37. Princess Run (12)
***
People describe Oh Man-sik as an honest and profound person.
He had a few pure beliefs. He kept the furnace going and continued production while his competitors went out of business. It was to keep his beliefs. His creed that he had to prevent domestic alchemists from leaving the country. His determination that the gold market of this country could not be handed over to foreign companies kept him from giving up.
And his criteria for distinguishing between ‘others’ and ‘us’ could be expanded sufficiently depending on the situation. The ‘us’ mentioned above was used as a word that bound ethnicity, but sometimes it became a larger concept that bound the same race. The more he encountered a huge enemy, the more ‘us’ expanded, and he always tried and worked for those who belonged to the inner arm.
To such an arrogant person, the non-human races could never be considered ‘us’. They were people who could not be grouped together in terms of nationality, race, or any other aspect.
Oh Man-sik had pure convictions.
Non-human races must be excluded.
‘We hereby notify you, pursuant to Article 450 of the Civil Act, that we have transferred the following sales receivables that we have against you, along with the registration of a mortgage and a claim for transfer of ownership, as follows:
Transferor: International Trading Co., Ltd., Republic of Korea, Earth Dimension.
Acceptor: Princess Vermi of the Kingdom of Gelanco Dimensions (King).
When he received the notice, Oh Man-sik’s eyes rolled back in anger.
The reason he worked so hard to run the company was for the ‘humans’ living in South Korea. As if trampling on his efforts, the creditor handed over the right to collect the debt to an alien.
Omanshik had a feeling that this was probably a plan prepared long ago. What was the secret behind their ability to supply the raw materials needed for alchemy at such a low price? Considering that these materials were also used to process the human body synthesis metal of the Shutan people, the answer was clear. He realized that he had been fooled. This was all a plan set by the Shutan princess to control the company.
‘How about it? We can help you, sir.’
The man who approached him said that he had been keeping an eye on Oh Man-sik and his company for a long time. The management philosophy of discriminating against different races was not well known to the public, but it was something that could be easily understood if one paid attention.
He planned to terrorize Princess Vermi and wanted Omanshik to help him do it.
‘There is talk that the Shutan people led by the princess are planning the 8th mass migration. This visit is also a preliminary preparation for that.’
‘······But, I thought she was just coming to demand repayment of debt. She didn’t tell our company in advance, but that’s just how she is. If she’s coming to Korea, I guess she’s targeting Korean companies this time. We’re all prepared for this. She’s going to come unexpectedly like an attack.’
‘Of course there is a reason for that. As you know, the best way to hide the truth is to hide it in another truth.’
Both purposes were true, and the only purpose they would externally present was debt collection in order to hide the issue of mass immigration. The other party said this to Oh Man-sik, who was hesitating until the end.
‘And what if this visit doesn’t lead to mass immigration?’
‘yes?’
Oh Man-sik doubted his ears for a moment.
‘We are ordinary humans, we poor humans, trying to express our despair and anger towards the rulers. We are trying to show how angry we are towards the aliens who are shaking and eating away at the human position… towards the non-humans.’
‘······.’
‘Do you understand? It doesn’t matter whether the Steiners will actually immigrate or not. And.’
The other person spoke with a crescent moon-like smile on his lips.
‘Isn’t it the same for both of us, sir, that it doesn’t matter?’
Even if Princess Vermi dies, the bonds will be passed on to someone. They promise to not only pay off the entire debt of Omanshik, but also provide financial support to help him survive the future mischief of the Big Five alchemy companies.
It was certain that the princess would come to see him during her visit to Earth, even though she didn’t know when that would be. Oh Man-sik had only to wait until then and take a few simple actions.
There will be no evidence left.
Clearly, there should not have been any leftovers.
– Sir! There are immigration officials in the lobby on the first floor right now!
Oh Man-sik, who was listening to the flustered employee pouring out his words, put down the receiver and closed his eyes tightly. Someone’s face came to mind.
‘No way, how?’
It was already spilled milk. He knew well the notoriety of immigration agents. If he was caught, he would be interrogated until he was a wreck. Moreover, considering the group he had been involved with this time, he thought it would be better to end it all here and now.
He made a harsh decision.
Quietly, magic power gathers in both hands. As an alchemist, he had spent his entire life focusing only on chemical engineering magic, but such spells were not without lethal power. He tried to combine chemicals that would act as toxic substances the moment they were inhaled.
However, since it was not an attack spell, the speed of connection was quite slow.
That changed his fate.
bang!
The door opens with a loud noise.
“!”
Oh Man-sik looked at the intruder with eyes filled with despair. The face he had pictured in his head was now standing in front of the door, glaring at him. With an expression that was utterly indifferent.
He was Minjun.
After the immigration office’s dispatched agents to the shopping mall safely ‘save’ the swarm of undead insects, Min-jun received backup personnel and raided Goryeo Precision Pension. While the other agents spread out on each floor and conducted a search and seizure, Min-jun headed straight for the president’s office as if he had a premonition of something.
