At that moment, underground at the Busan Hero Association.

"Ms. Yoon Iseon, I apologize for calling you here during your finals."

"It's okay, Chairman. I finished all my studying for the finals."

Yoon Iseon was summoned to the Hero Association.

It wasn't a sudden call; it was a scheduled one.

"And on the way, Irin kept me company, so I had a pleasant trip."

"Have you already become close?"

"Yes. We are not much different in age, and we used to see each other often when I was A-rank. We became friends this time."

"I have many things I'm curious about."

Baridegi, Tae Irin, subtly glanced at Yoon Iseon's body.

The chairman glanced at the two and felt he knew why Tae Irin had taken more interest in Yoon Iseon than before.

Ah.

Even if both were S-rank, the S-rank was just an indicator of overall combat power.

There were differences in magic power even among S-ranks.

"Chairman?"

"Hmm. I was just thinking about how to introduce the place to you today."

"It doesn't seem like that's all..."

"No."

The chairman's blatant lie didn't bother the two women much.

What mattered was why Yoon Iseon was invited to Busan today.

"You said there's something you want to show me?"

"Yes. The materials I'm about to show you are top-secret, accessible only to S-ranks. It must not be disclosed to anyone."

The chairman pointed to the wall of his office.

"As you can see in front of you, the photos of S-rank heroes are displayed like this in the chairman's office, from the 8th-ranked Armored Taejo to the 1st-ranked Gwang Ik Gong."

"Yes, I see. I'm there too. Did you leave that space below for more S-ranks to be added?"

"...Yes."

The chairman, who was about to continue, swallowed with a moved expression.

"It's been a while since someone didn't interrupt me and even asked questions."

"Who else made you that emotional?"

"I called you here to talk about that S-rank... the ones who no longer exist."

Click.

As the chairman snapped his fingers, the space below the wall opened to the sides.

"......!"

And below, numerous photos were hung.

Each distinguished by different colors, the photos were in frames of the same size as the portraits above but were divided into three categories.

One.

Memorial photos.

"These are the S-rank heroes who died in action. You might recognize some faces."

"Yes.... Someone who passed away last year is here too. And these..."

"Those who defected. Either naturalized to another country, married and immigrated, or left Korea altogether."

One.

Under the portraits, a red X marked over the Taegeukgi (Korean flag) and replaced by another national flag.

"You know all these faces, right?"

"...Yes. I recognize them. There are active villains, missing persons, and some with uncertain status."

"Exactly. The problem is... the number is quite large."

Apart from the current eight.

The dead.

As well as those whose Taegeukgi was replaced by another national flag or marked with a question mark numbered over 30.

"It's a funny thing. If you gather the Korean S-ranks spread across other countries, at least 70% of the S-rank heroes within the top 50 worldwide would be Koreans."

"Nationality-wise, they aren't Korean anymore."

"...That's true."

The chairman bitterly smiled and shook his head at Yoon Iseon's remark.

"Do you know why they left?"

"...I heard it was because the country kept harassing them. That's what I heard."

"That's right. They were harassed. Extremely so. Take Cheonma, who went to China, for example. His parents were driven to quit their jobs. They actually did."

"Out of patriotism...."

"Yes. Patriotism. With the grand logic that if you're not patriotic, you're a traitor, they harassed people."

Tae Irin, who had been listening quietly, approached one of the frames with a sarcastic remark.

"They deliberately pushed heroes to the extreme and decided to keep only those who could overcome the extreme situations in Korea. They treated them like crap, so who would want to stay in Korea?"

"Ms. Iseon, since you are an adult, I'll speak frankly."

The chairman said seriously, pointing to an unusual number of women in the frames.

"People from Haegneul and government officials will come after you. By 'coming after,' I mean they will lust after you."

"Are you saying they'll try to seduce me?"

"Saying 'seduce' is quite a refined way to put it. Well, to put it bluntly...."

"Why are you beating around the bush, Chairman? Sister, can I speak frankly?"

"Yes."

"They'll go crazy trying to get you pregnant."

At Tae Irin's straightforward words, Yoon Iseon's expression immediately twisted.

"Get me pregnant?"

"Yes. Since you are 20 and an adult, people from Haegneul, celebrities, or even male A-rank ability users will try to get you pregnant to have an S-rank baby."

"......."

"I know. It's disgusting. That's why all these people left Korea."

Tae Irin bitterly smiled, pointing to the photos of numerous women.

"They not only publicly propose on the person's SNS but also, if they find out the address, they go directly to the house and play General Hwang, asking for marriage. If the parents run a store, they go there to cause a scene and propose, and if refused, they keep bothering them until they accept."

"Although it's less now, until four years ago, it was really extreme."

"Why do they want to make us pregnant?"

Yoon Iseon barely managed to speak with a stiff voice.

"Whether it's pregnancy or marriage, I will have children later when I find someone I love at the age I want. Why are they forcing pregnancy?"

"Because they think it's 'efficient.' They worry that if you don't have children at a young age, there won't be any S-rank ability users born due to late pregnancies."

"Crazy. Just because they don't get pregnant...."

"Exactly. I feel the same way as you, sister. In three years, they'll gather public opinion and go crazy telling me to get pregnant."

"But Irin, you're the president's granddaughter."

"That's a separate issue. Rather, because I'm the president's granddaughter, they'll pressure me to set an example for the citizens."

Tae Irin placed her hand on her stomach and bit her lower lip.

