Chapter 541: The Law of the Jungle (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 541: The Law of the Jungle (2)
No one could believe their eyes.
Who was Wang Wiryong?
Ten years ago, he was the man who had unified a divided China. Thanks to his immense martial prowess, his name was the very first to be mentioned whenever people discussed the world's strongest swordsman. Everyone gathered here knew exactly how fierce Wang Wiryong's pride was. To begin with, if he were a normal person, he wouldn't have crowned himself 'Emperor' and constantly talked about continental conquest. His explosive temperament had caused quite a bit of friction in the international community, but he possessed a bellicose nature, never backing down even when facing the United States or Russia.
In fact, just a few years ago, China and Russia had nearly gone to war over a minor matter of pride.
Such was the man named Wang Wiryong.
A man who constantly touted China as a supreme global power.
Yet, the moment Roman Dmitry entered the conference room, Wang Wiryong abruptly stood up and bowed his head without anyone prompting him to do so.
A wave of confusion washed over the heads of state.
They simply couldn't process the sight before their eyes.
And that wasn't all.
Not only did Wang Wiryong bow his head, but he also rushed over in a single bound to personally pull out Roman Dmitry's chair.
"Please, sit here."
"Alright."
Roman Dmitry's response was completely nonchalant.
He accepted Wang Wiryong's extreme courtesy as if it were a matter of course.
It was a deeply shocking sight.
Patrice's mind spun with complex thoughts.
'What on earth is going on? Wang Wiryong, a man with such fierce pride, is acting like a mere lackey. If that's the case, China's goal might not have been to annex South Korea after all. It's hard to believe, but the only way to explain this situation is the absurd hypothesis that Wang Wiryong has sworn allegiance to Roman Dmitry.'
Gulp.
He swallowed hard.
It was a completely nonsensical situation.
No matter how powerful Roman Dmitry was, there was no logical reason for the haughty Wang Wiryong to bow down so quickly. If he were the type to submit that easily, he would have been crushed by the other superpowers long ago.
But one thing was certain.
Wang Wiryong's attitude was crystal clear.
Seeing the man return to his own seat only after Roman Dmitry had comfortably sat down, Patrice realized that this matter was going to be incredibly difficult.
A heavy silence descended upon the conference room.
No one dared to speak first.
Wang Wiryong's behavior was so shocking that everyone merely exchanged bewildered glances.
That was when Roman Dmitry's voice broke the silence.
"I heard this meeting was arranged to discuss my punishment."
He slowly scanned the room.
France, Russia, the United States, Brazil, and so on.
He made eye contact with the head of each nation.
Sweeping his unwavering gaze over everyone present, Roman Dmitry leaned back in his chair and spoke casually.
"Go ahead, speak. Tell me why I deserve to be punished."
* * *
He was arrogant.
He was insolent.
Even though he was attending this meeting as an accused sinner, Roman Dmitry didn't show the slightest hint of remorse.
'As expected.'
Patrice's eyes narrowed.
It was exactly as the Cult Leader had predicted.
Sebastian had warned that Roman Dmitry was an existence who would displease 'Him,' and indeed, Roman Dmitry's very existence was highly problematic. In truth, Patrice had almost lost his footing earlier when he witnessed Wang Wiryong's behavior. He had barely been able to find his voice, but now, he was reminded of exactly why he had taken the lead in organizing this 2nd International Conference.
It was for the distant future.
It was all for 'Him,' who would one day descend upon the world.
Only by clearing away elements of discord like Roman Dmitry beforehand would humanity be able to fully embrace Him.
Patrice spoke up.
"How absurd. To ask for 'the reason' when your wrongdoing is so painfully obvious. Lord Roman Dmitry, we are not denying the existence of South Korea, nor are we trying to condemn everything you did amidst the chaos of the Great Disaster. However, the World Government exists to guide the world on a righteous path. Your act of instigating a rebellion in the middle of the Great Disaster is a clear violation of International Law, and that is an issue that can never be permitted as an exception. Think about it. Three years ago, Greece committed the error of crossing borders during a monster subjugation. Although their circumstances were understandable and Greece returned immediately after finishing the subjugation, they still had to receive appropriate punishment because they violated International Law. Mr. President of Greece, did you think that incident was unfair?"
"No, not at all. Since International Law is a regulation agreed upon by everyone, we deserved to be punished."
