Politics is all about bringing down the other guy.
It's a game where anything goes in the name of taking power.
Most of what happens there is dirty, vicious, and relentless.
[Ahn Ahn-gil administration! Successful export of TTG Temple drone weapon system! Will it achieve the 3rd place in the world defense export ranking this year?]
[K-Defense's success story with TTG Temple]
[[K] TTG Temple, where Japan envies, Russia is jealous, and the U.S. begs to come. K-Agriculture and Cooperative Development Plan Announced!]
In that sense, from the perspective of the main opposition party, the TTG Temple must be quite an eyesore.
With the full support of President Ahn Ahn-gil and Oh Kang-hyuk, the head of the Korea Hunter Association, the organization's growing stature was the Ahn administration's undoing.
"What are we supposed to do about that?"
"Well, there are a lot of nooks and crannies to touch——"
Of course, from the opposition's perspective, it's natural to want to bite the hand that feeds the current regime but the reaction from within is deeply disturbing.
In fact, the agricultural sector has begun to fill up with devotees of Goddess Demera, and the number of ordinary citizens converting to the TTG Temple religion is frightening.
"In my country alone, there are already three million worshippers. It's a religion that's been around for a little over half a year. Japan has a similar number, and the rest of the world has long since passed the 10 million mark."
It's only a matter of time before TTG Temple becomes Korea's largest religion, and they wondered if it could become the world's largest religion in just a decade.
In the meantime, illegal combat activities and illegal possession of weapons were discovered in Taiwan.
-Wow, what? There are so many demons in Taiwan?
-Pin-point sniping of the Fallen after the gas attack.
-What is this super robotic weapon?
-Vulcanus is crazy. He destroyed two Archdemons.
-What is this, an emergency prayer meeting at the altar of the War God?
The opposition, like the Ahn administration, was appalled by the TTG Temple's actions.
Illegal warfare in another country and killing enough high-ranking officials to change the administration?
Of course, the vast majority of those killed were Taiwanese citizens, but some were foreign ministers and ambassadors.
It's a perfect example to bite on.
"Why don't we take this opportunity to unseat that otherworldly man as the representative of the TTG Temple?"
"There are plenty of things to attack. We have a serious tax evasion problem, we have open human rights issues, and we're facing foreign protests over the death of a French minister."
"We need to bring down TTG Temple to cut into the ruling party's approval ratings!"
Of course, they didn't realize that the actions of the TTG Temple were motivated solely by justice to wipe out the demons but in the world of politics, that doesn't matter.
Even if a miracle drug is announced that can cure cancer around the world, it must be buried if it will benefit the other party.
TTG Temple, which has grown with the full support of the current regime, including its president Oh Kang-hyuk, will continue to be an obstacle to regaining power.
"We will pretend to cooperate with the ruling party, but on the same day, we will attack them. There is no legal problem, so if we go to the constitutional court, we will definitely win!"
There was a time when they thought so.
* * * *
"————"
"————"
The chairman of the hearing stiffened in horror at the senator's bombshell.
"Fuck!"
President Ahn Dong-gil, who was watching the video in the presidential office, let out an expletive in a nurturing tone.
"That, that crazy bitch, why is she doing that!?"
The TTG Temple hearing was a consensus of the ruling and opposition parties. He was preparing for a cordial exchange of questions and cultural relativism or something, followed by a plea for attention and cooperation, when—-
"Oh, this is Representative Ahn Hee-ok."
Ahn Hee-ok, was the fighting dog of the opposition, a dog who will try to bite for the regime wherever she can.
"No, but why is she doing that? We had an agreement! We agreed not to touch the TTG Temple! We had a training session on etiquette beforehand!"
The opposition stabbed him in the back of the head and the reaction of the opposition lawmakers around him is disturbing.
"Stop the hearing! Stop it now!"
"We're live, Mr. Speaker!"
"Holy shit!"
President Ahn immediately made a protest call to the opposition leader, but he was unable to stop the hearing, which was being broadcast live.
* * * *
"——"
Leon scowled at the congresswoman who had spoken so rudely to him.
"State your name, woman."
"Did you just call me a woman, I beg your pardon, and this is a hearing, will you please stand up at once?"
"That's right, what kind of attitude is that in the hallowed halls of Congress!"
Opposition lawmakers shouted back as they pointed out the special seat reserved for Leon.
