At my question, the National Security Chief looked at me with puzzled eyes.
“The location of the North Korean remnants in China? You’re asking something I never expected.”
“Tell me. It shouldn’t be a problem, should it?”
Unlike the National Security Chief, who regarded me suspiciously, the ruling party leader spoke as if it were no great matter.
As expected, they knew where the North Korean remnants were.
“It wasn’t just a few leaders who crossed into China. A considerable number of troops moved as well. We simply can’t do anything because they’re inside China.”
At the National Security Chief’s words, the ruling party leader gave a faint chuckle.
“It isn’t only because of the Chinese government’s protection, is it? What this young man is worried about seems to be that weapon.”
At the leader’s words, I asked.
“They took TELs with them too, then?”
The National Security Chief frowned.
“You knew? Well, considering you’ve carried out several special operations, I suppose you might. But even if they have transporter erector launchers—TELs—they won’t be able to use nuclear missiles. The moment they do, China will abandon them, and so will everyone else.”
The National Security Chief seemed reluctant to speak.
“Besides, I don’t quite understand why Mr. Hyeon Myeonghan wants their location. Even if you know it, there shouldn’t be anything you can do, should there?”
If anything, he seemed suspicious of me for bringing it up.
Perhaps because he worked in intelligence, he did not let things pass easily.
So I was about to bring up another reason, but there was no need.
“Wait. You said you’re going to the United States next to meet with the President, didn’t you?”
The ruling party leader cut in again.
He knew everything I had said to Lee Jaeyun. It seemed he had heard it from Lee Jaeyun.
“You’re thinking of bringing up the remnants with the President… Are you planning to receive help from the United States?”
It was unexpected, but I answered vaguely with a shrug.
Perhaps taking that as confirmation, the ruling party leader pieced the situation together on his own.
“Meeting the President of the United States is impressive enough, but if you want America’s help, there will have to be a price…”
Chairman Lee added to the ruling party leader’s conjecture.
“The price is right here, isn’t it? With that medicine, even the Americans will lose their minds over it.”
The old man pointed to the glass bottle on the table.
“Ah, I see. With that medicine, even America would make a deal. In that case…”
The National Security Chief, who had been listening, stared at me in surprise.
“You intended to borrow America’s strength to move them to another region? If you can put enough distance between them and us, interception becomes possible, so the Baekdu Mountain base will be safe.”
At the National Security Chief’s words, I nodded.
“That’s right. I was planning to ask America for the safety of the Baekdu Mountain base.”
[You never once thought of that, did you?]
I heard Soph’s voice nitpicking, but as usual, I ignored him.
If they were going to misunderstand on their own, there was no need to correct them.
“America should already know this information…”
“He probably wanted to obtain it beforehand before meeting his bargaining partner. What you see in satellite images and field intelligence can differ, too.”
The National Security Chief tried to leave no doubts until the end, but at the ruling party leader’s words, he let the question go.
“Understood. I’ll organize the materials and send them over immediately.”
The ruling party leader and the chaebol chairman rose from their seats with satisfied expressions.
“This was a better use of time than I expected. If you and I both had more time, I’d like to talk further, but in times like these, that would be difficult.”
Chairman Lee, who had stood up, spoke to me.
“I’ll keep Jaeyun attached to the base, so if you need anything, don’t bother Representative Yu. Tell that boy instead. He’ll procure anything you need.”
At Chairman Lee’s words, the ruling party leader clicked his tongue.
Having had his work taken from him, he gave me different information instead.
“In a little while, the governments of each country will begin martial law. Real estate and bank transactions will also be restricted, so it would be best to settle things before then.”
On the helicopter ride here, I had been able to catch up on the chaos that had unfolded through the internet and news.
Panic buying breaking out in every store, people pouring into the streets. Stocks falling without knowing where the bottom was, and cultists shouting about the end of the world.
I knew there was no other choice if they were to stop the chaos unfolding not only in Korea, but across the entire world.
Representative Yu was telling me to settle my assets before that happened.
It was probably important advice, but it was not helpful to me.
Right now, settling my assets was not important. How I could take them with me was far more important.
He, too, left after telling me to contact him if I needed anything, and as the National Security Chief departed, he also offered me advice.
“If you intend to put pressure on the Chinese government, you’ll have to hurry. The situation in China is extremely unstable. Parts of the military are resisting the sudden declaration of the end of the war. Clashes between regional forces are also occurring frequently, and in the worst case, civil war will break out.”
His words made me think of one Chinese man.
Secretary Li, who had boldly traveled with me even after I killed his guards.
I wondered whether he had gone to the new star China had found.
After the National Security Chief left, Lee Jaeyun, who had been waiting outside, brought in a tablet.
He had said he would prepare it right away, and he had brought a tablet containing the information.
[Near Dalian, west of Sinuiju, huh.]
Perhaps thanks to all the studying he had done, Soph also knew what place the map on the tablet was pointing to.
It was a place I knew well too. I had once carried out an operation near there.
A place more than two hundred kilometers west of Sinuiju along the coast.
