You Have Been Invited to the Auction House of the Gods - Chapter 111
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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111
After the banquet ended, I briefly lay down in my accommodation.
Rather than resting, it was more like catching my breath for a moment.
Why are these American businessmen so interested in me…
I wasn’t even the guild leader of Ashin Guild.
In Korea, I was starting to be treated somewhat like a meme,
but it seemed that hadn’t been exported to the United States yet.
I changed into the clothes President Aiden had prepared and left the room.
In front of the door, Kim Jin-woo and the Association President were already waiting.
“Elder Brother… really, are you going in that outfit?”
Kim Jin-woo looked at me with a flustered expression.
Well, I understood his feelings to some extent.
But this was strictly a dress code prepared by the president.
Even if it was a three-stripe training suit…
“The president gave it to me as a gift and told me to wear it, so what’s wrong with that?”
I shrugged my shoulders.
“Weren’t there any in your rooms?”
“There were.”
But both of them were still dressed in suits.
“Well, I somewhat expected you would come out wearing it as is.”
The Association President’s insight was accurate.
Besides, I quite liked the dress code Aiden had prepared.
“Don’t worry about it. He’s not the type to nitpick over something like this…”
No, it would be strange to nitpick anyway.
It was clothing the president personally sent me to wear.
I lightly brushed and straightened my training top as I added,
“Somehow I feel like today’s meeting will require comfortable clothing.”
I walked past the two of them toward the elevator.
***
As the conference room door opened, that distinctive ‘government office smell’ wafted out.
The characteristic smell rising from documents and dust, old carpets and air conditioning filters.
‘Government offices have similar smells wherever you go.’
And directly in my line of sight—
The American leadership was already seated.
Among them, President Aiden sitting in the center seat caught my eye first.
When President Aiden’s eyes met mine, without anyone going first, we both chuckled.
The US President in training clothes,
and me in training clothes.
The only ones actually dressed in formal wear were each other’s staff officers.
Aiden’s lips curved upward,
“I see your staff are just as rigid as mine.”
“Well, we need people like that too.”
I smiled and sat in the seat opposite Aiden.
“Before we start in earnest, let’s quickly finish the simple stuff.”
One of the staff officers presented a document.
Joint Supply System Research Proposal.
It was one of the projects we had agreed upon in advance.
“I wrote down the agreement details your side transmitted in advance without any changes. I don’t know who drafted it, but you have a truly excellent subordinate.”
At Aiden’s words, Kim Jin-woo’s lips twitched beside me.
Right, it’s not easy to receive open praise from the US President.
Just to point out one thing, administratively Kim Jin-woo’s rank was higher than mine.
Well, seeing how happy he looked, there didn’t seem to be any need to point out that fact.
Aiden’s signature was already written at the end of the document.
I immediately signed next to it.
“Don’t you need to check it?”
Aiden asked with slight surprise at my unhesitating pen strokes.
“You said you reflected our demands exactly, didn’t you?”
“That’s right.”
“Then why would I need to check it?”
No, even so, checking is what contracts are for.
Nevertheless, I smiled and pushed the signed documents toward Aiden.
“If you’re really worried, let’s call it my judgment based on mutual trust.”
At those words, President Aiden burst into loud laughter.
“Hahaha. This guy’s really something.”
To be honest, I had already finished checking the contract’s contents.
Would I, who am more meticulous than anyone when it comes to contracts, sign a foreign uncle’s contract without checking it when I met him for the first time today?
Doesn’t the White House drink coffee?
The Four Devas goblins had already infiltrated everywhere, transformed into household items.
Spoons, forks, knives, teacups, even the liquor bottle in this conference room.
They were all goblins.
“You’re a friend who really gets along well with me.”
President Aiden, who had barely calmed down, wiped his tears and looked straight at me.
“There are no poison clauses or trap phrases. Don’t worry. What would I gain by deceiving you?”
Really, just looking at this, he was no different from a middle-aged neighbor uncle who takes care of his body in foreign sitcoms.
“Alright, let’s wrap up this matter at this level.”
President Aiden gathered the documents and handed them to his staff officer.
“Now, before we get into the full-scale dungeon conquest agreement, let me address one thing.”
President Aiden clasped his hands and leaned his body toward me.
“You, how did you know about the Giant Tribe Dungeon?”
At the same time as those words, enormous mana burst forth from President Aiden.
I hastily ignited my Karmic Fire to resist Aiden’s mana.
‘What kind of mana quantity is this…!’
I take back what I said about the neighbor uncle who takes care of his body.
It seems world ranking 1st place isn’t something just anyone can do.
Moreover, this situation.
‘Did he aim for this situation from the beginning?’
What Aiden needed was confirmation.
‘No wonder he suggested having a summit when the agreement was already finished…’
An exceptionally large welcome ceremony and banquet followed by a private meeting.
I thought it was just a scripted scenario by President Aiden who likes symbolic things.