"...Luckily, Taejo is working hard on my side, so it hasn't affected me yet, but soon people will subtly start asking you, sister, if you plan to be patriotic."

"If that happens, get out of there. And whenever someone asks you to be patriotic, come to us and curse them out. We can listen to your complaints."

"...So you're telling me not to defect even if someone asks me to be patriotic?"

"That's right. And most importantly...."

Bang, bang.

The chairman pointed to the portraits hanging on the black background.

"No matter how much you hate and are annoyed by such comments, don't become a villain."

"......."

The last category.

Cases where Korean ability users became villains.

"It's a bit unfair. The ones who drive heroes to extreme choices are alive and well, while the heroes have to suffer like this."

"...That's not true, sister."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"They're not alive and well. They're dead."

Tae Irin pointed to an empty frame with a calm face.

There was a lone trace of an S-rank hero with only a name but no photo in the memorial frame.

"Tae... Yuhyun?"

"Yes. Tae Yuhyun. That."

Tae Irin's eyes trembled slightly.

"My younger brother, who was sold to North Korea right after he was born. ...He was S-rank."

"What?"

"There was a secret not known to the public. A spy secretly sent a child with nuclear missile-level power to North Korea."

"W-What... That doesn't make sense...."

"There's no such thing as something that doesn't make sense in this world. It's reality. And...."

Crunch.

Tae Irin clenched her fist and gritted her teeth.

"The person responsible was my and Taejo's mother."

"......What?"

"To be exact, our mother."

Tae Irin shuddered as if even mentioning it was disgusting.

"After giving birth to me and Taejo, she had a youngest child with S-rank talent and handed him over to North Korea, that crazy woman."

Not even an ability user herself.

This novel was a nationalist novel.

And to stimulate nationalism, it aimed to unconditionally show the most Korean things as great.

Such parts could be seen as positive stimuli.

If it fostered patriotism and a sense of pride in the country, it could be considered acceptable.

However, to create stimulating nationalist settings, the author made very provocative settings for nationalist indoctrination.

Instead of standing tall on its own,

The story developed by cutting others down and provoking rebellious feelings.

Beyond making heroines of various countries belong to the protagonist, the protagonist made the readers feel a nationalist catharsis.

Anti-Japanese. Anti-Chinese. Anti-Communist.

These three elements were used provocatively to blend into the actual setting.

A descendant of a pro-Japanese family,

Receiving political, economic support, and protection from the Chinese Red Party during his studies in China,

Lastly, to secure his political position, a 'woman' who committed atrocities in North Korea.

"Her name is Min Ji-young. Mother of Armored Taejo and Baridegi Tae Irin. She sold her S-rank child to North Korea."

And.

"She died."

She perished in Pyongyang with the collapse of North Korea.

"She died, but her ideology remains, shaking the roots of this country."

Min Ji-young Theory.

"The ideology that the higher the ability rank, the more women should have children every year to increase the number of ability users."

Min Ji-young was dead, but her ideology still remained in this world.

"Saying that you should have as many children as quickly as possible before you get older and have late pregnancies."

==Chapter 278: Where There Is Light, There Is Darkness (2)==

At that moment, in the underground grand training hall on Sejong Island.

"It's been a while since we've had this many S-ranks gathered together."

Baek Seol-hee scanned the three S-rank heroes standing before her.

"Tushin, Noeje, and Taejo."

Respectively, the 3rd, 4th, and now the 8th-ranked heroes stood in front of her.

Not just in uniforms, but in clear combat gear, they faced Baek Seol-hee.

It seemed the three had positioned themselves to fight Baek Seol-hee simultaneously.

Rather than sending wary glances at each other, they exchanged brief looks and simply fiddled with their weapons.

[Ahem. Are you all ready?]

The voice of the vice-chairman flowed from the speaker attached to the ceiling.

[Many of those present here are looking forward to your performance, especially Snow White's. They also expect to see new skills from the three of you.]

Everyone turned their gaze to the glass wall, where numerous men in suits and aides were standing.

[As many of you are here, please demonstrate your powers to the fullest.]

They all looked at the interior of the grand training hall with different expressions.

Some with anticipation.

Some with curiosity.

Others with concern.

[We will now test the new abilities of Hero Snow White. Ah, yes, the president has a word to say before we begin.]

Even though each had different motives in mind, the common factor was to witness Baek Seol-hee—Snow White's abilities.

[Ahem. I will speak briefly to you heroes.]

The voice of President Tae Chae-jin, who grabbed the microphone, was quite excited.

[I look forward to this. It's fine if this facility is destroyed, let's confirm Snow White's new power to the fullest.]

[No, Mr. President...!]

[Don't worry about the aftermath. Now, let's begin.]

Beep.

With those words, the president pressed a button.

[Three.]

Soon, a voice announcing the countdown echoed from the ceiling.

[Two.]

At the same time, mana surged from the bodies of the four in the grand training hall.

[One.]

Bang!!

With the sound of an explosion, the three S-rank heroes charged straight at Snow White.

"Sorry, unnie!"

Crackle!

"I'll finish it in one blow!"

Noeje was the fastest.

"Do you think I'll be finished in one blow?"

"Sorry! My body is faster than my words!"

"......!"

Running at lightning speed, Noeje aimed a swift kick at Snow White.

Crunch!

With the sound of something heavy breaking, an ice mist sparkled around Noeje.

"This is-"

"It's an ice bomb! Dodge it!"

"Instead of dodging, counter it!"

The mist was the mana of Baek Seol-hee, shattered upon colliding with Noeje's magic power, causing an explosion around Noeje.

