The Time-Limited Leader Makes the Raid a Success - Chapter 439



Only Krnovel

Episode 439

#439. I definitely have to find that place.

“It seems that Taiwan suffered significant damage from Naga’s attack.”

Tatsuya, the representative of the Japanese negotiation team, looked serious after seeing the report brought by his subordinate. A member of the team cautiously asked after seeing his appearance.

“This news has little to do with the negotiations. It’s just a general report. Why are you so concerned about it?”

“It was the same in the past, and it still is today, Taiwan is a place that China drools over. Furthermore, the Yellow Dragon Guild is deeply involved in this area’s interests. And our current competitor is the chief of operations there.”

The person who asked the question asked again, saying he still didn’t know.

“That’s true, but aren’t the negotiations here and Taiwan completely unrelated? If I had to find a connection, it would be the Naga attack… I wonder if the Gloria Guild would care about that.”

“According to information gathered over the past few days, Edoardo Asburgoeste is involved in these negotiations.”

“That S-rank hunter?!”

“The Grand Duke is a man who cannot be bribed with money.”

“Even if it’s S-rank, are there hunters who don’t like money?”

“Correct me. Money alone won’t do anything.”

There was a famous anecdote.

The Saudi royal family offered him one oil field and three Gate mines in exchange for naturalization as Saudi Arabian. It was a huge deal, estimated to be worth tens of trillions of won.

But Edoardo refused without even raising his nose. This was because he valued honor and justice more than wealth and fame. Of course, since he was already enjoying everything he could, he also considered anything beyond that to be nothing more than hedonism.

“A just cause is important to move the Grand Duke.”

“But didn’t the US also request the Flying Seahorse under similar conditions?”

“You’re talking about the mermaid kingdom of the Caribbean.”

Although it used the fairytale-like name of ‘Mermaid Kingdom’, it was actually a region where monsters called Mermen ran rampant.

Merman was called one of the three great amphibious monsters along with Naga and Muruk.

In the past, the United States requested the export of flying seahorses to Europe in order to bring down the mermaid kingdom.

However, the deal fell through because of America’s coercive attitude. At the time, the key to this deal was held by Edoardo.

He was sharp in asserting that the spirit of Europe would not yield to American power.

“The pretext of dismantling the monster territory in the Caribbean was good, but the United States made several mistakes at the time. A representative example is the incident where they stole Bertrand from France. In addition, they were so focused on building up their own Hunter forces without considering the security of Europe’s Gate that they didn’t show any consideration for Europe’s situation. They didn’t feel desperate because they had many S-ranks and a solid Hunter force.”

The members clapped their hands as if something came to mind from Tatsuya’s explanation.

“Is it possible that China could use the Taiwan issue as an excuse?”

“That’s right. This damage is a fatal blow to Taiwan, whose population was already shrinking. Taiwan almost collapsed during the Great War, and has been losing its population ever since it faltered during the Little War. Now, with hundreds of thousands dead or missing in this Naga attack, internal discontent will only grow.”

“There is a possibility that China will interfere in our internal affairs. Under the pretext of supporting the Hunter faction.”

“And that will soon become an excuse to bring in the Flying Seahorse. If he is Zhao Keji of the Yellow Dragon Guild, he is a person who can turn other people’s misfortune into profit.”

Tatsuya was acquainted with Zhao Keji. It wasn’t a relationship where they could exchange greetings, but China and Japan have had a history of cooperation and conflict over various gate-related projects, so they often came to the negotiating table.

There were quite a few people who were familiar with the two countries’ representative guilds, Hwangryong and Ilkwang.

Since Tatsuya’s role was external affairs, he often clashed with people like Guan Hong and Zhao Keji.

He gave instructions after considering the pros and cons of the current situation.

“We’re trying to kill two birds with one stone. Contact the home country. So that Japan can support Taiwan. Block the Chinese card and pull it to our side as much as possible. At the very least, we have to make it so that Zhao Keji can’t use it. Please also give us a related report.”

“yes.”

While the negotiating team was busy moving around, Tatsuya was lost in thought.

‘Honestly, this whole thing could be in vain. The key man in these negotiations is definitely Edoardo. If we can just reach an agreement with him, we can turn the tables at any time.’

However, even within the Gloria Guild, no one except Gilma and Bugilma knew Edoardo’s location. The same goes for his contact information.

In the first place, the very idea of ​​meeting an S-rank representing a country in person was reckless.

For Tatsuya, it’s just a possibility that he’s only imagining.

“Come to think of it, Korea is somehow quiet.”

The negotiating team was not only sparse, but also shabby. It consisted of only four people. Their personalities were completely unknown.

You might think it’s a small elite force, but considering the situation in Korea where exchanges with the European hunter community are almost cut off, as many people as possible had to get out there.

‘But you can’t always let your guard down. Korea is a place that the Lord pays special attention to, so you have to be careful.’

Until now, Tatsuya had not understood Kishin’s persistent suppression of Korea, but after Jusea rose to S-Rank, he was able to realize Kishin’s concerns.

