Chapter 73

〈Chapter 73〉 Part 1, Chapter 5 (6)

Fellow citizens, greetings. I am Sun Icheol, the 20th President of the Republic of Korea.

On April 13th past, I stand before you today to offer my deepest apologies. Yes, the failure of the Seoul Reclamation Operation. Due to my hasty judgment, many heroes lost their lives. The former Minister of the Monster Countermeasures Bureau, Shin Jin-gwang, feeling remorse for not fulfilling his responsibilities, also took his own life in a drastic manner.

Once again, through this opportunity, I extend my sincerest apologies to the bereaved families.

However, today.

On the first day of May, I have some good news to share with all our fellow citizens, and it fills me with immense emotion.

After much effort, on the 20th of last month, the government obtained intelligence that ten missing heroes are still alive within Seoul. Kidnapped by monsters in Guro and taken to the enemy’s lair, they escaped the monster’s nest with the motto “Even if you enter the tiger’s den, as long as you keep your wits about you, you’ll survive.”

There, they discovered people living underground in Seoul.

Yes! That’s right! People were still living in Seoul! Not just one or two righteous individuals remaining, but no less than sixty thousand proud citizens of our great nation were holding onto Seoul!

With the help of Seoul’s citizens, the government managed to establish contact with the heroes. And at 04:00 AM today, an emergency task force was dispatched to rescue the heroes.

Led by Vice Minister Jang Hujung of the Countermeasures Bureau and Governor Yu Yinghuo, the rescue team regrouped in Anyang after crossing Mount Gwanak, met up with the heroes in Dongjak, and successfully evacuated from Seoul.

Fellow citizens! Let us applaud the citizens of Seoul. And please pray that they may safely return to our embrace.

Fellow citizens! Seoul is still alive! It is not abandoned land but merely territory temporarily seized by wicked monsters and villains! Even now, the sixty thousand citizens of Seoul are standing firm, armed with swords and spears, ready to reclaim their land.

We will build a great Republic of Korea with our own hands! Just as the sixty thousand citizens of Seoul have remained unbroken amidst despair, like evergreen pines, we will bring glory to the Republic of Korea!

Fellow citizens! We are the proud sons and daughters of the Republic! Until the day we restore its glory, until we reclaim every inch of land in Seoul and Gyeonggi, our resolve shall never falter!

The Republic of Korea will rise again!

* * *

<May 1st, 8 PM, Yeouido Headquarters of the Blue Wind Sect>

On the large screen hanging on the wall, President Sun Icheol’s nationwide briefing continues. Everyone seated in the lounge had been anxiously awaiting the results, and when they finally came, sighed in relief.

“The immediate crisis has been averted. Thank goodness.”

“Next week, more people will likely come from New Seoul.”

The survival of the ten heroes and the registration of sixty thousand refugees residing beneath Dongjak.

Of course, the content of the announcement was heavily distorted to fit Sun Icheol’s narrative.

The heroes who were kidnapped by monsters banded together to escape the monster’s nest, joined forces with the underground refugees, and with their help, managed to escape from Seoul. During this process, Ryu Cheonseong and James emerged as leaders guiding the refugees against the monster threats.

Ryu Cheonseong stroked his beard mockingly.

“Can we tell the truth? That the heroes massacred the citizens, and the villains saved them?”

“…I didn’t know any of this when I was in New Seoul. Really.”

At Cheon Gaeul’s words, everyone in the lounge turned their attention to her. Everyone in the lounge had been stationed outside New Seoul.

In contrast, Cheon Gaeul had been a resident of New Seoul until just a month ago. Clenching her fists, she spoke.

“It was always a joke, criticizing the government or being labeled as subversive elements would get you arrested by the Pine Tree Brigade. But it turns out those rumors were true, right?”

Cheon Gaeul’s gaze shifted toward Yu I-shin standing behind her. Yu I-shin retrieved a whiteboard slung over her back and wrote something with a marker.

– Most jokes circulating online are, in fact, true.

“How can that be possible?”

Ji Hwa asked in a bewildered tone. Could even the president really carry out such terrible acts?

Seeing Yu I-shin’s intention to elaborate, Cheon Gaeul subtly signaled Deokbae. Deokbae handed over his smartwatch, launching an app.

Tap, tap. The headless entity rapidly typed, and soon the mechanical voice delivered the message.

[All networks within New Seoul are subject to government censorship. After identifying anti-government forces or dissidents, the Pine Tree Brigade is deployed. They are either expelled from New Seoul or recruited into the Pine Tree Brigade.]

