Chapter 297: Fact (2)
Morning has arrived.
The third day of the Tokyo Artifact Expo has dawned safely.
There was a bit of chaos in between, but thanks to the unexpected efforts of an unknown awakened, the initial response proved effective, and it seems the highlight auction was carried out without a hitch.
That’s why everyone could enjoy the final day of the event today.
‘There’s still plenty of time until my flight, but I’ve had my meal. Should I start moving soon?’
It would’ve been nice to check out the auction site, but that’s okay.
As you can see, I had given up on bidding the moment I saw the starting price and instead thoroughly explored other parts of the venue.
Now, I was waiting for my departure with empty hands.
‘Before I leave, I should stop by the ice cream shop one more time. They have flavors here that you can’t find in Korea.’
Originally, I’d planned to flee immediately if I had succeeded in acquiring that black fabric the other day…
‘Hmm.’
Since my plan had already failed, what’s the point of rushing back early now?
Changing my ticket and making a hasty exit as soon as the incident occurred would have felt out of place.
So, I had forced myself to enjoy the sightseeing until the third day, trying my best to hide the suspicious feeling.
‘…By the way, these people really don’t seem to want my statement as someone who was actually there.’
Thinking it over, there were indeed some unsettling parts.
‘Is the investigative culture different because I’m in a foreign country?’
No matter how cautious I was, there had been no actions from the other side, and now that I was about to leave, there was no tension in the air anymore.
Soon, I arrived in front of the ice cream shop inside the venue.
With cash borrowed from Seonwoo-yeon in one hand, I raised my phone to my face to check the screen.
‘Hmm.’
I decided I wouldn’t cancel the reservation emails where I had politely requested “please save me” until I safely returned to Korea.
‘Let’s see… Seonwoo-yeon’s number.’
I exited the mail app and entered the phone dial screen.
And at that moment…
Suddenly, I received a call from outside.
‘Is that from Iori?’
The phone showed the number of the Japanese hunter whose business card I had saved on the first day.
“Hello?”
The content of the call was…
‘They’re saying they’ll lift the restrictions, so let’s meet suddenly at Building A?’
What?
Are they planning to publicly behead me for the nonsense I pulled on the first day?
I had such thoughts briefly, but Iori’s subsequent explanation was completely different from that.
Instead, the great technician was eagerly discussing something interesting and wanted to see me.
So…
“Alright, I understand. Then I’ll be at Building A in ten minutes…”
Since there were Korean public officials around that shouldn’t be recklessly disturbed, it shouldn’t be a problem, right?
I pondered for a moment but accepted Iori’s request and moved towards the designated building.
However, when I arrived at the exhibition hall…
“Hmm?”
I came face to face with an unexpected figure—a high-ranking S-Class hunter.
It was surprising because I had spoken with Iori, yet the person waiting was Moritake.
Moreover, that serious-looking adult man suddenly broke into a cheerful smile and began to share the news.
“Mr. Kim Gi-ryeo, the negotiations have gone well!”
It was a bit bewildering, but at the same time, it was good news.
“Really? So how did the negotiations go?”
“It’s about the [Midnight Fragment] displayed here. After discussions with the magic technology agency, we finally received approval for its export!”
This was more good news than I had imagined.
If I showed excessive joy at this point, my expression would reveal too much, so I managed to hold back my features and casually changed the topic.
“By the way, where’s Iori? I was just in touch with them.”
“Oh, you mean Yamazaka Iori? That ranker is actually dealing with the police about the incident that occurred in Building A, so they’re not here right now.”
“Hmm.”
“But that’s not important. The negotiations regarding [Midnight Fragment] are definitely concluded.”
Moritake continued to explain.
Throughout the event, he had persistently requested the country, the actual owner of [Midnight Fragment].
In turn, the Japan Magic Technology Agency suggested that the Imabari Guild, as a rank S, could assist in a national research project in exchange for approval.
The top three hunters of Japan quickly approved this.
Why?
Because all three were involved in the previous Dragon Raid.
‘For a selfish intellect, they do apologize quite well.’
Of course, if they obtained legendary status, it made sense they would be humble.
