Chapter 88 – What is Right (8)
“Killing you is impossible, but…”
Rene clicked her tongue inwardly as she observed them. Lee Jong-pil looked like an old snake, an aged raccoon, to her.
Having political experience, Rene had seen many like him before: former prime ministers who colluded with the current emperor and court officials who had spearheaded her impeachment.
To her, they were the kind of people she couldn’t help but despise, yet she was also well aware of how cunning they were.
“Hah. So what do you plan to do, kill us like Takilas? You little girl.”
“Your words are just empty. It’s clear you’re terrified of death.”
“No, you’ll never act on that.”
Rene narrowed her eyes as she crossed her arms, but Lee Jong-pil, despite sweating profusely, continued to speak. His son, Lee Soo-chan, was merely observing the tense exchange between the two, too intimidated to utter a word.
“I’ve figured out who you are, or rather who you are not. You’re no different from me, just another brat who hasn’t even dried the blood from her head. How can you not realize how transparent your actions are?”
“…”
At Lee Jong-pil’s words, Rene’s brow twitched. It was said that a con artist recognizes another con artist. Lee Jong-pil had vaguely caught onto her intention of moving Casilena.
“Stirring your followers, manipulating public opinion—how satisfying it must have been to wield power for a while. I acknowledge your talent; you’re far superior to the mediocre rogues overflowing in Yeouido.”
“Your confidence is remarkable. Why don’t you keep talking? Then I’ll tell you why I’m here.”
“Considering you’ve aligned with those who were at each other’s throats to wipe out a city, it seems you were somewhat anxious, huh? Afraid you might lose the power you hold…”
Lee Jong-pil was sure of himself. He believed that as long as Rene viewed her as a political counterpart, it was easy to predict her actions.
“You’re not Takilas. You’re merely moving according to a thoroughly calculated political agenda. You, who preach about justice, are going to kill us here? You will lose. The Magical Girls are finished!”
It was because of this belief that he thought she wouldn’t dare harm him.
And his conclusion was not wrong; Rene had not come to kill them.
“That is correct. I did not come to kill you.”
“Hah.”
“But I did come to obtain something.”
Rene admitted this willingly, causing Lee Jong-pil to snicker. However, that was not the end of it. With a nod, she snapped her fingers and pulled something out from her space.
“Do you know what this potion is? It seeps into the organs of the one who drinks it, igniting a burning poison. The horrific pain experienced during this process could even make a strong knight scream and beg to die. But only this drug burns away memories… leaving the subject’s body unharmed after torture.”
“Y-you little…”
“It would be best to confess as quickly as possible. And remember, you seem to be under the illusion that intelligence alone empowers you. Power must be grounded in a foundation to be truly wielded. I have the foundation of power. What foundation do you have for that power you flaunt so casually right now?”
“You bitch!!”
The chains of magical energy surged forth from the magic circle she had created, ensnaring Lee Jong-pil and Lee Soo-chan.
Despite Lee Jong-pil’s furious struggles, it was impossible for his aged body to break free of chains stronger than heavy machinery.
Two facts he had overlooked came back to him as fatal blades.
One was that Rene was a Magical Girl. The other was that she had grown up in a rough place where torture was commonplace.
Of course, it was easy to overlook. The duration of the Magical Girls’ appearance was shorter than his political career, and after all, Rene was about as close to being an irregular as one could get.
“Enough of this.”
But at that moment, unexpected intruders stormed the scene.
“Hm.”
Rene shattered the window, using a barrier to neutralize the fireballs aimed at her.
However, the fireballs kept raining down, forcing her to retract the chains and step back.
“We were slightly late in finding an entry method. Are you alright?”
“Who are you…?”
Lee Jong-pil was taken aback by the sight of a man floating in the air outside the shattered terrace window.
Dressed in a suit, he had fiery hands directed towards Rene, while other similarly dressed figures rushed onto the terrace to rescue Lee Jong-pil and Lee Soo-chan.
Realizing they were members of the Awakened Special Task Force created in collaboration with The One Road and the Korean Government, Lee Jong-pil’s eyes widened.
