[At that moment, in a U.S. Senator’s Office]
“Moving an aircraft carrier just to recruit an S-rank Hunter—does that even make sense?”
A bald, elderly senator, his face red with fury, bellowed in outrage.
“Tell me, you two. Does this sound reasonable to you? Where is the proper procedure in all of this? Nothing is going through the correct channels! Is it normal for us to move just because the President gives the order?”
The two men standing before him remained silent.
In the past, they might have offered explanations, but now, the black man kept his head held high while the white man yawned audibly, as if to show how little he cared for the senator’s rant.
“Director!”
“Senator Rockefeller, please.”
The yawning man gestured toward his left chest, where a name tag would typically be on a suit, though he wasn’t wearing one.
“Do you really think the CIA doesn’t know who the ‘Master’ is?”
“So then…!”
“We know his name, nationality, age, occupation, and even his wealth. There’s only one thing we haven’t figured out: what exact ability he awakened and how he has that [Cosplay Maid] with him.”
The man, the CIA Director, pointed at his ear with an annoyed expression.
“We hear everything. And the Master knows we are listening. Despite that, he continues cooperating with us because of an implicit understanding.”
“Release the information!”
“If we did that, do you think he’d still come to the U.S.?”
The black man standing next to the CIA Director sharply interjected.
“And he’d say something like this—’I was convinced by the President to challenge the Towers in America, but after hearing Senator Rockefeller, I changed my mind.'”
“Damn it, even the FBI Director is on this! Do you two have any idea how much support I gave you to get to your positions?!”
“Senator Rockefeller, what’s so wrong about transporting tactical nukes on an aircraft carrier?”
“What…?”
“The Master is a tactical nuke. A living, sentient nuclear weapon. And in situations like this, ignoring conventional procedures, bypassing diplomatic notice, and prioritizing what truly matters takes precedence.”
“The Master’s safety. And ensuring that the Master comes to America.”
The two intelligence directors exchanged glances before firmly shaking their heads at the senator.
“The CIA rejects the opposition party’s request to disclose classified intelligence.”
“The FBI refuses to release a list of Awakened American citizens in Korea. We won’t be providing that information privately, either.”
“You really think you’ll make it to the end of your terms like this?”
“Yes.”
“Senator, we are mobilizing an aircraft carrier for the Master. Do you really think this situation falls under the ‘normal’ politics you’ve been dealing with for decades?”
The senator’s face turned an even deeper shade of red at their response.
“Damn it…! Are we, the United States, really letting a single Hunter dictate our actions?!”
“That single Hunter is stronger than any other right now. He’s already conquered two S-rank Towers, proving his power.”
“Whether the Cosplay Maid is his doppelgänger, an alternate persona, or some summoned entity he layered over with false information—it doesn’t matter. The fact remains: he cleared two S-rank Towers and is now preparing to take on another.”
“And where is that?”
“Let’s just say… Jeju Island.”
At the FBI Director’s words, the senator abruptly stormed out of the office, leaving the two intelligence heads alone.
“…Hey. Do you know why that old man is so worked up?”
“Yeah. His political backers have ties to the Japanese Yakuza.”
“I know that much. But is he really throwing this tantrum just because of that? He called us here for this nonsense?”
“Surprisingly, yes.”
Both directors clicked their tongues in disapproval.
“He still thinks it’s two years ago. He thinks we’re still his subordinates…”
“So, what do you think? Deploying an aircraft carrier for an S-rank Hunter?”
“If we could build a flying battleship for a superhero, it wouldn’t be strange to start construction immediately.”
“Superhero?”
“People call those who climb the Towers ‘Hunters.’ But if their actions save lives and protect the Earth, aren’t they superheroes?”
The black intelligence chief made a playful gesture, covering one eye with his hand.
“If I ever get fired as FBI Director, I’ll ask the President to establish a government division dedicated to protecting S-rank Hunters. I’d call it ‘The Shield.’ What do you think?”
“Shield?”
“In a world where even S-rank Hunters cosplay, is there any reason the government wouldn’t create such an organization? No need for a complicated name—it’s straightforward.”
“That’s certainly intuitive. But what about the fact that the aircraft carrier stationed in Japan is now heading toward Korea? Wasn’t that a mistake to reveal?”
“Let’s see if that old man contacts his Yakuza friends and makes a move. Whoever tries to manipulate things behind the scenes… they’ll become a cancer in President Luigi’s vision of the future.”
“Pax Americana?”
“Super America.”
The two intelligence chiefs exchanged firm nods.
“If the Master comes to the U.S., our country will be safer than ever.”
* * *
Caught up in the idea of summoning my fourth Summon as a “battleship”, I had asked for a ship to reach Dokdo without thinking too much about it.
Now that I reconsider, maybe there were other ways.
I could’ve taken a submarine to quietly approach Dokdo.
Or maybe I could have used a tourist ferry for a discreet approach.
Or even taken an aerial route.
