Chapter 186: After the Auction (2)
Egypt's royal family was a force even the Government of the United States was reluctant to meddle with. President Phaopator was revered as the reincarnation of a pharaoh and held the title of Master Rank Hunter, making him the individual the United States was most wary of.
In addition, Egypt boasted the largest number of unique items and held the position of leadership on the African continent.
It was only natural for the United States to strive for a positive relationship with Egypt while also maintaining caution. After all, the United States was determined not to jeopardize its own position of power. As an Egyptian princess, Tayarana, who was widely recognized as the Goddess of Africa, further emphasized the importance of the United States' careful treatment of Egypt.
Given Scarlett's awareness of these circumstances, she was greatly surprised to discover Han-Yeol's close and personal relationship with the Egyptian royals.
Beep!
Scarlett received a message while she was talking to Han-Yeol.
‘Is it the message?’?She discreetly checked the message while Han-Yeol was not looking.
[The White House has convinced Congress. Thirty trillion won will be offered to Mr. Lee in exchange for ten monster pets.]
‘Hoho, as expected,’?she thought with a smirk after reading her superior’s message.
She had anticipated the situation unfolding exactly as it did, so she wasn't surprised in the least. The offer to sell the monster pets, which had fetched over five trillion won each in the auction today, was an incredible discount. Any government officials who missed out on this enormous opportunity would be compelled to resign from their positions.
After noticing Scarlett's smiling face while looking at her phone, Han-Yeol asked, "What does the message say that has you smiling so much?"
"It appears that my superiors are currently in a state of panic," she replied with a smile.
"Huh?"
"I'm referring to the thirty trillion won proposal you made to our organization for the ten monster pets."
"Oh, that one?" Han-Yeol nodded, realizing what she was talking about.
"Yes, that one. I suspect that one of the VVIPs who participated in the auction was actually an agent sent from our organization. Based on the timing of this order being sent to me immediately after the auction concluded, it seems they were providing real-time updates."
Scarlett shared information that she didn't necessarily have to disclose. Her mission was to establish a close relationship with Han-Yeol and ensure he viewed the United States as an ally.
However, she had developed personal feelings for Han-Yeol, so she made the decision to be as open as possible when dealing with him. This would typically disqualify her as a Black Agent, but she no longer cared about such things.
‘Being as intimate as possible with Han-Yeol is all for my motherland,’?she thought.
Scarlett was far from being an emotionless robot, and she had no intention of simply carrying out the tasks she was assigned. She possessed the ability to think independently, and she firmly believed that establishing a relationship with Han-Yeol based on trust was truly in the best interest of the United States.
‘Han-Yeol is undoubtedly going to grow even stronger than he is now, acquiring additional skills along the way. Keeping secrets from him could create a rift between us, potentially leading to losing him to the Egyptians.’
As a true patriot, Scarlett recognized that her current objective should be to persuade Han-Yeol to align himself with her country. Moreover, her wariness toward Egypt was not unfounded, given Han-Yeol's apparent inclination toward them over his own country, South Korea.
‘I must make every effort to remain by his side and ensure that any missteps made by my country do not disappoint him,’ she resolved, acknowledging that transparency was the key to forging a strong bond with him.
“So what are you going to do? Are you going to sell the monster pets to my government?” she asked.
“Hmm… I guess I should,” Han-Yeol nonchalantly replied.
“Is it alright though?”
“What is?”
“You sold one monster pet for more than five trillion won today. You’re losing out on at least twenty trillion won by making this trade.”
"I was the one who initially offered the price, so I must honor that commitment. By the way, please inform them to dispatch ten Hunters as soon as possible. They may already be aware of this, but the presence of Hunters is essential for hatching the monster eggs. Additionally, ask them to procure the monster eggs and nutritional fruits, as I prefer not to deal with that myself."
"Of course, I will relay every single word you said~"
Having closely followed the entire auction process, Scarlett was well aware of her responsibilities. Without delay, she messaged her superior, providing a detailed list of Han-Yeol's requirements.
Beep!
A response came.
[OK.]
The entire deal proceeded quite smoothly after that.
The American Government mobilized the Hunters they had in their embassy in South Korea to procure the monster eggs and nutritional fruits, and they delivered all of these to Han-Yeol exactly seven hours after the deal was finalized.
