Chapter 444: Chapter 444

[The ‘River of Mercy’ apologizes.]

[The ‘Monk Pursuing Glory’ apologizes.]

[The ‘Warrior With a Hammer’ apologizes.]

[The ‘Arrogant Light Elf’ apologizes.]

‘At this point, I’m more embarrassed than angry.’

Rather than being angry at the constellations for failing to do what they had promised, Choi Yeonseung was more impressed by the Japanese government’s tenacity in ignoring the requests of the constellations.

To think they would refuse help at a time when even the help of one single constellation was invaluable...

Was the Japanese government that incredibly confident that they could solve this issue without the help of a constellation?

‘However, they shouldn’t reject the constellations’ request like that.’

The relationship between the countries of Earth and the constellations was both distant and close.

Governments around the world wanted to keep unveiling the mysteries of the Abyss by getting information from the constellations, but they didn’t like constellations interfering in their internal affairs.

The constellations despised being swayed by greedy humans, but a certain level of cooperation was necessary to take care of their household members.

In the end, the relationship between constellations and humans was one where both sides had to listen to each other to some extent.

That was why it was so hard to believe that Japan was blatantly ignoring the constellations.

“Thank you all for stepping up. It looks like things are going badly over there, so I’ll go and check it out.”

[The ‘River of Mercy’ suggests speaking up if you need help.]

[The ‘Monk Pursuing Glory’...]

‘Were the constellations always this kind?’

Choi Yeonseung was a bit taken aback by how nice the constellations were to him.

Of course, the good god constellations were generally more agreeable than the evil ones, but they were still constellations at the end of the day. It was natural for them to want to keep Choi Yeonseung, the household member of another constellation, in check, at least to some degree.

Thus, it was hard to believe that they were so kind.

-The order of the Abyss changes depending on the situation. It’s clear that their household members have their hands tied at the moment.

-I see.

There was only one reason the constellations were being so friendly.

It was clear that all of their household members couldn’t do anything at the moment because they were frantically fighting across Earth. The only reliable human who could step up was Choi Yeonseung!

If that was the case...

‘Then I could hold on and try to get more out of them.’

[The ‘Goddess of Balance Who Walks Ahead’ cautiously says it doesn’t seem like a good idea.]

-I was joking.

-You weren’t joking, right?

-Be quiet.

***

Japan’s A-grade hunter, Kohei Nakao, was surprised by the long-awaited call and ran over.

“Did I get a call from Hunter Choi Yeonseung?”

“Yes.”

“Give me the phone,” Nakao told the staff member with an elated expression. He hadn’t forgotten how Choi Yeonseung had saved him and his team from death in Russia.

“Even now, when I think about it...”

“Are you grateful?”

“My mouth is watering... Ah, of course I’m grateful.”

‘Did he just say that... his mouth is watering?’

“Hello. Hunter Choi Yeonseung, it has been a while!”

-Yes, it's been a while. Are you okay over there?

Nakao smiled bitterly at Choi Yeonseung’s question. They were most certainly not okay...

Even in South Korea, where Choi Yeonseung took action personally, people had hindered the preparations for the invasion, politicians being the most guilty. They had even said that no invasion would occur. Some other countries were even worse than that.

As for Japan, it was more or less in the same boat as South Korea.

-Our responsibilities aren’t so insignificant that we’ll be swayed by the unfounded claims of one hunter! Besides, why should we believe a Korean hunter? What if South Korea is trying to set a trap for us?

-Hunter Choi Yeonseung isn’t that type of person...

-Hunter Kohei Nakao! I respect you as an A-grade hunter, but let us, the officials, deal with defense, diplomacy, and overall politics. Please don’t meddle. Don’t make people anxious with useless opinions!

-...I understand.

Some clans were abuzz after hearing Choi Yeonseung’s claims, saying things like “Hey, Hunter Choi Yeonseung doesn’t spew nonsense like other hunters. Isn’t something big going to happen?” However, not even the most influential Japanese clans could take the lead in this atmosphere.

The hunters were the ones who had to bear the consequences.

-The clans’ complacency has made things worse! The clans aren’t doing their job properly...

-When did the Japanese hunters lose their samurai spirit?

-The government may or may not have asked the clans several times...

When the invasion broke out and several districts and cities were closed off, the media were pressured by the government to blame the clans and hunters.

