Chapter 61

-Jittery!
The video stuttered with noise. The same thing happened to the screens on either side. By the time five of the nine screens were dead, the remaining five screens showed nothing but corpses.
Confirming that the video was over, Mithril pressed the button again. The mechanical motion repeated for the umpteenth time. The video began to play again, starting from the beginning.
“Are you looking again?”
Behind him, a voice called out to him. Mithril did not turn his head. Her eyes were still fixed, recounting the events of the day.
Sighing inwardly, the deputy looked at the screen.
There, a massacre was taking place. Yellow men, white men, Pekatums. Men of all races sliced and burned soldiers.
CCTV footage from a border checkpoint. Mithril would spend hours in the video room after she finished her business. Even though it had been a few days, her mind was still cluttered.
“I’m sure you’re bothered by that.
As a result, Mithril was defeated. And very badly.
They’ve torn through Atlanta and escaped in style. They were never identified, and Ismail was taken from them.
But it was time to come to my senses.
“It’s in the past. We don’t know why they took Ismail, but… he won’t be back in Atlanta for a while, and we can only assume he was in an accident.”
“Accident.”
Mithril clenched his jaw and snorted.
“It’s them.”
“…What do you mean?”
“Snowfield.”
He cut to the chase.
“They killed you, you stupid bitch.”
I didn’t realize this until now. I realized it as soon as I saw the video. There is information that is only shared at the top of the Legion, and it includes the entirety of the battle for Kilikia.
Pekatum, a spellcaster of the Pyrothermal System. Snowfield had died at the hands of his own people, on the subject of his longing for home. Ever since he heard the news, Mithril had thought it ridiculous.
“……I look ridiculous.”
Mithril’s gaze focused on a single point. A spherical figure was visible. The merchant, ‘Hyun’, was swinging his axe with great skill.
His performance doesn’t stand out much. Nine times out of ten, he would be the most underrated. He is clearly the inferior of the three combatants.
But Mithril had a different idea.
“So this guy is the center of gravity.
Occasionally, attention would be drawn to him. Pekatum, the white man, and the man who carried Ismail. Even in the midst of the battle, he was focused on the behavior of the strings….
The implications were obvious. At least in this operation, the commander was Hyun.
“Where do you belong?
It was a question that had plagued Mithril for days. They weren’t soldiers, he judged, not with the structured speech and organization of the military. Rather, a more free-spirited group.
“Is this the Celbrosics Lab again?
The information was shared by the Legion. A bizarre organization, like a cross between an institute and a PMC. I was told that three or four percent of its combat personnel are spellcasters.
At the time, I let it slide. Even now, I don’t care much for the labs themselves. Their purpose, their ideology, and their relationship with the Legion were all good for Mithril.
It’s just a shame.
“…… is also a waste.”
If we could capture them, we would be on equal footing with the Legion’s pursuers, who could strike at any moment.
The existence of a third party against the Legion. Highly valuable. I’ve missed my luck, Mithril couldn’t help but think.
He let out a deep snort. As the lieutenant had said, it was in the past. He had to let the regrets go and focus on the next task.
“What about that guy we caught yesterday?”
“It’s still there. They’re still clamoring to be released.”
“I need to see your face.”
Mithril left the room and walked down the hall. The mansion served as a meeting place for the council. There was another side to this place that belied its colorful exterior.
I walked down the stairs and into the basement. The air is damp and the stench stings your nose. Rusted metal lying everywhere. On either side of me is a row of bars.
Thump, thump!
“Open it, you asshole!”
The cracked voice echoed. A corner of the basement. A naked woman screamed from inside a cage. Soon, a shadow loomed over her.
“You’re in great shape. No wonder you’re getting a sore throat.”
“Hafael…! Release me now, I need to get out of here, I need an explanation.”
“Is there an explanation to come?”
Mithril frowned, his cool reaction allowing the woman to fully understand what was happening.
“Ha, you’ve betrayed me, after all that grace from your godmother…!”
Grace. Mithril mulled over the words he’d heard.
“They say the essence of a person doesn’t change easily.”
“What a bunch of bullshit.”
“No, now that I think of it, your essence must be that asshole part.”
A venomous glare shot out. Not the least bit intimidating. It didn’t suppress her spells, but her abilities were useless without a weapon in hand.
She was a member of the Legion who came to Mithril’s aid at his request. Foster daughter of the Godmother, a figure of equal if not greater stature.
Upon his arrival in Atlanta, he was captured and thrown into prison. Mithril had instructed him to extract as much as he could, since his treachery would be discovered sooner or later anyway.
“Yes, I owe you a favor, you picked me up off the streets and raised me, which is why I’ve been hanging out with the shady bastards in the Legion. To repay my debt.”
But that’s about it.
“They’re all bastards. Shadow died in the middle of nowhere. If it was just him, yeah. So far, so good. At least he died alone.”
Most of all, he deserved to die. Mithril thought.
“But not Snowfield. She was a monster of a woman, if stupid, and then she lost her shit and screwed up. At this point, I think it’s an organizational problem.”
“I’m sorry to hear about ……Snowfield, but they’re still there. Big things are going to happen soon, you know, and it’s not too late.”
Her persuasions failed to move him. His face grew colder as he listened to the story.
“Maybe I’m mistaken.”
