Ch.650Chapter 24. Real Estate Never Die (28)

I returned.

With a powerful sense of loss, I came back to where I had been.

“…….”

The place I returned to hadn’t changed much.

In front of me, a man and woman were clinging to each other in fear, and that terror was clearly directed at me.

[…….]

Who were they again?

Ah.

Right.

[Milanio and Firenze.]

The A-rank couple from Italy. One had become a Zenros, and the other was seeking to awaken as an S-rank hero.

[Good work. Thanks to you, the demon was successfully eliminated.]

“Uh, um….”

“Ex-excuse me, but how badly did you beat it…?”

[Hmm?]

It seemed strange that these former A-rank beings were suddenly so afraid, so I turned my head to look in the mirror. Then I understood why they were so terrified.

[Hmm….]

Blood was splattered everywhere from my mask to my feet.

I looked like a psychopathic murderer who had just beaten someone to death with a blunt weapon—like a scene from an R-rated movie so notorious for its brutality that even most adults couldn’t bear to watch it.

Me.

[I got carried away without realizing it.]

“Wh-what on earth did the demon say…? No, what happened to the demon?”

[It spewed terrible curses, so I beat it to death.]

The Demon of Holidays.

I had considered letting it go peacefully at the end, but true to its nature as a demon, it disappeared while hurling curses until the very end.

[The demon is dead. The entity that twisted wishes is gone now.]

“Th-then…!”

[As promised.]

I summoned my magical power to purify my body, then returned in a clean appearance and sat on the sofa in front of the couple.

[I’ll grant a wish to the couple who did a good deed. Considering your contribution to defeating the demon, we’ll overlook the previous incidents at Mt. Geumgang honey theft and the cable car public indecency case.]

“Is, is that all…?”

[Since that would be disappointing, I’ll provide a little extra service.]

I operated my Syndicate watch to contact her, who should be at the Syndicate branch in Italy by now.

[Hello. This is Goblin. The demon has been dealt with.]

-Oh my, already? That was incredibly fast. It hasn’t even been 20 minutes.

[Just think of it as fighting for almost two hours in another dimension.]

-……That’s quite interesting. How did you fight?

[…….]

How did I fight?

I seem to have fought by sacrificing something precious as payment, but I can’t remember clearly.

Well, it’s probably not that important.

And even if it was extremely important, if someone other than me knows about it despite my inability to remember, they’ll tell me later.

[I shattered its mental state with my ability, collapsed its mind, and then beat it to death. That’s all.]

-Ah, I see. I understand roughly what you mean. Then, here’s a gift for Milanio, who could become either a hero or a demon for his wife.

Beep.

As the screen appeared on the Syndicate watch, a woman with blue hair and gold-bridged glasses smiled brightly while holding a metal case.

-When you return to Italy, don’t be too hard on the mafia, okay? Thanks to them, I was able to secure your frozen embryo safely.

“Ohhh…!”

“Kyaaaah!!”

Firenze, more excited than Milanio, embraces him tightly.

“D-darling, gack…!”

“Honey!! Kyaak?! S-sorry…!”

[What a spectacle.]

She was so aggressive that she unconsciously wrapped mana around herself while hugging him, nearly killing Milanio, but that was just a minor incident.

[Remember. Milanio is currently in a ‘submissive by day, dominant by night’ state.]

“Oh, I understand…. So, can I get pregnant with that now?”

[If you do it now, it would be mostly like in vitro fertilization, just injection through the awakening period?]

“I’ll do it even that way! It’s fine!”

Firenze raised one hand high and bowed her head silently.

“Since I recklessly coveted Korea’s resources and turned my husband into a Zenros, I don’t deserve to be a national representative.”

[…….]

“The World Cup doesn’t happen just once, and Italy has other representatives besides us. Originally, an A-rank would struggle to even qualify for the finals, let alone win. So….”

Firenze clenched her fist and pulled on Milanio’s waist.

“I choose the path to victory as Milanio’s wife and Italy’s S-rank hero.”

[An excellent choice. Is that your wish?]

“Yes!”

[Then, there’s just one more thing to do.]

I continued tapping on my Syndicate watch.

[A plane will come from Italy. Receive Milanio’s embryo from the person on board, then take that plane back to Italy. Make sure to inform the authorities properly.]

-Sure. I’ve already coordinated with the Prime Minister, the Italian Association President, and the press. They’re actually quite pleased about it.

In the video, Taotie showed a bald man standing right behind her.

-I heard you well, Hero Milanio! Hero Firenze!

“Association President…?”

-We will never forget your spirit of sacrifice, drinking cream-filled spaghetti and iced coffee bean water to defeat the demon of Pandemonium!

