Chapter 276
—Going beyond the founding of an organization, Valhalla rises to the position of Eva Royal Family’s partner organization in a short time .
The news spread to all regions of human territory in just four days . Valhalla had already been attracting attention since the moment they toppled the giant Eva Alliance .
Valhalla, led by Haramark’s War Hero Seol Jihu, did not stop there and succeeded in toppling Evangeline . By taking the partner seat of the royal family, they crossed the finishing line of their recent actions .
Given the huge scale of this incident, it was only natural for the Earthlings’ attention to be drawn . This, of course, included the big shots and the influential organizations of each region .
*
The northeastern city, Caligo .
“Hnnng . ”
A straight-faced woman made a nasal sound as she read the news report scattered on the streets .
“When I met him during the Banquet, I thought he was a slightly interesting guy…”
After reading the article for a long time, she mumbled to herself .
“But he turned out to be a really interesting guy . ”
The corner of her mouth curled up . Her straight face began to be riddled with interest .
“Good . ”
After muttering meaningfully, she threw the paper aside and turned around .
*
The northern city, Grazia .
“Ah, fuck, is this true?”
A woman chattering at a pub screamed in surprise .
“That son of a bitch really became the representative organization of a city?”
“That’s what they say . ”
“Well, fuck me! We can’t even try to fuck with him now . ”
“What do you mean?”
“Ah! Argh, this is driving me nuts . ”
“Aha, your teeth?” Seeing the woman rubbing her jaw, her comrade cackled . “Quit dreaming . I looked into this representative, and he has more than a few crazy bitches by his side . You’ll end up breaking all your bones before you can get anywhere near him . ”
“Ah~ There goes any chance of me getting revenge~”
“Revenge, my ass . You had no intention of getting revenge anyway . ”
“What am I gonna do about my poor teeth?”
“Isn’t that obvious? Nothing . You’re going to do absolutely nothing . Or if you want, you can close your eyes and ask him to take responsibility . ”
Hearing this, boisterous laughter burst out from their surroundings .
“Kyahahaha! You’re gonna ask him to take responsibility for breaking your teeth!? Are you fucking crazy!?”
Even the woman whose teeth were missing cackled .
*
The western city, Odor .
“…How long does it take to get to Eva from here?”
A young man sitting with his legs crossed asked as he sipped on a cup of coffee . His Servant-lover-best friend looked at him curiously .
“Why? Do you plan on going?”
“Yep . ”
The young man affirmed as he read the newspaper carefully .
“What gives? I wouldn’t expect that from the man who should have become the Star of Sloth . ”
“That’s because I didn’t choose Acedia . ”
The young man replied lightheartedly and continued .
“Besides, I’ve been interested in him . ”
“Since when?”
“Since I saw him tenaciously chase Undying Diligence, kill him, then go crazy against the other two Commanders like a demon . ”
“Ugh, I saw that too . He was a little scary . ”
“Rather than scary…”
The young man trailed off and looked blankly into the air as if to reminisce that moment .
“He was odd . ”
“Odd? In what way?”
“He reminded me of Sung Shihyun . ”
The woman frowned .
“That son of a bitch?”
“He might have been arrogant, but he had the skills to back it up . ”
The young man spoke calmly .
“You have to admit what you have to admit . Even I wouldn’t have come out victorious no matter how many times I fought . ”
“So what, you’re saying they’re the same person?”
The young man shut his mouth at his lover’s sulking tone . Then, he shook his head with slight hesitation .
“No, it’s hard to say that . They’re certainly different . ”
“?”
“Though he and Sung Shihyun share a similar vibe, they’re different in subtle ways… . ”
He paused for a long time before continuing .
“How should I say this… The greatest? The strongest? I felt like I was seeing the pinnacle . ”
“Ehew, what the heck does that mean?”
“I don’t know, it’s hard to describe it . He shouldn’t have been in Paradise for even a year at that point, but he looked like someone who toiled away in this world for over 10 years . ”
The young man shook his head roughly like what he was saying didn’t make sense to him either .
“That’s why I want to go . So I can see and feel him out more clearly . ”
“So you’re basically saying you want to go to satisfy your curiosity . That’s pretty much what I expected . ”
“That’s only a part of the reason . Seeing as how he left Haramark, he must have a vision he is trying to fulfill . I have more than a couple of questions I want answers to . ”
The young man got up with staggering steps .
“When do you plan on heading out?”
“Since they became Eva’s representative, I’m sure we’ll hear from them soon . Oh, by the way—”
The young man pushed his glasses up and looked back at the woman .
“Our association’s rising star, Othello Delphine, was his acquaintance from the Neutral Zone, no?”
“…It’s Odelette Delphine, not Othello . ”
The woman closed her eyes and sighed .
“At least remember the name of your own kid . ”[1]
*
Eva’s sky was clear and quiet, but Valhalla’s building was buzzing loudly .
Seol Jihu had been running around like a headless chicken since early morning . Starting from the Triads and the Dongchun Merchants to Sicilia and others, Valhalla was getting calls from around all the human territory .
