The Time-Limited Leader Makes the Raid a Success - Chapter 93



Only Noblemtl

Episode 94

94. So you don’t need it?

Norio Sasaki, the president of the Japan Guild Federation, also known as the “Gildanren,” welcomed the most difficult guest to meet.

“A call for a meeting of the clans, Lord Yoshimura? This isn’t a regular meeting, and do you think the busy clans will gather? Why don’t you just speak to me?”

“Yeah, I almost skipped over the procedure. I won’t make a long story short. Did you send an assassination squad to Korea?”

“In Joseon? No way. In this peaceful era like today, would they do something like that?”

“They still call it Joseon. What era is this that you use such an outdated name? Tsk tsk! It’s because you look down on your neighbors like that that Northeast Asia is always in an uproar.”

“You, Bong-gong-nim, don’t you know that times have changed? Japan is no longer the country that used to be weak in hunter power and had to be on guard against the United States and neighboring countries. This is a world ruled by power. Power becomes money and authority. There is no way we can stay grounded in a country where earthquakes, typhoons, and other disasters keep happening.”

Yoshimura barely managed to hold back the sigh that escaped his lips.

Although he himself hoped for Japan’s glory, his goals were different from those of the members of the alliance who dreamed of external expansion.

A world where monsters cannot harm people, a world where people help each other and develop, was the world he wanted.

‘Even though the Great War was a disaster, we fought with the hope that such a world would come… … .’

People changed dramatically as soon as the war ended.

From the moment when the powerful Korean hunters sacrificed themselves to create a turning point for victory, the vacuum of power was filled by ambitious people, including Japan.

Yoshimura still regrets that time. He is ashamed of his foolishness in following the national trend rather than his own dreams.

So, they tried to control the powers that had lost their place by creating Gildanryun, but at some point, the group ended up being eaten up by ambitious people.

‘I went into hiding because I hated the sight. Now it’s gotten to the point where I can’t just leave it alone any longer. It’s my fault.’

Yoshimura sat on the sofa, crossed his arms, and glared at Sasaki across from him. Sasaki felt intimidated by his gaze.

That was because Sasaki was not a strong enough hunter to withstand the momentum of Yoshimura, who was considered to have the highest fighting power among A+ ranks.

He was a hunter who had risen to the chairman’s position through political power rather than ability, so he couldn’t handle Yoshimura.

“So you’re saying you didn’t send it?”

“Ugh. You are going too far. Even so, I am the president of Gildanryeon. If you persecute me like this… … .”

“Oh, man. I got too excited. I apologize.”

Yoshimura calmed down and even apologized, but his eyes still held a silent pressure.

Sasaki groaned and spoke with a displeased expression.

“Do I have the right to interfere in the affairs of the lords? Even Lord Yoshimura is pressuring me like this right now.”

“Does that mean that it is another translator’s arbitrary decision?”

“… … I’m sorry, but I can’t open my mouth any longer.”

“I know who you are without having to hear it. I’m sorry for bothering you when you’re busy.”

Yoshimura got up from his seat and left the office.

Sasaki, left alone, buried himself in the sofa and let out his frustration.

“If that’s the case, one of the lords should sit in this seat. He’d be like some big shot, staying in the mansion and just giving orders… Phew! Now I understand why no one can sit in this seat for long.”

* * *

A quiet mountain temple on the outskirts of Tokyo.

A guest with an ominous aura visited the temple amidst the soft echo of the bells.

“Stop, Lord Yoshimura.”

The one who stopped Yoshimura was a monk who was sweeping the floor.

“These days, even hunters are playing the role of monks.”

“I apologize for blocking your path, sir. Your Majesty has told me not to let anyone in.”

“Heh heh, is that kid old enough to be called an elder? Time flies so fast. Is that why he said he won’t see me either?”

“No way, sir.”

The one who grabbed Yoshimura’s tail was a middle-aged man.

A man in a white uniform with long, gray hair tied back slowly approached Yoshimura.

Yoshimura greeted him with sarcasm.

“The elders came all the way here to greet me. I don’t know what to do with myself, Kishin-kun.”

“Did you get a call from Mr. Han? Yes, I sent it.”

Yoshimura frowned. He confessed as if he had been waiting for it the moment he saw me.

