Chapter 784
“Let’s meet again soon.”
Davey openly declared his hostility toward them with a smiling face.
Beep! Beep!!
Of course, after Davey ended the stream, he received an urgent call from President Cho, the current President of Korea. He didn’t answer. The way he saw it, there wasn’t anything more to talk about regarding the current situation. He had given them exactly half a day before they just had to choose between the two options.
The letter C existed between B and D. Between birth and death, there was chicken... No, it should be choice. Whatever choice Korea made would be theirs, and Davey just had to deal with it accordingly.
“It seemed like several ministers had a secret meeting a little while ago.”
"Is that so?”
“Anyway, those devilish bastards that you were asking for—I think some of their parents are influential in politics. It not being made public wasn’t only because of the damned human rights thing.”
“Could they be that reckless?” Davey muttered as if he was genuinely worried.
“It’s a different story when your life is at stake. Maybe they'll try to sit with you at the negotiating table, then try to reach some sort of agreement with you.”
“If they still haven’t come to their senses, that is.”
Public opinion was boiling over considering the horrifying viciousness of the crime. Moreover, there was no room for sympathy when their arrogant behavior after the accident was streamed live across the entire nation.
Protecting them simply because they were children no longer made sense to Davey. In his eyes, among the children who should be protected, there weren’t any who had committed heinous crimes only to then boldly visit their victims to cause further harm and abuse their power.
“I don’t think a single one of them will have come to their senses.”
Hyun-Ah smiled bitterly at Davey's answer.
“I don’t think they would’ve cared as much if this was something they could handle solely within Korea, but since you’re from a foreign country, they probably don’t want to hand them over so easily.”
Davey figured the invisible, powerful forces in the back were putting pressure on the political figures. But honestly, he didn’t care what choice they made.
“I’m just a bit concerned that they might have the wrong idea. That they’re mistaken.”
The first mistake was thinking that Korea could bring Davey to the negotiating table and that it had any bargaining chips. The second mistake was believing they could buy time and delay negotiations until they achieved the results they wanted.
Davey waited silently while Korea was furious with the content he had revealed on his stream. However, some criticized him for exposing them to the world by surreptitiously filming them regardless of consent. He really didn’t care much about this sentiment, knowing that there were always divided opinions and one side never completely prevailed.
However, the overall public opinion leaned toward the belief that he did the right thing. It was only natural, given how excessively vicious the kids’ actions were. Even after the accident, when they should have gone to the victims, apologized, and begged for forgiveness, they instead mocked the dead and treated the bereaved family with contempt.
Of course, that wasn’t all they had done.
As their information spread, details of where the other three were, what they were doing, and the heinous things they had done in the past began to surface, turning public opinion extremely negative.
In response, the Korean government attempted to establish communication with Davey again using every possible means. He didn’t have to think deeply to understand why the Korean government was so eager to reach out to him—he knew they would only try to come up with simple excuses to pacify him.
Pressure from above was certainly a factor, but they were hesitant to make any decisions easily. The situation grew more complicated since Davey was demanding that those who had already gone through disciplinary measures be caught and handed over to another country, rather than being dealt with domestically.
Of course, Davey had no intention of playing along with their tricks. He saw no reason to comply.
Moreover, Korea wasn’t the only country that saw the stream. Davey revealed everything captured on the dash cam, showing exactly what they did and what happened to Rinne at the time. He wanted them to be criticized globally.
The content in the video was quite shocking. Rinne was walking around with her quirky charm, and then a luxury car came barreling and hit her before eventually coming to a stop. Those involved hit another then drove away, saying they would be alright since they were protected by the law.
Their evil deeds didn’t stop there. They had one criminal offense after another, seemingly endless. They were involved in cases of school violence, inducing suicide, and even raping female classmates. They were like the second coming of the devil, shocking everyone with how long they had managed to hide and avoid their past. Moreover, it seemed their parents had a lot of money and didn’t hesitate to use their wealth to silence or send others far away.
Davey figured they were basically modern-day outlaws.
The video Rinne recorded slowly while lying on the ground clearly captured the vehicle that had hit and crushed the victim and then sped away.
The video showed it all, everything they did.
The shockingly devilish incident made it to foreign news, and international public opinion was so strong that even foreigners criticized them.
[They are truly a disgrace to the entire world.]
Comments like these were circulating globally. While some criticized Davey’s methods, arguing that it wasn’t necessary to handle it this way, he didn’t consider that to be something he needed to worry about.
The results Davey had been waiting for finally came in—the Korean government's hesitant attitude didn’t last long. They already knew, from past experience during the military regime, what could happen to them. However, even from Korea’s perspective, this was all too shocking. They couldn’t help but be stunned by the fact that they had to arrest these individuals again and hand them over to Davey, especially after they had been found guilty in court where they weren’t given prison sentences.
