00028 - The Little Prince in the Ossuary
------------------------------------------------------------------------=
Immediately after, Min Wan-gi stepped in to complement the plan.
"That's a good idea. It wouldn't be bad to organize groups among the religious folks. If we assign religious activities to these groups as well, all the better. After all, organizing groups is essential for efficient management."
He added a pause to his words, thoughtfully stroking his chin as if organizing his thoughts.
"Let's set it up like that and inform the newcomers there's a small religious community. If a spy is among them, they'd surely be pleased. One of the basic tactics of cults is 'church capture', right? Infiltrating a sound faith community, securing sympathizers, and then ousting the existing leaders in a disgraceful manner. If we privately warn the group leaders, they can effectively monitor this."
Despite pretending to be unaware, this was something Gyeo-ul had already considered. He had experienced it before. Once, an apocalypse concluded due to the mad spread of a religious cult, leading to the collective collapse of the community. The plague was claimed to be God's will, spreading deliberately with the belief everyone should become God's people.
Once was enough for such an experience. He had always been vigilant against the rise of religious mania, pondering numerous ways to counteract it.
Empowering sane believers was also a sound plan. However, it was yet to be determined who those sane believers were. Truth be told, identifying truly rational believers was surprisingly challenging.
Gyeo-ul had refrained from voicing his opinion initially, wanting to offer the others a chance to fulfill their roles.
The realization of actual participation in organizational management serves as motivation. Given he had just been elected as the leader, it seemed considerate to pay attention to such aspects.
"You two are indeed impressive. I agree wholeheartedly. Gathering people anew for each task is inappropriate. Please organize groups, clustering the religious folks together. We do have religious records on the roster, right? If worst comes to worst, we can sever problematic groups. I'll delegate the appointment of group leaders to the deputy leaders. Just inform me later—it's called post-approval, I believe?"
Gyeo-ul added.
"Also, please create a special unit."
"A special unit, you say?"
Though Min Wan-gi asked the question, it piqued the curiosity of both individuals. Gyeo-ul answered.
"Well, shall we call it a combat unit for now? The presence of forces to act immediately in emergencies could change a lot within the group."
There was no need for overt display. Other groups, unless foolish, would naturally recognize it, and excessive showcasing would only increase unnecessary threats to the combat unit members.
"Indeed, truly wise insight, Sir."
"Deputy leader Min, are you perhaps flattering me?"
Gyeo-ul lightly jeered, almost jokingly. Min Wan-gi shrugged. It was true. Jang Yun-cheol, however, seemed uneasy once more. It seemed he harbored some timid traits in such circumstances.
"Regardless, I'll personally appoint the combat unit leader. When they head out, they might as well serve as squad leaders. As for the others, I wish they'd see them as individuals I trust."
"And whom do you have in mind?"
"Hmm... to start with, one person."
Gyeo-ul then loudly called out a name.
"Lee Yura!"
"Yes! Me?"
Amidst the scattered gathering of individuals, the woman whose name was called rose awkwardly, looking bemused. Gyeo-ul smiled warmly and informed her.
"Yura, you're the first combat unit leader!"
"What? Combat unit leader? What is that?"
"These two deputy leaders will explain it to you later! Just know for now it's my decision! Oh, no need to come over! Just relax right where you are!"
"I mean... Chief? Little leader?"
Leaving her, still flustered, Gyeo-ul returned to the original conversation. Yun-cheol appeared concerned.
"Do you think it's alright? From what I gather—Yura seems rather ill-suited. She might show courage, having volunteered for dangerous tasks, but the men who traveled with her say she was lacking."
"I'll develop her abilities. More than anything, she's trustworthy. I'm just being frank about my firsthand impression."
"Ah, yes..."
The comment about developing skills was the straightforward truth. Should he expand his influence and acquire management rights over the community, he could also oversee the experience earned by its members. Growth would be rapid under Gyeo-ul's wing—a common practice in this domain, often referred to as 'bus riding.' Moreover, he possessed the "instruction" skill to boost its efficiency.
"What should we do about the drug issue?"
Yun-cheol shifted the topic, to which Gyeo-ul returned the same query.
"Deputy leader Jang, what do you think we should do?"
Addressing him by position repeatedly was a calculated move. Titles implied hierarchy and interaction within the group.
Silence prevailed briefly. It was the kind of dilemma without an answer, no matter how often one pondered. Yun-cheol furrowed his brow. An opinion, finally forthcoming after a lengthy pause, betrayed his own lack of confidence.
"Other than requesting the leaders remain vigilant like with the religious matter, thorough personal searches seem the only avenue. Even then, burying them would suffice—whether it would be effective..."
Min Wan-gi shook his head in response.
"Personal searches are not an option. Individuals seek refuge in our group to survive; suspicions of infringing on personal property will spark all sorts of grievances."
"Who said anything about seizing possessions? It's merely to prevent drug inflow—disclose that. And do they even have anything one might term private property? Everyone's financially destitute."
In response to Jang Yun-cheol's perplexity, Min Wan-gi calmly elaborated.
"Admittedly, they haven't much. It's precisely because they don't that it matters more. Have you truly never seen those hiding a clean change of clothes, bundles of unusable dollars, unopened cosmetics, brand-new razors, or toothbrushes?"
"Uh..."
He couldn't answer because, in truth, most people were like that. Min Wan-gi continued.
"Should I repeat myself? Them having nothing to lose is precisely why it matters more. Observe how they are unwilling even to let others know—afraid of theft or seizure. No matter how noble the cause, dissatisfaction will arise if it's unpalatable to them, spawning rumors. Personal searches, they'd gossip, have ulterior motives. If three people shout, even a tiger roars 'argh'."
