"Uncle~ I saw the game end. Are you back?"
"Yes. Come in."
Click-
Sae-ah opened the door and entered. Compared to when she was harassed by the reporters outside the Sword Palace, she looked much more relaxed.
"How's the search for the Shadow Queen? Did you find any clues?"
"Definitely. The dark elf with black eyes you mentioned seems most suspicious. No, I'm sure it's that elf."
"Really? I couldn't tell from the screen."
"She looked different in person."
Sae-ah's eyes sparkled when he told her what he'd seen through the hole in the barrier.
"To think that what's beyond the barrier would be so different… Did you clear the quest?"
"No. I wasn't able to provoke her. I plan to do it properly next time."
"Really? That's a shame..."
Sae-ah moved to leave the room after that, but…
"Sae-ah, wait."
"Yes?"
"I found the Shadow Queen thanks to you, so tell me what you wanted from me."
"But it isn't confirmed yet, right?"
"No. I'm sure of it. I'm also just curious."
Even after he said that he would grant her a favor, she kept hesitating and wouldn't say what she wanted, which was frustrating.
"Uhm..." Sae-ah hesitated while averting her gaze.
She slowly opened her mouth. "I want to move..."
"Move? Somewhere other than here?"
"Yes. I don't want to live here anymore." Sae-ah looked out the door. "Even when I don't want to, I can't help but think of certain things. Especially on days like today."
Who she was talking about was obvious.
Sae-ah usually did a good job of managing her expressions, but she looked a bit lonely.
JiHan silently nodded. The Sword Palace's penthouse was an unnecessarily spacious place, and there were traces of the Sword King everywhere, which often irritated him.
He hadn't moved until then due to the government's request, but many people realized the Sword King would not be returning to Korea after they saw the international game.
'Surely, there's no more business here for us.'
It was time to proceed with donating the Sword Palace.
"Alright. Let's move! I made some money recently, so we have more than enough."
"Huh? It's fine! I know you don't have money!" Sae-ah waved her hand.
"No. I have a lot of money. Don't worry."
"Come on! I know you're broke. There's no way I'd try to suck a flea's blood."
JiHan made a troubled expression after hearing the expression 'suck a flea's blood'. How broke did she think he was?
"Sae-ah... I'm not that poor."
"Ah, I'm sorry! It's just that I've been feeling anxious. Uncle, think about it. Instead of keeping the money in the bank, shouldn't we invest it in real estate? Yes! Real Estate! Gangnam is unbeatable!" Sae-ah said with shining eyes.
JiHan thought of his previous life. 'Gangnam is unbeatable... It's been a while since I've heard that.'
Destruction was imminent, so there was nothing that was unbeatable.
After Korea kept finishing last in the East Asian League and was driven to the brink, the land in Gangnam became worthless.
'Well, Korea won't fail this time.'
Since he'd regressed, Korea wouldn't keep finishing last like it did before.
"If you're going to buy it with your money... why ask me? You can just do it yourself."
"I'm still a minor, so I need a representative... Also, searching for a house alone would be hard for me. You've been really busy, so I feel bad for asking such a thing."
JiHan chuckled and tousled Sae-ah's hair. "There's no need to be sorry~ We're family, after all."
"Just because we're family doesn't mean anything goes."
"..."
As soon as he mentioned the word 'family', a shadow briefly passed over her bright face. Who she was thinking of was clear.
JiHan arrogantly crossed his arms and said, "You can ask anything of me and I'll handle it."
"Ugh. Such arrogance... Uncle, you're still going to live in my house."
"Your house? It's our house. Ehem... anyway, I'm going to contact the administration office tomorrow. How about we start looking for a potential place to live?"
* * *
Sae-ah was quick to act. She'd already found a real estate agent and visited houses with JiHan.
- I have too much cash at hand, so I want to invest it in a house before I waste it.
Sae-ah intended to invest part of the 50 million USD she'd received from the Sword King in an expensive house.
The first place they visited was a luxury apartment by the Han River in Gangnam.
"Uh... this place is worth eight million USD?"
"Yes. It's a nice house, right? It's relatively new and has an unobstructed view of the Han River. Not only that, but the size is about 265 square meters..."
It was located on the 30th floor of the apartment building. The house was worth its high price because it had an optimal view of the Han River, luxurious interiors, and a spacious living area.
"There are a lot of famous players and celebrities living here. It's a place that ensures your privacy. It should at least cost 10 million, but the owner wants a quick sale and priced it lower."
The agent confidently presented the house.
An ordinary person might have thought it was definitely a good house, but…
"Ah. This is eight million…?"
Sae-ah looked around with a blank expression.
'The corridor is so narrow.'
The ceiling was low, and the living room, which boasted views of the Han River, was...
'It isn't even half the size of my room...'
