Leveling Up Alone

Chapter 248: Dragon of Destruction (4)

President Phaophator greeted them on the runway once again.

The entire welcoming parade was quite similar to the one Han-Yeol received when he first arrived in Egypt. If there was anything different this time, it was the fact that Tayarana was the center of attention instead of him.

[Hahaha! Congratulations, my child!]

[Thank you, father,] Tayarana greeted Phaophator with the utmost respect.

[Oh!]

[As expected of the princess!]

[She is so beautiful!]

All of the congress members and elders of Egypt gathered as well to greet her. She was next in line to become the president, but there were some dissidents who believed she was unfit to inherit the position because she was only an Osiris Rank Hunter. These people were the purists who believed Egypt should be ruled by a Ra Rank Hunter.

The dissent was so strong that there were talks of having one of the Ra Rank Hunters inherit the position instead of Tayarana. However, all of those dissensions instantly disappeared the moment she officially stepped foot on Egyptian soil as a Ra Rank Hunter.

The dissidents were simply purists who wanted a Ra Rank Hunter to be the president and had no ambitions to stir turmoil in the country. They easily accepted her as the next president after she returned as a Ra Rank Hunter. The politicians were no longer opposing her succession, but they had other priorities in mind now.

‘If she marries my son…!’

‘Hoho! My son is the one who will marry her!’

‘My son is the most handsome actor in all of Egypt! Who would dare to win her heart aside from him?’

There was no way these people could ever become royalty. But what if their son were to marry the queen? That could change their fortune for generations to come.

‘Disgusting…’?Mariam could see right through their despicable smiles.

These politicians had no idea that Mariam could use her ability to peek into other people's minds. It wasn't important whether they knew it or not, as only an extraordinary person could prevent themselves from controlling their own thoughts, after all.

[Congratulations to you too, Han-Yeol.]

President Phaophator did not forget to greet Han-Yeol as well. He was quite fond of Han-Yeol now, looking at him as if he were gazing upon his treasure.

[Thank you very much, Phaophator-nim.]

[Hahaha! You might be a foreigner, but you’re as good as my son now!]

[Thank you, sir.]

[Alright! I have prepared a party for the both of you, let us go.]

A new kind of dissident was rising up in Egypt's political scene due to Phaophator's recent actions, and this time it had something to do with the candidate for the next president's husband.

‘Why is he here?!’

‘That commoner dares to!’

‘Ugh… So the rumors must be true…’

‘Damn it!’

This was especially true for politicians who had a son around Tayarana's age, as they dreamt of wielding power through a political marriage.

‘Hmm… Should we pass a law requiring the leader’s spouse to be an Egyptian?’

Some of them even tried to use the law in their favor.

‘Haha… These fools…’

Mariam shook her head in disbelief while walking right beside Tayarana.

She could have spent her time doing much more important things, but she chose to stay right beside Tayarana. Tayarana was always surrounded by people with despicable thoughts, and Mariam considered it her sacred duty to shield her from them.

‘Is there a way I can teach these imbeciles a lesson?’?she wondered.

She could have simply ignored them because nothing was going to change, no matter how much they struggled. After all, they could try every trick they knew, but none of it was going to work on Phaophator and Tayarana.

The reason was quite simple. These politicians were ordinary commoners at the end of the day, and they did not have the support of the populace. The one who rescued Egypt from the brink of destruction and turned it into the powerhouse it is today was none other than Phaophator.

While the name Egypt may have been retained by the country, its citizens considered it to be a different country altogether.

Phaophator's popularity naturally made the general public adore Hunters as well, creating an environment where ordinary politicians could not sway the general public no matter what they did. Some might ask why the politicians and elders were made up of ordinary people, and the answer was quite simple.

There was no way a Hunter was going to be willing to hold such boring and mundane positions in the first place. A Hunter was guaranteed to win the election if they ran for Congress, but Hunters in the country already made good money without having to go through political drama. Additionally, the Hunters did not require any representation, as the association ensured their rights and provided for their needs in the first place.

‘Hmm… Let’s slowly put a plan together.’