Unlike the rest of the hearing room, Leon's seat is in an authoritative position, with a staircase leading up to it, looking down from above.
He would get into the hearing room, but there would be respect and agreement for him.
South Korea, at least the Ahn Dong-gil administration, recognizes Leon's royal authority.
They respect the power of Leon before they respect the TTG Temple or Lionheart.
In this sense, the current Korean government is reasonable enough. They took the pragmatic route, and their respect for power led to their respect for Leon.
It had always been that way, so he didn't doubt their good intentions.
'I don't think this is an individual rampage.'
Or they could be emissaries of a third party. Or it could be a ploy by the opposition to keep the ruling party in check.
Rationally, yes. They don't want to lose this opportunity.
"Will you resign?"
"Don't raise your voice. We're not at the bottom of the market, we're at the top."
"Come on, Mr. Leon, you must be mistaken, this is a democracy! You only answer what I ask!"
-Crack!
That was it. Lightning crackled outside the hearing room. It wasn't just one or two bolts of lightning striking against a clear, dry sky.
-Crackle, crackle, crackle!
Suddenly, the lightning struck the Capitol building where the hearing was being held. The entire building shook like an earthquake.
"Could it be God Ultima?"
In the hearing room were the worshippers of the Temple of Ten Thousand Gods, who realized that this angry divine being was the god of the sky and thunder, and some of the faithful heard the angry words of the god planted in the lightning.
[How dare you insult the Lionheart King, who shares this Ultima's thunder crown!!!]
The God of Thunder was furious, and he wasn't the only one.
-What? The Sun is having an adverse reaction!
The sun's rays melted the concrete of the building's exterior walls leading up to the hearing room, and an intense flash of the Goddess of Light's scrutiny descended upon it.
It was an anomaly too intense to be dismissed as mere coincidence.
Everyone in the room knew that the gods were angry on behalf of King Lionheart.
"Ji, are you trying to intimidate a member of the Korean Parliament, stop this shit right now──"
"Shut that mouth of yours."
"——!"
Leon's voice was calm and quiet. However, the fierceness in his voice was overwhelming.
Senators shuddered and swallowed hard. They realized their lives were worth less than a fly in the face of the Lionheart King's power, accompanied by the wrath of the gods.
"I respect you enough to recognize that you are legitimate representatives of the people under a system called democracy."
Leon knew how ugly and vocal they usually got, but that was only in their league, not in the presence of the Lionheart King.
"But you should know that the one before you is not merely the lord of the throne, but an agent of the gods."
Leon stared at the councilor.
Whether it was out of personal conviction or political ambition, there was no way he was going to take the path of insulting the Lionheart King.
"All those involved in this indiscretion will not receive any protection from the TTG Temple."
Leon stomped to his feet.
"This is the end of the hearing."
No one spoke before Leon strode out of the room.
* * * *
"How dare these bastards— how dare they— the Savior!"
Park Yong-shin, former cult leader of Hanbit Palace, now a member of the Korean Top Ten Guilds and a fanatical TTG Temple devotee sought out a guild leader to retaliate for this untold misfortune.
"I can't stand it, I can't stand it, I can't stand it!"
"Ah— I see, then I— why did you come to see me?"
"Guild Leader Lee Yong-wan!"
Guild Leader Lee Yong-wan of the Firebird Guild, a fellow Top Ten Guild, was shaken by Park Yong-shin's anger.
"Isn't it obvious, he's asking for help?"
Next to him, Ha Yuri, the Vice Guild Leader and S-class Hunter, served tea and asked what Park Yong-shin wanted.
"Indeed, Vice Guildmaster Ha Yuri, I've heard that you're the real deal in the Firebird Guild!"
"No, don't say that in front of Guild Master, tell me specifically why you're here!"
Yong Wan stuck out his tongue, "What a strange person you've become since joining the TTG Temple."
"Guild Leader Yong-wan, I've heard that you have a hand in the opposition."
"What? No, something like that——"
A Top Ten Guild is bound to have a weakness or two for the ruling party. Things like bribery and funneling political funds through shell companies.
Right now, Yong-wan's Firebird Guild affiliate even had a former opposition lawmaker as its leader.
"Guild Leader Lee Yong-wan, don't you want to join the TTG Temple?"
"——!!"
