Chapter 233: Savior of Nepal (4)
The political delegation that accompanied the Horus raid party immediately began their work.
Nepal had significantly stabilized after the arrival of the Horus raid party, with the most notable change being the absence of monsters in the country.
Regrettably, the departing tourists showed no indication of returning, and certain countries had placed Nepal on their travel blacklist for the time being.
The country required a swift solution.
Meanwhile, Han-Yeol agreed to stay in the presidential palace until a resolution could be found for Nepal, and the Nepalese people were relieved that he had chosen to extend his stay.
[Han-Yeol Hunter-nim is the best Hunter out there!]
[That’s right! Everyone turned their backs on us, but he is the only one who came to help!]
[Yeah! He is our country’s savior!]
Everywhere they went, the Nepalese people were singing Han-Yeol's praises. In fact, his popularity was soaring so much that he could easily emerge victorious if a snap election were to be held at this very moment. However, this did not imply that he could or wanted to become the president of a foreign country.
“Phew…?You stirred up quite the scene, Han-Yeol-nim.”
“Hahaha!”
“I did not say you can laugh.”
“Okay!”
“Sigh…”?Mariam let out a sigh once again.
The monsters were completely eradicated. Well, almost...
Mavros had found it frustrating to lure the more distant monsters all the way back to Han-Yeol, so he had simply directed them toward India or China, depending on which was closer. The number of monsters he had redirected in this manner numbered in the thousands.
Of course, it went without saying that Han-Yeol had no knowledge of this.
Anyway, Nepal was finally free of monsters, but the work was far from over, as there remained a mountain of corpses to dispose of. Fortunately, the Horus raid party had brought along an army of Porters who worked tirelessly day and night to dismember all the monsters that Han-Yeol had killed.
"It's quite worrisome. Not long ago, a dimensional rift occurred in Cairo, but it also appeared in this country, which had no defensive capabilities whatsoever... What is happening to the world?" Mariam muttered.
The appearance of dimensional rifts wasn't exclusive to Cairo or Nepal; they had begun appearing all over the world. However, if there was one stark difference between the other dimensional rifts and the one that appeared in Nepal, it would be the scale of it. The dimensional rift in Nepal had been on an unprecedented scale, and it was quite ironic that such a massive rift had appeared in a country with the worst defensive readiness against monsters.
"It's a relief that no boss monsters came out, unlike what happened back in Korea," Han-Yeol said.
"Yes, I agree," Mariam replied.
It was truly a stroke of luck that no boss monsters had emerged from the dimensional rift, as the country would have been in ruins if a single boss monster like the Thousand Armed Bodhisattva had appeared.
Han-Yeol might have become stronger compared to before, but it was still a stretch for him to fight the Thousand Armed Bodhisattva one-on-one. A boss monster of that scale was a fearsome opponent that Han-Yeol wouldn't be able to defeat, even if he gave it his all.
***
Han-Yeol spent a week in Nepal, where he was regarded as the guest of honor by the entire country. However, the treatment he received was far from luxurious, as the country lacked the funds to provide such amenities, being on the brink of bankruptcy.
Fortunately, Egypt extended a lifeline by pledging support, which drew criticism from China. Nevertheless, China's options were limited because they had no justification to escalate the issue, having been the first to abandon Nepal.
‘They will manage to stay afloat for now with Egypt's support, but the future looks bleak for them if they don't find a way to become self-sufficient,’?Han-Yeol thought.
Han-Yeol didn't turn a blind eye to the Nepalese people's plight. He had single-handedly slain all the monsters emerging from the dimensional rift, amassing a staggering number of monster corpses and their mana stones.
Even though no one would have questioned him if he chose not to pay taxes, Han-Yeol opted to adhere to international taxation laws and contribute to the country's finances. Consequently, Nepal received an unprecedented windfall of funds that it had never seen before.
However, this didn't imply that the country was suddenly well-off. Many of its citizens had perished in the recent dimensional rift, and the government had to compensate for the loss of property and loved ones, a burden that would consume a significant portion of the money.
