Chapter 181: The Fate of the Demigod
Happy New Year!!!
Goddess Meriel is a survivor of a world destroyed by demons, just like any other survivor.
The difference is that she is a celestial being, possessing a body molded in human form but her powers as a divine being were greatly diminished by the fact that she had no choice but to escape her world through a gate.
She landed in the United States of America, the most powerful nation on Earth.
There, the goddess Meriel demonstrated her power to the United States government and was granted the highest level of protection in the country.
It has been fifteen years since her arrival, during which time she has met with countless American presidents, sealed their fates, and increased the government’s debt.
Knowing that there is evil in the world, she and the U.S. government have deferred payment for now, but the time will come when the enormous debt will be paid.
But the power of the Goddess Meriel is more important than that, even if it means changing the state religion of the United States of America to Meriel.
It was a time when the power of religion was weaker than ever and if the U.S. government really wanted to, it could do it but her power was even more potent on an individual level.
To seal a person’s fate is a powerful thing and until that moment, the hunter is immune to death, while everything changes to determine that future.
The goddess’s foresight, like the laws of the pantheon, was the power of conception.
‘So, what is the fate of this man that Meriel saw?’
Deputy Donald was curious about the fate of Leon as seen by Goddess Meriel.
“Whoa——”
Goddess Meriel wiped the sweat from her brow with a handkerchief and stared at Leon. She was rarely agitated.
“King Leon, you are——”
She stared at him for a moment, thinking maybe he was talking to someone in a way she couldn’t hear, but a glance at him told her that wasn’t the case.
“I’m sorry, Deputy Donald.”
“What? What do you mean——.”
“I’m afraid I’m not going to be of much use to King Leon.”
“What?”
This had never happened before. Goddess Meriel had always been cooperative with the United States government.
He assumed this would be no different, but she shook her head.
“It’s not that I won’t, it’s that I can’t. Don’t confuse the difference.”
“What do you mean——?”
“King Leon. I can’t be of any help to you, but you should consider the US government’s offer. That’s all I can do.”
“I will consider it.”
Leon rose from his seat, straightening his suit, and kissed the back of Goddess Meriel’s hand in farewell.
That’s it? He’s really just leaving?
Deputy Donald could only stare in disbelief, having forgotten to see Leon off.
“Hey, Meriel——”
Snapping out of it, he turned to Goddess Meriel. Somehow, the rebuke in her gaze seemed to prove that he wasn’t all that faithful.
“Goddess Meriel–what in the world is going on here, is it possible–that you have not seen the fate of the Lionheart King?”
“I have seen his fate.”
“But how can——”
“His life is made up of struggles–many struggles have made him who he is, and he is willing to walk that path.”
The Goddess’s power had clearly foreseen Leon’s future but it’s both meaningful and not so meaningful.
The future is only as good as its foreknowledge.
It is the power of the goddess of fate, Meriel, who has the power to seal it but——.
“It was impossible to seal the fate of King Leon.”
The goddess chose the best of Leon’s destinies to confirm it: the one he longed for, the one that remained unfulfilled—-
“Huh— if he is really in human form——Deputy Donald, you’d better tell the U.S. government that we have to cooperate with King Leon, unconditionally.”
“I don’t understand.”
Aside from the disappointment of the de facto migration plan, there was something odd about this attitude from the Goddess. She always gave clear answers.
“By nature, the only fates I can gauge are those with mortal identities, but he was beyond my grasp.”
“Is that because he’s a demigod? That’s what the YouTubers touted.”
At that, Goddess Meriel shook her head.
“His rank is only demigod, but he is already a god. He has become a concept of something.”
“What—?”
“Victory.”
A god destined for victory.
Meriel seemed somewhat excited, holding back her pounding heart. As if the cold sweat from earlier could be attributed to that.
“Countless worlds have been destroyed by demons, and countless gods have lost their worlds, including King Leon and his world——”
The difference between them and gods like himself was clear.
“King Leon’s existence as a living god is the clear line that separates him from the rest of us.”
A god cannot intervene in the fate of a god.
She could see why the gods of the Pantheon could care so much for a mortal.
