Chapter 492: Changing Incheon (5)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 492: Changing Incheon (5)
Moon Tae-jun couldn't believe his ears.
The report from his subordinate defied all common sense.
"...Jo Min-woo was defeated? No, he's dead?"
"Yes, sir. Jo Min-woo died during his promotion exam against Lee Tae-seong. Furthermore, all thirty-one members of Incheon's Directly Controlled Unit passed their respective exams. How should we handle this? We've temporarily detained them to prevent their return to Incheon, but we lack the legal grounds to punish them solely based on their affiliation."
"Are you fucking kidding me?"
A wave of dizziness washed over him.
Thirty-one passes.
That alone was staggering, but the real crisis was the death of Jo Min-woo, a vital asset to the Central Government.
‘Jo Min-woo is one of Geumcheon-gu Representative Jo Dal-su's men. I went through a hell of a lot of trouble to borrow his strength for this operation. If I tell him Jo Min-woo is dead, all hell will break loose. Damn it. How is this even possible? According to the Intelligence Department's findings, it should've been impossible for Lee Tae-seong to defeat Jo Min-woo. Yet, the entire Directly Controlled Unit, including him, passed the promotion exam. A change I know nothing about is taking place in Incheon.’
His mouth went dry.
Although Central Government investigators wielded immense power over the provinces, District Representatives like Jo Dal-su were an entirely different breed. The title of "Representative" didn't imply the existence of some democratic council in Geumcheon-gu. It was a byproduct of South Korea's deformed political structure—a District Representative answered solely to the President, ruling an entire district with absolute authority.
In short, Jo Dal-su was the king of Geumcheon-gu.
Moon Tae-jun had used the man's influence to back his plans, but now, Jo Min-woo—a subordinate Jo Dal-su cherished dearly—was dead.
‘Representative Jo Dal-su will never let this slide. The problem is, since I was the one who pushed for this operation, I'll end up taking all the blame if I just sit back.’
The math was simple.
An A-Rank Hunter—one of fewer than thirty in all of South Korea—was dead. A precious asset directly tied to Representative Jo Dal-su's power was gone. A scapegoat was absolutely necessary to pay the price. Even an investigator like Moon Tae-jun wouldn't be safe from the fallout. Since Jo Min-woo's death directly weakened Geumcheon-gu's power, Jo Dal-su would undoubtedly seek a target to vent his rage.
He was cornered.
There was no way to resolve this cleanly.
That meant Moon Tae-jun needed to redirect Jo Dal-su's wrath elsewhere by any means necessary.
Moon Tae-jun finally spoke.
"Lee Tae-seong. Arrest him immediately on charges of intentional homicide."
* * *
Lee Tae-seong was moved to a different location.
It was a space originally used as a warehouse at the promotion exam site, now hastily converted into a temporary interrogation room.
The atmosphere was grim.
Under the watchful eyes of the Capital Guardians, Moon Tae-jun entered the room to confront Lee Tae-seong.
Click.
"Lee Tae-seong. Keep in mind that everything from this moment on is being recorded. Let me ask you bluntly. Why on earth did you intentionally murder the promotion examiner, Jo Min-woo?"
"...I had no intention of killing him. He unleashed lethal moves against me, and I merely defended myself."
"Of course. That's what you'd have to say."
Moon Tae-jun's lips twitched.
Lee Tae-seong was likely innocent. As the one who had given Jo Min-woo his orders in the first place, Moon Tae-jun knew the truth better than anyone. But from this moment on, such trivial truths didn't matter. He would make Lee Tae-seong his scapegoat. By forcing him to take the fall and eliminating a newly minted A-Rank powerhouse, he could simultaneously cripple the Incheon Government's growing strength.
Killing two birds with one stone.
He was turning a crisis into an opportunity.
Moon Tae-jun leaned forward.
"The proctor overseeing the match stated that while the fight was within the bounds of the exam, you suddenly used an atrocious, lethal move to blow off Jo Min-woo's head. That is why you are sitting here, Lee Tae-seong. Promotion exams can get heated, yes, but no one uses a move so brutal as to decapitate their opponent. We deem that intentional murder. And the real problem is that the man you killed happened to be the A-Rank Hunter, Jo Min-woo. He was an indispensable, precious asset to South Korea."