“Big Brother much?”

James snorted. Ryu Cheonseong added bitterly,

“That’s how he made it possible. By striking deals with the National Assembly and judiciary, gagging the press and turning them into his allies. With the Pyongyang incident conveniently erupting, he established his own kingdom in New Seoul.”

“A dictator.”

At Ji Hwa’s comment, Ryu Cheonseong chuckled.

“Where in the world isn’t there a dictatorship these days? Look at China and Japan next door. The whole country is tilting right. China is aggressively expanding its territory, and Japan is itching to invade this country. Thankfully, the Association mediates between them to prevent war.”

“…”

Deokbae crossed his arms and tapped his foot. He recalled something Phoenix had said in passing.

“There was this talk once.”

At Deokbae’s remark, everyone’s attention focused on him.

Phoenix might be emotionally closest to Cheon Gaeul, but the person who best understands Phoenix’s grand—unknown to anyone else—plan is Jo Deokbae. Scratching the back of his neck, Deokbae continued.

“The full strength of the Blue Wind Sect should grow enough to wage war against a nation.”

“Isn’t that insane?”

Ji Hwa muttered under his breath, then clamped his mouth shut, realizing he’d spoken his thoughts aloud. Everyone turned their gaze toward him. Only Deokbae nodded.

“Who can understand what goes on in that crazy woman’s mind? Oh, did you put anything in mine?”

“It’s loaded with syrup. Ji Hwa’s is iced tea.”

“Ah, thank you. Director….”

In Deokbae’s hand was an Americano resembling muddy water. As Ji Hwa reached for his iced tea, his movement froze.

Silence. No one spoke as Deokbae loudly gulped down his coffee and slammed the cup on the table.

“What are you waiting for? Take care of it already.”

Phoenix lifted her smoothie, inserting the straw with a flourish. Ji Hwa flailed his hands nervously, trying to explain.

“B-but Director, what I mean to say is….”

“Forget it. All the details chopped off, and it’s the fault of some Jo guy’s son, Deokbae.”

Phoenix tapped Deokbae’s scalp. Ting, ting. A clear sound rang out.

“So, since it’s my fault, why don’t you explain why we’re gearing up for war with other countries?”

Suck, suck. The sound of liquid traveling through the straw drew everyone’s attention to Phoenix’s lips.

“Anyway, today’s negotiation was successful. This way, Seoul reclamation operations won’t give New Seoul headaches for a while.”

“You’re dodging the issue.”

Cheon Gaeul was seething. Since Phoenix appeared, she’d been glaring icily. Phoenix offered her a cup.

“Want something sweet?”

“What do you take me for….”

The scent of maple syrup and caramel teased her nose. Cheon Gaeul hesitated, staring at the caramel macchiato handed to her before reluctantly placing her lips on the straw. Phoenix sat beside her, tapping the table to draw everyone’s focus.

“Drink while you listen. The possibility of war is based on worst-case scenarios, so there’s no need to worry too much.”

Relieved by Phoenix’s decisive statement, everyone relaxed. Smiling contentedly, Phoenix continued.

“So let’s deal with the current situation. First, review each of our roles and reaffirm our missions.”

Phoenix snapped her fingers, and the untouched drinks floated to their respective owners. Except for Yu I-shin’s.

Phoenix pointed at Ji Hwa.

“First, Lighthouse Ji Hwa, continue monitoring the outskirts. Ensure creatures like Land Dogs never step foot in Seoul again. Command over the organization’s members falls to Lighthouse.”

“Understood.”

“Deokbae and Phantom, you’re interception teams. Deokbae takes the east, Phantom the west. Work with Lighthouse to repel any monsters or villains entering from below. Keep your identities hidden, but if necessary, deploy Hellhounds.”

“Got it.”

“Hmm.”

“Sky Castle, keep soothing the residents. Though it may be tedious, handle complaints well and cut unnecessary matters at your discretion. Although we aimed to secure the mayor’s position quickly, the government will undoubtedly try to intervene later.”

“When the time comes for a by-election, I’ll consider running for real mayor. Understood. I’m confident about elections.”

“Good. If you find promising individuals among the refugees, feel free to recruit them. Maintain appearances, and if you find capable ones, create a list separately. Later, we can negotiate with the government for special recruitment.”

“Understood.”

Phoenix drained her drink, moistening her throat. Satisfied, she continued.

“So let’s tackle the immediate issues. Confirm everyone’s roles, and let’s ensure everything runs smoothly.”

