Ch.585Chapter 22. The Price of Labor (17)

Currently, a general boycott atmosphere against Haeguneul has taken root in this country.

I don’t know about the circumstances of people working at Haeguneul, but alternatives to everything related to Haeguneul are emerging across society.

Naturally, the items that get replaced most quickly during boycotts are inexpensive consumer goods.

Unless there’s nothing but Haeguneul Mart within a 5km radius, people try to reduce Haeguneul-related things within their daily living range.

Both food and clothing.

But there are things that can’t be easily changed.

“Hey, to boycott real estate, do I need to sell my house and car?”

Real estate.

More precisely, expensive items that can’t be casually or easily sold.

“Even if I put it on the used car market, would I get a fair price in this atmosphere?”

“Our house was built by Haeguneul Construction. I hope this won’t lower our property value?”

Cars and houses were all related to Haeguneul.

People are quite hypocritical. They can freely participate in boycotts for items that cost a few thousand or ten thousand won from their wallets.

But they hesitate to boycott items costing hundreds of thousands of won or more.

“Haha, if I had 100 million won, I wouldn’t buy a Haeguneul car~”

ㄴWipe your tears and say that again.

ㄴㄴIt’s actually because of the deer emoji

Either they don’t have money.

“Unless you’re going to buy me a Haeguneul Castle in Saha District for 2.5 billion won, don’t criticize me for living in a Haeguneul building.”

Or they can’t afford to take a loss.

In the end, boycotts are closely related to personal financial circumstances, and even if such an atmosphere pervades society, it can’t be carelessly forced on others.

However, what becomes an issue in this process are the so-called people who “suddenly accelerate.”

“You’re eating Haeguneul chicken! Don’t you know that the Haeguneul chicken you’re eating will return as a building that Haeguneul will drop on us someday!”

“…That’s rich coming from someone wearing a Haeguneul watch, what are you doing?!”

“Destroy it all!!”

Cases where people just decide to destroy everything that’s a boycott target.

It’s truly a grand display, but regrettably, this world’s country is the Republic of Korea.

A country that has become the center of the world.

And the scale of accidents that occur is equally grand.

“Gaaaah!!”

The masked villain “Junkyard Master” spreads his arms wide atop an overturned Haeguneul SUV.

“Everything from Haeguneul is trash! Haeguneul, destroy!”

“Aaaah!! I still have 3 years of installments left!”

“Your fault for driving a Haeguneul product!”

Crash!

The Junkyard Master flips over another car with his power-infused hands.

Even a sedan weighing well over a ton gets flipped, and unable to support the weight of its undercarriage, its upper part crumples.

“……”

No hero appears.

Despite being near Busan, there’s no hero who can appear here right now.

Except for those who were already at the rest area.

“Are you going to step in?”

“We can’t just leave that alone.”

“Calm down.”

I pulled on Baek Seol-hee’s wrist.

“That guy will definitely try to mess with your mental state. Think of the baby.”

“What?”

“If you stop him from destroying Haeguneul cars, he’ll definitely say it. That you’re defending Haeguneul. That you’re in league with them.”

“What kind of nonsense…”

“He’s just trash trying to satisfy his desires by making unreasonable claims. He’s a villain using the social atmosphere of boycotting to commit acts of violence.”

A “villain” trying to fulfill his twisted desire for destruction by taking advantage of social unrest.

“This isn’t when a hero should step in. It’s when someone who deals with villains should.”

“…You’re going out in this situation? With so many people around?”

Baek Seol-hee pointed at the people who couldn’t escape and were anxiously waiting.

“…You’ll get caught.”

There are too many eyes.

If I suddenly disappear and then reappear, someone will definitely notice.

“The inconsiderate guy who was paying cash at the Haeguneul cafe suddenly disappeared, and then the Goblin appeared!”

Like that.

While the Syndicate tries to suppress information about the Goblin’s identity as much as possible, it’s not easy to control the rumors when people have so much interest in them.

But we can’t just stand by and watch either.

“This is when you should step up.”

I pulled Baek Seol-hee’s arm and pointed at the ring on her left ring finger.

“Isn’t that why you made ‘that’? For times like this?”

“Actually, no.”

“…?”

“I made it to try winning 1:2 when fighting for the country.”

“But you said before that you didn’t make it for that.”

“I can’t lie. Not with the baby listening.”

Baek Seol-hee smiled and removed her ring.

“I don’t hide anything from the baby. But you know, I don’t want to just go out with that, so I’ll borrow your concept.”

“…Huh?”

“If I’m yours and you’re mine anyway.”

Whoosh.

“Doesn’t that mean I can use what’s yours? Hold my hand tight.”

From beneath Baek Seol-hee, magical power that no one could notice began to flow out.

Her hair was still black, but the hand holding mine gradually began to grow cold.

“I’ll leave the talking to you.”

“……”

Indeed.

Watching the white mist slowly revealing itself before the villain, I channeled my magical power through my hand clasped with Baek Seol-hee’s.

[Hmm.]

Clearing my throat, being as careful as possible so nearby citizens wouldn’t notice.

[I have arrived.]

Through the mouth of the white goblin that appeared in the middle of the parking lot amid a shower of white snow powder, I raised my voice.

