Chapter 181 – The Hero (2)
I had no particular complaints about the dormitory at the Korea National Sport University where I was currently staying. But ever since I became known as a ‘royal’ from another country, I was effectively chased out of the beloved dormitory.
A government official explained it like this:
“If anything happens to Kang Moon-soo-ssi, it will cause major diplomatic friction.”
“Is that so?”
“It’s unlikely, but the Holy Roman Empire’s position is that if you suffer any harm—even an accident—they are prepared to go to war.”
“……”
If I die, war?
No way that would happen, but from now on I’ll have to be extra careful when crossing the street.
“To make a long story short… The VIP who plans to enter the country secretly will be protected by the Empire, and since Kang Moon-soo-ssi is a citizen born on this land, our country has decided to take full responsibility for your protection.”
The VIP must refer to Mother.
True to her Ranuvela style, she’ll probably enter the country discreetly.
So the conclusion is?
“We have received intelligence that social misfits hoping to overthrow the state are targeting Kang Moon-soo-ssi’s life.”
“……”
Is this really reality right now?
Ever since I followed the witch to the Holy Roman Empire, my life has started veering in the weirdest directions.
After shaman, now survival game?
It was absurd.
“So until we finish wiping out that puppet organization, we would appreciate it if you could stay at the official residence we have prepared.”
“Hm…”
“With all due respect, this is not a request—it is a recommendation. The Empire is seriously considering full-scale war.”
“What if I take the risk and just immigrate to the Empire instead?”
Now I think I understand why the cardinal let me leave so easily. If they forcibly kept me in the Empire, I would rebel.
They were creating an environment where I had no choice but to stay in the Holy Roman Empire.
“……”
“……”
“If Kang Moon-soo-ssi truly wishes it, there is currently no way to stop you from immigrating. However, we are doing our absolute best to prevent our Olympic hero from being taken by the Empire.”
“Hmm…”
“I fully understand how you feel, Kang Moon-soo-ssi. Still, please give us just one chance.”
“…All right.”
“Thank you!”
And so…
I moved from the Korea National Sport University dormitory to the official residence at Army Headquarters.
Apparently, the family of the Army Chief of Staff had lived here until recently…
「No Entry」
「Surveillance Cameras in Operation」
「Drones Prohibited」
「Violation Will Result in Imprisonment…」
A two-story detached house with chilling warning signs plastered all over the high walls.
In the parking lot, a bulletproof vehicle said to be sturdier than most tanks was always on standby along with a driver, and from the second floor, patrolling soldiers and guard posts were visible everywhere.
What about exercise?
They said if I let them know at least an hour in advance—even late—they would clear out the military fitness facilities for my exclusive use and keep them spotless…
***
“That’s the car?”
Song Sun-young looked at the bulletproof vehicle that had brought us all the way to the high-end restaurant recommended by Choi Kang-hoon and made an expression of utter disbelief.
And there were four bodyguards following us!
They were dressed to pass as civilians, but no one would mistake them for anything other than soldiers.
“Well… I’ll get used to it.”
If it really becomes too hard, I’ll have no choice but to immigrate as Ranuvela VII intended. But seeing them go to such lengths, I didn’t feel good about suddenly leaving just because it’s inconvenient.
“Then what about me?”
“What about you?”
“I don’t care what other people say, but it’s too far from home.”
“Ah…”
The Korea National Sport University was close to Song Sun-young’s house, so it was very easy for us to see each other. The only reason we didn’t meet often was because I kept getting stuck in my dreams.
But this official residence was extremely far. The distance wasn’t that great, but having to cross the congested city center meant it took about an hour one way.
Unless we only dated at dawn when the roads were empty, round-trip would take two hours.
“Should I move over there instead?”
“…Seon-yeong-ah.”
“It’ll be my first time living apart from my parents, but I’ll figure it out somehow. This could be a chance for me to learn housework too.”
“Seon-yeong-ah.”
“Why?”
“Don’t do that. Let’s just live together.”
“……”
At my confession, Song Sun-young froze like ice.
“I-I mean… the residence is way too big for one person. There are lots of bathrooms, so we can share…”
“Are you serious?”
