A factory in the United States.
Here, a presentation on processed products made from dungeon by-products was in full swing.
Even the President had come to observe in person.
Everyone tried their best to appear composed, explaining and demonstrating equipment components and processed goods with diligence.
The President of the United States, John, listened quietly.
Then, a secretary hurried over, excusing themselves.
“What is it?”
When John asked, the secretary leaned in to whisper.
“An entity listed under Sector HA-11 has been captured overseas.”
The message sounded like a cryptic code.
However, John understood immediately and nodded.
Despite maintaining a neutral expression, his mind was racing with complex thoughts.
After listening to the presentation for about ten more minutes, John excused himself and left.
Once inside his limousine, he received a detailed report.
“The entity from HA-11 is Team Karimba.”
“Where were they captured?”
“In South Korea.”
“…South Korea?”
A completely unexpected location.
But it was no lie.
“The entirety of Team Karimba has been captured, including their leader, James. As soon as we received this information, we got an official communique from the South Korean government.”
At the mention of South Korea’s involvement, wrinkles formed at the corners of John’s eyes.
Things were getting complicated.
Usually, such shadowy matters were resolved quietly behind the scenes, but now South Korea had sent an official document?
“Did we poke a hornet’s nest?”
This suggested they had touched on something so sensitive that the South Korean government couldn’t stay silent.
Moreover, the fact that they directly communicated this to the U.S. added to John’s unease.
The hitman organization, Team Karimba, wasn’t limited to operations in the U.S.
Even so, the South Korean government specifically addressed the U.S. in their correspondence.
“…Wait a second. Did you just say they caught James, Karimba’s leader?”
“That’s correct. It’s not 100% confirmed yet, but the South Korean government claims they have identified him.”
“Ha.”
James, the boss of Team Karimba, captured?
They might not have been the top-ranked in their field, but Team Karimba and James were notorious for slipping through any pursuit.
And now, the entire team, including the elusive James, had been caught?
“Send someone to confirm this directly.”
“Though hard to believe, it seems almost certain. Here are some photos sent by the South Korean government.”
The secretary displayed the photos on a tablet.
There, the captured members of Team Karimba were shown, their faces unmistakable.
John studied the photos for a while, letting out a low groan.
The photos were genuine.
They were indeed members of Team Karimba.
Infamous murderers.
The bounties on their heads amounted to billions of dollars.
And at the end of the series of photos was the leader, James.
“The Director of Intelligence is preparing to head to South Korea.”
“Hmm. Is there any information on why Karimba was in South Korea or how they were captured?”
“The Iron Sight Guild, which recently returned from South Korea, is exhibiting peculiar behavior. It seems connected to their conflict with the rival Venom Guild, and this may tie into the incident.”
“The intel is too slow and incomplete.”
“My apologies. We’ll expedite our efforts and uncover the details.”
At John’s rebuke, the secretary bowed their head.
“Let’s head back and discuss further. Afterward, I’ll contact the South Korean government directly.”
“I’ll work to uncover the full story as quickly as possible.”
***
I’m currently at the Blue House.
The Blue House? Wait, why am I here?
Where is this, and who am I?
Sitting absentmindedly in the reception room, I spotted Ara darting around in front of me.
“Wow!”
Ara wandered around, exploring the place.
Occasionally, she let out inexplicable exclamations, making me curious about what was going on in her mind.
“Ara.”
“Yeah?”
“Uh… want a snack?”
“Snacks! Great idea!”
I took out some dried Layla from Bokkeum.
It was a snack made using a pet treat dehydrator.
Soon, a sweet aroma filled the reception room.
As I shared a snack with Ara, I began to recall why I ended up here.
Honestly, there wasn’t much to recall.
Unexpected guests had arrived—world-renowned professional assassins—and I had captured them all.
No, that’s not accurate. It wasn’t me; it was Ara, Mammon, and Ras.
But from the perspective of others, it was as if I had done it.
And to be fair, they weren’t wrong. They are my familiars, after all.
That part was understandable.
I thought I could brush it off as a minor misunderstanding, but things had escalated far beyond what I expected.
The political and business elites of South Korea had caught wind of the news and taken action.
The business side wasn’t too surprising since I already had connections with people in the awakened industry.
The real issue was the political response.
From the President to members of the National Assembly, everyone had united to act on my behalf.
Caught off guard, my brain froze, and before I knew it, I had been invited to the Blue House.
Knock, knock.
As I sat munching on dried Layla with Ara, a knock came at the door.
“Mr. Lee Kyu-seong, are you inside?”
“Yes! Come in.”
The door opened, and in walked a middle-aged man in his mid-40s.
It was the gentleman who had escorted me here!
“The President asked if you would be available to meet him now. Would that be alright?”
“Yes, that’s fine.”
I got up immediately to meet the President.
Though slightly nervous about the sudden meeting, I wasn’t frozen stiff.
It didn’t feel real.
I still couldn’t understand why I was going to meet the President.
We soon arrived at the President’s office.
The secretary knocked lightly on the door.
At times like this, I wished I had my guildmates with me, but it was just me and Ara.
‘At least Ara is with me. That’s a relief.’
Ara was allowed to accompany me as my familiar and bodyguard.
Normally, this wouldn’t have been possible, but given how recently the attack had occurred, they made an exception.
The door opened, and inside, the President of South Korea, Kim Geon-woong, greeted me with a serious expression.
