'I believe in Asgard.’
Lee Jun-Kyeong regretted what he had said.
He had only said it because he had wanted to give Yeo Seong-Gu pressure so that he would deal with the matter at hand, but now that he thought about it, it had been cringe-worthy.
Moreover, believing in Asgard…it wasn’t something for him to say.
“...”
There were some people looking at Lee Jun-Kyeong, who seemed to be in self agony.
They were dark-skinned boys, barely men, and even with a glance, Lee Jun-Kyeong could tell that they were of a different race than he was.
They looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong and talked among themselves.
“Why is the Underdog in Egypt?”
“Did you hear something about this?”
“No, I don’t know anything.”
There had been a sudden flow of great mana, and sensing it, the Egyptian Association had sent out people to investigate, which had led them to meet Lee Jun-Kyeong at its epicenter.
It was the Underdog, who hadn’t gone through any proper immigration procedures. In fact, he didn’t even contact them in advance.
They had brought Lee Jun-Kyeong to the Association and were holding him there.
"Should I call for an interpreter for now?"
"Hmm."
They had expressions of concern, seemingly about the difficulty handling the situation, as they talked among each other while being unable to communicate with Lee Jun-Kyeong.
The Hunter they had captive was a big shot. He was a Hero-Grade Hunter that wasn’t someone that they could deal with considering their ranks in the Association.
This was a matter for the upper ranks.
Although these Hunters wouldn’t know it, this was such a big issue that even the secret organization, Nile, had to move.
Moreover, they had already arrived.
Knock, knock.
The members of the Association who were detaining Lee Jun-Kyeong rose from their seats, flustered.
Squeak.
More Egyptian men opened the door and came inside. Seeing them, the expressions of the other members of the Association hardened.
“It’s the executive branch…”
“Damn it.”
The executive branch was a department that existed in any Association and administered disciplinary action or punishment of the Hunters.
However, its position in Egypt was a little more special.
It was a proper department with proper powers and was the branch of the Nile.
“We’ll take care of the Underdog from this point forward,” the Hunters belonging to the executive branch said to the people of the Association without even looking at Lee Jun-Kyeong.
The people of the Association quickly nodded and left the room as if they were ready to flee at any moment.
The executive branch members then spoke to Lee Jun-Kyeong after they surrounded him.
"Underdog. Is that right?" they said in broken English.
However.
“That’s right,” replied Lee Jun-Kyeong in Arabic.
***
Fortunately, Asgard's response had been so fast that it was as if Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn’t done anything wrong in the first place. Upon receiving Lee Jun-Kyeong’s call, they contacted the Nile immediately, hoping for him to be considered a guest of the Nile.
However, the problem was on the side of the Nile.
“As we’ve completed our mission, we will be leaving now.”
The Nile didn’t accept Lee Jun-Kyeong as a guest.
They had only taken him to the location of the Egyptian branch of the Korean Association.
It was contrary to his expectations, but Lee Jun-Kyeong wasn’t in a position to even bother them about the matter.
“Thank you.”
In the end, Lee Jun-Kyeong had no choice but to express his gratitude.
Instead of that, however, he was able to meet with the branch manager of the Korean Association branch that had been established in Egypt.
"My name is Yoo Kyeong-Tae, and I am in charge of the Egyptian branch of the Korean Association."
The branch manager bowed even lower while being excessively polite toward Lee Jun-Kyeong.
“It is an honor to meet the Hero of Asgard.”
The Underdog, or Lee Jun-Kyeong, didn’t exist in his vocabulary.
.
Just Asgard and Hero.
There were only those two words.
‘Was it something about the foreign branches of the Korean Association being managed by Asgard?’
He had a hunch that there was the possibility of friction with the secret organization due to the nature of a foreign branch. Thus, instead of having general Association staff who knew nothing, these branches were established with those who had connections with Asgard as branch managers.
The man in front of him would also be connected to Asgard, and there was both respect and envy in his gaze.
It was uncomfortable.
“Have you learned Arabic before?”
When Yoo Kyeong-Tae asked him the question, Lee Jun-Kyeong shook his head roughly. He hadn’t learned Arabic.
