Chapter 52: Miracle And Patriotism Island, Ulleung (1)

Chapter 52: Miracle And Patriotism Island, Ulleung (1)

Seize the moment, I thought, as I finished Brewer’s soup dinner and immediately boarded the regular ferry to Ulleung Island.

[What is the purpose of visiting Ulleung Island at this time?]

[I am taking leave tomorrow! I am going to eat squid sashimi.]

[Accepted. When will you return? What’s your travel plan?]

[I plan to see Dokdo at dawn, buy some pumpkin candy, and then return in the afternoon or evening.]

[Hmm, the perfect tourist. Pass!]

[Excuse me? Isn’t your reason a bit strange? I’m trying to enter Ulleung Island.]

[You are an employee of Sejong Island Academy. You are an ‘inlander’ whose verification has already ended at the academy level, so there is no need to strictly verify. You’re going from Sejong Island to Ulleung Island.]

[Well, that makes sense.]

If my departure point was not Sejong Island, it would not have been easy to get to Ulleung Island.

Even though it had been inhabited for a very long time, Ulleung Island, being close to Sejong Island, was as strictly controlled in terms of entry and exit as Sejong Island.

Especially between Sejong Island and Ulleung Island.

Given that there were people sneaking to Sejong Island through Ulleung Island, the ship traveling between Ulleung Island and Sejong Island did not simply look like a passenger ship but a warship.

Furthermore, the entrance examination was as intense as the immigration examination in Sejong Island.The original appearance of this chapter can be found at Ñøv€lß1n.

[Shouldn’t we process it according to the manual anyway?]

[It’s okay because an employee of Sejong Island Academy is going to Ulleung Island. It’s not like you’re going with foreigners. No, if you’re taking a foreign daughter-in-law, do you get an immediate free pass? Hehehe.]

As it was Sunday evening, I could barely catch the last boat to Ulleung Island, but if the inspection had been a little later, I would not have been able to enter Ulleung Island.

I barely made it.

The ship arrived at Ulleung Port.

“Stop. Everyone line up and disembark one by one. You must follow the agent’s instructions until your identity is confirmed.”

After disembarking from the ship docked at Ulleung Port, which was built on a scale reminiscent of Busan International Port, I went through the same entry examination as when I left Sejong Island and exited Ulleung Port.

‘Here is the Ulleung Island of this world.’

Being here, the memories of visiting Dokdo with my friends came flooding back.

One thing was a little disappointing.

‘Is this Ulleung Island or Guam?’

The Ulleung Island I knew did not exist in this world.

It was taken for granted that there would be all sorts of seaside franchises, and there was even an abundance of foreign franchises.

The buildings were weather-beaten by the sea breeze, but they were maintained in a design much more sophisticated than those in Seoul, and neon signs were flashing like Gangnam’s nightlife.

[Welcome to the Miracle Island, Ulleung Island!]

Beneath this phrase were written all kinds of foreign languages, and women in uniforms similar to a sailor look were positioned around the place like tour guides soliciting foreign visitors.

If I had to summarize the Ulleung Island of this world in one sentence, I could say it’s a resort operated by the country.

Ulleung Island has become a tourist attraction surpassing Jeju Island to the extent that it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it Ulleung Guam or Ulleung Saipan.

All because of mana.

In order to absorb as much mana as possible from the East Sea for Sejong Island, people searched for locations in the East Sea, and among them, everyone wanted to get into Ulleung Island, which was the closest to Sejong Island.

Those who came to the island were usually ability users.

After securing accommodation on the island, they accumulated mana through their own form of mana meditation.

Because more mana accumulated when in Ulleung than in Uljin or Gangneung.

But many non-ability users also visited Ulleung Island a lot.

Who were they?

The residents of Ulleung Island?

No.

“Honey, do you think we can really succeed?”

“We have to. We came here for one night and two days with the money to go to Hawaii for three nights and five days. I’ll make sure we succeed.”

“Honey, if we really have ‘that child,’ we’re going to raise them happily, right?”

“Right. We’re raising them as patriots, not villains.”

The old man was lost in nostalgia, looking out at the distant sea.

Against a backdrop of many twinkling neon signs.

“Back in the day, everyone here used to fish and board ships. But there are no fishermen here now. The government forcibly changed everything into pensions and hotels.”

“Weren’t there any objections?”

“Objections? If they had driven us out, it would have caused a big fuss. Fortunately, nothing like that happened. Making money by serving tourists is a hundred, a thousand times more profitable than fishing under the sun; who would refuse that?”

The profit was too great to refuse.

“The Ulleung Island where your parents’ memories are stored is gone. This place now has only one purpose.”

The purpose of patriotism.

Giving birth was, after all, patriotism.

“So the real reason you came alone is that? No matter if you’re a teacher from Sejong Island, it’s a bit suspicious?”

“Haha. Yes, I came alone. Actually... I’m this kind of person.”

I pulled out a business card.

“A teacher from Sejong Island has this kind of business card... Hmm...?!”

“Sir.”

I winked at the old man, and he immediately handed me back the business card, clicking his tongue.

“What a mysterious gentleman you are... Hehe. Ms. Brewer’s contact said someone was coming, and it turns out I’ve got a very important guest.”

“I’ll be in your care.”

This old man.

A local of Ulleung Island and, at the same time, the manager of a pension directly operated by the Gyeolsa.

“Welcome to Ulleung Island, the island of miracles and patriotism.”

The old man pressed his car key toward the parking lot, and a black midsize sedan flashed its lights as if it had been called.

Vroom.

The car sprang forward on its own, and the old man opened the rear seat door.

“All this for me?”

“When you go to a five-star hotel in Seoul, they offer valet parking. Wouldn’t it be appropriate to do the same at a pension that costs 5 million won per night?”

“That makes sense.”

I laid back in the seat.

“Then... I’ll comfortably take you to your destination, Manager Do.”

“Thank you. Sir.”

“Yes.”

Did this old man know?

That the hot spring arising from his land and the pension built around it were the most valuable places on Earth.

He probably didn’t know.

He must only see himself as a plain pension manager and a collaborator with the Gyeolsa.

In the first place, nobody knew that the hot spring this old man managed had such efficacy.

“Um, Manager Do. I’m really curious, so I’m asking.”

“What is it?”

“...Who among the board members is the lady you’ll bring with you next time? Perhaps, the chairman?”

No matter how much Ulleung Island had changed.

“Perhaps all five...?”

“.......”

“Oh. It’s fine if it’s not. I’ll keep my mouth shut even if you bring another woman. Hehe.”

The elders of this country remained the same.

Ulleung Island.

Overseas, they called this place the island of miracles and pregnancy.