[A short while later, somewhere in China. Inside a conference room.]
“…You’re telling me they failed?”
A bald, elderly man wearing glasses—Wang Chan, a high-ranking official of the Party—felt a vein bulge on his forehead upon hearing his subordinates’ report.
“How long has it even been since the three S-rankers left? And you’re already talking about failure? Huh?”
“T-The top-class heroes…!”
“Speak in international standards.”
“The three S-rank Hunters suddenly changed course in their submarine. After abandoning their attempt to raid the S-rank tower in Jeju Island, they each split up, claiming they had personal matters to attend to.”
“…Even though they were dispatched under the Chairman’s orders?”
“Yes.”
The man who was processing the situation, the ‘Deputy Minister of Hero Management’ in the Party, took off his glasses with trembling hands.
“This is why young ones are useless. The Party hypes them up as heroes, and they start thinking they really are something special.”
“D-Deputy Minister, those words…”
“If they were lucky enough to awaken, they should be dedicating their lives to the Party and the nation. Tsk. If they didn’t want that, they should have given that chance to me instead.”
The Deputy Minister regretfully toyed with the badge pinned to his chest, as if flaunting it.
His demeanor made it clear—if he had been the one to awaken as an S-rank Hunter, he would have immediately flown to Jeju Island and conquered the S-rank tower for the Party’s glory.
“So, do we know why those brats suddenly changed course? I noticed the submarine’s system had been taken over automatically.”
“There was an… S-rank hacker.”
“?”
At his subordinate’s report, the Deputy Minister tilted his head.
“If they’re an S-rank, they’re an S-rank. If they’re a hacker, they’re a hacker. What do you mean by ‘S-rank hacker’?”
“It seems that in the U.S., they secretly train S-rank Hunters to also possess hacking abilities. Not only did they hack into our submarine, but they also took control of South Korea’s submarines as well.”
“…And what proof do we have that they were a Hunter?”
“A mana reaction was detected. The signal reaching the submarine wasn’t an electronic signal but one based on mana…”
“What kind of b*llshit are you spewing?”
The Deputy Minister grabbed the crystal ashtray sitting on the table.
“So you’re telling me that, using an undetectable electronic signal, they managed to divert the course of a submarine carrying three S-rank Hunters?”
“I-It’s not that the signal was undetectable. There was no electronic signal at all. Instead, an S-rank level mana signal reached the submarine. That’s what was used to hack it.”
“What a perfect analysis. So, if I take this report upstairs and present it, what do you think will happen?”
“That’s…”
“You really think the Chairman will believe this?”
At the Deputy Minister’s sarcastic tone, his subordinate’s face flushed red with embarrassment, but he couldn’t refute it.
A report that doesn’t get approved won’t make it up the chain.
“Fine. Let’s assume the submarine’s course was forcibly altered. Why did the three S-rankers immediately go into hiding upon returning?”
“…According to testimony from others aboard the submarine.”
“And?”
“The hacker knew each of their most shameful secrets. Personal photos they had taken, photos secretly taken of them by others… even one of a married woman’s husband caught in an affair.”
“If there was only one woman in the group, and she had a husband, then… Wait, are you saying—?”
“I don’t know the details beyond that.”
“Hah…”
The Deputy Minister clenched his tie with a trembling hand.
“So these so-called S-rankers have been running around enjoying their debauchery, and now look what’s happened. Tsk. Forget it. Just prepare the next batch. There are always plenty who want to become the Party’s heroes—”
BANG!
Before he could finish, the door suddenly burst open.
“What’s with the commotion… Huh?”
“…”
Public security had arrived.
And not just any officer—an A-rank Hunter in public security uniform.
“Y-You… [Executioner]? Why are you here…?”
“You have gravely insulted the Supreme Leader.”
The woman known as the Executioner pulled out her smartphone and showed it to the Deputy Minister.
“!!”
Displayed on the screen was an account on a social media platform developed by an American company.
Written in English instead of Chinese, a flood of obscene and offensive posts appeared in the recommended feed.
“Read it out loud.”
“T-This insane…! You expect me to read this filth aloud, slandering the Chairman?! This is ideological verification!”
“You can deny it all you want, but we have already confirmed everything. This is your hidden account. We have records of when these posts were made, along with CCTV footage from your surroundings.”
“P-Proof! Let me see the proof myself!”
“…Hah.”
The Executioner let out a deep sigh and slipped her phone back into the pocket of her uniform, which resembled a military outfit.
“This evidence came from the United States.”
“…The U.S.?”
At those words, the Deputy Minister’s face instantly drained of color.
As if he had just realized something, his fists trembled violently.
“Don’t tell me… The Supreme Leader is cutting me loose?! Just because the U.S. sent this?!”