‘Merlin’s necklace really is as good as expected.’
That had all been Merlin’s necklace. Thanks to the necklace, he was able to interpret any language.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Lee Jun-Kyeong said, greeting the man a little late.
On the other hand, the branch manager shook Lee Jun-Kyeong’s hand vigorously. He held onto the hand as if he was even more moved than before.
"I've already been in contact with the headquarters. For now, I'll show you where you'll rest."
Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded.
Apparently, the Nile had no intention of accepting him right away.
"Someone is also coming from the headquarters. I heard they had left when you were at the Egyptian Association, so they'll arrive by the end of the day."
As Lee Jun-Kyeong expected, people were coming from Korea.
While it was clear that Jeong In-Chang, Won-Hwa, Fenrir and the princess were coming to this place, he was sure that they wouldn’t be the only ones.
“Who is coming?” he asked.
Since he had suddenly appeared in the Nile, they were sure to send someone who could both monitor him and also aid him if needed.
Lee Jun-Kyeong hoped it would be Yeo S2eong-Gu.
“It’s Oh Hyeong-Seok, Baldur.”
It was the worst possibility.
***
Yeo Seong-Gu, whom Lee Jun-Kyeong had wanted to come to Egypt, was having an uncomfortable time.
“Why don’t we have a little chat right now?”
It was the president of the Association, Jang Hyo-Jin.
He was in the middle of speaking with him.
A meeting with Odin was uncomfortable for any of the Hunters in Asgard, as his ability to see through lies and read through people was something that would never fail to put those who knew about it on edge.
“...”
And now, Yeo Seong-Gu was stuck speaking with that very Odin.
“I haven’t seemed to have asked you anything so far,” Odin said with a smile around his mouth as if he were happy.
“About what sort of relationship you have with the Underdog or what sort of secrets you share.”
Yeo Seong-Gu frowned at Odin’s whisper.
“But now, I must know. That boy stimulates my inquisitive mind endlessly, but....”
Odin’s eye began to emit green light.
“It seems as though you’re not going to give me an answer.”
This was what they had been worried about.
There had been nothing wrong with the way Lee Jun-Kyeong had dealt with Odin. He had stimulated the inquisitive mind and made Odin wonder about himself.
That was why Odin had complied with all of Lee Jun-Kyeong's demands and considered him special.
However.
“You never seem to give me the answer I want. Although that’s also interesting and all…it would be nice if you could give me at least one answer right now.”
That inquisitive mind went too far.
Although he thought that he had given an appropriate level of response before, Lee Jun-Kyeong was too inexperienced in dealing with that sort of mind.
He dared to make judgments about such a person only by relying on some writing and hearsay.
“...”
Currently, Yeo Seong-Gu was enduring this man’s interrogation.
“What is the Underdog’s purpose?” Odin asked.
Lee Jun-Kyeong was unique. He sought power, but not authority or wealth.
He had then gained strength and fame, but didn’t obtain a title. Moreover, he was walking down some sort of special path, always pursuing something continuously.
Didn’t he even say that he would go to China, where no one else had wanted to go?
Moreover, he had even brought back survivors that no one had known still existed and even Hunters at that.
He had even said that there was a man in black that was said to be the one who had created the issues between China and Mt. Baekdu.
Odin also couldn’t figure out why the Hunter had been treated as a VIP by the Round Table when he went to Egypt.
Then, he had suddenly headed to Egypt.
“What in the world is his goal?” he asked again.
“…”
Yeo Seong-Gu continued to remain silent.
He couldn’t give an answer easily, as he knew he would possibly cause Odin to be more stimulated if he slipped up.
Yeo Seong-Gu, Heimdall, had a high position in Asgard, but Odin's authority and power were even higher than that.
He couldn’t make a mistake.
‘That brat…I have to protect him.’
Odin's questions continued.
“I don’t understand where your infinite goodwill is coming from either. You’re not someone who trusts people easily. However, the trust you’ve shown so far is strange…it’s almost like…”
The corners of Odin’s lips rose, and the green light grew darker.
“It's as if you’ve known him from before.”
