◈ Episode 066

Acrid smoke filled my vision.

The man's eyes were bloodshot and red. He had no feeling left in his limbs, so much so that it felt like his limbs had disappeared.

The smoke was a deep ash color. Beyond the smoke, dark red shadows were swaying. They looked very much like people, but they were all missing some part.

"―, ――!"

Even amidst the tinnitus, there were loud noises. An explosion, a human scream. The roar of something other than an animal… … . The stench of death wafted in.

It was five days ago that I noticed something was wrong.

It was the day the soldiers talked about how the captain seemed to be in a bad mood. From that day on, Mithril became anxious. As the days went by, she became more sharp and even seemed afraid.

The bad atmosphere spread to the soldiers as well. It had a significant impact on the lives of Atlanta citizens. Many civilians were unjustly killed in anger.

Then, this happened two days ago.

At Mithril's command, a large number of people gathered at the Capitol. With soldiers stationed, barricades set up, and weapons of all kinds brought in, the Capitol was transformed into a fortress.

And it continues to this day.

"Hey, save me."

A Turkish woman appeared through the smoke.

A familiar face. Her name is Tali. She's from Atlanta, like the man, but she abandoned her family and friends to join the Legion.

Tali's appearance was much lighter than in my memory. She had no lower body. She was crawling on the floor, dragging her torn body. Her bloody, sagging intestines were dragging.

I thought he was still breathing. I didn't feel any sympathy. Even though we were of the same ethnicity and belonged to the same group, in the end, we were just good men.

Above all, it catches the eye.

"Get out of here. If you're going to die, die nicely and alone!"

The man shouted, trying his best to suppress his voice. He wished he could just chase her away, but his body still hadn't moved. He still hadn't been able to confirm his own condition.

"Ugh, huh, huh...."

Tali was getting closer. She was a shameless woman. The man frowned and looked for a way out. One way was to take care of her himself so she wouldn't do anything stupid.

But there was no need to do anything directly.

Kwak!

Something jumped out from behind and attacked Tali.

A crimson shape half-engulfed her head. It had a slimy, mucus-like texture and squirmed.

Even with his deaf ears, he could hear the horrible sound of something breaking, tearing, something like that. After the destruction phase was over, part of the form entered Tali's ear canal.

And again, Tali started to move.

In the same crawling posture, but with her joints bizarrely cracking, the distance between her and the man quickly decreased.

"This dog is ... ...!

The screams and smoke did not subside easily. As if a beast had gone out to hunt in the night, only shadows moved through the smoke.

"There's more than I thought."

The 'Godmother' watched the chaotic yet secretive slaughter from the outside. Contrary to her title, her appearance showed no trace of the passage of time.

There were no wrinkles on his face, visible beneath his stylishly worn bowler hat, or on the back of his right hand, which held the cane. He had a straight back and was basically taller than the average man.

"Most of them appear to be from Atlanta. Judging by their attire and armament, they don't appear to have been forced to follow. They probably became soldiers of their own volition."

"I guess that means Raphael has mastered it well. He's a kid who's had talent in that field since he was young. He can easily manipulate others, especially those below him."

It is different from the innate charisma. Mithril, whose real name is Raphael, knows how to use fear. He does not act cruelly without thinking, but establishes strict order by setting an example in the necessary situation.

He even has the spell of all-in-one attack and defense. He is an outstanding figure among the executives in terms of 'occupation'. Although his pure fighting power is somewhat lacking, his great strength is that he is capable of handling the aftermath.

That's why it was even more regrettable.

"Have you found Raphael?"

"...It seems like he fled early with his soldiers. Now that things have come to this, there's no way to make excuses."

The young man sighed.

"Raphael has betrayed you, sir."

He said in one word and glanced at his godmother. There was no particular reaction. He didn't look angry or embarrassed. He just seemed calm as if he knew everything.

But the young man was not so foolish as to accept only what he saw. Above all, he understood his godmother's temperament.

'You're really angry.'

Underneath her cool exterior, there must have been a rage as terrifying as a fireball seething inside her stomach. As evidence of this, the blood vessels on the back of her hands were red and swollen.

"Catch him. Can you do it?"

To be honest, it was difficult.

