It feels as if I’ve become a celebrity, a sports star, or even someone greater in an instant.
The gazes directed at me are filled with respect, awe, and a hint of suspicion and caution.
These gazes followed me as the car drove to a location I’d never seen before—one that made me wonder if such a place even existed in Korea.
We didn’t talk.
Even if they initiated the conversation, I wouldn’t easily respond. At the very least, I didn’t feel the need to start talking first.
We’ll probably have to talk later.
I’m not one to believe in physiognomy, but the White House aide—who called himself “Nanomachine”—gave off a somewhat trustworthy impression.
‘At least he’s passed the first test by suspecting me of being a shapeshifter.’
How many Awakened individuals must he have encountered in his role as the President’s aide?
Among them, there must have been those who transformed their upper body into a Tyrannosaurus, or those whose entire body turned bright blue.
And then, amidst all that, here comes a Korean man in a suit—not a black-haired, golden-eyed beauty—claiming to be the “Master” of the ‘Maid’.
‘I would have thought the same thing if I were him.’
As the President’s aide, his assumptions about the Hunters are entirely logical and reasonable:
– This person must be a shapeshifter!
– The cosplay is actually a special ability!
– The reason his identity hasn’t been exposed so far is because he’s been deceiving the world with his transformations!
Such conclusions are the hallmark of a professional.
In that sense, I felt a bit proud. The fact that I could align with the thought process of the President’s aide.
He was clearly wary of me as an Awakened individual and as an “S-Rank transcendent being who can summon the power of the ‘Maid’ at any time”.
“Mr. Master?”
“Just call me Kim.”
“Mr. Kim. One thing, just to make sure.”
The aide, code-named Nanomachine, spoke cautiously.
“We don’t coerce Hunters into joining us by pointing guns at them or threatening them with family photos saying, ‘Your daughter is pretty’, or anything like that.”
“Are you talking about North Korea?”
“North Korea… Of course. Would something like that happen here, in this land? Hahaha.”
At my words, the aide’s expression softened slightly.
It seemed he quickly grasped my stance during this brief exchange, as the U.S. and North Korea are adversaries in the realm of Hunter supremacy.
“Do you like airplanes?”
“I do, but I wouldn’t ride one unless absolutely necessary.”
“Ah… in that case.”
“If there’s a reason, I’ll board, of course. For instance, if there’s a Tower that must be conquered.”
“!!”
The aide’s face visibly wavered.
“What’s your name?”
“Huh?”
“I can’t keep calling you Nanomachine forever.”
When I extended my hand for a handshake, the aide swallowed hard and took my hand.
“John Patrick, White House Presidential Secretary and Director of the Secret Service.”
“Secret Service Director?”
“It’s classified, Mr. Kim.”
“Is it okay to tell me that?”
“If it’s you, I’m sure you understand what it means.”
So, now that I’ve learned a state secret, there’s no turning back for me, right?
“Got it. Well, if I don’t like the ‘contract,’ I’ll just visit every country except the U.S.”
Flinch.
The grip that was trying to hold my hand firmly began to loosen. I lightly tapped the back of Patrick’s hand.
“Let’s proceed, then. So, where is the person I’m meeting? It’s not the driver, right?”
If it were some large, muscular man, I might have suspected otherwise, but everyone in this car seemed to be pure aides or secretaries.
“Surely they’re not waiting in some official setting, are they?”
“…Given the President’s emergency visit to Korea, the political world here is very focused on him.”
Patrick pulled a tablet out of his pocket.
“In this situation, the President is currently facing quite a bit of trouble.”
“Trouble?”
“Yes. His meeting with the Korean Hunter Association President has been delayed, the ministers refuse to meet him, and they’ve even sent a B-Rank Hunter, not an A-Rank, to handle the reception.”
The tablet screen was filled with breaking news.
Though laden with political rhetoric, most of it boiled down to this: “The U.S. President is being treated as a mere extra.”
“…To this extent?”
“Yes. That’s why I’m grateful.”
“Grateful?”
“Fortunately, it seems they’re unaware.”
Patrick smiled broadly at me.
“They probably think they can approach the Maid or her associates first, but here we are—with the Master reaching out to us first.”
Screech.
“This way, please.”
The car came to a stop, and the door opened.
As soon as I stepped out into the underground parking lot, individuals in black suits were already forming a path, keeping a watchful eye on the surroundings.
“Where are we?”
“This is the hotel where the President is staying. He’s waiting for you in the suite.”
‘Waiting’, he says.
At the aide’s choice of words, the men lined up on either side furrowed their brows slightly.
“Have they been informed that we’ve arrived?”
“Yes, Mr. Kim.”
“There’s no press or anything like that hanging around, right?”
“Everything is under strict control. You can rest assured; these men are from the intelligence agency.”
“Well, since you’ve come all this way…”
Snap.
I lightly snapped my fingers.
“Elaine.”
When I called her name—
Swish.
Without any prior warning, Elaine appeared behind me.
“!!”
“Let’s go, Elaine.”
“Yes, Master.”
With her back straight, she began walking forward.
Whether the people standing on either side of us had concealed guns or hidden magic, it didn’t matter to me.
I had no fear.
“How…?”
“From the start.”
