The Knight King Who Returned with God-Chapter 5 Divinity (1)

Honam Plains—the heart of South Korea's rice production. A gate had appeared here just a week ago.

Classified as an average A-rank in difficulty, the crimson gate had been claimed by the Phoenix Guild, and a smooth clearance had been expected.

If only the Phoenix Guild had done their job properly.

"What the hell happened here?!"

Chief Kim Jin-soo and Deputy Han Hari had flown directly to the Honam Plains by helicopter. There, they met the Phoenix Guild's master, Lee Yong-wan.

"Ah, Chief Kim. And look, our little rookie Miss Han Hari came too?"

Despite the gravity of the situation, Lee Yong-wan acted relaxed. Just the look on his face made both Kim and Hari instantly suspect—

'This bastard... did it on purpose!'

No doubt about it. The Phoenix Guild had deliberately botched the gate raid to trigger a dungeon break!

'They kept pushing for tax exemptions and now they pull this stunt?!'

The Association and the Phoenix Guild had been clashing a lot recently.

All year long, the Phoenix Guild—a member of Korea's top 10 guilds—had been demanding tax breaks.

They wanted exemptions on profits from gate byproducts, magic stones, monster materials—up to a trillion won in total.

Their justification? Nurturing new talent and rising healthcare costs for guild members.

But the government, already granting substantial benefits to large guilds, had refused.

They suspected the guild might try something—but who could've predicted they'd pull a stunt like this in the middle of the black gate crisis, the first one in 13 years?

'Damn bastards! Do they even know what the Honam Plains mean to this country?! The Naju fields haven't even been decontaminated yet, and now this?!'

Since the gate disaster, global food trade routes had frozen over.

Major farmlands that failed to respond early had become contaminated by mana toxins, and Korea was no exception.

Their top agricultural zones had been tainted, and just buying purification agents from the Mage Tower had cost astronomical sums.

If this year's harvest in the Honam Plains failed, Korea's already-precarious food self-sufficiency rate would be cut in half.

Getting desperate, Hari stepped forward.

"Hunter Lee Yong-wan! We need to close this gate immediately! It's been a full week now! If we wait any longer—"

"I know, I know. After the eighth day, the gate rights transfer to the Association. But what can I say?"

Lee Yong-wan gave them a smug grin full of mockery.

"A lot of our guild members were injured, you see. In this condition, we don't think we can continue the raid. I guess the Phoenix Guild will have to give up on the Honam Gate."

"...!"

Both Kim Jin-soo and Han Hari flushed red with fury. They wanted to curse him out and punch his arrogant face, but... he was an S-rank Hunter.

Kim, being only B-rank, and even Hari, an A-rank, wouldn't stand a chance unless they fought him together.

'The bastard has so many A-ranks and still claims he can't clear the gate?!'

"So what do you plan to do?"

"...What are you implying?"

"I see the Association handled the initial wave of monsters. But you know, the gate hasn't fully broken open yet."

Thanks to staff not being deployed to the black gate, the Association had some breathing room.

But only for now. A monster-filled gate typically breaks from day 7 to day 10.

In other words, the Honam Plains' crimson gate hadn't yet reached full dungeon break.

"Then hand over the raid rights—!"

"Can't do that, Chief Kim. You know how the Hunter Law works—guilds keep raid rights for eight full days after the claim."

Even the Association couldn't forcibly revoke rights once a gate had been claimed. And Lee Yong-wan was exploiting that very loophole.

"We'll try again tomorrow. But with so many injured, I can't say how effective we'll be."

"You bastard..."

Hari couldn't hold back and spat out the insult. Lee Yong-wan just chuckled smugly.

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"See? We could've come to a peaceful agreement. Are we the only ones asking? Cheongseong, Mujin, Shark Guild—they're all heroes who risk their lives to protect this country. Can't they get a few small perks?"

"You've already received enormous subsidies and tax relief..."

The government had given the major guilds a ton of benefits. The problem was that they were insatiable pigs.

"Maybe we'll just go to Japan? They promised us way better treatment than this dirt-poor excuse of a country."

"...!"

There it is. The real issue.

The global race to recruit survivors and awakened individuals.

Richer nations scrambled to poach high-ranking hunters, offering them safety, status, and benefits—even at the cost of international tensions.