Crackle!!

The sphere of electricity spread out from Noeje, scattering ice powder.

Soon, the ice powder dispersed to the floor and ceiling, slowly starting to freeze the surfaces it touched.

"Chase!"

"Haa!"

Following the path of the electric strike that Noeje extended forward, Tushin ran down the split middle path.

With both fists enveloped in glowing blue mana, he ran straight towards Snow White with blue glowing eyes.

Bang, bang, bang!!

Thick ice pillars rose from the ground.

Though these pillars were taller and thicker than a person, Tushin did not avoid them.

"Trucking!"

Rather, he ran forward as if he had turned into a dump truck.

Without slowing down, he sped up and extended his fist forward.

Bang, bang, crash!!

After breaking through the successive ice pillars, Snow White was seen leaping backwards behind the last pillar.

"I'm not going easy!"

Tushin swung his fist towards Snow White's abdomen.

The full-strength fist was imbued with an immense amount of mana, and Snow White extended both hands towards the fist.

"Bloom."

"!!"

An ice flower bloomed from her outstretched hands like a shield.

Unlike the merely thick ice pillars, the ice flower gleamed with sharp petals when the fist touched it.

Creak!

The mana contained in Tushin's fist was shaved off.

Simultaneously, the petals shattered, scattering ice powder that froze Tushin's fist and arm upon contact.

"Where!"

Thump!

Tushin extended his foot once more, releasing mana forward.

As the blue light burst forward, Snow White's eyes widened in surprise, and soon mana began to flicker in Tushin's opposite hand.

"Like a bee!"

Buzz!

The mana extending from his fist formed a shape like a bee's sting, the sharp tip piercing straight into the center of the ice flower.

Crunch.

"...Wasn't Tushin primarily a striker?"

"Just because you fight with your body doesn't mean you only use striking techniques."

The sharp mana sting passed through the ice flower and reached Snow White.

The tip was very shallow, but it touched Snow White's abdomen.

"It's over, senior."

"Who said so?"

Smirk.

Snow White twisted the corner of her mouth, and soon her body began to crumble.

"What the...?!"

As Tushin's eyes widened in shock at the sight of a person suddenly crumbling, a large shadow sprang forward from behind.

"Dragon Power!"

With an unidentified shout, Armored Taejo stood before Tushin, swinging large steel claws on both hands in an X shape.

What was 'Snow White' instantly scattered.

"Taejo!"

"It's an illusion! Brother, I'll handle this!"

Snow White's crumbled body began to hurl snowballs.

Tatata-dang!

Snowball bullets started pouring down on Armored Taejo's body, blocking his path.

"Ugh?!"

The suit imbued with mana successfully deflected the ice bullets, but the continuous barrage of snowballs from the gatling gun forced Taejo to retreat.

"Thruster power, to the max!!"

Ka-ga-ga-ga-gang!!

The motor attached to Taejo's back started emitting mana.

While spewing actual flames below and mana above, Taejo continued to advance despite being hit by the snowball gatling gun.

"Uoooo!!"

Taejo pushed forward through the ice mist, releasing wheels from the heels of his suit to run on the ground, and swung his crossed arms widely to the sides.

"Brothers!"

"Thanks!"

"I'm not your brother!"

To the left was Tushin.

To the right was Noeje.

"Rock Breaker!"

"Gale Thunder!"

Both attacked Snow White simultaneously from both sides, who had appeared in the ice mist.

Kwaaaaaaang!!

A massive explosion of mana occurred.

The interior of the grand training hall briefly flashed as if a flashbang had gone off, and a tremendous vibration followed.

Gugugugu.

The vibration was strong enough to cause dirt to fall from the ceiling.

"Haa, haa. There's no way we... defeated her."

"......."

Amid the mana mist, Snow White stood with her arms outstretched, catching Tushin and Noeje's attacks with her hands.

"Senior, just like the Goblin grabbed your hand in Gangneung, are you also catching attacks with your hands now?"

"Wow, this unnie got tougher...! Who was your master, the Goblin?!"

"...I just blocked it."

Despite having caught the two attacks with her hands, she didn't have a single scratch, and both of them bit their lower lips before twisting them into a grin.

"We were blocked by her!"

"But it's still 3 against 1!"

"Uooo!"

Between the two S-ranks, Armored Taejo extended his hand forward.

"Final Taejo Attack!!"

"...!"

From Taejo's outstretched hands, three sharp claws extended like blades.

The steel blades made of alloy, imbued with Taejo's mana, aimed directly at Snow White's-

"Taejo War Dragon!"

Puuuuck!

"...Huh?"

He stabbed her in the abdomen.

"Ugh, aah?!"

Red blood splattered to the sides, and Taejo stomped the ground hard to suppress his momentum.

"N-no?! What, what is this?! Aaaah!"

"Don't panic. Do you think the senior would be hurt by that?! By you?!"

"......."

Drip.

"...Huh?"

"Un...nie?"

Red blood flowed from Snow White's mouth.

At the same time, her white shirt started to turn red, and the eyes of the three S-ranks began to shake violently.

"N-no, right? No, she blocked our attacks, and now she gets stabbed by Taejo...?"

"Doctor! Get a healer here!!"

"Hey, hey!! Don't panic! If the knife shakes, she'll get more hurt!!"

"What are you doing?"

Snow White, with a knife in her stomach, sighed with a disappointed look.

"What if the attacked person tries a suicide attack?"

"...!!"

"Boom. You're all dead now."

