Chapter 156

The tower has served its purpose and is no longer needed.
In terms of time, it took less than a day. Partly because the priest conducted the ceremony with a coolness that belied his centuries-old age. But it was also because of Altayre’s spell.
“That was quicker than I thought.”
“Why, do you want to stay here?”
“Ugh. No way.”
Asterike was eager to get out of the tower as soon as possible, even though she knew the witches were surprisingly intelligent and conversational, she didn’t want to stay in this dreary place.
And you never know.
Witches seemed to have many secrets they couldn’t reveal to others. For example, how the coven was maintained when it was only women. Or why, if they accepted outsiders as pets, they were nowhere to be seen.
I’m not curious about the story. It’s just off-putting.
There’s a lot of stuff in the world that’s better left unsaid.
“So, like, selective ignorance…?
I tried to think of a plausible way to say it, and then cringed. The act of forcing myself to come up with words that seemed difficult made me feel stupid. Like Arya mixing up incision and ablution…….
As the foolish Asterike wallowed in self-pity, the priest approached.
“Are you ready?”
“I’m not ready, I haven’t even unpacked.”
“Hmm. I guess so does he.”
It was a courtesy question.
Kim didn’t pay much attention to the priest, thinking he was just seeing her off, but she followed him relentlessly.
“Why are you looking at it?”
“No, never mind. I just thought it was a little disappointing.”
“Too bad. What do you mean?”
“It’s like having a long-lost guest, and they’re gone.”
Kim’s demeanor turned sour.
The priest’s disdain for the flippant remark was obvious.
“Of course, we’re all familiar with bad timing. I wouldn’t have invited you here in the first place otherwise. It’s a meeting made possible by the fire that fell on your feet.”
“I suppose so.”
“But our lives are overly full. We live far longer than mere mortals, but almost every moment begins and ends here. The only time we get to escape is when we go into town on Halloween and scare the snot out of the snotty kids.”
“Please be gentle. This is going to be traumatizing.”
“Is not that also entertainment?”
The corners of his eyes curved gracefully.
“Today’s events between the left and right have given me invaluable inspiration. I think I can live another 10 years.”
“Does meeting a person add 10 years to your life?”
Crazy price, Kim muttered under his breath.
“I told you, our lives are full. There are times when you can’t even breathe. The secret to longevity is to have the means to get through it.”
Memories of someday. Alcohol and cigarettes.
Or worse.
A day when nothing seems to be able to stop you from feeling bored.
Vidia quietly leaves the tower and disappears into the darkness of the forest.
“……Why not take a look at it again at least once in a while?”
“Then I’ll live until then.”
She smiles gently, with the same face as her godmother. It was an uncomfortable sight for Kim Yi-hyun. Especially since she has seen glimpses of her past.
The priest spoke up.
“Let’s continue our story from earlier.”
About ‘Polaris’ and the Gentiles.
“Don’t get caught up in confirmation bias.”
“What do you mean?”
“Why do you think your own knowledge is the only true knowledge, the only real truth. At the risk of sounding like an old man’s nagging, remember that the world is not as fragmented as you think it is.”
Something abstract, like catching a bug.
I would have ignored it if it hadn’t been so obvious, but it wasn’t. There was a sensation of something grinding, like a cog with a foreign object in it.
It’s something he’s been reflecting on for a while now. A random drift that started without knowing why. A vividness that was unbelievable for a game. A game company with suspiciously little information.
We have a few hypotheses.
That the game Polaris never existed, that the memories of “Kim Yi Hyun” are a product of some kind of psychosis, that the virtual world was constructed by a formalin-soaked brain in a lab somewhere.
All of them were ridiculous, and rightfully so. The whole idea of falling into a Polaris is unrealistic.
It’s a crazy story.
“But what the hell is the right answer?
The priest’s advice caused even more confusion.
Maybe I shouldn’t be so sure, maybe I wasn’t sure in the first place, maybe I was just talking out of my ass?
“I don’t know.
I gave up on the idea.
Any speculation was unfounded.
It was a problem I’d already put halfway down anyway.
“I’ll think about it from time to time.”
I couldn’t be bothered to give it more attention.
At this point, Kim’s focus was on scenarios.
As I was about to leave, the priest bowed his head one last time.
“Do me a favor. Please kill Deborah.”
There was no affection or hesitation in telling me to kill my daughter.
* * *
December.
In Salle, winter winds raked the land of Old Shalem.
Snowflakes accumulated on the roots of the trees that covered the ruins. While the city in exile slept through the winter, Rap was visited by outsiders who came to spend the day.
“It’s good to see you again, Hyun.”
“Brother, it’s been a while.”
Redwood, who had cooperated in Bastitera, had sent an operational team this time. With the exception of Carmen, whom he’d met at the summit, Rocco and the others hadn’t seen each other in a long time.
“I’m sorry for asking you to help me with something.”
“Oh, I’m not working for free. This is a company that makes its money by helping others.”
“Lo, Rocco. How can you talk like that….”
I was glad to see that Daisy was still timid. People should be this consistent. Kim shook each of their hands once, then turned her attention to Carmen.
