Chapter 13
“Since you’ve gone so far as to say that, I’ll make an exception for you this once. One last time.”
“Th-thank you.”
“It’s nothing.”
“Then I’ll report it right away and get back to you, so would you mind waiting just a little longer?”
“All right.”
Oh Yuhwa disappeared somewhere, then came back.
“Mr. Eunseong, the Minister said he’ll be coming personally, so please wait just a little longer. It should be about thirty minutes.”
“Understood.”
“Would you like some tea?”
“I already had some earlier.”
“Then perhaps at least a light dessert......”
“That’s all right.”
I rejected every bit of Oh Yuhwa’s goodwill and quietly waited for Ahn Gukseon.
All the while, Oh Yuhwa looked half out of her mind.
If she had offered good terms from the start as a negotiation officer, none of this would have happened. But she had gotten greedy because she thought she had found an easy mark, and now she had blown the matter up into something much bigger, so of course everything in front of her must have gone dark.
But did she realize it?
That if she did not break that habit, she would eventually end up dismembered and still be mocked by Hunters afterward?
‘You should be grateful to me. If you fix that rotten habit here and now, you might avoid a gruesome end.’
Even as I sneered inwardly, I kept a faintly displeased expression on the outside.
Had it been about ten minutes?
The door opened, and a silver-haired gentleman in a perfectly tailored suit appeared.
True to being called [Iron Blood], which meant iron-blooded, he looked like the sort of man who would not bleed a single drop even if stabbed.
“Attention!”
Oh Yuhwa snapped a salute toward Ahn Gukseon.
I rose from my seat and met Ahn Gukseon’s eyes.
The fire burning in Ahn Gukseon’s gaze looked exactly like a sleeping volcano.
“Nice to meet you, young man. I’m Ahn Gukseon.”
With an extremely courteous manner, Ahn Gukseon offered me a handshake.
“I’m Cha Eunseong.”
“Did I keep you waiting long? I came as quickly as I could, but I hope I’m not late......”
“I haven’t been waiting long. It’s fine.”
“That’s a relief. Ha ha. Shall we sit down and talk, then?”
“Yes, Minister.”
I was a little tense.
Just as I was a monster, Ahn Gukseon was a monster as well.
As one of the few first-generation Hunters still alive, he had probably passed through hellish battlefields no less than I had.
And a man responsible for the defense of an entire nation against the monsters’ invasion was never going to be someone easy to deal with.
“First of all, I want to thank you sincerely for coming here. Despite being an Awakened of a role category that has never existed before, you still chose to extend your hand to the Republic of Korea first.”
“It’s nothing.”
“No, gratitude is gratitude. As the Minister of the Defense Strategy Department, I truly thank you.”
Ahn Gukseon smiled pleasantly, then continued.
“However, I was told that there seems to be a problem with the contract......”
“The terms Major Oh presented felt unreasonable to me, so I was just about ready to consider the contract void.”
“So, for a young man patriotic enough to aim to become a naval officer, they were terms that felt unreasonable. Major Oh.”
Ahn Gukseon turned to look at Oh Yuhwa.
“What terms did you offer young Eunseong?”
“H-here they are.”
With trembling hands, Oh Yuhwa held out the contract to Ahn Gukseon.
“Hmm.”
A spasm flickered across Ahn Gukseon’s face for just an instant.
Yes, of course it was absurd.
Ahn Gukseon seemed to have realized as well that Oh Yuhwa had been trying to take me for a fool.
“Major Oh.”
“Yes, Minister.”
“Do you know the phrase ‘penny-wise and pound-foolish’?”
“......”
Oh Yuhwa lowered her head deeply.
It seemed she did at least know enough to feel ashamed.
“You seem good at bargaining, but you have no idea how to invest.”
“......”
“I understand your desire to serve the nation. I am always grateful for your performance as well. But don’t you think this is excessive? Even I wouldn’t sign a contract like this.”
“......I’m sorry.”
“Enough of this. This is practically fraud.”
“M-Minister!”
“When you bring tears to another person’s eyes, blood tears will one day fall from your own. Void the contract in full and meet every condition young Eunseong asks for. I approve it under my own authority.”
“Yes, Minister.”
After glaring at Oh Yuhwa as though he could hardly stand the sight of her, Ahn Gukseon apologized to me.
“I’ll apologize in Major Oh’s stead. Let it go, young Eunseong.”
“No, it’s all right.”
“As you just heard, we’ll meet every condition you want, so I hope you’ll sign with the Republic of Korea. No matter what terms you ask for, the Republic of Korea will invest in you.”
“I’ll give it favorable consideration.”
My words were deliberately vague, but I fully intended to sign with the Republic of Korea.
Just as I was no fool, neither Ahn Gukseon nor the Republic of Korea were fools.
There was no way the Republic of Korea would sit back and quietly watch me make contact with another country, whether Japan or the United States.
They would obstruct it somehow, keep it in check, and in the worst-case scenario, I could not even rule out assassination.
Since the Minister had come in person, apologized, and promised me the best possible terms, it was only proper that I give a little ground as well.
At least for now.
“I’ll be waiting for good news. Of course, whatever decision you make, young Eunseong, I’ll respect it.”
“Yes, Minister.”
“You and Major Oh can take your time talking. It’ll be uncomfortable if the Minister keeps sitting in on it, so I’ll step out.”
