Chapter 195: I’m Just a Kind and Innocent Citizen Who Knows Nothing of Politics
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 195: I’m Just a Kind and Innocent Citizen Who Knows Nothing of Politics
“Ugh—!!”
Duran snapped his eyes open at the heavy impact. His vision was blurry as he frantically scanned his surroundings.
He soon realized something was covering his face, blocking his sight, and the memory of why he had lost consciousness came rushing back.
The citizens enraged at the Seni Faction, the clashes with agents trying to suppress the violent protests.
The country was in chaos, but it had clearly been a victory for the Jorge Faction.
So why was he being held captive?
He remembered someone attacking him amidst the confusion. It had been a calculated move, an ambush lying in wait. He had managed to take down a few, but the assailant’s skill was too great, and he was eventually subdued.
As he processed his situation, someone roughly grabbed Duran’s hair and yanked off the hood covering his face.
Rough-looking men entered his field of vision, but Duran’s attention was drawn more to the people collapsed beside him than the mysterious thugs in front of him.
“Bonuslo! Aziz! You Seni Faction dogs! You’re already finished! What do you think you’re doing?!!”
Bonuslo and Aziz were members of the Jorge Faction and Hera’s closest confidants.
The moment he saw their cold corpses, Duran realized why he had been brought here. The Seni Faction had already fallen beyond recovery, but those filthy bastards who couldn't give up power were struggling until the bitter end.
As he hurled curses at the thugs, a girl with a bright, sunny smile stepped out from the shadows.
“Wow~ Mr. Duran, you were much stronger than the reports suggested. Thanks to you, four of our boys are dead.”
“You are…”
“Oh? You know me?”
How could he not?
She was the representative of the Ancient Facility who had gone around stirring up trouble in Barbat alongside Seo Yeon-woo, and the owner of the hotel.
Duran, who had assisted Hera right by her side, couldn't possibly fail to recognize Park Yu-jeong—the demon wearing the mask of an angel.
“Why… just why… did you decide to side with the Seni Faction…?”
“A sinking… no, why would I board a ship that’s already underwater? You’re quite innocent if you still don’t understand.”
Park Yu-jeong squatted down to meet his eyes and giggled as if Duran were adorable.
If not for the current situation, her radiant smile would have looked like a scene of youth from a pure-hearted girl.
“Are you… are you planning to take down Lady Hera as well and seize Barbat for yourselves?”
Seo Yeon-woo had already shown demonic resourcefulness. He had flipped the board so completely that Duran thought it would have been better to mess with the Daihara Family instead. He had left Barbat like a flickering candle in the wind.
What if that demon was greedy for Barbat itself?
Park Yu-jeong stared blankly at Duran’s terrified expression, then let out a sigh, her eyes losing interest.
“Sigh—this is no fun. No wonder Barbat is in this state when there’s such a lack of talent. Ah, is that why they say Hera isn't a disaster, but a 'human error'?”
“… …”
“Look closely. Is the Jorge Faction the only thing you and the dead people next to you have in common?”
At Park Yu-jeong’s words, Duran calmly organized his thoughts.
The Jorge Faction, Lady Hera’s confidants, and… those who knew about the plan to frame Seo Yeon-woo.
As Duran’s eyes widened, Park Yu-jeong finally smiled again.
“Yes, your 'perhaps' is correct. It’s time for the hunting dogs to die.”
“L-Lady Hera would never—gack!”
Duran, who hadn't lost his trust until the very end, collapsed while staring down at the dagger plunged into his heart.
Park Yu-jeong stood up and held out her blood-stained hand. A waiting secretary approached and began to wipe it clean.
“Was it really necessary to dispose of these people as well?”
“Why? Is something strange?”
“I understand Seo Yeon-woo is angry, but I think this is a bit of an emotional response.”
The one currently pulling Hera’s strings was Seo Yeon-woo. It was understandable that he’d want payback for being framed, but killing these people didn't seem helpful.
Since the Jorge Faction had seized power, the only remaining enemies were other members of the Jorge Faction. They should be preserving Hera’s forces as much as possible; this kind of emotional reaction wasn't good.
“Emotional… do you really think so? Do you think Yeon-woo is that stupid?”
“Is there another plan?”
At the secretary’s question, Park Yu-jeong looked at her and grinned. The chilling smile made the secretary stop wiping the blood. Park Yu-jeong glanced down and spoke.
“Your hand stopped.”
“Ah, I-I’m sorry.”
“I really like Yeon-woo. I like him even more because of this incident. I used to think that while he was clever, he was too kind and soft-hearted. But you know, right? You can’t just be kind in this world.”
The secretary focused on Park Yu-jeong’s words even while wiping the blood.
“Well—being kind is better than being a total bastard. But there are times when you have to be cruel, and times when you have to make decisions that don't follow the path of goodness. When that happens, people who are too nice, like Akito, end up making frustrating decisions.”