[First mock battle concluded. First mock battle concluded. The winner is Snow White.]

As the playful announcement echoed, the voice resonated from the entrance of the grand training hall.

"Un...nie?"

"Introducing Snow White's new ability. It's 'Clone'."

Grabbing the microphone, Snow White casually placed her hand on the shoulder of the clone with a stabbed abdomen, causing its body to crumble.

"Senior, what just happened...?"

"I was up there until just now. I created a clone and controlled it remotely."

[Fantastic, truly fantastic. Ms. Baek Seol-hee.]

Clap, clap, clap.

Applause echoed in the hall.

[As long as you can maintain the clone, you can do anything with it! Haha!]

[Fantastic. Haha, Snow White can still fight even if she's pregnant with a clone! No more worries! Haha!]

[Using the clone for... well, never mind.]

"......."

Baek Seol-hee looked up with a slightly sulky face before turning her head forward again.

"I can create a clone and fight with it."

"Senior, then...."

"You have to help me. Just in case, if I ever get married or have a child, and I need to fight with the clone...."

Smirk.

"The main body protects the child, and the clone fights."

"Unnie, then...?"

"Yes, that's right."

Snow White raised her head proudly.

"I'm planning to have a child before I get older."

[The government will actively support Ms. Baek Seol-hee's pregnancy plans!]

"......."

[You three, please continue to assist Ms. Baek Seol-hee in controlling her clone! Ensure that Ms. Baek Seol-hee can have a child with peace of mind!]

All around the world.

An S-rank hero wanting to have a child is a top national priority.

==Chapter 279: Where There Is Light, There Is Darkness (3)==

The training session at the grand training ground lasted for about an hour, and it ended safely without anyone getting hurt.

Baek Seol-hee created two clones, and the duel against the three S-classes became a 3-on-3 battle.

The result was Baek Seol-hee's overwhelming victory.

Even with three S-classes teaming up against her, Baek Seol-hee secured the win.

Afterwards, in the briefing room.

"Ahh."

Holding the microphone, Baek Seol-hee, accompanied by her clone dressed in the same uniform, cleared her voice.

"The new ability I have developed is called 'Clone'."

Clone.

A power to control a separate physical body, as seen in movies and comics.

Many characters in various media used cloning techniques, but very few "ability users" could actually create clones.

"Snow White, did you really create a clone...."

"Questions."

When the bald minister spoke, Baek Seol-hee interrupted him with a firm voice.

"I will take questions intermittently after the presentation is over."

"Mm...!"

Although the minister, who was less than half her age, was openly rebuked, no one defended him.

"Minister Kim."

"Yes, Mr. President."

"Let Miss Baek Seol-hee ask for questions if she needs any. Just wait patiently."

"......I'm sorry."

Although the minister could be dismissed with a mere gesture from the president present at the meeting, Baek Seol-hee, who had subdued three S-classes with her skill and power, was irreplaceable.

"Now, let's continue with the explanation. My clones and I are connected by mana, and if the distance exceeds a certain limit, the clone becomes an ice statue, like a sculpture."

Snap.

As soon as Baek Seol-hee snapped her fingers, the clone turned into an ice statue.

"The closer the distance, the more mana I can infuse into the clone, allowing it to use more magic power. This data has been confirmed through experiments, but it varies greatly depending on the condition. For detailed data, please refer to the handouts."

"Uh, I have a question, senior."

Despite being rebuked once, there was one who raised their hand persistently.

"What is it, Taejo?"

"Is it possible to connect with the clone even if you are on the other side of the Earth? Like a network?"

"...It's not that far. The maximum detectable range is up to 10 km. Beyond that, the clone just becomes an ice sculpture."

"Then if you place clones every 10 km, could you control them from Busan to Seoul?"

"......."

Baek Seol-hee tilted her head slightly at Taejo's question.

Was it possible?

She had never tried it before.

"Wait a moment."

Baek Seol-hee immediately sent a message.

"Uh, Miss Baek Seol-hee? Who are you contacting?"

"A personal ability consultant. I met them online."

After quickly writing and sending a rather long message, Baek Seol-hee grabbed the microphone again.

"Armored Taejo, your suggestion seems better than I thought."

"Oh, really? Haha, actually, one of my abilities is...."

"Ah, I've got a reply."

Cutting off Armored Taejo, who seemed excited to speak, Baek Seol-hee checked the message.

"...Theoretically possible. However, it would require infrastructure to be set up in advance and continuous maintenance to prevent mana depletion. It would be inefficient without hubs to recharge or send mana to the clones while traveling around the country."

"Huh...."

"That's quite a thought process. Rather than just whether it's possible or not, considering if it's practically effective."

Everyone in the conference room marveled and clicked their tongues in admiration.

"Humph. Then, back to the topic of clones."

Baek Seol-hee, feeling somewhat proud, cleared her throat and grabbed the microphone again.

"The most important role of the clone is to present my complete self externally when I cannot show myself publicly. The first reason I mentioned to you all. That is...."

Bang bang.

"Pregnancy."

At the sight of the word displayed on the screen, everyone in the conference room felt awkwardly embarrassed.

"I'm approaching my mid-twenties this year. While some here are well past fifty, from an ability user's perspective, I can be considered an 'aunt.'"

"Uh, saying 25 years old is an 'aunt'..."

"Oh. Didn't you say at a drinking party before that women who give birth after their 30s have high-risk pregnancies?"

"Mm! When did I ever say that...!"