“You’re not even hiding it.”

“What do you need to hide? You are a servant of the Japanese hunter community. Instead, you should seek understanding and advice.”

“You to me? This is something I’ll see in my lifetime. The day will come when I’ll be treated as an S-rank.”

Yoshimura burst out laughing, saying it was unbelievable.

Kishin said, not caring about it.

“There is a limit to how much you can look after. I couldn’t leave Joo Se Ah alone any longer when she was trying to spread her wings.”

“You’re too obsessed with A+ rank hunters. You’re only one level behind me, but the gap is incredibly high.”

“Jusea is a talented person with a high possibility of becoming an S-rank. She is also a hunter who would be a disaster for us the moment she becomes an S-rank. We have to interfere with her in some way.”

Kishin spoke calmly, but there was a hint of determination.

Yoshimura realized that no matter what he said, he wouldn’t let things go. No, he had expected it even before he came here.

I just came here to lower the level a little, because of Han Byung-goo’s warning. But when I saw his eyes sparkling with madness, I realized that it was all useless.

“So who are you trying to kill? Are you really going to target Joo Se Ah again now?”

“That guy has already become a difficult hunter to catch unless I go there myself. It’s also impossible to sneak into the peninsula without the surveillance of the Korean government.”

“Then, who?”

Kishin answered with a grin.

“When a general is strong, you should aim for his horse first. Isn’t that the way of fighting?”

* * *

“It seems like an assassination squad came from Japan?”

-They will deny it publicly. We should consider it as an unofficial infiltration.

“So what that means is that it doesn’t matter what happens unofficially on Korean soil.”

– On the other hand, it is also a declaration that you will do anything.

Han Byeong-gu said, gritting his teeth.

Kang Moo-hyuk asked to see if there was any more information he could get.

“Do you know the goal?”

-There are many. It could be Joo Se-ah Gilma, or some guild. Maybe it’s my granddaughter. As you may have guessed, she has a very promising future.

“I don’t know about anything else, but as long as Goulji Hunter is here, there will be no need to meet the assassination squad.”

– In times like these, it’s better to have run away. I’ll handle things my own way. Until then, please take good care of my granddaughter.

“We will also try to move in various directions.”

-If possible, it would be better for you to stay still.

“They are the kind of guys who might target our guild. They are not the type to just sit back and watch.”

-Do as you wish. Whether it’s Gilmana or Danjang, the two of you are so similar that you don’t listen to anyone. I’ll hang up now.

After finishing the call with Han Byeong-gu, Kang Mu-hyeok looked up and saw four hunters standing there.

Joo Se-ah, Jang Deok-gu, Lee Jin-joo, and Noh Song-rin.

They were the strongest force in the Iron Will Guild and were on standby in case something happened after hearing the whole story from Kang Mu-hyeok.

“With this, a hole has been created through which the Igajo can escape.”

“You weren’t leaking information to the Inspiration in order to move the Association?”

“That is also an option. The most important thing was to deal with this incident and draw a line so that there would be no follow-up attacks. Since Chairman Han Byeong-gu has begun to check Japan, at least they won’t be able to openly send additional assassination squads.”

“It’s okay if you come again.”

Joo Se Ah smiled faintly, only showing her upper teeth. Depending on the angle you looked at it from, it looked like a creepy expression.

“Not everyone is as strong as the guild leader. Some people might get hurt. The cumulative damage is a problem, but the worst thing is that we keep losing time to the Japanese forces.”

“Then let’s make sure we end it here. Should we join the Slayers and go catch Lee Ga-jo or Kim Ga-jo?”

Lee Jin-joo came out with a flushed face, as if she was slightly excited.

She didn’t welcome battles between hunters, but it was different if the opponent was a Japanese hunter. That’s how much Korean hunters had accumulated in Japan.

Kang Mu-hyeok said, making a fuss.

“Slayer is not a guild that would be so sorry as to join hands with us. Even without that, because of the recent Orc incident, we have already acquired the image of a guild of justice and a guardian guild. If we were to be given the title of protecting the Korean hunter community from the clutches of Japan, it would be a blow to Slayer’s pride.”

“Who knows how to catch assassins?”

