Ch.118Chapter 5. Battlefield of Proof, Ulleung (4)

When a Woman Brings Up Ulleung First?

“Dating Expert, I have a question. A girl I’m seeing suggested we go to Ulleungdo together. What should I do?”

“Aha! When she suggests Ulleungdo, she’s telling you to book a wedding venue! How can you date women without knowing this? What you need to do right now is book accommodations on Ulleungdo! Even if it costs your entire month’s salary, make that reservation!”

“She says she’s already made all the reservations.”

“Then you should be picking baby names right now! What are you waiting for?”

This is a setup.

Anyone can see it’s a patriotic setup.

Not just simple patriotism, but a situation that could enhance national prestige.

That’s how it looks if you simply view us as student Ymir and teacher Do Ji-hwan.

‘Look at this girl.’

Ymir is trying to seduce me.

Not just casual seduction, but deliberately trying to entice me.

She acts shy, awkward, and innocent.

But in reality, like a praying mantis that devours the male after mating, she’s hiding her intention to suck everything out of me.

Of course, I don’t mean literal devouring.

Apart from our playful conversations, she seriously knows that Do Ji-hwan is the Goblin, so seducing Do Ji-hwan is the same as seducing the Goblin.

Through this, she aims to gain significant help for her hero activities.

She wants to ask the Goblin to “execute” villains and demons she doesn’t want to kill herself.

And ultimately, she wants to transform the Goblin from a member of the Syndicate’s Yimemangryang into something else—perhaps “Doji Rider,” partner of the Platinum Sun, or something similar.

It’s not simply because she likes me.

Or finds me attractive.

Beyond the male-female relationship, even as hero and villain, she’s trying to make me “hers.”

“Are you serious?”

“Yes, I’m serious.”

“Do you know what that means? If we go to Ulleungdo, there will be entry records, and rumors will spread.”

“I don’t want rumors—I want to make it an established fact. Is that not possible?”

“No.”

It’s not possible.

Because right now, Ymir thinks I’m “two-timing,” not “octopus-arming.”

“I understand your desire to go to Ulleungdo with me, Ymir. But there’s something you don’t know yet.”

“…I know everything about you, teacher.”

Right.

She probably knows that Do Ji-hwan is the Goblin.

But Ymir doesn’t know.

“Do you really think you know everything about me?”

“What?”

“Ymir.”

I whispered coldly into her ear.

“Do you think you’re the only woman I’m in contact with?”

“……!”

Ymir’s expression froze.

Her hands and feet trembled, and her pupils shook violently.

“W-what do you mean…?”

“Exactly what I said. And one more thing.”

I opened an app on my smartphone and pulled up a reservation.

“I’m going to Ulleungdo tomorrow morning.”

“……With whom?”

Ymir immediately started interrogating me.

“Who is it that you don’t want to be caught having a thing with? Is that person your main and I’m just the side piece?”

“It’s not quite like that.”

“‘Not quite’? Not ‘no,’ but ‘not quite’???”

Being quick-witted, she immediately caught the surface reason why I was saying these things.

“Who is it? Tell me. I may be an E-rank ability user, but my heart is EX-rank—”

“This person.”

I showed her a photo, and Ymir’s jaw dropped in shock.

“No way…. How…?”

“For the sake of honor, I’d appreciate if you kept quiet from now on.”

“No, wait. Ah, ugh….”

Ymir was so shocked that she held her head and staggered.

“Y-you didn’t seduce her, did you?”

“Rather than seduction, our relationship formed naturally through our meetings. I just breathed and talked, and it happened.”

“W-wait. If this person went there….”

“She came flying without her Taegeuk Watch.”

To be precise, she didn’t fly but surfed across the islands.

Even national swimming representatives can improve their endurance to swim long distances from Ulleungdo to Dokdo, so why would it be impossible for an S-rank ability user?

“You’re joking, right?”

“Does it look like a joke?”

“It seems like a really malicious joke. No, how could you today…!”

“What did we do today? You and I—Do Ji-hwan—just had a special tutoring session.”

“……!!”

Confusion, anger, and betrayal flashed in Ymir’s eyes, but then—

“Hmm. I see. Indeed.”

As if realizing something, her negative emotions subsided, and a sense of superiority began to show.

“You’re just trying to tease me, right? I get it. You’re saying it’s not time for Ulleungdo yet?”

“Now you’re in denial. Are you confident?”

I seem to be questioning Ymir’s resolve a lot today, but this feels different.

“Want to skip school and come with me? Perfect timing. Let’s have a three-way confrontation.”

“…Are you crazy?”

“You don’t believe me. And it would make me feel better too.”

I, Do Ji-hwan.

“Two-timing sounds trashy, but having a flower in each hand is a skill.”

