Extra Story 3. Hot Spring Trip (5)

An ability user who can control monsters.

Compared to SS-rank, the level of interest was relatively lower, but it was a sufficient issue to attract global attention. Especially since many talented individuals had already left Korea for overseas, various countries naturally tried to recruit the through them.

If only it weren’t for the Round Table.

Oracle, Undine, Jilpungek. A whopping three members of the Round Table gathered on the Korean Peninsula, and they operated from different locations, spreading a smokescreen.

– The Round Table must be protecting the Beast Tamer.

Oracle of New Seoul, Jilpungek of Busan. And Undine, whose whereabouts were unknown. Public attention naturally gravitated towards New Seoul, which was experiencing unprecedented turmoil, coinciding with Seonui Cheol’s resignation.

Meanwhile, Phoenix, who claimed to be the Beast Tamer Cheonghwa, came to Busan to play with her executives. The other Round Table members, aware of the situation, believed that Undine was exclusively marking Phoenix, and Jilpungek-Himeji Hayate-was enjoying his trip to Korea with his younger sister without a care in the world.

“But why are you showing up here, huh?”

“It’s a misunderstanding.”

Phoenix brushed past Hayate, who was blocking her way, avoiding him. Then, a girl with the exact same appearance as him appeared and blocked Phoenix.

“Hey, hey! What’s the principle behind controlling monsters? Brainwaves? Mana sensitivity? Or is there some special tool? Telepathy?”

Phoenix bit her lower lip at Himeji Hikari, who was blocking her way, even panting heavily. She had thought they would meet someday, and she knew Hikari was in Korea, but she never imagined they would run into each other here of all places.

Phoenix first feigned ignorance.

“I don’t speak Japanese. I can not speak Japanese.”

“What do you mean? My smartwatch translates everything.”

Phoenix then tried to deny it.

“I’m not the Beast Tamer. I’ve been told I look like them a lot lately.”

“I can tell just by looking at the picture. Wow, you took a pretty ID photo.”

As a last resort, Phoenix ignored them both and walked straight towards her destination.

“Oh, that’s the way to the hot spring. Is she going to the hot spring too?”

“Really? Hold on. I’ll hack the guest list and check. …There she is, Cheonghwa. That’s the name, right?”

The siblings were harassing her as a pair. Phoenix quickly exchanged opinions with the Azure Flame inside her.

Option 1: Reveal that she is a monster ability user. She would clearly be exploited to the bone by Hikari.

Unlike Eun Yuha, who would back off appropriately if her financial needs were met, Himeji was a tenacious person who would even change her nationality if her intellectual curiosity wasn’t satisfied. To the extent that she hacked a cruise ticket and boarded a ship bound for Busan just to investigate the strange phenomena in Seoul.

Option 2: Reveal the truth and silence them.

If she did that, the secret agreement with the Round Table would surely break, and a war would erupt. Hikari would spread the truth across the network using some method Phoenix didn’t know. Jilpungek was also not someone who would be easily caught.

“Hey~~ It’s dangerous to walk around alone like that, you know? My brother here is quite capable, even if he doesn’t look it.”

“Wow, what a coincidence! A Beast Tamer is coming to the hot spring we’re going to. Hey, perfect timing. Cheonghwa-yang. Are you interested in joining the Round Table as a provisional member?”

“Brother, are you already recruiting? Good heavens. …Wait a minute. Why is the Beast Tamer here?! What about the Demon Dragon in Seoul?”

“That one takes care of itself just fine if you leave it alone.”

Finally, Phoenix stopped and turned around. If she ignored them here, something more troublesome might happen.

“Excuse me, Jilpungek. Didn’t Undine explain?”

“Explain? What explanation? Don’t you know that Russia is in an uproar because she’s gone into hiding with some husband nobody knows about?”

“That Rusalka scum…!”

It wasn’t a lie, so it wasn’t an insult. Phoenix took a deep breath and displayed a satellite image relaying the sky over Seoul on a screen.

“Look. Our dragon is well-behaved.”

The black dragon, perched next to Mapo Bridge, floated gently above the Han River and drifted downstream. Suddenly, as if sensing something, the black dragon raised its head and spread its wings wide. Seoul residents passing by began taking pictures of it standing in a Y-shape towards the sun.

“Anyway, it’s safe. Look, if it had intended to rampage, Seoul would have been a sea of fire by now, wouldn’t it?”

“……That’s true.”

Hayate tilted his head with a somewhat unconvinced look, but Hikari was still curious about the principle by which the Beast Tamer controlled monsters.

“Is it true that you control the Hellhounds of Seoul and those blue flame monsters? What audacity did you have to stop the nation’s work?”

“…Are you really that curious?”

Phoenix cleared her throat, drawing their attention. Of course, she didn’t just stop; she continued walking towards the hot spring as they talked.

She had almost died from the danger of a dimensional gate but miraculously awakened an ability, which allowed her to control monsters. The reason she stopped the Seoul recapture operation was because she thought the Heroes were coming to kill them.

“…I didn’t know that was true either. I didn’t know the Pine Tree Unit’s true nature would be like that.”

Phoenix, who shifted all the blame to the Pine Tree Unit and Seonui Cheol, then vaguely explained the subsequent situation. She used the controllable monsters to clean up the monsters within Seoul, and the core obtained from killing the snake at City Hall was eaten by a controllable monster and became a black dragon.

It was a flimsy backstory that anyone who knew the truth would scoff at, but fortunately, those who knew the truth were mostly affiliated with the Azure Syndicate or equivalent individuals.

“I don’t think so.”

“It’s a lie. It must be a lie. My gut feeling tells me so.”

“It must be nice to have such good instincts.”

Phoenix paused for a moment and looked up at the sky. The moment she disappeared from here, the two would chase her to the ends of hell.

One out of a challenging spirit towards the strong.
One out of curiosity towards an unknown entity.

To get rid of them, she had to use a last resort. Phoenix squeezed her eyes shut and then opened them, declaring to the two.

“I hate Japanese people. My great-grandfather was tortured severely by Japanese police and died while fighting for independence. So, let’s keep our distance, shall we? Until the inn-”

“I hacked your family registry system, and nothing comes up? Are you an orphan?”

Hayate smacked Hikari hard on the back of her head and bowed his head.

“I’m sorry. My kid is a bit like this.”

“…No, I understand.”

To think she’d hack it on the spot. Phoenix pressed her index finger to her brow and sighed.

“I give up. Fine. I’ll tell you, but there’s a condition.”

“Oh, what is it? What is it? I’ll grant anything within my power.”

Phoenix made an offer to the sparkling-eyed Hikari that she absolutely couldn’t accept.

“If you naturalize and join the Azure Syndicate, I’ll tell you.”

“Really? That’s simple. Sure, I’ll do it. Where do I apply? The immigration office?”

“……?”

Phoenix gave Hayate a look that said, “Stop her.” But Hayate merely whistled and shrugged his shoulders, not imposing any particular restraint on his sister, who suddenly wanted to change her nationality to another country.

“I realized something from this incident. We should let her do pretty much whatever she wants.”

“She’s trying to change countries, you know?”

“Who cares? I’m already a guy who’s been disowned by my own country.”

Phoenix briefly replayed her memories.

Jilpungek of the Round Table. A man who publicly declared that his nationality would be that of the woman he married. Because of this, honey traps never ceased wherever he traveled around the world, and he was such a troublemaker that he almost got expelled from the Round Table because of it.

Phoenix quickly finished her calculations in her head and extended her hand to Hikari.

“……Well, fine. For now, shall we discuss the details over there?”

Phoenix pointed to the accommodation that had come into view in the distance.

* * *