#39 The Price of Truth (2)
One week before the Nam Juhyeon kidnapping incident.
I'd noticed that Seol Rokjin's movements had accelerated compared to before, so I handed Han Seohyun a list of people to watch.
"You want me to keep tabs on these guys?"
"Yeah."
I figured it would double as surveillance on Yuseonje, and if I could plant eyes and ears on the others too, all the better.
I couldn't save everyone, but it felt too hollow to lose people to something trivial.
Conveniently, Han Seohyun's rat dolls had multiplied enough that I could spare some for the job.
Of course, there was one condition for this surveillance.
"As long as it doesn't wear you out."
If monitoring them exhausted Han Seohyun, that would be a real problem.
"Sticking rat dolls on them isn't a big deal, but if they go too far away or enter a gate, the signal cuts out."
"That's good enough."
Some on the list weren't even hunters—they were civilians.
Take Lee Hyewon this time. In the past, Seol Rokjin had chosen Baek Dosan, but now that he couldn't touch him, he'd bet on dismantling Sirius instead.
Messing with Sirius would naturally stir the other major guilds.
Fortunately, we'd prevented Sirius's collapse, but the future had changed. If something else blew up, even they might not hold.
Yuseonje and Jin Yeonhwa were all I could trust there.
I knew a lot, but the future had already shifted.
I wasn't some genius strategist anyway. All I'd done before was play cute and beg, so saving the world in one clean sweep was beyond me.
Even now, with a bunch of miscellaneous talents stacked up, it was the same.
—Why not just slice up all the bad guys and start fresh? With Kim Jaeho around, we could probably pull it off.
I shook my head at Ray's words.
I'd considered it. But there were reasons I hadn't gone that route.
'First off, we can't take out Seol Rokjin via assassination.'
Seol Rokjin was the poster boy for the anti-awakener faction. Even without me, he'd faced several attempts—some staged, but a few genuinely close calls.
After those, he'd layered on protections.
'He's always got bodyguards around. Like you saw last time, they'd throw their lives away for him without hesitation.'
No need to explain how terrifying fanatics who ignored their own lives could be. The real issue was Seol Rokjin's brainwashing ability. If he slipped into a crowd and evaded encirclement?
No chance of catching him.
Not unless we accepted massive casualties—like nuking the place.
'Nuking downtown Seoul would destroy Korea before the apocalypse even hit.'
Plus, that bastard probably had a survival plan even for that.
Anyway, assassination was off the table.
But what about sparing Seol Rokjin and just cutting down his underlings?
Compared to Seol Rokjin—an awakener who was always prepared—this country's elites had security awareness worse than elementary kids.
I was confident I could scoop up Jaeho and Seohyun and cook them like retort food in three minutes flat.
The aftermath, though—that was the problem.
'Awakeners assassinate National Assembly members. Is Korea's public authority crumbling under lawless thugs? Okay with that?' That'd be the headlines the next day.
Seol Rokjin was propaganda incarnate.
It had taken just eight years for pro-awakener Korea to collar mental awakeners. Eight years since Seol Rokjin entered politics, and here we were.
Assassinate assembly members now? When I was the only one who knew they were rotten to the core?
'It'd be handing him the knife to dance with.'
Even without that, in five years, 40% of Korea's hunters would emigrate to escape discrimination and oppression. Then the major guilds would trickle out.
Wouldn't Korea get dangerous without hunters?
That's why Seol Rokjin targeted the academies.
Except for Babel Academy, he cut funding to all others, hiked hunter-related taxes, forcing massive student loans just to attend.
Even minors had to take out "education" loans—at predatory rates, no less. Blamed on awakener incidents requiring "hazard pay" or some nonsense. I didn't remember the exact excuse, but that was the gist.
To get a normal rate, you had to sign up for 6-7 years of civil service post-graduation.
No going to regular schools as an awakener either.
Swallow the high-interest loan or become the state's slave.
Emigration was for the capable; minors had only those two paths.
'In a few years, Korea would make being born an awakener a crime.'
No coincidence Seoul fell apart right after the first gate break.
Assassinating assembly members would just accelerate it.
—So we just leave them be?
'Well, there are a few ways...'
—Like what?
'They're all tough to pull off right now.'
Best was the straight path: expose their crimes, let legal punishment handle it. Impossible for Beltsmets, already branded villains.
Point at them and yell "They're all criminals!"? No one would believe me—they'd arrest me instead.
Yeah, shelve that.
'Plenty else to do anyway.'
Time to develop Jaeho's talents properly. He'd figured out merging with shadows on his own without my help and kept ducking into them, but it wasn't battle-ready yet.
