Opportunity in the Game Becomes Reality Episode 218
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Opportunity in the Game Becomes Reality Episode 218
50. Max Level (1)
If you think of modern warfare, the impression is of annihilating everything on the surface, but the Second Korean War was different.
Even though a full-scale war between nations had broken out, the damage from the civil war inside the North was actually greater.
Military strongholds were struck with pinpoint accuracy, and all enemy missiles were intercepted in midair.
In the city centers where guerrilla-style combat was expected to intensify, the North Korean forces were swiftly annihilated thanks to the support of the human tanks, the Vanguard, which had detection spells as a basic option.
And since eliminating the leadership that had sparked the civil war was the top priority, the North Korean military quickly lost its head and fell apart.
-Ratatatatat
"What is that helicopter?"
"Huh!? Something's falling!"
"It's food!"
On top of that, despite suffering severe food shortages after the Great Disaster, the citizens' resentment toward the military factions that had started a civil war out of lust for power was extremely strong, and South Korea used this to airdrop bread, chocolate, and red bean jelly with high caloric density for their small size via helicopter.
On their wrappers was written that rice, eggs, and meat would be provided as soon as the fighting ended, and citizens who cared more about immediate food than the state's system voluntarily cooperated and helped subdue the North Korean forces.
Naturally, Korea, worried about the nutritional state of the North Korean people, quickly supplied food to the occupied territories.
In fact, seeing the South Korean government provide even more food than promised, North Koreans could realize that what they had heard during ideology education and the reality of Korea were different.
"They say Korea is better off than Japan now?"
"What? Is that real?"
"That's what they say."
"But we were definitely told they were poorer than us..."
"We were all fooled. Just look at the soldiers their complexion and build are different. At first I thought they were Westerners."
South Korea strictly kept its soldiers in line so that they wouldn't make claims like Korea being far wealthier than the North or the North Korean leaders being pigs who sucked the blood of the people, to prevent the North Korean citizens from falling into confusion.
They judged there was no need to provoke the North Korean people and earn their resentment for no reason.
After all, isn't it said that even North Korean defectors initially get riled up if you insult the North Korean leader?
Of course, after living in South Korea for just a few years, they end up leading the charge in cursing the North Korean leader out of betrayal.
Either way, with time everyone comes to learn the truth, so at first they didn't use words they let the North Koreans feel with their bodies that Korea and the North were different.
"My child is sick! D-Do you happen to have medicine?"
"Oh dear, come this way. I'll arrange for you to see a doctor."
"Thank you!"
If someone was sick, they treated them.
"There are a lot of people at home, so the food we already received has run out..."
"Yes, we'll give you more. We just got ramen in today I'll give you some of that too, so please give it a try."
"Ohh, thank you!"
If they asked for more food, they gave them as much as they asked for.
"Our house collapsed, so that place over there is an empty house. Would it be okay to use it?"
"Of course. Go ahead."
"My mother lives in the next town over. Would it be alright if I went to check on her?"
"If you give me your parents' address and names, I'll have them brought to you."
Residents' complaints were handled quickly and flexibly.
South Korea had never doubted its victory in the war from the start.
That was why they judged that in the Second Korean War, what mattered just as much as the fighting was the post-war recovery.
Thus, Korea was able to stabilize the occupied territories very quickly, and the North Korean residents' assessment of the Korean military and the South Korean government was not bad.
If the North Korean leader had been holding on intact, the story might have been different, but the moment the North Korean leader met his end in the Great Disaster, their system was already as good as collapsed.
Thanks to that, the North Korean residents obediently followed orders without much resistance.
"Huh? What's this?"
"Is this South Korean broadcasting?"
And among the policies implemented to relieve the North Korean residents' anxiety, one yielded an unexpected gain: Korean dramas, boasting the highest addictiveness, which began airing through North Korean broadcasting stations.
Korean dramas, with their solid storytelling combined with perfect cinematography, actors' performances, and visuals, were enough not only to calm the confusion of North Korean residents but also to make them harbor fantasies about South Korea.
Later evaluations would even hold that the single greatest contribution to South Korea's complete absorption of the North was none other than Korean dramas.
And so the Second Korean War rapidly drew to a close, and at last the South Korean government declared victory to the whole world and, at the same time, unification.
* * *
[America: We sincerely congratulate the Republic of Korea on its unification. We hope to continue developing together as blood allies.]