“Prince Davey.”
"Yes."
“What do you plan to do with them?” President Cho, who was sitting across from Davey, asked with a serious face.
“Ah, give me one second.”
“Pardon...?”
“There’s an interesting right in this country’s Constitution—the right for the people to know. I think it’s a really good law.”
Davey then turned on the tablet and put it in front of President Cho.
“Think of this as a public address. Or meeting. However you want to call it. Let’s not hide anything from each other. Say everything. No bluffs or deception, just the truth.”
The chat became noisy at Davey's words.
“I’ll say it again: I fully respect Korea’s Constitution. That’s why Koreans should be punished in Korea.”
The chat continued to scroll endlessly with viewers trying to understand the situation.
“You can’t just tell me to do this. This is a public live stream.”
“Are you worried about making a mistake? The same goes for me as well.”
President Cho looked at Davey with a pale expression. But his rationality soon won over, because he knew that protecting them was something he could no longer do.
“I’m aware that the results will not change. I believe it won’t. If a person commits a vicious act that goes beyond the acceptable range, he or she must be punished. There are some things that cannot yet be tried and punished under Korean law.”
The president outright abandoned them. This carried heavy significance—even for a President, his decision would be close to gambling.
“Still, there are procedures to be gone through in these matters, so let’s go over one thing first. Prince Davey O’Rowane, it is true that they committed a hit and run on the head of the guard belonging to the Kingdom of Rowane stationed in Korea to help locals, but there’s no treaty between the Kingdom of Rowane and Korea regarding the extradition.
“Hmm, I see. Please continue.”
“Furthermore, although the children are not legally sentenced to prison, some are being monitored through probation. In other words, it means they are still in the process of being punished.”
Davey figured that President Cho was saying all this because he knew he shouldn’t set a broad precedent.
“I am also very confused and conflicted here. However, as a president who must treat everyone equally, I cannot hand them over. Even so, I do feel angry as a human being. It is truly shocking to kill the victim and then cause secondary harm to the bereaved family.”
Davey smiled at the president's position statement.
“Mr. President.”
“Yes, Prince.”
“I think there’s something I should go over first.”
“What are you referring to specifically...?”
“Things like signing a treaty are not important. That’s why I came up with an option for you to escape.”
“An option to escape... You’re not saying...”
“Yes. War.”
He could either hand them over or make Korea wage war.
Korea was different from Russia. It wasn’t a country that could easily hand over criminals just because others requested them. Davey had given him the option out of sentimentality, and he knew that if he didn’t have that lingering affection... This would’ve been a problem he didn’t even need to think about.
“I think this is quite humane compared to Russia, where I had put more than ten meteorites on standby during negotiations.”
In response to Davey's remarks, the President spoke up with an expressionless face, knowing this would be the end.
“Please... Do you really have to do this?”
“Yes. I will protect those who belong to my country and territory, whatever it takes,” Davey confidently declared. The president sighed.
“Then at the least, could you wait until they complete their punishment set by law?”
“I’m sorry, but that’s not a punishment or term I can accept.”
“Sigh... Alright.”
With this, the president was done with his job.
“W-Wait a minute!”
Then a lawmaker who was next to President Cho stood up and tried to stop Davey.
“If we hand them over... what will happen to them?”
“Representative Kwak! Please stop! What are you trying to do?!”
They knew from the start that they had nothing to offer. Therefore, they understood that their best course of action was to find a suitable excuse and make Davey withdraw. President Cho was a smart man; he used excuses and practical interests in an attempt to navigate the situation and move on. However, some of the lawmakers, who were actually being controlled by those higher up just as Hyun-Ah had mentioned, were different.
“Well, at least it certainly won’t be some mild punishment like what you gave them.”
“She didn’t even die in the first place!”
“Just because someone was stabbed by a murderer through motiveless crime and miraculously survived doesn’t get rid of what the attacker did. I don’t understand why you’re protecting them to this extent... You do realize this is being streamed live, right?”
Davey would have praised the senator if his intentions were genuinely to save them, but if he was just protecting them in exchange for money, he was clearly making the wrong choice for the wrong reasons.
As Davey smiled, Representative Kwak realized his mistake and his face turned pale. Not only had the number of viewers easily exceeded tens of thousands, but the stream was also being picked up by various media outlets.
Of course, it depended on the nature of the crime, but one thing was certain: there existed a life worse than death.
"T-This is just a misunderstanding! I’m simply trying to be as thorough as possible and ensure fairness to avoid any problems later..."
“And it's the public’s choice whether they believe that or not.”
