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Chapter 232: The Seer
Alex? Elegance? That damn guy's got his eye on my little sister?
Even if it was just a game, Naye was already like family to him.
Maybe that's why...
He felt like he was going to explode with rage.
"Hehe, just kidding, just kidding!"
"Huh?"
"He's cute, but...well, he's not very reliable. He's not Naye's type."
"You scared me there, sis. Remember this, Naye. All men are wolves. Got it?"
"Yes! Dad always said that too! Naye likes someone dependable like Oppa!"
Whew.
He finally felt a little relieved.
However, his suspicions weren't completely gone. Naye's heart was as strong as steel, so she wouldn't fall for some flimsy guy like that...
'But you never know.'
If that guy named Alex kept pestering her, who knew?
'Since I have some free time before the ball...'
Perhaps it would be a good idea to visit the kindergarten Naye attends.
All he needed to prepare was Choi Yuna's spirit orb, but he couldn't just rush her to make it.
"Oppa wants to visit Naye's kindergarten, is that okay?"
"Really?!"
"Yeah. If you're okay with it, I'd like to."
"Naye loves it! Really! My friends were all saying they wanted to meet Oppa! You always said you were too busy..."
Her eyes sparkled as she looked at him.
"Then I'll go with Uncle Vulcan. Is that okay?"
"Yes, yes! So you're coming tomorrow?"
"I'm planning to."
"Okay! I'll tell mom! I'll go now! You don't have to come out to see me off."
Naye skipped out of the room.
—Hey.
"What?"
—Kindergartens are where human kids go, right?
"That's right."
—Then why are you bringing me along?
"Should I bring a skeleton to a place full of children?"
—...What about Merhen?
"She's busy. She doesn't even have enough time to teach magic to all the skeletons."
To be precise, she was teaching the skeletons and the trainees under them.
He had a contract with the US.
He had agreed to train a certain number of trainees every year in exchange for skill books, and there was no reason to refuse, even if it wasn't strictly about skill books.
'Not that I’ve been training them very hard.'
Honestly, he didn't have much time to teach. When he returned to reality, he was so busy making items, solving problems, and handling business that he didn't have a moment to spare.
That was the case now too.
He was scheduled to be invited to a ball less than a week after returning.
The reason he hadn't had any major problems so far was because the US was also delaying the delivery of the skill books.
When he called the president to urge them to hurry up, he could practically hear a nervous voice on the other end of the line.
—The supply is a bit... difficult. Demand has increased so much lately...
To summarize:
Even with money, A-rank skill books were hard to come by. Lately, the difficulty of Gates had risen, significantly increasing the demand for high-level skill books. On top of that, he'd heard that two attempts at enhancing to +8 had failed.
'That's really bad luck.'
Failing right before reaching +9?
Anyone would be justified in crying tears of blood.
This was why he'd left A-rank and above to the US. There were so few on the market that even gathering them wouldn't yield a hundred, and reaching +9 required 512 consecutive successes.
Trying to make them yourself was a recipe for insanity.
Anyway, he couldn't complain too much since he hadn't been diligent in fulfilling his end of the training agreement... They wrapped up the call with some vague mutual encouragement.
'But I did mention the spirit orbs.'
He hadn't specifically said they were Baal's, but he'd sent the message that he had something new and could share it...
Hopefully, that would motivate the US to put in more effort.
'Trading them for S-rank +9 skill books wouldn't be bad either...'
It seemed like a decent deal.
B-rank +9 cost about 20 trillion won, so A-rank would typically be three times that, at 60 trillion, and S-rank would be 180 trillion. And those were conservative estimates.
Of course, haggling was part of the fun.
In any case.
That's why he'd asked Merhen and Cedric to train the Awakened from the US in their spare time.
The training macros were running.
Conclusion:
It would be best to go to the kindergarten with the handsome Vulcan.
'He'll draw some of the attention.'
That would make things a little less bothersome for him.
That was the reason he wanted Vulcan to accompany him.
* * *
Korea's best kindergarten.
[Miracle Kindergarten]
[Creating Global Leaders]
Kim Minwoo tilted his head as he read the sign on the massive building, which looked like a palace.
Miracle Kindergarten.
Was this the right place?
He parked his sports car in the underground garage and got out. A group of kindergarten teachers bowed to him.
"Welcome, Mr. Kim Minwoo! This is Miracle Kindergarten!"
A plump woman wearing thick glasses rushed over and grabbed his hand.
"I'm the principal, Lee Saemi. Ho ho! You're just as handsome as you are in the media. Very dashing, just like Naye's older brother!"
"I'm Kim Minwoo. I'm here to see Naye today, if that's alright with you?"
"Of course! More than alright! Please, make yourself at home! Ms. Jo! No, never mind. I'll escort you myself. Ho ho ho!"
"Oh, um..."
