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It’s no exaggeration to say that the representative powers of Korea, the 12-point alliance, know each other well.
“That damned moon rabbit I expected, but how did that guy get in here? I permitted him to enter Eungwang High, but I didn’t remember inviting him.”
“I have a lot of connections.”
Since Seodol is Neuru’s chief designer, perhaps it was Wang Chansol who invited him.
For now, I decided to greet the two people who came out of nowhere.
“Hi, benefactor. It’s nice to see you after a long time! As for the rat and the crazy ti— I mean, it would’ve been better if they weren’t here.”
“Jo Euishin always greets people well.”
Ok Toyeon tried to call Hwang Jiho a “crazy tiger”, but she stopped herself just in time, remembering that the descendants she was with were tigers too.
Seodol slowly looked at the descendants next to Ok Toyeon.
“I think I’ve seen you guys somewhere.”
Seodol said, looking directly at Eun Seoho and Eun Iho.
I don’t know about the resemblance, but it adds that Hwang Jiho called Eun Seoho “Eunho” on April Fool’s Day.
They look different from my point of view, but from the perspective of a royal lineage, there must be something similar with the energy.
On the other hand, the descendants looked a little worried but resorted to saying ‘As expected, there is a lot of royal lineage in Eungwang High!;
Ok Toyeon was stunned and covered the descendants’ eyes.
“No, no! You’ll catch the plague if you look at him!”
“There’s no plague here so you can be at ease, ma’am.”
“The plague spreads quickly!”
“Don’t talk about plagues in other people’s territory. If the plague spreads in this land, both of you will be banned for a hundred years.”
“Why me?!”
Ok Toyeon and Hwang Jiho argued.
Meanwhile, the frozen Song Daesok finally said a word.
“You’re the benefactor?”
Song Daesok added quickly before I could respond.
“I’m going back to the association’s booth, VP.”
What would he do in the deserted association booth?
Song Daesok disappeared, not sparing another glance.
I felt a strong will in him to pretend that he didn’t hear anything.
Seodol watched in admiration how Song Daesok ran away.
“He looks exactly like the Iron Arm when he was younger, doesn’t he? Though the Iron Arm isn’t my cup of tea because he isn’t the picture-like hero.”
Song Manseok and Song Daesok are quite different.
However, I decided not to say anything because I pulled my foot while trying to focus on my playable character for the first time in a long time.
At that moment, the arrow suddenly pointed at me.
“Oh, it’s the necktie pin I gave you as a pin. I’ll gift you another one soon with the design I chose last time. How about a belt next time?”
“You were wearing something sinister like that all this time, Jo Euishin? It does suit you though. But what do you mean Jo Euishin chose this?”
“I’m working on the Nameless Supernova Edition in Neuru, and I’m pulling the next line of accessories—”
“What the? You’re a model, benefactor? I want you to model for the Moon Rabbit Ricecake then!”
That bastard gave another royal lineage the idea of getting me as a model…!
On top of that, Hwang Jiho said something almost to encourage them.
“Hwangmyeong Group comes first. Well, out of anything, he’ll be Eungwang High’s ambassador.”
“The Moon Rabbit Rice Cake is next in line then!”
“He can be Neuru’s ambassador at the same time.”
They didn’t seem to be on good terms just a second ago, but why are they getting along so well all of a sudden?
The conversation was dangerous for outsiders to hear since it would reveal our identities, but looking closely, it seemed that Hwang Jiho soundproofed our surroundings the moment the heads appeared.
I can’t tell if he’s sloppy or thorough.
Anyway, I decided to ignore the old people and instead talked to the descendants.
“We stayed quiet because we heard that we shouldn’t meddle in adults’ conversation! We did a great job, right?”
“Thank you for inviting us to the festival! Ah, he’s not visible right now, but Jeokho-nim is also with us.”
“I wanted to buy Jeokho-nim something delicious though…”
Eunho’s descendants were much more dignified than the clan heads.
I thought it would be better to ditch those immature elders and enjoy the festival with the descendants.
Other than that, I think Jeokho would want to see his son’s face more than any food that he could buy.
I suggested a place where I thought Kim Shinrok could be, and the kids fortunately were excited about it too.
The time to cover some news came soon, so I was thinking of abandoning Hwang Jiho.