Unlike its bandit-like appearance, Mithril is cunning and clever. It is unknown how many traces it has left behind. Even if it were found in the first place, it would be a problem.

'I can't bring you back alive.'

It is impossible unless the difference in skill is overwhelming. It is an obvious conclusion, but I cannot say it out loud. Even though it has been over 10 years since we met, my godmother's expectations have always been one-sided.

The answer was always set, too.

"Of course."

The godmother briefly locked eyes with the young man and then raised her staff. She lightly tapped the ground, and dark red mucus began to bubble up from the smoke.

Some of the mucus went up the staff and into the back of the godmother's hand. Others went under her long skirt, which seemed to drag on the floor.

It was a sickening sight, the young man thought. It wasn't something he had seen for more than a day or two, but he still had a hard time accepting it physiologically.

"I'm done with my work, so I'll go back first."

As his godmother turned her back and was about to leave, the young man asked.

"Sir, aren't you looking for Lazuli? We haven't heard from her since we sent her to Atlanta. It wouldn't be strange if she were locked up in this building."

"No way. Could Raphael be that immature?"

She didn't even snort.

"I should have killed him a long time ago. He was a precious child. I don't want to see his body."

Quiet purple eyes glanced at the Capitol building.

"Please cremate the building as is."

"...All right."

The godmother got into the military vehicle that was waiting. The car pulled away and quickly disappeared from sight. The young man who had been watching her with his eyes until the end sighed for the second time.

If it's fortunate, then it's fortunate.

Originally, the young man would have acted with his godmother, but something new came up. At this point, when the uprising is imminent, the importance may be somewhat low, but there is a justification.

Of course, didn't your godmother give the order herself?

'I can't go against it.'

He didn't want to get involved in the grand scheme that the Legion was currently working on. He was already reluctant, so now he had a good excuse.

"In a way, it's thanks to Raphael."

Bastet. It seemed like I wouldn't have to go back to my boring hometown.

* * *

Glance.

Ainoa glanced to the right, pretending to read a book. A fellow member of the family was sitting in a cushioned rocking chair next to the bed. He had a sullen face and was hugging a body pillow doll.

Glance, glance.

"What is it? If you have something to say, say it."

Asterike spoke as she flipped through the pages of a comic book. Her tone clearly showed that she was bored to death.

Recently, Asterike became the watchdog for the two. Considering that they share the same hometown and are of the same race, and that he has a relationship with Kim Yi-hyun, there was no other person who was more suitable.

Of course, I didn't like it.

"No, that's it. How is the world?"

"It's the same. When I take the gag off, she goes, "Ainoa-sama, Ainoa-sama. She won't even eat, so when I try to feed her, she starts to bite and makes a fuss. She's become a little quieter than before."

"Oh, is that so?"

Ainoa smiled awkwardly and sighed inwardly. When you're caught, don't provoke others unnecessarily… Who would have thought that she would disobey the advice she gave herself?

On the other hand, Ainoa was following faithfully. Her pride had already been crushed for a long time. Her mind was too complicated to run wild.

Thanks to the obedient Gobun-kun, I was allowed to move freely in the room. It was a new experience, even though there were surveillance eyes. In the palace, there were far more eyes following me.

'It also feels a bit sloppy.'

I looked down at my freed limbs. There was some kind of mechanical device hanging from my wrist. It was something that transmitted my location information in real time, so if I ran away, they would know right away.

If it was going to be like this, it would have been easier to just tie him up. In other words, he was thinking of his own convenience. Even if he had beaten him to death, he wouldn't be able to say thank you.

'What on earth are these people doing?'

Ainoa's gaze turned to Astiriche again. A voice soon leaked out, saying it was getting tired of her persistent gaze.

"Even if you look at it that way, I won't let you go. Not until Hyun gives permission."

"Oh, oh. I didn't mean it that way."

"Then what?"

"I'm just… curious. About you, and about that Hyun guy."

"The director of the research center came and explained it to me last time."

"Are you talking about Cellbrox Lab?"

Externally, it is a company that researches spells and develops and sells related products. It has an independent armed force and also works to respond to dangerous situations or disasters at the request of each country… … .

I don't understand it at all. I can't understand why the research institute is doing mercenary work. The organization itself is suspicious, but among them, 'Hyeon' seems to be special.

