Chapter 341: Rage Trouble
I used Space Leaping to slip out of Cheong Wa Dae and moved to the airspace above Gwanghwamun. The cold winter air wrapped around my head, cooling the heat that had been boiling in my thoughts.
It didn’t feel like much conversation had passed, but when I left the meeting room, two hours had already elapsed.
With all these headache-inducing stories, time seems to fly by.
To ease my frustration, I stood in the winter wind, gazing at the ground, when Darky crawled out from the inner pocket of my suit jacket and settled on my shoulder. In that position, he moved around restlessly, then, unable to find a good spot, slithered into my collar, wrapped around my neck, and asked with a question.
- Master. Why did you take the easy path and go the hard way? -
“Hard path?”
- I learned a lot from the internet during the time I was away. Among them, the most impressive story was that there is no one who can overcome the violence of numbers in the history of humanity spanning thousands of years. -
Darky hugged the back of my neck like a mount, fiddled with my earlobe with his arms, and soon tilted his head in confusion, opening his mouth as if he couldn’t understand.
- But if Master’s power is from a different dimension, isn’t the violence of numbers meaningless? So, like now, all those who grind their heads over trivial things can be crushed to death with pure power! -
Ha. He talks like a militarist. If I tell this guy that fists are closer than laws, he’ll get emotional and turn into a puddle?
“As you say, swinging violence with overwhelming power and making everyone submit would indeed be easy.”
- Then why don’t you do that? -
“The end of dictators has always been miserable. I won’t live a thousand years as the king of Earth, yet I can’t protect my precious people and instead turn them into targets of attack. Power isn’t omnipotent. In some novels, it’s said like this.”
I looked at Darky, who peeked his head from behind my neck with a curious face, through Spatial Perception and answered.
“Power is the last resort to compensate for the defeat of politics and diplomacy.”
- Really? -
“I don’t fully understand it, but I think that’s the case.”
The feeling that overwhelming violence, even if it’s self-defense, is an act of condemnation, I felt it while destroying Japan.
The nicknames attached to me now are diverse, but the evidence is that people’s perceptions have hardened into Destroyer God or Destruction Demon.
“Darky, if you were to return to the life of rolling around in the Phase World, crawling around, and only eating aberrant species that approach you before we met, how would you feel?”
- I hate it… I don’t want to be separated from Master, and if I lose Franc, Hwayeon, Yeongeun, Hiarid, and the others, I won’t be able to do anything because I’ll be sad. Giving up everything I can see, hear, and feel in reality is hard to imagine. -
Darky, who had become dejected by my question, clung even more tightly to my neck and rubbed his face against me as if trying to share body heat. I patted his body and said.
“If I solve everything with power, I’ll end up facing that primitive situation. All human relationships around me will collapse, and no one will remain around me who truly thinks of me. I hate that.”
- I guess so. Even if I use power, I have to use it according to the rules humans have made. -
Darky nodded with a cute, petite face, mouth pursed, and truly seemed to have rich emotions, sociability, and learning ability, unlike an aberrant.
“Yeah.”
Precisely, it’s about solving problems with power in places where no one can see.
By the way, I’m curious why Darky shows affection toward lovers, Miho, or Hiarid, except for me who was the target of mind control—whether it’s because of the loyalty injected through mind control.
I stroked Darky’s small head, made of a liquid that doesn’t stain the hand, and checked through Spatial Perception where Franc and Hwayeon were. They weren’t visible within my Spatial Perception range.
If they’re not within range, did they go home? I called Hwayeon’s authenticator, and behind Hwayeon’s figure, I saw the familiar interior of the house.
[Seoha.]
“Yeah. You went home?”
[Yeah. After you left, a bunch of annoying people kept sticking to me, so I came back. Did the work end?]
“It just ended. I’ll be there right away.”
I unfolded Space Leaping toward the balcony of the house, and Franc and Hwayeon approached together. I took the coat from Franc and handed it to her, then entered the living room and asked.
“Was there any trouble?”
“People kept coming over and trying to take pictures of Miho and Hiarid, so Miho got uncomfortable and we just came back.”
Hearing Franc’s words, I looked for Miho and found her happily picking out snacks in the underground large supermarket of the shopping mall, with Suhan and Hiarid leading her.
“You sent her for snacks?”
“She looked a bit dejected, so I sent her to buy the snacks she wanted to eat.”
“Good job.”
Hwayeon had a face full of curiosity about what happened, so I reached out and stroked her cheek and said.
