Chapter 108

An underground facility leading from a deserted alley.
A warehouse filled with all the gear and ammo you’ve been buying.
Dozens of members of Nuova Era’s organization gathered in a secret location that only a few had previously known about. Kim, who had finished his business at the hotel, also took a seat.
“That’s a lot of people.
The warehouse was crowded, even though he’d only summoned members of the organization with some status, except for the fringe. They weren’t the city’s most powerful faction for nothing.
Gathering his men around him, Ekidna began to speak softly.
“Today we took down the Ricardo family. We tore down the house the old man bragged about on his fictitious day, burned down the farm, and ruined his business.”
We have many surviving members, so we won’t be disbanding anytime soon. But the organization will no longer enjoy the same power it once did. The next boss won’t even be able to show his face at the party.
Nevertheless, the faces of the organization were far from cheerful.
This was not the time to bask in the glow of victory; they understood the physiology of Timor’s underworld.
“So, as of today, we can’t stay in Timorta.”
Nuova Era is just one of the “favorites” to win. There are several other organizations of similar size, some even more powerful.
“A united front might work, but all of the enemies here are small enough to fit in a cubbyhole. They’ll work together to keep us out.”
Not all groups in a cartel get along. They’re often at each other’s throats. But when they have a common enemy, they unite like ghosts.
“Sure, but I don’t want to fight first.”
You can’t fight back.
It’s no exaggeration to say that the entire city has turned against us. No matter how much weaponry we’ve stockpiled, it’s not enough. They won’t last more than a week.
The air currents in the center became heavier.
Ekidna’s outbursts are nothing new; the organization has been growing for years, with members following their leader’s erratic instructions.
This time, however, the problem was different.
It was inevitable that some would question the boss’s judgment. Ekidna himself had expected to be pushed to the brink.
You knowingly did it.
“I don’t apologize. This was a major challenge for me, and I didn’t come all the way out here to rot in the sun with a bunch of pompous assholes.”
A step out of stagnation.
This was her way of life.
“I’m going to give you guys one shot, and I’ve got a hotel that ostensibly has nothing to do with our organization, and it’s going to be a small business, but it’s going to be a good business, and I’m going to give you ownership and equity, and you can drop out.”
It would be hard to wash someone whose face had already been sold as a member of Nuova Aera. It wasn’t practical to go that far.
There were a few who were deeply divided. Antonio, Ekidna’s longtime advisor, showed no signs of wavering, but he couldn’t expect the same loyalty from everyone.
Despite the atmosphere, Ekidna’s eyes were full of energy.
“If not, shut up and follow me.”
Her eyes swept over her men and stopped on Karazam. Her expressionless face was hard to read, her gaze still fixed, she declared.
“There’s nothing to see in the villages of Ijat. We eat naraka.”
* * *
Organizers were given the end of the day.
It was time to organize ourselves. It was a necessary step, if only for safety’s sake, to get out of the city. My men are human beings with lives of their own.
It’s also annoying if they complain later.
“Here, here’s your pay for this job.”
Called aside, Kim was handed a wad of money by Ekidna. He had just arrived in Timorta and hadn’t had time to organize himself. The only thing he had to pack was a knife.
Ekidna shook her head.
It was because Kim was just standing there.
“What are you doing, you don’t want to answer?”
“No, thanks, but I didn’t expect you to be so generous.”
“What are you talking about? That’s a promise, and I have to keep it.”
She gave me a quizzical look.
“I thought I was on to something, but it turns out I wasn’t.”
“I like you, Don.”
“Who doesn’t like people? Sometimes, no, often there’s an asshole who’s more obsessed than necessary, but from your reaction, I don’t think you’re one of them.”
In reality, Kim was never a big spendthrift; she was content to live a simple life. She did splurge on her hobbies, but that’s another story.
The reason I asked for compensation was less about the money itself.
“I didn’t want to just work for free.”
When Asterique was taken advantage of by the Pavoni family, she learned the hard way that it’s not just ability that determines a person’s worth.
I was also paid handsomely for my work at Celbrox Labs. It’s made his wallet quite thick. So much so that Chelsea might faint with shock if she heard the sum.
“……is unusual to say the least.”
“Is that so?”
“At least I’ve never met anyone like you.”
Clenching her jaw, Ekidna glared at the stranger before her.
I finally understood a little bit of who he was as a human being.
There was a hint of this in the casual conversation we just had.
The big bangs are meant to ensure that you don’t cheapen your efforts. The ruthlessness you sometimes show is meant to ensure that you get things done efficiently and with certainty.
When it comes to “work,” he has a firm rule of thumb: He’s fiercely calculating. Even when he seems to be acting on a whim, there’s a reason behind it.