The clans and hunters were on the verge of losing their minds because of all the injustice, but they couldn’t fight in the current situation. They were forced to bite the bullet and fight.

“It’s not great,” said Nakao. “Several cities are on lockdown and people are evacuating...”

-I see. Since I have free time, I was thinking of applying to go there. What do you think?

“Re... Reinforcements?! Really??” Nakao yelled unwittingly, startling the staff member next to him.

Nakao’s surprised reaction was understandable. There was a crisis, and more and more monsters would emerge, and yet Choi Yeonseung, leader of the Korean A-grade hunters, was coming here to Japan to help?!

South Korea also had politicians, so there was no way they would sit there and watch. It was clear they would do anything they could to sabotage or hit him in the back of the head.

“Are you allowed to do that?”

-That doesn’t matter.

“...!”

Nakao was overwhelmed with emotion.

High-ranking people were neglecting their responsibilities, while hunters and citizens tried to benefit from this chaos instead of helping each other. Thus, Nakao couldn’t believe that someone from another country was trying to help like this.

What a noble spirit of sacrifice!

-...Are you crying right now?

“N-no... I just got emotional for a moment, that’s all.”

‘He’s a bit weird.’

Nakao wasn’t aware of Choi Yeonseung’s impression of him.

In any case, just as Nakao had assumed, Choi Yeonseung was planning to come over to Japan without caring about the politicians. Rather, it was more like he was knocking them down!

-Then can you invite me on behalf of the Namahage clan?

“Huh? I can, but you should contact the Ministry of Defense. Wouldn’t it be better if you were treated as an official guest when coming?”

When inviting the president or king of another country, it was best to treat them as a state guest. An official guest wasn’t as important, but the host country would still arrange public hospitality when a big name or a special envoy came from another country.

It was about recognizing the opponent’s status through various welcoming events and simple discussions.

In the current situation, the visit of an A-grade hunter couldn’t be treated as a state visit, but the hunter could still be treated as an official guest.

-Yes. I’ve already asked for that, but the Japanese government refused.

“...They’re such bastards!!”

“?!”

The staff member was once again startled.

-What were you just swearing about?

“Oh, nothing.”

-Anyway, I need an invitation from the clan to come over. Is that okay?

Normally, clans had the right to invite hunters from other countries for a variety of reasons.

They could invite foreign hunters to learn skills and raid tactics from them, have them assist in a dungeon raid, or just to interact with them.

Of course, since it was a matter of bringing in foreign hunters, permission from the government was required. However, a large clan like Namahage had the ability to proceed through expedient means.

The problem was the aftermath.

If a large clan like Namahage invited a foreign A-grade hunter during the invasion, they would essentially declare that Japan couldn’t handle the situation on its own. No matter how they thought about it, that was how it would look.

The ruling party was already on edge because incidents erupted everywhere. Would they really stay still if one of the largest clans in the country invited a South Korean hunter out of nowhere?

They would most likely shout abuse at the clan and hit them with dozens of sanctions.

“It doesn’t matter!”

-Is it really okay?

“I know what you’re worried about, but I don’t care about that right now. Just like you’ve shown, the true value of a hunter is their dedication to humanity!”

-...???

On the other end of the phone, Choi Yeonseung was once again flustered. What had he shown...?

‘What’s this guy saying?’

-I... understand. In any case, if you don’t mind, let’s proceed with the whole thing.

“Yes, please!”

***

Choi Yeonseung didn’t take any Korean hunters with him.

His leaving the country was bound to make the people of South Korea anxious, and taking other A-grade hunters with him would panic the masses even more.

Instead, he took the household members sent by the other constellations with him.

[The ‘River of Mercy’ thanks you.]

[The ‘Monk Pursuing Glory’ thanks you for persuading them on behalf of the constellations.]

[The ‘Warrior With a Hammer’ says he will pay off his debt in battle.]

[...]

The household members came to be part of Choi Yeonseung’s group because of the refusal of the Japanese government.

It was clear that the Japanese government would be furious once they realized what was going on.

“I don’t understand. How dare they refuse Master’s favor?” Illaphael asked incredulously.

Illeya nodded, surprised that she finally agreed with the angel on something.

Uranta, a giant sent by the Warrior With a Hammer, also spoke up.

“D-didn’t listen... Beat all the humans to death... M-must carry out the commands of the constellation.”

“...”

“...”

His words were slurred, but the killing intent in his voice was real. Illaphael said in astonishment, “Uh, we’re not doing that...”

