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Chapter 160: Han Siah (1)
Principal Han Seongil looked at Kim Minwoo.
The President of the United States and the President of China.
He was already interacting with the two giants. It wouldn’t be strange if he knew secret information about the Griff family and Han Siah.
And he still wants to recruit him?
‘This could get big…’
What kind of Awakened was Kim Minwoo?
He was the eldest son of Ilsung, who now reigned as the emperor of the Korean business world, and the next-generation representative Awakened of Korea, whom the government had also begun to fully support.
The Korean political and business world? They were already on his side.
With his continuous achievements, the public’s support was also skyrocketing.
In other words, Kim Minwoo was Korea itself.
And his sparring partner was none other than…
The Griff family, which ruled Germany. They were also a family that could be seen as Germany itself.
In the end, this matchup had a high possibility of leading to a war of annihilation between Korea and Germany.
“…How far do you intend to go?”
Kim Minwoo answered without hesitation.
As the main character of this game, she was a character with a lot at stake.
Achievement points were a given, and even the guidance of fate was on the line.
‘I must add her to our team.’
This was clear just by looking at Park Siwoo’s potential.
Summoned by the guidance of fate, he wielded the Heart Sword with ease.
It was an ability that could be useful in the fight against the Outer God.
Would Han Siah be any different?
Han Seongil nodded at those words.
If his will was half-hearted, it would be right to stop him for the sake of Korea.
But if his will was that firm…
‘It’s right to help him.’
For the sake of the student named Han Siah.
And for the sake of Korea, which could gain a magician with such talent.
Han Seongil’s eyes became determined.
“First, I’d like to meet Han Siah quietly. In a natural way.”
Dealing with the Griff family later was a separate issue.
The priority was to prevent them from noticing anything unusual.
Wasn’t a quiet surprise attack always the most painful?
“How about this? We randomly select students and have the two of you counsel them. It’s not that uncommon, so the Griff family will probably think nothing of it.”
Kim Minwoo then looked at Isabella.
She was wearing a translation device in her ear, so she must have understood everything.
“You heard everything, right? I’d like your help.”
“Did you think I came along just to end it with something like that? I’m going to turn the Griff family upside down.”
“I know quite a lot about their dirty laundry.”
Rotten water holds a lot of information.
The Griff family’s dirty secrets?
Just revealing a few of their secret facilities would cause an uproar.
Those guys are not ordinary trash.
“Can I fight alongside you?”
“Yes. But only in the war of public opinion.”
“…Only in the war of public opinion? I can help you more actively if you want.”
“In exchange for teaching you the Heart Fist?”
Isabella cleared her throat and added,
“Lucas is strong. You’ll need help.”
If she was the epitome of France, Lucas was the epitome of Germany.
Furthermore, the time he had lived as an Awakened was incomparably longer.
He had been battling in Gates for nearly 50 years.
Recently, the rise of Lucas had been tremendous.
He was at a level where he could be listed in the world rankings, so that said it all.
‘Did that happen because he stole Han Siah’s talent?’
Now Isabella finally understood the gist of the situation.
If he had absorbed such immense talent, the danger was obvious.
That’s why she was warning him.
It was also a cry for him to use her more actively.
There was no way he would teach her the Heart Fist just for helping with the public opinion war…
“It’s fine. I was planning to teach you anyway.”
“You were planning to teach me? So suddenly?”
“Don’t you want to learn?”
Isabella replied hastily.
Although she had been staying at the Sword Sect like a fixture, the four elders had never taught her the art of the mind. At best, there had only been a slight transfer of know-how.
It was like a single drop of water on a parched throat.
How thirsty she had been for knowledge.
That’s why she had sought him out as soon as Kim Minwoo returned.
But, he was going to teach her so easily?
“Does the reason matter?”
Kim Minwoo shrugged and replied.
The list of those guided by fate.
Isabella was also included in it.
There would be a huge difference between summoning her future self having learned the Heart Fist and summoning her without having learned it.
So it was better to teach her generously and make her feel indebted.
“Don’t worry about the debt. You can repay me later.”
Isabella getting deeply involved in this wouldn’t be fun.
‘Starting with the achievement points.’
Wouldn’t the score be split if their contribution was half and half?
That’s why he didn’t take help from the strong, including the Sword Saint, when he captured those guys from the Korean Shadow Branch last time.
Someone like the Family Head over there would easily surpass 1,000 points when converted into achievement points. It might even exceed 2,000 points if the achievement vending machine exploded.
It felt good to catch such a big fish alone.
So, could he catch him alone?
He gained a lot from this Orc Gate expedition.
It meant there was no reason he couldn’t catch him just because there was a level difference.
That was the reason for rejecting Isabella’s offer.
“I’d only ask for your help with the war of public opinion.”
Isabella nodded with a trembling face. What could she do when he flatly refused? It seemed she would have to repay the debt in another way.
The prestigious magic family that ruled Germany.
Each of their bloodlines was born with a talent for magic and left their mark on the magical world.
Family Head Lucas was the same.
He was called a genius.
He dominated the 2nd generation.
For a family head like that, the greatest duty was to spread his offspring far and wide.
And even more excellent.
In order to create the next masterpiece.
Hundreds of illegitimate children were born.
Han Siah was also one of those illegitimate children. She was also the most beautiful masterpiece.
The child, instead of crying at birth, bloomed magic on her hand.
She hadn’t learned magic.
She hadn’t even awakened.
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Yet, a child who bloomed magic?
Everyone was terrified by the sight.
A talent that was eerie.
