Chapter 213: < Afterwards. An eye for an eye.
News of Seo-woon's return spread quickly. His forgotten name became a trending topic, circulating daily in the world's media. Eight years wasn't a short time. However, it wasn't long enough for Jin Seo-woon's name to be completely forgotten.
- The hero is back!
- A Nobel Peace Prize nomination for Jin Seo-woon?
- The great hero who stopped the interdimensional war. What's next?
- Is Jin Seo-woon in Japan just a murder suspect?!
- The Japanese Prime Minister harshly criticized Jin Seo-woon. Discord is growing.
The articles about Seo-woon weren't just in Korea. Even in such a situation, not a single reporter dared to visit Seo-woon's home, as they had done before. Although they didn't publish a single article, there wasn't a single reporter in South Korea who didn't link Seo-woon's disappearance to the Super Match officials.
But now that he was back, they didn't want to provoke him. Everyone felt like he was a completely different person from Ki-chan and Juriell Liling-wei. Instead, interview requests poured in daily. Ki-chan and Juriell Liling-wei stood in a corner of the training grounds, Seo-woon watching them silently.
"What's going on?" Karina, appearing behind him, answered Seo-woon's question. "There are so many interview requests that the embassy is about to be paralyzed, so the ambassador asked me to ask your opinion on this matter."
"Well, I don't want to do any interviews."
"Not only the Korean media, but the world media also want to hear your story." Seo-woon sighed after Karina asked twice, usually understanding after a single rejection. "Is that all?"
"To be honest… It's not a problem that the embassy isn't functioning properly. Criticism from the Japanese side is getting worse every day. The global media is still resisting their pressure, but public opinion could turn against us."
After all, he wanted Japan to say something to refute his claims. "I don't really care what people outside say."
"…Please think of your family." Seo-woon's eyebrows furrowed at Karina's uncharacteristic words. Come to think of it, he hadn't considered his family's feelings.
His family wasn't just his parents anymore. He had two cousins, an aunt and uncle, his younger brother Ki-chan, and a nephew about to be born. If his reputation in the world got too bad, they could be in trouble. "And…I received a call from Russia."
"Russia?"
"Actually, it wasn't exactly a call. A government agent said they wanted to come and meet with you in person."
"Why?"
"They didn't give any details, but they said they wanted to meet with you in person. They seem to be trying to draw a line between themselves and Japan. Agents from China and the United States are also requesting to meet with you."
Seo-woon, who had been spending time breaking small branches and scribbling on the ground, dusted off his hands and stood up. "Is that them?" Karina was startled by Seo-woon's words. Seo-woon said "down," but the agents who came with him were waiting at the foot of the mountain 2 kilometers away. They'd been kept waiting outside so Seo-woon wouldn't be offended.
"Tell them to come inside." With that, Seo-woon slowly descended the mountain. "I'm training. I'll be right back." Seo-woon told the three fiercely fighting men, his body moving as if he were teleporting with every step he took. Karina's eyes widened at the sight.
He wasn't even using the lightness technique, but as he walked with his hands behind his back, his figure disappeared and reappeared below, repeating the same pattern, which was surprising. Just as Seo-woon entered the house, took out an ice cream from the fridge, and began eating it, the three agents followed Karina into the house.
"Ah! Long time no see!" Seo-woon jumped up and greeted her warmly. It was Bai Lun, the Chinese agent who had helped Seo-woon so much and kept in touch with him. "Seo-woon! You're really back!" Seo-woon held his hand with both of hers, and she could feel his genuine joy at seeing him again.
With half of the ice cream still in his mouth, Seo-woon pulled two more ice creams from the refrigerator and offered them to Bai Lun and Karina. "They're delicious. It's hot outside, you two have one each." Noticing the different atmosphere and relaxed demeanor, the two nodded awkwardly and began eating the ice creams Seo-woon had given them.
"Which one of you is from the United States?" At Seo-woon's words, the man with the thick features suddenly stood up and bowed. "I'm Kiltin Bing, sent from the United States. You can call me Kiltin."
"Your Korean is fluent." In fact, it was so fluent that it didn't sound foreign at all.
Seo-woon stared at Kiltin for a moment and then pointed to the refrigerator. "Get it yourself if you want." Smiling at Seo-woon's words, he nodded and sat down. "Are you Russian?"
"Yes! My name is Ivan Krylov. You can call me Ivan."
