Please Stop The Pope

Chapter 115

3.

After finishing some simple tasks at the shrine, I headed straight to the Blue House for the Northeast Asia Exchange’s welcome ceremony.

The event was organized to welcome awakened individuals from various countries participating in the exchange.

The person in charge of the ceremony was Minister Yoo Sun-ho of the Department of Ability Management.
It seemed the government wanted to show how seriously they were taking this event by appointing Minister Yoo.

“It’s been a while, Awakened Kim Siwoo. Have you been doing well?”

“Well, I’m always doing well. I was feeling a bit neglected since the minister hasn’t visited the shrine lately.”

“Perhaps it’s because my retirement isn’t far off; I feel like my energy has been waning lately. Honestly, even preparing for this event has been somewhat overwhelming. Hahaha!”

Minister Yoo laughed heartily.

I knew full well his words were nothing more than humble exaggeration. Losing energy? Please.

If anything, he still looked like he could chew through steel beams with vigor.

It simply meant that Minister Yoo had always been excellent at taking care of himself.

He was meticulous in everything, so it wasn’t surprising that his physical upkeep was just as thorough.

Smiling, I shook his hand.

“We’ve recently welcomed an elder at our shrine, and I think you two would get along quite well.”

“Oh, is that so?”

“When the exchange is over, you should stop by for a visit. I even have a gift prepared for you. Just to be clear, it’s not a bribe, alright?”

“Hm, then perhaps I should wait until after retirement to make it proper.”

“Sounds good to me. If someone of your caliber joins us after retiring as a minister, how should we determine your salary?”

Minister Yoo burst into laughter again at my cheeky response.

“Haha! Are you planning to recruit a retired old man right away? Seems like you don’t even intend to give me a sabbatical first.”

“Well, if you could bring along our Chief Secretary Kim when you come, that would be great.”

“If I do that, I’ll get an earful from the President. No one wants their final days in politics to be spent inciting resentment. Now then, there’s still some time before the event starts. Why don’t we head inside for some tea?”

What a tough old man.

Talking to him felt like conversing with a gently flowing river—he’d smoothly accept your words and return with a soft response.

His conversational style naturally made others feel at ease.

Of course, I was fully aware that his gentle demeanor was just a facade. I’d heard enough stories from CEO Choi to know better.

Following Minister Yoo’s guidance, I entered the reception room and sat comfortably in a chair.

“Leo, you sit next to me.”

“Thank you, Your Holiness.”

As Leo sat beside me, Minister Yoo’s secretary served us green tea.

“The aroma is quite pleasant.”

“Thank you for the tea.”

Indeed, the green tea had a fine aroma, distinctly different from tea bags.

If my palate were a bit more refined, I might have been able to pinpoint the exact difference, but alas, my taste buds weren’t that sophisticated.

“Hm.”

After taking a sip, Minister Yoo quietly looked at me.

“Thank you for accepting the invitation. I heard you’ve been incredibly busy lately. I’ve also heard that the growth rate of players from the Limen Order has been remarkable. Is there a special secret? I’d love to learn some of your methods someday.”

“Has word spread that far already?”

“It’s a different world now, isn’t it? We’ve been putting a lot of effort into strengthening our intelligence capabilities.”

“From what I’ve heard, it’s not just intelligence you’ve been reinforcing. I heard that after the disbandment of the Guild Coalition, you’ve been recruiting hunters with considerable funds.”

One of the biggest incidents in the past month was the disbandment of the Guild Coalition.

Already plagued by internal strife, the Guild Coalition was struck by an explosive scandal with the power of a hydrogen bomb:

<“Former President Yang Gi-choon’s Confession: ‘I am a sinner to the nation. I betrayed the people by selling out Ryu Jin-young to Japan.’”>

This was the so-called “Ryu Jin-young Scandal.”

The scandal, which began with the confession of former President Yang Gi-choon—who had been living a quiet life in the countryside—quickly consumed the nation.

For a while, news about our Order, which had been dominating the headlines, completely disappeared, replaced by stories about Jin-young.

The details matched what I already knew:

Secret negotiations between the government and the Guild Coalition, the Coalition blackmailing of the government using these dealings, and the media manipulations they orchestrated in partnership with certain outlets.