Park Yong-shin tapped Yong-wan on the shoulder with a knowing look.
"You didn't even show up for the recent meeting on the tax reform bill, and seemed to be doing a good job of attacking Gates."
Deliberately failing to attack a gate to blackmail the Hunter Association over the tax exemption bill— the Firebird Guild had a fairly vicious reputation in this part of the world.
"That's what a sincere Hunter Guild would do——"
"From the look in my Brother Yong-wan's eyes, you are like a thirsty lamb yearning for the true faith."
"Who would have thought that Brother——"
"You witnessed Lord Georgic with your own eyes, you saw the leader of the demons at the Dragon Palace Gate, and what about the Wandering Magic Sword situation?"
Didn't you feel anything there?
"——"
Yong-wan couldn't answer Park Yong-shin's serious question.
He had been troubled ever since he had witnessed the sacrifice of Georgic and the Knights of Glory at the Jeju Gate.
He had seen before his eyes honorable chivalry and glory-seeking heroes.
The knight's benevolent influence had struck a chord with the cynic and realist, and it had continued to stir him through a series of events.
Even the strongest S-class Hunter had gone mad in the face of Rakshar, the Demon Archduke of Chaos, and even an alliance of S-class Hunters was helpless against Archduke Akasha, the Wandering Demon Sword.
In front of Leon's countless miracles and strength, Yong-wan had truly been contemplating joining the TTG Temple.
"But— I've done a lot of things."
Yong-wan had done no shortage of illegal things and by the standards of Arianna, the goddess of light and justice, he would be quite the sinner.
"She is the one who gave even a demon-possessed sinner like me a chance. I know someone who will use his power to forgive your sins, Brother Yong-wan."
"Who is that?"
Hmph!
The familiar screeching sound came from somewhere, and it wasn't due to his mood.
"And how exactly can I help you?"
* * * *
The "resign!" in the hearing room of the TTG Temple Hearing Room went viral.
-Wow, are you crazy?
-What did she just say?
-She's a bitch.
-She's so fucking disrespectful to His Majesty.
-What the hell are they doing?
National hearings are broadcast live. There were many video platforms such as YouTube, and Ahn's "Resign!" was immediately watched by tens of thousands of people.
The number of viewers watching the hearing set a record for the first time ever and it's no surprise that the opposition would be criticized for this incident but politicians are used to being criticized.
They were willing to take the blame and cut down the TTG Temple.
-Accused of tax evasion of hundreds of billions of dollars.
-The number of illegal weapons in TTG Temple possession exceeded the limit.
-Is TTG Temple a hunter's guild or a private group?
In a public opinion war, there are always ambivalent people, and there are always people who are hostile to the TTG Temple.
Rival religious groups, agricultural organizations that are not part of the Demera Order, and many others could be enemies of the TTG Temple.
The question is.
"What do you mean, you're not going to publish the story!"
[Oh, we don't publish negative articles about the TTG Temple, there's a rumor going around that if you touch the Temple, everything goes weird!]
Yakt Spinner has been hounding media outlets by any means necessary, and even pro-opposition state media have been caught up in bizarre misfortunes since the 9 o'clock news.
An editor-in-chief's malfeasance is uncovered or a newscaster's flirtation goes viral.
When the best hacker on the planet had his way, there was no way to resist in this globally networked world.
Eventually, the opposition leader spoke up.
"In defense of democracy and the rule of law, we're going to bring charges against the TTG Temple! We're going to name and shame Leon Guild for his corruption and fraud."
In the end, they have the law on their side. The evidence of the Temple's wrongdoing is too flimsy for them to lose.
But they took the religious fanatics too lightly.
"Where is this asshole?"
"We should hang him and set him on fire first!"
Demonstrations were held in front of opposition lawmakers' offices, and lawmakers who directly criticized Leon in hearings were physically attacked.
-My daughter had polio, and she was cured by eating rice from the TTG Temple.
-I had terminal cancer, and Sir Georgic's Hammer Pilgrimage course restored my health.
-I was cured of hair loss—!
In addition to the blessed products of Goddess Demera, there are many who have been favored by the TTG Temple from all walks of life.
-His Majesty has avenged the deaths of my parents, who were killed by the Wandering Demon Sword.
-His Majesty's priests have purified our land of miasma pollution!
