Chapter 56

Chapter 055

Although I can explain in detail why this woman came at this time, I have encountered a major problem.

"Isn't this sexual harassment?"

"What is?"

"I'm naked in the outdoor hot spring, and you, Baek Seulhee, are sitting opposite me in a long down jacket."

I am naked right now.

Even though it's an outdoor hot spring, I naturally came in naked since I reserved it for myself.

What if someone sees me?

Would there be a CCTV in an outdoor hot spring attached to a place that costs 5 million won per night?

Absolutely not.

There might have been one in the past, but not now.

To protect the privacy of visitors.

Thanks to this, even though Baek Seulhee is here, and I am naked, it won't be recorded by any CCTV.

However,

"Baek Seulhee, why aren't you turning your eyes away?"

"Since the steam and water make it impossible to see, what's the problem?"

"If the genders were reversed, it would have been a huge scandal."

"Really? I saw a drama where a woman entered a men's bath, pulled a man's hair, and dragged him out."

"......"

I wanted to argue about what would happen if the genders were reversed, but Baek Seulhee looked so depressed that I couldn't.

"Can't you see me, right?"

"Yes, I can't see you. Even if I wanted to, I can't. Just like you can't see inside my long down jacket."

Baek Seulhee was still wearing a black long down jacket that reached her ankles.

At least one fortunate thing is that there's nothing on her wrist.

"You took off your Taeguk Watch. Good job. If your location was tracked by the Taeguk Watch and it was revealed that you were with a man on Ulleung Island, Baek Seulhee would have been the subject of a huge scandal."

"Yes, that's why I took off the Taeguk Watch to avoid a scandal. They probably think I'm drinking beer and making noise in my room right now."

"Did you have a fight?"

"Yes, a big one. A really big one. In that sense... can you give me some advice?"

"Hmm."

I don't understand why Baek Seulhee thinks I'm a trash can for her to vent her frustrations to the higher-ups.

This is a negative thought, but on the positive side, it means I'm comfortable enough.

I haven't been exposed as a goblin.

If I had been, she would be looking at me with suspicion, but she isn't.

"Alright. What exactly did the higher-ups do to provoke you?"

"The principles of being human."

"Hmm... Thinking about what happened today, there's only one answer."

Just like with the Red Scarf incident, the answer is already clear.

"Did they try to cover up information about the dead villain and disguise it as a simple rampage?"

"...Something like that."

"Something like that?"

"The government is trying to manipulate this incident as a rampage by an unknown goblin follower. Or rather, they've already done it."

That's ridiculous.

"What I heard at the scene is different."

"You were there?"

"Yes. I observed from a distance according to the staff manual, so I know the general situation. I also heard the doppleganger student talking about a patent at the scene."

"...Yes, but the sounds from the scene became unimportant. What matters is how the government officially announces it. Do you have a Taeguk Watch? They probably released a statement by now."

"Hmm...."

I quickly skimmed through the summary of the official statement Baek Seulhee mentioned via my Taeguk Watch.

"The villain doppleganger was a goblin follower obsessed with goblins, who wanted to become a goblin by transforming his suit into a new form of a goblin. The goblin appeared at the scene and denied it, leading to the doppleganger's rampage."

"Yes, but that's not what actually happened."

"Hmm...."

Those at the scene clearly heard the talk about a patent, but when I checked the related news, there was no mention of it.

-Why is there no mention of the patent?

This comment was deleted by the author after refreshing the page.

"They're controlling it. The patent story seems to be a sensitive issue."

"Have you used Haegeun often?"

"No, I'm participating in a boycott of Haegeun. Since fried chicken is Western food and seasoned chicken is Korean, I've hated Haegeun ever since they started selling fried chicken at a higher price."

"Do you like fried chicken?"

"Yes."

Patriotic marketing has its limits. How can they lower the price of seasoned chicken and claim it's Korean food?

"Haegeun was behind the patent. And they quietly stepped back to avoid criticism."