Although the minister's face turned red, he did not actively deny Baek Seol-hee's words.

"...Well, yes! I did say that! It's my personal belief, so I'm not ashamed at all!"

"You can speak directly into the microphone."

"Really?"

"Yes. The next content aligns with your belief."

Baek Seol-hee calmly moved to the next slide.

"In 2020, according to the statistics you submitted during your time as a congressman, the chances of high-risk pregnancies and birth defects increase after the age of 30. You actually submitted and spoke about this, right?"

"Ugh."

Clicking his tongue briefly, the minister nodded heavily with an embarrassed face.

"...Yes, I said that."

"Yes. While there are differing views between ordinary people and ability users, there's not much difference. After all, even an ability user is still a woman. It's healthier to have a child while you're younger rather than later."

Several men, including the minister, nodded unconsciously.

Even President Tae Chae-jin just sat silently, his eyes fixed on the graph showing birth rates in the 20-24 age range.

"It benefits both the country and the world for ability users to have children early. Sure, there are debates about whether ability users are being treated like breeding stock, violating personal freedom, or the issue of power gaps if an S-class gets pregnant."

Gradually, the expressions of the president and the ministers began to harden.

Was it because Baek Seol-hee was talking about real issues?

Were they worried that people would say such things if Baek Seol-hee got pregnant?

No.

"I have a question, senior."

"Go ahead, Tushin."

"Weren't you originally of the opinion that heroes should have the right to choose to become pregnant?"

"That's right."

They couldn't understand why Baek Seol-hee was saying this.

"People say so on the internet."

When Baek Seol-hee moved to the next slide, posts and comments from various communities appeared.

The ministers frowned and bowed their heads, but soon the screen zoomed in, making the posts and comments visible to everyone.

"They call me the leader of the Hero Gold Misses. There are many ability users in other countries who haven't had children by 25, but I don't know why they call me their leader."

"Isn't it because you're the strongest, senior?"

"I think so too. Since the oldest and strongest woman hasn't had children, they see me as the leader of the Gold Misses. Truly."

Tap tap.

Baek Seol-hee tapped the screen with her hand and shook her head.

"I want to tell these people they're gravely mistaken. It's not that I don't want to get pregnant or that I hate men. It's just that as an S-class ability user, I've chosen to protect this country, fulfilling my duty for national defense."

"But now it's different."

Baek Seol-hee's clone stepped forward and continued her words.

"Now, even if I'm pregnant and behind the scenes, the clone can take on the role of Baek Seol-hee."

"Moreover, I can hide the pregnancy, and even if it's known, it won't appear as if the pregnant woman is fighting."

"No matter how important fighting villains is, it's not ideal for the world to see a pregnant woman in combat."

"That's true."

Everyone agreed.

Even if the world was on the brink of collapse, it's inhumane to ask a pregnant woman or a child to fight villains unless it's a last resort, like dropping a nuclear bomb on a city without evacuating civilians first.

"In other words, now that I've mastered clone control, the various issues that arise from pregnancy can be mitigated. That's the introduction."

"...How long is the main point?"

"It's not that long. Shall I summarize the conclusion briefly before we proceed?"

Baek Seol-hee took a deep breath, placing her hand on the clone's shoulder, and continued.

"If pregnancy isn't a big problem, I'd like to choose the man I want to have a child with."

"......Excuse me?"

For a moment.

The ministers, who were nodding, tilted their heads as if a fishbone got stuck in their throats.

"Pregnancy...?"

Something seemed missing.

"Wait. Miss Baek Seol-hee. You don't mean...."

"Even if there's a minor legal issue, right?"

"...That's the main point."

President Tae Chae-jin adjusted his posture and looked at Baek Seol-hee with a serious expression.

"Are you asking us to use the National Assembly to make something currently illegal, legal? Like a special Baek Seol-hee law?"

"As expected, Mr. President."

"Okay. So what exactly is the special law you want?"

"What I want is."

Baek Seol-hee glanced around the conference room.

"Legal protection for the man I choose and the child to be born. First,"

She boldly opened her mouth, with a confident expression.

"If I want the genes of a married man, is adultery the first priority, or is 'patriotism' the first?"

"......As a former jurist, let me ask you one thing."

Tae Chae-jin asked without changing his expression.

"Is the man a foreigner?"

"A Korean born in Korea."

"Ah, then it's settled."

Tae Chae-jin stood up from his seat, placing his right hand on his left chest, and answered.

"Patriotism is always right."

==Chapter 280: Where There Is Light, There Is Darkness (4)==

After the presentation ended.

The people in the conference room were divided into two groups.

Ability users and non-ability users.

The S-class ability users, led by Baek Seol-hee, headed to the break room, while the President, ministers, the Vice President of the Hero Association, and other relevant officials remained in the conference room.

"...First."

The President cautiously brought up the topic.

"If anyone has heard any rumors about Baek Seol-hee dating someone or meeting someone recently, please raise your hand."

No one raised their hand.

"If anyone knows anything, please speak up."

"Mr. President, there's nothing. There's no man around Baek Seol-hee. After Duoexini died last time, even the gift she bought for Cheok Jun-kyeong was confirmed to be just for her younger brother."

"Sigh... Really? Not a single instance?"

"Yes. It's more likely that she's secretly meeting someone out of our sight. Someone we don't know about."

"Huh."

If an ability user used their ability to deliberately hide their identity, could we really recognize that person?

"Minister Park, what about wiretapping or something like that..."

"We can check if we issue a warrant to the telecom company, but will they provide those records?"

