The Mage of Leavenworth (3)
This lunatic.
Completely, utterly insane.
Before even hearing him out, I started with a round of "proper education."
Has this idiot lost his mind?
Ja-pan?
"You've seriously lost it! You of all people should know exactly what kind of hell Joseon is going through right now! Huh?! You wanna die?!"
"Hyuuung—w-wait, that hurts—!"
I'm exhausted.
Only when I was drenched in sweat like I'd just come out of a sauna did I finally collapse onto the desk.
"Hey."
"…Yeah."
"Are you insane?"
"N-no, it's not like that. Just—just hear me out. Seriously."
Do you think I'm in any condition to listen right now? Huh? If she has nothing to do with Japan, then I'll accept it."
"N-no, that's… it's complicated—"
"If it's complicated, then shut your mouth."
My hands were shaking so much I couldn't even light a match.
I tossed the cigarette from my mouth onto the floor and pulled out some paper and a pen.
"Write it down. I won't read it myself—just jot down what you know. Name, age, where she lives, parents' names, whatever."
"If you're not going to read it, then who—"
"I'm going to have Pinkerton National Detective Agency or someone investigate, you idiot!"
She could be someone who latched onto this fool for money. Or worse, she could be a plant from some organization.
And in the worst case—what if Japan deliberately attached someone to him after getting suspicious about funds flowing to the Provisional Government?
Sure, I'm probably not important enough yet for state-level espionage to get involved… but even the slightest possibility is enough to warrant caution. I'm still a military officer, after all.
"You. What if she approached you with ulterior motives?"
"That's impossible."
"I'm thinking Pinkerton might not even be enough—I might need someone even more serious. Answer me first. If her intentions are impure, will you give her up?"
"…If there's solid proof, then I'd have to."
After saying that, my brother grabbed onto my leg like a cicada, practically begging.
"But that won't happen. Hyung, seriously—if you just listen calmly—"
"Yeah, you'd know her best. But for now, I want an objective third-party opinion first. Let's be honest—if you start defending her, do you think that'll convince me? Or just piss me off even more?"
"..."
"So I'll gather objective data first. After that, if I still have doubts or questions, I'll ask you."
"If it really turns out she had bad intentions, I'd be furious too."
He hesitated for a moment, then took a deep breath.
"But if there's no real problem and you still oppose it… I won't give her up. I mean it. Even if I have to cut ties and run away to South America overnight."
"Are you crazy?"
"Do you think I'll starve to death?"
Look at this bastard—now that he's grown up, he's flooring the accelerator without hesitation.
I never raised him like this…
…Did he grow up watching me?
"I know how hard you've worked all this time. I know you practically became the head of the family and held everything together.
But while you were at West Point and in Europe, I worked myself to the bone too. When you were fighting in Europe, I was also firing guns at lunatics trying to rob the safe. When you were leading soldiers, I was managing employees and struggling to keep everything afloat."
"So now you're just going to do whatever you want?"
"No. If I can't understand why this is being rejected, then I'll leave. If the temple doesn't suit the monk, the monk should leave, right?"
Watching him pour out everything he'd been holding in—and break down crying—I suddenly realized I hadn't really acted like a proper older brother.
This ambiguous position of being a minority in America.
The authority of the head of the household was still absolute, and as the eldest son, I'd used that power to do whatever I wanted.
Meanwhile, from Yushin's perspective, the head of the family was thousands of kilometers away, sending occasional letters, while he struggled on his own without real authority.
They say all's well that ends well, but… I don't know.
"If there's really nothing wrong… we'll talk again."
"…Really?"
"Do you think I'd lie about something like this? Have you told the rest of the family?"
"No. No one yet."
"Good. Keep your mouth shut for now. I'll head to San Francisco soon."
"Hyuuung…"
"Stop crying, you idiot. What kind of man bawls like that? Your balls might fall off."
"Sniff… you bastard… you're such an asshole…"
This idiot suddenly turned into a faucet, soaking my pants with tears, and seeing his face all swollen and bruised, I couldn't bring myself to scold him any further.
Wasn't there a saying—first set your house in order, then govern the state and bring peace to the world?
At the very least, I was clearly failing at the "setting my house in order" part.
***
I first reached out to my father-in-law for help.
"How interesting."
"What is it this time?"
"There are a few people who want to meet you. Among them, there's someone who could be helpful for this matter. I'll connect you soon."
As expected, his connections were top-notch.
We agreed to talk again once I had the results, and for now, I packed away my tangled thoughts into a mental box and focused on work.
The Navy and the Army Air Corps.
If I want to prepare for World War II, maintaining good relationships with these two is essential.
As for the Navy… honestly, I don't expect much.
You think they'd listen to the Army? If a sailor told me, "Ah, you shouldn't operate tanks like that," would I just nod and say, "Oh, I see"?
Whether it's Chester W. Nimitz, Ernest King, or even if Horatio Nelson came back from the grave—
I'd just tell them to shut up and stop talking nonsense like a bunch of damn sailors.
It would be enough if I could just reach the level of, "Wow, even a grunt can actually understand what someone's saying."
If I keep overreaching beyond that, I'll just end up looking like an idiot who doesn't know when to step in or back off.
With the Navy, it should be enough to have general discussions about the Asia-Pacific grand strategy and the defense of the Philippines, with maybe a slight mention of Atlantic-related matters.
The Army Air Corps is a bit tricky.
Of course, some of my peers are there—Mcnary, Stratemeyer, Harmon, and so on.