‘Wow… That was really fast…’?Han-Yeol was impressed by how quick the Americans moved.
Furthermore, the Americans promptly dispatched ten Hunters a mere three hours after delivering the monster eggs and nutritional fruits.
‘Haha… I never knew the Americans were so impatient…’?Han-Yeol laughed in disbelief.
Despite suffering significant damage from the emergence of dimensional gates, the United States demonstrated remarkable resilience, enabling them to rise once more and maintain their position as the most powerful nation on Earth.
Nonetheless, they had concerns about potentially losing their leading status to another country due to a lack of breakthroughs in research. However, the advent of monster pets presented them with an opportunity to once again widen the gap between themselves and other nations.
‘The United States will collapse the moment they are pushed out of the top spot,’?Han-Yeol thought.
The harsh reality was that while the United States had many allies, they also had more enemies than allies. Presently, numerous countries sought favor with the United States due to its status as the strongest nation on Earth. However, all these nations were likely to turn their backs on the United States the moment it faced a downfall.
In light of this, several countries were vying to usurp the United States' position. China, for instance, tirelessly invested in mana stone research, Russia was making strides in technology to catch up with the United States, and the control of Africa's abundant resources by Egypt posed another concern. Additionally, India and the European Union were also contenders.
However, India, despite experiencing the same damage as the United States from the dimensional gates, struggled to recover as swiftly. Their reconstruction efforts were plagued by various issues, causing them to become a developing nation within thirty years. Meanwhile, the European Union, once a potential contender for the crown, saw its influence significantly diminished as its member nations adopted a more inward-focused policy following the emergence of mana stones.
With numerous countries aiming to overthrow the United States, it desperately needed something to safeguard its throne from these challengers.
"Hello, Mr. Lee. My name is Mark Rupert, and I am the current Ambassador of the United States to the Republic of Korea," introduced an American man in his thirties, fluently speaking Korean as he extended his hand toward Han-Yeol.
"It is an honor for me to meet you, Mr. Ambassador," replied Han-Yeol, shaking his hand.
Han-Yeol was taken aback by the unexpected visit. While he knew the ten Hunters were coming, he did not anticipate the ambassador accompanying them.
"Hahaha! It is an honor for me to meet the most renowned Hunter of our time!" Mark exclaimed.
Mark's fluency in Korean left Han-Yeol wondering if he truly was an American or not.
“So, Mr. Lee…”
"Please, just call me by my name. I believe it would be more comfortable for both of us, right, Mr. Ambassador?"
"Hmm... You're right. I suppose I've spent so much time in South Korea that I've grown accustomed to the culture here. In that case, I'll accept your offer and get a little more comfortable with you. Haha!"
‘Wow, he’s quite a cool guy,’?Han-Yeol thought.
Charisma and charm were two highly significant attributes for an ambassador. A single word or action from an ambassador had the potential to bring either great benefits or consequences to their country, making it a position reserved for exceptional individuals. When diplomatic issues arose, the ministers invariably turned to the ambassadors for guidance.
It could be confidently stated that Ambassador Rupert possessed considerable charm and charisma. Additionally, he was an adept communicator and possessed the gift of the gab.
‘Hmm… I can feel that he’s around D or C Rank judging by his mana.’?Han-Yeol could judge a Hunter’s rank solely from their mana after reaching the realm of a Master Rank Hunter.
In Han-Yeol's perception, Mark was just an ordinary Hunter. However, being an ambassador compensated for his lower rank, highlighting the significance of his role.
This situation exemplified the United States' power, as they had the capability to appoint a Hunter as their ambassador—a feat not easily replicated even by China, which boasted the highest number of Hunters.
Certainly, it was only a matter of time before Egypt caught up, given its rapid growth as an African nation. However, closing the gap would take some time, ensuring the United States retained its dominant position for the foreseeable future.
While many countries aimed to challenge the United States' supremacy, it remained unrivaled as the United States.
‘So this is the true strength of the United States…’?Han-Yeol was impressed.
He believed that a country full of patriots was a truly powerful country.
"Are these the Hunters who will be receiving the monster pets this time?" Han-Yeol inquired.
