Chapter 314
Withdrawing Support
Gulp.
As I swallowed dryly and opened the YouTube app, the sight before me was shocking.
[K-Hero Kim Deok-Sung! Finally ascends to EX Rank! The world is engulfed in shock and horror at the valiant efforts of Hero Kim Deok-Sung, who defeated an EX Rank villain using a 0.00001% chance strategy! The glory of K-Heroes is receiving global attention, love, and cheers! Inexcusable fervor from the US, Japan, the UK, and France as they declare, “We will pay any price to support Kim Deok-Sung!”]
[In a broadcast interview, Tokyo citizens tearfully praise Kim Deok-Sung! “If it weren’t for K-Hero Kim Deok-Sung, Tokyo would have turned into a sea of flames. Thank you, Savior Kim Deok-Sung of Japan.” At last, Hero Kim Deok-Sung has completely conquered the Japanese archipelago!]
[The Japan Hero Association is in shock over Kim Deok-Sung’s EX Rank awakening! “An EX Rank hero has been born in Korea?” The Japanese government and the Japan Hero Association are left speechless in horror and despair. Japan Hero Association President Shinozaki Ichiro is furious and in tears, shouting, “Why is there no talent like Kim Deok-Sung in Japan!”]
[Korea has finally done it! The situation in Tokyo is turned upside down by the heroic deeds of K-Hero Kim Deok-Sung who protected Japan! Netizens from other countries are blasting Japanese netizens for denying the reality of Japan’s security vulnerabilities, which have been exposed! Anonymous statements from the Japan Hero Association reveal a shocking confession: Without Hero Kim Deok-Sung and Korea’s help, Japan would have already sunk!]
A festival of madness and nationalism was unfolding.
The Association President yelled?
Who on earth is spreading such ridiculous fabrications?
Peering into the abyss felt blinding.
This won’t do.
I need to get out of here quickly…
I closed the YouTube app and went online this time.
What I saw next was even more astonishing.
[K-Hero Kim Deok-Sung ascends to EX Rank! Now part of the “World Class” elite.]
[Hero Kim Deok-Sung saves Japan from the clutches of an EX Rank villain!]
[The Gwanghwamun Plaza is covered with an estimated 2 million cheering people… featuring a large Korean flag and a photo of Kim Deok-Sung, causing quite a buzz.]
[Cheering for Kim Deok-Sung continues across major cities and bustling streets nationwide… The streets are left spotless after the cheering, with no trash in sight, earning widespread praise for the elevated civic consciousness of the united citizens of South Korea.]
[(Photo) At the moment victory was confirmed after defeating the Professor, a luminous display shaped like Kim Deok-Sung’s photo and name lit up the Roteworld Tower.]
[(Photo) A floral necklace draped around the statue of Hero Kim Deok-Sung in Gwanghwamun Plaza.]
[(Photo) Scenes from across the nation as the Korean flag waves; for today, all citizens are united as one.]
[To commemorate Kim Deok-Sung’s EX Rank awakening, the ‘Hero Kim Deok-Sung Event Discount Day’ has been declared… Unbelievable sales on Japanese goods and electronics at half price…]
‘Hero Kim Deok-Sung Event Discount Day’ declared… Japanese goods, home appliances half-price sale…
[South Korea National Assembly passes ‘Special Law for Kim Deok-Sung Memorial Hall’ unanimously with bipartisan agreement. Tears and standing ovation ensue in the assembly hall…]
[President Kang holds emergency press conference, “I thank the cooperation of the National Assembly and opposition. For the support of Hero Kim Deok-Sung, there is no party divide… Construction on the Kim Deok-Sung Memorial Hall will begin soon. The achievements of Hero Kim Deok-Sung must be widely known… This EX-Rank awakening is not only the Hero Kim Deok-Sung’s glory but a great occasion for all of South Korea… In the future, the government will actively support Hero Kim Deok-Sung.”]
[(Breaking News) President Kang breaks down in tears during the press conference and faints, necessitating urgent medical transport…]
[Special interview with Yoo Se-Ra, Chairwoman of the Hero Kim Deok-Sung Foundation, “It’s only natural for Kim Deok-Sung to rise to EX-Rank. As a fan who admires him, I wholeheartedly support him. Scandal? That’s just rumors; I only have a one-sided love for him. I worry it might tarnish his reputation.”]
