Chapter 53

Finding the characters was a cumbersome process. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the geography was unfamiliar to me, and I had to retrace my steps several times.
“I think I’ve bullied you at this point.”
Westcreek said, adjusting the hood on his head. He hadn’t gotten used to the feel of it after all that touching earlier.
Kim Yi-hyun also wore a bandana. The idea was to look like the locals. They even wore flowing clothes reminiscent of traditional Central Asian clothing.
“I still don’t feel like I’m being looked at… but maybe that’s because I’m an outsider.”
“It would be nice to be able to cover my face with it.”
None of the passersby had their faces completely covered.
The idea that Atlanta has such a culture is never mentioned in the game, and it makes sense that it’s more of a Legion control than a backstory.
I had a hard time shaking it off.
“I can’t say I’m a hundred percent, but it doesn’t matter. I’ve been out of the hotel for almost… two hours. If I can’t shake it off after this much walking around, I’ll just have to live with it.”
“……m.”
Kim smirked at the strange stare.
“Why?”
“Wasn’t that a mistake in hiring after all? There has to be someone better suited for an operation like this, and considering we don’t know the nature of the agents yet… at least Ghost would have been better than me.”
It’s not that Westcreek is lacking, it’s just that they specialize in different things. He’s a pure combatant. He’s not terrible at stealth, but he’s nowhere near as good as Ghost.
“Well, that’s true, but I don’t have a problem with you.”
I brought him in with full knowledge. I’d prefer to keep Ghost on the professor’s side… but that doesn’t mean I’m going to take another elite agent. He won’t take orders.
“I’m more nervous about Turkham. I hope he doesn’t get caught in the act.”
I’ve asked Turkam to do something else. A typical bar-crawl, gathering information. It was a quickie, to be honest, but it was important.
“Why not?”
“What, is it?”
He’s the most normal of the Ganodab trio. His in-game performance is just garbage.
“This is not the time to worry about other people.
After a long two hours of wandering, you arrive at a restaurant 20 minutes from your hotel. The table was full of people. Depending on the time of day, the restaurant was either moderately quiet or packed.
“Rabesque… right.
The name and interior match her memory. Kim walked into the restaurant and sat down in the corner.
Soon a waiter approached and handed me a menu. He’s neatly dressed, well ironed. His face, on the other hand, is forgettable.
“Call me when you have an order.”
“Yes, thank you.”
He walks away in an overly polite manner. As he glances behind him, he thinks back to his portrayal in the game.
– A ubiquitous young man of Turkic descent, he is hard to remember once you see him.
– His plain appearance was a long-standing complex, but not anymore. Rather than overcoming it, he realized it as an adult.
– His mediocrity was a great strength when it came to “work,” as he could be an old man or a boy, depending on his disguise.
I’m glad I was still alive and well. It would have been a nuisance if he had been taken out by the Legion.
He’s not going to die that easily.
“Hyun, you know this place well.”
Westcreek, who had been looking around with his eyes, spoke up. He asks her why she’s in the restaurant.
“I have connections in a lot of places. Though I don’t have as wide a footprint as Kushan.”
At the questioning stares, Kim shrugged. Westcreek’s gaze fell to the menu.
“I know …… is all about food I’ve never tried before, but should I expect anything?”
“It’s seafood, so it’s up to you.”
He pats you on the head, saying he’s convinced. He seems to take it in stride, but a detailed report will be sent to the Director of the Institute at the end of the operation.
We brought Westcreek along for the ride.
“I can handle this.
It’s hard to call it a trusting relationship, but so far, Dustborn has been cooperative with the lab. We’re not going to turn our backs on him now that he’s gotten more suspicious.
Of course, acting independently of West Creek would create another problem… one that could be eliminated. Something more immediate and direct than raising suspicion on Kushan.
After a short wait, the waiter looks this way and walks over quickly, as if he’s just noticed.
“You’re a good actor.
They must have been watching this table closely. Two strangers in a time of need. It’s hard not to be wary.
“Do you have an order?”
“Yes. In this lasagna, this is…….”
After finishing the order as soon as possible. I added to the waiter who folded the menu and tucked it into his side.
“Oh, and.”
Kim gestured to the window. Outside the window stretched the azure ocean.
“Can I draw the curtains?”
“You mean the curtains…”
“I’m allergic to water, especially the ocean, and it’s horrible, I break out in hives just looking at it, so I can’t stand it.”
The waiter fell silent, and after a long pause, he nodded softly.
“I see.”
She draws the curtains by hand and heads for the kitchen. After a few steps, she glances behind her. For a brief moment, our eyes meet, and then we look away.
“Phew. Now I’ll live.”
Kim leaned back in her seat and looked across to see Westcreek glaring at her.
“What’s wrong?”
“No, I’m just suddenly curious.”
“What,” I asked, and he smirked.
“Is this an actual allergy?”
“I think so, maybe.”
“That’s another… pain in the ass.”
