Chapter 29

EP 6 - Nuclear Bomb-Level Major Incident (4)

The rainy season had ended, and a typhoon arrived.

The burning building finally began to subside.

The view of northern Seoul from the sky was sad. Refugees roamed the streets, and the occasional sound of gunfire could be heard. The city, once teeming with people, was gradually dying.

A fighter jet passed by, leaving a sonic boom, and the martial law headquarters could be seen in the distance, accompanied by the smell of gunpowder.

Raindrops fell on the gloomy battlefield. As the umbrella provided by the soldier was about to be lowered, I quickened my pace with a stern expression.

Holding a recorder in my inner pocket.

* * *

The Deputy Minister of National Defense, a man in a suit.

A soldier familiar with politics.

A tough guy who looks like a smart corporate executive.

A boring and monotonous strategist.

A calm gambler.

A person living on a tight schedule.

A fast and monotonous speaking style.

The person I saw, Cha Jae-gyun, was roughly like this.

It was hard to figure out what he was up to. This could be considered a personality trait in itself.

However, I knew his personality but not his core.

Is he a new military dictator? Or a hero who saves the nation?

After reviewing Yang Pan-seok's recording, Cha Jae-gyun tilted his head with an inscrutable expression.

"Quite interesting."

"Didn't you already know this?"

He spoke as quickly and calmly as always.

"Although we maintain a close cooperative relationship with the National Intelligence Service, we have no intention of interfering with the National Assembly."

Interpretation: Oh, I don't know.

This is quite cute. Cha Jae-gyun blinked and showed off his acting skills to me.

"Are you going to nominate Representative Won Ok-bun as the acting president?"

"Yes, that's right."

"Then, what is your purpose in bringing this to me...?"

Interpretation: I've already put the National Assembly members in a hotel, forced the acting president candidates to resign, and deployed the National Intelligence Service around the National Assembly, but I don't know anything about it.

I deliberately took a long sip of tea to buy some time to think.

1. Military's Cha Jae-gyun. He's strong.

2. National Assembly's Won Ok-bun. She has legitimacy.

3. Yang Pan-seok. A sly fox.

As always, my decision was quick.

As a National Assembly member supporting Won Ok-bun.

I will work with Cha Jae-gyun based on Yang Pan-seok's secret orders.

I slammed the empty paper cup down hard.

"Are you a politician or a soldier, Minister?"

"......"

"By imprisoning the National Assembly members, taking control of the military, forcing the acting president candidates to resign, and deploying the National Intelligence Service around the National Assembly, this is not the work of a soldier. Please be clear about it."

He asked in a casual tone as if it were nothing.

"Why do you ask this?"

"If you are going to engage in politics rather than war, I am willing to work with you! But how can you maintain such an ambiguous attitude?"

Interpretation: Are you trying to seize power or not?

I bared my teeth and wagged my tail.

In any case, once the country stabilizes, the power of the military will naturally wane. If he is a hunting dog that can be cooked later, it doesn't matter if I let him off the leash now.

Cha Jae-gyun said.

"Did you ask if I am a soldier?"

"......"

"I have never deviated from my duties as a soldier."

It's a subtle statement.

"If I hadn't imprisoned the National Assembly members, they would have been talking about impeachment in front of the media every time someone died,

and if I hadn't forced the ministers to resign, an acting president who has never held a gun would have taken control of the military."

It's because you guys were going to cause so much trouble that I had to take action. He continued in a tired voice.

"1.4 people are dying per second. They are not dying because of the monster but because of the orders I have given. That's why I always do my best."

Thud, he stamped the document.

"I have sent a special forces team to rescue the U.S. ambassador to South Korea. I allocated the special forces to rescue a non-citizen because I am concerned about the U.S. reaction."

He showed me the document next to him.

"However, if this becomes known, such operations will no longer be possible. This will cause disruptions in cooperation with U.S. forces, so I didn't even put an embargo on the media and just sealed their mouths."

He put down the document and pointed at me.

"However, if you, Representative, reveal this to the public, it will be a disaster. What will I do then?"

"......I will silence you."

"Whether by threats or bribes, I will silence you. Then, is this a strategy or politics?"

It was a very interesting conversation. I smiled faintly and listened, while Cha Jae-gyun continued in a dry tone.

"Have you read the book 'On War'?"

"Clausewitz?"

"War is a continuation of politics. Given your intelligence, I believe you will understand."

The imprisonment of ministers, the resignation of the acting president,

all the 'political actions' he took were extensions of war.

Cha Jae-gyun asked me as if seeking confirmation.

