◈ Episode 116

Rattling!

The man's consciousness was awakened by the heavy sound of iron.

"...."

When he raised his head, the first thing he saw was iron bars. In the narrow room, the inside and the outside were separated once again. Perhaps because he had just woken up, he felt a sense of melancholy.

The space beyond the iron bars was no different from the space he was stuck in. Even if he turned the room 180 degrees, there wouldn't be much difference. Except that there was a door leading outside on the other side.

That alone divides the positions of prisoners and guards.

"...go, …so…."

"…you can…please."

The sound of whispering voices hit the iron gate and resonated faintly. The man's hearing was sharper than others. When he listened, he could hear a single word from the guard who had been watching him all day.

"Please call me when you're done."

Soon, the iron door opened again with a loud bang.

The person who came in was a young man who looked extremely plain. His black hair was the only thing that stood out. However, even that wasn't particularly unusual, so it was hard to remember his impression.

But the man felt a strange sensation.

'There's something that feels off.'

It's a bit ambiguous to describe in words. If I had to say, it's like trying to force yourself into clothes that don't fit. Like most spies who are poorly disguised as locals.

"Oh my. Was it noisy?"

The young man pulled up a chair and sat down.

"It's shift change time. I'm sorry if I woke you up."

"No, don't worry about it."

"Okay then, that's fine."

He looks around the cell and opens his mouth again.

"Since we both have free time, shall we talk?"

"Do you have any questions for me?"

"In my experience, Pecatum has a lot of things to talk about."

He pretends to tap his head.

The man stroked his horn, proof that Castus's narrow-minded Bastetan blood flowed through him too.

"And there's also a fuss going on up above, asking for more information. So please cooperate."

After staring intently at her smiling face, the man finally nodded his head.

"First of all, let's get your names out there. What's your name?"

"Edwin Berenice."

"Aha. My name is Pablo."

Pablo nodded contentedly.

"Who is the Raphael you are looking for?"

"My name is Raphael Fabio, also known as Mithril."

"That's an unusual nickname. Where did you get that from?"

Edwin chose silence.

"I don't want to talk about this. Then let's move on."

Pablo, with his arms crossed, changed the question.

"Why are you looking for it?"

"...."

"You're being rude again. I heard you got caught trying to cross the checkpoint alone. Kabarati, no, you don't know what Banjar is like, do you? How long has it been since you came to Banjar?"

"It will be one day short of two weeks."

"That's right. It means you came here in a hurry to meet Raphael."

The gaze that suddenly shot out became sharp like a blade.

"Unfortunately, Raphael is dead."

The death of a long-time acquaintance and colleague.

But Edwin couldn't express his emotions properly. The gaze that seemed to search for even the slightest reaction, such as the blink of an eye, was extremely uncomfortable.

"Now that you have nothing to do, shall we go back?"

"Can I have the body handed over to you?"

"Are you aware that you are making such a shameless demand?"

"To some extent."

Sigh, I let out a sigh.

"Look, Edwin. You should know that we're doing you a great favor by not killing you. Judging by the size of your tail, we probably didn't feed you properly."

"Banjar is a harsh land."

"This place is particularly unusual. But it wouldn't be any different anywhere else. Who would say yes and hand over a corpse? Even the enemy leader we worked so hard to deal with?"

It was a natural thing.

Edwin didn't think things would go smoothly either. If his head had been full of flowers, he wouldn't have survived until now.

There were various reasons why he was able to survive after leaving his hometown.

One of them is that he is a true powerhouse.

"I demand it again. Hand over Raphael's body. Just as you have your circumstances, so do I. This is a grave mission entrusted to me."

"What if you don't like it?"

Thud!

The rope that bound Edwin's hands snapped. The red marks left on his skin disappeared in an instant, like an illusion.

"I guess I'll have to kill you all and come find you."

"You seem very confident. Do you think you can do it?"

"That's not a problem. It's something that has to be done."

Even under threat, Pablo's attitude was strangely relaxed. No, he seemed happy. Edwin's sense of discomfort grew bigger and bigger.

The subsequent questions only made the doubts grow further.

"So, who made you do it when you didn't want to?"

"...What does that mean?"

"No, I'm not sure. It's more like you're following along reluctantly. Are you doing it because you want to? Or is it for the money? Is there a reason you absolutely have to follow along?"

The content was easy to understand.

I just couldn't figure out what he was talking about. He threatened to kill me if I didn't hand over Raphael's body. It didn't seem like a good answer.

Pablo, no, the man who claimed to be Pablo said.

"Have you ever thought about working with me?"

"Are you telling me to become a mafia member?"

"No, that's not true. That's a different story, hmm."

Take a moment to tap the armrest of the chair with your fingers.

"Honestly, I don't like it. Looking at the Legion's tail these days."

Bam!

Edwin grabbed the iron bars blocking his way. The bars were warped by the absurd force. However, the other person's expression remained indifferent, as if he didn't feel any sense of danger.

He got up from his chair and said only two words.

"I'll come back in three days. You can think about it calmly there."

It was a strange first meeting.

* * *

Three days passed by quickly.

Meanwhile, Edwin became even more emaciated. He was given the bare minimum of food and water, but he hardly touched it himself. Despite the strict surveillance, he made no attempt to escape from the camp.