Evidence of their collusion burst forth from all sides, and even Kang Chae-ah, the government’s lead hunter, stepped forward as a witness.

The government had been preparing this bombshell for a long time, and when it hit, it was enough to topple the fractured Coalition.

“Even though I won’t be able to retire on a high note, I felt I had to leave some legacy for the future.”

Naturally, people began questioning the accountability of Minister Yoo Sun-ho, who had overseen the Department of Ability Management since the Dimension Opening.

The result? Minister Yoo would step down from all his duties following the Northeast Asia Exchange. In other words, this exchange was the stage for his grand finale.

“I heard you’ve had quite a few dealings with Ryu Jin-young recently.”

“Indeed, what happened to him was deeply unjust. The former president seemed to have carried the guilt with him ever since his retirement. The moment we brought up the matter, he eagerly offered to assist, saying he couldn’t bear the thought of the current administration suffering for his mistakes.”

The scandal ignited by the former president’s confession ultimately led to the collapse of the Guild Coalition.

Of course, not everyone involved was punished.

Some major guilds, like the Daehong Guild, had clearly prepared their exit strategies, distancing themselves from the scandal.

The fallout would take time to fully unravel, but for now, it seemed they’d be too preoccupied to make any bold moves.

With the Guild Coalition disbanded, new coalitions like the Central Alliance and Southern Alliance were sprouting up all over the place.

In any case, the biggest beneficiary of this scandal was none other than Jin-young, a man who had willingly become a scapegoat to save his people.

While some still criticized him, public opinion had generally shifted in his favor.

And today, Jin-young would be arriving in Korea for the Northeast Asia Exchange.

“Both Ryu Jin-young and the awakened individuals from China, including Wang Wei, will be attending the welcome ceremony. I hope you’ll look after them.”

“When you say ‘look after them,’ what exactly do you mean?”

“Well, it’s a bit embarrassing to say outright, but…wouldn’t it be unfortunate if there were conflicts on the very first day of such a carefully prepared event?”

Ah, so that’s why he called me here first.

This was basically him treating me like a troublemaker, wasn’t it?

Taking another sip of tea, I smiled brightly and nodded.

“You can count on me.”

“How reassuring.”

Politicians will be politicians.

He could lie through his teeth without so much as a twitch in his expression. How ruthless.

The first person to arrive at the Blue House was neither from the Japanese side nor the Chinese side.

“Hahaha! Siwoo, let’s have a drink. Today, let’s drink until our noses are crooked!”

“Please just leave me alone! Don’t come near me!”

“Why are you acting like this? I even wore a tuxedo to match the atmosphere of the banquet, are you going to make me feel bad about it?”

It was none other than Aiden.

I let out a deep sigh as I watched Aiden, who had come in before the event even started and was already starting a drinking party.

In some ways, you could say he’s consistent. Wherever there’s alcohol, he shows up and starts a drinking spree.

“Is that tuxedo custom-made?”

“Of course. My upper body muscles, as vast as the Pacific Ocean, express my rugged masculinity. Moreover, these rough muscles are the foundation of my history of struggle! It’s only right to show them off and brag!”

“…Shut up.”

“Hm? That’s something Eun-young says often!”

“Don’t refer to my grandmother like that in front of me.”

Aiden was still staying at my grandmother’s house, located in Yeoju.

It was a far cry from the chaotic daily life of a barbarian who supposedly scattered blood everywhere, but judging by Aiden’s expression, he seemed to be very satisfied with his current life.

It looked good.

Except for that muscle tuxedo.

“Who invited you here?”

“Hmm, didn’t I say? I’m the observer for this Northeast Asia exchange competition.”

“Observer?”

“There should be an observer from a third country for the competition to be considered legitimate. Siwoo, there’s probably no better observer than me anywhere.”

An officially recognized Irregular from the United States serving as an observer.

It’s hard to argue with that. Aiden being here meant the Chinese side had accepted the conditions.

If it’s the United States, considering the way their Chinese friends behave, this was an unexpected result.

‘Does this mean he’s confident?’