‘A god in a mortal body it’s a miracle and could be the greatest force in history.’
How could they not love a being who would become a pillar of glory, towering over the gods of the pantheon in countless dimensions?
“You’d better not do anything foolish to make an enemy of King Leon or try to hold him back, for it will determine the ‘fate’ of the United States of America.”
The goddess left her steadfast foreknowledge to her longtime business partner. It was her customary courtesy.
‘But— there is one more being I could not fathom.’
As she watched his fate, she locked eyes with ‘it’.
So destructive and insidious–the embodiment of all the violence in the world.
“Go away.”
As if even a glimpse of his future self was offensive.
His destructive gaze shattered the goddess’s vision and drove her away.
The Lionheart King’s nemesis.
* * * * *
-The deputy director of the United States Hunter Management Agency has met with His Majesty Leon! I should have seen it!
-Fuck! That guy just naturalized two S-class Hunters!
-Opposition, you bastards! Isn’t this what you wanted?
-What the fuck are you doing? You’re not going to catch and jail every single one of those bastards?
-On what grounds?
-My tears are the proof.
President Ahn Dong-gil listened to the NSC’s report, troubled by the public opinion that was growing worse by the day.
“The United Kingdom has offered the hand of their next queen, Princess Diane, and other countries such as France, Japan, India, Belgium, and Germany have made similar offers——”
“The United States. What would the United States offer?”
“The cession of American territory and— the establishment of an independent kingdom.”
“The United States would do that?”
President Ahn Dong-gil gulped at the enormous amount of support being offered to Leon and the TTG Temple.
If it came to this, Korea had to do something, whether it was enacting special laws or proposing an autonomous region!
“Mr. President!”
“What’s going on?”
“Mr. President! His Majesty Leon wants to see you!”
“——!”
Has he already made up his mind to emigrate, that son of a bitch!
Oh no. Look how much my approval ratings have gone up thanks to Leon! If I don’t stop Leon from moving abroad, I’ll go down as the worst president ever.
President Ahn hurried to the drawing room where Leon was waiting for him.
“Oh, President Ahn. Why don’t you go for a walk?”
“Ah, yes!”
The President of South Korea and the Lion King of the TTG Temple take a walk. Whether he realized it or not, Leon kept the conversation casual and uneventful.
‘Are you leaving? Are you really leaving? Aren’t you here to say goodbye?!’
Ahn Dong-gil would kneel if necessary–for his country.
He was the kind of man Korea needed, especially now that the demonic invasion had accelerated. He would even help elect the next president if necessary.
‘I’m sorry, Grandpa! I’m sorry, Father!’
Ahn apologizes to his grandfather, an independence soldier, and his father, a democracy fighter.
He couldn’t have known that the man he once feared would destroy South Korea’s democracy would become such a force to be reckoned with.
“By the way, President Ahn. I have a gift for you.”
“What is it?”
Leon suddenly pulled a sword out of subspace. The bodyguards panicked at the sudden appearance of the weapon, but none of them dared to draw their pistols.
If the Lionheart King sets his mind to it, who can stop him?
“This is——?”
“A stellar iron sword, blessed by the goddess Arianna.”
President Ahn knew all too well how precious this item was. But a gift like this at this time? It’s like a farewell gift!
“Your Majesty!”
President Ahn suddenly fell to his knees. If a reporter had seen it, it would have been all over the news today.
“Don’t go! Where will you go after abandoning Korea?”
“President Ahn?!”
Leon’s eyes widened in a rare moment of panic. He immediately tried to pull President Ahn to his feet, but he stubbornly refused.
“It’s all my fault, those bastards in the opposition— no, I’m the one who’s guilty for not controlling them, I’ll make it right, please!”
“You, how can you say that? This king has no intention of leaving Korea.”
“Hmph, I’ll bet you a match——?”
I have no intention of leaving South Korea. At that, President Ahn swallowed back the tears that threatened to fall and looked puzzled.
“You–you’re not leaving for the U.S.?”
“I’m not going anywhere, not even to the United States. Well, I made a pact to set up a branch of the TTG Temple.”
