Chapter 23 – For the Peace of This World!

The Raider corporation Renegade contacted Se-min.

It seemed the leather jacket duo had spoken well of him.

Since it was a rare day off due to a hangover, Se-min gladly decided to meet them.

“A dessert cafe…”

For Se-min, who was a lifelong single, it was a place he had never even set eyes on. Even the sign was pink, and all kinds of chocolate desserts like shortcakes, which he couldn’t distinguish, were plastered on the standing signboard.

“It makes me nervous.”

He adjusted his clothes reflected in the glass. He puffed out his chest and took a deep breath so that the dragon on his Sukajan jacket would be properly revealed.

For reference, the Sukajan jacket that got dirty during yesterday’s raid was sent to the dry cleaners. In his closet, there were seven Sukajan jackets that looked exactly the same.

After making eye contact with his reflection in the glass once, Se-min opened the door without hesitation.

And he flinched.

In the corner seat, three men in studded leather jackets were chatting.

It really did not suit them.

Surrounding customers kept glancing at them, and upon discovering the newly appeared dragon-patterned jacket, they wore astounded expressions again.

Se-min put on the warmest smile possible.

“Haha. It’s been a while.”

He was different from them.

Although he came alone today, he acted like a popular man who frequently came here with his girlfriend or female friends, so the feminine cafe atmosphere was not awkward at all. Because his acting skill was outstanding, no one seemed to doubt it.

“Do we enter with our shoes on?”

“Pardon?”

“Ah, sorry. The place I frequently went to told me to take them off, but if not, whatever…”

Se-min walked like a model and joined them.

In addition to the Renegade duo he saw yesterday, there was one more person.

A foreigner.

“Yo, Se-min. Greet him. This is brother John.”

“Hey, dude. Nice to meet you.”

Se-min felt like he had seen him somewhere, but greeted him for now.

“Hello. An older brother of my older brother is also my older brother. I am Lee Se-min, the famous Blue Mark Raider.”

“I am John McKellan. I was a fan of the girl group Black Silk, but when a dating rumor broke out, I switched to Thrice. I am a girl group mania.”

Shaking hands, they suddenly made eye contact.

John McKellan.

Lee Se-min.

Yes, the two had met before.

John McKellan pointed first.

“Dirty back attack guy?”

Only then did Se-min also remember him and point back.

“Punching Yankee?”

They had clashed in the personal battle royale of the second Raider qualification exam.

At that time, right when John McKellan subdued Yoon Mu-jin of the Mugeok Association and was about to deliver the final blow, he was struck in the back of the head by Se-min and was out.

Tension hovered. Se-min directed the arrows to the others.

“Calling me to this place, was it a trap? I didn’t see you that way, but you have deep minds, brothers.”

“W-What are you talking about?”

“To approach under the guise of friendship due to an old grudge. Does Renegade have no blood, tears, or friendship?”

“It is a misunderstanding!”

“Then choose. Is it me, or is it that foreigner!”

“What?”

“Choose!”

Suddenly forced to choose one of the two, the Renegade men blinked in confusion.

At Se-min’s voice, the people sitting nearby covered their mouths.

In their minds, Brokeback Mountain and A Frozen Flower were already being screened. A romance drama of muscular men was about to start in the dessert cafe.

They cleared their throats.

“Everyone is misunderstanding. Sit down for now.”

“Don’t try to pass it over like that, brother!”

“Stop the situational play.”

“Okay.”

Se-min sat down.

“Long time no see, John. Your Korean has improved.”

“I naturalized. Since I am Korean, I must speak Korean well.”

“Then do you have a Korean name too?”

“It is Mak-geollan.”

“Brother Mak-geollan.”

Se-min leaned back.

“Right, why did you call me?”

John McKellan looked at Se-min with cautious eyes. He exchanged glances with his two Renegade colleagues.

They nodded.

John McKellan said.

“I want to do business with you.”

