By Seyru_Aka
Proofread by Null, Slimicee, acquaintedwithnight, peghius, Alk.
"Take over Jeju Island?!"
Despite the huge announcement, officials from the Japan Hunter Association (JHA) remained calm. They probably had been informed beforehand of the decision. However, Japanese government officials did not. A wave of objections and complaints filled the room.
"What the hell does that mean?!"
"Are you planning to declare war to Korea?! Jeju Island is within their territory!"
"You have to say something!"
Contestations kept growing, louder and louder. The dignitaries were on fire.
"Taking over Jeju Island? What is that nonsense?!"
If the President of the JHA, Shigeo Matsumoto, failed to give clear answers soon, many people's voices would go unheard from all the shouting. The thought made him chuckle.
Without the hunters guarding him, Matsumoto was convinced he would have been assaulted. The declaration had really not been received well.
He smiled.
"Just as expected."
He clicked his tongue, and cut short the endless flow of hostile questions.
"No, we do not mean to declare war to Korea. We don't plan on forcefully taking the Island away," he stated.
"What?"
"Then how the hell are you planning to proceed?" A dignitary continued, aggressively.
"Please speak up."
The President breathed, and answered in a calm tone.
"We will make Korea give away its own land."
The room became silent. The heated atmosphere cooled down instantly. Had they heard correctly? Judging from Matsumoto's attitude, it seemed his speech was sincere. However, sincere did not mean plausible. The deputy prime minister, known for his composure, and who had remained silent until now, decided to speak for the first time at the meeting.
"President Matsumoto,"
Everyone in the room started paying close attention to the deputy. He was the prime minister's closest aide, and his remarks held a great importance within the country.
"What you said surprised most of us. The idea is great, and would avoid any unnecessary war with Korea. But… How are we supposed to proceed?"
Matsumoto who was feeling proud for having attracted the attention of one of the most powerful figure of Japan, began to elaborate.
"Korea does not have enough manpower to handle Rank-S gates. It was true when the S-Gate appeared 4 years ago, and it is still true now."
The deputy prime minister nodded.
Jeju Island was a large island, representing about 2% of Korea's total area. When the gate appeared the first time, the entire zone was evacuated. Since then, Korea had tried to reconquer the Island three times, but failed at each and every attempt.
"Now, think about it. Are they in a position to refuse the helping hand of Japan's S-ranked Hunters, if we were to offer them their support? They already know that the ants are beginning to leave the island, and they also know that it is only a matter of time before their mainland is attacked."
The deputy took some time to think about it. It was true that, despite the horrific relationship between the two countries, Korea could not refuse Japan's help; yet…
"Do you really think Korea will give up Jeju Island in exchange for our help?"
As the deputy said: there were too many holes in the president's argument, and those made the bureaucrats snicker among themselves.
However, the deputy continued calmly without anger or derision,
"As the president says, we may be able to handle the Jeju ants if we help Korea; but what do we have to gain by doing so?"
Even though Japanese citizens had been harmed by wandering monsters; the Jeju ants were still Korea's problem, and they couldn't sacrifice their country's hunters to help South Korea.
"It's ridiculous."
The self-interested deputy snorted inwardly. The most basic principle in politics was the reciprocity principle of give-and-take. To sacrifice your country's hunters you must receive back something in compensation.
"We should have to at least acquire Jeju island to make a profit."
As of now the deputy only showed interest because he agreed with the president on that front. But this scenario was too unrealistic, and so the deputy's interest faded faster than anyone else's.
Then the association president laughed,
"Who said anything about helping Korea?"
The deputy prime minister frowned.
"Is he toying with me?"
As he made to politely admonish the president to stop wasting time,-
"Wait…"
The president of the JHA said they would offer a hand, he didn't say that they would actually help them.
The deputy's eyes dilated.
"You don't mean…"
Matsumoto smiled.
"I do. This is exactly what I mean."
The face of the prime minister was priceless.
"You want to… You plan to betray Korea's best hunters?"
Matsumoto was delighted
'I guess you really are a smart one. I knew you would understand.'
"Yes. Korea's best hunters will believe in our support, and enter the Queen's lair. This is when we will withdraw. This will be a fourth failure for Korea." And Japan's betrayal would mostly go unnoticed because of the number of failures that already happened. No-, even if it did get noticed, it would be too late and Korea would already be ruined.
The Deputy Prime Minister's voice trembled.
