Leveling Up Alone

Chapter 234: Savior of Nepal (5)

The private jet that departed from Nepal landed in Cairo after thirteen hours.

“Yawn…!?Have we arrived?” Han-Yeol asked.

“Yes, I believe so,” Mariam replied.

"Oh, it's convenient that it's so close."

The private jet was exceptionally comfortable and cozy for Han-Yeol, and his flying experience exceeded his expectations. In fact, it was superior to the accommodations provided by the Nepalese government during his stay in Nepal.

Additionally, he played chess with Mariam whenever he felt bored during the flight. However, he couldn't compete with her, even when she didn't use her telepathic abilities against him. Han-Yeol played a total of seventy-five matches against her and lost every single one.

“I will win against you one day, Mariam!”

“If you say so.”

“Tsk!”?Han-Yeol clicked his tongue and looked out the window.

"Huh?! Hahaha... Mariam..." he chuckled in disbelief at what he saw.

"Yes, Han-Yeol-nim?"

"Is this for real?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

Mariam was not seated beside a window, so she did not have a view of the outside. Instead, she chose to sit on a comfortable sofa across from Han-Yeol, which lacked access to a window. However, she had an inkling about what Han-Yeol was witnessing.

"Judging by your reaction... Yes, it should be real," she casually replied.

"Wow..." Han-Yeol murmured in amazement.

What he observed outside was truly spectacular.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!?

There was a band beating large drums, and soldiers were lined up in an orderly manner, each with a gun resting on their shoulder.

"This isn't because of me, is it? Is there another guest arriving?" Han-Yeol asked.

He couldn't believe what he was witnessing. Actually, it was more like he didn't want to believe it.

Bambambambaam!

The sound of trumpets blared.

"Ah... Damn it."

"It would be wiser to surrender."

“Ugh…”

The military had even brought their marching band along, and they started playing their instruments to signal his arrival. The whole spectacle made it seem like an important guest was arriving, and Han-Yeol couldn't help but develop a migraine since he detested such events.

However, that wasn't the end of it. Swarms of cameras and reporters were waiting for him outside.

"Hey, I told you I didn't want any fuss, right?"

"Well, I'd like to apologize first. This wasn't our initial plan..." Mariam decided to come clean after enjoying the look on Han-Yeol's face. "But there was a need to announce to the world that Egypt was contributing to stabilizing the dimensional rifts appearing all over the world."

"And one of your cards was to show that you guys are on friendly terms with me?"

"Yes, you are correct."

Han-Yeol wasn't naive. He understood the significance of the incident in Nepal.

Dimensional rifts were indiscriminately occurring worldwide, affecting both developed and underdeveloped countries. Many nations were suffering from these rifts, and an international body was deliberating the creation of an international task force to combat them, alongside research to detect rifts before they formed.

The HUN existed to safeguard humanity from monster threats, but it was acknowledged that they lacked the manpower and expertise to handle dimensional rifts. In the midst of this, Han-Yeol had suddenly appeared and 'single-handedly' closed the largest dimensional rift the world had ever seen. While the reality was more complex, the rift's sheer scale was undeniable.

The media focused on the fact that a Hunter had stopped the largest dimensional rift alone, and Egypt highlighted their strong relations with this Hunter. The combination of these stories was a significant boost for the Egyptian people, as having such a dependable ally was seen as a considerable advantage.

"Well, I guess I have no choice," Han-Yeol said.

"Then?" Mariam asked.

"There should be something in it for me, right?"

"That goes without saying," she replied nonchalantly.

However, she let out a sigh of relief inwardly, ‘Phew… That’s a huge relief…’

She was concerned that Han-Yeol might feel offended at being used and ask for the plane to fly back to South Korea. Some might think she was excessively worried, but Hunters were extremely proud and stubborn individuals who despised being used in such a manner without prior discussion.

Comparatively, Han-Yeol was being accommodating in his current attitude, and it was well within his rights to seek benefits in this situation. Egypt, on the other hand, was not shameless enough to request such a favor for free, so there was no issue in that regard.

"Then, let's go."

"Okay, Han-Yeol-nim."

The fact that Mariam stood next to Han-Yeol provided Egypt with ample publicity. While it didn't quite compare to him walking alongside Tayarana, Mariam was quite popular in Egypt as well. She was known as the little light shining beside the big light, but she didn't particularly appreciate the way people referred to her.

Ziiing...!?

The stepladder descended after the private jet doors opened. Han-Yeol emerged from the door with Mariam right beside him.

Flash! Flash! Flash! Flash! Flash!?

They were greeted by a barrage of camera flashes as the waiting photographers went trigger-happy.

Bambam Bam Baaam!

[Salute!]

Chwak!

The soldiers raised their rifles and offered a salute to Han-Yeol.

Seuk… Clang!

Then, the soldiers lined up beside the red carpet, drew their swords, and formed an arc for him to walk through.

‘Ah… This is so embarrassing…’ Han-Yeol muttered inwardly while trying hard not to blush.

This was overwhelming for someone like him, who had grown up in poverty. Being a Hunter didn't mean he had complete control over his emotions. Inside, he was dying of embarrassment while making a concerted effort to smile and wave at the crowd.

“Hahaha!”

[You are doing great, Han-Yeol-nim.]

There were a lot of cameras in front of them, so he had to do his best and keep up appearances.

‘You’re not making it any better!’

[That is not my problem.]

Kwachik!

Han-Yeol felt something snap inside him due to Mariam's attitude, but with numerous cameras present, he had to regain his composure.

Soon, two people approached him.

[Hahaha! Look who this is! It’s the Hero of Nepal! The Savior of Nepal! Welcome to Egypt, Lee Han-Yeol Hunter!]

