NIS Agents Tearing Up the Japanese Empire - Chapter 70



Only Krnovel

Rabbit Hunting (7)

A gloomy night.

Song Byeong-jun, unlike usual, had difficulty falling asleep and was wandering around the house.

“Umm… … .”

“Elderly man, are you feeling unwell?”

“I don’t know, something seems uncomfortable… … . When I think about what’s uncomfortable, I can’t really put my finger on it.”

“Oh my… … .”

Whether it was because of the alcohol he had been drinking day and night, or because of the karma he had accumulated from selling out his country and living a life of luxury alone, Song Byeong-jun sometimes had trouble sleeping.

This is a rare occurrence, usually occurring once or twice a year, but fortunately or unfortunately, it happened today.

“Sir, how about calling in Representative Choi tomorrow and asking for a medical examination?”

“Hmm… … That would be good. I guess as I get older, I might start having problems of one kind or another.”

Song Byeong-jun’s heart was very heavy.

Especially on a very dark night like today, with no moonlight at all.

‘It was exactly this dark of a night when Myeongbok chased that bastard out and then threatened his son to sign the treaty.’

Although others pointed fingers at Song Byeong-jun and called him a traitor because of the Jeongmi-nyeon incident, the person in question did not even think of himself as a traitor.

‘Idiots… … Joseon was destined to be eaten by someone else anyway, but they can’t even read the flow of the times and are just busy putting others down.’

Song Byung-jun always rationalized his actions.

‘Even if it wasn’t me, someone else would have sold out this country that was on the verge of collapse. In fact, wasn’t it me who sold this country to Japan at a fair price?’

Born as the son of a parasite and barely surviving as a servant in other people’s houses, Song Byeong-jun did not even consider Joseon as his homeland in the first place.

Well, there was a time when he thought that way, but the new world he saw when he went to kill Kim Ok-gyun on the orders of his late former master, Myeongbok, fascinated him.

Tokyo, as seen through the eyes of a young man who had spent his entire life wandering the bottom of Joseon and then luckily passed the military service examination, was an incredibly beautiful place.

There was even the persuasion of Kim Ok-gyun, the great orator… … It was quite probable that he would abandon his lord and switch sides on the spot.

He has been loyal to Japan for 39 years, and he is 65 years old this year. So, he has been loyal to Japan, not Joseon, for most of his life.

The Japanese Empire gave the insignificant Song Byeong-jun money, fame, and a chance at success, and he pledged his loyalty to his new country, getting his hands dirty in exchange for dirty money and the fame of rolling around in the mud.

‘Looking back, this is what it means to live a life without any regrets.’

He never regretted his life.

I thought that even if I went back in time, I would never betray Japan.

“The night breeze is cool.”

“I’ve heard that’s the case these days.”

“On days like this, it would be so delicious to open a cool watermelon and share it with my friends… … .”

Song Byeong-jun tried to recall the faces of the friends he used to play with, but no matter how hard he tried, the faces of his old friends would not come to mind.

I don’t know if it was because he was old and his memory was declining, or if he never had any friends to begin with but just thought he had them… … . For now, Song Byeong-jun thought it was the former.

‘I guess I’m getting old too.’

Now he too began to realize that he did not have much time left to live.

Now, I couldn’t walk for long distances like I used to, I couldn’t drink alcohol like it was water, and I couldn’t even carry a sack of rice that I used to lift with ease.

Instead, I was at an age where I could tell to some extent that when I opened my eyes every morning, my body was not in the same condition as before and that each day was different.

As Song Byeong-jun entered the twilight of his life, like many others, he began to look back on his past more often than he did on his future, which was not long.

“Hey, butler.”

“Yes, sir.”

“People of the world point their fingers at me and call me a traitor who sold out my country.”

“Oh my god… … . What kind of vile person would say something like that? I’ll find him and kill him right away… … .”

His loyal butler became furious as if he had been insulted.

“Even if I just go outside right now, there are tons of people pointing fingers at me behind my back. Why are you so angry?”

“Ahem… … . Sir, the people of the world do not yet know of your achievements, so please do not worry too much about it.”

“My achievements? Right, who am I? Aren’t I a benefactor who, like Prometheus in the far West, gave the spark of modernization to the stray Koreans?”

“Yes.”

Song Byeong-jun walked around Gyeongseong every day and observed the transformation of the once shabby city into a new modern city.

Hanseong, where he lived as a servant in someone else’s house, was always filled with frustration, resentment, and resentment, but Gyeongseong, where he could now boast over others, was filled with happiness.

Just thinking about the new and changing Gyeongseong that I would be seeing tomorrow made me feel excited.

“I will leave my name in history as a subject of the Empire of Japan and as a person who enlightened Joseon.”

“Well then, sir.”

“I used to be a servant in someone else’s house, but I have now risen to the highest position in the world and become successful. So, someday, even those who used to point fingers at me will realize my greatness.”

“That will be the case, sir.”

Song Byeong-jun praised his own achievements and imagined a bright future, but somehow the more he did so, the more his heart felt empty.

Clearly, he saved the Korean people by handing over Korea to the Empire of Japan.

And yet, instead of thanking you, people just point their fingers at you… … Isn’t that ironic?

“That’s why the Joseon people… … .”

“I keep listening, but I can’t listen anymore.”

“?”

At that moment, a deep voice that I had never heard before was heard from behind Song Byeong-jun.

I glanced back and saw something in the shape of a human standing in the dark shadows.

“What.”

At the appearance of the unfamiliar stranger, confusion and fear appeared on Song Byeong-jun’s face.

For a moment, his head became dizzy with all sorts of unpleasant thoughts.

“Sir, behind me… … .”

