Return of the Sword God-Rank Civil Servant novel Chapter 358

After stepping out of the mansion, Su-ho entered the [Subspace House] once more.

He cast [Enthrallment] on Musashi and began questioning him.

“Name.”

“Takeda Musashi.”

“That your real name?”

“Yes.”

“From here on, I’m going to dismantle Yamaguchi and raise Sumiyoshi to be Japan’s top guild. What do you think?”

“I think it’s a good idea.”

As expected, [Enthrallment].

The effect was terrifying.

Su-ho chuckled.

“Right? But Yamaguchi’s too big for that. I hear you were recently approached by the Vice Minister to go after Sumiyoshi?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“And you’ve got the ledgers on your subordinate groups’ corruption, right?”

“Not all of them, but enough to keep them leashed.”

“Where are they?”

“I’ve stored them in the vault at my home.”

“Anyone besides you able to get inside?”

“No. Only I can.”

“Yeah?”

Annoying.

That meant he’d have to go himself.

No helping it.

Su-ho drove the Guiyeong Spear into the ground near the mansion, then took Musashi’s home address and rode the Iron Horse there at once.

Whoooosh!

For the second time that day, he found himself in Kobe.

Hovering above Musashi’s home, Su-ho narrowed his brows at the swarm of Yamaguchi guild members surrounding the property.

‘Well, at least they’re scrambling after hearing their boss was kidnapped.’

Scanning with [Mana Perception], he saw that none of them had entered the house itself.

As expected.

It was still the guildmaster’s home, after all.

Shrouded in [Colorless Solitude], Su-ho quietly landed with the Iron Horse on the terrace of the second floor.

Then he pulled Musashi from the [Subspace House] and headed for the vault.

The house wasn’t entirely empty.

Servants and what seemed to be family members bustled inside, but before they could scream, Su-ho struck their sleep points, knocking them out.

He entered the study and opened the door to the vault inside.

At the sight within, Su-ho couldn’t help but let out a dry laugh.

“Well now... this is practically a bank vault.”

No exaggeration.

It wasn’t one of those movie-style safes hidden behind a painting. It was an entire room, like the VIP vaults of a bank.

And what was inside shocked him even more.

“Wow... is all this gold?”

Not just gold.

Jewels, dollars—every kind of liquid asset imaginable crammed inside.

“Unbelievable...”

But Musashi ignored all of that, heading to a cabinet in the corner. He pointed with care.

“These documents record all the business Yamaguchi has been involved in since it turned into a guild.”

“Ledgers included?”

“Yes.”

It looked just like a prosecutor’s case cabinet.

Su-ho flipped through them until he pulled out a file.

It detailed drug distribution. Specifically, the Osaka market. A record of all the narcotics handled in Osaka just last year alone.

Tsk, these parasites eating away at society...

Of all crimes, Su-ho despised drug crimes most.

Drugs spared neither young nor old; once released, they slowly hollowed society from within. Humanity’s worst invention.

Personally, he considered drugs worse than random killings.

Shaking his head, Su-ho opened the [Subspace House] and summoned his clone soldiers to start hauling everything away.

Musashi stood by, hands folded politely, waiting.

Meanwhile, Su-ho scanned the vault again and nodded.

“Take all of this too.”

“All of this” meant the valuables—including the gold.

He needed pure gold anyway, to unlock the [Rune of Greed]. The rest he planned to give to Representative Ion.

Ion had gone through the trouble of setting up a Japanese branch, only for it to be dissolved overnight.

Once the loading was done, Su-ho closed the vault and returned to Akasaka with Musashi.

He didn’t meet Hiro right away.

Instead, he approached the car where Director Oota and Section Chief Nakamura were waiting near Hiro’s mansion and tapped the window.

“Open up.”

“Yes, sir.”

Both were still under [Enthrallment].

Su-ho climbed into the back seat of their car and began his questioning, preparing for his visit to Paranormal Ability.

“You two are direct subordinates of Paranormal Ability, correct?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“What kind of man is Vice Minister Miyamoto?”

“Vice Minister Miyamoto... is someone who carries a hundred serpents in his belly.”

“Serpents? You mean sly like a snake?”

“He’s sly, and venomous too.”

“And his greed? Does he like bribes?”

“No. In fact, he’s quite clean.”

“Clean?”

“I’ve heard you always work for the national interest. That’s why I’m here. I’ll consider Paranormal Ability’s attempt on my life a necessary evil for the greater good and overlook it this once. From now on, though, I want you to side with Sumiyoshi, not Yamaguchi. That’s all.”

“......”

Su-ho delivered his intent plainly.

Perhaps because of that, Miyamoto adjusted his glasses with a handkerchief, then fixed his gaze on Su-ho.

“You must indeed be one of the country’s top five Players. I heard Yamaguchi’s assassins weren’t pushovers, yet even so, Equator’s Hiro couldn’t best you.”

“Yes. That’s how it’s been, and that’s how it will remain.”

“I understand Sumiyoshi’s position. But do you know why we chose Yamaguchi in the first place?”

“Because of scale. Even if we’re the number two in the industry, Sumiyoshi only operates within Tokyo, while Yamaguchi spans the entire nation.”

“Then have you considered that Yamaguchi will keep striking after tonight?”

“You needn’t worry about that.”

“Not worry?”

“You must know better than the police how we handled Inagawa. Yamaguchi may take longer, but the method will be the same. Of course, if you lend a hand, it will go much more smoothly.”

“Inagawa and Yamaguchi aren’t the same. Do you really think Yamaguchi will disappear just because I stir the pot a little?”

“Yes. They’ll disappear. So please, think only in terms of national interest. Do you stand with Yamaguchi, who still hides yakuza crime behind the mask of a guild, or with Sumiyoshi—once yakuza, but now running only legitimate businesses?”

“...Your confidence is impressive.”

“I seized the presidency of Sumiyoshi without any backing. How could I not be confident?”

Miyamoto smirked at that.

He drew a cigarette and lit it.

“Fine. But then, what do you truly want? Monopolistic profits?”

“No. I have plenty of money. What I want is honor.”

“...Excuse me?”

“Exactly as I said. I want nothing else. I only want to become Japan’s greatest Player and protect my people. That’s enough for me.”

“...And you expect me to believe that?”

“Believe it or don’t—it’s your choice. But I heard from Director Oota: you don’t take bribes, and you always choose the lesser evil for the sake of the nation. Think of me the same way.”

That final note, echoing Oota’s words, sealed it.

Miyamoto nodded with a smile.

“Ha... very well. But if you want Paranormal Ability to side with you, first bring me evidence that Yamaguchi can be crushed. We don’t act on words alone.”

“Understood. Then give me one day. Ah, and one more thing.”

Su-ho gestured for Oota and Nakamura to step forward.

They approached.

The moment they stood before ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) him, Su-ho drove his fists into each of their chests.

Crack! Crack! Thud!

They collapsed.

No—they were dead.

Just one strike each, but enough to kill outright.

Hoisting their corpses onto his shoulders, Su-ho said,

“With these two lives, I’ll consider all grudges over tonight’s matter settled. From here on, I look forward to your cooperation. I’ll handle the cleanup myself.”

He loaded the bodies into their car, climbed into the driver’s seat, and drove away quietly.

Watching him depart, Vice Minister Miyamoto unconsciously swallowed a dry lump in his throat.