Chapter 95

It was a reunion of sorts.
“……You’re really safe.”
“Why didn’t you come two days earlier, I was a mess then.”
“Why do you talk like that, what a…!”
Ainoa cringed and poked at him. Kim cleared his throat coolly. I was uncomfortable with the tense atmosphere, so I tried to make a joke, but the reaction was more intense than I expected.
“I’m sorry. There’s been a lot of noise in the neighborhood.”
“You’re apologizing for everything for some reason.”
“Why shouldn’t he? He’s not the ego type.”
“Is that so?”
He twitches his chin in disbelief.
After 10 seconds of waiting without saying a word, my gaze became uncomfortable.
“It’s going to be a big hole.”
“Oh, excuse me, I thought you might have softened your demeanor.”
“I don’t know.”
The interrupting voice belonged to Adrian, who alternated between greeting them intimately and chewing on a worm.
“You still look cocky to me.”
“Adrian, you’re still not doing…”
“What does it mean?”
“It doesn’t mean anything, you looked very tired.”
“I’m not going to deny it.”
Adrian squeezed his eye sockets tightly. The corners of his eyes were shadowed. The man who usually dressed immaculately and with the dignity befitting royalty was half a man.
“So much has happened in such a short period of time, even disasters, that I’m playing catch-up, and I’m doing things that Ainoa used to do.”
“Do you see my pain point now?”
“Do you know my pain?”
“That’s why I’m here, and I don’t think I know much more than that.”
“…….”
He couldn’t help but sigh at his brother’s cold demeanor. Adrian himself hoped that Ainoa would not be more involved than necessary. For the sake of a smooth succession.
Somehow, they were working together. It was exactly what Kim had hoped for.
But on the other hand, it’s hard not to think of them as being very shameless.
“Ainoa is definitely a heartthrob.
To her, Adrian is the one who neglected to save my life. There’s no way he could have had any blood ties left. It’s an unforgivable sin.
Of course, Adrian didn’t do anything himself. It’s hard to call it a sin because there’s no record of it. He was only half taken advantage of, but he helped.
Even so, the hole in your heart will never be filled. Maybe not for a lifetime, but for a long time. Judging by the state of their condition, they seemed to realize it.
It was none of anyone else’s business.
“That’s it. Let’s get to the point.”
“Sure.”
I was about to change the subject, but Ainoa stuck her head in.
“Wait a minute, what do you mean, I didn’t invite you here?”
“Yes, half.”
“Half?”
She looked at Adrian in disbelief.
“When I heard your brother was coming, I thought you were trying to pull a fast one…!”
“That’s exactly what you’d think.”
“Hyun, you’re you, too, and you kicked everyone out when you said you were going to visit the hospital!”
“You could have come now, it’s easier to look at it in modalities.”
The two men exchange glances and shrug.
The “what’s wrong with you” attitude left Ainoa speechless.
It was a fundamental difference between men and women.
“Anyway, don’t bother, just wait. I’ll be out of your way in a minute.”
With that, Adrian took half a step forward and stood face to face with Kim. After a moment of fiddling with his clothes, his expression hardened with determination.
The prince then bowed his head.
“I am truly grateful for your assistance. It would not be an exaggeration to say that not only the royal family, but all of Bastitera owes its salvation to you and Dustborn, nay, to the Celbrox Labs.”
Suddenly, a piece of knowledge popped into Kim’s head.
There is no etiquette for bowing deeply to the upper echelons of the Bastiterra. That is the etiquette of Minos. The only time it exists is when a lowly person bows before a noble.
Now the prince has given Minos, the man he has rejected, the courtesy of Minos’s ways. It may be short on substance, but it is long on sincerity.
No, it wasn’t a total bargain.
“We’re going to break the silence. Opening up to the outside world will be part of that. Bastila is a nation on the continent, and we intend to treat the continentals as we would like to be treated. Also, if you don’t mind, we’d like to invite you to join us at…….”
Hang up once and continue speaking.
“I hope that the Cellbrox Lab will be a messenger of Chapter. I know that even on the continent, there is less interaction between countries, but in times like these, it is important to collaborate with each other.”
Adrian confronted the Legion and witnessed the dangerous beasts and mutants they created. He captured and interrogated a soldier who survived the catastrophe.
I know the insanity and danger of it now.
“I know you don’t care, but can you do me a favor?”
“…….”
The mad dog has become a man.
Kim barely swallowed the words that threatened to escape her throat. The surprise was too much. One look at Ainoa’s dumbfounded face told him that it wasn’t reluctant.
To be honest, I was hoping for it. Kushan wouldn’t say no. He and Kushan had been trying to figure out how to convince Adrian, but he had spoken up.
But it wasn’t a warm reception.
“Well, I appreciate the offer, but it’s not something I can commit to.”
“Oh…. I’m sure there’s a general manager.”
