There were two S-rank individuals and dozens of ability users around, but there was no major problem in having a conversation.

[I've set up a barrier. Now we can talk without being overheard, and even if anyone wakes up, they won't be able to break through the shield.]

Yumir created a separate barrier in the negotiation room, gathered everyone in the golden prison, and covered it with a shield.

"That is...."

[You shouldn't show off your skills recklessly in front of the Platinum Sun. They'll steal all your techniques like that.]

[Isn't that something you shouldn't be saying?]

Yumir used her magic power to create a shield that mimicked the abilities of Taejo.

Unlike her usual circular shield, she created a golden shield that perfectly matched the shape of a steel safe and then sat in the negotiation room's chair without showing any signs of fatigue.

"Aren't you tired?"

[Not at all. I have quite a lot of mana.]

"Of course. You fly around space so easily, you must have an abundance of mana. I envy you."

That was genuine.

Even if Taejo himself barely had S-rank mana, no matter how rich you were, you'd envy someone who had more assets than you.

[Surprisingly. The more I see, the more I think. Given the appearance of Armored Taejo, I'd expect jealousy and envy. Almost like having a split personality.]

"...Well, it's similar."

[Hm?]

"It's not strange to have a split personality."

Oh.

Was this for real?

[Really? Split personality? Are Armored Taejo and Black Taejo different individuals?]

"Strictly speaking, they are not different individuals. ...If I were to talk about my circumstances, I'm revealing everything about myself. Even my sister doesn't know, only the President knows this secret."

Taejo made a bold move.

With a face full of tension, he clenched his hands, alternately looking at me and Yumir.

"Is this enough?"

[Ah....]

I removed my mask.

"It's absurd to ask someone to trust you just because you remove your mask, but at least it's enough to show a gesture of trust."

"...If you're going to do that."

Yumir also removed her mask.

Now, both Yumir and I had completely revealed our appearances.

Later, if we happened to pass by each other and went, 'Huh?' we might meet, but Taejo showed a relieved expression as soon as he saw our faces.

"Thank you, both of you. For trusting me. I won't tell anyone your identities, not even the one here."

Taejo tapped his temple with his index finger.

It likely referred to his 'child' self.

"Is it really split personality?"

"Yes. Strictly speaking, I am the real one, and the unruly one outside is another personality I created."

"Wow."

Yumir was amazed, sticking out her tongue.

"Isn't that very dangerous?"

"It is. In the worst case... the chance of becoming a demon doubles."

Two personalities.

One body.

No matter which side was in control, if one became a demon, the other side's consciousness had no chance to intervene.

Because the body had already become a demon.

Even so, the reason for splitting the personality and creating an imaginary one to live in the world of light was compelling.

"Self-protection. Active in the underworld. Which one do you value more?"

"...The Goblin seems to know everything."

"It's not knowing everything. Just knowing what I know."

The reason I could understand Taejo's feelings was because I had encountered many characters in similar situations through various works.

"If I had to quantify it, it's about 70:30. It's a bit embarrassing."

"It's not embarrassing. Rather, it's an effort to protect your family through it, isn't it? To avoid hurting your remaining family."

"You can't say anything. Do you know everything?"

"It's just that the pieces of the puzzle I had vaguely thought about until now have come together. The clues fit perfectly, and I just brought the solution from the many possibilities I had considered before."

"Hey."

Yumir poked my side with an ambiguous expression.

"Instead of talking like you know everything, can you explain it in a way I can understand?"

"It will be a dirty story. Are you okay with that?"

"Is it dirtier than that?"

Yumir pointed to the ground near the tunnel covered in white mucus.

Even though he manipulated the gold to push the walls and wiped away all traces, he couldn't clean up the traces left while cleaning the traces.

"It's not that kind of dirtiness. It's the evil that occurred during the development of this country, something you wouldn't have encountered normally."

"If I were to give a recent example... it's similar to the case in Thailand."

"......!"

Yumir's expression instantly hardened.

"Could it be a demon...."

"Sometimes, humans are more demon-like than demons. They do such heinous things that even Satan would be shocked."

