◈ Episode 096

January 8th.

The helicopter carrying Kushan arrived in Vasthetira. As the head of CellbroLogics Lab, he was invited to the palace. He was treated as a state guest and held talks for several days.

And on January 13th.

"Yes, that's fine."

The talks, which began on the day of arrival, ended after five long days.

"There are still some details left, but if we focus too much on the details from the first stage, it will only cause problems. The first priority is to resolve the domestic chaos. Let's adjust the rest later."

As the story came to a close, sighs erupted from all over the place. The nobles who had been dragged around for six days had exhausted expressions on their faces.

Adrian was no exception.

'… … What a terrible man.'

A polite but unassuming attitude. Professional knowledge equivalent to that of a practitioner. A thoroughness that does not miss even a single part that is questionable or disadvantageous.

'Where do you see that you are a researcher?'

It was like dealing with a politician or merchant who had been around for decades. At first, the nobles who had unknowingly ignored Minos completely handed over the initiative after three days.

The result itself wasn't bad.

The 'mediation with the outside' that Adrian needed most was definitely promised. The price he was asked for was not unreasonable. It was just right on the line.

'By the way, what is that guy thinking?'

He glanced at Ainoa, who was yawning calmly. His younger brother was almost silent during the meeting. He never expressed his opinion, and only mediated when the situation became tense.

I don't know. It was when Adrian shook his head.

"Hmm, hmm."

A hollow cough, as if telling someone to listen in. All eyes were focused on Ainoa.

"So, while the contract was in effect, several of Lab's agents were stationed in Bastetira?"

"Yes, but is that inconvenient? I guess you're more of a liaison than a soldier."

"No, I don't mean to be a problem. I just have a small request."

"What do you mean by request?"

In response to Kushan's question, Ainoa tried her best to keep a blank expression.

"If we were contacts, we would meet face to face often…."

"I guess so."

"Then wouldn't our opinion be important in designating personnel?"

It was a tone that was nothing special. It was an attitude that pointed out an obvious fact. However, Adrian hit his forehead as soon as he heard it. Having seen Ainoa all this time, he saw right through her true intentions.

It was the same with Kushan.

"I understand what you mean. I cannot give you a list of agents for confidentiality reasons, but I am sure you already have some idea, Lady Ainoa."

"Yes, well. So I guess my opinion is needed."

It was obvious that he had selfish intentions. He didn't even know exactly what he was feeling. It was just a simple thought that if he had to keep someone by his side anyway, he would rather have Kim Yi-hyun than anyone else.

But not everything in the world goes as planned.

"If there are any agents who would like to be selected separately, we will pass on their opinions. However, since we respect the free will of our agents, it would be difficult to give you a definitive answer."

Ainoa thought about it for a moment. When she told Kim I-hyeon to stay in Bastitera. Would he really agree?

There was no way that could happen.

* * *

Kim Yi-hyeon looked down at the intersection from the hill. The Granada Line. The recent battle seemed to have been fake; there were no bodies to be seen.

Only traces of the disaster remained.

No, even that was being erased.

"흠."

I crouched down and dug under my feet with my hands. As I cleared away the snow that had piled up, I found blue powder here and there. The material brought about by the disaster is being buried in the snow day by day.

"It's still strange."

I looked to the side at the sound of the voice.

A man with his skin covered by a hazmat suit. A researcher from the lab was looking around the snow field. He was holding a ziploc bag filled with powder in his hand.

He wasn't alone. Three people accompanied him under Chief Researcher Lloyd. The sight of them scanning the surroundings with measuring instruments was quite impressive.

"You think it's strange?"

"Disasters don't settle down that easily. As you know, they come in all shapes and sizes. In an extreme example, yes, there was a case where 3,600 rocks the size of a person fell within a radius of about 5 km in just 37 minutes."

I felt a sense of déjà vu in Lloyd's story.

'I think it was mentioned once or twice somewhere.'

I just skimmed through the script because it was just a simple explanation of the worldview. However, when I thought about it as something that happened in reality, it had a different kind of weight to it.

"The falling boulder shattered on impact, scattering toxic substances everywhere. Another boulder landed on the head of a paralyzed man. Someone else was trapped under the rubble and inhaled the gas. It was a literal disaster."

"Is this a personal experience?"

"No, I just saw the footage taken from a long distance away."

"That's fortunate."

"Yes. That's fortunate."

Lloyd smiled bitterly. Instead of mourning the tragedy that had occurred somewhere, he said, 'I'm glad I wasn't there.'

It was a shame that this situation was taken for granted.

