Ding dong.
The intercom rings.
“Mr. Kim Deok-Sung, I have something to report. May I come in?”
Han Seo-Jin’s voice comes through the speaker.
A report?
I open the door.
Han Seo-Jin enters, dressed in a formal suit.
“What’s the report?”
“It’s regarding tomorrow’s schedule.”
Han Seo-Jin speaks to me with an unwavering expression.
“Tomorrow, there will be an official farewell ceremony for Mr. Kim Deok-Sung at Gwanghwamun Plaza. All domestic and international dignitaries, including the President, are expected to attend…”
Wait a minute.
A farewell ceremony? At Gwanghwamun Plaza?
I have an unsettling feeling.
I turn on my phone to check the date.
Today is August 14th.
And tomorrow, when the farewell ceremony is held… August 15th.
It’s Liberation Day.
Liberation Day, Gwanghwamun Plaza, and a farewell ceremony.
What a delightful trio of words.
Sweat starts to trickle down my back.
I can’t lift my head in embarrassment.
Kim Deok-Sung Private Resort.
Han Seo-Jin’s Personal Room.
In the dimly lit room, the blue laptop monitor flickers.
On the computer screen, the results of the real-time heroine popularity poll are updating.
“Looks like Olivia and Shinozaki are in the lead.”
Han Seo-Jin says in a cold voice.
Unlike the bickering among the fandoms online, the poll consistently shows Olivia and Shinozaki in 1st and 2nd place, with Kasumi and Eri swapping positions behind them.
Anyway, once the Harem Special Law is officially enacted, the question of who the real spouse is becomes irrelevant.
But public opinion matters.
Although support for Hero Kim Deok-Sung is absolute, it wouldn’t hurt to have positive support for Harem members.
Thanks to the Harem members’ performance in the recent Seoul battle, each heroine’s fandom seems to have expanded.
Even to ease the conflicts among them, it was necessary to manage public opinion.
‘I need to boost the popularity of the unpopular Harem member…’
I see the graph for Makoto, whose approval ratings are in the gutter.
Of course, it’s not surprising that the most forgettable Makoto has no popularity.
On the other hand, Kasumi, unexpectedly, shows comparable figures to Eri in various polls, surprisingly holding her own.
‘Is Kasumi’s decent performance due to the structure of the Hunter team…?’
Tap tap.
Han Seo-Jin is drafting the report on public opinion research.
[Public Opinion Management Plan for Kim Deok-Sung’s Harem Members]
The title of the report pops up on the monitor.
Tap tap tap.
Han Seo-Jin’s fingers dance over the keyboard.
The contents of the report quickly fill the screen.
“We also need to work on fostering positive public opinion for members not included in the poll, such as Saionji Aris, Yoshizaki Seira, Kurosawa Haru, and Evangelin Stewart.”
Currently, the only heroines captured in the poll are Olivia, Rin, Eri, Makoto, and Kasumi, who performed well during the Seoul battle.
Only five: Olivia, Rin, Eri, Makoto, and Kasumi, who shone during the battle in Seoul.
The Student Council President Saionji Aris, Principal Yoshizaki Seira, Kurosawa Haru, and British Princess Evangelin Stewart are still at the level of being categorized as ‘Other’ in the polls.
Establishing a friendly public opinion toward them is also important.
‘All of this is for the perfect harem construction of that person.’
Han Seo-Jin, with a solemn resolve, finishes writing the report.
She clicks the send button.
Click.
The report is sent, and shortly after, Han Seo-Jin’s phone rings.
Brrrriing!
Han Seo-Jin answers the call.
[Agent Han Seo-Jin. Received the report well.]
A deep male voice comes through the phone.
It’s President Kang Myung-Hyun’s voice.
“Thank you, Mr. President.”
[Based on the report submitted by Agent Han Seo-Jin, give the order to proceed with the plan.]
“It’s an honor, Mr. President.”
[Everything is for that person’s harem.]
“For that person’s harem.”
Whispering secretively, Han Seo-Jin hangs up the phone.
Her gray eyes sink deep.
*
August 15th. Liberation Day.
The day when the Korean Peninsula was freed from Japanese oppression.
Gwanghwamun Plaza in Seoul was packed with countless people, leaving no room to step.
Flapping.
Taegeukgi (the national flag) flutters among the crowd.
It wasn’t just Gwanghwamun Plaza.
Taegeukgi was hung on every building in Seoul, and furthermore, on every building across South Korea.
[The official farewell ceremony for Kim Deok-Sung is about to start.]
As the anchor finishes his tearful commentary on the live broadcast, a thunderous sound erupts from the sky.
