Chapter 81

Chapter 81

"Good day, Minister."

"Oh, you're here."

Minister Ahn responded to Eunseong's greeting with a bright smile.

"You've gotten even more handsome since the last time I saw you."

Ahn Gukseon extended his hand for a handshake.

"......That's not true."

Eunseong clasped Ahn Gukseon's hand.

ZAP—!

A faint electric current ran through him.

"How does one get more handsome by the day? As you can see, all I've gained is white hair and wrinkles."

A compliment that wasn't quite a compliment.

Words with barbs hidden inside.

"Not at all. You still look young to me, Minister. Easily twenty years younger."

Eunseong fired back without backing down.

"Come now, Minister. Please don't do that. You'll spoil him. What's there to call handsome? Haha."

"Such modesty. Don't pretend you don't know when you clearly do. Back in your active duty days...... Ahem. I'll stop there. I said something I shouldn't have."

Minister Ahn held his tongue after noticing that Cha Geunwoo's face had gone deathly pale.

"In any case, it's wonderful to see you after so long. It feels like just yesterday that we were running operations together."

"Likewise."

"Remember? That joint operation where we swam all the way from Goseong to Songdowon?"

"That was truly nerve-wracking, sir. Haha."

It sounded like a story about a special operation against North Korea. Apparently, they had once infiltrated from Goseong County in Gangwon Province all the way to Songdowon in the North Korean city of Wonsan.

'Insane. They infiltrated all the way there?'

Eunseong flinched in surprise.

Songdowon was the site of the ultra-luxurious private villas belonging to the Kim dynasty, North Korea's dictators. The mere fact that they had even conceived of going in there was proof enough that they were out of their minds.

"If we keep going, the stories will never end, so let's set a proper date next time and grab a drink. How does that sound?"

"Anytime works for me."

"Then, would you mind if I had a word with your son?"

"Please, speak freely."

When Cha Geunwoo readily nodded, Minister Ahn turned to Eunseong.

"I'll head there first, so could you come to the garden? I'm pressed for time. I need to leave by helicopter soon."

"I'll be right up."

"I'll be waiting."

After Minister Ahn left first, Cha Geunwoo approached Eunseong and whispered.

"The Minister seems to care about you quite a lot. He had nothing but praise for you."

"R-really?"

"Still, don't get cocky or let your guard down. He is a meticulous and formidable man beyond your imagination."

"I'll keep that in mind."

A smile rose to the corners of Eunseong's lips.

The thought that his father was, indeed, every bit a father crossed Eunseong's mind.

"Watch what you say."

"Yes, sir."

Of course.

Eunseong hadn't the slightest intention of letting his guard down around Minister Ahn.

***

Minister Ahn was waiting for Eunseong in the garden, smoking a cigarette.

"You're here."

"Yes, but...... this is a no-smoking zone."

Eunseong said cautiously.

"Oh my. My apologies."

Despite saying that, Minister Ahn did not put out his cigarette.

"Cut me some slack. I'll just finish this one."

"......"

"I've had a lot on my mind lately. I already have to head straight to the National Assembly for the Standing Committee's emergency issue inquiry. About the Golden Sun Gate matter."

"......Smoke to your heart's content."

Eunseong, stricken with guilt, took a step back.

"I'll keep this short. Please, I'm begging you—if you're going to cause an incident, at least give me a heads-up beforehand."

"I'm not sure what you mean. Haha."

"Huuuuuuu......"

Minister Ahn exhaled something that could have been cigarette smoke or a sigh.

"You think we left the Nine-Tail Crew alone because we liked them? Picking a fight with the Incheon Union at a time like this would only end up doing someone else's dirty work...... Forget it. Pretend you didn't hear that."

"You're saying it's sacrificing the small for the greater good."

"Well, something like that."

Eunseong understood what Minister Ahn was saying, and he understood his position as well.

To put it in perspective, the Defense Strategy Department's current situation was one where it had hundreds—thousands—of tasks to handle but only two hands.

With the threat of a coup by Hunters and the threat of the Transference Crisis both looming, it was simply impossible to recklessly concentrate forces on any single point.

Manpower and resources were finite, after all.

"I understand what you're saying."

"Good."

"But, Minister."

"Hm?"

"Sacrificing the small for the greater good is all well and fine, but what do you plan to do when there are no small things left to sacrifice?"

"......"

Minister Ahn fell silent.

He knew it too.

In the end, it was nothing more than a stopgap.

Under the pretense of sacrificing the small for the greater good, if cases like Bucheon continued to multiply, even South Korea itself would eventually crumble.

"......There's no solution for now, so all we can do is endure."

It wasn't the kind of statement befitting the Minister of Defense Strategy, but that was the reality.

The Transference Crisis would only accelerate with time, and Hunters harboring seditious ideologies would only grow more powerful.

"Perhaps you could be that solution. I'm thinking of placing my hopes on you. What do you think?"

"Me?"

"You're a Hunter who Awakened into a Role Category that is one of a kind in the entire world. Not to mention a monster who climbed to 4-Star in just two months."

"I'll pretend I didn't hear that. That sounds like far more than I deserve."

"......Is that so. Hoo."

Minister Ahn pulled a portable ashtray from his pocket and stubbed out his cigarette.

"Well, time will tell. In any case, please just focus quietly on growing stronger. Do you have any idea how much trouble we go through to keep your existence hidden?"