"Oh, right! I completely forgot about that, being starstruck by you and all! Haha!" Mark replied.
Han-Yeol could sense the ambassador's dishonesty. He knew that Mark was waiting for him to mention the Hunters first, but he decided to overlook it for now.
"These are special Hunters who are members of the United States' Special Hunter Department. They have undergone rigorous training and would have been deployed all over the world, undertaking various dangerous missions, if not for the monster pets."
"I suppose their role will change due to the presence of the monster pets."
"Yes, that is correct."
Another impressive aspect of the United States was that a significant number of their Hunters actively served in the military. In contrast, most Hunters in South Korea preferred to join guilds or raid parties to pursue monetary gains, reflecting the money-oriented nature of South Korean Hunters. The exception in South Korea were the few odd ones without combat capabilities who worked as civil servants.
However, the United States differed greatly in this regard, with both combat-oriented and production-type Hunters willingly joining the military out of a sense of patriotism. It could be confidently said that the future was exceptionally bright for the country.
“Hmm… But we have a small issue…” Han-Yeol said.
“What is it?”
"Your country delivered the monster eggs to me just three hours ago, so it will take at least a week to fertilize and hatch them."
In anticipation, Han-Yeol had requested Mujahid to collect the monster eggs and nutritional fruits in advance to facilitate the fertilization process for the auction earlier on.
"Oh, please don't worry about that. They will be kept in the embassy for now, so there's no rush at all," Mark assured, extending something to Han-Yeol.
"Is this your calling card?" Han-Yeol asked.
"Yes, exactly. I will return in a week, but please feel free to contact me if anything arises or if you have anything to discuss. The United States always keeps its doors open for talented individuals."
"Well, thank you," Han-Yeol responded.
"In that case, I'll see you in a week," Mark concluded.
With his primary purpose of meeting Han-Yeol and conducting his checks fulfilled, Mark shook hands with Han-Yeol once again before departing for the embassy.
Finally relieved after seeing off the Americans, Han-Yeol's tranquility was disrupted when Secretary Kim suddenly arrived at the mansion.
"What's the matter? Weren't you busy with the post-auction arrangements?"
"A-Actually... a few VVIPs have refused to return to their countries. They are currently insisting on meeting you, Han-Yeol Hunter-nim..."
“What?” Han-Yeol scoffed in disbelief.
‘Why do I have to meet them when the auction is already over?’?he grumbled inwardly.
By now, it should have been evident that Han-Yeol's intention was solely to sell the monster pets through the auction. He held a disdain for the idea of anyone and everyone possessing combat-ready monster pets, so he aimed to control their population while ensuring their price remained high.
If the Americans had intended to utilize the monster pets for combat purposes, Han-Yeol would have hesitated to sell them. However, their research-oriented plans made it easier for him to agree. Additionally, he couldn't simply refuse the request of the powerful United States, fully aware of their influence.
"I... I apologize... Initially, I refused them, but I now believe it's not up to me to decide, so I came to report the matter to you, Han-Yeol Hunter-nim."
"Ah... Why are these VVIPs so free? Don't they have any work?" Han-Yeol grumbled.
He had intended to cut his vacation short and resume his role as a Hunter after a brief rest, but the VVIPs demanding to meet him shattered his plans.
However, none of these VVIPs were the auction winners, as they had already returned to their respective countries to focus on their own monster pets. This situation was likely a consequence of inviting influential figures from each country, with some of them undoubtedly exhibiting arrogance and entitlement.
"So, what do you suggest we do about them, Han-Yeol-nim?" Secretary Kim inquired.
Frankly, Han-Yeol felt like crying at this moment. He was confident in refusing ordinary individuals who demanded to see him, regardless of whether they were presidents or prime ministers. However, the Hunters demanding to meet him now posed a challenge for Secretary Kim, who was just an ordinary person.
"What else can we do? Simply refuse them," Han-Yeol replied nonchalantly.
"Pardon me...?"
"To be honest, what do I gain from meeting them? Did they really think I would drop everything just because they want to see me?"
"I... I agree, Han-Yeol-nim."
"Ah, they're annoying, so just ignore them if they persist. Clearly inform them that I have refused their request, as they're bound to pester you about it," Han-Yeol instructed.
“I-I understand…”
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