The Wise Cleaning Life Of A Returning Genius Hunter [EN]: Chapter 315

314

China Branch.

“I’m on the phone.”

Wang, the branch manager, answered the sudden call, bringing the phone to his ear and speaking in a trembling voice.

“Is this Branch Manager Wang?”

“Yes, yes. Speaking.”

Branch Manager Wang replied nervously.

He had a vague idea where the call was coming from.

In fact, there was only one place that would call in this situation.

The International Hunter Association.

They would obviously be requesting support from each national association.

Even those not on the scene could immediately tell that the International Association was being pushed back just by watching the situation on the screen, so how much more would those involved feel it?

Clearly, the start was intended to show off their influence, just like with the New York branch, but not anymore.

They also had to give it their all.

They had to end it here with everything they had.

If they couldn’t, they would be the ones to collapse.

‘I knew it would be like this…’

Just as he was thinking that.

“Greetings. This is Huin, the branch manager of the Vietnam branch under WDSO.”

“……?”

A completely unexpected answer came back.

“V-Vietnam branch…? Not the International Association?”

“Yes.”

A calm answer.

Soon, Branch Manager Wang’s mind began to get complicated.

The man who introduced himself as Huin continued.

“Well, of course, the International Association is probably contacting each branch as well. Given the situation.”

“Then why is the Vietnam branch contacting me…?”

Branch Manager Huin hesitated to answer.

“Are you watching the broadcast by any chance?”

“……Yes?”

“The broadcast that the International Association is sending out. Are you watching it?”

“Ah, yes, well…”

“What did you think?”

“……?”

Branch Manager Wang closed his mouth at the question with an unknown intention.

Then Branch Manager Huin asked again.

“What did you think when you saw it?”

“……Well.”

He hesitated for a moment.

“…It was amazing.”

He managed to spit out those words.

“The individual combat abilities, as well as the strategy and positioning, were all at an unbelievable level.”

“That’s right.”

“But even so, they won’t be able to win. If the International Association requests support from all over the world…”

“That’s only if each association accepts it.”

“There’s no way they wouldn’t.”

“I wonder…”

Branch Manager Huin continued in a rather serious voice.

“Branch Manager Wang, do you think you’re the only one who thought that after watching the broadcast?”

“……!”

Branch Manager Wang felt as if he had been hit hard on the head.

At the same time, he involuntarily turned his gaze to the screen broadcasting the situation in New York.

“…What?”

But at some point, only a black screen was displayed.

The channel that had been broadcasting the situation in New York had suddenly been cut off.

“…It seems the connection has been cut off.”

Branch Manager Huin said nonchalantly, as if he was in the same situation.

“The International Association thought the same thing. They tried to stimulate fear by showing the collapse of WDSO, but now it’s only having the opposite effect.”

“…….”

When Branch Manager Wang hesitated to answer, Huin spoke instead.

“Branch Manager Wang. The landscape will change now. So now you have to choose.”

“…….”

“Well, I’ll be waiting for your answer.”

Branch Manager Huin said that and hung up without waiting any longer.

At the same time, Branch Manager Wang leaned back in his chair.

But before he could fall into contemplation, the phone rang again.

His heart sank for a moment.

He answered the phone again.

“Branch Manager, this is Praset.”

It was none other than Branch Manager Praset of Thailand.

Branch Manager Wang inwardly calmed himself and said.

“I’m getting a lot of calls from all over the place.”

“Who else has called you?”

“I just received a call from the Vietnam branch. Under WDSO.”

“…I see. So you received a call too, Branch Manager Wang.”

“What do you mean? Did they call you too?”

“Yes.”

Branch Manager Praset carefully continued.

“We received a call from the Japan branch of WDSO.”

“……!”

“Not only us, but most of the International Association branches, including the European branch alliance, have received calls.”

Branch Manager Wang’s eyebrows twitched.

“What are they saying?”

“They say it’s time to choose.”

“…….”

The same thing he had said to Branch Manager Wang.

At that point, he knew exactly what they wanted.

And then.

“Branch Manager Wang… what are you going to do?”

Branch Manager Praset asked cautiously.

Branch Manager Wang bit his fingernails for a moment before slowly opening his mouth.

“It’s true that WDSO is currently in the lead, but the outcome is still uncertain.”

“Is that so.”

“Even if we join forces with WDSO now, there’s no guarantee that other branches will join in. We could end up as a Nakdong River duck egg [a Korean idiom referring to something that is wasted or comes to nothing].”

Branch Manager Wang continued in a firm voice.

“It’s too dangerous to rashly change our stance.”

“…I see.”

Branch Manager Praset trailed off, taken aback by his stronger-than-expected stance.

Then Branch Manager Wang drove the wedge in once more.

“Think carefully. Which side should you reach out to in order to have a higher chance of winning?”

“…….”

Branch Manager Praset hesitated for a moment.

“Honestly… I don’t know anymore.”

“What do you mean you don’t know in this situation? Isn’t it obvious to anyone?”

“Well.”

He said nonchalantly.

“Do we always have to side with the winning side?”

“……Yes?”

“As you know, Kim Junwoo is from the cleaning crew of the Independent Association. Do you think he joined them because he thought the cleaning team would win?”

“What are you… ?”

“In my opinion, Kim Junwoo didn’t even think about that from the beginning.”

Branch Manager Praset said in a rather serious voice.

“He just had the conviction that the place he was in would win.”

“…….”

Branch Manager Wang closed his mouth tightly.

Because there was nothing he could say.

“Anyway, I understand your opinion, Branch Manager Wang. I didn’t contact you to persuade you, but I was just curious about what other branches were thinking.”