"Not talking about doing it legally, but if we discuss it behind the scenes?"

"...There will be significant repercussions. Besides, if the President doesn't know, doesn't that mean 'Cheonriyan' also doesn't know?"

"Sigh."

The President scratched the back of his head.

"Indeed, if I knew it through Cheonriyan, I would have directly asked you for more details."

"Weren't you testing us?"

"Hey, there are no opposition people here, what are you talking about?"

"......."

The people in the conference room looked at each other and nodded.

"So no one really knows, right? Hmm?"

"At least we've confirmed one thing. Baek Seol-hee's... let's just say 'crush'. That crush is a married man."

"An affair..."

Everyone smacked their lips.

"Whoever that lucky guy is, to be married and receive love from Snow White. Haha, the world is truly amazing."

"This isn't something to laugh off. Baek Seol-hee, who never mentioned pregnancy before, brought it up directly in front of us, implying we should handle the legal issues."

"Yes. That makes it scarier. A woman who has always lived by the rules, now being driven crazy by love. That's what love is."

"Sigh... How did she get involved in such a complicated love affair?"

The people here were not ability users.

But their life experience was far richer than others, having seen more people than anyone else.

"Baek Seol-hee seems to be deeply in love with her crush. She's prepared to become a mistress and even create a legal escape route to protect the man."

"She even asked us to ensure the child's protection. This means if there's a custody dispute, she wants to protect the child. Regardless of who the married man is, or who his wife is, we must protect Baek Seol-hee and her child."

"The nation protecting a mistress and her illegitimate child. Haha, people would have a field day if they heard this."

"But she's a woman who defeated three S-classes by herself."

"Then we have to help her. Even if she kidnapped and raped a normal young man, we should turn a blind eye. She's showing such determination about her pregnancy."

There was one common thought among everyone.

"We must never provoke Baek Seol-hee. When we nagged her about dating, getting married, and having kids, she didn't listen at all. Now, suddenly, she's cooperating with us, which means she's so in love that she's willing to die without that man. I know this well."

The President shivered and shook his head.

"...Fortunately, Baek Seol-hee is a patriot. She's not a crazy woman who would sell out her country and child. Whoever her crush is, we need to support and respect her decision."

"But, if the man isn't an ability user..."

"Hey! If Baek Seol-hee says 'I'm not doing this anymore,' what will you do then?"

The President banged the table and shouted at the minister.

"She voluntarily brought up pregnancy, and if we respond with 'Oh, an ordinary person?' or 'Oh, a C-class?' how do you think she'll react? We've already deduced the affair; does the ability rank matter?"

"If he's a married man, he's at least in his late twenties. We already know most of the married ability users."

"...Is there a possibility we missed some young married ability users?"

"No, there isn't."

"Damn...! Is it fortunate that she's willing to bear a child?"

Baek Seol-hee was going to have a child.

Even if it's a married man's child, she wanted to raise it.

"A common court issue is now a national issue. Damn, it's crazy. Is that guy insane? If Baek Seol-hee asked for an affair, I'd divorce and marry her."

The ministers smiled awkwardly at the President's words, but no one shook their head or disagreed.

"We just have to trust her. Ah, would Baek Seol-hee marry an unworthy person? His only flaw is being married. And what if he's not an ability user? Baek Seol-hee is S+, so she'll at least give birth to an A-class."

"But what if his rank is low..."

"Ah, let's not think about that. One is better than zero, and opinions can change after having a child. One can become two and three, right?"

"If she has more than one child, that alone is a blessing..."

"Let's just solve the legal issues. If the media catches a whiff, we'll find out who the wife is and spin it in Baek Seol-hee's favor. Understand?"

"Understood."

A conclusion was reached.

"Listen well. No matter who Baek Seol-hee dates or who she loves, as long as he's a 'Korean man'..."

Vrrrr.

Suddenly, the door opened.

Without giving the secretaries a chance to intervene, everyone's attention turned to the person who entered the conference room.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I left my cup behind earlier."

"Taejo..."

The President's face flushed as Taejo came in to retrieve his steel mug left on the table.

No matter how S-class he was, no matter if he was the President's grandson, ordinary people didn't just walk into a conference room in the middle of an ongoing meeting with the door closed.

"Haha. What serious discussion are you having? Oh, is it a serious discussion...?"

"What were you talking about?"

"Just battle strategies. How to use clones."

"Hmm...."

"But I'm not interested in those talks, so I just came out. Hehe."

Except for someone like Armored Taejo.

"Since you're here, let me ask. Do you know who Baek Seol-hee is seeing?"

"......."

Taejo sipped his coffee, remaining silent.

Everyone's heart sank at his ambiguous attitude.

"Do you really know? Hmm?"

"Let me be clear, it's not me. It's not Jun-gyeong, nor is it Tousin. And I don't know."

"Anyone you suspect?"

"There is one person."

"Who?"

"You might be shocked when you hear it. Especially you, Grandfather."

"...Is it someone I know?"

"Well."

Taejo glanced around the room and cautiously opened his mouth.

"It might be a shocking story for you adults, but are you ready?"

"Anything is fine. Just tell us."

"Then...."

Standing at the entrance with his cup, Taejo cleared his throat.

"I think...."

At that moment, in the break room.

"What? Me and Irin? What kind of crazy talk is that?"

Baek Seol-hee scoffed at Lee Jun-young and Kim Yun-ji's questions.

"Say something that makes sense."

"Unni."

"Nunim."

