The Madman in the Palace

While Police Chief Lee Yeonggeun and Major Lee Junhyeok discussed defensive lines and troop deployments, Jang Yeeun and I began to feel increasingly out of place. With the conversation turning to complex matters like defensive perimeters, troop positioning, and operational planning, it felt awkward to leave, yet equally awkward to stay. Just as we were about to slip away unnoticed, I heard my brother speak.

"...It seems likely we'll be communicating with Lieutenant General Lee Cheolyong before long. It would be best to hear what he has to say when that time comes."

Second Lieutenant Jeong Ihyeon tilted his head from the side. "What kind of person is he?"

"He is a man who, barring any unforeseen circumstances, always makes the best possible judgment. He thinks of his soldiers first and treats his subordinates like his own children. He should be able to explain things properly."

After hearing Lee Junhyeok’s words, I locked eyes with Jang Yeeun. Without a word, we both turned and left the room. It had been such a long day. I didn't feel any physical fatigue, but that was likely just because my body had become something... different. In reality, I was probably in a state of total collapse. Above all, the mental exhaustion was piling up to an absurd degree.

...Ah, the paper that Ms. Bae Sunok handed me. I need to look at it.

I stopped in my tracks and pulled the note she had given me earlier from my pocket.

It was an unexpected message.

— President Choi Jaeyeol

Immediately after arriving in Paju to escape the coup forces in Sejong City, I was receiving reports from the generals leading the front-line corps. Of course, whether they were showing me proper respect was a separate matter, but they still treated me as 'President.' Surprisingly, they had succeeded in forming a significant power base centered around 'fortress cities' in the Paju and Yeoncheon areas. The cities in the Gangwon region, including Chuncheon, boasted terrain extremely favorable to defenders. Since the population was sparse and each district was separated by distance, there were many ideal locations for defense. The corps that remained on the front lines were in a very advantageous position to block the infected.

Furthermore, upon hearing that Lieutenant General Lee Cheolyong had staged a coup, most of the commanders expressed outrage and promised their cooperation to me. Of course, because we had fled, our 'Civilian Government' side was quite weak in terms of political leverage, but their resolve was clear. Thus, the meeting began. Soon, the briefing commenced.

We were relatively free from power and water supply issues. The Gangwon region is densely packed with large-scale water resources and power plants. However, the problem was 'logistics.' The northern regions are essentially 'consumer cities' that rely on supplies from the south. Since there are few industrial zones, the region lacks the infrastructure to manufacture or recycle goods. Therefore, no matter how much we conserve supplies, the limitations are becoming painfully clear. Above all, we have to use supplies like water to deal with the endless waves of infected. For that reason, the generals drew a line connecting Paju, Yangju, Namyangju, Yangpyeong, Hoengseong, Pyeongchang, Jeongseon, and Donghae, setting this area as a critical defensive line.

“The most important part of the Gangwon region is this place, Donghae Port,” the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said. “Shortly after the outbreak, we were able to establish contact with Japan’s 'Maritime Self-Defense Force.' Japan is one of the few countries that has completely blocked the influx of infected into its mainland.”

He paused for a moment, glanced at the map, and continued. “Japan is anxious that if South Korea is completely overrun by ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠the infected, they will be the next target, so they are providing supplies to our front-line divisions through Donghae Port.”

...I thought they were only supporting the southern regions through Busan; since when had they been supplying the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠north?

He paused to catch his breath, took out a pen, and said, "The problem is the areas right below the highways—they are all red zones. These highway regions are crawling with infected." He colored in the 'red' zone that pierced the center of South Korea, centered around Incheon and Seoul. "However, no matter how much the Japanese side supports us, there is a limit to their logistical capacity."

He moved his finger to point at Seoul Station. "We don't have time. If we hole up in the north, we have no choice but to wither away due to a lack of supplies. It is more important than anything else that we connect with the 'southern region.' But the southern region is currently judged to be under the control of the coup forces."

He brought over a tank model and placed it in Gyeonggi-bukdo, where we were located. "If we deploy armored forces to Sejong City and Daejeon, where the coup forces are located, we can quickly suppress the infantry-centered forces of the south. But in a situation where it is difficult to pass through the infected zones on the ground, the only way to move armored forces is by 'rail'."

He moved the tank model to Seoul. "And for that, Seoul Station is essential. From Seoul Station, we can use the KTX line to head toward Daejeon Station. From Daejeon Station to Sejong Station is very close, allowing for rapid power projection."

The room fell into silence.

"The ROK military and police forces that were defeated in the operations in Incheon and Mapo Station have mostly holed up in Seoul's subway stations. It is likely that a significant number of these troops will cooperate with the coup forces in the south."

"Therefore, combat will be unavoidable while we move. However, they are isolated forces with clear limitations. Furthermore, we have confirmed that the coup forces in Sejong City cannot project influence into the subway stations in Seoul."

"Therefore, now is our chance. We must commit as many troops as possible to Line 1 and advance on Sejong City."

After finishing the meeting in a daze, I was left alone in the room. There wasn't much tobacco left. I lit a cigarette, and the thick smoke obscured my vision. Why did I try to purge the military? It was out of fear. I kept forcing sacrifices on them without any insurance to suppress their dissatisfaction, so I assumed they would inevitably explode. I thought I would strike first before they could, but thinking about it now, there was no act more idiotic than that.

There is a saying, isn't there? If someone dislikes you the moment they see you, claiming you have the face of a traitor, you might as well commit that damn treason. Isn't that exactly what I've become? If I had been Lee Cheolyong, even if I had tried so hard, I would have risen up out of resentment if I were cast aside so easily.

Thanks to that, at a time when we are busy enough dealing with the infected, I am busy preparing for a war against fellow 'humans.' The meeting concluded that we must win over the soldiers in the Seoul subway stations... but how? How can I, who was kicked out after trying to abandon those soldiers once, win them over? The plan to occupy Seoul Station, then re-occupy Sejong City, and take back the country... and then what? To gain a country that has already become such a mess? What happens after that?

I was dumbfounded by the thought. So, I just laughed.

— Lee Sieun

Internet access? In the current situation, that is an absolutely absurd advantage. But even while having that thought, I felt uneasy somewhere. So, I brought this up to Jang Yeeun, but she told me to leave it to someone as smart as me and left to go on patrol... As a result, I ended up coming here alone.

In the dark of night, in the most secluded corner of the area where the apartment residents were gathered, the three of us—Bae Sunok, the man she brought along (the one with glasses who subscribed to Starlink), and I—gathered in the basement level 1 waiting room.

A moment later, the man spoke up.

"I like the internet and communications, so I bought the equipment, but it's a power-hungry device, so it's tricky to use. And it was obvious that external information would be incredibly tempting to people... but when the people from Aeogae Station arrived earlier, I turned it on secretly for a moment."

"And as soon as the connection was established, I checked the Japanese threads. There were so many stories."

"From stories about North Korea mobilizing its entire population to block the infected pouring in from China, to stories about the world's navies blocking hundreds of ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠millions of infected at sea."

"But, I heard that our Gongdeok Station is siding with the 'Civilian Government.' Can't we reconsider siding with the Civilian Government?"

...? What is he talking about?

He paused for a moment, locked eyes with me, and stared. Hostility was clearly etched into his gaze.

"They say Choi Jaeyeol plans to mobilize the military and start a civil war against the government in Sejong City while the country is in this state. Isn't he a madman?"

...There isn't a single sane bastard in this country.