Chapter 81 – Planning [Setting]

“Was there anything else?”

At Siguk’s question, Lee Jeonghoon took a sip of coffee and nodded.

Siguk rested his chin on his index and middle fingers, lost in thought.

‘At a time like this, suddenly? There’s no particular connection, and we didn’t lobby for it…’

National Policy Partner Guild.

Despite its grand name, its actual role was merely to act as an agent for the government’s Magic Stone sales.

However, being selected as a National Policy Partner Guild itself held symbolic significance regarding one’s relationship with the regime. That’s why, in reality, a significant number of large guilds coveted that qualification.

‘It’s not business. Something… something feels like a political signal…’

Just as Siguk was thinking that, Lee Jeonghoon, as if on cue, set down his coffee cup and spoke.

“Could it be a political message? To us, or perhaps to other large guilds.”

At Lee Jeonghoon’s words, Siguk nodded.

“That must be it. Otherwise, there’s no reason for the Signiel Guild to transfer the qualification to our guild, especially at a time like this. The important thing is… what kind of message it is…”

“Hmm… Considering the current president’s governing philosophy, it also seems like a check on large guilds…”

Siguk didn’t offer any particular response.

‘Rather than Hyeon Woongryeol… it seems more likely that Gu Seongguk’s influence is at play… Hmm…’

Even if Gu Seongguk, that is, the Superhuman Association, is behind this National Policy Partner Guild designation matter, its intent is still suspicious.

‘Could they have already caught on?’

Siguk’s plan to establish a Hunter revolutionary regime and indirectly create a 2030 System, at least within Korea.

Only Lee Dongseok and Bae Hyeonil knew about it so far.

‘Hmm, Gu Seongguk…’

Unlike Hyeon Woongryeol, Gu Seongguk was a somewhat reasonable person.

Perhaps he was the one who first lost faith in the belief that civilization rests upon force, and thus worked even harder to build civilization upon force.

A man who stood before Hyeon Woongryeol, acting as a buffer to curb his rash actions towards Hunters, while also using the president’s power to regulate large guilds from oppressing small and medium-sized guilds.

‘Ultimately, the National Policy Advisory Council killed it, and we did fight once, but he was at least a realistic person…’

If he was involved in the National Policy Partner Guild designation matter, it was necessary to figure out what he was thinking.

However, Siguk didn’t feel the immediate need to do so.

‘Anyway, if it’s urgent, they’ll contact me first. What I need to do now is preliminary work for the declaration announcement.’

Shaking his head lightly and downing his coffee in one go, Siguk looked at Lee Jeonghoon and spoke.

“Well, if they’re giving it, we should take it. Right?”

At Siguk’s words, Lee Jeonghoon nodded.

“I’ll handle this part, Chairman. Well, it’s closer to management work than Hunter work.”

“Do that.”

“Well, anything else?”

“Nothing in particular for now. Nayeon said she’s coming up today. Her car probably left Daejeon by now. She’s afraid of trains, so I sent a driver down. She’ll probably come straight to the Jamwon-dong house.”

Siguk said with a grin.

“I’ll go on Sunday. Well, she should play with her friends or Jungi for a day or two. Right?”

At Siguk’s words, Lee Jeonghoon also grinned and replied.

“Right. I’ll let her know.”

Sunday, October 22nd.

At 16:45, the Prime Minister’s Office distributed a press release to the media.

The release contained the information that the National Policy Partner Guild would be changed from the Signiel Guild to the JH Guild effective January 2nd, 2029.

Various speculative reports began to emerge, and backstories about discord between the Signiel Group, the parent company of the Signiel Guild, and the Hyeon Woongryeol regime were conveyed to the public through plausible anonymous informants.

There were many questions and many speakers, but the government, the Signiel Group, and the JH Group only gave principled answers.

And at 18:30.

At the Jamwon Marianne Apartment penthouse, a birthday party celebrating Nayeon’s 22nd birthday was held, again on a small scale, modest yet splendid.

That day, Nayeon quickly got drunk, held Siguk’s hand, cried her eyes out, and poured out how much she suffered while he was away on Raids, repeating the same content in dozens of different variations.

Thus, Nayeon’s birthday party, creating another piece of embarrassing history, passed, and October also passed.

For the entire month of November, Siguk officially went on vacation.

The pretext was rest for recovery from the aftereffects of the Moscow Raid.

