Ch.228Chapter 9. Hey, Ugly Korean (3)

The Syndicate is everywhere.

No matter where you go in the world, there are people of The Syndicate.

Even if they’re not directly affiliated members, whether they’re spies cooperating with The Syndicate or people who have formed alliances with it, there are countless individuals who share The Syndicate’s cause.

The man before me, Nguyen, is no exception.

“Excuse me, is it really okay to talk here?”

“Of course. People around us won’t hear our conversation, and they won’t pay attention to us. I’m using a perception-inhibiting ability.”

“As expected of someone from headquarters. You’re truly impressive.”

Nguyen looked around in admiration.

The three of us were sitting boldly at a café table in the airport discussing The Syndicate, but no one found us suspicious.

It’s the power of abilities.

Thanks to Yoon Hye-ra and me simultaneously exerting our magical power, no one looks at us with suspicious eyes.

No one tries to make a move on us either.

“By the way, your name is Nguyen…?”

“Yes. Nguyen Ong Bac. I’m Kosian.”

“…You call yourself Kosian.”

“It’s the truth.”

Nguyen Ong Bac—this man, probably with the name “Bak Ong,” stirred his café latte with a straw, wearing a self-deprecating smile.

“Coffee and milk mix to become café latte. But to some, it becomes neither coffee nor milk. Too thick to be called coffee, too strong with coffee aroma to be called milk. I’m a man like café latte.”

“……”

“Hehe, just a joke. I don’t particularly hold any grudges about such matters. We can change things going forward. With The Syndicate.”

Nguyen bowed his head toward us.

“Please help us. This country’s Hero Association has surrendered to the military. We can no longer rely on the Hero Association’s self-regulation, nor can we receive help from other countries’ Hero Associations.”

“Because the military has already taken action?”

“That’s part of it, but mainly because this country’s A-rank No. 1 has sided with the military. Have you heard of ‘Laplace’?”

“Laplace?”

The only Laplace I know is a mount.

“Yes. A-rank No. 1, Laplace has joined hands with the military. He ignores all the dictatorial acts committed by the military while enjoying daily pleasures and luxury. While controlling Thailand’s Hero Association.”

“The situation seems more serious than we initially understood.”

I need to forget all information about the real Thailand.

Just as Korea’s capital changed from Seoul to Busan after the Great Cataclysm, countries around the world have become completely different places with only their names remaining the same after the Cataclysm.

In other words, this novel has no relation to actual people, places, or organizations.

Any similarity in proper nouns is purely coincidental.

That kind of situation.

“So the military and the No. 1 hero have joined forces to establish a dictatorship. But isn’t Thailand officially a democratic government?”

“Yes. At least it was until about a decade ago. But things changed when the military started mobilizing Kosians. The military recruited members of political parties to create laws favoring the military and Kosians, and they seized control of the ruling party based on the number of Kosians.”

I don’t know much about politics.

I have no intention of interfering in another country’s politics.

“Hye-ra, can you check if what I’m understanding is correct?”

“Sure, go ahead.”

“So basically, a large number of mixed-race people joined a political party organization, and they’re closely connected to the military, and these organization members all voted together to make someone the Prime Minister of Thailand?”

“That’s correct.”

I see.

There’s an image that comes to mind, but I decided to focus on the matters of this world.

After all.

Similar developments are common in modern society.

“I understand, Nguyen. So what changes do you want to see in this country? Do you want to become the Prime Minister yourself? Or do you want to change the constitution to become President?”

“What I want is to overthrow Laplace’s dictatorship.”

“Overthrow the dictatorship?”

“Yes. Laplace will turn 20 next year. And Thailand’s military and political party are preparing to amend the constitution to lower the minimum age for Prime Minister to 20.”

“…I see.”

Thailand’s approach could be considered swift.

It’s a political movement acting faster than anyone else to adapt to the age of abilities.

“They want to install their country’s strongest A-rank as the political leader?”

“Should we call it a political-hero collusion? Hmph, a collusion between politics and heroes.”

“If that hero acted like a normal hero, I wouldn’t have made such a request to The Syndicate.”

Nguyen sighed deeply and took something out from his pocket.

It was a notebook covered in cowhide with some marks on the surface.

“What is that?”

“It’s the notebook of the former Deputy Prime Minister who is reported missing. It was passed to me through his son.”

It was blood.

“He had a habit of keeping handwritten records, and everything he saw and heard is written here in text.”

“A memoir, I see.”

“Memoir…? I’m sorry, my Korean is weak…”

“Just think of it as a diary left by politicians. Though the content would be serious enough to overturn a country compared to an ordinary person’s diary.”

“…That’s similar.”

“Oppa.”

Yoon Hye-ra gave me a look.

I caught her meaning.

Nguyen hadn’t yet noticed.

“Nguyen. I have some sad news.”

“Please tell me.”