“Ah, th-that….”

The Association President’s gaze was somewhat peculiar.

-Even if I’m branded as a Nazi, I will definitely eliminate the Nazis! I will work hard to ensure that the people of our country don’t misunderstand your mindset!

“Ah, hahaha….”

[How fortunate. You won’t be condemned as an Italian who drinks iced Americano.]

-Indeed. Well then, I’ll be going. See you soon, Goblin.

Beep.

As soon as the video call ended, I pressed my Syndicate watch.

“Um, perhaps… has the Italian Association joined hands with the Syndicate?”

[It’s a win-win situation. Italy gains one S-rank female hero, one S-rank patriotic master, elimination of remaining mafia forces, and behind the scenes, the pride of having helped defeat a demon of Pandemonium. They’ve gained many things.]

Cooperating with the Syndicate isn’t a bad thing.

It’s just that the existing ruling class, those in power, and evil groups with dirty backgrounds who fear “punishment” are the ones who reject the Syndicate.

[It’s a bit early, but think of it as a gift from Santa Claus.]

I tapped my Goblin club on the floor, gathering my remaining magical power to create one special item.

“What’s this…?”

[Korea has good things besides honey.]

Inside a white plastic container with a red lid.

“Hee, heek…?!”

[Why are you so surprised? Ah, I admit it looks a bit concerning. But….]

“Y-you killed all the giant hornets…!”

[Ah, this is called Nobong Banju.]

It’s a “Goblin-made knockoff” created with my ability and magic based on what I’ve personally eaten and drunk, but its effect is at least similar to something aged for about five years.

[It’s so good for men, but I can’t quite express it in words.]

“……!!”

[I drink this before facing three or four opponents at once—]

Grab.

The one who reached for the bottle first wasn’t Milanio, but Firenze.

* * *

Three days later.

-We inform you that A-rank hero Milanio, who was reported to have become a Zenros, has awakened as a ‘Patriotic Master.’

-As it has been revealed that the ability to awaken women to ‘S-rank’ is not unique to Meister Do Ji-hwan, countries around the world are seeking to learn how to become Patriotic Masters….

-Currently, Milanio has boarded a plane returning to Italy with his wife Firenze, who stated, ‘I cannot allow another woman to get pregnant before I have Milanio’s child,’ causing controversy….

“It’s causing quite a stir.”

Although two A-rank heroes have returned to their homeland, this issue has been overshadowed by an even bigger one.

“They’ll get a lot of criticism when they return. People will say, ‘What are you doing after being selected for the World Cup national team?'”

“What greater honor is there than capturing a demon of Pandemonium?”

Baek Seol-hee, sitting next to me and taking a sip of espresso, frowned intensely.

“Ugh, it’s bitter. How do Italians enjoy this?”

“I’m sure they add at least 10mL more water if it’s too bitter for them.”

“Still though.”

“You don’t seem to be frowning just because of the espresso.”

I pulled Seol-hee’s cheek.

“Are you upset because the Syndicate defeated a demon of Pandemonium with help from Milanio and Firenze?”

“……Hmph.”

Seol-hee puffed her cheeks.

Official Syndicate announcement.

Defeat of the Pandemonium demon, ‘Wish Distorter.’

They received help from heroes Milanio and Firenze in the process, and during that process, Milanio gained the ability of a ‘Patriotic Master’…

“Now people nationwide will go crazy trying to defeat demons, especially Pandemonium demons. They’ll do whatever it takes to secure someone like Do Ji-hwan in their country.”

“I suppose so.”

Suddenly, people have come to believe that Do Ji-hwan gained the ‘ability’ to awaken women to S-rank—to increase their magical power—as a byproduct of defeating the demon of Pandemonium.

But that doesn’t matter.

“Now I can watch the World Cup in peace.”

In one week.

The World Cup opening ceremony will be held at Baek Seol-hee’s special World Cup stadium—the Ice Island—off the coast of Busan.

“Now that we’ve caught the demon, I can relax and enjoy the World Cup.”

“What about the possibility of another demon appearing?”

“If one shows up, it dies.”

I’d actually welcome it.

The sooner I deal with the remaining demons, the sooner I can devote myself to the blessings I’ve received in this world.

“Hey, you.”

“What?”

“You said that to defeat a wish-granting demon, you had to give up something. What was it?”

“Hmm.”

I buried my face in Seol-hee’s thigh, then pressed my face against her stomach once more.

“I forgot.”

“…….”

“What about you? You must have had something you wanted. Even as an S-rank.”

“Well.”

Seol-hee stroked my head with one hand while gently touching her stomach with the other, smiling brightly.

“My wish has already come true.”