Chapter 74

“I swear, if it were me, I’d be shocked to death.”
Chelsea said from inside the hatch, her hand over her mouth. She looked horrified, as if she’d seen the unseen. It was a giddy sight to behold, to be sure, but it wasn’t Chelsea’s to say.
“You had your eyes closed the whole time, you.”
“Because you saw it with your mind’s eye?”
“You betcha.”
Kim Yi-hyun lightly shrugged. She’s been bothered by her recent confinement to the training center, but it doesn’t seem to bother her. In fact, it seems to have motivated her in a good way.
“Mmmm. That, string?”
“Why?”
“Are you sure this is okay?”
“You said you’d know when, but I don’t want to bet against you now.”
“I don’t mean to troll, of course, but….”
Carmen turned her head and looked down. The crowd continued to gather like a swarm of ants. Ainoa is falling, her parachute unfurled, after a short freefall.
It was, what can I say, pretty crazy.
“We’ve never done anything like this before.”
“We’re new to this too.”
In the rear hatch were members of the RAP. Veterans of West Creek. More than 20, including Redwood’s men. A follow-up team would arrive later.
Most of them looked as nervous as Carmen. Only two were nonchalant. Westcreek was checking his weapons, and Asterique was looking out over the city in disguise.
“Have you ever played any strategy games?”
“No, not that kind of entertainment at all.”
“You know it when you see it, but there’s no one right way to do it. There are dozens of different ways to play a stage, and after a few times, you’ll find your groove.”
“You mean disposition?”
“Some people get a sense of accomplishment from breaking gimmicks. Some people like to build up their characters and overpower them, while others are pervs who like to challenge themselves with intentionally difficult conditions.”
“Ah, hmm. That’s a lot.”
Carmen was still confused. It wasn’t that she didn’t understand, it was that her intentions were unclear.
“If I had to guess, I’d say that the classic approach would be to play politics, find someone you like, form a faction, and kick their ass….”
The helicopter lost altitude. Kim stood up and grabbed the rope leading outside. The weight of his body armor provided a small measure of relief.
“Not my specialty. I thought I’d try a twist.”
The helicopter was too scared to stop in midair, so Kim descended.
He wasn’t originally a specialist or anything. A ubiquitous cook who woke up at 5 a.m. to boil shit soup. Normally, I would have shuddered, but strangely enough, I didn’t hesitate.
The plaza was packed, but the landing zone was empty. All eyes were on Kim. He ignored the piercing stares and turned to Ainoa.
“Oh, my God, why.”
“What are you doing lying down?”
“Don’t look, help me, the rope got tangled when I fell…!”
“They’re all over the place.”
I pulled out my knife and cut through the nylon paracord, and one by one the agents finished the repel while I backed them up. Not surprisingly, Chelsea was the last to go.
“Guwaeec…….”
I didn’t hear any gagging noises. The fact that he made it down safely was remarkable. People grow. You’ll do better next time.
Agents surrounded Ainoa like a guard. Their weapons were unsheathed, ready for battle at any moment. Kim openly wore his blade as well.
“Let’s move it.”
Leading the way was Carmen. She had been a Chapter in a greenhouse, and now she had returned home a warrior.
Ainoa walked proudly through the ranks. There was no cloud in her eyes. Perhaps it was a fluke, a way of getting in on the ground floor, but this time they were there.
“Ah, Ainoa.”
“Are you not a princess?”
The rumbling grew louder. Soon, capital guards rushed through the crowd, blunt instruments of riot control in hand, blocking the agents’ path.
“You despicable people, you know what He is like who is there; free him now!”
A middle-aged man yelled at the top of his lungs to echo through the square. The remarks are deliberate. He labeled the agents as criminals and naturally raised his hand to take over.
“You’re mistaken, we were only assigned to guard Princess Ainoa at her formal request, you know, the unsavory rumors that have been flying around.”
Carmen giggled.
“The royal family has gone missing from this Magnu, and despite the full force of our guards, we have not found a single plausible lead…. I have every reason to be weary of your negligence.”
“Negligence, negligence, what do you mean?”
“What did the guards do while we were actually in the middle of the city?”
The man’s face turned bright red. His gaze shifted from Carmen to Ainoa.
“Is it true what this wench says? Whatever you mean, you cannot do this, for they are Minos in the womb, and you bring impious men to this Bastitera, even to the royal court.”
“Bitch?”
A cold voice pierced my ears.
“Treating a marquise’s mistress like a slut. You’ve gotten a lot better since I last saw you, Mr. Robachum.”
“……?”
“You have the disrespect to block my path, and you look down on my benefactor; in your eyes, even I am a mere wench.”
Ainoa took a step toward Rovahum.
“I’ll give you a choice. Cut out your own tongue or pluck out your own eyeballs.”
“Oh, Ainoa. I never meant to imply that….”
“If you can’t do it, fuck off.”
We pass a frozen Robahum. Kim and Carmen looked at each other and shrugged. They start to regroup, but Chelsea punches them in the arm from the side.
“Is he a double personality?”
“I can hear you, man.”
We walked quite a distance to reach Wangseong.
Already at the gates were armed soldiers and knights, not just gatekeepers, and a young man who looked exactly like Ainoa.
“……inoa.”
“Greetings, my brother.”
He bows low to indicate yes. It was an impeccable greeting. It was swan-like grace, but it infuriated Adrian.
