The Heroine Stole My Regression-Chapter 15

“Haha... that’s a funny joke.”

His lips were smiling, but his eyes were still full of doubt.

It seemed he didn’t believe me.

‘Of course.’

The elixir and cross obtained from Iano’s tomb were incredibly valuable, on par with Japan’s renowned artifact, the sacred sword Yamata-no-Orochi.

In terms of value, those artifacts were on the same level. Even so, they’d never trade them, no matter what.

But I drank it? A mere student? It was only natural that he wouldn’t believe it.

So, I didn’t bother correcting his skepticism.

“... Then, what about the cross?”

Since I didn’t mention the elixir any further, he seemed to give up on that and started asking about the cross’s whereabouts.

“I’m planning to sell it to Arcadia.”

Even though I wasn’t sure if I should say this, the Hero Association wasn’t targeting the cross itself.

What they wanted was to either not let the cross be passed on to the Japanese Association, or if it was, to extract a bigger reward in return.

So, in the end, we were all in the same boat.

“I see. Arcadia would likely want it as well.”

He nodded casually, though he couldn’t quite hide the slight relief on his face.

As we continued talking, the sedan arrived at the Association’s building.

Before us stood the grand building. The front was made of transparent glass, offering a modern yet sturdy feeling.

“If you go up this way, they’ll probably sit you down at the negotiation table right away. And once the negotiations begin, there won’t be any room for us to intervene, except for the translator.”

There’s no room for us to intervene, either.

He added this and continued speaking slowly.

“Before that, would you come this way first?”

I got out of the car and followed his lead, quietly walking alongside him.

He was guiding me toward a separate entrance, one that seemed to be used exclusively by internal personnel rather than outsiders.

There was a luxurious metal door with a separate authentication device next to it.

When he tapped his authentication tag on the door, it opened with a soft mechanical sound.

“This way.”

It was an elevator. It seemed like it was for internal use only.

When the elevator doors closed, I felt a slight vibration at my feet.

He entered the floor number and then turned to look at me.

“This place is where matters are discussed or arranged internally before external negotiations take place.”

When the doors opened, I saw a negotiation room with a luxurious atmosphere.

A woman sitting at one side of the negotiation table was dressed in a neatly tailored suit.

She had been reviewing documents in front of her laptop, but as soon as she saw me and Kim Gilgyu, she raised her head.

“Hello, Mr. Jeong Haein.”

Her voice was soft but sharp.

“Yes.”

At my response, she nodded and gestured for me to take a seat.

“Please, have a seat. I’m Jeong Yoori from the Association. Before we begin the actual negotiations, I’d like to ask you a few preliminary questions.”

Kim Gilgyu quietly nodded to me as he turned to face me. I sat down and looked at her.

“There are likely three major requests the Japanese side will make regarding the Iano’s tomb matter.”

She flipped through the papers and began explaining each point clearly.

I was impressed by how systematic and thorough the briefing was.

“The first request is for the ownership of the dungeon. Both international law and South Korean law strongly guarantee the rights of the discoverer of a dungeon. However, right now, there’s no official ownership or even exploration rights. Therefore, the Japanese side will likely try to buy the ownership.”

I nodded. This was expected.

“The second request is for the artifacts discovered in the tomb. Especially Iano’s cross and the elixir. The Japanese side will likely want to take them, as they are directly linked to their history.”

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“Wait a minute.”

As I was listening to her explanation, I raised my hand to interrupt.

“There’s no elixir. I already used it.”

Her eyes widened slightly, but she quickly composed herself.

Kim Gilgyu, who was sitting beside her, stared at me with a look of ‘Was that real?’

Well, I told them it was real.

“I see, but it doesn’t change anything. In terms of symbolism, the cross holds much more value.”

Her voice remained calm and steady.

“The third request is for the dungeon itself. Japan will hire experts to relocate the entire dungeon to their country. They want the rights to control the dungeon within their borders.”

She looked at me and added the final point.

“Therefore, it would be helpful for you, Mr. Jeong Haein, to decide what position you will take on these requests, or if you have any conditions you’d like to propose to the Japanese side.”

Swipe

She handed me a list.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

“This is a list of artifacts held by Japan. The rarity and power of each are detailed, so I hope this will help you in your decision-making.”

Wow.

I didn’t expect them to go this far.

I slowly began to look through the list. I already had something in mind.

“Would this be possible?”

I slowly scanned the list, pointing at one item.

She checked where my finger had stopped.

“Ah... this one might be a bit difficult.”

The artifact in question was the sacred sword, Yamata-no-Orochi, which I had mentioned earlier.

“This artifact is highly unlikely to be part of the negotiations from the Japanese side.”

As expected.

“Ha ha... That’s a funny joke.”

His lips were smiling, but his eyes were still full of doubt.

