Chapter 95
Mason exchanged messages with various people.
“Masika, did you save the person?”
<...Yes, thanks to you.>
“That’s good. Anything else I can help you with?”
“…?”
Mason tilted his head at the terrified response.
‘Is there something wrong?’
Anyway, Mason made another call.
Scholars who were conducting research to some extent were seeking Mason’s opinion. Mason scheduled a meeting with them and made appointments to meet with the players.
It was a tightly packed schedule, planned in 10-minute increments.
“…D*mn it.”
Mason grumbled.
He used to complain every day when Seo Yeonhee made these kinds of schedules for him, but now he was in a position where he had to make them himself.
“Jeong Ryeogyeong.”
“Yes.”
“I’m going out for a bit, so you wait here.”
Mason rummaged through his wallet and placed all the bills he could find on the table.
“You’ll have to eat lunch alone, even if I don’t know about dinner. Order delivery or go out to eat.”
“Okay.”
Mason got into his car.
Each lab was prepared to welcome Mason.
Mason entered each lab with a deep breath and walked out drenched in sweat.
“I’m dying…”
He could fight physically for three days and nights without breaking a sweat, but engaging in academic discussions made him break out in a cold sweat.
One wrong word, one misplaced syllable could ruin a whole research project.
Still, thanks to the considerable research period, substantial research results were starting to emerge.
“We have a prototype. Please try one of these.”
“What is this?”
“It’s an improved supplementary food, Lembas. Jointly developed with NASA.”
It was something resembling a chocolate bar, about t*o fingers thick.
It looked h*rd on the outside, but it melted in the mouth like sweet cream.
Not only did it taste good, but it filled his stomach.
“Good.”
Seeing Mason’s expression, the scientists said with satisfaction,
“One of those contains 4,000 kilocalories. Enough calories for a healthy adult male to march all day without any problems.”
“Not bad.”
It could be used as ordinary combat rations, but the most efficient use would probably be in situations where Mason needed to urgently replenish calories for regeneration.
Lembas wasn’t the only area where progress was being made.
“This is a prototype buff potion. It can temporarily increase stats.”
Mason’s body always recovered to its original state, no matter what injury he sustained. The buff potion was created by applying the process of his recovery. It was about imprinting a point higher than the player’s actual physical ability as their ‘original state,’ and intentionally triggering ‘recovery’ within their body.
“We have three types of potions: strength, stamina, and speed enhancement.”
“No magic enhancement?”
“Well…”
The buff potions were reverse-engineered from Mason’s abilities. Since they were based on Mason, who had no magical ability, they couldn’t enhance magical powers.
‘I should’ve become a wizard if I knew this would happen.’
Feeling a bit regretful, Mason smiled and praised the researchers.
“Good work.”
“Yes!”
After visiting the external research labs, the research facilities of the Pseudo-Human attack teams remained.
They were the results of combining future science with the power of magic, which humanity had abandoned as they chose science.
Their current research priorities were two.
“Is the adjustment of Energy Drain going well?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Energy Drain was an incomplete spell. Deroa had forcibly used it at the cost of her core, but if its stability could be improved, it would be useful in many ways.
“And, the research on the Deification spell…”
“It’s still in its early stages. It will take time for results to come out.”
“Ask Kacha. She seems to know a lot about this.”
“By the way, the research cost seems to be increasing more than expected…”
Energy Drain and Deification.
Both were spells that could change the paradigm of the battlefield itself.
“I authorize it. Spare no expense, no personnel.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Finally, Mason entered the raid lab of the Revengers.
“Raid Leader Mason!”
There, Hope’s incubator was installed, filled with a special kind of air.
Mason caressed the glass wall containing Hope and asked,
“Any signs of her waking up?”
“None.”
“Hmm…”
Mason stroked his c*in.
Even cold sleep required a thawing procedure. Did Hope also need a special procedure or ritual?
“Is her health okay?”
“We can’t be sure since she’s an alien, but… her vital signs are regular. At least her condition hasn’t changed drastically.”
The orb left by the World Tree hung around Hope’s neck.
If it was the last legacy of a world, it would be right for it to return to the last survivor of that world.
That’s what Mason thought, and that’s why he decided to give the World Tree’s*orb to Hope.
“Take good care of her. That’s my promise to him.”
“Yes, Raid Leader.”
Mason went up to the training room.
Andrei happened to be working out there.
“Ah.”
Andrei frowned as soon as he saw Mason.
“The workout interrupter is back again.”
He grumbled and put down the barbell.
“…What’s the problem?”
“We’re planning to select players from among the North Koreans and create a raid team.”
“So?”
“Is there a place to train them?”
“There is. We’ve prepared secret training camps for Pseudo-Humans on a few islands in the Caribbean. If we send them there, we can provide basic training. The rest will have to be learned through actual combat.”
“Good, take care of it.”
Mason handed over Ri Gyeongsim’s phone number.
Andrei grumbled,
“…You show up after three months and all you do is dump homework on me?”
“If you’re unhappy, become the Majesty.”
Andrei chuckled.
