Chapter 92
Anyway, because of our friends in the North, the Ministry of Awakened Affairs had asked the ranked Hunters to refrain from traveling abroad.
So I couldn't go clear Gates overseas for a while. With business effectively at a standstill, I decided to take care of some company work in the meantime.
I also had some accumulated waste to process...
Min-cheol hyung was making a huge fuss.
He kept asking when I was finally going to come and take care of it.
And I also had to brew liquor with my newly increased proficiency.
Thanks to the Nectar content being five times higher than before, Mr. Gyu-seon was letting out happy screams, too.
It was around the time I was enjoying those relatively leisurely, peaceful days.
“Um, Chairman.”
The title still made me cringe a little.
But I was the chairman, after all.
“Yes.”
“Someone from the U.S. Embassy is here.”
“... Where?”
“He says his name is David Park, from the U.S. Embassy.”
If his surname was Park, was he Korean American?
“Please show him in.”
The man who came in with my secretary was an East Asian man with rugged features.
He had the kind of air that made it obvious he'd been in the military...
“Hello. I'm David Park, head of the Regional Survey Division at the U.S. Embassy in Korea.”
“Are you Korean American?”
“I'm a second-generation Korean American.”
“I see. Would you like something to drink? Coffee? Green tea?”
“Anything you drink, Hunter, would be fine.”
The moment I heard how he addressed me, I knew he was here to see me about Hunter business, not company business.
What could the U.S. want with me as a Hunter?
... There were too many possibilities to guess which one.
I instructed my secretary to bring us two iced Americanos. After we each took a sip, we got down to business.
“Are you familiar with the Regional Survey Division?”
“... No.”
What do you expect from someone with so little education?
“Basically... we handle intelligence on the country we're assigned to. In other words... we're not part of the State Department, but the CIA.”
... A CIA spy?
He didn't seem like someone I ought to be dealing with.
For now... I might as well hear him out.
“What interest does the CIA have in me...”
“We have plenty of interest in you. Is there anyone in the world who wouldn't be interested in you right now, Hunter?”
“... By the way, if you're a CIA spy, are you like Jason Bourne or James Bond?”
“Haha, we certainly have people like that in the CIA, but I'm not one of them. They're black agents. People like me, assigned to embassies for regular intelligence work, are white agents.”
The question was, what had brought this white agent here?
“Even so, I'm not supposed to reveal my identity like this, but I did so as a sign of respect for you, Hunter Kim.”
“... Should I be honored?”
“I'm the one who's honored.”
“Whew, so let's get to the point.”
“Ah, yes.”
His smile vanished, and his expression turned completely serious.
He opened his mouth.
“Are you planning to clear the Gate in the Aoji region of North Korea?”
“......”
Is he crazy?
How did he know?
I'd only discussed it with the government, specifically Minister Jeong In-hyeon.
Ah, Minister Jeong had said he'd consult the relevant ministries, but...
I put my feelings into my question.
“How did you find out?”
“As I said... we're the CIA.”
So not through official channels. Got it.
I need to take this up with the government.
The Kang Min-guk administration had seemed reliable, but I'd lost some faith in them over this.
“Understood. I assume you didn't come here just to tell me that.”
“That's right. The Korean government probably can't resolve this. They couldn't have given you an immediate answer, and they likely don't have any suitable solution. It's a North Korean issue to begin with. If South Korea gets involved, it'll only add fuel to the fire.”
He had a point.
Minister Jeong had said the same thing.
“Are you saying the U.S. government can resolve it?”
“That's right.”
“... The North Koreans hate America more than anything. They certainly don't like it.”
“They like what America can do.”
What could America do?
What was he talking about?
“For example... America can give North Korea what it wants most.”
What North Korea wanted most, huh?
Rice? Money?
We could give them that, too...
Ah, no, we couldn't.
Because of the economic sanctions, trade in all goods was embargoed.