"That's an interesting expression. Even Satan would be shocked.... Well, it seems true. If the world knew, it would expose the country's dark side. Still, do you want to hear it?"

"...Yes."

At Taejo's question, Yumir nodded calmly.

"No matter what happened, even if you split your personality, I will support and encourage you for choosing the path of a 'hero'."

"......."

"Taejo... sir?"

"No. Hm, something."

Taejo bowed his head briefly, then took a deep breath.

"Truly, it's been a while since I've heard such touching words. May I call you sister-in-law?"

"S-sister-in-law?"

"Why are you calling her sister-in-law?"

"Because I've already decided to call you brother."

"That was on the train... ha, fine. Call me whatever you want."

It was more comfortable that way, too.

"Baridegi doesn't know that Black Taejo has a split personality. Does she even know about Black Agent?"

"She knows that I do something separately behind the scenes. But she doesn't know that the personalities are completely different. Only my grandfather and the President know. From the moment we planned this, from the moment I split my personality, it was something I consulted with my grandfather and did."

When Taejo placed his hands on the table, two golden statues popped up.

"At 12 years old, five years ago, Taejo made a choice. To protect his own identity, to prevent the situation where he might become a demon, he created a 'fabricated' Taejo by manipulating his past memories."

In other words, it was because there was an emotional turmoil that was unbearable.

"Our parents had twins. We also had a youngest sibling. And they all died."

How did they die?

That 'how' was what made Taejo split his personality.

"Do you know anything about it?"

"Brother, do you know?"

"Yes."

I knew it well.

Because Tae Irin of Baridegi was a heroine.

And through investigating the heroine's past, I learned the truth about her parents.

"I know from the information gathered by the secret society and what I've learned, and also through speculations about the profile and the cause of the incidents. It's not 100% certain, but I'm 99% confident."

On the father's side, through the knowledge of the original work.

On the mother's side, through the intelligence obtained in this world.

"Min Ji-young, your mother tried to sell the children she had with your father to North Korea."

"...Yes."

Taejo smiled bitterly.

"My youngest sibling, whose name I only knew, whose face I never saw, who I only knew was born, is dead. She was foolish despite being my biological mother. She thought North Korea would treat her well, even though she wasn't an ability user. Well, she probably didn't predict it easily. It's common sense that a child needs their mother."

"Humans die because of actions beyond common sense."

"Do you know how they died? Why they died?"

"...I assume it was due to an imprinting attempt."

"That's correct."

Taejo clicked his tongue and let out a hollow laugh.

Soon, several golden statues appeared on the table.

A baby in a cradle.

A woman lying next to the baby.

Soldiers in uniform.

And a female soldier who resembled the woman.

"North Korea killed Min Ji-young and tried to replace the baby's mother. They didn't know that an S-rank baby was intelligent enough to realize that their mother had been switched and murdered."

Whoosh.

Golden balloons spread from the baby doll and enveloped the area, soon forming a huge crater on the table.

Like a satellite image of Pyongyang.

"That's how I lost my younger sibling and mother. Of course, this wasn't the reason my personality split. The split personality was... due to my father."

Taejo's biological father.

The son of Tae Chae-jin.

The person who no longer existed.

"Do you know?"

"......Only speculation."

"Since you're going to reveal the correct answer anyway, you might as well say it. Sister-in-law might feel uncomfortable hearing it, but...."

"I'll listen."

Yumir clenched her fist, and I placed my hand over hers, gripping it tightly.

"Habsburg."

"......?"

Yumir tilted her head, as if wondering what that meant, while Taejo closed his eyes as if the sky was falling and lowered his head.

"It must have been an attempt, even if it failed."

"......."

"Not you, but your younger sibling."

Taejo's parents.

The combination of Taejo's father and mother.

Including Taejo, Tae Irin, and the nameless baby who died, they produced a total of three S-ranks.

Three in succession.

"Min Ji-young was old, so to have more S-rank children, they sought younger blood."

"Yes. So...."

Taejo created a box with his hands on the table.

"I call my technique 'Steel Safe' instead of something else. Although the direction is different, it's a symbol of filth."

The Steel Safe.

The first person that was confined and killed with that technique.