“I wouldn’t do it even if you asked me, Your Majesty.”
He had lunch with a hamburger and attended various meetings. Discussions about the next raid, meetings with government officials, and other miscellaneous tasks.
After roughly taking care of the things that made him miss Seo Yeonhee particularly, the sun had set in an instant.
“Phew…”
His head was spinning. Mason got into his car.
“Where to, Your Majesty?”
“It’s dinner time, so how about a bowl of Gukbap nearby…”
Mason, who had spoken absentmindedly, made a startled expression.
“…Jeong Ryeogyeong.”
It was 8 p.m. It was late even for dinner.
‘She would’ve eaten if she was hungry…’
Mason said with a troubled feeling,
“Let’s go home.”
“Yes.”
When they arrived home, Mason said,
“You’re off work today. Come back tomorrow morning.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Leaving the driver who was driving away behind, Mason entered the house.
At that moment, he was startled.
“…?”
It was clean. It was too clean.
Not only was the trash that had been scattered everywhere completely gone, but the floor was spotlessly clean. The windows were transparent, and the window frames were sparkling.
Mason wore a bewildered expression.
Just then, Jeong Ryeogyeong found Mason and cautiously approached him.
“You’re here?”
“Uh, yeah…”
“Have you had dinner?”
“No, not yet.”
“I made dinner. Have a bite.”
Mason made a subtle expression.
“…”
As Mason headed towards the dining table, the rice cooker and pots, which had never been used before, were arranged around the table.
Jeong Ryeogyeong carefully opened the lid that had been covering the bowl.
“It’s Chicken Onban. Try it.”
“Yeah…”
Mason took a spoonful of the Onban.
Mason didn’t particularly dislike MSG. He rather liked it. However, unlike restaurant food, which had a strong taste and a lot of MSG, this Onban seemed to have only used salt.
An honest and simple taste.
It was literally a dish that brought out the flavor of the ingredients.
Both in a good way and a bad way.
“How is it?”
Jeong Ryeogyeong looked at Mason with her big, round eyes, filled with equal parts anticipation and anxiety.
Mason said,
“It tastes like home-cooked food.”
“Does it suit your taste?”
“Yeah, it’s kind of fascinating.”
For Mason, who was used to school meals, military rations, and eating out, home-cooked food was rather unique.
“I’m glad you like it.”
Jeong Ryeogyeong sighed in relief and opened the rice cooker lid.
“There’s plenty of rice and soup. Eat as much as you like.”
“Yeah, okay.”
As Mason ate, he asked,
“Did you clean?”
“Yes.”
“Why did you do something I didn’t ask you to?”
When Jeong Ryeogyeong flinched, Mason quickly added,
“I mean, you could’ve rested comfortably.”
“It wasn’t hard. I like doing housework. Especially cleaning.”
“Why?”
“It feels good when the house is clean, doesn’t it?”
Jeong Ryeogyeong said hesitantly,
“I cleaned thinking about how happy Mason… would be when he came home. It was very enjoyable thanks to that.”
“You don’t have to push yourself to please me.”
“It’s true that I want to please you. But I’m not pushing myself.”
Jeong Ryeogyeong said quietly,
“I wanted to have a family. I wanted a good husband and healthy children. I wanted to sweep, mop, organize, and take good care of the house. I wanted to create a happy, harmonious home filled with smiles.”
“Is that your dream?”
“Yes. Even though it’s a dream that someone like me shouldn’t have in these times.”
Mount Paektu Bloodline.
The princess of a fallen nation, burdened with her abandoned people, wore a lonely expression.
“Are you disappointed in me? Because I’m a selfish woman who only thinks of herself?”
“No, I’m not disappointed at all.”
Looking at Jeong Ryeogyeong, Mason said,
“Because there’s no dream that a person shouldn’t have.”
Mason quietly lifted his spoon.
He felt a complicated emotion.
To feel a human connection to the woman who was trying to have a political marriage with him…
๑ஓ๑๑ஓ๑๑ஓ๑๑ஓ๑๑ஓ๑๑ஓ๑
After the meal, Jeong Ryeogyeong peeled an apple.
‘Did I buy apples?’
As Mason tilted his head in wonder, Jeong Ryeogyeong presented a plate of apples, each cutely carved into a rabbit shape and pierced with a toothpick.
“How is it? Isn’t it pretty?”
“Yeah, it’s pretty.”
Jeong Ryeogyeong breathed a sigh of relief.
As Mason was enjoying his dessert, his cellphone rang.
“Kacha?”
Yekaterina got straight to the point.
Mason glanced at Jeong Ryeogyeong.
“I was waiting to talk about that.”
“I let my driver go home. Come to my house.”
Jeong Ryeogyeong looked at Mason. Her eyes were asking who it was and what the call was about.
“The person I’m most afraid of.”
“…?!”
While Mason waited leisurely, a car arrived in front of his house.
Mason got up and went to the door.
“Kacha, Red Knight.”
“Your Majesty.”
The Red Knight bowed to Mason. Yekaterina entered with a calm gait and sat down.
