Rainbow City

The old man jabbed his finger but soon turned away, as if he didn’t want to deal with it, and went on his way. Only then did Seokhwa, who had approached, pant lightly and scold him.“It was really… just a joke. How could you take it away?”“No, it’s my fault. I didn’t think it through. He believes all the stones in the world are his.”Kwak Soohwan held out the stone, but Seokhwa wasn’t particularly interested in the broken marble carving. Besides, it wasn’t like he liked all stones. However, Kwak Soohwan’s expression was so serious that Seokhwa felt a pang of guilt. Maybe jokes should only be made by people who are good at them.Seokhwa tucked the marble fragment into the pocket of his lab coat. He intended to return it to the old man when he went back to the lab.“But why did you come to the military police?”He wasn’t even in uniform, instead wearing a hoodie and sweatpants. When Seokhwa reached out his hand without warning, Kwak Soohwan bowed his head, realizing Seokhwa was trying to tidy his disheveled hair.When Seokhwa brushed his hair back, Kwak Soohwan finally lifted his head. Seokhwa thought he looked good in a cap, but he preferred seeing his handsome face clearly like this.“It’s nothing much.”“Why do you always say it’s nothing?”At Seokhwa’s retort, Kwak Soohwan chuckled.“It really is nothing.”“Still, tell me.”Seokhwa, responding seriously, opened the lid of his tumbler and took a sip of barley tea. Kwak Soohwan always brewed warm tea for him because of his sensitive stomach. He used to regret that he couldn’t make tea for him often when they commuted to and from God’s Fortress.“The guys we caught the other day.”Kwak Soohwan lightly wrapped his arm around Seokhwa’s waist, pulling him close. As if what he was about to say was top secret, he whispered into Seokhwa’s ear.“We thought it was just a group of non-citizens, but it looks like the core is on the inside.”If the jeep hadn’t broken down or if he had been in uniform, they wouldn’t have known something like that was happening beyond the border. While Seokhwa felt relieved they’d discovered it, Kwak Soohwan seemed more annoyed, as if more work had been dumped on him.“Inside? You mean within our city?”“Yeah. So we’re interrogating those guys now.”A passing military police officer recognized Kwak Soohwan and saluted him. Seokhwa gently untangled himself from his arm, putting some distance between them. Since Seokhwa worked at the Yeouido shelter, Kwak Soohwan didn’t insist, letting him go without much fuss. Even though rumors were already rampant.No one openly frowned or made derogatory comments about Seokhwa and Kwak Soohwan. At least not among those who knew Kwak Soohwan. After the soldier left, Kwak Soohwan resumed talking to Seokhwa.“The problem is, they’re not talking. Torture is forbidden, and even the use of truth serum is banned under military law now.”Seokhwa had been injected with truth serum once during Dr. Wonho’s case. Though he’d developed a tolerance since then, he agreed with the decision to ban such drugs. In the past, psychoactive substances had been recklessly abused.“So what will you do?”Seokhwa asked instinctively.“Look at me.”“I’m already looking at you.”Kwak Soohwan smiled, pleased with Seokhwa’s response.“Look at what I’m wearing. I’m not in uniform. If I go in there like this and beat them to a pulp, won’t they talk?”“No matter how much of a Major you are—or rather, a Lieutenant General—you’d be arrested by the military police for that.”“Why? The other day, when I said let’s just kill Ilwol’s guys, you told me to go ahead.”“That was to get them to talk.”Kwak Soohwan pulled Seokhwa into his arms again and kissed the top of his head.“That’s why it’s going to take a bit of time because of that plan.”“Out here.”When Seokhwa touched his head, Kwak Soohwan cheekily raised both hands in the air.“Don’t worry. I won’t do any more.”After checking his wristwatch, Seokhwa said, “Go home first. I’ve still got about four more hours of work left.”“I’ll just wait at the military police station.”Even Kwak Soohwan couldn’t enter the research lab where they were developing the cure.“Maybe I’ll squeeze something out of those guys while waiting for you.”