Chun Jin-soo is an S-class hunter representing Korea.
The forty years old scion of a great family, takes up his sword against monsters during the Cataclysm.
He was the best sword in Korea, a living legend and Guildmaster of the number one [Divine Sword] guild in Korea.
His many legends, tinnitus, and contributions to the nation make him an untouchable "old man" in this country.
He's so untouchable that if they see him on the side of the road, the citizens will greet him with a bow, and it won't even make the news if he beats up a few unruly boys and girls.
In other words, it's an environment that makes Chun Jin-soo, who already has a bratty temperament, even more bratty.
Naturally, wherever he went, the main seat was his, and it had become common knowledge that no one could dispute that, but──
"Get out of the way."
Chun Jin-soo didn't understand for a moment what the blonde young man said as he looked down at him.
His eyes narrowed and he was speechless, causing everyone watChung to stare in horror.
There was someone who could bark orders at Chun Jin-soo of the Korean First Sword!
"You're still in the prime of life, and you're already deaf."
The verbal assault was a rare occurrence in the life of the seventy-year-old Chun Jin-soo.
"No, you young bastard──"
"This king is three hundred years old this year."
"What?"
Oh Kang-hyuk came out from behind like a servant. Although he was an old friend of Chun Jin-soo, he was only sixty-seven years old this year, just short of Chun Jin-soo's age.
"What nonsense, how can a person be 300 years old!"
"I've heard that Holy Knights don't age and their bodies are fixed to their prime."
"Uh…Hmm."
Chun Jin-soo couldn't figure out what his close brother in front of him was talking about. He had heard that there was a survivor in the world these days called the Lionheart King.
But he was of the Vietnam War generation. A celestial martial artist who didn't pay attention to stories that didn't interest him and might not know about Leon.
After all, most of the information about the Ten Thousand Gods Guild was being passed on via the internet and television.
"Is it true…?"
"Yeah."
"Are you....?"
Chun Jin-soo is a brat.
He's the kind of guy who, whenever there's an argument, the first thing he'll say is, "How old are you!" and then he'll start arguing.
His most powerful weapon is his age. But when confronted by someone who has lived more than four times as long as he has, he's at a loss for words.
"I, um… I'm the head of the Divine Sword Guild──"
"He is the Lionheart Kingdom's Lionheart King, and he currently runs the largest guild in Korea. He is truly the pinnacle of the Class Era."
"You…weren't you my friend?"
Chun Jin-soo looked at Oh Kang-hyuk with a narrowed gaze, but he laughed lightly.
"Of course, Mr. Hunter. But I'm here as the president of the Korean Hunter Association."
He was trying to separate fact from fiction, though he was clearly siding with Leon.
"Look, young…no, I mean, he...."
Even as he was about to say something, he felt out of place with Leon's youthful appearance, so he stood up then moved to sit down next to Mujin Guild Leader.
"...."
"...."
'The cranky old man has sunk.'
'What is this situation?'
It was so disconcerting to see Chun Jin-soo, who always sat at the head of the table whenever a Ten Guild meeting was called, sulking like a child whose toy had been taken away.
Leon naturally took his seat at the head of the table, and Yoon Soo-ah greeted him with a smile.
"Your Majesty, you're as handsome as the rumors say, how do you do? I'm Yoon Soo-ah."
Yoon Soo-ah is always kind to handsome men and Park Yong-shin scolds her with narrowed eyes.
"How rude of you, Miss Yoon! You have the audacity to say that!"
"Why are you...suddenly having a seizure?"
Yoon Soo-ah stares at Park Yong-shin's out-of-the-blue remark and sees the chilling fanaticism in his eyes.
"His Majesty is a savior. He is the gospel sent down to earth by the gods of the universe, the shepherd, the treasure of the human world."
"...."
-What's wrong with him?
-Isn't he a cult leader?
-I heard they merged....
The Hanbit Palace announced its merger with TTG Guild last night, the day after the meteorite fell. There were still many people who didn't understand why Hanbit was merging with the TTG Guild, or how a cult leader became Leon's foot polisher.
'I think I have a pretty good idea....'
'Me too....'
However, Yong-wan and Ha Yuri of the Firebird Guild, and Golden Chul of the Golden Lion Guild, who were present, had a rough idea of what was going on.
If you have any problems....
"Mr. Park Yong-shin, I heard that you merged with the TTG Guild."
Kang Jin-sung of the Blue Star Guild had been extremely annoyed by Park Yong-shin behavior earlier, and for good reason.
"The Hanbit Palace was supposed to be in a cooperative relationship for immediate purposes, but you sold it off without consulting us."
Hanbit Palace was part of the tax reform bill coalition centered on the Blue Star Guild. No, it was a key player, as it ran a multinational business.
"You mean that?"
Park Yong-shin gave him a rotten stare.
"I'll leave Hanbit out of it, and I don't have the authority to do so anymore."