Odin's questions had ended, and it was now Yeo Seong-Gu’s turn to answer.
He had to throw the right bait before Odin’s curiosity deepened beyond repair.
This was a problem that had been caused by Lee Jun-Kyeong’s inexperience, but there was still something that Lee Jun-Kyeong had informed Yeo Seong-Gu in case something like this happened.
“The Underdog, I mean, Jun-Kyeong…” Yeo Seong-Gu slowly swallowed a drop of saliva in his dry mouth.
Deceiving Odin wasn’t an easy thing to do.
Therefore, the only way to deceive him was to be very underhanded.
"Mr. President, Odin, he is someone who has the same goal as you."
It was by obscuring the distinction between falsehood and truth.
"...My goal?"
Odin’s interest had been piqued.
There was a man who had said the same thing to him before.
‘Bae Sang-Su.’
He, who had been the guide in charge of Lee Jun-Kyeong’s tutorial, had also evaluated that the Hunter might be able to reach Odin’s goal.
It was a funny thought.
Odin’s goal wasn’t something that just anyone could accomplish.
It was something that many of the world’s top Hunters, and even Odin, one of the strongest even among the top, had yet to be able to carry out.
Moreover, it was something that even that Olympian bastard who seemed to have the same goal as he had couldn’t even have dared to do.
“Let’s hear what you have to say for yourself.”
Still, Odin had taken the bait.
“Your goal. His goal is the same as yours.” Yeo Seong-Gu slowly continued, “To kill a Sponsor.”
He didn’t know if Odin would believe it or not. He had no choice but to trust and follow Lee Jun-Kyeong’s hunch.
"How interesting."
Fortunately, Odin seemed satisfied.
***
"Sigh..."
Jeong In-Chang sighed for some time.
He had spent days and nights clearing numerous gates. Finally, right when he had been about to go to sleep after having completed all of the gate raids that had been scheduled yesterday…
‘To think he would tell me to come all of a sudden…’
…he had received a call, an international call.
It was a call from Lee Jun-Kyeong.
"Sigh..."
Lee Jun-Kyeong had suddenly told him to come to his location.
Still, the fact that it was an international call had created some interest. Jeong In-Chang had thought it was England, but, to think, his destination was also different.
‘To think it would be Egypt.’
To think that even if they couldn’t go to some cool location, they would be going to Egypt, a place that would be hot enough to die in this blazing summer.
Now that the insane chill in China had passed, it seemed they would have to face the heat wave.
"Sigh..."
Everything was still good up to that point.
When Lee Jun-Kyeong had called him, he had said that he needed him. Because Jeong In-Chang always wanted to help the Hunter, it had been a pleasure to answer the call, even if it was difficult.
Jeong In-Chang’s eyes turned to the seat next to him.
He wasn’t going to his location using a divine item like a portal or even the Bifrost.
That was also good too.
The Association had provided them with private jets and gave them the best treatment.
The problem was something else.
“Could you bring me a nice champagne?”
It was with the man next to him.
“Would you like one too?” he asked Jeong In-Chang.
The problem was with the face of the man that was smiling at him.
‘He’s handsome.’
That was all Jeong In-Chang could say.
He was just incredibly handsome.
The man with the face that could topple cities just with its existence was both nice and considerate.
"Thank you."
Holding up the champagne brought by the flight attendant, he was almost like a picture.
However.
“Grr.”
“Goongje…”
The two familiars constantly expressed hostility to the handsome man.
Moreover, Won-Hwa, who had been called out right as he had been about to sleep, just like Jeong In-Chang, was also irritated by the man.
“Hmn…”
Moreover, it was the same for Jeong In-Chang as well.
The handsome man in front of him was a perfect man who had everything.
'Watch out for Baldur.’
In fact, Lee Jun-Kyeong had warned him about Baldur.
"How nice!"
That man was flying to Egypt with Jeong In-Chang and his party.
Jeong In-Chang looked out the window.
There was a clear sky, beautiful clouds, and the plane was heading for Egypt at high speed.
“If I fall from here, I would die, right…?”
The only problem was the fact that he wanted to escape from this place.
'I believe in Asgard.’
Lee Jun-Kyeong regretted what he had said.
