Private Audience
Im Seong-woo stepped through the main entrance and followed a waiting staff member to the elevator. Once inside, he pressed the button for the tenth floor.
"Is he waiting for me inside?"
Im Seong-woo asked the employee who had pressed the button.
"Yes, sir. The Director is expecting you."
Im Seong-woo gave a slight nod and stood still. Behind him stood three of his aides.
Ding.
The elevator doors opened with a chime.
"Welcome. Please, this way."
A neatly dressed man standing before the elevator bowed with practiced courtesy. Someone from the secretariat, perhaps.
"If you would follow me."
They stepped out of the elevator and followed the man who had greeted them so respectfully down the corridor, until they came to a halt before a door marked with a plaque reading Director's Office.
"One moment, please."
Knock, knock.
He knocked, gently opened the door, and slipped inside.
In the meantime, Im Seong-woo and the aides who had accompanied him waited.
How much time passed, he could not say. Then the door opened again, and the staff member stepped aside.
"Please, go in."
At those words, Im Seong-woo entered with his aides.
Stepping calmly into the room, Im Seong-woo took in the desk and chair bearing a nameplate that read Director Kang Jung-gil, the bookshelves lined with volumes of every kind. Before them stood a long table, a sofa of honor set at its head, and a matching long sofa facing it. To the left sat two figures.
His gaze moved past them quickly and settled on the man standing by the window.
One hand in his pocket, smoking a cigarette.
Kang Jung-gil, Director of the National Safety Group.
"Have a seat there."
At the invitation, Im Seong-woo gave a slight nod, crossed the room, and sat at the front of the empty sofa on the right. His aides took their places beside him. Kang Jung-gil turned from the window, approached at an unhurried pace, and settled into the seat of honor.
Hiss...
He ground the cigarette butt into the ashtray set before him, then pressed a button installed at one corner of the head seat.
"Coffee, if you would."
"Yes, Director."
Connected to the secretariat, no doubt.
So this is Kang Jung-gil?
Im Seong-woo had seen him on television any number of times. Meeting him in person, however, was a first.
In truth, when he had gone to the Monster Hole, Im Seong-woo had half expected he might run into Kang Jung-gil — he had arrived fully resolved to enter, after all. But Kang Jung-gil had not been there. Surprisingly, the man seated across from him now, Jeon Dok-jin, had granted him permission to enter the Monster Hole.
Im Seong-woo did not believe that decision had been made on Jeon Dok-jin's own authority. The man before him — Kang Jung-gil — must have given his consent. That was how Im Seong-woo saw it.
Even after that, their paths had never crossed. Kang Jung-gil, it turned out, was not one to throw himself into public affairs. And yet today, here they were — meeting at last. Once again, over the matter of the Monster Holes.
"Well then. Shall we start with introductions?"
At Kang Jung-gil's question, Im Seong-woo spoke.
"As the Director is no doubt aware, I hold the position of Executive Director of the Cheonseong Group, and I am also Guild Master of the Cheonseong Guild. Beside me is Park Chang-jun, Vice Guild Master; next to him, Department Heads Seo Gang-jae and Lee Seok-pil. Deputy Director Jeon Dok-jin, seated across from us, will already be familiar with our faces."
Jeon Dok-jin, seated opposite, gave a nod.
"That's correct, Director. Last year, when I was stationed at the base camp overseeing the first Monster Hole, I encountered Executive Director Im Seong-woo and these gentlemen."
"I see."
Kang Jung-gil nodded.
But hearing those words left Park Chang-jun, Seo Gang-jae, and Lee Seok-pil distinctly displeased. Even if the man was Deputy Director of the National Safety Group, addressing Im Seong-woo without so much as an honorific sat poorly with them.
As things stood, Im Seong-woo was one of the three great pillars of power in the country — a man who commanded thirty Line Guilds under the Cheonseong Guild's banner. Even the National Safety Group could not afford to treat him lightly.
"I've heard a great deal about you."
