Chapter 307: Episode 307

We commandeered the room next door, leaving Han Yoonjeong and I sitting face-to-face in private.

Her entire vibe had changed drastically since the last time I saw her. She used to have a lively, extroverted personality, but the older Han Yoonjeong was far more reticent, exuding an unapproachable, heavy aura.

“Thanks for what you did in Korea.” Amidst the stiff silence, I forced a smile to break the ice. “I didn’t even get to properly thank you back then. You must have been incredibly busy with affairs in Egypt, so I appreciate you rushing over right away like this.”

She took a slow sip of her tea before setting the cup down on the saucer with a sharp clack.

“Did you call me over just to say thank you?”

“Hmm?”

“Aren’t you resentful toward me?”

…Resentful, huh.

Five years ago, I had asked for her help before my battle with Albert. At first, she had agreed to fight alongside me. But after facing fierce internal opposition back in Egypt, she ultimately refused to lend her aid.

I went to fight Albert without her, and the fallout of that battle left me comatose.

If she was feeling guilty about that… No, knowing Yoonjeong, she was undoubtedly carrying the full weight of that guilt. She typically masked her feelings behind a cool, aloof exterior, but the truth was she bruised easily and had a dangerous habit of spiraling into self-deprecation.

“It’s all in the past,” I said gently. “Besides, you had your hands full back then. It couldn’t be helped.”

“Had my hands full…?” Her eyes widened, a fierce intensity flaring in them. “Don’t you remember? You saved me when I turned into a demonkin! You crossed the threshold of death time and time again for my sake! You’re the one who took a simple non-combatant and turned me into a Pharaoh! And yet I…! When you needed my help, I rejected you over my own personal politics. I’m truly…”

She dragged her palms roughly through her dark hair. “I’m a lost cause.”

I watched her quietly. Yoonjeong was dangerous in this state of mind; she had already once turned into a demonkin.

“Whatever you might be telling yourself right now, if you want my honest thoughts on the matter…” I shrugged and spread my arms casually. “I’m fine. I really am. Seriously.”

She stared at me, speechless.

“You were a newly appointed Pharaoh, a foreigner, and on top of that, an outsider parachuted straight to the top of their hierarchy. You had no choice but to walk on eggshells around the people in your administration. I completely understood your position, which is why I never held it against you. And to add one more thing to that.”

I crossed my arms, maintaining a calm, leveled expression. “It’s pure arrogance on your part to think I might have survived unscathed if you had been there.”

She flinched.

“Albert was terrifyingly strong during his absolute prime. Marcello, Marie, Sham—they were all too busy just getting swatted away like flies. Even if you had come, the outcome of me transforming into a Titan wouldn’t have changed. It wasn’t your fault, Yoonjeong. So if you’ve got some pent-up baggage about it, just let it go.”

She muttered something barely audible under her breath and hung her head low. It was probably something along the lines of I’m sorry.

She really sucks at saying things like that outright.

“Well then, shall we stop with the depressing talk and move on to business?” I smoothly changed the subject. “This is something I’ve already discussed with Phil.”

I laid out the details about the Nemesis calamity and my plans for the raid team. She listened to the explanation with absolute, stony seriousness.

When I finished, she let out a long sigh. “What do you think? What was Phil’s reaction?”

“Negative.”

“I feel the same. From where I’m sitting, this plan has zero realism.”

“And the reason?”

“Human selfishness.”

She placed a tablet on the table and tapped the screen. A holographic image of the world map materialized between us.

“You know the current international sentiment is leaning heavily toward not even wanting to dispatch basic relief forces, let alone form an elite advance team, right?”

“I’m well aware.”

“And to give you my perspective from the position of someone governing Africa…” She spun the holographic map with her finger, centering the African continent. “Africa has the most severe shortage of hunter forces relative to its vast territory. If those towers you mentioned fall, major cities will be occupied within hours, and we’ll suffer the most catastrophic damage out of any continent on Earth.”

She pressed a red node on the hologram and swiped across the map. A glowing crimson line traced the path of her finger.

“The only thing covering that massive gap in our defenses is the deployment of the Gravekeepers. A single Gravekeeper can save thousands, even tens of thousands of lives. Now, in the middle of this powder keg, you’re asking me to commit a significant portion of my Gravekeeper forces to a global public effort.”

She lowered her hand, her expression exhausted. “What do you think the people of Africa will think of that?”

