Chapter 20: Prosecution Investigation Is Boring

“Director, it’s Hero. You saw the news, right?”

-“Ah, yes, I saw it. It was that Returnee you mentioned.”

“We need to register that bi*ch as a villain quickly.”

“About that… to register her as a villain, her criminal act must first be legally recognized.”

“If what she did isn’t a crime, then what is?”

“Listen here, whether it’s a crime is judged by the judiciary, not something we decide ourselves. As you know, registering a villain requires many procedures. It’s not something that can be done overnight.”

Damn it.

While they drag their feet citing procedure after procedure, it’s obvious more lives will be lost.

“Alright, I understand for now.”

“Okay, don’t even think about doing anything rash.”

“I won’t.”

This country is hopeless because of this.

They neglect urgent matters citing pointless procedures, and when things go wrong, they’ll just be busy blaming each other.

Just look at the political scene now.

The ruling and opposition parties are too busy fighting each other and have little interest in the actual events that occurred.

Someone has to act. Someone has to stop that villain.

Who would do it… I have to.

The hero who returned after defeating the Demon King in another world, 21-year-old Kim Minsu.

Having achieved the great feat of killing the Demon King, not much remained for him.

Not his intact and peaceful hometown.

Not his parents who would have been waiting for him.

Not the peace he deserved to enjoy.

What filled the empty shell was his sense of justice, a somewhat twisted sense of justice.

Still, until now, he had acted as a relatively law-abiding citizen.

But not anymore.

Some might call it vigilantism. But that doesn’t matter to him.

He waits no longer. Not for the slow judgment of the judiciary, not for the bickering politicians, not for the procedures of this country.

The Hero, he decided to execute the justice he believed in.

Even if the laws and procedures of the Republic of Korea stood in the way of his justice.

***

-[“Assemblyman Kim □□ of the Unified Korea Party and 20 lawmakers from the Unification Democratic Party visited the Supreme Prosecutors’ Office General Affairs Office in Seocho-gu, Seoul this morning and submitted a criminal complaint against Yakovlena El Fride, Commander of the Pyongyang Reconstruction Government Territory Reclamation Command, for violating international law and three other charges. Assemblyman Kim □□ of the Unified Korea Party demanded a thorough investigation into the Gaechon incident…”]

A scene often seen in the news appears.

The scene where politicians show off a yellow envelope boldly labeled ‘Criminal Complaint’ in front of the cameras.

But this time, the target is me.

-[“Meanwhile, in opinion polls, the view that a parliamentary investigation is necessary exceeded the majority…”]

-[“The Democratic Liberty Party took a step back regarding the parliamentary investigation, stating they would follow public opinion.”]

It’s been too long since I returned home, and 10 years have passed, so I don’t really know the political situation of our country.

In times like these, there’s one person who can help.

My handler, Park Jeonghun.

Ah, of course, I don’t think I’ll lose.

I do have experience living as a Korean, after all.

I can confidently say I understand the psychology of this nation’s people, maybe not perfectly, but roughly.

A few weeks later, thanks to the criminal complaint those guys filed, I ended up going for questioning as the accused.

How annoying.

“Ms. Fride, I think it would be better to go in a suit rather than your military uniform.”

“Hmm, is that so?”

“Yes, it looks cleaner, and it will also help dilute the image that’s been created.”

“Right, that sounds good.”

Public opinion about me right now is about half and half.

Those who support the ruling government party will view me favorably, and those who support the opposition parties will view me critically.

Reason? As if there’s one. It’s just partisan logic.

I told Ion to stay home, and only Park Jeonghun and I headed to Seoul.

Because today, I’m the protagonist. Of course, I’m joking; I just don’t want to put Ion in the camera spotlight.

“Aren’t you worried? You’re still being investigated.”

I said confidently.

“Not at all.”

As expected, the Prosecutor’s Office we arrived at was packed wall-to-wall with reporters.

Getting out of the car, I walk towards the main entrance of the Prosecutor’s Office.

Countless camera flashes explode. Numerous reporters and microphones rush towards me.

“Commander! You’ve currently been accused of violating international war laws…”

“Was there a civilian massacre?”

“Access to Gaechon City is currently restricted…”

“Please give us one statement!”

Ignoring all the questions, I stand at the main entrance of the Prosecutor’s Office.

“I did the right thing. Under the Constitution of the Republic of Korea, the Workers’ Party of Korea and the Korean People’s Army are terrorist organizations, and I simply conducted a counter-terrorism operation.”

The cameras clicked loudly.

Like machine guns.

The flashes were stinging my eyes.

Time to go in now.

Ugh, I don’t want to be investigated.

The investigation was harder than expected.

Of course, it wasn’t physically strenuous.

Rather… the military tribunal I faced in Albheim kept overlapping.

“So, do you admit to the act of hanging the three captured prisoners?”

“Well… Hoo… Let’s take a break.”