“Uh, yeah. I won’t tell anyone about this. So…!”
“There’s a serious cancerous mass, and with fanatics like you festering, the Legion is turning into just another cult.”
A godmother who is so supported by women. And the man who is the entirety of the Legion is, after all, only human. It’s entirely possible that he will die in vain one day.
You don’t seem to think about it at all.
“I’m going to kill …….”
There was a screeching, unpleasant noise. The woman’s nails scraped against the bars. Mithril clicked his tongue at the sight of her bleeding fingertips.
As expected, it didn’t make sense.
The woman was quiet, unlike a moment ago, when she had been screaming for help. But I could feel her intense gaze on my back.
Back on the ground, the deputy asked.
“What would you like to do?”
“Let her live, her spells are useful.”
“I don’t expect you to cooperate.”
“There’s only one way to cooperate.”
The Legion has many ways to utilize spellcasters. And Mithril is still treated as an officer of the Legion.
“When will the researcher arrive?”
“They’ll be crossing the border by midweek.”
“Well, I guess I’d better get ready.”
A pair of eyes squinted into the basement.
“Starve her. It would be embarrassing if any food came out during the brewing process. She’s a woman, even if she’s got that kind of character.”
“…Are you sure you’re okay with that, because then you can’t even fake it.”
“Isn’t that already the case?”
It was too late to hesitate. At a time when the Legion was disgruntled with itself, the conflict was set. The outcome would depend on how thoroughly you prepared.
The timing is not bad.
Currently, the Legion’s main forces are languishing in the northern part of the continent, and they are preparing for a great war that will engulf an entire race.
The results are predictable.
“It’s not going to be like Kilikia.
Though disappointed in the Legion, Mithril has not ignored their power. She knows them objectively, and that’s why she’s playing games in this corner of the land.
Suddenly, several faces flashed into Mithril’s mind, faces he’d been observing for days, faces he recognized as agents of the Cellbrossix Labs.
“It’s better to stay quiet this time.
If you dive in headfirst, no one can guarantee your survival.
* * *
The ops team was able to return to the lap safely.
As with Operation Ashbelt, we started with a debriefing. The difference this time was that we had a guest.
Ismail Riol Pasha. The report described the rescue of the Atlanta president’s son. With some unexplained omissions.
“He’s an intelligent man. His patriotism makes him stubborn, but Hyun must have done a good job of convincing him. You don’t have to worry about him acting out.”
“He’s a good talker.”
Kushan shudders at Westcreek’s words. The location was the lab director’s office. Kim had briefed him first, and then Westcreek had filled him in.
“No, should I say that you’re also a good talker….”
The odds of returning empty-handed are high, but look at the results. We got a gold mine of information and even rescued an important person.
I have to say, that’s pretty resourceful.
“Raila would be happy.
Atlanta is now legitimately involved. What she brings to the lab remains to be seen. With Leila’s personality, she’s bound to make a move at some point.
“Pretty pictures are better than working with criminal organizations.
In this world, the cause is more important than you think. The agents won’t question the legitimacy of the operation. In the future, the lab’s reputation will grow, and you won’t get caught.
All of this was accomplished by Kim.
“Westcreek, how did it look to you?”
“You mean now.”
Westcreek said thoughtfully.
“Well, there’s definitely a question. I had some unclear information, and I think it’s possible that someone I know is from Atlanta, but… I don’t know.”
No background, no career. Nothing is known about Kim Yi Hyun. With nothing to show for it, the investigation was almost pointless.
“……looks like he just fell out of the sky.”
“Of course not.”
Westcreek chuckled, as if in jest. He had meant it in all seriousness.
“Maybe you’re worrying too much.”
“Does it look like that?”
“Hyun is probably a more normal person than the warden thinks, and once he was with Asterike, he visibly relaxed his guard, as if he was relieved to be with someone he trusted.”
From the outside looking in, it was a strange relationship. It’s hard to categorize them as lovers or friends, but at least there was a deep trust between them.
Of course, this was only an internal assessment. If you take humanity out of the equation, Kim Yi Hyun could not be described as ordinary.
“And speaking as an agent, yes.”
Westcreek mentally chose his words. so that Kushan would take it as accurately as possible.
“When you’re running a small team like this, you’re a few steps ahead of the professor. Even if professors had the experience they used to have, I doubt they would be able to do as much as they do now.”
The ability to be on the front line with him, to lead and to be a change agent at the same time, was his greatest strength. Kim will be able to fulfill various roles in any operation.
“…….”
Kushan steepled his fingers, lost in thought. His eyes scanned the words on the report without meaning. After a long moment, he sighed loudly.
“That’s weird, you take all the credit.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. Do you know how many agents have a hard time with you?”
Click.
I organized the stack of papers roughly. It was funny to be serious when I got good results.
“They seem to like it a lot.”
“He’s a hard worker.”
“That too.”
That was the end of the report. Kushan was about to say that he had a hard time.
“Well, do the agents give me a lot of trouble?”
“……Tough to say no.”
“That’s right, I’ve been called blunt for a long time….”
He didn’t take it as a joke. Despite his cold exterior, he was a sensitive guy. As I thought about how to respond, I thought of Kim Yi-hyun.
“My order should be ready soon.
The job must have gone well, and it was a good time to give a gift.