“Business?”

“Yes. Actually, I run an American barbecue restaurant. The brand name is McKellan Barbecue. And today, I received an unidentified meat from these friends.”

Yesterday, as Kowood meat remained, Se-min packed it for those who wanted it. It seemed it was delivered to John McKellan.

“This meat will succeed, bro.”

John McKellan’s eyes were serious.

“I want to sell Kowood meat.”

“The price won’t be easy.”

What Se-min meant when he said he would buy yesterday while slaughtering Kowood was that.

The corpses of magic beasts are traded at high prices. They were usually put up for auction and handed over to research labs or corpse processing companies.

If the Raider who hunted the corpse bought it directly, he could get it cheaper than the market price, but the price was still substantial.

“That is why it has more value. Hey. The important thing is market preoccupation. And you, as the creator of Kowood meat, have tremendous symbolism.”

“That means…”

“Launch a Kowood meat—no, a magic beast meat brand with me.”

John McKellan’s gaze changed to that of a cold Western businessman. He looked like a heartless Wall Street fund manager.

“Living beyond the gate, you must have eaten not only Kowood but other magic beasts too.”

“There weren’t many delicious ones.”

“Still fine. People want new and stimulating things. Especially those who have a lot of money and are bored.”

“Brother Mak-geollan.”

“Lee Se-min. Strike fast and leave. This will succeed.”

Tapping the table with his finger, Se-min asked McKellan.

“Are you sure?”

“I am sure.”

Se-min closed his eyes, lost in thought. Actually, he had no thoughts, but he wanted to pretend to contemplate.

Eventually, Se-min opened his eyes.

He held out his hand to McKellan.

“Good.”

“Good boy.”

McKellan shook his hand.

“We are partners now.”

They toasted with Americanos, ate tiramisu cake with forks, and shared chats.

John McKellan suggested.

“Let’s state our respective goals here. We must know what dreams each of us has to match our steps. This member must last long!”

He gave a look to his Renegade colleagues first. They answered.

“My dream is to raise my Raider grade and become a popular guy.”

“I want to get a pretty wife.”

“Ambitious fellows.”

John McKellan shrugged. And he looked at Se-min.

Se-min shook his head.

“Please speak first, brother. I am extremely curious.”

“Me? I…”

John McKellan thought for a long time, and then said, pointing to his chest.

“I will establish a girl group entertainment company directly.”

“…!”

“The reason I gather money is also because of that. I want to gather talented girls and birth a girl group like Thrice. Becoming a Raider was also just to earn money, my true dream is a girl group.”

“Brother…!”

John McKellan.

He was a man of ambition.

A big dream moves a man.

Se-min smiled, wiping beneath his nose.

“I see.”

“What about you?”

“I.”

There was nothing to hide from this man. Se-min declared.

“Unique Mark Raider.”

“…!”

“The King of Raiders who makes even them kneel.”

“King…!”

“No, beyond that.”

Se-min lifted his chin and declared.

“I will become the King God General Emperor Raider.”

“King God General Emperor!”

Se-min’s will was transmitted to the men.

John McKellan grinned and shook his head. He hadn’t seen wrong. Watching the Kowood mukbang uploaded on Wetube, he instinctively felt Se-min was a true man. A man who devoured a magic beast and chugged soju from the bottle would surely have a giant ambition.

Two small ambitious men and two big ambitious men shook hands.

“Let’s toast.”

“Please suggest a toast, brother Mak-geollan.”

“A toast…”

John McKellan said in a serious voice.

“To remember today, Remember.”

“Remember.”

“To be together forever, Forever.”

“Forever…!”

“Remember, Forever.”

“Remember, Forever!”

“Cool.”

“Now, raise your glasses. Remember, Forever!”

“Remember, Forever!”

“Cheers!”

“Cheers!”

“Kanpai!”

“Cheers!”