“Aren’t you supposed to be on sick leave?”Seokhwa laughed softly, sipping his barley tea again. As his lips curved up slightly, Kwak Soohwan pressed his thumb lightly against the corner of his mouth, wiping away the wetness with a swipe of his thumb before licking it off himself. Even though he said he wouldn’t do anything outside, this behavior was just so typical of Kwak Soohwan.As they walked side by side toward the lab, with Kwak Soohwan accompanying him, Cha Hakhyun, the head of the third investigation unit of the military police, came out of the room. Cha Hakhyun’s eyes widened in surprise upon seeing them.“Chief! Dr. Seok, you’re here too!”Cha Hakhyun, being a part of the military police, saluted Kwak Soohwan and bowed deeply to Seokhwa.“He’s not here, just passing by,” Kwak Soohwan said as he tried to move along, but Cha Hakhyun hurriedly spoke up.“Chief!”“What?”“I was on my way to see you. I’m afraid it’s presumptuous of me to bring this up…”Cha Hakhyun glanced at the plaque beside the door to the third investigation unit, which handled cases classified as first-degree military crimes. This was where Ilwol and his crew were currently being interrogated.“If it’s presumptuous, don’t say it.”“No, I must tell you.”Seokhwa glanced between Kwak Soohwan and Cha Hakhyun, wondering if something serious was happening.“Well, Ilwol has spoken, but…”“Why are you dragging it out? Did he bite his tongue?”“Ilwol says he’ll only confess to Dr. Seok.”Seokhwa looked up at Kwak Soohwan with wide eyes. Kwak Soohwan’s expression was noticeably displeased.***Currently, in the city, the factions vying for influence alongside the Emperor Penguin were the Owl and Eagle families. They had been allies with the Emperor Penguin during Choi Hoeon’s time as master, but they were branded as rebels. Although they had helped overthrow the master’s regime, they had once ordered Seokhwa to be killed.Kwak Soohwan suspected one of the two families. If the vigilante group was operating around the railway bridge and avoiding the city army’s surveillance, they must have had inside information. The city soldiers occasionally patrolled areas where refugees were known to be.“Should I kill him?”Kwak Soohwan muttered as he stared beyond the magic mirror. From the situation room where recordings were made, the interrogation room was clearly visible, though from inside, it appeared as a one-way mirror.“Please restrain yourself.”Chief Cha, standing behind the seated Kwak Soohwan, urged him to calm down. Inside the interrogation room, Seokhwa sat across from Ilwol at the table.At first, when Kwak Soohwan offered to accompany Seokhwa, Ilwol had clammed up again. Kwak Soohwan had been more than ready to beat a confession out of him, even if it meant getting disciplined. However, Seokhwa had stepped forward, saying he would handle it himself.Ilwol’s arm, broken by Kwak Soohwan, was in a cast, while his other hand was cuffed and chained to the table’s metal leg. He also had ankle shackles on, so there was little danger.But Kwak Soohwan couldn’t help but recall the days under the Master regime. Back then, there wasn’t even a need for truth serum. Brutal torture alone would have made anyone spill the truth. The torture methods employed by the military police had been notoriously ruthless. Watching Ilwol sit there intact, Kwak Soohwan almost missed those times, at least in this regard.“Stupid thoughts,” he cursed at himself. After all, Seokhwa had once been dragged in by the military police, nearly had his nails pulled out by Yu Jeonggyeong, and had been injected with truth serum. There was nothing better about those days. Moreover, it had been Kwak Soohwan himself who passed the law banning torture and truth serum in the military.If torture and truth serum had still been allowed, there’d be no way to protect Seokhwa while Kwak Soohwan wasn’t around. Sure, he’d planted people everywhere to keep an eye out, making it unlikely anything would happen, but he couldn’t ignore the slim chance.After all, hadn’t he already lost Seokhwa once due to a slim chance? That day in the Second’s bunker, when Choi Hoeon appeared, was one such time.“Why the hell is he staying quiet when he said he’d confess?”Kwak Soohwan started to speak into the microphone connected to the interrogation room but held back. Seokhwa, sipping the barley tea Kwak Soohwan had given him, was calmly observing Ilwol, who continued to stare at the table.“Confess.”Seokhwa straightforwardly urged him. His voice echoed clearly through the speaker in the observation room. Ilwol glanced up briefly, then looked at the magic mirror.