[“The might of the ‘Kim Deok-Sung Holding Country,’ major foreign media from the US, France, UK, and Japan all focus on Kim Deok-Sung’s rise to EX-Rank, special feature articles pouring in.]
What?
They’re building a memorial hall?
What on earth did I do to deserve a memorial hall?
It’s no different than news articles or nationalistic YouTube channels.
My blood pressure is rising.
[Is the Light Deok-Sung World-Class announcement out?]
[Light Deok-Sung! Light Deok-Sung! Praise EX-Rank!]
[Title: As of today, I withdraw my support for Kim Deok-Sung.]
[From today onward, I’ll break free from the supporter role and become one with Kim Deok-Sung.]
[Attacks on Kim Deok-Sung will be considered attacks on me.]
[Upvotes 1,234,234] [Downvotes 0]
[- I saw this and decided to support Light Deok-Sung]
[- I’m a third-generation fan of Kim Deok-Sung…]
[- The staff died of overwork LOL]
[- Proud! Kim Deok-Sung Holding Country!]
[- Yeah, even if my head breaks, I’ll support Light Deok-Sung~]
[Title: A photo of Kim Deok-Sung has surfaced!]
[(Photo of Light)]
[Upvotes 24,234,234] [Downvotes 0]
[- It’s too dazzling to see LOL]
[- Pure light… ]
[- Seriously LOL It’s the Messiah of Korea LOL]
[Hey, honestly, what has Kim Deok-Sung done? LOL EX-Rank is impressive, but Japan has quite a few too, and the fight with the Professor was all handled by the Hero Academy’s chairman, right? LOL Seriously, Kim Deok-Sung is a water rocket LOL Don’t just read domestic news; look at some objective foreign articles LOL Honestly, this nationalistic pride is primitive LOL]
[Upvotes 0] [Downvotes – 534,234,234]
[- wls]
[- Oh, another Japanese fanboy troll again -_-]
[- Japanese fanboy, go back to your country LOL]
[- Korea is primitive, yet you write in Korean LOL Even in Japan, they don’t accept social misfits like you LOL]
[- Manga confiscated for 2 weeks]
[- Japanese fanboy in angry anime-watching mode LOL]
[- Koitsu www The brain of a Japanese fanboy completely melted down www No turning back www loser www]
The community posts and comments felt like peering into the depths of a dark abyss.
Dizzy, I turned off the internet.
[Partner, are you okay?]
Not only a statue in Gwanghwamun Plaza but also a memorial hall and Roteworld Tower lights.
I’m definitely not going to Korea this winter break.
Damn, this experience of Korean isekai is enough with just the summer camp.
I made that resolution as I turned off my phone.
“Kid, are you okay? What on earth did you see on your phone? You look pretty unwell. Should I peel a melon for you or something?”
At that moment, I heard Seira’s voice from beside me.
She looks at me with a worried expression.
Is that a melon?
Is it the melon in the fruit basket that Yuji brought as a hospital visit gift?
“Oh, yes…”
There’s no reason to refuse when she’s offering to cut it for me.
I nodded.
“Hehe. Watch closely. I will show you my melon-cutting skills… Oh? This is a Yubari melon.”
Seira pulls the melon out of the fruit basket and says something that sounds like a line from a PPL in an anime.
“It’s a melon for Kim… So I chose the best one, President.”
“Good choice, Kurosawa-kun. The Yubari melon is indeed the best melon in Japan. Hehe, wait for it.”
After exchanging some typical anime lines with Yuji, Seira takes out a knife and a tray, and starts cutting the melon.
Chop chop.
With perfect slices, Seira holds a piece of melon up with a fork and brings it to my mouth.
“Here, little one. Open wide.”
Despite her casual, flirtatious voice, Seira’s face is slightly flushed with embarrassment as she offers me the melon with a trembling hand.
Since she’s feeding me, there’s really no need to decline.
I take the melon.
“How is it?”
Seira asks with a slightly nervous expression.
Yuji, sitting across from us, looks at me with a serious face.
I don’t need the attention of a guy like Yuji, even if Seira doesn’t realize it.
The melon’s soft flesh crumbles in my mouth.
So this is the taste of Yubari melon, the one that always tags along in anime.
“It’s delicious.”
“I’m glad to hear that. Hehe.”
Seira smiles at my response, and Yuji looks relieved.
Meanwhile, Kusunagi is closely glued to Seira, subtly keeping an eye on us.
It’s a peaceful scene from a light novel world.