"But if it's so different, wouldn't a small-scale disaster like this be possible?"

"Of course, but it's not common."

That's not all, he added.

"The most horrific thing about a disaster is not the single event itself, but its aftermath. It pollutes and devastates the land. It becomes a land that is difficult for people to live in."

Of course, there are cases where it ends as a one-off, but it is not common.

"Is this also not common?"

"I checked the report, but wasn't the situation in which the disaster occurred a coincidence?"

The intention behind what he said was obvious.

"What does it have to do with the Legion?"

"It's just an unfounded suspicion. But I can't help but be suspicious. They have a unique skill."

"That's true."

Kim Yi-hyun folded his arms and pondered. It was something that had already been on his mind. As Lloyd had said, the timing was perfect for dismissing it as a coincidence.

'Did a disaster occur in Bastetera during this time?'

I don't remember. The Granada Line is a point that connects to the capital. It should have been described in the work, unless it was a remote area like Snowfield's hometown.

'I don't think I forgot.'

If we assume that this never happened in the game, then the next question arises.

'How on earth?'

All the changes up until now were caused by Kim Lee-hyun's actions.

But this time, it was difficult to understand.

'As far as I know, even the Legion doesn't have that kind of technology.'

First of all, Lloyd's guess was wrong. If he could have intentionally brought about a disaster, he could have just destroyed Magnu. It would not be an exaggeration to say that it was the power of a god.

If the Legion had that much power, they would never have even started acting as agents. They would have joined them from the beginning, or at least been thrown into the mountains.

I know what caused the disaster. That's why I was even more curious. I couldn't figure out what was going on and how it came about.

"I don't know. Let me know if you find out anything."

"Okay, you've all worked hard, so now it's time for us to work day and night."

The researchers at the lab are not just talking about working day and night. In fact, they work like machines day and night whenever something happens. They do it with a sense of mission and voluntarily.

He patted me on the shoulder and told me to cheer up.

"I had forgotten," Lloyd said.

"Oh, right. It's almost time to arrive…."

As soon as he started talking, a car came rushing in from the other side. It crossed the snowfield and quickly reached Kim I-hyeon.

The door opened and a familiar figure got out of the car.

"Director, are you here?"

"Okay. How's the investigation going?"

"As expected, there are many questions. There is nothing I can say for sure yet."

"It'll take time. Make sure you pack everything you need before the snow piles up any more."

Kushan was also wearing a jumper over his hazmat suit. It was completely different from his usual neat appearance. He may be used to it, but it was unavoidable for Kim Yi-hyun.

It wasn't a major issue.

"What about the talks?"

"All matters to be discussed at the moment have been resolved."

"Oh, yeah. It took about 6 days? It was longer than I thought."

Kim I-Hyeon did not attend a single meeting. He was invited by Kushan and Adrian, but he stubbornly refused.

'It's not good for me to interfere too much.'

It's a bit redundant to say this after already meddling so much. If something can be resolved on its own, it's best not to touch it. The fact that it's annoying also played a part.

I wasn't worried at all.

'I guess I did a good job.'

In the present, when the professor is still growing, there is no one as solid as Kushan, especially in the political arena. I can roughly guess how the conversation would have gone.

"There were a lot of people with their heads completely blocked. Deep-rooted discrimination was also a headache. It was fortunate that the prince was cooperative, otherwise we would have wasted two more days."

"But I heard it worked out well."

"It was an agenda that couldn't be resolved since they requested it."

There was no sign of fatigue in Kushan's voice.

"There was no one who was well-informed of the situation on the continent. Even though some people had heard the news, it was all old information. How could one take the initiative in a matter they did not even know about?"

This is not a place to negotiate with guns and knives. The Bastitera leadership is not used to seeking cooperation from outside forces. They do not even know what a reasonable compensation would be.

It was an easy prey to take advantage of.

"It was a good deal. That sums it up in one word."

"There was someone worse than me."

"That's a bit awkward to hear."

Kushan snickered and stared at Kim Ihyeon.

"What do you plan to do from now on?"

"from now on?"

"Princess Ainoa seemed to want you to remain in Basteterra."

He also has an ambiguous relationship with his family, Adrian. He killed his only friend, Cesar. Due to the recent purge, he is looked upon with fear by even the nobles.

That's how much Ainoa relies on Kim I-hyeon. Along with Carmen, he's the one who's been closest to her, has protected her, and has even pushed her back, if only by force.

"Well, it's a shame, I guess."

Kim Yi-hyeon wasn't entirely relieved either. Maybe he had grown attached to her. But that didn't mean he could stay tied down to Bastitera indefinitely.