"The day my younger sister first bled, I killed my father."

==Chapter 304: For The Nation (2)==

How far could a human cross the line?

We had already confirmed this through countless creations.

Even without creations, we could occasionally see the actions of demons disguised as humans through the news.

Whether it's for money, power, or any other reason, humans would sometimes abandon ethics to achieve what they saw as 'profit'.

Even if it meant abandoning familial bonds.

Even if it meant committing atrocities.

"Do you know about the Habsburg family in medieval Europe?"

Taejo carefully began to speak to Yumir, whose expression was hardened and who couldn't speak properly.

"In medieval Europe, bloodlines were highly valued. And to keep that bloodline from leaking out, they practiced inbreeding repeatedly."

"Inbreeding, you mean...?"

"It means exactly what it sounds like. Siblings became spouses, aunts became wives, and sometimes sons became husbands. I'm not here to talk about the rise and fall of the Habsburg family, but history tends to repeat itself."

Taejo fiddled with the golden sparkling figurines.

"Let's think objectively. If the first twins were born, and both were S-class, what would the world expect from this couple? Wouldn't they naturally have the obvious expectation?"

"...That the third would also be S-class?"

"Yes, that's correct."

"......."

As Yumir made a face as if she was about to throw up, I placed my hand on her back and stroked it gently.

"You can't react like this already. We're about to discuss something even more serious."

This story was poison for Yumir.

It could trigger her disillusionment and anger towards the world, potentially leading her to raise her 'meteor counter'.

While I was jokingly using the term 'meteor counter', it essentially meant mental exhaustion.

Disillusionment, disgust, and distrust toward humans.

And the futility of knowing that she had been, and would continue to be, protecting such humans at all costs.

All these emotions would culminate, leading Yumir to choose the 'mutual destruction' ending.

There were two ways.

Either trap her in a cage where she couldn't see the world's filth, or slowly submerge her face into the swamp until eventually, her whole body sank.

The most ideal outcome was for her to see the bottom of the swamp and still spread her wings to fly towards the sky.

Yumir was now at the stage of dipping her feet in the swamp.

"The same situation occurred with my parents. They kept trying to have children, but it didn't go well."

"Wait, when you say it didn't go well, you mean they just had trouble conceiving, right? It's not what I'm thinking, is it?"

"What are you thinking?"

I asked while patting Yumir's back.

"Tell me. No matter what you're thinking, I won't be disappointed."

"......That if they weren't S-class or ability users, they were not allowed to be born."

"Platinum Sun."

Taejo gave a bitter smile with a calm face.

"I'm sorry. Your thoughts are correct."

"...Ugh."

"They were 'disposed of' at birth. The Haegneul was behind my mother, and my father had a close relationship with Haegneul as well."

"By 'disposed of,' do you mean they were killed? There's no case where they were sent to an orphanage or adopted overseas?"

"Yes. They were all killed. Until the last one, until an S-class was born."

"......."

Yumir grabbed the table with her hands.

Her grip, imbued with mana, crushed the metal, leaving handprints.

"Calm down. It's in the past. It's something that happened before, and we can't change it."

"...Yes. Hoo. But, just hearing about it is so overwhelming. Knowing this, you...."

"I first learned about it when I was 11. It must have been. They had a child at least once a year, sometimes every two years, and then I accidentally overheard them arguing."

A memory of a middle-aged couple came to mind.

They pointed fingers at each other, veins bulging on their necks, as they argued furiously.

"I can't have any more. We've already failed every time. They fought like that. It was the first time I saw them, who were always bright in front of us, fighting like that."

"...At least they wouldn't show such arguments in front of their S-class babies."

"Yes. By that time, it was forbidden by law."

The golden figurine seemed to be viewed slightly from below, probably because it was Taejo's memory—a scene seen by an 11-year-old child secretly peeking.

"But eventually, I saw it. Fortunately, I wasn't caught. If I had been caught, this man wouldn't have tried to do such a terrible thing."

This man's trauma from knowing the truth was now being reenacted by his ability.

"It was summer. That man chose another woman instead of his vanished wife to have an S-class child. Half of it was in the name of his wife."

"Crazy...."

