Episode 111: An Unconventional Walk (3)
Park Dong-jin held a press conference the very next day. Reporters arrived expecting a conflict between him and Kang Min-hyuk, but they soon saw the U-turn the KMA had made.
“I’ve held Kang Min-hyuk in high esteem for some time now. His double-casting work, magic shape change, mana fairy tale, medical magic, etc., have been inspired and inspiring. Kang Min-hyuk has released precious magical knowledge for free for the pure purpose of academic magic’s development. His integrity alone surpasses his skill. My initial response to his tower was, I admit it: a mistake. It’s my pleasure to announce that the Korean Magical Association will proudly and actively support Kang Min-hyuk’s new endeavor.”
Papapat.
Cameras flashed like fireworks, hungry to capture the moment. The meaning of Park Dong-jin’s remarks was exact: their power struggle had ended in his surprising surrender. Not only had they reached an understanding, but Park Dong-jin became Min-hyuk’s cheerleader.
He went on, “I received a very disorienting offer some time ago. The World Magic Association asked me to interfere with Kang Min-hyuk’s actions, and foolishly, I was swayed by their coercion. The status of the World Magic Alliance made me dumb. But now I know what’s important, and I have something to say to them. The World Magic Alliance is the force that has benefited most from Kang Min-hyuk’s good-will – does it make sense to hinder the creation of a new tower just because they fear hierarchic disruption? We must protect Kang Min-hyuk. In the end, a society that cannot develop must change.”
Park Dong-jin’s political power was in acting. It was a great appeal, and those who watched admired it.
Following his speech, a reporter asked a question designed to trip him up. They were from the World Magic Alliance.
“Kang Min-hyuk publicly condemned the WMA. Can you look past that?”
It was an aggressive question; closer inspection revealed the reporter as a World Magic Association member. Park Dong-jin smiled and came down from the stage. The KMA ran the risk of attack from those who supported the WMA, but there was no other viable option.
“In the end, our closest threat is also the most lethal – as long as the government side with Kang Min-hyuk, my decision is fixed. Do you walk the path that the Korean government turns away from within Korea’s landmass, or do you choose to keep home comforts while you can be turned away on the world stage? The answer is simple.”
The world is, after all, the world. Korea was home – a reality he would face every single day.
“As a result of our unification, we have agreed on a lower-priced mana stone trade.”
Kang Min-hyuk’s carrot was an enticing one. Kang Min-hyuk said that if Park Dong-jin took on a trumpeter’s role, he would receive the supply of red mana stones and a 10% discount on the market price. When converted into cold, hard cash, 10% was a healthy sum. At first, Park Dong-jin was very proud of his visit to Kang Min-hyuk, and his criticisms melted away like snow under the sun.
The human heart is like a reed. For the cost of a single carrot, Park Dong-jin was sincerely praying for Kang Min-hyuk’s victory.
* * *
Kang Deok-cheol’s teaching was impersonal. He encouraged his students to embrace their enemies – everybody could be useful in the proper circumstances, and there was no need to turn away from somebody just because you didn’t like them. You could gain as much from somebody you don’t trust as someone you do.
Kang Min-hyuk grew up surrounded by Kang Deok-cheol’s philosophy playing out. He agreed with his father’s stance. Every human being has (at least) two sides. No matter how good the person, you could never be sure what kind of thoughts rattled about their heads. People like Go Young-cheol, who had invested a lot into Kang Min-hyuk’s plans, was easy to trust, but not every relationship had such firm foundations. Shallow human relationships had their functions, and Kang Min-hyuk knew how to deepen them to ensure loyalty. If he used sticks and carrots correctly, the other side would never break the trust, so he accepted Park Dong-jin.
Kang Min-hyuk didn’t like him, but he had to use him for his ideas to work as planned. Before crossing the line, Park Dong-jin quickly decided that he was surrendering. From the moment he bowed his head, he became useful. The effect of his trumpeting was immediately noticeable.
The World Magic Association was criticized and showed a momentary agitation, but he didn’t change his attitude. The price for power was too high to accept their opinions on Kang Min-hyuk. As the noise grew, clamoring around the topic of the tower, Kang Min-hyuk sent invitations to several forces that had no affiliation to the WMA – the British, German and Canadian Magic Association.
The British Magic Association, represented by Wayne Burns, spoke first, “The reason I supported Kang Min-hyuk’s choice is that his dream coincides with ours. Together, I believe we can advance academic magic to its highest potential. However, except for the eight forces gathered here, more than a hundred forces, large and small, have decided to join the World Magic Alliance. This is a huge problem. Being isolated in magical academia means that you have no choice but to perish in a land where self-improvement is impossible. Your support would be invaluable in preventing the demise of our evolution.”
Kang Min-hyuk added, “He speaks the truth. Isolation in magic academia is a deadly problem.”