"Korea's best hunters will be annihilated. Is that… Is that what you're willing to do?"
"This is what fate brought to them when that gate opened and they couldn't clear it." Matsumoto declared.
The assembly began talking about what the death of Korea's best hunters would imply.
"Once Korea's best hunters are dead, the country won't be able to cope with the ants flying to the mainland. At first, only a few ants will manage to get there. But as time passes by, more and more of them will succeed to attain Korea. " "Then they will have no choice but to beg for help from other countries."
" Yes, but China and Russia already have a huge surface area to protect, they won't be able to send any support. What about the United States?"
" They had already declined to help Korea when the S-rank gate opened years ago. I doubt they would be of any help either."
"North Korea then?"
"No, this would allow North Korean S-ranked hunters to take over Seoul. "
"This only leaves… Japan. Korea will have to rely on Japan to avoid extermination. "
"And Japan will be able to ask for anything in compensation... Korea will have to give us Jeju Island. "
It was exactly as the President of the JHA said.
The deputy got goosebumps. "Shigeo Matsumoto. He really is a scary person."
But that was not the end of it. Matsumoto continued. "Jeju Island will just be the beginning. Whenever Korea will require help from our S-rankers, we will drain them of their resources. They will have to succumb to Japan's power." Everyone here now understood. It was possible to swallow Korea entirely, without firing a single bullet. Those who, at first, had thought of the President of the JHA as crazy, changed their minds and kept listening in cold sweat. In the end all those presents were filled with the same thought "That man was dangerous."
Having finished his pitch, Matsumoto asked the Deputy Prime Minister :
"So, what are you going to do?" All eyes went from the President of the JHA to the Deputy. Since his words represented the Prime Minister's will, he had to be cautious, and deeply think them over.
After an intense reflexion, the Deputy Prime Minister answered.
"How can the government help you?"
*****
You have killed an Evil Knight
3000 experience has been earned
You have killed an Evil Knight
3000 experience has been earned
You have killed an Evil Knight
3000 experience has been earned
You have killed a Demonic Noble
4500 experience has been earned
Whenever the shadow soldiers killed some demons, system's messages poured out notifying Jinwoo of the experience earned. The hunter took great care of leveling up as much as he could, as he didn't know what would await him in the last floor of the castle. The rewards promised were good, which presumably foretold the presence of a powerful enemy; for this reason he couldn't afford to neglect his level-up.
You have leveled up
Jinwoo brought up his status window to check his level.
Level: 87
Great.
He had been level 80 when he re-entered the dungeon, and he managed to gain 7 levels since then.
"I'm going at a great pace," he smiled.
You have killed a Demonic Noble
4500 experience has been earned
You have killed a Demonic Noble
4500 experience has been earned
His soldiers were doing an incredible work. Messages from the system, notifying him of the experience earned, kept popping up endlessly.
Once the battles were over, the soldiers gathered around Jinwoo as usual, with Iron being the first to arrive. He stood proudly in front of the hunter, stretching out his chest as if expecting a compliment.
Jinwoo grinned at the scatterbrained shadow soldier facing him. "Are you done?"
Iron nodded.
"Are you sure?"
Iron nodded vigorously.
Jinwoo smirked, and sharpened his senses.
He then immediately turned around and threw his Baruka's Dagger.
[Dagger Throw]
It seemed there was nothing here but a wall,
Yet-
"UGHH!" The dagger hit a hiding demon, who had been waiting for Jinwoo to call back his soldiers for a chance to attack. The injured demon was shocked. The dagger had pierced the left side of his chest. If he had been human, his heart would have been pierced.
"H-How did you know?" Jinwoo had easily seen through the hidden magic of the senior rank demon. He approached him, and used his only close-ranged attack skill.
[Vital Stab!]
The demon, who had barely survived the dagger throw, died in a single blow.
You have killed a Demonic Noble
4500 experience has been earned
Jinwoo turned to Iron.
"I thought you were done?" He smiled.
Iron scratched the back of his head, looking down in shame.
Soon after, Igris, who had ventured deep inside the city to slaughter demons, returned.
'Hmm?'
Jinwoo could sense a different kind of energy emanating from him.
He tilted his head as he wondered, 'What is going on?'
Igris approached, knelt down in front of Jinwoo, and bowed his head. So far this was nothing out of the ordinary, but what was unusual was the machine-like sound that rang out.
'Uh?'
'System messages?'
Jinwoo gulped.