“Uh… yeah. I admit I’m a huge pervert, but I swear I will never do anything weird. I promise on my ancestor’s name.”
Dear God! I’m sorry for using the name for my personal desires!
“Is that even possible?”
“I’ll wear a blindfold at home. I can endure it.”
“You idiot! That’s not what I meant!”
“Huh? It’s not?”
“No, it’s not!”
“Can I look as much as I want then?”
“…Don’t go advertising the fact that you’re a pervert right here in this restaurant. That would actually be a disservice to your ancestor.”
“Ahem!”
Sorry for being a pervert.
“Will Mother allow it?”
“You don’t have to worry about Mom. She ran away from home herself to marry Dad.”
“Running away for love. That’s incredibly romantic.”
“……”
It seems my explanation was way too lacking.
“Will Mother live with us too?”
“No.”
It was the first time I saw Song Sun-young showing concern for anyone other than me.
“Then… okay.”
“Yay!”
“You’re way too happy about this. By the way, something’s bothering me. This means So Un-hyeon oppa will be living with us too. I don’t really like that.”
“…We don’t know yet.”
“Hm?”
“I’ll explain after I confirm.”
First, I had to make sure whether my senior—who saved Mom—was safe.
***
My inner devil of lust wanted nothing more than to fully enjoy the cohabitation life that Song Sun-young had permitted, but I couldn’t stand it because my senior’s safety kept weighing on my mind.
For that reason,
“Your face is absolutely glowing, Director.”
Just one day after helping Song Sun-young move, I visited Elmolance University Hospital.
“Does it look that way?”
“Yes.”
“You’re seeing correctly. Finally, the environment where I can focus solely on research has been completed.”
No matter how talented someone is, if there are obligations involved, they can’t do whatever they want. Even if I wanted to do my own research, if someone says, ‘You’ve got free time? Take this patient!’ I’d end up busy again.
But now she’s the director!
Seo Hye-joo, who had become the top person at Elmolance University Hospital, no longer had to take on patients.
Except for me.
“What does the memorandum mean?”
“I received a warning not to carelessly draw blood from noble lineage. I could have refused by insisting I was the attending physician… but the offer was too big to turn down.”
“So that’s how you became director.”
“Yes.”
“You’re really weak to power, huh.”
“Your Highness. Throughout all of human history, there has never been an era where talent alone led to success.”
“Your Highness…”
Goosebumps.
“And from now on, you won’t even take money? You must have heard something from the Empire.”
“Yes.”
I can’t explain this in detail.
“I suspected it ever since the witch you were chasing turned out to be Her Highness the Imperial Princess of the Holy Roman Empire. So just answer this one thing. If we keep treating like this, will the number of Ranuvel patients actually decrease?”
“Hm?”
It was an unexpected question.
“Ever since we started this work, I’ve been tracking the number of Ranuvel patients continuously. There’s almost no change overseas, but in our country alone, several new patients have appeared.”
“……”
“It feels like they’re being refilled as fast as we reduce them? Judging by your expression, it seems my guess was right.”
“…You’re really frank, aren’t you?”
“That’s one of your strengths.”
Lately I seem to be hearing similar things quite often.
“What about the patients?”
“I excluded those among the candidates whose health was too poor. It would be a waste if real time passed at insane speed, right? The Winter Olympics aren’t far off either.”
“Right.”
The cardinal’s words about trampling on the athletes’ efforts pierced me like a dagger, and I even considered quitting the Olympics. But my decision to participate hasn’t changed.
Being a shaman is also an aptitude, isn’t it?
If I’m cheating, then aren’t athletes who use their aptitudes to crush the efforts of ordinary people cheating in the same way?
And I want to be remembered by people as ‘Kang Moon-soo,’ not as ‘royalty.’
“There are quite a few candidates.”
“What if we narrow it down again to patients like Nam Hae-soo-ssi—ones who wouldn’t be resented even if they died tomorrow?”
“So that’s why you said the goal was war.”
“Yes.”
“Let me see… surprisingly few. Most of the ones who applied right away are people it would be a shame to lose if they died soon.”
“Ah, yeah, that makes sense.”