The first to approach him was none other than President Phaophator, and right behind him was…

“Wow!”

Flash! Flash! Flash! Flash!?

The woman was so beautiful that even the reporters momentarily forgot their duties.

Tayarana was dressed in traditional Egyptian attire.

[Welcome to Egypt.] She lifted her dress with both hands and greeted him with a bow.

Gulp!?

Han-Yeol was captivated by Tayarana's beauty.

Badump! Badump!?

His heart raced, remembering their last encounter. Now, seeing her after a long time, it beat even faster.

‘Ah… Stop it! Calm down! Why are you going crazy all of a sudden?!’?Han-Yeol struggled.

He was never the type to fall for someone first. His self-esteem had been quite low due to growing up in poverty. He managed to regain his confidence after awakening, but he still found it difficult to approach women.

However, Tayarana was an exception.

‘Wow… She’s so beautiful…’?he thought.

It wasn't a matter of whether he should pursue her or not; her beauty had captivated him entirely. He was genuinely delighted to see her after such a long time, but she wasn't his top priority at the moment.

[Hello, President Phaophator. Thank you very much for your invitation.]

[Hahaha! Welcome to Egypt!]

Phaophator hugged Han-Yeol, displaying his immense joy.

This was a side of the president that he typically didn't reveal, and the reporters were shocked by what they were witnessing just now.

***

The Egyptian reporters were busy taking pictures.

[Wow! The rumors must have been true then!]

[What rumors?]

Reporters were adept at chatting while taking pictures, a common trait regardless of their home country.

[That rumor that President Phaophator has chosen Lee Han-Yeol as his son-in-law!]

[What?! Really?!]

One reporter was taken aback by this news. He typically covered economic stories and was here as a stand-in, as his news outlet didn't have enough personnel for this assignment. For him, this was a startling revelation, as Tayarana was adored not only by Egyptians but by the entire world.

[N-No way!]

[Why are you so surprised?]

In contrast, the other reporter seemed nonchalant.

[Hey! Do you even know what 'son-in-law' means?! Besides, there are plenty of other men who would suit Tayarana-nim better!]

[Like who?]

[Huh?]

[Who?]

[Erm…]

The reporter was left speechless, his mind buffering for a while before failing to come up with an answer.

He tried to salvage his point. [T-There are the princes of other kingdoms or those Master Hunters with good pedigrees! Yeah! They would suit her better than him!]

[Ah, you’re talking about that?]

[Yeah! What about it?!]

While some might argue he had a valid point, it was riddled with flaws.

[Do you even know our constitution for the presidency?]

[Huh? Yeah, only the Hunters from the pharaoh’s bloodline can run for president.]

The reporter was proud of finally providing an answer, but the response wasn't what he expected.

[Then who’s our next president?]

[Of course, it’s Tayarana… What?!]

[You realize only now?]

[Yeah…]

Finally, the reporter grasped the point his colleague was making.

[A conflict could occur if Tayarana-nim marries a prince from another country…]

[Yes, the world might have changed a lot, but having a president married to the prince of another country is still a huge conflict of interest. But what if her partner is a foreign Hunter?]

[Then there should be no problem…]

[Exactly, and credible sources claim that Lee Han-Yeol does not have much patriotism for his country too.]

[Really?]

[Yeah, that’s what they say. Anyway, he is the most suitable candidate for her as of now. Ah, you mentioned the Master Rank Hunters from other renowned families, right? You better forget about them since almost all of them hold crucial roles in their countries, so the same conflict would arise anyway.]

[Ah… I see…]

The reporter was relieved he hadn't mentioned the other Master Rank Hunters from renowned families, sparing himself from embarrassment. He understood why there was credibility to the rumors but remained irked by one thing.

[I can’t agree to the princess getting married! No!]

[I feel the same way, but what can we do?]

[NOOO!]

Both reporters shared the same sentiment about Tayarana's marriage, and it was likely to be echoed by men worldwide once the news spread. After all, she wasn't just Egypt's princess but the princess of every man in the world.

***

President Phaophator brought Han-Yeol to his palace in the center of Cairo, away from the soldiers and the reporters.

“Wow…” Han-Yeol muttered in amazement while surveying the palace.

'I guess they called it the Golden Palace for a reason… It's truly astonishing…' he thought.

It was common knowledge that the Egyptians revered gold, believing they had to offer a gold coin to their god to enter heaven. Constructing such an extravagant palace before the appearance of dimensional gates would have sparked severe public backlash. Gold was the world's currency, and building a palace entirely from it would have been exorbitantly expensive.

However, times had changed. Gold remained valuable but had lost some of its former allure, now considered a beautiful metal rather than the ultimate wealth. The most crucial point was that Phaophator hadn't spent a single cent of taxpayer money on the palace.

He was already immensely wealthy, and constructing a golden palace didn't dent his finances. This display of opulence elevated his prestige among the people, who now revered him like a deity. Consequently, nobody dared to oppose him, and even Egypt's divided congress, known for frequent disagreements, fell silent with a single word from him.

[What do you think, Lee Han-Yeol, Hunter? Isn't it extravagant?]

[Yes, it indeed is. The ceiling height isn't excessively high, and I can see that no expense or effort was spared in its construction.]

[Hahaha! It's heartwarming to hear compliments from you!]

[Oh… but what good is getting praised by me…?]

Han-Yeol tilted his head in confusion, feeling somewhat burdened by President Phaophator's excessive friendliness.

President Phaophator personally ensured Han-Yeol's comfort, frequently inquiring if there was anything he needed or wanted. Ironically, all of this was new to Han-Yeol, and the fact that someone kept asking if he needed anything made him uncomfortable.