Ahn Gukseon rose from his seat, straightened his clothes, gave me one benevolent smile, and then left.
Flinch!
Oh Yuhwa gave a small shudder, as though her knees had gone weak.
Ahn Gukseon had clearly cursed her out with his eyes as he brushed past.
***
Once Ahn Gukseon stepped in, the contract proceeded at lightning speed.
Which house I wanted, what kind of vehicle I wanted, how much salary I wanted to receive, and so on and so forth.
I stated everything I wanted, and Oh Yuhwa wrote every bit of it into the contract.
Honestly, these were terms no rookie Hunter would dare even dream of.
If I had awakened as a Supporter like before, it would have been utterly impossible. But now it was a different story.
Since I had awakened into an unprecedented new type of role category, I had every right to enjoy all those benefits.
In any case, this was an investment.
From the government’s point of view, it did not really stand to lose much.
They only needed to watch me for a year, and if they decided I was not worth it, they could simply choose not to renew the contract.
“I also want a special clause stating that the Republic of Korea may not demand information about me, and that if any surveillance or tailing occurs without my consent, the contract will be terminated immediately.”
“Th-that’s......”
“The Minister said......”
“All right, all right.”
Oh Yuhwa clearly did not like it, but the moment I mentioned Ahn Gukseon, she clenched her teeth and revised the contract.
Even after the Minister had ordered her, under his own authority, to grant every one of my demands, the fact that she still had objections made me wonder whether her vicious negotiator’s streak was not intentional at all, but instinctive.
‘To think being stingy was her instinct.’
I shook my head inwardly, then read through the contract, and read through it again, pointing out every passage that might cause trouble.
“This wording here bothers me a little.”
“I-I’ll change it.”
“This part too.”
“Ugh.”
Thanks to that, Oh Yuhwa ended up having to call in a legal officer to revise the contract, and it was obvious she was being put through absolute hell.
After a marathon negotiation lasting six hours and nine minutes, I finally signed the contract.
“Congratula...... tions.”
Oh Yuhwa must have been utterly exhausted, because the whites of her eyes were showing.
“Yes, Major Oh. You worked hard as well.”
I addressed Oh Yuhwa with a smile, never once showing any sign of dislike.
“Before long, an official notice will be sent ordering you to attend training, and you absolutely must take part.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
The training Oh Yuhwa was referring to meant the series of educational programs conducted at the [Special Force Training Center].
As someone who had worked as a Hunter for ten years in my previous life, there was no way I truly needed training, but there were eyes watching, so I intended to attend.
If I handled everything flawlessly like a veteran despite supposedly never having received any training at all, I would definitely arouse suspicion.
“Then I’ll be on my way.”
“Mr. Eunseong, I’ll escort you this way.”
Leaving the half-dazed Oh Yuhwa behind, I followed Captain Im to the helipad.
“Where would you like us to take you, Hunter Cha?”
“I haven’t even gone through training yet, so being called a Hunter feels a bit much. I’d appreciate it if you just called me Mr. Eunseong.”
“Understood.”
“Before I go home, I’d like to buy a few cars first. My family doesn’t have one.”
“I’ll escort you.”
Captain Im had the soldiers load Kim Duhyeon’s delivery motorcycle onto the Black Hawk, then took me aboard.
“It’s a military helicopter, so there are no doors. Please stay farther inside......”
“It’s fine.”
With practiced hands, I fastened the harness, clipped the safety hook in place, and let both my legs hang outside the helicopter.
As if I were sitting on a railing.
“You’re quite skilled.”
“My father is in the military, so I had a few chances to ride in helicopters.”
“Ah, I see. As expected of someone who aimed to become a naval special operations officer.”
“It’s nothing.”
“Then we’ll be taking off.”
At Captain Im’s gesture, the helicopter lifted into the air.
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!
The Black Hawk carrying Kim Duhyeon’s delivery motorcycle headed for Gangnam, where car dealerships were densely concentrated.
***
A few hours later.
Thud-thud-thud-thud-thud-thud!
The Black Hawk descended onto an empty lot near the refugee camp.
Beside it, three Chinook helicopters, colloquially called [Rubber Shoes], gently lowered the vehicles they had been carrying, then landed in a more spacious area.
“Maintain full perimeter security!”
“Full perimeter security!”
One platoon from the 88th Special Mission Battalion under the Capital Defense Command secured the surrounding area.
“You really didn’t have to go this far......”
“Not at all.”
When I made an apologetic face, Captain Im replied as if the very idea were absurd.
“Mr. Eunseong, you are a critical strategic asset of the Republic of Korea. When escorting someone like you, this level of protocol is not excessive.”
“Even so, you really don’t need to do this next time. It’s a bit burdensome......”
“I’ll keep that in mind. Then I’ll be on my way now. If anything inconveniences you, please contact us at any time.”
With those words, Captain Im departed in the helicopter, and I headed into the refugee camp with the soldiers of the 88th Special Mission Battalion.
“Cha Eunseong, you son of a bi...... gah!”
Kim Duhyeon snapped his mouth shut in the middle of unleashing a string of curses.
He must have come out to see what was going on, then spotted me and panicked when he saw me surrounded by armed troops.
“Duhyeon!”
“Yes......?”
“Come here.”
“Ah, yes.”
Kim Duhyeon approached me in clumsy, hesitant little steps.
Rainy Lotus
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