Ch.611Chapter 23. Patriotic General Do Ji-hwan (15)

The easiest way to win in a battle of abilities.

That would be wrapping yourself in Korean nationalism.

Since the foundation of mana in this world is “Hwan’s Will,” and since the fundamental setting of this world is a Korean nationalist light novel, victory naturally depends on who is more Korean.

Of course, a C-rank Korean can’t defeat an S-rank foreigner.

No matter how much a C-rank Korean wraps themselves in a Taegukgi cape or wears a suit decorated with mugunghwa flowers on their face, or even wields their national flag as a weapon, they can’t defeat an S-rank.

Because that would be an insult to “S-rank Koreans.”

Hwan’s Will determines victory when abilities are similar.

In a battle between an S-rank Korean and an S+-rank foreigner, there’s a possibility of overcoming the opponent with the power of “Kimchi premium” to gain that “+” power.

“Kuk-kuk-kuk, so that is the true power of Koreans!”

“What! I can endure being insulted myself! But insulting all our citizens is something I cannot tolerate! Graaaah!”

“Wh-what…! H-how?! The magical power is suddenly rising…! Th-this is impossible!!”

You think this is a joke or just a setting?

Not at all.

In actual history—that is, history after the Great Cataclysm—such cases can be found quite frequently.

That’s why people around the world try to get Korean ability users to defect to their countries, secretly accept them even if they’re villains, or try to have children who inherit Korean ability users’ blood.

If you’re going to do something, do it properly.

That proverb should now be changed to “If you’re going to do something, do it for the benefit of mankind.”

There’s one problem.

Those born after the Great Cataclysm grew up seeing a world permeated with Korean nationalism, but those born before still retain pre-Cataclysm ideologies.

It’s only natural.

How could someone who knows the previous state of a country that suddenly became the world’s dominant power due to a critical meteor strike acknowledge that country as the world’s number one?

“A country that was collapsing under IMF becomes the world’s best because of a meteor? I cannot accept this!”

“We are the center of the world, and the meteor simply took a wrong turn and fell a bit to the side!”

“Dokdo is our land! Therefore, the meteor that fell two hundred li southwest along the sea route is also ours!”

“Since ancient times, Joseon has been subservient to us! Therefore, the meteor falling east of the Korean Peninsula was a mistake! No, that is proof that the Korean Peninsula belongs to our Middle Kingdom! Because our Middle Kingdom is the world’s best, it fell next to the Korean Peninsula!”

Some say:

If you insist hard enough, you win.

“Takeshima is Japan’s—AAARGH!! S-suddenly an earthquake!! KIEEEK!!”

“This place is Balhae, our Chinese offshoot that was an eastern country… Ugh, AAAACK!! A truck…? Could that be Haeguneul—KUHEK!!”

And so, one by one, those who insisted disappeared in various accidents.

People began to speak indirectly or euphemistically, but those ideologies still remained in their thoughts.

And the person carrying those thoughts is right in front of me now.

“Wh-what…. S-suddenly the magical power is rising…?”

This is Uijeongbu.

Not far from Seoul—Hanyang.

“H-how…! Have you been hiding your power all this time…?!”

[I wasn’t hiding my power; the world’s will is bestowing its blessing upon me.]

Of course Hwan’s Will has no choice but to give me power.

That’s the kind of world this is.

[The Heavenly Demon, a Korean, is Chinese? Because this land is Chinese territory? How foolish. The fact that people living on the Korean Peninsula were an independent nation is established theory, even appearing in Goguryeo watermelon maps.]

“Wh-what…!”

[Don’t distort facts. Our Goguryeo reached all the way to the center of China…. Kuk.]

At that moment, I suppressed the words about to escape my mouth.

[…a nation with the power to threaten them. How could we, descendants of that people, be Chinese?]

If I hadn’t caught myself, I might have blurted out “China was Goguryeo’s territory.”

Hwan’s Will is powerful.

It’s infusing me with tremendous mana from heaven and earth, but the side effect is, naturally, “Korean nationalism.”

In other words, the high expressed through Hwan’s Will could be called “Hwan-high.”

‘Calm down.’

I took a deep breath and composed my mana.

‘I only want to use Hwan’s Will, not get carried away by nationalism.’

This is a dark art.

It’s a method that draws tremendous power momentarily but has the side effect of potentially causing great mental deterioration.

If I don’t stay alert, I might end up going to Europe saying, “You know, this Baroque style actually originated from the Korean Peninsula.”

That must not happen.

Being consumed by the power you’re trying to use is a shortcut to destruction.

[You made a mistake.]

Therefore, I compose my mind through direct language.

[To claim China against Korea. The moment those words left your mouth, you lost.]

“Kuh, kuuuh…! You were hiding your mana all along, and now you’re trying to mock me with such words?! Not a chance!!”

KWAAANG!

“You may try to deceive me and shake my mental state, but no matter how much hidden power you release, it doesn’t change the fact that you’ll become Zenros!!”

Mana begins to scatter around Yoo-hyun’s twin swords.

