Chapter 68

As expected, Chelsea’s complexion was dark throughout the entire trip. At first, she was apologetic, but after a few days, she showed her true colors.
“You’re feeling better, I gave you a long vacation.”
“It’s not a matter of mood.”
“Then what’s the problem?”
“And again, they put him in that shitty suicide vehicle.”
Chelsea shudders at the memory of the long, long flight. At least now that she was in the car, she could talk, but then she could only hug her knees and sob.
“Is it really that scary?”
Ainoa chuckled at his fear of flying.
“I personally had a great time, and I’m looking forward to going back.”
“It’s not that I’m scared, it’s that you’re insecure, haven’t you watched the soap operas, the helicopter’s gonna crash and explode.”
“Isn’t it better to keep reality and creation separate?”
“Ha. That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard. Everything I create has a history. I try to make things happen in real life. You don’t suddenly get a meteorite in your airplane.”
It’s not just silly, either. Even when airplanes were routinely operated, there were incidents. In modern times, we have flying monsters flying around in the sky.
“Hmm. That sounds about right and….”
“It’s not safe, but he’s also right about the hype.”
Kim looked up at Chelsea’s wide-eyed stare and clicked her tongue. She still needed time to get used to flying, but a few more rides and she’d get used to it, even if she didn’t like it.
“And, dude, I heard you spent the whole break picking your nose and watching soap operas.”
“My, when did I say that. Who told you?”
“Who would it be?”
Only Asterique. The two became fast friends and knew each other’s lifestyles. Asterique was also a bit of an idler, but better than Chelsea.
“No, why is he saying that again…!
I couldn’t help but yell at myself.
“Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t pick my nose.”
“Anyway, it’s rotting you. You need to get out of here.”
Chelsea nodded, making a sound and closing her mouth. She didn’t mind the call, either. Not that she wanted to spend her free time with Kim any more than anyone else… or so she thought.
It felt good to be recognized as a necessary part of the operation. If I was truly negative, I would have run away or punched Kim.
“Okay, I’m done here.”
Scratching the back of her head, she shifted her gaze.
“But why did you bring back that junior?”
Turkam winced at the word ‘decommissioned’. This was the third time in a row he’d been called to report for duty. By now, he was getting used to the unexpected calls.
“You’re not getting a raise, you did a great job last time.”
“Well, I’ve heard that, and in retrospect, it was the best of the three at first.”
“Yeah, and he’s a good driver.”
Turkam didn’t know how to react. Even if he wasn’t being treated like a chauffeur, he was being given a chance by Kim. In a way that other prospective agents were openly envious of.
“Oh, right. How’s Ismail? I heard you’re taking care of him.”
“To say I cared is an exaggeration. I helped them a little bit to get acclimated.”
“That’s it, that’s what I have to do, I’m sorry.”
“Nope. He’s busy being a team leader.”
To others, Turkam has matured. He’s been training harder, and while he’s not a breakout star, he’s definitely improving.
It was safe to say that the Ganodab trio had graduated.
“Ismail’s doing well. He says he’s taking his training as an operational agent in stride. I don’t know what he talked to the warden about, but he seems to have gotten over his obsession.”
“Good, then. You’re going to work like a dog until I get back to Atlanta.”
“I’m going to assume you didn’t hear that.”
So the three agents headed to Bastitera.
This was a primary mission to gather information. Because it’s such a big deal, we’re going to take it on a case-by-case basis.
This time, Ainoa was sitting upright in her seat. It was a far cry from the way she had been handled when she had been transported like a piece of luggage in a crate. It wasn’t out of consideration for her, but a different calculation.
“Everybody out, please. I’ll check your luggage.”
As I approached the border, the checkpoint began. They questioned me about my identity, the purpose of my visit, and the duration of my stay. They searched not only the cargo area but also the driver’s seat.
“It seems like the checkpoints are tighter than last time, have there been any incidents?”
“Don’t bother. It’s none of your business.”
The staff kept an especially close eye on Ainoa. Even her hair was dyed a murky color to disguise her, but she was still on edge. His searching eyes were sharp and relentless.
“Looks like there’s no problem.”
Eventually, we were able to get permission. The first hurdle was overcome. We had anticipated a situation where Ainoa would reveal her identity and denounce her kidnappers, but luckily, it didn’t happen.
“You may go, but I’ll warn you. Aside from your woman, you’d better behave yourselves, because right now, there’s no one in the country to laugh and talk to about Minos and wherever he came from.”
“There must have been something there.”
“I’m telling you to stop doing that, unless you want to look ugly.”
There was a terrible edge to his demeanor. Bastiterain tended to ignore hornless minos by default, but the wariness beyond him was palpable.
‘Kushan’s spy must have done a good job. Spreading the word has paid off.’
The “uneasy atmosphere” in the report doesn’t do it justice. As always, the best way to get the full picture is to be on the ground. As was the case in Atlanta.
We made it through the checkpoint safely and retraced our steps on the road we had just traveled.
Ainoa stared out the window without speaking. The landscape hadn’t changed much despite the high speed they were traveling at. Rain-soaked forest, rusted signs, weeds growing haphazardly.
Things that hadn’t changed in a long time. Nothing would have changed, and yet Ainoa found it strange-at least, it was a far cry from the overwhelming feeling of returning home.
“Noah, stop bruising and listen.”
I woke up like a fish out of water.
For a while, “Noah” was her name. Her fake ID technically says “LaLanoa,” but to give her some time to get used to it, she settled on a shortened version of her real name.
“That, hmm. Hmm.”
“What is it?”
“It’s nothing.”