"I know saying nonsense is a global rule, but Irin is...."

"A girl."

"A minor."

"...Both."

Baek Seol-hee covered her face with her hands at the questioning looks from the two.

"Don't worry. He's Korean, not a girl, and an adult. Except for being married, he's a decent person."

"Unnie. Are you covering up the truth by saying he's married? I'd rather believe you're a lesbian."

"I'd rather be a lesbian and fight for patriotism with the adulterer's wife."

"Pfft...!"

Lee Jun-young almost spit out his soda.

"Noonim, please don't say things like that...!"

"It's just a way of speaking. You're suspicious of me too, aren't you? What? A minor? Are you out of your mind?"

"...Isn't it true? Ever since you went to Sejong Island this year, you suddenly started talking about patriotism."

"So what?"

"Well, noonim, could it be a forbidden relationship between teacher and student...ugh?!"

Crackle.

"Hey, Kim Yun-ji!"

"Stop saying crazy things. It's a crime to be with a minor!"

"Saying someone's a lesbian is different from committing a crime against humanity!"

"Guys. Can't you just accept that the person I'm seeing is married?"

Baek Seol-hee chuckled at the argument between the two S-classes.

"Whoever the man is, just think positively. Even if I have a child, I won't force you to participate in public events. I have clones, after all."

"That's...."

"And."

Baek Seol-hee glanced up at the ceiling.

"Even if a demon from Pandemonium appears, you won't have to worry about Gwang Ik Gong stepping in. I can handle it with my clones, even if I'm pregnant. I'd appreciate it if you could help out a bit. Yun-ji?"

"Yes?"

"If I get permission, I'll introduce you to someone. Someone who can greatly help you with your abilities. And if you guys reach S+ class...."

She grinned.

"I'll take real parental leave. I won't leave the country, and everyone won't have to worry."

==Chapter 281: Where There Is Light, There Is Darkness (5)==

"I just suggested a possibility."

Taejo threw the bomb and walked out.

As he closed the conference room door and stepped outside, intense reactions began to erupt from within.

"......."

Of course.

No matter how open-minded people were about ability users, there were things they could accept and things they could not.

The bomb Taejo dropped was one of those things.

Baek Seol-hee and Tae Irin dating?

Not just dating, but Baek Seol-hee hiding her affair with Tae Irin by pretending to be married?

Baek Seol-hee getting pregnant, implying Tae Irin as the father?

"Heh."

The conference room was thrown into chaos in an instant, but Taejo suppressed his laughter and changed his expression.

Beep beep beep.

Then, he called someone.

He waited longer than expected, thinking it might be an important conversation, and strolled down the corridor with his smartphone, waiting for the other person to answer.

[Hello? What's going on?]

"I said you were going to have a baby with Seol-hee noona."

[What crazy nonsense are you talking about? What did you do?]

"Well."

As Taejo explained the situation.

[I'm going to sue you. For defaming my unnie.]

Tae Irin immediately turned serious.

"Not you, but Seol-hee noona?"

[Of course. How could you make such a nasty joke? Are you crazy?]

"Yes, I'm crazy. But this covered up 'my thoughts'."

Taejo headed towards the bathroom.

"I think I know who the adulterer noona mentioned is."

[...Who is it?]

"I'm only telling you. Listen carefully, little sister."

As those following him guarded the bathroom entrance, Taejo placed his hand on the sensor in front of a toilet stall.

Whoosh.

"...Goblin."

In a barely audible voice, Taejo whispered so that no one could hear.

[......Brother, are you out of your mind?]

"No, I'm sane. It's not Tushin or Cheok Jun-gyeong. This is the conclusion I've reached."

[No matter what, claiming that someone who always fights with you would be pregnant with Goblin's child?]

"Shh. Lower your voice. Your voice is louder than mine and might leak out."

Taejo moved to the sink and turned on the water to create noise.

"Have you ever talked about the Goblin with noona?"

[...Not really, except when we're on a mission together?]

"Just watch her expressions and gestures when she talks about him. You'll get it? Little sister, even though you're a woman, I know more about women."

Taejo pulled his hand back.

"When she talks about him, she tries to hide it, but her eyes are filled with hearts. If there was an ability user who could see emotions, they'd see heart-shaped auras around her every time she talks about him."

[Sigh. So you think you're an expert on women and figured out it's the Goblin?]

"Of course. And there's another clue...."

Soon, the stream of water trickled down.

"I'll send you the data from today's duel later. You might understand better if you fight directly, but if you still don't get it, I can't help it. I'm telling you this because you're my sister."

[...Isn't this serious? Even if it's S-class, planning to have a villain's child might lead to her becoming a villain.]

"I don't think so. Based on what I saw back then, it's certain."

There was conviction in Taejo's voice.

[You've discovered something incredible. But you know not to spread it around, right?]

"That's why I linked it to someone. Acting like I was joking."

[You weren't joking; you were serious about 30% of it to mess with me.]

"Not 30%, more like 50%."

[Geez. Never mind. I'm going to meet Lee Sun unnie at the café now, so keep your mouth shut and don't cause any trouble.]

"As if I would... Hey, hey!"

Click.

The call abruptly ended.

"Ah, damn. I had something to ask."

Taejo scratched his head and walked out, heading straight to the break room.

Creak.

"...Huh?"

"You're here?"

Baek Seol-hee was the only one in the room.

She was calmly using her smartphone, but Taejo sensed she hastily turned it off as he entered.

Was she watching a date video or something?