Isolation didn’t just mean bullying. Interactions with magic academia included material things, and as a result, active transactions would be cut off—Mana stones, artifacts, spellbooks, human resources, etc. Everything magical couldn’t be exchanged with other forces, and the majority would attack isolated forces by any means available.
Germany’s position was especially tricky – gates formed there often, and neighboring countries, which are usually members of the World Magic Federation, had helped them a lot. But what if that support was cut off? Germany had to live in danger every day. It wasn’t merely a financial issue; many problems could arise.
“I will work hard to combat the effects of isolation. As you know, I have a monopoly on the mana stone market, and I have more magical knowledge than others. I understand it’s hard at first. Until things fall into place, dangerous days will loom. However, the longer the battle progresses, the more advantageous we are. Why did you choose me? Even if the World Magic Alliance is strong, but together, we will be stronger.”
It was convincing. He tantalized them with the thought of the long fight. As time passed, Kang Min-hyuk’s advantage would extend – the mana stone market was a well that would not dry out, and talents derived from superior knowledge of magic will be accessible to those who worked with him.
They would win the war if they didn’t collapse too soon. However, there was another problem.
Wayne Burns represented everyone’s opinion.
“How many forces are you prepared for? The creation of a tower is not child’s play. If you begin something so monumental and are content with plucking a few students from the Department of Magic, then declaring that you are a magic tower, chaos will ensue. Your dream of the future? It’s good, but the present state is also important. No matter how great Kang Min-hyuk is, if he claims to be a tower by himself, no one will accept it.”
It was one of the more significant problems, but Min-hyuk had already found an answer to it.
If Kang Min-hyuk revealed the names of those who decided to sympathize with him, it would be resolved imminently. Still, he chose not to say.
“You don’t have to worry about power. I have obtained the consent of several people who will help me. If you doubt the power I have, you don’t have to come to the inaugural ceremony. But if you believe in me and are willing to go to the end, please consider all risks and participate.”
That was the last promise.
After a brief conversation, people rose from their seats and departed. Their faces spelled gloom; caught at the crossroads of a dramatic decision, they wouldn’t get much sleep.
* * *
Time passed quickly. Finally, it was the day of the inauguration ceremony. People invited by Kang Min-hyuk gathered on the stage, which had been installed in front of the completed tower, which was majestic. However, architectural admiration was brief, and Marco Dawson of the German Magic Association became increasingly restless.
‘It’s dangerous.’
A total of eight organizations, including the UK, Germany, and Russia, had agreed with Kang Min-hyuk’s will, but only five organizations visited. Britain, which could be said to be the centerpiece, showed sincerity through Wayne Burns and John Wesley’s appearance, but the Russian Magic Association and its two towers did not appear. The truth came to light later: their representative was a spy of the World Magic Association. They had no intention of following Kang Min-hyuk in the first place, but they deliberately set out to understand the situation.
As a result, rumors spread, suggesting that the tower would be an empty vessel – a show without any substance. That notion was asserted by Marco Dawson, of the German MA, whose concern grew in the face of it. He felt it was dangerous to walk in opposition to the Word MA, but he concluded that direct experience with Kang Min-hyuk was worth the risk.
The lack of support was worrying for Kang Min-hyuk, who began to feel that he should have waited a little longer. If he couldn’t level the playing field, the initial challenges would be tricky to overcome.
In the meantime, the inauguration ceremony finally began.
* * *
Kang Min-hyuk stepped forward, reaching the stage in a shower of applause. He laughed deeply as his captive audience gazed up at him.
“As I expected.”
There weren’t many supporters. Participating in the founding ceremony wasn’t a very sensible option. Most of them didn’t show their faces because they didn’t want to be disliked by the World Magic Alliance, but there was no reason for the fortified warriors to attend the event. As a result of the Incompetence battles, Kang Min-hyuk was recognized, but at the same time, he became a public enemy. There were even fewer reporters than at the previous public meetings. In short: the intentions of the World Magic Alliance worked.
After all, the power of vested interests exerted intense pressure from the very beginning to prevent new forces from growing. But Min-hyuk was satisfied. He had England, Germany, and three horses, which amounted to more than you might think. He’d previously considered only siding with England but had gained the trust of four more forces.
“From now on, I will make a point. This won’t end in a day or two. The World Magic Alliance has chosen to walk in opposition to me, and it is possible to destroy the monsters beyond the gate only by subduing them and rallying them as one force. First impressions are strong. To those who are watching the inauguration ceremony from a distance, I have to show that I did not start without preparation.’
Kang Min-hyuk grabbed the microphone and said in a confident voice, “Before starting the inauguration ceremony, I would like to introduce the people who decided to lead the tower with me.”
He pulled out the trump card. It was the moment for the show to begin.
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