“I’ll confess if you stop the recording and audio,” Ilwol said.In other words, he wanted to ensure that only Seokhwa could hear him. Kwak Soohwan clenched his teeth and cursed into the internal mic.“Should I break his legs this time?”“Lieutenant General, please do as he asks.”In this formal setting, Seokhwa addressed him as Lieutenant General rather than Major. Looking at the magic mirror, Kwak Soohwan was struck by the eerie feeling that they had made eye contact.“Okay, I’ll go in and beat him up now.”“No…! I meant please stop the recording and audio.”Kwak Soohwan stifled a laugh at Seokhwa’s rare moment of fluster. Seokhwa quickly regained his composure and spoke in a chilly voice.“Listen closely, bastard. We’ll cut the recording and audio for just 10 minutes.”“Understood.”Thud! As Seokhwa answered, Kwak Soohwan stood abruptly, smacking his knee into the recording equipment. The bottom of the device dented under the impact, causing Cha Hakhyun to wince in shock. But Kwak Soohwan ignored it and leaned toward the mic.“I wasn’t talking to you.”“I know.”Seokhwa glanced at the magic mirror again, barely allowing a hint of a smile to surface.“Please cut the camera and speaker connection.”Though the camera would still show the scene, the audio would be off, giving them some peace of mind.“Okay, turning it off now. And just so you know, if you try anything stupid, I’ll execute you right here on the spot. So think wisely before you act.”At the mention of an immediate execution, Ilwol visibly tensed. Torture and truth serum had long been banned, as had summary executions, but Ilwol didn’t know that.He had learned quickly who the two people interrogating him were. Even the Emperor Penguin watched his steps around Kwak Soohwan, and Seokhwa was a renowned vaccine researcher.Kwak Soohwan was well-known among non-citizens, too. Rumor had it that he was a non-citizen soldier who had taken down the Master system in Rainbow City. Many non-citizens admired him, hoping that they, too, could rise to power. Ilwol was no exception.Slowly, Ilwol raised his head to look at Seokhwa sitting across from him. Though he appeared somewhat weary, his eyes were sharp and clear.“Confess.”Seokhwa repeated his earlier words. Ilwol fiddled with the hangnail on his broken arm, bound in a cast.“To be honest…, I have killed someone before… but I didn’t harm any innocent people. And none of the others have ever killed anyone.”“How do you determine whether someone is innocent or not?”“There were some who hurt people among the asylum seekers. People who would kill over something as small as a bit of food. I only killed those kinds of people.”“Then why did you block off the Iron Bridge?”“As I mentioned, people have to follow the proper order for seeking asylum.”“And weren’t you trying to take the things from our vehicle as well?”“…That…”Seokhwa calmly waited for Ilwol, who trailed off, to continue.“I’m sorry. I didn’t know you two were Kwak Soohwan or Seokhwa.”The response was strange. Was he implying that looting would have been justified if they weren’t Kwak Soohwan and Seokhwa? Seokhwa set aside his curiosity and asked the most important question.“When we left the city, we didn’t see any vigilante groups. Is there someone in the city providing information to the military?”Kwak Soohwan briefly shared his theory, but Seokhwa had pinpointed the crucial issue. Ilwol, who had been picking at a hangnail, suddenly froze.“What is the vigilante group’s purpose?”Since Seokhwa wasn’t a soldier, this was his first time conducting an interrogation. In fact, even now, it was more out of pure curiosity than a formal inquiry.“Did you already know that the Invincible Platoon would leave the city and head for Europe?”Faced with the barrage of questions, Ilwol merely opened and closed his mouth, unable to speak.“Why did you say you’d only confess to me?”Seokhwa sipped his barley tea after finishing his questions. Ilwol glanced nervously between the magic mirror and Seokhwa before finally stopping the action of picking at his hangnail, as if he’d made up his mind.“You’re not a soldier, Doctor…”Fear of soldiers was evident in Ilwol’s demeanor. Seokhwa studied his face closely. Apart from the cast on his arm, there were no visible wounds.Though they hadn’t subjected him to any torture, Ilwol seemed as wary as if he had. Still, Seokhwa refrained from asking why Ilwol was so afraid of the military. He feared that prying too much might cause him to clam up again.