Chapter 262
Zeon frowned.
An unexpected guest had arrived early in the morning.
A woman stood in front of his door wearing a perfectly groomed hairstyle without a single strand out of place and a red suit that accentuated the curves of her body.
There were very few women in Neo Seoul who left such a striking impression.
‘Seo Taeran?’
The woman knocking on Zeon’s door that morning was none other than Seo Taeran, Jin Geumho’s secretary.
Her sudden appearance filled him with a sense of foreboding.
“What brings you here so early in the morning?”
“The Mayor wishes to see you, Zeon-nim.”
“At this hour?”
“He says he’d like to have breakfast with you.”
“Breakfast…”
“He specifically asked that you join him.”
“Hoo…”
Zeon let out a quiet sigh.
It sounded polite, but it was essentially no different from a threat.
“Let’s go.”
After putting on his outer coat, Zeon stepped outside.
The car Seo Taeran had arrived in was waiting outside the building.
As soon as he got into the car, Zeon asked her,
“Why is the Mayor looking for me this early?”
“I don’t know. I merely deliver the Mayor’s orders.”
“Is that so?”
“I’m only a secretary, after all.”
Zeon didn’t believe her.
The aura, gaze, and presence emanating from Seo Taeran were not those of an ordinary secretary.
More than anything, there was no way the secretary of Jin Geumho could be an ordinary person.
Even Deioden had acknowledged Jin Geumho’s ability to judge people.
With a slight frown, Zeon considered why Jin Geumho would summon him.
There was only one possible reason.
‘Moby Dick.’
Jin Geumho had once asked Zeon to retrieve Moby Dick’s heart.
And coincidentally, Duduyan and Aslan—who had just arrived in the slums—had also spoken to him about Moby Dick.
There was no such thing as coincidence in this world.
Every unexpected event happened for a reason.
Zeon glanced at Seo Taeran’s face.
She still stared ahead expressionlessly.
There was no way she didn’t realize Zeon was watching her, yet she continued pretending not to notice.
“Hoo…”
Zeon sighed again.
People like this were the hardest to deal with.
If they simply tried to overpower him with force, things would actually be easier. But they never created situations like that.
To deal with people like these, he also had to use his head just as much.
That was why Zeon avoided getting involved in Neo Seoul’s affairs whenever possible.
Because Neo Seoul was overflowing with people like Seo Taeran and Jin Geumho.
It didn’t take long to arrive at City Hall.
The moment he stepped out of the car, he boarded an elevator and headed straight to the Mayor’s office at the very top floor.
Jin Geumho was already seated at a table filled with food, waiting for Zeon.
“Welcome. Sorry for dragging you here so early in the morning.”
“It’s fine.”
“Please, have a seat.”
“Yes.”
Zeon sat across from Jin Geumho.
“There’s not much prepared. Still, I wanted to share a meal with you today.”
“Thank you.”
Just as Jin Geumho had said, the food on the table was simple.
Freshly baked bread, soup, and salad.
It was such a modest breakfast that it almost looked shabby.
But the reality was entirely different.
At present, the hardest ingredients to obtain in Neo Seoul were the fresh vegetables laid out on the table.
Even within Neo Seoul, fresh vegetables and bread were supplied only to an extremely limited number of people.
So even if the portions were somewhat small, it could never be considered lacking in sincerity.
A table like this already demonstrated more than enough hospitality from Jin Geumho toward Zeon.
“Let’s eat first.”
“Yes.”
The two began their meal.
Zeon first stabbed the salad covered in dressing with his fork.
The vegetables crunched crisply inside his mouth.
Experiencing such fresh flavors for the first time in his life, Zeon unconsciously closed his eyes.
No colony in the desert had vegetables this fresh.
Only Neo Seoul—and only people of high status like Jin Geumho—could enjoy such premium ingredients.
Although he hadn’t joined the meal willingly, Zeon decided to enjoy the moment.
The freshly baked bread was delicious as well.
It was on an entirely different level from the poor-quality ingredients distributed in the slums.
He had no idea how they had managed to grow such luxurious wheat, but the bread melted softly in his mouth, leaving behind a rich savory flavor.
It almost made him feel guilty that Levin and Brielle couldn’t enjoy food this delicious with him.
Watching Zeon dip bread into the soup, Jin Geumho spoke.
“It’s corn soup. What do you think?”
“It’s delicious.”
“Before… before the Great Cataclysm, corn was an incredibly common crop. The shock of seeing endless cornfields stretching across the plains was indescribable.”
“A massive cornfield…? I can’t even imagine it.”
“That’s understandable. People who’ve never seen it for themselves wouldn’t be able to picture it. I first saw such a sight in America.”
“America…”
“Before the Great Cataclysm, it was the superpower that dominated Earth. Though I heard it has fallen now…”
“It hasn’t been completely destroyed. It’s not on Neo Seoul’s level, but there are still several massive colonies preserving its legacy.”
“Really?”
Jin Geumho’s eyes gleamed at Zeon’s words.
At present, Zeon was the only person in Neo Seoul who had actually traveled as far as America.
Only Zeon, as a Sand Mage, could accomplish such a feat.
For other Awakened, it was impossible.
Once outside Neo Seoul, even communication became unreliable.
Even if shelters were constructed, they were quickly attacked by demonic beasts, making expeditions themselves extremely difficult.
The desert sands and demonic beasts never allowed humans to travel comfortably.
They endlessly harassed and attacked until people eventually collapsed.
And even if one somehow managed to reach America, returning was even harder.
That was why caravans traveling between colonies were treated with such importance.
They were the only means of exchanging information between colonies.
Yet no caravan dared to venture as far as the American colonies.
An expedition to America was on an entirely different level.
Even Neo Seoul’s assault teams could not even dream of reaching America.