I don’t know how strong the irregular from China, the Sword Demon, is, but one thing’s for sure—he’s someone with a terrible taste.

From the offer he made to our Order last time to his current actions.

It seems like he lives for his own arrogance.

“But where are my grandmother and Mrs. Emma Miller?”

“They should be at your shrine by now. I’m sure they’re having a pleasant conversation with Archbishop Rapart.”

“There’s no safer place than there.”

With Luna, Archbishop Rapart, Toby, and the core members of our order, along with the newcomers who’ve been showing great improvement recently, and the best awakened from the U.S., the temple would be harder to infiltrate than here.

Moreover, our order’s power is greatly enhanced in holy grounds.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it a fortress.

“Archbishop Rapart seems to be quite popular with our ladies.”

“I think he might be a reincarnation of Casanova.”

“What did you say?”

“Just talking to myself. Don’t mind it.”

While Aiden and I were talking, there was a bit of commotion at the entrance of the event hall.

It seemed a guest had arrived.

“Finally, it’s starting. Siwoo, I think this is how they express it in Korea?”

“What do you mean?”

“Bring the popcorn! Haha! Hey, if there’s popcorn, could you bring me some?”

“There’s no way there’s popcorn in a banquet hall…”

“Here you go, Mr. Aiden Howard.”

…Well, there it is.

It seems the government really prepared everything thoroughly. There’s nothing missing.

“Hmm, Leo, would you like a bite?”

“I’m fine, Mr. Aiden Howard.”

“Well, suit yourself.”

Crunch—

Aiden took a handful of popcorn and began chewing it down without dropping a single piece. It’s a talent, if you think about it.

“The first guests are from Japan. Is Jin-young from last time here?”

“That’s right.”

Awakened individuals wearing coats with the Japanese flag entered the Blue House.

There were a total of 20 people.

It seemed like diplomats and participants of the exchange event were entering together.

After a moment, a familiar face, a handsome man, stepped out of the group and approached us.

“It’s been a while, everyone.”

“Jin-young, you look good, huh?”

“Siwoo’s right. It’s like a completely different person.”

“Is that so? I guess I can’t help but smile now that I’m finally standing on the land I’ve wanted to be on for so long.”

Jin-young smiled gently and nodded.

When a handsome person smiles brightly, they get even more handsome.

I reached out lightly and said, “Take care, hyung. By the way, where’s Kang Chae-ah?”

“We’re meeting secretly after this. It’s a secret.”

“After the event, come spend some time at our shrine garden. There won’t be many people after 10 PM. I’ll make sure to clear a spot for you. It’s perfect for a date, with flowers blooming even in winter.”

“Really?”

“You came to Seoul, so you should check out some of the famous places while you’re here.”

Jin-young looked much better with that smile. When I saw him in Japan, I felt like his expression was dead, but now he was showing such a bright smile.

Right, I should tell Baek Seolhwa to learn some tips from Jin-young hyung while he’s here. She had mentioned wanting to meet him once.

“Let’s talk more after the event. I’m here as the representative, so I can’t stay long.”

“Got it, hyung. See you later.”

Jin-young waved and returned to his group.

And just after he passed by, new figures appeared at the entrance.

Around 30 people wearing coats with the Five-Starred Red Flag embroidered on them.

In front of them stood a man with his hands behind his back, slightly lifting his chin.

A middle-aged man with short hair, draped in a long black robe that looked like something out of a martial arts novel.

As soon as they appeared, the somewhat noisy atmosphere turned cold.

The middle-aged man seemed to enjoy the coldness of the atmosphere as he subtly smiled and walked forward.

To be exact, he was walking toward me.

“Hmph.”

Finally, the middle-aged man, Wang Wei, arrived in front of me and looked down slightly. He was a little taller than me.

“Are you Kim Siwoo, the leader of the Limen Order?”

The meaning translated through the flowed into my mind.

Starting off like this, I couldn’t lose.

“Are you Wang Wei?”

“Seems like you weren’t taught the proper etiquette. I suppose it’s because you’re from a small country, but this is truly pathetic.”

It was exactly what I had expected.

I looked into Wang Wei’s eyes and smiled as I replied, “Today is going to be really fun. I’m already excited.”