WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: DereKimchi
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ The Abandoned Tank is a Disaster-class Awakener ◈
Chapter 39
──────
Korean Abyss Emergency Countermeasures Headquarters.
“America Effectively Excludes Korea, China, and Japan from Abyss Support”
The provocative headline filled the screen.
The prime minister put down the remote.
“The official announcement has finally been made.”
“...”
None of the government officials or Awakeners Association executives gathered in the conference room could answer.
“Chairman.”
The prime minister's voice was directed at Chairman Park Gang-sik.
Anyone could hear the reproach in it.
“...I have no intention of avoiding responsibility for my initial judgment.”
Park Gang-sik spoke.
“When this situation is resolved, I will undergo whatever review is necessary.”
The prime minister's expression did not soften.
Park Gang-sik continued.
“But questioning my judgment here will not bring Busan's citizens back.”
“That is why I am asking for countermeasures.”
“We need to change our approach to support.”
“How?”
Park Gang-sik pointed to the screen.
“Kang Seong-un publicly singled out the three countries, citing scheduling issues.”
As if waiting for that, the executive in charge of international cooperation spread out some documents.
Park Gang-sik's gaze briefly fell on them.
The executive took over.
“All three countries have recently clashed with the American Association over Awakener policy. Outsiders may see this decision as an extension of those conflicts.”
“Didn't they say there were countries that had already concluded talks first?”
“The order in which that was decided has not been made public.”
Park Gang-sik immediately added,
“Nor have the exact conditions offered, or the criteria used to determine priority.”
The prime minister leaned back in their chair.
“What are you trying to say, Chairman?”
“We should question the criteria for rescue.”
Park Gang-sik's voice grew calm.
“The lives and deaths of tens of thousands are at stake. Yet whether they are rescued is being decided by a personal relationship and the compensation a country can offer.”
“Isn't that reaching a conclusion about things that have not been confirmed?”
“That is why we must demand confirmation.”
Park Gang-sik's voice did not rise in the slightest.
“I am not suggesting we issue a statement condemning Kang Seong-un personally. We should ask whether political conflicts or personal feelings have intervened in disaster rescue efforts, and whether there are standards the international community can accept.”
The executives beside Park Gang-sik nodded.
Park Gang-sik watched the prime minister's reaction.
“...”
The reproach had stopped.
At least for now, everyone was waiting for Park Gang-sik's next words.
“If Korea alone raises the issue, it may look like an emotional backlash. China and Japan must join us.”
“You want to make a joint protest?”
“We can begin with a joint inquiry. We present the number of missing people in the three countries and the time remaining, then request that they disclose their selection criteria.”
The executive in charge of public relations made a note.
“The media will naturally ask why.”
Park Gang-sik added,
“Why these three countries? What have their civilians done wrong?”
For the first time, Park Gang-sik opened one hand.
“Kang Seong-un will have to answer those questions as well.”
“And if he cannot?”
“Then naturally, he should help Korea and other countries struggling with the emergence of Abysses. Otherwise, he will find it difficult to avoid accusations that he refuses to save people in danger over petty personal feelings.”
Silence lingered for a moment.
A Foreign Ministry official spoke.
“Will that sort of pressure work? He is now the world's first Conqueror. Even the American president has stepped forward to support him.”
“That is exactly why he has no choice but to be more conscious of public opinion.”
Park Gang-sik answered quickly.
“He declared that he would save people. Yet right there, he excluded the citizens of certain countries. We must make him explain that contradiction.”
“He said there are limits to his time...”
“Whether it is truly a limit of ability or a personal choice is a separate matter.”
Park Gang-sik looked at Kang Seong-un on the screen.
“If he uses humanity's crisis as a means to force through his demands, what is that if not a threat?”
Emotion briefly colored Park Gang-sik's voice.
Park Gang-sik soon chose the words more carefully.
“At the very least, he has a responsibility to explain himself so that he does not invite such suspicions.”
