Chapter 136: Corporate Partner

I recently returned to Korea.

I met with the president briefly, and he welcomed me warmly, likely because my actions helped restore some of his authority.

“Hm. So, in essence, Japan is now under Kanora Church’s influence?”

“Well, that’s what the Prime Minister thinks, but if the Prime Minister changes, who knows? Maybe they’ll tear the church down.”

Policies change with every new Prime Minister.

The current one is obsessed with Kanora Church, but if someone with a different faith takes office, they could dismantle it.

Of course, I won’t let that happen.

The President seems keen on using me and Kanora Church to build a support base in Japan.

“Then we should focus on solidifying Kanora Church’s position before that happens.”

“Exactly. That way, we can exert influence over them. Give it a year, and the entire Japanese archipelago will be converted.”

“Did the Prime Minister say anything else?”

Well, yes, he did.

Since the Prime Minister knows that I have the President’s backing, he sent a message for him through me.

When I asked why he didn’t just call directly, he said:

—Isn’t the Korean President an early believer and a High Bishop of Kanora Church? How could someone like me possibly reach out to him directly?

Honestly, Korea’s political situation has gotten pretty strange.

The Prime Minister practically considers Korea a theocracy now.

What a lunatic.

But thanks to his foolishness, we can tighten our grip on both Korea and Japan under Kanora’s rule.

“He won’t visit Korea, but he considers it the holy land of Kanora Church and wants to maintain friendly relations.”

“Well, he’s busy running a country, so it makes sense he wouldn’t come. He’s still young, though. Tsk tsk. If only our hunters had half his competence.”

This guy still despises our hunters.

For the returnee guilds, though, his support is beneficial.

“Not bad. Meanwhile, across the West Sea, the Chinese are tearing each other apart.”

“So, China’s situation is still bad?”

“The Great Cataclysm wiped out hundreds of millions of people, mostly in the wealthier areas around Beijing.”

A lawless land with vast territory, a massive population, and widespread poverty…

It’s only natural that China is heading toward a new warlord era.

I had expected this.

“It’d be good to spread Kanora Church there as well.”

“Hmm. I was considering that too. Useless refugees keep trying to cross the West Sea. Most die to sea monsters, but some still make it across. If Kanora Church had a presence there, we could manage the situation more effectively.”

Even after the Cataclysm, China still has over a billion people.

If they all followed Kanora Church, it would be a massive power shift.

If the President supports and allows it, we could pull it off.

Besides, if Kanora Church becomes Korea’s leading guild under the guise of a K-pop idol group, it would put those arrogant hunters in their place.

A true win-win strategy.

“Hm. Should we give it a try?”

“You think it’s possible?”

“If it’s in line with Your Excellency’s vision, it’d be like Korea playing the role of the regional stabilizer, like in the Goryeo era.”

“In a way, yes, but the times are different. In the Hunter era, having enemies at our back is dangerous. If we want to secure the Korean Peninsula completely, we’ll need to mobilize even those incompetent fools for a northern advance. So far, all we’ve done is clear out some of the aberrant creatures in North Korea.”

“Wait a minute… Then, Your Excellency’s goal is—”

The President was clearly aiming for something massive.

Something about this felt off… like I was about to hear some crazy idea.

He nodded, then pulled out a map—a large one that covered the entire table, focusing on the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia.

Pointing at it, he said:

“The Great Cataclysm caused North Korea to collapse. The remaining North Koreans are scattered, hiding from monsters. China is in chaos. So, what should we do?”

“With North Korea and China in shambles… Then…”

There was only one thing he could be after.

I just needed to confirm it.

“That’s right. We must reclaim the Korean Peninsula. If all goes well, we might even cross the Yalu River.”

Securing the land from the DMZ to the Yalu River was plausible, but beyond that?

Still… I hadn’t expected to hear those words directly from the President.

With the post-Cataclysm changes, maybe such an idea wasn’t as far-fetched as before.

“The Cataclysm might have actually created an opportunity for Korea.”

“Exactly. And we have a solid justification—protecting North Koreans, reunification. China is too unstable to intervene, and since you hold influence over Japan, that’s not an issue either. The U.S. won’t interfere. There’s no force capable of stopping Korea from reclaiming the peninsula. And once we do…”

He pointed to the mountainous regions of northern Korea, including the Kaema Plateau.

“We’ll gain control over countless ‘Otherworlds.’ The rumors say they hold an unimaginable supply of mana stones. If we dominate the mana stone economy, Korea’s economic future is secured.”