Mariam had a morbid hobby of subjecting her enemies to a slow and painful demise, and this disturbing penchant appeared to be resurfacing once again.

***

The party hosted by the president lasted for three full days. Abundant varieties of delicacies were prepared, and performers from all corners of the country were summoned to entertain at the event.

Fwaaaaaaah!

[Wow!]

[That’s so cool!]

The party came alive with beautiful dancers, muscular men, and skilled acrobats entertaining the guests. However, most importantly, the free flow of alcohol allowed the guests to drink to their heart's content.

Surprisingly, the party was broadcast live for the entire country to watch. There was no backlash for throwing such a lavish party because Phaophator personally covered the entire cost.

Furthermore, the celebration was not limited to those who attended the palace party.

[I want our countrymen to rejoice along with us! I hereby declare the next three days as public holidays!]

[Wow!]

[Hurray for President Phaophator!]

The president granted the entire country a three-day vacation, during which all public services, including parks and theme parks, were free of charge. The entire nation was celebrating Tayarana's rise to a Ra Rank Hunter.

However, covering the costs of these three-day public holidays was still a significant expense for the country, as even Phaophator's wealth had its limits.

[Hahaha! Our princess is finally a Ra Rank Hunter!]

[Amazing! She is truly amazing!]

[She is the pride of our country!]

[What blasphemy are you spouting?!]

[W-What…?]

[She is the pride of Africa!]

[Hahaha! You’re right! I was wrong!]

[Apologize!]

[My bad!]

[Hahaha!]

Egypt's economy was thriving, attracting people from all over Africa in search of employment. While Tayarana might be the princess of Egypt, all the Africans working in the country also regarded her as their own princess. In the end, it wasn't just the Egyptians, but also Africans from other regions who celebrated this joyous event.

However, it went without saying that pleasing everyone was an impossible task...

***

In a remote village in the northwestern region of Egypt.

[Hmm…]

[Damn it…]

[Yes…]

[Haa…]

The peaceful village resembled countless other remote villages in the country. However, beneath its tranquility lay a secret—a complex network of intricate tunnels hidden underground. The inhabitants of this village were religious extremists and terrorists who harbored anti-Egypt sentiments, occasionally causing trouble in the country.

Now, these individuals were engrossed in reading the latest news articles, each with slightly different titles but all discussing the same topic: Tayarana, the Princess with a Ra Rank. A nationwide celebration had erupted in honor of Tayarana's achievement, filling the entire country with a festive mood.

However, for these people striving to restore Egypt to its once-religious state, this news was not a cause for celebration. Rather, it dealt a devastating blow to their efforts. They had sought to diminish Egypt's brightest star to realize their dream of reinstating religious order in the country, but the star they attempted to dim only shone brighter and brighter.

[What should we do?]

This terrorist group called themselves the 'Sword of God,' and their leader was Raiden Badi. He was the most notorious terrorist in Egypt's history, with a bounty of one hundred million won on his head. He was a fugitive pursued by bounty hunters from all over the world, constantly changing his hideout to evade capture. However, his current hideout was right under Egypt's nose.

[I greet the leader.]

[Welcome, First Sword of God.]

[May I give you my humble opinion, leader?]

[Speak.]

[Thank you. I believe it will be difficult for us to go after that bitch, Tayarana, for now.]

[And why do you think so?]

[There are too many people around that individual these days, and the chances of us getting caught even before we get anywhere near them are quite high. Not only that, it won't be an easy fight even if we somehow manage to reach them, now that they are a Master Rank Hunter.]

The members of the Sword of God referred to the Hunters by the widely recognized ranking terms.

The entirety of Africa followed Egypt’s ranking system of Ra (Master): Osiris (S): Obelisk (A): Isis (B): Seth (C): Nephtys (D): Hathor (E): Horus (F).

However, these were all names of gods from Egyptian Mythology, and the religious extremists refused to commit blasphemy by uttering their names. Instead, they followed the ranking system set by the United States, which was more neutral and did not promote the worship of idols. Additionally, their primary enemy had shifted from the United States to Egypt.

While there was still animosity between the Sword of God organization and the Uni