“What are you doing with two women at your side?”
Instead of responding to Han Sang-gil’s words, I asked a question.
“Where are you going?”
“…I’m not going to war.”
“Don’t lie. Seeing how your luggage is packed, it looks like you’re leaving soon. Where is it?”
Han Sang-gil clicked his tongue and carefully showed me a letter as he spoke.
“This is what that fellow Gong Baek-jin of the Seomjin River and that rascal Tae Young-su of Imjingak sent. They said they would participate if I joined as well. Didn’t they say that we should at least… prevent too many people from suffering due to defeat?”
Then, I glanced back at Seol Yeon-u and asked.
“Why did you come?”
“Didn’t the letter say they were sending someone?”
“Ah….”
Only then did I realize something and said to Han Sang-gil.
“The person those two sent is this one.”
Seol Yeon-u bowed her head 90 degrees in greeting and spoke.
“I am Seol Yeon-u. I have reached the level of 6th Circle Master, and I’ve built up quite a bit of experience roaming the battlefields with Captain Geum Seong-chan. I look forward to working with you!”
Han Sang-gil showed a hollow smile at her spiritedness, which wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call manly, and I also pointed at Seol Yeon-u with my chin as I spoke.
“She’s not at my level, but she’s close to an all-rounder. She’ll be quite useful.”
“That’s good talent. I’ll be in your care.”
“No! It is I who will be in yours!! I look forward to working with you!!”
My face contorted because of Seol Yeon-u, who shouted so loudly it felt like my eardrums would burst, but Han Sang-gil burst into a hearty laugh as if he found that spirited appearance pleasing.
Then he approached me and asked.
“What do you plan to do once you know where I’m going?”
“I’m thinking of snooping around the empty spots.”
“You too have become a phantom of war, so there’s no helping it.”
“It’s not exactly like that. Also, I’m going to meet the person at the top right now.”
Han Sang-gil was surprised to hear my words.
“He must be very busy. He won’t give you time easily, will he?”
“When it’s me, of all people, going at a time like this, do you think he’d refuse?”
“…He’s a man who’s quick with calculations, so he’ll never refuse. Besides, won’t you be going together?”
“Ms. Yu-jin, you’re planning to follow me even if I tell you not to, right?”
“Of course. Let’s go together.”
Han Sang-gil was surprised by Go Yu-jin’s answer, which didn’t have a single bit of hesitation, and Seol Yeon-u narrowed her eyes.
“It was only the other day you said it was only me, but are you really doing this?”
“I don’t recall saying such a thing?”
“Hmph, bad man!”
Seol Yeon-u’s playful behavior was absurd, but since everyone was smiling lightly, I was informed of where Han Sang-gil was going.
“Several people are stepping up to prepare for Gyeongsang-do, but that wasn’t the case for Jeolla-do. It seems there’s a lack of power to defend Mokpo and the nearby waters, so I intend to go there to provide support. It would be good if nothing happened, but…. You know, don’t you?”
Japan was difficult to predict. Thus, it was a state where it was hard to gauge when they would invade or where they would come from.
Therefore, I planned to snoop around Ganghwa-do this time as well.
No matter how well the defense was carried out, due to the nature of the West Sea, it was very difficult to detect cases of sneaking in by submerging.
The government would also be well aware of this and would have prepared a response, but if China’s secret forces existed, there was a possibility of a massive bloodbath, so I planned to respond to that part a little and buy some time.
“We’ll be able to see each other alive, right?”
“Why do you want to keep seeing such an unpleasant face? I have no intention of it.”
After leaving Han Sang-gil, who was saying things he didn’t mean, I left the mansion and eventually notified Kim Dae-san of the appointment time through the emergency contact network I had received previously.
The other side was troubled, but after notifying them that I would visit at the appointment time and hanging up, the phone rang immediately after, but I ignored it and reached out to Go Yu-jin.
“Shall we go?”
Go Yu-jin gave a bright smile as she took my hand.
“A welcome face and an unwelcome face have come together.”
“I might not be very welcome, but it seems Ms. Yu-jin is, isn’t she?”
“Since we were on the same front, it’s only natural to be glad to see her.”
Since Kim Dae-san was one of the figures who played a major role against Japan, it might be natural for Go Yu-jin to be a welcome sight, but it seemed Go Yu-jin felt differently.
“I’m not that glad to see you. And knowing that all of us black mages are being threatened by the government’s response, I only feel displeased.”
“I’m sorry, but I’m a person whose assertions are always consistent.”
“Have you never thought that the problem is that while you claim strong power must be followed by control, that standard doesn’t apply to yourself?”
“I know that well, which is why I’m struggling to control and restrain myself in various forms.”
Kim Dae-san was quite a transparent person. In fact, he established policies mainly for the citizens, and his response to Awakeners was also on the harsh side, to the point of clearly expressing a stance with no leniency.
Thanks to that, his approval rating increased as a president who maintained a certain line, and currently, he could be said to be a president who was treated quite well by both many Awakeners and ordinary people alike.
“So the reason you want to see me isn’t to have this kind of bickering, so why did you come?”
He continued speaking while pointing slightly at the surroundings.
