Chapter 131

“Shi, excuse me.”
A coffee cup is placed on the table. Hot steam billowed out of the cup. Kim smiled and thanked the new worker for the coffee.
“Thank you. I’ll drink to that.”
“Yes, don’t worry, I never spit or anything!”
“…Why are you even saying that, did you spit?”
“No, no, no, how could I!”
Oh, that sucks.
It was a shame to throw it away. As he took a sip, the tense new employee’s expression visibly relaxed. He was the type to show his emotions easily.
A man who appears to be in his early 20s. He smells faintly of oil. His short, almost half-shaved hair is reminiscent of Nonsan Mountain. The four letters of Hoguk Yoram are memorable.
“I’m sorry, what’s your name?”
“My name is Jake Ebert, and I’ve just joined your organization as a trainee engineer. I’ve heard a lot about your wisdom, your mercenary skills, and your, uh, noble character from your branch manager, and I’ve been looking forward to working with you….”
“What?”
My integrity is frozen to the bone.
“Don’t do that.”
“Sorry!”
He immediately bends at the waist at 90 degrees. He had an ambiguous grasp.
“Well, it’s nice to see you. Engineer, by the way?”
It was a bit out of the blue, so I asked and Bryce answered.
“It’s a more diverse job. We’re not just using the drones we’ve used before, we’re using jammers and specialized communications devices. We’ve even got a kid who can fix them. He’s young, but he’s good.”
“I’ve always been the kind of person who gets pissed off when I see a machine….”
“Oh, I know what that feels like.”
A natural companion. You’re the type of person who always has one around.
“Do the rest feel similar?”
“A legal expert, a bookkeeper, and a fighter. Counting Jake, that’s four.”
“He’s actually more of a tinkerer than a fighter.”
Jenna said, eyeing a young man.
“Why, there’s a vague sense of a hierarchy between us, not that I or Pep or anyone doesn’t follow orders, but it’s just not the same as a boss and a subordinate.”
“Ugh. That’s some serious hierarchy.”
“I have a branch manager who disagrees with the heavenly boss, and what?”
Bryce and Jenna are at each other’s throats.
It was a friendly atmosphere. Normally, Chelsea and Pep would have been there, but Pep hasn’t returned yet. Chelsea are out on the road under the direction of Kim.
Ekidna needs more information, so she pairs Edwin with Chelsea. Chelsea would take care of the directions, and Edwin would take care of any dangerous situations.
“By the way, stir….”
Jake, who had been fidgeting, spoke up again. This time, his gaze was on someone other than Kim.
“Aren’t you Asterique…?”
“Me? I’m not a player anymore, am I?”
“You’re not officially retired.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.”
Asterike’s attitude of treating her work as if it were someone else’s business worries me unnecessarily. Unless we’re going to be together until we’re both old and dead, she should take some interest in her own work.
The screwy answer seemed to satisfy Jake.
“That’s what I’ve been waiting for!”
Jake scurried to the desk and back again. A t-shirt in his hand. Asterique’s expression became very strange as she unfolded the t-shirt.
It was because his face was painted on.
“What is this… thing? What’s with my face?”
“This is Asterique’s merchandise!”
“Why are you still selling my merchandise? No, I’ve never seen anything like this?”
“There were so many fans who missed Asterique. The manager commissioned a company to produce a limited edition merchandise. Hundreds of people showed up and there were only 30 copies. You have no idea how competitive it was…!”
Roscoe, you asshole. What’s he been doing?
Not only Asterike, but also Kim was stunned. Unintentionally silencing them both, Jake’s eyes twinkled as he held out the pen along with his T-shirt.
“So sign, sign, sign!”
“Oh, well, yeah. Okay….”
“Dear Narnia, I ask you to say!”
“Who’s Narnia?”
“That’s my sister!”
He snorted uncharacteristically. Kim glanced back and forth between them for a moment, then back to Bryce. He was rubbing his eyes as if he were dying of exhaustion.
At least it didn’t come across as hateful because it was pure fanboyism. It’s nice that he wanted to get it signed in his sister’s name, as long as he didn’t resell it.
“Thank you, thank you, thank you, and excuse me, I’m going to write a poem and turn it in!”
Blah, blah, blah, blah.
She changes the direction her head is pointing and says hello to the folder three times before returning to her seat. 티셔츠를 안고 룰루랄라 걷는 모습이 세상을 다 가진 듯 행복해 보였다.
Looking in the rearview mirror, Kim swallowed a bitter taste in her mouth.
“That’s a funny guy.”
“Uh, that’s fine for the beam ability. The ability is.”
“Of course.”
After a while, we returned to Pep and unpacked.
For a while, there was a lightheartedness in the office, but all the laughing and talking didn’t improve the grim situation, and eventually Pep sighed.
“They’re at each other’s throats, and you can’t do anything about it. You can’t deal with politicians when you’re dealing with wannabe criminals. You can go on a rampage, but it’s still terrorism.”
“I wish I could say, “Don’t be a dick, man…” but I’m just as stumped.”
Even Jenna, who used to bully Pep whenever she was bored, spat out her thoughts. They know how much Kim struggles on the outside. They didn’t want to show weakness, but it didn’t matter.
“Is there something pointy about her?”
“I don’t know. I don’t know what I’m…….”
Jiying!
My phone rang, a communication device I had previously purchased and stored in Kilikia. I had paid my bill on time, so it was ready to go upon my return.
I got a call from Chelsea’s contact.
I’m going to ask up front, does the means matter?
“I hope there are no civilian casualties.”
Is that your personal preference?
“There’s that, and there’s the problem ahead.”
It’s not nice to shit on Dustborn’s name. Especially if you’re planning to go to the Yangzi,” Ekidna said nonchalantly, as if she knew it was coming.