-He saved us from the hands of the demons!
Everywhere you looked, the crowd was on the side of the TTG Temple.
"These fanatics!"
The opposition leader Han Han-ho clicked his tongue as he watched the people rise up everywhere.
Commoners who didn't even know each other were attacking a member of the National Assembly of South Korea because of a barbaric knife-wielding thug!
After being pelted with eggs, Han vowed to press charges against them immediately, but what he heard next made him cringe.
"Mr. Representative, the Divine Sword Guild has withdrawn their donation to the party! They won't be giving us any campaign funds from next year!"
"What?"
Starting with the Divine Sword Guild.
"The Firebird Guild and the Golden Lion Guild have also withdrawn their donations! They're publicly criticizing us, along with the Hanbit Palace Lord Park Yong-shin!"
The majority of Korean Ten Guilds had come out to criticize the opposition, and they weren't the only ones.
"Why?"
"They've been friendly to the Ten Guilds since the Wandering Demon Sword incident and they cooperated with the Holy Knights of the TTG Temple during the last major gate incident."
It's bad enough with angry citizens, but now large guilds, the real power in Korea, are doing this?
The withdrawal of the party's donation was one thing, but the deterioration of the relationship with them was another. Without the support of Ten Guilds in Korea, it's impossible to run a political party.
[Our authorities promise a 10 trillion yen grant and a constitutional amendment to relocate TTG Temple.]
When the news of Leon's embarrassment in Korea came out, the Japanese government set up a TF and demanded that TTG Temple be naturalized.
-Wow, Japan is crazy— 10 trillion yen?
-Wow, Japan is crazy— 10 trillion yen?
-What? Tax evasion? Human rights abuses?
-Bastards, His Majesty Leon can do it!
-Aren't these bastards followers of the demons, just like Taiwan?
A call came in on the hotline from the presidential office.
"Mr. President, what's going on──"
[You bastard!!!]
The opposition leader's request for cooperation had been ignored and the president threw out the dignity of a public official and hurled colorful insults at him.
Mr. Han had to listen for 30 minutes without being able to turn off his phone to hear how well President Ahn Dong-gil could swear.
And then.
"This is the second time you've called me in Korea, and I assume you've managed to reach me through your hotline?"
"Yes, Princess. We've made arrangements for you, and you can come straight in."
"Well, I'm going to have to hurry up and get to Naju before the South Korean president."
Minister Davidson, dispatched from Buckingham, England, made a last-minute visit to Korea with Princess Diane. Nominally, it was to discuss the Korea-U.K. FTA, but──
"Are you sure you can go straight to the Lionheart King through the Takeda?"
"You can count on me, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yorimoto."
The Chief Cabinet Secretary of Japan and the President of the New Japan Hunter's Union Association──
"General, the Ten Thousand Gods Temple killed our Minister of Economy, and you're going to let that slide?"
"Reno Guild Leader, since that minister was a demon, they even prepared this gift to show their gratitude. It's a good thing they killed that damned demon, and now I'm connected to the TTG Temple."
A two-star general from the French Ministry of the Armed Forces was sent as a special envoy for defense cooperation to the Republic of Korea.
Everyone came to Korea for their own reasons, and that's not unusual, but the fact that it happened right after Japan's Prime Minister Fujisawa made his 10 trillion yen remarks made it a strange read.
-What? Britain, France, Japan, Germany, Belgium, Indonesia, and India are all in South Korea? What day is it?
-And I don't see the United States.
-Haven't they already made contact?
Sudden visits from big businessmen. And then──
"Yes, we will be arriving in Korea shortly."
A special charter plane for an executive of the Hunter Management Agency of the United States of America was coming to South Korea and the man aboard was Deputy Director Donald Cooper, a powerful American politician and member of the core elite.
"I suppose being a deputy director of the Bureau makes me a bit of a courtier, hahaha."
He knew he was going to make quite a splash in the already bustling country.
He also knew that his visit would be very, very unwelcome.
The last time he'd been here as a Hunter Management Agency official, two of South Korea's S-class hunters had naturalized in the United States.
"Looks like a mistake by the Korean political establishment has put an outrageous sale on the market, and a bunch of people have arrived with a bunch of gifts ——"
Deputy Director Donald smirked, thinking of the tycoons who had already arrived.
"I don't think they'll be able to beat our offer."