Chapter 193

Even in today’s world, espionage continues.
In an age of self-reliance, it’s always interesting to see what other countries are doing. This is especially true in relatively developed countries. They can afford to look outside of themselves.
Naturally, the most heavily guarded target is Shiran.
That said, there are quite a few spies in Shiran.
He has no means of communicating remotely with his far-flung home base, and is mostly passive due to the tightness of the Empire’s investigation. When a major event breaks, he rushes to inform his contacts back home.
This was the time.
“Sometimes I think, wow, it’s a big world.”
“Yes?”
“I swear I’ve never seen such a crazy person in my life.”
Harenhal Führer Kenneth Klawewert was stunned. He seemed to understand the whole story in just a few lines in the report. The true nature of the ‘terror’ in Shiran.
“Nine times out of ten, it’s Celbrox Labs, no, Dustborn.”
“So that’s how you see it.”
“They may be Legion, but they’re just blindfolded Aung. The head of the Rap has been taken in, but what do you think they’re going to do? Take revenge with their own hands? I can understand the motive, but I’m not sure.”
Kenneth did not know the extent of the Legion’s remnants. But it was surely greatly weakened from what it had been. Touching Shiran would be like hitting a rock with an egg, suicide.
That’s a lot of risk for revenge, and the math doesn’t add up.
“First of all, there’s no one to fool.”
The circumstances alone are enough to blow your cover. The general public, who reads the news, will be suspicious. This is especially true for high-profile figures like Kenneth, who receive reports without the distortions of the media.
“But there will be someone to ‘fool’.”
It was never a pointless charade.
In fact, Kenneth was even impressed.
“It’s almost 50 years old.
Since 2000, countless nations have declined and fallen. Kenneth, barely over fifty, knows no previous peaceful times; the continent he knows has always been filled with screams.
All the while, Shiran remained strong. In fact, its population grew as it welcomed refugees. The once mighty empire has become the most powerful nation in the world today.
“I’ve always had my doubts about Shiran. “I’ve always been suspicious of Xuran. It’s so healthy, that a scourge that should be so indiscriminate seems so gentle.”
“Are you saying that we’re artificially creating a catastrophe?”
“No, no, no. What are you drawing?”
Kenneth, who lightly reprimanded his assistant, added.
“Disaster has struck Shiran’s homeland many times. Mostly on a smaller scale, but, yeah. We can count ourselves lucky, but we reacted too quickly.”
The last catastrophe deepened our doubts. The parasite outbreak came out of nowhere. It took nearly two years for Harenhal to stabilize. Even then, it took outside help.
Xuran, on the other hand, established a parasite response system in three months.
“It’s as if he sees into the future and prepares in advance. If Xu Lan has nothing to do with the disaster, I fear that’s even worse. How resourceful the Emperor is.”
If you’re a politician, you can’t help but think.
After the current global disaster is over.
“So we don’t want the Celbrox Wrap to be absorbed by the Shran.”
Many have pinned their hopes on the work of Ishrad and the Cellbrox Labs. If the Shran who devoured the lab succeed in stemming the scourge, their international standing will be dramatically enhanced.
It’s not a very pretty picture.
‘Besides, Dustborne has debts.
Kenneth decided on a course of action.
“The terror of the Legion, isn’t that scary? I wonder why the world is getting so ugly.”
Let’s be a little naive.
* * *
While the news was spreading, the terrorists managed to escape from Shiran safely. They used the same tunnels to get out as they used to get in.
It was a trick I’ll never use again.
The police and bailiffs, properly humiliated, are in hot pursuit with lights in their eyes. The Ghosts have covered their tracks as best they can, but their limits are clear. Sooner or later, every burrow and lair will be discovered.
“I figured it was disposable anyway.
It’s not worth it. And the next time I visit Shiran, I won’t be as relaxed as this time. I’m going to pull out all the stops and finish the job in a flash.
That shouldn’t be too far off.
“Are we going to Bastitera at this rate?”
“Sure. Just so you know, it’s best to keep a low profile whenever possible. Don’t show your face in public. It makes for a weird picture if you’re walking around looking like you were taken by the Legion.”
Now that the Ops team is posing as the Legion, they need to act accordingly. Ostensibly, Kushan has been kidnapped by the Legion. It’s a pretty obvious story, but every little bit counts.
Kushan understood his predicament.
“Sure, sure. You can have my corpse.”
“That’s up to you, just make sure you know who’s representing you.”
“Is it a representative. I have a suggestion for him.”
“Is that what you said you’d tell me at your leisure?”
“Yeah. I don’t think I’ll ever be as free as I am now.”
Despite the bombing just a few days ago, it’s quiet now. Vehicles on dirt roads, desolate landscapes that never change. It’s a long way to Bastitera.
The border with Shiran is also quite far away. Now it’s just a matter of finding the nearest safe house and replacing the car. Even with a helicopter, it would be difficult to chase them down.
You have time to think about it.
That’s why Kushan spoke up.
“Why don’t we just merge Labs and Dustbone?”
“I think I’ve heard that a few times before.”