"Exactly. Regardless of the circumstances, the fact remains that they violated International Law, so Greece accepted the punishment for their wrongdoing at the time. There are quite a few cases like this. But if we make an exception only for Lord Roman Dmitry's South Korea, how do you think the other countries that humbly accepted their punishments will feel? It is unfair. This matter cannot be brushed off as just 'a single incident.'"
Patrice dominated the atmosphere of the room.
He was successfully garnering sympathy.
Indeed, his words were not wrong.
Because the entire world had strictly followed International Law up to this point, Patrice's remarks carried powerful persuasion.
"There are countless nations in the world. Each has its own unique circumstances, and if we were to consider all of them, International Law would have to apply different standards every single time. The reason we are gathered here today is that a single precedent breeds injustice. Greece, Italy, and other countries—everyone accepted their punishment under the name of International Law. If we make an exception only for South Korea, every issue that arises in the future will spark controversy. I ask the President of Greece: if the same problem occurs in the future, would you still be able to accept Greece's wrongdoing as gracefully as you did in the past?"
"To be honest, I think it would breed resentment. Whatever the reason might be, South Korea would have escaped punishment."
"I understand. That is a perfectly natural reaction. A single precedent. That precedent created by Lord Roman Dmitry will erode all trust in International Law. Everyone will push back. When placed in a situation where they must violate International Law, instead of being held back by the fear of punishment, they will surely harbor the complacent thought that it might be overlooked just this once, just like South Korea's case. Am I wrong? Even though most of the people in this room agree with my opinion, do you truly believe this matter is unfair?"
As the leader of a nation, Patrice's words carried weight.
He captivated the audience with his powerful remarks, and those watching were certain that Patrice had firmly seized the initiative.
It was highly persuasive.
It was a logic that could not be denied by common sense.
However...
"Yes, I think it is highly unfair."
Wang Wiryong had absolutely no intention of playing by common sense.
* * *
Wang Wiryong spoke up.
"The matter with Greece is entirely separate from this. Although Greece had plenty of time to report the situation, the problem arose because the commander in charge at the time unilaterally proceeded with the subjugation. The case of the Korean Empire is different. President Kim Jeong-tae was unforgivable trash. He persecuted his own citizens and sucked the lifeblood of the very people he was supposed to care for as president. When the world was thrown into chaos due to the Great Disaster, the citizens of the Korean Empire were simply abandoned. Because the Kim Jeong-tae government failed to protect its people, the Korean Empire had to rally its forces around the Incheon Government and make a choice to survive by any means necessary."
He was spinning the story to his advantage.
In truth, the Greek commander's choice had been right.
If he had delayed by reporting to the higher-ups, he would have missed the monsters entirely. But depending on how one framed it, it could be twisted into a poor error in judgment.
And as for Kim Jeong-tae...
Wang Wiryong painted him as complete and utter trash.
"Do you know what President Kim Jeong-tae requested of me? He said he didn't care what happened to the provinces, as long as the danger in Seoul was resolved. Even if tens of millions of lives were lost, Kim Jeong-tae was the kind of man who claimed that the lives of a few elites staying in Seoul were more important. Frankly speaking, wasn't President Patrice's government also established through a rebellion? I understand that President Patrice raised a rebel faction out of dissatisfaction with the previous government, and as a result, today's France was created."
"That is a completely different matter. It wasn't during the Great Disaster back then, was it?"
"How is that any different? Whether it was then or now, France or the Korean Empire, a time of choice simply arrived."
It was blatant sophistry.
While the matter regarding Kim Jeong-tae was based on facts, Wang Wiryong completely omitted the part where China had agreed to help in exchange for a hefty price. After all, dead men tell no tales. It was enough for Kim Jeong-tae to carry all that karma with him across the river of death.
And the French rebellion?
It was strictly different from this case.
The issue at hand was controversial specifically because a 'rebellion' had been instigated during the Great Disaster. But Wang Wiryong, realizing he couldn't win on pure logic alone, simply dug in his heels and doggedly held his ground. This was exactly how superpowers handled business. The logic of the powerful inherently carried power. Even if his argument was somewhat lacking, the people in the room could not simply ignore Wang Wiryong's remarks.
Indeed.
The heads of state began to waver.
Seeing Wang Wiryong go to such lengths to defend him, they began to think that pushing forward with Roman Dmitry's punishment might lead to serious geopolitical trouble.
Patrice shouted, his face flushed with anger.
