Chapter 332

Chapter 32. Trap (9)

Rumors that I might be in trouble spread quickly, like a ship catching a favorable wind.

Countless individuals chewed and twisted the rumor to their liking.

Some denied it could be true, while others gleefully exaggerated my downfall.

‘Thanks to that, I’m now a ticking time bomb in these rumors.’

Concern turned into anxiety and fear, and doubt transformed into glee over the days.

Not only Korea, but the entire world was buzzing because of me.

On a daily basis, posts mentioning me nearly took up 40% of all social media content.

Of course, regardless of that, I, at the center of this uproar, spent my days in peace.

“I just don’t understand what’s so amusing about this….”

For three days, I did not make any official statements, living in isolation.

During this time, I watched a comedy program I hadn’t seen in years, snacking on chips.

It wasn’t planned, but I had already been rendered powerless.

In such a situation, fighting or conducting mana training was impossible.

Hence, I thought it wouldn’t be bad to rest and recharge for what’s next.

So, I drew up a little plan for a vacation, only to get sympathetic glances from Kim Yul and Yang Taeho.

As a result, the old plan that focused on memorizing the new mana array was taken away.

And I had to accept the new vacation plan they created for me.

That’s why I ended up watching a comedy program that held little interest or amusement for me.

Luckily or not, it seemed I was the only one not finding any humor from this program.

“Ha ha ha! Ha ha!”

“Hee hee hee!”

“Ha ha ha!”

Not just Kim Yul and Yang Taeho, but even Ethan, who didn’t quite grasp Korean culture, often burst into laughter.

What on earth is so funny about such an artificial setup?

I clicked my tongue and finished the few remaining chips before lying back on the sofa, picking up the remote.

“What the—! Why did you stop?”

“Ah, was watching it fine!”

“K?”

As soon as I changed the channel, objections erupted quickly.

Yet, I wasn’t planning to turn the comedy program back on.

Initially, I intended to adhere to the party members’ sincerity by following the schedule as much as possible.

But, over the past couple of days including today, I changed my mind.

Even if it’s rest, doing such non-productive things was too harsh for me.

‘Watching the news would be better.’

After all, isn’t the essence the same in watching audiovisual material?

The news, at least, offered the possibility of acquiring new information, which was more efficient than the unamusing comedy program.

However, as my hand paused over the remote, what appeared on the TV screen was not news.

“Huh? Isn’t that the Princess?”

On TV, Isola looked on the verge of tears, her eyes welling up as she was interviewed.

I squinted to see why she was like that, and Ethan smacked his hand and muttered.

“Oh, it’s that documentary.”

“A documentary?”

Kim Yul questioned, prompting Ethan’s explanation.

“They proposed the filming to the royal family last month. I heard it’s being shown in all the countries with which they’ve formed an agreement with the association, but I didn’t know it was today.”

It sounded like something the association pushed for.

Recently, crimes against Biharin in Europe had been slightly on the rise.

Discrimination had been continuously perpetrated as well.

‘It’s not much different on other continents.’

As some countermeasure, this documentary was made.

I chuckled at how absurdly thorough they could be.

『There is an issue with discrimination against demi-humans of Biharin descent. Are you aware of it, miss Atar?』

『Of course, I’m aware.』

Isola’s voice from across the screen trembled wretchedly.

『I understand there are many overlapping factors for it to be this way. However… sob!』

Tears streamed down Isola’s face as soon as she finished speaking.

Her almost unreal silver hair and enigmatic indigo eyes lent her a special aura.

In addition, Isola possessed beauty that could rival that of most celebrities.

‘On top of that, there’s the noble pretext of being a royal who abandoned her native country’s will for the weaker people.’

Seeing her sob like that was somewhat pitiful.

Yet, despite her sorry state, I didn’t feel any sympathy.

“Well, well.”

If anything, I found it laughable. I, more than anyone, knew those tears weren’t genuine.

I had seen that princess willingly abandon her country, her people, and even her close family, including her parents.

What value could there be in the tears of a person who could sacrifice others for their self-preservation?

‘Still, considering she was brought for a puppet, she is proving quite useful.’

Isola possessed all the traits perfect for appealing to the visually-sensitive general public.

The documentary, by its overall content, was decent.

‘It’s not beneficial for crimes based on discrimination and hatred to increase.’

The documentary conveyed the feeling that expressing discrimination and hatred itself was immoral and irrational.

By focusing on the perspective of the suffering victims, it effectively highlighted the offenders’ misdeeds.

This implied that the number of people resenting the offenders for their misdeeds might increase.

‘It’s hard to expect it will immediately reduce crime rates or abolish discrimination…’

But it should suffice in shaping public opinion.

‘They’re doing quite a decent job.’

I watched the documentary, which vividly covered specific episodes of victimization, until the end.

Afterward, I spent time cross-referencing articles from British media with articles from Korea.

I also procured the list of countries where the documentary aired.

Further, I issued instructions to the guild’s PR team to analyze each country’s reactions.

In the midst of this analysis and gathering, my stomach growled, signaling hunger.

There we were: four men capable of eating two to three times as much as an average adult, gathered to deliberate on what to have for dinner.

Our contemplation was brief, and our action swift.

Not long after, delivery food filled the living room.