[Russia: The North's self-destruction is regrettable, but the Republic of Korea is also an important friend of ours. Now that we are connected to the Republic of Korea by land, we look forward to continued cooperation between our two countries, including the Trans-Siberian Railway.]
[European Union Joint Statement: We support and cheer for the Republic of Korea. We sincerely congratulate the unification.]
Naturally, most countries welcomed the unification of the Korean Peninsula and sent their wishes of support.
But exactly two regions.
There were exactly two places that could not figure out how they should respond.
Namely, the former China, now split into four, and a weakened Japan.
On this matter, China made no comment at all.
From their standpoint, it was an unavoidable response.
They didn't want to congratulate, and they couldn't very well issue a statement of condemnation either.
Japan's reaction, on the other hand, was rather amusing.
[Japan: We congratulate united Korea, the birth of a great nation. We hope to put aside the grudges of the past and work together in step as leaders of a new era.]
Because they had come in completely bending over backward.
"Truly an easy-to-read people."
President Kim Min-guk let out a wry laugh at these reactions.
"How about we show Japan what's what while we have the chance?"
Emboldened by the easy victory, key Blue House officials raised their voices with flushed faces.
At that, the President shook his head and spoke.
"Striking another nation the moment the war ends is a bit much. Convey this to the Japanese government: they must acknowledge ownership of Dokdo and all the wrongs of past history, and come with an official apology. Emphasize that this must be handled formally by the government, not through sloppy press play."
"And if they don't comply?"
At the Director of the National Intelligence Service's question, the President thought for a moment, then broke into a smile.
"Then we take Tsushima."
"Haha, understood."
The key Blue House officials, including the Director of the National Intelligence Service, nodded with amusement.
Who would have thought the day would come when they would be pressuring Japan.
They felt a sense of vicissitude.
"Of course, once the past history with Japan is settled, the next target is China. First, we need to make sure they can't use that presumptuous name 'Balhae' anymore."
"It's harder than with Japan, but it's certainly something we must address."
From now on, they would say what needed to be said, and if necessary, even resort to military force to correct wrongs.
That was the new Republic of Korea that President Kim Min-guk envisioned.
* * *
While China and Japan were racking their brains over the unification of the Korean Peninsula.
Adrian, too, was distinguishing himself on the international stage just like South Korea.
[Not only has it entered a stabilization phase faster than expected, but the Duchy of Lawrence is seeing a large increase in high-quality jobs and a major rise in national income.]
[The Heaven-Piercing Fortress produced in-house by the Lawrence Mage Tower passes performance evaluation. Some functions have been greatly improved, earning praise that it is actually easier to operate.]
[The Lawrence Mage Tower's Heaven-Piercing Fortress 'Daedalus' begins mass production starting this month. Currently capable of producing 30 units per year, but the goal is to expand facilities and acquire related companies to achieve a production capacity of over 80 units per year.]
[The Lawrence Mage Tower's Force Engine and Vanguard equipment Panther 2.0 monopolize overseas orders. With the Heaven-Piercing Fortress's positive news added on top, it records an upper-limit price.]
[The Lawrence Mage Tower's market capitalization overtakes the Riverdale Mage Tower of the Kingdom of Lucias, entering the world's top 3 mage towers.]
[The Lawrence Mage Tower's overseas mage tower acquisition race begins in earnest. It plans to purchase the world's 6th and 7th ranked mage towers. At this rate, it might even surpass the Bringham Empire's Imperial Mage Tower.]
Adrian, upon whom praise and attention from the world's media poured day after day, was a source of pride for the Rhinehearts people and an utter threat to neighboring nations.
A tactical genius, a skilled moneymaker, and with outstanding ability as a leader.
His publicly known magical rank was 7th Circle, but the presence he carried wielded deterrence beyond that of a Grandmaster.
Thanks to that, the heads of state of nations bordering the Rhinehearts Empire were in meeting after meeting every day.
Relations with Rhinehearts were fine for now, but no one could know what would happen over generations, and since Adrian was a man who walked such an unprecedented path, the fact that his future actions could not be predicted weighed heavily on them.
And so, under the banner of checking the Rhinehearts Empire, the Defteron Continent's "Kingdom Cooperation Organization" was born.
It was said to be for checking the Rhinehearts Empire, but in truth, it was an organization meant to restrain Adrian's rampage.
