EP 13 – International Hunter Perspective (7)
Lumiere’s expression still hardened, but her voice began to waver little by little.
“… Senator Han. We know that our request is abrupt. Still, if the manufacturing cost of the elixir gradually stabilizes and we can start joint research on stimulants-”
“I’m sorry, but I’m a bit cautious about giving away stimulants prematurely.”
At the stubborn refusal, the first piercing pierced her forehead. Lumiere told me.
“…I plan to spend about three days in Korea. If I had spent that time in Europe fighting, I would have saved at least tens of thousands of people.”
It sounded arrogant at first glance, but she looked at me calmly.
“Nevertheless, I came to Korea. Because we decided that the supply of stimulants could save more people than that.”
“……”
“In other words, if I don’t get the stimulants, I’m going to kill tens of thousands.”
She smiled with a confused look. It looks like you haven’t given up hope.
“There will definitely be compromises. Elixir is not yet available for mass production, and it is uncertain whether Elixir can truly solve the side effects of stimulants, but Elixir is definitely the best of our technology. And we have a firm will for our common prosperity. If you tell me what you want, I will do my best-”
“No, no. I don’t mean that. I’m not asking for more money or more.”
“yes…?”
“I also have a great concern and concern for the survival of the European people. but……”
At Lumiere, who had hardened, I smiled with a sad expression on my face.
“Take a stimulant and it won’t really solve the situation.”
Her eyes began to tremble.
It was as planned.
* * *
They were clearly facing each other, but their feelings were polar opposites. Of course, the one who is shaking is Lumiere.
“……Why? Senator?”
I summarized her argument.
“There will soon be a civil war due to the recruitment war between the PMCs. You need a stimulant to prevent him. Isn’t this what you’re saying?”
Lumiere silently nodded her head. I took a small breath and asked again.
“The Commonwealth of the European Union is known as the Armed Forces of European countries. Is the air force secured?”
“……Yes.”
“Then the premise is wrong.”
I shook my head lightly.
“It’s not that the Joint Forces of the European Union are losing control of the local guilds. You’re not doing it.”
Lumiere was stunned for the first time.
“What do you mean?”
I explained the food chain to her.
The monster neutralizes the army in terms of number and spread. Awakeners are effective against monsters in that they can easily absorb mana stones.
And in that bullets are more effective against humans than monsters, the army is stronger than the Awoken.
In other words.
“It is nonsense for the military to lose physical control of the Awoken.”
Especially if you are in the Air Force. If you want to control the PMC by the end of the day, you can set an example with a few snipers.
For that reason, the fact that the EU Central Army lost control of the provincial guilds was truly questionable.
I asked her.
“You mentioned earlier that some of the PMCs absorbed the army. It won’t be that big. Is that correct?”
She nodded her head with a confused expression, and I also nodded and continued explaining.
“The military is an organization that cannot survive without supplies. You can’t become a regular army more than a partisan. The military power will always belong to the EU Commonwealth. However, it seems that the public’s trust has been lost due to the failure of the initial response. And it seems to be a situation that we call a loss of central control. Am I right up to this point?”
“…somewhat consistent.”
“Then this is a political matter.”
I was determined.
“That’s why stimulants can’t solve this situation.”
“……Why?”
I represented the EU position.
“As the city-states of shelters led by the respective PMCs progress, the central governments united in the Commonwealth of the EU will want to regain influence over the provinces.”
Simple logic.
Foreign enemies came in, and the army was smashed,
Instead, the medics blocked the enemy.
So, medics are supported by the people.
even democracy.
In such a situation, the most effective way for the military to check the volunteers is to fight between them.
In other words, the EU is fighting the PMCs.
I had brought up such a conspiracy theory.
“Rep. Han Seung-moon.”
At this, Lumiere looked at me with sharp eyes. It seems that he is not stupid enough to not be able to grasp the pulse of the conversation.
and,
Because she wasn’t the kind of person who could laugh at these insults, and at the same time, she was wise enough not to forget her duty.
She warned me very calmly.
“Avoid making hasty guesses.”
The light that surrounded her flickered threateningly once. Despite her persuasion, I stumbled upon the conspiracy theories.
“The EU command is fighting amongst the local PMCs.”
“Senator!”
“Even the small military organization that the PMCs absorbed. I’m guessing they’re people acting as spies for the central government.”
To put it in a noble way, it’s a drive-thru murder,
In political terms, it is splitting and internal shooting.
Lumiere couldn’t help but be embarrassed by my radical remarks. She waved her hand.
“……It’s too much of a leap forward.”
“In Korea, this is called reasonable suspicion. That is why I am reluctant to hand over stimulants to the EU.”
Lumiere, who had shown a slightly unpleasant feeling, hardened as soon as the stimulant was mentioned. The negotiations between A and B were like this.
I pushed her
“Let’s be honest. Why did you come to me instead of acting as Won Ok-bun?”
“……that-“
“Is it because I’m popular?”
She couldn’t answer.
“If I get my consent, it will be easy to move public opinion in Korea, which is the election season. It will be easy to induce international cooperation without paying any price.”
The most vulnerable part of a democracy was the election season. Policy is influenced by public opinion, and public opinion is influenced by agitation.
“The public opinion that started as soon as I entered the country. This is a highly advanced strategy that takes advantage of the strange sense of debt that the people have for me. Of course, I don’t think that Executor Lumière was thinking of such a trick. This is the mindset of a politician.”
Interpretation: The needle repair work was immediately grasped
In other words.
“Since political engineering is involved in the request for stimulants, it is difficult for me to sympathize with the humanitarian purpose of the Executioner. I’m sorry.”
