Chapter 139
Ha Jeongseok has now fully recovered the Korean Peninsula and secured the Northeast Three Provinces, which are both ancestral lands and golden fishing grounds. Naturally, he would want to get rid of the Baekhwa Cult, which is an eyesore. The saying, Discarding a Hunting Dog, isn’t just for show. In this war, we also suffered significant damage, and we even possess weapons of mass destruction. Didn’t we take down a million Chinese Hunter Mutant Army members? I’ve already drawn a line, stating that there are no more such weapons, so there won’t be any further talk about them. The world already views the Baekhwa Cult not as villains, but as an Autonomous Region established in the southern Korean Peninsula, or even a nation itself. Using force is certainly one method, but thanks to the recent negotiations with China, Ha Jeongseok’s approval ratings have risen again. Baekhwa also enjoys immense popularity among the citizens, but ultimately, there’s a difference between me, a villain, and Ha Jeongseok, the leader of a nation. I can’t just abandon my subordinates like this. So, shall we see this through to the end?
“Kate. Let’s go.”
“Yes.”
So, I used Kate to return to the President’s Secret Room.
And indeed, Ha Jeongseok seemed to be a person with poor learning ability.
“What should we do about those Baekhwa Cult bastards? How about we use those Saengdo War Heroes this time?”
He still hasn’t learned anything, spouting such childish nonsense. Didn’t he have some cool moments when dealing with Zhang Xueti?
“It’s a good idea, but wouldn’t the Guilds also have to move, leading to significant damage?” “We could try to persuade the Mutants.”
He doesn’t understand the characteristics of Mutants at all.
“Hmm, it might be a good method. But the Baekhwa Cult can attack Cheongwadae anytime, anywhere.” “Honestly, how foolish. While we use the Guild Alliance and Yu Eunha to strike at the Baekhwa Cult, I can go to Japan for a Summit. Shinohara Yuzuki will accept. Those bastards will want to get a piece of the Golden Fishing Ground we now possess.”
Sure enough, he’s already plotting to capture us. And this idiot chose Yu Eunha as the one to carry out that plan. What a joke. I quietly moved behind him. Then, President’s Chief of Staff Choi Jisu’s eyes met mine, and his face turned deathly pale. Even after seeing the face of a beautiful girl like me, isn’t it a bit much to make such a face?
“Uh, Your Excellency.”
“What’s wrong? As if you’ve seen a ghost, huh?”
Before Choi Jisu could stop me, I swiftly grabbed Ha Jeongseok’s hair.
Rip!
And I very satisfyingly pulled out the hair he had painstakingly grown. Casually dropping the pulled-out hair to the floor, I looked at Ha Jeongseok, who was clutching the back of his head, and smiled meaningfully.
“Aargh!” “You still haven’t come to your senses, have you? Huh? Do you know that if we Fight to the Death, Korea will go from a Hunter Powerhouse Nation to the weakest nation?”
As it is, the ROK Armed Forces, Hunters, and Mutant Army combined suffered over 20,000 casualties. Compared to the original, that number is rather small, and currently, the Baekhwa Cult is covering for Korea’s insufficient Hunter Forces. And in the midst of all this, to mobilize the Guild Alliance and the ROK Armed Forces to fight the Baekhwa Cult again? That’s a crazy idea. If we all perish, the ones laughing will be Zhang Xueti of defeated China and Japan’s Prime Minister. Of course, this guy isn’t an Idiot, so he’ll probably concoct a scheme to secretly capture the Baekhwa Cult by using the “Hero Saengdo Yu Eunha” he mentioned. But since I, Yu Eunha, and Baekhwa, have caught wind of it, the plan is as good as ruined.
“Ugh. How do I know when you bastards will betray us! You’re a cult to begin with! Even if we suffer some damage, dealing with you is…”
The problem is, it won’t be “some” damage.
This foolish man seems to want to maintain absolute power without granting Autonomous Regions to the Mutants. That’s impossible.
