Chapter 107: Hero and Saint (1)

Chapter 107: Hero and Saint (1)

Kim Ki-Rok hummed thoughtfully. "Let's see now. Let's seeee..."

On February 15, a Gate would appear in front of Kim Ji-Hee. The anticipated conditions for clearing it were to fend off simultaneous attacks from Black Wizards, demons, and monsters, as well as successfully revive the World Tree.

Due to the overwhelming disparity in strength between the Hunters and their enemies, Earth had requested aid from the Yuashiel Dimension, specifically the support of elves. The Yuashiel Dimension accepted and delivered an oracle to the elves.

"Elves... huh, the elves..." Kim Ki-Rok muttered.

In the Yuashiel Dimension, the relationship between humans and elves was notoriously bad. Sure, when the Black Wizards rampaged, monsters went berserk, and demons invaded, the two races had joined forces out of sheer necessity. But it was like cats and dogs clinging to the same lifeboat.

With no trust between them, their forced cooperation only hampered their combat effectiveness, and eventually, humans and elves fought on separate fronts.

"But in the first place, they have never met anyone from Earth," Kim Ki-Rok reminded himself.

The likelihood that elves from Yuashiel would feel any strong hostility toward humans from another world, namely Earth, was extremely low. The reason was simple: they had already received an oracle foretelling that humans from another dimension would come to revive the World Tree.

Leaning back in his chair, Kim Ki-Rok sorted through his thoughts out loud. "So... we know about them, but they know nothing about us. After crossing over to their world, we'll have to risk our lives fighting Black Wizards, demons, and monsters to bring the World Tree back to life."

This is just like a...

"Oooh?" Kim Ki-Rok blinked as a sudden idea struck him.

Feeling as if he'd just found the final piece of a puzzle, Kim Ki-Rok sprang from his seat. Leaving his office, he pulled out his smartphone and stepped into the elevator.

As soon as the call connected, he jumped straight into the conversation. "Your Excellency, I'm calling because I've come up with something brilliant."

—Since I took office, I've met plenty of people who've said that to me.

"I've figured out an excellent way to handle our interactions with the elves," Kim Ki-Rok pressed.

—I'll need a clearer explanation than that, Guildmaster Kim Ki-Rok.

Having already decided to secure government cooperation for this quest, Kim Ki-Rok naturally explained the mission they had received to President Kim Tae-Hoo and his most trusted aides.

Kim Ki-Rok declared proudly, "I call it, The Hero and Saint Project."

—Huh?

"The Hero and Saint Project," Kim Ki-Rok repeated. "Though, I think it would be best if I explained it in person. Would now be a good time?"

—Hold on a moment.

It sounded like the phone had been set down, the voice on the other end growing faint. Still holding the phone to his ear, Kim Ki-Rok stepped into the convenience store, waiting for the call to resume.

"Oh my, you're still hard at work, I see. Ji-Hee mentioned she was heading down to the convenience store earlier."

"Ah, Guildmaster. Ji-Hee came by earlier along with Miss Seh-Eun and Mister Seh-Hyuk. They bought some cat treats before leaving," the convenience store worker reported.

"Cat treats, hm?" Kim Ki-Rok muttered.

He had a rough idea of where they might be. Just as he turned to leave, the President's voice came back on the line.

—I have some time tomorrow from 12 p.m. to 1p.m.

Kim Ki-Rok raised an eyebrow. "Isn't that the time you usually set aside for lunch?"

—Yes, that's correct. However...

"Since you'll need to get back to work right after lunch, I suppose we can't meet too far from your office," Kim Ki-Rok said thoughtfully.

—That's correct.

"In that case, I'll come to you tomorrow."

—Wait... wouldn't it seem suspicious to other countries if you visit again so soon?

Kim Ki-Rok shrugged off the concern. "They probably already suspect something after my last visit."