"Chairman Wang Wiryong! Are you playing games with me right now? China and the Kim Jeong-tae government! No one in this room is ignorant of the relationship between the two of you. The Kim Jeong-tae government openly traded with China, and in return, China intended to absorb South Korea as a vassal state. The evidence for this is perfectly clear! In fact, China's Xiao Long was even dispatched to deal with the rebel forces. I do not know for what reason you suddenly changed your attitude, but do not mock the World Government with such nonsense!"
"Nonsense?! I have only spoken the truth!"
"Have you perhaps been blackmailed by South Korea? Why on earth else would you go to such lengths?"
Wang Wiryong kicked his chair back and stood up abruptly.
With all eyes focused squarely on him, Wang Wiryong made an open declaration.
"Let's get the facts straight. China has not been blackmailed. We have sworn allegiance to His Majesty Emperor Roman Dmitry of the Korean Empire. Although China is now a vassal state serving the Korean Empire, that has absolutely nothing to do with this matter. As a member of the World Government, I simply believe that this attempt to punish the Korean Empire is highly unjust!"
Wang Wiryong's declaration echoed through the room.
Pure shock washed over the faces of everyone present.
A vassal state?
It was a statement they couldn't process, even after hearing it with their own ears.
* * *
China.
It was a global superpower.
The fact that a superpower led by a man like Wang Wiryong had sworn allegiance without a single war or any special warning signs was utterly unprecedented.
It had been strange ever since he first referred to Roman Dmitry as "His Majesty the Emperor."
But hearing the truth directly from his mouth threw their minds into complete disarray.
However, regarding the current situation...
The President of the United States, John Harrison, had anticipated this.
US intelligence had already detected unusual signs between the Korean Empire and China.
'There was a report that Wang Wiryong visited the Korean Empire immediately after a private communication with Roman Dmitry. I don't know what kind of conversation they had, but the attitude Wang Wiryong showed toward Roman Dmitry back then was highly unusual. It clearly signified that a massive shift had occurred between the two nations.'
Until now, the United States had quietly watched the situation unfold.
They had intended to verify the truth before intervening, but with things escalating like this, there was no longer any reason to watch from the sidelines.
China and the Korean Empire.
The two had joined forces.
The Korean Empire's only real weakness was that its national power was still weak, but if a global superpower lent its strength, the story completely changed.
China's vast manpower combined with the existence of Roman Dmitry—a monster of a man who had slain an SS-Rank monster in a single blow—meant they possessed every element that would make them a nightmare to oppose. Thinking realistically, it was absolutely necessary to establish a friendly relationship with Roman Dmitry.
And above all else.
China's intention was clear.
The reason they went out of their way to publicly declare themselves a vassal state was to demonstrate their absolute resolve to stand with the Korean Empire to the very end.
John Harrison spoke up.
"I agree with Chairman Wang Wiryong. In the case of the Korean Empire, we need to consider the unavoidable circumstances."
"There is no such thing as unavoidable circumstances in International Law!"
It was Markov.
At John Harrison's intervention, Markov raised his voice, refusing to back down.
The room devolved into a complete madhouse.
The United States and China on one side.
The remaining nations on the other.
The divided leaders shouted at the top of their lungs.
As they desperately tried to extract the results they wanted by any means necessary, the atmosphere in the conference room grew increasingly heated with every passing minute.
It was then.
"President Patrice. Let me ask you a different question."
It was Roman Dmitry.
Instantly, the heated atmosphere cooled as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over the room.
All eyes snapped to him.
The only reason this matter had become so contentious in the first place was because a supreme leader named 'Roman Dmitry' had appeared in the Korean Empire.
Roman Dmitry spoke smoothly.
"To begin with, I have no intention of accepting International Law itself. Although it is a code of laws created by the consensus of nations worldwide, International Law is an inherently unreasonable system heavily influenced by the sway of superpowers. If you want an International Law that everyone must follow, a substantial overhaul of the current system would be necessary. Of course, I have no intention of discussing that matter right now. But hypothetically speaking... putting aside the reasons for my punishment, if I indeed deserve to be punished, how exactly do you plan to punish me?"
The people gathered here today had made a grave mistake.
They had overlooked the fundamental issue.
They had forgotten exactly what kind of person Roman Dmitry was, and with what intentions he had attended this meeting.
Creak.
He leaned forward in his chair.
He met the gazes staring at him with razor-sharp eyes.
"Me, and the Korean Empire. How on earth do you plan to punish us, when we will not accept the will of the World Government?"