I scratched my right eyebrow. “I suppose there would be some people who’d find it hard to accept.”

“Not ’some people’—the vast majority won’t accept it!”

“And what about you?” I asked, locking eyes with her.

She fell silent. She had been doing her absolute utmost to maintain a hardened poker face, but a flush was gradually creeping up her neck and into her cheeks.

I let out an exaggerated, dramatic sigh. “Well, it can’t be helped. I guess I’ll just have to go fight it alone again.”

She stiffened.

“Your political circumstances are the most important thing, after all,” I added smoothly.

Her face flushed completely crimson before she suddenly snapped. “A-alright! I get it! I’ll personally participate!”

“Okay, ruler of Africa. rank-1 hunter Menes’s participation is officially confirmed.” I pressed my pen down hard on my notepad, happily scribbling her name.

She glared at me, pure resentment burning in her eyes. “You haven’t changed one bit.”

“What do you mean?”

“You know you’re incredibly cheap, right? Earlier, I was honestly a little touched because it seemed like you were actually being considerate of my feelings… but you’re just using my guilt as a bargaining chip?! You completely ruined the moment, you bastard!”

She snatched a nearby box of tissues and chucked it straight at my head. I casually ducked to dodge it.

“Now, the negotiations aren’t over yet. What about the Gravekeepers?”

“I said no, you crazy bastard! It’s already hard enough to mobilize the Gravekeepers for my own personal agenda! Not unless you can at least provide some sort of minimum safety net for my borders!”

“Understood.” Even I knew it was pushing it to demand any more of her military power right now. Considering Yoonjeong was drawing such a firm line in the sand, I needed to figure out another angle.

“…Hey, speaking of which.” Glancing nervously around the room, she dropped her voice to a markedly quieter volume. “What are you planning to do about that woman, Samia?”

“I’ve decided to take her back as our Administrator.”

Yoonjeong’s expression immediately hardened. “…You do realize the geopolitical situation in Africa is quite complicated right now, don’t you?”

Egypt’s current policy could be summed up in a single, aggressive phrase: One-Africa. They were dreaming of unifying the entire African continent under their banner.

The sole faction pushing back against Egypt’s expansion and fiercely declaring independence was the East African Front. Centered around Tanzania, it was the very nation Samia belonged to.

I’d heard that after numerous failed negotiations, the atmosphere between the two sides had turned incredibly volatile. Rumors that Egypt was actively preparing for a full-scale war were being thrown around almost daily.

“I know it well,” I said.

“Then why go out of your way to accept that woman as an Administrator? And if she agreed to be an Administrator, she should just go back to Korea. Why is she still maintaining her position as the Commander of East Africa?”

I shrugged. “She said she wanted to do it that way, so what else can I do? There’s no one as talented in warp engineering as Samia. To stop the upcoming Nemesis calamity, having a competent 5th Floor Administrator is essential.”

She slammed her hand onto the table, practically growling. “Hey! Are you really going to play it like this? I’m participating in this raid team ready to risk my position as Pharaoh! Who’s more important to you, me or Samia?”

“Hey now, why are you being so childish? Besides, you shouldn’t be patronizing me about joining the vanguard—if you don’t join, the Earth is going to be destroyed.”

She bit her lip in raw frustration and furiously tugged at her own hair. “Argh, Kim Yusin, seriously…! If it weren’t for what happened back then, I’d tie you up and beat the crap out of you all day!”

“Then let me ask you a fundamental question.” I waved my index finger back and forth. “Do you really have to go through with this whole African unification thing right now?”

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

“Because that’s the direction Egypt is heading in, and it’s our most crucial, long-cherished ambition.” She leaned in, her tone dead serious. “I think you’re misunderstanding something here. I’m the Pharaoh of Egypt, bound by duty to strive for our national interests. I have to prioritize my country’s survival over the global public good. I haven’t snapped at you because it’s you, but if some random Coalition official had brought this up, I would’ve blown their head off on the spot. You got it?”

“So my question is, what is the actual reason you have to do this African unification bullshit before the Nemesis calamity hits?”

She took a beat to step back, slowly leaning against the backrest of the sofa. I picked up my cold coffee and took a sip, letting the silence stretch.

After a tense lull, she finally spoke. “We were planning to strike Tanzania next week.”

“You’re crazy.”

“It wasn’t a rash decision; it’s a military operation we’ve been preparing for a whopping three years.” She leaned forward again, looking at me with pleading eyes. “So I’m begging you. Pull out of Tanzania.”