"Do you see me as a general or a politician?"

Politics and war are not different. I engaged in politics purely to catch the monster, Cha Jae-gyun said.

I closed my eyes for a moment.

"Then, are you not interested in power?"

"I am the one who is most interested in power right now."

He focused on the documents again and continued speaking.

"I am wary of them at this moment, fearing that an acting president who has never held a gun might make futile moves, or that politicians blinded by votes might interfere with military actions."

"Then, what is your ultimate goal?"

"The eradication of the monster."

"Can I lend a hand?"

"That's why I called you."

The conversation flowed smoothly. We had already confirmed our intentions.

By the way, 'called'.

Yes, deploying the National Intelligence Service around the National Assembly was indeed a signal to me. Since I have this level of power, he wanted me to join him.

He finally revealed his true colors to me.

"We are engaged in an endless war of attrition against an enemy that never diminishes. We don't even have a way to close the gate. A more 'efficient' method is needed."

Given that I now have a 'guild' as a military force, he was in a situation where he had to work with me from the beginning.

Perhaps, the delayed support during the subway escape operation was to kill me, but I already control the 'guild', and now he has no choice but to extend his hand to me.

Cha Jae-gyun's decision continued.

"Along with top-secret information, I will also grant you military authority in related fields. Please refer to the documents for specific details."

Damn, he's coming out strong. He opened the Ministry of National Defense's warehouse to a non-military person. I picked up the documents with slightly trembling hands.

"You can also use military personnel as part of a civilian cooperation effort. Please do your best to activate the 'Monster Damage Recovery Foundation'."

"Then, can the guild take on the role of a mobile strike force in southern Gyeonggi Province?"

"Helicopters, medical supplies, funds, etc. If necessary, I can even transfer some operational control. Please do your best to protect the safety of the people and the nation."

A sweet offer from the military commander.

"......Also, when political debates in the National Assembly become heated, I would appreciate it if you could ensure that the Ministry of National Defense's operations are not disrupted."

Keep the bastards from interfering with the military. I pretended to think for about 12 seconds and then spoke solemnly.

"......I am grateful for the sudden and significant responsibility you have given me, but I also feel a great burden. I will do my best to the extent of my abilities."

Ring.

*

After discussing the detailed business agreement and leaving the deputy minister's office, I suddenly turned around and asked.

"Representative Won Ok-bun becoming the acting president doesn't seem to surprise you."

Interpretation: Did you know Ok-bun would become president?

It was strange that he released the Minister of Justice, who was being held with the National Assembly members.

By the way, Won Ok-bun is an opposition minister.

She is not strongly aligned with the Republican Party and was placed in the Democratic government for bipartisan cooperation. They couldn't afford to appoint a hardcore Republican as a minister.

So, Won Ok-bun's inclination is ultimately neutral.

What does neutral mean? It means she is good at compromising.

So,

"......She is quite reasonable."

The assumption that Cha Jae-gyun and Won Ok-bun had already worked together is not far-fetched.

I smiled and left the deputy minister's office.

This is quite amusing.

On the surface, we are all banding together to cheer each other on, but in reality, there are more complex interests at play beneath the surface.

A den of devils.

This is the true face of this world.

There is no distinction between allies and enemies. Hundreds of snakes in the belly of a sly fox, each giggling and shaking hands.

The clueless ones occasionally get bitten and die, becoming food for others.

In the end, Yang Pan-seok was right.

There are no principles, only the principle of not having principles.

It's better not to make enemies.

If an enemy appears, eliminate them immediately.

Like water mixed with alcohol, or alcohol mixed with water.

A limping man smiled and disappeared into the dark corridor.

*

I reached out to press the doorbell.

Bam! The door opened before my finger even touched the bell.

"Yah!"

"......Hello."

"Oh, oh? Student Pi Chae-won!"

That's strange. Why is Pi Chae-won at Cheon Hwa-lan's house?

She opened the door expressionlessly and turned to go inside. Cheon Hwa-lan peeked out with a wide smile.

"Oh! Representative Han!"

"Oh! It's been a while, President Cheon!"

I handed over a package first.

"The folic acid in the kiwi is very good for pregnant women!"

"Oh, oh, what is this...!"

Cheon Hwa-lan took the package with a gentle smile. Her belly was starting to show.

"So, I brought some beef!"

"Please come in, Representative!"

For a pregnant woman, meat is the best.

Gang Ki-ja and Gang Ji-yoon appeared from inside. Gang Ki-ja was holding her newborn son.

"Oh! Representative Han! Please come in!"

"Beef! Beef!"

