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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: Private Quarters (5), Camp Roberts
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"Straight to the point, if I may."
Winter said.
"Why do you think the Winter Alliance should take you in?"
Kang Youngsoon, the elderly woman, smiled warmly in response. She jotted down her satisfaction in her notebook.
「I never imagined I'd get a question like this.」
「I figured it'd be either chased out without a word or accepted for no reason at all. That's how it's always been wherever we went—until now.」
The context was easy enough to read.
"If you expected the latter, you can blame Section Chief Jang Yeoncheol."
The old woman adjusted her pen. Her neat movements made her seem slow, but the sentences formed at an astonishing speed.
「I don't mean that in a bad way at all.」
「We've survived this long thanks to kind people like Mr. Jang Yeoncheol. He's helped us more than most. We're truly grateful from the bottom of our hearts.」
「It's just that sometimes, his kindness went a bit too far.」
She meant he hadn't seen them as equals. Jang Yeoncheol had said as much himself. People incapable of independence. And not because the world was hostile or opportunities were stolen—no, nothing like that.
"I get it. Good people in a bad world often end up that way."
At Winter's words, she smiled again.
「It's not just your courage that draws so many to you, Mr. Han Gyeowol.」
"You're embarrassing me. Anyway, care to answer my first question?"
Kang Youngsoon nodded.
「After countless rejections, I've had plenty of time to think about what I'd say if given the chance. I mulled it over a lot before coming here.」
「Rather than our individual merits as people, I'd like to talk about the organizational benefits to the Winter Alliance and its leader, Mr. Han Gyeowol.」
「I hope you'll bear with me if it gets a little long.」
This was unexpected. He'd thought she'd list their careers, skills, personalities. Truth be told, Winter had already considered the organizational upsides she mentioned. He hadn't been mulling over accepting disabled survivors out of vague idealism alone. Winter responded positively.
"Feel free to take all the time you need."
With a grateful smile, the old woman began carefully filling line after line with thoughtful words. The first page she completed read as follows.
「First, a purified reputation.」
「Many in other groups are spreading nasty rumors about you, Mr. Han Gyeowol. The most common one is that you're a human butcher. Dozens of murders a day get pinned on you.」
「Even I was a little worried until we met today, no matter what Mr. Jang Yeoncheol said. I'd bet half the people who've joined the Winter Alliance did so out of fear.」
「Accept us, and that reputation will fade considerably.」
「Then even more people hesitating to join will find it easier to decide, don't you think?」
「Regrettably, few see the disabled as equals. To everyone else, it'll look like the Winter Alliance is taking in these useless folks. Like you, Mr. Han Gyeowol, are the kind of person who looks after the pitiful.」
「Liu Bei of Shu built his kingdom on benevolence and virtue.」
「Win the hearts of the people.」
Her writing carried the weight of experience, elegant and refined. And half of it was exactly what he'd anticipated. As he read, Winter asked,
"You a fan of Romance of the Three Kingdoms?"
The old woman covered her mouth and wrote a single line.
「Books were easier company than people, given my circumstances.」
"Ah."
Winter nodded and handed back the notebook. She immediately began on the second page. It wasn't empty flattery—she'd clearly thought this through. She wrote without hesitation or corrections.
「Second, reliable connections.」
「As I said, we're alive thanks to kind souls like Mr. Jang Yeoncheol. In other words, we can serve as a bridge linking the Winter Alliance to those good people in other groups.」
「Some might even relocate here once they hear we're with you. The other groups aren't exactly great places. Kindness like that tends to come at a cost.」
「Even those who stay put will feel goodwill toward the Winter Alliance.」
「Which ties back to the first point, really.」
It wasn't a huge departure, but it filled in a blind spot Winter hadn't considered. His mind was already made up, but he was curious how far this kindly old woman had thought ahead. He returned the notebook once he'd finished, and she started on the third page.
「Finally, our eyes and ears as disabled people.」
「This is just my opinion, but aren't you feeling the pressure right now, Mr. Winter?」
「The Winter Alliance has grown astonishingly fast, and it'll keep doing so for a while. Rapid growth always has side effects. People, inevitably.」
「More and more of the alliance will slip from your sight. You won't know who to trust or who to weed out. Someone like Yeil is bound to show up and stoke your suspicions.」
「So here's my advice: gather intel through us disabled folks.」
「There's an invisible wall between the disabled and the able-bodied. Even the kindest able-bodied person struggles to treat us as true equals. We're always somewhat isolated. We don't blend easily with able-bodied groups. Use that to your advantage.」
Winter finished reading and reflected. The seventeen disabled survivors hadn't made it this far on good intentions alone.
