Chapter 493: Changing Incheon (6)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 493: Changing Incheon (6)
The interrogation room.
Left alone, Lee Tae-seong stared blankly at the floor.
Its pitch-black surface felt like a reflection of Incheon's future. The words Moon Tae-jun had left behind before walking out echoed in his mind.
"Ah, there's one last thing you should know. Even confessions have their timing. Even if you give me the answer I want later on, it's completely useless if it's too late. Lee Tae-seong. Your mistake wasn't killing Jo Min-woo; it was belonging to the Incheon Government, which dared to rebel against the Central Government. What a waste. With an A-rank talent, the Central Government would have treated you well. Why on earth did you throw your lot in with Incheon, a place with no future?"
Slam!
The door had slammed shut.
Since then, the interrogation room had been steeped in darkness.
He had heard that Roman Dmitry had arrived, but he didn't think even Roman could resolve this situation.
'It's over. This is checkmate.'
Regret washed over him.
Even Jo Min-woo, backed by the Central Government, hadn't gone all out at first to avoid leaving any room for trouble. He should have anticipated this. Unlike Jo Min-woo, even if it was truly self-defense, things were bound to escalate for him. If he had thought just a bit more wisely, he would have chosen to let Jo Min-woo live, even if it meant dying at the promotion exam site himself.
It was devastating.
Because of him, the Incheon Government was now facing a dire crisis.
'The Central Government's power is absolute. If they decide on a narrative and press down, the Incheon Government won't be able to handle it with its current strength. Is it really right for me to keep holding out? If they frame it as though I killed Jo Min-woo under orders from the Incheon Government, then neither I nor Incheon will have any way to survive. It means Incheon's future could end because of me alone.'
That...
...was unacceptable.
Incheon was changing.
With Roman Dmitry at the helm, they were building a new city, and he didn't want to drag them down. The current Incheon didn't need him. Since an overwhelmingly powerful figure like Roman Dmitry existed, Incheon's future wouldn't be as hopeless as before, even if he disappeared.
He clenched his teeth.
There was only one way.
'I'll confess. I'll say it wasn't the Incheon Government's doing, but that I simply couldn't control my murderous intent and killed Jo Min-woo.'
He would take the blame.
He prioritized the future of the many over his own life.
It was then.
Just as he was about to call a Guardian to confess, the door to the interrogation room opened first.
Creak.
"Get out."
"...Get out? What's going on?"
He was bewildered.
There was no reason for the Central Government to release him.
At Lee Tae-seong's question, the Guardian reacted irritably.
"Do I have to explain every single thing to you? Just go and see for yourself why they're letting you go."
* * *
Lee Tae-seong's train of thought ground to a halt.
He couldn't comprehend the scene before his eyes.
A blood-drenched Moon Tae-jun and Assemblyman Jo Dal-su were sitting there, and opposite them sat Roman Dmitry and Kim Jun-hyeok.
'...What on earth is this?'
It wasn't just Lee Tae-seong.
The members of the Directly Controlled Unit, who had been temporarily isolated, stood in a corner of the reception room alongside him, their faces filled with utter confusion. No one had explained the situation to them. The first thing they had seen upon entering the reception room was a bleeding Moon Tae-jun. Immediately after, Assemblyman Jo Dal-su had burst in with a furious expression, forcing them to just stand by and watch the situation unfold.
Jo Dal-su spoke.
"I have released all of your people as you requested. But tell me, how on earth do you plan to handle this situation after shedding an investigator's blood right here in the Central Government's territory?"
Only then did they realize the truth of the matter.
Upon understanding that Roman Dmitry had demanded the release of the Directly Controlled Unit, Lee Tae-seong and the rest of the unit were overcome by a swirl of complex emotions.
"Roman Dmitry. The excuse that you don't know South Korea's circumstances because you're a foreigner won't work here. Common sense dictates that laying a hand on a Central Government investigator is a massive crime, equivalent to provoking the entirety of South Korea. Do you understand what that means? You son of a bitch. You just provoked South Korea!"
His face flushed so red it looked ready to burst.
Jo Dal-su had lost Jo Min-woo, the core power of Geumcheon-gu.
