“Hello.”
Seo I-tae, who was passing through the hallway, spotted Kim Myung-joo and offered a graceful greeting.
“Ah, hello. Instructor Seo I-tae, haha.”
Kim Myung-joo’s expression as he headed toward the Director’s office was quite bright.
“Did something good happen?”
“Haha, it’s nothing.”
“Your face looks too good for it to be nothing.”
“It’s precisely because nothing is happening.”
Recently, Kim Myung-joo had been spending quite peaceful days.
The distribution of Magic was proceeding without any issues, and the Hunters of the Republic of Korea were growing stronger at this very moment.
Scanning everything for the computerization project had been a bit difficult because he had to stay up all night, but even that felt like a good experience looking back on it now.
Even more so, it had been quite a while since a casualty had been reported.
He was finally able to spend his time in a very stable state, both professionally and mentally.
At times like this, it was best to brew some tea.
The Director of the Chinese training academy, Liu Zhigang, had recently sent some high-quality tea.
It was ‘West Lake Longjing Tea,’ one of China’s top ten famous teas, produced near the Longjing area of West Lake in Hangzhou.
He hadn’t checked the exact price, but it likely cost millions of won.
Rattle.
Kim Myung-joo opened a cupboard that had been kept tightly shut in one corner of the Director’s office.
Inside was the tea set he cherished.
The last time he had taken it out was when Kim Song-cheol came to apply for an outing.
That had been the start of Operation Truman.
After going through such a major event, he had been hesitant to brew tea and had stayed away from it for a while.
But now, he felt it was fine to brew it.
Kim Myung-joo wiped the tea set with care.
The well-maintained tea set sparkled.
With a satisfied expression, Kim Myung-joo boiled water and took out the tea canister.
As soon as he opened the lid, the fragrant aroma tickled the tip of his nose.
Bubble, bubble.
The pleasant sound of boiling water echoed. Kim Myung-joo put the tea leaves into the teapot, cooled the boiling water slightly, and then poured it into the pot.
After waiting a moment, the Director’s office was filled with the aroma of tea.
“Hmm.”
Kim Myung-joo nodded and poured the tea into a cup. A brilliant green light shimmered.
It was just as he lifted the teacup to smell the aroma.
Beep.
His phone rang.
A foreboding feeling crossed his mind, but he tried to ignore it as he pulled the phone from his inner pocket.
It was Minister of Interior and Safety Choi Jong-mun.
….??
After a moment of hesitation, Kim Myung-joo answered the phone.
“This is Director of the Special Tactics Training Center Kim Myung-joo…”
[It’s chaos right now! Get over here immediately!]
“Excuse me?”
[The United Kingdom sent an official document… Ah, let’s talk about the details when you get here, hurry!]
Judging by Choi Jong-mun’s voice, it didn’t seem like a trivial matter.
Kim Myung-joo left the tea, which he hadn’t even taken a sip of, and stood up immediately.
***
Kim Myung-joo arrived at a large building that had been constructed recently.
It was the Special Disaster Response Headquarters.
This was where all matters related to the Hunters of the Republic of Korea were processed and decided.
Kim Myung-joo entered the headquarters as soon as he got out of the car.
The situation inside the headquarters was no different from usual.
Employees were coming and going normally, and a janitor was mopping the lobby.
Kim Myung-joo took the elevator to the 5th floor.
Walking down the hallway, the sound of his heels clicking against the shiny marble floor echoed throughout the corridor.
“Whew.”
Kim Myung-joo took a deep breath in front of a thick door and adjusted his clothes.
It was the meeting room where Choi Jong-mun was waiting.
After briefly composing himself, Kim Myung-joo opened the door and entered.
A fairly large number of people were sitting at a long ‘U’ shaped table.
He recognized Minister of Interior and Safety Choi Jong-mun, the head of the Special Disaster Response Headquarters, various department heads, and even the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs, but there were also several unfamiliar faces.
“I am Director Kim Myung-joo.”
Kim Myung-joo gave a greeting and sat in an empty seat.
