How A Mythical Holy Knight Lives As A Villain (Novel) - Chapter 121
Chapter 121
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The woman who had conversed with Im Chul-soon vanished like a mirage once more.
From the beginning, she had never truly appeared there.
It was merely a projection – she had manifested herself in Im Chul-soon’s dream.
Her actual location was somewhere far away from him.
“Hmm-hmm-hmm.”
Humming contentedly, she appeared to be around thirty-six years old.
With her smooth skin, straight posture, and well-maintained figure, she could sometimes appear to be in her early thirties.
And.
Whoosh.
She was growing even younger.
The room where she stood was extraordinarily lavish.
Sitting in a penthouse overlooking the Han River, a symbol of wealth in South Korea, she smiled while gazing at the burning flames.
“Disgusting creatures.”
A venomous voice flowed out, contrasting with her smile.
“Ordinary greatness…”
Snicker.
“While they wish more than anyone to be special.”
She reclined on the sofa.
That’s when it happened.
“Do you truly think this will cause him any damage?”
A sharp, blade-like voice came from behind her.
“Could you make some noise when you move around?”
“You may not know, but the opponent is that ‘Michael.'”
In that voice, fear and terror could even be detected.
“He’s the one who alone cut down hundreds of thousands of demons and imprinted fear upon them.”
“…Michael, Michael. How long are you going to keep saying that?”
The woman said.
“In the end, he’s just Go Johan.”
“What’s the difference?”
“There is a difference.”
The woman laughed.
“Because in the end, he’s just human.”
“……”
“I heard that even in the world where Go Johan was called Michael, things weren’t much different, right?”
The woman said.
“That he threw himself away for ordinary people, and because of that, he was cornered.”
“That’s how we could bind him.”
“What’s the difference? Villain or whatever…”
Grin.
“He’s still just human.”
“You were also human.”
Was – past tense.
“Yes, I was human. But I was never an ordinary person.”
The woman stood up and removed the gown she was wearing.
Behind her back, small wings and horns had sprouted.
“From the bottom to becoming the wife of a conglomerate chairman – do you think that was easy?”
“…Even so.”
“That’s by human standards. But look.”
When she turned around, black skin that had sprouted at some point was fluttering as her dress.
“Even bastards like you, sent carefully by the demon realm as an advance force, only have four horns on your forehead.”
Poke, poke.
The woman jabbed the man’s chest as she spoke.
“But I already have five horns. You know that, don’t you?”
“……”
“Watch closely. How Earth, how South Korea operates.”
And.
“How crude humans truly are.”
She had always longed for it.
A life where she alone seemed to shine in an empty world.
In that place where everyone seemed like idiots, only she thought herself a true ordinary person.
That’s why she had no regrets.
‘Demon contractor.’
Not worship, but a contract on equal terms.
Those who, having their achievements recognized, cast off their human shells.
Among demons, they were called this:
“You can trust the eleventh apostle a bit more.”
Apostle.
Her name was Baek Seon-hee.
Once the mistress of Tae-han Group, one of South Korea’s leading corporations.
“Understood.”
Kim Se-hyun’s mother, Baek Seon-hee.
*
*
*
The articles didn’t break out.
Because they already realized Go Johan had close relationships with media sponsors.
No one was foolish enough to lose a solid advertiser over negative articles.
However, in places unrelated to such things, articles began slowly appearing.
– Go Johan, Is He Ultimately a Villain?
Stories about the incident at Tae-han Guild.
Stories of suppressing protesters and subduing them with force.
– Even if he has the power to face threats and justification, is he truly right?
They could at least be called true journalists.
These were legitimate questions and reasonable doubts.
However.
– Go Johan’s Violence Against an Ordinary Citizen, Uncut Version. (2.13 million views)
– Go Johan’s Sharp Words to Protesters, Shall I Kill You All? (5.29 million views)
Various platforms released only sensational stories.
Go Johan’s name alone was like an inexhaustible gold mine.
– Victim Im Chul-soon’s Interview. A Demon? In His Eyes, Go Johan Was the Demon. (11.99 million views)
Just releasing negative and sensational stories about him made bank account balances multiply endlessly.
– What Is the Association Doing?
– Police Stand By and Watch Go Johan.
– Is Go Johan Above the Nation? The Greatness of Sanctum’s Bloodline!
Those hiding behind anonymity, merely pouring out opinions.
Those spewing stories seeking only malicious editing and sensationalism.
– Video deleted for policy violations.
If by chance the content was too extreme and got deleted:
– Media Suppression! Freedom Suppression! Do You Still Think Democracy Is Alive?
The flames grew even fiercer, pouring out news related to him.
“These… crazy bastards.”
Lee Jae-Kyung’s face contorted as he spoke.
As someone who had been a player for a long time, this was actually familiar to him.
Receiving attention meant receiving that much jealousy too.
He also didn’t think people’s reactions were simply bad.