“I-I had contacted them in advance. I thought we might need special protection…”
Lee Soo-chan nervously spoke up, having reached out without discussing it with his father due to the fright from the previous night’s events.
“Well done.”
Naturally, Lee Jong-pil didn’t scold him, merely muttering in a daze. Meanwhile, the man floating in the air stepped inside with his colleagues, blocking Rene’s path.
“I’m Jang Jin-seok, Team Leader of the Special Task Force 5. Move aside, Magical Girl.”
“…You handle magic in a unique way. It feels more sophisticated, almost like watching a living magical tool.”
Rene assessed the Special Task Force and immediately realized their identities. At the same time, her hands twitched. For her, being among the top sorcerers of the human empire, the Special Task Force seemed no different than mere fodder.
She felt it wouldn’t be impossible to dispatch them all if she set her mind to it.
However, doing so would mean her own defeat.
“I don’t think your sense of justice is wrong. It’s just that your justice clashes with mine, and thus you seek to oppose and trample me. But I’m certain of one thing. Do you think these living dolls will protect you in a moment of true crisis?”
“How dare you!”
Rene leapt over the Special Task Force, speaking to Lee Jong-pil. Naturally, the insulted Special Task Force ground their teeth in anger, but she neatly ignored them.
“You foolish girl… do you really think that will concern me?”
Lee Jong-pil quietly mumbled while mocking her.
Whether the Special Task Force project succeeded or not, whether the Magical Girls were expelled or not—it honestly didn’t matter.
What mattered to Lee Jong-pil was simply that he alone could monopolize the power of this land.
“That will be proven in reality, Magical Girl!”
But before Lee Jong-pil could even finish his thought, Team Leader Jang Jin-seok shouted first.
“Proven in reality?”
“That’s right. We will prove we are more necessary to this world than you pathetic lot.”
Finally, Rene’s gaze locked onto him. He grimaced, pointing at her as he boldly declared.
“Proven, huh?”
Seeing his finger, Rene laughed, the corners of her mouth twisting slightly.
“Can you handle it? If you fail to prove your worth, it will be you who gets pushed out, and the citizens of this land will no longer welcome you.”
“We will not lose to the likes of you young girls.”
He shook his head, completely unaware that he had fallen into Rene’s trap.
Originally, Jang Jin-seok was fluent in Korean but was of Chinese nationality. Having seen Magical Girls merely as lackeys of the party in his homeland, he firmly believed they could never lose to them now that they had gained the ability to wield magic.
“If that’s the case, a conclusion shall be reached. People will judge who is more needed in this chaotic world.”
With that, Rene departed. The full-scale competition between the Awakened Special Task Force replacing the Magical Girls and the Magical Girls themselves had begun.
*
“Did you see the news? Wow! They’re expanding the Awakened Special Task Force’s personnel!”
After dinner, during free time, Kim Soo-jung naturally crawled into my bed and snuggled up next to me while looking at her phone.
I was checking the news channel, sifting through almost all the news channels, both public and private.
“Are you looking for something?”
“Yeah. Have you heard that the Magical Girls caught some corrupted politicians today?”
“No… I don’t think I heard that. Did that really happen?”
I asked out of hope, but, as expected, the answer was a no. It had only been vaguely mentioned in internet articles; the media didn’t cover what had happened the night before at all.
Even though Rene had attacked and there had been a clash, that, too, was ignored.
In the end, they had chosen their stance. Once again crawling on the ground like dogs, exposing their bellies to their masters. The police top brass were the same.
Rather, the media focused intensely on the news of The One Road and the Awakened Special Task Force while resolutely ignoring any news about the Magical Girls.
“Hm. They’ll regret it.”
“?”
Kim Soo-jung looked puzzled as I chuckled and put my phone down.
Right now, the monsters might be quiet, but what would happen when they inevitably start their activities in earnest?
I guarantee that in such a chaotic situation, they will find it incredibly hard to win. Those who harbor other ulterior motives will have no chance to concentrate.
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