In truth, the reason he had been able to take over Geumcheon-gu was by expanding his influence using his nephew, Jo Min-woo, as his vanguard. To him, Jo Min-woo's death felt like his world was collapsing. Since it was practically equivalent to losing the pillar of Geumcheon-gu, he had come here with the sole intention of tearing Roman Dmitry apart.
Roman Dmitry remained calm.
Even as Jo Dal-su spewed his fury, Roman looked at him with a placid gaze.
"Is that the will of South Korea?"
"You bastard!"
"Moon Tae-jun clearly displayed open hostility toward Incheon. Based on the facts we can prove, he showed every intention of deliberately murdering the entire Directly Controlled Unit, and Jo Min-woo was simply killed in return because his skills fell short. Yet you rage like this just because some blood was shed in the Central Government's territory? Assemblyman Jo Dal-su. You had better think very carefully before you speak from now on. I came here to secure the safety of my people and, at the same time, to confirm South Korea's intentions. Is Moon Tae-jun's behavior merely the rogue action of an individual, or is the Central Government looking to wage war against Incheon? My decision will be determined by your answer."
In that instant, Jo Dal-su could not hide his shock.
He had thought Roman would tuck his tail and run if he pressured him by bringing up the Central Government, but Roman Dmitry did not shrink back in the slightest.
Rather—
"Decide. Which path will you choose?"
* * *
Jo Dal-su knew the truth.
It was Moon Tae-jun's fault.
Since he had borrowed Jo Min-woo in the first place to deal with the Directly Controlled Unit, the CCTV footage Roman Dmitry had presented weighed heavily on his mind. If this matter were to be made public, the Central Government would lose any justification to punish Incheon.
Anger welled up inside him.
He couldn't understand it.
Logically, the opponent's argument was correct, but to push past that logic, they had to be prepared for war with the Central Government.
'Is he really prepared to go to war with the Central Government?'
South Korea.
In this tiny strip of land, no one dared to oppose the Central Government.
Yet, seeing Roman Dmitry speak of war without a moment's hesitation, Jo Dal-su found himself unable to maintain a hardline stance.
Recently, President Kim Jeong-tae had issued a strict order to the assemblymen.
"According to Professor Maron of the United States, who studies the Great Disasters, the 6th Great Disaster is guaranteed to break out within the next one to two months. Therefore, refrain from any and all conflicts for the time being. In this chaotic world, our absolute priority is the survival of South Korea. If this nation falls, everything we have built up until now will mean nothing. For now, we must focus entirely on stopping the 6th Great Disaster."
It was a stern warning from the President.
In a situation where they didn't even know if they would survive the Great Disaster, he would not permit them to eat away at their own strength through pointless conflicts. The same applied to the Incheon Government. Although they were a weak force that could be wiped out in a single day, even the troops lost in the process of dealing with them would be a waste for South Korea.
Furthermore, if Roman Dmitry was truly an S-Rank Hunter, nothing could be more troublesome.
'It's obvious. Roman Dmitry is deliberately provoking me because he has calculated South Korea's current political landscape. He knows South Korea won't be able to commit to an actual war. Damn bastard. He knows our situation perfectly well, yet he threatens us as if he's genuinely ready to wage war.'
He swallowed his rage and forced a smile.
If his opponent was going to play it this way, Jo Dal-su found it even more unforgivable.
"We shall conclude this matter here. Since Jo Min-woo showed murderous intent first, his death can be considered self-defense. However, Roman Dmitry, nothing in this world is absolute. Those words you spat out—that you would wage war against the Central Government—you will have to answer for them one day."
Creak.
He stood up from his seat.
One step back to take two steps forward.
Now was the time to retreat.
As he turned to leave, Roman Dmitry's voice echoed behind him.
"I look forward to it."
What was he looking forward to?
Jo Dal-su tried his best to ignore it, but the words that followed struck a raw nerve.
"Even if you do not intend it, you will meet me again before long."
* * *
Slam!
The door slammed shut.
Jo Dal-su, who had been smiling just moments ago, now wore a face as ferocious as a demon's.
"How dare that arrogant bastard...!"
Since ascending to his position as an assemblyman, he had never once experienced such humiliation. Seeing someone dare to look down on the power of the Central Government filled Jo Dal-su with an uncontrollable, towering rage.
"I am truly sor— Ack!"