Two golden dragons dwell in the blades, and soon the golden mana swirling around her coils like dragons and opens their jaws.

“No matter how much mana you have, if your mana vessel is cut, mana will leak out! That’s a fact proven by the original Goblin himself!”

[I am the original.]

“Shut up! A mere copy! No matter how much you talk like the Goblin, you’re just a copy!”

The Emperor’s twin swords turned golden.

“I’ll Zenros you!!”

[Is this your ultimate move?]

“Male and female, one versus—!!”

With that name, which was probably the name of her swords, Emperor Yoo-hyun thrust both swords forward.

KYAOOOO—!!

Golden dragons shot out from the thrust swords and flew toward me like arrows.

The two dragons with their jaws wide open flew straight at me—

KWADUK!!

Just before reaching me, they twisted their heads below my groin, bit something hard, and passed between my legs.

“…Ah, ahaha…!”

The Emperor laughs brightly.

“I succeeded…! You fool…!”

“Aah!!”

“Sister!!”

Even those fighting in the outfield fell silent for a moment.

“Ah, aah…!”

“Kugh…! Did he let his guard down…?!”

The two who had been gradually pressuring the director and Jangdeok looked at me in surprise and withdrew their weapons.

[Hmm.]

I lowered my head slightly and saw that the lower part of my pants was in tatters.

The Emperor’s sword energy had pierced between my thighs, and below the trace where Cradle had almost cut me before, there was now a gaping hole.

My pants were essentially reduced to rags around the groin area.

Like wearing thigh-high boots, or like a cowboy in a comedy film set in the Wild West, my pants were in a terrible state.

“Ah, ahaha…! Goblin…! Though you’re a copy, this proves it! Even a copy can be Zenros’d if the cradle is broken…HIEEK!!”

Whoosh.

As the wind blew, the Emperor screamed and stepped back.

“Wh-what are you doing—!!”

[What am I doing? Someone slashed my pants with twin swords, that’s what happened.]

Fabric flutters.

With the wind, the pants and some fabric that was inside flew up into the sky above the arena.

“KYAAAAA! C-cover yourself, you pervert!”

[That’s rich coming from the person who cut them.]

I didn’t move.

Instead, I just stood still.

Yes, I just “stood” still.

[Aren’t you the pervert, Emperor?]

“C-cover yourself! Don’t you have any shame?! C-cover up, I said!! This is sexual harassment!”

[Is the person who cut someone’s pants with a sword the sexual harasser, or is it the person whose pants were cut?]

“In your case, it’s sexual harassment!!”

[Hmm.]

I lowered my head slightly and looked around.

“……”

The battle was already over.

I hadn’t intended to end it this way, but the two Peach Sisters’ faces were as red as peaches.

The same was true for both Alters.

“G-Goblin…! C-cover yourself right now! What are you doing?!”

[Should I be like a man who ran out of a bathhouse, covering myself with both hands while awkwardly standing? That wouldn’t be Goblin-like behavior.]

“Ah, aah…!”

The Firefox Alter made no further objections.

“…Wouldn’t it be better to cover yourself?”

[I have nothing to be ashamed of, so why cover it?]

“…Well, not being ashamed is….”

The Thunder Empress Alter just covered her mask with her hand and shook her head, saying nothing more.

“Y-you…!”

Finally, the angry Emperor took off her outer garment.

“You pervert!!”

WHIRRRR—

The Emperor’s outer garment flew through the air and landed on me.

It draped over me like a towel on an outstretched coat hanger, but—

Slip.

“Hey!!! I told you to cover yourself!!”

[Cover what exactly?]

If the clothes don’t catch on the end, they naturally slip and fall behind.

[Emperor, you should never be a pitcher. You watch the bat but fail to see the batter’s body.]

“Wh-what…?!”

[You still haven’t noticed.]

One whose attention is diverted cannot see what’s important.

Such a person cannot win in a battle of abilities.

[Since you asked me to cover up, I’ll do so. But in exchange.]

I pushed aside the clothes she had thrown and extended black mana downward to fill the cut edges of my pants.

[If you still haven’t noticed, you should admit defeat.]

“……! Sister, that man, could it be!!”

[It seems the younger sister has realized.]

While the eldest sister and her sister averted their gaze, it seems the younger one realized after observing more carefully.

Thanks to her focused observation.

[That’s right.]

The Emperor shattered my cradle with one strike, but though there are traces of its disappearance, I’m still using mana.

[There’s only one way to Zenros me.]

Actually, there are two.

One is to destroy the real cradle hidden inside my body.

And the other:

[Unless you break my Dokkaebi club, I won’t fall.]

As soon as I fixed my lower half, I grabbed my Dokkaebi club—the Do Ji-hwan bat—and rushed forward.

[Those who attack others’ cradles should be prepared to have their own cradles attacked.]

“!!”

As the Emperor lowered her swords to protect her abdomen—

[Too slow.]

I swung my Dokkaebi club wide.

[How foolish to believe the enemy’s words.]

And threw it at her head.