Chapter 103
When I returned to my seat after my speech, I was greeted by a group of excited kids looking at me.
“Mr. Eugene, I’m impressed!”
“Boss……I’ll follow you to the end……!”
The children greeted me with different reactions.
Judging from their faces, I didn’t say anything wrong.
“By the way, president, is it okay? You’ve made the Hero Association and the Metal Guild your enemies.”
Unlike the children, Young-jae, who was sitting in silence, asked carefully with a worried look in his eyes.
Not to mention the Hero Association was one of the top organizations in the country, and the Metal Guild, with Lee Won-ho as its guild leader, was a top-ranked guild that was comparable to any medium-sized company.
It wasn’t that I didn’t understand Young-jae’s concern.
He knew better than anyone what it meant to act outside of their eyes.
But…….
“There are so many corners I believe in.”
The Hero’s Association of Korea was just an ordinary guild.
My identity and personal information were already protected by the Hanwol Group and Corleone, and even if they did find out, they’d be forced to face the cold reality that they shouldn’t touch me.
“Do it if you can.”
Because I was going to win.
[This concludes the events in the auditorium, and we will now proceed to the great hall for the celebration and lunch; students, guests, please follow the instructions of the security guards and proceed in turn]
Not long after I came downstairs, Julie, who had been serving as the master of ceremonies, began to broadcast the instructions to the people inside the auditorium.
Her voice sounds a little excited, unlike when she introduced me.
When I turn my head to look at the booth where the student council is gathered, I see Julie looking at me and raising the corners of her mouth.
‘You were the best.’
Her lips move as she gives me a thumbs up.
Apparently, she was one of the people the system told me about.
I lower my gaze back down and take another look at the achievements section that just popped up.
Achievement (N)]
[Vice President of the Academy] (he is the class vice president)
[Heir to the Underworld]
[Enforcer of the Organization]
[Freshman Representative (N)]
.
.
[Achievement: Earned the title of “Freshman Representative”!]
[You have successfully passed the Academy’s Freshman Oath above the threshold!]
[The majority of the people in the auditorium were inspired by your speech!]
[Special rewards will be given!]
[New Attribute: “Orator” has been granted]
[Orator]
[1. People feel more persuaded by your words]
[2. People around you pay more attention to your words]
It was a talent for those who use words as a weapon.
The [Offer You Can’t Refuse] attached to 【Heir to the Underworld】 is the ability to turn a situation in your favor by simply speaking.
The synergy between the two seemed like it would be very powerful.
“Wow, by the way, I wonder if they’re going to get into a fight in the cafeteria.”
I see people from the Association walking out with heavy faces.
Jin-woo mumbles to himself as he stands up from his seat, obviously bothered by the atmosphere.
“They probably won’t fight in public.”
The New Student Welcome Banquet is the perfect place for outsiders to approach Academy students in a casual way.
It’s a gathering of other people, so the only ones who cared about what the outside world thought of them wouldn’t come over and pick a fight.
They’re not going to walk up and start a fight…….so I joined the rest of the kids as we made our way to the grand ballroom.
It was a place I’d never seen before in the game, and it was where most of the Academy’s events took place.
A huge hall reminiscent of a wedding hall, with buffets set up around it, and a real-time cooking…….
“Boss, aren’t those people from the Recipe Development Club?”
“……Yes.”
So that’s what it’s like to prepare for a freshman welcome party.
Apparently, more than half of the people cooking were members of clubs related to cooking.
As we approached the buffet where the “Recipe Development Club” was located, we saw Isheri, who was smiling broadly when she spotted us.
“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”
I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude as she greeted us, furiously churning whipped cream while wearing a white chef’s hat and sanitary mask.
“Is today’s recipe club the same dessert you practiced last time?”
“Yes, I did my best to make it so enjoy your meal and please come by again!”
“I will.”
As I replied to her, I looked around and saw a completely different scene from the one I had just seen.
Seniors and outsiders, representing their respective clubs, participating in the welcome party and looking around for new talent.
And people eager to get to know the children of prominent families.
It was a scene of what is commonly referred to as socializing.
“Hey, Eugene, they’re serving steaks in the western food section, come with me!”
Se-ah exclaims, looking around with a look of excitement on her face, as if she was looking at the food differently than I was.
The other kids laughed and followed her to the western food corner, and I was about to walk towards it.
“Eugene Han, the freshman representative, right.”
I turned my head at the familiar voice calling my name, and there it was, the president of the Korean Heroes Association, with a kindly smile on his face.
I recognized Kang Man-seok’s face.
“I’m Eugene Han.”
I couldn’t ignore the fact that he was pretending to be an acquaintance so I bowed my head in greeting, and he smiled as if it was no big deal.
“Alas, there’s no need to misunderstand. I’m here to tell you that I was very moved by your speech, not because I have any ulterior motives.”
His words were almost too polite for such a thing, and I raised my guard one more notch and looked around.
“Isn’t your timing a little too good for something like that? You seem to have come right after the kids around me disappeared.”
“Haha, that would be good for Eugene Han, wouldn’t it?”