He had only said it because he had wanted to give Yeo Seong-Gu pressure so that he would deal with the matter at hand, but now that he thought about it, it had been cringe-worthy.
Moreover, believing in Asgard…it wasn’t something for him to say.
“...”
There were some people looking at Lee Jun-Kyeong, who seemed to be in self agony.
They were dark-skinned boys, barely men, and even with a glance, Lee Jun-Kyeong could tell that they were of a different race than he was.
They looked at Lee Jun-Kyeong and talked among themselves.
“Why is the Underdog in Egypt?”
“Did you hear something about this?”
“No, I don’t know anything.”
There had been a sudden flow of great mana, and sensing it, the Egyptian Association had sent out people to investigate, which had led them to meet Lee Jun-Kyeong at its epicenter.
It was the Underdog, who hadn’t gone through any proper immigration procedures. In fact, he didn’t even contact them in advance.
They had brought Lee Jun-Kyeong to the Association and were holding him there.
"Should I call for an interpreter for now?"
"Hmm."
They had expressions of concern, seemingly about the difficulty handling the situation, as they talked among each other while being unable to communicate with Lee Jun-Kyeong.
The Hunter they had captive was a big shot. He was a Hero-Grade Hunter that wasn’t someone that they could deal with considering their ranks in the Association.
This was a matter for the upper ranks.
Although these Hunters wouldn’t know it, this was such a big issue that even the secret organization, Nile, had to move.
Moreover, they had already arrived.
Knock, knock.
The members of the Association who were detaining Lee Jun-Kyeong rose from their seats, flustered.
Squeak.
More Egyptian men opened the door and came inside. Seeing them, the expressions of the other members of the Association hardened.
“It’s the executive branch…”
“Damn it.”
The executive branch was a department that existed in any Association and administered disciplinary action or punishment of the Hunters.
However, its position in Egypt was a little more special.
It was a proper department with proper powers and was the branch of the Nile.
“We’ll take care of the Underdog from this point forward,” the Hunters belonging to the executive branch said to the people of the Association without even looking at Lee Jun-Kyeong.
The people of the Association quickly nodded and left the room as if they were ready to flee at any moment.
The executive branch members then spoke to Lee Jun-Kyeong after they surrounded him.
"Underdog. Is that right?" they said in broken English.
However.
“That’s right,” replied Lee Jun-Kyeong in Arabic.
***
Fortunately, Asgard's response had been so fast that it was as if Lee Jun-Kyeong hadn’t done anything wrong in the first place. Upon receiving Lee Jun-Kyeong’s call, they contacted the Nile immediately, hoping for him to be considered a guest of the Nile.
However, the problem was on the side of the Nile.
“As we’ve completed our mission, we will be leaving now.”
The Nile didn’t accept Lee Jun-Kyeong as a guest.
They had only taken him to the location of the Egyptian branch of the Korean Association.
It was contrary to his expectations, but Lee Jun-Kyeong wasn’t in a position to even bother them about the matter.
“Thank you.”
In the end, Lee Jun-Kyeong had no choice but to express his gratitude.
Instead of that, however, he was able to meet with the branch manager of the Korean Association branch that had been established in Egypt.
"My name is Yoo Kyeong-Tae, and I am in charge of the Egyptian branch of the Korean Association."
The branch manager bowed even lower while being excessively polite toward Lee Jun-Kyeong.
“It is an honor to meet the Hero of Asgard.”
The Underdog, or Lee Jun-Kyeong, didn’t exist in his vocabulary.
.
Just Asgard and Hero.
There were only those two words.
‘Was it something about the foreign branches of the Korean Association being managed by Asgard?’
He had a hunch that there was the possibility of friction with the secret organization due to the nature of a foreign branch. Thus, instead of having general Association staff who knew nothing, these branches were established with those who had connections with Asgard as branch managers.
The man in front of him would also be connected to Asgard, and there was both respect and envy in his gaze.
It was uncomfortable.
“Have you learned Arabic before?”
When Yoo Kyeong-Tae asked him the question, Lee Jun-Kyeong shook his head roughly. He hadn’t learned Arabic.
