< White Knight (4) >
“Wowee!”
Unprecedented.
In the hospital lobby, a young man capturing Heinrich on camera gulped down his excitement.
“Oh my, a scoop like this! I can’t believe my luck!”
Though he was conducting an interview with his camera, he wasn’t exactly a journalist.
His occupation, which had become quite ordinary, was to stream live on the internet.
If there was anything special about him… he was a returnee, and thanks to that background, he had managed to gain some notoriety.
However, his skill level was low, and his unique skill was nothing to write home about, which meant his streaming scale was far from being considered large.
“Not only did I get the first exclusive interview with the trending White Knight, but it became this big of news?”
No wonder he had such a good feeling last night; luck was finally on his side!
The young man clenched his fist, recalling his precognitive skill that had brought him to this hospital.
Due to his low skill level, he could only slightly gauge the fortune or misfortune of the following day…
-???
-So you’re claiming you’re from another dimension? Not a returnee?
–LOL What’s happening here? LOL
-?????
-Is it real?? Or is he just an attention seeker??
Seeing the chat zooming by at lightning speed, this was jackpot level excitement!
He sneaked another glance at the soaring viewer count, which had surpassed his usual numbers by several times, and then steadied his mind, turning his attention back to the knight before him.
An exotic handsome man with a soft smile, his helmet off.
He willingly agreed to the interview request that the young man had bravely made, all while continuously radiating holy power to heal the sick around him.
No matter how you looked at it, he was the very embodiment of a hero.
“…Honestly, I don’t care about the truth of the interview content.”
To be honest, he was quite skeptical about Heinrich’s claims.
Suddenly claiming to be from another dimension?
Even if the White Knight had repeatedly proven his immense holy power, it didn’t serve as evidence that he was a being from another world.
Wouldn’t it be more rational to deny such claims until solid evidence appeared rather than accepting an unprecedented exception simply based on one person’s statement?
“If there truly is evil looming over all dimensions…”
“They lurk in countless realms and lead the world to ruin in various ways. In the case of our Auterica, the Undead King can be seen as part of this phenomenon.”
But despite his personal feelings, the young man continued the interview with the White Knight Heinrich earnestly.
Whether it was just a prank by one of the top-tier returnees or the ramblings of some delusional fanatic, determining the truth wasn’t his job.
–This is absurd;; could he actually be insane…?
–I believe! Long live the White Knight! Long live Heinrich! Long live Auterica!
–Information) Over 20 years have passed since interdimensional transmission began, and although many self-proclaimed beings from other worlds have emerged globally, not one has been officially recognized.
–Hah, is this a hilarious prank? These guys are good at this! LOL*
–Just because it hasn’t happened so far doesn’t mean it won’t in the future. Isn’t 20 years too short to prove any theory?
–No, sir. I’m saying bring the evidence!
The judgment of whether to believe it or not was solely up to the viewers.
His role was to convey the situation, pure and simple.
Along with the skyrocketing recognition, the donations pouring in were just the sweet honey that came along with it.
And naturally.
While various opinions clashed and mixed, the dominant view remained one of disbelief, calling it nonsensical claims.
“Well, I expected that.”
Heinrich discreetly acknowledged the flowing public sentiment in the chat with extraordinary reflexes.
It had been over 20 years since the beginning of interdimensional transmission from Earth.
During that considerable period, it had long been established as a rule that only Earthling Awakened Ones could ignore the laws of dimensions.
So suddenly, an Otherworlder appears on Earth?
It was hardly surprising that such a random claim would be hard to swallow.
“They are the ones who led countless dimensions to ruin. Whatever they may be, their intentions are not in favor of the world. Of course, this applies to this Earth, where they are hiding as well.”
Yet Heinrich maintained a composed expression, continuing his serious discourse.
Assertiveness and self-assurance are crucial components when persuading others alongside logic.
“As long as they exist in this world, there will be no peace in any realm.”
His ‘faith’ regarding the Buncheon Society related part, where only the truth was spoken, began to bleed into his overwhelming presence, mixed with the aura of “Great Blessing: Knight of Light.”
“That is why I am here today.”
It radiated outwards in an unseen charisma, devouring part of the thoughts of others.
As if he were some kind of cult leader.
“…Huh? Could this be for real?”
Having been the closest one to experience that aura directly, the broadcasting young man blinked repeatedly in confusion.
He thought he was judging quite rationally, but his intuition, developed naturally thanks to his unique skill, was telling him that what Heinrich said was indeed true.
Though its effect was somewhat weak compared to his influence in reality, the reaction from the online world behind the lens was no different.
-??? I really can’t tell;; For now, I’ll stay neutral.
–Honestly, if it’s real, it’ll soon come to light anyway, so there’s no need to exert so much effort.
–Haha, I’m not believing anything without evidence!
–Wow, but he’s really handsome. Just looking at his face would bring happiness.
–Saint! I believe! So please come to Incheon! My grandmother is sick, and there isn’t much time left…
Naturally, just a few words couldn’t entirely flip public opinion.
But undoubtedly, he had succeeded in planting a “maybe” thought in many people’s minds.
“For now, that’s enough. They’ll resolve it little by little with solid proof later.”
In fact, he had already come up with a plan.
After all, they were still struggling to come to terms with this unprecedented situation.