I casually glanced at Moritake’s item box before regaining my composure.
“Uh, but unfortunately…”
What came out was somehow in a tone of hesitance from Ito.
“There’s just one condition. The government stated they can’t just hand this over for free.”
Upon listening carefully to the overview, it appeared that the Japanese government had some obligatory research to conduct concerning the epic-grade item.
Regardless of transferring [Midnight Fragment] to me, they were planning to purchase the same item from abroad later.
However, since the market price for previously traded epic items had been so high…
“They mentioned that acquiring a new [Midnight Fragment] would require astronomical amounts of money. Even if they were to find someone selling it, securing such a budget from the political sector would be tough, considering the competition with the Ministry of Education and Science lately…”
In the end, Moritake’s message was summarized as follows:
“It might sound absurd, but the technology side said they absolutely have to receive this amount from the hunter.”
“Let’s hear it.”
“After negotiating and negotiating, they’ve quoted a final price of 10.2 billion yen.”
Coincidentally, when I converted that into Korean won, it was about a familiar figure.
‘It’s roughly similar to the 100 billion won I have in my account.’
When I was offered around 20 to 30 billion won on the first day, they didn’t seem to pay attention at all.
‘So this is the original price… right. It must be because this item exhibits a protective mechanism that has never existed before, unlike [Twin Guardian Angel].’
Having concluded my reasoning, I took out my phone momentarily.
When I calculated the current exchange rate between Japanese and Korean currency, it turned out that after sending the 10.8 billion yen including taxes, I would still have about 2 billion left in my account.
That’s a significant figure.
Assuming that international transfer fees on this planet aren’t excessive, it doesn’t seem like a bad deal…
“I’m sorry. We never intended this. It just turned out this was the price the government set for…”
“How curious.”
“They conveyed that going lower than this would make the transfer exceedingly difficult.”
Moritake, whose tall, thin figure looked somewhat exasperated, continued to sweat.
Even though he was an F-Class with no magic power, he kept stealing glances at me as if he were frightened.
“Moreover, the biggest problem is that the Imabari Guild currently has no cash. I know it sounds extremely rude, but Mr. Kim Gi-ryeo, we’ve been using all our cash for the compensation… No, distribution funds for the Kagoshima incident…”
“Ah.”
“We are seriously using all our funds and are currently operating the company on debt. Therefore, it would be realistically difficult for us to cover that transfer fee proposed by the technology agency.”
However, from my perspective, the current offer was quite delightful.
This basically meant that as long as I paid the money, they would hand over the black fabric entirely, right?
‘In fact, considering the actual function of that fabric, even 100 billion won feels like an undervaluation. Now that I think of it, the auction results indicated that I was almost about to get the [Triaina] for free…’
I made my decision.
Sure. Why not.
I’ll buy that fabric.
Having conveyed my acceptance without a second thought, Ito looked astonished and widened his eyes before promptly proceeding with the transaction.
“Ah! Understood! Then I’ll contact the venue manager right away to lift the display case’s barrier.”
Having obtained what I set out to get, I figured there was no point lingering around here anymore.
‘Half-heartedly giving up, and yet I’ll actually get this.’
I felt invigorated.
Thus, I was able to return home proudly, having achieved my original goal of coming to Tokyo.
Had I known I would have this much left over, I would have booked the most expensive seat on the flight.
Well, since I was going to be curious about the other classes anyway, I might as well be satisfied just fulfilling my curiosity.
*
A few hours later.
Tokyo, inside the venue.
“Where’s Kim Gi-ryeo?”
“He’s gone. Back to Korea.”
Now, the restoration work in Building A was also wrapping up.
With the final event of the expo and the show having concluded, the visitors slowly flooded out of the city like the ebbing tide.
“Without a hitch…”
Due to some terrorism.
It was no longer an event where such expressions could be used.
“I’ve heard that the goal of the third expo was to end it without any incidents, but it seems we failed spectacularly.”
“Hmph.”
“But does it even matter? After all, the success or failure of such expos doesn’t significantly affect people in the hunter industry.”
S-Class Awakened Moritake carefully chose his words as he conversed.
The person he was speaking to was a newcomer who founded a guild (yamasaka) with the same sound as his last name.