"Tsk tsk... This country is in disarray, Han-Yeol-nim. The irony of expecting assistance from a nation that doesn't produce mana stones is evident," Mariam remarked, her tone as cold as ever.
"Well, I can't disagree with you on that," Han-Yeol responded.
"Things have become rather troublesome for me too. His Excellency instructed me to aid the country in getting back on its feet before I came here."
"Really?"
"Yes."
"Wow, that's unexpected."
"What do you mean by that?"
"I mean, I know your country is wealthy, but I didn't expect you guys to assist an entirely unrelated nation."
International relations between countries were often driven by self-interest, with decisions made primarily when there was something to gain from helping another nation.
"If I may speculate on His Excellency's intentions, he's probably eyeing a foothold in Asia as well," Mariam replied.
"Why Asia when there are still many countries left in Africa?"
"Africa is effectively under Egypt's influence, and things will naturally stabilize over time."
"Ah, I see..."
Egypt's ambition was indeed formidable, as they were essentially declaring their aim to compete with the United States and China for global supremacy.
‘Tsk… I can’t help but feel jealous…’?Han-Yeol grumbled inwardly.
South Korea had the potential to achieve what Egypt was doing, but the current government struggled to govern itself effectively and was often influenced by its neighbors, China and Japan. Consequently, Han-Yeol didn't anticipate any significant developments from South Korea in the near future.
‘Well, it doesn’t matter as long as I’m doing well.’?
Then, after shrugging the thought out of his head, he got a new idea. He exclaimed, “Yes! That’s it!”
“What is it?” Mariam asked.
"I was thinking of recruiting more security staff, so I probably should build a training center here for the Gurkha Mercenaries!"
"A training center for the Gurkhas?"
"Yeah, I need professionals, and the Gurkhas are among the best in the world!"
"Hmm… I guess that makes sense. Alright, we will invest in that venture as well."
"Huh?"
Han-Yeol was puzzled when Mariam mentioned that Egypt was going to invest in his idea. Why? Did Egypt need the Gurkhas? The answer was a resounding NO! Egypt was already filled with brave warriors, so it didn't seem logical that they required the Gurkhas.
Mariam appeared to have picked up on his thoughts and explained, "The reason is quite simple. We need to give the Nepalese people a reason to appreciate Egypt in order for us to exert influence over them. Besides, these people are renowned for their bravery."
"Ah, that sounds good. They could also become Hunters if they enlist in your military, right?"
"It appears that Mujahid-nim has informed you about a few things."
"Haha! You know how talkative he is."
"Yes, and I despise him for it."
"Hahaha!"
Han-Yeol found Mariam rather endearing when she got annoyed.
‘I think your chances of marrying her are close to zero, Mujahid,’?he thought as he wished the prince luck.
“Anyway, Egypt will be investing in your idea of training the Gurkhas.”
“That sounds good to me, but you guys should take care of all the small details. Got it?”
“Yes, but the equity will be divided fifty-fifty.”
“Deal.”
“Understood.”
***
Han-Yeol and Mariam finalized their agreement and announced their intention to build a large training center for the Gurkhas to the Nepali government, and the presidential palace was in a festive mood right now thanks to the news.
[Hahaha! Are you sure?!]
[Yes, I am. Han-Yeol Hunter-nim and the Egyptians have agreed to invest in building a training center for the Gurkhas in Nepal. Also, it will not be a simple training center but an educational campus for others as well!]
[Really? They’re willing to spend that much?!]
[Yes!]
The president’s face brightened after hearing that an educational campus was going to be built in the country.
This was the first time that someone made such an investment on an unprecedented scale in the country. An educational campus with ties to another country was definitely going to be a huge boost to the local economy and potentially become a sturdy foundation for the country’s revival.
Such an idea had been discussed in the past, but the country simply had no money to spare for other projects aside from keeping itself afloat. However, the sudden interest from Han-Yeol and Egypt to make the investment for them solved all problems for Nepal.
[Ah! He is truly our country’s savior!]
[Yes, Madame President!]
[Hahaha!]
