Chapter 198

Silence descended on the room.
It was only a word, and it took a moment for it to sink in. Anima’s tense face went blank, and Irene’s mouth dropped open like a puppy needing to poop.
Ainoa was no exception: she was there as a mediator and Dustborn’s flirtatious mistress, but she hadn’t been informed of the horrors of the attack.
‘At best, I thought I’d get a few bucks….’
I had no idea it would turn out the way it did.
The bombshell I dropped was actually quite calm.
“What’s with all the faces, I’m sure it’s not a complicated story.”
“It’s not a matter of complexity, is it?”
Anima asked to confirm.
“Are you serious?”
“This is not the place to say things you don’t like.”
When the answer came back, Anima sighed. Instead of blurting out the words that came to mind, he pondered. He reasoned quickly, considering the situation with the lab and Dustborn.
This cleared up a few questions.
On the other hand, there were also questions that grew like a tail.
“If you’ve heard, you’ve already done one in Xilan.”
“What? They didn’t tell me…. Okay, I’ll be quiet.”
As soon as Irene caught Anima’s gaze, she stopped talking. Normally, she would have given the director some respect, but this time, the responsibility was too clear.
“There was a terrorist attack in Shiran not long ago, and you took out the director of the Cellbrax Labs, a key reference in the cataclysm, by more than one means.”
“You know the details, even though it’s recent.”
“Albatross has its own connections.”
He calmly began to state my views.
“I’m not inclined to gloss over the past, and I personally believe that most of the allegations against the lab director are true, but the Xuran side is full of shady characters as well.”
It’s not a black-and-white proposition. Above all, the scale is enormous. A continental power and the cause of a cataclysm. It’s too much for a mere Templar to handle.
“But I can see it coming.”
Anima was adamant that Kim would fail.
“Shiran is powerful. Next time it won’t be the same, they’ll be sharpening their knives now that they’ve been beaten once, and it won’t be easy to get to the imperial palace, let alone terrorize it.”
It’s like hitting a rock with an egg.
No matter how powerful your spells, you are still human. Even if you add up all the people in the lab, you’re still a puppy compared to Shiran.
That’s not all.
“What’s more, you’ve already made a fatal mistake.”
“Mistake. What are you talking about.”
“You didn’t leak it to outsiders before you even ran it?”
Anima’s gaze sharpened.
“With all due respect, Albatross and Dustborn aren’t exactly on the best of terms, and I can’t just blindly help you without considering the practicalities. On the contrary, it might be to your advantage to stick with Shiran.”
This was the biggest question.
There’s something undeniably special about Kim Yi-hyun’s seemingly reckless pursuits, and there’s no hiding it. These are feats that could not have been accomplished by mere luck alone.
Anima had seen him as a cautious and daring man, and she had witnessed his ‘specialness’ firsthand in Howland. She also knew how unrealistic his plans were.
Why take more risk here.
“Well, let me walk you through it.”
Kim’s demeanor remained unchanged and calm.
“It’s not really a question of possibility anymore. We’ve crossed the river of no return, and even if Dustborn comes now and takes out the Celestials Lab, Shran won’t let him off the hook.”
He’s been on Shran’s radar since before the attack, when he made a name for himself as Rapp’s ally. The raid in Kilikia was the most obvious proof of this.
Your options are limited.
“Break it or be broken.
If it breaks, so does the continent.
If Leila falls into the Emperor’s hands, it will usher in the Age of Shiran, if not the destruction of the continent. It will be a hell in a different sense than it is now.
Of course, we’re not doing this out of a sense of duty.
“And you said it was a mistake, which it wasn’t.”
“Are you sure I won’t come into contact with Shiran?”
“Nope. You can have that.”
Kim shrugged.
“If it does get out, it means nothing will happen to your plans.”
It’s not untouchable.
If it wasn’t possible, I would have gone my separate ways long ago. It’s all possible if you play your hand right. In fact, I’m betting it’s simpler than you think.
“I’ll tell you what we’re asking for now, and I’m not looking for cooperation. I don’t know what the Albatross would trust us to do against the Shran. We’ll talk about it after the job is done.”
“Next…?”
“There are two stances you can take at that point.”
First.
“Even Xuran will turn against us, Cao Jin.”
And the second.
“Or jump on the bandwagon.”
It was time to put those insurance policies to work.
* * *
Immediately after the negotiation ends.
“I’m so sorry for what happened.”
“No, that’s not what we were just talking about.”
“It’s one thing in private, it’s another.”
I received a sincere apology from Anima. We had an argument earlier, but only as one of the representatives of Albatross. Personally, I didn’t feel much of anything.
“We checked the footage and it was a situation where it wouldn’t have been out of the ordinary to shoot him, and we couldn’t have complained. Thank you for having mercy on your hands.”
