Chapter 54

The first person to react to Kim’s comment was a woman in a chef’s uniform, who stared at her client and snorted.
“Ha, you want me to tell you everything?”
It was ridiculous. What a cavalier attitude, let alone a request. It was an act of watering down Al Quamar, she accepted.
“Hey, I’m not sure I understand what’s going on, but do you guys know where you are?”
The woman withdrew her hand from her bosom. The weapon revealed was an old-fashioned revolver. If she fired, everyone in the basement would flock here.
Two of the men also pulled out folding knives. After confirming that the three were armed, Kim simulated the situation in his head.
If there was a means, there were many.
In one fell swoop, I knock over the desk and pull out my shield. I pull out my gun and take out the woman first, letting Westcreek do the rest…….
“This guy is the problem.
Darun is still bare. Unlike his hostile subordinates, he is lost in thought. He looks almost defenseless.
“But it’s the most annoying.
Westcreek also kept a close watch on Darun. The three of them, too, had their weapons drawn, but they were waiting for Daran to make his move.
A dozen seconds of confrontation ensued. In the heat of the moment, Darun loosened his grip.
“Stop it, you’re intimidating the guests.”
He spreads his hands wide as if he has no intention of fighting. There was no protest. With a simple word, the men sheathed their weapons as if they had always done so.
Under normal circumstances, things would not have gone so smoothly.
Yes, under normal circumstances.
“I heard a rumor. The merchants who entered the country today had all their goods taken away by immigration…….”
Darun laughed lightly.
“Haha, merchants are tough these days.”
“It’s a job that shouldn’t be taken lightly.”
“No wonder.”
He kept a low-key demeanor but kept his eyes on his clients. Of the two, he seemed to take the initiative.
“Okay, great.”
Tak.
Darun’s palm rests on the table.
“I’m not going to ask where you’re from, whether you’re from the country next door or a spy from the far-off Shiran Empire… I care, but I’ll never be able to prove it.”
They passed immigration, meaning they didn’t have anything to prove their original identity.
Talking about foreign affairs is not proof. Al Qamar’s business is confined to the country. He doesn’t know what’s going on in other countries.
The only thing that’s certain is this.
A foreign power, not one of “them,” has entered Atlanta under false pretenses, and if you play your cards right, you can get their cooperation to save the day.
Darun saw this bizarre encounter as an opportunity. Exactly as Kim had intended.
“Right now, Atlanta is occupied by a foreign power. You probably know that by now, which is why you’ve come to this backwater country.”
That’s how the explanation began.
“And just the other day, a bunch of our spies were captured. Atlanta was completely isolated, and a lot of our people were taken.”
It’s made all the difference, he said. The corners of his mouth tilted upward, but it was hardly a smile.
“In just one month, the borders were controlled, the parliament was seized, and the army was forcibly disbanded.”
Kim Yi Hyun’s face hardened. The country was completely paralyzed. The commander was resourceful. This was no match for Snowfield or Shadow, whose strengths lay in individual force.
“It’s called Legion, have you heard of it?”
“……Gee. I don’t remember that.”
“Uhm. I don’t think you should do that.”
Darun scratched his neck in embarrassment.
“We’re giving you the information for no compensation, no upfront payment, don’t you think we’ve conceded a lot?”
After a moment’s deliberation, Kim opened his mouth to say something.
“A militant group that has recently begun operating across the continent. They’ve caused disturbances in Floria and Kilikia. We don’t know where they came from or who they are.”
“And then, out of nowhere, Atlanta.”
He mumbles to himself. It’s hard to read what’s going on on his face,” Kim says, gauging the other man’s reaction.
“I heard you say taxes earlier. What is that?”
“It means what it says.”
Darun sighed and spoke.
“They’re using public records to extort money from citizens. They select one representative per district…and they collect…they have a tight quota.”
“What if I don’t meet my quota?”
“Spin the roulette wheel.”
Roulette. Before I could question the randomness of the word, he explained.
“The board has the names of those who owe taxes on it. Whether they pay or not, the punishment falls on the person the needle pointed at.”
“What the hell is that…….”
“It’s bizarre, but it’s effective, because citizens are watching each other to make sure they’re paying their fair share of taxes.”
I finally understood the context of the assault earlier. It was as effective as it sounds. To turn the tip of the arrow of discontent.
We’ve summarized it in a few words.
“They’re doing business here.”
Kim shook his head. Business was a good word for it, even though it was really extortion, where they didn’t give anything away.
At the same time, I felt doubt.
“Something’s wrong.
No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t shake the feeling of discomfort. This is not the Legion’s way.
They prefer more… primal, simple means.
“Well, different executives have different styles.
After all, they’re the same organization, so they must have something in common. It’s even more suspicious when you consider that Atlanta doesn’t have much strategic value.
“I rake in the money…. Is that it?”
Westcreek interjected, and while he might not be as Legion-obsessed as Kim, he knew the gravity of the situation.
“It’s different. It’s not just about the money.”
“So?”
“We’re recruiting soldiers to join the Legion. In a big way.”
Darun clicked his tongue, his demeanor becoming more and more blatant as the explanation continued.
“We’ve got a unique opportunity for you to go from livestock to breeder, and from what I hear, spellcasters are especially favored.”
