Chapter 237 - Just Like the Old Days

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Fischer escorted Kang Moo-hyuk directly to Dwight Hill, the guildmaster of the Gunpowder Guild.

"Dwight Hill."

"Kang Moo Hyuk."

They exchanged brief greetings, and the secretary quickly brought in drinks. Fischer sat beside Dwight, positioning himself between Kang Moo Hyuk and Dwight as a sort of mediator.

"You both probably know what's going on. Given the chaos today, the fact that Captain Kang is here means he must want something. So, let's skip the pleasantries and get to the point."

Fischer initiated the conversation yet Kang Moo Hyuk remained silent, only staring at the bottled water, various drinks, and snacks on the table.

"It seems like this place is completely unaffected by the chaos outside."

Kang Moo Hyuk remarked, his tone sharp. Dwight immediately noticed the other person’s discomfort.

"Let's not beat around the bush."

Dwight frowned. He was a bold figure who operated in the West, where all sorts of factions were in chaos, and had always stood up against the East's dominance. As a hunter, he didn't hesitate to take on dangerous areas. It was natural for him to have a rough negotiation style.

"I’ve looked into you, Captain Kang. I heard you're obsessed with hunting monsters. I bet you're not happy with us not taking action. If you don't like the current situation, just say it. Let’s lay everything out on the table and talk openly, alright?"

"Guildmaster, please tone it down a bit..."

"It’s fine. If he’s the type to show his emotions so openly, it’ll make things easier for both sides."

Fischer tried to ease the tense atmosphere, but Dwight waved it off. Kang Moo-hyuk agreed with him and spoke up.

"You’re sharp, so it’s easier to talk this way. Speaking of which, Guildmaster Dwight Hill... If a guild, or a hunter, isn't hunting monsters, are they worthy of that title?"

Noh Song-rin, sitting next to him, let out a sigh.

‘Here we go again.’

Kang Moo-hyuk continued.

"In America, they call hunters heroes, right? Or no, superheroes, maybe? If a superhero doesn’t hunt monsters, they’re a villain."

"That's an interesting thought. A hunter who doesn’t hunt monsters is a villain, huh?"

"Do you know why a villain is called a villain? Because they do bad things? No, that’s too simplistic. A villain is called a villain because they’ve forgotten their true purpose. Why are they not hunting monsters? Why are they using their power against people or fellow hunters? That’s why they’re branded as villains. You’re not hunters, you’re villains. I’m starting to worry that Gunpowder has forgotten its own purpose, too."

Suddenly, Dwight whistled and spoke to Fischer.

"Wow, that’s intense. I used to think like that when I first became a hunter. World peace, self-sacrifice... I believed all that stuff. Captain Kang, you’re passionate, I’ll give you that. But what’s this? Are you showing off because you have Rider Wolf in your hands? Want to lecture me? You think I’ll listen and beg you to sell me the Rider Wolf? Is that the response you were hoping for?"

Dwight turned his head to Kang Moo-hyuk and asked with a serious expression. It was a change in expression that would make even seasoned hunters shrink back. Noh Song-rin, tense, clenched his fist on the armrest of the sofa. However, Kang Moo-hyuk answered without flinching in the slightest.

“Up until now, it’s just my personal opinion. From this point on, I'll be speaking as the captain. I met Alexander Hamilton from the Hunter Crime Bureau."

Before Dwight could adjust to the sudden shift in Kang Moo-hyuk's demeanour, he was already fixated on the name Kang Moo-hyuk mentioned.

"Hamilton?"

"The Director of the White House’s Hunter Policy Department."

"I know him. But why are you bringing up the White House suddenly?"

"I've heard he's also involved with lobbying for the Dynamite Guild. It's probably not just a rumor."

Fischer was taken aback by the sudden mention of the person, but he fulfilled his role as the general manager by reviewing Hamilton's background. Dwight frowned when the name of the Dynamite Guild was mentioned. Kang Moo-hyuk confirmed Fischer’s guess.

"It's not a rumour. It's true. By the way, the New York Rockets are also involved. They said they'll block us with all their might if we supply Rider Wolf to the West."

"That son of a bitch deserves to be taught a lesson. How much did he eat to lick the asses of the Eastern guys? His lips must be all chapped by now."

"He hasn't licked it enough to make it chapped yet. I saw it myself."

"...Are you joking?"

"I just had a thought. Why is it that whenever I tell the truth, people ask if I'm joking?"

"I think I know why."

"..."

"..."

"Anyway, it just pissed me off too much to let it go. Who do they think they are, telling me what I can and can't do? I'm the one who wants to do business with Gunpowder."

"That's more like it! Now you're talking like a real man! I like it, Captain Kang Moo-hyuk! So, how did they respond when you said that?"

"Of course I didn’t say it like that—if they hit me with sanctions, it’d be a real headache."

"…"

"…"

"Are you messing with me?"

"Of course not."

"Then what happened?"

"I smoothed things over and made a backdoor deal."

"A backdoor deal? What kind of deal?"

Seeing the talks start to go off the rails, Fischer quickly intervened

"Sure, they’re using the White House name, but at the end of the day, they’re just lobbyists. Since I’m here as a lobbyist too, I thought I’d do a little lobbying of my own. No rule says only the East Coast gets to be a client. The West has just as much money, if not more. No reason to let the other juicy half of the pie sit untouched while they’re busy helping themselves to one side. Don’t you agree?"

"Exactly! We’ve always been open to building ties with the Washington political scene. Hey, Fischer—why didn’t we think of that?"

Dwight asked in a mildly scolding tone, and Fischer quickly made an excuse.

"If it were as simple as throwing money at them, we would've tried a long time ago. We already did. But the real issue is—we're just too far from Washington."