Translation: I can’t give it to you, man
“……”
There was silence for a long time. Suddenly, the negotiations broke down, and she looked as if she had been broken.
and,
Noah Lumière cautiously opened her mouth with a trembling voice. Thin eyebrows drooped between her pale blonde hair.
“…Apologize once again for swaying public opinion in accordance with EU directives. And I will admit that there may be some political purposes. We will rule this out later.”
She kept her low posture to the point that everyone who saw it was embarrassed. I suddenly realized that I am the type of person who is bound by a sense of duty rather than self-esteem.
“We also acknowledge that a rather exclusive antagonism exists between the EU Joint Forces and the respective PMCs. However, it is not as extreme as you said.”
“It is not a matter of extremes, it is a matter of causality. The EU will use stimulants not as a means of peace, but as a collar for the PMCs.”
“Then I will stop you!”
Lumiere exclaimed.
“First of all, shouldn’t we have to save people first, Senator! I’ll do anything I can-“
“I’m sorry.”
I raised my hand and stopped her.
“The fact that the executor came here is purely political.”
*
A cold voice continued.
“I will join Korea to the European Union, restore the health of influential politicians, and receive awakening stimulants instead…”
Lumiere could not add anything to Han Seung-moon. It was because he thought it was an unequal treaty.
“We are blocked by land and sea, what kind of economic support will those who are far away give us, why do we have to use the euro, why do we have to turn our backs on China and the United States, and what kind of favor do we have for agitating the public during the election season? Are there?”
“……”
“Can’t you even think about it?”
Han Seung-moon faltered again, crossed his legs, and fiddled with his staff.
“This is diplomacy that can only be achieved in such a situation when this Han Seung-moon, desperately wanting to live longer, asks for an elixir, and actively promotes the friendship between the two countries.”
He muttered lightly and muttered.
“I sent it knowing it wouldn’t be in my opinion.”
“…I have also come to know that it will be difficult. But, never aimed at such a political s*x-”
“Whether you know politics or not, the world we live in is going around every moment. If you don’t know, you become an idiot.
Lumiere bit her lower lip. As I was being swayed by the opponent, I was suddenly cornered. Her lights flickered precariously, reflecting her emotions.
at that time. Han Seung-moon said.
“This negotiation itself is a trap.”
“Never put you in trouble-“
“No. Not me.”
He pressed his index finger to Lumiere’s face.
“It’s a trap they dug to catch you.”
As Han Seung-moon’s words continued, Lumiere’s firm expression slowly collapsed.
“At first glance, the EU has paid a very high price. By joining an Asian country in the European Union, it gave in exchange for a very large, very large, organized, highly national, pride against the United States. The best heroes go to Korea and say the word respect. First off, you’re potentially disappointing European citizens. For a cause.”
“……”
“But the reality is that the European Union has already left the United States, and the horse has no price tag. However, the power of words in politics is truly powerful. If these negotiations fail, there will be huge ripples within the EU.”
“……”
“At least on the surface, I went with a huge stake and turned around. If not, who will overwrite the responsibility? no. Who is responsible for the media coverage?”
Lumiere could not hide her trembling eyes and bowed her head.
It felt like the puzzles in my heart were being put together. Anxiety between the subtle gestures of politicians. Skepticism about impossible tasks. And even a sense of self-doubt that keeps shaking.
She murmured with confusion.
“Hey, what…”
Han Seung-moon spit it out relentlessly because the cold-jaw translated even the smallest slurp.
“It is the life of a politician. They’re just making porridge, but someone with a status higher than a president is walking around in all directions.”
“……”
“Politicians never leave people like this alone.”
Lumiere hardened as it was. As if he didn’t know what to say more, he hardened like ice, his eyes closed and his mouth clenched.
Han Seung-moon shook his head as if in regret.
“Didn’t I tell you before? The visit of Executor Lumière itself is political. That’s why I can’t give the Executor a stimulant. Whether you give it or not, it’s an outlier. This edition itself is a trap woven by the EU-”
“then.”
But.
Lumiere wasn’t frozen in shock.
As if when was it hardened? Lumiere’s eyes gleamed coldly.
Hunter’s judgment is over.
“What do you think I should do, Senator?”
Of course, the time I spent with European politicians was too long to turn into a one-day meeting. Naturally, she did not fully trust Han Seung-moon’s words.
In other words, there was some trust.
Then, it was necessary to gather information quickly and prepare for the next action. Where is the time to be frozen in shock? One second is not enough to survive.
That was Hunter’s way of thinking.
If the politician lays the plate and waits, the hunter breaks through the plate quickly.
In that respect, the two had something in common. Han Seung-moon’s answer came out without hesitation.
“I can’t give a stimulant to the EU Joint Forces commander, but it’s a different story when it comes to European hero Noah Lumière. Have you ever heard of the Awakened Society?”
“……yes. I’ve never heard of it. South Korea…”
Only, he and she were both hunters, but only Han Seung-moon was a politician.
therefore.
“Aren’t you thinking of taking on the role of a standing advisor for the association?”
Lumière did not notice that he had been on the board of Seung-Moon Han from a certain moment.
“……Yes?”
“If a foreigner acts as an advisor, it is an international organization.”
Han Seung-moon smiled casually and turned the plate over.
“Neither the Republic of Korea nor the EU, we will take the lead in distributing stimulants.”
Lumière, unaware that his nose was stitched, was exhausted and admired by Han Seung-moon’s precise information and driving power.
After roughly grasping the situation with his ten years of journalistic experience, he was truly astonished that more than half of Han Seung-moon’s claims were bullshit, and he began to deduce from when he built such a big picture.
Only Pi Chae-Won knew that this was an improvised ad-lib, so he was just staring blankly.
🗿