Some of Al Quamar’s members have fallen by the wayside. Darun’s planted spies were being exposed and executed, and the organization’s secrets were being leaked day by day.
“You mean ……, right?”
Kim dropped his gaze to the table and stroked his chin. He was certain. That something had changed within the Legion that he didn’t know about.
The Legion is not a group of hothouse livestock for company; they only accept the angry, the wandering, and the venomous.
You’ve heard most of what you need to hear. It’s a bountiful harvest. Thank goodness Darun was the only one who made sense.
“No, you’re only being so cooperative because you’re cornered yourself.
Al Quamar is an organization that dominates Atlanta’s underworld. It started out as a loan shark and has branched out into other businesses such as construction.
More than just a criminal organization, they were fully integrated into Atlanta society, and as influential as they were…….
“You’re thinking, ‘This is some kind of fecal matter.’
When everything was destroyed, both political and military, there was no one left to connect with. We’re outnumbered and outgunned.
“One last question.”
Al Quamar wants a variable. You will be an obedient collaborator, at least for a while.
“Which Legion commander is this? If you don’t know his name, you can give me a general description of his physique.”
“Is it a feature?”
Darin sat up and turned around.
“Rabiya, get the photo.”
The woman named left the Burinake room. It took her less than two minutes to return, and she carefully placed the photo on the table.
“Let’s check it out.”
Kim was handed the photo. It was zoomed in from a distance and very blurry. But it wasn’t unrecognizable.
That was the moment.
Boom!
The door swung open again. Gazes snapped to the man who had rushed in. Darin’s cheeks twitched at the sudden intrusion.
“What’s going on? The guest is now at…….”
His subordinate, who had scanned the room, whispered the situation to him. Upon hearing the story, Darun squeezed his eyes shut and opened them.
Then he looked at Kim. There was a hint of doubt and worry in her eyes, but it quickly faded.
“They’re here.”
* * *
Surrounding the restaurant Labesk were soldiers in military uniforms, but they were not wearing the gas masks used in operations.
The skin of some of them was a dark coffee color. A characteristic of the Turkic race. They were, in Darun’s words, the inhabitants of Atlanta who had become breeders.
“What brings you here again today?”
Darun approached the leading figure. In the guise of a waiter, without the slightest hint of discomfort.
“I heard from the manager that you paid this week’s share tax.”
“The manager doesn’t even turn up his nose at me whenever I come in. Doesn’t he care about running the store?”
The burly man snorted. He stared at Darun for a moment before shifting his gaze. His eyes scanned the room, then locked on Kim.
She stretches out her legs. The man stared at Kim until he was almost in front of her. Kim Yi Hyun also observed her opponent with cold eyes.
Nearly two meters tall, with bulging muscles that are visible beyond his clothes. White skin and a deeply etched knife mark near his right eyebrow.
“Mithril.
The Legion’s top brass, who were supposed to meet in Kilikia, were here.
“Are you the merchants who came in today?”
He offers to shake her hand first. Kim looked down for a moment, then shook his hand. There were no obvious gestures, such as using force.
“You were treated unfairly at immigration. I apologize on your behalf. We’ll make sure you get your confiscated items back.”
It was unexpectedly friendly. Or maybe it wasn’t so strange, given Mithril’s setup.
‘Because he’s not as sneaky as he looks.
It may look like a simple, brawny muscle-brain, but it operates with intelligence. It is not exceptionally strong, but it is by no means an easy opponent.
And one more.
‘……You were so careful, but you got followed.’
Behind Mithril was a figure in a tattered cloak, a dwarf. His face was obscured by the hood. But she had an idea who it was.
Mantra.
This is the name that appears alongside Mithril in the game. He has a spell that marks opponents in his line of sight, allowing him to track them within a certain distance.
The search is over. Kim bowed his head with a grim smile.
“Oh, thank you so much. I didn’t have much money on me and I was worried about what I was going to do. I guess government officials make mistakes everywhere.”
“Sorry about that.”
“No, no, no. You’re helping me.”
I rolled my eyes and smirked appropriately.
From what we’ve been told, Mithril travels here often, meaning he already knows Ravesk is Al Quamar’s stronghold.
“Are they leaving it alone on purpose?
We have a few guesses as to why. Even if you wipe it out, it’s just one of its strongholds. If it hides well, it’s even harder to eradicate.
‘You said it’s called a flat tax. You’re collecting money differently than taxes…?
This is also un-Legion-like. When a city is captured, it is the common policy of the Legion to wipe it out so that it cannot resist in the future.
It’s not doing it at all. It looked like we needed to dig a little deeper.
“I’ve brought you some good liquor, and I’d like to treat you to a big drink… well, when I get it back safely, that is… what do you say?”
“Alcohol, good, you’re a gracious fellow.”
Mithril grinned favorably. He placed a hand on Kim’s shoulder.
“Let’s save that for another time… I have something I need to talk to you about at length.”
Of course.
Kim thought to himself. It’s not just surveillance, it must have a purpose for coming to me at this time.
“Yeah, I’ll do it while I eat.”
Mithril half-heartedly led Kim to Darin, then turned to Darin and pointed at the shop with the tip of her chin.
“Get out of the way.”