“Ha, ah ha.”
Ekidna burst out laughing at the absurdity of it all.
“Everything’s just the way you want it.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Don’t play dumb. You knew this was coming.”
He has a purpose in Naraka. It’s a place he can’t reach alone. That’s why he came to Ekidna, unhappy with his current situation in Timorta.
And induced.
So that the other organizations would keep Nuova Era in check, and so that Ekidna’s discontent would grow. As a result, he gained an ally to escort him to Naraka.
But there was something that didn’t make sense to Ekidna.
“You, did you know me?”
Not ‘Nuova Era’s Ekidna’ in Timor-Leste. It’s more of the past. She had been disillusioned by the same stagnant self before, and challenged the same way.
If you don’t know that, you can’t conceive of a plan. It doesn’t make common sense. Unless you’re a person who can penetrate the essence of people through contemplation.
The answer that came back was deeply mute.
“It’s a coincidence.”
“Crazy asshole.”
Ekidna frowned.
But only for a moment. It was too painfully obvious to be offended, and even if it had been induced, it was a choice I made.
“This is what would have happened at some point.
It was an objective judgment. In reality, Ekidna was destined to leave Timorta within two years, it was only the intervention of a foreign entity that accelerated the timeline.
Her eyes widened, her whole body tense.
“Can you at least give me your name now?”
“Name?”
Karazam seemed troubled by the unexpected request. Some math was going on in his head, and after a moment, he shrugged.
“I’m Yi Hyun Kim. Everyone else calls me Hyun.”
“That’s your real name?”
“Maybe, I’ll give you the person’s name.”
“I’m not picking on you, but, um…….”
Needless to say, his real name was more fake.
* * *
I dusted off my gloved hand, and a trickle of sandy blood dripped from it. I looked down at the blade and saw that it was covered in sticky slime.
Kim cringed at the unsanitary sight.
“Yeah, let’s get out of here.”
“……Sorry, my mistake.”
Antonio admitted my culpability under his breath. It was his responsibility, as they say. for being attacked by the sandworms that burrow under the dunes.
“Have you ever crossed a desert?”
“It’s my first time, and it sucks worse than I thought.”
“But how do you know so much?”
Kim realized the monster was coming before anyone else. It happened again just now. As they made their way through the desolate hills, they decided to take a detour because the worms were lurking.
Up until that point, Antonio hadn’t seen anything, so he ignored it and kept going, only to be ambushed out of nowhere.
“I’ve heard a lot of things.”
This was not a convincing answer.
Antonio glanced at Kim, who was polishing his blade. It’s been two days since they left Timorta. In that time, he’d seen her fight several times.
And I’ve been blown away every time.
“You look like you’re used to dealing with monsters.”
“There are monsters everywhere. You’d think that if you stayed out of the city you wouldn’t run into them, but I’ve been traveling around a lot. I’ve met all sorts of weirdos, really.”
Spells to create a variety of weapons. While not a master, you are adept with everything from guns to blunt weapons. Knowledge as extensive as that of an expert hunter.
His presence was growing with each battle.
“Ouch. It’s not getting clean.”
“I’m not going to go to ……, that’s going to get rusty fast.”
Antonio instructed the man to moor, and soon he was handed a soft fungus and stone dust and began to polish the blade for him. With a delicate touch, the opposite of his sterile expression.
“It’s not something I’ve done before. Are you a good sewer?”
“That’s basic, isn’t it?”
“This is…….”
It was an unexpected sidebar.
I’m not saying Kim can’t do it, but I don’t think Antonio can. Of course, knife care and sewing are two completely different things.
“What are you guys doing, get cleaned up and get in the car?”
Ekidna stuck her face out of the car window. Wearing fashionable sunglasses, she looked like a tourist. The tension hadn’t subsided since she left Timorta.
“I just came out to play, just.”
“That must mean you’re frustrated. There are too many people in Timorta, for better or worse. It’s not a place where you can go anywhere and be free.”
Suddenly, I remembered something from the past.
“I think Rothko said something similar.
Ulantz was not a crowded place, but simply a small area, but there was a sense of unity. A sense of liberation.
“It’s better than frowning.
It’s something to savor now.
It’s only going to get worse from here.
“I’m going to have to get my shit together.
There’s a good chance you’ll be killed. If Timorta was a city of illegal businesses, this is a full-blown conflict zone.
There are worse humans than monsters.
“It’s done. It’s a good knife, take good care of it.”
“You should. If you don’t want to be nagged later.”
“Nagging? To whom?”
“The guy who gave me this. He wouldn’t die to see his work ruined.”
Kim smirked as she sheathed her blade.
Naturally, there were faces that popped into my head.
“I don’t know if I’m doing a good job.