Whirl!
A long leather strap emerges from his sleeve. It sways in the air, cutting through the wind, and wraps itself around Oh Man-sik, who is sitting on a chair.
“Ugh!”
Omanshik realized that the spell he had prepared had been shattered. His magical power seemed frozen and he couldn’t move. He couldn’t recite magic in this state. With his hands tied and his movements restricted, he couldn’t even take his own life.
Minjun stood before him, defenseless. The agent’s cold gaze and Oh Mansik’s self-deprecating gaze intersected.
Minjun asked.
“Why on earth is that happening?”
He answered without hesitation.
“Mr. Ye Min-jun. I’m sorry about what happened. But don’t even think about questioning me here before you call a lawyer.”
After joining hands with the Human Rights Solidarity, this time I was planning to call a ‘real’ lawyer instead of the troll lawyer I had briefly hired for show, following their advice.
“Teacher, I have the right to remain silent······”
“No, there isn’t.”
He cut him off firmly and said:
“You should have been prepared the moment you planned something like this. According to the 4th Amendment to the Constitution of the Republic of Korea, some of your basic rights as a citizen of this country will be restricted from now on.”
Then Oh Man-sik shouted with a distorted expression.
“Why are you taking their side?!”
“······.”
The tied up suspect burst into flames of anger that he had been hiding.
“Seven times. Humanity has already experienced it seven times! Of all the aliens that came in such numbers, only one race was gladly accepted by humans. That is you, the elves!”
Externally, he does not hesitate to call Minjun, who is a quarter elf or 75% human, “you elves.”
Minjun muttered to himself. Yes, that is a human supremacist. If you have even a little bit of blood from another race, you are not human. You are just something else.
——————
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“Yes, I will always be grateful to you. My teacher who taught me magic when I lost my parents and siblings in the war and was begging in the market was also an elf. I will repay that debt for the rest of my life. But… not to other races!”
“Princess Vermi did not come here for mass immigration.”
“Who would believe that!”
But Minjun, who saw the other person’s eyes, could tell that Oh Mansik also did not believe in the conspiracy theory.
Some people move for profit, others for the sake of their beliefs. This was a golden opportunity for Omanshik to achieve both goals. A bit of cognitive distortion would have made the choice easier.
Minjun spoke in a tone that was so cold that it couldn’t get any colder. The reason he was most angry came out of his mouth.
“Do you know who you are holding hands with?”
“······.”
“This is the Human Rights Solidarity. Do you know what their ultimate plan is? To eliminate all non-human intelligent beings from this world. Should I say it again? ‘Eradicate’ them. Either by chasing them out or by killing them all! How many non-human species have they brutally murdered so far…!”
Words like an empty shell flowed out of Oh Man-sik’s mouth.
“So what do you mean?”
“?!”
The old man repeated his words again, his emotions evident.
“So what? Who cares how many of them die? They’re not even human anyway.”
Minjun felt like he was talking to a wall.
The eyes of Omanshik looking at him were eerily clear. Eyes that had no doubts about what he believed.
It was the eye of a person who believed that if animals can be killed for humans, then other species can be killed for humans as well.
This is not to deny that they have minds, that they feel emotions, and that they have intelligence comparable to that of humans.
nevertheless.
They are different from us.
They are not us.
Oman’s morality functioned only within the limits of the human species.
“you are.”
Minjun decided to end the conversation.
“Originally, I was going to interrogate you. I was going to do it in the most gentlemanly, most efficient, and most satisfying way possible. But the plan changed. I got some urgent orders from above.”
Only then did the agent show a hint of sympathy in his eyes.
It was pity mixed with malice.
“The Elder Dragon will interrogate you personally.”
“?!”
“At best, my methods only make the other person confess what they remember. However, there are many truly strange and annoying spells that only dragons can use.”
Oh Man-sik’s eyes were shaking heavily. It seemed as if he had predicted that something beyond the worst situation he had imagined was waiting for him.
“And among them, there are some that can push a creature’s brain function to its limits, do you know?”
The magic that Minjun can’t use is, simply put, an overclocking targeting the brain. In the process, the subject will reconstruct all the memories that he cannot even consciously recall. The situation when he contacted the Human Rights Solidarity, who was around him, what the other person’s voice sounded like, every detail of what he was wearing, and every word he said.
Of course, the process will be very painful.
“You won’t go crazy or die easily. Among the agents that the dragon has, there are many gentlemen who have received great blessings from the gods.”
“······!”
As another agent was carrying away Oh Man-sik, who had begun to tremble, Min-jun’s phone rang again.
Blair.
Minjun’s expression hardened as he confirmed the caller’s name. The fact that they had to call first…
“yes?!”
And when he picked up the phone, he heard something unbelievable.
