Two days passed quite quickly, and at the scheduled time, he guided people so they could enter the interior by modifying the Gate.
Then, the first person to appear was, as expected, An Sang-ik.
“You opened it well, as scheduled.”
Several people began to enter following him, and he could not hide his surprise upon identifying one of them.
“It’s been a long time, Geum Seong-chan.”
It was Kim Dae-san who had come, an individual who moved with powerful and confident steps to reach out a hand to him, someone he had expected to meet eventually while pondering various questions and how to vent his anger on him.
Following him, Chu Myeong-hun and the top-tier Awakeners in the country began to enter in a line, and seeing that, he questioned An Sang-ik.
“There are quite a lot of unscheduled visitors. Did something happen outside?”
However, at that moment, perhaps feeling embarrassed by his own extended hand, Kim Dae-san cut in and spoke.
“I’m disappointed; it was a gesture of welcome in its own way. Since you’ll want a brief explanation, I’ll provide it.”
As he met Kim Dae-san’s gaze, the man spoke.
“Because it’s a matter where massive tax expenditure is expected, there was a need to show it clearly to many people, as we had to examine to what extent your demands should be granted.”
“In that case, you must be looking closely to ensure you don’t give any.”
“I am not such a petty person. I know you’ve had ill feelings toward me for a long time, but I am a person who lives for this country. I cannot move easily if it is not reasonable.”
“For saying that, you sold your legwork quite easily. Please, look around.”
Then, after leaving his spot and observing all those who had entered the interior, An Sang-ik stealthily approached and spoke.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t intend for it to be like this, but the situation grew large because the Magic Tower completely tucked its tail.”
He couldn’t help but click his tongue at the mention of them tucking their tails.
“Did many mages die?”
An Sang-ik shook his head.
“There aren’t even five dead. Among them, it’s impossible to even know why three of them died. The two old men, Han Sang-gil and Jeong Gil-sun, tried to summon their souls to figure out the reason, but eventually failed.”
Upon hearing An Sang-ik’s words, there was something he suspected.
This was because, over the past two days, he had examined all the Secret Laboratories and the interior of the artifacts stolen from Pi Jin-hyeok, and he had been able to grasp quite a bit of data from there.
Among them was the list of the Cultists of Ruin, and he could see that four additional Cultists of Ruin existed within the Magic Tower.
However, the statement that the cause of death for three people was unknown meant that two had been identified.
“What about the other two?”
“One is Pi Jin-hyeok, and the other is Senior Elder Bak U-seok.”
Senior Elder Bak U-seok was a person famous as a research mage.
“He was related to the laboratory then?”
“That’s right, he took his own life. It made me think that perhaps the experiments here were everything to him.”
“Then, if the Magic Tower tucked its tail, it means the decision-makers eventually bowed their heads to the government…. Is it an absorption and merger?”
This was because a Ministry of Magic also existed within the government.
An Sang-ik nodded in response.
Facing a situation where they would be labeled as a criminal organization, they had sought a means to switch all their affiliations to the government and be free from the worst circumstances.
‘This is why smart bastards are hard to punish.’
While it wasn’t impossible, they could avoid responsibility as much as possible under the pretext of the Magic Tower’s dissolution, and the government could take various forms of profit through being able to absorb and control a powerful force.
And after Kim Dae-san personally stepped forward and grabbed everyone’s attention, he was probably carrying out various back-end operations.
“They won’t be able to cut the support funds, since they’ll have to keep you quiet.”
The best way to keep someone quiet would be to kill them, but since they would have clearly learned through this incident what kind of results follow when black mages resolve to join forces, there was a judgment that they couldn’t be easily touched right now.
As a result, regardless of the value of this place, it could be said that Kim Dae-san had gained an enormous profit.
‘It’s like making porridge only for the dog to eat it.’
It wasn’t that he was dissatisfied with this. This was because what he had secured was also enormous.
It suggested that Pi Jin-hyeok had been accumulating wealth because he was a Cultist of Ruin, and the important thing was that he had looted all of that accumulated wealth.
The ring he stole from him was a sub-space artifact that could be treated as a national treasure, and inside it was filled with an enormous amount of data, artifacts, and stacks of bearer bonds, among other quite interesting things.
Since there were also quite many great things contained in the necklace as well, in the end, it could be said that he was the one who had taken the maximum profit.
Since he had no intention of making this public at all, he planned to utilize it for seeking the rights and interests of black mages in some form in the future.
Otherwise, he judged it wouldn’t be a bad thing to prepare for a war that might break out again at any time.
Because the difference between having an artifact and not having one was clear.
“You seem to have a lot on your mind.”
Turning his head at the unexpected voice, Chu Myeong-hun was approaching closely. Although he didn’t feel any particular hostility from him, he could tell that the man held him in quite low regard.
There were quite a few people who had grasped that he was connected to Pi Jin-hyeok.
Since even An Sang-ik seemed to have noticed it, he lightly nodded to Chu Myeong-hun, who was acting glad to see him, and as if that alone wasn’t enough, Chu Myeong-hun spoke.
“I can understand that our actions in managing and handling the nation’s affairs might seem disagreeable to you, and the things you want to demand are certainly right. Because it’s also true that we ignored all the contributions that should have gone to black mages. However, wasn’t there a reason?”