“I think you’re the one who’s misunderstanding something.” I rested my elbows on the armrests and propped up my chin, staring her down. “You’ve heard the news about the Magic Tower’s declaration of war, haven’t you? I won’t tolerate anyone fighting over useless things like petty border wars before Nemesis arrives. Furthermore, if your target is the country our comrade belongs to, a clash with the Magic Tower will be inevitable.”

She jumped to her feet. “You fucking… I’ve been letting it slide, but your bullshit is going too far. What are you gonna do if you don’t tolerate it?”

I smiled brightly. “I’ll conquer Cairo. I’ll capture all the Gravekeepers, slap dog collars on them, and shove them straight into the Nemesis raid.”

“Oh, is that so?” The corners of her mouth twisted into a dark scowl.

Sand began pouring from the ceiling of the completely enclosed office. In an instant, dunes started piling up across the floor.

“You think I can’t do it?” she hissed.

Azure mana violently erupted from my body in response. The sand was instantly blasted back, and high-purity magical energy flooded the tight space. An azure haze bloomed fiercely in my right eye.

“W-what’s going on…!”

The Coalition guards recoiled in absolute terror as they threw the door open. The moment they peeked inside, their faces turned deadly pale at the crushing pressure of the two massive magical waves.

“P-please don’t do this! Pharaoh! Tower Master!”

“If you two fight here, the headquarters will be destroyed—!”

“Now, now.”

The one who briskly clapped his hands and stepped right into the crossfire was Secretary General Phil.

“Hey now! Your juniors are watching from right behind you. Why are rank-1 hunters acting like this? Come on, let’s calm down.”

He approached with a heavily strained but affable smile, draping his arms over my and Yoonjeong’s shoulders. “Let’s resolve this with words! Conversation! Communication is the shortcut to peace! I will personally mediate this.”

Yoonjeong raised her arm with a completely expressionless face. The window slid open with a sharp rattle, and the massive piles of sand inside the room cleanly swept themselves outside. I also reined in my mana, letting it scatter harmlessly into the air.

The surroundings grew quiet, as if nothing had ever happened.

“You guys can leave,” I told the doorway.

“Yes, sir!”

The guards frantically backed away, and Phil took a seat directly between us on the sofa. “So, what exactly is the matter…”

“Alright, let’s do this,” I said, opening my palms toward her. “Let’s put this entire territorial issue on hold until after Nemesis is dealt with, and for now, let’s just focus on the calamity.”

She scoffed. “Idiot, it doesn’t feel like this conversation has progressed at all.”

“If you attack the East African Front, we will withdraw every single Field Magic installation we’ve set up in Egypt. You know exactly what that means, don’t you?”

The Gravekeepers had a saying that followed them around like a sacred motto: ’The Gravekeepers protect Egypt.’

Why was it that Egypt—which had historically been incredibly insular and focused solely on its own domestic survival—was suddenly able to pay so much attention to outside matters and set out on a campaign of expanding its influence?

The reason was simple. The countless monster-infested restricted zones around the Nile River, where the Gravekeepers used to bleed themselves dry operating, had become vastly easier to manage because they were now blocked off by the Magic Tower’s 4th Floor Field Magic. Naturally, Egypt and the Gravekeepers had gained immense breathing room. With that extra leeway, they were able to turn their gaze outward for the first time in modern history.

However, if the Magic Tower were to lift that Field Magic, Egypt would instantly revert right back to the nightmare it had been five years ago.

“I guess during Na Daeyong’s time, he generously set up Field Magic for you on the cheap just to keep Samia in check. But the regime has changed now, you see?” I said, flashing her a beaming smile. “From now on, we’ll be raising the usage fees for your Field Magic to their regular market price.”

Her face turned beet red. “You son of…! Can you even call yourself a friend after pulling a stunt like this? Huh?!”

“Well, no. You’re saying you’ll start a bloody war as early as next month. If I blow up your domestic security now, won’t I be able to prevent that war?”

“Hey…! Hey!”

I took out my phone and waved it playfully. “If I make just one call to Kim Sarang right now, Egypt goes right back to the dark ages. What are you gonna do?”

“Grr…! Grrrrr…!” Trembling from head to toe in pure, unadulterated fury, Yoonjeong finally opened her mouth.

I briefly wondered what horrific curse words she was about to unleash upon me…

“You petty bastarrrrrrrd!”

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