At Executive Director Im's words, Kang Jung-gil offered a wry smile.
"I've heard a fair amount about you as well, Executive Director Im — from my Deputy Director. What sort of man you are, and so on."
"I take it he didn't have anything flattering to say."
"He didn't, no."
It was an odd exchange between the two of them. Yet the atmosphere remained calm and measured.
"The fellow seated beside Deputy Director Jeon Dok-jin is our Administrative Chief, who oversees the National Safety Group's overall administration."
"Jeong In-su, Administrative Chief. A pleasure."
Jeong In-su, a man of serious bearing behind thick-rimmed glasses, looked to be in his early forties. Even at a glance, he carried a rigid, unyielding air.
A short while later, a knock came and the door opened. A female secretary in a tailored skirt suit entered and set down coffee cups in turn.
And this, too, left Park Chang-jun, Seo Gang-jae, and Lee Seok-pil dissatisfied.
The secretary had placed cups before Kang Jung-gil, Jeon Dok-jin, and Jeong In-su first — and only then before Im Seong-woo, Seo Gang-jae, and Lee Seok-pil.
Serving the Director first was already grating enough. But to set coffee before the Deputy Director and the Administrative Chief ahead of Im Seong-woo was an affront to their pride.
To Park Chang-jun, Seo Gang-jae, and Lee Seok-pil, Im Seong-woo was nothing less than the sky itself — a figure they looked up to without reservation.
Beginning with Jon Davis, the title of Sky had come to be affixed to those Awakeners capable of shaking an entire nation. At present, three such beings were known to exist in the United States, and Japan had officially declared the existence of one. China had claimed six — though given that nation's long history of inflating its economic figures to project prosperity, the claim was far from certain. Still, with a population exceeding 1.5 billion, the possibility could not be dismissed outright. India, nearly as populous, had officially confirmed four Skies — one more than the United States. And among those who stood shoulder to shoulder with such beings was Im Seong-woo himself.
Of course, Im Seong-woo had never publicly declared that he had reached such a level. But the rumor that Executive Director Im had attained that very height was already widespread and openly discussed.
"Well then. Shall we get down to business?"
With the coffee served and the introductions complete, they finally turned to the matter at hand.
"I trust the Director and everyone present are well aware of why we have come here today. As I stated in my earlier announcement, in the United States and the broader Western sphere — and in Japan, which follows America's lead — authority over the Monster Holes has shifted from the government to the Awakeners themselves. I believe our country must do the same."
"Is that so?"
"Director, may I say a word?"
Administrative Chief Jeong In-su, seated at the far left, requested permission to speak.
"Go ahead."
At Kang Jung-gil's leave, Jeong In-su's rigid expression did not soften as he opened his mouth.
"What Executive Director Im Seong-woo has said is true enough — but there is one point he has left unmentioned."
"And what is that?"
"It is true that Awakeners now exercise primary control over the interests surrounding the Monster Holes. But behind that arrangement lies a compulsion — a force that left those governments with little choice."
"A compulsion that left them no choice?"
"As the Director well knows, those nations possess individuals capable of uniting the Awakeners under a single authority."
"You mean those they call Skies."
"Precisely. When Jon Davis first appeared before the world, the American people called him a heavenly god — or simply the Sky. He possessed power and ability far exceeding that of any commonly known Awakener. It is widely believed that, should he so choose, he holds the strength to shake the United States itself. The federal and state governments could hardly overlook that fact. In time, the federal government dispatched a negotiating team, and through deliberation they reached an agreement as partners."
Those Awakeners called Skies were said to possess the power to overturn a nation.
The protective barriers Awakeners generated to shield themselves could, remarkably, deflect and stop even bullets. The reason modern weaponry proved so ineffective against monsters was precisely this energy-based barrier. And the only force capable of shattering it was the psychic energy that Awakeners themselves wielded. Conventional arms struggled mightily to break through a monster's protective shield. The fact that even a goblin could not be killed by gunfire was proof enough.