It was a tone that wanted to provoke him.
He had effectively condemned black mages as a group whose contributions weren’t recognized because they had committed crimes. However, he was not one to be shaken by such a tone.
“That’s not something for a person who used to rummage through corpses to say. I learned quite a lot back then—the fact that while we command corpses, you scavenge from them.”
“That’s all in the past. In reality, most of the corpses I touched were enemy Awakeners; wasn’t it an unavoidable action to distribute the artifacts they held to our allies?”
“I’m curious. Just who received artifacts from you?”
“How could I remember and distinguish the entire list during the war? It was simply judged that my actions after the war were more helpful in protecting this country. Unlike you people.”
He nodded as if it were nothing, then glanced behind Chu Myeong-hun and spoke.
“So, is it because there’s nothing to scavenge that you’ve lost interest?”
Chu Myeong-hun let out a smirk at the question of why he didn’t follow Kim Dae-san.
“Because I’m certain that you, who have been inside here for two days, must have taken most of the important things. I’ve brought several mages with me, so don’t think about making excuses.”
In fact, there wasn’t a single thing he had touched.
He had left the interior of the private laboratory just as it was after examining the data and such. Except for one thing….
‘That one thing was also effectively unrelated to my will.’
While he was examining the private laboratory, Test Subject 1331 opened its eyes as if having a fit, and after struggling as if to convey something to him, it had died.
Except for the fact that the enormous amount of mana that erupted from that body thereafter had left the flask and been absorbed into his body as if finding a new owner to settle in, this laboratory was in the exact state they had left it.
He was in a state of focusing on meditation after having returned the Private Laboratory to its private state as well.
“I’d acknowledge it if you had brought a novelist instead of an investigator. So, wouldn’t it be a more wise use of your time to go and offer up a novel?”
“You have many thorns on your tongue. You should have a more gentle side for it to be beneficial in negotiating with us.”
“That’s a pity. Since I’m not in a situation where I can inform you of other thorns.”
As he gave a thin smile, Chu Myeong-hun turned around and walked away.
At that, An Sang-ik asked him with an uncomfortable expression.
“You…. It would be better if you didn’t smile.”
“Is my smile that strange?”
“It’s…. I don’t know if it’s because your expression is distorted, but it’s eerie. Anyway, cutting to the chase! This is close to a show to create the image the government wants, so could you bear with it?”
“I understand, so as long as there’s no loss, I’ll let it pass quietly.”
Relieved, An Sang-ik said he understood and went to find Kim Dae-san. This was because, for better or worse, the current image was of An Sang-ik escorting Kim Dae-san.
After looking around the interior for a few hours, Kim Dae-san and the others came to the exit again, and Kim Dae-san reached a point where he asked him several questions.
“Why did you kill Pi Jin-hyeok?”
“I cast a curse with the intention of suppressing him, but ironically, petrification simply proceeded.”
“Even if petrification occurred, wasn’t it possible to save him?”
“The battle at the time was urgent. Did you look at the chimeras we had to face?”
Kim Dae-san, nodding his head, glanced at his aide, who spoke as if giving a briefing.
“They have been determined to be disaster-grade chimeras. We conducted several tests in the laboratory, but if you fought those…. it’s understandable that the interior ended up in that state.”
“…Hah, impressive. Doesn’t it mean you won after facing two such beings and even Pi Jin-hyeok?”
“We have always won. I hope you realize that someone has been intentionally hiding the facts, and we have not forgotten.”
“Does it not occur to you that, due to your statement, that someone might try to even more thoroughly suppress uncontrolled power?”
“Even an earthworm wriggles when stepped on; if you’re curious about what level a human’s struggle can reach, feel free to check. It would be a very enjoyable time for us as well.”
Although An Sang-ik had been concerned, he gave a smile of sincere joy, and it was at the moment when he truly harbored the thought that he hoped they would come at him as if to say, “Please, let’s try it.”
“Let’s end the amusing jokes here. I consider you people as one of the pillars supporting our country, but I simply think that appropriate control is necessary for such excessive power and radicalism.”
He couldn’t help but smack his lips in disappointment seeing Kim Dae-san back down, but soon the man spoke.
“I was told there were no modifications to the laboratory and no traces of it being tampered with. Since I also know that you acted thoroughly, I’ll let it pass here. Therefore, I will surely keep the promise of the support funds.”
“Please settle it before this year is over.”
“…It will be difficult to settle it that quickly.”
“We do not trust the government. Therefore, a firm pledge is necessary.”
Just as Kim Dae-san was looking back at his aide again, it happened.
“The National Assembly will also actively coordinate the disbursement of support funds, so do not pressure him too much.”
At Chu Myeong-hun’s words, Kim Dae-san furrowed his brows slightly, but soon quickly smoothed them over and smoothed them over and spoke.
“Since he says that, we will also move actively so that it can be processed promptly. Is such a pledge acceptable?”
He nodded at that and pulled out a Magic Stone from his sub-space. Then, after infusing the Magic Stone with mana containing the details of what had happened here, he spoke.
“The data is sufficient, so I hope you don’t say anything different later.”
“You’re thorough. I pledge it.”
Afterward, after leaving a group of high-level mages inside, they came outside.