"But, who is the gentleman next to you...?"
One of the female teachers quickly whispered in the principal's ear.
"Oh my! Is this your Summoned Being?"
"Yes, he's my Summoned Being. He's a kind soul, so he'll play well with the kids. Right?"
"..."
"Right?"
"...Yes."
"Oh my, that's wonderful! If he's Mr. Kim Minwoo's Summoned Being, the children will absolutely adore him! Ms. Jo, please take Mr. Vulcan to the children's education room. Ho ho!"
"Let's go, Mr. Vulcan."
Vulcan followed the man called Mr. Jo with a sullen expression. Left behind were the giggling principal, himself, and the teachers trailing behind like bodyguards.
"Um, is it okay for so many teachers to be here? I'm sure you all have a lot to do."
"Our kindergarten has plenty of teachers! This is nothing. Ho ho!"
"...I'm a bit uncomfortable with this. I think it would be fine if just one person guided me. Preferably someone who knows Naye well."
"Oh my, oh my! Then I'm the perfect person for that! No one cares for Naye as much as I do! I observe her from the moment she arrives until she leaves! Ho ho!"
Oh...
He was firmly in the principal's grasp.
Her grip was so strong that it seemed difficult to break free.
"Then, Principal, please be my guide."
"Of course! Everyone else, please return to your classes!"
The teachers dispersed.
They entered the palace-like kindergarten. It was a massive building with elevators going from the first to the twenty-first floor.
"Naye is in the Morning Star class on the top floor, the 21st. Our Morning Star class is composed of only the most exceptional children in Miracle Kindergarten."
"I see. By the way, do you happen to know a boy named Alex?"
"Alex? Ah, the boy with blonde hair?"
"Yes. What does he do?"
"Ho ho, well... that's... it's supposed to be a secret..."
Something the principal would keep secret?
His curiosity was piqued.
"Well, if it's a secret, I understand."
He feigned a bit of disappointment, and the principal quickly waved her hands.
"Oh no, no! You're Naye's older brother, after all. I should at least offer you this much service! Ho ho! The truth is... that child is the eldest grandson of the Rothschild family."
"...Rothschild?"
"Yes. Oh dear. Alex's parents made me promise to keep it quiet... In any case, he's one of the children with a very influential background. Of course, compared to Naye, he's nothing. Ho ho!"
"Is Miracle Kindergarten that prestigious? Enough for a Rothschild to attend?"
"Ahem! Well, originally it wasn't... but thanks to our Naye, it is now. Did you know? The child of the Saudi King also enrolled in our kindergarten."
"...A boy?"
"No, oh my. It seems Minwoo cares deeply for his sister. Ho ho! It's a princess, his youngest daughter."
A princess enrolled?
That meant the Saudi King himself must have sent her. The reason was obvious: to improve relations with him.
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But that old man...
He didn't even say a word and just sent his youngest daughter.
"Is she close with Naye?"
"Of course! They're inseparable! Ho ho! Our teachers have put in a lot of effort."
"You're working hard."
"Oh, it's nothing."
"Seeing this kindergarten makes my heart ache. I feel like it has the potential to be even better. So, would it be alright if I made a donation?"
At that moment...
Principal Ho-ho's smile stretched so wide it almost split her face.
For a moment, he found it a bit terrifying.
"Oh my... How wonderful. Perhaps it's because you resemble Chairman Kim. You have such a warm heart."
"Did the Chairman also make a donation?"
"Of course. Chairman Kim played a significant role in our kindergarten's rapid growth. Of course, your contribution is also substantial. Ho ho ho!"
‘I see.’
Well, a donation wouldn't even make a dent in his finances...
'I suppose 100 billion won would be appropriate.'
It was an amount he could easily recover by selling some equipment. The skeletons would be churning out rare items anyway.
He couldn't bear to see his Naye being looked down upon.
"So, about that friend named Alex. Is he close with Naye?"
"Among the boys, yes. He's quite proactive. And Naye, well... she doesn't seem to dislike him that much..."
The principal, who had been chattering like a woodpecker, suddenly flinched.
A chilling aura emanated from Kim Minwoo.
'...Ho ho. He cares for her more than I thought...'
She had expected them to be close, given their significant age difference...
But this was beyond her imagination.
"Could I meet him? Just the two of us, in private."
"Of course. But..."
"I have no intention of harming him physically, of course. I just want to give him some friendly advice."
"Ho ho... Well, if that's all..."
The Rothschilds might be a powerful family, but this was still Korea.
And Ilsung had grown considerably, so at least in Korea, they weren't intimidated by that family. For Principal Lee Saemi, who always went with the flow, it was clear whose side she should take.
After a short wait in the reception room, the principal entered with the blonde-haired boy.
"Say hello. This is Naye's older brother, Guild Master Kim Minwoo."
"Hello."
