Ch.53Chapter 3. Ulleung, the Island of Miracles and Patriotism (2)

The car quickly drove along the Ulleungdo coastal road—a four-lane highway—and soon arrived at our destination.

“We’re here.”

“…This is impressive.”

The pension built on Ulleungdo was constructed with top-quality materials and designed by elite designers to satisfy the eyes of wealthy foreigners.

Most were like that, and I heard that this particular pension, which The Syndicate had directly contacted, had enormous resources invested in it.

Originally, it had no connection to The Syndicate.

But I had searched online for a pension with hot springs among those on Ulleungdo, and after the chairman personally came to verify it, it immediately became property of The Syndicate.

“The owner and staff don’t know who you are, Manager. From now on, you’ll be treated as a guest.”

“Is that all right?”

“Yes. Not to brag, but all our guests are wealthy individuals. You have nothing to worry about.”

The only person who knows I’m with The Syndicate is the pension manager, “Mr. Jang.”

“If you’re uncomfortable, I can introduce you to my wife as an associate of a ‘major investor’ in the pension. A company manager who came to inspect the site and relax.”

He had successfully remodeled his already well-run pension with help from The Syndicate’s experts, and was now operating it quite successfully as an ultra-premium establishment among pensions.

‘That’s not wrong. I found this place online, and The Syndicate decided to invest in it.’

I never imagined that the pension I saw in photos would transform into such a luxurious mansion.

This was my first time seeing it in person, and I had only seen what it looked like before becoming The Syndicate’s property, so I found myself facing an ultra-luxury mansion that called itself a pension.

“Is this really a pension?”

“Of course it is, sir.”

It looked exactly like something a wealthy person would build on a hill in California, but if the manager himself called it a pension, I had to believe him.

“When you need the manager, just use the phone or press the intercom. This is Sylvia. She will immediately address any concerns you might have.”

“Hello, sir. My name is Sylvia.”

“Wow.”

A tall blonde woman who looked like she was from Northern Europe greeted me, dressed like a court lady who might work in a palace.

“May I ask what country you’re from?”

“I, come, from, Norway.”

“Sylvia. You don’t need to do that.”

“Is that so? I’m from Norway. Pleased to meet you, sir.”

Her awkward Korean instantly transformed into fluent speech.

Sylvia shrugged as if this were perfectly normal, and I had thought she might be of mixed Korean heritage.

“Some Korean guests prefer white women to speak Korean a bit awkwardly. I hope you understand, sir.”

“Ah, yes…”

“This is everyday life on Ulleungdo. Elite men and women from foreign countries work here. Sylvia, where did you say you worked before…?”

“I worked as a hotelier at the K Hotel in London. It was classified as a five-star hotel.”

“My goodness.”

My head started spinning from another bombardment of Korean national pride.

“Isn’t the K Hotel in London that place where world leaders often stay?”

“You know it? Yes, that’s correct. I worked there as a hotelier for ten years before coming to Korea to become a hotelier at Ulleung Island.”

“My goodness…”

As Korea had become a great nation, naturally the pattern of foreign workers had also changed.

The so-called Third World?

All gone.

-Jamar works hard! Better and harder than Peter!

-Ah, I know Jamar works well! But Peter speaks good English!

-I speak good English too! We’re also English-speaking! You’re discriminating because my skin is dark! Boss is bad!

-Oh… I’m sorry, Mr. Han.

-No! Peter has nothing to apologize for! Ahem. Jamar. I’m sorry, but you’re fired.

-Boss! Peter is trying to absorb mana in Korea and return to America! Don’t be fooled!

-Oh, No… I, marry Korean woman and live here. I, like bulgogi.

-I eat doenjang too! Jamar, I enjoyed that meat the boss gave us! Boss, Jamar and I have built “jeong” for a long time!

-Hmm… I’m sorry, Peter. You know how Koreans value jeong…

-My grandfather fought in the Korean War.

-Oh then it must be Peter! Sorry, Jamar. I’m just repaying our ancestors’ kindness. I’m absolutely not firing you because Peter has white skin!