But Siguk didn’t rest for a single day, unofficially doing his own work.

Domestically, he traveled around visiting guilds registered in South Korea, regardless of size, meeting with Masters one by one, having conversations, and persuading them.

Most sympathized with the cause Siguk had created and showed willingness to participate.

However, some showed ambiguous attitudes, and among them, a few even secretly informed the Superhuman Association about what Siguk had told them.

But Siguk didn’t mind. After all, even that was part of the calculated plan.

Externally, he personally commanded on-site the work of moving the 90 tons of Magic Stones delivered to Hassan through the Russian government, specifically the military intelligence agency.

Thanks to Siguk’s recommendation and his personal connection with Ivan Ivanov, Dmitry, who became the president’s close aide and Minister of Far East Development, helped him successfully ship the goods quickly. Siguk laundered the goods through transshipment on the high seas and stored them dispersed in warehouses in Busan.

He also acted as a diplomatic bridge to help the Ministry of Protection, which had taken control of the eastern half of North Korea centered on Najin, gain support from the Russian government.

Of course, in return, the Ministry of Protection had to grant Siguk a 50-year lease on major commercial districts and ports in Najin, and Siguk had to go to Moscow upon Ivan Ivanov’s call and spend another night with Polya.

After spending a busy November like that, Siguk finally got to take a real rest.

“Seongjun, any interesting channels?”

Sitting in the office with Wayoutube open on his computer, Siguk asked Park Seongjun.

“Try subscribing to the ‘Find Poppy’ channel. It’s about the back-and-forth between a dog and its owner. The dog is cute.”

“Really?”

Siguk searched for the channel Park Seongjun mentioned and played a video.

Watching a small white Maltese acting cute in front of its owner, who appeared to be a man, Siguk suddenly turned his gaze to Park Seongjun.

“Hey, is this that channel you run?”

At Siguk’s question, Park Seongjun grinned and nodded.

“Isn’t our Poppy cute? Hehe. Thanks to him, I even got a girlfriend… If you look around the middle part, there’s a couple’s dog walking video…”

“Ah, come on.”

Siguk laughed as if it was absurd and shook his head.

Thus, Siguk could truly rest only after officially ending his vacation and returning to work.

But his rest didn’t last long.

19:00, December 22nd, 2028.

The VIP room of the Japanese restaurant Sakomitsu, offering a view of a tasteful Japanese garden.

Looking at the snow falling in the air and the snow-covered ground, Gu Seongguk wore a worried expression.

Yeo Jeongyeon, sitting beside him, was gazing at the white snow with a dreamy expression when she noticed Gu Seongguk’s face and opened her mouth.

“You have that worried, anxious expression again?”

At her words, Gu Seongguk looked at her and gave a bitter smile.

“I’m tense.”

“Because the other party is an A-Rank Hunter? Or because of the action that person intends to take?”

“Hahaha. Both. Aren’t you worried, Agent Yeo?”

“Well… If it’s going to happen, it will; if not, it won’t. So I’m not too worried.”

“I envy that aspect of you.”

As the two were talking, the door opened and Siguk entered.

“Haha. Traffic was bad, so I’m a bit late.”

As Siguk entered, Gu Seongguk and Yeo Jeongyeon rose from their seats.

“Not at all. We just arrived too.”

After shaking hands, the three sat down.

As soon as the three were seated, employees immediately entered and set a table with sashimi and Japanese traditional liquor.

After the setup was complete and the staff left, Gu Seongguk opened a bottle of traditional liquor and filled Siguk and Yeo Jeongyeon’s glasses, and Yeo Jeongyeon filled his glass.

“Well, let’s have a light drink and begin.”

Following Gu Seongguk’s words, the three emptied their glasses first to start the meeting.

“This… As the Chairman of the Korean Superhuman Association, I should have visited Hunter Lee Siguk quickly first, but I couldn’t manage to do so.”

“Not at all. The Chairman must have a busy schedule too. I’m just grateful that you’re treating me to a meal like this.”

At first, it was light conversation about recent happenings.

While Yeo Jeongyeon remained silent, quietly picking at her sashimi, Siguk and Gu Seongguk tilted their glasses and continued talking incessantly.

‘Gu Seongguk… what is he thinking?’

‘Lee Siguk… why on earth… for what purpose…’

Although they appeared somewhat relaxed on the surface, both men kept their guard up, probing each other.

