◈ Episode 061

-Chi-chi-chik!

The image cut out with noise. The same phenomenon occurred on the screens on both sides. At the point when five of the nine screens became black, the remaining five screens showed only a corpse.

Mithril, who confirmed that the video was over, pressed the button again. It was a mechanical action that repeated itself for an unknown number of times. The video that he had watched so tiresomely began to play from the beginning again.

"Are you watching again?"

There was a sound of people approaching from behind, and then a voice. Mithril didn't even turn her head. She just kept her eyes fixed on the events of that day, reminiscing.

The adjutant sighed inwardly and looked at the screen.

There was a massacre going on there. Yellow, white, Pecatum. People of various races were slicing and burning soldiers.

CCTV footage from the border checkpoint. After Mithril finished his work, he would stay in the video room for hours without leaving. Even though it had been several days, he still seemed to be in a state of confusion.

'I know that must be bothering you.'

As a result, Mithril was defeated. And it was a terrible defeat.

They ransacked Atlanta and escaped in style. Their identities were never discovered, and Ismail was even taken away.

But now it was time to come to my senses.

"That's in the past. I don't know why they took Ismail, but... he won't be back in Atlanta for a while. I can't help but think he was in an accident."

"It's an accident."

Mithril snorted, her chin still clenched.

"There's no doubt about it. It's these guys."

"…What are you talking about?"

"Snowfield."

He said it out loud.

"She died to these guys, that stupid bitch."

It's not something I realized just now. I knew it as soon as I saw the video. There was information that was shared only among the Legion's leadership, and among it was the full story of the Cilicia occupation.

Pecatum, who wields the flame spell. Snowfield, who longed for his homeland so much, died at the hands of his own kind. Mithril found it amusing from the moment she heard the news.

"...I ended up looking ridiculous too."

Mithril's gaze was focused on one point. A spherical figure appeared. The merchant, 'Hyeon', was swinging an axe quite skillfully.

His performance is not that remarkable. Nine out of ten people would rate him the most underrated. He is clearly inferior among the three combatants.

But Mithril thought differently.

'As expected, this guy is the centerpiece.'

Sometimes his attention would be drawn to him. Pecatum and the white man. And the one carrying Ismail. Even in the midst of the battle, he was focused on Hyun's actions… .

It was obvious what it meant. At least in this operation, the commander was Hyun.

'Where do you belong?'

It was a question that had been troubling Mithril for several days. In his judgment, they were not soldiers. They lacked the military's typical stereotyped speech and behavior, and lacked organizational power. Rather, they were a more free-spirited group.

'Is this really the Cellbrox Lab?'

This was information shared by the Legion. It was a strange group that seemed to be a combination of a research lab and a PMC. I heard that about 30-40% of the combat personnel were spellcasters.

At that time, I just let it go. Even now, I have no interest in rap itself. Their purpose, their ideology, and their relationship with the Legion were all good for Mithril.

I just feel regretful.

"...It's such a shame."

If only they could be brought together, how powerful it would be. They might even be able to stand on equal footing with the pursuers of the Legion, who might come at any moment.

The existence of a third party opposing the Legion. Its utility is high. Mithril couldn't help but think that she had missed out on the good fortune that had come to her.

He took a deep breath. As the adjutant had said, it was just the past. He had to leave regrets as regrets and focus on the next task.

"How's that guy you caught yesterday?"

"It's still the same. They're throwing tantrums and asking to be let go."

"I guess I should show my face at least once."

Mithril left the room and walked down the hallway. It was a large mansion that was said to be used as a meeting place for the council members. There was another side to this place that was different from its flashy appearance.

I went down the stairs and entered the basement. The air was damp and the stench was overwhelming. Rusty iron pieces were lying around. There were iron bars on both sides.

Boom, boom!

"Open it! Open it, you punk!"

A cracked voice echoed. In a corner of the basement. A naked woman was screaming inside the iron bars. Soon, a shadow came right up to her nose.

"You look very healthy. But your throat is starting to hurt."

"Raphael…! Let me go now. Get out of here, I need to hear an explanation."

"Is there any explanation for what I'm saying now?"

Mithril grumbled. Through his indifferent reaction, the woman was able to fully understand what was happening.

"Ha, you betrayed me. After receiving so much grace from the Godmother…!"

Grace. Mithril chewed on the words she had heard.

"They say that a person's nature doesn't change easily."

"What nonsense are you talking about all of a sudden."

"No, I just thought of it. Then your true nature must be that retard part."

A venomous gaze shot out. It was not threatening at all. It did not suppress the spell in any particular way, but the woman's abilities were useless without a weapon in hand.

She was a member of the Legion who came to support Mithril at her request. The adopted daughter of the 'Godmother'. Although she was not an executive, she was a figure of comparable status.

And as soon as he arrived in Atlanta, he was arrested and thrown into prison. It was Mithril's order. He was going to get what he could, since he would be caught betraying them sooner or later anyway.

"Yes, I did you a favor. You picked me up on the street and raised me. That's why I hung out with the shady kids in the Legion. It was to repay my debt."

But that's it.

"They're all just trash. Shadow died in some remote place. If it was just him, then yes, it would have been okay. At least he died alone."

Above all, he was a man worthy of death. That was what Mithril thought.

"But Snowfield is an exception. She was a monster, even if she was stupid. But she messed up the job by acting like a fool. At this point, I think it's a problem with the organization."

"...I also feel sorry about Snowfield. But, they are still here. As you know, a big change will happen soon. It's not too late even now."

The woman's persuasion failed to resonate with his heart. The more he listened to her story, the colder her expression became, which perfectly expressed her feelings.

"I might have been a little mistaken."