This person had become a representative at a much younger age than Moritake, leading a company that was frighteningly on the rise in the hunter industry. Now, Iori posed the question in Moritake’s silence.
“Do you really think this event has no connection to us?”
That awakened seemed quite serious.
“Hmm?”
As a Japanese person, it was undoubtedly regrettable that Tokyo was in the limelight.
Yet, upon further reflection, the mishap of the event didn’t seem like a matter that should make them worry that much…
“Why do you speak so earnestly?”
As Moritake began to speak after making a series of judgments, his conversation partner motioned for him to come over lightly.
Then Iori stepped into a blind spot where the surveillance cameras couldn’t see and began to write, then erase, on his phone.
[Memo]
[I had gone out separately from the venue as soon as the auction was completed. Since the items had already been sold, there was nothing left to protect.]
[Right?]
[However, at this time, I went out to meet with the police… and with the detective agency I had previously commissioned to gather information.]
A detective agency, huh.
‘Aren’t those places usually for extramarital affairs or missing person investigations…?’
A particular term brushed past the phone screen, causing the viewer’s eyes to widen.
Yet Iori maintained a calm expression as he kept tapping the keys.
[Upon investigation, it turns out this incident is indeed linked to the anti-awakening faction.]
Anti-Awakening faction.
This term is primarily used to refer to the faction that discriminates against awakened individuals within Japan.
The representative hunters of the archipelago frowned at the mention of that term.
People who dislike others’ differences have always existed throughout history, but it’s unpleasant when one finds themselves being the subject of that disdain.
“Do they have a hand in this?”
The recent artifact rampage incident seemed to have closely entangled with that vehement group from the start.
“How so?”
Seeing his former colleague show interest, Iori elaborated.
[You would be surprised. That politician loitering on the far side of the expo might actually belong to that faction.]
The starting point was indeed one of the courts of justice.
Japan, along with most OECD countries, strictly regulates the possession of any item that holds the power of a handgun or above.
This regulation was particularly strict against typical civilians who are non-awakened and not part of specialized roles like the police.
It was so extreme that one could be punished even for picking up an item carelessly discarded during red gate processing.
However, recently, there has been a surge in public opposition to this regulation in places like the US and Japan.
This was why the suspicious item rampage happened on the first day of the expo.
[Upon doing some background checking, I found that there were hired security guards on duty who were also part of that anti-awakening faction.]
The recent terror incident was the result of a group unhappy that dungeon items are exclusively for hunters, attempting to sway public opinion in their favor.
The major argument of the non-awakened factions is pretty much the same everywhere.
For instance, one random neighbor might awaken as an E-Class and start using fire.
Yet, according to them, isn’t it the case that awakened individuals, with their combat abilities, are worth more than any ordinary person carrying a handgun?
So why can’t regular citizens also use items as weapons?
‘Just last year, there was also a random shooting incident in Shibuya…’
At this rate, if a super-powered individual decides to commit murder, people would be defenseless against the threat.
Thus, some citizens hoped for the repeal of artifact regulations for self-defense, and this argument intertwined with the anti-awakening faction’s disdain for awakened people, sparking the incident.
[The very fact that the security company was chosen for the expo responsible for security feels like a plot. Of all things, the most experienced brother of the company owner held one of the positions in that faction.]
If security guards influenced by epic-grade artifacts were to harm visitors, it would provide a cover for the international community’s huge criticism, allowing them to quietly lower regulation standards.
‘That’s quite a clever scheme.’
Indeed.
Had there been serious casualties, Japan’s legislation could no longer maintain the pretense of “protection.”
After all, awakened individuals were already handling items in a dangerous manner. It would only be natural for public opinion to call into question the sensibility of exclusively entrusting them with their management.
“That was the case….”
Moritake stiffened his expression upon identifying the verified facts.
However, awakened individuals had not monopolized items simply because they wanted to.
Was it simply the case that those who were not part of the anti-awakening faction wished to trivialize the mysteries of dungeons and spread them in the market indiscriminately?
“Hah.”
At that moment when many thoughts were swirling in his mind.
“I’m pissed off.”