Then the country that had imposed those measures was...
The United States.
Now I understood what he was getting at.
“You're saying you'll lift the embargo on North Korea?”
“That's right.”
“Huh.”
Certainly... it was what the North Korean regime wanted most.
What good was owning all the country's assets as a dictator?
If they couldn't import or export, they couldn't buy what they wanted.
Under those terms, they'd certainly be willing to let me clear the Gate.
“Of course, lifting them completely would be impossible... But we could, for example, allow the export of dungeon materials obtained from certain Gates in North Korea as part of dungeon exchange programs. Even that would give them some breathing room.”
From a national standpoint, it was certainly something only America could do.
But they wouldn't offer something like that for no reason.
“What do you want in return?”
“The CIA knows that Lee Seong-hyeok, once called the ‘People's Kaiser,’ regained his strength after meeting Hunter Kim Segyun.”
How did they know about that, too?
... Ah, Mr. Lee had taken the Awakened test, too.
That was classified... but I wouldn't be surprised if it had leaked somewhere.
They even knew about the Aoji Gate.
“... And?”
“If you could apply the same kind of solution to our great Hunter, ‘Kaiser’...”
Don't tell me...
Was Kaiser the one who sent him?
... Was he even pulling the strings at the CIA?
“I don't have any such method. That was simply the result of Lee Seong-hyeok coming to his own realization.”
I'd appointed him as a Guardian Knight, but...
I couldn't appoint just anyone as a Holy Knight.
I could only appoint Crusaders who had powerful faith in me.
But Kaiser having faith in me?
Ugh, that's horrifying just to imagine.
It was unthinkable that Kaiser, who lived for his own greatness and controlled all of America, could have faith in me.
What was I supposed to do if they made an impossible request?
“Then I'll have to refuse...”
“It's not a refusal. It's impossible.”
Of course, he didn't look convinced. What could I do if it was the truth?
“... I'll give you time to think it over.”
No, come on. Time to think or whatever...
He wasn't listening to a word I said...
**
An emergency meeting of the NSC (National Security Council)
President Kang Min-guk had arrived early and was waiting, while the committee members filed in hesitantly.
The Prime Minister, the Minister of Awakened Affairs, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, the Minister of Unification, the Minister of National Defense, the Minister of the Interior and Safety, the Chief of Staff to the President, the Director and Deputy Director of the National Security Office, and finally... the Director of the NIS.
Reading President Kang Min-guk's expressionless face, they cautiously took their seats.
“Mr. President, all the committee members are seated.”
Despite the Prime Minister's words, President Kang Min-guk remained silent and expressionless.
The committee members grew anxious, feeling as though they were sitting on pins and needles.
At last, President Kang Min-guk spoke.
“Director Han.”
The person sitting most uneasily jumped in surprise and cried out,
“Y-Yes!”
“I told you, didn't I? This Kang Min-guk cabinet would be based entirely on ability, not political considerations.”
“... You did.”
“And you became Director through internal promotion.”
That was true.
The Director of the NIS was generally considered one of the most political posts, often filled by a politician close to the president.
But President Kang Min-guk had appointed him through internal promotion, based on merit.
The current Director had just served as the NIS's First Deputy Director, and was a true NIS veteran who'd spent decades working only within the agency.
“And do you remember what I told you when I appointed you?”
“... I do.”
“What did I say?”
“You said that an internal promotion wasn't necessarily a symbol of meritocracy. It might simply make stagnant water even more stagnant. You hoped I'd guard against that.”
“And I believe I said something else, too.”
“That... you knew the NIS needed an organization-wide restructuring focused on Awakened people to keep up with the modern Age of Awakening, but...”
“I said I would trust you.”
Director Han lowered his head.
“Is this how you repay that trust?”
“Th-That...”
“Ah, I acknowledge America's capabilities, too. If America sets its mind to digging something up, I admit it's hard to hide it. Our country even has U.S. Forces Korea stationed here. I know they're an even trickier opponent.”