Perhaps even the behavior shown at the welcome ceremony was intentional.
Calling reporters, live broadcasts and news.
By unconsciously exposing reactions to such actions, he gradually erased my suspicions.
Naturally, after a key figure from Ashin Guild invited me,
he reveals his power while applying definite pressure.
Even if he was more of a monster than I had anticipated, it didn’t matter.
Actually, withstanding Aiden’s mana wasn’t that difficult.
If I wanted, even if not to the point of fighting him, getting myself out was sufficiently possible.
But I wasn’t the only one existing in this isolated space.
Ashin’s guild master and Korea’s Hunter Association president.
‘Perfect hostages.’
I quickly revised my assessment of President Aiden.
‘He’s not someone who sits in the president’s seat just because he’s an S-rank Hunter.’
At the same time, I pondered an appropriate answer.
If I mentioned the purpose the Association President conveyed in advance, he would feel deceived…
But it was also impossible to tell the truth.
The moment I mentioned a pseudo-religion as the reason, negotiations and everything else would be over immediately.
Moreover, I couldn’t be certain there were no Cult members on the American side.
This was a place where Vivian brazenly held the position of research director.
In such a situation, could I be confident that none of the staff officers here were related to the Cult?
Of course not.
Considering the Cult forces that had been in Korea’s political and business circles,
It’s a situation where even the president should be suspected.
suddenly, two people behind me caught my eye.
Two people staring straight ahead with calm expressions.
And next, what caught my eye were the staff officers on President Aiden’s side.
‘I’m the one doing all the work, but aren’t these guys being too comfortable?’
The moment I confirmed that, I redirected the Karmic Fire that had been blocking President Aiden’s mana.
Toward where Aiden’s staff officers were.
At that moment, groans flowed out from both sides.
“Elder, Elder Brother…?”
I could feel the bewildered gazes of the two people, but I didn’t mind.
Though some emotion was mixed in, all of this stemmed from my desire for Kim Jin-woo to do well.
When I struck with Karmic Fire, Jin-woo only blocked the aftermath, yet didn’t he gain a new skill called Fire Resistance?
Opportunities to directly face an S-rank Hunter’s mana weren’t common.
The same goes for Aiden’s staff officers.
I am absolutely not venting my anger because the schedule was arranged poorly.
In the end, Jin-woo and the Association President, and the closest aides of an allied nation’s president.
I hope they understand that I’m sacrificing Karmic Fire with the desire for all these people to become even stronger.
And in that process, I found an appropriate answer.
Though I would have liked to think a bit more, for the sake of both sides’ staff officers’ foreheads dripping with sweat like rain and their trembling legs, I decided to stop here.
“It’s because I have excellent Guild Members.”
“Guild Members?”
Aiden’s expression, which had been showing interest in my strange behavior, wavered.
The answer I came up with was simple.
“The United States isn’t the only one with a Hunter who can see the future.”
Let’s reveal Lee Seo-rin’s card.
President Aiden touched his lips at my answer.
There was no need to explain the reason.
There was no need to explain the reason.
There was no need for additional explanations about who that guild member was either.
Because President Aiden was already combining the information he had received in his head and reaching his own conclusions.
“So the prophet the Oracle spoke of was in Ashin.”
Accordingly, I also withdrew my Karmic Fire.
“Good. My doubts have been resolved.”
President Aiden stood up from his seat.
“Well then, let’s leave the rest to the working staff and you come have a drink with me.”
With that, Aiden pulled out a liquor bottle.
This gentleman, there are things you should and shouldn’t say to someone who’s going to raid a dungeon tomorrow.
I stood up from my seat, thinking I should refuse.
“Tomorrow morning—”
“Tomorrow morning?”
But seeing the bottles in both his hands, my answer changed.
“Let’s drink until tomorrow morning.”
“Hahaha, I have no choice but to acknowledge your guts.”
Aiden and I put our arms around each other’s shoulders and entered the office door in the next room.
Aiden and I put our arms around each other’s shoulders and walked straight into the office next door.
How could anyone refuse a 500 million won bottle of Macallan?
***
After the two left, the conference room fell into momentary silence.
The Staff Officers from both sides had their legs give out from the unexpected lightning bolt, clutching each other’s trembling legs as they collapsed into their chairs.
There was no helping that the Leader was such a mang… no, such a reckless person.
His abilities were killer, after all.
And he did take pretty good care of them too…
Everyone secretly thought it was actually for the best.
Those two monsters(?) would have just gotten in the way anyway.
And when they lifted their heads to somehow finish the remaining negotiations,
the Staff Officers from both sides could tell.
There are times when hearts connect without words, aren’t there?
Everyone in that room was thinking the same thing.
Even the Association President.
Hey, you too? Hey, me too…
United by the camaraderie of serving the same type of boss, rumors say they held a tearful company dinner after the meeting ended.
***
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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