Kim rested her arms on the armrests of her chair and jerked her jaw.
“That’s right.”
* * *
It was after we finished eating.
Kim and Westcreek left the restaurant and went to the back of the building. As if waiting for them, the back door opened.
Waiter’s uniforms, chef’s uniforms. Three men and women who could only be ordinary employees. They approach them, cloths covering their eyes.
“Follow me. Don’t mess around.”
“Sure.”
“Don’t even answer.”
After only a few steps, Kim felt a sense of vertigo.
‘……Is everyone doing the same thing?’
I had the same experience during the No Face incident. Except this time there was Westcreek on the sidelines… and it wasn’t about combat.
That they are a force in the shadows.
The move didn’t take long. There are far fewer CCTV cameras than in Kilikia, and there are no patrol drones flying around.
We arrived at a converted wine cellar. A room with a table and a chair. The guides untied the cloth and put them in a room that looked like an interrogation room.
Two men stand on either side of the door as if to keep outsiders out. Meanwhile, a woman sits cross-legged in a chair.
“Just wait. I don’t know if you’re a client or a mole, but the boss will hear from you.”
Kim exchanged a glance with Westcreek. Next, she responded to the woman’s comment.
“Thank you. For being so polite.”
“There’s no point in being sarcastic, it’s a necessary evil.”
“I wasn’t being sarcastic, I meant it.”
The woman watched Kim’s movements with a frown. She pulled up a chair and sat down, just like her. There was no defiance in her demeanor.
In fact, it was almost relaxed. Despite being dragged to a place I didn’t recognize, I didn’t feel like anything was going to happen to me.
“You guys… where are you from?”
“What, you want me to wait?”
“…… did.”
The woman closed her mouth with a shudder. If they were spies or whatever they said they were, she had no authority to interrogate them arbitrarily.
Allow the quiet time to pass for about 10 minutes.
Tong, tong.
I heard rhythmic footsteps outside.
The cellar echoed with a poisonous sound. It was difficult to remain completely concealed unless you were barefoot and walking in the dark.
The sound grew closer and then stopped. The doorway guards turned the doorknob and pulled. The woman had already risen from her seat.
Through the open door, a man emerged. The waiter from earlier. He patted his men on the shoulder and stepped into the room.
Said the waiter, still uncharacteristically blank.
“Where, did you get your meal?”
“So-so.”
Kim checked her palate to see what remained of the flavor in her mouth. It wasn’t insanely delicious, but just right, which was the right word.
“That’s good, the chefs are really good at what they do.”
“Can we say good job?”
“Yeah, I don’t think it’s good to be too crowded in a store, so I’m comfortable in the middle of anything.”
The waiter glances at Westcreek. He looks up and down, then spits out a “mmm” sound.
“Is this your bodyguard?”
“Sort of. It was a long way to get here.”
“Aha.”
He seems to be convinced. The waiter rested his arms on the table and crossed his fingers. With his thumbs propping up his chin, he smirks.
“So, what country are you from?”
The mood changed in an instant. Westcreek flinched, and three of his men put their hands on my arms. I can’t tell if they’re guns or blades.
Subordinates are no problem. Kim doesn’t need Westcreek’s help; he can handle them himself.
Waiters, however, are different.
“I honestly didn’t want to be associated with it.
It’s easy to say, but Polaris isn’t all good guys. There are as many conflicts as there are villains, and new ones are introduced at every opportunity.
Atlanta may have been an unusually peaceful country, but it’s still a society of people. There are rats, parasites, and the like.
Al Quamar. A criminal organization established as an antagonist in one agent’s side story.
The story is told in flashbacks without the Professor’s involvement. This is because Atlanta is destroyed in the events of the story.
It should have been normal for them to disappear without so much as a sniffle, but this time Kim was going to use them.
“I didn’t realize I had to give you my information to make a referral. I don’t mind giving it to you, but do you give me a bump in commission?”
“Not really, because we’re not in the business of digging.”
The smile on his face was eerie. Kim wasn’t shy, but he was pretty nervous.
“I’m glad you brought Westcreek in.
The leader of Al Quamar, Darun. He has a tricky spell to deal with. He’s a terrible matchup for Chelsea or Asterique.
Westcreek is the exact opposite. An agent who is what we call a ‘counter’. For this job, there’s no other bodyguard I’d trust more.
So, it’s okay to go a little hard.
“You’re not going to believe anything I say anyway, so do your own background checks.”
“Don’t worry. I’m already doing it.”
“That’s fast.”
Kim snorted. I’m not discounting Al Quamar’s intelligence, but it was nice.
What could they do, even if they were to find out who I was, it’s a long way from Rap.
After a brief chi fight. Darin moved on from this topic and got down to business.
“Well, I have a lot of questions, but let’s start with the story. What is this referral?”
“I want information.”
After catching his breath, Kim continued.
“Tell me what’s going on in Atlanta, who’s occupying this place, and what they’re up to.”