Chapter 43

About thirty minutes later, the group that had been fighting me finally said something.

"Enough! I’m done! Just what the hell is this guy?!"

One of them shouted that, put his weapon away, and raised both hands.

"Wise choice."

I patted his shoulder once. In that instant, a pitiful Hunter rushed in to take advantage of the opening and ended up with his jaw shattered.

Once things reached that point, the rest of the Hunters also put away their weapons and raised both hands in surrender.

"What are you standing around for! Fulfill the contract!"

Even at Daniel Royce’s shout, the Hunters who had already raised their hands did not oppose me again.

"Dammit, open fire!"

At last, Daniel Royce shouted, drew his pistol, and aimed at me.

With his shot, bullets and grenades poured toward where I was standing like a storm.

"Bitch I just wanted to have a little talk with you. Is that so hard?"

There was no way they would hit me. Even Hunters who used magic often missed and then thought they had scored a hit. Ordinary people shooting guns had no chance of hitting me.

At the spot where grenades and bullets had rained down, there was nothing. I had been standing beside Daniel Royce from the moment he pulled the trigger.

Putting my arm around his shoulder, I brought my spearhead to his neck and grinned.

"You can irritate someone’s temper, but you should know when to stop."

As the spearhead touched his neck and moved, the skin along its path split and blood trickled out.

"Do you really want to die today?"

I could feel his body go stiff. The ones who had been gleefully firing bullets and grenades at me under Daniel’s orders couldn't attack me in this situation.

"I could just say to hell with it, snap your neck off like picking an autumn apple, and go home right now."

"Then how are you going to deal with the consequences?"

"You think I came here worrying about that?"

In fact, given the situation, I really could do it.

"…L-Let’s settle this with a conversation."

"That sounds like a good idea. I’ve been politely asking for that all this time."

What a sad thing, that to have a conversation I had to put a blade to someone’s neck. I almost felt like crying because of how sad it was.

I calmly removed the spear from his neck and handed him a handkerchief.

"Why aren’t you cooperating with the train operation?"

I’m seriously curious. Let’s finally hear that answer.

Daniel took the handkerchief I offered and wiped the blood running from his neck before answering.

"The shield generator is in a situation where we need it more than Britain does."

"Because of Ristorante?"

Daniel immediately agreed to my words.

"Of course. The Erosion Zones Britain is facing right now are nothing serious. In contrast, we have Ristorante pushing up from Italy."

I gave him a look of pity.

"The shield generator is still in the experimental stage. It needs a safe place to collect data."

There was no way we could suddenly bring it into an Erosion Zone controlled by one of the Great Eight like Ristorante. Even if we gathered data, retrieval would be extremely difficult.

And besides…

"As I said over the radio, the Korean government does not see you as some new government of Germany."

They see you as little more than thugs illegally occupying German territory. And honestly, it is hard to say that view is wrong. How could anyone call these guys a government?

There is a reason the European branch of the Hunter Association is in Britain.

It would be like lending an aircraft carrier to Somali pirates because they promised to return it in pristine condition. As if anyone would believe that.

"Besides, even if we requested you return it, you would not actually give it back, would you?"

Daniel stayed silent for a moment, then replied.

"If we received adequate compensation, it would not be impossible."

"What are you, some kind of thug?"

It was not even something they had created themselves. They stole it and now expected payment to give it back. Might as well be the British Museum acting like they are doing you a favor by showing off stolen goods.

"Get me something to drink."

Daniel gestured with his chin, and a moment later I was handed a cup with a beverage. I took a sip, grimaced, and wiped my mouth while glaring at him.

"What is this? Is this your way of getting back at me?"

I had thought it would be something like cola, but what the hell was this?

"No idea. I have not had real cola in months. That is just something with a similar color that is easier to get."

The bottle one guy was holding said Cocoa Carbonated Sweet Water. So it was a North Korean drink. How in the world had it ended up here?

There is no way something this foul-tasting would sell in Korea. Because of that, it must have been dumped into another country.

"I said let’s talk, but this does not feel like much of a negotiation table."

I set down the cup after just one sip and spoke firmly.

"Cooperate with us."

"You talk like there is another choice."

I tapped my spear.

"There is another choice. It is not one I recommend, though."

If you refuse even at the cost of your life, then you die. Nothing I can do about that.

"If someone says ‘just kill me!’ I am not the kind to ignore their last request."

"Damn you, I don't know who is calling who a thug here at this point."

I had no real comeback for that. After all, I take money for requests, and he simply chose not to cooperate with transporting the shield generator because he thought it was in his own interest.

In the end, it was just a case of one thug being stronger than the other. It honestly wasn’t a method I particularly liked.

"What exactly do you mean by cooperation?"

"That is not something to discuss with me."

I tapped the radio on his waist.

"I am more like a blind date arranger."

