Chapter 69

〈Chapter 69〉 Part 1, Chapter 5 (2)

9:00 AM. Yeouido National Assembly Building.

Jang Hujung gazed at the newly restored National Assembly with a sense of nostalgia. This was the place where he had worked before transferring to New Seoul after losing his Seoul district and before becoming the vice-minister of the Monster Countermeasures Department.

“Hmm…”

President Sun Icheol insisted on using the National Assembly as the secret meeting location. The other party readily agreed, though the reason remains unclear.

Was it consideration for Jang Hujung, the former congressman? Or was there another reason?

“It’s none of my business now.”

The important thing was that he had been given a covert mission by the president to rescue ten heroes safely. Even if they were dealing with the Villain Union, they wouldn’t recklessly kill hostages since they were once citizens of Korea.

“But…”

Jang Hujung swallowed hard as he looked at those who had escorted him here via subway. Their black suits seemed impossible to have been made in Seoul, and their blue-flame patterned neckties clearly marked them as members of one organization.

“Are we all here?”

“…”

The operatives remained silent. Only the team leader who guided Jang Hujung spoke, and even then only when necessary.

“You’re awfully quiet, aren’t you?”

“They’re trained professionals, that’s what.”

The man accompanying Jang Hujung nodded in agreement. He was Yu Yinghuo, the stressed-out president of the Hero Association, whose eyes betrayed his exhaustion.

Yu Yinghuo, who had been exiled to Busan under the guise of a business trip, personally came to Seoul to rescue the captured heroes. Jang Hujung whispered cautiously.

“Director, shouldn’t I go alone from here? What if something happens to you?”

“Since we’ve already left our bodyguards behind in Gwangmyeong, all three of us are already in danger. They won’t take us hostage; it shows they’re willing to negotiate.”

Yu Yingho glanced around. Although somewhat rough, the people assigned to escort and monitor them all looked well-trained. It reminded him of the early days of the monster crisis when civilians formed patrol teams.

“Speaking of which, this place…”

Yu Yinghuo scanned the area. Though scarred by battle, the buildings appeared almost brand new.

“What do you think, Mr. Jae-min?”

Yu Yinghuo asked Jae-min. As the chairman of the Yu-Sung Group, he was unrelated to the government or association but still attended the negotiation.

In case the negotiation turned economically disadvantageous, the government planned to use corporate funds. While most tycoons balked at the government’s coercive methods, Jae-min obediently followed their requests.

“Heh. I just want Seoul to stabilize. Our headquarters were here, after all, and my father would approve.”

Jae-min smiled like an excited child visiting an amusement park. Despite being cold-blooded in running his group, he occasionally showed his youthful side.

A righteous young man who couldn’t tolerate injustice and fought for social justice—people called him a “generous billionaire.”

“Hehe. That’s good. Please do your best. The government is having budget issues…”

“Don’t worry about it. Whatever the cost of negotiation, it’s fine. Just ensure everyone returns safely to New Seoul…”

“If it’s about sponsoring Yu-Sung, leave it to me. I have the means.”

“Thank you, Director.”

Of course, no matter how kind-hearted, Jae-min was still a businessman. In exchange for funding the negotiations, he intended to secure certain benefits. While the government could simply keep quiet, the association offered as much compensation as possible.

Clomp, clomp.

The guards straightened up as a man descended the steps of the assembly building.

Neatly dressed in a suit like a rookie employee at a major company, the man wore brown sunglasses, seemingly sensitive to sunlight.

Yu Yinghuo activated his special glasses, overlaying visual data. The man’s build, gait, and magical aura quickly identified him through his smartwatch database.

B-Rank Special Ability User. Villain. Lighthouse Kim Ji-hwa.

The cowardly king of Guro, who used to illuminate the night, was now walking around brightly during the morning.

While Yu Yinghuo pondered, Lighthouse bowed politely.

“Glad to meet you. Call me <Lighthouse>.”

“Is it really wise to reveal your identity so openly?”

Yu Yinghuo scratched his cheek. Lighthouse smirked slightly and gestured inward.