Gang Ji-yoon happily used her telekinesis to carry the beef to the living room, and Gang Ki-ja and I exchanged greetings at the entrance.

Cheon Hwa-lan was using an entire university hospital with a research institute. Therefore, their accommodation was a VIP room.

"Wow, they call it a VIP room, but this is like a five-star hotel, isn't it?"

"It's a room used by tycoons. We were also surprised when we first came in. Ah! Please come in."

I struggled to take off my shoe from my prosthetic leg and asked.

"By the way, I didn't expect Student Pi Chae-won to be here. I did assign her the next room, though."

"Hehe. Chae-won is just living with us now."

Gang Ji-yoon was already hanging on Pi Chae-won's face like a koala, a feat made possible by her telekinesis.

Despite being unable to see, Pi Chae-won's struggles reminded me of someone being infested by an alien larva, but it was fortunate that they were getting along well.

Pi Chae-won was startled and pulled Gang Ji-yoon off. Gang Ji-yoon squealed and floated away, and Pi Chae-won stared at me expressionlessly.

"......"

I smiled awkwardly. I was playing the role of a kind uncle.

"!"

She suddenly turned and went into the room.

......What's going on?

*

Korean Native Cattle.

Han-Woo.

韓牛.

We call this Han-Woo.

The meat, a deep crimson with a lustrous sheen, is interspersed with pristine white marbling.

I picked up a piece and slowly placed it on the hot plate.

Sizzle!

A terribly charming sound accompanied by a strong aroma of meat that filled my nostrils.

"Since I am the only one who can handle mana, I had to do the research alone. At least Ji-yoon helped me with the parts I couldn't do."

Beef should not be cooked for too long. Put the uncooked, blood-red meat in your mouth before the juices escape.

"Whether it's creating elements through mana synthesis, manipulating biological cells, or the differences between actual substances, etc."

The rich juices seeped between my teeth, and a fresh, sweet meat flavor spread in my mouth.

"From what I understand, just knowing the components and molecular structure allows me to create cold medicine with mana. Then, creating new drugs with molecular combinations that cannot form covalent bonds might not be impossible, right?"

The grassland.

A bull is running on the tip of my tongue. Each bite is a reminder of the joy of being alive.

"Perhaps a drug that drastically accelerates biological self-recovery could be developed. What do you think, Representative?"

"Delicious."

"Huh?"

"What?"

"Haha...!"

Cheon Hwa-lan and I looked at each other with blank expressions, and Gang Ki-ja spat out a few grains of rice and spoke.

"No, dear. You listen to me because you're me. Others can't understand, you know?"

"!"

Cheon Hwa-lan clenched her fists. She also bit her lip.

"You, a science major, can't understand the feelings of us, the humanities majors. We just, just, go crazy when we hear such things! It's not fun!"

Uh! Cheon Hwa-lan's shoulders began to tremble, and I quickly got up and headed for the bedroom.

Thud, Cheon Hwa-lan put down her chopsticks on the table.

Hey. Humanities major.

Eh, eh?

Familiar tone?

Hey, hey. Why are you like this...?

I'm three years older than you!

I stopped in my tracks and turned around at the sound from the kitchen. I was surprised to learn that Cheon Hwa-lan is three years older than Gang Ki-ja.

How can she look like that at her age...? I shook my head to clear my thoughts and quickly ran to the bedroom.

"Yah."

"Kyaah!"

Gang Ji-yoon, who was stuck to the ceiling, attached herself to my face. I was startled.

"Kyaah!"

I lost my balance and fell to the floor. Of course, I didn't get hurt thanks to Gang Ji-yoon's telekinesis.

"......"

Pi Chae-won, holding a swaddled baby, looked at me with a strange expression as I lay on the floor. Gang Ji-yoon went to Pi Chae-won and stuck to her.

They were sitting on the sofa, watching TV. There was an empty seat, so I sat down too.

"Has Student Pi Chae-won been doing well?"

"......"

The girl nodded silently.

Is she naturally quiet, or has she become silent due to trauma?

I smiled and spoke carefully.

"I said I would be her guardian, but I haven't been able to visit often. I'm sorry."

"......"

She shook her head silently, with a slightly vacant expression. She looked like someone who had lost their mind.

Perhaps it has something to do with her abilities. I need to approach her carefully.

Anyway, abilities are one thing, and support is another. I took out a gift I had prepared for her.

"Do you like chocolate?"

"......Ah."

Pi Chae-won looked at the gift box I offered with a dazed expression. Does she dislike chocolate?

If she doesn't want to eat it, I'll make her eat it.

"This is Ferrero