‘I don’t think the other kids need to hear the story.’
Funny.
“But my friend doesn’t seem to think so.”
“……what?”
Kang Man-seok makes a face like he doesn’t understand what I’m saying.
At the same time.
“Eugene, aren’t you eating?”
Choi Yeon, who has a bowl full of dessert, walks over and casually stands next to me.
“……Choi Yeon?”
Hearing Kang Man-seok speak as if she knows her, Choi Yeon turns to look at his face.
“……Hello.”
But Choi Yeon doesn’t seem to be interested, and after a quick greeting, she turns his attention back to me.
“Eugene, this is delicious, eat.”
I wondered if she thought he was bothering me, since she was so uncharacteristically approaching and talking to me so suddenly.
She was probably trying to help me.
“I’m sorry I left you with the speech. Eat this to calm down.”
……or not?
“Rice is not dessert.”
“……Same thing my grandfather said.”
As Choi Yeon and I were talking, Kang Man-seok broke into our conversation with a smile.
“Ms. Choi Yeon, Eugene Han is having a brief meeting with me, but could you please let me talk to him alone for a moment?”
Hearing his words, Choi Yeon stares at me.
“Me, go?”
There was no reason for her to leave, so she shook her head.
“Do as you please.”
“Okay. I’ll stay here, then.”
“Are you going to eat standing up?”
“I’ll eat at the table next to…….”
Although she wasn’t right next to me, she would be nearby.
Kang Man-seok nodded and looked at me again, as if that was enough for him, since he couldn’t do anything about the powerful granddaughter of the Sword Saint Family.
And then he snapped his fingers.
At the same time, all the noises that had been going on around us disappeared, and silence hovered around us.
“Is this something that requires soundproofing magic?”
He’s doing this while Choi Yeon is eating cake at the next table.
How blatant.
It was beyond ridiculous.
“Uh, yeah. I’m afraid what we’re about to talk about…… is quite a sensitive topic.”
His face was smiling, but the voice that came out of his mouth was anything but.
“So, let’s get back to the topic at hand. You seem to have deliberately undermined me and Lee Won-ho’s words and criticized the Academy……did you get a special request from Dean Heo Seok-ki?”
“……Hmm?”
“There’s no point in denying it. Heo Seok-ki’s expression when you spoke was that of a man who could die of happiness. I’ve already figured it out. There must be something between you two, right?”
Why is the dean name suddenly coming up here?
Does he think I’m the dean person?
“I guess.”
“Guessing? Ha, that’s funny. Guessing…….”
Kang Man-seok suddenly tightened his voice.
“Now, since you don’t seem to know what you’re getting yourself into, I’ll make it clear kid.”
With his head slightly bowed so that his expression doesn’t show to others, he glares at me and speaks with anger in his voice.
“You’ve just provoked me, the head of the Heroes of Korea. You realize that, don’t you?”
He’s finally showing his true colors.
I can’t help but chuckle at how blatantly shameless he is.
“I’ll tell you something about that, but are you sure you’re under a soundproofing spell?”
“……what?”
“I’m just wondering if you’re sure the sound of us talking isn’t leaking outside.”
“Of course, it’s my magic, and no one outside will be able to hear us.”
Apparently, at the table behind Kang Man-seok, Lee Won-ho was watching the situation from the corner of his eye.
Perhaps he adjusted his magic power so that the conversation here could be heard by him.
Well, that’s good enough for me.
I opened my mouth cautiously, deliberately appearing to hesitate.
“To be honest, I don’t know if I should tell you this, because, as you know, it depends on how I say it.”
Yeah, how I’m going to fuck him over but it must have sounded different to him.
I wonder if he’s intrigued by what I’m saying but his expression relaxes a bit.
“Don’t worry. As long as I’m here, the Dean, or anyone else for that matter, will not be able to harm you.”
“Really?”
“Yes, I’ll take you under my wing. I’ve been looking for a talented child, and you aren’t lacking.”
Interesting.
Okay, here’s how it goes.
“That’s very nice of you, but I can’t do it alone, Mr…….”
“……what?”
Kang Man-seok looks at me in disbelief after hearing my answer.
“You can’t do it?”
“Yes. You can’t be the president of the Association alone, because……I think my feet are stronger than yours.”
At the same time as I said that.
Wajangchang──!
The transparent wall surrounding me and Kang Man-seok collapsed, and the sound of shattering glass echoed through the banquet hall.
“──How dare someone destroy my magic!”
Kang Man-seok, enraged by the fact that his magic had been destroyed, looks back at me with a clenched fist, and……stiffens coldly.
“It’s me Man-seok.”
Behind him stood an old man wearing a bowler hat and smiling broadly.
However, the only difference between him and an ordinary old man was that his hands were covered in blue……and there were countless old men standing behind him?
“Chun-sik?”
“Kwak Chun-sik? Since we haven’t seen each other in a long time, why don’t we greet each other the old-fashioned way?”
Kwak Chun-sik came with dozens of other elderly heroes who had led Korea in the past.
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