Still, even after weighing my options, a relatively large ship seemed like the most reasonable choice…
“Isn’t this a bit excessive?”
I showed the breaking news video on my smartphone to Patrick, who was sitting in front of me.
– [Breaking News] U.S. Navy warship departs from Okinawa base, heading towards Korea’s East Sea.
– [Breaking News] U.S. Navy: ‘This is a scheduled training exercise, nothing more.’
“Won’t this turn into an international issue?”
“To be honest, yes.”
Aide Patrick replied with a grin.
“Please consider this as a reflection of the President’s sincerity toward you, Master.”
Wouldn’t this be considered excessive to the point of being outright ridiculous?
“I’m not trying to misinterpret the situation, but in the East, S-rank Hunters are treated like tools that the government can use at will. That would be unthinkable in the United States.”
“So that’s why you went as far as deploying an aircraft carrier…?”
“It’s the proper level of courtesy for an S-rank Hunter.”
While I thought this was all too much, they seemed to believe that even this level of treatment was insufficient, and that they should do even more.
“A bulletproof limousine is a given. When flying, you will be escorted in a private jet. And when crossing the sea, we ensure the safest ship. You never know what could happen.”
“If I were to suddenly announce that I wouldn’t be challenging the S-rank Towers in the U.S., that would put you all in quite the predicament, wouldn’t it?”
“…”
Patrick’s expression turned serious.
“I’m joking. I do have some sense of honor, you know. After going to such great lengths for me, I wouldn’t just turn my back on you.”
“Haha. Of course. What a joke indeed.”
“But, since we’re joking—if I wasn’t joking, what would you have done?”
“There are many people who want information on you, Master. Not just in East Asia, but in Europe and even in third-world countries. If you were to betray your agreement… well, let’s just say your information might be ‘leaked’ to the entire world. Hahaha.”
Patrick waved his hand with a grin.
It was a joke, but the message was clear—if I broke my promise, I knew exactly what would happen next.
In some ways, staying in Korea might be a safer option than going to the U.S.
There’s nothing worse than betraying someone who was treating you well.
“Master, may I ask you something?”
“What is it?”
“If capable government agents from Korea were already tracking us, how would you respond?”
Patrick looked at me seriously, occasionally checking his watch.
“…Are they close?”
“Three minutes out?”
“Then I suppose I should answer now.”
“Yes.”
I couldn’t see outside since we were in a limousine, but the fact that it was a limousine made us an even bigger target.
“…Tsk. I sent Elaine as a decoy to draw attention, but they’re not falling for it?”
“That just means that aside from those focused on Miss Elaine, some agents have been assigned to track you directly. They might be the real threat.”
“Should I be impressed by their competence or irritated by it?”
I checked another breaking news alert.
– [Breaking News] Cosplay Maid appears in Yeosu.
– [Breaking News] Cosplayer declares, ‘Might as well clear a Tower while I’m here.’
The video showed Elaine wandering near an A-rank Tower in Yeosu, drawing public attention.
But from the government’s perspective, some of those eyes were undoubtedly focused on my limousine.
“Well, since you’ve even mobilized an aircraft carrier, I can’t just sit here and let you handle everything for me, can I?”
I pulled my smartphone closer.
‘Start.’
I sent a single text message.
“…? What did you just do?”
“Nothing much.”
A moment later—
“Make sure they can’t follow. Just lightly.”
Boom. Boom. BOOM!
From behind the limousine, a series of heavy impacts rang out—not quite explosions, but powerful enough to shake the ground.
“…!!”
Patrick stared at me in shock.
I simply held up my index finger in silence.
— Commander, this is just how you handle things in moments like this~
Just as Drei had taught me.
“…”
I lowered my hand.
The reflection in the limousine’s polished interior showed my own face.
I looked like an absolute bastard.
‘Drei looked cool and stylish when she did it, though.’
* * *
Somewhere, in front of a computer.
“Hehehe.”
Drei stretched in her chair, cracking her fingers.
“Whew, that was close. If those cars had been purely analog with no electronic signals, I wouldn’t have been able to shut down their batteries.”
She grinned as she glanced at the CCTV footage, showing a four-car pileup involving black sedans.
“Not a bad effort at tailing us, I suppose, but—oh?”
Clatter.
The faint sound of a door moving.
“…Heh. They actually came?”
Drei’s hand slowly moved toward her thigh.
“What’s the plan for cleanup later? Hmm, guess I’ll have to handle this myself.”
Click.
“If I tell them, they’ll just worry. I’ll take care of it here.”
Beep. Beep-beep.
“They look like a special forces unit… and I can even sense ‘mana’ coming from them.”
The moment the electronic lock finished its sequence, Drei raised her handgun, aiming at the entrance.
“Let’s see what they’ve got.”
Creak.
As soon as the door opened—
“Breaching—”
“Why is a Russian speaking Korean?”
Bang!
“You, you’re Russian, aren’t you?”
A single gunshot rang out inside a small apartment.
