Heroine Hunts Heroines-Chapter 139

His complete ignorance of monsters’ nature was astonishing.

"That might work. But you do realize the Baekhwa Sect could storm the Blue House at any moment, right?"

"Foolish as ever," he muttered. "While we use the guilds and Eun-ha Yoo to wipe out the Baekhwa Sect, I’ll attend a summit with Japan. Shinohara Yuzuki will welcome us with open arms—they’re eager to get a piece of the golden fishing grounds we’ve secured."

Just as I suspected, he was already planning to crush us, with me, Eun-ha Yoo, as his tool. How laughable.

I quietly moved to the back of the room. As I did, Chief Secretary Choi Ji-soo noticed me, her face turning as pale as a ghost.

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"Uh, Mr. President..."

"What’s wrong? You look like you’ve seen a—ghhk!"

Before she could stop me, I grabbed a fistful of Ha Jung-seok’s hair.

Rip!

Pulling out the strands that had just barely grown back, I tossed them to the floor and gave him a meaningful smile as he clutched the back of his head in pain.

"AAARGH!"

"Seems like you’ve lost your mind again, huh? Don’t you realize that if we resist, South Korea will go from a hunter powerhouse to the weakest nation overnight?"

The country had already lost over 20,000 soldiers, hunters, and monsters combined. Compared to the original story’s numbers, this was low, but Baekhwa Sect’s hunters were filling the gap left by South Korea’s diminished forces. Mobilizing the guilds and military again to fight Baekhwa Sect would be suicide.

If both sides were to perish, the only ones laughing would be the defeated Chinese Janghakche and Japan’s prime minister.

"Y-you never know when your kind will betray us! You’re nothing but a cult! Even if it costs us, wiping you out is—"

"It’s not just a little cost, you fool."

This idiot wanted absolute power but refused to grant autonomy to the monsters or recognize the reality of the situation.

"Do you even realize there are hundreds of thousands of monsters in the erosion zones? Do you think it’s possible to suppress them all? Of course, they’d fight to the death, and when the public sees the damage, your approval ratings will plummet."

"Are you threatening me?"

"Of course."

Grabbing him by the collar, I stared directly into his eyes, speaking coldly.

"It’s not a threat. It’s a reminder. I’m a villain. If you go to Japan, I could follow you and kill you there."

"And what? You’re going to kill me here and now?"

I could, but I let go of his collar instead. By now, he should have understood that his idiotic plans wouldn’t work. Negotiations were inevitable.

"If I wanted to kill you, you’d already be dead. Anyway, didn’t you approve the Baekhwa Sect’s autonomy?"

"Yes."

"Then let a hunter govern it. That should prove we’re not betraying Korea."

"So, you’re suggesting placing the Baekhwa Sect under a hunter’s control to ensure loyalty to Korea?"

Exactly. For someone who claimed to be a politician, he should’ve figured that out sooner.

"The public’s perception of us has changed. We’re no longer seen as villains, but as a vital part of the nation."

"Do you have someone in mind?"

"Of course."

"The Baekhwa Sect is the successor to the Black God Sect. While I’ve transformed it and eliminated the old fanatics, many still admire me as a leader akin to Ajidahaka, someone who wields Baekyeom. Calling me a cadet is no longer fitting."

"Hmm..."

To think I’d be proposing myself as the leader of the Baekhwa Sect. It was the outcome I had planned all along, but it felt absurd to say it out loud. Still, it was a solution Ha Jung-seok couldn’t refuse.

"She’s a war hero, and since you were planning to use her to crush the Baekhwa Sect, wouldn’t she be perfect? I like her, too. If you don’t agree, South Korea will end up like your hair—completely screwed. Got it?"

"..."

He had no choice. Ha Jung-seok, for all his arrogance, valued his life and his hair above all else. And since my proposal reduced casualties and preserved his approval ratings, even someone as dim-witted as him could see the benefits.

In the end, the foolish president accepted my offer.

***

Blue House

After Yoo Eun-ha, under the guise of Baekhwa, had left the Blue House with a handful of Ha Jung-seok's hair, the president sat trembling, his lips quivering in barely-contained anger. His frustration was palpable, but Chief Secretary Choi Ji-soo simply stood silently by his side.

"That cunning fox. She saw through everything."

"What will you do now?" Choi Ji-soo asked cautiously.

Baekhwa’s words were true. Her proposal was undeniably advantageous. Their plans had been exposed, rendering them nearly impossible to execute, and Baekhwa Sect was already functioning as an autonomous region. There weren’t many alternatives left.

"We have no choice. She’s right. If a hunter controls the Baekhwa Sect, the narrative changes. We’ll be able to use them, after all. But of all people, why does it have to be Yoo Eun-ha?"

