Heroine Hunts Heroines

Chapter 94

Blue House

While Yoo Eun-ha was busy preparing to be thoroughly put in her place by Rachel, in the Blue House, President Ha Jung-seok faced the infamous Heung-bu and Nol-bu brothers. The atmosphere was tense, with both Ha Jung-seok and Nol-bu glaring at Heung-bu, who had failed to carry out his assigned mission.

"So, you’re telling me you couldn’t figure anything out?"

Ha Jung-seok’s gaze bore into Heung-bu, his disappointment palpable. Among the hunters working under the Blue House, Heung-bu was one of the strongest. Yet, here he was, delivering excuses.

"The opponent was exceptionally skilled. I wanted to crush him, but his hit-and-run tactics were incredible."

"So much so that you couldn’t even pursue him?"

It was a humiliating situation, worse than not having located Seo Ji-yeon at all. At least in the latter case, there would’ve been an excuse. But to meet Baekhwa’s companion, fail to capture him, and leave without extracting any information—this was a complete disgrace.

"They say Baekhwa has strong allies, and it seems that assessment is accurate."

"Damn it, Baekhwa must be stopped at all costs."

Their forces were far stronger than anticipated. If Baekhwa were to unite all villains and survivors in the quarantine zones, the results would be catastrophic.

"Is it really necessary to go that far?"

"Take a look online for just a minute, and you’ll see countless people singing praises for that damned villain. If we try to suppress it by sending in troops, it’ll be too obvious."

Ha Jung-seok slid a dossier across the table, containing intelligence gathered by the Blue House’s hunter division. Nol-bu and Heung-bu reviewed it grimly. The report revealed a troubling trend: the Korean public was rallying behind Baekhwa, even more than their own president. Some of the more extreme comments even suggested replacing Ha Jung-seok with Baekhwa as president.

"Sigh. Didn’t I warn you not to abandon Incheon? I told you Songdo could serve as a crucial forward base against the chaos and monsters of this era."

Nol-bu shook his head.

Since the Great Cataclysm, Korea had faced repeated monster threats, steadily eroding its national strength. The fortifications and barriers currently in place were the achievements of Yoo Jin-seok’s administration. Back then, Nol-bu had advocated for maintaining control over Songdo, as it had a significant population of awakened individuals.

However, Ha Jung-seok, fearing the growing power of the Hunter Association, had chosen to abandon the area entirely.@@@@

"So, Nol-bu, do you have any brilliant ideas?"

"No matter how much sympathy we might feel for Baekhwa, she’s still a villain. She needs to be dealt with, right?" Nol-bu said, scratching the back of his head.

"Exactly."

"From what I see, Songdo is still worth reclaiming."

This again. Nol-bu had been pushing for the reclamation of Songdo ever since rumors spread that Baekhwa had established a base there.

"So, you’re suggesting we take down Baekhwa and reclaim Songdo?"

"How about putting a 5 billion won bounty on Baekhwa’s head? Ever since Yoo Jin-seok resolved the Pyongyang incident, our hunters have primarily been operating overseas. If we offer 5 billion, hunters will surely cross the barrier. Reclaiming the territory will be an added bonus."

At this point, the government had little choice but to promote a policy of reclaiming territory beyond the barriers.

"Five billion? Are you serious?"

Five billion wasn’t a small sum, even for a threat like Baekhwa. Putting that much on the line to capture a single villain, no matter how dangerous, seemed excessive.

"If we offer that kind of money, even foreign hunters will get involved. She’s just a villain, after all. In the end, she must be eliminated."

"Hmm. Fine, let’s proceed. We’ll start by pressuring the Association."

Nol-bu’s argument made sense. This could also serve as an opportunity to criticize the Hunter Association for their ineffectiveness. After all, even Seo Ji-yeon, hailed as the second-strongest hunter in Korea, had failed to gather information on Baekhwa. It wouldn’t hurt to turn up the heat on the Association.

"Do we really have to go this far?"