“That’s another matter, Captain Lee Jin-ju. You can’t ignore other tier guilds.”

“Other tier guilds?”

“Yes. They don’t actively come forward like Slayers because they’re worried that things might go wrong, but you have to keep your eyes and ears open. The more eyes and ears you have, the more mouths you have, and with more mouths, words tend to leak out. The top guild’s top faction and those in power are particularly sensitive to such rumors. They’ll be keeping their ears perked up. If that builds up, it becomes an image.”

Joo Se-ah answered Lee Jin-joo’s question on her behalf.

She had personally experienced the Tier Guild. They were the ones who had the airs of a great man and were known for their honor, but they were also more cunning and calculating than anyone else.

Although Slayer at least kept to the cause of protecting the Korean Hunter community, the other Tier Guilds tended to act extremely timidly when it came to Japan.

“That’s right. Rumors soon turn into reputation, and reputation can then be used to exert influence. The reason the Slayer Guild is the best in South Korea isn’t just because they’re strong and have a lot of money.”

Lee Jin-ju pondered what Kang Mu-hyeok had added. She considered his every action and word to be a lesson in becoming a true expedition leader.

This time, Joo Se-ah asked Kang Mu-hyeok.

“Then what should we do?”

Kang Moo-hyuk said as he picked up the phone.

“The Slayer should be the first to feel sorry.”

* * *

Just before getting out of the car, Seongseonje’s smartphone rang.

I tried to ignore it because work came first, but somehow the timing of the call felt odd. Plus, the number on my smartphone bothered me.

‘Guild Cooperation Center?’

He couldn’t turn away and answered the phone.

“Hello. This is Seong Seon-je.”

-This is Kang Mu-hyeok.

At those words, Seongseonje’s face crumpled.

“Your timing is killer. I don’t think it was a coincidence. Did you call me on purpose?”

-You said you were going to catch Igajo.

“I wonder how you knew. I thought security was tight.”

-That’s their target. Of course, they have no choice but to chase Igajo. And so, they overlap with Slayer.

Seong Seon-je opened his eyes wide in surprise at Kang Mu-hyeok’s words. Then he soon realized why the assassin was targeting Kang Mu-hyeok and agreed.

“Do you understand now? If you stay next to Ju Se-ah Gilma, it is natural that danger will follow you. Since the Japanese cannot target Ju Se-ah Gilma directly, they are now trying to attack the surrounding areas. We will take care of it this time, but you must be careful from now on, Commander.”

-It’s okay. I’m dealing with it better than the Slayer Guild.

“You mean, better than us? Haha, well, it would be hard to assassinate them if they were stuck in Bukpocheon.”

-I meant it more to say that you shouldn’t be fooled by misinformation.

“Incorrect information?”

-Do you think there is an Igajo hiding there right now?

Seong Seon-je took his smartphone off his ear for a moment. He could see a dark factory site outside the car window. It was an industrial complex that was under construction on the outskirts of Seoul. With surrounding development also halted, there was no better place to hide.

He put his ear to the ear again and spoke.

“Are you saying we were fooled?”

-Rather than saying that he was deceived, it means that Lee Ga-jo prepared thoroughly.

Seong Seon-je could neither confirm nor deny it. The moment he heard Kang Mu-hyeok’s words, he intuitively felt that something was wrong, but as the brain of the best guild in South Korea, he could not withdraw just by listening to the words of a C-rank guild leader.

At this point, it was a matter of prestige. Even if it was a trap, it had to be checked.

‘Damn, Kang Mu-hyuk’s one word is enough to make you think you have to eat it to know whether it’s shit or soybean paste.’

Seongseonje said with a bitter smile.

“So you have the real information?”

-I’ll let you know if you want.

Seongseonje’s expression became cold.

“Hey, Captain Kang. Your intentions are so obvious. If you try to eat me raw like that, you’ll get in trouble. Didn’t you learn that on Titan?”

-Guild leader Lee Cheol-jung likes to eat raw fish.

“Is this really true? You’re going too far to even call it a joke.”

-So you don’t need it?

Seongseonje scratched his forehead and became lost in thought for a while before opening his mouth.

“Ten minutes. Let’s talk again in exactly ten minutes.”

-Yes. I will wait.