“This isn’t just about you anymore.”
The Executioner tapped the phone in her pocket with an annoyed expression.
“Not only were the private lives of the three S-rank Hunters exposed, but also your supposedly well-hidden secret account. How can you be sure nothing else was leaked?”
“…!!”
“If you don’t want this to become public, keep your mouth shut and pack your things. Unless, of course, you want everyone to know about the ‘special friend’ you meet every time you take a business trip to the U.S.”
* * *
I arrived at the hotel.
It looked like something straight out of a movie—one of those places travel YouTubers showcase in their sponsored videos.
As I took in the luxurious hotel room, I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“So all of this is free?”
“All thanks to having a powerful tactical nuke in this information age, nyah.”
Kiharu, controlling the TV remote with her cat paws, pointed at the news.
“Everyone has skeletons in their closet, whether in photos, videos, or digital records. And in today’s world, information spreads faster than ever.”
“…Seeing this, Drei really is terrifying.”
On the news.
The story of an S-rank Hunter from China was spreading.
[Citizens in Shanghai, please evacuate immediately! Kyaaah!!]
Not long after the submarine returned, a marital dispute between two S-rank Hunters had erupted.
The wife had completely lost her mind, chasing after her husband, while the husband, dressed only in his underwear, was desperately flying through the air, trying to escape her pursuit.
“…This isn’t our fault, right?”
“Of course not. If their marriage falls apart like this, that’s on them, nyah.”
While the wife had been aboard the submarine on the Party’s orders to raid Jeju Island, the husband had been throwing a drug-fueled party with young women eager to mingle with the new elite class of S-rank Hunters.
“Is that really something to go berserk over?”
“If the guy just took his beating, that’d be one thing. But since he’s actively resisting, it’s turned into a real fight, nyah.”
Kiharu pointed at the Chinese S-rank Hunter fleeing in nothing but her underwear.
“Oh, just so we’re clear, I’m not taking sides here, meow.”
“Who said anything?”
“If you were about to say something like ‘put yourself in their shoes,’ then let me just say—I think if the roles were reversed and the wife was cheating while the husband was away working, she’d deserve to be beaten down just the same, nyah.”
“And the cheating woman?”
“Whoever did wrong should get what they deserve. But since he’s resisting like this, now Shanghai looks like a warzone, nyah.”
Kiharu stretched as if she had expected this outcome.
“At least we got to see what kind of UFC-level fight S-rank Hunters in this world are capable of, meow. Ah, I’d like to snack on something while watching this. Can I eat that, nyah?”
“What?”
I shivered when I saw what Kiharu had leaped toward to grab.
“Hey, that’s the minibar…!”
“It’s all free.”
“Huh?”
Elaine, fresh out of the shower and wrapped in a bathrobe, tapped the minibar.
“Wait. The minibar is free?”
“Yes. They said it will be restocked daily, no matter how much we use. They also said they would send room service instantly upon request, but we should be cautious about that part.”
Elaine shrugged as if analyzing for poison.
“Honestly, the studio apartment in Seoul was more convenient. At least there, we got pre-packaged meals delivered. Here, we have to inspect everything ourselves.”
Elaine picked up a bottle of whiskey from a brand I didn’t recognize.
“There’s no poison in it, but this might be a bit too strong for you, Master.”
“…”
“Would you like to try it?”
“Oh. If you’re worried about me getting drunk—”
“Kiharu.”
Just as Kiharu was about to say something, Elaine shoved the whiskey bottle into his mouth.
“Mmff! Mmmph!”
“If you’re so eager to drink, you can have as much as you like.”
Kiharu flailed in protest, but the sound of liquid pouring down could be heard.
At some point, Elaine had already uncorked the bottle.
I could’ve sworn it was a sealed cork that needed to be removed first.
[Ahahaha. Commander, are you hoping to see someone get drunk?]
Drei’s voice rang from my smartphone.
She wasn’t exactly the direct cause of the S-rank marital disaster in Shanghai, but if she hadn’t spread the information, the whole mess probably wouldn’t have happened.
[Commander? With Kiharu’s healing abilities, you’d sober up quickly even if you drank. But if you really want to experience being drunk, you could skip the healing. I don’t mind~]
“…That somehow sounds even more dangerous. Hold on.”
I pointed at the room service menu.
“As long as it’s not instant-death-level poison, healing magic should take care of it, right?”
“In theory, yes. However…”
“Alright, then… Drei.”
[You’re wondering if someone might try to poison you through room service?]
“What do you think?”
[Not today, but… hehehe.]
Drei let out a low chuckle.
[The hotel is currently under U.S. military control, but when new food supplies arrive? That might be a different story.]
“…”
Assassination via room service.
“Who?”