Iori, sitting next to him, turned off his phone and spoke.
“I get that in this chaotic age, people want to protect themselves… I understand. Every report talks about awakened individuals destroying roads and whatnot, exaggerating the negative side of things; naturally, everyone would be anxious.”
“Iori.”
“But this is truly too much, isn’t it? How can they be so greedy as to kill unsuspecting visitors just to obtain artifacts?”
He covered his face with both hands, expressing despair.
“Every time I realize there are citizens that belong to such factions, I want to emigrate…”
If he were serious, that would be a huge problem.
“So why should I have to feel like avoiding such people? I love Tokyo and plan to live here for the rest of my life.”
However, thankfully, it appeared this awakened one had considerable affection for his homeland, as a reassuring tale soon followed in their discussion.
“W-wait a second? I thought you’d want to seek asylum or something, because you’re always listening to K-Pop…”
“What do songs have to do with nationality? K-Pop is great on its own, and life is naturally separate.”
“Uh-huh.”
“But if I were to be scouted overseas, honestly, the first country I’d consider would probably be South Korea.”
“Why’s that?”
“I distinctly felt it through this incident.”
Because that country has proper talent among its hunters.
“Despite becoming an S-Class, I still believe in the principle of safety first.”
Iori mumbled this and tucked his phone back into his pocket.
As the cleanup of Building A neared completion, it seemed he also planned to exit alongside the surrounding staff soon.
“If it weren’t for Mr. Kim Gi-ryeo, this incident could have escalated beyond imagination.”
“That’s true.”
“If the situation hadn’t been contained, Japan might have faced various accusations against awakened individuals by now…”
Just then.
“Ah.”
Iori suddenly halted and brought up a new topic.
Just a moment ago, a familiar display case had been dismantled right in front of him.
“By the way, if I recall, did you conclude the negotiations with Mr. Kim Gi-ryeo successfully?”
“Negotiations?”
“About the [Midnight Fragment]. I remember the Imabari side had quite a significant figure to settle, even if it was discounted.”
At that, Moritake replied.
“Don’t worry.”
That Korean had completed the transaction without much opposition.
“Ah…”
Since the amount was a whopping hundred billion won, it must have felt like an unusual sensation from their perspective.
“He really doesn’t seem to care much about money, as expected from an S-Class.”
“Exactly.”
“With that amount, it’s probable that he wasn’t particularly elated even when we prepared one billion for him.”
Judging from the fact he sought a used epic item, they assumed that he might be analyzing the [Midnight Fragment] in Korea to research a skill nullification mechanism.
And Mr. Kim Gi-ryeo might be a considerate person, wanting to donate it to his country.
They briefly exchanged thoughts, speculating about why the other party had made that purchase.
“Wait a minute. But if we paid that billion for research materials, wouldn’t Kim Gi-ryeo end up in debt?”
By the end, they tossed around such statements.
“Debt?”
“The distribution funds he brings from abroad. Since that typically incurs separate taxes from the usual item sales profits, which are deducted beforehand.”
“Oh, taxes.”
“I’m not sure about the exact ratio since it’s different from Japan, but it should be around 20 billion… No wait, since Kim Gi-ryeo is actually without a guild, it might be 40 billion in taxes!”
They soon casually shifted to lighter topics.
“Iori, it’s alright. I’m sure Kim Gi-ryeo hunter considered these calculations as he proceeded with the transaction.”
“That’s probably so.”
“After all, the counterpart is a guy who not only recognized the disturbances from another building but executed perfect measures in mere seconds. It’s unlikely that such a quick-thinking person wouldn’t have thought about a negative outcome.”
“True.”
Indeed, the two most useless things that thrive in this world are famous celebrities and the concerns of high-ranking awakened individuals, right?
“Plus, for a top-tier awakened individual, the assets they’ve saved up over the years must be enormous.”
“Now that I think about it, I was worried for no reason.”
That statement was undoubtedly true.
Right now, rather than worrying about the taxes for an outsider who was boarding a plane, they should ponder how to address the rampant anti-awakening sentiment within the archipelago.
With that thought in their minds, the two Japanese men nodded, and slowly began to walk back to their respective places.