Kim glanced at Irene. Apparently at Anima’s direction, Irene was leaning in close to Ainoa. In a way that made Ainoa uncomfortable.
“I guess that’s not uncommon after all.”
“There was a slight tendency to become unstable in areas with high pollution levels. Still, it was manageable enough to control on its own, but what in the world happened….”
We’ve cut out the footage of the crack. As for the Albatross’s powers, you’ll have to discover them for yourself sooner or later. There’s no need to reveal Leila’s abilities now.
“I’m going to have to hold the reins tight from now on.”
“You’ve been through a lot.”
“Haha, I wouldn’t say no, but he’s pretty beloved by the crew. They’re basically furry, and they treat everyone with respect.”
“Is it different for you?”
“There are times when work comes before the feelings of your subordinates.”
Does this mean that Anima is taking on all the hard work of managing the organization?
“I don’t think I’m in a position to comment.
Of the two, Ekidna is the more spontaneous workaholic, even if she’s probably doing it straighter than Irene. I feel bad for Bryce, though.
While I was thinking, Anima asked.
“How long do you expect to have an answer?”
The outcome of the negotiations was a hold.
It’s a matter of Albatross’ ideology. What would happen if Kim were to commit genocide against civilians in Shiran, of course they would not be able to turn a blind eye.
Promising too much could shake the foundation of the organization. Kim couldn’t make too many demands. After all, he owed Howland a favor.
“I don’t think this is something you can set a deadline for.”
“And if so?”
“It will come in its own time.”
The continent will shake, and it will reach the ears of the Albatross. How they receive it will determine whether they become your next enemy or ally.
“I’ll keep my ears open for …….”
That was the end of the conversation.
They apologized to the search party and the royal family of Bastitera, then left Bastitera. Anima had come prepared to make a loss, but instead had gotten nothing but trouble.
So did Ainoa, who learned of some of the plans. But she was busy stabilizing the country. Anomalies, if not rifts, but spikes in the pollution index, were frequent.
As the days passed, Xuran’s spies began to be captured one by one.
“Some of them might have gotten in.
Even with strict vigilance, you can’t be completely immune. Instead of going out on a search himself, Kim waited for a report from Wangseong, as it would be embarrassing to be followed by a spy.
‘Finding the prince’s clue in Xuran goes awry.
It was a battle of time and required deep patience.
It was about three weeks into the search.
“From Team 4?”
“Yes. I’ve got the report that Rosetta wrote for you.”
The royal family, accompanied by one member from each team, returned to serve as the breakers. Kim read the paper he was handed. In contrast to his gruff personality, it was written in neat sentences.
The content itself was simple.
“Found.
Caught and red-eyed, young male, Minos.
We matched it up with the information we’d already poked at the team leaders.
* * *
Kim set off with the same group of people as last time.
His movements were deliberate and careful. We intentionally chose complex terrain to avoid being followed or ambushed by spies, and we stopped in cities along the way to swap vehicles.
It took me three long days to reach my destination.
“There you are, I thought I was going to drown waiting for you.”
“I’m sorry. I took a detour and it took me a while to get here.”
“Detour? For what?”
“I thought there were rats running around.”
“Aha, you sullen bastards.”
Rosetta clucked her tongue, showing her blatant displeasure with Shiran. The enforcers must have gotten a bad impression when they burst in.
“Anyway, just confirm, is this the right guy?”
Rosetta holds out three Polaroids. Each was taken from a different angle and from a distance. Kim eyed the man in one of the chapters and nodded.
“I’m sure.”
“Well, that’s good. But who is it?”
“Maximilian Zeldorf.”
“Mr. A. If you say that, how do you know… what?”
Rosetta’s eyes widened.
Despite her bad attitude and uneducated fighting style, Rosetta is quite erudite. The way she writes her reports and her table manners suggest she comes from a noble background.
She was raised to be a lady of the house, but she feels like she was raised to be a lady of the house.
“The First Emperor of Xuran, you slug?”
“It’s crappy, but it’s there.”
At Kim’s assertion, Rosetta turned her head toward the window of the inn. Somewhere in the immediate vicinity, Maximilian was staying. That would make things easier.
“…… So what are you going to do, kidnap me?”
“No way. How could you imagine such a horrible thing?”
A glare from one side stung, but I ignored it.
I’m going to be really nice this time.
“Quite the opposite, I’d rather save them.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“So, to put it simply.”
Kim said, glaring at Rosetta.
“I’m saving you from a crazy chainsaw murderer in a mask.”
“Huh? Where’s that guy…….”
Rosetta’s face scrunched up as she realized something.
“Me?”
It’s also quick to understand.
Surviving Mangem as a 1-Star – Chapter 199 (of 223)