Chapter 139

As a result, no suspects were found. There was no evidence. The persistence of the interrogation proved fruitless, and the police were branded as incompetent and disrespectful.
“I’m sorry, I guess, but what can you do.
To be fair, it’s probably the Bureau’s fault for failing to detect the spies within the organization, but it wouldn’t have been as easy if they hadn’t been so lax in their defenses.
It wasn’t until three days later that talks resumed.
One look at the stony faces of the magistrates and Kushan knew that Kim’s purpose had been accomplished.
“……Warden Kushan. Who are the Legion, who is their leader, what is their purpose, how large are they? We know so little about them.”
The main agenda of the meeting returned to the Legion. Some were eager to discuss, others were anxious, as if they wanted to flee at a moment’s notice.
Though it was a welcome change from Rap’s perspective, Kushan could not be purely pleased. He knows it was self-inflicted, not Legion terrorism.
“Doesn’t he have any fear?
I’ve realized that I’ve been out of my mind for a while now, but it feels like it’s getting worse every day. Between this and the kidnapping of Princess Ainoa, Kim Yi Hyun is a heinous criminal.
But the conclusion was the same every time.
“I can’t deny it’s helpful.
Ideas that labs wouldn’t come up with on their own.
Kim fills in the gaps where the lab is most lacking.
I couldn’t just throw it away. Kushan opened his mouth to speak.
“If you’re the head of the Legion, I know it.”
The answer came from the emperor. The emperor, who had been largely a bystander except for the first day, interjected himself. All eyes were suddenly on him.
“Markus Dressner. An old friend of my grandfather’s.”
A puzzled silence fell over the room, and a look of bewilderment crossed my face. Was it because I had never heard the name before? No, quite the opposite. There was no one here who didn’t recognize the surname Dresner.
“You mean the last king of Shalem?”
Kushan clenched his fists under the table at the words someone brought up. A country that had been destroyed over twenty years ago. Markus had been Kushan’s friend before he was King of Shalem.
“Yes.”
And now he’s a legionnaire.
In a body that never ages, just like your own.
So is the emperor. “Grandfather” is a lie. The current emperor of Xuran is a young monarch who was crowned five years ago, but the truth is something else entirely. The emperor hasn’t changed in over 50 years.
No face, no name, no past.
It’s all just a front.
“How he has survived, or what he wants, I do not know. But there have been suspicions about him for a long time, and my country has been deeply interested in Shalem’s past.”
The emperor’s demeanor was anything but casual.
“There is no confirmation… but there are indications that Shalem has been studying the plague for military use.”
Just plain, like you’re reading off the record.
It’s a ruin that has long since collapsed.
“The destruction of Shalem was not natural; it was man-made, a series of catastrophes in a short period of time. I do not believe it was a coincidence. I believe it has something to do with why Markus Dresner is leading the Legion……….”
He tugs at the tail of his horse and stares at Kushan.
“How does the director of the cell biology lab see this?”
“I can’t say anything about …… based on the circumstances.”
Kushan glared at the Emperor. His expression lacked sincerity, as if he were wearing a mask, as if he were acting.
“Now I know what you’re up to.
Shiran and Shalem. Finally, the original sin of the Celbrox Labs. By attacking the Legion, the Emperor is trying to pin all of his sins on Shalem and Markus.
As the cause of a plague that swept across the continent.
‘Vile, vile, vile.
Kushan clicked his tongue, but having come this far, he had no choice. There was no doubt that the Legion was a great threat to the continent at this point.
He chimed in with a blood-curdling affirmative.
“But as you say, the founder of the Legion must have been Markus Dressner, which is consistent with the information we have.”
“Huh.”
The horror spread like poison. Their gazes met in the air as the room roared. After all these years, the Emperor was still as disgusting as ever.
More than anger at the emperor, self-loathing consumed him.
Like the emperor and Marcus, he was guilty of a great sin.
So we’ll have to make it right in hindsight.
* * *
Based on the results alone, I’d say Episode 13 was a success.
“I don’t like the hand-wringing.
Kim Yi Hyun is no stranger to the Emperor’s inner workings. Shiran has an eye on the Legion. He plans to use the Cellbross Labs and other countries to crush the Legion.
Goals are aligned with each other.
That would change in the second half, but at least for now. The Emperor’s words have made the Legion a public enemy number one. It was safe to say they had help.
“We’ll still need insurance.
We don’t know what the Emperor will do after the Legion is destroyed. It’s also possible that he’ll touch the Celbrax Wrap like a vomit. Be prepared.
Side-to-side.
The talks were delayed by terrorism by a group believed to be the Legion. By August 9, it was all over. Just when we thought we were on our way home, we were once again behind schedule.
The day he left Geneva after being warned of the spy’s presence.
Kim was confronted by an unexpected person.
“Mr. Hyun. Allow me to introduce myself.”
An armored figure, reminiscent of a snowfield. A man removed his armored helmet and bowed low. It was a familiar face, but Kim didn’t recognize it.