"I'm grateful for that."

"As I said earlier, if you're going to cause an incident, at least tell me in advance. That way the cleanup can be......"

"It's only an incident if you just go and do it. If you announce it beforehand, it's not an incident. It's an operation."

"......That sounds like you're saying you intend to keep causing incidents."

"Surely not."

Minister Ahn squeezed his eyes shut as if exhausted.

WHUP-WHUP-WHUP-WHUP-WHUP—!

The sound of a helicopter's rotors could be heard.

"I should get going."

"Take care."

"One last question. What is it that you want?"

"An ordinary life."

"An ordinary life......?"

"Just living a normal life."

"......I see. Thank you for the answer."

Minister Ahn nodded with a slightly stiffened expression, then turned his steps toward the Helipad.

On the way to the National Assembly.

"A normal life...... a normal life, he says."

Minister Ahn kept mulling over Eunseong's words.

In a world like this, pursuing an ordinary life—a normal existence—was next to impossible.

Such a thing was not given for free.

It had to be defended, and seized.

A throne of survival of the fittest, built upon one's own blood and the blood of one's enemies.

A privilege granted only to those who stood atop it.

"He'll become a monster, as expected. Perhaps...... he already is one."

A low murmur escaped from Minister Ahn's lips.

***

SCREECH—!

Kim Duhyeon's BMW came to a stop in front of the ruined Electronics Land.

Bullet scars from the front bumper were still clearly visible.

"Ugh."

Kim Duhyeon, carbine rifle in hand, anxiously glanced around.

It seemed the memory of Wi Taewoong's group firing warning shots still weighed on him.

"Don't worry, let's go."

"B-but......"

"It's fine, so let's go."

"I'm not a Hunter, so I'm scared."

"For a scared man, you sure had no trouble shooting Nine-Tail Crew members dead."

"Haha......"

"And those were warning shots back then too."

"That's true."

"Today we came with a reservation, so that won't happen. Put the gun away."

"Yes, boss."

Having returned to Electronics Land, Eunseong navigated his way through with ease this time, even without Lumos. Since this was a prearranged visit, as he had told Duhyeon, the Yongpal Trading Company had sent coordinates in advance.

"You came quickly."

Wang Yongsik was, as always, lounging on a sun lounger under a parasol, enjoying a cigar and whiskey.

"Debts are best paid off quickly."

"Wise words. What was your outstanding balance again?"

Wang Hyoeun flipped through the ledger as if she had been waiting, and found Eunseong's name.

"7,886,000,000 won, Grandfather."

"So she says."

Wang Yongsik turned to face Eunseong.

"I'll pay that together with whatever I buy today."

"What else do you need?"

Wang Yongsik slid his sunglasses down, fixing his bare eyes on Eunseong in a piercing stare.

The sheer volume of goods Eunseong had taken last time would have lasted an average Hunter two to three years with plenty to spare, so......

"You can get things like a Little Bird helicopter and a military ATV, right? Oh, and ones equipped with Etherium Batteries and Etherium coating applied, of course."

"Hah."

Wang Yongsik was apparently so dumbfounded by Eunseong's request that he was rendered speechless for a while.

A military ATV, fine, but a helicopter was a different story entirely.

The Little Bird helicopter Eunseong mentioned would cost over 2 billion won even purchased secondhand, and if it came with Etherium Battery tuning, it would be at minimum 5 billion won.

On top of that, if the thing also had Etherium Stealth Coating applied, it would easily exceed 20 billion won.

"Are you out of your mind?"

"Can't get one?"

"Getting one is one thing, but the helicopter alone will run well over 20 billion won."

"Doesn't matter."

"Do you even know how to fly a helicopter, you lunatic, spouting this nonsense about getting one?"

"Yes."

"......What?"

"I can operate trains and ships too."

"There's a limit to bullshitting. How old are you to know how to do all that?"

"All I need from you, sir, is a yes or no on whether you can get it. I'm under no obligation to prove anything to you."

"Pay your overdue tab first and then we'll talk."

"Shall I?"

Eunseong deftly pulled a card from his Deck.

FLASH—! FLASH—!

Hundreds of one-kilogram gold bars of pure gold stacked up in neat rows.

"Gold is more convenient for you than cash, right? I also have Etherium—if you'd prefer, I can pay with that."

"......!"

Wang Yongsik's and Wang Hyoeun's jaws dropped.

"Wh-when do you need it by?"

"The sooner the better."

"Give me a week. It's not like I keep helicopters lying around in the shop."

"I know."

"You wouldn't happen to be......"

"Rest assured, I won't be asking you to procure anything like a nuclear submarine."

"Th-that's a relief."

"That's a '90s story anyway. How far back are you going......"

The early '90s had now become a distant memory.

Back when the Soviet Union collapsed and the Russian Federation was born, there was a time when military equipment flooded the black market.

It had gotten so bad that rumors even circulated about Russian mafia buying up nuclear submarines and nuclear weapons.

Of course, in an era where Hunters seizing political power was a commonplace occurrence, it couldn't exactly be dismissed as ancient history.

"However......"

Eunseong parted his lips.

GULP.

Wang Yongsik involuntarily swallowed.

What else was this kid going to ask him to procure......

"Could you get a few appraisal certificates? Rune or item, doesn't matter."

"Ugh."

Wang Yongsik clutched the back of his neck and groaned.