Kwon Hyuk-bong was recalling memories as if it were just yesterday.
Ten years ago, things were different from now.
Back then, hunters had to engage in battles risking their lives.
Of course, even now, risking their lives in combat is a constant, but compared to back then, the battles now are nothing.
The annual casualties in Gate battles prove it. The casualties back then would easily be more than ten times higher than now.
Back then, they didn’t know how to utilize herbs from other worlds, lacked strategies against monsters, and finding high-quality equipment was difficult.
In any case, the environment was much harsher compared to now.
For that reason, hunters simply fought with brute force, slashing with swords and using skills. They gained experience through battles.
It was the same that day. They were having lunch with their comrades when an eruption-type Gate exploded in the middle of Myeong-dong.
“Until then, whenever we entered Gates, that day’s incident was the first time monsters set foot on our land.”
It was the first appearance of an eruption-type Gate.
Kwon Hyuk-bong took a sip of soju and spoke.
“But why did it have to explode near the restaurant where my colleagues and I were having lunch? They say an unlucky person’s nose would bleed even if they fall backwards, and that was exactly the case.”
That day, Kwon Hyuk-bong’s group had just finished a battle that lasted a whopping 18 hours.
After clearing the Gate, they went to the restaurant to appease their hunger.
As usual, the menu was Maesang-i Gukbap. They always ate Maesang-i Gukbap after battles.
His comrade, Ma Dong-seok, always insisted, “Let’s have some steaming Maesang-i Gukbap with that money,” whenever someone raised their voice.
“In any case, a Gate erupted in a situation where we didn’t even have the strength to eat and die. Moreover, it happened nearby. So, what do you think I did?”
“You must have gone to fight.”
Yeon-ah said so. During his active service days, the president was a hunter who didn’t care about his own safety. So Jong-sik answered as he heard. However, the response was unexpected.
“No. I just suggested returning to the Hunter Association headquarters. I said we should go there, report the situation, and provide support from the rear. That’s what I told my colleagues.”
“Hmm.”
“But these crazy bastards wouldn’t listen even if they were dying. They had no strength left to fight properly, their equipment was all destroyed, but they still insisted on going out to stop the Gate even if it meant dying.”
When the first eruption-type Gate appeared, the president at the time, along with other high-ranking officials, evacuated to Busan.
“While telling me to retreat if I’m scared, as if it’s better to fall back, they were pushing me to bring reinforcements.”
Government hunters and hunters affiliated with surrounding guilds also hid themselves, watching the situation unfold.
“So, you went alone?”
Kwon Hyuk-bong poured soju into Jong-sik’s glass as he nodded slightly. His expression as he reminisced about the past was extremely dark.
“The desire to retreat felt like a chimney. But if I retreated alone, wouldn’t that ruin our image? Hehehe.”
“It’s a reason I never would’ve thought of.”
“I was very, very young back then. It was when arrogance filled my entire body. Anyway, I led my body, feeling like a ton of bricks, and stubbornly stood by those crazy bastards.”
Monsters swarmed out like ant colonies, and people were crushed under their feet.
“But in the end, you left.”
“Yes. I went and killed, killed again. I fought so hard that my body didn’t feel like my own anymore. But even until then, there were no reinforcements. What else could I do?”
He saved civilians at the cost of his body. But Kwon Hyuk-bong’s group were not robots. They couldn’t fight endlessly.
“At some point, I suffered a major injury. Blood gushed out like a fountain from the pierced leather armor, and I thought I was going to die without a chance to move. Everything looked blurry, and I was struggling to breathe. Then, Dong-seok’s son picked me up like a baggage and yelled at me along with the others.”
– Man, Kwon Hyuk-bong really gets around, huh?
– Just throw him away. He only makes trouble when fighting.
– Hey, Kwon Hyuk-bong, are you listening? Stop making trouble and go hide somewhere. Come to the Maesang-i Gukbap restaurant if you regain your senses.
– Ugh. Ma Dong-seok’s words are truly in line with him, living and dying by Gukbap.
That’s how Kwon Hyuk-bong soared through the sky like a rocket. As he floated through the air, he vaguely felt like he heard such words.
– But Hyuk-bong saved us.
– Yeah. Hyuk-bong isn’t someone who’ll die here.
– That guy is going to be in big trouble.
In the midst of painful memories, Kwon Hyuk-bong downed shot after shot of soju.
“In the end, I’m the only one who survived pitifully. While enjoying all sorts of luxuries. I’m even eating the Maesang-i Gukbap they used to talk about. I’m the one doing that.”
I can understand the sentiment perfectly. Jong-sik had experienced it too. How many comrades had he lost over the years? But Jong-sik didn’t offer hasty words of comfort.
Just listening was enough comfort for him now.
“But you know what, Jong-sik? What makes me most angry is not just that I survived alone. It’s not that.”
“Then what is it that’s troubling you so much?”
“It’s just that those bastards lost their lives to a measly Giant Ant. That’s what I can’t stand. It’s not anything else, just because it was a Giant Ant!”
The monster revealed during that eruption-type Gate was a Giant Ant.
Currently, Giant Ants are classified as monsters that even a C-rank hunter can kill if they know the strategy.
So Kwon Hyuk-bong was furious.
‘If only they had known the strategy back then.’
‘Or if they had reinforcements.’
‘Such a tragedy wouldn’t have befallen his comrades because of those creatures.’
‘But it’s already a past that’s gone. What can he do about it now?’
‘The present is what’s important.’
So Kwon Hyuk-bong sought out Dok’s restaurant.
After downing the remaining soju in one gulp, Kwon Hyuk-bong looked into Jong-sik’s eyes and finally brought up the main topic he had hidden.