“No, at the time it was more of an acquisition than a merger.”
This time is different, he said.
“If I had to choose a director, it would be either the Professor or Leila. But the Professor is the Professor, and Leila is Leila, and she has a disturbing side, if you know what I mean.”
“Because they’re both so unusual.”
“So I need you to balance it out. I’d appreciate it if you’d be co-president.”
Co-lead.
It was not unexpected. Kushan was forced to step down from the front lines. Even if his position in the organization remains unchanged, it’s ostensibly time for a new leader.
And for Labs, the merger with Dustborn was a compelling option.
“Since the fall of Shalem, the Rap has been free of any ties. Until now, I’ve stayed because I didn’t want to be tied down, but after what’s happened, I can’t be complacent. It’s time to find a new home.”
“You’re coming to Kilikia?”
“If that’s what you want.”
It’s a serious topic, so Kim took it seriously.
“If the labs belonged somewhere, it would be Bastitera or Kilikia.
There are pros and cons to both.
If you go to Bastitera, you’ll have the full support of the royal family, but you’ll have trouble interacting with the outside world. Conversely, Kilikia may be a liability to the Council.
“I’m not sure about this one.
In the game, he’s always been an independent. But why tread the same path? Considering the ending, you might as well take Kushan’s advice and find a nest.
From our perspective, it’s a 50/50 proposition.
Dustbones can also grow in size without losing their original color.
But for Kim personally, I don’t know.
“That’s going to be a bit of a hassle.”
“……Bothered?”
Doesn’t that sound like difficult or overwhelming?
“Uh, I’m sorry, but I’m not the best at managing people. I’m running my own company, and I don’t want some asshole co-president. I don’t like it.”
It wasn’t purely a matter of mood either.
“I don’t think it’s a matter of urgency. It’s not like I’m going to be in a position where I’m going to be stuck right now, and it could be that you’re going to be able to come back pretty easily.”
“I didn’t say you had to decide on the spot.”
“Look longer than that.”
Of course, after the ending, it was a future worth considering for Kim.
I don’t want to hunker down and stop-loss just because it’s all over.
However, it’s still too early to tell.
“Let’s get our lives together first, you and me.”
Now that the episode is live, we have a lot of work to do.
Today is too fierce to discuss tomorrow.
* * *
There was no crisis until they reached Bastitera. At the checkpoint, the team was greeted by familiar faces. The safe house had called ahead and they were there to greet them.
“Warden…!”
“It’s been almost two months, Leila.”
Kushan grinned bitterly at the large eyes.
“That was a lot faster than I thought. I thought it would take years.”
“You should have been more careful! You said it was up to you to decide, but you were too assertive. I understand why you did it, but I wish we could have thought about it together…….”
Leila scolded her with a grimace. It was like a daughter scolding a father for smoking. Kushan listened in silence, unable to defend himself.
“If you hadn’t helped us, we would have been in trouble. No, actually, I didn’t think you’d bring the warden with you, I thought you were just out scouting.”
“Me too. What the hell did you do?”
Even the professor was puzzled. It wasn’t for nothing. No one could have predicted that three men, even the most elite, would be able to break into Xuran and bring out a prisoner.
Everyone wanted to know the details. News of the attack hadn’t reached here yet. Bastiterra had been so closed off that it hadn’t planted any spies in other countries.
Kim turned away from the curious stares.
“The longer we dragged it out, the worse off we were.”
“Ugh, I feel like I’m always in debt to Mr. Hyun, and I don’t know how to repay him.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not going to forget it, I’m going to rip it off.”
There’s no shortage of corners to cut. Bringing in lab personnel in exchange for volunteers. Get free spells or infectious disease drugs.
That’s not all.
Some things you can get started on right away.
“We’ll need to hire some labor.”
* * *
The land in Bastiterra was still dry. Even in the summer, the wind blows through the flesh and the roofs are covered with snow. It was an unfriendly land for humans.
But things have definitely changed.
“You’ve gotten quite frugal since I last saw you.”
“Is that what you mean by we haven’t seen each other in a while?”
“I can see it, but what can I do?”
The royal castle, which had been on the edge of luxury, became modernized. The removal of overly ornate decorations brought about a kind of sobriety. Ainoa’s attire was also less flamboyant than before.
“It’s like a soap opera set turned into a luxury theme hotel.”
“Well, I don’t know if that’s good or bad.”
“Of course it’s good, it’s more familiar to outsiders.”
“When in reality, we’re just selling off unnecessary luxuries to raise money for disaster relief.”
Ainoa sighed heavily.
One cause for sighing was the royal family’s recent spending spree, and the other was the chilly response from their opponents. Given Kim’s personality, this was to be expected.
“Is Hyun staying here for a while, too?”
“I know he’s active in Bastitera, but I don’t know about Wang Sung.”
“Where else is this guy going to poke around….”
Seeing the tears in his eyes, Kim thought briefly.
As a matter of courtesy, I thought I’d leave it open to the landlord.
“This is information I got separately.”
He recalled a man and said.
“The Prince of Shiran is hiding in Bastitera.”
Getting him is a prerequisite.