‘Merlin’s necklace really is as good as expected.’
That had all been Merlin’s necklace. Thanks to the necklace, he was able to interpret any language.
“It’s nice to meet you,” Lee Jun-Kyeong said, greeting the man a little late.
On the other hand, the branch manager shook Lee Jun-Kyeong’s hand vigorously. He held onto the hand as if he was even more moved than before.
"I've already been in contact with the headquarters. For now, I'll show you where you'll rest."
Lee Jun-Kyeong nodded.
Apparently, the Nile had no intention of accepting him right away.
"Someone is also coming from the headquarters. I heard they had left when you were at the Egyptian Association, so they'll arrive by the end of the day."
As Lee Jun-Kyeong expected, people were coming from Korea.
While it was clear that Jeong In-Chang, Won-Hwa, Fenrir and the princess were coming to this place, he was sure that they wouldn’t be the only ones.
“Who is coming?” he asked.
Since he had suddenly appeared in the Nile, they were sure to send someone who could both monitor him and also aid him if needed.
Lee Jun-Kyeong hoped it would be Yeo S2eong-Gu.
“It’s Oh Hyeong-Seok, Baldur.”
It was the worst possibility.
***
Yeo Seong-Gu, whom Lee Jun-Kyeong had wanted to come to Egypt, was having an uncomfortable time.
“Why don’t we have a little chat right now?”
It was the president of the Association, Jang Hyo-Jin.
He was in the middle of speaking with him.
A meeting with Odin was uncomfortable for any of the Hunters in Asgard, as his ability to see through lies and read through people was something that would never fail to put those who knew about it on edge.
“...”
And now, Yeo Seong-Gu was stuck speaking with that very Odin.
“I haven’t seemed to have asked you anything so far,” Odin said with a smile around his mouth as if he were happy.
“About what sort of relationship you have with the Underdog or what sort of secrets you share.”
Yeo Seong-Gu frowned at Odin’s whisper.
“But now, I must know. That boy stimulates my inquisitive mind endlessly, but....”
Odin’s eye began to emit green light.
“It seems as though you’re not going to give me an answer.”
This was what they had been worried about.
There had been nothing wrong with the way Lee Jun-Kyeong had dealt with Odin. He had stimulated the inquisitive mind and made Odin wonder about himself.
That was why Odin had complied with all of Lee Jun-Kyeong's demands and considered him special.
However.
“You never seem to give me the answer I want. Although that’s also interesting and all…it would be nice if you could give me at least one answer right now.”
That inquisitive mind went too far.
Although he thought that he had given an appropriate level of response before, Lee Jun-Kyeong was too inexperienced in dealing with that sort of mind.
He dared to make judgments about such a person only by relying on some writing and hearsay.
“...”
Currently, Yeo Seong-Gu was enduring this man’s interrogation.
“What is the Underdog’s purpose?” Odin asked.
Lee Jun-Kyeong was unique. He sought power, but not authority or wealth.
He had then gained strength and fame, but didn’t obtain a title. Moreover, he was walking down some sort of special path, always pursuing something continuously.
Didn’t he even say that he would go to China, where no one else had wanted to go?
Moreover, he had even brought back survivors that no one had known still existed and even Hunters at that.
He had even said that there was a man in black that was said to be the one who had created the issues between China and Mt. Baekdu.
Odin also couldn’t figure out why the Hunter had been treated as a VIP by the Round Table when he went to Egypt.
Then, he had suddenly headed to Egypt.
“What in the world is his goal?” he asked again.
“…”
Yeo Seong-Gu continued to remain silent.
He couldn’t give an answer easily, as he knew he would possibly cause Odin to be more stimulated if he slipped up.
Yeo Seong-Gu, Heimdall, had a high position in Asgard, but Odin's authority and power were even higher than that.
He couldn’t make a mistake.
‘That brat…I have to protect him.’
Odin's questions continued.
“I don’t understand where your infinite goodwill is coming from either. You’re not someone who trusts people easily. However, the trust you’ve shown so far is strange…it’s almost like…”
The corners of Odin’s lips rose, and the green light grew darker.
“It's as if you’ve known him from before.”