“Phew, I, Kwon Hyuk-bong, made a promise back then. I promised that such a thing would never happen again. That’s why I became the president. I will somehow protect the country and its people that my comrades wanted to protect. That’s why I’m here.”
“….”
“I received a report about you, Hunter Dok Jong-sik today. And I realized. Just as I suspected! Indeed, Hunter Dok Jong-sik had been to another dimension! That’s what I’m saying. What do you think? Am I wrong?”
“Even if I deny it, you won’t believe me, will you?”
“Do you really think I won’t say no?”
If the perpetrator is about to die, there’s no way to hold them back. Threats? Persuasion? Such things don’t work on Dok Jong-sik.
Kwon Hyuk-bong waited eagerly for Jong-sik’s response. For a moment, the corners of Dok Jong-sik’s mouth lifted.
Jong-sik wanted to tell the truth to this man who anxiously awaited his answer. He felt like he could trust him with it.
“No, President, your guess is correct. I wasn’t kidnapped by a human trafficking ring; I experienced another dimension and came back. And there, I engaged in fierce battles with the demon legion.”
“T-then what about them…?”
“Yes, I defeated them. Alongside the soldiers there. It took quite some time, and many sacrifices were made, but we managed to drive the demon legion out of that land.”
Now was the time! Kwon Hyuk-bong’s eyes sparkled with interest. He had many questions he wanted to ask. And there were many things he wanted to request from Jong-sik.
Just as Kwon Hyuk-bong was about to urgently open his mouth, Jong-sik shook his head and spoke.
“We have plenty of time. Let’s take it slow. Oh, and before that, there’s something I want to say.”
“I’m ready to listen.”
“Taking the lead in a war is something you only do once in a lifetime. I’ve already taken that lead. So if you ever plan to ask me for such a favor in the future, I hope you’ll set it aside in your heart.”
“B-but-!”
“But regardless of that, I’ll cooperate in whatever else. I’ll share with you the knowledge of how the mainlanders drove out the demons and all the knowledge that has been passed down through generations for thousands of years.”
Kwon Hyuk-bong’s expression changed rapidly, but then he regained his composure. Yes. This was enough for now.
“Ah, thank you very much.”
“And one more thing.”
“?”
“Other than the President, who else knows about me?”
“For now, it’s just the Association Chairman and the Minister of Defense.”
“Then let’s keep it that way, just them knowing.”
“I had planned to proceed that way even without your suggestion.”
Jong-sik had no intention of becoming their long-term pawn. Fortunately, it seemed that Kwon Hyuk-bong didn’t have such plans either. Jong-sik nodded as if to express his gratitude.
“Can I ask now? What exactly have you been through all this time?”
Kwon Hyuk-bong began pouring out the questions he had been holding back.
“It seems like it’s going to be quite a long story.”
***
They finished their long conversation.
Before they knew it, it was nearing midnight.
“Time has flown by so quickly! There’s still a mountain of things I want to say. Huh.”
“You can come again next time.”
“Is that really okay?”
“Sure, just make sure to bring only half of your bodyguards next time.”
Jong-sik gestured towards the door.
Kwon Hyuk-bong burst into laughter at that.
“Hahaha. Alright then. Being a president is really something, isn’t it? You have to go around everywhere with such a long tail. But I’ll try to bring fewer next time.”
Kwon Hyuk-bong got up from his seat with a light-hearted feeling.
That’s when it happened. A waiter emerged from the kitchen. In his hands was a wrapped package.
“Oh, Mr. President!”
“Oh, I almost forgot to say goodbye to the boss. Boss, thank you for the meal today.”
Kwon Hyuk-bong greeted the boss and received the package from the waiter.
“What’s this?”
“It’s the Maesang-i Guk Tteokguk (rice cake soup) you had today. Since it’s not cooked yet, you can take it home and cook it whenever you want.”
“Haha. Why are you giving me all this?”
Kwon Hyuk-bong gave an awkward smile. Then the waiter gathered his courage and spoke.
“There’s a saying that food brings back memories. Eating delicious food and reminiscing about someone is a natural phenomenon. So, um…”
“I understand what you’re trying to say. Thank you. I’ll enjoy it.”
The president didn’t ignore Jong-pal’s sincerity. He bowed to the two brothers and left the shop.
Jong-sik muttered an incantation as he watched the president’s departing figure. If it was black magic, it had to involve Dok Jong-sik.
***
That morning,
Returning to the residence, Kwon Hyuk-bong headed for the kitchen.
It was to cook the Maesang-i Guk Tteokguk that Dok Jong-pal had given him. Of course, he wasn’t going to eat it himself.
He carried the pot of boiling soup into the study.
Then, he retrieved the mementos of his fallen comrades from the depths of the safe.
The pot and the mementos were spread out on the floor. Seeing this, Kwon Hyuk-bong burst into a mixed laugh.
“I don’t even know what I’m doing right now.”
Yet, he didn’t clear it away. Instead, he sat down heavily on the floor and began muttering to himself.
“Hey, you bastards. Can you hear me? *Cough, cough.* I had the most delicious Maesang-i Guk Tteokguk in ten years, and I brought it here because I wanted to let you taste it too. Hehehe. How about it, delicious, right?”
It wasn’t presidential language.
Perhaps anyone who heard it would have been surprised.
But he didn’t care. He cried like a child, and he cursed harshly.
Kwon Hyuk-bong kept shouting until he fell asleep.
How long had it been?
He woke up to the noise of voices.
“Hey, Kwon Hyuk-bong!”
“This guy. Still whining as ever.”
“Kya, hey. Isn’t this Maesang-i Guk Tteokguk to die for?”
Those he hadn’t even seen in his dreams were looking down at him. They looked exactly as they did back then.