Korea was already pushing toward a mana stone-driven economy.

“But didn’t we struggle to clear out aberrants even around Seoul?”

“That was dealt with long ago. The real problem is Chinese refugees crossing the border. This is just like Yi Seong-gye’s Four Objections to the Liaodong Campaign—the Ming threat back then is similar to the issue we face now.”

“If the Chinese start flooding in, that would be a major problem.”

A mass influx of Chinese refugees would force Korea to divert its hunters to border control.

And the official military, which barely existed on paper, wouldn’t be able to handle the numbers.

“Now that we have taken the hunters’ authority, there won’t be any foolish disputes over rights in North Korean territory. That’s why your role is crucial.”

“With the returnees as our greatest force, this is the perfect opportunity.”

“Exactly.”

I never expected someone like him to emerge from Korea.

Or maybe it’s precisely because this is the perfect time.

In today’s world, mana stones are practically the equivalent of oil.

In other words, if the deposits are significant and Ha Sang-jae succeeds in advancing northward, he will go down in history as a legendary president.

Additionally, the devastated areas from the Great Cataclysm could be restored.

Thinking about it, it’s not a bad idea.

And if Kanora Church spearheads the effort? Even better.

“Then can we spread Kanora Church’s influence in North Korea as well?”

“Of course. The president may be the head of state, but he’s not a king. People need something to believe in. The North Koreans no longer have their Supreme Leader.”

The president glanced at me subtly.

Hmm, I think I understand what he’s implying.

“Kanora Goddess can take that position instead.”

Perfect.

My goal of spreading Kanora Church aligns exactly with the president’s ambitions.

Internationally, the image of Kanora Church is overshadowed by Korea’s national pride. But this way, it will easily expand worldwide.

“Hmm. Your Excellency, I must say, you’re more impressive than any monarch I encountered in my previous world.”

“This is all about survival. Honestly speaking, it’s the perfect way to sway the foolish masses. And if our rear is stable and even China can’t interfere, any Korean president would consider this at least once.”

“This is worth doing for my own gain, isn’t it? Well, I respect Your Excellency’s vision. We can definitely be great business partners going forward.”

“I’ll be counting on you.”

I shook hands with the president, a faint smile on my lips.

It felt refreshing to finally meet someone whose mind was sharp.

***

After my secret discussion with the president, I returned to the guild headquarters with my fellow returnees.

Same old scenery as always.

The slime had somehow set up even more computers than before, and Neiphier was busy gaming.

The revolutionary leader looked exhausted.

Apparently, he had been working tirelessly for Kanora Church.

“Hello?”

I greeted them lightly as I stepped inside.

“You must have had a great time in Japan, huh? Your faces are practically glowing.”

Neiphier was the first to react.

At that moment, my fellow returnees and I all had the same thought.

Neiphier was sulking.

Even though he had willingly stayed behind, he was still envious that we had been enjoying ourselves.

But hey, wasn’t that his own choice?

“If you want, you can take a trip to Japan later. The prime minister said he’d welcome anyone I send. Besides, we weren’t just having fun. We demolished every shrine and replaced them with Kanora Church buildings.”

If anything, that should count as a major achievement for a believer.

Our Goddess ought to repay me for my service.

—Stop talking nonsense.

At some point, our Goddess had even learned to swear in Korean.

“Are you out of your mind? You destroyed shrines in Japan? And they actually let you?”

This time, the revolutionary leader—no, the instigator—spoke up.

“Surprisingly, yes.”

Believe it or not, it worked.

“That was even possible?”

“Think about it. Thanks to your ability and the influence of Korea’s national pride, we already had half the groundwork laid. Plus, I turned the prime minister into a believer in front of the entire Japanese population using the Goddess’ descent.”

Pretty impressive, right?

“Oh, you mean that divine manifestation thing.”

“After witnessing that, many Japanese declared Kanora Church to be the truth, which naturally affected the shrines as well.”

Neiphier’s comment reminded me of an amusing incident.

—No way! You bastards, leave the shrines alone!

—This place is now the site of a Kanora Church!

Some people had resisted, trying to protect the shrines.

But in the end, they were all completely destroyed.

“So, you’re pushing the ‘one true god’ Kanora narrative, huh?”

“Not only that, but the fact that Kanora Church is linked to K-pop idols helped too. And since the Great Cataclysm collapsed the old system, the transition was smoother.”

The collapse of the old order.

Thanks to that, the president now sees us as even more important.

At this point, our relationship with him is completely inseparable.