As someone ordered by the boss to corrupt heroes through affairs, I’ll catch two heroes at once.

“Just promise me one thing. Pretend you don’t know about the other side. Okay?”

“…So if the situation is what I think it is.”

Ymir bit her lower lip briefly, then gestured for me to lean down as she stood on tiptoe.

I lowered my head toward her, and she whispered in a voice so quiet no one else could hear.

“…This person hasn’t been with the Goblin, right?”

“Of course not.”

“…Ah. I see. Hmm….”

Talking with Ymir seems convenient this way.

Perhaps because she’s the protagonist, she can deduce everything from just a few clues without me having to explain much.

“Okay. Let’s do it. This could be fun in its own way.”

“Fun?”

“Yes. At least you’ll be the one bleeding—”

“Why would I bleed? The one who bleeds is….”

“The one who ‘sees blood,’ right?”

“…….”

Indeed.

“Let’s continue this over the phone. It’s troublesome to stay out here like this.”

“Alright. But…we can’t do that over the phone?”

I brushed dust off Ymir’s shoulder and whispered in her ear.

“If you talk for more than three minutes, they’ll tap the call and track you. In this country, on this land.”

“……That’s a lie.”

“It’s true. You probably didn’t know because you’ve never had anyone to call, but it’s real. So if you want to meet, send a text. Say something like…you want to go watch the moon together, and I’ll come find you.”

If I’m in a position to do so.

“Looking forward to working with you, Ymir.”

“…….”

I patted Ymir’s back and pushed her into the dormitory.

“…….”

The gazes around us were meaningful, and I was certain there was no turning back now.

By now.

Whether on the dark web or anonymous communities, posts or photos saying “Ymir and Do Ji-hwan are dating” would have been uploaded.

That’s how this world, this Sejong Island works.

With global attention focused on each ability user, and considering that a non-powered Korean man and a foreign ability user returned to staff quarters together at night, whispering in each other’s ears.

The relationship between Librarian Do Ji-hwan and student Ymir is essentially becoming “official” by now.

Secret relationships cannot exist on this island.

That’s why I haven’t been able to meet Baek Seol-hee directly on Sejong Island until now.

In other words.

Now, it’s only a matter of time before Baek Seol-hee discovers my relationship with Ymir.

If she’s going to find out eventually, perhaps quickly resolving the situation is the best approach.

“Sigh.”

After Ymir entered the dormitory, as I was returning to my quarters.

Ring ring.

I made a call.

After a few rings, the other party answered with a clattering sound.

“Hello?”

[Ah, yes! Ji-hwan! Calling so late at night….]

“Since it’s past midnight, I should say ‘today.'”

The voice was, of course, Baek Seol-hee.

“I’m going to Ulleungdo today.”

[…I’m coming to Sejong Island today.]

“We’re staying at the same place, Seol-hee.”

A man is.

“I think someone else will be coming with me. Is that okay?”

[What? Wait, who?]

“A woman.”

[…….]

Click.

The call ended.

“Yes, that’s it.”

I don’t need to be anxious.

Though I’ve extended myself to two women, I have a “title” I can proudly present to both.

Adulterer.

“If she doesn’t come, I can go to Ulleungdo with Ymir, and if she does come, the three of us can travel together.”

What if neither of them wants to come?

“……I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it.”

This isn’t impulsive.

It’s the best choice I could make as Do Ji-hwan, as the Goblin.

In the original story.

The protagonist of the nationalist light novel naturally attracted women without doing anything.

The women created situations to be alone with the protagonist, and when various circumstances aligned, multiple heroines ended up together with him.

I’m not the protagonist.

Rather, Ymir is the protagonist, and I’m just a villain who torments her.

For someone like me to pursue both Ymir and Baek Seol-hee simultaneously rather than focusing on one is absurd on Sejong Island.

If I create ambiguous situations that lead to misunderstandings, it could be disastrous.

Especially as a “non-powered” Do Ji-hwan, if I attract public attention, I might not just face criticism but be captured and threatened with death.

How dare a non-powered nobody get involved with an S-rank ability user?

S-ranks should be with other S-ranks, they’d say. Who do you think you are, two-timing with an E-rank blonde beauty?

But.

‘I’ve never failed before. This is right. I am the Goblin. Not an ordinary villain.’

Avoiding such situations is the Goblin’s way.

Creating the situations I want and setting the stage is Do Ji-hwan’s way.

“I’m not the one who should feel sorry.”

If they want to go to Ulleungdo with an adulterer, they should be the ones to humble themselves first.

‘In ordinary light novels, the heroines have catfights, but the Goblin doesn’t allow that.’

Well.

‘Whoever asks me to go to Ulleungdo first wins.’

Now, claw at each other.

After all.

Making heroes fight among themselves is what villains do.