How A Mythical Holy Knight Lives As A Villain (Novel) - Chapter 119
Chapter 119
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Recently, South Korea had been in constant turmoil.
Buffeted by turbulent major incidents, alternating between crying and laughing, it felt as if South Korea had become the center of the world.
Demons, Go Johan, warp gates, terrorism – those sorts of things.
What was amusing was that even what was considered a bad development saw South Korea’s overall stock prices soaring to new heights, and in that short span, ordinary people could feel changes.
So discussions swung between good news and bad news in confusion.
But among all this, the news that came was unambiguous good news.
“We’re all set.”
In a building in Gangnam.
There was a name that had once shined with its reputation in South Korea, yet fell apart in an instant.
“All set?”
“Yeah. In-gyeong, we’re all ready.”
People would say:
If they had been given just a little more time, South Korea’s history might have changed. Perhaps another Sanctum would have been born, not Sanctum’s monopoly.
“Keys are inside…”
As Go Johan was about to get out of the car, a valet attendant approached and spoke to him.
Due to the nature of guild buildings, parking lots couldn’t be used without identity verification by registered personnel.
So the valet attendant approached to offer service, but:
“Uh… uh…”
Upon seeing the silver-white hair, he froze.
“…Go…”
“Please take good care of it.”
At Go Johan’s words, the valet attendant regained his senses and unintentionally bowed.
But he didn’t move for quite some time after that.
Beep.
An urgent radio sound.
“Go, Go Johan…”
-What?
“Go Johan has visited!”
With the valet attendant’s cry, a stirring was felt around them.
It made sense – recently, the name never absent from the center of South Korea’s headlines was Go Johan.
Villain or hero?
Debate over this continued even now, with passionate discussions on the internet between those who envied or admired him being fierce.
But Go Johan, who rarely showed himself in public unless necessary…
“…Really, it’s Go Johan!”
“That’s Go Johan?”
Had come to this place now.
“Who’s the little girl next to him?”
“She’s cute.”
“How old is she?”
In the midst of this, perhaps because of Ju In-gyeong’s appearance, interest poured toward her as well.
“Papa!”
Held in Go Johan’s arms, waving her hand, those watching felt as if shot in the heart.
“No.”
“Uh huh!”
“Who is she anyway?”
“Why is Go Johan showing up here carrying a girl?”
Recent good news for South Korea:
The return of a certain player who had been making that name shine.
No matter how much South Korea’s status rose, the center of the world in people’s minds was still America.
Considering that most of the top-ranked players in the world had American nationality and operated there, it was no mere illusion.
Among them, a South Korean player who had made a name for herself in America could be counted on one hand.
“Uh… Go, Go Johan Player… welcome.”
Alongside Go Min-ji, the most recent hot American ranker.
“What… brings you here?”
Her choice to abandon the numerous benefits guaranteed by America and return home was among the most notable events:
“Came to see a friend. Is Se-hyun inside?”
Kim Se-hyun.
It was her return.
At that moment:
Murmurs.
The lobby stirred by Go Johan’s presence began stirring on the opposite side too.
From the opening elevator doors, a group emerged and began walking.
“There she is.”
With a welcoming face, Kim Se-hyun was approaching.
“Captain…”
She too tried to greet Go Johan warmly but, feeling the surrounding gazes, quickly changed what she was about to say.
“Johan.”
“It’s been a while.”
Go Johan greeted her with a smile.
“Bloody Queen.”
Wince.
Kim Se-hyun’s face distorted.
Flushed cheeks, trembling hands.
“…Please don’t.”
That the world’s players had given her the epithet “Bloody Queen” and that she was embarrassed by it was already widely known.
“What brings you without even calling?”
At the meeting of two players who could be called the century’s finest, onlookers held their breath and listened carefully.
That was when:
“Papa! Uh… Papa!”
Ju In-gyeong, held in Go Johan’s arms, reached up to touch his cheek and spoke.
“Papa…?”
“Did she just call you papa?”
It was a shock in itself.
Barely twenty years old, just a seven-year-old girl being a daughter?
But the real bombshell came after:
“In-gyeong, I didn’t say…”
“Ma!”
Ju In-gyeong got down from Go Johan’s arms and approached Kim Se-hyun, saying:
“Um… ma!”
“……”
It felt as if a bomb had dropped.
*
*
*
America had supposedly promised Kim Se-hyun profits in the trillions.
America was originally called the superpower, a nation with defense budgets reaching trillions.
Considering the value held by top rankers and the secondary effects from them, offering trillions in profit was an obvious proposal.
