle of the demon worshippers and the ruler of a nation.

To anyone's eyes, he had looked like an ordinary man.

'I need to be thorough.'

I resolved to summon [2nd Sword, Yuria Lanestia] to dispel that suspicion.

But before I could—

"Si-woo? You look like you're thinking something terrifying…"

Big Sis Seol-a said gently.

"Maybe, Si-woo, you're taking this too big."

"Is that so?"

"The world you said you experienced with that sword… those swords, I mean."

Big Sis offered me reassurance, saying Earth and that world were different.

"Even if demon worshippers are operating in the shadows, Earth has Transcendents, doesn't it?"

At those words, my mind flashed.

Why were the demon worshippers operating from the shadows?

'Toss any decent Transcendent into the Raise a Sword world, and every one of them would carve out a position for themselves.'

The power balance was different.

The depth of trials varied wildly, and even if some were a little cracked in the head, Transcendents for the most part tended to follow a greater cause.

In other words, this was different from that world, which couldn't be saved without me and my swords.

"For now, I'll trust you."

I trusted Big Sis Seol-a and withdrew the blade from the Japanese Prime Minister's neck.

It was a somewhat extreme response, but knowing well how power-holders who had been swayed by demon worshippers ended up, I'd had no choice but to act that way.

If he'd [Fallen] in front of my eyes, there would've been no way out, so I'd been taking measures to be able to cut him down instantly if need be.

Vvvng—.

[Chaos] and [Holy-Demon Sword].

Just in case, I used the Baby Sword to channel divine power and healed the Prime Minister.

With [Divine Body] and [Infinite Divinity] in my possession, I could do it naturally.

"R-recovery ability as well!"

The Japanese Prime Minister wiped away cold sweat and asked,

"Y-you believe me?"

"For now, yes."

"A-about the compensation…"

I nodded and said we should head to the lava Gate.

"I trust you'll handle that appropriately."

Now it was time for my Baby Sword to get a 'house.'

* * *

Yongsan Park, South Korea.

The legitimate territory of South Korea, reclaimed in full after the Patriot drove out every last American soldier.

The Patriot had erased every trace of the American military's presence and made it into a park for the people.

And yet…

"Damn it, of all places, this shit of a Gate shows up in Yongsan Park!!!"

The underground bunker of Yongsan Park.

At some point, enormous tree roots had broken through one wall of the bunker.

The Patriot had regularly inspected the site in curiosity, and one day he had encountered a mysterious black Gate.

[Domain of the World Tree, Hunted Through Eons]

The enemies here were what?

"That massive tree!!! And those insane ear-pricked bastards!!!"

Unlike himself, the Patriot was having a hard time.

He had been inside the Gate for over a week already.

"The forest scatters strange noise that nullifies our bombing runs."

Constellation Yi Sun-sin muttered, holding a nuclear button.

Beneath Yi Sun-sin's aircraft carriers were even nuclear submarines.

He had, just a moment ago, fired a nuclear missile at the World Tree.

"The elves, we kill them and kill them and it's endless."

Yulgok Yi I led his army of 100,000 armed with cutting-edge weapons and pressed into the forest.

But the elves emerging from the forest wielded supernatural powers like Transcendents and blocked the 100,000-strong army.

The entire forest shifted its terrain, troubling the Patriot's legions.

"Elves… are those Jap bastards pulling some shit?"

The Patriot thought.

The half-elf Transcendent in Japan.

She was unquestionably the root of this whole mess.

"So when all else failed, they're trying to get at me through a Gate, is it?"

Grrr—.

The Patriot ground his teeth.

He had been struggling here for days.

Still, he didn't give up hope.

Once he got out, he could simply take revenge on Japan.

This time, with bombings on Tokyo.

The task before him was singular.

"We do this until it's done. Those monsters cannot be allowed to appear on Korean soil!"

He would protect South Korea from this vile Japanese scheme.

"Patriot, will things be all right on the outside?"

"Even if a Gate breaks, if we use up all the Mysteries I donated, we can hold for about 30 days."

"No, I'm worried about a Japanese invasion."

"Japan… invading?"

Right now, the Patriot was absent from South Korea.

"Even after the Japanese colonial period, you don't know? To those bastards, your absence is a once-in-a-thousand-year opportunity."

The Constellations knew Japan's danger all too well.

The Patriot did too.

"Those bastards can't invade because of the lava Gate."

"Patriot, can you be certain? The British Empire resurfaced — who's to say the Japanese Empire can't revive as well? Your history is—"

At Yi Sun-sin's concern, the Patriot declared,

"I guarantee you, Japan doesn't have the resources!"

"Then… what's the plan?"

The Patriot pointed ahead.

Piles of Mysteries, stacked like a mountain, came into view.

"While we're here, we might as well think of it as farming a ton of Mysteries and slowly work out a way to clear this."

This [Black Gate] had extremely troublesome enemies, but in exchange it dropped a tremendous quantity of Mysteries.

"If we just get out of here… our people's lives will grow more prosperous. Count it as 10g of Mystery per elf head and hunt them down thoroughly!"

If they donated all of this to the state, there would be enough to supply electricity and water to every corner of South Korea, and some left over.

They could even purify contaminated land.

A boundless opportunity for national growth.

KOSPI 10,000 wouldn't be impossible.

"The carriers need 3 hours to recover, the 100,000-strong army needs 2 more. Shall we rest?"

During the brief wait, the Patriot made small talk with the Constellations.

Twenty-hour combat followed by four hours of rest was a basic rule to abide by.

Otherwise the Constellations would grow weary.

"I hope property values are normalized."

"Most likely, Patriot, following your wishes, the government has implemented something like a 1-billion-won ceiling."

The Patriot and his Constellations had trained the South Korean government.

Whatever the Patriot asked for, somehow, someway, they would make it happen.

Which was why—

"Patriot, how long will you leave the birth rate as it is? Those wicked Japanese demons have a birth rate twice ours."

"This is an age where population is national power itself!!! A truly lamentable matter. May this Yulgok Yi I add a remark?"

"Go ahead."

The Patriot was quite fond of the great figures of South Korea, the Constellations.

"Ahem. How about having them establish something like a Compulsory Childbirth Act for all unmarried households? Since you've normalized housing prices as well, Patriot, I believe it's entirely feasible."

Their ideas were indeed of a different caliber.

To the Patriot, who hadn't much of a formal education, the Constellations' wisdom was a great help.

"A couple is two people, so to increase the population, we'd need them to have four, wouldn't we?"

"Oh, as expected of Lord Yi Sun-sin. A magnificent idea!"

Yi Sun-sin proposed a Four-Children-per-Household Mandatory Childbirth Act.

But…

"That's a bit of a problem, though?"

The Patriot said with a regretful face.

"Patriot, are you rejecting such a splendid proposal?"

The Patriot's motto was leading by example.

And the Patriot was a lifelong virgin.

"I'm still unmarried and childless myself, so forcing that on the people would be difficult, wouldn't it?"

He didn't go so far as to say "lifelong virgin" in front of the Constellations, but…

The Patriot said so to the Constellations, his face slightly flushed.