“Please follow me.”

Lighthouse walked into the building, and the three followed him inside.

“Hmm.”

Jang Hujung marveled at the pristine interior. He had heard that Yeouido became a wasteland during the human-monster battles, yet the National Assembly looked nothing like it.

Cleaner than when he served as a congressman. Jang Hujung couldn’t comprehend its current state with his knowledge. It looked like it had been completely rebuilt.

Clomp. Lighthouse stopped. A plain room without a nameplate held an A4 paper taped to it reading “Interim Conference Room.”

“Truly unpredictable.”

As Jang Hujung grew increasingly puzzled, Lighthouse knocked twice.

“We’re coming in.”

Creak. The door opened, revealing a desolate conference room with a concrete table greeting the special envoys.

“Welcome. …Jang Hujung?”

A gentleman in a fedora sitting at the center of the round table raised his voice. Jang Hujung immediately recognized who it was.

“Ryu Cheonseong? Four-term representative of Gangnam District?”

Sky Castle, Ryu Cheonseong, looked around uneasily.

To Sky Castle’s left sat a woman with a mask covering her face, who gasped and covered her mouth. Behind her stood a blue-haired girl acting as a secretary.

The woman in a coat tightly wrapped around her and the secretary-like girl occupied two seats. The last empty seat was quickly taken by Lighthouse.

“Let’s sit down.”

At Lighthouse’s gesture, the envoys took their seats. At the round table, government representative Jang Hujung faced Sky Castle in the center, while Yu Yinghuo sat to Jang’s left—facing the masked woman. Jae-min sat opposite Lighthouse but kept his gaze firmly on the woman.

After a moment of silence, Jang Hujung spoke.

“So this is the conference room?”

Jang Hujung began feeling tense. His counterpart was a four-term veteran, whereas he was a freshman. To the elder statesman, this room was practically his stronghold.

“I didn’t expect you to come as the envoy.”

“Do you know each other?”

The masked woman casually addressed Sky Castle, who was likely decades older. Jang Hujung wanted to scold her for disrespecting seniority but refrained as Sky Castle nonchalantly replied.

“Didn’t I tell you? He was a congressman in Mapo before Seoul fell.”

“Hmm. So someone like that became a vice-minister and envoy.”

The woman casually revealed classified information. The envoy’s existence and details were supposed to be top-secret shared only with Sky Castle.

Her disclosure implied that she held a significant position in this meeting. Yu Yinghuo adjusted his glasses to scan her magical power. Suddenly, a blue flash occurred.

Crack!

Yu Yinghuo’s glasses cracked. Clutching his fists under the table, he noticed the woman smirking.

“Trying to secretly photograph me? That’s sexual harassment, you know. I didn’t expect such a hobby from the director.”

“Really? Is the director a voyeur?”

“Hey, Lighthouse. That’s not your line, is it?”

Lighthouse slumped at the woman’s reprimand, still refusing to remove his sunglasses indoors.

“Let’s start with introductions. <Phantom>.”

The woman introduced herself as Phantom and pointed to her side.

“<Sky Castle>.”

“<Lighthouse>.”

Each villain revealed their code names. Jang Hujung confirmed they were indeed the leaders of the Villain Union controlling Yeouido.

“Special Envoy, government representative. Vice Minister of the Monster Countermeasures Department, Jang Hujung.”

“Association representative. <Director> Yu Yinghuo.”

“…”

Jae-min’s turn. He stared blankly at Phantom.

“Excuse me? Why are you staring like that? Don’t you have a name?”

“Ah, sorry. But…”

Jae-min sheepishly lowered his head.

“I’ve been moving long distances, so I haven’t been able to use the restroom. Would it be okay if I went briefly?”

“Again? Tch.”

Jang Hujung clicked his tongue. One of Jae-min’s unspoken secrets was his frequent bathroom visits, earning him the nickname “Prince of Constipation.”

“Restroom? Seriously… starting the meeting like this-”

“I’ll guide him.”

The girl standing behind Phantom interrupted.