Like a miniature.

"Where did the S-class come from? It wasn't from the woman, but from his blood. The woman must have had an affair, and my genes contained the potential to produce an S-class."

"He's out of his mind."

"Yes, he was out of his mind."

The more specific the memory, the more vivid the figurines on the table became.

"Summer night. The man finally tried to do it. He sneaked into the room where my sister was sleeping, and luckily, I arrived in time."

On the bed.

A monster lunged at the sleeping girl.

And behind the monster, a small boy reached out his hand towards it.

Crack.

Something like a box, reminiscent of a delivery box, encased the monster with iron plates.

"The Iron Box of Steel actually has this function too. But it was never revealed to the world."

Crunch, crackle.

The golden box started to shrink in size.

Sounds of something pounding could be heard from inside, but the box continued to compress, and compress some more, as if it would shrink until it reached its limit.

It shrunk to the size of a slightly larger than a travel suitcase.

The box did not shrink any further, and the boy fell to his knees.

"No one knows. No one. Except for what I saw and the SD card in the old smartphone inside the box."

"......!!"

"If it wasn't for that, I wouldn't have been able to discuss it with my grandfather. Eventually, my grandfather learned everything, and the man disappeared, thanks to the help of many people."

Two people appeared next to the box.

"Those people, could they be...."

"Gwang Ik Gong. And the other one is... a deceased S-class hero."

Both were faces I recognized, and they were discussing something serious before they eventually destroyed the box completely.

"And I sealed myself. Whether it was due to childishness, or because I was afraid of telling my sister the truth, or because I was afraid of being branded a patricidal murderer, I couldn't bear it at that time. So, I divided myself."

The boy split into two.

One was a rambunctious child who thought he was special.

And behind him, crouching in the shadows, was another boy who just watched the rambunctious child and laughed.

"Well, it's a common story in the world of abilities, isn't it? Haha...."

Taejo waved his hand forward, making all the figurines disappear.

"When my grandfather called me and deactivated the hypnosis, I woke up—"

"How could...."

Drip, drip, drip.

"I'm, I'm sorry. I don't know what to say."

Tears streamed down Yumir's face.

She lowered her head, unable to look at Taejo, covering her mouth with her hands, and tears fell onto her clothes, soaking them.

"Oh, no. It's fine. It's all in the past...."

"It's okay. Cry."

I hugged Yumir and patted her, nodding once to Taejo.

The one who wanted to cry, who should cry, was not just Yumir.

"...They say a man cries three times in his life. I've already cried twice, so I only have one stack left."

"Crying more than three times doesn't affect your life at all."

"...Have you ever cried?"

"Of course. Even sad movies make me tear up."

I was not as sensitive as Yumir, but I was quite emotional.

"Crying or expressing emotions in any way is a good thing. For you, it must be that."

"......."

"I understand. I'm a man too. When you're in someone's arms, you can forget all your worries and concerns, even if just for a moment."

To forget sadness, humans became obsessed with something.

Whether it's work, people, or relationships.

Even if he divided his personality, there weren't many ways to relieve the underlying resentment in the subconscious of this man.

His method was patriotism, that's all.

This man.

"Yuliana Fayegreen. Do you remember the woman who stole your genes and ran away?"

"...Yes."

"You could have contacted America and had her arrested at the airport, but you went all the way to Gangneung yourself. There must have been a reason for that, even if it wasn't you, it was the other you outside."

"......."

Whether it was Armored Taejo or Black Taejo, both were ultimately Taejo.

He couldn't stand gene theft, so he flew to Gangneung himself, exhausting most of his magic power.

To somehow stop Yuliana's departure and meet her directly.

"Did you ask her?"

"I wanted to, but when I saw her face, that thought disappeared. This guy."

Taejo laughed softly, touching his cheek with his index finger.

"I was disappointed, but I still touched her because I liked her."

"...How about you?"

"I don't really know."

"You don't know?"

"Yes."

Taejo scratched his head.

"Those things, they were all done by another me."

"......."

"In the past two years, I've rarely been out-"

"I've decided."

I continued to pat the now somewhat calmed Yumir and reached out my hand to Taejo.