That’s why they were likely bulldozing ahead, clinging onto whatever they could understand to convince themselves.
“Then, I will present examples that completely transcend existing knowledge. If that happens…”
It was only natural that Heinrich’s words would carry more weight, and the Buncheon Society could no longer remain hidden as before.
Whether it was to respond to public opinion or to project actual force, they would have to surface, even if just slightly.
“…That will be the real beginning.”
The real war to erase the malevolent organization known as the Buncheon Society from this world.
Heinrich gently squinted his eyes, offering a subtle smile.
He sensed multiple presences approaching faster than ever before.
The plan was still progressing smoothly.
*
In the capital of India, New Delhi.
“…What in the world…?”
In a room woven with complex mandala patterns, a woman’s reluctant voice seeped out.
Numerous candles and the reflective light of metallic objects brightened the dark indoor space, mixing with the somewhat out-of-place blue-white glow of electronic devices.
A brown-skinned woman lounging halfway on a floor sofa furrowed her brow slightly and glared at the screen of her tablet.
–I cannot remain in this world for long. I have come to warn you in advance as per the will of the gods, but our world’s problems are not entirely resolved yet.
–Ah, I’ve heard. You said the fight against that Undead King has not ended yet.
–Correct. It is a seed of evil borne from artificial means in our world. I suppose I won’t be able to visit often until that is all sorted out. To be honest, it’s already feeling quite overwhelming…
–My goodness! Does that mean you can freely travel between both worlds?
With a fierce glare at the screen, a drop-shaped red gem on her forehead gleamed ominously.
After staring at it for a moment, the Oracle sighed deeply, closing her eyes and massaging her brow as soon as the regeneration on the screen finished.
“…What is going on? Was my insight wrong again? And to think, it could lead to this significant dimensional inflection point?”
Moreover, the origin of this issue was Korea once again.
The place where the unpredictable element known as the Hahoe Mask first disrupted their plans.
Later on, it became the location where Heinz, the vampire, began to take control over the underworld, setting himself against them.
“And now again…”
An individual from another world, surely a huge variable, had suddenly emerged.
No, it was like a ticking time bomb—if they didn’t take action immediately, all plans would be overturned.
“At this point, I must take it seriously.”
While she wasn’t entirely sure, it was clear that something that had been present in Korea had started moving.
And perhaps, it was the very thing that had continuously obstructed her insights regarding Korea.
“Hmm…”
At this point, the Oracle had no choice but to doubt her initial plan.
Resources were limited, so instead of investing further in Korea, which held uncertain risk elements, she had thought it best to concentrate on China and Japan, using that to indirectly control Korea.
“If only I�d focused all resources on Korea instead of giving up on Japan… could I have preemptively blocked such an odd situation?”
Now, it was a meaningless hypothetical.
To invest in something with uncertain elements, the efficiency would naturally plummet.
In fact, wasn’t there already a key talent that was supposed to return to become a top player in the Ganghwan Realm whose whereabouts had been cut off due to poor timing?
To support a candidate to grow into a transcendent being already costs significant resources, so abandoning Korea would have been the best choice for efficiency back then.
“Pfft—what’s past is past.”
Having sorted her thoughts, the Oracle brought her water pipe back to her mouth and took a deep drag.
Anyway, she had assessed the situation, so it was time to devise a response.
“Just recently, we barely managed to regain control over China after cleaning up the mess caused by that Hahoe Mask.”
After all the effort, resources, and trouble spent to fix things, now this occurred right after another!
This time, a saintly White Knight, the complete opposite of the black magician Hahoe Mask, was making a scene as if to tag along!
“What about the Doctor?”
She casually remarked this, pulling her lips away from the pipe, and almost as if it had been there the whole time, a figure draped in black cloth bowed lightly before her to answer her question.
“He is busy handling affairs in Europe and says you should take care of everything here. The Doctor is planning to capture the vampire named Heinz in Romania…”
“Ha! Is that lunatic seriously oblivious to what’s important right now? This isn’t the time to be focusing on some experimental subject!”
She was aware of why the Doctor was so obsessed.
Understanding that if that plan succeeded, it would significantly aid future plans.
But every endeavor had its priority, didn’t it?
“Given the time it will take him to deal with the other regions of Europe, he has plenty of time.”
Honestly, she didn’t like anything about him.
Had he not been the Head, they probably wouldn’t even be in this together.
Forcing down those grievances, Oracle took a long puff on her water pipe and eventually exhaled deeply with a sigh.
What could she do? With the Head absent, it was just how it had to be.
“Still, I believe we have a bit of time before this becomes public, so if we start preparing now…”
Thus, Oracle had to buckle down again to solve this group project that had run away from her control.
Of course, whether this would be where her troubles ended was anyone’s guess.
*
Having snuck onto a plane, Heinz II flew to France, nearly on the opposite side of the Earth.
He needed a bit more time to “educate” Victor Balzac, the tyrant of the underworld organization Termidor.
“I think this should be enough. Time to move on to the next step.”
And when that education was nearing completion, he secretly boarded the airplane, just like he’d did when he infiltrated.
While he had been provided with a fake identity courtesy of Termidor, the vampire checks at European airports were way stricter than in Korea, so this method was best to avoid any hassle.
“Besides, the flight time won’t be too long anyway.”
Finally, the plane he was on took off without issue.
Destination: Italy.
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