“Hello, I’m Kim Geon-woong.”
“Oh! I’m Lee Kyu-seong. Nice to meet you.”
“Nice to meet you”?
That didn’t seem like the right thing to say in this situation.
Clearly, my nerves had gotten to me, and I ended up giving a strange greeting.
However, Kim Geon-woong didn’t seem to mind at all and even extended a handshake to Ara.
“I am Ara!”
“I’ve heard a lot about you. A dependable familiar who has been protecting Mr. Lee Kyu-seong. I’m Kim Geon-woong.”
The two shook hands firmly.
Ara seemed to handle the situation better than I did.
Her usual casual tone had already been explained in advance, and I’d been assured it wouldn’t be an issue, so I wasn’t too worried.
“Please, have a seat.”
“Thank you.”
How many opportunities in life does one have to sit across from the President?
For most ordinary people, probably never.
Kim Geon-woong personally brewed tea and served it.
The fragrant aroma of floral tea quickly spread.
Initially fidgety, I soon settled down and accepted the tea he poured.
“Mr. Kyu-seong.”
“Yes?”
“First, I’d like to apologize for the unfortunate incident that recently occurred.”
“Oh, no, it’s not like it was your fault, Mr. President.”
“An awakened citizen of our country was attacked. Not just once, but twice. This is clear evidence that we failed to adequately protect you, and I have no excuses.”
“Well, I… uh… intentionally avoided excessive protection because I find it burdensome…”
I waved my hand dismissively as I spoke, prompting Ara, sipping tea nearby, to glance at me curiously.
“We should have ensured a proper level of protection without making it burdensome for you. This is a failure on the part of our government, and we will address it.”
“Ah, haha…”
All I could do was let out an awkward laugh.
“The organization that attacked you this time is infamous worldwide for their skill. It’s frankly embarrassing to admit, but even the United States hasn’t been able to catch them. Yet they managed to infiltrate our borders and evade our defenses.”
“Don’t worry about it. Lee Kyu-seong-Kyu-seong is under my protection!”
Ara, who had been quietly drinking tea, patted her chest and declared this boldly.
Kim Geon-woong, momentarily caught off guard, chuckled warmly and nodded.
“That’s right. It’s truly fortunate that we have Ms. Ara with us. By the way, I noticed that Ms. Ara’s ability level was previously measured at Rank 4 Awakened. Has she grown even stronger since then?”
Ah, so now he’s starting to dig for information!
I quickly organized in my mind what information to reveal and what to withhold.
“Yep!”
“Oh, impressive. While most Awakened gradually grow stronger as they conquer dungeons, I’ve never seen a familiar that advances as rapidly as you.”
President Kim Geon-woong himself was also an Awakened.
And a remarkably powerful one at that.
In fact, his popularity as an Awakened had significantly contributed to him becoming the current president.
What’s more, he never joined a guild and instead worked as a public servant, known for his unwavering sense of justice.
Because of this, he was well-versed in the Awakening industry and had access to an extensive pool of information.
“I am strong!”
“Ara grows quickly, perhaps because she’s still young. Haha.”
I awkwardly tried to brush it off, and Kim Geon-woong studied Ara intently for a moment.
Ara, noticing his gaze, looked back at him blankly and tilted her head.
“Have you finished your tea? Are you going to drink mine?”
“Haha, no, no. My apologies. I was just charmed by how adorable you are, Ms. Ara.”
“Hmph! I am adorable! But also dignified and cool!”
Ara placed her hands on her hips and declared boldly.
In the end, Kim Geon-woong let out a genuine laugh.
“Hahaha. Mr. Kyu-seong, I must say I’m envious. You’re accompanied by such a lovable familiar.”
“Yes. She’s my most precious treasure.”
“I can understand now why you often introduce her as your daughter.”
Kim Geon-woong subtly hinted that he was aware of my activities.
But why had he summoned me here today for a private meeting?
It couldn’t just be for this lighthearted conversation.
Knock, knock.
Another knock interrupted us.
The sound of knocking seemed unusually frequent today.
The door opened to reveal another individual, likely a secretary.
“My apologies for interrupting your time with our guest. An urgent message has just arrived, and I needed to deliver it immediately.”
“What is it?”
The urgency of the situation was apparent from the person’s expression.
Glancing briefly at me, the individual leaned closer to Kim Geon-woong and whispered something in his ear.
“Hmm?”
It must have been quite surprising because Kim Geon-woong’s eyes widened slightly.
After finishing their exchange, both turned their attention to me.
Why are they suddenly looking at me?
“It seems like something we need to share with you as well, Mr. Kyu-seong. It’s not entirely unrelated to you.”
“M-Me? Really?”
“We’ve received a message from the United States. They want to have a conversation with you immediately. I presume it’s regarding the recent incident.”
“The United States…”
“Specifically, the White House.”
“The White House?”
I was so startled that I couldn’t help but respond in questions.
Then, the individual standing nearby clarified.
“The President of the United States wishes to speak with you. Our government had sent a strong official statement regarding this matter.”
“Uh…”
Now even the President of the United States?
What on earth is happening right now?
I just wanted to spend time with my adorable familiars and quietly farm in the dungeon!
This is spiraling out of control!
While I was reeling, Ara tilted her head and asked, “White House? United States? Is it something you eat?”
…My dear Ara, just keep growing up healthy, please.
Cliche Novel 