Chapter 25 …
“What is your stance on the controversy surrounding the Hunter Investigation Unit’s coercive investigations?”
“The Hunter Association has claimed that this is a reckless move by the Investigation Unit, desperate to boost their results despite facing calls for their abolition. Do you have anything to say about that?”
In front of the National Assembly, Kwon Ik-seong quietly climbed the steps, surrounded by countless reporters.
His expression, as always, was unreadable—impossible to gauge what he was thinking.
“I heard you used to be with the Hunter Management Bureau before transferring. Was it a kind of demotion?”
Even when a reporter asked this completely unrelated and somewhat personal, borderline insulting question, Kwon Ik-seong’s face didn’t change.
He simply bowed slightly with Hong Jae-gyeol, the head of the Hunter Investigation Unit, and entered the hearing lobby.
As soon as they took their seats, the hearing began.
Hong Jae-gyeol spoke in a low voice.
“Is it so difficult to say that you’ll answer questions sincerely?”
He was scolding Kwon Ik-seong for remaining silent even in front of the randomly designated photo line in the lobby, but Kwon Ik-seong’s reply was simple.
“I thought I might not answer sincerely.”
“……”
That composed, crazy bastard.
Hong Jae-gyeol thought to himself as he gave a faint smile toward the legislators.
Of course, no lawmakers returned the gesture.
At this point, the Hunter Association had influence over both ruling and opposition parties.
It was inevitable. Since hunters, monsters, and dungeons appeared, the country had entered a new era.
Monster byproducts and mana stones provided by hunters replaced oil, and national defense was now measured by how many skilled hunters a country possessed.
Unexpected dungeons often destroyed roads, railways, and infrastructure—a fact that hardly needed repeating.
The state relied heavily on hunters, elevating their status to that of a new class.
Representing these hunters’ interests was the Hunter Association.
The reason lawmakers hastily organized this hearing as soon as Kwon Ik-seong summoned Kevin Choi was precisely because of this context.
The Hunter Association chairman for forty years was Choi Joon-gu, head of the Daeyoung Guild, and Kevin Choi was his most cherished grandson.
‘A face set on tearing into him to prove loyalty…’
Hong Jae-gyeol felt uneasy watching the legislators’ expressions.
The Hunter Association, with its immense power, was the organization most often at odds with the Hunter Investigation Unit.
One could say it was just a natural clash of interests between those being investigated and those conducting the investigation, but—
‘Still, the playing field is way too skewed.’
As Hong Jae-gyeol thought this, a lawmaker who had long championed the abolition of the Hunter Investigation Unit grabbed the microphone.
“I’ll ask Investigator Kwon Ik-seong a question.”
“Yes.”
“I’ve heard that during the investigation of the Geumhodong illegal weapons trade case, you arrested multiple suspects who used dimensional spaces. Were some of those suspects minors?”
“Rather than calling them suspects, we’ve identified them more as victims…”
“This isn’t your time to speak, Investigator Kwon. It’s my time. Do you understand?”
A classic nitpicking tactic.
Hong Jae-gyeol furrowed his brows.
Without changing his expression, Kwon Ik-seong calmly said,
“At first, I thought it was a question because you said you would ask. From now on, may I not answer even questions?”
There it was.
That composed, crazy streak of his.
Pointing out the other person’s fault matter-of-factly, with zero sarcasm—making it even more infuriating.
Hong Jae-gyeol nearly chuckled at his blunt tone but held it back.
All of this was being broadcast live.
The lawmaker, seemingly aware of this, showed slight anger before quickly regaining composure.
“You may answer after I’ve finished speaking.”
“……”
Kwon Ik-seong, expressionless, straightened his back and listened.
The words that followed were all designed to attack him and the Hunter Investigation Unit, particularly because he had summoned Kevin Choi: accusations of pressuring witnesses, threatening minors, coercive investigations, and boosting performance metrics.
Despite this, Kwon Ik-seong patiently listened, expression unchanged, until the lawmaker finished.
Then it happened.
Hong Jae-gyeol’s smartwatch buzzed.
He immediately stood and left for the corridor. The chairman tried to stop him.
“What are you doing?”
“Apologies, Mr. Chairman. By civil servant law, the Hunter Investigation Unit must respond to urgent calls under any circumstances.”
The lawmakers looked displeased, but it didn’t matter. Their real target was Kwon Ik-seong, not Hong Jae-gyeol.
He was the investigator directly responsible, the most popular in the unit for his record.
While Hong Jae-gyeol was away, they tore into Kwon Ik-seong relentlessly, giving him no chance to respond.
“So you’re saying the 1st Team’s recent performance dropped, so you went after a big fish for sensationalism?”
“Big fish… I don’t know what that means.”
“Doesn’t anyone here know Kevin Choi?”
“I didn’t realize ‘big fish’ was synonymous with a celebrity, lawmaker. I’ll check the dictionary.”
“……!”
Of course, Kwon Ik-seong didn’t back down easily.
At that moment, the door opened, and Hong Jae-gyeol returned, somewhat flushed, showing Kwon Ik-seong a phone screen under the desk.
Kwon Ik-seong’s expression cracked slightly as he looked at it.
“Do you know how many hunter resources loyal to the state have been lost this year alone? Big American guilds are paying hundreds of millions to poach domestic talent, and you’re using A-rank hunters just to boost civil servant stats…”
“Time’s up. Investigator Kwon, you may answer now.”
The chairman intervened, activating Kwon Ik-seong’s microphone.
Kwon Ik-seong spoke.
“Honorable lawmakers, I have new information to share.”
“What does that have to do with this issue…?”
The first lawmaker sneered.
“It is related. Kevin Choi… I mean, Choi Min-cheol has been found committing a new crime.”
“What?”
The hearing hall erupted in murmurs.
“Evidence has emerged that he illegally distributed monsters through dimensional spaces found at the Geumhodong illegal weapons site and organized illegal fighting arenas for hunters—”
“Do you have proof? Spreading fake news live on national TV…”
Kwon Ik-seong held his phone up to the cameras broadcasting the hearing.
It showed Kevin Choi, handcuffed, his face furious, alongside a woman bleeding from her nose and mouth.
“The Hunter Investigation Unit arrested him in flagrante delicto. Decisive evidence has been secured, and the video clearly shows…”
For the first time, a rare expression appeared on Kwon Ik-seong’s face—a look of disgust.
“During the illegal fights, at least fifteen hunters died. From now on, Hunter Choi Min-cheol is no longer just a suspect in the Geumhodong weapons case but a suspect in multiple murder investigations. All further investigations will be briefed by the Hunter Investigation Unit.”
Kwon Ik-seong stood up.
Hong Jae-gyeol followed, buttoning his jacket deliberately, with a slightly arrogant air.
“Where are you going?”
“As I just said, under civil servant law, all Hunter Investigation Unit personnel must respond to calls. A full unit call has been issued.”
His tone, casual and irritating, caused all the lawmakers to momentarily lose composure.
They bowed silently to the chairman and the lawmakers and left the hearing room without delay.
Naturally, the entire event was broadcast live on National Assembly TV.
Live comments exploded, and one in particular flew by:
mark: That woman in the photo just now—isn’t she the Taekwon Girl?