During his previous visit to the Blue House, Kim Ki-Rok had deliberately taken public transportation and brought along a strikingly cute young girl, Kim Ji-Hee, ensuring that attention would be drawn to them.

"This time, I'll bring representatives from the major guilds who'll be participating in the Gate raid."

—Understood. I'll see you tomorrow then.

Snapping to attention with exaggerated enthusiasm, Kim Ki-Rok replied, "Yes! Your Excellency!"

With a deep sigh, the President hung up the call.

Slipping his phone into his pocket, Kim Ki-Rok circled around the guild's warehouse and headed to the back of the building. As expected, the trio he was looking for were crouched on the ground, gathered around a mother cat and her kittens.

"Hey, everyone."

Kim Ji-Hee, who had just been offering a treat to the mother cat, looked up and greeted him cheerfully. "Ah, it's Mister!"

The kittens also greeted Kim Ki-Rok with a meow. They abandoned the other two Hunters and ran over to Kim Ki-Rok, rubbing their heads affectionately against his legs.

The sight made Kim Ki-Rok feel it had all been worth it, stopping by the warehouse to feed them ever since they were born, even arranging for the convenience store owner to look after them in his absence.

"Oh! They still recognize me," he said with a satisfied grin.

He hadn't expected the kittens to remember him so well.

As he crouched to pet them, Kim Ji-Hee, puffed out her cheeks in a pout, having lost the kittens' attention. "But I was feeding them..."

"Well, I've fed them the most, and I even built them a house," Kim Ki-Rok replied with a chuckle.

"Hmph..." Ji-Hee's pout only deepened.

She seemed genuinely upset. Kim Ki-Rok chuckled at Kim Ji-Hee's reaction, then got to the real reason he had come looking for her.

"Ji-Hee," he called.

"Yeeees."

"Would you like to try being a Saint?"

"Hmmm? A Saint?" Kim Ji-Hee just stared blankly at Kim Ki-Rok for a few moments with her lips slightly parted, then tilted her head and asked, "What's a Saint?"

***

As the projector flared to life, everyone's eyes turned to the large screen.

Hero and Saint.

"So that really is the project's name..." President Kim Tae-Hoo muttered without thinking. "Is he serious?"

He had honestly thought he misheard. Was Kim Ki-Rok really about to talk to them about the kind of Heroes and Saints you only see in manhwa? The president's gaze shifted toward Kim Ki-Rok, who now walked slowly up to the front, standing near the screen.

A little while ago, Kim Ki-Rok had abruptly left the conference room, saying they'd start the presentation in five minutes. At first, President Kim Tae-Hoo had been caught off guard by his sudden exit, but the members of the DG Guild, who had come with Kim Ki-Rok to the Blue House, had merely checked the time and calmly began setting up for the meeting, as if it were perfectly normal. So President Kim Tae-Hoo had decided to sit back and watch.

"Pft!

Returning to the conference room, Kim Ki-Rok was now clad in dazzling pure white armor. A white cape flowed behind him, and even the scabbard at his waist gleamed in matching white.

"Really now... I feel like I must be going crazy."

If one were to sum up the sentiment of everyone gathered in this conference room, that would be it.

Regardless, Kim Ki-Rok dove right into the briefing.

"Our Excellency—President Kim! Tae! Hoo!—is extremely busy, so we don't have much time. He has generously granted us one hour, including time for preparations. But if we use all of it, that would mean President Kim Tae-Hoo has to go straight back to work without a break. Therefore, I plan to wrap things up ten minutes early. Now then, let's get straight to the point. The name of this project is Hero and—!"

After wrapping up his spiel, Kim Ki-Rok dramatically drew his sword from its scabbard. Right at that moment, the door to the conference room opened, and everyone instinctively turned to look.

"Oh my."

"She's truly an angel, I tell you. An angel."

Kim Ji-Hee stepped into the room, her hair down, wearing a pure white dress, and offering a bashful smile as she walked over to stand next to Kim Ki-Rok.