“…….”

“Then I’ll hang up now.”

The call ended with him unable to say anything until the end.

Branch Manager Wang let out a deep sigh with an even more troubled expression.

‘There’s no need to side with the winning side…’

That’s absurd.

Siding with the winning side is a natural instinct for humans, regardless of time, place, gender, or age.

Isn’t it the same in school, university, and even after entering the workforce?

One cannot judge such a natural instinct as right or wrong.

However…

In truth, he too once wanted to be the winning person, not someone who sided with the winning side.

No, it probably wasn’t just him.

Wouldn’t everyone in the world have thought about it at least once?

‘…….’

Branch Manager Wang sank into deep thought once more.

And soon.

“Branch Manager…”

Another employee came to his office.

He opened his mouth with a rather dark expression.

“We’ve received a call from the International Association…”

***

New York, the heart of the battlefield.

Amidst the temporary halt in battle due to the sudden appearance of the ships.

‘Damn it…’

I gritted my teeth as soon as a large number of troops set foot on the harbor.

Secretary-General Wesley finally requested support from each country’s association.

‘But the number of troops doesn’t seem that large…’

I narrowed my eyes and looked at the troops approaching us.

However, the thick smoke covering the battlefield made it impossible to distinguish their affiliation and numbers.

In the midst of this, the troops stopped walking at a distance.

Then, one person at the very front began to approach me.

‘Tch…’

I immediately assumed an attack posture.

The fact that they’re approaching alone means they have something to say to me? Or is it someone I know?

If they’re enemies, our formation is too disadvantageous, blocked from the front and back.

As my mind became complicated with such thoughts.

“Loosen up a bit?”

“……?”

A familiar voice came from the person approaching me.

“W-What is it…?”

My eyes widened.

The person who appeared leading the troops was none other than Major Chloe.

“Is that how you react to someone who came to help?”

“N-No… What help could you possibly offer…?”

“This.”

When Major Chloe turned around, the troops behind her appeared carrying large supply boxes.

The box, labeled ‘Handle with Care,’ was opened and inside were…

“Bank item processed goods. There are stimulants using mana stones, and anti-mana stone bullets are also prepared.”

“You came all the way here just to deliver this?”

“Is it so hard to say thank you?”

“Then what about the troops behind you…?”

As my gaze turned back, she smirked.

And then.

“Am I late?”

Noah Westernwood.

And all of Noah’s Guild revealed themselves.

“…….”

“Didn’t expect us to come, perhaps?”

“…I had no idea.”

“Then you wouldn’t know about this either.”

Noah slightly turned his head to look at the remaining troops.

“It’s a nostalgic scent, indeed.”

“……!”

A very familiar silhouette.

My pupils shook greatly at that rough voice.

“What on earth…”

It was none other than the legend of the Korean hunter world.

The sole survivor of the Five Heroes.

Secretary-General Park In-beom.

“What brings you here? You’re not even in good health.”

“Don’t talk nonsense. I’m still useful.”

“Even so…”

I faced him with a dumbfounded expression, but Secretary-General Park In-beom calmly looked around the battlefield.

And just for a moment.

“Oh right, we also succeeded in processing dimension stones.”

Major Chloe, who brought all those troops, suddenly blurted out something out of the blue.

“…Excuse me?”

“It’s only possible because it’s me, by the way.”

“What are you going to use that for?”

“What else would we use it for…”

She gestured to the troops behind her.

“Activate the dimension gate.”

“Coordinates confirmed, mana wave stability range!”

“Opening the gate. Three, two, one…”

Zhiiiiiing—.

“We use it for times like this.”

With Major Chloe’s smile, a bright light poured out from behind.

Soon, familiar faces emerged from within that light.

“Long time no see, Team Leader Kim.”

“Have you been well?”

Branch Manager Haramura and Branch Manager Huin.

And all the troops from the Japanese and Vietnamese branches.

“…….”

“…….”

“…….”

I, of course, as well as Kim Min-ju and Headquarters Manager Han Yu-bin, seemed to have lost our words at the endlessly increasing forces.

Looking at them with blank faces, the first thought that came to mind was just one.

‘They really came to support us…’

What were they thinking coming here?

Do they know that openly helping us means turning the whole world against them?

With that thought, I spoke to the two branch managers with a serious expression.

“I appreciate you coming, but it would be better for you to go back. It seems the International Association has also requested support from each country’s association. You two could be in danger.”

“…….”

“…….”

The two branch managers exchanged glances for a moment.

“Well, it doesn’t matter.”

“If we were thinking about that, we wouldn’t have come.”

They smirked and answered calmly.

I sighed at their reaction for a moment.

“Then… Is everyone here?”

Secretary-General Park In-beom, who was looking around, opened his mouth.

At the same time, everyone’s gaze turned to him, and Secretary-General Park In-beom slowly approached Secretary-General Wesley.

“Ahem.”

Then he cleared his throat once.

“As the Secretary-General of the official international subjugation organization, WDSO Association, I declare.”

His booming voice began to echo in the heart of New York.

“Including Wesley David and all those who follow him, are designated as official terrorists, and according to the International Subjugation Law, a suppression operation will be initiated from this moment forward.”

Secretary-General Park In-beom finished speaking and looked at me.

Realizing what that meant, I immediately nodded.

“Then…”

I took a deep breath and turned my body back towards the International Association camp.

[Unique Skill: Emperor]

[Checking activation conditions]

[Currently identified allies – 1,466,120]

[Activation condition has been confirmed.]

“Begin the operation.”

[Unique Class: Saintly Ruler]