"Heung-bu, you’re too soft. That’s why your wife and kids are starving," Nol-bu retorted, smirking.

"What did you just say?"

Heung-bu clenched his fists, ready to lash out, but Nol-bu’s next words made him falter.

"If that Baekhwa continues to gain public support, what do you think will happen to the Blue House? The Association is quiet now, but if things spiral out of control, the nation will descend into chaos."

Nol-bu’s logic was harsh but irrefutable. The government, no matter how corrupt or inefficient, was still under Ha Jung-seok’s control. Allowing a villain—especially one as charismatic and organized as Baekhwa—to rally public support was a dire threat.

Cut off from the outside world, Songdo had seemingly become a self-sufficient haven for Baekhwa and her followers, many of whom were likely monsters unconcerned with basic needs like food and shelter. The thought of Baekhwa growing her influence to the point of targeting Seoul was chilling.

Why was the Association so incompetent? Thinking back, Choi Chul-sik had always relied on Yoo Jin-seok’s help. Looking at things now, both the government and the Association seemed utterly hopeless.

Perhaps Yoo Eun-ha’s side wasn’t such a bad choice after all. The Association and the government were pathetic, so maybe...

"Why am I even thinking like this?"

No. No matter what, Yoo Eun-ha’s actions weren’t good for the country. All she was doing was creating division.

"I shouldn’t overthink this."

Someday, Seo Ji-yeon resolved, she would give Eun-ha the spanking she deserved.

***

In the penthouse’s dragon room, I found myself kneeling on the floor, with Little Dragon Ray fluttering in the air and pointing at me with her front claws. Across from me stood Rachel, arms crossed, glaring daggers in my direction. The atmosphere was tense, like walking on thin ice, and the only one speaking was the traitorous Little Dragon, Ray.

"Kkyuit! Kkyu-kyu Kkyuit! Kkyurrur!"

Ray wasn’t in danger of eating snake stew—she was about to become the stew. All thanks to this utterly disloyal Little Dragon, who had tattled on me to Rachel about everything. Look at her, flapping her wings and pointing at me with her tiny claws, as if she were intelligent enough to mock her own mother.

And to think, she’s acting this way after catching Si-woo and me during our time together.

"Human, I can’t even. How could you even think of doing that while your child was watching?"

Rachel’s words were accompanied by repeated smacks to my back. Her strikes were so sharp they reminded me of a scorned wife punishing a cheating husband. Her hands were unrelenting—probably the same hands she used to make her signature spicy snake stew. No wonder it turned out fiery.

"I’m a dragon, though."

"And do you think that’s a valid excuse right now?"

This was all Ray’s fault. The little traitor needed lessons, maybe even literacy training, so I could one day understand whether she was just insulting me or plotting something worse.

"Why did you even raise her with such a hands-off approach? Don’t tell me you were spying on us."

"Spying? She left on her own because she adores her father! How is that spying?"

Sure, I was the "dad" in this equation, but this was getting out of hand. This was a blatant invasion of privacy!

"Come on, let me off the hook just this once. No, wait, how about 1,000 times? That’s still less than how often you get your way. Huh?"

The little dragon put on her best tearful act, complete with big, glistening eyes.

"Crying won’t work!"

But it didn’t work!

"Strange. I thought tears were supposed to be a weapon," I muttered. "That’s what the judge said."

"They only work on men! They won’t have any effect on another woman!"

Hmm. That made sense, but still, wouldn’t it be nice if she caved to my charm just a little, considering she liked me now?

"Come on, don’t be like that. I’ll make it up to you, alright? Just spare me the snake stew for today. And I won’t bring up the ‘mother-daughter combo’ joke for at least a month. Deal?"

The infamous "mother-daughter combo" wasn’t even about Rachel and Ray right now—it was more about Elise and Creepmary. So really, there was no reason for her to be this upset.

Still, Rachel’s eyes narrowed, and her glare intensified.

Ah, maybe she needed some extra comfort after all?