“… …”
“That’s why I think balance is important. Someone who is fundamentally good but does what needs to be done when necessary. Isn't that charming? So, going back to the beginning, why did he kill Hera’s confidants?”
“I am still too dull to understand.”
“Hehe, it’s obvious. Because they’d get in the way of controlling Hera.”
The secretary was finally struck by the realization of Seo Yeon-woo’s intent.
He wasn't giving her the chance to build an independent power base by taking away everything she had. Though she had risen as a national hero, Hera, lacking a faction, would have to struggle to survive within the Jorge Faction.
To maintain her power, where would Hera have to get her strength?
Only from Seo Yeon-woo.
Hera would have to cling to Seo Yeon-woo just to survive. Every time she relied on him and borrowed his strength, she would inevitably become subordinate to him.
As if enjoying the secretary’s shocked face, Park Yu-jeong laughed brightly.
“Even I didn't expect Yeon-woo to go this far. It’s made me like him even more.”
* * *
Ugh, I feel like crap.
This political maneuvering isn't something you can keep doing; it feels disgusting even when everything goes according to plan.
‘Once you start, don’t sympathize, and don’t feel pity. Finish it completely. That’s the only way you’ll survive.’
Something like this happened back when I was working at the company.
There was a person who wasn't exactly a political rival, but there was some friction. My team leader didn't just win; he destroyed that person’s life to the point where I wondered, How is he going to live now? Is he going to commit suicide?
It was so cruel, as if he were dealing with his parents' murderer, so I asked the team leader about it. That was his answer.
At the time, I just thought, Wow, I should never mess with the team leader, but later, when I was doing my own political maneuvering, I stopped at what I thought was a reasonable line, only to get stabbed in the back.
Humans never forget a grudge, and they never forgive the person who takes away their livelihood.
Stopping at a reasonable line? I realized then how arrogant and stupid that thought was.
I’m not invincible, and the opponent won’t always be weak. Once you’ve decided to be hostile, you have to crush them completely so they can’t recover.
Team Leader, I don’t know if you’re still making a living through politics, but I’m working hard using the things you taught me.
Though now, instead of just getting people fired, I’m killing them.
That’s why I feel even worse.
At the company, I just had to kick them out, but here, I have to do much worse things. I feel like a cold-blooded, heartless bastard in a hard-boiled gangster movie.
Actually, it’s not that I feel like one; I am one.
The plan worked too well, it went exactly as intended, and too many people died.
Innocent people… or maybe they weren't. I don’t even know.
It would have been better if I’d known, but I killed them simply because it was necessary, choosing lives based on cold calculation.
Amidst the chaos of the near-rebellion protests, the Greyhound mercenaries eliminated the Seni Faction members, and to isolate Hera, they killed her inner circle.
It was just a simple battle. You could easily think of it as being the same as killing someone who was trying to kill you. I’ve grown used to that much by now.
It would be easier to think that way, but if I did, I’d eventually become accustomed and indifferent to these things. And if I became indifferent, I’d do this kind of thing whenever it was profitable or necessary.
I must never let that happen. If this repeats…
“So, how are you going to compensate for the damages?!”
No, if this is repeated, I’ll lose who I am…
“To frame a citizen of Alfheim and a student of Yggdrasil, is this even possible?!”
… …
Dammit, I’m trying to have a deep existential crisis about my morality, but it’s so noisy around here.
Seriously, even if I want to live a good life, the people around me are the problem. If you keep this up, I might just stop caring about morality altogether!
I let out a sigh and looked up.
I was currently sitting in an unofficial meeting room where diplomats from various countries had gathered.
Meeting, my ass. This wasn't a meeting; it was a collective lynching of Barbat.
“Barbat has committed an unacceptable act in the international community and betrayed our trust. How are you going to take responsibility for this?”
Now that Hera had announced that Barbat had led the framing of me, these bastards were all wearing huge grins while threatening her. They never cared about me for a second, yet they were acting all righteous.
Since Barbat had apologized first and revealed all the causes, Hera, who had come as the representative, was being treated like a student being scolded by a teacher rather than a fellow politician.
It couldn't be helped. I was the one who blew this up, and now the hyenas had gathered. Since I started this, I had to clean it up.
“If you’re going to be like this, Alfheim will officially—”
“Excuse me.”
“Ah, Mr. Seo Yeon-woo. You’ve been through a lot. Now, leave it to us—”
“Who are you?”
“… … I am here to clear your name and protect our citizens—”
“Did you protect me? When?”
“… …”
Let’s just talk about the facts.
The person who cleared my name was Hera, and the ones who punished the Seni Faction for framing me were the righteous citizens of Barbat.
“That’s strange. I didn't receive any help from our government.”
“… That’s because you were locked in prison, Yeon-woo, so you didn't receive proper information—”
“No? I saw everything. I even used a phone in prison. Ms. Hera helped me from the very beginning~ I saw the news articles and I saw exactly who did what. Ah, I remember now. You’re the one who was shouting about how the Ancient Facility belongs to us, right? You didn't say a single word about me.”