“R-really?”

Uranta looked at Illaphael with a startled expression. He had thought the angel was on the same page.

“U-unbelievable... Didn’t you say that all humans should be wiped out?”

“...”

“...”

Hearing that, Choi Yeonseung and Illeya tried to distance themselves from Illaphael.

Seeing their reactions, Illaphael hurriedly tried to make an excuse.

“It’s a misunderstanding! A misunderstanding! Uranta, you damn giant!”

“Ah, was it a misunderstanding?”

“I did say that, but...”

“...”

“...You go and sit over there.”

Choi Yeonseung sent Illaphael to where the other household members were sitting. Illaphael walked away while glaring at Uranta as if she wanted to kill him.

Choi Yeonseung looked at Uranta and said, “Uranta, this is the first time we’ve met each other, but I will be the one who prepares and directs this fight. Will you follow my instructions?”

“Uranta. I-if you are competent, I will respect you. Human, I heard a lot of rumors that you are strong. I want to see it with my eyes.” n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Yes, you’ll get to see plenty of that.”

Illeya cocked her head and curiously said, “This is an Abyssal race... How come you can handle them so well?”

“Ah.”

Of course, Choi Yeonseung was good at dealing with giants because he had fought and compromised with them several times while wandering around the Abyss. However, he couldn’t just say that out loud.

Thus, he lied confidently.

“Korean hunters and giants are very similar.”

“...Are you serious??” Illeya’s eyes widened with surprise.

Choi Yeonseung then changed the topic to avoid getting caught.

“On a different note, it seems that your constellation is quite fond of you. There’s a good chance that you’ll be promoted to A-grade after this raid. What do you plan to do after you become an A-grade?”

“Continue... being in the Icarus clan. South Korea is good.”

“Um...”

Choi Yeonseung closed his eyes for a moment and was lost in thought. On second thoughts, he felt a bit uncomfortable every time he talked to Illeya.

At first, he had thought it was just awkward as a Korean to talk to a foreigner who always said, “I love South Korea so much!”

However...

‘It’s weird if I think about it.’

-The Observer Who Returned From a Cold Place is definitely favoring her a bit too much. Maybe Illeya is hiding something...

‘I mean... She wants to stay in the clan just because she’s obsessed with Korean culture... That’s not common sense...’

-...Really? Why not?

The goddess of sloth tilted her head. She didn’t think it was that weird...

‘My intuition tells me that something’s wrong. The Observer Who Returned From a Cold Place is currently an ally, but you can’t really tell what her true intentions are. I have no choice but to look deeper into Illeya, even if it means paying a price.’

-Goddess.

Choi Yeonseung called out to the goddess of balance, who had been watching everything in silence. She was startled.

[The ‘Goddess of Balance Who Walks Ahead’ stutters before answering!]

-Why are you embarrassed...? I have a request for you. Can you use your power of existence to learn the true identity of Illeya Vsevolodovna?

It was said that constellations could obscure the identity of their household members, but the goddess of balance had the power of foresight. Maybe she could see something.

-I don’t think it’s a good idea.

The goddess of sloth muttered in a low voice as she warned Choi Yeonseung.

-Why? Ah, using the power of existence for this is overkill, right?

-No... I mean, that’s a valid reason as well. Rather, this is about jealousy...

The goddess of sloth trailed off. She had already guessed that the goddess of balance was jealous of all the other constellations who approached Choi Yeonseung, and he was asking her to use her power to look into Illeya.

Her power was unstable, and jealousy could increase the chances of seeing a false future.

[The ‘Goddess of Balance Who Walks Ahead’ blushes and shouts firmly that she won’t do that!]

-That’s right. Goddess of sloth, how about having more faith in her for once?

-Bah. I won’t say anything else!

The goddess of sloth turned her head in anger.

‘Fine, let’s see how it turns out!’

[The ‘Goddess of Balance Who Walks Ahead’ says she will do her best to see it.]

Choi Yeonseung and the goddess of balance were long time allies, and he could feel her using her power of existence earnestly.

Even if the vision wasn’t completely accurate, surely it would be useful somehow...

[The ‘Goddess of Balance Who Walks Ahead’ carefully speaks of the future she saw.]

[She says that Illeya Vsevolodovna is the incarnation of the ‘Observer Who Returned From a Cold Place’.]

“...”

-What did I say? Jealousy...