"I request a formal trial. My actions were clearly self-defense."
"Self-defense, you say? If you belonged to the Central Government, perhaps there would be room to accept such an excuse."
The hunter's weakness was his affiliation.
The simple fact that Lee Tae-seong belonged to the Incheon Government lent heavy weight to Moon Tae-jun's threats.
"The Incheon Government committed treason by openly defying the Central Government. You claimed you would walk an independent path, but that is not a matter we can simply brush off as local autonomy. Why? Because there is no other region in South Korea like Incheon. Incheon is the only city that has disobeyed the Central Government's orders. That is why I believe this incident is an extension of that defiance. An atrocious crime where you, harboring resentment against the Central Government, intentionally murdered one of its most precious assets."
"W-What on earth are you talking about...!"
"So confess already. Admit that this is the truth. If you cooperate, I'll make sure you live a decent life in prison. But if you keep denying it, you will be exiled to the northern region."
The north.
That land, where North Korea once stood, had been reduced to ruins during the first Great Disaster. It was an uninhabitable wasteland swarming with monsters. Whenever a Great Disaster occurred, tides of monsters would flood down from the north, prompting South Korea to build a massive defensive wall centered around Cheorwon.
Exile to that frozen hellscape meant a slow, agonizing death. Seeing the murderous glint in Moon Tae-jun's eyes, Lee Tae-seong realized the truth would never get through to him.
His interrogator had already decided on the narrative.
Seeing Moon Tae-jun's ruthless determination to wring out a false confession, Lee Tae-seong swallowed his protests and remained silent.
‘If I say this was Incheon's doing, Moon Tae-jun will use the Central Government's authority as a pretext to wipe out the Incheon Government.’
He could not allow that.
He would rather die.
Incheon had found new hope in Roman Dmitry, and Kim Jun-hyeok was finally realizing his dream of building a strong, independent city. Lee Tae-seong refused to ruin that dream. He, too, wanted to watch Incheon change alongside them. He hated the thought of his home bearing the consequences of his actions.
A bitter surge of self-loathing washed over him.
If only he had been stronger.
If only he had been powerful enough to defeat Jo Min-woo without killing him, he could have avoided this entire disaster.
"..."
A heavy silence filled the room.
Lee Tae-seong's resolve was clear.
That was fine too. Moon Tae-jun was more than willing to wrap this up by simply executing Lee Tae-seong. But suddenly, a Guardian signaled from outside the interrogation room.
Creak.
"What is it?"
"Roman Dmitry from Incheon has arrived. He is asking to see Investigator Moon Tae-jun."
"Roman Dmitry?"
It was an entirely unexpected name.
To think that the man who had vanished a month ago would suddenly show his face in Seoul.
Moon Tae-jun smirked.
"How amusing. Bring him in immediately. Let's see what that fraud Roman Dmitry actually looks like."
* * *
It was a tense standoff.
Moon Tae-jun sat face-to-face with Roman Dmitry and Kim Jun-hyeok. A slimy smile stretched across the investigator's face.
"Where have you been all this time? Well, I suppose that has nothing to do with the current incident, so I won't bother asking for an answer. However, the charge against Lee Tae-seong of the Incheon Government—for intentionally murdering an A-Rank Hunter and precious asset to South Korea, Jo Min-woo—is a felony that cannot be resolved with mere excuses."
Creak.
He casually crossed his legs.
This was Seoul. The fact that they were standing on the Central Government's home turf gave Moon Tae-jun boundless confidence.
However.
"You're spouting utter nonsense."
"...What?"
Roman Dmitry's response was ice-cold.
Unable to process such blatant disrespect, Moon Tae-jun's face contorted. He opened his mouth to snap back, but Roman Dmitry spoke first.
