Ch.172Chapter 7. This Is Convenient Again (2)

“Don’t you think people in this world are going too far?”

“Exactly.”

“I feel like asking the Goblin to punish them all.”

“Who? The people criticizing Platinum Sun? Or the Zenros that Platinum Sun saved?”

“All humans.”

Crunch.

Ymir picked up two pieces of beef at once, chewing them as if she were grinding up everything she found distasteful.

“They’re truly disgusting people. Do they enjoy scraping away at people’s mental health?”

“Some people actually get pleasure from that.”

“They’re perverts. Whether it’s Sejong Island’s detention center or a mental hospital, those are the people who should be isolated from society.”

“They’re probably busy self-isolating right now.”

“Self-isolating?”

“Yes.”

Ymir doesn’t know.

“In Korea, there’s something called an execution squad.”

“…The Goblin Squad?”

“They operate similarly, though if we’re talking about the original, it would be them. At least in terms of the name ‘execution.'”

I placed some grilled beef on top of the white rice Ymir had just scooped with her spoon.

“Ah, thank you. You too. Aang.”

“Ah.”

Sizzle.

The beef on the pan in the middle was browning nicely.

“What? You seem quite used to being fed by women?”

“Isn’t it basic courtesy to feed the person who’s grilling the meat?”

“Oh, is that so? But it was my chopsticks… hehe.”

“You’re being creepy.”

“You’re the one who accepted it so casually.”

“True. So, is it delicious?”

“Yes. Extremely. So this is that premium Hoengseong beef that costs 170,000 won per 100g…! It melts in my mouth. Maybe it’s because you grilled it so well…?”

“Eat a lot. I bought plenty.”

Buying Korean beef for Ymir’s mental care was an excellent choice.

“Who did you buy so much beef for? And in Sejong Island where supplies are limited.”

“You.”

“…What about Seolhee unni?”

“Baek Seol-hee can eat all kinds of meat at the faculty cafeteria even when she’s not here.”

“Ah.”

That’s the difference between E(X) class and S class.

E class students must eat at the student cafeteria, while S class and faculty members can choose from a buffet-style menu for breakfast, lunch, and dinner every day.

“She can eat delicious food every day, so she doesn’t need to worry about meals.”

“But eating meat with you, especially when you’re grilling it for me, is different, right?”

“Of course it is.”

Sizzle.

The meat cooked quickly.

I lightly sprinkled some soju over the grill, creating a hazy smoke as the alcohol evaporated.

“Wow. Does that clean the grill?”

“Not really.”

“Then why did you do it?”

“Performance.”

“What? You look like a child.”

“Even in a child’s body, I can do everything I need to.”

I wiped the grill with a paper towel.

The hot plate, which had been heated by the gas burner, quickly cooled down after I poured a cup of soju on it.

“People are like this.”

“The beef?”

“…No. This grill. It heats up quickly, but it also cools down quickly. Right now it stays hot because heat keeps rising from below, but once the fire goes out, it cools down fast.”

“Ah, foreigners have a term for that… what was it called…?”

“Pot mentality.”

“That’s it! …So you’re saying people’s reactions will die down quickly too?”

“Probably.”

When an issue arises, most people only care about it in the moment, except for those who maintain a sustained interest.

“Right now, the media is making a fuss, the whole world is in shock, and we’re at the center of the storm. But once the Zenros enter Sejong Island, things will quiet down. After that, only those who hate Zenros will keep mentioning it, so you don’t need to worry about it.”

“If someone does mention it…”

“Korea’s execution squad will take care of them.”

“Ah. You just mentioned that.”

“Right. By the way, this footage is censored, but do you recognize it?”

I showed her a video.

“I know this. It’s that motorcycle gang from earlier this year. The one the Goblin killed… Ah. So it wasn’t the Goblin who killed them, but the execution squad?”

“I like how quick you are.”

Fortunately, I don’t need to make excuses.

“You’re right. I didn’t kill Red Scarf; the execution squad flew in and killed him. I just took the credit.”

“Were you originally not going to kill him?”

“Baek Seol-hee was catching him from behind, and I was hesitating. I thought it was troublesome and considered just handing him over to her.”

“If that had happened…”

“‘Only Snow White can control the Goblin? Snow White cools down the Goblin’s club!’ The media would have made a fuss about that.”

That might have happened, but it didn’t.

“I don’t intend to kill just anyone. Even though I definitely kill those who have killed others, I don’t kill indiscriminately.”

“You only appear when there’s a villain worth killing?”

“Right. But that execution squad is a bit different.”

I pointed at the Taeguk Watch.

“While I execute villains who have killed people, the execution squad executes those who lower the government’s approval ratings. Their first targets are villains and demons, and their second targets are…”

“Trolls who turn powered individuals into villains?”

“Close. Those who keep eating away at powered individuals’ mental health. They’re specifically called ‘blowflies.'”

“Why flies?”

“You could call them the devil’s vanguard, or the source of the bacteria that spreads plague.”

While actual blowflies do exist, terminology varies widely across different worlds and cultures.