'If they have facilities like this, there must be a considerable number of people residing within the lab.'

However, Ainoa has only met three people. So did she kidnap them secretly? However, for a case where secrecy is important, the follow-up is too sloppy.

Wouldn't they just throw you into a room that was originally occupied, a room that was not a prison but full of life? Wouldn't they just release you from your restraints, leaving only one person to watch you?

'And this guy.'

Asterike seemed to follow the man named Hyun rather than the director of the research institute. Judging from this, Hyun is definitely not a simple subordinate. He must be in a position to act unilaterally.

In any group, there are bound to be factions. You can't think of the members as being all in the same group just because they belong to 'CellBlogics Lab'. That's what Ainoa has learned and experienced firsthand.

'What should I do?'

First of all, Ainoa decided that friendship was necessary.

"Hey, you're Castus?"

"You'll know when you see it. Why is that?"

"Where are you from? I want to hear your story. Did you ever live in Bastitera? And how did you meet Hyun-rang…?"

chin.

The sound of a book closing interrupted the conversation. Ainoa's gaze dropped and then rose again. When her eyes met Asterike's, she was momentarily speechless.

It was because the man named Hyun overlapped with me. Although their appearances were not at all similar, their stiff expressions that made it seem like not even a needle would go in reminded me of him.

"I know you, Princess Ainoa."

"yes?"

"You are a man to be respected, and in fact my father offered his sword to you. And not only him. When I was young, there were many fools around me who would talk about becoming your bodyguards when they grew up. I guess that's still the case now."

I felt familiar with the bright golden eyes. I had seen them before. I think I had seen a similar color when the nobles gathered together and talked about old military skills and greased them up.

"Not me."

Asterike growled in warning.

"Don't expect loyalty from me. All I hear is what Hyun says. I took the handcuffs off, I'm giving you my all, and I'll be your confidant if you need me. But I'm doing it because Hyun asked me to."

"...."

"Honestly, I don't care what happens to you. You're just a stranger, a princess I only saw once or twice from afar."

And then silence fell.

As if he had said everything he wanted to say, Asterike opened the comic book again. It didn't matter how far he had read, he just randomly picked a page.

It was a time when heavy air was flowing.

The door opened with a bang. I could tell who it was without even looking, since there was only one person who could enter here without hesitation.

Kim Lee-hyun hesitated as he took a step inside the door.

"What's going on? Why is the atmosphere like this? What did you do?"

"Huh? I was just quietly reading a book?"

"okay?"

Was it a mistake? Kim Yi-hyeon tilted his head and looked at Ainoa. Meanwhile, in Ainoa's field of vision, Asterike's face appeared closer than Kim Yi-hyeon's.

The way he glared at her as if telling her not to open her mouth was extremely fierce. Only then was Ainoa able to understand the relationship between the two, even a little.

Although she couldn't ask Asterike, there wasn't just one way to get to know someone. Ainoa got to know Kim Ihyeon day by day. He didn't even refuse to talk.

First of all, Kim Lee-hyun was very sincere.

When asked what they did today, the only answers they got were things like they did some training or studied some operational records.

He was a person who naturally knew how to work hard. Another impressive aspect was that he didn't let others know he was tired. In particular, the way he took care of Asterike was a joy to watch.

In short, he was a perfectly normal human being.

The more she learned about that side of her, the more distressed Ainoa became. If what Kim Yi-hyun had said wasn't nonsense. If there was even a modicum of legitimacy to her kidnapping.

But it was still difficult to have faith.

It may simply be that I did not want to believe it. In order for the 'what if' that Kim Yi-hyun spoke of to become a reality, there was an indispensable being.

traitor.

A criminal organization active in the underworld is not enough. A force in the open that can give the people a just cause. If we assume that a huge faction comes forward and leads them… … .

Ainoa, who was contemplating, shook her head violently.

"Even when I think about it again, it doesn't make sense."

"Which part?"

"The death of a single princess can lead to a civil war. No one can be that stupid. Who benefits from it? Even if someone incites them, in the end, it's the individuals who move, and each of them has their own free will. You really think the people are stupid."

"Hmm," said Kim Yi-hyeon, touching his chin.

"Then let's try this."

He said to Ainoa, who was urging him to continue talking with a wink.

"You are dead from today."