"Hey, Palace Lord Park!"
Guild Leader Park Jong-soo shouted, as this was tantamount to treachery.
And it was a similar reaction from the other guild leaders, but Park Yong-shin snorted and laughed at their foolishness.
What a bunch of foolish, deluded people.
There's a living demigod right in front of them, and they can't even see it.
Of course, Park Yong-shin himself had a shameful past, having initially tried to persecute Leon as a heretic.
For that crime, he was punished to be a slave in the Ten Thousand Gods Guild, but now he realizes that there is a true savior in this world, the Lionheart King who will drive out the false gods and bring in the true faith.
"Enough."
That was it. At a single wave of Leon's hand, Park Yong-shin's expression quickly changed and he bowed his head.
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
""....""
What could possibly happen for a cult leader to convert overnight?
"President Oh Kang-hyuk, this king's time is more valuable than gold."
"Yes…! Let's get straight to the point!"
They suddenly realize the difference between how the Association treats the Ten Guilds and how they treat Leon.
Of course, even the Divine Sword Guild tends to use economic logic to bully the Association, so how sweet it would be to have a superhuman who could easily clear a red gate or two as long as they were polite.
"Last month In Da Nang, Vietnam, the magical demon, Chun...."
Oh Kang-hyuk glanced at Chun Jin-soo since it was his eldest son who was the demon swordsman.
"I don't care, he's no match for me."
"It's early, young man. Maintain your dignity."
"...."
Chun Jin-soo looks at Leon as if he's dumbfounded by his point.
"I'm… seventy-five this year."
"You're still in your prime, but you're a bit haggard at face value."
"Phew…!"
Ha Yuri burst out in laughter but when Chun Jin-soo gave her a disapproving glance, she looked away.
"Okay...."
Chun Jin-soo was silent with his lips pursed and Oh Kang-hyuk struggled to hold back his laughter as he watched his troublesome friend fumble.
"The demon swordsman from Da Nang, Chun Ji-ho, has been hovering around for a while now, but this one's a bit more subdued, so he's just been wandering around in the evacuated city."
The problem came next.
Evacuating the city was a good idea, but then Nguyen, a Vietnamese S-class hunter, went after the Demon Swordsman.
Nguyen, an all-powerful S-class hunter in Vietnam who had hired many Filipino mercenaries, wanted to use this opportunity to make a name for himself around the world──
[T/N : Vietnam forbid hiring mercenaries but don't forget it's a novel (not everything is accurate) ]
"Was the testimony of a survivor."
"What a bunch of commie birds."
In any case, the campaign against the Demon Swordsman in Da Nang was a disaster. Drunk on blood, the Demon Swordsman laid waste to the entire city and began traveling again in search of his next target across the ocean, to the American continent.
Given the speed with which it travels on its sword, the U.S. government has even declared martial law to prepare for its arrival in less than two weeks.
"It was two weeks ago that the Demon Swordsman made his strange move."
Two weeks ago. Leon was in the middle of clearing the Relic Convoy quest after opening an artificial gate.
"The Demon Swordsman suddenly changed course and started flying toward Japan, traveling faster than expected."
The Japanese government was so alarmed that it ordered the Hunters to be called out, and asked for help from South Korea and the United States.
"By the way."
Just then, a hip young man raises his hand. Hwang Jin-chul, a young man with a gold necklace who also works as a professional rapper, asked the question.
"Why should we help then?"
"Hunter Golden Chul...."
"No, no, that's the thing. We talked about it when you weren't around, but they were a bunch of bastards during the Ulsan case, and we're not going to let them get away with it. The Yankees are going to make a lot of noise about Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation, but that's something to think about when there's no reason."
The sixth generation demon swordsman awakened in an event known as the Ulsan Massacre, where South Korea lost four S-class Hunters, including Chun Ji-ho, the host of the Demon Sword.
With Chun Ji-ho, the strongest Demon Swordsman ever, the Japanese government prevented their own S-class Hunters from leaving, and it took eight more Korean S-class Hunters to finally defeat him.
The Wandering Demon Swordsman was a formidable force, and it was understandable that the Japanese were scared off but the reverse was equally applicable.
"If the Wandering Demon Swordsman appears, then…even if we want to deal with its basic abilities, we'll have to mobilize a hundred elite troops, and who will deal with the Demon Sword itself? I wasn't able to deal with it because I was a rookie at the time, but you said it's very powerful, wasn't it, Yong-wan?"
"Why are you dragging me…?."
Lee Yong-wan was one of the S-class Hunters in Korea who had fought the Wandering Demon Swordsman…the current Demon Sword, Chun Ji-ho.
Five S-class hunters, including Infinite Sword Kang Jin-sung of Blue Star, had faced it, and he felt it more than anyone else.
"It's strong. Not even five S-Class hunters barely have a chance against him. One-on-one, I don't think anyone would be able to... No, I see."