Min Wan-gi seemed pleased with his closing quip, offering a grin as he met their gazes, but there was little humor in it. Returning to a serious demeanor, Min Wan-gi unwrapped his lingering thoughts.
"Deputy leader Jang. Our alliance is a newly-formed group. It's held together by favorable sentiments toward the little leader, or pragmatic expectations at best; there's no genuine affection or trust for the community yet. It may not dissolve over such issues but various side effects are anticipated. For both individuals and the group, the starting point is vital. From my perspective, it's unpalatable."
Yun-cheol immediately retorted.
"Deputy leader Min, you're overly pessimistic. You're afraid of flies and won't make the sauce. If drugs spread, then there will genuinely be no solution. Compared to that, personal grievances are trivial, aren't they? If they dislike it, they're free to leave. If even that judgment eludes them, there's no need for them in our group! They lack the qualification!"
Aware of his rising agitation, Yun-cheol surveyed his surroundings. He noticed curious, anxious gazes upon them. Lowering his voice, he continued.
"While the little leader mentioned earlier that our alliance would be the preferred place to live, technically speaking, that was incorrect. The 「Gyeo-ul Alliance」 is already at its pinnacle. Where else can one find a group where the leader is a provider, not an exploiter? Or a group where the leader risks going out themselves? To my knowledge, nowhere."
"Calm down. There's no need to raise your voice, is there?"
Once more engrossed, Yun-cheol's voice had grown stronger. Using words and gestures, Gyeo-ul eased his agitation. Yun-cheol, with a reddened face, apologized, but Gyeo-ul found his argument rather compelling. Not because it praised him—people driven by emotion tend to believe their own words.
'My father used to do that.'
The man who sold his child, claiming it was a sacrifice for the family. A parent sincerely counterarguing a child's expectation of parental duty—truly an unsightly spectacle.
Belief thrives on emotional foundations.
Thus, Yun-cheol likely took his own words at face value.
Shrugging off the weight of the mental burden, Gyeo-ul encouraged the now-quiet duo.
"I've listened well to you both. Though your stances differ, your sincerity was evident—it was pleasant to hear. Thank you for showing such enthusiasm. I feel confident in entrusting tasks to you no matter what arises."
"... It's only natural."
Jang Yun-cheol, concealing his embarrassment, and Min Wan-gi, thoughtfully stroking his chin, awaited Gyeo-ul's decision.
"As you often say, little leader, you carry the banner of the US forces. Unbeknownst to them, they probably want to utilize you quickly. Given that you'll frequently be absent, we should stabilize the group swiftly. Might we need to hasten this decision as well?"
"Then, there'll be no personal searches. We'll trust the group leaders' vigilance."
Yun-cheol groaned, and even Min Wan-gi didn't seem pleased.
"I hate to appear as though only posing concerns without alternatives but relying solely on the vigilance of group leaders is insufficient. Even if we select leaders, they're ultimately inexperienced individuals. If they're tasked with too much at once, they might botch everything. Do you have any other thoughts?"
"I do."
A light affirmation. Perhaps not expecting such an answer, Min Wan-gi blinked silently. Yun-cheol, seeming curious, waited as Gyeo-ul queried.
"Before this uproar, didn't drugs cross borders anyway?"
Ah. A knowing exclamation escaped them almost simultaneously. He continued.
"When outlining the purpose of our alliance, I mentioned welcoming people regardless of nationality. Yet, the language barrier is formidable, isn't it? The majority of participants will likely be Korean. Meaning the organizations opposing our alliance, in terms of influence, will primarily be Korean as well. I recall my history classes teaching that if nearby troublemakers are foes, you befriend distant bandits. Korean competing drug dealers' rivals would be Japanese or Chinese drug dealers, so why not ask them if they have intel on their competitors?"
"Hahaha!"
Min Wan-gi clapped with laughter. Perceiving the change in atmosphere, nearby individuals—though uninvolved in the conversation—mirrored the cheerful mood without grasping the reason. An exception existed. Yura, surrounded by onlookers, stumbled in confusion. Fielding questions she couldn't comprehend left her in a bind.
"It's likely someone among those waiting outside belongs to a different nationality group, like the 「Black Society」 or the 「Yakuza」, right? Wouldn't they want to somehow make my acquaintance?"
"Well, about that..."
Yun-cheol hesitated.
"Even if we gather intel from them, it wouldn't directly aid in filtering out spies, I'd think."
"I'm not counting on that."
"Then... what do you mean...?"
"My world history teacher mentioned the best defense is offense. I'm set on tracking down the drug's origin and trampling it."
Yun-cheol's jaw dropped.
"I'm sick of being on the receiving end all the time."
Indeed, he had no intention of replaying his past when he had been passive, invariably forced into inaction, stripped of any opportunity. It was traumatic. Feeling a swell of resentment and a surge of liberation—paradoxical emotions blending—he didn't hold back.
"I won't be just a nice guy. Someone referred to this as preemptive war, didn't they? I'm going to crush all those who peddle drugs to my people. I'll decimate them."
There were plenty of means at his disposal. He had the most favorable standing anyway.
If a kind person wishes to stay kind, setting clear boundaries helps. Everyone has limits, after all.
---------------------------= Postscript ---------------------------=
1. Tunguska is dead. No more. But within our hearts and minds...
continue living on...
2. Now, it's Wednesday... no, let's take a break until next week... or next month. Please don't look for me...
3. Reader, oh reader, click recommend
If not, I'll roast and eat you.
Clacky's Corner:
For those unaware Tunguska(퉁구스카) is the author's pen name.