Lighthouse Kim Ji Hwa handles surveillance.

Phantom Cheon Gaeul and Jo Deokbae patrol and combat.

Sky Castle Ryu Cheonseong manages administration.

Architect James Lee oversees reconstruction.

And Phoenix ensures supplies.

She crosses the 38th parallel to hunt monsters for cores, trades them through the Black Market with Yun Yuhwa for funds, and uses the proceeds to acquire necessities for human survival.

Just this morning, several large trailers transporting bulk food supplies disappeared in Seongnam. Only the thief and the robbed owner know where those items went.

Phoenix finished her drink and gave James a special instruction.

“Oh, by the way, when rebuilding homes in Dongjak, don’t overdo it. If we reveal too much, New Seoul might try to kidnap you.”

“What exactly does that mean?”

Deokbae tilted his head in confusion. The architect also set down his coffee. Phoenix snapped her fingers, incinerating her cup.

“The government must be aware of Architect’s existence and abilities. They’re probably already registered in the villain database, and with the special envoy visiting Yeouido, there’s no way they wouldn’t know. They’d think, ‘This ability user overflowing with magic power could achieve all this.’”

Ryu Cheonseong chuckled, stroking his beard. Phoenix chose the location for the envoy meeting.

“You deliberately chose Yeouido to show off, didn’t you?”

“Yes. So Sun Icheol might wonder: How could the Villain Alliance restore Yeouido to this extent? Why did they choose ‘the National Assembly’ as the meeting place? Where could they possibly gather such magical power? If he pieces together the information he possesses….”

“Cube.”

At Cheon Gaeul’s word, everyone nodded.

“You’re hinting to President Sun Icheol that the Villain Alliance possesses the Cube.”

Phoenix had already explained the existence of the Cube to the officers.

“Though outwardly calm, inside he’s probably fuming. All Pine Tree Brigade members are dead, so there’s no way to confirm, and the surviving heroes now know the truth about the Pine Tree Brigade. Right now, he must be desperate to learn the situation in Yeouido.”

“What if he already knows?”

At Deokbae’s question, Phoenix turned her head. Her expression darkened.

“Yu I-shin! During the Seoul Reclamation Operation, was there any way for the Pine Tree Brigade to report back to Sun Icheol?”

Cheon Gaeul prompted Yu I-shin, who quickly typed on a virtual keyboard.

[Only team leaders could communicate directly. Team Leader Park Sung-tae of Team A, deployed to Yeouido, received orders to eliminate Cheon Gaeul and afterward ceased further communication.]

“What?”

Cheon Gaeul crushed her cup in shock. As the paper cup burst, coffee spilled over her hand, but two tentacles sprouting from her back swiftly enveloped the cup.

Glug, glug. The tentacles devoured the coffee-filled cup, swallowing only the liquid while spitting out the paper onto the floor. Phoenix immediately incinerated it.

“Sun Icheol ordered my death? Seriously?”

[Team A was given secret orders to retrieve ‘the item.’ Expecting it to be at the National Assembly, Sun Icheol commanded all witnesses to be eliminated. He likely thought the same about Cheon Gaeul.]

“You son of a….”

Cheon Gaeul bit her fist to suppress her curse. Yu I-shin quickly typed.

[Is this ‘item’ the Cube mentioned by the Spirit?]

“Yes. The divine artifact we must all gather and destroy. We used and destroyed the one in Yeouido, so only one remains in South Korea.”

Phoenix pointed at the map. Everyone stiffened.

“My goodness. It’s there?”

Phoenix’s finger pointed to Daejeon.

“Yes. Daejeon. Right next to New Seoul.”

Everyone fell silent. Daejeon, besides being a key transportation hub, is also a center for Korea’s scientific and technological advancements.

And another thing.

“While Sun Icheol’s electoral district during his legislative term, meaning…”

“One of the Cubes is hidden in Daejeon by Sun Icheol?”

Phoenix hesitated, then smiled awkwardly.

“Technically Sun Icheol’s possession, though he likely doesn’t know himself that he holds the Cube.”

“Huh?”

Ji Hwa stared blankly. Cheon Gaeul clicked her tongue, urging an explanation.

“Don’t keep things to yourself. Explain it so we can understand.”

Everyone nodded. Phoenix twirled the edge of her veil around her finger briefly before clapping her hands.

“The Core Research Institute built in Daejeon. Who do you think is researching there, secretly bypassing Sun Icheol?”