The prime minister tapped the desk once with a finger.
“Do you think China and Japan will agree?”
“They have been excluded as well.”
Park Gang-sik nodded.
“They will understand that acting together is better than protesting alone.”
Park Gang-sik looked at the executive in charge of international cooperation.
“First, confirm their willingness through working-level channels. Do not send the wording outside.”
“Yes, Chairman.”
The executive immediately picked up the phone.
Park Gang-sik turned back to the prime minister.
“Let us see their response first.”
There was certainty hidden in those words.
* * *
The first call was to China.
After the executive in charge of international cooperation explained the purpose of the call, they handed the receiver to Park Gang-sik.
Zhang Weilong answered personally.
“What is it?”
They were more curt than usual.
Park Gang-sik calmly opened his mouth.
“You must have seen America's announcement regarding its support recipients. I would like to discuss a joint response to this matter.”
“A joint response?”
“It is a decision that singles out only our three countries. If we jointly demand disclosure of the selection criteria, America will have difficulty ignoring us.”
“...”
The other end of the line fell silent.
Park Gang-sik took it as attentive listening.
“The point is that civilian rescue must not be tied to personal feelings or conflicts between countries. If China and Japan join us, international opinion will also...”
“Who exactly are you trying to get killed?”
The shout leaked out of the receiver.
“...Pardon?”
Park Gang-sik fell silent.
The minister across from Park Gang-sik looked up.
“Chairman Zhang. I believe there has been a misunderstanding.”
“We are currently sending America revised conditions. We are asking them to at least review them if the schedule changes!”
“...”
“And you want us to protest? You intend to put China's name on an accusation against Kang Seong-un?”
“It is not an accusation, but a demand for fair criteria...”
“Korea can make that demand. China will not participate.”
Zhang Weilong's breathing was rough.
“Do not include our name in even a single line.”
Click.
The call ended.
Park Gang-sik held the receiver for a moment.
The executive in charge of international cooperation spoke carefully.
“It seems the Chinese side has become quite sensitive.”
Park Gang-sik put down the receiver.
“What about Japan?”
The executive hurriedly dialed the next number.
* * *
“Do not say that you discussed this with Japan, even verbally.”
Park Gang-sik's jaw tightened.
“This is not a situation that can be resolved by each country making requests on its own.”
“So you intend to eliminate even our remaining possibilities?”
“...”
“Do you know who you intend to wage a public-opinion battle against right now?”
Park Gang-sik tried to speak.
The other side continued first.
“Our government is conducting additional talks with America. We will also convey that we did not agree to Korea's proposal.”
“There is no need to go that far...”
“Japanese citizens are facing death. Do not drag us into this filthy business any longer.”
Click.
Just like China, the call ended unilaterally.
“...”
Park Gang-sik's fingers froze over the receiver.
It did not take long to confirm the two countries' intentions.
They could not even agree on the first sentence of a joint inquiry.
The prime minister asked,
“Did both countries refuse?”
Park Gang-sik slowly put down the receiver.
“...It appears they intend to prioritize individual negotiations for now.”
The executive in charge of international cooperation added,
“They seem concerned about America's response. If we give it time and contact them again...”
“Enough.”
The prime minister cut them off.
“Japan just said it would inform America of this contact. First determine whether further contact will help our negotiations.”
The executive looked at Park Gang-sik.
When Park Gang-sik gave the slightest nod, the executive closed their mouth.
The public relations officer's notebook still contained the phrases they had prepared.
“A choice that turns away from humanitarian rescue.”
“The lives of citizens must not be swayed by an individual's feelings.”
The space beneath them was blank.
There was no country willing to put its name alongside Korea's.
Park Gang-sik stared at the dead phone.
Park Gang-sik had thought that if the world raised the issue together, Kang Seong-un would have no choice but to act.
But that world was avoiding Park Gang-sik's calls.
China was trying to offer more conditions.
Japan was trying to announce first that it had not stood with Korea.
