Chapter 92
What greeted Mason upon his return to Korea was a horde of reporters, easily numbering enough to form a battalion.
“Ah… Ah…”
Microphones and cameras poked at Mason like spearheads.
Mason, sweating profusely, floundered amidst the tidal wave of countless questions.
He barely managed to appease the reporters and send them away when he was met with a flood of documents.
“…What is this?”
“What else could it be but approval documents?”
Mason spoke with a serious expression.
“Can’t you do it for me?”
“If you hand over the management rights to the raid team.”
“Ah… Ah…”
Masika smiled sweetly.
Mason screamed as he was swept away by the deluge of text and graphs.
“Ah… Ah…”
As he struggled and gradually cleared the documents, Masika handed him another sheet.
“A reminder from the UN arrived.”
“What is it?”
“They’re asking when you’ll submit your homework.”
“…What homework?”
“The report on the Great Eater, no, the World Tree subjugation.”
Mason spoke with a serious expression.
“Can’t you write it for me?”
“How can I write it when I know less than you do?”
“Ah… Ah…”
It was a time when he missed Seo Yeonhee more than ever.
Seo Yeonhee, who was no longer there.
“…”
Mason steeled his resolve.
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“…So, you came to me for this?”
Yekaterina wore a dumbfounded expression.
“I said to feel comfortable, but isn’t this a bit too comfortable?”
“…Help me.”
“I’m busy too.”
Indeed, the stack of documents in front of Yekaterina was twice as high as Mason’s. If Mason was handling the paperwork for three or four raid teams, Yekaterina was handling the paperwork for the Northern Expedition, involving hundreds of thousands of people.
“And I have no intention of doing it for you. You need to get used to paperwork too, Mason.”
“I know. I just… wanted to ask if there’s anything I don’t understand.”
Yekaterina thought for a moment and then nodded.
“If it’s just that much.”
Mason brought a desk from another room and sat across from Yekaterina.
The scratching sound of pens and the rustling of paper filled the room.
Yekaterina quietly asked,
“What are you going to do with the alien?”
“Hope.”
“Excuse me?”
“I named him Hope. Please call him that.”
Yekaterina realized,
“You’re planning to raise him. Like a parent.”
“Yes.”
Mason shrugged.
“For now, he’s in an incubator. With adjusted air.”
“What if… Hope grows up and becomes hostile or tries to eat humans?”
“I’ll have to send him somewhere else. To a planet where he can survive.”
“Another planet? Would that be possible?”
“I have to try.”
Mason smiled.
“I can’t give up without trying. People’s lives are at stake.”
Yekaterina smiled faintly from behind the mountain of documents.
He was so optimistic and hopeful that it almost felt irresponsible.
Those were the things she had lost as she grew into a strategist.
“I hope he can coexist with us.”
“Yes, I hope so too.”
A long silence followed.
Mason scratched his head and said,
“Ugh, how should I write the battle report…?”
Usually, the battle reports of the raiding party were closer to sharing information about tactics or strategies. They had to be realistic, dry, and contain specific explanations of reasons or principles.
But at that time, Mason had felt certainty in a situation where he couldn’t be sure.
The moment he asked Deroa to turn him into a Warlord, Mason had believed that he could become one.
Why?
It was a firmness that even he himself found strange.
“Where are you stuck?”
“About the god… no, the Warlordization.”
“I see.”
Yekaterina’s pen stopped scratching.
“What did you feel at that time?”
“I felt people’s hearts.”
“You must have.”
“I must have?”
Mason looked puzzled.
The phenomenon he had experienced was unprecedented. It was the first time it had been attempted, using the cores of two Warlords and a makeshift ritual.
No matter how wise Yekaterina was, there was no way she could have foreseen the unintended phenomenon that had occurred in that situation.
Then…
“Have you ever seen or experienced something similar to this?”
“Yes.”
Yekaterina moved her fingers as if pushing something away.
Then something resonated in Mason’s mind.
‘I believe in you.’
Mason looked surprised.
“It doesn’t seem like telepathy… What is this?”
“It’s trust.”
“…Huh?”
“It’s my feelings of trust in you, Mason.”
“Uh, um…?”
Mason wore a subtle expression.
“Thank… you?”
“No, I’m explaining.”
Yekaterina sighed.
“Some races, or rather, some individuals with certain constitutions, have the ability to perceive the emotions of others. And they gain special abilities from those emotions.”
Yekaterina spoke with a calm face.
“Such people were often called heroes, or… gods. You also possess such qualities, Mason.”
“Really?”
Mason looked surprised.
“I’m just an ordinary person from the future.”
“You are the nephew of the God-King and the avatar of the pioneer of the stars. You are a mythical figure, Mason.”
“A god… I can’t believe it even when I hear it…”
Mason scratched his head.
“Then, Kacha, are you a god too?”
“Yes. I am Freyja, the goddess of the Dana god tribe.”
“…!”
Mason was startled.
“Really? The Freyja from Norse mythology?”
“Yes.”
“The most beautiful goddess in the world?”