They were all calling to congratulate Valhalla on becoming Eva Royal Family’s partner organization . Although being called ‘Valhalla Representative’ and not ‘Seol Jihu’ was a little awkward, it helped him realize his new social standing .
After spending a stormy morning, Seol Jihu was finally able to take a breather around noon .
“I’m here . ”
“Then I’m there . ”
“Pyak . ”
“What, you want one too?”
“Ppi . ”
“You know, you’re pretty cheeky for a little chick . ”
Valhalla’s members were busy playing a game . With a map of the city spread open, they were counting their chickens before they hatched, going, ‘This is mine’ or ‘That’s mine’ .
Seol Jihu sneaked around them and escaped to the grand conference room . After sitting down at the head of the table, he closed his eyes and sighed .
He was a bit exhausted from everything that had happened recently, but he didn’t feel too bad . In fact, he felt like a huge burden had been lifted from his shoulders .
This morning, he had gone to the palace and received total authority over five districts of Eva . He had finally achieved one of the three goals he set when he came to Eva .
They were all grand visions that he was not sure he could accomplish, but in the end, he had achieved his first goal magnificently .
For Seol Jihu, the sense of accomplishment outshined the happiness from rising to a high position . Opening his eyes, he gave a deep sigh .
As he looked around the empty conference room, his eyes filled up with a dream .
He accomplished something huge, but he was only getting started .
Using the goal he recently accomplished as a stepping stone, he had to race toward the second goal . And before he could do that—
Kiik . Seol Jihu’s thoughts cut off, and he turned to the entrance .
As the door slowly opened, a ponytailed woman wearing a neat business suit walked in . It was, of course, Kim Hannah .
“Congratulations . ”
Kim Hannah smiled as she walked through the middle of the conference room .
“Thanks . ”
Seol Jihu clearly expressed his gratitude as well . Kim Hannah didn’t respond . She walked toward him silently, then placed her butt down on the corner of the table that Seol Jihu was facing .
Smiling charmingly, she asked .
“So?”
“?”
“How do you feel? You’re sitting in the seat that only seven people in Paradise can enjoy . ”
“What a strange thing to ask . ”
“Tell me . I’m really curious . ”
She didn’t sound like she was asking jokingly . In fact, she seemed to want to hear the answer no matter what .
“It’s nice . ”
Seol Jihu answered simply .
“It’s nice, but…”
Then, he sighed and revealed his inner thoughts .
“To be honest, I feel a little anxious . Urgent, too . ”
“Anxious?”
Kim Hannah asked back as if she didn’t expect this response .
“Anxious about what? Well, I guess technically there are still some things, if I think about it . ”
“About the Parasites, I mean . ”
Seol Jihu nibbled on his lips .
“They’re quiet . Almost too quiet . I thought they would somehow respond to their defeat in Arden Valley, but there hasn’t been anything . ”
Just what could they be planning to be so silent?
“…I guess so . Although they say no news is good news, that doesn’t apply to the Parasite Queen . ”
Kim Hannah nodded her head in understanding .
“What did you mean by urgent?”
“The second goal . ”
Seol Jihu spoke in a low voice .
“It’s related to what I just told you about . I feel like I need to accomplish the second goal before I can breathe a sigh of relief . …”
Seol Jihu trailed off, then shrugged his shoulders .
“It’s just, meh . I don’t know what thoughts you have about it, but…”
He looked up at Kim Hannah, who was staring down at him quietly, before continuing .
“I feel like I need to rush to achieve the second goal . That’s the only thing in my mind right now . ”
Kim Hannah smiled faintly .
“You know what I sometimes feel?”
She took out a few pieces of paper from her handbag, then put them down in front of Seol Jihu .
“I feel like you don’t know how to be satisfied . ”
“What?”
“I’m praising you . I like people who keep their promises . ”
Saying things that were hard to understand, she slid off the table . Seol Jihu stared at Kim Hannah as she walked farther away .
“Kim Hannah?”
“That report…”
Her unique business voice rang out in the conference room .
“…is a brief organized summary of the direction Valhalla will take from now on . ”
A light flickered in Seol Jihu’s eyes . Kim Hannah’s manner of speech suddenly switched completely . Rather, the entire air around her changed .
Clack, clack . After stopping at exactly the tenth step, Kim Hannah turned around .
“I planned to do this a long time ago, but…”
She cupped her hands together, stood tall, and spoke with her eyes lowered .
“From today onwards, I will be speaking to Representative Seol with respect for all official matters . ”
Her courteous manner of speech made Seol Jihu blink rapidly . He glanced at the report in front of him, then waved his hand .
“Eii, it’s fine . Just act like you normally do . That’s better . ”
“… . ”
“It’s awkward when you speak so formally . ”
Seol Jihu tried to liven the atmosphere with an evasive smile, but he could only stop smiling in the next moment .
Because Kim Hannah’s attitude made it seem like she was not fooling around .
Feeling awkward, Seol Jihu scratched his head .
“Do you really need to?”
“Yes . ”
Kim Hannah replied without a shred of hesitation .
“I must . Because you, Representative Seol, are no longer the leader of a small team that can be found in any city . ”
She was telling him to carry himself with the dignity that befitted his position .