Seo-woon tilted his head, listening to his fluent pronunciation once more. "Magic?" He felt an almost imperceptible surge of mana. "Yes! I'm using communication magic." Seo-woon nodded at Ivan, who looked tense as he spoke. "What a strange situation."
Seo-woon glanced at Bayrun as soon as he finished speaking. "So, did you just stop by to say hello?" "Yes. I stopped by to say hello and also to inform him of China's stance."
"Stance?" "Regardless of what Japan claims, Jin Seo-woon and I will remain friends. We will ignore any requests for cooperation and strongly condemn the recent excessive criticism."
"Thank you, as always." Bairun smiled at Seo-woon's words, taking a bite of her ice cream. "What about the United States? What brings you here?"
"We also came to express our support for Seo-woon. The United States has not forgotten our hero's kindness. Moreover, the president has requested that you visit the White House whenever you wish."
"I appreciate your words. If I ever go to the United States, I'll stop by."
"Yes!"
"So... why are you here?" Ivan tensed, his tone completely different from the previous two, and he cautiously opened his mouth.
"We've come to congratulate Jin Seo-woon on his return and to let you know that we disagree with Japan's ridiculous claims. Russia holds no grudges against Jin Seo-woon, and we would like to inform you that we are in no way involved in Japan's claims."
In short, they wanted nothing to do with Japan and wanted him to be nice. "Really? Not even the slightest bit of hard feelings?"
"Yes!" Seo-woon stared intently into Ivan's eyes for a moment. Tense under Seo-woon's emotionless gaze, Ivan swallowed involuntarily.
"I understand. Let's not be enemies in the future." Ivan smiled brightly at Seo-woon's words and nodded. As the agents from each country departed, American, Chinese, and Russian media began covering Seo-woon's meeting extensively that evening.
-Russia: Welcome.
-United States: We warmly welcome the return of our hero and have concluded our meeting.
-China: Jin Seo-woon is a friend of China. Those who insult him without cause will pay the price. A harsh statement.
As events unfolded, Japan took drastic measures.
-Japan: South Korea announced the severance of diplomatic relations with China and Russia. Are they going to resort to economic retaliation?! Not only that, but as an additional retaliation, they indefinitely postponed the match schedules of the three countries' players.
It was natural for Seo-woon to frown upon seeing the news. "Karina. It's me."
"Yes! I'm listening." The sound of a busy and noisy environment came from the phone. "I'm busy, but I need you to deliver a message. I need to meet with the emperor and Senruk in the other world."
There was a short silence on the other end of the line after Seo-woon's words.
-... Yes! I'll contact them and try to arrange the schedule. "Is there a way to contact them without going through Korea?" He asked, knowing full well that there was no connection between Sweden and the other world.
- There is a way to contact them through guild members.
"Okay. Then I'll leave it to you." After hanging up, Seo-woon watched the Japanese prime minister speak excitedly on television with a deep, serious expression.
Things moved faster than expected. When the three letters in the name "Jin Seo-woon" were transmitted, both Senruk and the emperor's side made it clear that they wanted to meet first.
This was unusual, considering that even a single summit meeting between the two sides normally required months of negotiations, with each side insisting on its own pride and arranging countless conditions. Finally, the meeting place was determined: a hotel in a small town in South Korea.
It was not an appropriate place for Senruk, the representative of the Interdimensional Alliance for eight years, and the emperor to meet. Nevertheless, the two arrived without any sign of discomfort. "The eyes of the world are on this meeting… To host them in a place like this…" Karina said anxiously, looking out the window of her hotel suite.
Jeong Su-hwa, who had accompanied her to assist her, nodded in agreement. "What difference does the location make? I first met the emperor on the street." Hearing Seowoon's words, Juriell and Liling-wei nodded, recalling that moment. Even eight years later, it was easy to forget the moment Seo-woon brought 30,000 Imperial Guards to their knees and negotiated with the emperor in a tense situation.
Soon, dozens of police cars and security guards escorted two black sedans to the hotel. "They've arrived." A crowd of reporters gathered around the hotel, taking photos with their cameras. Familiar faces entered the small, 30-square-meter room.
"Seo-woon!"
"Hyung!" "Saje!" Lee Min, Dump, Rail, Jin-ryong, Jin-dok-gok, and Nam Sa-gwang, all of whom had once fought together in Cloyd and trusted their lives, were there. They looked as if they had come with Senruk and the emperor's envoy. "You came together?!"