After about 30 minutes of discussing recent happenings that neither was particularly interested in, they began their serious conversation around the time one bottle was emptied and a new one was opened.

“I’ve been hearing an interesting story lately.”

Gu Seongguk opened the conversation while refilling Siguk’s glass.

“An interesting story?”

Siguk asked, feigning innocence while refilling Gu Seongguk’s glass.

“A story is floating around like a ghost that Hunters are planning to do something.”

Only then could Siguk pinpoint the reason Gu Seongguk had called him.

‘As expected, that’s it.’

In fact, if there was anything Gu Seongguk would call him for, that one thing was the most likely candidate.

Gu Seongguk continued.

“Well, the stated purpose is for more efficient inter-guild cooperative projects… but I’m hearing other stories hidden beneath the surface.”

“What kind of stories?”

“The story about creating a nationwide solidarity organization for the improvement of Hunter rights and interests, Hunter Lee Siguk.”

At Gu Seongguk’s appearance, staring intently and speaking definitively as if he knew something, Siguk also stopped acting.

Siguk looked at Yeo Jeongyeon and asked Gu Seongguk.

“Is it okay?”

At Siguk’s question, Gu Seongguk nodded.

“There is hardly anything that runs without her, at least within the Association. So she is fully qualified to be here.”

“I see.”

Siguk emptied his glass. Gu Seongguk refilled it and asked.

“What are you thinking, Hunter Lee Siguk?”

To that question, Siguk answered as if it were nothing.

“Literally as said. There’s the purpose of making inefficient inter-guild cooperative projects more efficient, as they are now, and also the purpose of improving Hunter rights and interests. Exactly as the Chairman knows.”

“Is that really all?”

“Yes, that’s all.”

Gu Seongguk closed his mouth and stared intently at Siguk.

Siguk didn’t avoid that gaze and smiled back.

Gu Seongguk emptied his glass. Siguk refilled it.

Gu Seongguk opened his mouth.

“The President fears Hunter Lee Siguk.”

At Gu Seongguk’s sudden words, not only Siguk but also Yeo Jeongyeon flinched and looked at him.

His words continued.

“It seems the President’s fear started from the moment Hunter Lee Siguk returned alive from the Raid, no, perhaps from the moment Hunter Lee Siguk Awakened.”

Siguk quietly met Gu Seongguk’s eyes directly.

Yeo Jeongyeon also looked at him with slightly trembling eyes.

Gu Seongguk continued.

“The public loves President Hyeon Woongryeol. Even if they dislike the ruling party he belongs to, they love President Hyeon Woongryeol. But that’s because they don’t see his true nature.”

Gu Seongguk emptied his glass. Yeo Jeongyeon refilled it.

“I’ve seen him for quite a long time. Since his days as a member of the National Assembly, even before I Awakened.”

Gu Seongguk looked straight at Siguk and spoke.

“He is always trapped in fear. Fear that someday he will be removed from power, fear that he will be forgotten. That drives him mad. And leads to purges.”

Siguk could see it. The sincerity in Gu Seongguk’s eyes.

“Right now, President Hyeon Woongryeol fears Hunter Lee Siguk. I, by his side, am trying to soothe that fear. Giving various favors to the JH Group, increasing positive media stories about Hunter Lee Siguk recently, are all part of that effort. To make Hunter Lee Siguk not an object of fear for President Hyeon Woongryeol, but a comrade-like existence.”

“……”

“What Hunter Lee Siguk is trying to do now. That’s dangerous. Dangerous enough to reawaken President Hyeon Woongryeol’s fear that I’ve barely soothed, enough to make him hostile towards Hunter Lee Siguk.”

“……”

“Please stop. Stop the announcement the Hunters are planning to make at the evening event tomorrow. If not… if not…”

Gu Seongguk, with slightly trembling hands, raised his glass, poured the liquor into his mouth, and finished his sentence.

“Hunter Lee Siguk will make the South Korean government and the Superhuman Association his enemies.”

It was not a threat but an earnest plea.

An earnest plea not to oppose him.

Looking at that, Siguk emptied his glass.

Thud-!

After setting down his glass with a sound, Siguk looked at Gu Seongguk with a fierce smile and said.

“Can you handle it?”

The expressions of Gu Seongguk and Yeo Jeongyeon froze upon hearing those words.