If such things didn’t exist, there would truly be those who were wrongly accused.
The problem was:
“What? Im Chul-soon stopped Go Johan who was trying to kill them all that day?”
Whether that was the truth.
“Evidence found of Go Johan and South Korea, which became Sanctum’s dog, pressuring NetTube… Ha!”
The reality of becoming a villain while doing nothing.
Crack.
Lee Jae-Kyung felt ready to explode at any moment.
“…This place is no different.”
Cheol Jung-bae also spoke in a heavy voice.
“…Do humans ultimately repeat the same mistakes?”
Cheol Jung-bae, recalling his past experiences in Travania, spoke.
“What exactly happened there?”
Lee Jae-Kyung asked.
He had never heard stories about Travania.
Cheol Jung-bae had been sparing with his words about it, but now seemed different.
“…All sorts of things happened.”
Indeed, Cheol Jung-bae opened his heavy mouth.
“When Orc Grand Chieftain Kartul rose up with ten million orcs, he stepped forward and ended the war.”
Cheol Jung-bae spoke with a bitter smile.
It was self-deprecating words about his past self who had been the same as others.
“Do you know what we called him then?”
“…What did you call him?”
He didn’t want to hear it.
But he had to hear it.
“We called him a fanatic of the evil god.”
“…Why?”
“Because the orc bastards called him that. Isn’t it laughable?”
Ha, ha. Cheol Jung-bae laughed as he spoke.
“Because of the orcs he cut down, Travania regained stability, yet we ostracized and oppressed him instead.”
He wanted to say more but couldn’t.
Because it was a memory of shameful mistakes he didn’t want to recall even for Cheol Jung-bae.
“Whatever happens, one thing is important.”
Cheol Jung-bae said.
“This world is also trying to commit the same mistakes we did.”
“…Even so, it won’t be easy.”
Lee Jae-Kyung said.
“If the world had only idiots, wouldn’t it have already collapsed?”
To Lee Jae-Kyung’s question, Cheol Jung-bae didn’t answer.
Because there was a time when he too had thought that way.
*
*
*
Public opinion was rapidly deteriorating.
Various communities were rampant with raw criticism and conspiracy theories.
– Go Johan monopolizes over 80% of South Korea’s wealth!
– Sanctum is the true corrupt power!
The voices of those incited by this grew louder day by day.
And before those embers could die down, Im Chul-soon, the head of the civic group Justice Organization, issued a statement.
– Everyone, December 19th! We will once again uphold justice in front of the warp gate!
It wasn’t a lie that over a million people promised to participate in that declaration.
And finally, on that day:
“Waaaaaah!”
Those who gathered were like an army.
“Down with Go Johan!”
“Down with Sanctum!”
“Arrest Go Johan! Expel him!”
The wave of protesters was heading toward the Sanctum Guild site where the warp gate was installed.
The association moved, police forces were deployed.
“Disperse immediately!”
Even with such orders:
“Oppression! Guarantee freedom!”
The wave of protesters showed no sign of stopping.
It was like a bomb waiting to explode.
A small incident could become the source causing thousands of deaths.
But then, something unexpected happened.
“Get lost, you idiots!”
“We don’t need politics or anything! Just get lost!”
Citizens thought to be spectators were shouting at the protesters.
“Go Johan barely saved you, so what do you want?”
“Hey! Turn on NetTube! The original video from that day is up!”
“Why is Kim Se-hyun unfilial!”
That too was a wave.
“Has Go Johan ever killed innocent people! He quietly stays hidden and comes to rescue when something happens, so why are you freaking out!”
“You didn’t buy stocks, right? You didn’t buy Sanctum stocks, right?”
“Ugh, losers.”
Their numbers were by no means inferior to the protesters.
Lee Jae-Kyung had been right.
– Hello everyone! The hottest VTuber these days! It’s Yongyong!
On the billboard, a small dragon appeared and breathed fire.
Yongyong, the VTuber with the steepest recent growth.
And Yongyong’s channel name was:
‘Johan’s Revelation.’
It was an information channel covering Go Johan’s incidents and accidents, and a fan channel concept that had already surpassed three million subscribers.
– Ah, everyone shut up! Let’s just remember this one thing, okay?
Yongyong’s voice echoed through Gangnam.
– If Johan hyung gets expelled today, and Sanctum and all of Johan hyung’s friendly forces defect, what will you do?
“…!”
– And boom! If a Black Gate appears…
Grin.
The black dragon was smiling wickedly.
– What will you all do? Get stoned to death?
It was he who had found and spread the original video from in front of Tae-han Guild that day.
– No way. You guys would curse Johan hyung and curse the country while emigrating even then!
“Bullshit!”
Im Chul-soon finally couldn’t contain his anger and shouted.
“Justice will fight to the end for South Korea…!”
– You guys know what? That bastard has dual citizenship with America.
“…!”
Confusion appeared on Im Chul-soon’s face for the first time.