Korea is a country like a goblin where you never know when or where something will pop up.

Especially when studying history after the Gate era, Korea during the Great War truly dominated the world of hunters.

They had top-tier clans and S-ranks reminiscent of the current United States, and even the hunters following them were talented enough to dwarf hunters from other countries.

‘It was suppressed and broken because it was too outstanding. The recent actions of the Korean hunter community are certainly not to be ignored. I’ll have to look into the situation there tomorrow.’

Tatsuya thought he had clearly set priorities and made his moves, but what happened the next day was completely beyond his expectations.

* * *

After seeing off Kang Mu-hyeok and Thomas, Edoardo sat on the terrace, still lingering with the afterglow of their conversation, and admired the sea in the middle of the night.

As the surroundings became quiet and only the distant sound of the waves could be heard, a shadow suddenly appeared beside him.

“It’s Claudia.”

“As expected of the Grand Duke. You came quietly.”

“Even though you’ve become a bugilma, you’re still acting like a jerk. Did Gilma send you?”

“Yes. He said that it seemed like there were flies around the Grand Duke.”

“Did you put people around me?”

“That’s not possible. Rather, it was Gilma who was flustered. They had sent a tail to Gang Mu-hyeok, but they lost him near here. Gilma seemed to have intuitively sensed that they were looking for the Grand Duke. Otherwise, the magician next to him wouldn’t have done anything.”

“Vittorio was also concerned about Team Leader Kang Mu-hyeok.”

It had been a long time since Claudia had seen Edoardo smile. She had often seen him smile with intention, but it seemed to be the first time she had seen him smile with genuine joy.

“I guess you had fun drinking.”

“I was wondering why you were hovering around and not coming in, but you were being considerate. Good job. Thanks to you, I had a fun conversation after a long time.”

“It’s my duty as a disciple. Judging by the atmosphere, I felt it was a bit awkward to interrupt. That’s why I was so curious. What was the content of that interesting conversation that made the Grand Duke laugh like that?”

“I was going to call you and Gilma anyway. That’s good. Let’s go to the guild.”

When Edoardo didn’t answer right away, Claudia tilted her head. The fact that he insisted on talking about it with Gilma meant that it was an important matter.

“Do you know how to drive?”

Edoardo put on his outerwear and handed the car keys he had in his arms to Claudia.

She scratched the back of her head as if in trouble.

“I know how to drive, but… I don’t have a license.”

“Aren’t there more than ten cars?”

“I couldn’t renew my driver’s license because I had to go to the gate.”

“How did you get here? Surely you didn’t come here to save face, Bugilma.”

“It’s a motorcycle.”

“Doesn’t that require a license too?”

“Hey, do you want to get on?”

Claudia quickly changed the subject. Edoardo burst into laughter at his disciple’s mistake. Although he was the vice-minister of the Gloria Guild, he still seemed like a cute disciple to him.

“Okay. A motorcycle at this age? I’ll just drive it.”

“That’s drunk driving.”

“Have you ever seen a hunter get drunk on wine?”

“Right. Well then, without any hesitation, shall we ride in the car driven by the Grand Duke for the first time in a while?”

* * *

Kang Mu-hyeok was looking at his smartphone the whole time he was riding in the car.

On the way back, Thomas, who was holding the steering wheel, glanced at me and asked.

“What’s wrong? You’ve had a serious expression on your face since earlier.”

“There’s news that Taiwan has been attacked by the Nagas. They say there were 250,000 casualties.”

Thomas frowned as he recalled Taiwan’s location.

“It must be quite a distance from there to Korea. Naga’s territory is so vast. How could Europe not have noticed such a large number?”

“I am suspicious of all of Africa.”

Europe has been going out hunting periodically.

It was difficult to completely eradicate the Nagas who hid in the deep sea, but if their numbers were steadily reduced, they would never grow into a large force.

Although the nations bordering the Mediterranean worked together to eliminate the Nagas, their influence did not extend completely to the entire Mediterranean.

The most representative headache was Africa.

Most African countries were in chaos, with only a few shrunken northern countries barely surviving on European support.

Hunter’s coup, anarchy, and monsters.

In addition, the racial genocide and political chaos between opposing tribes worsened, creating a real hell.

As such, there was no suitable place for monsters to spread their power.

“Although the hunter forces within Africa are trying to carry out the self-purification of the gate, they are unable to control the ecosystem of monsters that have already spread and run wild in all directions. In particular, there are many places along the coast where sea monsters appear, so there are many areas that have been left alone.”

“I think the captain went somewhere in the meantime and increased his power.”

“Yes. And actually, finding out about that area is also the purpose of this business trip to Europe.”

“Where is the Naga habitat? It must have been abandoned now. They all moved to Northeast Asia. Why bother looking into that…?”

Thomas closed his mouth while speaking. He figured out Kang Moo-hyuk’s intentions.

“Are you trying to trace the evolution of Naga?”

