"Where, going?" Madison asked as she walked hand-in-hand alongside Daz down the sidewalk of Seoul's surprisingly busy streets.

He smiled at her and answered, "Well, for now I think we should get some dinner. When it's late into the evening? A place called Bukchon Hanok Village."

Madison tilted her head and Mr Barrier followed suit. "Don't, know."

"It's fine. You'll find out about it when we get there," Daz replied mysteriously.

He had spent a good few hours preparing for this date when he knew he'd be coming to Korea with Madison.

His time spent reflecting on the Ember of Love had led him to a decision, a very important one at that. Daz wanted for nothing to go wrong tonight, and, to be fair, he didn't expect anything to.

Madison glanced from the sidewalk to Daz a few times before her cheeks turned rosy. "You, nice, in, casual, clothes. Always, in, gear."

Daz raised an eyebrow before chuckling. "I figured if we were going on a date I should at least dress for the occasion."

Instead of his usual Travelling Gear of Altros, right now Daz was adorned in a simple white shirt which he tucked into a sleek pair of grey slacks. His sleeves were rolled up, showing off his muscled arms.

He was also wearing a simply fedora-styled straw hat. That was mostly there to hide his halo. He wanted tonight to be about him and Madison, not about random strangers recognising him and bothering them during their date.

Perhaps in New Earth his face was enough to be identified as the high king, but here? In United Korea? He was just another white guy as far as he was concerned.

In fact, he wanted their time together to go so smoothly that he had even changed his status with false details and he was ready to allow any attempts to identify him with a skill to succeed.

He hoped that anyone curious enough would see that he was moderately powerful but not anyone super special.

Madison, on the other hand, contrary to her usual attire - a pair of denim shorts and a plaid shirt, was wearing a silky blue satin dress and high heels.

The dress a bit frilly, it exposed her back, and it only went down to her knees but Daz liked it a lot even if it made her perhaps one of the most attractive people alive.

He chuckled slightly. 'Maybe only I think that way. Hopefully it's just me. I've yet to see how my new emotions would react to normal jealously. Will I get angry if people start ogling her?'

Daz somewhat wished he only had to deal with Steven's and Idris's when it came to his beloved being coveted by others. Frankness he could handle.

Before long, however, he and Madison had made their way to a fancy newly-furbished restaurant which usually required a week in advance reservations according to Ho Ran. Thankfully, his grandmother had arranged VIP access for them.

She was actually more than willing to bend the arm of the restaurant's owner to let him have his date here. In her own words, a date was a good sign to her that he was a more normal individual than most Hamilios.

He welcomed this. If breaking a rule or two to let him have a date with his girlfriend could help his grandmother see him in a more humane light, then who was he to deny that considering his own goals?

"Good evening, sir, madam," the restaurant's hostess said in fluent English to Daz and Madison.

She was a stunning Korean beauty who could give even Ho Ran a run for her money, though Daz only felt that objectively.

"May I have your reservation number?" she asked with a picture-perfect smile.

'English is helpful since Maddy never got the All Language Comprehension skill,' Daz thought as he shook his head lightly. "We don't have one. I was told to just give you our names." He leaned in then whispered, "I'm Daz and this is my date tonight, Madison McArthur, but call me Daryl and her Maddy."

He saw Madison blush before tightening her grasp on his arm. 'Someone's happy. I wonder why?'

"Ah, of course." The hostess maintained her smile as she used her arm to point further into the restaurant eloquently. "We've been expecting you. Please, follow me to your seats."

Daz nodded and led Madison through the fancy and decadent front room of the building as he followed the woman who was maybe a few years older than himself.

'I guess the worldwide average age of working individuals has plummeted since most survivors are between 15 and 35-years-old,' he commented internally in passing.

During the walk through the restaurant, Daz felt himself getting identified several times by the other patrons. He assumed they were powerful hunters or important figures of the city since this place was so high class.

This was exactly why he had made a fake name for himself on his status for tonight; Daryl Crowthorne.

He really was quite fond of his mother's maiden name and he'd been considering adopting it as his official surname for a while now after his chat with Master Merit a month ago. Regardless, that wasn't of much relevance right this very moment. Perhaps it would be later in the evening.

He, as planned, allowed all attempts to view his status and from the initial look of things, no one seemed to be following up on their investigation by approaching them. 'Perfect,' he thought.

Before long they were seated in a private VIP section of the establishment that was flush with ice-sculptures and exotic potted plants.

Low and harmonious music flowed into their ears from a pianist in the room's corner as the hostess took their order. "Excellent choices, sir, madam. Could I interest you in some of our fine wines to accompany your meal?"

Daz shook his head. "No, thank you. It takes a lot to get us drunk considering our stats. Fruit juice is fine, right, Maddy?"

She nodded, resulting in Mr Barrier bobbing around a bit. "Mmm, juice."

"Of course. I'll be back in a moment," the hostess said before bowing her head then leaving.

Daz reached over the table and held Madison's hand in his as he smiled softly. "This place is nice. We never got to go out for dates when we were kids, did we?"

"Mmm. You, too, worried, father. Me, Rose, then, training," Madison answered sadly before smiling with her eyes. "But, now, chance. Happy."

"Haha, I'm happy too," Daz slowly answered. He paused for a moment as he looked at Madison's face and stared into her bright green eyes. "You're gorgeous, you know? I don't think I've ever told you that but I truly do think you're the most beautiful person I've ever seen."