[I shall execute the villain.]

Regardless of my will, the white goblin made quite a grand and arrogant entrance.

* * *

At that time, on the Gyeongbu Expressway.

“Damn, what kind of goblin is it this time?”

Association President Jung Ki-jo gritted his teeth as he saw the new villain that appeared before the “Junkyard Master” at the rest area.

“Hey, Taejo. Do you know what that is again?”

“Dunno.”

“……”

At the black-haired young man’s words from the passenger seat, the president somewhat roughly turned the steering wheel to pull over to the shoulder and turned off the engine.

“Hey, President! You can’t stop on the highway like this!”

“Black Taejo. Do you know what that is again?”

“It’s the Goblin.”

Taejo, who had been answering flippantly, suddenly changed his voice.

“Because the Goblin appears wherever villains show up.”

“Right. I don’t know how it appeared, but what kind of goblin is that? Which goblin model did the Syndicate make? Or is it like a shiny goblin?”

“…I don’t think that’s it.”

Taejo pointed at the white goblin with his eyes.

“The color is different and it moves a bit more grandly, but that is definitely the Goblin.”

“Sigh, damn it. Seoul, Incheon, Busan, there’s a goblin everywhere. Popping up all over the country.”

The president sighed deeply.

His sigh seemed utterly exasperated, but it was more of relief than anxiety.

“Fine. If you say it’s the Goblin, then it must be. Whether the Goblin really made a clone or it’s an astral projection, or if it’s created an alternate persona with a different concept, it’s still unclear because someone is keeping their mouth shut…”

“……”

“If it says it’s going to catch villains, Jung Ki-jo the human has no intention of stopping it. That guy, has he developed some humanity or something? Since learning the Ral Brake, he doesn’t kill unless it’s a really severe case.”

The president started the car again.

“But you know what? That’s one thing, but Association President Jung Ki-jo is another matter, you know that, right?”

“I know. Same for me.”

“Good. Taejo. Let’s do well.”

“Yes.”

For a moment, the two men closed their eyes and opened them again in the car.

Vroooom—

“Ah. This is the Association President.”

The president pulled the microphone that lit up as the engine started again and raised his voice.

“The white goblin that appeared at Haman Rest Area is designated as ‘Goblin Type.’ Codename, ‘Ice Goblin.’ Heroes dispatched to the scene should prioritize the arrest of the Junkyard Master, but must prevent the Ice Goblin from destroying the villain’s cradle. Over.”

Click.

“Yes, this is the most comfortable way.”

The president put the microphone back on its stand and gripped the steering wheel tightly.

“Original Goblin, Goblin Rider, Osaka Goblin, Goblin Mark Three, and now Ice Goblin. There are probably countless goblins that haven’t appeared yet. If so.”

The president stepped on the accelerator with a relieved expression.

“All those guys who claim to execute villains while going around destroying testicles are just ‘Goblin Type’… No, wait.”

The president grabbed the microphone again.

“‘Pattern, Goblin.’ It’s a villain.”

* * *

Thud!

The Junkyard Master rolls across the parking lot floor.

His entire body was white as if covered in frost.

“Kuh, cough…!!”

The Junkyard Master coughed and got up.

He was a fairly sturdy A-rank physical enhancement type, but regrettably, his magically enhanced body was no match for the White Goblin.

“H-how…!”

[There are few words as meaningless as ‘how.’]

The Ice Goblin approaches the Junkyard Master with the club resting on his shoulder.

Though somewhat loose, his steps overflowing with composure clearly showed who was winning.

[If you destroyed someone else’s property, you should naturally be prepared to have your own property destroyed too, right?]

“Goblin…!! You’ve left the villain called Haeguneul alone all this time, and now you’re going to stop me from destroying everything related to Haeguneul!! That massive evil that is Haeguneul!!”

[You’ve been quiet until now too, haven’t you?]

“Kugh!”

The Junkyard Master trembled and threw off his mask.

Behind the mask, he was just an ordinary handsome young man.

“You cowardly villain! You go around beating up individuals you can safely execute while pretending to be righteous, but you’ve just been watching the great evil that is Haeguneul!”

[How impudent-]

Smack!!

Before I could finish speaking, the Ice Goblin rushed forward and struck the Junkyard Master’s head.

[…fellow.]

It was off-beat, but that’s all I could say.

“…I was still talking.”

“Sorry.”

Baek Seol-hee pointed at the fallen Junkyard Master with a very angry face.

“He was talking nonsense, and before I knew it, my hand moved on its own.”

….

“The line.”

[…Ah.]

The Ice Goblin raises the ice club high.

[I execute-]

Smack!!

[you.]

With the sound of something breaking instead of a Haeguneul car, the villain Junkyard Master was Zenrosed.

“…You know, you time things so well in bed, why are you like this here?”

“Just like in bed, it’s because you finish faster than my timing. For an Ice Princess, you’re quite hot-blooded.”

How did Taotie manage to time his lines so perfectly in America?

“Didn’t you know? I’m a woman with a hot core.”

“…I know that better than anyone.”

It was a moment when I suddenly felt a new respect for Taotie.