Alright.
Now that the hospital visit is somewhat wrapped up, it’s time to ask Seira for a favor.
“President.”
“Why do you call me? Little one.”
“I have a request.”
Upon hearing my words, Seira’s face turns red.
Swoosh.
She unfurls her black lace fan to cover her face and speaks with a slightly trembling voice.
“W-what is it? If you are my dear little protector… I will grant you anything you desire. Even if it’s this body that you want…”
Even in this situation, the nonsense is a hallmark of the light novel world, I guess.
I sighed and cut her off.
“I want a one-on-one private meeting with the Professor without any external interference right after I get discharged.”
Seira’s eyes slightly flicker at my words.
The Professor is an EX-rank villain and a major criminal.
A solo meeting without interference is fundamentally impossible.
That’s why I need Seira’s power to make impossibilities possible here.
However, I need to record his testimony to persuade the Undertaker.
Unlike the original, if I succeed in recording that advice from the Professor, I won’t have to struggle to persuade the Undertaker like Yuji did in the original.
Using shortcuts and loopholes is truly the essence of web novel clichés, right?
“That is…”
Seira’s eyes waver at my words.
She speaks in a trembling voice.
“…You won’t tell me why, right?”
“There’s nothing I couldn’t say, but…”
Of course, I have an explanation prepared for such moments.
Just as I was about to spill my excuse.
“Enough.”
Seira says in a serious tone.
“Looking at your expression, it seems there’s a reason you can’t speak of. Fine. If you want to meet my useless student like that… I will gladly help you.”
“If you really want to meet your disciple… I’ll gladly help you.”
Seira beams confidently.
“Because you… are my most beloved disciple.”
I fell silent at the sight of Seira’s shyly reddened face.
After all that effort to prepare an excuse, it was all for nothing.
This damn light novel world is full of hopeless idiots.
“Thank you very much, President.”
Anyway, gratitude is gratitude.
I offer my thanks to Seira.
“That’s enough. Hehe. I’m just glad I can help you after such a long time.”
As I speak, Seira flutters her fan.
Her expression, as she says that, looked truly happy, just as she had claimed during the confrontation with the Professor.
*
Japan’s Hero Association’s direct villain prison.
The final destination for notorious villains captured or sentenced to prison for crimes.
It was built on a remote artificial island far away in the Pacific Ocean, a place where only infamous villains were confined.
The villain prison was surrounded by numerous special barriers and scientific, magical means to prevent prisoner escapes, located in the middle of the ocean, an isolated fortress.
Moreover, the warden was an EX-rank hero, famous by the alias “Yasha King.”
Thanks to that, the prison has managed to contain countless villains without a single escape.
And now, I was sitting in the visitation room of that villain prison.
Through the magically treated glass, I could see him.
A handsome man in a prison outfit with striking dark gray hair.
It was the Professor.
“······It’s been a while, Kim Deok-Sung. I hope the teacher is doing well?”
The Professor gazes at me with a transcendent look in his eyes, asking about Seira.
A classic sight of a washed-up villain from a light novel, different from his villainous state.
Good.
In this state, I can record the testimony I want.
Even if he doesn’t respond to my first question immediately, it doesn’t matter.
I’ve prepared means of negotiation that will make him spill the beans.
“The President is doing well.”
“That’s a relief. I was worried… Thank you for letting me know about the teacher’s well-being.”
“Enough of that. I came here to hear your testimony.”
“What testimony are you referring to…?”
The Professor looks confused.
I gaze at the Professor and say, “Ten years ago, the mysterious deaths of the remaining Five Crowns, excluding the Sword Saint… Everyone in the world knows it’s an accident, and the deaths of the Five Crowns were officially listed as accidental. But the truth is, the mastermind behind it was Messiah, and the one who disguised the murders of the Five Crowns as accidents was none other than League Master Messiah. That’s the testimony I’m looking for.”
The Professor’s expression hardens.
A smirk appears on my lips.
Concrete evidence to easily sway the Undertaker.
It reveals that the Messiah she followed was, in fact, the one who murdered her brother.
As a reader of the original work, I know, but within this world, only the Messiah and the Professor are aware of this greatest secret.
Even Seira, the only surviving member of the Five Crowns, has her suspicions but lacks solid evidence, unable to mention the true mastermind behind the deaths of the Five Crowns ten years ago officially.
The Professor’s hand trembles slightly.
His mouth slowly opens.
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