Korea had tried to keep its top-tier talent with enormous incentives, but even that was reaching its limit.

"Don't you have... even a shred of patriotism?"

Sure, in this world, the strong devoured the weak, and the mighty hoarded everything. But still—wasn't there room for basic conscience? A sense of justice?

"Patriotism? Justice? That crap's way outta fashion. Don't be so childish. Remember what I told you at last year's draft, Hari? In this world, money and power are justice."

Hari trembled with rage. This—this was why she'd joined the Hunter Association.

Because of the big guilds who only thought about profit and risk, ignoring the suffering they caused to innocent people.

Because of a world where humanity was stripped away, justice was mocked, and anyone trying to live honorably was ridiculed.

To a young girl who once dreamed of being a hero and protecting people... this reality was disgusting.

But was she supposed to accept it? That money and power were everything? If she gave in to such a miserable truth—then where could justice ever be found?

"Such vulgar and petty creatures you are."

Just then, a voice rang out from beyond. Everyone turned to look.

"L-Lord Leon?!"

"Do not speak the king's name so carelessly, woman. You are only permitted to use a title."

A man who had followed the two, claiming he was just sightseeing—he now stood between the widening gap of tension, having apparently overheard everything.

"Who are you? You look European, but—"

"You stand before the royal court! How dare a lowborn wag his tongue so lightly?!"

"...Huh?"

Lee Yong-wan, an S-rank dealer, was one of only twenty S-rank Hunters in South Korea and the guild master of one of the top ten guilds, the Phoenix Guild.

In this era where a Hunter's power directly equated to political and financial influence, no one dared speak impudently in front of someone like him. And yet—

'Who the hell is this guy?'

Someone just called him, the master of a top guild and an S-rank Hunter, lowborn? And what the hell was this "royal court" nonsense?

"Are you asking to die—"

"Stop, Hunter Lee Yong-wan! He's a Survivor!"

"A Survivor?"

At those words, Lee Yong-wan reined in the magic power he had begun to release. Right—Survivors. Outsiders who had come from cultures unlike anything on Earth.

Their cultural differences aside, Survivors had immense value in and of themselves. Not all, of course—but many.

Lee Yong-wan was not foolish enough to pick a fight with one.

"Ah, my apologies. I'm Lee Yong-wan of the Phoenix Guild. A Survivor, you say... then could it be—from the black gate—?"

"The king does not repeat himself."

Leon, who had silenced him with a single line, turned to Han Hari and Kim Jin-soo.

"Speak the problem."

"Huh?"

"Do not make me ask again. I know little of this thing called a 'gate.' Explain the issue clearly."

Their faces brightened. The Survivor—no, the King—was offering to help resolve the matter personally.

"It's a dungeon break! When that happens, a massive amount of mana is released, contaminating the land! If it goes unchecked, the entire Honam Plains could become polluted! Even now, the spreading mana is tainting the ground!"

"And the solution?"

"We need to purify the land and clear the dungeon as soon as possible. The gate must be destroyed!"

"Understood. So the problem is an expanding gate and contaminated soil. Summon the troops. Once the deadline for those birds or whatever expires tomorrow, I shall personally take action."

"W-Wait, really?!"

Leon was at minimum an S-rank Hunter. No fool would reject help from someone of that caliber.

"But before that..."

"Before...?"

Hari and Kim Jin-soo were ready to comply with any request. Should they provide weapons? No, he already had a sword.

Armor, maybe? Should they rush to an auction house to find something suitable?

But Leon's request was... completely out of left field.

"A king from another nation cannot arbitrarily take military action on foreign soil. I must first obtain permission from your king."

"Uh? No, I-I think it's okay..."

"All things must proceed by proper procedure and decorum. Send word to your king at once."

"...."

Even the top ten guilds in the nation wouldn't dare say "go talk to the president." Yet here he was, casually demanding as much. Lee Yong-wan thought to himself:

'This guy's an even bigger lunatic than I am...'

..."This is the President speaking."

Thankfully, the President—who was overseas on a diplomatic trip—did not have to personally fly to the Honam Plains.

Once Leon heard that the President had gone to request international support regarding the black gate, he was satisfied. He blessed the President's journey and settled for a light phone call.

"Your Majesty! All 50 members of the Association's raid squad are ready!"

Fulfilling the standard raid party requirement, Han Hari and Kim Jin-soo stood before Leon in full gear.