I apologize to real blowflies, but in this world, “blowflies” refers to the harmful elements of society who spew malicious comments and false accusations with the intent to turn powered individuals into demons.

“Ah. I get the feeling. So this execution squad cleans up these blowflies?”

“Yes. They make them become very ‘mysterious.'”

“Mysterious? Ah, I know what that is. From the neighboring country… right?”

“Right. They either hold a ‘human body mystery exhibition’ with the blowflies… or if they don’t want that fate, they should keep quiet. They make sure people can’t freely type with their fingers.”

“The government does this?”

“Officially, they don’t exist. But since they actually do exist, everyone keeps quiet about it, not wanting to become ‘mysterious.'”

“……”

Ymir lowered her head with a complicated expression.

Her chopsticks, which had been moving quickly until now, began to hesitate. I wrapped some meat in a lettuce leaf and held it out to her.

“This is a bit awkward. Ah.”

“……”

“Licking my fingers at the end was a bit much.”

“There was beef grease flowing out of the wrap onto your hand, so I cleaned it for you.”

“With what? Your tongue?”

“Yes. Isn’t that a reward?”

“If this is a reward… Haa, never mind.”

I put more beef on the grill.

“The country will take care of the blowflies. And the Syndicate has decided to act in support of Platinum Sun.”

“Oh my, why?”

“Because I’m currently trying to persuade you.”

“…I haven’t even said I’ll join yet.”

“Just by becoming a recruitment target, just by the Goblin saying he wants to scout you, the Syndicate has already started protecting you. Whether you join our side or not, at least while I need you, we’ll protect you.”

“If, if the Syndicate considered me an ‘enemy,’ what would happen to me?”

“……”

For a moment, I recalled the original story.

Before Qiongqi, Taowu, Taotie, and Hundun were one by one charmed by the original protagonist.

When only the original villain Goblin(C) was tormenting the protagonist.

“…They would have tormented you as much as Dueoksini.”

“Wow, that’s quite a threat.”

“Being an enemy of the Syndicate means ‘being an obstacle to world peace.'”

Of course, in the original story, it was due to the Goblin’s petty and vindictive revenge against the protagonist who interfered with his plans.

And the heroines would comfort and heal the protagonist’s wounded heart, leading to romance.

“Don’t worry too much. You’re not an enemy of the world. You’re a hero, and those humans are the bad ones.”

“…Thank you.”

Not quite like now… but similar.

“But after hearing what those people had to say, I felt a bit conflicted.”

“Those people?”

“The families of those killed by demons.”

“……”

“They said, ‘The Goblin was right. We ask Platinum Sun: why did you save them?'”

“You said it last time. Regardless of what happens afterward, you would turn demons back into humans.”

That day.

The day Ymir and I talked on the bench by the beach.

“You’ve done your part. Don’t worry about what happens after a demon becomes human again. That’s society’s role, not yours. A hero’s job is to save people; doctors, nurses, and then family or social workers take care of and treat that person afterward.”

“Heroes don’t need to take on everything?”

“Of course not. There’s a limit to what one person can do. But still.”

I extend the last piece of meat directly to Ymir’s mouth.

“Ignore all the nonsense from people other than the families of those killed by demons. You’ve done nothing wrong.”

“…Thank you.”

Ymir smiled as she took a big bite, chopsticks and all.

“I guess you used to grill meat and counsel the Chairman like this too.”

“Of course it’s natural for me to grill meat…”

Huh?

“…What did you say?”

“Hehe.”

Ymir tapped my ankle with her toe under the table.

“You said I have good intuition, right?”

“……”

“I’m particularly good at this sort of thing.”

“……”

“I’ve learned another one of your secrets, hmm…”

Ymir rested her chin on one hand, made a V-sign with her index and middle fingers, and ran them along the corners of her lips while smiling.

“Want to go for a night walk with noona, little Jihwan?”

“No. I don’t want to. Please stop.”

“What’s that?”

“…Ah, you lived abroad.”

Then she might not know.

“Adults always tell kids not to follow strangers who offer candy.”

“I’ll give you something other than candy. Something tastier than candy…”

Beep beep beep.

A phone rang.

It was Ymir’s Taeguk Watch.

“…Hello?”

[Hi. Mir. It’s me.]

“…Seolhee unni?”

[You’re at Jihwan’s place now, right? I finished my meeting. Come pick me up.]

Click.

The call ended.

Ymir tilted her head to the side and sighed deeply with a blank expression.

“Wow.”

A hollow laugh.

“She really has no sense of timing. Right?”

“…I guess so.”

“And why did you undo your transformation?”

“Because Baek Seol-hee doesn’t know.”

“…Pfft.”

Ymir’s eyes curved into crescents.

“So the more I keep your secret, the more I get to monopolize that form of yours…?”

“That’s right.”

“I like that.”

Ymir stood up, reached out into the air, and winked at me.

“For now, I’ll help make sure the clueless Seolhee unni doesn’t catch on.”

“Aren’t heroes supposed to help each other?”

“Well, Snow White and Platinum Sun can help each other.”

Ymir drew a golden circle in the air, then made a cutting motion across her own neck while facing me.

“But between women, we’re competitors, right?”