The surprising part was that the Kingdom of Lucias, home to the Riverdale Ducal House known to be Adrian's teachers also joined this organization.
[Has the relationship between Adrian Lawrence and the Riverdale School soured?]
Thanks to that, many people harbored such thoughts.
Of course, Adrian didn't pay it any mind.
"Are you all right? You were able to break through the wall thanks to the elixir sent by Grand Duke Lawrence."
Olivia Riverdale, Duchess of the Kingdom of Lucias, shrugged at the question from Marquis Lake, the Mage Tower's vice master and a 7th Circle mage.
"Grand Duke Lawrence doesn't seem to care much either."
"That man has always been impossible to read, so that's expected. But you thought quite highly of Grand Duke Lawrence, didn't you?"
In the Kingdom of Lucias, the Riverdale Mage Tower was regarded as wielding more power than the royal family itself.
In other words, even if the royal family had made such a decision, it could not have been carried out if she the master of the Riverdale Mage Tower had vehemently opposed it.
This was no different from meaning that Olivia Riverdale, the Duchess, had given tacit approval.
That was why Vice Master Marquis Lake had raised the question.
"Once I became an 8th Circle, I came to understand."
"Understand what?"
"That Grand Duke Lawrence has no connection to my father."
"What does that mean?"
Like Adrian, Olivia also concealed her own level.
This was to avoid provoking the bordering Bringham Empire, and it was a hidden card for emergencies.
Since the elixir Adrian had sent served as the decisive catalyst for her reaching the 8th Circle, she harbored gratitude toward him.
But upon reaching the 8th Circle, Olivia could now see what she could not before.
Magical traits unique to the Riverdale line which she could now discern with certainty were almost undetectable in Adrian.
An outsider, even another 8th Circle mage, would be fooled, but she could no longer be deceived.
"The materials he holds look genuine even now. I probably would have stayed fooled if I hadn't reached the 8th Circle."
At this unexpected revelation, Marquis Lake rubbed his temples.
"Why would he go out of his way to hide his origins?"
"Isn't it because his origins absolutely cannot be revealed?"
"What? No, wait... surely not?"
As he swallowed air, Olivia nodded.
"He might be a descendant of Grand Duke Lucas."
"Damn, is that where this is heading?"
Marquis Lake let out a deep sigh and sank heavily into his chair.
At that moment, Count Preston, the Mage Tower's overall administrator and a 7th Circle Grand Mage who had been quietly listening to the two's conversation, tilted his head.
"For someone who was deceived, you don't look that upset."
At his words, Marquis Lake also looked at Olivia, and under their gazes she let out a small chuckle.
"He always seemed suspicious to me to begin with, so I wasn't as surprised as you'd think. And it was a possibility I'd kept in mind, just without showing it."
"True he's so versatile that attention gets diverted elsewhere, but until the Opportunity Seeker appeared in the Prius Republic, he was the most suspicious figure. Huh? Then what about that Opportunity Seeker in the Prius Republic?"
"It must be a fake created by Grand Duke Lawrence."
"Wow... that's terrifying."
Marquis Lake wore an even more bewildered expression.
"But the fact that you accepted him despite his suspiciousness means his origins don't matter to you, right?"
"Putting aside being fellow disciples, I thought he'd be helpful in many ways. And I am actually receiving help from him."
"Then joining the Kingdom Cooperation Organization to check him is contradictory, isn't it?"
"That's true."
"You're not planning to expose his identity now, are you?"
"No."
Even if it were revealed, Adrian would likely find some way to smooth it over.
But if that happened, they would be branded as Adrian's enemies, which could only be a grave threat.
Olivia replied with a consistently relaxed expression to Marquis Lake's questioning reaction, as he wanted to avoid fighting Adrian at all costs.
"I'll continue my relationship with Grand Duke Lawrence as it is. It's clearly to my advantage."
"...."
"And I plan to join the Kingdom Cooperation Organization and continuously feed its information to Grand Duke Lawrence."
"Y-you're going to spy for him?"
At Olivia's words, Marquis Lake and Count Prestin widened their eyes in shock.
They asked why she would go that far.
"If he truly is the Grand Duke Lucas's successor, isn't it only natural to align ourselves with him?"
"Ah...."
Her answer was so simple yet easy to understand that the two had no choice but to give a sigh-like affirmation.