Bob who picked apples on farms, Sadam who fed mackerel to bluefin tuna on ships, and Hassan who moved cargo in factories had all transformed into James, Adam, Michael, and Samuel.

-She’s marrying a German woman? No, a Swedish woman is coming to marry a Korean man? That’s crazy talk.

-Surprisingly, hundreds of marriage immigration inquiries are pouring in every day. There are many blonde beauties who come to study in Korea and fall in love with college students.

-No way, is this even possible? Why would European women want international marriages here?

-You know why you’re asking.

The same went for women.

-Hello, I’m Christine. I passed Level 1 of the Korean Language Proficiency Test and have a perfect score on the Advanced Korean History Certificate.

-Taejong Taese?

-These days they verify with this instead of Taejong Taese. Muo Gapja Gimyo Eul Sa…

-Teacher Baekgyeol’s rice mill.

-King Uija’s three thousand court ladies.

-I believe you. You are indeed a prepared international student. What’s your purpose for coming to Korea?

-To be a daughter-in-law.

-Welcome to Joseon, foreigner.

Places that once had many non-Koreans gradually began to be filled with Europeans, and they slowly began to whiten the proportion of foreigners in this land.

-White people go away! Those who came to leech off this blessed land should all go home!!

-Do you know the saying “If possible, a red skirt”? Now it’s the era of “If possible, an Anglo-Saxon.”

All to receive the blessing of abilities in the land of Korea.

Sylvia was the same.

“Sylvia, are you an ability user by any chance?”

“Unfortunately, I am not. But I hope to give birth to one someday. Since the manager said I could speak comfortably with you, let me be a bit frank.”

Sylvia looked westward with slightly tired eyes.

“My dream is to save a lot of money here, return to my country to marry my childhood friend, and then come back to this pension to make a pumpkin baby.”

“…Why pumpkin specifically?”

“Because Ulleungdo is known for pumpkin taffy. Anyway, I’d like to conceive and give birth here. The best would be to accumulate years of service and go to Sejong Island, but… it’s not easy for foreigners like me to enter Sejong Island.”

“……”

Had I been cooped up at home too much?

Was it because I stayed home watching movies and anime from this world, or because I lived in Seoul, considered Korea’s slum?

“Only ability users or their associates can enter Sejong Island as foreigners. Regular people like me are limited to Ulleungdo.”

“Aren’t you quite elite yourself, Sylvia?”

“Thank you for saying so, but there are still many restrictions for foreign women who aren’t ‘daughters-in-law.'”

Seeing Neo-Busan and Neo-Ulleung, essentially the crystallization of a Korean nationalist fantasy world, made me feel like my hands and feet were twisting and my heart was shriveling.

“…I understand. I’ll let you know if I need anything. I’d like to go to my room and rest now, if that’s okay?”

“Of course. I’ll show you the way.”

Following Sylvia’s guidance, I entered the pension.

The pension, filled with modern Hellenistic design that mixed exotic and oriental elements, was spacious enough for at least six people to stay comfortably.

Honestly, it could accommodate not just six but ten, or exaggerating a bit, even more than 20 people, given how spacious it was.

There were multiple rooms, and one suite even had an indoor pool villa.

In my original Earth, renting such a pool villa would have cost at least a million won for a group booking, or even more.

And now I’m using it “for free.”

Not exactly free—I charge it to my card first and the company reimburses me—but the result is the same: I get to freely use this spacious place.

“My head hurts.”

I came to Ulleungdo to relax, but now my head is even more complicated with this parade of Korean nationalism.

I knew about it.

But just “knowing” something and actually experiencing it are completely different stories.

“…Hah.”

I feel dizzy.

All I want is to quickly get into the hot spring and rest.

Fortunately, on one side of the pension was a steaming hot spring with an outdoor view, like an open-air bath.

“Ahh….”

This is the magical spring that the protagonist discovered with his heroines during their Ulleungdo exploration.

I can feel mana filling my body as soon as I undress and enter.

Personally, I’d like to live here forever.

I’m just soaking in the hot spring water…

“Huh?”

A phone call.

Someone I know.

“Hello?”

[Ah, Ji-hwan. Can you talk?]

It was Snow White.