The Civil Servant Who Concealed Their True Strength Turns Out to be a Master of Possession - Chapter 273

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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A Civil Servant Who Hides His Strength Is Exceptionally Good at Possession – Episode 273
The European Hunter Union.
The representative of the UHN.
Marcen was Polish by birth, but he had not come to represent Poland.
He had come to represent the UHN.
The UHN was an organization that frequently appeared in United Nations meetings. True to its name as the European Hunter Union, it unified and managed hunters from various European nations, bearing responsibility for European security.
Of course, there were many who said it didn’t function properly due to the tangled interests of each nation, and there were constant discussions about which country should withdraw or which should be admitted. Yet as a pillar of European security, it could not be absent from United Nations meetings.
Especially now, shortly after an S-Rank Dungeon caused by an unusual Magical Stone had occurred in Russian Waters and been reported.
Marcen gazed at the Russian Ambassador sitting diagonally across from him.
Throughout the Chairman’s explanation of this agenda, his expression showed clear displeasure.
[We will now commence the meeting. This session has been convened based on a report from South Korea stating that the S-Rank Dungeon that occurred near Russia, the A-Rank Dungeon that occurred at the Pakistan Border, and the sudden earthquakes near the Ural Mountains were all caused by an unusual Magical Stone that a certain organization was researching. Therefore, this agenda concerns whether the United Nations inspection team should conduct extensive investigations into the unusual Magical Stone across all nations, and based on those results, whether to establish new international rules regarding the trade of unusual Magical Stones. Are there any nations with objections to this agenda—]
And as expected, the Russian Ambassador had objections.
[Why do so many people gather based on a single report from South Korea? The S-Rank Dungeon occurred in Russian territory. Russia is managing it sufficiently. Dungeons that occur in each country are both hazardous materials and repositories of resources. If the United Nations attempts to manage even that, it is a challenge to Russian sovereignty.]
Upon hearing those words, Marcen’s eyes narrowed.
The fact that Russia had noticed the existence of the unusual Magical Stone and recently begun research on it was something all the permanent members and related nations present were aware of.
Russia did not want to relinquish that research.
They suspected that their longtime rival, the United States, was using the United Nations to pressure Russia, and that only the United States might end up possessing the unusual Magical Stone.
And as expected, it was the United States that bristled at this.
[The damage caused by the unusual Magical Stone is not suffered by Russia alone, but by all nations. And while I understand why you might view dungeons as repositories of resources, to ignore civilian casualties and treat dungeons merely as conduits for resources seems like something only outdated despots would conceive of.]
The tension between the two ambassadors was palpable.
The Chairman’s expression grew troubled as he observed this.
Whenever two superpowers among the permanent members engaged in this kind of power struggle, the meeting invariably descended into chaos.
And now that an objection had been raised, the meeting would have to proceed to a vote, and the likelihood of the vote failing was high regardless.
Typically, the voting power of permanent members was essentially in the hands of the hegemonic powers with which they had formed alliances.
Any agenda that failed to secure more than half the votes would be rejected.
In other words, this agenda too would likely follow the path to rejection.
And yet—
[I understand your objections well. Then this meeting will proceed through agenda submission, testimony from relevant witnesses, discussion, and subsequently a vote to determine whether the agenda will be adopted.]
Procedure was procedure, after all.
Marcen inwardly clicked his tongue at the Chairman’s weary expression, which he saw every time.
‘These old men, they look like they’re just going to strain their backs again.’
It was absurd.
Marcen gazed at the massive mural painted on the wall behind where the Chairman sat.
That mural, which depicted the pain and despair of World War II and the subsequent peace achieved through reconstruction, was there to represent the very reason for the United Nations’ existence.
There must never be another world war.
Yet ironically, the United Nations had never prevented a single war to this day.
Wars destined to occur would inevitably occur.
And perhaps—
‘This unusual Magical Stone that was discovered this time might be the seed of that.’
The Dungeon that had occurred in Russian Waters was S-Rank, and since it had manifested deep within the ocean, it had been contained at that level. But…
‘What if a dungeon suddenly manifested in a massive city like this? What if it were something beyond S-Rank?’