Extradition of international criminals from Korea to other countries happened in the past from time to time. Things would be simple enough if they just handed them over, but since he had accepted money, he needed to do his part. Davey had started his stream to deter anyone from trying to carry out this corrupt task, but one foolish, slow-witted person had made the huge mistake.
Some of the other lawmakers were glaring at him with murderous intent. It was clear that Representative Kwak realized there was no way to undo the damage he had caused. In an attempt to at least maintain a benevolent image, he spoke up with difficulty.
“They are Korean citizens. Moreover, these children have already been punished by the law. We should be ensuring their minimum human rights...”
In an instant, question marks flooded the chat. Davey couldn’t help but laugh before looking at him coldly.
“Representative,” Davey said in a scolding tone.
“Yes... Yes?”
“The Kingdom of Rowane does not have so many human rights to protect criminals like Korea does. And..."
His smile suddenly disappeared.
“Forgiveness is something that the offender receives from the victim, not something that can be given by the law.”
The law punished on behalf of the victim. Forgiveness was something the victim had the right to mete out or retain.
***
In the end, Korea recaptured the six people involved in the crime and transferred them to the Kingdom of Rowane. The elf guards stationed in Asgard came down to capture them and ascended to Asgard. Davey approached the children trembling in fear with a smile on his face.
“Isn’t it nice to see each other again?”
“Heek!”
“Spare... Spare us please!”
Davey nodded toward them.
“Spare, huh? Don’t worry, I won’t kill you.”
‘I mean, I won’t kill you, but...’ Davey thought.
“Please... Please forgive us. We’re sorry!”
“Waaah!”
The terrified children desperately begged Davey for mercy. They panicked out of fear that they faced nothing but a dark and terrible future. The thirteen-year-old child held on to his older brother and cried, the others also shedding tears.
“If you had shown genuine remorse and asked for forgiveness at the funeral, I maybe would have been willing to show you mercy.”
Because one could never know intent when an accident happens. But for a devil disguised as a human, there was no need to waste time contemplating.
“I will punish you all according to the laws of the Kingdom of Rowane. Originally, the crime of assassinating a noble is punishable by death or an equivalent long-term prison sentence, but this doesn’t apply to anyone except the driver. Therefore, actual punishment will be difficult to mete out.”
The little boy who had drove turned blue, while the rest of them made relieved faces. According to what he said, it meant that only the thirteen-year-old boy who drove but had been protected under Korean law would be punished. It also meant that the rest could be brought away with little to no punishment. Of course, they were wrong about this.
“However, considering the current situation on Earth, we believe it is safe to judge it as a wartime situation. And so, special wartime laws will be applied. In the case of the guard leader Rinne, she is judged to be the most important person in the current war situation. When also taking into account that the manner in which the accident occurred clearly being due to negligence—that is, disorderly conduct led by drinking and theft...”
“Hmph?!”
“Those who took part in it, those who participated, and all those who incited it—none are exempt. In addition, I, Davey O’Rowane, as the battlefield commander, will consider the special circumstances of war to make a personal judgment.”
The law had to be fair, with no room for self-satisfaction. In reality, since humans naturally have sympathy, it was rare for such decisions to be made without bias. Davey, however, went even further and exploited every loophole in the law to ensure they received the maximum sentence. This was his verdict, quietly fulfilling the promise he had made to the children at the funeral.
“I will make the final decision. Take away the eyes and voices of these inhumane devilish children and impose heavy labor on them. The punishment is the same regardless of gender. Also, the period it will last shall be!”
The decision Davey made was...
“Indefinite until all the victims choose to forgive the offenders.”
In other words, they were given life imprisonment. Davey made sure they would experience a life worse than death.
“Ga... Gaa... GAAA!!””
“Please!! Please spare us!!”
“We’re sorry! Please forgive us!!”
As Davey turned around without hesitation, he heard the cries and panicked screams of the devilish children. As he left them, he smiled at Aeria who had been looking at him with concern. He then turned his attention to Hyun-Ah.
“It seems like one of their parents is someone who controls a lot of money in Korea. Sorry about this.”
“What do you want me to do? Keep them shushed?”
“Well, normalcy has been restored to some extent. You can take advantage of this, right?”
“I don’t have the authority to do whatever I want with uncle’s company...”
“Damn, a multinational corporation being so stingy...”
“I mean, it won’t be difficult to find them. However, since we have no reason to come forward...”
“You can just make one, especially in situations like this.”
Davey then handed a piece of paper to Rinne.
“This is the verdict—hand it over to Korea.”
“Rinne proposes that there is no need to make this decision.”
“Doesn't matter. I want this—these are exceptional circumstances.
Davey figured this should make the victims feel at least a little bit at ease.
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