The Knight King Who Returned with God

A Merchant… Offering a Handshake?

Dujeong Group was one of the most prominent conglomerates in South Korea.

From instant noodles to missiles—there was no industry untouched by its influence. Some ventures had failed, others had succeeded, but one thing was certain: Dujeong's impact was felt not only in Korea but across the globe.

After the emergence of Gates, the most critical industry affected was the food sector.

Key grain-producing regions like China's Huabei Plain and Egypt's Nile Delta were rendered unusable due to mana contamination from dungeon breaks.

Thirty years ago, there had been no alchemical potions from the Magic Tower to purify mana pollution. The contamination caused permanent devastation, triggering a global food crisis.

Governments worldwide scrambled to find alternative sources of food production and heavily supported domestic enterprises in the process.

Thanks to this backing, Dujeong Future Foods became a major corporation, supplying 30% of the domestic food industry.

As the Executive Director of such a powerful company, Park Jongchan carried himself with authority wherever he went.

He had never once experienced disdain or disrespect in his life.

"A merchant… offering a handshake?"

For a moment, he thought he had misheard.

A merchant? In the modern world, corporate executives were among the most respected members of society.

The vast capital they controlled influenced governments and even changed laws.

An executive director of a conglomerate like Dujeong was someone even high-ranking Hunters or members of the National Assembly couldn't treat lightly.

Yet the gaze and tone of the man before him—scornful, dismissive—spoke of utter contempt for him, for businessmen as a whole.

Even the association staff member beside them looked stunned by the shocking remark.

Still, Park Jongchan maintained his composure, forcing a businesslike smile.

"Haha, Survivor Leon, it seems you're unfamiliar with modern Earth's civilization. In today's world, businessmen are vastly different from merchants of old—"

"A lowly tradesman dares to speak so carelessly before royalty? I did not grant you permission to speak."

What… Is he insane?

Park Jongchan had met several survivors for business before, but never had he been subjected to such humiliation.

"Y-Your Majesty… In our world, corporate executives are highly respected individuals…"

At those words, Leon scoffed, his voice dripping with incredulity.

"Merchants are those who sell their dignity and honor in pursuit of profit. They exploit loopholes in the law and take pride in doing so."

It wasn't an entirely false statement.

After all, Dujeong Future Foods had faced heavy criticism for tax evasion, illegal collusion, and excessive profit-seeking.

And it wasn't as if other corporations were much different.

"No matter the world, the nature of merchants does not change. So how could someone of such lowly character stand before noble royalty?"

"Ugh…"

"There is no need to hear more."

That was the end of it.

Dismissing Park Jongchan with a gaze full of disdain, Leon walked past him without hesitation.

Han Hari, his attendant, hurried after him.

Watching their retreating figures, Park Jongchan was left speechless.

"W-What… just happened…?"

"This will be Your Majesty's residence."

"Hm. It's passable, I suppose."

A 50-pyeong (roughly 1650 square feet) officetel was considered an extravagant living space for a single person in modern society.

But to Leon, it was nothing compared to his palace.

Still, as someone who had spent a great deal of time camping on the battlefield, he didn't feel particularly inclined to complain.

"This place has been provided by the Hunter Association for one year, Your Majesty. The rent and maintenance fees will all be handled by the association, so you needn't worry."

As Leon nodded, Hari continued explaining the amenities, including a room service option and cleaning staff.

'Phew… Thank goodness.'

From Han Hari's perspective as a Hunter Association official, it was a relief that Leon had dismissed Park Jongchan so easily.

Information on survivors was generally classified.

Much like North Korean defectors, those arriving from isolated societies were required to undergo a three-month isolation period for education.

But survivors from entirely different worlds faced an even greater cultural gap. Normally, they would be quarantined and gradually acclimated, but isolating someone like Leon would surely lead to an uproar.

"Still… what exactly did the Executive Director want from His Majesty?"

"A merchant will always chase after profit."

Profit?

What kind of profit could Dujeong Group's executive director seek from Leon?

Hari suddenly clapped her hands together.

"The rice! It must be because of the blessed rice from the Honam Plain!"

The situation had been too urgent to enforce strict information control.

A streamer had captured the incident on video.

"Didn't that farmer… Park, was it? Upload a video about it?"

Hari searched on YouTube and found that Park's video had been reuploaded.

"What?! He posted it again?!"

Farmer Park had been in a slump ever since his previous video had been taken down.

The shocking scene he had live-streamed from the Honam Plain Gate—

Land tainted by mana pollution had suddenly become fertile again.

"D-Did you see that, everyone?! The rice just—whoosh!—sprouted up instantly!"

What?? Magic??? Was that a gold-haired mage from the Magic Tower? Did they use a rapid-growth spell? But no magic can grow crops in mana-polluted soil… Maybe it's some unknown new technology?

Watching crops sprout from desolate, decayed land, Park swallowed hard.

Even after purification technology was developed, cleansing mana-contaminated land required one to two years of expensive alchemical treatments.

His neighbor, Mr. Jeong, had gone bankrupt trying to afford them.

Now, before Park's eyes, a miracle was unfolding.

But skepticism remained.

Even if it's magic, crops grown this way aren't edible. Yeah, they absorb mana, so they're poisonous to regular people. Hunters can eat them, but only in small amounts before needing a stomach cleanse.

Yet then, an even more astonishing sight unfolded.

Hunter Association staff harvested the rice, milled it, and cooked it—right before Park's eyes.

And they ate it.

"Hey! What are you doing?!"

Trying to get closer for a better look, Park was caught and chased off by the Association staff.

But later that evening, he sought out Mr. Kim, the owner of the rice paddy.

"Kim! Did you get what I asked for?"

"Yeah… but the Association told me not to take any out."

"Since when do they make the rules?! You're the landowner, aren't you?"

"Well… that's true…"

"And you said the soil was completely cleansed? The Association staff even ate the rice, right?"

"Yeah…"

Park, an avid YouTuber known for his rural wildlife eating broadcasts, couldn't ignore what he had witnessed.

Cleansed soil. Crops that grew in an instant.

How could he just let this slide?

This was a golden content opportunity.

But first, a test was needed.

"Let's cook a bowl and feed it to the village stray cat."

"Good idea."

And so, they cooked a single bowl of rice.

The glossy, fragrant grains were tempting, but they needed to test it first.

Just then, a decrepit old dog wandered in.

"Dolsun? Isn't that Choi's dog?"

"Yeah… it was supposed to be on its last legs."

Dolsun, a 12-year-old arthritic mutt, was infamous for barely moving.

Yet now, it was desperately begging for food.

Despite their protests, the dog scarfed down the rice… and suddenly—

It barked loudly and leaped into the air, sprinting away like a puppy.

"…Huh?"

"…What the hell?"

A dying dog, suddenly revitalized?

Park and Kim stared at each other.

Then, without a word, they started cooking another batch of rice.