However, the country was far from stable even with Han-Yeol and Egypt’s investment. The education campus was surely going to bring massive opportunities for the people, but their current main source of revenue had taken a massive hit from the emergence of the dimensional rift.
Still, the president was confident that the revival of the Gurkha Mercenaries was going to become a strong foundation for the country to slowly build upon.
[I hope that this is proof that the gods have not abandoned us…]
President Vidya made an earnest prayer, which was probably the prayer of all Nepali people right now.
***
The time for Han-Yeol to leave Nepal finally came.
[Do you really have to go, Han-Yeol-nim?] the president asked while holding onto Han-Yeol’s hands.
There was nothing else for Han-Yeol to do here, but he remained a great symbol of hope and security for the people.
The Egyptian Hunters were going to be stationed in Nepal just in case any mishaps occurred, but the people preferred to have Han-Yeol stay with them, as they were still traumatized from the dimensional rift incident.
[Hahaha… I cannot stay forever here, right?] Han-Yeol politely said.
Meanwhile, he thought, ‘I’m quite busy, you know…?’
Besides, Nepal was rather mundane and boring for him. There weren't many fun activities he could engage in here, and the only redeeming factor was that things were extremely affordable.
Murmur… Murmur… Murmur… Murmur…?
[Oh! That person is Han-Yeol Hunter-nim!]
[He looks really cool!]
[He is our country’s savior!]
[Hurray for Han-Yeol Hunter-nim!]
Tribhuvan Airport was packed with people trying to catch a glimpse of him when the news got out that he was leaving. He is currently the most famous person in the country.
‘Ah… What am I going to do with my fame? It feels like I just keep getting famous everywhere I go! Kekeke!’
“There is no medicine for being delusional, Han-Yeol-nim.”
“Hey! Don’t read me…!”
“I did not.”
“Tsk…!?Where did the cute and docile Mariam go?”?Han-Yeol grumbled and clicked his tongue.
“I was never cute and docile, Han-Yeol-nim.”
“Tsk!”
“Sigh…”?Mariam let out a sigh once again.
Han-Yeol let out a mischievous smirk before he was about to hop into his private jet. However...
“Huh? Why are you coming with me?” he asked.
Mariam casually ascended the step ladder right behind Han-Yeol. She had her own plane but had somehow followed him all the way to his private jet.
"Ah, I forgot to inform you that the airplane I took from Egypt will be quite busy from now on. The Hunters and Porters will be using them, and there are a lot of materials we have to move to build the training center."
"Ah, so you're asking me for a ride?"
"Yes."
"Alright, hop in~" Han-Yeol coolly agreed to give Mariam a lift.
He was indebted to her in many ways, so the least he could do was give her a ride.
"Thank you," Mariam replied with a bow before boarding the plane.
Han-Yeol took a final look at Nepal before making his way to Egypt.
Thud…!
"Ah… I'm so tired..." Han-Yeol muttered as he slumped into his seat.
Mariam sat across from him, sipping on a glass of whiskey. She asked, "I think you rested for an entire week, right?"
A Hunter could be fully rejuvenated after resting for a few hours, so it seemed strange that he was tired after a whole week.
"Yeah, but it's tiring to be dragged around here and there, you know?" Han-Yeol complained, continuing to vent about various things.
He felt slightly guilty for ranting when they had just met after a long time, but she somehow exuded a motherly feeling that put him at ease. She might come across as cold from time to time, but there were cold mothers out there too, so it didn't matter.
‘It’s a bit strange to think about her in this way when she hasn’t gotten married?yet, but…’?he thought while feeling nervous that she might read his mind.
Han-Yeol possessed the skill Telepathy II, but it amounted to nothing more than a cheap parlor trick in Mariam's presence. Her telepathic ability was on a level that could control a monster's mind, which meant she could thoroughly explore every corner of his thoughts and teach him a lesson if he dared to peer into hers with his feeble skill.
‘No! Let’s be careful around her from now on…!’?he thought.
It wasn't that he was suspecting her or anything, but the risks of having his mind read were simply too great for him to handle. After all, Han-Yeol's life motto was "safety first," and he didn't want to take any chances with her.
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