The family head, who saw the illegitimate child, burst into laughter for the first time.
If she had been moderately outstanding like the other children, she would have simply been used as a tool for the family.
He would have raised her properly and made her live for the family.
However, because she was so brilliant,
Because she possessed a talent that even the Family Head couldn’t help but covet,
Paradoxically, her life could only fall into ruin.
As an offering for the Family Head’s growth.
Every night, she was placed on a strange mechanical device, feeling the terrible pain of her soul draining from her body.
And that’s how the man, her father, smiled with satisfaction.
— You truly are Griff’s blessing.
Days filled with praise that felt like dog droppings.
15 years of life in Germany.
Life in the Griff family was a hellish memory for her.
Her body withered with each passing day.
She cried every night.
She cursed her own talent.
She hated the existence of magic.
Thus, the child who once shone the brightest gradually lost her light.
One day, her magic stopped manifesting. It was also the day the Family Head’s gaze, which had maintained a semblance of warmth, turned cold for the first time.
The strange mechanical device was also useless. The Family Head could no longer gnaw away at her talent.
Her mother tearfully pleaded.
If she was no longer useful, at least let her go.
Seeing his mother’s frantic cries, the monster nodded.
— Alright. I’ll give you 10 years.
It was also a terrible shackle.
A short period of 10 years.
She was able to return to her mother’s homeland, Korea.
That didn’t mean the connection with Griff was severed.
The family’s shadows.
Their eyes watched her and her mother everywhere, all the time.
Even here, at the Korean Academy, it was the same.
These relentless people even enrolled Awakened individuals of a similar age as her into the academy.
All for the sake of surveillance.
Soon, the door burst open.
A silver-haired woman appeared.
A woman wearing a name tag indicating she was an academy student.
One of the many illegitimate children of the Griff family. She was also a student enrolled in the same year as Han Siah.
In a sense, they were half-sisters.
“Sia, time to move. You need to go to class!”
Laura spoke in a cheerful voice, but Han Siah’s eyes were cold.
She spoke like a close friend, but in essence, she was just a watcher who had been attached to her for eight years.
“Smile, Han Siah! You’ll get wrinkles!”
When Han Siah snapped, Laura spoke mockingly.
“You need to work hard. What are you going to do if you don’t meet the family’s standards this year? Your mom will be sad.”
Ten years of freedom.
It came with a price.
To manifest a certain level of magic every year.
If she failed, she would be sent back to Germany without exception. Fortunately, since coming to Korea, her magic had been gradually manifesting. At least this place was better than Germany.
She was just hiding that fact at the academy. The family wanted her to stay quiet.
Laura giggled despite her words.
Although they were both illegitimate children, Laura and she were treated differently.
Ironically, it was because of the difference in their talents. Although Laura also possessed talent as a Griff descendant, she was only at the top level.
She wasn’t at the level to be put into the machine. That’s probably why she was so loyal to the Family Head.
A text message arrived on both of their phones simultaneously.
[Special Counseling Notice]
[Special counseling will be held today at 2 PM.]
[Conducted by: Kim Minwoo, Isabella]
[Total number of participants: 40]
[Target departments: Martial Arts Department, Magic Department, total of 2 departments, 20 students per department]
[Format: Random lottery]
“Oh? Isn’t this Kim Minwoo, the Kim Minwoo? I guess he’s visiting the academy today.”
“Why are you so excited? This kind of thing isn’t uncommon.”
Han Siah replied coldly to Laura’s words, sneering.
This kind of thing wasn’t uncommon at the academy.
It was basically an institution where Korea’s elites gathered.
It was common for famous guild leaders to make contact.
Whether it was individual counseling with students or giving daily lectures,
It was also common for random lotteries to be held .
It’s probably to emphasize fairness.
Money Talks Guild and Kim Minwoo were famous, but they were just stories from a world that had nothing to do with her.
“You’re so cold. Aren’t you even excited? It’s the Money Talks Guild. And Isabella is there too! The Isabella!”
“Ha, anyone would think you’re a real Korean.”
“Of course. Half of my soul is Korean. I’ve been watching you for eight years.”
Surveillance was a boring job.
There had to be something special happening.
In that sense, this event was welcome from her perspective as well.
Kim Minwoo wasn’t a magician, but he had a famous summoner, didn’t he?
The miracle shown at the Super Rookie Selection had long since spread widely.
It was said that her magic had manifested at a higher level.
Perhaps such a miracle would fall upon her too.
So she couldn’t help but anticipate it.
A text message arrived on Han Siah’s phone.
[Magic Department 3rd year Han Siah. You have been selected as one of the 20 counseling participants. You are number 1. Please come to the counseling room by 2 PM and be sure to participate…]
Laura stared at Han Siah.
As Han Siah was a top priority management target, even the slightest change had to be reported immediately. Recently, it had only been about things like her coughing often or her body being thin.
Anyway, procedure was procedure.
“Ha, this is annoying. Keep your mouth shut and just quietly go to the counseling session. Got it?”
“…I will, even if you don’t tell me.”
With that, she headed to the counseling room.
The counseling room door opened.
Kim Minwoo, who was inside, stood up.
“Nice to meet you, Han Siah. I’m Kim Minwoo.”
“…Cough! Hello. Should I sit here?”
“Yes. I noticed the security here is quite good. If there’s anything you haven’t been able to say, feel free to talk openly.”
“…I don’t have anything like that.”
Kim Minwoo closed the door and stared at her.
“I hate beating around the bush. So, don’t you want to escape from the Griff family?”
Han Siah’s eyes widened in shock.
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