My head was in a state of confusion.

I could have dismissed it as nonsense, but I couldn't bring myself to do that. It's just that I didn't try hard to be conscious of it, but it was a problem I'd always been concerned about.

'The Legion is not what it used to be.'

When I first joined the Legion as a 'child' of the godmother, there was a clear ideology and goal at the time. It was a group that tried to achieve a cause, even if the means were undeniably radical.

But what about now?

She only tries to scratch others with hatred and anger. Her godmother made her like that. She hasn't changed. She was a vicious being from the beginning, and as her influence within the group grew, the legion was influenced by her.

And then came the series of failures.

The organization will not return to its original state just because the Godmother's influence has weakened. Only the venomous soldiers who suspect their commanders will remain. How different is that from a mob?

For Edwin, the past three days have been a period of acknowledging the feelings that had sprouted inside him. He realized it painfully.

That he despises the current legion terribly.

'but....'

Is it really okay to betray?

"Your face has improved somewhat."

The Pablo we met again was different in many ways from the first time.

The physique and voice were the same. The black hair was still there, but the irritating sense of strangeness had disappeared without a trace. The speech and atmosphere were natural.

Another thing, the face was that of a completely different person.

"…I know who you are."

"I guess so."

"Why are you here?"

"Wherever I am, isn't it my heart?"

'Hyeon', who I had only seen in videos, smiled brightly.

"You may be different."

Kim Yi-hyeon had a lot, a lot of information about the man in front of her.

'Hey kid. You're handsome even though you don't wash at all.'

The dim light that seems like it could go out if you touch it illuminates his gray-blue hair. His gaunt face, covered in deep shadows, exudes a decadent beauty. Even though he's a fellow male, I can't help but admit it.

A figure who acts as the godmother's bodyguard.

To put it more bluntly, it is closer to a hunting dog. It is a loyal dog that barks when told to bark and brings someone when told to catch someone. It also has a high status in the legion.

Let me point out the most unusual part.

'The original traitor.'

Six-star agent Edwin Berenice.

In reality, Mithril was the first to attack, but in the game, Edwin betrays the Legion. The time period is after Camellia's death. He becomes disillusioned with the Legion's increasingly excessive atrocities and joins the Lab.

This is the reason why he is completely different from Mithril, who was trembling at the organization's incompetence. Edwin also has a large role in the main episode and greatly contributes to the downfall of the Legion.

'I don't really like the character though.'

There aren't many male users who would be attracted to a handsome male character. It's not their taste in terms of narrative either. I'd rather be a ghost who protects his comrades and dies a heroic death.

But up to this point, it's an evaluation of the character in the story.

There are some parts of the game that are simply impossible to overcome.

'Anyway, the performance is really good.'

One of the agents that veteran users unanimously judged to be a human rights character. Although his use is completely different from Ast, he boasts performance that even users who hate male characters cannot help but submit to.

So, what I'm saying is that the dog meat came rolling in.

'It's a bit of a stretch to call it luck.'

Rather, it is closer to inevitability.

If Mithril escapes, the Great Mother's hounds will naturally chase after her, and there is no one more suitable than Edwin. Even if the odds of winning are put aside.

In short, the two are like a set. The encounter with Edwin was a foregone conclusion when he coincidentally reunited with Mithril. At first, he was surprised that someone had come to visit him all of a sudden.

'Well, whatever.'

Kim Lee-hyun had no intention of missing this opportunity.

"If you know me, you can skip the detailed explanation, right?"

"Are you telling me to become a part of the Cellbrox Lab?"

"Okay, for now."

"…I don't understand."

Edwin frowned.

"I've heard a lot about you. In all those stories, you seem like a very cold and level-headed person. At least that's how I felt."

"however?"

"You, who have so vehemently excluded the Legion, why are you making such a suggestion to me?"

What do you believe in?

"hmm."

Kim Yi-hyeon shook his head. It was a question he could have easily had. In fact, if he had no knowledge of the game, he would have shot him as soon as he found out about the connection with Legion.

Of course, I couldn't tell you honestly.

I tried to piece together the puzzle in my brain for a while. I tried to come up with a story that made sense, but then I gave up.

He just said this.

"Physiognomy."

"Coffin… yes?"

"Because this looks better to you. Why, you've been stuck here, eating dog meat and all, and you've never killed anyone. That alone proves that you're different from the crazy guys I've met so far."

Kim Yi-hyeon rummaged through his pockets. Soon, he found a key in his hand. While Edwin was looking bewildered, the iron bars creaked open.

It was a meaningless restraint to begin with. I could have easily torn it off with my bare hands.

Yet Edwin felt an inexplicable sense of liberation.

"Come out first. I'm sorry for locking you up."

"Is it okay if I take it out?"

"What's not okay?"

He nodded outside the bars as if urging him on. Edwin walked unsteadily out of the prison. Perhaps because he hadn't walked for several days, each step he took felt heavy.

"If you need more time, follow me and think about it."

"...."

"If you don't think so, I'll hand over the body. If not, um."

Kim Yi-hyeon said while twirling the key ring with his index finger.

"Please take good care of me then."