Chapter 582: A Stale Old Connection (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 582: A Stale Old Connection (1)
The birth of a new government ministry, composed of individuals with backgrounds as Hunters.
A heated debate erupted over the matter.
Some argued that with the Hunter Association already in place, a new ministry was unnecessary, while others countered that too much power shouldn't be concentrated in one place.
There were opinions that exclusively selecting former Hunters was discriminatory, and counter-opinions that it was acceptable for such a specialized field.
While both sides presented plausible arguments in a tense standoff, one thing became certain.
The establishment of a new ministry for national security.
On this point, the entire nation was in agreement.
Hunters were unanimously saying that the resolution of the recent incident was nothing short of a miracle.
And they said more.
There was no guarantee they could defend against a similar incident so smoothly in the future.
No, they insisted the damage would be incomparably greater than what they had just experienced.
The assertions of those who had stood on the front lines of the incident stirred great unease in the hearts of the people.
And one more person.
The President, too, was swayed by their words.
He had seen it with his own eyes.
When the disaster struck, the majority of those summoned to the emergency meeting had done nothing but pace anxiously, unable to offer a single decent opinion.
‘The current structure is absolutely unacceptable.’
A security system that could be swayed by a single person, or by sheer luck.
Wasn't that the equivalent of standing on the edge of a cliff, praying the ground beneath wouldn't crumble?
He had to overhaul the system before they all fell into the abyss.
And the Hunters, too, had to improve their emergency response capabilities through training.
The ruling party moved according to his will, and the opposition party accepted it.
They knew all too well that standing against the will of the people would leave them with nothing.
The establishment of the new ministry proceeded swiftly.
After going through various processes, the ministry was named the ‘Ministry of Land Protection.’
The first minister of this department, composed of former and current Hunters, was a man named Maeng Gi-yong.
A former A-rank Hunter, a current member of the National Assembly, and the man who had orchestrated the current turn of events.
The Ministry of Land Protection.
Sitting in the minister's office of the building assigned to the MLP, as it was called for short, he loosened the necktie that was choking him and made a call on his smartphone.
“I’ve finished as you instructed.”
His actions had been carried out entirely under orders.
A sudden disaster.
Using it to create a sense of crisis, leading to the establishment of a new ministry.
The damage had been less than expected, which made things a bit precarious, but fortunately, the result wasn't bad.
The key to their success was not focusing on the damage itself, but emphasizing that the resolution of the disaster was achieved solely through the miraculous power of one individual.
“Even Kim Do-jin won’t be able to do anything about it this time.”
He had interfered with the organization's work countless times, but Maeng Gi-yong was certain that this time, it was impossible.
There was nothing illegal, no manipulation involved.
It was merely a reflection of the people's will.
Of course, he and the organization had incited public opinion to converge that way, but wasn't that a common occurrence in politics?
Still, he couldn't let his guard down.
“Now that we’ve achieved our primary objective, I will lay low for the time being.”
For a while, the organization's activities would cease, and he would focus his efforts on the public activities of the MLP.
He planned to ensure that this fledgling ministry gained more power than any other.
He intended to gradually expand its influence.
“If you continue to share the situation elsewhere, I will act accordingly. Yes, I will.”
Maeng Gi-yong ended the call, maintaining a consistently polite demeanor.
He rose from his chair and looked down at the people walking on the streets below.
Hothouse flowers, living their peaceful daily lives again as if nothing had happened.
It wouldn't be long now.
Their lives would not change.
Just as it was in the past and is in the present, so it will be in the future.
They had always crawled on the ground.
The only thing that changed was the sky that covered them from moment to moment.
“It’s not far off.”
It wouldn't be long.
The day they would reign as the sky above their heads.
Until that day comes, he would just have to act like he was on their side a little longer.
Just as the measures he implemented with such thoughts gained massive public approval, and support for the MLP was at its peak…
A sudden disaster unfolded in nearby Vietnam and the Philippines.
* * *
My rather long hospital stay was finally over.
I was there for a total of ten days.
I could have been discharged immediately, but they were so insistent on keeping me, saying it was obvious I wouldn't rest and would just run around if they let me out.
“This is why sharp women are such a pain.”
Maybe because we’ve spent so much time together, they know me too well.
“Well, it wasn’t bad, though.”
It feels pretty damn good.
It means they care about me and cherish me that much.
“My body definitely feels lighter, too.”
For ten days, I did absolutely nothing.
I couldn't even have sex.
Every woman who stood guard, as if they’d all made a pact, turned me down.
Thanks to that, my sexual frustration built up, but on the flip side, my body felt much lighter.
It was as if all the fatigue that had unknowingly accumulated had been washed away.
“Time to get moving again.”