It seemed he didn’t believe me.

‘Of course.’

The elixir and cross obtained from Iano’s tomb were as valuable as Japan’s legendary artifact, the holy sword Yamata-no-Orochi.

In terms of value, these artifacts were on the same level. Even so, they’d never trade them, no matter what.

But I drank it? A mere student? It was only natural that he didn’t believe it.

So, I didn’t bother correcting his skepticism.

“... Then, what about this?”

I pointed at another item on the list. Her gaze returned to the paper.

“Hmm, this one...”

She paused for a moment, then cautiously spoke.

‘Dongbaek Sword.’

In the game, this was an artifact that could only be obtained through cheats.

And more than that, there was one heroine I knew who perfectly matched this sword.

“Though it’s not quite on the level of Yamata-no-Orochi, honestly, it won’t be easy...”

"Wait a moment."

As though trying to wrap up the conversation, Kim Gilgyu glanced at his watch and looked at me.

“You should be on your way soon.”

***

Following the Association’s guidance, we made our way to the meeting room. The hallway, which had been silent, gradually filled with murmurs of people.

The interpreter, who had been waiting outside the door, greeted us. When we entered the negotiation room, only the interpreter and I remained.

“The Japanese side is already waiting.”

As soon as I entered the room, the air seemed to grow heavier.

A few members of the Japanese delegation were already seated, waiting for me. They stood slightly and bowed their heads when they saw me.

“Nice to meet you..”

It was a simple greeting, one even I could understand. I nodded in return and took my seat.

The representative began with some formalities but quickly got to the point.

The documents passed across the table contained an overview of Iano’s tomb, Japan’s assessment, and the Japanese Hero Association’s demands, neatly organized.

“The Japan Hero Association officially requests the ownership of Iano’s tomb.”

A straightforward demand. I passed the documents back without changing my expression, and the representative continued.

“We are, of course, prepared to offer a substantial amount of compensation. We hope to reach an agreement in some form... What do you think?”

I deliberately didn’t respond.

A brief silence filled the room. The representative seemed to swallow his breath, fidgeting with his lips before awkwardly changing the topic.

“Haha... Understood. If the ownership issue proves difficult, we’d like to purchase the artifacts found in the tomb—particularly Iano’s cross and the elixir. We’ve already assessed a fair price for them.”

When I turned my head, I felt the Japanese representative’s gaze lingering on me intently.

After briefly looking at the interpreter, I firmly said:

“I’m not selling.”

“... Excuse me?”

“I’m not selling. The price doesn’t matter.”

The representative’s pupils wavered. The staff around him seemed to murmur quietly.

But I just kept tapping the table, expressionless.

“Well, then... may I ask what your stance is on relocating the entire dungeon to Japan?”

In response to his question, I took the lead in answering this time.

“If you really need the ownership of the tomb, I might be willing to transfer it to you.”

The sudden suggestion caused the entire Japanese delegation to flinch in surprise.

A spark of hope briefly flickered on their faces before quickly turning into caution.

I quietly folded my hands on the table and spoke again.

“Give me the Dongbaek Sword.”

As soon as my words finished, the person in charge of negotiations jumped up from his seat.

His confusion seemed to be palpable, and the interpreter slowly repeated my request in a hesitant voice. The representative, seated at the table, furrowed his brow deeply.

He wiped his sweat with a handkerchief before responding.

“Ah, that... is too difficult. The Dongbaek Sword is of great significance in our history...”

“Yes, I thought so. It can’t be done, I guess.”

I nodded nonchalantly, almost as if I were ready to leave the room at any moment.

‘He’s giving up that easily?’

Someone must have been thinking that.

“So, I’ve thought of a new place to sell it.”

There was no way that would happen.

I continued with an indifferent expression.

“China.”

As soon as the interpreter relayed that sentence, the previously calm atmosphere shattered like glass.

Since about 20 years ago, China had been trying to incorporate historical heroes from across Asia into their national history.

And naturally, Iano was one of the targets they were after.

If we handed it over to China, Japan would lose one of their national heroes, wide awake.

This, in this world, was a terrifying situation for Japan.

Moreover, in this world, the tension between Japan and China was portrayed far more severely than it actually was.

Whether my words had fully sunk in, one of the members from the ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) Japanese delegation stood up, shouting in outrage.

“What are you saying?”

The interpreter relayed the message.

“He says it’s nonsense... that China would never accept such a thing...”

In this world, nothing was impossible.

I reclined slightly in my seat.

“Ah, I don’t know, I might just sell it to China.”

If they won’t give it to me, I’ll sell it.

“Kim Gilgyu~ Please contact China quickly~”

Want the Dongbaek Sword?

Or do you want to face the Northeast Project?

This was both a threat and, honestly, my strongest card.