***
The stench of blood was overwhelming at the scene.
Bradley was lucky. He was believed to have died instantly in one hit. The rest were not so lucky.
The perpetrator was estimated to have been at the scene for only about 15 minutes. To the victims, it must have felt like an eternity.
Except for Bradley, all of their bones were broken, their insides and outsides were indistinguishable, and it was impossible to tell who was who. The concrete walls and floors of the underground parking lot were covered with flesh and blood. The sight of them all tangled together in a mess made even the agents who had been through all sorts of things vomit.
Minjun stood quietly in the midst of the chaos, his gaze fixed on one spot.
‘Bradley.’
Bradley was a stuffed animal, torn apart and sewn back together again.
The opponent seemed to have torn his body into two pieces at once. Then, they scraped out all the blood, internal organs, and bones inside his body, and filled it with foreign substances. Finally, they sewed the two pieces of his body together in a crude and loose manner.
It was easy to see what was inside. Here and there, a few red flower petals were visible. They were floating in a pool of blood or crushed in red shoeprints.
The culprit had filled Bradley’s sutured body with red rose petals, and Minjun knew what that meant.
A bouquet of flowers wrapped in human skin.
It seemed as if the other person was whispering to him.
It’s a gift, for you.
“I··· Agent Ye Min-jun.”
An agent with uncommon abilities came and whispered to me, because he wanted me to confirm something.
“The soul has already left and is no longer around.”
“······I get it.”
The committee has yet to fully decipher the soul’s constituent substances.
In other words, even the committee has a very hard time dealing with souls.
The miraculous magic of removing the soul from a prisoner’s body and transferring it to another body required a lot of preparation, took a long time, and was a type of magic that was extremely risky, burdensome, and resource-consuming for the committee.
Therefore, those who have completed their prison term first regain their memories, and only after a certain amount of time have passed do they finally get their bodies back.
There was a plausible excuse. It was that they had to spend some time getting used to their recovered memories before returning to their original bodies, so that their rejection would decrease. However, the prisoners knew the real reason. Those who had recovered their memories were more likely to commit suicide before their bodies were returned. If they died of their own accord, the committee would not have to waste resources and effort on sending messengers.
In other words, the committee could not do something like a ‘god’, where the soul of a prisoner sent to that distant dimension could be easily summoned and transplanted into another body immediately after learning that the prisoner had died. If that were possible, no one would die as long as the committee wanted.
The implications of this fact were brutally clear.
Bradley is dead.
“Agent Ye Min-jun?”
It was only after Blair called him three times that Minjun realized it.
She was unusually present on the scene. She could not remain in her office in this situation where an agent she had invited from overseas had died.
Minjun turns his head and quickly says what he was thinking as if he had been waiting for it.
“This dangerous fishing expedition must be stopped. Princess Vermi must be returned to her original dimension immediately. The terminal is closed, but that was Jenkinson’s order in the first place, so it may be possible to make a special exception if Jenkinson so orders.”
Minjun was so excited that he forgot to call the dragon by his title, ‘Chairman’.
But Blair, who had read the mood, did not point it out.
“There are two reasons. The first thing we aimed for using Princess Vermi as bait was to dig up information from the high-ranking members of the Human Rights Solidarity. However, the wizard I interrogated was mistaken. It is true that the high-ranking members are involved, but instead of showing up on the scene themselves, they invited ‘outside’ mercenaries. From here on out, it was already beyond our expectations.”
He gave another reason.
“And the second reason is that I cannot irresponsibly let go of the situation right now. I cannot stop guarding Princess Vermi while she is under attack. So I must return the princess to her hometown as soon as possible.”
So that immigration doesn’t have to worry about her anymore.
In other words, so that Minjun doesn’t have to protect the princess anymore.
The reason for this was clear.
Minjun was going to use all his might from now on to track down and kill the person who did this to Bradley. He couldn’t go hunting with all his might when he had someone to protect.
Blair felt a familiar sense of intimidation from Minjun, who spoke each word as if he was chewing and spitting it out. A cold, refined anger and an irresistible spirit leaked out. She barely managed to keep her expression from showing it, but she was completely overwhelmed.
The elf knew what this feeling of discomfort was. It was similar to the awe she felt when standing before her employer, when he was extremely angry.
“Then, Agent, you have already identified the suspect…”
“There is a target. No, I am 100% sure.”
As soon as Minjun arrived at the scene, he looked around the spiritual world with white flames surrounding his eyes.
In the dimensional layer that overlapped the spatial coordinates of the material world, he saw the magical traces left by the suspect. Strange shapes stretched and distorted here and there, like fluorescent afterimages left on the eyelids immediately after looking directly into the light.
But this time, the traces were aligned according to intention and formed a single sentence.
The opponent wanted someone who arrived late to detect spiritual traces to see it.
It was a single English sentence with a very clear intention.
Baby, I missed you.