“How can you… be so cavalier after what you have done, do you realize what a fool you have been?”
“It’s for my own safety. For the past month, the only people who have threatened me are the Bastiaters. Even in the guard, there are cowards who try to intimidate royalty, and if proper procedures had been followed, I might never have returned to the castle alive.”
Ainoa slowly looked around the room. Their demeanor was tense and their flesh was edgy. They looked as if they would fight if ordered.
“And yet, I don’t see a single person welcoming me back to life.”
She realized that her life had been an illusion. Wangseong was no longer her home, but a jousting hall inhabited by a hundred demons. A place where ideals and greed swirl.
Ainoa had her own problems. He wanted Bastitera to get better. I chose to return, hoping that the country would not be consumed by the madness of war.
Then you had to become a ghost yourself.
* * *
News of the princess’s return spread quickly across Bastitera. Her appearance was so unexpected that there was no room for distortion.
The funny thing is that before the central nobility even heard the rumor, it reached the general public. It fell on the feet of all the nobility, radicals and conservatives alike.
“Didn’t you say you had it covered?”
“Me, I don’t know, I’ve only heard that it’s done….”
“And the hit man? Can I meet him?”
“No, he, he’s been out of touch.”
“I can’t reach you, did you get a report?”
The woman’s tone was creepily bland. At first, I thought she was emotionless, but as we continued to meet, I quickly realized that this was not the case.
Darkness wriggled beneath the cane. Count Bedelov cleared his throat. How many of his men had been eaten by that thing before they became ‘collaborators’.
“Do you know anything about the men the princess brought with her?”
“…From what I hear, they’re a mercenary organization operating out of the country. I don’t know how they’re connected to the princess, but it’s likely through the Marquis de Mobillet’s daughter.”
“What kind of company is it?”
“Maybe, it was called Dustborn.”
The woman dropped her gaze. It was a habit she often had when she was lost in thought. The name Dustborn was not unfamiliar to her.
‘A hound of the Council of Kilikia.
In hindsight, the capture of Kilikia was the beginning of the noise. Shadow’s untimely death was one thing, but it was the result of a very questionable and unilateral move.
Kilikia was different.
The plan for an easy capture fails. Snowfield was also killed. It was a tragedy no one in the Legion had expected.
A careful investigation led to some understanding of what happened. Two figures have come under scrutiny. A Pekatum named Asterique and an unidentified man named “Hyun” played key roles.
If they showed up this time.
“Is this a coincidence?
It’s almost too much of a coincidence. It’s almost as if we know their every move. Dustbone, on the other hand, is a little less well known.
If Dustborn was indeed on to Legion’s poison pill, it raises a new question.
At this point, you may be wondering why they named it as an invitation to raid.
The godmother closed her eyelids slowly. Thoughts scattered from her mind; her plans had already gone awry, and she couldn’t afford to let a mercenary distract her.
“If you want to make amends, kill the princess now.”
“In this, in this situation?”
“Why not? Being guarded is just a princess’s claim, and it’s not uncommon for mercenaries to betray their employers, no matter what the actual deal is.”
It could be a blessing in disguise. If the murder of the princess is framed as the work of mercenaries, this will be the final straw. You’ll have a “reason,” as the Plainsmen say.
“Let’s get the weapons ready over here.”
That’s it.
The godmother turned in her tracks. As she climbed the stairs to the cellar, a woman’s face suddenly appeared in her brain.
“Come to think of it, there was that kid.
The one person who hates Dustborn more than anyone. The child who insisted on not wanting to taint Bastitera.
It seemed like a good gift.
* * *
A private palace for the princess. The crystal palace’s pantry had been converted into a makeshift operations room. A map of Bastitera was spread out on a table that had been cleared out of the way.
“It’s a race against time.”
Kim’s palm pressed against a spot on the map. A spider’s web of red symbols spun around the center of the map.
“Finish the job before Ainoa is assassinated. To do that, I’ll need proof, proof of which son of a bitch was doing this shit, where, and how much.”
“Hey, is there anything in the marked area?”
Gert, an agent in the lab, asked.
“Honestly, I’m, um, I don’t like what’s going on here. The horse is invited, not kicked in the door, and I don’t know if I’m carrying a princess on my back.”
“We’re on the same page. We could be accused of interfering in internal affairs.”
There was some negative reaction. But it was nothing new.
“Internal affairs interference, yes, this.”
Kim cut to the chase.
“I’ve spoken to Kushan, of course, and he’s very graciously agreed to take Dustborn’s name in place of Celbrox Labs for now. Listen carefully, our purposes are exactly aligned.”
He put his hands on the table and stuck his head in.
“We’re going to purge every noble with ties to the Legion.”
“Sue, the purge?”
“I’ve heard that the royal family of Bastitera has the right to summarily execute traitors. We’ll bring them the evidence, and Ainoa can deal with them. Then there will be no war.”
The looks on their faces could have been seen by a demon, but it was none of his business. If the traitor is left alone, Ainoa will die. The bodies of the Bastitheans will pile up.
It’s cheaper to nip the rotten shoots in the bud.
It was the most radical solution. Of course, the means are coercive, and Ainoa’s public opinion will suffer. But there’s no need to worry. We have a ready target for aggro.
“Let’s see how long we can stay behind.
The day is coming when we’ll bring Legion to the surface.