“First, you know there are hundreds of thousands of Mutants in the Erosion Zones, right? Do you think it’s realistically possible to suppress them? Of course, the Mutants in the Erosion Zones will also Fight to the Death. And as the Citizens suffer greater damage, your approval ratings will drop.”
“Hah. Are you threatening me now?”
Threatening? Of course.
I grabbed Ha Jeongseok by the collar. Then, I met his eyes and spoke chillingly.
“It’s not a threat. You’re mistaken about something. I’m a villain. If you go to Japan, I could follow you and kill you.”
“So? You’ll kill me right here?”
There’s nothing stopping me from killing him. But I let go of his collar.
Now even this Idiot would know. He wouldn’t dare to proceed with this foolish plan anymore.
From now on, we need to negotiate properly.
“If I wanted to, I would’ve killed you already. Anyway, you outwardly approved the Autonomous Region, didn’t you?”
“Yes.”
“What if one of the Hunters governs the Baekhwa Cult?”
“In other words, you want to place the Baekhwa Cult under the control of a Hunter to prove that Korea won’t be betrayed?”
Exactly. He should catch on to this much, for a political “head” like him. The Citizens of Korea have also changed how they view us. It is a gaze that sees us not as Villains, but with warmth.
“Indeed.”
“Do you have someone in mind?”
Of course, I do.
…The Baekhwa Cult is the successor to the Black God Cult. Of course, since I changed it to the Baekhwa Cult, there aren’t the same fanatics as before. Still, there are many Followers who admire Yu Eunha, who wields the White Flame like Aži Dahāka. Although she’s a Saengdo, her current situation is too ambiguous to keep her in the position of a mere Saengdo.”
“Hmm.”
To think I’d end up putting myself forward as the Leader of the Baekhwa Cult. It’s my own plan, but isn’t it like putting on a grand show? Still, Ha Jeongseok would likely accept this.
“She’s a War Hero, and you were even considering entrusting her with the subjugation of the Baekhwa Cult, so it wouldn’t be bad, would it? I like her too, by the way. If you don’t accept, know that Korea will be as screwed as your hair. Understand?” “…”
Ha Jeongseok had no other choice. Ultimately, he was a guy who valued his life and his hair. Moreover, my proposal is a way to reduce damage to Hunters and maintain approval ratings, so if Ha Jeongseok has the intelligence to threaten Zhang Xueti, he’d know this is to his advantage. This foolish President Ha Jeongseok ultimately accepted my proposal.
* * *
Cheongwadae
After Yu Eunha, as Baekhwa, came to Cheongwadae, pulled out his hair, and left, Ha Jeongseok’s lips trembled. He looked utterly furious, but Choi Jisu remained silent.
“This foxy Woman. Does this mean she saw right through it?”
“What do you intend to do?”
Baekhwa was right. It was clearly advantageous. With the plan exposed, it would be difficult to execute anyway, and since he had already left it as a semi-independent Autonomous Region, there were no other options.
“There’s no helping it. She’s right. If a Hunter controls the Baekhwa Cult, the story changes. We could even make use of the Baekhwa Cult. But of all people, it had to be Yu Eunha.” “Is the problem Yu Eunha growing too powerful later on, perhaps?”
Choi Jisu asked Ha Jeongseok, who, his brow furrowed, was deep in thought.
“Hmm. That’s right. She was the main player in this war. She even beat up a Sin on a worldwide broadcast. I want to use her as much as possible, but I’m uneasy.”
She certainly helped the Nation, but the future is uncertain. She has the prestige of her Older Brother, Yu Jinseok, and isn’t she later on perfectly poised for a successful career? Moreover, she’s an Association Woman, and naturally, a hindrance to him, who aims for Long-term Rule. He can’t let his guard down just because she’s still young. This is that kind of era. He needs to nip it in the bud before she grows too big. Choi Jisu, who had been quietly observing Ha Jeongseok, opened his mouth.
