Kang Minseong's grandson Kang Dokyung and granddaughter Kang Jisu.
They suddenly asked for sparring, so I appropriately went along with them.
First, since they're A-rank, their basic skills were solid.
I thought it wasn't for nothing they're called talents who will lead the Kang family's future.
So what did I do? Naturally, I wholeheartedly did my specialty.
Digging into several lacking parts to make them realize their weaknesses.
It would be quite difficult, but if they succeed in supplementing, it could become an opportunity for great growth.
"Thank you, Examiner Baek Seojin. It seems to have been a good experience."
"Thanks to you, I think I can see the path! You worked hard!"
When the two said that, the remaining debt seemed to disappear.
Come to think of it, I was the one who received a kind of favor from Kang Minseong first.
If it weren't for his wind path and storm, it would have been quite troublesome.
So after finishing the sparring and trying to go home.
Suhyeon, who was welcoming me, delivered very welcome news.
"While the examiner was sparring, I talked a bit more with dad."
Suhyeon, who became a bit more active and confident spending time with me.
Thanks to gaining courage, she said she conveyed some of her disappointed feelings.
Though just a little, though not everything, this much is enough.
Suhyeon's surrounding situation improving is soon good for me too.
Like this, someday they'll become a normal parent-child relationship...
"Seojin!"
What a surprise. I quickly look up and Han Jiyoon's face enters my sight.
Dark circles under her eyes look very tired.
That's understandable. Seeing her at the Academy lately, she was about to die.
"Focus, focus! The meeting starts soon."
"Ah... Yes. Sorry."
Meeting, good. Good, but why must it be at this time?
Current time is 6:40 AM. No, at this level, it's fair to call it dawn.
Among all the times, why have a meeting at this time? I really can't understand it at all.
"It's obvious. Everyone's busy so we do it in the morning like this."
Irina grumbles while lying on the desk as if she knows all my thoughts.
She yawns once long and grumbles in a dissatisfied voice.
"No. Why must we meet face-to-face like this? What era is it? Just comfortably video conference. Or if not that, just chat with messages, but what is this?"
This time I had no choice but to completely agree with Irina's opinion.
At such an early time, gathering all the supposedly precious human resources.
Rather than getting tired preparing to come out, how nice would it be to just comfortably video conference?
Better yet, just make a group chat and post 'announcements'!
"What can we do? The meeting topic happens to be about Elder extermination in various parts of the world."
Another S-rank person sitting across shrugs.
Though saying that, his expression also had fatigue and irritation faintly remaining.
Other S-ranks also all showed clear signs of exhaustion.
Working hard labor every day, now even dawn attendance - it's understandable.
Honestly, at this level, isn't even becoming an Elder innocent? What is this?
"Everyone's gathered."
The one who entered on time is none other than the Association President.
Well, gathering all S-ranks and sending middle management would be even more nonsensical.
"We'll start the meeting right away. Manager Cha? Please."
The middle-aged man called Manager Cha nodded and pressed something.
Then the black screen immediately brightened, and other faces appeared.
"Huh? What? Aren't those all S-ranks?"
"Right! I've seen that one in Japan. The one next to him is Russia."
"It wasn't just us, Association President?"
Hearing nearby people's words, it seems those appearing on screen are S-ranks from various countries.
USA, UK, Germany, Japan, China, Russia, etc... They're all gathered here?
This is why they gathered all the busy and tired S-ranks here.
"...Then I'll explain the Elder extermination operation."
Though it's definitely a foreigner speaking, what comes through the speaker is fluent Korean.
I felt the greatness of simultaneous interpretation again and focused on the meeting content.
While pushing away Irina who's trying not just to lean on me but hug me.
The meeting content that continued for about an hour can be simply summarized as follows:
- Multiple armed conflicts between Elders recently confirmed -
- Some Elders presumed dead in civil war -
- Villain forces reduced due to multiple gate appearances and monster upheavals -
- Currently each country is somewhat stable with some leeway -
- If we miss this opportunity, it will be difficult to deal fatal blows to Elders and villains -
The story that it's not only ability users who are suffering all kinds of hardships currently.
Villains are also struggling with monsters whose level suddenly jumped.
Rather, since they have no national support, they would be having a harder time.
Meanwhile, there was almost civil war level fighting among Elders.