“When I went, the US Vice President was waiting.”
“So?”
“According to the Vice President, President Donald Trumpet heard the news of the second raid failure and collapsed from acute hypertension, hitting his head on the chair. So, after concussion, he had a stroke and was transferred to the National Naval Hospital, but he’s in an unconscious state.”
“Hmm.”
I sat on the sofa, and Darky wriggled out from my collar, grabbed the hem of my clothes, and jumped down to sit on my thigh.
Franc and Hwayeon also sat opposite me, looking at Darky who was holding the hem of my clothes, but soon turned their gazes away when I started talking about the conversation with President Joe Selden at the Cheong Wa Dae meeting room and the discussions with Queen Arceia V of the UK and Sladmir Puchin of Russia, focusing on my story.
Hwayeon, after hearing all the stories, looked at the floor of the living room with a puzzled expression for a moment, then opened her mouth briefly.
“If you requested surveillance on the UK and Russia, then no matter whether Trumpet is in a coma or feigning illness, he’s cornered.”
“Feigning illness?”
“The fact that the perimeter is tight means there’s something that shouldn’t be shown. Whether that something is Trumpet’s coma state or not, or if he’s hiding in feigned illness, it’s impossible to know.”
Hwayeon’s explanation, which matched Yeongeun’s guess, made Franc show an understanding expression.
“If it’s true that he collapsed, he’ll end up living as a vegetable in the hospital and dying like that. If he recovers from unconsciousness or coma, various troublesome problems will arise, so the US will try to keep him in a vegetative state by any means. Conversely, if he’s hiding in feigned illness, the surveillance by the UK and Russia won’t miss it. If he’s hiding in a normal state, political pressure will come like a flood when he’s discovered. Moreover, since he lied, the justification will definitely shift to Seoha. So, in either case, his life will end.”
I was greatly surprised by Hwayeon’s explanation. It was almost the same as Yeongeun’s speculation? As expected, Yeongeun’s daughter… no, clone. Looking at Hwayeon with admiration, Franc next to her also nodded.
“The fact that the kidnapping plan was made and it got discovered, and the reason we can’t get Seoha’s help even though two highest-rank aberrants are destroying US cities is because of what Trumpet did, and this fact is spreading rapidly across the entire US. Most people who lost their homes and living spaces are cursing Trumpet. If, as Hwayeon speculated, he’s the one who played a trick in this situation, he’ll gain merit.”
“That’s right. Even the Republicans and all Democratic Party members are blaming Trumpet for making the world’s strongest superpower, the United States, bow to just one individual. Sophia is also working behind the scenes, so it’s over in every sense.”
Hearing the lovers’ stories, the situation where Trumpet became a bastard whether he was feigning illness or not didn’t change.
It had only been a day since we discovered the aberrants, and if I hesitated here, I thought the arrows of blame and curses might fly at me too.
Then, after catching Muscle Bear and White Thorn Turtle, I suspected that the US might be making excuses that the Vice President acted alone without apologizing or fulfilling the promise, but if that happened, I could bring in the UK and Russia to publicize this incident worldwide and then crush Washington and New York.
Even if the Ability Union intervenes, I’ll crush Washington and New York. But the Ability Union headquarters is in Washington…
Ah, forget it.
Franc, while Hwayeon was talking, opened her laptop and entered the free bulletin board of the Republican official website, showing me the posts.
“Look at this.”
Countless posts were filled only with curses like damn trumpet. you mother fucker, idiot asshole, son of bitch, your mom is slutty, fucking faggot from the titles.
The contents were also filled with diverse curses, such as the White Thorn Turtle or Muscle Bear stepping on my house and demanding to take it back, or how many idiots did it take to try to kidnap the Destroyer God’s woman, and even cursing as homo and faggot on the internet.
With thirty posts per page and posting times synchronized down to the second, it seemed like protest posts were being uploaded at an insane speed. How serious the situation was that they couldn’t even think of closing the bulletin board.
Franc then showed some photos through image search, where buildings, resorts, hotels, apartments, and even buildings named Trumpet were attacked, with broken windows and garbage thrown around.
“In addition to political restraint and criticism, US talk shows and reality shows are relentlessly mocking and attacking Donald Trumpet as a daily target.”
…My heart feels refreshed. It’s only been a day since the two aberrants started rampaging, yet people’s anger is rising so high.
Franc, who approached on her knees, asked while holding my hand with a slightly brighter expression.