“I didn’t realize you’d been reinstated.”
“Well, I haven’t been reinstated yet, I only joined in the middle because I didn’t want you to have to deal with me if I arrived separately, and I’m going to be in this operation with Bastitera, not Redwood.”
“I don’t know what’s going on with the redwoods, is that okay?”
“I feel very cared for, and they’ve told me to come back whenever I feel comfortable.”
Redwood and Bastiterra are said to be on good terms, so it shouldn’t be a problem, even though it looks like he’s effectively moved on.
“And this is…….”
Carmen gave him a look, and the man behind her stepped closer.
“Greetings, I am Nord Cipras, First Knight of the Order of the Golden Lion.”
“Golden Lion? I’ve never heard of it.”
The explanation came from Carmen’s mouth.
“It’s only just been created, and His Highness Adrian himself, right after he came back from the summit, he was insistent that we create a force group focused on outreach.”
Apparently, they were ignored in many ways in the talks.
“I heard of your greatness from my sister-in-law. The biochemical attack at Magnu Station in particular was a terrible event, and it left a deep scar on Bastila, but it was by no means the only one. The zeal you showed at that time! It was spread by the mouths of the soldiers and guards who were there, and it is still talked about to this day. That heroic act is what brought me to this position…….”
I glanced over at Carmen to see her stifling a laugh.
“It’s no use noticing me, I told you, it was His Highness Adrian’s work, and he’s a man who longs for the battlefield… which is probably why the strings look so dazzling, plus there’s a little bit of Ainoa in them.”
“Brothers and sisters run amok in pairs.”
“Well, he’s got a good eye, so that should help.”
Kim looked Nord up and down again.
A tense posture. His immaculate appearance makes him look more like a greenhouse plant than a skilled soldier. He is expected to be a Castus who has traveled a typical elite course.
All in all, not bad. You’ll have the physical ability to make up for the lack of hands-on experience.
“How many people came in total?”
“Sixteen people, including me.”
“Great. Thanks for coming.”
I patted Nord on the shoulder, encouragingly. The nobleman’s handsome face lit up with emotion. It was enough to make him feel a little bad, so he backed away.
“Oh, Hyun, and I have a message from Ainoa to contact you at….”
“Uhhh. I know, I know. Later.”
It wasn’t just about redwoods and bastitera.
The Chelsea crew brought the albatross in as scheduled.
“This is a much earlier reunion than I expected.”
“I think so.”
Not all of them. Albatrosses tend to split up and travel in groups. Unfortunately, I was unable to reach the leader.
“He had a way with words. He was very much out of character for a squadron commander who valued tradition and discipline, but he had a human charm that made him hard to dislike.”
“That would be terrible as a boss.”
“Haha. Don’t even talk to me.”
I couldn’t help but smile when I saw Anima’s refreshing smile. I was grateful that she had rushed to fulfill my unexpected request.
It’s a warmth that’s hard to find in Polaris.
“By the way, I thought it would take longer. Were you around at the right time?”
“Oh, no, not really, I just took advantage of the advantage of civilization.”
“Yes?”
“Vehicles.”
Kim blinked, not understanding for a moment. It didn’t match the information in her brain.
“I’ve heard that the Albatross doesn’t use mounts, as a matter of organizational belief.”
“I know it used to be that way, but it’s a little skewed these days.”
“Wasn’t it?”
“It depends on the situation. But if we’re on foot, we definitely wear armor. On the other hand, if we’re in a car, we’re obviously lightly dressed. I don’t know how many people in the world know what we’re wearing.”
After hearing it, it made sense.
I mean, what kind of crazy person walks around with a full helmet on 24/7? It’s so weird in game that it’s sparked conspiracy theories on the comms.
“But it’s a little, um.
The common user perception of Albatross was that he was a “trustworthy mozzie,” but the illusion was shattered when I imagined him shedding his armor and living freely behind the scenes.
“Well, they’re not the kind of people who are going to be assholes.
I decided to think about it. It’s a good thing they’re flexible, because it’s a long way to Howland, and if they’d insisted on walking, it would have been a tantrum.
As a result.
A team of five organizations was assembled, including Celbrosix Labs and Dustborne. This was the largest operation we’d ever seen. It was still too small to be an army, but it was big enough.
“This is definitely a plus.
Operations can be carried out with any number of people. Until now, we’ve mostly operated with a small number of people due to circumstances, but this time, we had to face the full force at our disposal.
Predictions are possible, but no endings are promised.
Since this episode was never in the game in the first place.
But if there’s one thing we can say for sure.
In one form or another, the Legion will collapse.
Last day of December.
“Is it okay if I do it myself?”
“Yes. I have the means to keep myself alive. And…….”
Once above ground, Kushan looked around the sleeping city. The sights he remembered overlapped for a moment with the ruins before him. Cafes and restaurants. Lovers on benches, a child running with balloons.
The illusion quickly became noisy.
I took a deep breath of the cold air of reality.
The breath of the city, where everything had fallen asleep.
“I have an obligation. I must see to it.”
“If you say so.”
When he was ready, he instructed Najik.
“Let’s go.”