34. Princess Run (9)
“Hmm.”
Minjun scratched his chin. There was something else on his mind.
The fact that Oh Man-sik’s daughter-in-law and the lawyer in charge at the Witch’s Cooperative tried to ask Min-jun for something.
He soon completed the hypothesis in his head.
‘Did he plan to lobby the immigration authorities through me?’
Perhaps he thought that if he appealed to kindness by saying that the company was about to be handed over to aliens, it would work.
‘It must have been difficult for that honest gentleman. That’s why I interrupted my daughter-in-law in the middle of her conversation and tried to dissuade her.’
No matter how much I thought about it, that was the only thing. Surely he wouldn’t have intended to request the murder of Princess Vermi, his creditor.
Minjun hesitated one last time. ‘Is this the right time for me to interfere and meddle here?’
He originally did not accept private commissions. Moreover, it was against his principles to start work on his own for someone who had not even formally commissioned him.
but···.
‘They say that when coincidences overlap, it becomes destiny.’
I decided to think of this as ‘personal goodwill’ rather than ‘work’.
I thought that there must be some meaning to my two encounters with Omanshik in such a short period of time.
That decision was also partly due to the fact that in my hazy memory, I still had a very good image of the ‘young man’ named Oh Man-sik. Although I couldn’t remember it clearly, I still had the feeling that he followed Min-jun very well. I remember him taking good care of me, who acted like a teacher during the day and lived like a zombie at night, fighting aliens, without even knowing why.
‘Tch.’
He eventually changed his mind. He still believed that it was better to leave this kind of thing ignorant, but he decided to make an exception for this case and do a little research.
Just a little bit.
Minjun, who had gathered his thoughts, sent a short text to Cathy.
‘Korea Precision Pension, tell the government something and let us know their response.’
There was no need to explain in detail to Cathy. If I told her this, she would investigate the company’s current situation, its debts, and the amount of money, and she would quickly figure out what to leak to the government.
Just as the young man who taught alchemy at school decades ago is now the CEO of a renowned alchemy company, Minjun did not waste his time on Earth.
Even without going through Jenkinson, he knows several high-ranking officials, some of whom he has incurred significant debts to.
‘It may seem like an act of betraying the person being protected, but…’
If you think about it calmly, there was no reason to give her more loyalty than that of an escort.
Moreover, if it was not a case of blowing up or confiscating the bonds, but rather a picture of the government conditionally paying them off, there would be no problem. Since the other party was foreign capital, the legitimacy was sufficient.
The only problem is that her ambition to swallow up Earth’s companies is ruined, but unfortunately, Min-jun’s loyalty to the princess wasn’t great enough to worry about that.
‘forwarding.’
After sending a text to Cassie, Minjun leisurely waited for the meeting to end.
***
People who know Omanshik well often describe him as ‘a person like unsalted beef bone soup’. If you were to describe a person’s personality in terms of taste, they would say that he does not have a stimulating or spicy side, but instead has a sincere and strong flavor.
He had a pure and deep belief that if you have sincerity and ability, customers will come to you. That belief helped the company grow and gave it the stamina to overcome the storms, but it eventually collapsed in the tsunami of foreign big shots playing with the price of gold.
‘Don’t stop the furnace, keep producing.’
Even as domestic companies stopped production, he instructed them not to stop the ductility. He knew that the moment the ductility light went out, the alchemists who were the foundation of the company and the driving force of the nation would leave for overseas. It was already expected that they would suffer losses, and the problem was how to reduce the losses to a certain level.
The timing when the trading company that supplied various magic catalysts to his company suddenly made an offer was when he had decided that further cost reduction was no longer possible.
‘You won’t regret it, because we’re offering you some truly exceptional terms!’
Among the essential items for softness is something called MSF (Mana-sensitive filter). It is a consumable that cannot be reused and is entirely dependent on imports from outside.
They offered to supply it at a surprisingly low price, and after the transaction began, they extended the payment period several times, saying that they knew the alchemy company’s situation well. Nevertheless, the company’s situation continued to worsen, and the same thing happened again every time the bonds matured.
‘It’s okay! Don’t worry too much. We don’t do business for just one or two days, so we’ll extend it for you this time too!’
No matter how you looked at it, it was suspicious, but Oh Man-sik had no choice but to continue the deal. He had to keep the furnace running in order to save the company.