“… …”
Who would have thought I’d be using a phone while locked in prison?
Ignoring our government diplomat or whatever he was, who had gone silent, I looked at the other people from different countries gathered in the hall.
“What did you guys do?”
“This is not something for you to interfere in. This is an international issue and a matter to be resolved between nations.”
“Who was the one who suffered the damage?”
“… …”
“Who was the victim, and who is the involved party? Aren't you the person here with the least to do with this?”
“How rude!”
The man stood up in a rage, but I ignored him and looked around at the others.
“Strange. The only person who saved me was Ms. Hera, so why are all these unrelated people making so much noise?”
“Mr. Seo Yeon-woo, you might not know, but Barbat only moved because we continuously protested and made an issue of it.”
A dignified-looking man offered a plausible opinion.
I had to agree with that. After all, I was the one who set the stage for it.
But I’m just an innocent young man who knows nothing of politics or international dynamics, just like you all think.
“Eh? Really? Then Ms. Hera’s rescue of me wasn't out of pure intentions? She wasn't a hero?”
“… … No, that’s not what I meant…”
He couldn't say it out loud in a place like this. Even if it was unofficial, they were here as representatives of their countries, so every word carried weight. If he agreed with me here, it would become the stance of his nation.
Are you going to become enemies with Barbat from now on? No, right? This is the international community; everyone has to get along.
“Where are you from? Erwan? It’s Erwan, right? Does Erwan think Ms. Hera deceived me? Are you saying she’s not a hero, but a puppet controlled by the pressure of other countries?”
“No. That’s not what I meant. You’re exaggerating too much.”
“Right? Ms. Hera saved me; there’s no way she’d deceive me.”
When I looked at her with an innocent face and smiled, Hera gave a slightly stiff smile while gauging the room.
Hey, if you smile like that, people will get suspicious. Smile naturally. Act like we’re close.
“I’m so grateful to Ms. Hera for saving me that I’m planning to forgive everything that happened.”
“By whose authority?!”
“Whose authority? The victim’s, of course. Did you suffer any damage from this?”
“International relations aren't that simp—”
“International relations or whatever, isn't this matter between me and Barbat? Ah, I guess Yggdrasil is included too. Could the rest of you explain one by one what you have to do with this? Let’s start with the gentleman who just stood up.”
“… …”
What could you possibly have to say?
‘I wanted to get a piece of the Ancient Facility because I’m greedy.’ Is there anything else to say?
“Since our citizen was unfairly victimized, we, Alfheim, are an involved party.”
“Ah! That’s right. Please help me, a kind citizen. Won’t you punish the Seni Faction who framed me?”
“Not just the Seni Faction, but Barbat—”
“No. Barbat didn't screw me over, did they? You said it was the Seni Faction. Then you should only punish the Seni Faction. What is this, collective responsibility? Communism?”
“The Seni Faction is part of Barbat’s political sphere, so…”
“So, just the Seni Faction. It wasn't something all of Barbat did.”
“No, this isn't something that can be resolved so easily…”
The man let out a sigh as if he were about to explode. It must be frustrating talking to a brick wall.
I understand. But I can’t help it either.
I kept bringing up the Seni Faction, and the man kept trying to hold the nation accountable.
While we were wasting time playing a useless game of verbal squash, aides rushed over and whispered to the representatives.
It was a good sight to see the aides of every country moving in unison, looking quite urgent.
My squash partner… no, our government official, stared at me with a blank expression after hearing his aide’s words.
“Did you… sell the Ancient Facility?”
“Yes, I sold it. Rumors travel fast; it’s already spread?”
I gave a bright smile and reached out to Hera.
“Please consult with the owner, Ms. Hera, regarding matters related to the Ancient Facility from now on.”
Everyone gathered in the hall fell into despair. All this fuss was because of the Ancient Facility, but to find out it had already been sold before the meeting meant they had gone through all this trouble for nothing.
Some people left while saying they’d see about this, as if I were mocking them, but I wonder if that’s okay.
From now on, they’ll have to consult with Hera to use the facility, so shouldn't they try to look good in front of her even if they hate it?
What if I get pissed… I mean, what if Hera gets pissed and lets every other country use it except yours?
Anyway, I resolved it by being incredibly stubborn, but I suppose it worked because I acted like a total nuisance.
They’re so weak against nuisances. Did they all grow up in good families and only follow elite courses? If we’d had a sophisticated debate armed with logic and intellect, I would have been utterly crushed.
Hera had an uneasy look in her eyes, so I gave her a broad smile.
For now, the immediate problem is solved. You’ll have to work hard from here on out. I’ll give you as much support as possible so you don’t get pushed around easily.
Whether it was through stubbornness or whatever, I saved Barbat for now, so we’re good, right?
Hey, smile. We’re friends.