The butler stepped forward in front of Song Byeong-jun and pointed his finger at the figure in the darkness.

“I do not know who you are, but I understand that you are now the personal estate of Count Heijiro Noda, who has been granted the title of Count by His Majesty the Emperor of the Empire of Japan!”

Then a voice was heard from the darkness.

“I know.”

“You punk! Don’t you know that you have to show yourself when talking to adults?”

“If you want.”

A man walked out of the darkness.

He was a cool-looking officer in his mid-thirties, wearing the uniform of the Imperial Japanese Army.

The butler and Song Byeong-jun breathed a sigh of relief at the sight of the officer they often saw outside.

“Oh my… … Your Majesty! In these times, aren’t you taking your pranks too far?”

“Sorry, did I startle you?”

“I was surprised. The atmosphere was chaotic right now because Gyeongseong was a busy city, and then suddenly a stranger came into the house.”

“I’m sorry.”

“No, and the soldiers promised not to come inside the mansion, so why are you breaking your promise and doing this here?”

The butler looked at the officer with suspicious eyes.

But he smiled as if he was used to being looked at like this.

“I don’t remember making that promise?”

“What kind of nonsense is that! Didn’t our lord meet privately with General Kikuchi, the commander of the Korean garrison, and promise to cleanly launder the personal funds the general collected in Korea in exchange for providing a guard around his house with soldiers?”

“Hoo… … . That’s right.”

“… … ?”

The butler was momentarily speechless at the officer’s reaction of hearing it for the first time even though he was talking about information that all high-ranking officers would already know.

“You didn’t know, did you?”

“huh.”

“… … Informal speech?”

And the butler’s suspicions grew as he watched the officer, who had been strangely mixing up his manners and getting on his nerves, getting on his nerves.

“You… … who are you?”

“I am Major Daisuke Tsugimoto of the 78th Regiment of the 20th Division of the Invincible Imperial Army of the Empire of Japan.”

“The Imperial Army… … ?”

The butler tilted his head.

Usually, when the Japanese military referred to themselves, they did not use the expression “Imperial Army”, but rather the Army, Navy, or, if not that, the Government Army.

Rather, the expression ‘Hwanggun’ was mainly used in the Qing Dynasty, which had already fallen and disappeared, and in Joseon, it was only used occasionally during the Korean Empire.

And the doubts that had settled in the butler’s mind as he realized that fact began to grow like a snowball.

‘He dresses like an officer, but judging by his words and actions, he is hardly an officer.’

This meant only one thing.

The author is not a soldier.

And the Japanese even more so.

This naturally led to the next topic.

An unidentified assailant has now broken into the mansion.

‘Your Majesty is in danger… …!’

The butler was so shocked that his heart almost burst out of his mouth, but he tried not to show it and just rolled his eyes around, looking for something he could use as a weapon.

At the same time, he never forgot to say anything with his mouth to divert the other person’s attention.

“The Emperor… … Judging from the Chinese characters, it seems like he came from China, not the mainland.”

“I did stay there for a while.”

“Oh, really? I also wanted to travel to China sometime.”

“Come visit Shanghai later when you have time. I know some people at the consulate general there.”

“I see… … Shanghai is the center of China’s transportation and trade, so there must be a lot to see… … .”

In the middle of the conversation, the officer cut him off.

“The conversation ends here.”

“… … What is that?”

“You probably know who I am.”

The officer still had a smiling face.

“Lieutenant Tsugimoto? What do you mean… …?”

“No, that’s not it.”

The smile disappeared from the officer’s face.

Then he said with a blank expression on his face, feeling nothing.

“There is a rumor going around that there is a ghost that wanders around Jongno Street in Gyeongseong.”

“… … .”

“Isn’t that a really funny thing to say?”

“… … The Ghost of Gyeongseong.”

Before he knew it, the officer was holding a long staff in his hand.

It was hard to tell exactly what it was because it was dark and the outside was painted black, but it was shorter and thinner than I thought, so it looked more like a child’s toy than a weapon.

Compared to knives, guns, or even the batons carried by police officers, they didn’t seem that dangerous.

“Huh, what are you going to do with a bag the size of a little girl’s arm?”

Song Byeong-jun, who had been holding his breath nervously behind the butler, also snorted at the sight of the other person’s flimsy belongings.

His butler also picked up the poker lying next to him, mocking his opponent’s poor form.

It was much longer than the pole and was made of solid iron, making it very sturdy.

“Ha… … It seems that the reputation of this Kim Cheol-yong, who once dominated Jongno Street, has hit rock bottom.”

“Kim Gaya, take care of it quickly and hand it over to the coffin.”

“Yes, Your Majesty! Just leave it to me!”

The butler reached up to the officer’s arm, grabbed the gun firmly with both hands, and aimed the tip at the officer.

“You said you were the ghost of Gyeongseong? Now your terrorism will be over… … . Let’s go.!!!”

The butler swung the poker with all his might.

and.

-Bam.

As if it were a lie, it collapsed from the legs up.

-Boom boom boom.

Every time the officer’s hand moved, a cute and adorable sound was heard, but the result was quite the opposite.

“Ugh! Kkaaaak! Aaak! Wait, wait… … . Eww!!!”

Song Byeong-jun’s butler, who had been so proud at first, seemed to have thrown the poker far away, and his whole body twisted in pain every time he moved his hand.

And finally, he got hit in the head once and showed no reaction.

“after…….”

The officer straightened his disheveled uniform and raised his head to look at Song Byeong-jun.

“It’s finally quieter now.”

“… … .”

“Lord Noda, I’m sorry, but it looks like you’ll have to die by my hand today.”

NIS Agent Tears the Japanese Empire Episode 71