Over the past ten days, Hexagram, having won a tactical victory, had made some pretty fierce advances.
The birth of a new government ministry.
“The name was… the MLP, was it?”
The Ministry of Land Protection.
This ministry, created at a speed that was practically railroaded through every process, was currently enjoying the fervent support of the public and growing rapidly.
The minister's name was Maeng Gi-yong.
During his active days, he was an A-rank Hunter who was close to S-rank, and a man I’d crossed paths with a few times in the past.
I remember him as a good person.
Unlike me, who became a Hunter just for the money, he had a sense of duty, and because of that, he was well-respected.
“I was one of the people who respected him.”
We’d had drinks together once or twice, and we always greeted each other with bright faces whenever we met.
I even used his unusual surname, Maeng, to give him the nickname "the Bullfrog Ajae."
“I was really disappointed when he retired.”
He chose to retire even though he was perfectly capable of continuing his work.
It wasn't because of an injury or fear.
Maeng Gi-yong wanted to establish a clearer system and set of rules for the still-unsystematic Hunter society.
To guarantee Hunters' rights while reducing the risks.
He said he would create a balance that respected their noble sacrifices but curbed any sense of entitlement.
He couldn't do that as a Hunter.
So, he made the bold decision to retire as a Hunter and enter politics.
At the time, he was well-respected and popular, so he easily won a seat in the Assembly.
But that was as far as it went.
“Getting in was easy… but he couldn’t survive there.”
A world filled with all sorts of scheming and incitement.
The influence of the wily, veteran politicians who had survived there their whole lives was immense, and he was utterly powerless.
If he proposed ten policies, nine were dismissed as soon as he brought them up, and the last one couldn't get past the opposition.
He spent four years like that, and though he won re-election, his standing didn't change.
In fact, it became even more precarious.
He was once remembered as a popular Hunter, but not anymore.
Now, he was just another unremarkable member of the National Assembly.
His expression had changed a lot, too.
The eyes that once overflowed with vigor and passion had long since lost their light.
I thought he had finally broken after hitting the wall of reality.
“But they’re shining again.”
After crouching for so long, he had stepped forward with confidence, and his eyes were shining.
They looked just like they did when he retired as a Hunter and entered the world of politics.
The only difference was that his goal had changed.
“To think a man like that became a puppet for Hexagram…”
The MLP is clearly a ploy by Hexagram.
A sudden terrorist attack.
Using it to seize power.
The two events aligned with far too perfect timing.
And Maeng Gi-yong is one of the people who benefited most from this incident.
He went from being a congressman most of the public didn't even know by name to the Minister of Land Protection, basking in the nation's fervent support.
“Their growth rate is too excessive.”
No matter how much public support they have, their rate of growth is far too fast.
If they continue on this path, it's hard to fathom just how much power they'll end up with.
If these people, having grown so strong, reveal their sinister intentions in the future…
“…With a little exaggeration, the entire country could be turned upside down.”
And it’s not even that much of an exaggeration.
What if he and all the personnel of the Ministry of Land Protection are members of Hexagram?
And what if they could gain the support of active Hunters?
It wouldn't be impossible for them to overthrow the Republic of Korea with military force alone.
“What a mess.”
The terror attack was the starting point of their grand plan.
And not only was I defeated in that opening battle, but I was also thoroughly used.
“I can't just let you have your way.”
Thanks to them, my motivation is boiling over.
I'm the type who can't take a punch without giving one back.
I immediately drive my car to the Association.
“Man, this place is like a funeral home.”
As soon as I step into the building, a gloomy atmosphere hangs in the air.
Ever since the Ministry of Land Protection appeared, the Association has been stripped of many of the powers it once held almost exclusively.
That's how people are.
You don't know what you're missing if you never had it, but it feels awful to have something taken away.
I walk past the employees dealing with visitors with somewhat melancholic smiles and get on the elevator.
My destination is the underground interrogation room.
Ding!
When the elevator arrives, a familiar face comes into view.
“Director Kim?”
Director Kim Seong-tae, a man I’d connected with during my time as a department head and with whom I still maintain a good relationship.
He had come to meet me in front of the elevator.
“It’s been a while, Hunter Kim Do-jin.”
“Yes, it has. Have you been well… no, I guess you wouldn’t have been.”
I realized midway through my perfunctory question that it was unnecessary.
How could a director of the Hunter Association, which was constantly losing ground to the new Ministry, have been doing well?
Anyway.
“What brings you all the way down here? Did you come to see me?”
“…I did.”
Director Kim Seong-tae replies, nodding with a dark expression.
“What is it? Why do you look so grim?”
To my question, he answered.
“…We’ve lost Jincheon to the Ministry of Land Protection.”
“Wow.”
This is a real problem.