And then one day, when another maturity date came around, the trading company notified Korea Precision Pension that they had sold and transferred the accounts receivable they held to a third party.
The name of the new creditor that the protagonist, Oh Man-sik’s company, who bought the bonds from them, would have to repay the debt was Princess Vermi.
“Meet the princess.”
After the bodyguards withdrew, Oh Man-sik formally bowed and paid his respects.
He knelt down and kissed the princess’s hand according to the customary etiquette on Earth. It was natural, since according to Shutan etiquette, it was impossible to shake non-existent scales.
Olga interpreted Vermi’s emotionless response.
“Let’s sit down and talk.”
The expressions of the Earthlings sitting across from each other were pale. They reported their repayment plan with all their heart and soul in front of the creditors who suddenly barged in. The princess, who had been listening silently for about ten minutes, opened her mouth. A creepy sound leaked out from between her sharp teeth.
“My whole life···.”
They knew that the crackle was a phonological characteristic of the Shutan language, but even taking that into account, it was a particularly creepy sound. The princess pronounced the words clearly and forcefully, trying to intimidate her opponent.
“I’ve never heard of such a messed up repayment plan in my life. It’s full of false numbers. There’s not a single sentence I can trust.”
“We will do our best···.”
The princess cut off the arrogant excuse-making and made a threat.
“I don’t believe in that plan. Either pay off the debt in full right here and now, or if that’s not possible, accept our offer.”
The other person asks cautiously.
“···If you call it a suggestion?”
The princess’s attendants passed out a copy of the document translated into Earth language. The faces of the gathered humans were so pale that it seemed as if they could not be any paler, but the writing on the document performed a miracle that made their faces even worse.
“Isn’t this ultimately about handing over company shares in exchange for debt forgiveness?”
Anger and despair flashed alternately in Oh Man-sik’s eyes.
The princess smiled quietly as she watched that expression. It was a scenario they had expected, but it seemed difficult to hide her emotional turmoil when it became reality.
The old man sighed deeply. He seemed to be beginning to give up. The crocodile smiled inwardly. He was almost there.
“As you can see, the entity to which the shares will be transferred is a legally established corporation on Earth. We have confirmed with lawyers on both sides that there are no legal issues.”
O Man-sik asked as if he didn’t understand at all.
“Why on earth does Shutan have a company that makes magic gold…?”
“That is none of your business.”
The princess cut off his words sharply and asked, her voice dry and cold.
“What are we going to do? Bankruptcy or transfer of shares? If you choose the latter, we will guarantee full employment. However, if you go bankrupt, we will apply to the Commission to appoint a bankruptcy administrator. They will naturally apply the universal law and apply the right of denial to all kinds of petty transactions and transfers between Earthlings. There is no escape for you anyway.”
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Even if it goes bankrupt, it is foreshadowing that they will swallow up everything that can be turned into money without leaving a single bone behind.
The princess thought. Oh Man-sik would have to make a choice. How would he bring about the end of the company he had worked for his entire life?
Oh Man-sik barely managed to speak, his lips trembling.
“Please give me a little more time to think about it.”
“I’ll come back at this time tomorrow.”
The princess got up from her seat without any hesitation.
***
“I’m getting hungry.”
The princess brought up the subject when she had just finished her business at Omanshik’s company, stopped by two more companies, and finished similar meetings, before setting off in her vehicle.
Olga interpreted that for Minjun, perhaps because he was curious, and he recalled what Bradley had said.
Did you say you eat several dozen kilograms of raw meat six times a day?
“Yes, Princess. It’s small, but I prepared a packed lunch.”
The ‘small’ lunchbox that Olga took out from the box next to the seat was about the size of a ramen box. When she opened the lid, the smell of blood filled the car. The princess slowly began to eat with a tool that seemed to have the characteristics of a combination of chopsticks and a clamp.
Crunch! Crunch!
The meat, which was of unknown animal, had thick bones that were not deboned. The princess chewed and swallowed the meat and bones at the same time with powerful chewing movements. The movement of the masseter muscle wriggling under the scales every time she put strength into her jaw was threatening.
Minjun, on the other hand, did not like the smell of blood. Many people misunderstand that black magicians love blood and slaughter, but that is only because they are trying to survive, and unless they have vampire characteristics, the smell of blood is disgusting. This was especially true for Minjun, who had a sensitive sense of smell.
‘hmm?’