It was far, if one called it far, but by plane it was somewhere one could reach quickly.
Of course, the same was true for missiles.
“It looks to be a little over four hundred kilometers from Seoul.”
The distance from Seoul was awkward as well.
To be honest, I had never imagined the remnants of the North Korean army would be this close.
I had thought they would be stuck far away in Tibet or Xinjiang, but they were right under our noses.
It was absurd.
The remnants of the North Korean army, who had nuclear missiles, were right next door, and they were simply leaving them there.
“What were they planning to do if those bastards had a fit and fired a missile?”
[There was probably nothing they could do. They were not the ones who started the war, nor were they the ones who ended it.]
Soph answered my question.
Soph was also well versed in Earth’s situation.
He understood Earth’s politics and power issues better than I did.
As Soph said, it was America that had waged the war, and it was America and China that had ended it.
Korea had only been dragged along by America.
“If I don’t want to be dragged along again, I think I need to deal with this before I meet the American President.”
After hearing me, Soph said,
[It will be dark soon.]
As Soph said, the sun looked as though it would set in a few hours.
At night, I could avoid people’s eyes.
“Besides, there’s still quite a bit of time until the plane America sent arrives.”
The talks ended sooner than I expected.
We had finished eating, and there was time left until the plane arrived.
And so, we made a decision.
***
Three hours later, the sky had darkened.
In the dark night, a phone rang.
When I saw the name displayed on the phone, I had no choice but to make a troubled expression.
“Oh, no…”
It was a call from Margreta.
I answered.
—I’ve arrived in Seoul. Where are you?
At Margreta’s voice, I let out a sigh.
I had only thought about when the plane would arrive and had forgotten the promise I had made with Margreta.
“I’m sorry. I’m not in Seoul right now.”
I apologized immediately.
Margreta’s puzzled voice came through.
—What? Then where are you? Don’t tell me you’re at Pyongyang Airport. There are still several hours before the plane arrives.
It was because those hours remained that I had come here.
A coastline where the air carried the tang of salt. In the small harbor visible in the distance, several warships were moored instead of fishing boats.
“I am currently in China, in front of a small harbor near Dalian.”
It was a Chinese harbor, but the warships moored there were not Chinese ships.
North Korean warships—the last remaining North Korean fleet—had gathered in this harbor.
—What? Why are you in China?
Margreta’s bewildered voice came through.
“I’ll explain the situation in detail when I return.”
It was an encrypted satellite phone Margreta had given me, but I could not say everything over this call.
After hearing me, she answered a moment later.
—…All right. Tell me when you get back.
Fortunately, Margreta seemed to understand.
—We’ll talk separately about you standing me up.
No, maybe not?
After leaving those chilling words, Margreta hung up.
[It would be best to buy her some kind of gift.]
It was a frightening enough call that Soph said such a thing.
I looked at the ended call, then put the phone into my coat.
I was worried, but right now, I had to focus on the operation.
This was the place I had reached after flying for several hours.
North Korean warships were gathered in the harbor visible in the distance, but those warships were not my target.
My targets were the barracks set up a short distance away from the harbor—especially the trucks standing in the center of the barracks.
In the middle of numerous barracks stood large trucks with many wheels.
They were trucks carrying missiles.
Mobile missile launchers commonly called TELs.
What those trucks were carrying right now were nuclear missiles.
If this had been North Korea, they would have hidden them in tunnels or underground facilities, but there was no way they had prepared such places in China.
“They certainly have them out in the open.”
They were covered with camouflage nets, but there was no way that could hide them.
[It is probably something like a porcupine strategy. They must have said they would fire if anyone touched them.]
Soph spoke like an international affairs expert.
He was not wrong. If it was the North Korean leadership, they would certainly have done that.
Seeing the trucks gathered in the center of the barracks, I could tell how important they considered those trucks.
Those nuclear missiles were probably their last weapons.
[Do we just take those missiles?]
“The missiles alone won’t be of any use.”
Even if North Korea had made them and they were mounted on mobile launchers, in the end, they were still nuclear missiles.
They were not something just anyone could use.
“We’ll have to find out how to use them. There should be someone who knows.”
How to use them could be asked of the person in charge, or the responsible officer.
Standing behind the hill, I looked over the barracks lined up across the field.
Their security was thorough.
The North Korean soldiers looked exhausted and dejected, but more than that, there was venom in their eyes.
On one side of the barracks, a radar was turning to watch the sky, and anti-aircraft guns and tanks were also moving.
However, no one noticed me after I cast my magic.
The level of my stealth magic had risen, and now, on Earth, there was no one who could notice me at night.
I gripped my spear and ran down the hill.
I would not be discovered, but I did not have enough time to wander through the barracks searching for the person in charge of the nuclear missiles.
I headed toward the largest barracks. The highest-ranking person in this place would be there.
The leader of the remnants, who would know the person in charge of the nuclear weapons and might even be able to activate them.
The person inside that barracks was undoubtedly the highest-ranking person from North Korea.
Seizure