“You probably did your best to cover your tracks, but whoever is tracking you seems to be beyond your skill level.”

“……!!”

Nguyen’s expression suddenly hardened.

“T-That’s…!”

“Ah, don’t worry. We’re in a very comfortable situation right now. It’s relaxed enough that I could even give you some espionage training.”

“…Pardon?”

“Look over there.”

I pointed to some people approaching another flight arriving from Korea on the opposite side of the café.

“Who do those people look like to you?”

“…Kosians, aren’t they?”

“Right. On the surface, they look no different from Kosians. Abandoned children trying to make money by offering guide services to tourists.”

Three girls in academy uniforms approached Korean tourists.

They spoke sweetly as they approached, and three male travelers gladly accepted the girls’ offer and followed them.

“Thai beauties appearing as soon as you get off the plane. They’re even wearing something like academy uniforms, making it seem like ability users are offering guide services. Nguyen, question: what purpose do you think those girls have in approaching those men?”

“……To extract their seed and try to get to Korea?”

“That’s the judgment of a local. Think as a member of The Syndicate. The hint is us.”

“……No way.”

Nguyen’s expression immediately hardened.

“Information that I would meet Syndicate agents at the airport…?”

“That’s likely. Always be careful when using watches, smartphones, and other electronic devices. You never know when they might be hacked.”

“……Ha.”

Nguyen was discouraged.

He probably tried to be careful in his own way, but unlike me or Yoon Hye-ra who have dedicated electronic information processing teams, information leakage is inevitable.

Of course, according to the information we secured in advance, Nguyen’s exposure wasn’t due to hacking.

It wasn’t electronic information, but information leaked by a person.

“Nguyen. How much do you trust people?”

“…….”

“The former Deputy Prime Minister’s son who handed you this memoir. Are you certain he’s innocent, that he approached you because he questioned his father’s disappearance?”

“……No way.”

Despair flashed in Nguyen’s eyes.

At the same time, the three Kosian guides and three Korean tourists sat at a table near us.

“Oh, oppa. Is this a Taegeuk Watch? Wow. I’ve never seen one before.”

“Hehe. It’s a new model. Nothing special, just has functions like…”

The guides were doing their best to lift the travelers’ spirits, and the three men, excited by the bright behavior of these pretty girls, were chatting about various things.

“Right now, those Kosian guides are searching. Through conversation, they’re trying to determine if these men are ordinary people, tourists, perverts who came to Thailand to spread their seed, or…”

“Syndicate agents who responded to a hero’s desperate request to stop the political-hero collusion. Unfortunately, it seems they’ve caught completely different people.”

Yoon Hye-ra laughed softly, pointing at the three men.

“Nguyen. Among Kosians, how many are ‘real’ Kosians?”

“……Pardon?”

“Think about it. It’s not like Koreans have a holographic Taegeuk flag floating above their heads. Just because someone came from Korea, has a Korean passport, and wears a Taegeuk Watch, does that make them Korean?”

“…….”

“Mr. Nguyen, to become a complete member of The Syndicate, you need to develop a darker perspective on the world.”

“Hye-ra.”

“What? Oppa, this person is too innocent. We need to show him the harsh reality.”

“Even as an A-rank, he’s only 21.”

“Are we that different?”

That’s true, of course.

“But the darkness we’ve seen is probably different in intensity.”

“I-I’ve also as an A-rank hero…”

“That’s what we call a caterpillar trying to show off in front of experienced people. Nguyen, if you truly want to judge as a Syndicate member, receive The Syndicate’s help, and change this country together with The Syndicate, then quietly follow our lead for now.”

Yoon Hye-ra wrote something on the table with her finger.

“This is a director’s order. You wouldn’t think of ignoring a director’s instructions as a member, would you?”

“!!!!”

Nguyen’s mouth fell open in shock.

“N-No way… I thought even if someone came, it would just be a ‘deputy’ level…”

“I’m a department head.”

“Pleased to meet you, Nguyen.”

I extended my hand to Nguyen with formal speech.

“Department Head Goblin.”

“…….”

“Well, it’s natural to be surprised when you request field service and two director-level people show up. But this matter warrants it.”

Military.

Government.

Hero.

And behind them, a demon.

“Let’s start by taking one step at a time with the case right next to us. We’ll follow them and uncover the darkness hanging over this country piece by piece.”

“So you mean to use them…?”

“Our position is to use what can be used. Those hyenas trying to devour innocent lambs over there.”

I pointed to the three guides, or rather, the three fake guides wagging their tails at the Koreans.

“Are they really Korean?”

“……..”

“Let’s use them. People pretending to be Korean… well, I don’t care what nationality they actually are. Anyway, let’s use them and go wherever the guides take them.”

I took out a business card I received from Yoon Hye-ra.

“To the human trafficking site secretly operated by the military and ignored by the A-rank No. 1 hero.”

It’s called “Succubus Island.”