"Who's Yeil?"
She wrote her answer.
「The sycophant who manipulated Sun Quan's paranoia to gain power.」
"What's to stop your disabled folks from turning into Yeils?"
Instead of writing, she shook her head. Winter smiled.
"You're honest."
Kang Youngsoon smiled back. Winter posed another question.
"Then I'd like to hear what each of you can do. Chat a bit, too."
The nodding elder handed over a roster of the disabled community. She'd prepared it in advance. Winter read the densely packed details carefully. It even included her assessments of their personal strengths and flaws.
A few had solid careers and skills. A polio survivor who'd handled heavy machinery for eleven years stood out. There was an English teacher and an electrician, too. A few roles were a stretch given the world's state—like the programmer.
Watching her sign language, the disabled group approached. The blind were led by others. Winter asked them a few simple questions, then gave his final approval.
"Alright."
Facing their brightening faces, Winter smiled again.
"Welcome to the Winter Alliance. Looking forward to working with you."
He then called for Yeoncheol.
"Help them get settled. Beds, bedding, whatever they need. Introductions, too."
"Got it! Thank you! Blessings on you!"
He seemed even happier than they were. He eagerly led his new family members away. The sight drew deep interest from the Winter Alliance members.
Park Jinseok was among them. After a brief exchange, his expression soured as he learned the situation. He headed straight for Winter.
He wasn't alone. Two others trailed a few steps behind—members of the squad he'd already assembled as provisional combat squad leader. Unlike Yura's group, they were all able-bodied veterans of appropriate age. Winter had given retroactive approval. A future squad leader deserved that much leeway, apparently. Winter had deemed it acceptable.
For now, at least.
"Jinseok. What brings you here?"
"I just heard something weird. You're taking in the disabled? Is that true?"
"Yeah, it's true."
His casual reply seemed to irk Jinseok. The young man asked again, face grim.
"What the hell were you thinking?"
"Any problems with it?"
"Plenty."
Jinseok sighed.
"They're dead weight. If you've got room for disabled folks, take able-bodied people who can actually help instead. Our alliance punches below its weight in fighters relative to size. Seventeen healthy men could form a full combat squad with room to spare."
"Fair point."
"You're a good guy, boss—amazing, even—but sometimes you're too idealistic. I want to help the disabled, too. If the chance comes, I will. As an individual."
He fell silent for a moment, gauging Winter's reaction. Seeing no hostility from the young leader, he continued.
"But you didn't help them as an individual just now. You burdened the whole alliance. You've got to separate personal and official matters. Conscience is just personal satisfaction."
"It's not personal satisfaction."
Doubt flickered across Jinseok's face. Winter spoke calmly.
"As leader of the Winter Alliance, I considered the group's overall benefit before deciding."
"Can you explain what that benefit is?"
"I could. But I won't."
"…Why not?"
"You skipped procedure."
"Procedure?"
"Yeah. Procedure. Combat squad matters? Come straight to me—you'll be squad leader soon enough, provisional or not. But anything else goes through the section chiefs. That's their job."
Jinseok looked caught off guard. Winter pressed on.
"The chiefs handled membership screening all this time. Jang Yeoncheol introduced the disabled group today. Other members come to me through them first. But not you, Jinseok. Don't you think this oversteps?"
No one had explicitly set the rule. But as the alliance grew, it had naturally taken root as an unspoken norm. Give people titles, and they'd build rules and order themselves. Human nature.
'The chiefs played a role, too. Especially Chief Min Wangi.'
Without them, there'd be pointless hierarchies, impositions, redundant red tape.
Making the unspoken official was Winter's job.
Jinseok stammered.
"I wasn't trying to disrespect them."
"I know. Everything's still new. Just watch it next time."
Time for a smile. Winter flashed one effortlessly.
The natural warmth put Jinseok at ease. He apologized sheepishly and retreated with slumped shoulders. The two onlookers seemed to console him.
The norm would spread through their lips.
============================ Author's Note ============================
In the end, this novel turned out to have not a single kind reader...
Huin Kong-nim's gonna get mad, saying you only sent me the bad ones.
But I can't be the only one suffering.
Go harass them to release the next chapter.
Oh, and hit that recommend button on your way out.
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