"Yeah, yeah. I won't tell anyone about this. So…!"

"There was a serious cancer. With fanatics like you rotting away, the Legion must be degenerating into a mere cult organization."

The godmother that the woman holds in such high esteem. And he, who is no different from the predecessor of Legion, is ultimately just a human. There is a good chance that he will lose his life in vain one day.

It seems like he doesn't think about it at all.

"...I'll kill you."

There was an unpleasant squeaking noise. The woman's fingernails were scraping against the iron bars. Mithril clicked her tongue as she saw the blood flowing from her fingertips.

As expected, communication was not possible.

I turned around without hesitation. Unlike a moment ago when she had been swearing at me to get me out, the woman was quiet. However, I could feel the intense gaze on my back.

Climb up to the ground, the adjutant asked.

"What would you like to do?"

"I have to live with it. That woman's spells are useful."

"I don't think they'll cooperate."

"Is there only one way to cooperate?"

The Legion has several means of utilizing spellcasters, and Mithril is still treated as an officer of the Legion.

"When will the researchers arrive?"

"I'll be crossing the border during the week."

"Then I guess I should prepare."

Both eyes glanced sideways at the basement.

"Starve her. Wouldn't it be embarrassing if food came out during extraction? Even if her personality is like that, she's still a woman. You have to be considerate."

"…Are you sure it's okay? Then I won't be able to muddle through."

"Isn't that already the case?"

It was too new to hesitate. At the point when I was dissatisfied with the Legion, the clash was set. The outcome would depend on how thoroughly I prepared.

The timing is not bad.

Currently, the main force of the Legion is active in the northern part of the continent. They are preparing for a huge war that will involve one race.

The results are as expected.

'It won't go as smoothly as it did in Cilicia.'

No matter how disappointed he was with the Legion, Mithril did not ignore their power. He was acting in this remote land because he was objectively aware of it.

In an instant, several faces appeared in Mithril's mind. People who were presumed to be agents of Cellbrox Labs, whom he had been observing for several days.

'It's better to be quiet this time.'

If you step in rashly, no one can guarantee survival.

* * *

The operation team was able to return to the lab safely.

Just like the Ashbelt operation, I first submitted an operational report. The only difference was that I brought a guest with me.

Ismail Liol Pasha. The report contained the steps taken to rescue the son of the Atlanta president. Some parts were omitted that were difficult to explain.

"He's a smart guy. He's a bit stubborn because of his strong patriotism, but Hyun seems to have convinced him well. You don't have to worry about his impulsive actions."

"He's a good talker."

Kushan made a face at Westcreek's words. The location was the research institute director's office. After receiving the initial report from Kim I-hyeon, Westcreek provided additional explanations.

"No, I should say that you're also good at speaking…."

I thought there was a high chance that I would return empty-handed, but what was the result? I brought back valuable information and even rescued important figures.

I couldn't help but say that it was a great feat.

'I'm sure Leila would be satisfied too.'

Now that we have a legitimate way to intervene in Atlanta, it's unclear what merits it will bring to the rap. Given Leila's personality, she'll definitely make a move at some point.

'It'd be better to draw a pretty picture than to collaborate with a criminal organization.'

Even in this world, justification is more important than you might think. Agents won't doubt the legitimacy of the operation. In the future, when rap's reputation grows, there will be no need to catch the book.

These were all achievements made by Kim Lee-hyun.

"West Creek, what did it look like to you?"

"Are you talking about now?"

Westcreek said after much deliberation.

"I definitely have my doubts. I've heard of some information that's of questionable origin. I think it's possible that one of my acquaintances is from Atlanta, but... I'm not sure."

Neither his origin nor his career. Nothing has been revealed about Kim Yi-hyeon yet. Since no significant facts have been discovered, the investigation felt meaningless.

"...You look like someone who fell from the sky."

"Surely not."

Westcreek laughed blandly, as if he thought it was a joke, even though he had said it seriously.

"Aren't you worrying too much?"

"Does it look that way?"

"Hyeon is probably a more ordinary person than you think, sir. After joining Asterike, he has noticeably become less cautious. It's as if he has found relief after meeting someone he trusts."

It was a very pleasant relationship to see from the side. It would be difficult to define them as lovers or friends, but at least there was deep trust between the two.

Of course, this was only an internal evaluation. If we take away his humanity, Kim Lee-hyun could not be called ordinary even in vain.

"And speaking as an agent, I see."

Westcreek chose his words inwardly, so that Kushan could perceive them as accurately as possible.

"In this kind of small team management situation, I am a few steps ahead of the professor. Even if the professor gains experience like before, I doubt he would be able to do as well as Hyun."

Standing together on the front lines, being able to command and create variables on your own is the greatest strength. Kim Lee-Hyun will be able to play a variety of roles no matter what operation he is deployed to.

"...."

Kushan folded his arms and sat in thought. His eyes scanned the letters in the report without any meaning. After a while, he let out a huge sigh.

"Oh my, you're the one praising other people."

"Is that so?"

"That's right. Do you think there are one or two agents who find you difficult?"

Knock knock.

I roughly organized a bunch of papers. I got good results, but it was funny to be so serious.

"It looks like you like it quite a bit."

"Because I am a person who works hard."

"Is that so?"

That was the end of the report. I was about to say that Kushan had suffered.

"Do the agents give you a hard time?"

"...It's hard to say no."

"I see. I've always had people say I look blunt…."

Couldn't you take this as a joke? Contrary to his cold impression, he was a delicate guy. While thinking about how to respond, I thought of Kim Yi-hyun on the other hand.

'The items I ordered are almost finished.'

The operation went well, and it was a good time to give a gift.