That would mark the true beginning of the world’s end.
Marcen’s body trembled.
And at that moment, the Chairman called for South Korea’s witness.
[Let the witness enter.]
A woman walked through the door.
Round eyes, a round nose, her hair tied high in a ponytail.
Tall and long-limbed, she was a face Marcen recognized.
A woman with a name not particularly difficult to pronounce in English.
Lee Yu-ji.
The Female Detective who had personally investigated the Hunter’s Faith, which continued research on the Magical Stone.
Having conducted investigations related to the matter, there was no way he wouldn’t know her.
She had quite a peculiar track record, too.
Well…
‘X Room…!’
Like riding on a Slime while cursing.
‘…!’
Or fleeing from reporters.
‘Hey! Hey!’
Or suddenly displaying strange behavior—those kinds of bizarre videos, she was the star of them.
For all that, she had quite a composed face.
That’s what Marcen was thinking.
The woman walked to the witness stand, moving her arms and legs in sync.
“…?”
That movement just now seemed a bit odd.
But it was brief, and soon the Chairman’s solemn proceedings continued.
[Witness, please speak.]
At those words, Lee Yu-ji leaned her upper body slightly toward the microphone.
Then, slowly but with measured English, she began to speak.
[I believe the Magical Stone is the key that will lead this world to its end.]
Marcen saw the Russian Ambassador’s expression harden at those words.
It was predictable.
She would warn of the danger of the Magical Stone, call for its regulation, Russia would refuse, China and other nations would follow suit in voting, and that’s how it would unfold.
Yes, certainly—
[But I don’t believe that end will be one where we all perish together.]
That’s what would happen…
Marcen found Lee Yu-ji’s voice striking him with each word, oddly piercing.
[That end will come slowly. Do you remember when the first Gates appeared, when Dungeons emerged, when Awakened ones came into being?]
Lee Yu-ji spoke with bright, intelligent eyes, meeting the gaze of each person rather than reading from paper.
[Everyone said back then that the world would end. But the world didn’t end. Was that because of the Awakened ones?]
The moment Lee Yu-ji laid eyes on Marcen, something in her words resonated deeply within his chest.
[No. The people of this world have used the calamity given to us as an energy source. Believing it to be energy, they chose to exploit dungeons rather than seal them completely. They actively utilized Hunters and, under the guise of protecting civilians from danger, created the massive power structure known as Guilds. It was a new caste system. South Korea has the Chaebol system. The United States has the fortress of capitalism. Power stagnates and rots. That rotting power has slowly been collapsing the world. Teenagers who fail to awaken commit suicide. If you don’t awaken, you cannot further reduce the wealth gap. Even if you do awaken, without sufficient strength, you’re sent into dangerous Dungeon raids where your body is ground to pieces. I too….]
Lee Yu-ji hesitated for a moment before continuing.
[I was one of those people. I had to earn money through illegal Dungeon raids. My parents died while continuing their investigation into the massive Guilds.]
At those words, the ambassadors from various nations momentarily froze.
[This current Magical Stone crisis is no different. Someone will say this Magical Stone will open a treasure trove of resources. And at first, it will truly seem that way. The Magical Stone will open high-grade dungeons, and the Magical Stones and monster byproducts within will keep the economy running. But whose economy is that? Where does that money flow? To ordinary people? To each nation’s central banks? No. That money flows to Hunters, to Guilds, and to… the Hunter’s Faith.]
Lee Yu-ji gazed quietly at those ambassadors.
Rather, she had to gaze at them.
Because right now she was—
Everyone, meet my eyes, and you’ll find belief (A)
-Those who lock eyes gain powerful persuasiveness.
She was using a skill stolen from Sa Gong-seong.
But of course, every word spoken today came directly from Lee Yu-ji herself.
Absolutely. Certainly. Words she needed to say to everyone.
To all those who had ever crossed her path.
[Yes. That is how the world will slowly perish. Even if the Magical Stone doesn’t create an unprecedented-grade dungeon, a society that doesn’t share with others will inevitably fall into obsolescence.]
This time, let us all seize the opportunity.
The last chance we have to become better.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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