“They said if I managed the asylum seekers, I’d be given priority for citizenship.”“Who said that?”“…I’m not sure exactly, but it was someone from the city, wearing a military uniform.”Seokhwa began to understand why Ilwol was so wary of soldiers.“Did you have to pay them tribute?”Despite the seriousness of the question, Seokhwa asked in a neutral tone.“Not exactly tribute… They told us to hand over any mutants we found among the asylum seekers.”Seokhwa’s eyes widened in surprise.“Why?”“I don’t know the reason.”“It’s not easy for civilians to subdue mutants, though.”Since mentally enhanced mutants couldn’t be easily identified by sight, they were likely asking for the ones with advanced physical abilities.“We haven’t handed over any mutants yet. We haven’t found any.”“Mr. Ilwol, do you think you’re a mutant?”“…Me?”Ilwol blinked in surprise. According to the information they had gathered before the interrogation, Ilwol was 18 years old, though even that wasn’t certain. Having grown up as a non-citizen outside of Rainbow City, without parents, he claimed to have no memory of why he had been left alone or where he was born.The person who had taken care of him as a child was an elderly man from Russia. It was thanks to him that Ilwol knew he was originally from the city, as he spoke the city’s language when the man found him.However, the old man had died of old age before Ilwol turned 12. From then on, Ilwol had survived on his own, an age far too young for a normal child to survive on their own.“Ten minutes, up.”Kwak Soohwan’s voice echoed from the situation room. Shortly after, the door to the interrogation room opened, and Kwak Soohwan walked in. His hair was slightly disheveled, as though he’d taken off a cap somewhere, and his tracksuit looked out of place in the interrogation setting. He dragged a chair next to Seokhwa and sat down with a thud.“Dr. Seok, did that bastard confess?”“Yes. He said someone who appeared to be from the city’s military promised that if they handed over any mutants, they’d be given top priority for asylum.”“Just a verbal agreement?”Kwak Soohwan asked, turning his gaze to Ilwol as Seokhwa did the same.“They gave us three months’ worth of food and city currency.”“Where was the meeting supposed to take place?”“They didn’t designate a specific meeting spot. We patrol the Iron Bridge in shifts, and whenever they needed something, they initiated contact.”“Do you remember their face?”Ilwol cautiously shook his head.“They covered everything except for their eyes.”“So, someone inside the city wants to collect mutants from outside. This isn’t some ordinary person; it has to be someone who knows Dr. Wonho’s experiments inside and out.”That narrowed down the suspects significantly. While the existence of mutants had been announced through Seokhwa’s public statement, the details of the experiments and the background were never revealed.The crimes committed by the four rivers, Dr. Wonho, and Choi Hoeon were swiftly covered up as soon as the three families succeeded in their rebellion. The reason for the cover-up was simple.The Emperor Penguin family and the other two families were already aware that gene editing and human experimentation were being carried out within the city. Even Prime Minister Lee Heechan’s child, Lee Chaeyoon, had been born thanks to gene editing technology.What’s the first thing someone who seizes power does?They cover up their dirty secrets.Only the three families would know about the existence of mutants outside the city. The family that had allied with Choi Hoeon had already collapsed, leaving no real power behind. And unexpectedly, there might be more mutants like Hojun who had fled outside the city.“Do you suspect the Owls or the Night Hawks?”Seokhwa subtly asked Kwak Soohwan.“Most likely. Since private armies are now banned, they probably want to collect mutants instead.”The Emperor Penguin family had issued a ban on private armies for the city’s powerful families. In fact, even Lee Heechan had secretly raised a private army, which allowed her to gain power under the Master system. It was only natural that she would be wary of private forces.“The Night Hawks even gave up their mansion, so it’s obvious they’re up to something.”