"Live in the world of light. Don't live in the shadows anymore. Leave the darkness to society, and live enjoying what you deserve. Patriotism, S-class, whatever. Don't leave your life to Armored Taejo anymore."

"......."

"Carrying the darkness of the world."

This might sound a bit cheesy.

"It's the job of adults."

==Chapter 305: For The Nation (3)==

It's not that anyone would say anything, even if you extended your hand out of pity or sympathy.

Black Taejo, no, the real Taejo, proved himself.

He ensured that he wouldn't turn into a demon in any situation, using an internal safeguard to prevent himself from darkening.

Such a man couldn't be left to live as a mere kid or an S-class Scanner forever.

Of course, I had taken advantage of and guided such situations.

Firefox, Yoon Iseon, made a splendid debut using Armored Taejo in the process of becoming an S-class.

But Taejo himself would understand that.

Armored Taejo had shown some childish behavior.

I think that's better.

Thinking of himself as a sinner, killing his own self and only acting in important matters for the nation, is not good for a child.

In terms of age, he was 17.

He was just a high school freshman.

No matter how different ability users were from ordinary people, Taejo still needed to enjoy his adolescence a bit more.

For Taejo's healthy mind.

"I refuse."

Taejo flatly rejected my proposal.

"Why? If you think I'm not treating you as an adult, that's a misunderstanding."

"That's not it. I understand the sentiment behind your words. But I have no intention of letting go of the matters happening behind the nation's scenes."

Taejo clenched his right hand into a fist and placed it over his chest.

"To dedicate myself to the nation. To do my best. To step up where others can't. This isn't something someone orders me to do; it's something I want to do."

"Are you not brainwashed by someone?"

"No."

I glanced at Yumir.

At least in matters like this, Yumir was better at reading people's minds.

"Wow..."

Yumir wiped away tears, looking moved.

The look in her eyes as she gazed at Taejo wasn't one of those drafted for a memorial service on Memorial Day but one of genuine respect for those who have dedicated themselves to the nation.

"Oppa, this person is really amazing."

"Is that so? Not just treating him as a kid because of his age. Indeed, that was my mistake. I apologize."

"No need to apologize."

Taejo bowed his head, looking apologetic.

"Really... it's amazing that you grew up so upright. Even though I didn't have much influence on your life, I feel grateful."

"Many people helped me. Especially my grandfather... the President helped me a lot."

"The President?"

"Yes."

Taejo smiled faintly, fiddling with his wrist.

"Since my affairs could cause great harm to me and Irin if revealed to the public, he became the nation's highest authority."

"Huh..."

"Please don't tell others. If it's revealed that the President, who should work for the nation, became President to protect his family politically, there will be huge political attacks in the National Assembly."

"I never intended to reveal your past anyway."

Even Min Ji-young's affairs were kept quiet by both parties.

At least until Haegneul was pushed to the brink of destruction and all the documents in Haegneul's cabinet were spread to the world, the story about Min Ji-young would never come out.

Even more so about Taejo's father.

"And Gwang Ik Gong has also considered me in many ways, and many people have cherished and loved the unruly Taejo on the surface, so I've managed to get by without any major issues."

Although Taejo was called an S-class Scanner, at least his popularity in Korea was comparable to that of any idol.

A character like a troublemaker or a mischief-maker, a hero who drove both fans and haters crazy, was rare in Korea.

"I think it's better for the unruly Taejo to step up. There is a big reason for this...."

Taejo created eight chairs at the table.

"S-classes are all serious or introverted, so we need at least one person who can show active and outgoing performances."

Ah.

"Gwang Ik Gong bears the weight of being the world's strongest. Snow White has long surpassed her Ice Princess image. Tosin is overly serious, Cheok Jun-kyeong is gloomy, and Baridegi, though my sister, is quite eerie. The only active one is Lightning Emperor, and the newly promoted S-class Firefox is more like a serious leader due to her role as the student council president."

"In other words...."

"If I also become heavy-hearted, all of Korea's S-classes will become gloomy."

Taejo smiled brightly, pointing to his hair.