“Yes.”
“The ruler of the Valkyries who shares half of Einherjar?”
“Yes.”
“To obtain the Brisingamen, you slept with four dwarves…”
“…Let’s not talk about that, shall we?”
“…Yeah, sorry.”
Mason wore an embarrassed expression.
He looked at Yekaterina with wonder.
“I see. So you were able to cast the rune spell that returns weapons because you’re a goddess. And because you’re the ruler of Einherjar… you could land a blow on the Ghost Dragon at the National Cemetery.”
“Yes.”
Yekaterina said with an indifferent expression.
“As I said then, it wasn’t because my abilities were great, but because the spirits of the National Cemetery had such strong wills. I simply lent a little strength to the spirits who were determined to fight even in death to protect their descendants.”
“Hmm…”
Mason’s eyes sparkled with curiosity.
It was enough to make even Yekaterina feel uncomfortable.
“Ahem.”
She cleared her throat and said,
“Anyway, being a god in itself isn’t that big of a deal. The important thing is… faith. Faith makes a god great, and without faith, even a god is just a name.”
“Then, Kacha, you are…”
“Just a forgotten god who has lost her power. Most people who know me… neither believe in me nor like me.”
“…”
“But there are many people who like you, Mason.”
Yekaterina smiled brightly and looked at Mason.
“I really like you too, Mason.”
“…Somehow, your expressions seem more diverse.”
“Because there’s no need to hide anymore. My purpose, my identity. And… my feelings.”
Yekaterina was always beautiful, but this was the first time she looked so comfortable.
And it… was revealing other charms she possessed, as if showing them off.
“So, Kacha, you know my heart too?”
“I feel that you trust me and respect me.”
“Then… even the thoughts I’m having now?”
Yekaterina narrowed her eyes.
“If it’s that… even without being a god…”
Over the wall of documents, Yekaterina’s face came closer to Mason’s. She crawled across the desk and kissed Mason on the lips.
“…Any woman could tell, right?”
The desk Mason had brought was large and heavy.
It was a good choice.
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The Revengers had participated in too many raids, and there was a power vacuum.
“Deroa’s absence is truly significant.”
There were only two mages in the Revengers, Deroa and Olga. The reason why there hadn’t been any problems related to magic in the field was because Deroa had accurately placed magic in the right place at the right time.
“Seo Yeonhee’s absence too.”
Moreover, Seo Yeonhee had a broad perspective and was the best in Korea when it came to situational judgment. Her absence had greatly reduced the Revengers’ ability to respond to crises.
After Deroa’s retirement, they had no choice but to acknowledge it.
“We need to reinforce our power. Focusing on mages.”
Olga’s pure magical ability wasn’t far behind Deroa’s. The problem was that compared to Deroa, she lacked judgment, situational awareness, and above all, guts.
They had to reinforce.
“Would that be possible?”
“Can’t you pull a few people from the Heavenly King’s raid team? I think everyone would follow without a word if it’s for you, Mason.”
“No. They’re busy too.”
Masika looked disappointed.
“I’ll look for them. But… it won’t be easy to find them quickly.”
“Don’t be hasty. Find reliable talent.”
“Yes…”
The lengthy paperwork was also being sorted out. Yekaterina said in a calm voice,
“We’re going to start the Northern Expedition soon.”
“Oh, really?”
The purpose of the Northern Expedition was to restore the railway connecting China and Russia. Once the railway was restored, they could build a pipeline to import natural gas from Russia at a low price, and import and export operations could be carried out stably.
It was a task to give Korea breathing room and to find a home for the sub-races and North Koreans.
“First, we need to clean up Gangwon Province.”
“Okay.”
The Heavenly King’s three main raid teams were on the government’s rotation. Mason led the reserve forces and new players to clean up Gangwon Province.
“The basic operational objective is search and destroy, but report to the higher-ups and retreat to the rear if you feel even slightly dangerous or strange.”
Mason said with a stern expression.
“You are our future. The most important thing is you yourselves, so don’t be reckless or greedy. Understand?”
“Yes, Your Majesty!”
Mason smiled wryly.
He was getting used to the title of Your Majesty.
Due to its mountainous terrain, monsters were scattered throughout Gangwon Province. They could be easily found and dealt with on plains or in villages, but monsters that had settled deep in the mountains were not easy to search for and took time to reach.
“We’re experts in mountains. Leave it to us.”
“Yes, thank you.”
Mason scratched his head.
“But your name is…?”
The dwarf with a bushy beard smiled broadly and said,
“Gorm Tulcha, Your Majesty!”
Mason nodded.
He was a manly and boisterous dwarf.
Anyway, as the search teams spread out widely, reports came in from various places.
“Leave it to me!”
Every time, Mason ran over and smashed the monster’s skull with his hammer.
“Leave it to me!”
“Leave it to me!”
Mason made a sullen face.
“…Can’t you guys take care of that?”
The sub-races burst into laughter.
Mason grumbled.
“Is it fun to make fun of me?”
“I see you’re having fun…”