All of them considered the moment Kang Seong-un's schedule might open up more important than the time they could spend being angry at him.
The world Park Gang-sik had tried to draw in was already lining up before Kang Seong-un.
* * *
Messages poured in.
Exclusive interviews.
Special broadcasts.
Corporate events and invitations to various dinners.
But I did not respond to any of them. I handed them all to Miller.
“Mr. Kang. At least this one...”
“I'll trust you, Chairman.”
“...Was that always such a frightening thing to say?”
Miller looked down at his ringing phone.
Watching him, I quietly walked over and closed the door for him.
I had left that matter to an expert, so it was time to do my own work.
I headed east of the Association's main building, in the direction opposite the herbal medicine research institute.
There was a building set apart like an annex.
“Is anyone here?”
When I opened the door,
Fwoooosh!
Hot air washed over my face.
Clang! Clang!
Sharp metallic sounds rang out as well.
All kinds of tongs and hammers hung from the walls, while two people inside took turns hammering red-hot metal.
The nameplate at the entrance clearly read Blacksmithing Technology Research Institute.
But...
‘...Isn't this just a forge?’
The herbal medicine research institute had white coats and glass bottles.
This place had leather aprons and muscles.
Men held tongs as thick as their forearms in hands even thicker than their forearms.
When they turned away from the furnace, their shoulder muscles flexed, and thick veins rose beneath their aprons with every swing of the hammer.
“Grab that!”
“I've got it. Hit it!”
Clang!
Even their conversations were short.
One of the men who spotted me tapped the shoulder of the person beside him.
The hammering stopped one by one.
A large man with closely shaved hair walked over from inside.
A thick beard.
An apron marked here and there with burn stains.
He took off his gloves and rubbed his palms against his pants.
“Mr. Kang?”
“Yes.”
“I'm Jack Morgan. I'm in charge here.”
He held out his hand as if he had already received Miller's call.
Squeeze.
I took his hand.
His calluses were as hard as stone.
“I watched it. The Abyss.”
“Thank you.”
That was the end of the handshake.
“I hear you have business with us?”
It seemed Miller had not told him the details.
Smiling, I opened my inventory.
Thud.
I placed a Snow-Silk Stone on the workbench.
Then I took out an Illusion Stone.
The next moment,
“Hmm...?!”
Morgan's eyes narrowed.
The men standing nearby came closer as well.
“This is...?”
He picked up the Snow-Silk Stone and scratched its surface with a fingernail.
His finger stopped along the blue grain.
“Is this metal?”
“It is an ore that can be drawn into thread. It is good for transferring mana.”
Morgan looked at me.
“Metal like this exists?”
“Yes. It is not something you see easily. So...”
Just as I was about to continue explaining,
Flap.
A black parasol opened beside my shoulder.
Rustle.
Silver-gray hair spilled down.
The Ore Spirit stepped into the air as she adjusted the hem of her dress.
“You called for me, my lord.”
The Ore Spirit looked at me while adjusting her dress.
‘But I didn't call you?’
It did not seem like I should say that.
“Uh... I would like you to teach these people how to handle ores.”
“If it is my master's request, gladly...”
Her gaze moved to the side... then stopped.
Morgan's thick beard.
His soot-stained apron.
Even the burly men craning their necks to look from behind him.
“...”
The spirit said nothing for a long moment.
Then she tilted her parasol to shield herself from them.
“...Are these the things you meant?”
“They are the most skilled people here.”
“The most...”
Her small lips repeated the word.
She looked down at the tools scattered across the workbench.
“...Master, you have truly been struggling in such a poor environment.”
Morgan stepped closer.
The spirit immediately retreated.
She even pulled the hem of her dress closer to herself.
“Stop there.”
“I am Jack Morgan. I am in charge here.”
“I understand, so do not come any closer.”
Morgan's eyebrows twitched slightly.
The spirit looked at the Snow-Silk Stone in his hand.
Her expression soon turned colder.
“Put it down.”