It wasn't even half the size of a room in the penthouse she was staying in.
That narrow apartment was considered a luxury apartment?
"Do you like it?"
"Woah~! It's… really… nice~" Sae-ah replied with a smile at the real estate agent's question.
JiHan knew she wasn't being sincere. 'It seems like she's experiencing culture shock.'
Well, the Sword Palace was too good. They were living in the penthouse that Korea's top player had lived in, so there was no way a regular apartment would satisfy her.
'If I compare it to my past life, this house is great...'
They'd lived in a two-room flat in his previous life after the government evicted them from the penthouse, so the apartment they were looking at was practically heaven.
'If we look at things from our point of view, a bigger house would be better.'
The price of this house was inflated due to the view, but if they wanted to continue their lives as Battle Net players, they would need a place to train.
Once Sae-ah received a Gift, they would need a space-consuming Battle Net connector, so it would be better to prioritize size over view.
"It's great, right? Then, about the contract..." The agent said with some expectation.
"This place is great, but we'd like to see some other houses."
JiHan shifted his gaze from the Han River to the real estate agent and told them their conditions.
"Space is more important for us than view or location. After all, if my niece becomes a player, we'll need room for a connector."
"Ah... I see! Ms. Yoon's going to receive a Gift soon?"
"Yes... probably."
The real estate agent looked at Sae-ah with interest. "Fufu! You must be excited. After all, everyone in your family has amazing Gifts. Even your uncle's is impressive!"
"Ah... do you know me?"
"Of course! I'm a huge Battle Net fan. I'm also subscribed to your channel and even saw you break the barrier yesterday."
To think that she'd watched that game. It seemed like she was a real subscriber. JiHan found it refreshing to see someone he was meeting for the first time talking about his game.
Of course, he'd enjoyed quite a bit of popularity in his previous life, but that was in the USA. It was the first time a Korean subscriber who wasn't related to Battle Net recognized him.
"Then, is it okay if it's a house instead of an apartment? There's an area in Irwon-dong where many players live due to the spacious houses."
"Ah, that sounds good."
"I'll guide you there."
As they were riding in the agent's car, JiHan received a call from Park Yoon-sik, Section Chief of Battle Net's Administration Office.
'I messaged him in the morning. He responded quickly.'
He'd sent him a message before house hunting, thinking he should let them know, but the reply came faster than expected.
- Mr. Sung, it's Park Yoon-sik of the Battle Net's Administration Office.
"Yes, Manager. How did the report go?"
"Right... Battle Net Administration's Office decided not to postpone the donation anymore."
"The public's opinion has worsened after the match with Japan, right?"
- Yes, that's right. Of course, there are still some people who support the Sword King... but due to the devastating defeat yesterday, most people have turned away.
The original grace period for donating the invaluable Sword Palace was due to the public's opinion. If the government accepted the donation back then, people would perceive it as them giving up on the Sword King
Even recently, the popularity of the Sword King in Korea was unparalleled, so there was no way the people would accept the government's resignation.
At least, that was the case until the international game.
- People supported him a lot... so their sense of betrayal is immense as well.
"That anger won't come our way, right?"
- Yes. Thanks to you drawing the line early on and announcing the donation of the Sword Palace... most people perceive both of you as victims. Of course, there are some people who criticize you... but they're the minority.
"Well, that's as expected."
There were people like that everywhere. JiHan was satisfied with most people seeing Sae-ah as a victim.
Drawing a line from the start was a good decision.
- So, can we announce the donation?
"Yes. Sae-ah, that's okay, right?"
"It is. That's why we're moving."
- Understood. I'll proceed with it.
"Got it. Thanks."
As JiHan and Yoon-sik's conversation ended, the real estate agent, who was driving, opened her mouth,
"So you're going to donate the Sword Palace in the end?"
"Yes. That's why we're moving."
"Woah. That's impressive. Such a good building... If it were me, I would've held onto it regardless of criticism."
JiHan smirked.
Such a thought was understandable.
Donating a top-tier building in Gangnam instead of selling it? Everyone thought it was crazy, but for JiHan, who knew the future, it was something that had to be done.
"But still... Mr. Sung, you're showing impressive prowess. What if Ms. Yoon also awakens a great Gift? You'll be able to buy a building like that again soon. Fufu."
"Gifts are random~ so I might not get one."
"But Ms. Yoon, your bloodline's great! The Saintess, the Sword King, and even Mr. Sung... Everyone's impressive. I'm convinced that you are going to receive a great Gift!"
"But that's purely random..."
The real estate agent was making a fuss, and Sae-ah waved her hand as if disagreeing.
JiHan knew that, even if she said it was random, she had high hopes for the Gift she would receive on her birthday.
'She's expecting too much...'
JiHan's expression slightly soured.