Chapter 380: Seoul (23)

Seoul (23)

“Why? They came for you.”

“It’s still embarrassing.”

I don’t know if this is a concert hall or a church.

Why are you doing that at a serious briefing session?

“Are you embarrassed?”

“Where is the mantis?”

I changed the subject.

Once you give Hochi something to play with, he’ll be doing it for days and days.

“In the church. It was more popular than I thought.”

It’s good.

The mantis had already mixed in with the people.

Of course, it won’t be very good at dealing with people.

However, its lack of social skills can be filled with excellent abilities.

Considering that the awakened who gather believers can become gods, it is a more standard route.

“It’s perfect to use as a denomination mascot.”

It had enough power and suspense to become a symbolic being.

When I used a frog as a mascot on the stage when making a sect…….

Well…….

I made a mistake in thinking.

I wasn’t going to think of it here.

“Hahaha, nice to meet you.”

There was a person with a Korean textbook accent who interrupted the awkward air just in time.

It was a voice trying to forcefully show off its superiority, but I heard a slight tremor at the end of each word.

“Oh, yes.”

He suddenly reached out his hand, so I reached out and shook his hand.

He was a very old man.

A hearty one.

To the point where the term ‘honorable old man’ is appropriate.

The man shakes hands with one hand, tapping my arm lightly with his left hand.

And pop, I heard a sound.

The flash went off and a picture was taken.

When I looked at the man again, I could see the flowing sweat on his open forehead.

The human body, swamped with excessive excitement and anxiety, releases sweat to maintain body temperature and relieve tension.

“… Hahaha…….”

The meaning of what just happened was obvious.

Shaking hands and striking the arm with the other hand is a gesture of an upper person encouraging a lower person.

Promoting such an appearance and taking a picture at the right time.

And to promote to the public with the photo.

That’s probably the purpose of this old man.

“I’m sorry, that wasn’t bad by any chance, was it?”

There was still a light of fear in the eyes of the man who spoke in a friendly manner.

Oh my God, I can’t believe I shook hands like this.

Who do you think I am?

Apart from that, the man felt bold.

Fear is a realm that belongs to nature, not reason.

It wasn’t easy to suppress that and compose a photograph to use for promotional purposes.

“Cute!”

Yong-Yong’s face popped out from behind the trembling man’s back.

Yong-Yong, who was looking around, seems to hang on the man’s back.

“Ahaha, it’s cute!”

“Uh, what… What!”

The man was embarrassed when something hung behind his back and tried to turn away.

Yong-Yong didn’t even care and climbed over his shoulders.

“Cute! Cute!”

Yong-Yong exclaimed, hitting the man’s wide forehead with a thud.

I understand.

How funny does that man look in Yong-Yong’s eyes?

It’s just ridiculous to me.

He was ignorant of the knowledge of the earth, such as courtesy, social status, and respect according to age.

Instead, what would this situation look like to Yong-Yong, who only sees its essence?

I wanted to be in Yong-Yong’s position.

The man who was in trouble with his blushing face soon began to laugh.

He looked at Yong-Yong and thought of his cute grandson, and he was happy to see Yong-Yong hanging onto him.

Yong-Yong’s consideration seems to free him out of pressure.

“Hey.”

I said, tapping Hochi’s shoulder.

“What?”

“You, your strength is overflowing again.”

“Huh? Is that so?”

This half penny guy.

I have to catch him and train him some time.

Hochi still has no power control.

As usual, it was more so when he was with me.

He was mistaken.

When I and an ordinary human are in the same space, Hochi becomes unable to recognize human power and his own power ends up leaking out.

Still, though, he has become much better than when he first came out.

It was a level that could still feel overwhelming to the general public, but not to the Awakened.

It’s been like that for a long time.

Anyway, if you are an Awakened, you can manage to withstand it.

If you are not with me, the general public will just become nervous without even knowing it, and it will stop at the level where the presence becomes clear.

The photographer who came with the man pressed the shutter of the camera towards the man and Yong-Yong playing around.

Are you going to use that as publicity?

I was thinking about sanctioning him, but Kim Min-hyuk came over.

“Hey, who is that?”

“… It’s the President.”

Kim Minhyuk, who told me by whispering, approached the man.

President?

What should I do?

Kim Min-hyuk talked politely to the president.

In the news, Kim Min-hyuk seemed to be treated as a public figure by the government.

They seemed to have met and talked a few times.

Then it turned out that there were people who seemed to be attendants and bodyguards camped out a little further away.

There are also a few Awakened.

I didn’t notice at all.

But does that mean anything?

* * *

Kim Ui-seok entered the break room and pulled his tie.

“Hoo.”

He exhaled heavily, but his lungs still felt tight.

The tension didn’t go away.

“Are you okay?”

After waving his hand at the aide who asked about his condition, he slowly drank the prepared cold water.

Even this country’s president couldn’t withstand it.

In the past, the president was the highest and most honorable of all.

He had that much power.

But he didn’t these days.

These days when the operation of the state itself has become in jeopardy, the president has become a job that is shunned.

He bowed his head frequently to others rather than talked down to them.

There were more days spent in front of his desk at night than laughing and spending time drinking wine.

There were several accidents a day he could not handle, and he had to bear the full responsibility for it.

‘What did I do so wrong? Did I sell my country in my past life?’

He sometimes thought so.