“The fact that Naga has become such a huge force is evidence that a being that encompasses all Naga races has been born. The evolution of monsters is influenced by their surrounding environment. The fact that Europe did not recognize this means that evolution has progressed rapidly. I think there must be a reason for that.”

Thomas looked at Kang Mu-hyuk with renewed surprise.

Although he also became smarter due to the influence of mana addiction, he used his brain in different areas than Kang Mu-hyeok.

If given a clue, he could easily deduce it, but he was not used to planning ahead.

Perhaps it was because I had been a hunter my whole life and had only been in the field that I developed in a different direction.

‘Edoardo said that Captain Kang is a hunter. He said that only those who are prepared can survive. Maybe the only one who is truly prepared is Captain Kang Moo-hyuk.’

While everyone was focused on the monster attack, Kang Mu-hyeok was looking for its origin.

To prevent not only the immediate crisis but also future threats.

Thomas thought that what the world needed now was someone like Kang Moo-hyuk.

‘There are hunters, me and Joo Sea Gilma. It’s enough to beat up monsters. The reason the world has been suffering from monsters up until now is not because of a lack of strength. Rather, the problem is that there is enough strength, but we can’t gather it together.’

It was a time when someone was needed who could break that contradiction.

Thomas turned his gaze straight at Kang Mu-hyeok and spoke to himself as if making a pledge.

“It’s the birthplace of the King of Naga… I must definitely find that place.”

* * *

“Oh my, the Chief of Operations is really something. He’s been on a forced march for days just to re-plan the negotiation strategy.”

“If they hadn’t given me even a moment’s rest, I might have suffocated to death.”

“All the restaurants are closed tonight. Let’s have a drink with some snacks upstairs and then go inside. We’ll meet again in an hour.”

“Can I drink alcohol?”

“Are you worried about what the Hunter gets drunk on?”

The Chinese negotiating team hunters were both glad and sighing at the break they had been given after almost two days, as they had only been given an hour.

There was nothing better than alcohol to make the most of that short time. He wasn’t going to have any energy left after not sleeping for a few days anyway, and alcohol was only for enjoying the atmosphere, and it couldn’t beat a hunter’s liver, so he just wanted to feel better.

As soon as they got off the elevator heading to the hotel bar, which was always open even in the middle of the night, a woman suddenly rushed at them.

“Wow! Honey~~”

The Chinese hunters hugged her in a daze. The smell of alcohol wafted from the woman’s body. Her face was also flushed red, indicating that she had drunk too much.

The situation was embarrassing, but since the other person was a rare beauty, they supported the woman with a strange expression. The woman’s hand caressed the two people’s cheeks.

The two hunters were thinking dark thoughts instead of drinking. Then, a man came running from the end of the hallway.

“Honey! No, if you’re drunk, you should go home quietly. Why are you wandering around like this? Oh my, I’m sorry. It’s because my wife likes to drink too much. Hahaha.”

The man kept bowing his head to the hunters and took the woman into the elevator. The hunters looked at the closed elevator with regretful eyes.

“Let’s just have a drink.”

“okay.”

* * *

A man and a woman in an elevator.

Hyun Jung-geun and Mr. Cho wiped away the sweet gazes they had been looking at each other with just a moment ago.

Because it was past midnight, the elevator continued to descend without stopping.

Hyun Jeong-geon said, smoothing out his disheveled clothes.

“Copy?”

“Both of them were finished a long time ago.”

“What a troublesome ability. It can only be transformed by direct contact.”

“It’s annoying, but it’s definitely effective.”

“Thanks to you, I’m going to have a nightmare today.”

“What nightmare?”

“You’re my wife. It’s horrible. ‘Honey’?”

“You said ‘Honey’? I’ll have to get the CCTV footage later. You’re going to be a laughing stock for the rest of your life.”

“I’m dying.”

“Yeah, you.”

Hyun Jeong-geon thought that he would become more and more childish if he got involved with Iron Will humans. He decided to focus only on public affairs.

Hyun Jeong-geon disabled the CCTV inside the elevator by flicking a coin with his finger.

“But that doesn’t mean my memory will disappear, right?”

“We’ll be filmed doing what we do next.”

“Oh, that’s right.”

“Let’s focus.”

“I’m ready.”

Mr. Joe stretched while shaking his long hair. Hyun Jeong-geon asked to confirm the operation.

“Now, do I just have to infiltrate and extract the data?”

“Just sneaking in isn’t that good. You have to attract attention from that side.”

“Okay. That’s my specialty.”

The elevator stopped midway. It was the floor where the Chinese negotiators were tied up.

As he stepped out of the elevator, Mr. Joe’s face had changed into a fierce one, completely different from the beautiful woman he had been just a moment ago.

The outfit changed from a dress to a suit, and the voice belonged to a completely different person.

“See you later.”

“I can’t seem to get used to hearing your voice. Be careful not to get caught.”

Hyun Jeong-geon returned to the first floor lobby and went to the hotel front desk.

“Can you please contact room 1104?”