"Saint!" she suddenly declared, clasping her hands together in a prayer pose.

"That's right," Kim Ki-Rok nodded with satisfaction. "This is why I'm calling it the 'Hero and Saint' Project."

Unlike the theatrical way he had drawn his sword, Kim Ki-Rok sheathed it with slow, deliberate care, then gently picked up Kim Ji-Hee.

He began to elaborate, "When the Gate appears on February 15th, we'll be meeting the elves for the first time. According to the spirits from that dimension, the relationship between humans and elves is terrible. Still, they've joined forces to confront the crisis that's threatening their continent. Of course, their old hatred hasn't just vanished. Even while working together to fight the monsters and Black Wizards, they've divided the battlefields, fighting separately as much as possible."

This wasn't new information. The DG Guild had already shared these details as part of their info exchange.

"However, the elves don't know anything about the humans arriving from another dimension called Earth. We can imagine them shouting something like, 'Even if they came from another dimension, they're still humans! How can we trust humans?!'" Kim Ki-Rok shouted, glaring at the air as if playing the role of an indignant elf. Then, with a bright smile, he continued, "But we can proudly tell them that we are different."

"We are different?" Jang Baek-San, Guildmaster of the Baekdusan Guild, muttered, trying to piece things together.

"That's right," Kim Ki-Rok affirmed. "The elves we'll meet have already received an oracle about us. We, humans from another dimension, are coming to revive the World Tree. That's why they need to support us. Or at least, that's what I believe their oracle has told them."

Everyone had a general sense of the situation now. But the question remained—what did all of this have to do with the so-called "Hero and Saint" Project?

"Well then, in that case..." Kim Ki-Rok paused, scanning the faces of everyone gathered in the conference room.

There were people in their thirties, forties, and fifties—and even a few in their twenties. A full spectrum of ages had assembled here.

The Hunter from the Shine Guild, attending alongside Guildmaster Lee Yeon-Hwa, was an unfamiliar woman. Normally, it was Kang Ho who usually stood as her right-hand man. Perhaps he had other matters to attend to?

After a moment, Kim Ki-Rok pointed to a young female Hunter in her twenties.

"Now then, Hunter Yoo Hye-Jeong."

"Huh...?" The tawny-haired Yoo Hye-Jeong, clearly startled to be singled out, jumped slightly in her seat. "Ah, yes? Guildmaster Kim Ki-Rok?"

Kim Ki-Rok smiled as he restated the basics. "An oracle has been delivered to the elves. It foretells that people from another dimension will soon arrive to revive the World Tree."

"Ah yes, that's right?" Yoo Hye-Jeong replied hesitantly, nodding.

"And we use something called a Gate to travel to other dimensions."

"Well, that's true, isn't it?" she answered, still unsure where this was going.

"To sum things up, people from another dimension are arriving on a quest to revive the World Tree. Now, if this scenario appeared in a manhwa or anime, what would you call it?"

All eyes turned to Yoo Hye-Jeong.

She thought for a moment, then cautiously answered, "I guess... an isekai[1]

"Exactly." Kim Ki-Rok grinned. "It's totally like an isekai. But more than that, the summoned ones have also received an oracle, a mission to revive the World Tree. And in doing so, they'll gain blessings that weaken monsters, Black Wizards, and demons, while receiving other powerful boons themselves."

Yoo Hye-Jeong wasn't fully listening anymore. Part of her mind was already ahead, piecing together where this was going. The story was starting to feel eerily familiar.

"Now then, let's talk about the World Tree," Kim Ki-Rok continued. "It's said that the World Tree holds a fragment of divine power. It's a tree of blessings that can restrict enemies with harmful effects while empowering allies with beneficial ones. If I'm allowed to exaggerate a little, I'd say it's a tree capable of saving an entire continent. So, tell me, what would the people of this other world call those who were summoned to save their land?"