An overtly sympathetic reaction. He quickly composes himself, but it’s hard to let go of his regret. Hagiya Adrian will have a hard time finding a connection to the outside world on his own.
Understanding the situation, Kim smiled kindly.
“Don’t worry too much about it, though; I’m sure I’ll get a favorable response if I communicate it well on my end. Your Majesty has made a great decision, and who needs candles?”
“Well, yeah. How the debt keeps growing.”
“A debt. I’ve grown quite attached to Bastitera over the years, and I’m personally looking forward to the changes you’ll bring about.”
There are ways to connect with Kushan and sneak out. But Kim emphasized his role, saying, “I’ll tell him well. And not just to take credit.
“I want to make sure they know that I talked them into it.
The key is initiative.
With just a few words, Kim and Celbrox Labs were firmly in the ‘helping position’. Normally, this would be annoying, but it’s a worthwhile endeavor.
Or not.
“……I must have misunderstood you a bit.”
Adrian was visibly moved, and it’s hard to say that his personality is anything but simple. If this was an official statue, he would have listened to Kim’s words.
It was an authenticity that came from being in a private setting.
“Your favor will not be forgotten. I do not know how long you will stay, but I promise you the utmost comfort while you are in Bastitera.”
“I’m not going to specify.”
A group of people who were semi-pariahs were now treated like royalty. It’s a big step up in status. I think we can take a moment to reflect on that today.
When Adrian finished, he left the salon first. He was in a hurry, but when I last saw him, his complexion was noticeably brighter.
Ainoa muttered, looking at the closed door.
“What did I eat wrong….”
It was a difficult adjustment for her.
* * *
I didn’t talk to Ainoa about much of anything. They just caught up on each other’s news. Even Carmen, who was still her escort, joined in the conversation.
We asked Carmen where she’s been since.
I’m thinking of staying here for a while. I haven’t decided exactly how long, but Ainoa will need an escort, and I need to show my face to the family at least once….
We’ll be following Bastitera closely to see how it evolves.
The doctor was firm.
It was not to be. Carmen is a Redwood employee. She’s not even officially employed by the game, she’s here on loan.
“It’s not going back to the way it was.
Someone who doesn’t fully transfer to the rap, even in the setting anyway. Even if you try to cajole him, you’ll only get a half-hearted response. There’s no hope of bringing him back to Dustborn.
“Is everything done?
Simply relay Adrian’s wishes to the lab. A matter is a matter, and Kushan himself will most likely come to you. His eloquence will not be lost on the nobility.
It may not be the last.
Something may happen in Bastitera again, or Ainoa or whoever will come to see you. I still have an appointment with Asterique.
We’ll revisit this at some point, but at least the “episode” we were working on is now organized.
“It’s time to go home.”
Kim strolled through the lazy streets of Magnu. The sun was setting. The sky was turning indigo, but the streets were still very crowded.
Reconstruction is in full swing. The center of the city, Magnu Station, has been temporarily repaired, but it cannot be left untouched forever. A large number of workers have been mobilized to the site.
“Hey, fly cement!”
“Okay, I’m on my way!”
There’s also a boy who looks to be in his mid-to-late teens, running around carrying several bags of cement despite his dwarfism. As it turns out, Bastiterain’s strength is not to be underestimated.
Kim often gets stares as he walks by. Not because he was recognized for his revolutionary work, but because he had no horns.
Here, Minos was still Minos.
“Maybe that will change someday.
Ten years, 20 years? We don’t know how long it will take.
“I wonder where I’ll be by then.
I wonder if he screamed himself to death, and if he’s still breathing, where is he, and if he’s ever gotten back to his modern life.
Will I have someone I don’t even recognize now living next to me, having a family, holding papers and typewriters instead of guns and knives?
‘Something’s a little off.
If anything, it made me feel closer to my current life. Walking on the railroad tracks, having long since strayed off the tracks. The end might be a cliff, and one day a train might come along and crush you.
Still, it doesn’t drive me crazy like it used to.
[Loading Completed!]
Just then, the message I was waiting for appeared.
[during the damage rate in the main episode 5 “Boeun”].
[Damage rate award for Main Episode 6, “Farewell”]
[Damage rate award in Main Episode 7, “Crash”]
.
.
.
The messages went on and on.
It was worth the wait. Almost every episode, right up to the final chapter, was a notification that it had been compromised. It was an absurdly huge aftermath.
“It’s a shame, it would have been great to see a side story.
I’ve heard it said that humans are adaptive creatures, and I’ve seen it so many times that it’s become second nature.
[The presence of agent “Kim” becomes apparent].
[Agent ‘Kim’ gets a rating increase].
[Skill ‘Craft Special Weapons’ is enhanced].
[The stat’s cap is expanded].
It feels like a reward.
[Update Agent Record].
[Agent name: Kim Yi Hyun].
[Rating: ★★★★]
4 stars.
Only today did I reach a rank I’m not ashamed to call agent.