Kim Minwoo narrowed his eyes slightly.
The boy had a delicate, almost fragile face...
'He looks like an idol.'
He was the type who would break many girls' hearts when he grew up.
"Hello, I'm Kim Minwoo. Would you like to sit here?"
"Yes."
Alex calmly sat on the opposite sofa.
"Then, please talk amongst yourselves."
After the principal left.
Just as Kim Minwoo was about to speak.
"It's an honor to finally meet you. I've been waiting."
"Waiting?"
"Yes. Didn't you find it strange? Why would a Rothschild enroll in a kindergarten in this rural corner of the East."
"Aha. So you had an ulterior motive?"
"I did."
"How old are you?"
"Seven."
"One year older than Naye."
"Yes. I'm her Oppa."
"Where did you learn Korean?"
"I've been preparing since I was young. For a time like this."
"..."
Kim Minwoo's eyes grew serious.
This Alex kid...
Despite his young age, he was quite mature. And there seemed to be an ulterior motive behind every word he spoke...
"Why were you waiting to meet me?"
"It's simple. I Awakened at birth. And I gained a special ability."
"What is it?"
"Precognition. I can see the future."
"...And you expect me to believe that?"
Awakening granted various skills, but...
He'd never heard of anyone gaining such an absurd skill as seeing the future.
"That's why I'm unusually mature. I've seen many futures since I was young. Naturally, I couldn't help but become thoughtful."
"So?"
"You're having trouble with the spiders, aren't you?"
"...Spiders? What spiders?"
"Apostles. Is that clearer?"
"...What are you?"
Kim Minwoo's eyes immediately sharpened.
He straightened his back involuntarily.
"There's no need to be alarmed. I'm not here to become your enemy. I'm here to be your ally."
"And that's why you approached Naye?"
"Yes. I thought that if I did, her brother would eventually come looking for me. Just like now."
"Why didn't you just come directly to me?"
"Even if I'm a Rothschild, would you, as a grown man, readily meet with a seven-year-old just because he wanted to see you?"
"I have a question."
"Go ahead."
"If that's the case, wouldn't it have been better to approach me when I was a delinquent? It would have been easier to meet me then."
Back then, he wasn't a world-ranked player.
He had no status.
If he had approached him then, even as a child, wouldn't he have been able to meet him?
Without all this troublesome process.
"Aha. That's what you were curious about."
"Yes, so what's the answer?"
"Seeing the future isn't foolproof. It's also constantly changing. The outcome changes every time. It was only a few months ago that your influence on the future altered my precognition."
"So you came late because of that?"
"You could say that."
He nodded.
It wasn't entirely unreasonable.
'Seeing the future probably isn't as perfect as he claims.'
Ahem.
He cleared his throat.
"Alright. Let's have a serious conversation. So, what did you come to offer me?"
"If things continue as they are, your plan will fail."
"What plan?"
"Didn't you send someone to the Philippines? Or rather... a Summoned Being?"
"...Why would it fail?"
"I don't know. I only saw fragments. Someone will come looking for her and break your curse. If I remember correctly... It was someone with unique fingers. They moved their hands as if playing the piano."
Alex took a gulp of water and continued.
"You'll end up losing that Summoned Being... and it will cause you endless trouble in the future."
"..."
He was ranked 157th in the world.
Moreover, this curse was cast using the knowledge of a Death Lord.
Someone could break it?
They must be incredibly powerful.
'An Outer God?'
No, it didn't make sense for an Outer God to bother with someone like Lee Seo-yoon. He suddenly recalled Lucas's dying words.
—Cough... High... Priest... help...
The High Priest.
An existence that even rankers within the top 200 feared and begged for help from. Someone who didn't exist within the game, whose very existence was questionable, but if they did exist, they would be capable of leading the General HQ.
Could it be that they were coming personally?
"If what you say is true... then I've received a tremendous gift."
"You can go and see for yourself if it's true or not."
"Right. But if it's a lie... then it means you've set a trap to lure me there."
"Honestly, you don't believe that, do you?"
"Still, I'll have to check. Merhen is good at that sort of thing."
"I've heard that her magic is quite terrifying... Well, feel free to verify as much as you like. I'll gladly submit to any scrutiny."
"Alright, thanks for the information. You're a good kid."
Kim Minwoo grinned.
Alex's approach to Naye was merely a means to meet him. Not only were his worries unfounded, but he'd also gained valuable information...
"If it's true, I'll reward you. Tell me what you want."
"Really?!"
"Yes, anything."
"Then, can I date Naye?"
"...Huh?"
"I can call you 'Hyungnim' from now on, right? That's the Korean way, isn't it?"
"What?"
"Don't worry. I saw the future, and Naye and I are soulmates. We might be a bit awkward now, but Naye will eventually come to like me. We'll be a lovey-dovey couple. Probably."
...Look at this kid.
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