Seo-woon greeted his comrades who had rushed to his side with a warm smile. Ryle, whose eyes were especially filled with tears, had grown taller and was now half a head taller than Seo-woon. "Is that really you, Ryle?" Ryle had taken on a muscular build, unlike a typical magician. Looking at him now, he seemed to have mastered martial arts as well.
What's more, his thick features were completely different from his childhood appearance. Yet, with his reddened eyes, he looked out of place. "You're still a whiny child."
"Hmph!" Ryle, disproportionate to his height, was crying in Seo-woon's arms. Seo-woon gently patted his back as he wept bitterly.
When they first met, he had been so thin, as if he were starving, but seeing him now grown was a different feeling. When Ryle calmed down, Lim and Dump ran to Seo-woon and hugged him. "You're really back!"
"Yes! I knew you were alive!"
Dump, whose arm had grown as thick as an ogre's, and Lim, whose martial arts skills had reached a high level, were now giants. Embracing them both, Seo-woon remembered how they first met. The desperate situation of fighting together as enemies to protect something precious was a memory he would never forget.
"I'm glad you're both okay."
"Master! Did you forget me?"
"How could I forget? How are you?" Jin-ryong hugged Seo-woon back warmly. The bond between Seo-woon and his master was invaluable to Jin-ryong. It was that bond that made him who he was today.
"Your martial arts skills have improved considerably." Seo-woon said this, looking at Jin-ryong, who had grown a long beard that didn't quite suit him. This wasn't just a greeting, it was his true feelings. Seo-woon could clearly see the level of cultivation that had allowed him to unlock Zhongdan and form Won-yeong-shin.
"Are you going to do it alone?" Nam-sa-gwang pushed Jin-ryung aside and hugged Seo-woon.
"You're back. You're really back!" Nam Sa-gwang, who usually didn't reveal his true feelings, was uncharacteristically showing them. When they first met, he couldn't have imagined one day becoming comrades with someone who had once been a feared enemy.
While he might have had his own tastes, as a member of a righteous faction, he was a warrior who knew how to suppress his preferences.
"Did you come as an envoy? Or did you come to settle old scores?" Senruk's words made his comrades laugh awkwardly, and he made way for him.
Senruk and the emperor approached Seo-woon. "It's been a long time since we met." Senruk nodded. He too looked very different from before; his beard had grown out. In return, the emperor looked exactly the same as when they first met, only in his twenties.
"I heard you did a wonderful thing. I know I'm late, but I wanted to come and thank you." Seeing his slight bow, Seo-woon bowed his head in return. "Thank you for your kind words."
After greetings, everyone sat down at the long table. The Jindokgok chieftain sat down next to Seo-woon, staring nervously at Liling-wei and Juriell, speechless.
"I have a lot to say, but first, let's get to why I invited you here." Seo-woon nodded at Senruk's words. "Nothing else. I heard that exchanges with Japan are active…" Senruk nodded, leaving the sentence hanging. "Active, but only within certain limits." Senruk looked at the emperor for a moment and drew a clear line.
Seo-woon could sense the conflict between the two men. "I heard that the armor developed to curb our warriors' strength was also created through these active exchanges." Senruk avoided the emperor's stinging remark.
"Oh, that? I saw that too. It wasn't anything special at all. I think the emperor sees it as a problem."
The emperor smiled at Seo-woon's words. "Of course not. Do you think we're just playing around?" Seo-woon knew his smile wasn't fake. He seemed to have already figured out all the weaknesses in the armor.
"There seems to be a lot of animosity between you two. I'll hear about it later. The reason I wanted to see you both is..."
The short meeting ended amicably. In fact, the meeting itself was over much quicker. They spent the rest of their time together, solidifying their relationship and reminiscing.
"You're staying for three days, so it would be rude to just stay at the hotel, wouldn't it? There will be a lot of eyes on you, but you should get out and about."
Seo-woon said this, and Senruk looked at the emperor. "Let's go together. You'll be abdicating soon. Spending your retirement on Earth wouldn't be so bad." The emperor reluctantly nodded at Seo-woon's words. For the next three days, the three of them toured South Korea, making themselves available to numerous media outlets.
-Quiet Japan. Why?
-The two leaders were in a relaxed atmosphere. Jin Seo-woon, the hero of the unexpected agreement.
Speculative articles began to flow about the trio's meeting, and the stream of articles converged on a single point. And on the final day of their return, a statement was made. "Our dimension will temporarily suspend all transactions with Japan..."
"My dimension will also temporarily suspend all transactions with Japan..."
That day's statement resonated widely around the world.