Should visit the Tower sometime too. Couldn't leave that escape ability user there forever. Snatch him out, and we could block some of their past terror attacks.
They were probably fuming over failing to kill Yuseonje, so better wait a bit. Pulling Cha Songjin would burn that bridge for good—needed caution.
Hm, not quick either.
Oh, and offload the Serena's Ice Palace haul. I'd given Yuseonje the artifact from the boss monster (that woman)—Han Seohyun had frothed at the mouth, but Sirius deserved it. Still, we'd grabbed plenty else.
I'd snagged a ton of books. Few could decipher them, but researchers would pay top coin. Lucky ones might even gain talents like me.
Check the artifact from Park Sang-pyeon too. No clue how to settle its demonic energy yet, but Jaeho needed a proper weapon.
Didn't know Jaeho's birthday unlike Seohyun's, but maybe mark our one-year anniversary.
—Not the time for cute plans. The world's about to end.
Right. This world ended. In about 10—no, 9 years, a gate would doom it.
I alone knew, and could act to stop it.
But I couldn't stop that doom right now.
Couldn't remove Seol Rokjin or all the corrupt scum infesting the world. Couldn't save those I'd abandoned before.
'All I can do right now are these cute little plans.'
When a wave crashes to sweep you away, you don't stare—you brace your legs and run.
So, no fretting over uncoming apocalypse. Focus on what I could do now.
'Make chairs.'
—What?
'This base needs chairs.'
Ray, who'd been listening quietly, spoke up.
—That's a bit much...
I'd just finished a chair that could hold my weight for about 10 seconds when Han Seohyun burst into the workshop.
"That reporter!"
"Huh?"
"The one you told me to watch! Some guys were dragging her off!"
Nam Juhyeon had been kidnapped.
That was the first news. Details on why came en route. Her circle was chatty; Han Seohyun gathered intel fast.
I rested my chin on my hand, eyeing the fainted Nam Juhyeon before me.
"What now, Boss?"
Han Seohyun sidled up, pointing at her.
"Hm."
I'd mulled options on the way, but one stood out.
—That one?
'Nam Juhyeon's someone worth keeping in touch with.'
That's why I'd approached as Beltsmets.
Seol Rokjin dominated broadcast and press, but we needed our own mouthpiece.
"Let's move her somewhere safe first."
At my glance, Kim Jaeho hoisted the bound Nam Juhyeon over his shoulder. Looked like we kidnapped her, but this was a rescue.
—Why tie her up then?
'Can't have her bolting.'
Not before a proper talk.
Kim Seongdeok's people had targeted her life.
Kim Seongdeok, same Mirae Party as Seol Rokjin, was rotten to the core—backing illegal ventures with ruling party muscle.
A rookie reporter poking him? Nam Juhyeon had rotten luck. I arrived at a quiet mountain hollow and shaped a temporary cave from earth.
Kim Jaeho and Han Seohyun would stand guard nearby. I'd handle revealing myself.
How much time passed?
"Ugh."
Nam Juhyeon slowly opened her eyes.
"U-ugh! Uwaaah."
Our eyes met; her face drained pale, breath ragged. Before I could speak, tears streamed down as she wailed.
"P-please spare me, sob, sniff, sob. I-I wouldn't have touched it if I knew it was yours..."
What misunderstanding? I sighed inwardly and crouched before her. Hm, how to start. As villains, maybe firm?
"Hey."
"Eeeek!"
She toppled backward. Too harsh—needed tweaking. No talking with this timid type like that.
I showed my palms, speaking kindly.
"Don't worry. No plans to hurt you."
"Y-yes? Yeeeees?"
Her shocked gaze dropped to her bound limbs. Ahem, couldn't untie those—escape risk! But I hadn't harmed her! Gag off too.
I was righteous. Quickly continued.
"The guy you poked was dangerous. Why dig into him?"
"Sniff, I knew, but..."
She sniffled on.
"If I pretend not to know, ignore it, the truth gets buried. I became a reporter to spread truth—can't quit now."
I blinked.
Nam Juhyeon shone bright. Unlike me, who'd discarded everything to survive, she'd held her beliefs to the end.
Hoped this life kept them intact.
"Knew you'd say that."
She flinched at my voice.
"Wh-what do you mean by that, uh."
Cold sweat beaded on her face. Hard to believe she'd tangled with that scum—scared like a hamster or squirrel.
"Intent was good, but reckless. You nearly died. Know that?"
"Sniff, yes."
"Can't do it that way anymore."
Her eyes widened.
"Still want truth? Even if you can never return to your old world?"
She swallowed hard, nodded.
"Yes."