[The Black Eagles’ aerial acrobatics celebrating Kim Deok-Sung’s farewell are now unfolding in the skies over Seoul!]
Black fighter jets soar across the blue summer sky of Seoul, showcasing daring stunts.
Colored contrails are etched in the blue sky.
[Now, the honorable Hero Kim Deok-Sung enters with his comrades.]
As the announcer’s commentary flows, the military band stationed on-site begins to play music.
With grand music, Kim Deok-Sung and his comrades enter and take their designated seats at the front.
“We will have the national ceremony. Please salute the flag.”
With the announcer’s words, the military band plays the salute song for the flag.
[I stand before the proud Taegeukgi, for the eternal glory of a free and just Republic of Korea… …]
Next, the singing of the national anthem follows.
[As the waters of the East Sea and Baekdu Mountain dry and wither, may God protect us… …]
Flap.
The giant monitor set up on stage shows the Taegeukgi fluttering.
Finally, once the moment of silence for the fallen patriots and war heroes is over, the announcer speaks about the next agenda.
“Now, we will hear the President’s Liberation Day speech.”
As the announcer finishes speaking, every screen focuses on the President at the center of the stage.
“Dear citizens, distinguished independence activists and their families, and Hero Kim Deok-Sung and his comrades. Throughout the history of our Republic, there have been many Liberation Days, but I can confidently say that today is a Liberation Day more special than any other.”
The President, dressed in hanbok, speaks with a heavy tone.
“A few days ago, our Republic of Korea was targeted by a villain’s surprise attack. It was a state of emergency, the first such full-scale attack on our capital, Seoul, since the Korean War. The lives of ten million citizens of Seoul, ten million residents of Gyeonggi Province, and twenty million people in our nation were as precarious as a candle in the wind, along with the security of the Republic. Personally, I too was in a life-threatening situation.”
A heavy silence falls after the President’s words.
The Seoul terror.
That horrifying moment flashed through everyone’s minds.
“Hero Kim Deok-Sung! Had it not been for him, the capital of our Republic, Seoul, might have burned to ashes under the villain’s attack, threatening the very existence of our nation. If it weren’t for him! If it weren’t for his comrades! None of us, including myself, would be alive and breathing here today.”
Seoul, the capital, is completely engulfed in flames from the villain’s attack, and the existence of the nation South Korea may well be in jeopardy. If it weren’t for him! If it weren’t for his comrades! None of us, including myself, would be alive here today.”
Trickle.
A single tear streams down the President’s face.
After hearing the President’s speech, a few people in the crowd sniffle, and soon the entire crowd is swept up in tears.
Gwanghwamun Plaza becomes a sea of weeping.
The President pulls a handkerchief from his pocket and wipes away his tears.
“Hero Kim Deok-Sung has saved the capital Seoul, ten million citizens of Seoul, twenty million residents of the metropolitan area, and furthermore, the Republic of Korea. He is an undeniable hero of our nation. Dear citizens, I would like to present a medal here to honor the achievements of Hero Kim Deok-Sung.”
A medal.
The moment those words are spoken, Gwanghwamun Plaza erupts in cheers.
*
They’re giving a medal, huh?
My face stiffens.
It’s the end anyway, and managing domestic public opinion is important, so I attended the event.
Starting with an air show and now throwing in a medal?
Just how far are they going with this?
My stomach twists.
[Partner, you didn’t see this coming?]
The Black Prince speaks in my head.
Well, he did receive the Legion of Honor after solving Olivia’s mess in France, so it’s not that unusual.
It would probably just be a Taeguk Medal.
Thinking so, I step up onto the platform.
[Hero Kim Deok-Sung has defeated the core villain that attacked Seoul and has protected the Blue House, its citizens, and furthermore, the Republic of Korea.]
As I step up, a brilliantly edited clip of my battle appears on the stage monitor with narration.
“Waaaaah!”
“Kim Deok-Sung! Kim Deok-Sung! Kim Deok-Sung!”
“Hooray for Kim Deok-Sung!”
“Hero! Kim Deok-Sung!”
The overwhelming cheers from Gwanghwamun Plaza are almost piercing my ears.
The Taegukgi flutters in the wind.
“The President will now present the medal from the podium.”
As the host speaks, the President appears holding a certificate and medal.
“Certificate of Merit. Kim Deok-Sung. For displaying outstanding martial prowess in the Battle of Seoul and for significantly contributing to the establishment of a solid foundation for the Republic of Korea by saving the state from enemy attacks, the following medal is awarded according to the Constitution of the Republic of Korea: The Founding Medal of the Republic of Korea.”