"????"
At that moment, everyone's gaze turned to Yong-wan, and Yong-wan's gaze turned to Leon.
Yong-wan fought against Majestic Georgic, so he knew that a superhuman comparable to the demon swordsman existed.
"Your Majesty, the Lionhearted King, are you…stronger than Lord Georgic?"
Under Yong-wan's gaze, Leon answered as if it were a given.
"This king is an agent of the gods, the guardian of the Holy Grail, a living demigod."
That was enough of an answer.
With Leon on board, any difficulty level would be doable so Golden Chul agreed.
He had witnessed Leon's transcendent martial prowess in Cheongju, and Yong-wan had seen it at Jeju Island and Dragon Palace Gate.
If there was a human being beyond the standards of an S-class Hunter, it would definitely be Leon.
"Well, regardless, I'm still against it. There is nothing left."
"Why is there nothing left?"
Leon opened his mouth, his gaze scanning to his left.
"Honor remains. Honor can be earned. And then there is the life of the commoner, who can only lean within the confines of knighthood and noble duty."
Everyone here would have laughed at the fatuousness of it all but those who have experienced Leon know that his justice is not empty, and his honor and glory are not unworthy.
That everything the knight named Leon does is for something beyond profit.
"Oh, so it is…so it is the Savior. This lowly body can't help but be moved."
Park Yong-shin, who has been very emotional lately, agreed with Leon's words with tears in his eyes.
"I don't want to...."
Yong-Wan looked bored, but sneakily glanced over to see if Leon was going to call him out, and Ha Yuri only shrugged.
"Your Majesty...."
Oh Kang-hyuk could only be impressed. His eyes weren't wrong after all.
"Then the distribution of the 10 trillion won in aid prepared by the Japanese government on the condition of this combined attack is──"
"Of course this king will receive it."
"...."
Oh Kang-hyuk, the head of the Association, glared at Leon with a firm gaze but Leon was confident, as if he was saying something obvious.
"I'm marching an army to a foreign country. I should be paid for it."
"Yes…you should."
Oh Kang-hyuk, who was about to be moved by Leon's justice, became cold again. If Leon didn't take it, the Association would have to take it.
"By the way, there will be a king there too, so prepare an audience with him. This king should introduce himself."
"Yes, well… I'll make a request to the government."
By this time, Oh Kang-hyuk didn't pay much attention to Leon's words. After all, Leon was an Otherworlder who valued formalities.
He hadn't noticed the most important part of the story about the Wandering Demon Swordsman Alliance raiders.
* * * *
The meeting didn't drag on for long.
The Ten Thousand Gods and Divine Sword Guilds had agreed to participate, and in response to the 10 trillion won aid package offered by the Japanese government, Golden Chul and Yong-wan slowly announced their intention to join.
"I'll join them."
"Even Elder Kang Jin-sung?"
Even Kang Jin-sung, the guild leader of the Blue Star Guild and the second-ranked Infinite Sword after Chun Jin-soo.
Adding to that Hanbit Palace's Park Yong-shin, who had also decided to join the battle alongside the Ten Thousand Gods Guild, meant that six large guilds would be participating.
Everyone started leaving after the scheduled date of the demonic swordsman movement and a light schedule was adjusted.
The leader of the Divine Sword Guild, Chun Jin-soo, spoke to Leon as he left.
"Look."
"Look?"
"...Your Majesty the Lionheart King."
Chun Jin-soo was trying his best to show respect to the young man, even if it was only at face value but as if he didn't like it, Leon clicked his tongue.
"You are dark on the culture and manners of this world. But the manners of the past, regardless of the world, are dignified. Perhaps you should watch your language."
"No, I… No…."
"Tsk tsk. When this king was your age, he would have been beaten day and night for such behavior."
"My, my age...."
"Ugh…! Just ask for forgiveness, that's all, but that's a slap in the face. Doesn't this world have any manners for laughing matter?"
Chun Jin-soo was on the verge of jumping up and down because he had always been the one who said that others don't have manners.
"Anyway…! I have a request for your Majesty."
"A request?"
"Yes, sir. You can't say I don't deserve it."
Chun Jin-soo spoke with a determined gaze, unlike the cautious one he had given Leon throughout the meeting.
"You know that my granddaughter is in Your Majesty's Guild, so do me a favor and leave her out of this raid."
"...."
Leon understood Chun Jin-soo's concern, and rightly so. He would have thought the same thing himself.
Officially, she was on his way to deal with a dangerous enemy, and privately, she was on her way to kill her father.
It was a coincidence that could be called a tragedy of fate.
"Impossible."
"Look here…!"
"This king will cannot intervene in this case, for it is the will of God."
The being whispering to Chun So-yeon was the most dangerous god.
Only Chun So-yeon and her divinity have a choice. Leon could only watch from the sidelines.