I don't know why, but according to reports, several Elders already died.
"Is that information from a reliable source?"
Several people questioned that part.
If that's false information deliberately leaked by Elders, we'd be in trouble.
But the person who received the information insisted the source was reliable.
They also checked because they were suspicious, and many things really matched.
They even added that at this level, it was given by an Elder or their subordinate.
'...Could it be?'
Hearing that, Hyeon Sujin came to mind, but I decided to keep quiet.
If she's moving like that, there must be reasons.
Anyway, the claims that followed were similar.
If we miss this opportunity, they might feel crisis and unite more tightly.
Before that, we should attack all at once and exterminate them as much as possible.
To not waste reserve forces carelessly, we absolutely must do so.
"Then let's organize available personnel and conduct joint operations."
"To finish off the remaining Elders in South America, US support..."
"...The villains located at the Eastern European border, we'll handle..."
And on our Korean side, we ended up moving with Russia again.
The reason for this was quite funny yet understandable—
"Association President! I'll go catch that bastard. That fucking mole bastard! He stabbed me and seems ruined so he ran! I'll definitely crush that bastard with my own hands!"
Irina, who usually has no intention of working, said she'd step forward for Korea.
It seems she still remembers being hurt by the Russian Elder, nicknamed 'mole,' last time.
Due to Irina's strong request, or strong tantrum, the decision was finally made.
Send her to Russia to catch the mole with their support.
'...But why exactly? Damn it.'
Elder 'mole' capture support dispatch personnel composition.
Not only Irina's name but also mine was listed there.
Did I volunteer? How could that be?
"Phew. Still, it's fortunate. It would have been really boring going alone."
Saying that while laughing "hehe!" beside me, Irina.
This woman was the very perpetrator and culprit who suddenly put me in the personnel composition.
A somewhat sudden opinion that backup would be needed just in case.
Everyone was surprised when none other than Irina mentioned backup.
They should have realized then what this woman was aiming for when she said backup was needed.
She didn't need 'backup' but needed 'justification' to take me along!
"...Take care, Seojin."
Han Jiyoon patting my shoulder several times as if very pitiful.
Following her, other S-ranks leaving the meeting room showed similar reactions.
All looking like I'm very pitiful for handling Irina's aftermath...
You all got it wrong. What I'm despairing about now isn't the aftermath problem.
This isn't aftermath but 'night work handling' I should worry about.
"Please take care of things."
After all S-ranks left, finally the Association President comes and asks for a handshake, saying so.
Seeing that, I momentarily got emotional and wanted to say something but couldn't bring myself to.
The reason was feeling something very earnest in the Association President's gaze looking at me.
- Please, I'm begging you, so that Irina, that woman doesn't smash things somewhere and cause major accidents, please somehow control her well. Looking at it, Irina seems to listen to your words somewhat. -
It probably wasn't just my misunderstanding feeling like he was saying that.
Anyway, the Association President sent such earnest gazes and held the shaking hand with his other hand too.
They're sending Irina because there's no justification to stop her and her skills are definitely solid.
But she's like a bomb that could explode anywhere, so they need to attach someone who can control her.
To that figure asking for understanding, I had no choice but to nod.
"We'll go and come back quietly."
CRASH!—
"..."
Why the Association President was so worried, why he sent me attached.
I could understand the reason less than an hour after arriving in Russia.
"Hey!! Come out, mole who stabbed me, damn it!! If you don't come out, I'll overturn everything!"
The huge villain hideout that Russian authorities couldn't even think of subjugating.
Irina was literally beating each place to pulp while shouting.
"Come out, mole. If you come out now, I'll kill you nicely, if not, I'll grind you up!"
She treats the mole, whom even Russian S-ranks somewhat avoid, like calling the neighbor's dog.
At this level, he should come out just from hurt Elder pride.
Even if not that, he should come out to not lose the villains' public sentiment.
But the mole that Irina is looking for is still completely silent.
"Not coming out? This bastard is scared. Then there's no choice."
Smiling brightly, Irina began smashing not only the ground but underground too.
She promised to do it moderately, and this is that level.
If I hadn't accompanied her... hmm, Russia probably would have had a magnitude 8.8 earthquake.
Rumble rumble— CRASH CRASH!—
"Come out— Come out—!"
...Hmm, she's definitely really crazy for sure.