Odin's questions had ended, and it was now Yeo Seong-Gu’s turn to answer.
He had to throw the right bait before Odin’s curiosity deepened beyond repair.
This was a problem that had been caused by Lee Jun-Kyeong’s inexperience, but there was still something that Lee Jun-Kyeong had informed Yeo Seong-Gu in case something like this happened.
“The Underdog, I mean, Jun-Kyeong…” Yeo Seong-Gu slowly swallowed a drop of saliva in his dry mouth.
Deceiving Odin wasn’t an easy thing to do.
Therefore, the only way to deceive him was to be very underhanded.
"Mr. President, Odin, he is someone who has the same goal as you."
It was by obscuring the distinction between falsehood and truth.
"...My goal?"
Odin’s interest had been piqued.
There was a man who had said the same thing to him before.
‘Bae Sang-Su.’
He, who had been the guide in charge of Lee Jun-Kyeong’s tutorial, had also evaluated that the Hunter might be able to reach Odin’s goal.
It was a funny thought.
Odin’s goal wasn’t something that just anyone could accomplish.
It was something that many of the world’s top Hunters, and even Odin, one of the strongest even among the top, had yet to be able to carry out.
Moreover, it was something that even that Olympian bastard who seemed to have the same goal as he had couldn’t even have dared to do.
“Let’s hear what you have to say for yourself.”
Still, Odin had taken the bait.
“Your goal. His goal is the same as yours.” Yeo Seong-Gu slowly continued, “To kill a Sponsor.”
He didn’t know if Odin would believe it or not. He had no choice but to trust and follow Lee Jun-Kyeong’s hunch.
"How interesting."
Fortunately, Odin seemed satisfied.
***
"Sigh..."
Jeong In-Chang sighed for some time.
He had spent days and nights clearing numerous gates. Finally, right when he had been about to go to sleep after having completed all of the gate raids that had been scheduled yesterday…
‘To think he would tell me to come all of a sudden…’
…he had received a call, an international call.
It was a call from Lee Jun-Kyeong.
"Sigh..."
Lee Jun-Kyeong had suddenly told him to come to his location.
Still, the fact that it was an international call had created some interest. Jeong In-Chang had thought it was England, but, to think, his destination was also different.
‘To think it would be Egypt.’
To think that even if they couldn’t go to some cool location, they would be going to Egypt, a place that would be hot enough to die in this blazing summer.
Now that the insane chill in China had passed, it seemed they would have to face the heat wave.
"Sigh..."
Everything was still good up to that point.
When Lee Jun-Kyeong had called him, he had said that he needed him. Because Jeong In-Chang always wanted to help the Hunter, it had been a pleasure to answer the call, even if it was difficult.
Jeong In-Chang’s eyes turned to the seat next to him.
He wasn’t going to his location using a divine item like a portal or even the Bifrost.
That was also good too.
The Association had provided them with private jets and gave them the best treatment.
The problem was something else.
“Could you bring me a nice champagne?”
It was with the man next to him.
“Would you like one too?” he asked Jeong In-Chang.
The problem was with the face of the man that was smiling at him.
‘He’s handsome.’
That was all Jeong In-Chang could say.
He was just incredibly handsome.
The man with the face that could topple cities just with its existence was both nice and considerate.
"Thank you."
Holding up the champagne brought by the flight attendant, he was almost like a picture.
However.
“Grr.”
“Goongje…”
The two familiars constantly expressed hostility to the handsome man.
Moreover, Won-Hwa, who had been called out right as he had been about to sleep, just like Jeong In-Chang, was also irritated by the man.
“Hmn…”
Moreover, it was the same for Jeong In-Chang as well.
The handsome man in front of him was a perfect man who had everything.
'Watch out for Baldur.’
In fact, Lee Jun-Kyeong had warned him about Baldur.
"How nice!"
That man was flying to Egypt with Jeong In-Chang and his party.
Jeong In-Chang looked out the window.
There was a clear sky, beautiful clouds, and the plane was heading for Egypt at high speed.
“If I fall from here, I would die, right…?”
The only problem was the fact that he wanted to escape from this place.