"China, which proclaims socialism and maintains a powerful central government, is likewise quite generous when it comes to Awakener interests. And Japan, not long after the Awakeners' stake in the Monster Holes became clearly defined, officially announced the existence of one individual bearing the title of Sky."
"And so you regard it as compulsion — a form of unspoken pressure."
"I do. Awakeners are superhumans who have transcended the limits of ordinary people. Even the weakest among them can defeat a professional fighter of the ordinary world. That is the reality we face."
There were ranks among Awakeners, and those who belonged to the lowest tier certainly existed. But that hierarchy applied only among Awakeners themselves. To ordinary people, every last one of them was a superhuman.
"That is the position as stated. I would like to hear your thoughts on the matter."
"......"
Even under Kang Jung-gil's gaze, Executive Director Im Seong-woo did not open his mouth.
"Director, may I be permitted a word?"
It was not Im Seong-woo who spoke, but Department Head Seo Gang-jae.
"By all means."
At Kang Jung-gil's leave, Seo Gang-jae began.
"What Administrative Chief Jeong In-su has said carries considerable weight. Beings like Jon Davis — those called Skies — are, as one might expect, powerful enough to shake entire nations. But I would ask that you not overlook this point."
"Which point is that?"
"It is precisely because such beings exist that the great chaos was brought under control, and social order restored. Had they not existed, the United States — and the world at large — would still be mired in upheaval. That is why America, the European nations, and even China treat their Awakeners with such deference. I do not believe it can be reduced to mere coercion."
Having said that much, Seo Gang-jae wore a look of quiet confidence.
"In that case, I would argue that the present system is the correct one."
Jeon Dok-jin, who had kept silent until then, cut into the conversation.
"What do you mean by that?"
At Seo Gang-jae's question, Jeon Dok-jin looked him straight in the eye and spoke again.
"By your own reasoning, Department Head, it is only natural that the National Safety Group maintain its current hold over the interests of the Monster Holes. Who was it that quelled the chaos in this country and established the order we have now? It was Director Kang Jung-gil, seated right here — and the National Safety Group itself. Bearing that in mind, there is nothing strange whatsoever about the National Safety Group holding its present position and keeping that order intact."
"......"
Jeon Dok-jin's words, cutting straight to the heart of the matter after his long silence, left Seo Gang-jae momentarily speechless.
The truth was that the order born from the nation's great chaos had not been established by Executive Director Im Seong-woo. It had been established by the man sitting right here — Kang Jung-gil.
Leading the National Safety Group, Kang Jung-gil had nearly single-handedly crushed the Awakeners who had spread terror across the country. And the title he had earned for it was none other than Jeoldaeja — The Absolute.
"Indeed. By Deputy Director Jeon Dok-jin's reading of the Department Head's own argument, there is nothing strange about myself and the National Safety Group remaining exactly where we are."
A clean thrust to the soft underbelly.
I made a mistake.
Seo Gang-jae felt a sudden jolt of realization. Knowing the true extent of Executive Director Im's power, he had framed everything around him — and in doing so, he had misspoken.
"Executive Director. What is your view on this?"
This time, Kang Jung-gil addressed Im Seong-woo directly and without ambiguity.
"It is true that, as Department Head Seo framed the situation, the present order is not without its justification."
Seo Gang-jae's face burned. He had well and truly put his foot in it.
But Im Seong-woo was not finished.
"That said, it does not follow that the current system must continue indefinitely."
Kang Jung-gil looked at him as if inviting the reason.
"Because the Awakeners operating within this country are deeply dissatisfied."
"Dissatisfied?"
"The National Safety Group claims that entry into the Monster Holes is selected randomly and fairly. But in the end, every decision rests with the National Safety Group alone. A system without autonomy breeds nothing but discord and conflict."
"And you are saying the Cheonseong Guild has the capacity to quell that conflict?"
"Of course."
"On what grounds?"
"Because I exist."
In that instant, Jeon Dok-jin's expression hardened.