"What does distance matter? It’s not like money cares how far something is. Money can even win back someone whose heart has already grown distant."

"It’s probably because of the monster threat. Wouldn't you agree, Mr. Fischer?"

Fischer nodded.

"Yes. As long as monsters remain a threat, Washington can’t afford to ignore the East forever."

"What are you talking about? Guilds are legally obligated to defend their own regions. That’s the law. If they fail to protect the government, they’ll be hit with penalties."

"And what about what Gunpowder’s doing right now?"

When Kang Moo-hyuk pointed out the contradiction in Dwight’s question, the room fell silent.

Then Kang Moo-hyuk spoke.

"So, up until now, it’s been hard to build ties with Washington because of that, right? But now, we’ve got the perfect excuse."

"You mean the hornet attack?"

"Exactly, Mr. Fischer."

"But emergencies like this aren’t exactly new for L.A…. Oh! Hamilton!"

"Yeah. As luck would have it, Hamilton’s in L.A. right in the middle of all this mess. We can meet him now without having to worry about how they’ll react because he was dispatched by the East Coast Guild. In addition, he is part of the new regime that openly advocates reform of the Hunter community. The East Coast's strong influence has limited his ability to act on policy until now. But if he sees L.A.—still recovering from a recent gate outbreak—facing another one, how do you think he’ll respond?"

"Every time the West faced a crisis, the East was quietly pulling strings behind the scenes. And that only made the damage worse. The White House couldn’t risk open conflict between the East and West Hunter factions, so they enforced silence under the pretense of mediation. That discontent—and the underlying tension—is probably at its peak right now. And there’s no way the current administration isn’t aware of it."

Kang Moo-hyuk added.

"The West has always faced more gate incidents and broader damage compared to the East. Some say it is because there are more gates in the West than in the East, but this is a misconception. More gates mean more jobs, and naturally, more Hunters. Even the mid-rank Hunters out here are highly skilled. But the East has been relying on one-sided stats for over a decade, ignoring all those factors, just to cover up their shortcomings. And the White House? They’ve known all along—just chosen to stay quiet."

"And now the head of the White House policy department gets caught up in a major gate attack—right here in L.A.?"

"The White House won’t just let that slide. If you’re a politician, you could use this as an excuse to slightly shift the balance of power from the East to the West.”

While Fischer was laying out an optimistic strategy, Dwight looked at the situation negatively.

"You really think that'll be enough? If the East decides to push back hard, it won’t be easy to stop them."

"That’s where Mr. Hamilton’s acting skills come in... You ever see how reckless someone can get when their survival instinct takes over after nearly being killed by a monster?"

"Acting skills? Hamilton? Fine, let’s say he throws a fit. But if I were the guildmaster of Rockets or Dynamite, I wouldn’t even bat an eye."

"That’s only because Gunpowder isn’t officially the leader of the West yet."

"What?!"

"When a guild comes to represent an entire region or country, it can't just do whatever it wants. That’s when lobbyists come into play. Now that the justification is there, public opinion will start to shift. What happened in the West could easily happen in the East too—it could be seen as a tragedy waiting to repeat itself. That kind of fear could trigger a wave of anxiety across North America. And if the East ends up backing the idea that the West deserves more power, more say, and a stronger role in shaping policy, how long do you think the hunters—those so-called superheroes and their guilds—can keep standing in the West’s way? Personally, I don’t think they can."

Only then did Dwight begin to see the full picture Kang Moo-hyuk was laying out.

"Rider Wolf was just the excuse. What you were really after was Washington's influence."

"And to weaken the influence of the East Coast guilds."

"Weaken?"

"This is what I actually came to talk about.”

"Right. A plan of this scale surely comes with certain demands. Let’s hear it, Captain Kang."

"Carnivorous hornets. How much do you really know about them?"

"…"

“No more lies. If we’re going to work together, we need to be honest with each other.”

“Huh? What are we, a couple? Since when do two guys need to get all honest with each other…?”

“What’s wrong with two guys being close? What do they call it—bromance, right? Trust is important, sure, but with enemies on all sides, sometimes loyalty matters even more.”

Dwight shuddered as Kang Moo-hyuk spoke of brotherly bonds with an expressionless face.

“It’s our first time meeting, but you don’t seem like the type to fuss over that. So don’t get all sentimental—just tell me your terms.”

“Answer my question first.”

“The carnivorous hornets? First, we need to assess the size of the nest. But more importantly, we need to know what generation they are.”

“So you do know.”

“Sure, carnivorous hornets have never shown up in North America before, but it’s not like we have zero intel. That’s what we pay our analysts the big bucks for—to make those calls.”

“Then what’s your judgment?”

Dwight paused for a moment to gather his thoughts, then spoke.

“To Gunpowder, LA is…”

O.C. also responded swiftly to the sudden appearance of the hornets swarming and destroying the city. Ulbert, head of the LA branch, was already on the move as he listened to Billy’s report.

“Is the communication network active?”

"Yes. Our O.C. members and the freelance hunters connected to them. We’re grouping nearby members into parties. Larger bases are being converted into attack units, and the most experienced freelancers are being appointed as squad leaders to secure each zone."

“Inform everyone — if they wish to stay alive, tell them not to act recklessly and to follow instructions. In a situation like this, staying put and holding the line is the only way to survive.”

“Wouldn't it be better to deal with the situation head-on?”

“No. From what I can tell, this isn’t the end of it.”

“Do you have any evidence?”

“Evidence, my ass—just feel the air. The whole city feels dead. This is just like the old days.”

“The old days?”

“Yeah, back when I was a kid—during what they called the Small War.”