#237. This Feels Just Like the Old Days.
Fisher immediately escorted Kang Moo-hyuk to meet Gunpowder Guild's guild master.
"I'm Dwight Hill."
"Kang Moo-hyuk."
They exchanged brief greetings, and the secretary brought out drinks.
Fisher sat to Dwight's right, positioning himself across from Kang Moo-hyuk as if mediating between the guild master and their guest.
"You both know each other's situations. In chaotic times like today, the fact that Commander Kang has come here means you have something you want. So let's skip the formalities and get straight to the point."
Fisher opened the conversation, facilitating the discussion. But Kang Moo-hyuk said nothing, his eyes intently scanning the bottled water, assorted drinks, and accompanying snacks.
"This place feels completely detached from the chaos outside."
His tone carried a sharp edge. Dwight picked up on the other's discomfort.
"I said no beating around the bush."
Dwight frowned.
He was a bold figure who had navigated the fractious factions of the West while fending off Eastern pressures. As a hunter, he never hesitated to dive into the roughest gates. His brusque negotiation style was par for the course.
"I've looked into you, Commander Kang. You're obsessed with monster hunting, right? Gotta be pissed that we're not stepping up more aggressively. If you don't like the current situation, just say it. We gotta air it all out to talk comfortably, yeah?"
"Guild master, maybe tone down the phrasing a bit..."
"It's fine. A guy who lays his emotions out raw like that probably prefers it this way too."
Fisher tried to defuse the tension creeping into the room, but Dwight waved him off.
Kang Moo-hyuk nodded in agreement.
"At least you've got quick instincts. Makes it easier to talk. Since it came up—Guild Master Dwight Hill. If a guild or a hunter doesn't hunt monsters, are they even a guild or a hunter?"
No Song-rin, sitting beside him, let out a sigh.
'Here we go again.'
Kang Moo-hyuk continued.
"In America, they call hunters heroes, right? Or was it superheroes? A superhero who doesn't hunt monsters is a villain."
"Funny way to put it. A hunter who doesn't hunt is a villain, huh."
"Do you know why villains are called villains? Because they do bad things? Nah, that's too simplistic. Villains get that label because they've forgotten their true calling. Why chase anything but monsters? Why waste that power on people or fellow hunters? That's the stigma. You're not hunters—you're villains. Makes you wonder if Gunpowder's forgotten its duty too."
Suddenly, Dwight whistled and turned to Fisher.
"Whew, he's fired up. Reminds me of when I first became a hunter—believing in world peace, self-sacrifice, all that idealistic crap. Commander Kang's got passion. I'll give him that. But what's this? You got your hands on Rider Wolves and now you're strutting around, lecturing us? Hoping we'll beg, 'Please sell us some wolves, we'll be good'? That the reaction you're fishing for?"
Dwight turned back to Kang Moo-hyuk, his face hardening into an expression that would make most hunters shrink. No Song-rin clenched his fist under his chin on the sofa, tension coiling in his body.
But Kang Moo-hyuk didn't flinch.
"Up to now, that's just my personal stance. From here on, it's the guild commander's position. I met Alexander Hamilton from the Hunter Crime Bureau."
Dwight, still reeling from Kang Moo-hyuk's sudden shift from fiery rhetoric to composed delivery, latched onto the name mentioned.
"Hamilton?"
"White House Director of Hunter Policy."
"I know. But why's the White House popping up out of nowhere?"
"Rumor has it he moonlights as a lobbyist for Dynamite Guild. Probably more than a rumor."
Fisher, caught off guard by the abrupt mention, recalled Hamilton's background and fulfilled his role as general manager.
Dwight scowled at the mention of Dynamite Guild.
Kang Moo-hyuk confirmed Fisher's hunch.
"Not a rumor. It's real. And for the record, New York Rockets are in on it too. Says they'll block Rider Wolf supplies to the West with brute force?"
"That backstabbing prick. How much are they paying him to rim the Eastern bastards' asses? Bet his lips are chapped raw."
"Not chapped yet—hasn't licked enough. I saw it myself."
"...You joking?"
"Suddenly I'm wondering why whenever I state facts, people ask if it's a joke."
"I think I get it."
"..."
"..."
"Anyway, can't just let that slide—too infuriating. Who are they to boss us around? If I wanna deal with Gunpowder, that's my call."
"Exactly! Now you're talking like a man! Love it, Commander Kang Moo-hyuk! So what'd they say when you laid it out like that?"
"Of course I didn't say it outright. Wouldn't want actual regulations hitting if they get pissy."
"..."
"..."
"You messing with me?"
"Wouldn't dream of it."
"Then what?"
"I buttered him up and made a backroom deal."
"Backroom deal? How?"
As the negotiation kept veering off track, Fisher jumped in.
