The Imperial Hunter

However, having few side effects did not mean it was completely safe. Was there really no harm in forcing awake a brain that should be asleep? The longer it was used, the more aggressive it became, making logical thinking difficult and even causing hallucinations in severe cases.

Among these, I had experienced hallucinations myself. It was an old story from the days when I often had to jump into more dangerous situations before the organization had fully established itself.

Looking back, it was like a dream that overlaid itself onto reality, as if the hook didn’t catch properly.

Intermittent and momentary hallucinations erode reality. It felt like a part of my brain was nodding off even though I was awake.

Being sleep-deprived, I was more vulnerable to these side effects than most other people. That was why Suyeon had sighed when I demanded these pills.

The short pause in the conversation was filled by the monotone voice of the news anchor.

[The ‘FPDA’ is an Asian-Pacific regional security community of the British Commonwealth, comprising the member nations of the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, and Singapore. Their military cooperation among member countries used to fall short of even a passive mutual defense treaty, but on July 27th of this year, under the leadership of the United Kingdom as the host nation, it was elevated to a military alliance that jointly conducts offensive and defensive operations. India, as the ‘+1,’ joined as an associate member starting September 5th.]

[Experts in diplomacy and security agree that the UK’s recent actions are aimed at countering China. As tensions escalated over Hong Kong, it’s been suggested that they needed a card to militarily pressure China. Additionally, countries like Australia, which faced political trade sanctions from China during the COVID-19 pandemic, and Malaysia and Singapore, which have felt threatened by China’s continued territorial claims in the South China Sea, have actively supported the UK, leading to the swift promotion of the military alliance.]

[This support is the first step in demonstrating that ‘FPDA+1’ has the capability to project military power internationally…]

[The reactions of the United States and China couldn’t be more contrasting. The White House spokesperson praised the unity of ‘FPDA+1,’ stating that it contributes to global peace, while the Chinese Foreign Minister expressed strong displeasure, likening this deployment by ‘FPDA+1’ to nothing less than a conspiracy by forces attempting to infringe upon China’s sovereignty.]

Kyung-tae, who had been lost in thought, spoke up.

“It seems like the Mexican government intentionally dispersed their forces, doesn’t it?”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s what the Mexican government said. When I first heard they allowed the expansion of the Sinaloa Cartel for security stability, I just thought, ‘This is Mexico.’ But now, it seems like they intentionally induced the dispersion of Sinaloa’s forces, planning to sweep them up as the next target for the Knights.”

“…That’s possible.”

I, too, had reached a similar conclusion. With Double A stationed in this port, only one of the three major armed factions under Sinaloa, “Los Mexicles,” remained in Ciudad Juárez, the core stronghold of the cartel. 

Los Mexicles might have nearly 40,000 members on the surface, but the true hardcore members were no more than 2,000 at most. Even that 2,000 would be generously classified as a militia force. They were proficient at maintaining secrecy due to their unique Nahuatl dialect, but they fell short in terms of combat capability compared to the other two armed factions.

Apart from these factions, there were other armed groups as well. However, these were more like armed militias of local drug lords rather than cartel armies. “Los Ántrax,” headquartered in Culiacán, Sinaloa, the birthplace of the cartel, was one such group. The central government and the state government operated separately, and the state government enjoyed a high degree of autonomy.

‘Judging by how the city’s police are unable to act decisively, it doesn’t seem like the president planned this from the beginning…’

If this assumption is correct, they initially considered an inevitable collaboration with Sinaloa, but perhaps they changed direction when they received a favorable offer from the UK. It was like swapping out the knife of a violent murderer.

However, the prolonged presence of foreign troops operating within the country poses a burden that may be difficult for the president to handle. Given the considerable civilian casualties already accumulated, there is a possibility that they will try to quickly resolve the situation while adhering to the agreement with Sinaloa. Such rapid stabilization would provide strong evidence to support the president’s claim that he made the right decision.

The overall probability is roughly fifty-fifty.

Coincidentally, the news anchor reports that President Obrador is facing a political backlash. The entire opposition is against his actions, as he deployed foreign troops onto Mexican soil without congressional approval. Even some factions within his own party are reported to be joining the movement.

However, in a situation where everything must be conducted in secret, how could they obtain congressional approval beforehand? Among those lawmakers, there are undoubtedly individuals who would leak information to the cartels.

“Are Double A and the military still in a standoff?” 

Suyeon immediately responded to my question.

“Yes. I believe the Sinaloa Cartel has noticed that things are unfolding strangely too, but for now, they seem undecided on how to proceed. They are likely mobilizing their connections in Mexico City.”

Suyeon put her hand over her ear and listened to the audio coming from the in-ear receiver. After a moment, she turned to me with new information.

“This is a report from the field command center. Analysis of satellite images taken 17 minutes ago reveals that the British military convoy has left Guadalajara. They are heading west along Route 15 and Route 70.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. Given the circumstances, it’s highly likely that their target, the cartel leader, has fled to the west.”

“That’s a possibility…”

At present, there were three Cubesat satellites served as my eyes in the skies over Guadalajara. One belonged to the organization, and the other two were owned by satellite companies affiliated with the organization. These satellites, orbiting at an altitude of 620 kilometers, captured and transmitted photographic data of the Puerto Vallarta area at intervals of 2 hours and 3 minutes, 7 minutes and 30 seconds, 41 minutes and 1 second, and 74 minutes and 29 seconds, respectively. This provided us with a real-time overview of the Guadalajara region.

Approaching the window, I gently part the closed curtains with my fingertips.

“There’s one good thing about this country called Mexico.”

The tense city was enveloped in silence. Everyone could sense that a storm was imminent, even the flickering streetlights didn’t find the courage to light up the streets. Even the fiery Perucho had not sought out Huan. Citizens to whom I had distributed food had no motivation to go fishing in the storm. At least not at this moment.

Turning back to face the room, I leaned against the window frame and continued.

“That’s the fact that no matter what we do, the cartel will be the one hunted and suspected.”

Even if we detonated bombs in the heart of the city, used explosive magic, or fired machine guns and rockets in all directions, the authorities would soon point the finger at some cartel as the perpetrator. Why? Because Mexican cartels were known to possess a massive arsenal of explosives, machine guns, and rockets. All we needed to do was put in a little effort to conceal our identities.

The blueprint of the submarine and the hunt for the imperialists. I didn’t want to give up on either one.