Chapter 254: Terror Crisis (5)
They cut their chat short and boarded the vehicle convoy that Mujahid had prepared. The vehicle convoy looked like ordinary passenger vehicles one would see on the streets, but the vehicles were heavily modified on the inside.
Silence ensued within the vehicles as everyone was thinking the same thing. They were not going on a picnic; this was a dangerous mission where everything could go wrong in the blink of an eye.
“Mujahid.”
].
It was Han-Yeol who first broke the silence.
“Yes, hyung-nim?”
“Do terrorist attacks commonly occur in Egypt?”
“Ah... I want to apologize for this mess first...”
Mujahid was sincerely apologetic for what was happening, as he was a prince of this country.
“Nah, it’s not your fault in the first place. You shouldn’t have to apologize.”
“No, I have to apologize.”
“Hmm?”
Han-Yeol found what Mujahid had just said to be quite strange. He might be a prince, but there was no reason for him to apologize for the terrorist attack in the first place. Well, he could be feeling guilty for pestering Han-Yeol to come to Egypt, but Han-Yeol had made the decision to come to Egypt of his own volition.
“No, hyung-nim... I’m not apologizing because I feel guilty for this happening in Egypt... It’s something different.”
“What is it?”
“Actually, there are numerous terrorist organizations in Egypt. These organizations mushroomed up when Africa rallied around Egypt’s declaration to modernize and convert to secularism, which did not sit well with the fanatics.”
“Well, it’s understandable since religion has always been a tool to control the masses and give more power to those in position, and those fanatics can get really extreme sometimes.”
“Yes, but Father could have exterminated these terrorists... However, he chose not to do that.”
“Huh? Why not?”
Han-Yeol found it difficult to understand why these criminals, who were no different from cancer cells to society, were left alone when they could have been exterminated.
“Father has always been interested in oriental culture, particularly Northeast Asia, and he realized something while studying Japan’s history.”
“Ugh...” Han-Yeol groaned as he knew what he meant.
Japan was famous for isolating a single person to unite the rest of the people into a group, and this mentality didn't only occur on a national or political level; it was even present in schools.
The infamous 'Ijime'[1] was one of the social cultures born from this mentality, and this problematic culture has driven numerous people to suicide.
However, the Japanese didn't make any effort to eradicate this wicked mentality. No, it was more like they couldn't get rid of it, as this mentality had already taken deep root in their cultural identity.
“So he intentionally did not exterminate the terrorists?” noVE-Lb-1n
“Yes, you're right.”
Mujahid was always aloof and nonchalant, but Han-Yeol could tell that he was being extremely serious right now just from the look on his face.
“Haa...” Han-Yeol let out a sigh as he developed a slight headache.
He was furious because of what he had just heard, but he didn't plan to vent his anger or anything like that. After all, the water had already been spilled, and there was no point in getting mad at Mujahid right now. Besides, Mujahid was already sincerely and earnestly apologizing for it, so he decided to let it go for now.
Of course...
“I can’t say I’m one hundred percent alright after hearing that...”
“I understand, hyung-nim.”
“So let’s do our best to rescue the hostages.”
“Yes, hyung-nim! Let’s do that!”
‘Hmm... Is this why Mujahid seemed to be more proactive this time compared to others?’ Han-Yeol finally understood the prince's motivation for wanting to join the rescue operation.
Thud!
“...”
The vehicle went over a speed bump, and silence fell over it once again.
***
They finally arrived at a quiet place in the outskirts north of Faiyum.
Luckily, the entrance to the underground dungeon was located beneath a lake called Cairn Lake in the northern district of Faiyum. The entire district was a desert covered in sand, with not a single human in sight.
Thud...!
“We’re almost there, hyung-nim.”
“Okay.”
All of them disembarked from their vehicles when they were almost at their destination.
It went without saying that there were no Porters tagging along this time. The party consisted of Han-Yeol, Mavros, Tia, Mujahid, and thirty other Hunters under the prince’s command. This was enough firepower to conquer a high-ranking hunting ground, even without Han-Yeol’s help.
In other words, all of them were more than capable of carrying their own weight and would not hold Han-Yeol back.
[I’ll speak in Arabic from here on out, hyung-nim.]
[Yeah, that sounds better since we need to communicate with others too.]
[Alright, we’re now going to have a short briefing, so listen up!]
[Yes, sir!]
The atmosphere was quite different from the usual times they went into a hunting ground to hunt monsters. The national prestige of Egypt was on the line in this hostage rescue operation, making the Hunters even more intent on making this a success without any casualties.
Not all of the Hunters in Egypt were patriotic, though. They were no different from Hunters in other countries who prioritized their own benefits before their country. However, most of the Hunters under Mujahid were military veterans with patriotism ingrained in them even before they awakened.
Egypt had a unique method of cultivating Hunters. They selected soldiers with good personalities and high patriotism every quarter and strategically trained them to awaken as Hunters. This allowed the country to have Hunters who prioritized their motherland first, and this was the source of Egypt’s strength that allowed them to become a powerhouse in the world.
Additionally, most of the Hunters under the employment of Mujahid were previously members of his royal guards tasked with protecting him, and these Hunters were prepared to lay down their lives for their prince at any given moment. Their priority was their prince first, before their country.
[We need to be discreet yet quick in this operation. Remember this: my sister, Tayarana, will be in danger if we make any mistakes and cause delays in our operation.]
Gulp...!
These Hunters might prioritize Mujahid above everything else, but they secretly held Tayarana almost in the same regard as him, with him just being slightly, very slightly, ahead. Hearing that any mistake from their side could put Tayarana in jeopardy was more than enough to burden them and make them nervous.
[Kill them all on sight. They are ruthless criminals using their religion as an excuse to sow discord in our motherland, and these fanatics will not stop until they fully conquer our lands and take away our freedom.]
‘Those bastards!’
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