“Recently, a mansion on a 5,000-pyeong lot was listed by the Night Hawks and set a new record for the highest price. Built during the former Master’s regime, it boasts impressive security. Just a few days ago, there was an auction for a record album released in the 1970s. It sold for an astounding 2,000 green, which is about 30 times the average annual income of Rainbow City citizens.”Thinking back, there was news about the Night Hawks before Kwak Soohwan had learned the price of the record album.“…Were you two conducting a sting operation?”Ilwol asked in a daze. Given that they were driving an old compact car instead of a military vehicle and weren’t wearing uniforms, it wasn’t an unreasonable misunderstanding.“That’s right, kid.”Before Seokhwa could say otherwise, Kwak Soohwan cut in.“Don’t believe everything that bastard says. It’s suspicious that a kid raised by a Russian old man speaks City language that well.”“If he left the city between the ages of three and four, it would align with the rapid language development phase.”“The person who raised me was a Korean-Russian.”“Well, I can’t verify that, so I wouldn’t know.”Kwak Soohwan gave Ilwol a sharp look, as if telling him not to interrupt.“He’s a mutant, isn’t he?”Seokhwa, without specifying a subject, asked the question while looking at Ilwol. However, the question was clearly directed at Kwak Soohwan.“It’s certainly possible.”Normally, Seokhwa couldn’t follow Kwak Soohwan’s movements with his eyes. Back at the Iron Bridge, he blinked, and the first man was already knocked out by Kwak Soohwan’s punch. He took care of the rest just as easily, and Ilwol was the only person who had piqued his interest. It was highly unlikely that Ilwol was just an ordinary person.“Me… a mutant?”Ilwol was startled, having never considered the possibility.“Look at how your ‘brothers’ crumpled when they went up against me.”The men who had been through thick and thin with Ilwol had been knocked out with one punch. From the start, Ilwol had exercised caution, knowing better than to recklessly challenge Kwak Soohwan. If Seokhwa hadn’t pointed a gun at him, Ilwol couldn’t say how long he would have lasted against Kwak Soohwan. What he did know for sure was that it was the first time he had ever felt such fear of death.“I don’t believe everything that bastard says, but the rest of them confessed the same way. The killings didn’t happen inside the city, and we have no way of confirming if it was really self-defense, as they claim.”“I only did what I had to, to stop them from killing others.”“Either way, the fact remains that you tried to rob and assault us.”“I admit I was trying to take your supplies. But the ones who attacked first were…”Ilwol couldn’t finish the sentence. After all, it was the so-called vigilante group that had first threatened Kwak Soohwan with a knife.“Now that you’re in the city, we’ll have to see what Lee Heechan decides to do with you. If your asylum request is rejected, you’ll be exiled again. Only this time, they’ll drop you off even farther from the city, one by one.”Kwak Soohwan pushed himself up from the fixed table, and Seokhwa followed, standing up as well. While Ilwol, swept up in Kwak Soohwan’s words, remained unaware, Seokhwa was certain that Kwak Soohwan had never stopped recording or transcribing the conversation. That was the only way he would know why Ilwol had ended up committing murder.“You said you’d turn off the recording,”Seokhwa whispered as they left the interrogation room.“Don’t you know me by now? I’m a ventriloquist master. I can tell what that bastard is saying just by reading his lips.”“I didn’t know you were a ventriloquist master.”Seokhwa was suspicious but still trusted Kwak Soohwan.“Excuse me…!”Suddenly, Ilwol’s voice called out, and Kwak Soohwan turned his head while holding the door to the interrogation room open. Seokhwa, standing beside him, also looked back.“That day… I had no intention of harming Dr. Seok. My brothers and I just wanted to use him as a hostage to escape. We really would have let him go if we got away safely.”It wasn’t an excuse. Even if they had succeeded in attacking Seokhwa, Ilwol would have been left with nothing but death, unable to stop Kwak Soohwan.However, Seokhwa had definitely sensed a murderous intent from Ilwol. Perhaps it was born out of desperation, the fear that if he didn’t capture Seokhwa, he would be the one to die. Non-citizens lived much harsher lives compared to citizens. In the case of people like Hojun and Ilwol, who lived completely outside the city, life must have been especially difficult.And then, as Seokhwa pondered Ilwol’s name, a thought crossed his mind—something that seemed almost too wild to be true.