“It’s called Anima of the Knights of the Albatross.”
No.
Deputy leader of the Albatross, an independent knightly order traveling across the continent. A handsome man with a refreshingly different look than Edwin, who is somewhat jaded. He’s a man’s man, but not a hateful one.
“Not someone to be wary of.
At least I’ve never been at odds with Labs.
Rather, they are a faction that occasionally collaborates with the Raps, starting with the Bastitera Civil War. They do not appear in draws, but occasionally appear as support units in difficult stages.
The catch is,
“Surely it’s not going to be in episode 13?
I don’t know what happened or how the albatross got here. First, Kim waved at his teammates for understanding. Next, he glared at Anima, who stood in his way.
“Will the albatross ever come to Lucerne?”
“Let me ask you the other way around, is there anything you shouldn’t be doing?”
“From what I’ve heard, albatrosses are not strictly neutral… they’re not even interested in politics or relations between countries.”
The albatrosses depicted in the game are a group of people who act according to a very simple logic. They help the weak and kill the wicked. They self-righteously enforce their own version of justice.
That’s why we didn’t bother to include the summit in the game.
“I haven’t even gotten into it yet.
I don’t know when he arrived, but he didn’t barge into the meeting. But if he didn’t intend to, I wondered what he was here for.
“You know what you’re doing.”
“Because He is famous.”
I didn’t have to look far to find it. Albatross has been around for over 40 years, since the catastrophe began in earnest. They have a reputation in more ways than one.
The behavior of albatrosses is highly controversial. For example, in cities where criminals function as a necessary evil, they are seen as insane killers.
However, if there is a common shared evaluation,
An albatross is a group of individuals, each of whom has exceptional skills.
“Yes, I’m not really interested in what came out of the talks. We’re always interested in our work. Cut what will cut, help those who will help…….”
Tugging at the back of her head, Anima flashed her trademark bright smile.
“I’m looking for coworkers to join me.”
After listening to the explanation, Kim muttered to himself, “I see.
“Is this an offer to join?”
I was both convinced and intrigued. I knew I’d gotten my name out there, but I didn’t realize I’d attracted the attention of an albatross, and my shoulders slumped.
Well, that’s how I feel.
“Sorry, that’s not going to work.”
“Can you tell me why?”
“Have a family to be responsible for.”
In fact, even if I had acted as a single person, I wouldn’t have joined the Albatross. I have no interest in joining a group that marches around in heavy armor and routinely homeless.
Anima is not a madman who would pull out a knife if he was rejected. On the contrary, he shook his head, not showing any sign of being offended.
“I understand. I can’t force you.”
The nuance that it was just a toss-up. The meat of the matter was now.
“Couldn’t we be friends instead?”
“What about your friend?”
“For some reason, many people seem to get the wrong idea, but contrary to popular belief, we’re not a lone wolf – we have friendly ‘friends’ all over the continent, and we help each other in many ways.”
Material support is also a form of assistance. At first glance, it may seem similar to mercenarism, but there’s a clear difference. It’s not a transaction or contract, but a cooperation that comes from goodwill.
If the request goes against the organization’s beliefs, the albatross won’t budge. Conversely, the albatross does not expect unconditional cooperation.
“We hear a lot of rumors in the world – there’s been talk of Dustborne, there’s been talk of Celbrosys Labs – and we figured one day there would be a cross between you and Albatross.”
“……And that’s what brought you here?”
“Yes. Since you seem to be in such a hurry.”
Kim was half fed up.
‘I thought you guys were upstanding… but you’re taking it too far.
I was even suspicious. I wondered if they were trying to create an atmosphere where it would be hard to say no by putting pressure on me. I had a hard time dealing with Kim right away.
“There’s no reason to be mean to them in the first place.
This was obviously good news. Despite being severely out of time with the game, you’ve made contact with the Albatross. Opening up now will make it easier to seek help later.
I didn’t have to go looking for them. Needless to say, they said yes.
“Great, if you’re okay with a small business like this.”
“Well, in the grand scheme of things, we’re not great either.”
He removes the glove from his right hand and offers to shake your hand.
Kim looked down at Anima’s bare, unclothed hands. It seemed like a natural flow, but this was a test.
As Anima says herself, albatrosses hear all the rumors of the stars. And Anima has the ability to determine the truth.
“It was psychometry.
It gives you a glimpse into the past of the person you’re in contact with. For Kim, it was a threatening ability. She has a lot of secrets she can’t reveal to others.
‘What do I do…….’
I didn’t have to think long.
Like Anima, Kim took off her gloves. The gloves she wore to hide the signs of her transformation. She could feel eyes on the back of her hand, but it didn’t bother her.
They’re new to each other. Anima maintains her respect for the other person without condescending. Judging by her demeanor so far, she might be questioning herself, but she’s not likely to ask.
You won’t even be able to dig it up.
I hesitantly took the outstretched hand.
Surviving as a One-Star in a Dead Game – Chapter 140 (140 of 223)