Moreover, America had seen some of Kim Se-hyun’s true nature that wasn’t known to the public.
“In-gyeong.”
“…Yes.”
“If you do that again, you’re really getting in trouble.”
“…Yes…!”
Kim Se-hyun rejected all of it and returned home.
To Tae-han, the reason she had to leave.
Tae-han had undergone continuous decline after that incident and was practically dissolved, but the name Tae-han remained.
And in fact:
“I’m sorry. Because of In-gyeong.”
“No, I knew too.”
“Un…ma!”
“Unnie.”
“Un…nie!”
The dissolved forces of Tae-han were in Greed’s hands.
Preparation for Kim Se-hyun’s eventual return.
And bit by bit, handing over to Tae-han, rumors were already circulating that Tae-han had become South Korea’s top fifty guild or something.
‘That’s nonsense.’
In reality, Tae-han alone held value to be called South Korea’s top 3 guild.
Anyway:
Murmurs.
Kim Se-hyun, Go Johan, and Ju In-gyeong sat in a cafe near Tae-han Guild.
Kim Se-hyun had suggested entering the guild master’s office, but Go Johan declined.
“Greed said showing ourselves together once or twice wouldn’t be bad.”
At Go Johan’s words, Kim Se-hyun nodded.
“…That’s true. Though many call you a villain, your presence did make stock prices soar wherever you went. And we were classmates too… people knowing about our connection shouldn’t hurt.”
Tae-han needed to grow faster.
Especially in this South Korea, what mattered was people’s perception.
For Tae-han to regain and maintain status as a conglomerate and military faction, relationships with the Sanctum family, who were like royalty in current South Korea, were important.
“You’re busy?”
At Go Johan’s words, Kim Se-hyun pouted.
“…How would you not know better than anyone?”
At that, Go Johan chuckled and Kim Se-hyun laughed with him.
Then:
“……”
Kim Se-hyun looked at Go Johan with complex emotions.
To her, the Go Johan before her was a complicated existence.
He had been her childhood friend.
“Why?”
Her first love.
“Just.”
Both the enemy who killed her father and the savior who saved her through that.
“Just…”
And now:
‘I don’t know.’
She couldn’t understand her own feelings.
The fear of confronting this was part of why she had delayed coming to Korea.
But face-to-face now, she could certainly understand:
‘The emotion apostles show toward Johan.’
It was reverence more than anything describable as love.
A manifestation of faith different from romantic love – she could clearly realize it in this moment.
Yet there remained something in one corner of her heart.
“Just being back feels like everything came together.”
Kim Se-hyun said.
“Thank you.”
“For what?”
“Everything.”
That was when:
Rrrring! Rrrring!
Go Johan’s phone rang urgently.
Seeing the caller, Go Johan’s expression distorted.
“Pfft.”
Kim Se-hyun burst into laughter.
Without seeing who it was, she somehow knew.
“It’s your sister?”
“…Yeah. How’d you know?”
Go Johan answered.
-Hey! What’s this about! Se-hyun being In-gyeong’s mom? That can’t be right! I’ve never seen Se-hyun give birth…
Beep beep beep…
Go Johan silently ended the call.
“Let’s go.”
“…Okay.”
*
*
*
Heading back to Tae-han after the brief outing with Kim Se-hyun:
The surrounding gazes and murmurs were felt, but no one dared approach.
If Kim Se-hyun was close to being a national hero, a sports star, Go Johan had an image close to a cold-blooded murderer.
“And…”
On the way back, Kim Se-hyun spoke quietly.
“I think I’ll find it soon.”
The reason Kim Se-hyun left Korea wasn’t only because of Tae-han or Go Johan.
It was because of the true target of her revenge that she needed to find.
And that her return was related to this, Go Johan already knew through reports.
That was when:
“Unfilial daughter, explain yourself!”
“Explain!”
Sounds of anger from somewhere.
Kim Se-hyun’s expression hardened.
“Unfilial daughter Kim Se-hyun! Explain about Tae-han Group Chairman Kim Tae-hwan’s death!”
“Explain!”
Around a hundred ordinary people.
They were gathered in front of the Tae-han Guild, holding signs and shouting.
That was when:
Thud.
Something flying in was caught by Go Johan’s movement.
It was an egg.
“It’s Kim Se-hyun!”
In an instant, approaching malice made Go Johan frown.
The egg from before had no killing power, so he’d noticed it late.
“She’s unfilial!”
They were the same.
Ordinary people with no mana.
The malice they poured out:
“Grrr…”
Had no killing power either.
Yet Go Johan could tell.
‘This…’
This was:
‘Poison.’