An employee immediately brought over a file.
“Read this first, then we’ll talk.”
Choi Jong-mun said.
Kim Myung-joo felt the heavy atmosphere and opened the file.
Inside the file was an official document sent by the Special Security Department under the United Kingdom’s Ministry of Home Affairs.
The moment Kim Myung-joo saw the British national emblem stamped at the top of the document, his chest felt a bit tight.
It wasn’t just any country; it was the United Kingdom.
He couldn’t help but feel pressured.
Kim Myung-joo began to read the document carefully.
But soon, his face crumpled into a frown as he looked up.
He hadn’t even finished half of it.
“Is this… for real?”
“Yeah. What kind of bullshit is this? A Magic Exchange Meeting? They’ve never done that kind of crap before, and now what? A Forum? It’s truly pathetic, really.”
Choi Jong-mun tapped the desk, venting his frustration.
But the surprises didn’t end there.
The document specifically mentioned Kim Song-cheol.
It was written that they requested Kim Song-cheol’s attendance, but the problem was the location of the forum.
“…?”
Kim Myung-joo stared at the people with his mouth agape.
They nodded as if they understood his state of mind.
It was because they had already gone through this process themselves.
“They’re doing it in Guam… surely…?”
“Yeah. It’s a threat, this. A threat! Why would those British bastards hold a Magic Forum or whatever in Guam!”
There is a Portal in Guam.
It was a two-way Portal connected to the United Kingdom.
It was a device that allowed not only people but also goods to move in real-time.
The UK had installed this using an enormous amount of Points, and currently, this Portal served as a very important bridge connecting logistics between Asia and the UK.
It was real-time travel from Guam to the UK.
It was no exaggeration to say that all trade between Asia and Europe was conducted through this Portal.
This Portal wasn’t at a level where you could just refuse to use it because it was annoying.
Logistics costs were drastically reduced because the UK was charging a very reasonable usage fee.
In such a situation, they were holding a Magic Forum in Guam.
If this wasn’t a threat, what was?
Kim Myung-joo reflexively pressed his forehead.
Cold sweat was already forming there.
“You know how the Hunter scene works better than anyone, so tell us. What are they trying to do here?”
Choi Jong-mun asked Kim Myung-joo. Naturally, everyone gathered there looked at Kim Myung-joo.
Kim Myung-joo first shared his thoughts.
“They want to settle this once and for all, for better or worse. Before Mr. Kim Song-cheol becomes too deeply integrated with the Republic of Korea as a Hunter.”
He felt that this was the final hurdle before Kim Song-cheol graduated from the Training Academy.
Usually, it is rare for someone to transfer after graduating from a training academy.
A person who has just become a Hunter is confused and cannot fully accept their situation. Most are snatched away by targeting that specific time.
Once they gain comrades and feel a sense of duty, and truly become a Hunter, the transfer rate drops drastically.
In Kim Song-cheol’s case, although he was a 3rd Circle Mage, his growth was so fast that his time at the training academy hadn’t even reached half a year.
From the perspective of other countries, he was still a Hunter with ‘possibilities.’
Kim Myung-joo scanned the document briefly and spoke again.
“It looks like about 25 countries…. Looking at the list, some countries including the UK and the United States are the hosts, some are participants, and others seem to be forced participants. Even among the hosts, those with less influence will likely be targets for scouting as well.”
“It’s a complete mess. What about that friend, Kim Song-cheol? Is he trustworthy?”
In fact, if Kim Song-cheol’s heart was firm, it wouldn’t matter if they sent him.
After all, all they had were carrots.
There were no sticks.
If Kim Song-cheol refused the carrots, they would have to return empty-handed.
“Personally, I trust him… but the US already failed once, and most countries probably know that. I can’t even imagine the scale of the conditions they’ll offer. If you’re asking me if he’s a person who won’t be swayed at all…”
Kim Myung-joo continued.
“I can only answer that Trainee Kim Song-cheol is also human.”
Kim Myung-joo’s feelings were exactly what he had just said.