"Yes, and the heroes were also silenced. Many people on Sejong Island receive sponsorships from Haegeun, so they might overlook it, but I'm a new recruit here."

Baek Seulhee's voice became even more depressed.

"They threatened me, using my connection with the goblin and my inability to leave the country to force me to cooperate. They said if I didn't want to be seen as incompetent for letting the goblin escape and turning the villain into a demon, I should obediently participate in 'goblin trashification.'"

"I have two questions." "What are they?"

"Does the government dare to threaten an S-rank hero like you? Dare to?"

"......That's true."

Baek Seulhee sighed deeply with a depressed look.

"It's a truly ironic problem. No matter how many unfavorable conditions the country offers me, I have no choice but to accept them."

"Why?"

"Because I can't leave this country."

Baek Seulhee is being threatened.

Her patriotism is being held hostage.

"Sometimes, I see anonymous posts on internet communities. If you have a lot of money, there's no reason to stay in this country. You can go abroad and live a luxurious life. Since you're S-rank, you don't need to rely on the mana of this land; you can rule as a hero and a god overseas."

It's true.

Many Koreans have moved to the Middle East, Europe, Africa, and other regions to become the sole deities there.

"Can't you just leave?"

"You can leave. They'll give you enough money to last a lifetime if you immigrate, and they'll provide you with a house and a car. But...."

"You can't abandon your nationality?"

"Exactly."

Baek Seulhee laughed bitterly.

"Nationality is a strange thing. It can drive a person crazy. Sometimes, villains say that heroes are brainwashed to be patriotic from a young age and can't resist the government. If they just abandon their shallow patriotism, they could have freedom, but they can't let go and keep suffering losses."

"It's because the government uses patriotism to threaten and force them to work for free."

"Work for free?"

"Since the experience is part of their blood and flesh, they're told that they've gained valuable life experiences worth more than money, so they should think of it as earning money."

"......"

Baek Seulhee smiled faintly.

"Indeed. I'm glad I talked to you, Ji-hwan."

"Because I'm a patriot?"

"Yes. I thought you might be the only person who could speak so critically about the government. I was right."

"Why are you leaving?"

"Ji-hwan, you live in Seoul, right?"

Oh.

A regional joke?

"Not everyone in Seoul is a patriot."

"But most people in Seoul have a negative view of the government, don't they? They don't even send heroes."

"Not everyone."

We became friends through shared hobbies, but I guess Baek Seulhee felt some affection for me being a Seoul citizen.

"Anyway, you came here to vent your frustration about a country that turns a man into a demon for their own benefit, covers it up, blames the goblin, and uses your patriotism to threaten you."

"Exactly. I feel a bit better now."

Baek Seulhee's smile gradually became more relaxed.

The problem Baek Seulhee has is something I, a librarian named Do Ji-hwan, can't solve.

But sometimes, just listening quietly can be a form of counseling.

Women don't seek solutions to their problems.

They want someone to listen to their problems, curse with them, and empathize.

"Listening to your story, I feel it's really unfair. I'm more confident that I can continue the Haegeun boycott."

"Hehe. That's a good point. Haegeun, the country, the association... sigh."

Baek Seulhee looked up at the sky for a while before turning her gaze to me.

"What I don't understand the most is their response to that 'Doo-yeok-shini.'"

"Doo-yeok-shini?"

"Yes. They should be hunting down the one who uses bizarre magic to turn people into demons, but they're making a fuss about catching the goblin."

"Magic that turns people into demons...?"

"Yes. Did you see the video? The tentacle-like things that entered the doppleganger's body."

"I wasn't there at the time... and the videos were taken down, so I couldn't see them."

"Yes, the videos were taken down. Since you didn't see it, I understand, but why are they making a fuss about catching the goblin instead of the one who should be caught?"

Baek Seulhee sighed and put her hand on the zipper of her long down jacket.

"Can I go into the hot spring?"

"......Yes?"

"It's fine. There's no problem."

Rustle.

"Even in this country