What other conditions?
“Not really.”
That’s it. Don’t come back and complain later.
“Well, I’m not going to do it, so what can I do?”
The answer was simple.
Get twins.
Kim couldn’t help but smile when she heard the words. Maybe it was because of their time together in Banzar, but she felt like she knew what Ekidna’s plan was.
The problem is that it takes quite a while to get from lap to lap. In the meantime, I couldn’t relax and eat. I’ve always been the type of person who can’t relax if I still have homework.
“Let’s move it ahead of time.
* * *
Yi Hyun Kim.
Kavek had mixed feelings about the mysterious yellow man, whose origins were unknown. Envy, wariness, and trust in his abilities. On the whole, it was definitely favorable.
Even in the meritocracy of Kilikia, he had an unusual affinity for talent. It was one of the reasons he enjoyed the League so much. There’s no other industry where talent is so celebrated.
It’s especially fun to watch them grow. I understood at a young age why retired athletes and politicians take on students. Sometimes I wonder if being a teacher wasn’t a natural career choice.
Naturally, I got excited.
“How different it would be.
How Kim would have grown up. Kavec was neither a mercenary nor a soldier, so he didn’t know much about combat, but he was curious to see how Kim would have been molded as a human being.
The answer was unfolding before my eyes.
“─I’m here to solve your predicament.”
A tightly sealed room. The conversation took place in a private, soundproofed room that looked suspiciously like a restaurant. Kim and Kabek weren’t the only ones there.
Harijo Metzokalu.
A Paneros faction councilman who has been active in politics since the days of the Kilikian Commonwealth. To get the old man to budge, Kavek had to come up with a number of things.
“Trouble.”
It wasn’t loud, but it was a ringing in my ears. Kim’s eyes were piercing, as if they were trying to pry into his mind. The wrinkled corners of her eyes narrowed.
“Yeah, you’re not wrong. Politics is all about numbers, and there are many who criticize us. They have blood on their hands, and for fear of spilling it, they look down on us and ostracize us.”
“We have a general idea of what’s going on.”
“As for partisanship in Congress?”
“You have never paid attention.”
“I see.”
Harizo didn’t take offense to his disinterest in politics. Nor did he assume that Kim was a dullard. That’s the way it is with politics and the people.
Normally, they don’t give a damn about the party. It’s a city that pays more attention to famous players in the league than to politicians, and when an issue comes up, they pounce and bite.
Just like now.
“Johanna Feldner, the old fox has been a staunch advocate of public welfare. But then she became a devotee of Cynicism, ranting about her relationship with the police force as a hotbed of corruption, and finally decided that ideals are just ideals, and sided with the corporations.”
The corners of Harijo’s mouth twitched. It was an emotionless laugh.
“It’s all about power. Power to control the media, power to sway public opinion. And overwhelming financial power.”
“I suppose so.”
“Even this old man’s ears are open. Dustborn Corporation. I don’t know about you, and I don’t mean to disparage your hard work, even if it has come at a monetary cost, but….”
“You’re talking in chapters.”
Kavek, who was playing the folding chair, cringed. What kind of attitude is that, after all the times I’ve asked him to be polite beforehand?
But he couldn’t interfere, not only because he didn’t deserve it, but because this was a time when they desperately needed something unconventional. And he didn’t think Kim was just another mercenary.
‘It was always unusual, but…….’
A year later, Kim is different. She had a sharpness that was different from Bryce’s seasonedness. There was also a sense of power that was hard to describe.
“It’s okay to be blunt, what gives you the nerve, this is no place for a small business. Am I mistaken?”
“You’re right, I’m only here today because I’ve been asked to do so, and I’m doing it to show you some kind of respect, nothing else.”
“I knew you would.”
Kim said, unimpressed.
“There’s not really a reason I wanted a meeting with you.”
“Hmm?”
“I’ll walk the walk, not talk the talk, and you don’t have to support me.”
It’s just,” he added.
“Just know this. We have a lot of options…and one of them will get you out of your predicament, but we’re not philanthropists.”
It meant he would have to pay a reasonable price. Harijo’s eyes lit up. Despite the threatening tone, he was more intrigued than angry.
“…Haha, I’ll listen. What do you hope to accomplish with all these air checks?”
“We’d like to have a regular contract with Congress, because we’re kind of at the mercy of them. We want to keep the current corporate structure but have Congress formally behind us.”
“I mean, it’s good to be honest, but do you think that’s possible?”
“Why not? How rare is it for a country to hire mercenaries?”
“Rarely, except in wartime.”
“Instead, we have MetroCity to thank for that.”
It’s a good cause. Bryce and the others have served their country as bounty hunters in their own right. It’s not unreasonable to think of them as private detectives.
With empowerment comes backlash.
It was none of his business.
“Please give me an answer after we discuss it.”
“…….”
“It shouldn’t take long to process.”
“What are you going to do?”
The corners of Kim’s mouth curved into an arc. It was a sinister smile.
“I’m going to beat you to the punch.”
That was it for Harijo.
Ten days later. Kabek was able to get a response from the couple saying they would accept the offer. It was three days after the twins arrived.
“Looks like I’ve got a fire under my ass.”
“…Mr. President. Are you sure you want to do this?”
“Then I’ll fake it.”
Chelsea scratched her head in frustration, but she didn’t argue further. Her brain couldn’t think of a more effective, albeit radical, solution.
“I’m really going out of my way for you, boss.”
“Tell him thanks. It’s good to get experience.”
“Where else am I going to use this experience?”
“You don’t know people.”
Shrugging his shoulders, Kim summarized the conversation.
“Get ready. We’re moving tomorrow.”