The Imperial Hunter

Chapter 11: White Chief (1)

The Chief of the casino invited me to the San Xavier Native Reservation, located south of Tucson, Arizona. It was land obtained anew through dealings with the federal and state governments, though it hadn’t been the tribe’s territory in the past. Diamond Casino was also located within this area.

As our convoy of vehicles entered the protected area, police officers who had been waiting by the roadside signaled for us to stop. Two officers with red skin approached, palms open, and tapped on the windows. A subordinate in the driver’s seat rolled down the window, and the senior officer spoke.

“Hello, everyone. It’s a good day for a trip, isn’t it?”

The subordinate responded. 

“Yes, it is. Except for the rain on the way here.”

This was a desert. It wasn’t the rainy season, so it had never rained here.

The police officer replied with an impassive expression. 

“Welcome. We’ll escort you to where the chief is waiting.”

Although we had already provided our vehicle’s registration, it was a procedure to confirm it once more. Vehicles could remain the same while people might differ. Information such as vehicle registration numbers and passcodes were exchanged through separate channels.

Our destination wasn’t the casino. The leading police car entered a dusty, unpaved road that led to impoverished residences. Dust billowed up like smoke in the wake of the tires. The road, devoid of any straight lines, was lined with scattered wooden houses, adding to the desolation.

Finally, we stopped at an ordinary house that was no different from the others. Kyung-tae, who got out of the car first, checked the surroundings as a formality before opening the door. As soon as I stepped out of the car, the intense desert heat assaulted me. To the north, the white spire of an old cathedral was visible. It was a legacy of the white-skinned invaders.

Thud. The officer who had closed the door of the old patrol car pointed with an outstretched hand toward the entrance of the house.

“Please, come in.”

I gave Kyung-tae a slight nod. It was a gesture indicating that there was no threat inside the house. Protecting me in this way was completely different from standard security.

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Inside the house, a uniform hum of central air conditioning and artificial coldness greeted us. There was a hint of the musty odor of aged filters in the air. The interior seemed like a typical family home, suggesting cooperation from one of the tribe’s members or perhaps an intentionally fortified safe house.

The elderly chief, leaning on a cane, stood up and greeted me as he limped over.

“Welcome, Chairman. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you in person.”

“I’m glad to see you, Chief. You look healthy.”

“You, on the other hand, remain unchanged despite the passage of time. Not a single wrinkle on your forehead… Anyway, please have a seat here.”

The chief, guiding me to a seat, was dressed in a stylish suit. I sat across from him at the old dining table. The chief offered an apology first.

“I apologize for unilaterally notifying you of the time and place, as I did to such an important customer. However, due to recent political issues on the tribal level that need to be addressed, it was difficult to schedule a separate meeting. Just this morning, I returned from D.C., and I’ll have to leave again soon. I hope you understand.”

“I already mentioned on the phone that it’s fine. A direct meeting with you is a rare request. But may I know what the issue is?”

After receiving the question and staying silent for a moment, the chief shook his head and furrowed his eyebrows.

“Even if I keep my mouth shut, it’ll come out sooner or later…”

“…?”

“The problem is the copper mine.”

Anger and irritation flashed in the chief’s eyes.

“For years, mining companies that are eating up open-pit mines have been encroaching on our tribal land. It’s not about profit-sharing ratios; the state government is trying to skew the distribution in favor of the mining companies, isn’t it?”

“So, you’re wrestling with the federal government?”

“You could say that. We’re helping our tribal government behind the scenes. So far, we haven’t made any income, though.”

“…If the mining companies have any sense, they’ve lobbied their side as well.”

“That’s exactly it.”

It was always the same story. Whether it was a protected area or a Native American reservation, the United States would do whatever it took to take away anything of value as soon as it was found on that land. That’s the kind of imperialistic behavior I despised.

The chief seemed to genuinely express his concerns. Since their vulnerabilities would be revealed anyway, there was no need to damage trust with empty pretensions.

I asked in response. 

“By the way, didn’t the Apache tribe face a similar issue before? If that case is still pending in court, have you considered joining forces and making a unified voice?”

This was a conversation I had with the chief before. Their issue might also have been a copper vein. It happened several years ago, but these kinds of legal disputes were never resolved quickly.

The chief responded with sarcasm. 

“We’re already doing that.”

“Sorry.”

“The federal government, those damned bastards. They have less credibility than drug dealers! In our tribe’s language, there’s not even a word to insult them.”

The “People of the Desert” did not have swear words in their mother tongue. This was a common feature of Native American languages, influenced by their cultures where strongly cursing or insulting individuals was strictly prohibited.

I harbored a small hope.

‘It might not be as difficult to resolve this as I thought.’

Right now, the chief probably needed lobbying funds to use in the political arena. It wasn’t a matter of selling

Disclaimer:

This novel is a work of fiction! While it may incorporate elements inspired by our "real" historical world, including historical events, settings, and cultures, it is important to note that the story and characters are entirely products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to real persons, living or deceased, or actual events is purely coincidental. This work should be enjoyed and interpreted as a work of fiction and not as a representation of historical facts or reality.

Also, if you find some error in translation please do let me know by tagging me (@_dawn24) in our Discord server. Since this series is kinda hard to translate. But I'll try my best to make it at least readable :)

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