Even though it was in view of the CCTV, the angle of her smartphone wasn't aligned with the CCTV camera, so she might have been looking at pictures.

"Where are hyung and noona?"

"Tushin and Raije went to fight my clone 2:1."

"...Shouldn't you go see it yourself?"

"I can control my clone well enough from this distance."

"Wow, that's amazing. Could I do that too?"

"You... I don't know. You could create a clone with steel, but...."

"Hey, noona."

Taejo thought about consulting Tae Irin but, seeing no one else enter the break room, clenched his fist.

"Could I meet that guy you're planning to have a child with?"

"...Why do you want to meet him?"

"I just want to test my current skills."

He wanted to fight with all his might if they met again.

"I haven't even told you he's an ability user, so how can-"

"......."

"......What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Just because. Oh, right. I have a question, noona."

"What is it?"

"About the Goblin."

She remained calm.

"Yeah."

"He defeated two of Pandemonium's demons."

"Yeah, yeah."

But the moment he mentioned Goblin.

"It's pretty amazing. Eliminating demons immediately when they do bad things."

"...Well, Pandemonium's demons are a bit of an exception."

"Right? Should I try mimicking the Goblin's appearance this time? Like when he entered the island sanctuary. It was really cool."

"What's cool about that?"

Look at the moment he praised Goblin.

"Why don't you seriously explore that thing you copied during the battle earlier, Hesed Dragon or whatever it's called?"

"Eh, it's better to steal from the Goblin than those unidentified guys claiming to be from the future. He's like a complete ability user package."

"......Well, I can't deny that. But don't you hate the Goblin?"

"I hate him as a villain, but I personally think he's amazing as an ability user."

It might be just a guess, but Taejo tried to subtly probe Baek Seol-hee's feelings towards Goblin.

"...Right. He would be a decent human being if he weren't a villain."

Though she spoke nonchalantly, everything was clear to the romance expert, Armored Taejo (17 years old).

"If I ever meet Goblin, I want to ask him what kind of techniques I need to train to be recognized as a real S-class evaluator."

"Would a villain teach you that?"

"Um... Should I offer him money?"

The more they talked, the more Baek Seol-hee spoke about Goblin than usual.

A woman.

If she didn't like someone, she wouldn't even open her mouth.

"Oh, by the way, I heard you made weird comments linking me with Irin?"

"......."

"Don't say such things carelessly."

"I'm sorry. It just seemed like it was giving the elders a headache."

"If you say things like that, you'll hear similar things back."

"......."

Taejo felt a chill down his spine but bit his lower lip, trying to ignore it.

"...Right? I'm sorry, noona."

"......Why? Ah, do those kinds of talks make you uncomfortable? Sorry, I didn't know."

"No, it's fine. I deserve it for saying those things. Hahaha...."

Taejo gave an awkward laugh.

"But noona, I have another question."

"What now?"

"...If Goblin and Gwang Ik Gong fought, who do you think would win?"

"......Who do you think would win?"

"Um, Goblin?"

"......."

Seeing that Baek Seol-hee did not show any displeasure at his choice, Taejo quietly drank his coffee.

As if suppressing something rising from within.

After finishing the skill transfer to Yumir to some extent.

I headed to Busan to meet Gwang Ik Gong.

"Oh, you actually came?"

"We've been meeting quite often recently. Why do you keep summoning a busy patriot?"

"I'm curious about the progress, and there's something else I want to discuss."

"You're barely recovering your mana and practically dying in real-time, and you still want to meet me?"

"Meeting you for a day is worth spending three days of my life."

"......."

Should I just not talk?

I knew what he's saying wasn't meant in that way, but my ears and brain kept interpreting it differently.

My brain might be rotten, maybe from too much exposure to such thoughts, but Gwang Ik Gong also has a problem for making me think this way.

"How's the teaching going with Yumir?"

"Of course. With about three more months of training, she'll be able to mimic Gwang Ik Gong perfectly."

"Three months... You can barely make it in time."

"Is it because of the World Cup?"

"Not exactly."

The Ability Users World Cup.

It's also known as the national competition, a setup for the protagonist to show off his power to the world, defeat male heroes, and win the attention and love of female supporting heroines.

"Even Snow White wouldn't want to replace Gwang Ik Gong in a world event."

"It's not like I asked you to replace Gwang Ik Gong for that reason."

"But still, you'd want me to, right?"

"...That's true."

There, Gwang Ik Gong must show his 'presence.'

"So, why did you call me today?"

"Here, take this."

Gwang Ik Gong handed me something from his pocket.

"What's this?"

"A burner phone."

"......What?"

"It's a smartphone registered under my name. Since I haven't been declared dead yet, it's my secondary phone."

"Why are you giving this to me?"

"Well."

Gwang Ik Gong continued.

"I want you to help correct ability users under my name. For the development of ability users."

He was sincere.

"If Gwang Ik Gong advises on abilities, people will take it seriously. If the world's best gives advice, even if it's annoying, they should consider it an honor."

"...So you want me to be an advisor for the country's ability users?"

"Yeah. You're raising Yoon Iseon, and in less than half a year, you're making Yumir like Gwang Ik Gong. Become an ability consultant for this country's ability users."

"...What's in it for me?"

"The more S-classes there are, the sooner Seol-hee nuna can retire, right?"

"That's not enough."

"One more thing."

Gwang Ik Gong tapped his smartphone.

"I deposited 200 billion won in a Swiss account I created with this phone. It's your starting fee. Take it."

"......."

I accepted the request.