"Good. You said those birdfolk's legal claim ends tomorrow?"

"Ah, yes..."

Hari stared at Leon with surprise. Given his emphasis on a class-based society, she thought he'd ignore legalities and charge in himself. His behavior was unexpected.

"Do you see me as a barbarian?"

"Huh? N-No, of course not!"

"In civilization, there are things called lawful procedures. How could one call himself an honorable knight if he ignores the law imbued with the authority of the state?"

"Ooh..."

The association staff murmured in admiration. With that one sentence, Leon had completely captivated them, effortlessly displaying his natural command as a leader.

"More importantly—did you bring what I asked for?"

At that, Han Hari and the rest of the staff exchanged puzzled glances.

"Um... Your Majesty."

"Speak."

"We did prepare what you ordered, but... what exactly are these for?"

Leon had requested bows and arrows, amber-decorated skulls, and—strangely enough—straw dolls. He had even commanded that dolls be made from rice straw.

"The precious land has been contaminated, has it not? We must purify the earth."

"Excuse me?"

Over a hundred straw dolls had been hastily made by women across the city—specifically, women who had given birth—after a desperate request from Association and local district staff.

"Are those the women who crafted the dolls?"

"Y-Yes, that's correct."

More than a hundred women stood in line. They'd been dragged out at the crack of dawn. Their ages ranged from young adults to middle-aged women, even elderly ladies past their sixties.

"Each of you, show me the doll you have crafted."

Some grumbled at the commanding tone, but the compensation offered by the Association had made them more tolerant.

Leon began inspecting the straw dolls, examining each one.

"Hmph... This is absurd."

"Pardon?"

"To even consider calling this grotesque abstraction a 'doll'—how ridiculous."

"Hic..."

The first doll was tossed aside.

"Oh? And this one?"

"Do you... like it, young man?"

"It's as if the doll itself is alive."

"I don't think it's that well-made—"

"If I were born looking like this, I'd choose a swift death over this shameful existence."

"..."

The second, third, and even the twentieth doll were mercilessly thrown away. Then came Han Hari's turn.

"Hmph? You participated as well?"

"Ah, yes! I'm good with my hands, so I'm confident in making dolls!"

Indeed, her straw doll was quite well made. Despite being made from rice straw, it had a cute, neat form and well-placed decorations.

"You've given birth? That's unexpected."

"Huh? Ah, I haven't married yet. Isn't it enough just to be a woman...?"

"Foolish one. No."

Rip! Rip!

"Ah! Bbyotdol-ah!" (name of the doll)

The doll was savagely torn apart and its fragments vanished into the wind.

After an endless string of rejections, Leon finally paused at the eighty-ninth doll—crafted by an old lady.

"Excellent! Madam, how many children have you birthed?"

"Twelve, I have."

"Hmph, a true patriot at a young age! The very source of living vitality! Do you still plan to have more children?"

"My husband's long dead."

"Haha! A woman as vigorous as you could easily remarry. You're still young—take ten years and consider it."

"I'll die before that happens."

"Normally, a woman who has birthed over ten children is honored with a personal visit from a knight bearing a medal and gifts. But do forgive the current circumstances."

Leon kissed the back of her hand and placed her doll on the altar.

"The conditions have been met."

Standing before the gathered items, Leon pulled something out.

A subspace opened, and a goblet appeared in his palm.

It was old, faded, and cracked in many places—but no one could look away. It radiated a mysterious, sacred aura.

"You are the mother of this fertile land. Dwell now within the bountiful harvest dolls your children of earth have offered unto you."

Water filled the goblet—on its own. When the cup was placed before the altar, a strange phenomenon occurred.

The water inside began to boil, then surged upward—pouring itself into the straw doll like a reversed waterfall.

"W-What's happening?!"

None of the Association staff, the women who made the dolls, nor the Phoenix Guild members could take their eyes off what was unfolding.

The sun began to rise.

The red light touched the clouds as another day prepared to begin.

But the sunset of May 24, 2032—this one would mark a new beginning for the entire world.

"Lionheart, my child."

The straw doll stood up. The divine energy within it stirred, and with a voice full of grace, it spoke:

"I greet the Earth Mother. Divine spirit of life and abundance—Demeras."

A divine presence had descended upon the land.