“This body is busy unlike you idle people. Enjoy the festival quietly and don’t make any trouble.”
The quick-witted old man noticed my intention to abandon him.
However, Ok Toyeon and Seodol didn’t easily let us go.
“I want to walk around with the benefactor though!”
“Me too. I was going to see Jein, but I don’t think it would be a bad idea to follow Hwangho and Jo Euishin around, even if it’s bothersome.”
“You know you’re being a bother so why don’t you get lost!”
“Feel free to follow me if you want to be kicked out of Eungwang High.”
“Then I’ll follow Jo Euishin, not you.”
“Me too!”
In the end, the burden was handed over to me.
I decided to draw the line.
“It’s hard to find time because I have to cover something for the newspaper department. I’ll see you next time.”
Neither of them seemed satisfied, but they backed away when I asked politely.
Seodol left an ominous word as he looked at me and the descendants.
“See you next time.”
“Nonsense!”
“You’re not going to see them.”
Ok Toyeon and Hwang Jiho were in perfect harmony.
Anyway, after successfully warding off the two clan heads, I moved to cover the chess small group as scheduled.
We were late so I thought the ten-sided matches already started, but things were still idle when we arrived.
The members of Stalemate brightened up when they saw me.
“Welcome, champ!”
I wondered why they were so welcoming, but it must’ve been because of the lack of participants.
A ten-sided match is where a single player goes against ten players.
That means a total of eleven players are needed.
Seeing that the audience is large, I thought there would already be a challenger, but perhaps people are embarrassed to play in front of a crowd.
Or maybe they’re reluctant to go first.
‘I came here thinking about news coverage, so I’m not ready to play chess…’
While I was hesitating, a player appeared to represent the Stalemate.
“Are all the big guys here?”
“There’s only one seat left, Yong-ssaem! We want to ask this year’s champion.”
Stalemate’s representative is Yong Jegun!
Indeed, he was the most famous personality in Stalemate, so it’s not strange to be the first batter of the ten-sided match even though he’s the adviser.
Yong Jegun smiled at me, his eyes still squinted.
“I wanted to play against Euishin once. It worked out well. Do you want to place the pieces?”
Several things bothered my mind when it comes to Yong Jegun.
The possibility that he’d be a superior being, his recent replay, and even the thought of chess itself still shakes my head.
It was a complicated feeling, but I didn’t want to break the excitement of the festival, so I tried to nod.
“Instead of Jo Euishi, yours truly will…”
Before Hwang Jiho finished intervening, someone else raised his hand.
It was Sung Gukeon who just entered Stalemate’s ten-sided match.
“I think there’s still room left.”
The audience recognized Sung Gukeon and exclaimed.
“It’s Congressman Sung Gukeon!”
“He’s an alumnus… He came to the festival!”
The audience naturally made a way when Sung Gukeon expressed his will to join.
Jeon Muyeong, who was following him, stepped in front of the cordon, but Sung Gukeon headed to the chess table.
“Did you come knowing that I’ll be your opponent?”
“Of course.”
“I thought you were avoiding me though.”
Sung Gukeon avoids all royal lineages and descendants, not just Yong Jegun.
But I wonder why he’s participating even though he knew that he’d go against Yong Jegun.
“…I was inexperienced as a student.”
“I don’t remember you as such, considering your days as the student representative.”
“Haha! I see you remember it that way.”
It was the first time I saw Sung Gukeon laugh in front of Yong Jegun.
No, I think it’s the first time I’ve seen him showed that side to someone he knew as royal lineage.
Sung Gukeon’s voice was lowered, so the words couldn’t be heard well by the audience.
He was heard only by a few people standing near the chess table.
“I was immature enough that my judgment was clouded when my teacher died, and I was powerless not to be able to investigate the cause.”
“So you mean you’re different now?”
“Yes, that’s why I’m here.”
Sung Gukeon’s words had a lot of meaning behind them.
Listening silently, Hwang Jiho stared at Sung Gukeon.
Sung Gukeon is a veteran politician and has been elected to the National Assembly twice.
He has the experience and ability to investigate the truth that he couldn’t have looked into as a student.
Normally, the Tiger Clan would prevent people from digging up information regarding their identity, especially Kim Shinrok’s, but they’re not blocking Sung Gukeon.