“In any case, since the US is apologizing and backing down, if Yeongeun calls, you’ll go to hunt the aberrants, right?”
“Yeah. I guess after the UK and Russia send the surveillance team? I’ll rest until then since Yeongeun said she’ll tell me the departure time.”
I had already decided in my mind to officially apologize on live broadcast, but I had emptied that thought. An insincere apology is meaningless, so receiving it would only make me feel dirtier.
“Who will you go with when you leave?”
“Just Franc and Darky.”
While talking to Yeongeun, Franc brought a black wool coat and put it on me. I picked up Darky who was stuck to my leg and put him in the coat pocket, and Hwayeon handed me the Heavenly Nine-Tailed Fox Seal.
[Go ahead, catch Muscle Bear first and then White Thorn Turtle after that.]
“Catch both? You won’t leave one behind to eat later?”
If I catch them all at once, the US might think of something foolish. But Yeongeun smiled faintly and shook her head.
[I know what Seoha is thinking. But this matter shouldn’t leave room to divide it. Since the UK and Russia are also involved in this matter, the US won’t be able to think foolishly, and the image of Seoha hunting aberrants will be broadcast live across the US, so if you only catch one and leave, the arrows of blame directed at the US government and Trumpet will also head toward Seoha.]
“Okay. Then I’ll leave now.”
[Ah~ wait a moment. By now, the helicopter sent from the air base should have arrived, right? It hasn’t come yet?]
Helicopter? Is that the one flying from the south toward this side? The helicopter I checked with Spatial Perception had a very peculiar appearance, flying straight toward Grand Blue Building at a surprisingly fast speed.
“There’s one strangely shaped helicopter flying….”
[Yeah. That’s it. Since there might be variables in hunting aberrants, you always have to be careful. And Franc, keep an eye on Seoha so nothing bad happens to him!]
“What? You don’t trust me?”
Yeongeun’s tone full of laughter made Franc smile and me grumble in a feigned displeased way, and Yeongeun playfully winked and chuckled.
[Of course I trust you~! But I can’t trust the other girls?]
“Yeah yeah. I’ll ignore the eyes of the other untrustworthy girls and quickly crush them.”
“Come back safely.”
After approaching, I kissed Hwayeon’s lips as she hugged me, and at that moment, Miho returned carrying a large bag of snacks.
- I’m back… uh? Are you going to work, Master? -
“Yeah. I’ll be back soon, so Hwayeon, listen to Yeongeun well and wait quietly.”
- Yeah! Come back safely! -
I stroked Miho’s head, who was waving both hands after throwing away the snack bag, and she said “Uhi hi!” while snuggling into my chest, rubbing her face all over my chest.
Receiving the farewell from the family, I hugged Franc’s waist and used Space Leaping to the area near the helicopter port where the military helicopter was parked.
The helicopter port had a defense-colored helicopter with propellers spinning in the air… but strangely, it had two rotor heads, one on top and one on bottom, with two of them.
The four main blades on top and four on the bottom rotating in opposite directions was intriguing. Moreover, the tail gear attached to the side instead of the rear seemed to provide more propulsion.
“Interesting. I’ve never seen a rotor head with two like this.”
“Coaxial counter-rotor. Plus, it can accelerate with the rear propeller, so it’s incomparably faster than regular helicopters, but I heard it’s not used for military purposes because the manufacturing process is complex, labor-intensive, and it has fewer passengers… but it seems they brought it for Seoha.”
“Not me, they must have rushed to get it.”
“Pfft. That makes sense.”
While chatting with Franc, I inspected the helicopter and found it was a four-seater that could accommodate four people including the pilot. When Franc and I suddenly appeared at the helicopter port, a man in the co-pilot seat quickly jumped down and ran toward us.
He was a tall black man in a black suit, and after glancing at Franc standing next to me with a tense expression, he bowed his waist toward me.
“Good day. I am Captain Micheal Cox of the Special Operations Command of the ROK-US Combined Forces. I will escort Chairman Grand Blue to Osan Air Base.”
Without much to say, I just nodded and walked toward the whirring helicopter, and Captain Cox quickly ran and opened the helicopter door. The helicopter door was oddly sliding, not hinged.
I let Franc in first and followed, and Captain Cox closed the door. The soundproofing was amazing. As the helicopter lifted off, there was no rotor sound echoing or ears feeling muffled.
Normally, helicopters require headsets to block noise, but here there was none.
Should I buy one later to let Yeongeun or Hwayeon use for work?