All I was doing was setting up the meeting. The person he actually needed to talk to was Lee Se-eun, who was busy distributing relief supplies in Warsaw.

"Was this the Candy Lady’s request?"

"No, I just got impatient with how things were going and took action myself."

Daniel muttered quietly, "I thought so."

"No wonder. Hunter Lee Se-eun is not the type to act so recklessly."

So she already had a certain image in their minds huh. And they were planning to take advantage of it.

"You think the Candy Lady is just going to let your unilateral action slide?"

"I am not a member of Jannabi. My contract is with Embargo Tower. Whatever Hunter Lee Se-eun thinks of my actions is none of my concern."

At my words, Daniel’s eyes shifted back and forth.

"I think the name Candy Lady carries great respect and authority among Hunters."

"If I cared about that, would I have flown here cursing in a helicopter?"

I spun my spear and tapped it against the ground.

"Fair point."

I grinned.

"If I just take your answer and leave, you might say something different later. So I am staying here."

Daniel looked at me in disbelief.

"In Korea, I hear they say someone like you has guts spilling out of their belly."

"I can hold my liquor pretty well. Give me somewhere to sleep and something to eat."

Since he had already decided to cooperate, there was no way he would refuse now. After watching me for a moment, Daniel sighed and answered.

"Yoo Chan-seok, I understand now that you have a reckless personality."

He then gave various orders to his subordinates, and soon I was given a guest room.

"What is that?"

On the way to my quarters, I saw people on the street putting bottles out and asked Daniel. Inside the bottles, some kind of chunks floated in liquid.

"Canned mixed meat."

I became curious and paid for one. When I opened it, a rancid smell rushed out. The price was 350 won a jar.

Grimacing slightly, I looked at Daniel and spoke.

"That smell is something else."

Apparently, Daniel had never smelled the contents either. Covering his mouth with a handkerchief, he answered coldly.

"Throw it away dammit. Dinner will be provided, so don't bother taking that with you."

"Don't even think of eating it by the way. Some are not properly sterilized and sealed, you could die from it."

One of the soldiers with him gave me that warning. He said it could cause botulism, with a mortality rate over 50 percent without treatment, and in Europe right now treatment was unlikely.

"Still, it looks like people want it badly enough."

I remembered the skinny people lingering near the vendor. They did not look like people staring at something rancid and possibly deadly.

And the seller had a shotgun propped nearby, as if ready to fend off thieves. Having a shotgun ready meant there had been reason to use it before.

"Not my problem."

"Really?"

Daniel glanced at me and replied.

"We hire Hunters, arm ourselves, and defend this land with our own money. That alone should be appreciated."

While we talked, we arrived at my quarters, a large tent serving as a barracks. Inside, a kerosene stove was burning and food was prepared.

It was a dish of stir-fried cod, bacon, and potatoes, served with rye bread, beer, a stew of turnip and beef, and fruit pudding for dessert.

"Quite a difference from that canned meat earlier."

"It feels like you are picking a fight ever since before."

Daniel looked openly displeased.

"Of course not. Thanks for the meal."

Since I was the one receiving it, there was no reason to starve just because others were starving. I pursued big change, not small sympathy.

I sat at the table.

"So, how many Hunters fighting Ristorante are coming here?"

Daniel stopped moving his fork and stared at me.

"You can stop treating me like a slave now."

Right now they were treating me well because eighty Hunters had been beaten, but that did not mean they welcomed me.

They had probably managed to pull a few capable Hunters from the south to call here.

I put cod in my mouth and chewed.

"Knowing that and still staying here, you really are crazy."

"I can’t leave. And honestly, why would I?"

I reached over and touched his body. A thin flame of Paradoxical Flame clung to him like a candle flame.

"…?!"

He flinched and hurriedly tried to brush it off his shoulder, but it was not the kind of flame that disappeared like that.

"That flame is completely harmless, so don't worry."

What it was burning was scent.

Things like smell or sound could be burned away temporarily. It was different from destroying hearing or smell itself.

"But if things don't go well, that flame will burn you alive."

I crossed my legs and continued eating.

"Hey, this stew is good."

Daniel said nothing. He clearly did not feel like talking.

"Surely you can’t keep that up forever."

I smiled and replied.

"Ask some other Hunters. See if they think I can or can’t keep it up."

Those who had experienced it before would know. I drained my beer and slammed the empty glass on the table.

"If I want, I can keep a flame like that burning forever."

After making my threat, I quickly cleared the food from the table and stood up with a burp.

"Well then, good luck with the negotiations. If you try anything funny, that bomb collar on your neck will go off."

"You son of a…"

I waved a hand as I stood.

"Call me when the talks start. I will be resting until then. I’d prefer if you start by tomorrow afternoon."

Dragging things out would only end up bad for you.

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