Chapter 298

Chapter 298

The hug came as a huge surprise and a shock to me, as I was expecting to be punished.

‘I'm not going to get......punished?’

I glance in Godfather's direction and am met with an approving stare.

"Mmmmm, my Eugene is a big boy."

No, why did you act so serious in the beginning if this is how it's going to be?

"That, father."

"Yeah."

"I thought I was in trouble."

So I decided to just ask him outright

He stopped hugging me and smirked.

"What do you mean? For what crime should I punish you?”

"I ignored the organization's discipline and used Corleone’s power for my own needs......"

The name of Corleone is incredibly restrictive in and of itself, and even more so depending on who it's directed at.

But a president, the head of a nation?

That's practically an unbreakable promise.

A promise that must be fulfilled at all costs.

To make such a decision arbitrarily, it was clearly beyond my authority.

But my father put his hand on my shoulder as if to say, "What are you talking about?”

"My son, what is Corleone?"

Before I could respond, my father spoke first.

"Corleone is a family before it is an organization, which is why we are called the Corleone Family. Son, what is your name?"

"Eugene......Eugene Han Corleone."

"And my name?"

"Vito Corleone.......

"Then, to you, Corleone must be your father; and how is it wrong for a son to be dependent on his father; and did you do this with the intention of leading him into error?"

"──No, not at all."

When I answered, my father smirked and patted me on the shoulder.

"Okay, that's enough. That means you're confident."

With that, he turned to look at my godfather.

"Dominic. What do you think Corleone stands to gain from this?"

"On a city development scale the benefits to Corleone will be astronomical, perhaps, surpassing all records."

"And the risks?"

"The sort of thing that, if done, would keep the president in office. It's not much of a risk."

"I see."

Shrugging and smiling, my father returned to his seat in the study and picked up the report I'd written.

"I'm rather surprised that you met with the President and made a deal of this magnitude. Did you have your master’s help?"

I nodded at the question and quickly began to organize the situation.

Fortunately, my father and godfather seemed to recognize my behavior as a sign of growth, so rather than condemning it, they embraced it and celebrated its benefits.

It's as if it's the personal business of a cadre, as it usually is.

And most of all, I feel like the path I've been on......has set the stage for this situation.

"Alright, I'll leave this to you, as an executive of Corleone. If you need any material assistance, feel free to report to me, and if you run into any trouble, be sure to tell your father."

"I'm here for you."

"Thank you."

With the support of my father and godfather, I bowed my head in gratitude.

After all, a person should live a good life.

* * *

The next day, as usual, I was working in the club room after lunch when Julie came in with some interesting news.

"Ray Pendragon avoided losing his position?"

"Yeah, that's right. Apparently, he found another artifact somewhere and delivered it to his family."

They flew over a city that looked like a forest of concrete and glass, and then the buildings began to be spaced apart, until roads and buildings became sparse.

"It's nice to be in nature after so long."

I wonder when was the last time I was in nature like this?

"It's better to drop out of the academy after all, right?"

"Of course not, what kind of crazy person skips the academy and goes directly to hell?"

"Is that so, hahahahaha!"

Except that where we're headed now isn't a tourist destination, or even a place to relax. It's the DMZ, also known as the Demonic Land.

So far, nothing major had happened, but the moment we got there, I could see the future of running hard without rest.

"Well, it's definitely not long until we get there."

We chatted about other things and enjoyed the flight.

Soon, we could see nothing but mountains and deteriorating roads, proof that we were getting pretty close to our destination.

Of course, along the way, we saw some buildings that looked like military bases, but they didn't appear to be communicating or trying to attack us.

Again, thanks to the President.

"We're going to fly over the military compound in a Corleone’s helicopter......Hahaha, how romantic."

Then the pilot's voice came from the headset on his head.

-Sir. We're almost to our destination, but the mana concentration is getting too thick for us to go any further.

I thought we were slowing down, but apparently not.

"This is good enough, just find a good spot and decrease the altitude."

-Okay.

Helicopters and cars seemed to have a harder time operating in mana-filled areas.

The high concentration of mana puts a strain on their operation.

In the past, Jeju Island was called a demonic land for a similar reason.

Even there, communication with the outside world was very difficult, and even ordinary cars couldn't function properly unless they were modified.

The helicopter gradually lowered its altitude and stood above the trees.

-Master and Mr. Kwak Chun-sik. I wish you good luck.

The pilot waves goodbye to us before we jump out from under the helicopter.

"Okay, thanks."

"Tough luck, hee hee!"

The old man acknowledges his greeting, enhancing his body with aura, and leaps downward first.

I follow suit and jump downward, focusing my aura on my legs.

In an instant, I begin to gain speed, and my body begins to fall downward.

Kuung───

My body falls through a giant cloud of dirt.

"You should wear a mask next time."

The old man who landed before me waves his hand to clear his vision, then slowly looks around.

"Huh, there really must be a lot of mana here. What kind of forest makes your lungs feel clearer just by breathing?"

The old man muttered with a refreshed expression, as if he could sense the concentration of mana just by sniffing, and took the first step.

"Old man, do you know the way?"

The old man shook his head as if he didn't know what I was talking about.

"I don't know, but shouldn't we just walk towards the place where the mana is thicker?"

"Yes.......But wait a moment, I've brought a guide."

"A guide?"

The old man shakes his head.

I activated the key in Midas's glove and summoned the dimensional warehouse.

I open the door and my eyes locked with a little boy chewing on a pile of lettuce on the floor.

Why bother finding the way the hard way?

"Hey, buddy, shouldn't you be going home soon?"

"Huh?"

When I have the best guide ever.