The Army Air Corps is still practically a new organization, but that also means it's full of hardliners. After all, unless someone's completely fallen in love with aircraft, there's no reason for them to join the Air Corps.
So while it's a free-spirited place, it's also surprisingly trying to stand its ground against the Army itself. New organizations tend to become aggressive just to survive.
More than anything, it's directly tied to factional struggles within the Army, so this is an area that requires some political finesse. I can think about it after I decide exactly who I'll be connecting with.
While I was preparing things step by step like that, another visitor came to the quarters.
"I heard my father-in-law helped build a bridge for us. Thank you for your assistance."
"Good day, Captain Kim. The honor is mine, being able to meet a renowned hero of the Army."
The man removed his hat as he greeted me.
"My name is John Edgar Hoover. I work at the BOI."
***
Hoover—the lifelong FBI director and a frequent figure in conspiracy theories.
What a nasty pervert to have show up.
"First, here are the documents you requested."
"Thank you."
I took the thick envelope and set it aside without opening it.
"You're not going to check them?"
"Mr. Hoover personally delivered them—there's no way they'd be wrong. I'll review them later at my leisure."
He tried to hide it, but I could see a hint of surprise at my opening move.
As expected. Still inexperienced.
If he's around my age, he's not even thirty yet. He still has a long way to go before awakening as that terrifying master of surveillance.
"Do you happen to know me?"
"My father-in-law is involved in politics, so I've heard about you from time to time. I heard former Attorney General Palmer picked you out after recognizing your talent."
At the mention of Palmer, he couldn't hide his reaction anymore.
He must have expected to rise smoothly by securing ties with the Attorney General, only for Palmer to fall miserably alongside Wilson. The ripples from the stone I tossed have reached all the way here—truly, the butterfly effect is a mysterious thing.
"I have no particular relationship with Attorney General Palmer. It seems you're under some misunderstanding—"
"Ah, I know. You earned the recognition of such a demanding man through your own ability. That's precisely why I'm not bothering to check these results."
If he came all the way here wanting to get acquainted with me, he wouldn't have tampered with them.
If there had been a real issue, he would've been eager to point it out immediately, puffing up with pride to emphasize how he prevented a potential threat. Which means there's nothing serious enough to warrant opening it on the spot.
More importantly, if I open it now, I feel like I'll be playing right into Hoover's hands. I'd rather avoid that. Who knows what he might try to pin on me.
"I heard you wanted to meet me, and now you've even helped me like this—I can't help but ask. Is there something I can do for you?"
"Not at all. I simply wished to meet Captain Kim, who has brought honor to the United States."
"Is that so? Then I'm grateful. It was a pleasure meeting you. Thank you for coming all this way—please have a safe trip back."
"…Pardon?"
"Or is there something more you wished to say…?"
This is fun.
Playing him like this is incredibly entertaining.
Once this man becomes a major figure, I won't be able to pull this kind of thing anymore, so I should enjoy it while I can. It really relieves the stress.
"Very well. Perhaps it's because you're a soldier, but you're quite straightforward. Then I'll speak plainly as well."
"Please do."
"I believe you and I can establish a very good cooperative relationship."
Cooperation, huh.
If I can build ties with the man who will one day dominate the FBI, that's a win for me.
"Cooperation—with just a mere captain?"
"A mere captain? Who would call a war hero of the United States 'mere'? I believe the patriotism and ambition you carry in your heart are far beyond what ordinary people can match."
"Patriotism is something all officers of the United States possess. As for ambition… I wouldn't go that far. Promotion is something every officer naturally desires—"
"Just promotion?"
Seeing that I wasn't giving him any openings, Hoover was starting to grow impatient.
"A senator, the Ford Company, minority groups, veterans, even liquor distribution—and all of that is just for promotion?"
"They're simply connections that formed along the way. The woman I fell in love with just happened to be a senator's daughter, and Chairman Ford approached me first after seeing my potential, offering to become my sponsor."
"Then what about the others—"
"Looking after my roots. Securing a future for the men who fought and returned with me. Those are things I chose to do because the United States couldn't take care of them, so I decided I would help instead."
"I thought as much."
He subtly wiped the sweat from his hand onto his pants and clenched his fist.
"Do you realize that all of those things ultimately lead toward politics?"
"I suppose they could. They could. But that only matters if I choose to go down that path."
"If the United States is to take care of them, then the Capitol in Washington, D.C. must change. Captain Kim—someone who only intends simple charity would never go this far!"
Right.
I'm not the one making the request.
You lay out your ambition first. That's how I take the upper hand.
"I, too, want to fight to protect this country—just in a different way than you. I want to defend the citizens of the United States from the clutches of communists, spies, and criminals."
"I see. That's truly commendable patriotism."
"If we join hands and rise to the very top in our respective fields, who would dare threaten the United States?"
"Wouldn't it take decades to reach that point?"
"There's no need to play modest with me, Captain. Now that I've met you in person, I'm certain. We have the ability, the will, and we wield our means like a blade for the right purpose. Why shouldn't we work together?"
I tilted my head slightly.
He's coming on stronger than expected. That's a bit surprising.
Sure, I've achieved quite a lot in World War I, but it's not like there aren't other prominent war heroes such as Pershing or MacArthur. And considering the racial disadvantage I carry, it's odd for him to approach me this boldly.
"What exactly have I been wielding?"
"Why did you get rid of the President?"
For the first time, even I couldn't control my expression.
How the hell did this bastard find out?
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