Ch.599Chapter 23. Patriotic General Do Ji-hwan (3)

Legal issues arising from a relationship with this man, if not considered criminal under the penal code, are exempt from punishment.

When referring to the penal code here…

Well, to put it simply.

“Hey, let’s be patriotic together! I’ll awaken your powers!”

“Ahhh, I’ve been awakened by Do Ji-hwan’s awakening technique~!!”

“What kind of lunatic makes these memes.”

I couldn’t help but lament as I looked at the flood of “Patriotic Master” memes on the internet.

Under the “Patriotic Master” section on Do Ji-hwan’s wiki page, there were countless memes created by internet users, revealing the true nature of the patriotic license.

“I… I want to sing the national anthem with Mr. Do Ji-hwan to become stronger!”

“Those people ‘did patriotism’ together!”

“Ahhh! I want to do patriotism with Do Ji-hwan!”

└ “Don’t say ‘patriotism’ so loudly, idiot.”

All kinds of memes were flooding the internet.

Most of them featured female ability users who were easily identifiable, all saying they “want to do patriotism.”

“To the French hero ‘Maid of Orleans,’ what are your thoughts on the upcoming World Cup?”

“I’ve requested the Korean government to allow the use of Do Ji-hwan’s awakening technique.”

“…But then you might no longer be the ‘Maid’ of Orleans?”

“Even if the internet burns me at the stake as a witch, I will bring victory to France. That is all.”

Some even openly expressed their desire to sing the national anthem together through public interviews.

Since Western culture is more open than Eastern culture, and with many hooligans from various sports transitioning to ability user sports, this atmosphere wasn’t particularly problematic.

“He’ll help us lift the championship trophy!”

“Even if we don’t win, who knows? Maybe I’ll get pregnant with Do Ji-hwan’s child and have an S-class baby. He’s Korean after all.”

“Even if we don’t win, our ability users will awaken, and with that power, they’ll protect our country. It’s not like they have to settle down in Korea. It’s good for everyone, like killing two birds with one stone.”

“Just think of it as going on a working holiday to Korea. These internet unicorns being jealous is really disgusting.”

└ “I have no idea what you’re talking about TT”

└└ (Goblin translation) It means that people who fantasize about female heroes as their girlfriends and rage whenever they interact with men are of no help to ability users’ lives or mental health.

What matters is awakening, strengthening, and evolution.

“Korea has issued licenses too! This is the Korean government’s message for Do Ji-hwan to do more patriotism!”

“Tell Do Ji-hwan! The national anthem has four verses!”

“All four verses of the national anthem, ‘sung together’ with a powerful voice!!”

As long as it didn’t involve consuming mana powder or harming someone, any legal issues weren’t considered major problems.

“Sweet, legal affairs XD”

└ “Teacher, you shouldn’t say such things…”

└ “Husbands crying their eyes out”

└ “My husband cheats too. Currently in divorce mediation XD”

└ “Oh.”

Well, even if there were various issues, they would be trivial compared to awakening.

“Do Ji-hwan should be grateful for getting his license. If it were the previous Minister of Defense, they would have sent him a warrant and made him fire K-1Ks instead of K-2s for two years.”

What matters is awakening.

And.

“But honestly, does it make any sense? Can you really get stronger by doing it with Do Ji-hwan?”

“It’s true!”

“Any proof?”

“There are officially FOUR people now, isn’t that significant data?”

“Wow.”

Because it’s actually true, people want Do Ji-hwan’s patriotism even more.

Just like how he turned two S-class users into SS-class.

And although it’s still just a suspicion, how he turned one E-class user into C-class, skipping D-class entirely, and an A-class who seemed unable to grow further into an S-class.

* * *

“I’m sorry, teacher. We never thought our continuous rank increases would be interpreted this way.”

“You don’t need to apologize. The problem is with people who misunderstand your skill-based growth as ‘getting stronger through national anthem singing.'”

“But that’s actually… ugh.”

“You be quiet.”

Two female ability users visited Baek Seol-hee’s living room.

Avoiding the eyes of reporters outside, Ymir and Yoon Yi-seon entered through a dimensional door.

“Ymir, you rose to C-class right at the start of the second semester, right?”

“Yes.”

“And everyone knows about how you and I spent time together during the first semester.”