"Heroes..." Yoo Hye-Jeong murmured, turning the word over in her mind.

"And?" Kim Ki-Rok prompted her, leaning forward slightly.

"Th-the Saint?"

The moment she said it, Kim Ki-Rok clapped his hands together sharply, drawing everyone's attention back to him.

"So, in conclusion!" Kim Ki-Rok declared. "To successfully make contact with the elves, we will become Heroes, and Ji-Hee will become the Saint."

Yoo Hye-Jeong felt like she was watching the sort of pop-up store that used to show up in neighborhoods in the past and gather crowds of the elderly to sell them health food and stone beds[2].

"Of course, we won't be lying to them," Kim Ki-Rok assured the room. "We might be, let's say, slightly dramatizing our roles, but it's still the truth. The World Tree will grant powerful blessings to the elves and their allies, helping to stop the invasion of monsters, Black Wizards, and demons."

Well, sure, that might technically be true, but...

Yoo Hye-Jeong couldn't help remembering how her own grandmother had once bought red ginseng honey from a salesman like this, with only 3% real honey. But since there was still some real honey in the product, it could legally be sold as such.

"So, we take on the roles of Heroes and Saint, join forces with the elves, defeat our enemies, and revive the World Tree," Kim Ki-Rok concluded, arms spread wide.

"H-Hold on." Jang Baek-San, a middle-aged would-be Hero in his 40s, raised his hand. Maybe the idea of meeting elves while decked out in extravagant armor was too much for him to bear. "E-even if we use this... this act to get the elves to cooperate, the Gate will disappear once we clear it, right? D-Do we really need to go this far, just for a brief alliance?"

"Yes, we do," Kim Ki-Rok replied firmly.

Jang Baek-San let out a breath, exasperated. "But why?"

Kim Ki-Rok answered calmly, "Well, according to my calculations, when we estimate the strength of the enemies that might appear in this Gate and adjust them to our Hunter level scale, the Gate's difficulty falls between Levels 80 and 120. Now, if we convert those levels into our Hunter Class system, what Class would this upcoming Gate be?"

"S-Class," Jang Baek-San replied, realization dawning on his face.

"Yes, exactly," Kim Ki-Rok nodded. "If we rate this Gate using the same Class system applied to Hunters, it's an S-Class Gate. Naturally, the reward for clearing a Gate of that difficulty will be immense."

Jang Baek-San frowned. "Wasn't the seed of the World Tree the reward?"

Kim Ki-Rok shook his head. "Not at all. That was a separate, individual reward given to the DG Guild for accepting Miss Ayl's request. It doesn't count as the official Gate clear reward recognized by the system. Once we clear the Gate, the World System will, as usual, grant a reward to all Hunters who participated."

For a moment, the Hunters sat in silence.

Was that really how it worked?

"Also, instead of a standard reward, I plan to submit a different request to the World System," Kim Ki-Rok added.

Jang Baek-San blinked. "You can do that?"

"Why not?" Kim Ki-Rok shrugged. "If you clear a Gate perfectly, the World System can fulfill the clearers' wishes, within limits."

"So what exactly are you going to ask for?" Jang Baek-San asked, narrowing his eyes.

Kim Ki-Rok smirked, taking his time. "Well, that's..."

"That's?"

"That is!" Kim Ki-Rok shouted.

"That is?!" he leaned forward in his seat, before realizing what he was doing.

"Shit..." Now fully aware he was falling into the habit of parroting Kim Ki-Rok, Jang Baek-San threw his hands up in frustration. "Seriously, what's your proposal?"

Kim Ki-Rok finally revealed, grinning, "I want to make the Gate permanent."

1. A Japanese genre where a character is transported to another world, often with fantasy or game-like rules. ☜

2. Stone beds - A popular product that looks like a bed frame with a stone panel in place of a mattress. Sleeping on it is said to have health benefits, especially for the skin. ☜