There's still a mountain of work to be done.

"I knew it. Leave the investigation to me and go back to your quarters to pack your bags."

He said this while handing over the keys to the car Kushan had come in.

"I'll be back tomorrow."

* * *

Ttukbuk.

The sound of footsteps on the stone floor is particularly clear. The space is blocked by stone walls on all sides. The only light source is a sparsely placed vermilion light.

This is the facility where the godmother usually stays. It is a place that perfectly represents her gloomy personality. Every time the man comes here, he feels his chest tighten.

Ugh, ugh! Aaaah…!

The sound of pain continued. The man walked towards the source of the sound. The facility itself was not very large, so he was able to arrive quickly.

A door with a small barred window on the top. The man looked inside through the gap. He couldn't see anything clearly. There was only darkness without any light.

Knock knock.

It was the moment the door opened.

I suffer!

The crimson figures grabbed the door frame and stuck their heads in. The man took a few steps back. They screamed but did not come out of the door.

After a while, the monsters' bodies collapsed like bubbles, becoming part of the darkness that covered the room. The woman who had been sitting in the center of it slowly raised her head.

"Hoo, haaah...!"

Her eyes flashed between her long flowing hair. Her godmother looked more haggard than ever. Even to a man who had been watching her for years, it was an unfamiliar sight.

"It looks like you're badly injured."

"Shut your mouth. It's none of your business, ugh…."

"Don't misunderstand. I'm not saying this out of concern."

He exhaled once.

"You're still alive after being shot in the heart with a bullet. You should be thankful for the miracle."

Of course, it wasn't a phenomenon that could be explained by the shallow word "miracle." The principle was unknown, but somehow the godmother's spell worked. There was no monster in the man's eyes.

Even monsters sometimes become weak.

"I just came to give you some advice. This time you've gone too far."

The godmother made no response. Instead, the air became stickier. The man felt a chill of fear running down his spine, but he did not withdraw his statement.

"A soldier is not a piece of equipment that you can use and throw away however you want. If the whole story becomes known, how shaken will your comrades be? They will even feel betrayed, thinking that you used them as a living sacrifice."

The atmosphere within the Legion was already very tense. There were successive failures. Officers left. The plan in Bastitera, which had been pouring in a lot of manpower and money, also ended up being aborted.

At least the responsibility for this loss lay with the godmother.

"This is the result of your arbitrary action, Godmother. She must be sorry, too. She trusted you and gave you the right, but this is the result."

He shook his head.

"You'll have to hold your breath for a while. I won't say that everything is your fault, but you'll have to admit to some of it."

"하."

The godmother snorted as if she found it ridiculous.

"Are you saying that you are going to blame me for something?"

"That means…."

"Yeah, you can't do it. If you can't do it, anyone else will do. If you have any complaints, I'll listen. Come to me, if you can speak confidently."

The man felt a pounding headache. It was nothing new. He knew from the beginning how self-centered his godmother was. She was not the type of person to lead an organization.

"So, the problem is that simple thinking─"

Gulp.

A monster appeared upside down from the ceiling, blocking the man's view. It was outside the room. The man's eyes widened as he realized this fact.

love you

Thud!

The monster's entire face opened wide and swallowed the man's head. The rest of his body convulsed like crazy. However, the trembling was short-lived, and he soon collapsed like a puppet whose strings had been cut.

The godmother giggled, sweating profusely.

"I'll give you one bit of courage."

The man was a messenger for the chieftain. He would always find fault with me as if that alone guaranteed his life, which was quite irritating.

I did it just as I was told, but it was quite satisfying.

The intense pain made her head spin the whole time. The hatred in her stomach overflowed. It was a feeling she hadn't felt in a long time. The godmother even felt longing.

"...Ah, I see."

In a way, this was his starting point.

"Raphael, you were right. You are always wise. The Legion is nothing more than a group of microbes. No different from maggots that gather in filth..."

Orphans with nowhere to go. Children whose appearance caught my eye. If they caught my eye, I would take them in and educate them. And depending on their level of completion, I would make them martyrs or family members.

Except for Raphael, they were obedient children who did not rebel. As they were brought into the Legion, they may have developed some kind of obsession with the organization itself.

'A useless thing.'

The reason he abandoned his compatriots, ran away from the tower, and joined the Legion. Was it to lead the rascals, to play a trivial family game?

Wasn't it meant to pour out hatred wherever it came from?

"...."

The godmother's eyes were deeply sank. She even accepted the pain sweetly. She suppressed her desire to scream and kept silent.

The only sound that could be heard was Metunap chewing on a piece of meat.