It was the moment a magic beast barbecue franchise that would sweep the world was born.

***

Se-min thus wrote the partnership contract. John McKellan decided to inform him of the details as they proceeded in the future.

He rode his crappy scooter back to the SH Company he belonged to.

“I’m back.”

“You said you would rest today?”

“To watch over Jae-young.”

“Diligent fellow. Want to eat this?”

“Oh? Is it an apple?”

“My parents run an orchard.”

“The color is no joke. I will eat well.”

“Go ahead.”

Receiving the apple from Yoo Sang-heun and biting it, Se-min went to the training ground.

Hyun Jae-young was scheduled to return after finishing a raid soon.

Hyun Jae-young’s Green Mark promotion review was not far away.

Blue Mark and Green Mark were of different classes. Although it was only one step, there was a wall that could never be crossed between them. Skill was skill, but the quality and reward of the raids they could participate in were different.

Se-min also needed to cross over to Green Mark.

However, a regulation existed that holders of each mark could not cross over to the next mark within six months.

He had to wait.

Se-min took a deep breath in the empty training ground.

His Tai Chi Wisdom flared.

The air vibrated.

Unable to withstand the air pressure he emitted, his clothes fluttered and his hair scattered.

Se-min picked up his claymore. A materialized sword gang surged from the tip of the blade. Its length far exceeded the blade of the claymore.

It was the technique called Sword Gang.

If one could utilize even a faint Sword Gang in combat, they were evaluated to have reached the Green Mark. It was the decisive realm dividing Blue Mark and Green Mark.

Se-min concentrated his energy once.

Then the Sword Gang gradually grew faint and soon became invisible. Only a bizarre resonance of aura hummed.

Se-min threw the half-eaten apple forward.

It traveled in a gentle parabola.

Se-min swung his claymore.

A bursting sound echoed.

The apple was sliced into minute pieces.

Emission of sword qi crossing empty air.

From a distance where it shouldn’t touch, the apple was sliced several times, turned into a handful of juice, and poured onto the training ground.

Se-min recovered his claymore.

Beyond Sword Gang, it was the realm of Sword Qi Emission crossing a long distance.

If one could utilize this in actual combat, they were recognized as a Gold Mark.

Se-min caught his breath.

His aura boiled up.

The moment Se-min was about to take a new stance again.

A sound of something dropping was heard.

Se-min turned his head.

“Oh my.”

At the back of the training ground, Hyun Jae-young’s girlfriend, Kim Ye-na, was standing. Se-min’s eyes twitched, and he lowered his claymore.

“Were you here?”

“Yes. But what you did just now was Sword Qi Emission, right? Wow, are you a Gold Mark, brother? Aren’t you taking the exam?”

Se-min waved his hand.

“I must train, so please leave.”

“Can’t I just watch here?”

“It is dangerous, so wait in the office. Jae-young will arrive soon.”

Se-min did not like her. Because he liked Hyun Jae-young as a brother.

If he chose to walk a thorny path himself, he respected that choice, but he did not accept the opponent who scattered thorns on that path.

“Still…”

“You will get hurt. Go.”

Se-min turned his head.

Kim Ye-na knew that Se-min usually threw silly jokes to anyone. Se-min was cold only to her.

“You dislike me, right, brother.”

“I just do not like you.”

“Why?”

“Is there a reason for a person’s heart?”

“Is it because of Jae-young?”

Se-min shrugged.

“I don’t have much thoughts, so live happily together for a hundred years, and leave me to train. If you keep doing this, I will call the boss.”

“Fine. I can leave.”

Kim Ye-na glared at Se-min as if displeased.

Se-min grinned. It was much better than her fluttering appearance trying to win his favor.

To her walking out of the training ground, Se-min added a word.

“Jae-young is a really good guy.”

Kim Ye-na stopped.

Before closing the door, she said in a gloomy voice.

“I know too.”

Se-min whistled, looking at the closed door.