Director Han's eyes widened as President Kang Min-guk listed all the excuses he might have made before he could say them, then he bowed his head again.
“But this is unacceptable. This isn't the kind of information leak that happens through normal channels.”
“I apologize.”
“... Is an apology all this warrants?”
“I will take responsibility and resign.”
The president might have been expected to stop him, even as a formality, but he was so angry that he simply nodded.
“Let's do that. Director Han, thank you for your hard work all this time.”
“... Not at all.”
As the Director of the NIS—or rather, the former Director—sat back down, President Kang Min-guk stared at him.
Director Han stared back blankly for a moment, unsure why, then suddenly jumped up in alarm.
“Th-Then I'll take my leave.”
After Director Han left, President Kang Min-guk turned his attention to his next target...
It was astonishingly one of his closest aides.
“Minister Jeong.”
It was Jeong In-hyeon, the Minister of Awakened Affairs.
“Yes, Mr. President.”
“You do understand that you can't escape responsibility for the entire Awakened testing footage making its way to America, Minister Jeong? Even if the counterintelligence agency made a mistake, the primary responsibility for security lies with the Ministry of Awakened Affairs.”
“I take full responsibility. I'll accept all consequences and...”
He seemed to say it with some excitement, but...
“Don't even dream of resigning.”
“... Yes.”
He sank at once.
“Thoroughly overhaul the security system first.”
“Ugh... Understood.”
“And... this is an opportunity to reorganize the NIS.”
The Kang Min-guk administration was popular, but it had pursued such Awakened-centered policies that it was nicknamed the ‘Awakened Government.’ It hadn't rushed into reorganizing the NIS until now, but this incident had shocked even the administration.
“The country should protect great Hunters, not get in their way. How can we ask them to stay in our country otherwise? And I'm the president?”
The committee members lowered their heads.
“Hunter Kim Segyun is a being sent by the heavens for our country. If so, our job is to help him as much as possible. With that in mind... Minister Jeong.”
“Y-Yes!”
Minister Jeong jumped in surprise at being called out again.
“Go ahead.”
“What do you think of this person as the new Director of the NIS? Other committee members, please share your thoughts as well.”
When they saw the person the president had proposed, their eyes... widened in shock.
“Your Excellency... I mean, Mr. President, th-this person...”
So surprised that he'd even used the term ‘Your Excellency,’ Minister Jeong stammered through his words.
“He has no significant ties to the intelligence community, politics, or diplomacy.”
“His judgment seemed excellent.”
“That is true, but...”
“Besides, even if he lacks experience in those areas, he has plenty of other experience.”
“... What other experience do you mean?”
“He's the person who knows South Korean Awakened people better than anyone, and has the widest network among them. Who could be more suited to oversee a complete reorganization centered on the Awakened? Even if we bring in another expert afterward, I doubt we'd find anyone better than him to put out the fire right now.”
The committee members rolled their eyes and thought it over...
Then, realizing they couldn't refute the president, they reluctantly nodded.
“Now then, Minister Jeong, you'll have to do some hard work.”
“Again... me...”
“Yes, go persuade him. He'll obviously say no.”
President Kang Min-guk did his best to avoid Minister Jeong's watery eyes, which looked ready to well up.
The other committee members looked at Minister Jeong sympathetically.
**
“... You want me to do what?”
“Become Director of the NIS.”
“... Are you out of your mind?”
Zephyros.
Ryu Hyeonsu stared at Minister Jeong in disbelief for a long while, cursing him with his eyes.
Minister Jeong met his gaze just as directly, then...
“It was the President's decision.”
“... The President's in his right mind, isn't he?”
“He's sharper than ever.”
“What is this world coming to?”
“Tell me about it.”
The two had been close for a long time.
And since they knew each other all too well...
They stared at each other like that for a while, then let out a deep sigh.