93. Heungbu and Nolbu

* * *

Blue House

Around the time Yoo Eun-ha was preparing to get thoroughly wrecked by Rachel, brothers Nolbu and Heungbu stood before President Ha Jung-seok in the Blue House. Both Ha and Nolbu glared particularly at Heungbu for failing his mission.

“So you found nothing?” Ha asked incredulously.

“The target was highly skilled – excellent at hit-and-run tactics,” Heungbu defended.

“To the point of being untraceable?”

This was worse than Seo Ji-yeon’s failure – at least she’d met Baekhwa. Heungbu had nothing to show but embarrassment.

“Baekhwa’s allies are formidable indeed.”

“Damn it, we must capture Baekhwa.”

Her faction grew stronger by the day. If she united all villains and survivors in the quarantine zone, she’d become a true threat.

“Is that necessary?”

“Online forums already worship that villainess! Some even say they’d prefer her as president over me!” Ha slammed documents showing public opinion polls where Baekhwa outpaced presidential approval ratings.

“I warned against abandoning Incheon,” Nolbu interjected. “Songdo could have been our frontline base against monsters.”

After the Cataclysm, Korea’s power diminished under monster attacks. Only Yoo Jin-seok’s generation managed to stabilize defenses. Nolbu had advocated holding Songdo due to its concentration of awakened individuals.

But Ha, fearing Hunter Association’s growing power, abandoned it.

“Any bright ideas then, Nolbu?”

“However impressive, Baekhwa remains a villain who must be eliminated.” Nolbu scratched his head. “Songdo has strategic value. Let’s offer 50 billion won bounty – hunters will breach the barriers to claim it.”

“50 billion? For one girl?”

“Foreign hunters will join too. This reclaims territory while eliminating the threat.”

Ha reluctantly agreed. The political calculus was unavoidable – a villainess commanding public loyalty couldn’t be tolerated.

“Must we go that far?” Heungbu protested.

“Still too soft, little brother,” Nolbu taunted. “That’s why your wife and kids go hungry.”

“What did you say?” Heungbu clenched his fists but stood down as Nolbu continued: “If Baekhwa keeps gaining support while ruling Songdo independently, what happens to the Blue House’s authority?”

The logic was sound. Villain-controlled Songdo with public support threatened national stability. Baekhwa might even set sights on Seoul next.

‘Can’t let a villainess topple us,’ Ha resolved, determined to preserve his power at all costs.

* * *

Hunter Association

Association Head Choi Cheol-sik frowned at Seo Ji-yeon’s empty-handed return. She felt guilty but couldn’t bring herself to harm Baekhwa after such passionate courtship.

“President Ha pressures the Association,” Choi announced.

“Pressure? How dare he?”

“He demands a bounty on Baekhwa.”

“How much?”

“50 billion.”

The staggering sum shocked everyone. Even S-rank hunters rarely earned that much on a single mission.

“Isn’t that excessive?” Baek Cheong-gang muttered.

“The bigger issue,” Choi explained, “is Baekhwa’s growing popularity nationwide. People support what she’s accomplished where government and Association failed.”

A villain commanding such loyalty was unprecedented – and internationally embarrassing.

“Must we obey Ha?” Ji-yeon protested. He was arguably Korea’s worst president, having abandoned so much territory.

“With our forces depleted after Kim Jae-su’s incident, we have no choice.”

“Can’t we recruit more?”

“We’ll approach guilds and academies.” Choi’s incompetence frustrated Ji-yeon. Both government and Association seemed hopeless.

A traitorous thought surfaced – perhaps Eun-ha’s faction offered better prospects. Ji-yeon quickly dismissed it. Eun-ha’s actions only bred chaos.

‘Better not think too deeply,’ she resolved, lest she face disciplinary spankings later.

* * *

Yongyong’s Penthouse

Kneeling under Rachel’s icy glare while Little Yongyong flapped accusingly overhead, I faced judgment day.

“Kyuiit kyuu kyuiit!” the traitorous hatchling tattled.

“Human! How could you do such things where our child could see?” Rachel slapped my back like a cheating husband caught red-handed.

“I’m a dragon.”

“Backtalk?” Her palm stung worse than her spicy snake soup.

Damn hatchling – I’d need to teach it Korean to understand its insults. “Just forgive me once? Or a thousand times? That’s still less than your body count!”

I deployed tearful begging tactics.

“No tears shall move me!” Rachel declared.

“But judge said woman’s tears are weapons!”

“Not against another woman!”

Perhaps promises would work better. “I’ll make it up to you tonight! Just spare the snake soup punishment! I won’t even mention mother-daughter threesomes for a month!”

Rachel’s glare intensified. Apparently, comfort was required. Time for damage control.