"Are you concerned about the potential consequences of Yoo Eun-ha growing more powerful in the future?"

Choi Ji-soo’s question pulled Ha Jung-seok deeper into thought, his brow furrowed.

"Hmm. That’s exactly it. She was the central figure in this war. She publicly defeated a Sin on global broadcasts. I’d like to exploit her as much as possible, but… she makes me uneasy."

While her actions had undeniably benefited the nation, her growing influence was worrisome. Adding to this was the powerful shadow of her older brother, Yoo Jin-seok, which made her an even more dangerous candidate for future political prominence. Furthermore, she was tied to the Hunters’ Association, an organization naturally at odds with his long-term ambition of holding onto power indefinitely.

Even though she was young, complacency wasn’t an option in this era. It was better to cut down any potential threats before they fully bloomed.

Choi Ji-soo, who had been observing him quietly, finally spoke up.

"Why not use this opportunity to assign her to the Baekhwa Sect and create a new hunter rank? Something completely outside the existing categories—a special hunter designation."

"A special hunter?"

"Yes. A hunter in charge of managing a villain organization. It’s a plausible justification. If we formalize it this way, Yoo Eun-ha will be tethered to both the Hunters’ Association and the villain sphere. This dual role would inherently limit her ability to rise too far, as she would always be partially tied to her villainous roots, no matter what national or Association orders she receives."

Ha Jung-seok nodded, his lips curling into a smirk.

"Hah, so we can put the brakes on her. That’s quite the idea."

It was a plausible solution. By doing this, the Association would have no grounds to object.

"Indeed."

"Choi Si-woo is also a problem, but if we handle Yoo Eun-ha this way, we can cut her down before she truly understands the taste of power. Hah, they say even a stray dog learns poetry after three years at a school. You’ve certainly learned a thing or two, haven’t you?"

Pressing his bald scalp where his hair used to be, Ha Jung-seok laughed boisterously.

"Who cares about a bit of hair loss? This is an opportunity to sideline Yoo Eun-ha for good."

What he didn’t realize, however, was that he was playing right into Yoo Eun-ha’s hands, dancing on the strings of her manipulation.

***

[X-Class Baekhwa Sect Special Hunter Yoo Eun-ha]

Officially appointed by the Association and the government, this hunter is designated to oversee the Baekhwa Sect.

I couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief as I read the official designation.

Yoo Eun-ha was now formally recognized as a Special Hunter by the Hunter Association, tasked specifically with managing the Baekhwa Sect. By design, this placed me squarely between the roles of hunter and villain, effectively barring me from joining any guild.

"Always scheming until the very end, aren’t they?"

Yoo Eun-ha, hailed as the strongest of the next generation of hunters and a war hero, posed a potential threat to Ha Jung-seok’s authority in the future.

The idea that a single hunter couldn’t challenge a president’s power?

Sorry, but that’s entirely possible.

In any era, a war hero inevitably wins the hearts of the people. After all, they saved the country. By appointing me to manage the Baekhwa Sect, Ha Jung-seok intended to keep me in a gray area, neither fully hunter nor fully villain.

Sorry, you’re a war hero, but Ha Jung-seok is a petty fool, jealous even of a child.

It’s fine. If I got as famous as my brother, it would only be a hassle. Besides, I’ve gotten close with the Baekhwa Sect folks during the war.

Don’t let them brainwash you, okay?

Nope!

Tae Cheol-sik seemed worried, but for me, this was a stroke of luck.

"Well, at least now I can openly visit Songdo under the pretext of monitoring the Baekhwa Sect."

Not only could I manage the Baekhwa Sect openly, but even my heroines, now officially associated with me, could accompany me there. I had no intention of climbing the hunter career ladder anyway, so this outcome was perfect.

"By the way, I’ve taken on Lust, and you’ve taken on Gluttony. So, that leaves five Sins. Still quite a lot left."

Naked, Choi Si-woo wrapped herself around me as she spoke.

This sly woman—of course, she’d appear like this when I’m alone in my room. But what can I do? After she found out about my outdoor escapades with Ji-yeon in Pyongyang, I had no choice but to keep things in line if I wanted to avoid Rachel’s wrath—or Ji-yeon’s, for that matter.

"And as long as I’m alive, there might be new enemies beyond just the Sins."

With that, I bit into the soft flesh of her breast, inhaling her sweet, alluring scent.

There were still five Sins to deal with and plenty of heroines yet to be claimed.

Ding!

Just as I was latching onto Si-woo’s chest like a hungry puppy, a notification from my Magitech Gear appeared.

Had a dream just now about you biting some other woman’s chest. Come see me later.

It was a message from Ji-yeon.

Seriously. It seems my "holes" will never get a chance to dry out.