‘Don’t tell me Sung Gukeon already knows Kim Shinrok’s…’
I heard that Kim Shinrok contacted Sung Gukeon a few more times.
At that time, there was no news that Sung Gukeon was grasping his identity, so perhaps Sung Gukeon was pretending not to know it yet.
Considering Sung Gukeon’s personality, instead of interrogating his old teacher, he’ll try to figure and wait things out first.
“I thought maybe it was the royal lineage that I hated the most for the longest time.”
“…”
Yong Jegun, Sung Gukeon’s least favorite royal lineage, smiled silently.
Sung Gukeon spoke loudly before the audience would start suspecting anything.
“Play a round with me, Professor Yong Jegun!”
The atmosphere was heightened by Sung Gukeon’s loud voice.
The host from Stalemate shouted quickly as well.
“The ten-sided match prepared by the Stalemate small group will begin soon!”
Fwaaaa!
Along with the host’s words, Yong Jegun reached out to the air and gave off a powerful energy wave.
Then, a huge chess board made by Yong Jegun’s spatial skills came up from the floor.
I thought the space between the audience and the center was ambiguous when I first came in, and it seems like it was on purpose in preparation for this.
It looked as if the tables playing the ten-sided game were on a chessboard-looking stage.
In turn, chess pieces began to be placed all over the stage.
It was no less spectacular than the opening of the Stalemate Chess Competition.
Waaah!
Amid the cheers, the ten-sided match began when Yong Jegun stood in the center of the ten tables arranged in a circle.
As he moved toward the staff, I took out my device and began to record ten screens deployed as holograms.
Yong Jegun moved chess pieces as he walked around the ten chess tables; calm as if he were taking a simple walk.
The ten holograms displaying the time gradually began to decline.
Whenever Yong Jegun called the checkmate, the hologram screen of the chess table turned off.
‘The challengers are very good, but he’s winning by a landslide, Yong Jegun’s good at chess.’
I felt a headache coming as I stared at the chessboards, but I couldn’t miss the ten-sided game where two of my playable characters are playing.
Moreover, this could serve as a clue to unravel the tangled relationship between the two.
Soon, the ten holograms became a single one.
The last remaining challenger was Sung Gukeon.
“Yong Jegun’s concentration is starting to get blurred.”
Yong Jegun’s condition went out of order.
It seemed like it was more difficult to deal with one Sung Gukeon than with ten people.
In the end, victory leaned toward Sung Gukeon.
When the audience was waiting for the checkmate…
“…”
Beyond the soundproof boundary, Yong Jegun spoke to Sung Gukeon.
Sung Gukeo, who was maintaining a poker face throughout the match, heard Yong Jegun and his forehead narrowed.
The next moment, Yong Jegun resigned.
“It’s a win for Assemblyman Sung Gukeon!”
Whatever he heard just before Yong Jegun resigned seemed to have made him confused.
On the other hand, Yong Jegun looked relieved.
With the two match-ups making headlines and challengers starting to flood the club, Hwang Jiho and I left.
I thought the interview would be better held later.
“I have a lot of questions to ask them, but it’s not something to ask during the festival. We better leave.”
It was just as Hwang Jiho said.
For now, I decided to do the next interview.
“Min Geurin’s joint exhibition still remains, but there are still many people so it would be better to come back later. Shall we go to the sophomore's area next?”
Hwang Jiho and I took some pictures and notes on the way to the sophomore area.
Keeping a small record would help me with the news coverage.
While on the move, we ran into another familiar face.
‘Why is Joo Soohyuk here? He’s supposed to be on duty at the bakery cafe until before lunch.’
I wanted to greet him, but it didn’t feel like the right time to intervene.
Joo Soohyuk was talking to Heo Chaeah, his face apologetic.
Heo Chaeah was smiling, but Joo Soohyuk just bowed his head again.
‘…Somehow I’m bothered.’
I thought I should talk to him later when I visit the bakery cafe.
I hurried my steps and finally arrived at the sophomore area where we ran into Jegal.
“Let’s compete for Professor Jegal!”
“How pathetic! No matter what you say, we’re not handing our Jegal-ssasem to you!”
Along with it, I encountered a pathetic bunch.
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