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Madison lowered her head bashfully. Could she show expressions, no doubt she'd be smiling faintly Daz assumed. Instead though, she whispered back, "Daz, handsome, too. But, that, not, matter. What, inside, matters."

"I agree, but it certainly isn't a bad thing you're so pretty," Daz chuckled. "Well, I guess it attracts other men to you like Steven and Idris. I'm just very happy to know that no matter how hard things get, you'll always be here for me."

He saw her react by pouting with her eyes. "It, annoying. Only, Daz's, girlfriend. Happy, you, only, look, me, though."

"And I always will," Daz replied. "On that note, I have something I'd like to give you later on tonight. Maybe after our meal. Look forward to it, okay?"

Madison beamed with her eyes. "Mmm! Will!"

----------------------------------------

"It's amazing you could handle a B-rank gate solo, Oppa," a dazzling young woman said to the hunter sat next to her.

"Haha, it was nothing. I'm not an A-rank hunter for nothing," Kim Youngsoo answered as he took a refined bite of his steak. "All it needed was a bit of effort and focus, really."

The woman continued to fawn over him for a while until she noticed his gaze glaze over, however, this glaze was different from the kind commonly found when viewing system screens.

She followed his eyes and saw that he was staring at a pair of foreigners who were being led through the restaurant by the main hostess herself, no less.

"Who're they?" she asked curiously.

A-rank hunter Kim Youngsoo shook his head slowly. "I'm not sure, but for foreigners to get a reservation here and to personally have Hostess Hyun-mi serving them... they should be pretty important."

His answer was a bit plain and obvious but he didn't care. His eyes were glued to the blonde-haired and green-eyed foreigner. She was, in his opinion, perhaps the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen in his life before.

She was a little bit on the young side but he was only 25 himself, so that could be overlooked considering his status.

Something about her cold and cool expression along with her exposed luscious white skin and slightly toned muscles just ticked every box for him. Needless to say, he thought she was drop-dead gorgeous.

Slowly his eyes drifted to the man by her side. 'That guy's so ordinary looking, even by foreigner standards. Maybe he's a little bit handsome but no more so than your average guy who works out. Let's see who he is... Higher Identification.'

His skill was met with no resistance and the man's status was displayed before his eyes.

Daryl Crowthorne's Status Basic Information Name: Daryl Crowthorne Species: Human Race: Higher Human Age: 20 Sex: Male Class: Shovel Knight Affinity: Lawful Neutral Description

Daryl was an ordinary college dropout who gained great fortune from the system's coming.

With luck, wit and skill he has become the foreign ambassador of the freshly founded kingdom, New Earth.

Owns a system-sanctioned mercenary license and is currently a Mark-1 (higher tier) mercenary.

Energies Lifeforce: 25,000/25,000 Worldforce: 5,500/5,500 Stats Strength: [LR] 1,500(1,800) Dexterity: [LR] 1,200(1,440) | Item Boost: +50. Constitution: [LR] 1,750(2,100) Intelligence: 800 Transparency: [LR] 400 Agility: [LR] 800 Charisma: [LR] 600 | Item Boost: +15. Defence: [LR] 1,800 Immunity: 100 Patience: 400 Luck: [LR] 300 | Item Boost: +375. Fate: 200

Kim Youngsoo scratched his chin as he grinned. 'He's got a few stats that have reached their limit and he's evolved once but he seems to be kind of luck and magic focused. Plus, his weapon's a shovel going by his class. He also isn't a hunter, which makes him inherently weaker. I've never heard of the mercenary system though so I shouldn't underestimate it.'

'He's probably about as strong as a high-class C-ranker. Someone like him shouldn't be escorted someone as perfect as her,' he thought to himself. 'It takes a skilled botanist to handle a delicate flower, after all.'

He got up and paid for his and his guest's meals before he walked further into the restaurant, chasing after Daryl and his partner.

Rather quickly he was stopped by an employee. "Sir, you can't go in there. That is a VIP room that's been booked by some very important guests of President Ho herself. I must ask you to kindly leave, please."

"I know. The foreign ambassador, right? I want to meet him. Let him know who I am and that I just want to chat briefly," Kim Youngsoo said, hiding his true intentions.

The employee frowned but nodded. Offending an A-ranked hunter was above his paygrade and he knew it, much to Kim Youngsoo's pleasure.

He watched the man go get another employee to watch over him before leaving to speak with the head hostess.

Not long later, he returned and shook his head. "Hostess Hyun-mi bothered the guests inside and relayed your message. The guests inside say they do not wish to be disturbed. If you have business with them you should find them two days from now, is what they suggested. I'm afraid I'll have to ask you once again to kindly leave please, sir."

'A weakling like him dares to refuse to talk to me? Ambassador or not I should be given some respect. Surely he knows how powerful us hunters are here in our United Korea...' Kim Youngsoo pushed past the employee a bit briskly.

He would have his way, either nicely or not so nicely.

"Sir! You can't do this! You'll be barred from the restaurant!" the employee raised his voice though Kim Youngsoo didn't care anymore.

He swiftly barged right through the employees and then the door, interrupting the two guests who were happily chatting with one another as they ate gourmet meals.

The ambassador, Daryl turned to glance at the room's intruder and he frowned. "Can we help you? Are you lost, perhaps?"

The employee at Kim Youngsoo's back gulped as he watched his expression go from annoyed to infuriated. 'He's being this disrespectful to me, a valued A-ranked hunter? Arrogant politician. He definitely doesn't deserve her.'