“The two of you who have fought in the war will know better what the current situation is like, and time isn’t that plenty, so I’d like you to speak quickly.”
After replying that I understood his straightforward words, I spoke as if it were no big deal.
“If problems arise in Ganghwa-do, Incheon, and even Kaesong, I will intervene for you. In exchange for a price, that is.”
“…Even without you, we can sufficiently defend those places. We have built defense lines based on the experience from the last war and are sufficiently prepared.”
“At that time, the damage was low only because we were lucky enough to prepare, but in reality, the defense line was no different from being breached. It was a situation where we should have lost the war.”
“However, we were victorious, and we were able to fully protect the current capital. Even now, the elites guarding those places are fully fulfilling their roles. Your help is not greatly needed.”
“Think of it as insurance.”
“It seems I would have to pay too high a price, so I cannot readily accept the proposal. I haven’t even settled the previous proposal yet, so I’m in a position where I have to worry about how to organize the budget, and yet you’re thinking of ripping more out of us by taking advantage of the difficulty. Isn’t that too much?”
“What’s too much is the actions you took toward us. What I received this time was merely an action to try to partially compensate for such unfairness. In the first place, if you had treated us properly, most black mages would be rushing to the battlefield by now.”
“If you didn’t come to fight, why don’t you stop and leave?”
“If you end up asking for help later, you will have to pay a price in a completely different form than now.”
Kim Dae-san let out a smirk after hearing the words. So, after thinking for a moment, I decided that a proper conversation would only take place if I pulled my value up as much as possible since things had turned out this way, so I lightly raised my hand and manifested a 6th Circle magic.
“Illusion.”
At the same time the magic was manifested, everything in all directions underwent a rapid change, and at that, Kim Dae-san, whose expression had stiffened, asked in a trembling voice.
“…6th Circle. It must be Memorize, right?”
“What do you think?”
“Bluffing…. won’t work. Tell me the truth.”
“The world looked like a full-spectrum rainbow. I wish you could have seen it too. Only then would your thoughts become simple.”
Kim Dae-san gritted his teeth and remained silent.
A person of presidential caliber wouldn’t be ignorant of things like magic operation methods or rules. Thus, he could tell just by the fact that I manifested the 6th Circle immediately without an incantation. The fact that I had reached the next stage….
“What is it you want?”
“It seems you finally have an intention to have a conversation.”
It felt like even his gaze had changed.
“…I won’t make it long. Go to the North. If you are deployed to the extermination operation to help Jeong Gil-sun and Cheon Jong-un…. I will treat you and the entire black mage industry by recognizing you as heroes.”
“I don’t need that. Directly would be more appropriate than talking with words.”
“Tell me. What do you wish for?”
Since the situation was what it was, I had no intention of being dragged along, so I said what I wanted.
“I have no intention of leaving the area I mentioned. I only intend to protect that area, so go ahead and reassign the personnel from there to other places instead. And we’ll settle the price with artifacts and money.”
War is a monster that eats up a vast amount of money.
Nowadays, since various forms of Awakeners exist and food can be partially solved with meat by hunting monsters, there are few parts where expenditures would be a big problem, but even so, money is consumed in many areas.
Although Kim Dae-san had been drained of money once, it seemed he would stubbornly hold out this time.
“I have no need of it. Withdraw.”
“If that’s the case, then I shall do so. Next time, you will have to pay an even tighter price.”
Flames flared up in the eyes glaring at me, but looking at a gaze that now gave me no feeling, I turned away without any emotion and finally left the Presidential Office.
Meanwhile, everyone who had been caught in the illusion through ‘Illusion’ returned to their original state, and at this moment, while watching the internal movements that were busy again as if nothing had happened, Go Yu-jin asked.
“Why do you withdraw after only provoking him?”
“I was letting him know that I’m not the one who’s anxious. Anyway, Kim Dae-san will have no choice but to seek me out.”
It was a conviction that went beyond confidence.
The reason was simple.
The reason a country like China intends to wage war is clearly an expression of confidence.
Kim Dae-san and the government wouldn’t be unaware of this, and since it was a situation with too many variables, they would struggle to actively utilize major forces in some form.
But an unexpectedly powerful card revealed itself and even made a deal.
And it clearly presented what it wanted; he wasn’t someone who wouldn’t use it.
Although a vast amount of money and artifacts are used to employ me, if he doesn’t employ me and it becomes known that I made a proposal first, the public opinion criticizing the government will be maximized depending on the degree of damage.
‘I’ll get cursed at too, but because of the image the government has already created, even if I get cursed at, it’ll just be the usual finger-pointing that black mages receive.’
It was a trap, and it could be seen from his final expression that Kim Dae-san clearly recognized this.
Ultimately, unless he can grasp a victory close to a certainty on his own, he has no choice but to seek me out.
“Let’s watch with a relaxed mind. Let’s see how this war flows.”
If he really holds out until the end, I plan to block it as much as possible before massive damage is dealt to a specific area. And I plan to reveal that I made proposals to the government in advance, but they weren’t accepted, so I eventually stepped up for free to reduce the damage.
In conclusion, it meant that no matter what choice the government made, it would suffer a loss.