As Patrick, the aide, looked at me in astonishment, I mimicked the motion of opening and closing a car door.
“From the moment I left home, Elaine had been secretly following me.”
“…Invisibility? Optical camouflage?”
Neither.
She just physically hid herself and followed me.
* * *
Moments later—
I found myself in a suite room I’d never visited before, the kind you wouldn’t even see in a random Vlog on YouTube.
A man in a white suit with a tie patterned after the American flag and black dress pants greeted me with a whiskey glass in hand.
‘This feels like a movie.’
They said his presence was so overwhelming that anyone would feel an immediate sense of intimidation.
With sunglasses on, the pressure was even more palpable.
Swish.
Patrick approached the President and handed him a smartphone.
Had he entrusted his personal smartphone, complete with his social media account, for this meeting with me?
‘That shows how serious they are.’
I could feel the silent pressure.
No, even without such actions, the man’s very presence was overwhelming.
Hiss.
Most strikingly, the mask over his mouth.
A sharp, black mask, as if designed to protect the lower face in some cyberpunk film, caught me off guard the moment I saw it.
[Nice to meet you, Master K.]
“…Korean?”
[I’m using a translator. This device instantly converts my speech into Korean and outputs it as audio. I am Eisen A. Luigi, President of the United States.]
President Luigi gestured to the earpiece he was wearing and spread his arms wide.
[Feel free to speak. There’s no need for a translator.]
“…”
[Have I, by any chance, offended you?]
Elaine, standing beside me, stiffened her expression, but President Luigi’s gaze remained fixed on me, not her.
This man—he knows.
He knows exactly who he’s speaking to.
“Let’s sit down first.”
I sat on one of the chairs to the side of the sofa, and Luigi sat across from me.
He poured something into an empty glass placed on the coffee table between us.
[I thought about a lot on my way here. I reflected on every negotiation I’ve ever conducted, on how I’ve persuaded the opposing party, and on my life as a whole.]
What he poured into the glass was nothing but clear water.
[Instead of burdening you with unnecessary explanations about my situation, I thought it would be quicker to show you my sincerity like this.]
Next to the glass of clear water, President Luigi pulled something out of his pocket.
[This is my smartphone. Please write down everything the Master desires here.]
“…Everything?”
[Yes, anything.]
“Anything at all?”
[As the President of the United States, I will provide you with everything I can. If it falls within legal bounds, there’s no need to even question it. If it crosses outside the law… no one will know.]
“…”
[Anything I can do. That’s all I can think of.]
President Luigi shrugged, lifting both arms.
[If you’re worried about a warrant, I can issue you citizenship immediately. If you wish to stay in this country, hiding as a non-Awakened individual, I will use every resource of the state to ensure you can live without concern.]
“What do you want?”
I turned the smartphone in my hand and held it out to President Luigi.
“If you’re willing to offer me anything, there must be something you truly want in return.”
[That is…]
“One.”
I raised my index finger.
“Just name one thing. The thing you want most.”
[…]
“Elaine. A canned coffee.”
“Yes, Master.”
As I extended my hand to the side, Elaine placed a canned coffee in it.
Where had she prepared it?
Such a question is nonsensical when it comes to the Perfect Maid of impeccable precision.
Click.
“For me, or rather….”
Grip.
“What do you want from us?”
Instead of grabbing the coffee, I took hold of Elaine’s wrist and gently pulled her toward me. Startled but composed, she leaned closer without hesitation.
[What I want…]
President Luigi, without hesitation, operated his smartphone.
In front of my eyes, he selected one of the photos from his gallery.
[For all the Towers to disappear, so humanity can find peace.]
The photo showed him with a young child, presumably a kindergartener. In the child’s hands was a drawing of “A World Without Towers”.
[If you can conquer the S-Rank Tower in America, I’ll give you anything you ask for.]
“…”
[Please.]
Click.
He removed his mask.
“Please, help us.”
His Korean was clumsy but unmistakably sincere.
At those words, I pulled out my smartphone, copied a prepared text, and sent it via messenger—a list of my demands prepared with Elaine.
“Mr. President.”
“…What the?”
“Actually, I’ve been an American citizen for 28 years. Isn’t that right?”
Was it true?
Of course not.
I was born in Korea and raised by Korean parents.
“Elaine here is the same. She’s—”
“Born in 2010, Master.”
“…….That makes her 20 this year. Let’s just say she’s an American citizen too.”
Was that true?
Of course not.
“I hear that for just 2 million won, a broker can get you a fake ID. Surely issuing citizenship to two Awakened individuals isn’t that hard, is it?”
[Are you suggesting I, the President of the United States, act as a broker for fake identities?]
“Broker? No, no. This is just correcting some overlooked records. Even though 28 years have passed for me and 20 for Elaine, I trust the State Department or whoever will sort out these minor administrative issues.”
[…]
President Luigi quietly adjusted his slipping sunglasses.
[West Virginia.]
“?”
[The Blue Ridge Mountains and the Shenandoah River can be seen there.]
Even with the mask covering his face, his wide grin was unmistakable.
[It’s good to see old friends from my homeland here in Korea.]
* * *
[One day earlier.]
“…Are you seriously planning to use the President as a broker for fake IDs?”
“He’ll figure it out and make it work.”