“Huh?”

“…”

“Aha, well, people need understanding, right?”

As the villains looked confused, the secretary swept her gaze over them and smiled.

“The guest might get lost, so I’ll personally escort him.”

Following the secretary’s gesture, Prince of Constipation eagerly rose from his seat.

“Sorry. My stomach isn’t doing well… Meanwhile, Minister, please start the meeting without me. I might be late.”

“What? How will we proceed without you?”

Jae-min bit his lower lip nervously, causing tension among everyone present.

“It’s fine. No matter the amount, negotiate freely. Yu-Sung has sufficient funds.”

“Follow me.”

Guided by the girl, Jae-min grimaced and hurried out of the conference room.

“Then let’s begin. Since it’s essentially a negotiation between you and me anyway.”

Sky Castle raised his hand to draw attention. Jang Hujung clenched his fists under the table.

His opponent was originally a political veteran capable of serving six terms but now merely a retired villain absent from politics for eight years.

In contrast, Jang Hujung had traveled across New Seoul’s main departments, gaining recognition for his abilities, and served as the vice-minister of the Monster Countermeasures Department, enjoying treatment equivalent to a ministerial rank while accumulating political experience. Compared to someone practically retired from politics, Jang Hujung was still thriving in the political arena.

It was a fair fight. Straightening his posture, Jang Hujung spoke.

“Alright. Let’s start with the government’s position…”

The representatives of the government and villains engaged in heated negotiations that filled the conference room.

* * *

Clomp, clomp.

Jae-min couldn’t take his eyes off the girl in front of him. Black skirt suit and jacket paired with a white shirt underneath. Her sky-blue hair tied neatly like a ponytail caught his attention despite trying not to notice.

“Office wear with sneakers is a bit off, isn’t it?”

“And sending a billionaire chairman to the restroom every day is perfectly fine?”

Phoenix, the girl, snorted. They soon arrived at the restroom entrance. Jae-min hesitated for a moment.

“What are you doing? Come in.”

The girl naturally entered the men’s restroom. Stunned, Jae-min followed.

Inside, there was nothing. It resembled a construction site, devoid of any interior design or facilities.

“I knew our customer wasn’t ordinary, but…”

“This place is actually very quiet.”

Snap. Phoenix flicked her finger. Between Phoenix and Jae-min, a chair made of blue flames appeared. The ability of S-Rank users to materialize magic into physical reality. Jae-min sat on the flaming chair.

Golden stars sparkled in Jae-min’s eyes. Watching him casually tap the armrests of the flaming chair, Phoenix felt more nervous.

“Hehe. As expected. You fought Harang too, right? Transformation ability? Which side is your true form?”

“To be precise, neither is my true form. Like…”

Phoenix pointed at Jae-min. Magic flowed from her fingertip into him.

Suddenly, an impossibly distant female scream echoed.

[GYAAK?!]

The woman’s voice was incredibly high-pitched. Holding her stomach, Phoenix burst into laughter as she cut off the flow of magic.

Whirr, click.

Jae-min’s mechanical eye opened, projecting a screen displaying a blonde girl with a slightly singed fringe, red-faced and muttering.

[What are you doing?!]

“That’s your true form, isn’t it? Shall we reintroduce ourselves, shall we?”

Phoenix nodded.

“Third reckless daughter of the Yu-Sung Group. Infamous heiress of the family. But in truth, the pillar of Yu-Sung replacing her deceased brothers, the real chairman. Both the chairman of the Black Market we first met and the envoy named Jae-min here are puppets controlled by you, aren’t they? Pfft, oh, weren’t there five others?”

[…]

“Anyway, nice to meet you. A-Rank Special Ability User <Puppeteer>. Or rather…”

Phoenix flicked her finger, igniting a flame.

“Miss Yun Yuhwa.”

A bright blue flame bloomed beside the girl. Yun Yuhwa (Silver Flow River) smiled warmly in response.

[Nice to meet you too, our beloved customer.]

In the deserted men’s restroom, another negotiation began.