He was frowning when he caught sight of something.
‘What is that smell?’
It was so faint that it was almost imperceptible at first. It was even harder to notice because it was covered by the thick smell of blood, but as time passed, its presence became more and more clear.
It felt like I had smelled it a long time ago, but it didn’t feel like it. It was so confusing that I couldn’t tell if it was the memory of my deleted personality or my memory as a prisoner.
That means it was difficult to pinpoint the identity.
‘hmm?!’
What finally gave me a clue to recall my memories was the characteristics that the scent displayed as it changed.
The smell grew stronger over time, clearly identifying its source.
It was the body of a princess.
Thoughts quickly crossed Minjun’s mind.
‘This isn’t a Shutan pheromone! More like a reptile… an insect? Yes. It’s closer to a chemical substance that small bugs use as a means of communication. But why is this in the Shutan body?’
A guess formed in my head.
‘······I see. This is the work of those who handle chemicals very precisely! It must have been an odorless liquid at first. Its properties changed over time. Is it because it came into contact with air?’
He refutes that conjecture himself.
‘No, oxidation alone wouldn’t be enough to make such a dramatic change. Perhaps it permeated her body the moment the princess inhaled or came into contact with it… and mixed with the substances in her body, transforming into a completely different substance!’
That was the reason why the smell that was not there before was getting stronger. Now, instead of the smell of blood, Minjun’s nose felt like it was only vibrating with that unique chemical scent. Every time the princess exhaled, every time she opened her mouth, it felt stronger.
“princess!”
Minjun moved like lightning. He grabbed the chin of the woman sitting across from him, who was chewing on meat, with both hands.
“Swish swish swish!”
The princess was terrified, and Olga was also startled. There was no interpreter, but Minjun could guess that it was something along the lines of, ‘Oh my gosh!’
Minjun shouted, bringing his face close to her snout.
“Open your mouth!”
Then the princess looked at him for a moment with wavering eyes.
“······!”
I just closed my eyes and looked at it.
Minjun felt a headache. No, this bitch?!
“Open your mouth! Open your mouth! Olga, I’ll translate!”
The best way to extract the ingredient is to take bodily fluids. However, since she is a princess, we cannot wound her and draw her blood, so we considered a second-best option.
Olga is repeating his words without even knowing what he is saying.
Woohoo!
“Hey, what is that!”
The driver screamed. Minjun and Olga turned their heads simultaneously toward the front he was looking at. At that moment, Minjun heard a strange sound.
Woof! Weeeeeing!
Minjun, who saw what was approaching from the front, realized that he no longer needed the princess’s bodily fluids.
And now the fact that they’ve had a huge piece of shit.
“What the hell!”
A black fog was rolling in across the eight-lane road, which was empty because of government control, with not a single vehicle or pedestrian present.
At first glance, the phenomenon looked like a night sky flooding over the horizon, an invasion of darkness that mistook time.
And what Minjun heard was the sound of wings flapping, vibrating the air.
“Whoa!”
Only then did Olga scream.
It was a swarm of innumerable bugs. A storm of small, black things that swarmed so fast that they completely obscured one’s vision.
The driver and the dwarf were shocked because there were ‘too many bugs’, but Minjun was surprised because he knew that they were ‘too strong bugs’.
‘That’s a Manova wasp!’
A creature with a shell made of metal.
Although the size of an adult insect is about the size of a human thumb, the damage they cause is so great that no one can ignore it.
It is not for nothing that the committee designated it as a Class 1 disaster creature.
It currently flies by moving its thin wings, but when an enemy appears, it folds its wings and generates a magnetic field from its body, which it then sprays backwards to use as propulsion.
At that moment, it was practically a spaceship equipped with a plasma engine.
And the problem is, the metal that makes up their outer shell is actually a material that’s hard and strong enough to be used in the fuselage of a space battleship!
Woof! Woof···.
The sound of the wings gradually decreased. Minjun felt goosebumps run down his spine.
‘Damn, it’s coming!’
A black shadow exploded from Minjun’s body.
The driver screamed and turned the steering wheel.
The crocodile, whose eyes were still closed, fell down without knowing what was happening and was held in the arms of the bodyguard.
And at that moment, the interpreter staggered, covering his face with both hands.
Kwakwakwakwakwakwang!
The countless swarms of insects turned into shotgun pellets, piercing through the body and windshield of the car they were riding in.