“Well, everyone at the academy now knows that I was constantly visiting your place. Hahaha…”

There’s Ymir’s case.

She didn’t make a single friend but sought out Do Ji-hwan every day, and she grew from E-class to C-class.

In just half a year after enrollment, she jumped two full ranks.

Even though it’s from E-class to C-class, this explosive growth could certainly be called an “awakening.”

“People misunderstand. They think Ymir got stronger through patriotism with Do Ji-hwan. What have you been saying about that?”

“I’ve been denying it, but…”

Ymir scratched her head and looked away.

“Everyone thought I was lying. A foreign girl visiting a man’s house every day—how could we just be studying?”

“……”

“If you’d allow it, I’m willing to admit it. I got stronger thanks to Do Ji-hwan. But it wasn’t because I wanted to get stronger—it was because of my pure desire to protect him!”

“But you did get stronger through patriotism.”

“Hehe.”

Just look at Ymir’s case—not as Platinum Sun, but as a regular academy student.

The cases of awakening S-class users to SS-class have already been established with Baek Seol-hee and Yoon Hye-ra.

If those were the only cases, only S-class users would be targeting me.

But my awakening technique isn’t limited to S-class.

Circumstantial evidence is now widely known that it works for E-class and A-class users too.

“The problem is Yi-seon’s situation.”

“……”

“Yi-seon got stronger purely through skill, but now people think she awakened because of me. This is an insult to Yi-seon.”

Firefox’s awakening to S-class hero.

That happened because I, as Goblin, became her sparring partner and continuously helped her with ability battles.

When she faced me, drenched in sweat and breathing heavily, it was on an underground battlefield, not the kind of place people are imagining.

“What Student Council President Yoon Yi-seon shed to become an S-class hero was blood, sweat, and tears—nothing else.”

“I appreciate your anger, but I think it’s too late.”

Yoon Yi-seon pointed outside with a half-resigned expression.

“People believe what they want to believe, and they enjoy seeing heroes fall. They enjoy tearing me down by saying ‘Yoon Yi-seon actually got stronger through Do Ji-hwan’s awakening technique.’ That’s probably…”

Yoon Yi-seon pointed to a photo of the absent homeowner, Baek Seol-hee.

“People’s scheme to remove any restrictions on who you do patriotism with, using the excuse that ‘you were in a patriotic relationship with Baek Seol-hee.’ By targeting Mir and me, they’re trying to force ‘global’ pressure on you to do patriotism with them too.”

“They should look at their own country’s situation. No, in this case, maybe they’re asking you to give them some… relief?”

“Your Korean language patch works too well, it seems.”

“Hehe. I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Ymir’s meteor counter decreases daily, while her patriotism counter grows and evolves.

“Teacher, so what should we do?”

“What do you want to do?”

“Rather than worrying about our difficulties, we’re concerned that our actions might cause trouble for you.”

“That’s fine. I have ways to handle it.”

“Then…”

The two nodded firmly, trying to be considerate of me.

“Thank you for your consideration.”

“It’s nothing. Ability users acting according to their hearts is the key to getting stronger. Do you feel better now?”

“Yes.”

Yoon Yi-seon lightly smiled while placing a hand on her chest.

“I’m so glad we can hide the real secret this way.”

“Real secret?”

“Do Ji-hwan’s true identity. Hehehe.”

Well, that’s it.

The world thinks it’s Do Ji-hwan’s awakening technique, but in reality, it’s the Goblin’s club that awakens all female ability users.

If what these two reveal as “truth” is what “people think is the truth,” then people will believe what they want to believe, thinking “I knew it.”

And then we can hide our biggest secret.

“This will be a huge issue during the holidays.”

“They say strike while the iron is hot, right? I’ll set up an interview right away.”

“What?”

“Mir, can you send me to the association? I want to discuss holding a press conference with the association president.”

“……”

“What? Seol-hee unnie has the issue of adultery, but I have no legal problems.”

Yoon Yi-seon held her head high.

“I’ll just tell the truth at the press conference. A hero can’t lie.”

Later.

“That’s right. I became S-class thanks to the teacher.”

Yoon Yi-seon declared to the world at the same place in Jeju Island where Baek Seol-hee had announced her pregnancy retirement.

“That day, I finally became an adult.”