“Ilwol, do you have any particular attachment to specific objects or shapes?”Ilwol repeated Seokhwa’s question several times, as if trying to make sense of the unexpected inquiry. Meanwhile, Kwak Soohwan, leaning against the open door, waited for Seokhwa, sensing that he had more business to attend to.“Objects or shapes?”“Or perhaps a specific living creature?”“I… I really like dogs. Maybe too much. Even outside the city, I lived with stray dogs.”It was the same obsession that the January-born experimental subject, a three-year-old child taken by Hojun, had. Hojun left the city about fifteen years ago, and if Ilwol was indeed 18, it wasn’t impossible that he was the same child.“Who gave you your name?”“I’ve been called Ilwol since the beginning.”“A Korean-Russian?”Ilwol tilted his head slightly. His gaze dropped as if he was trying to recall old memories, but then he shook his head.“I don’t think that person gave me the name. Though we lived together, he wasn’t a warm person. From a young age, he made me hunt for my own food.”It seemed the old man, knowing he could die at any time, had tried not to form emotional attachments. He likely taught the child survival skills to ensure he could live on his own.“Then who gave you the name?”“I… I don’t remember.”Ilwol appeared a bit confused. It wasn’t his parents who had given him the name, since he didn’t remember them, and it hadn’t been the Korean-Russian man either.“I understand.”With that, Seokhwa gave a small bow and left the interrogation room. Kwak Soohwan followed behind him. In the situation room, separated by a single door, Lee Heechan had arrived in place of Cha Hakhyun.“Hello.”Seokhwa greeted her as she stood there, upright.“Ah, Dr. Seok. You’ve worked hard.”“Yes.”Lee Heechan gave a bitter smile. Had she grown too accustomed to her position? Most other scientists or soldiers, under the Prime Minister’s command, showed some humility, claiming they were just doing their job. That’s why Seokhwa’s straightforwardness felt so unfamiliar.“If that kid’s telling the truth, then we’ve got an honorable family breaking the law, don’t we?”After finishing her sentence, Lee Heechan furrowed her brow as if the situation was giving her a headache. Currently, the city had three honorary families: the Owls, the Night Hawks, and the Emperor Penguins.“Does that include the Emperor Penguins?”Kwak Soohwan asked, somewhat aggressively.“Lieutenant General Kwak, you look better than I do for someone on sick leave. I really appreciate being turned away yesterday too.”He shrugged.“That’s an abuse of power.”“What kind of power abuse is visiting someone sick?”As if talking to him would shorten her lifespan due to high blood pressure, Lee Heechan massaged her forehead.“How many mutants do you estimate are outside the city?”Seokhwa asked for her opinion.“There was even one in Rome, wasn’t there?”Lee Heechan had already grasped the situation after receiving reports from Lee Chaeyoon and Yang Sanghoon, who had arrived earlier.“Not all mutants are like you or Chaeyoon. The kids in the learning center have varying levels of abilities.”Some had weaker abilities, while others lived short lives due to side effects from gene editing. On top of that, Choi Hoeon had tried to kill all defective mutants, so there weren’t many left in the city. The few who survived the last Adam incident were now preparing to reintegrate into society after safely leaving the learning center.“You’re being shameless slipping Lee Chaeyoon in like that, aren’t you?”“Yeah! You’re the best, as always.”“See that? The Prime Minister just confirmed it—I’m the best.”Kwak Soohwan boasted as he leaned casually against Seokhwa without putting much weight on him. Lee Heechan just shook her head, muttering “Unbelievable,” before continuing.“Anyway, all the documents related to the mutants were destroyed by Choi Hoeon, so we don’t know how many people actually escaped outside the city.”Suddenly, Kwak Soohwan, who had been resting his cheek against Seokhwa’s head, straightened up. In an instant, the playful expression vanished from his face.