Seol Jihu smacked his lips . To be honest, he didn’t really like it . Rather than distancing himself and acting stiff just because he had a higher position, he felt it suited his style more to laugh and have fun together .
But he figured there had to be a reason Kim Hannah was saying this . She must think it was necessary for their future plans .
Seol Jihu somewhat understood where she was coming from . As their force grew bigger and more people gathered together, people’s relationships would increasingly grow more complex .
When that happened, all sorts of problems might occur, and some may even lead to falling outs .
In such a complex web of relationships, an organization needed a strong core to withstand the waves that could shake its foundation .
[I figured it wouldn’t be bad to work under a leader who’s fair in settling personal affairs . ]
He remembered the words Kazuki said to him a long time ago .
An organization’s representative had to be fair . Although it wasn’t bad to be lax and comfortable with ordinary members, there were also times when they needed to be sturdy and unmoving like a rock .
To not be swept away .
Kim Hannah must have brought this up for this reason .
“Currently, Valhalla is not doing so well internally . ”
Interpreting Seol Jihu’s silence as an acknowledgment, Kim Hannah continued .
“I am not talking about the atmosphere . Although Valhalla became an organization representing a city, it is not a group that befits the position of the royal partner . Strictly speaking, that is . ”
Seol Jihu nodded . Looking back, they had climbed to this position through war, strength, and strategy . They had skipped all the intermediary processes that any new organization would need to go through .
Like the saying, those who live by politics die by politics, those who flourished by war would fall by war .
This must have been what Kim Hannah was worried about .
“I understand your concern regarding your goals, but now is not the time to be hasty . Rather than starting something new, it’s time to do what should have been done already . ”
Not starting something new, but coming together internally and strengthening the foundation .
Seol Jihu asked while grabbing the report .
“What do you think needs to be done most urgently?”
“There are several things . Recruiting new members, calling forces who share our values to Eva and forming an alliance, these are both important…”
Kim Hannah took a brief pause before continuing .
“But the most important thing is to set up a proper internal structure . ”
“… . ”
“And I’m talking about a complete overhaul to the current structure . It’s already late . The more we delay it, the more difficult it will get . ”
Seol Jihu listened silently as he had been told this a few times before .
“In this world, there are no organizations without structure . An army has a ranking structure, a company has a corporate structure, and even internet clubs, cafes, and mothers’ associations have separate admins or managers . ”
Kim Hannah cleared her throat .
“What’s important now is finding out what structure Valhalla wants to implement . What structure we use will decide the organization’s direction and nature . ”
And this structure must adhere to the representative’s goals . An organization with a focus on making money would implement a merchant group structure, and a commercial or comprehensive for-profit organization would implement a corporate structure .
Then what about Valhalla?
“Given Representative Seol’s goals, a military structure would be the best fit…”
Kim Hannah mentioned an idea . Seol Jihu felt slightly averse, but he did not show it externally . He already knew that Kim Hannah did not mean Valhalla should limit its members’ freedom like an army, but should only bring and implement its structure .
“I get what you’re saying . Now is the time to really do this . ”
“Yes . Even if we recruit more members, we will only be getting stronger without a clear plan . An organization needs a working system to be united . Only then can new members quickly adapt to an unfamiliar environment and will have the necessary power to accept them . ”
“So you’re saying recruiting comes afterward . ”
“Yes… or so I would like to say . ”
Kim Hannah smiled bitterly .
“Unfortunately, we are short on time . It looks like we will have to simultaneously carry out internal restructuring and recruiting . ”
Seol Jihu wanted to ask why, but then remembered an important upcoming event .
“The March Neutral Zone . ”
“Precisely . Come to think of it—”
Kim Hannah asked as if she just remembered something as well .
“Didn’t you say you had something you wanted to tell me regarding the March Neutral Zone?”
“Yeah, hold on just a sec . ”
Seol Jihu rummaged through his pockets and took out a small notebook .
—Eun Yuri and Odelette Delphine prepared a final trump card .
This was something Seol Jihu himself had said .
He didn’t know who this Eun Yuri was, but given that she survived until the final war and prepared a counterattack, she had to be someone extraordinary .
“I have her name…”
He immediately wondered what he would answer if Kim Hannah asked how he got her name .
‘I guess it doesn’t matter . ’
But then he realized he could just make up a reason .
Seol Jihu stopped worrying and asked .
“It’s Eun Yuri . ”
“Eun Yuri?”
Kim Hannah’s tone went up like she heard an unexpected name .
‘Wait . ’
Seol Jihu thought Eun Yuri had yet to become an Earthling . This was because he did not see her name in Ian’s records .
Since his past-future self mentioned her, she should be a renowned expert . Since her name was not on the list, Seol Jihu had figured she had not entered Paradise yet .
Seol Jihu took his eyes off of the notebook and looked forward .
“Eun Yuri… It’s been a while since I heard that name . ”
Kim Hannah tilted her head with a look of surprise .
“Yes, I know her . I know her very well . ”
Seol Jihu’s eyes narrowed .
1 . 'Kid' here isn't in the literal sense (at least, I don't think so) . It's probably child as in disciple or member of his own organization (it's kinda vague though) .
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