“I heard this can be drawn into thread.”
“I told you to remove those filthy hands first. Do not make me repeat myself.”
“...”
The surroundings fell silent.
Morgan looked at his hands.
Soot and metal dust were lodged in the lines of his palms.
He put down the ore.
The spirit raised a fingertip.
The Snow-Silk Stone floated into the air.
A small brush appeared and carefully swept the place Morgan had touched.
“You grab it without even looking at the grain of the raw ore. Do you believe everything will obey if you simply apply force?”
“No, I was checking whether it was hard...”
“With your hands?”
The spirit looked up at him.
They were not eyes waiting for an explanation.
They looked at him as though he were a beast that had put its paw on the dining table.
“I thought you had at least learned to use tools. It seems I expected too much.”
“...”
Morgan turned to look at me.
I cleared my throat.
“Her way of speaking is a little harsh, but her skills are unquestionable.”
“I can see that.”
He pulled a work chair toward the spirit.
Scrape.
He sat down.
“How should I hold it?”
This time, the spirit paused for a moment.
The men behind him brought over chairs as well.
The large men sat side by side before the workbench.
Someone even took out a notebook.
“...You know how to write.”
“I can draw, too.”
One of the men answered confidently.
“...”
The spirit's eyes narrowed.
* * *
Click.
The parasol handle turned.
Thin tongs and chisels emerged from a magic circle.
The spirit moved the Snow-Silk Stone over the fire.
“Lower the heat.”
The fire weakened.
“More.”
It weakened again.
“I told you to handle ore, yet you have been burning it like firewood. I almost feel sorry for all the raw ore you have wasted so far.”
Morgan gestured toward the back.
“Write down the temperature.”
One man hurriedly checked the gauge.
The spirit's tongs gripped the ore's surface.
Rustle.
A silver thread unraveled.
The thin, smooth strand coiled in the air.
Morgan leaned forward.
The other men craned their necks at the same time.
“Move back.”
The spirit opened her parasol and hid her face.
“You do not need to have your breath reach it before you understand, do you?”
“Show me that angle one more time.”
Morgan's eyes remained fixed on the thread.
The spirit looked down at him.
Then she moved the tongs.
More slowly than before.
Morgan picked up his own tongs.
Snap.
The first thread broke short.
The spirit's lips hardened coldly.
“Is it really so difficult to handle it delicately?”
“I need to use less force.”
“Think first. Do not move your hands before that.”
Morgan nodded.
He brought the tongs close again.
This time, he drew out a slightly longer thread.
The man watching beside him shot to his feet.
“It worked!”
“Sit down.”
The spirit frowned.
“Must you howl over a single strand of thread?”
“My apologies!”
The man sat down with a grin.
Then he immediately brought over his own ore.
“Please look at mine, too.”
“...Did you even hear what I just said?”
“Yes. I will be quiet.”
Another piece of ore was placed on the workbench.
A thick hand rose from another side.
“Me too.”
“This part keeps breaking for me.”
“Teacher, is this the right angle?”
Teacher.
At that form of address, the spirit's eyebrow twitched.
She turned to me.
“Master.”
Her voice became gentle in an instant.
“Could you dismiss those things for a moment?”
“Why?”
“Even when asking for instruction, there is a minimum level of courtesy...”
“Bring back more tongs while you are resting!”
Morgan shouted toward the back.
Two men sprang to their feet.
“The same thickness as before?”
“Yes. We will master all of it today.”
The spirit's mouth closed.
Morgan lifted the thread he had drawn with his own hands.
A childlike smile sat on his rough face.
“I really drew this myself.”
The man beside him grinned too.
“If she scolds us one more time, I think I can draw an even longer one.”
“...I can hear you.”
“Yes, Teacher. What should we do next?”
Squeeze.
The spirit tightly gripped her parasol handle.
I turned away and swallowed my laughter.
It seemed that as long as they could learn the skill, the people here were willing to give up being treated like people.
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