Guardians who wouldn’t care much even if the patient died wouldn’t come all the way from a distant foreign country.
“Still, there are some. Like I said earlier—we’re creating new patients at the same rate we treat them.”
“Ah!”
“One of them is among these.”
“Someone who just recently developed it, and their health is already deteriorating?”
“It’s not particularly strange, is it? My assistant Yoon So-ra was much worse.”
“Right.”
I wonder how she’s doing these days.
“She’s busy.”
“Huh?”
“She used the money she earned working under me to get into medical school.”
“Ah!”
“Her aptitude isn’t nursing either, and if she wants to aim for my successor position with her current abilities, she’s still far short.”
“That makes sense.”
Among the people I know, only my junior Choi Kang-hoon seems to have that much free time.
Waiting nearly an hour at the airport just to talk for five minutes? I’m grateful that he welcomed me so warmly, but I wish the guy would spend his time a bit more productively.
Anyway,
“Can I learn more about that patient?”
“I’ve prepared it. The family wasn’t very cooperative, so it was a hassle.”
“The family… I see.”
Thinking it wouldn’t be easy to persuade the patient, I looked over the materials.
***
Name: Jeong Yong-sang.
A 26-year-old man who comprehensively enjoys fantasy novels, manhwa, games, and so on.
He played the virtual reality game <Molang Fantasy> for nearly three years, but after getting beaten up by higher-level players, he quit five years ago.
Aptitude: Novel Author.
He was a popular writer in the early days, but gradually declined as he got immersed in nightlife and cigarettes. After running out of money, he lived like a shut-in…
“This is tough.”
Looking at works from the old days, drugs like cigarettes are often depicted as essentials for creative professions.
Writers, painters, composers, artists…
But in reality, it’s the complete opposite!
You might get temporary inspiration or hallucinatory effects, but it slowly turns your brain into mush—so it’s basically suicide. Unless you plan to quit after just one work.
“Want to do it?”
“Yes.”
This patient has already ruined his talent with nightlife and cigarettes. You can tell just from the performance of his latest work that concluded two years ago.
Revival is almost impossible.
It was obvious that persuading him to return to reality would be extremely difficult.
‘Still, I have to try.’
Maybe because there was no burden of having to wake the patient no matter what, my mind felt at ease.
“Shall we start right away?”
“Just a moment.”
I also had to prepare for the worst-case scenario where I couldn’t receive support from my senior.
<I’m an SSS-Class Hero?>
<The Hero Is My Wife>
<The Strongest Hero Hiding His Power>
<The Unstoppable Hero-nim!>
I roughly skimmed the synopses of the works this patient had written from his days as a popular author to his downfall.
“Hero, huh…”
Just like the fantasy work <The Generous Young Lady Who Receives Everything>, there were no variables at all.
It was certain—the patient was the hero!
The common thread in all the works: growth-type protagonist, possesses memories of a modern Earth person, and surrounded by many beautiful female companions.
“Done?”
“Yes. I’ve roughly grasped it.”
Even if his brain is soaked in cigarettes, he’s still fundamentally an author who makes a living through creation.
There’s a possibility he built an entirely original world instead of reusing old ones, but his tendencies as a writer wouldn’t have changed.
Growth-type, Earth person, harem…
And a goddess.
The existence of a ‘god’ who favors the protagonist was what bothered me the most. Especially because I know the abilities of my senior ‘Blood God So Un-hyeon’ so well!
“Lie down.”
“Yes.”
Next to me lay the patient, grinning with an unpleasant, leering smile.
“……”
A special state, just like Kim Eun-jung who was trapped in the dream of becoming the protagonist of the romance fantasy novel <I Became the Youngest Daughter of a Count’s Family.> She had been tightly clutching the romance novel she loved too.
“Why?”
“I feel bad saying this to a sick patient, but… it feels like diving into polluted sewage.”
“Moon-soo-ya. Listen carefully. This will help.”
“What is it?”
“The patient isn’t wrong—he’s just different.”
“Ah, yes.”
“Did that help a little?”
“…A bit?”
Tap.
I intruded into the world that made the patient happy.
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