“How about we use this opportunity to entrust her with the Baekhwa Cult and create a new Hunter rank for her? A Special Hunter rank that doesn’t belong to any existing grade.”
“Hmm?”
“Her position as a Hunter in charge of a Villain Organization provides a plausible justification. It’s like planting a stake. This way, Yu Eunha naturally gets involved with Hunters and simultaneously with Villains. Even if it’s by order of the Nation or the Association, she’ll be serving as a Villain, making it difficult for her to advance beyond what’s necessary.”
At Choi Jisu’s suggestion, Ha Jeongseok nodded his head.
“Oh, so we can put the brakes on her.”
It sounds quite plausible, doesn’t it? He’s absolutely right.
This way, the Association would have no grounds to object.
“Yes.” “Choi Siwoo is also a problem, but if we handle Yu Eunha like this, we can bring her down before she even gets a taste of power. Hehehe. You’ve really learned a thing or two, haven’t you? It’s true what they say, “even a dog at a village school recites poetry after three years”.”
Ha Jeongseok pressed his scalp where his hair had been pulled out and laughed heartily.
Right. What’s a little hair? Isn’t this an opportunity to dispose of Yu Eunha too?
Ha Jeongseok had no idea.
That he was being played right into Yu Eunha’s hands.
* * *
[X-Rank Baekhwa Cult Special Hunter Yu Eunha]
-This is an officially appointed position by the Association and the Government. This Hunter is responsible for the Baekhwa Cult.
I was dumbfounded when I saw the Special Hunter appointment letter. Yu Eunha was officially appointed as a Special Hunter by the Hunter Association and became responsible for the Baekhwa Cult. Naturally, being in a situation that straddled the line between Villain and Hunter, joining a Guild became impossible. It was so absurd that I burst into an ironic laugh.
He’s still trying to scheme until the very end.
Yu Eunha, the strongest among the next-generation Hunters and hailed as a War Hero, might become a hindrance to Ha Jeongseok’s power in the future. Is it impossible for a mere Hunter to threaten the President’s power? Sorry, but it’s entirely possible. In any era, War Heroes inevitably win the hearts of the Citizens because they saved the Nation. So, by having Yu Eunha take charge of the Baekhwa Cult, Ha Jeongseok intends to treat her as both a Hunter and a Villain simultaneously.
-I’m sorry. You’re a War Hero. Ha Jeongseok, that foolish man. To be jealous of a mere child…
-It’s fine. If I became famous like my Older Brother, it would just be annoying. I’ve grown close to the Baekhwa Cult members during the war.
-Don’t get brainwashed, okay?
-Yep.
Choi Cheolsik seemed very worried, but for me, it was actually a good thing.
“Well, I can come to Songdo with this without having to hide, under the pretext of monitoring the Baekhwa Cult.”
My Heroines can also come to the Baekhwa Cult with me, simply because they’re close to me. I never had any ambition anyway, so if I can throw away the path to Hunter advancement and openly lead the Baekhwa Cult, there’s nothing better.
“By the way, since I’ve become Lust and you, Eunha, have taken on Gluttony, are the remaining Five Sins still out there? There’s still a long way to go.”
Clinging to me, naked Choi Siwoo said. This cunning Woman. To think this is what happens when I’m alone in my room. What can I do? Since she found out I had outdoor sex with Jiyeon-i in Pyeongyang, I have no choice if I don’t want to get hit by Rachel. And Jiyeon-i too.
“And since I’m alive, new enemies might appear besides the Sins.”
Saying that, I bit her breast, which smelled sweet of flesh. There are still Five Sins left, and many Heroines I haven’t “conquered” yet.
Ding!
While I was sucking on Choi Siwoo’s breast like a dog, a message notification appeared on my Magic Gear.
-I just dreamed you bit another woman’s breast. Come over later.
It was Jiyeon-i’s text.
Seriously. It seems my hole will never run dry.