Chapter 59

EP 11 - That's Our Crazy Dog (3)

The core issues of the meeting narrowed down to three points.

"Propaganda, if you're going to do propaganda, it should be handled domestically. Why cause international trouble and create enemies? I know enemies can unite us internally, but there's no need to be so aggressive..."

"Hmm, do we really need help?"

"No, no, I don't mean propaganda is wrong, but I think there might be something else besides propaganda. That's what I'm getting at."

"I can't quite guess what you mean."

First, why are these guys making a fuss?

"Requesting an allied force from us is a bit strange. If it were India or Russia, I could understand..."

"Japan was mentioned, but they don't seem to want that. What do you think, Secretary Yoshimura?"

"Ah, I strongly agree."

"Then... don't they need Hunters?"

"There are plenty of Hunters on their side. With so many people and such a large land area..."

"I think they might be treating Ms. Ganjiyun as a dangerous strategic weapon..."

Second, why are they making a fuss at us?

"......What should we do?"

Third, what should we do now?

* * *

".....Let's take a short break."

As the meeting was getting intense, Minister Yoo Jae-kyung of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, who had been frowning the whole time, left to go to the bathroom, causing the meeting to enter a brief lull.

More accurately, backroom politics began to take place in the gaps.

None of the people in this room were without 'authority.' They were all capable of stamping important documents.

In other words, if they played their cards right here, they could make some big deals. Everyone started to chat subtly.

"......Sigh."

With my family missing, what kind of politics is this?

I had nothing to do but worry.

Yang Pan-seok was discussing the April joint election with Governor Jeong Jung-yeop, and Won Ok-bun was talking to Secretary Yoshimura. Both had strange Korean pronunciations.

Hmm. If I said I was going to the bathroom, I'd probably run into Minister Yoo Jae-kyung at the urinal, so I just sat there awkwardly.

"Long time no see, Representative."

"Ah...! General Kim!"

General Kim Doo-sik extended his hand.

A colonel-level operations officer. Now a national hero defending Chungcheong.

And the bald general who rescued me from Cha Jae-geun's clutches and informed me of Cha Jae-geun's death that evening.

"I wonder how Chun-sik is doing. He's isolated in Gangwon Province..."

"Ah, he's in a patient's gown-"

"Smoking, I bet?"

"Yes."

"Damn him......"

He was also David Kim's uncle. Both Kim Chun-sik and Kim Doo-sik came from military families.

He took off his cap for a moment and pulled out a handkerchief, tapping the sweat that had formed on his smooth head.

Yang Pan-seok always wiped the sweat from his head carefully. I glanced at him.

"......!"

Sure enough, Yang Pan-seok flinched when he saw Kim Doo-sik, but I pretended not to notice. General Kim Doo-sik asked about my well-being in a voice that was not just emotionless but mechanical. His expression was the same.

His voice was still unsettling.

"Chun-sik and you, I heard you were both badly injured. Yes, during the Black Mountain Yang extermination operation."

"I'm fine after taking a potion. It healed quickly."

"I heard that potion is a life-shortening treatment......"

"Technically, it promotes cell regeneration in a short period, using up cell division cycles. I don't know how much it has shortened, but isn't it important to live first?"

"Should I send you some herbal medicine?"

"Anything but black goat."

"That was all I had... How about bellflower juice?"

We had a calm discussion about whether bellflower juice and grape juice were medicine or just sugar water, and then started talking about Korean territory.

"Currently, the northern parts of Gyeonggi and Gangwon Provinces are isolated. What do you plan to do about it?"

"We are considering normalizing the eastern coast of Gangwon to use it as a passage connecting the north and south. The eastern coast is already somewhat normalized, but the Taebaek Mountains are very rugged, and small gates are scattered throughout..."

It was almost done, but it couldn't be considered 100% safe.

Really, it's not like the Joseon Dynasty where you have to worry about wild beasts jumping out while passing through Gangwon Province.

"Completely driving away the monsters will be difficult."

"Yes. As a result, the strategy varies depending on the front. In the western front, large-scale artillery battles are taking place in plains and cities, but in the east, in the Taebaek Mountains, it's more like guerrilla warfare-"

"Guerrillas?"

"Ah, yes. Catching the hidden ones is no easy task. We don't know how to eliminate the gates either."

I nodded worriedly. They must be suffering more than I am, so I didn't sigh carelessly.

Suddenly, Kim Doo-sik confessed.

"Actually, we've given up on the north."

"Wh-What!?"

I was somewhat expecting it, but I pretended to be surprised, widening my eyes.

Kim Doo-sik continued in a cold, calm voice.

"Actually, at the time, the mainstream opinion within the military was to form a large encirclement around Seoul again, but I overruled it all.

I thought that if we reconstructed a new encirclement around Seoul in that situation, the vast front line would be too much for the national army to handle. The basic principle of strategy is to minimize the front line, right? If the front line is breached, the country would really be doomed."

General Kim Doo-sik wiped his sweat with a handkerchief and pressed his brows.