"Investigator Moon Tae-jun. Your hostility toward Incheon is painfully obvious. So, why do you think I have maintained my manners with you until now? Because of the power you hold? Because of the Central Government's backing? No. It is because many lives hang on our conversation. The words and actions of those who carry the weight of an entire faction bear a corresponding responsibility."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"I am telling you to speak carefully. Because your words could get all of your people killed."
Roman cast a sidelong glance.
Even without being prompted, Kim Jun-hyeok knew it was his turn to step forward.
"All hunters belonging to the Directly Controlled Unit wear body cams. The footage they record is transmitted directly to my server, which allowed us to verify the situation without needing the promotion exam site to share their official footage," Kim Jun-hyeok stated flatly. "This is the data. If you check the video, you can clearly see that Jo Min-woo openly displayed murderous intent long before Lee Tae-seong killed him. Let me ask you, Investigator Moon Tae-jun. Whose intent was truly malicious? When faced with someone rushing forward to murder him, was Lee Tae-seong supposed to just meekly accept his death?"
Slide.
He pushed a storage drive across the table.
Moon Tae-jun's eyes trembled.
Successfully framing someone required suppressing all of their evidence, but he had never expected them to secure independent proof like this.
Everything was going off-script.
Roman Dmitry's arrogant attitude.
Kim Jun-hyeok's irrefutable evidence.
As panic began to set in, Roman Dmitry's chilling voice rang out once more.
"The information Incheon has gathered is crystal clear. The Central Government has openly tried to suppress the Incheon Government, and during the exam, you showed a clear intent to murder Incheon's precious asset, Lee Tae-seong. When that failed, you tried to pin the blame on him. Investigator Moon Tae-jun, from this moment on, I intend to treat the Central Government's actions as a declaration of war against Incheon. What are your thoughts on this?"
* * *
Moon Tae-jun's breath caught in his throat.
He was utterly bewildered.
The words Roman Dmitry had just uttered belonged to a realm strictly forbidden to weaklings like the Incheon Government.
‘These Incheon bastards must be insane. Otherwise, how could they dare utter the words "declaration of war" against the Central Government!’
A declaration of war.
Goosebumps broke out over his skin. He had assumed a moderate threat would force them to back down. That was how things usually went, but from start to finish, absolutely nothing was going his way.
Rage surged within him.
This was not an insult he could just let slide. Meeting the sharp gaze directed at him, Moon Tae-jun finally let his exploding anger burst.
Slam!
"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" he roared.
There was no reason to be intimidated by their empty threats. In this small land of South Korea, the Central Government boasted absolute, uncontested power.
Incheon?
A place like that could be wiped off the map in a single day.
"You crazy bastards. I knew it. You intended to rebel against the Central Government from the very beginning! That's why you ordered Lee Tae-seong to assassinate Jo Min-woo! Do you honestly think you'll get away with this in South Korea? Just you wait. I will contact my superiors immediately and report your treason. The President will never allow atrocious thugs like you to run rampant. Roman Dmitry, this is as far as your little threats will get you, you fraud."
He violently kicked back his chair and stood up, intending to leave.
"Those words," Roman said softly. "I will take them as a declaration of war."
"Do whatever you—"
Grab.
Slam!
It happened in a flash.
Moon Tae-jun had tried to brush off Roman Dmitry's words, but before he could even finish his sentence, his face was viciously slammed into the table.
Crack!
The reinforced table shattered.
Blood splattered from Moon Tae-jun's face. The Capital Guardians hurriedly tried to draw their weapons, but they couldn't move a single muscle, as if a binding spell had been cast upon them.
A suffocating murderous aura crushed the room.
Their bodies were completely frozen. Confronted by an insurmountable predator, the Guardians' faces turned deathly pale.
Roman Dmitry looked at the terrified guards and spoke.
"I will give you exactly ten minutes. Bring my people here. And..."
Grind, crunch.
"Aaaargh!"
He ground Moon Tae-jun's face into the floorboards. As shards of the broken table dug deep into his flesh, the investigator let out a bloodcurdling scream.
"Bring me his superior. Not a mere investigator, but someone who can actually handle a war."