“Let’s do that.”

It was really tough back then. I was interrogated without even eating properly.

It’s embarrassing to even call it an investigation… confirmation of criminal facts, yes, that would be the right term.

“Shall we resume?”

“Yes.”

The investigation continued for several hours.

“There’s clear evidence right here in the video, why do you keep deny…”

What’s this… the face of the person interrogating me suddenly grows a beard. And he gets shorter.

“Ms. Fride?”

That’s a dwarf.

“Ms. Fride!”

Ah, right… we lost the war…

“Answer me!”

I feel dizzy. I wish it would end quickly. Both the investigation and me.

-Thump

“Wh-What!? This is…”

Damn dwarf bastard… yelling so loudly…

That thought was my last before consciousness faded.

Meanwhile, while Fride was diligently(?) undergoing investigation, the internet and public opinion went wild.

Elves living on the entire Korean Peninsula, including South Korea and the northern region, were at most a handful.

But the so-called ‘Elf Lovers’, those who adored elves, were a multitude.

Everyone had various reasons for liking them, but the primary reason was their unrealistic beauty. Both males and females possessed beautiful appearances, making it impossible not to like them.

In fact, elves had entered the entertainment industry, and political parties routinely placed elves in uncertain proportional representation spots to gain even one more proportional vote.

An elf’s personal channel could reach a million subscribers in just a day or two.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call it an Elf Cartel.

And Fride’s appearance at the prosecutor’s office became a huge sensation.

Fride, who belonged to the prettier side even among the already beautiful elves, was enough to make even people usually uninterested in international affairs or politics take her side.

Let’s look at a typical example.

***

[Commander El Fride appearing at Prosecutor’s Office .jpg]

-Crazy, she’s f*cking gorgeous?-

Comments
Defending a criminal just cuz she’s pretty lol
ㄴ Yeah, pretty is enough~
ㄴ fr lol

Heueung Noona, hang my neck too…
ㄴ She’s in her 300s, isn’t she too old to be Noona?
ㄴ Pretty means Noona
ㄴ Isn’t she a grandma?
ㄴ My grandma is over 200 years younger than that elf

Starting today, I support Pyongyang.
ㄴ Come to think of it, she just offed the enemy commies, why is that illegal?
ㄴ Because they’re on the same team for ‘that party’

***

The clickbait reporters wouldn’t miss this momentum.

[Commander Fride drawing attention for her outstanding looks]

[Innocent if pretty? Public opinion flowing strangely… reminiscent of the past ‘handsome robber’]

[Killing North Korean soldiers is a crime? War veterans protest collectively]

The broadcasts also focused on her.

-[“It’s called lookism. Professor, what are your thoughts?” / “It’s difficult to view it simply as lookism; this can be seen as a type of hybristophilia phenomenon.” / “A very unfamiliar term has come up. What exactly does that mean?” / “It’s one of the paraphilias involving attraction to serious criminals…”]

An elf politician belonging to the ruling party came out in her support.

–[“I heard the news that Commander Fride fainted during the investigation. As a fellow elf, I empathize with the Commander’s pain. This is clearly coercive investigation, and the prosecution must take full responsibility.”]

As the news of her collapsing during the investigation spread, even sympathy grew.

Furthermore, a fan cafe was even established for her, and public opinion, including the Elf Lovers, gradually turned favorable towards her.

Her image progressively shifted from a civilian massacrer to a frail beautiful girl.

Fride might not appreciate it, but it was undeniably helpful to her.

***

[Opinion Poll Results (Provided by Unrealmeter)]

Question 1. Do you believe there were civilian deaths during the Pyongyang Reconstruction Government’s Gaechon reclamation operation?

Yes – 20%
No – 45%
No Response/Don’t Know – 35%

Question 2. If you believe there were civilian deaths during the Pyongyang Reconstruction Government’s Gaechon reclamation operation, do you think it is General Yakovlena El Fride’s fault?

Yes – 30%
No – 65%
No Response/Don’t Know – 5%

-[“In the first place, it’s not even certain if there were any civilian deaths. The opposition party is currently preoccupied with fabricating stories through incitement. What’s the endgame? Make one person the bad guy to boost their own approval ratings. It’s a very malicious behavior.”]

-[“Presenting something cobbled together as evidence just makes me scoff. Do they think the public is that foolish? The Unified Korea Party is currently deceiving the public.”]

Public opinion gradually shifted to her side.

Of course, the influence of the ruling government party played a part in this to some extent.

The primary responsibility lies with Pyongyang, but the public would hold the government secondarily responsible.
So, shouldn’t they try to avoid the rain?

Organizations from all over the country came out in support of her.

From the Korean War Veterans Association, the Korean Elf Comrades Association, conservative groups, North Korean defector groups, and even people with a suspicious fondness for elves.

Her supporters were more numerous than expected.

Though she had many enemies as well.