"Dyeing my hair blonde, acting playful, and being a bit cheeky - having one person like that livens up the atmosphere. Especially if that person is the youngest, the 'lowest S-class.'"

"Is there a need to go as far as being a clown...?"

"Yes."

Taejo smiled awkwardly and created new chairs next to the eight chairs.

"It would be nice to have such S-classes, but what kind of country is this? It's a Confucian nation."

"......."

Confucian nation.

With just those words, I understood how Taejo lives brightly and cheerfully as the 'S-class Scanner' on the surface while bearing his own crown of thorns.

"You were bearing your own crown of thorns."

"......."

"To hide the bloodstains on your back, always showing a smiling face to everyone, you were such a true hero."

Indeed.

Heroes in Korea who were classified as S-class weren't heroes for no reason.

Staying in Korea despite the numerous negative experiences Black Taejo had faced there, even though it would be frustratingly foolish, was because they were truly suitable to be called 'heroes.'

Indeed.

I couldn't become a hero like them.

To show the same spirit of sacrifice as them, I was too selfish and self-centered.

"I'm envious."

"...Hearing that from the Goblin makes me a bit embarrassed."

"I'm sincere. Regardless of age, I want to say I respect you as a person."

"If you put it that way...."

Taejo scratched his head and smiled faintly.

That expression, typical of a 17-year-old high school freshman, made me smile.

Suddenly, Yumir poked my waist from the side.

Was there something she wanted to say, or had Cheonma or Rasputin come to their senses? I tensed for a moment, but Yumir looked up at me with half-closed eyes.

"...Why?"

"Are you trying to seduce a man now?"

"Don't say such dangerous things."

I lightly grasped Yumir's head.

"As a man, I just think he's amazing and admirable. I'm heterosexual."

"I think so too... As a big brother and a person with abilities, I think he's amazing, but that's about it."

"...But you're seducing him right now!"

Even though I emphasized that both Taejo and I were patriots seeking harmony, Yumir still glared at me, grumbling.

"If Taejo were a woman, you'd definitely be hitting on him by now. Right?"

"But he's a man."

"Right."

If he were a woman, maybe, but since he's a man, it wouldn't happen in the first place.

"And making him one of us means establishing a 'cooperative relationship' with the Secret Society, not a romantic relationship."

"......."

I was speaking to Yumir, but it was also directed at Taejo.

"Taejo, if what we've talked about so far was as a fellow Korean and a man, from now on, I'm speaking as the 'Goblin of the Secret Society.'"

Admiring Taejo's patriotic side was one thing, but what's important was the matter at hand.

"How you live is your choice, but from now on, let the Secret Society handle such matters. The government will deal with things south of the demilitarized zone. But if something happens north of the demilitarized zone that must not be discovered by anyone, call us."

"The Secret Society?"

"Yes. That's not wrong. The Secret Society exists everywhere. And it's not you joining hands with the Secret Society."

Thud.

I took out the Goblin Bat.

"When they try to steal the resources of the Korean Peninsula, it's just a coincidence that members of the Secret Society happened to be there."

"......."

"I've already discussed this with Gwang Ik Gong."

Strictly speaking, not at all, but since I was the Black Flame King and Gwang Ik Gong hadn't stopped me, there shouldn't be a big problem.

"There are countless ways to handle it without revealing you're with the Secret Society. If killing them is one, erasing their memories and throwing them over the border is another. If not, we can do 'ideological education.'"

"...Like the Sephiroth Knights did?"

"Yes. Or as some people say, putting them in a drum with cement and burying it."

Yumir's expression soured, so let's skip that.

"Imprisoning them in the Secret Society's prison is another way. What do you suggest?"

"...If we kill them, it will only provoke other countries. For me, it's enough to just drive them away...."

"If you do that, they'll come back here."

I extended a hand to Taejo.

"Leave it to me. Let's make a deal. The Secret Society will handle them. You clean up what's left here and return with all your agents alive."

"...How will you solve it?"

"There are many ways. First."

It's a matter of choosing a method.

"Let's kidnap all the thieves here through the dimensional gate."

"Where are you taking them...?"

"Well."

Whatever method we choose, the first step was clear.

"To the sorting center."