I felt like it was a nickname. Of course, I kept it to myself; if I said it out loud, I was sure I’d be looked at pathetically like my head was a field of flowers.
“……Well, never mind, we’re not going straight to the capital anyway. We’re going to stay in cities along the route for a few days and see what’s going on. We’re not in a hurry.”
Ainoara can afford to bide her time because her hand is in the air. At the other extreme, it’s never too late to act after a civil war has begun.
The immediate goal is to get the “traitor” to act.
“If they start to make a big move, then you’ll be convinced. Of course, it won’t be all over just because you’re up front. There’s still plenty they can do. Heck, if the math is wrong, they might even come in with an air strike.”
“It’s called a legion.”
Kim was not stingy with information. She didn’t tell us everything from the beginning because it would make our heads hurt, but by the time she was done, she had explained most of it.
The traitors have allied themselves with the Legion for some unknown reason. They want to start a civil war by murdering the princess. That was the bottom line, as Ainoa understood it.
“I’ve heard that, but I’m still nervous. What does the Legion want?”
“I don’t know.”
Kim held his tongue, not that he didn’t know the idea of the Legion. A society where the spellcasters rightfully rule over the unskilled. The basic stance was.
There are some settings that will be revealed later, but they are self-explanatory.
“I think they’re just a bunch of assholes, and they think they’re better than everyone else and deserve to be treated like it, and they think life sucks and they’re going to make it the same for everyone else.”
It tears the world apart indiscriminately. No matter how noble their cause, the Legion is a vicious terrorist organization.
“This is going to be a one-of-a-kind opportunity.”
Kim muttered to himself. If we succeed in stopping the civil war in Pekatum, the Legion will be outnumbered. The next step toward the endgame would be quick.
Failure is unacceptable.
* * *
Rumors of Princess Ainoa had spread to the border towns. Rumors of all sorts, unsubstantiated and wildly speculative, were circulating in the streets.
“The mood in the capital is vicious. People are believing the most ridiculous rumors that he was assassinated by a spy from another country. It’s taking an unnaturally ugly turn.”
“In the royal family?”
“There is no public announcement. While the royal family is silent, a few nobles are talking about avenging the princess’s enemies… in private, of course… but it’s reaching the ears of the people. It’s artificial.”
A pub in a border town.
The man sitting across from me relayed the information in a low voice. This peccatouche, who was completely immersed in the atmosphere of the bastidera, was a Kushan spy.
“We don’t know the truth. The circumstances seem to indicate that the princess is missing, but we have no other reliable information. I apologize for being of no help.”
“It’s helpful enough. I don’t want Minos running around.”
The spy had no idea that the agent in front of him was the kidnapper who had taken the princess. His role is to relay information. Not knowing the story doesn’t stop him from doing his job.
When the conversation was over, Kim rose from his chair.
“Then I’ll ask for it next time.”
“Be as inconspicuous as possible. Suspecting a foreign agent means that Minos’ position is narrowing. I recommend you return to the lab as soon as possible.”
“When I’m done with my toilets.”
As I walked out of the pub, I felt prying eyes on me.
“Damn, I’m having a bad day, I’m not drinking well.”
“I don’t recognize you from around here….”
The sound of tongue-lashing and muttered curses reached my ears.
‘This is why I wouldn’t have traveled all the way to the capital.
I am blatantly ostracized for not having horns. I’ve been in the country for five days now, and the stares have only gotten worse. I wouldn’t be surprised if I was lynched for walking.
Tak.
He got into the waiting car and closed the door. Only then could Kim breathe a sigh of relief. The sensation of being watched by so many citizens was exhausting.
“It’s time to slip away.”
“What? Already?”
“Too much risk. We’ll have to go to the safe house first to gauge the timing of our intervention, and we’ll have to call in some of our elite agents who have their hands full.”
Turkam swallowed dryly.
It was like the calm before the storm. I didn’t know what or how far Kim had planned, but I could vaguely sense that he was nervous like never before.
“Noah, I’m sure you’ve read the news. Not only the royal family, but the traitors are going to be looking for you. Do you feel a weight around your neck now?”
“Me, I am…….”
Ainoa clutched my arm and shuddered slightly. At this rate, there was a strong possibility of bloodshed, if not civil war. At the very least, the Minos of Bastitera would be oppressed.
“It’s nothing new to me, Pecatum, Minos. I can’t help but be dissatisfied with the way you’ve been tearing each other apart. It’s a bomb that will go off at any moment if given the chance.”
The Legion couldn’t have asked for a better opponent to utilize, could they? The Pekatum are a persecuted, wasteland-dwelling race with superior physical attributes.
Recently, the Pecatums have been despising the Continentals as an inferior species in their own land. The composition is strikingly similar to Legion.
“Now I’m going to need you to honor your promise and give me time to clear my mind-”
“Holy shit!”
Yay!
The tires squealed. The car shook violently from the sudden stop. Kim wrapped his hands around the back of his head as his skull rattled.
“…Ugh, Turkam, what’s going on?”
“Look. All of a sudden, some crazy guy pops out and…!”
Kim leaned over and checked the windshield.
A deserted hillside, under flickering streetlights. For what seems like forever, a Pekatum man in a coat has been blocking my path.
His appearance and clothing were unremarkable. They are the ubiquitous, dark-skinned Tabes men, but there is one area that stands out.
Horns. The horns on the right are misshapen and short.
“How are you?”
With a featureless face, he smirked.
Kwazizik!
The fist shattered the glass as easily as Styrofoam. Ainoa let out a scream. As shards of glass rained down on Turkam, Kim stood silent and stunned.
“How did this guy do it?
Negrum. The man responsible for Ainoa’s murder during the campaign.