Naturally, there was no way for them to know what America’s situation was like.
And there was no real reason to concern themselves with a land on the opposite side of the Earth.
Just managing Neo Seoul alone was already overwhelming enough.
“What’s the situation like in the American colonies?”
“It’s not very good there either.”
“That bad?”
“There are many large demonic beasts settled nearby, so conditions are poor.”
“By large demonic beasts, you mean?”
“At minimum, A-rank demonic beasts have built nests all over the area.”
“Then naturally there must be S-rank demonic beasts as well.”
“Yes.”
“Hmm…”
Jin Geumho let out a low groan.
If an S-rank demonic beast settled near a colony, the colony’s very survival became threatened.
S-rank demonic beasts possessed power on an entirely different level from A-rank beasts.
Using old terminology, an S-rank demonic beast was equivalent to a national-level military force.
In other words, a force capable of destroying a nation was targeting the colony.
Even a single one would be an unbearable burden, but if multiple such creatures inhabited the surrounding area, the colony’s range of activity would inevitably shrink drastically.
“So they can’t even dream of expanding outward.”
“Yes. Every colony is completely isolated.”
“As expected.”
Jin Geumho slowly nodded.
Perhaps deep in thought, he remained silent for quite some time afterward.
Their meal had already ended.
Zeon assumed Jin Geumho would now finally reveal the true reason he had invited him here.
“Do you remember what I said before?”
“About what?”
“Moby Dick.”
As though refusing to give Zeon even a moment to prepare, Jin Geumho struck directly at the topic.
Since Zeon had already anticipated this possibility, he answered calmly.
“Yes. I remember.”
“Good. That makes things easier. Moby Dick has been found.”
“Where?”
“That’s something you know better than I do, isn’t it?”
Jin Geumho stared directly at Zeon.
His eyes clearly said he already knew everything.
Instinctively, Zeon realized there was no point trying to deny anything now.
“How did you find out?”
“How I found out isn’t important. What matters is that you know how to locate Moby Dick.”
Jin Geumho’s eyes gleamed strangely.
His gaze shone with such intensity that it felt as though he could see straight through the truth itself.
Even Zeon found the pressure difficult to endure.
“You’re right. There is a way to find Moby Dick.”
“Good. Then bring me Moby Dick’s heart.”
“It’s not as easy as you make it sound.”
“I know that. If it were easy, there would’ve been no reason for me to ask you specifically. I’m asking because it’s difficult.”
“Why do you need Moby Dick’s heart?”
“A while ago, you said all the colonies are completely isolated from one another, didn’t you? With Moby Dick’s heart, that situation can be overcome.”
“Are you saying it could create a way for colonies to communicate with each other?”
“You only need to know that much for now. Once you bring back Moby Dick’s heart, you’ll naturally understand the rest.”
“……”
“It’s for the sake of not only Neo Seoul, but all surviving humans on Earth.”
The justification Jin Geumho presented pressed heavily upon Zeon.
The moment he rejected something framed as being for Neo Seoul and humanity, he would effectively become an enemy of both.
Watching Jin Geumho corner him so thoroughly without leaving any room to escape, Zeon felt genuinely unsettled.
When someone pressured you with logic and righteousness like this, it became incredibly difficult to respond.
No matter how much strength ruled the world, once people gathered together, justification became important.
Justification was the most efficient tool for moving people.
And Jin Geumho had mastered to the bone exactly how to wield that tool for maximum effect.
At this point, it no longer mattered how Jin Geumho had obtained information only Zeon should have known.
Letting out a faint sigh, Zeon spoke.
“I’ll keep my promise.”
“Of course you will. I trusted you from the beginning. However…”
“What now?”
“I can’t very well make you suffer through this alone, so I’ll lend you some help. I’ll assign reliable manpower to you.”
“That won’t be necessary.”
“I’d feel guilty otherwise, so don’t refuse.”
Jin Geumho reached out and grabbed Zeon’s hand.
His grip felt rough and thick.
Zeon quietly pulled his hand away and said,
“Understood. But I can’t take a large group with me.”
“I’ll only assign two people.”
“Two?”
“I guarantee they’ll be a great help.”
At Jin Geumho’s meaningful smile, Zeon’s gaze sank coldly.
The two stared at each other for a long time.
After Zeon left, Seo Taeran entered the Mayor’s office.
As she cleared the dishes from the table, she spoke.
“Did the conversation go well?”
“What’s there to say about it going well? It was already decided from the start.”
“Did Zeon… ask how we obtained the information?”
“Heh. He already has a rough idea, so why would he bother asking?”
“You mean he already knows?”
Seo Taeran’s expression stiffened slightly.
The information had been extracted from Aslan without even Aslan realizing it, so the fact that Zeon already knew was astonishing.
“He’s a clever one. If we sent ordinary people after him, they’d just end up dancing in the palm of his hand.”
“That’s why you’re sending Lee Jeongho?”
“Heh. Since he’s blind, he can’t be deceived by appearances. And because his resolve is firm, he won’t waver. With him, we’ll definitely obtain Moby Dick’s heart.”
“Yes.”
“Anyway, you did well. Thanks to you, we were able to respond before it was too late.”
“It was nothing. I merely did what was expected of me.”
“If only everyone were like you. If people simply handled what they were supposed to do and produced good results, there’d be no need for me to step in personally.”
“That’s why Neo Seoul needs me.”
“M-Mayor…”
Jin Geumho looked out the window.
The yellow sky, thick with dusty haze, filled his view.
Even above that yellow sky, demonic beasts were flying.
They simply couldn’t be seen.
The true rulers of Earth now were the demonic beasts.
Jin Geumho clenched his fist tightly and muttered,
“Only I can make humanity the master of Earth once again.”