"Even borrowing the White House's name, he's still a lobbyist at heart. So while he's here in that capacity, figured I'd try some lobbying myself. No rule saying the East gets all the clients. West has money too—plenty of it. No need to leave the juicy opposition untapped. Right?"
"Damn straight! We're always open to cozying up with Washington power players. Hey, Fisher—why didn't we think of that?"
Dwight shot at Fisher accusingly, who defended himself.
"If it were just about throwing money at it, we'd have tried ages ago. Hell, we did try. But we're too far from Washington."
"Distance mean shit? Money doesn't care about miles. Hell, it turns estranged lovers around."
"Probably 'cause no monsters over there. Right, Mr. Fisher?"
Fisher nodded.
"Yes. As long as monsters threaten, Washington can't ignore the East entirely."
"What're you talking about? Guilds have a duty to defend their regions. Law says so—if we don't protect the government and get sanctioned, then what?"
"What Gunpowder's doing now is fine, though?"
The office fell silent at Kang Moo-hyuk's pointed retort.
He pressed on.
"So up till now, that's why lining up with Washington has been tough. But now we've got perfect justification."
"You mean this carnivorous wasp attack?"
"Spot on. Mr. Fisher."
"But emergencies like this aren't new to LA... Ah! Hamilton!"
"Exactly. He's conveniently in LA during this mess. The East sent him, so setting up a meeting without their prying eyes is a bonus. Plus, he's from the new administration openly pushing hunter reforms. Eastern influence has boxed in his policy moves so far, but after witnessing another gate outbreak in LA—the site of the last one—what do you think he'll think?"
"Every time the West gets hammered, invisible Eastern sabotage rears its head. Casualties pile up. Can't let East-West hunters tear each other apart, so the White House forces 'neutral mediation'—aka silence. That resentment and anxiety's at a boiling point now. No way the current regime's blind to it."
Kang Moo-hyuk added.
"The West sees higher gate incident rates and wider damage than the East. Some blame more gates spawning here, but that's misguided. More gates mean more work, more hunters operating here. Mid-rank hunters are top-notch too. The East's been chewing on cherry-picked stats for decades—ignoring all those factors—to hide their own dirt. White House knows but hushes it."
"And now the White House policy chief nearly gets killed in a massive attack?"
"They won't sit idle. Any savvy politician could use this as an excuse to nudge the scales slightly Westward."
Fisher saw the board tilting favorably, but Dwight viewed it pessimistically.
"Think that'll really work? If the East throws a tantrum, hard to block."
"That's where Mr. Hamilton's acting skills come in... Ever seen how survival instinct turns someone utterly shameless when death's knocking?"
"Acting skills? From Hamilton? Fine, say he sells it. But if I were Rockets or Dynamite's guild master, I wouldn't blink."
"That's 'cause Gunpowder isn't the West's top dog yet."
"What?!"
"Become the guild representing a region or nation, and you can't just do whatever. That's why lobbyists exist. Bottom line: we've stacked enough justification to sway public opinion. The West's misfortune could strike the East anytime—sparking continent-wide unease. If not just the West but the East starts nodding along, how long can so-called superheroes and their guilds keep blocking the West? My bet? Not forever."
Only then did Dwight grasp the picture Kang Moo-hyuk was painting.
"Rider Wolves are just the pretext. You're really after sway in Washington."
"And weakening Eastern guild influence."
"Weakening?"
"That's my real business."
"Fair enough. A plan this big comes with demands. Spill it, Commander."
"Carnivorous wasps. How much do you know?"
"..."
"No lies. If we're working together, truth's the foundation."
"Ha? What is this, bromance? Truth between dudes?"
"Why not between dudes? They call it bromance. Trust is good, but with enemies everywhere, loyalty counts too."
Dwight shuddered at Kang Moo-hyuk deadpanning about male bonding.
"First time meeting, but you don't strike me as the type to nitpick that stuff. Quit tickling my funny bone and name your terms."
"Answer my question first."
"Carnivorous wasps? Gotta gauge the hive size first. But generations matter more."
"Knew you had intel."
"Even if carnivorous wasps are new to North America, info isn't zero. That's why we pay top dollar for analysts—to make calls like that."
"So, your call?"
Dwight gathered his thoughts before speaking.
"Gunpowder assesses LA as..."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
O.C. mobilized swiftly against the sudden wasp swarm devastating the city.
LA branch chief Ulvert received Billy's report en route.
"Network notified?"
"Yes. O.C. members and linked freelancers. Grouping nearby ones into parties. Major strongholds converting to assault teams, led by the most experienced freelancers securing zones."
"Tell everyone: no heroics if you wanna live. Listen up—right now, holding ground beats charging in."
"Wouldn't resolving it be better?"
"Nah. This ain't ending here."
"Basis for that?"
"Air's got that vibe. City's a ghost town. Feels just like the old days."
"Old days?"
"Yeah, when I was a kid. The time they called the Little Wars."