Wait, what?
What medal?
The Founding Medal of the Republic of Korea?
My head spins.
While I’m not well-versed in medals, I know what the Founding Medal of the Republic of Korea is.
It’s the most prestigious medal in Korea.
The same award given to well-known independence activists is now being awarded to me?
This country must be insane.
I accept the certificate from the President.
He pins the Founding Medal on my chest.
“Thank you for saving the Republic of Korea, Mr. Kim Deok-Sung.”
With sparkling eyes, the President says this and requests a handshake.
As I shake hands with the President, cheers erupt again that threaten to burst my eardrums.
[Partner, you’re quite popular, aren’t you?]
The Black Prince jokes, but it doesn’t feel like a joke at all.
It seems we’ve crossed past national pride into the realm of fanaticism.
Goosebumps rise on my skin.
After the medal ceremony, I return to my original seat.
“Next, there will be a Taeguk Medal ceremony. Miss Olivia Napoleon Bonaparte, please come forward.”
Olivia steps up amidst chants that are not quite as loud but still fervent.
After Olivia, there are Rin, Eri, Makoto, Kasumi, Yuji, and Ishihara.
The horrific medal ceremony finally concludes after all members of the cooking club are awarded the Taeguk Medal.
Is it over now?
There won’t be any more national pride nonsense, right?
“Well, it can’t be, right?”
“Next, we will have the tape-cutting ceremony for the statue of Hero Kim Deok-Sung.”
But unfortunately, my expectations were lightly betrayed.
What? A statue?
There’s no way it’s what I’m thinking, right?
A sinister premonition struck me like a lightning bolt.
Zzzz.
With a mechanical sound, the stage splits left and right.
Behind it, something wrapped in a white veil comes into view.
Right in front of Gwanghwamun, behind the statue of King Sejong, it had a human shape.
No, no way?
“Come on now, Kim Deok-Sung. Hehehehe.”
The President approached me with a big grin.
Like a cow being led to the slaughterhouse, I was pulled by the President’s hand and found myself holding scissors and tape.
Snip.
As I cut the tape with the scissors, thunderous applause erupted all around.
The white veil was removed, and the true identity of the statue was finally revealed.
Hero Kim Deok-Sung.
It was indeed my statue, standing proudly above the sign that read my name.
With Durandal sheathed at my waist, there I was, pointing forward.
Oh my.
I felt not just embarrassment but a creeping fear.
‘King Sejong, General Lee Soon-Shin, and all the independence activists, I’m truly sorry.’
Tears of blood flowed from my insides.
What on earth have I done to be treated like one of these great historical figures?
I couldn’t lift my head in shame.
“How do you like it, Kim Deok-Sung? Do you like the statue?”
It’s overwhelming.
Honestly, this is stressing me out.
Just as I was about to say that.
I felt the gazes of those around me.
The twinkling eyes of ministers and politicians, chaebols, and high-ranking officials sparkling like fans welcoming a celebrity.
In the end, I had no choice but to swallow my words of discomfort.
Well then.
It’s the last one, anyway.
I barely managed to move my lips.
“Uh, yes…”
“I’m glad you like it.”
With the President’s warm smile as the last memory, the embarrassing farewell ceremony at Gwanghwamun Plaza came to a close.
*
Secret City, Siberia, Soviet Union.
Headquarters of the New World League.
In the round conference room.
The remaining seven of the Thirteen Apostles were trembling in fear.
It was because the Master’s orders to strike Korea had once again ended in miserable failure.
In the heavy silence, the door to the conference room opened.
Black hair, black eyes.
A handsome man in a white suit and white shoes entered with a smile.
“Master!”
“Our savior!”
“We meet the Messiah!”
Listening to the voices of the Apostles, the handsome man, Messiah, took his seat.
Messiah closed his eyes.
A strange silence enveloped the room.
“…Master, about Korea…”
“I know. It’s a failure, isn’t it?”
Messiah’s words brought a heavy silence to the round table.
Anticipating the scolding that would follow, the Apostles trembled in their seats.
“It’s alright. Failure is just part of the journey. I have no reason to blame you for this mishap.”
But Messiah offered no scolding at all.
“Besides, I obtained something very valuable from this failure. A key piece of evidence for the New World plan, something truly precious…”
The smile on Messiah’s face grew wider.
In his mind, the image of an ideal world floated.
The ideal world existed.
As proof, a soul from that place was currently in this world.
Now, all that remained was to realize that ideal world in this reality.
Korea had long been erased from Messiah’s mind.
He stood up.
“I will expedite the New World plan. Professor.”
“Yes, Master.”
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