“Uh, why not——?”
As far as President Ahn was concerned, their offer was seductive. Korea should be able to make a corresponding offer, but things like talking to royalty and ceding territory were difficult, even with opposition.
So why did King Leon insist on staying in this small patch of land?
“A king never forgets a friend who helped him in his time of need.”
“Your Majesty——”
Ahn Dong-gil felt his heart sink.
There were times when he had frankly called him a fanatic barbarian thug knight, but he was also a good old-fashioned, romanticized man, full of loyalty and friendship.
“But there seems to be a lot of legal issues with this king’s activities, and as you know, he has laws and decency to uphold. I’d like you to take care of that.”
“Of course. I’ll take care of things like taxes and illegal weapons through Mr. Oh and Sir Yakt Spinner, and you don’t have to worry about the opposition!”
“I see you don’t care that much about them.”
Leon chuckled as he patted President Ahn on the shoulder. After the two of them had successfully completed their walk, President Ahn thought, “I’m going to go ahead and kick the crap out of these opposition bastards.”
* * * *
On the way back, Leon boarded the helicopter bound for Naju with Vulcanus, who had come with him as an entourage.
“You seem to have some doubts, Sir Vulcanus.”
“Hmm! I don’t understand a bit myself.”
“I suppose you mean why you didn’t accept the American offer?”
“You’d be a fool to marry the British and leave Queen Beatrice behind.”
“She is the princess of a country. Be polite.”
“What the–! Excuse me. Well, I suppose it’s possible if she’s a concubine, but there’s something wrong with taking a woman who’s not even a virgin as a wife.”
In the Lionheart Kingdom, the Lionheart King was usually married to a devout virgin. Leon had an eventful love story of his own, but he chose a virgin daughter of Dinah, goddess of the moon and purity, to be his queen.
“But the United States offer is more than a bargain, even for me. We could have rebuilt Lionheart once and for all.”
“Well, it’s the easy way out. But it’s also a path with clear limits.”
“Hmm?”
Leon smirked at Vulcanus’ question.
“In your grand scheme of things, you’d have to settle on American soil to do that, wouldn’t you?”
“——If so!”
“This king has given much thought to the fall of the Empire.”
Vulcanus stiffened as if he had heard an unexpected answer, then burst into a roaring laugh.
“GRARARARARA────!!!”
* * * *
The unconventional courtship of the TTG Temple by the world’s great powers, sparked by the resignation, was causing the opposition’s popularity to plummet by the day.
Finally, South Korea’s No. 1 opposition party raised its hand.
“We withdraw our accusations against the TTG Temple and apologize to His Majesty Leon Dragonia Lionheart for causing him distress.”
The formal surrender was accompanied by a public press conference by the opposition, which has since undergone a major internal shakeup due to its plummeting approval ratings, and a new party leader who chastised the members of the committee.
The opposition party elected a large number of representatives from the Temple of Ten Thousand Gods in an attempt to rebound in the polls, so the ruling party also joined the race for them.
“In the name of the Goddess of Light and Justice, we will bring about a just judicial system reform, people!”
“With the authority of the God of War, Petos, let’s root out the demonic bastards!”
“I, the son of Mokpo, will build a shrine to the God Poma, and the presence here of the Kikiruk chieftain Leonardo Antersect Claudius is proof of that!”
And with that, a ripple began to rise in the political circles of the country, tantamount to a revolution.
* * * *
With China torn apart into 53 countries, the Heilong People’s Republic had borders with Vladivostok, Russia, and Kaesong, North Korea.
Of course, after the collapse of China, these borders became fairly unimportant, as the 53 remnants of the old China, while still huge as a nation, had neither the power nor the military to manage their borders.
After the cataclysm, North Korea had long since become a living hell, with its only sponsor, China, having gone rogue, and the number of defectors increasing by the day.
“Hmph— Hey, Mr. Koo, are you sure you want to cross that river?”
“I’m thinking about it too.”
Koo Dae-sung had remained in the Heilong since the massive gate incident two months ago, and was in anguish as he watched the frozen Tumen River in front of him.