Slap!
He slapped Moon Tae-jun across the face as the investigator tried to apologize.
Blood splattered from Moon Tae-jun's already bloodied face, but Jo Dal-su paid it no mind. He grabbed Moon Tae-jun by the hair and slapped him several more times.
Slap!
Slap! Slap!
"If you hadn't handled things so poorly, I, Jo Dal-su, would never have suffered such humiliation! Investigator Moon Tae-jun. You had better keep your wits about you from now on. If something like this happens again, I will have no reason to keep you by my side."
"I am sorry."
Moon Tae-jun bowed his head repeatedly.
Though his face was swollen and red, appeasing Jo Dal-su's wrath was his only priority.
Jo Dal-su adjusted his clothes.
Then, he pulled out his phone and made a call.
Click.
"Convene an emergency meeting immediately. The agenda is Incheon's rebellion. I intend to publicize this incident where that son of a bitch Roman Dmitry dared to oppose the Central Government. And..."
Roman Dmitry and the Incheon Government.
To crush them as quickly as possible, there was a crucial puzzle piece he needed.
"Call the Mage in White. If it is to punish the evil of South Korea, he will surely participate."
* * *
After Jo Dal-su left, Kim Jun-hyeok spoke with a worried expression.
"...Will you be alright? Jo Dal-su is not the type of man to just let this go."
He swallowed his remaining words.
He, too, shared the same thoughts as Jo Dal-su.
Considering South Korea's current situation, a war was highly improbable, so he believed Roman Dmitry had taken advantage of that to push aggressively. The problem was, what if a war actually broke out? Incheon wouldn't be able to handle it.
What if.
He was worried about that "what if."
Jo Dal-su's parting words had planted a seed of anxiety in Kim Jun-hyeok's heart.
Roman Dmitry spoke.
"Are you anxious?"
"...Pardon?"
"I asked if you are anxious that the war might become a reality."
"To be honest, yes. Our opponent is the Central Government. Although Incheon has been growing stronger rapidly of late, it is impossible for us to take on the entirety of South Korea. I cannot comprehend your foresight, Lord Roman. Extreme measures are bound to collapse when one cannot handle the consequences."
It was a piece of sincere advice.
Rather than blindly agreeing that Roman Dmitry was always right, Kim Jun-hyeok voiced his honest thoughts.
Roman understood.
He understood Kim Jun-hyeok's feelings.
If companions from his past life, like Chris and Kevin, had been here, they would have known that Roman Dmitry's mention of war was entirely sincere. However, his connections in this current life, like Kim Jun-hyeok, had only known him for a short time. Even if he were to explain it to them in detail, fully accepting something so beyond common sense would be a difficult task for them.
In this matter, the Central Government had no choice.
On the surface, it seemed as though Jo Dal-su had taken a step back, but Roman Dmitry's declaration of war would have thrown the Central Government into an uproar. The countdown to war had already begun. A clash between the Central Government and the Incheon Government was merely a matter of time; as long as Roman Dmitry existed, they were bound to collide eventually.
However, he was in no rush.
Had Jo Dal-su crossed the line, war would have broken out immediately, but Roman Dmitry judged that Incheon needed time.
'In my past life, I experienced countless deaths. Being strong alone cannot solve every problem.'
This was the difference from his past life.
Living through two past lives, Roman Dmitry had never known how to stop.
He, who used to charge head-on and sweep everything away, had learned to care more for those within his boundary after forming bonds with people like Hans. Had he not experienced it in his past life? That he could not protect the entirety of Dmitry on his own. Dmitry had lost many people to the enemy's strategy of targeting battlefields where Roman Dmitry was absent.
That was why he took his time.
There was no need to rush what was bound to happen anyway.
The people of this current life, like Kim Jun-hyeok, mistook Roman Dmitry's calculated patience for reckless courage displayed for Incheon's sake.
Perhaps that was why.
Suddenly, Lee Tae-seong dropped to his knees and cried out.
Thud.
"Please abandon us! We cannot stand by and watch Lord Roman and the entirety of Incheon be put in danger for our sake!"
"Please abandon us!"
The members of the Directly Controlled Unit fell to their knees in unison.
For them, who did not know the truth, they had fallen into a massive misunderstanding.