He trusted Kim Song-cheol.
But he couldn’t be 100 percent certain.
That was the biggest problem.
“What if we don’t send him?”
This time, Choi Jong-mun turned to the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs.
“Since they set the location as Guam… even if they don’t go as far as a total ban on Portal use, they will likely go as far as increasing the usage fees. They are already controlling things that way… The scale of the damage will depend on the rate of the increase.”
Hunters and Gates were ruling the world, but various industries were still running.
Thinking about the economic impact caused by retaliation, even the President would jump out of bed.
“How am I supposed to report this? ‘I don’t really know, Mr. President’? Good grief, this is a dilemma. I should just quit everything and go operate a fishing boat. Whew…”
Choi Jong-mun clutched his head and looked down.
His thin hair, which was sparse to begin with, fluttered between his fingers.
Kim Myung-joo returned to the training academy after the meeting finished.
No conclusion had been reached yet.
However, Choi Jong-mun seemed to be leaning toward not sending him.
He wasn’t thinking about whether it was economic damage or losing a promising Hunter; he was weighing economic damage against the survival of the nation.
Cha Se-hyeon was unstable, and Gates continued to appear. If they lost a late-bloomer, they couldn’t guarantee the future.
As the Minister of Interior and Safety, he had no choice but to consider the massive future damage rather than the immediate loss.
Kim Myung-joo entered the Director’s office.
The cold tea welcomed him.
He slumped onto the sofa and gulped down the tea.
His throat was parched.
That was all.
He couldn’t even taste the tea.
Kim Myung-joo sat blankly for a moment before calling Kim Song-cheol.
He told him to come to the Director’s office for a moment because there was something to discuss, then hung up.
Knock, knock.
Not long after, there was a knock.
“Come in.”
“Hello.”
Kim Song-cheol opened the door and entered. He looked back and forth between the tea set on the table and Kim Myung-joo, who seemed to have aged rapidly, and sat on the sofa.
“What is the matter?”
After forcing a smile, Kim Myung-joo spoke lightly.
“An official document arrived from the UK.”
“Yes. What kind of…?”
“They say they are holding a Magic Forum.”
“A Magic Forum?”
Kim Song-cheol immediately tilted his head.
“Where?”
“It’s being held in Guam.”
“Haha!”
Kim Song-cheol laughed as soon as he heard the word Guam.
It was closer to a hollow laugh.
“Will you go?”
Kim Myung-joo asked.
Kim Song-cheol’s expression changed. The hollow laugh gradually turned into a real smile.
As if it were interesting.
He also scratched his cheek. He seemed to be thinking about something.
Kim Song-cheol soon spoke.
“Did they tell me to come?”
“….Yes.”
“Then I should go.”
Without any elaborate explanation, it was a single sentence delivered very coolly.
“Can I hear the reason?”
“It’s a free vacation, isn’t it? Haha. I’ve never been to Guam, so this is great.”
“Is that the reason?”
“Well… if I don’t go, they’ll pettily raise the Portal usage fees, won’t they?”
As expected, Kim Song-cheol also anticipated retaliation after hearing the two keywords: ‘UK’ and ‘Guam.’
And there were a few more things he anticipated.
“If I don’t go this time, they might keep holding them. Every time, the government will be anxious. Separately from that, the retaliation will accumulate. I think it’s better to just go this time and get it over with.”
Kim Song-cheol even pointed out the government’s anxiety.
With this, it was equivalent to declaring that he would provide a reason for the Republic of Korea to trust him.
Kim Myung-joo couldn’t say anything because it felt like his inner thoughts had been seen through.
“And honestly, it’s a battlefield for both official and unofficial scouting, right? It’s a bit much for me to say it myself, but given the current situation… wouldn’t there be Hunters who want to come to the Republic of Korea because of me? If I’m that much of a merit.”
Kim Song-cheol was talking about reverse-scouting.
Since things had already turned into this mess, he was saying to use it to bring over anyone who wanted to come.
What if there were results?
They would be able to give them a significant middle finger.
***
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