“So, it would be best to wrap up this case here. Even if the incident happened outside the city, I won’t show an ounce of mercy to anyone who tried to harm two of our most valuable assets—Lieutenant General Kwak and Dr. Seok.”Her words revealed how much she valued both of them. However, this wasn’t the kind of punishment Seokhwa wanted. He had the impression that she was trying to downplay the situation.“So, are you planning to execute that kid?”“Lieutenant General Kwak, don’t be so extreme. I’ll just issue an exile order. They won’t be able to seek asylum in the future either.”“Being dropped in some isolated place thousands of kilometers from the city? Sounds like a perfect recipe for starvation.”“They’re probably mutants.”“And mutants don’t need water or food?”“They should be able to fend for themselves to some extent. Lieutenant General Kwak, you’re not in a position to challenge my decision. Do I need to remind you of that?”“Living comfortably for just over a year, and you’ve already grown complacent.”Enough. Before the tension between the two could escalate further, Seokhwa firmly grabbed Kwak Soohwan’s arm.“Complacent? You think I have time to be complacent when I’m busy cleaning up after the messes left by the Masters day and night?”“Let’s get the facts straight.”Kwak Soohwan glared at Lee Heechan with a mocking smile.“Mutants, genetic editing experiments. You’re saying Choi Hoeon destroyed all the documents?”“Who else would’ve done it?”“You really think he was in the right state of mind to do that during his last fight? You must not know Choi Hoeon very well. That guy didn’t care about those kinds of documents. He was obsessed with family, and completely fixated on Seokhwa.”A sudden chill spread through the situation room. Seokhwa didn’t stop Kwak Soohwan from speaking the truth. All he could do was hold onto his arm.“So, what are you saying…? That I did it?”“Do you not remember what you said to me when you visited me while I was lying unconscious, after being shot?”“…”Lee Heechan’s eyes wavered noticeably.“Maybe you wanted to clear your conscience with me in a coma, but at least my ears were still working.”“You’re misunderstanding…”“For the sake of the city’s stability, all the records related to the Four Rivers had to be destroyed. We also had to keep Dr. Seok’s role as the vaccine developer a secret. Kwak Soohwan, I believed you’d understand.”Kwak Soohwan’s voice remained steady, devoid of any inflection, causing Lee Heechan to take a step back. However, she was already backed up against a solid wall.“It wasn’t for the city’s stability—you wanted to erase the dirty secrets of the honorary families.”Lee Heechan quickly regained her composure, her face hardening.“So, what now? Are you challenging me?”“If your petty infighting within the honorary families disrupts the city’s newfound stability, be prepared. After Choi Hoeon, it’ll be the honorary families’ turn.”Kwak Soohwan wasn’t agitated, nor was he filled with rage. But Lee Heechan knew this was closer to his true nature. And the only reason Kwak Soohwan even mentioned stability—something he had no real attachment to—was because of Seokhwa.While others often mistook Kwak Soohwan for a carefree and easygoing guy because of his constant playful teasing around Seokhwa, the truth was different. Even if the former part was somewhat true, the latter was not. When it came down to it, Kwak Soohwan was a heavy, unyielding blade.The city’s current state wasn’t built on the strength of the honorary families. The families had never had the power to take down the Masters. The rebellion only succeeded because someone like Kwak Soohwan was at the forefront. And there was no rule that said he couldn’t succeed in another rebellion.The reason Lee Heechan had brought a reporter along on her visit to him was to sway public opinion. Kwak Soohwan’s influence extended across both citizens and non-citizens, and there was even talk of him being the next Prime Minister. That’s why she had worked hard to maintain a good relationship with him.“You idiot! Do you really think politics is that simple?”Lee Heechan’s voice clashed with Kwak Soohwan’s back as he turned to leave. Seokhwa held a tumbler in both hands, and Kwak Soohwan had his arm around Seokhwa’s shoulder. Turning his head slightly, he responded coolly.“Well, if I’m as ignorant as the Prime Minister says, then make it simple.”