I already knew that war and politics were not much different, so it was a tense story for me too.

"So... I asked Acting President Won Ok-bun for help, and after successfully persuading her, I overruled and took all command. And we formed the Chungcheong defense line. The media's excessive praise for me is also due to this."

This was not a conversation to have in front of Won Ok-bun. Especially not in this sealed underground bunker, where others could hear.

Kim Doo-sik's expression and voice were dry and emotionless, but his actions were very fox-like. Maybe this is a characteristic of generals.

"Yes. I apologize for the long introduction. The point is, I currently have control over military operations with the tacit approval of the National Defense Party. And I have carried out a rather biased operation."

In fact, although it's not widely known yet, Kim Doo-sik is now the archenemy of all the isolated refugees in the capital region.

It meant that the National Army's General Staff had abandoned the areas north of Chungcheong.

Of course, it wasn't a matter to approach emotionally. The collapse of the Seoul encirclement, the disintegration of the military structure, the urgent individual battles, and the National Army on the North Korean front.

But with millions dead and families lost, it's hard to expect rational judgment from the grieving citizens.

I, for one, was mentally and physically drained due to my family. I had just received antidepressants and an IV this morning.

Kim Doo-sik muttered indifferently.

"Yes. As you might guess, the defense line was set up with the expectation that the soldiers on the North Korean front would rescue the refugees. Politically, however, it could be seen as a very cowardly act, depending on how it's framed."

Then.

"Perhaps, if Representative Han Seung-moon's National Party attacks the National Defense Party over this issue, it could be a very fatal move. Especially given the timing of the upcoming April joint election."

"......Is that so?"

"Yes, that's right."

He openly shared his intuition with me. It was a bit hard to be cold to him, given that he had saved my life before.

It was a highly political issue. It felt a bit awkward to hear such a story from a face that resembled Kim Chun-sik.

"The Chungcheong defense line was the best strategic choice. Because reconstructing the Seoul encirclement was impossible, and if the monsters came down to Chungcheong, Jeolla, and Gyeongsang, it would be a complete mess."

With the Japanese envoy and our country's elite gathered here, it felt a bit awkward to bring up this topic, but since he was like a savior, I decided to listen a bit more.

"I hope the political sphere will refrain from interfering with the military's operational authority as much as possible."

"Excuse me?"

"......"

Kim Doo-sik fell silent for a moment, took off his cap, and scratched his head. I frowned and asked him.

"What are you trying to say?"

"Um... Well..."

"Are you saying the National Assembly shouldn't check the government? The Ministry of National Defense is part of the cabinet, after all?"

Kim Doo-sik spoke to me in his emotionless voice again.

"......I guess persuasion isn't really my strong suit."

Kim Doo-sik leaned in with a serious look, but his voice and expression were the same as before.

"Representative Han Seung-moon."

"Yes?"

"Please protect my position."

"Excuse me?"

"Don't let me get stripped of my rank."

Blink. Blink. I had nothing to say, so I just blinked.

"Frankly, everyone was talking about rebuilding the Seoul encirclement, which was a ridiculous idea, while being cautious of the political sphere. I took the lead in protecting the country, and it's a bit unfair to be dragged into political battles. I'm a family man. A family man.

I took the risk to protect the country, and it's clear that I'll lose my head in April."

"Ah, yes......"

"I thought about talking to Representative Yang Pan-seok or Governor Jeong Jung-yeop, but they would cut my head off to boost their approval ratings.

At least Representative Han Seung-moon is connected to me. And didn't I help you before because I was annoyed by what Cha Jae-geun was doing?"

"Yes......"

"My brother passed away early, and I've been sending money to raise Kim Chun-sik. So, Representative Han, are you and David Kim a couple?"

"Um, well, I don't think we are......"

"Then we're not a couple either, right?"

"Yes...?"

Kim Doo-sik, with his dignified and serious demeanor, and his monotone voice, said to me,

Well, what.

"So, I'm trying to appeal to Representative Han Seung-moon, who is at least connected to me."

He appealed.

"Are you a patriot? No, no, I won't cheaply talk about patriotism."

"Ah, yes......"

You already did, sir.

"Please save me once. Honestly, everyone is either a political officer or a corporate soldier. Only people like me, the colonel faction, are properly fighting the war.

Think about the early days of the gates. The 1st Corps, the 7th Corps, and the Capital Corps just sat around sucking their thumbs until they had to take the lead. They didn't want to take the lead. They were afraid North Korea might invade, so they wanted to keep their positions.

And then, when Cha Jae-geun took the lead, they finally moved. Really.

Am I wrong?"

"Um, well, I didn't know about those circumstances."

"We can't let the world become one where political officers survive. For that, the political sphere must not use the military for political purposes. In today's world."

"Ah, yes......"

"Everyone's gaze is a bit harsh. I'll stop here. I apologize for causing you trouble."

"No, no, um, yes."

Swallow. General Kim Doo-sik calmly sipped yuzu tea from his thermos.

I knew it was yuzu tea because there was a sticker on the thermos with cute handwriting that said 'yuzu tea.'