Lined up in perfect harmony, we zealously opened the packages and began our meal, only to be interrupted by the lively tune of a news opening.

『Our first story of the day concerns someone who has garnered more attention than anyone else recently. It’s about Kang Hyunwoo, the guildmaster of the Palao Guild, who is making waves globally.』

“Huh?”

And just like that, I was suddenly mentioned.

『There have been numerous reports from women claiming to be sexually assaulted by him.』

The unexpected report made me blink, a chicken leg still in my mouth, while everyone else reacted first.

“What?”

“What the hell?”

“What are they talking about now?”

The glum expressions turned on the faces around were quite fierce.

A normal person might have trembled in fear amidst such an abrasive atmosphere from the players.

But, of course, that didn’t apply to me.

I silenced my ringing phone and continued munching on the chicken leg.

As I chewed, I delved into thoughts.

It was evident that I hadn’t done anything like that.

So it wasn’t unreasonable to assume this was an attack on me from outside.

‘The channel…’

The current ruling party was close to the broadcasting station.

And within that ruling party were politicians who accused players of being potential criminals rather than saviors of humanity.

Even the president was a coward terrified once he realized he couldn’t control players.

It was natural that they were among the prey I targeted.

‘It seems they’ve finally taken the bait…’

The smile I couldn’t find during the comedy program crept upon my lips.

As I watched the news with a smile, the others watched me cautiously, restraining their words.

Thanks to their restraint, I continued watching the news undisturbed.

The video featuring the self-proclaimed victims’ baseless accusations was outrageous.

Their emotional outrage almost made it believable that I had committed such a heinous act.

When, in reality, I had never even met them.

Why would civilians team up with politicians to bring me down?

With such fervor, too?

‘Is it bribery? Brainwashing? What other possibilities?’

Perhaps they, too, were traitors.

There’s no law that says traitors can’t emerge from ordinary civilians, not just political and economic figures.

‘If that were the case…’

Crack, crack.

Unintentionally, the sound of me cracking my neck echoed threateningly.

“Oh, angry now.”

Kim Yul accurately assessed my state and mumbled.

Indeed, I was gradually feeling my blood pressure rise.

I certainly thought I had rooted out the traitors thoroughly once.

But the lingering cancerous elements scattered throughout society genuinely sparked annoyance.

The remaining ones weren’t players, meaning I couldn’t personally sweep them away.

Thus, my rules to protect my family ended up binding my feet instead.

‘But I can’t just sit back and let them have their way.’

How should I counter this?

Through whom can I drag in the most targets?

Where should I start to be most effective?

While I wrestled with various thoughts, the video continued playing.

And the echoes of their outlandish claims had already begun.

The viewer boards had crashed from the influx of comments, causing the site to go down, marking the first step.

Noticing my cautious scrutiny, Kim Yul kept me updated on the online reactions.

Thinking it necessary to know, I briefly listened to Kim Yul’s report.

“Hmm…?”

On-screen, an attorney discussing the supposed incidents appeared.

He was the attorney handling the lawsuits for the alleged victims.

『This constitutes extremely malicious crimes leveraging social privilege consciousness.』

He focused on the term ‘privilege’, which the Korean public dislikes.

Korean citizens always expressed outrage when the privileged or upper class received military exemptions or reductions in sentencing.

It was unacceptable to see those who already had so much receive benefits even in laws that should treat everyone equally.

That attorney aimed to paint me as one of those privileged.

‘It seems they’re trying to corner me with public opinion.’

Of course, I wasn’t intrigued by his actions because I found them commendable.

My gaze was fixed on the bracelet on the attorney’s wrist on screen.

While passionately briefing about the case, he moved his arms several times.

As a result, the cuffs of his shirt frequently shifted.

It was enough for me to catch a glimpse of the sparkling bracelet underneath.

Unbeknownst to me, a sly grin had spread across my lips.

“What on earth is he thinking for him to smile like that…?”

“This sends shivers down my spine…”

“I’m getting goosebumps, too.”

The reactions of those present didn’t matter much.

After running several scenarios in my mind, I called Squad Leader Yang Jochul.

The call connected after only a few rings.

『Mr. Hyunwoo, did you see the news? We’ll initiate a response on our end right away…』

“No, leave it be.”

『Excuse me?』

“And for this case to go to trial… If we actually reach indictment, it’ll be tiresome. Perhaps a hearing would be better…”

『… What are you saying?』

I calmly conveyed my thoughts to a clearly puzzled Squad Leader Yang.

“Please arrange a formal occasion, where public attention is focused, and many witnesses can be created. A hearing seems appropriate.”

『A hearing… Are you serious about this?』

“Have I ever spoken in jest? We could frame it as discussing how to penalize player-inflicted civilian damages. Does that sound feasible?”

A soft sigh was faintly audible through the phone.

『I have no idea what you’re plotting… I can’t even begin to fathom.』

Yet, I harbored no apprehensions.

『I’ll do my best to expedite arrangements.』

This partner, with whom I had worked sync with for quite a while, had never disappointed me.

“Thank you.”

I ended the call with Squad Leader Yang Jochul, my smile broadening.

Perhaps, from this incident, I could procure quite a delightful gift.

Damned System

TL’s Corner:

Noone is safe against sexual assault allegations anymore.