The Imperial Hunter

Suyeon slightly furrowed her brow.

“You’re making jokes too lightly in front of Hyungnim.”

“Oh, Noonim. This is a trend, a trend. Who else but me could keep Hyungnim up to date with the trends of today’s generation? I’m here to help Hyungnim stay young not only in body but also in mind. People age as much as they fall behind in trends, you know.”

“……”

Suyeon, with a puzzled expression, kept her mouth shut, not knowing what to respond with. Turning a taciturn person into one who displays such a variety of expressions could also be considered an ability.

Although it was a joke, Kyung-tae’s prediction had its reasons, as always. The reason there might be more chicken restaurants in Korea than McDonald’s outlets worldwide could be that chicken was considered a representative of humble, commoner food. However, in the future, discerning between chicks would require awakening individuals with the ability and sense, and even mass breeding and mechanical slaughter using battery cages could become more difficult due to frequent accidents. When that day came, the prices of all meats that relied on factory farming would skyrocket. The success of the franchise business would no longer be the same as it is today.

In fact, the market had already shown signs of this change. It had been discussed in detail in the 3rd quarter investment report by Kim-ssi in Yeouido.

Hearing the clear sound of a notification bell, a staff member who was tidying up the shelves welcomed us with a smile.

“Hola.”

“Hola.”

Kyung-tae, upon receiving the greeting, showed the staff member a note with the name of the feed written on it. The staff member, understanding, gestured toward the interior of the spacious store. One of the security personnel followed the staff member. The staff member, who walked ahead, was openly carrying a pistol.

Meanwhile, I glanced at the newspapers on display in front of the counter and the posters on the corkboard on the wall. Among the posters, one that stood out prominently was a recruitment notice for a local militia.

[Old River Tau-Militia is recruiting new members!]

The notice was written in both English and Spanish and mentioned that anyone in the Tau-Power region could apply. 

“Tau-Power” here was, of course, a local expression meaning supernatural power.

The series of events leading up to the Tokyo Olympics, which were ultimately canceled without even having a closing ceremony, had been a turning point in making humanity realize the changes occurring in the world. There had been signs and incidents before, but the impact of the failed Olympics was unprecedented.

Here, Suyeon’s actions against London also had a great effect.

‘The Marquis of Exeter, Count of Wiltshire, Count of Uxbridge, Lord Boyle of Derby, and the daughter of the Count of Plymouth…’

A list of nobles with a high probability of being contacted by the Round Table Cabinet for the domination of the magical world order. Based on this list I provided, Suyeon succeeded in exposing the contacts between the Round Table’s Masters and the intelligence networks of various countries in London. It was a remarkable achievement that made the eight million dollars spent on the budget seem well worth it. The hacking group that received more than half of that budget would probably be raising their glasses at a luxurious resort somewhere in the third world right now.

On the other hand, because intelligence agencies around the world had already caught a whiff of it, it was a relatively easy task. In the public’s eyes, the Tor network’s hidden services, commonly referred to as the “Dark Web” or “Dark Net,” alone held a number of requests related to valuing information. Just the size of the implied compensation alone indicated that there was something substantial behind it.

This was due to the power struggle within the Round Table leadership, which had spilled over to affect even the nobility attending The Senate. While the British Senate was just an honorary gathering, it still held significance within certain circles of British politics. However, it was arrogant to hope that their secrets could be maintained while they openly quarreled and drew attention, even from the nobility.

The aged imperialists, blinded by greed, had lost their advantage. I owe them deep thanks for their mistakes.

“We found it.” 

One of my subordinates, carrying a bag of dog food, approached and placed it on the counter. I paid for the dog food, along with the local newspaper, “Houston Chronicle,” which I had picked up while waiting.

Sitting in the car, I began to read the newspaper. Nowadays, I rarely had the time to look at printed text, so the smell of paper and ink felt especially nostalgic. The pages of the “Houston Chronicle” were filled with various incidents and accidents, more than one would expect for a local newspaper. It was evidence that the world was in turmoil, even at the local level.

Nevertheless, the front-page headline covered the largest armed robbery in history, which had occurred at the Bank of France.

“It looks interesting.”

“What do you mean?”

“The European gangsters.”

“Ah.”

Kyung-tae immediately understood what I meant just from hearing the term “European gangsters.” Considering the amount of media attention and the coverage by influential outlets worldwide, it was impossible not to know about it.

Kyung-tae gave me a disgruntled look, saying. 

“To think that even Kim Kyung-tae would be surpassed. How do those guys look, I wonder?”

“Hmm? Surpassed you?”

“I mean the amount, the amount. I’m not saying this out of greed or anything, but they’ve crossed the 1.9 trillion mark, after all. I’ve held the title of world champion for several years now. Taking all expenses into account, wouldn’t it be a perfect defeat on my part?”

“…”

In a half-joking manner, he boasted about his skills, drawing a sigh from Suyeon.

This time, the stolen gold bars and cash at the Bank of France amounted to 1.52 billion euros, just over 2 trillion won. Prior to the Bank of France incident, the largest robbery had been the Bank of England heist in 2009, which was worth approximately 900 million won. Even considering inflation, France had lost nearly twenty times more than the UK. The media would surely make a fuss about it.

I sent my sincere compliments to the robbers who Kyung-tae wanted to see.

‘Those bastards were really screwed.’

If it weren’t for the unfortunate connection with the Round Table, my most despised nation would have been France, not the UK. These lunatics were still the dominant imperialist nation in the 21st century, running colonies in Africa. Independence was merely nominal. I hoped that the assets they lost this time were 100% pure French gold and bills, as dealing with the foreign exchange of African nations bound by “colonial agreements” would not be enjoyable at all.

In a world where selected humans could become close to bipedal equipment, the security systems of ancient times had undergone inevitable changes and decay in various ways.

The entrance road to the destination, the ranch, stretched for 600 meters through the green pasture, far from the national highway. Even to my unobstructed eyes, there were only a few buildings within a few square kilometers. Apart from that, sporadic windbreaks and dark-stained trees formed the boundaries of the property on the other side of the pasture. The road on this sparsely traveled property was covered in dusty soil brought by the winds from the sea and the plains. As the line of vehicles moved, the dust kicked up, causing some nameless wildflowers to sway at knee height.

It was a peaceful and serene landscape that gave a sense of tranquility. If I were to retire one day, I’d want to live in such a static and quiet place. It would be perfect if there were no other people there.

The vehicle came to a stop. Once again, Kyung-tae was the first to get out and open the door. In front of the ranch, a large satellite dish stood like a decorative ornament in the middle of the open field. It resembled a snowman made by rolling snowballs together, complete with a rounded appearance. After getting out of the car, I instructed Kyung-tae and Suyeon to proceed. The former cartel boss, who was waiting for us leaning against a pillar near the entrance to his residence, raised his hat in greeting when our eyes met.

“

Mucho gusto