Everyone was now looking at us with strange expressions.

I felt awkward and looked down, but Kim Doo-sik calmly closed the thermos lid and put it in his bag. The sound of the zipper closing echoed in the room.

It seemed that no agreement had been reached, as Won Ok-bun covered her face with her hand, looking distressed.

"......"

"......"

An awkward silence continued.

Squeak-!

A loud noise came from the heavy iron door.

"I'm sorry for being late."

Minister Yoo Jae-kyung, who had gone to the bathroom, returned.

No one spoke.

"......Um, sorry for being late. Haha."

"......"

"......Am I too late? Was I?"

"......"

"Ah, well. I wasn't feeling well......"

*

The meeting resumed.

Yang Pan-seok asked, and Won Ok-bun answered.

"What is the Chinese envoy saying?"

"Just what was said in the press conference. They have nothing more to add."

Kim Doo-sik asked, and Jeong Jung-yeop answered.

"Did they prepare in advance?"

"No, they didn't receive separate instructions from their country, so they are following the emergency guidelines."

"How do you know?"

"We know each other......"

This time, I spoke.

"Actually, if it's just propaganda, isn't the monster the perfect target? Cursing the direct perpetrator is the best. Why take the risk and involve us? It seems a bit sinister to just call it propaganda."

"Um... Maybe they really do need Hunters?"

"That's why it's more suspicious. That's what I'm saying."

Translation: They know we won't give it to them, so why make a fuss?

"If it's an excuse to say later, 'We asked you to send them, but you didn't, so this time, please listen,' it only works if diplomacy is still alive and their economic sanctions can be effective. Not nuclear threats. Right now, China has no reason to provoke us-"

"......Wait a moment."

Minister Yoo Jae-kyung interrupted me.

"......"

He remained silent for a long time.

"......Economic sanctions. They work."

"Excuse me...?"

"......There's a rumor that the method to convert mana stones into electricity is secretly circulating in Han Seung-moon's foundation, the U.S., and elsewhere. Is it true?"

Why is he bringing this up with the Japanese here? I looked at him in disbelief, and Minister Yoo Jae-kyung seemed to realize he hadn't thought it through.

Is he a political novice?

I answered cautiously.

"......I can't confirm that, but I can say that it's in the development process."

In fact, it was already complete. The development was focused on efficiency—how much energy could be extracted from the same amount of mana stones. The research on the energy conversion of mana stones was quite advanced.

Even with mana stones imported from Japan, which didn't fully understand their value at the time, this was possible.

Anyway, Yoo Jae-kyung continued.

"......Yes. There are strategic resources, right? Resources that are hidden under the guise of economic viability during emergencies, like oil, gold, gas, and so on."

"......"

"China and the U.S. are the best in this regard. The U.S. with oil, China with shale gas and rare earth elements."

Yoo Jae-kyung frowned.

"Given the sea is blocked, it's clear that China will lead the future international economy in East Asia through these strategic resources. At least, that's how I see it.

To put it simply, it's not like we're going to stop making smartphones just because the strategic oil reserves are running low."

Kim Doo-sik added.

"Well, there's no guarantee that China won't try to unify the world with this opportunity. We are connected by land, and the reason our Air Force is actively supporting North Korea is to prevent China from sending troops to help North Korea."

"......That's right."

"Given the international order is collapsing, it's not strange for a war to break out at any time. Especially, how many nuclear bombs China has......"

Just as the atmosphere became grim,

"Ah, I'll excuse myself for a moment."

Secretary Yoshimura said he would step out for a moment.

"Um... Can I add something about the nuclear bomb issue?"

"Please speak."

Won Ok-bun gave permission.

"Um. You already know that China has occupied the Senkaku Islands."

The Senkaku Islands, or Diaoyu Islands, are a disputed territory between China and Japan, similar to Dokdo.

"While our Self-Defense Forces were returning to protect the mainland, China took some sensitive military actions. They have been quite rude in response to our protests."

When 'rudeness' is mentioned in Japanese diplomacy, it means they've gone too far. Secretary Yoshimura frowned.

"If you have a complaint, fight. To summarize their response, they said they would dare to harm our interests in the face of a global crisis."

Finally, he's getting to the point.

"......First, I apologize in advance if my proposal to the Korean side may seem quite rude."

The fact that Japan mentioned 'apology' first suggests how rude the following statement would be.

"The U.S. forces in Japan, that is, the U.S. military, had secretly deployed a large number of nuclear missiles in Japan in preparation for war, without consulting our government."

- Bang!

"What! Damn it!"

General Kim Doo-sik cursed and slammed the table, but the secretary continued solemnly.

"The U.S. side also did this without consulting our government."

Whether there was consultation or not was unknown to us, but Secretary Yoshimura continued calmly.

"And our Self-Defense Forces, concerned about the U.S. military's sudden actions, recovered them."

"......How many?"

"More than two hundred."

"Two hundred?"

I held up two fingers, and the secretary nodded.

Damn, really.

"......The Japanese side wishes to transfer one hundred