President Kim Ui-seok had a hard and difficult daily life.

It was like that today.

The Dimensional Gate’s briefing session will be the starting point for completely handing over the leadership of Korea to the guild.

From the government’s point of view, the installation and management of dimensional gates led by the guild should not have been done.

But what if there was no way to stop it?

However, the lawmakers who opened their mouths condemned his judgment.

So instead of sanctioning the guild, Kim Eui-seok decided to put out a spoon for them.

The government would be stuck in the guild and become parasitic, but in reality, the guild had more power than the government.

It was the government that ran the state, but there was a huge difference in practical force.

Years ago, when guilds were established in Korea and left to settle, the power game between the government and the guild was already over.

Even the Association of Awakened, which was an independent armed group, was absorbed into the guild.

Now, even if Kim Minhyuk entered the Blue House* and sat in the presidential seat, there was no way to stop it.

Their superpowers made it possible.

In fact, there are some countries where dictatorship by the Awakened people is taking place.

What happened today was a show to get a little breathing room in such a situation.

It was the photo showing his initiative by gently shaking hands and taking advantage of him as an elderly person.

That was all Kim Ui-seok could do.

“Your Excellency… Are you really okay?”

The aide asked again.

His hands were swollen.

The awakened Lee Ho-jae just pretended to hold his hand.

But Kim Minhyuk didn’t.

He didn’t let go during the conversation, squeezing his hand.

Kim Minhyuk used his own strength.

It was a warning.

Don’t waste your time with Lee Ho-jae.

This has never happened before while facing Kim Min-hyuk

Probably so.

After some time, the bruises were coming up black and blue.

Along with the stiff pain.

When he reached out to his aide, he applied the medicine to his hand.

Kim Eui-seok was sad about his situation.

He tried to suppress his sorrow, quietly gave his hand over, and remained silent.

The aide was also moved to tears seeing the emotions rising and he cleared his throat.

His most reliable man.

He was an old friend.

The memories of the day he promised to become president when they hit the soju glass and burned it together are still good.

The conclusion was drawing such a shabby ending for them.

“Sir, the photos taken were posted as breaking news in the press.”

“… Did it go well?”

“Yes. The composition came out really beautifully. It’s good news to the media.”

The attendant explained whether he noticed the gloomy atmosphere, and explained the progress in a brighter voice than usual.

But it was a relief.

At the very least, the people will think that the world is leading a remarkable event, such as the establishment of a dimension gate, where the state and the guild are on an equal footing.

It was a relief too.

It was a relief, as Kim Eui-seok kept repeating when he was alone.

[You have obtained a large amount of merit value.]

[You have obtained a merit value of 12,200pt.]

[Acquired the title ‘The Church’s Most Contributor’.]

[Additional points of 2,000pt were obtained due to the title.]

[Acquired the title ‘Most Contributor of the Month’.]

[You have acquired 500pt of additional points due to the title.]

[Acquired the title ‘People who may be the political supporter of the church.]

[Additional score of 200pt was acquired due to the title.]

[It greatly changed the perception of the church.]

[The public perception of the church will change from ‘multi-level pseudo- church’ to ‘multi-level pseudo-church that also shakes hands with the head of state’.]

[Because you are not a believer, you cannot use the points obtained through the church’s merit value.]

[In order to use points to obtain rewards, you must become an official member of the church.]

[The nearest branch of the church is located in 224, Iseong-ro, Gangnam-gu, Seoul…]

Kim Eui-seok was so surprised that he had to stand still for a while.

He heard this message appear in front of the Awakened people in the Tutorial.

He didn’t know that would also happen to him.

After trying to understand the situation for a while, he was able to recognize what “church” the message was referring to.

“Your Excellency?”

“… Assistant Kim.”

“Yes, what’s wrong?”

“How much do you know about the Lee Ho Jae Faith?”

* * *

“Where is Hochi?”

“Well, I wonder if he went to the church members.”

Is that so?

Hochi that naughty kid.

He told me to come.

I don’t know where he went after throwing me away.

Yong-Yong, who was sitting on my lap, yawned.

Waiting for the briefing session to begin seems boring.

By the way, why is my son’s yawning so pleasing to hear?

“Okay, before the briefing session! There will be a congratulatory performance from the girl group, Unnamed!”

The voice of the moderator ringing over the microphone rang in the presentation hall.

I was kind of puzzled.

“What is the big celebration?”

What is the relationship between the Dimension Gate and the girl group?

The Gate’s briefing session is an event that the world is paying attention to.

There’s no need to refresh the atmosphere, and everyone who is invited to this place or who will be watching TV will focus on the explanation.

“Hochi asked me to do it.”

“Hochi?”

Hochi, why are there so many orders?

It was Hochi who asked me to attend.

It was Hochi who invited the congregation to the event.

It was also Hochi who told me to keep Yong-Yong on my lap.

“Where is this guy?”

I tried to find Hochi’s energy, but I felt a fake energy in all directions.

Although Hochi may not know anything else, he’s really good at hiding.

I used to train Hochi, but I still find it hard to find him.

You can’t completely hide from me.

Instead, Hochi artificially spreads his energy and escapes from my gaze.

If this guy is determined to hide, it’ll take some time to find out where he is.

“I’m a little nervous about this.”

I couldn’t figure out what kind of nonsense Hochi was doing.