Chapter 193 : The Veteran (3)
“Old man!”
“You’re not deaf, so speak quietly. And don’t dirty my office—at least wipe the water off your hair first.”
“That doesn’t matter! Whether it gets dirty or not, you can clean it yourself.”
Drexier pressed his temple with a tired expression as he watched Hella drag a chair across the floor and sit down.
“Alright, what’s the matter?”
“What do you mean what’s the matter? I went where you told me, and I found you meeting with your friends.”
Drexier’s eyebrows twitched.
“The place you went to was...”
“The underground sewer.”
“The underground sewer, huh? Yeah, that was one of the suspicious areas. Looks like they finally made a move.”
His voice was far calmer than when dealing with Hella’s usual insolence.
Seeing that reaction, Hella raised her eyes sharply.
“Old man, did you know what your friends were planning?”
“I hoped I didn’t. I wanted to settle it quietly on my end if possible. It was a pointless struggle.”
Just then, Waver and I sat down together.
Drexier noticed me sitting next to Waver and said,
“So you’re here. We’ll discuss this in detail later...”
“He saw everything that happened there too. I asked for his help, so he came along.”
“This is the corpse of the man who seemed to be the leader of the mercenaries.”
I handed over the sack I had been carrying on my back.
Drexier loosened the opening of the sack, checked the face inside, and nodded gravely.
“…Hosen. A man who survived the battlefield but ended up like this, doing such things and dying in vain.”
“Stop denying it and tell us everything honestly.”
Hella’s tone grew almost threatening.
“What exactly were your acquaintances trying to achieve by planting bombs in the underground sewer? And what have you been doing with them all this time?”
“I’ll tell you everything, but it’s a long story, so don’t fall asleep halfway through.”
Drexier unbuttoned the collar of his shirt as if to ease his neck, leaned deeply into his chair, and began to speak.
***
“Soldiers sent to war are expendable.”
As he had warned, Drexier’s story began with his past.
“Mercenaries were no different. Among the veteran fighters, there was even talk that it was better to die cleanly. Because those who returned wounded from the battlefield received no compensation.”
“But old man, you got medals and live well.”
“I’m just propaganda. A transparent ploy to deceive and lure people into thinking they can be treated like me.”
A sinister scheme worthy of the city government.
…It was undeniable that it was an effective promotional tool.
In the end, it didn’t matter what others thought as long as he succeeded.
It was no different from buying a lottery ticket and going all-in on a gamble.
Mercenaries were better than hired guns, but their nature was similar.
If a quick fortune glittered before their eyes, they’d rush in like moths to a flame.
“The ones who contacted me were comrades who lost everything fighting in the city government’s war. They proposed joining me. At first, I naturally refused. I had no reason to abandon the mercenary group I built up to this point. More than that, I judged that even if they formed an organization, it would collapse quickly. Putting friendship aside, to be frank… they didn’t have the skill to start anything again.”
These were men who had survived the war but lived like wrecks without compensation.
Their skills had not just stagnated but regressed, and some bore physical disabilities.
Being out of the industry for so long was also a problem.
What could a group of broken veterans do in a city already thrown into chaos by multiple incidents?
Just holding on was already a success.
“But when I saw them in person, they were surprisingly intact compared to my expectations. So I planned to offer only advisory support…”
Drexier frowned deeply, creasing his brow.
“Not long after, they revealed their true colors.”
“What did they say?”
“They proposed to wage a rebellion against the city government.”
“…Are they crazy?”
Hella’s blunt reaction was undeniable.
“They lived like wrecks, but their minds must have snapped.”
“I could understand their feelings. Though it was their choice, their lives were ruined by the city government, so their resentment was justified.”
“So did you agree to join them? From what I heard, they considered you completely on their side.”
Thinking back, the mercenaries’ words were significant.
After recognizing Hella as one of Drexier’s mercenaries, they even politely told her to leave quietly.
If that were true, Hella’s eyes burned with the determination not to let it slide.
“Take those insolent eyes away. They only said that. I was trying to persuade them not to do something foolish.”
“That sounds about right.”
If Drexier had truly joined them, he wouldn’t have ordered his mercenaries to search suspicious places.
“Well, I get the gist.”
To summarize, Drexier was busy struggling to stop his old comrades from causing trouble.
It made sense why he hadn’t fully confided in his team and kept silent.
A rebellion against the city government was a heavy matter.
“Now that I know the situation, let’s report them to the Security Bureau before they cause serious trouble.”
“…”
After all, there was no other choice but to respond this way.
“They were really planting bombs, so persuasion is no longer an option. Don’t drag it out and risk being tied to them. Cut ties immediately.”
“Phew, yeah. That’s probably best.”
Fortunately, we witnessed the scene in the underground sewer; there were likely other places where the operation had already been completed.
Once things had started, it was too late to change minds.
Unless he was going to join them, Drexier’s only option was to turn them in.
“Why didn’t you just report it when they first approached you? Even if they were old comrades, you’re not close enough to run around trying to change their minds like this.”
“That’s a fair point.”
“Knowing that, why did you put yourself through unnecessary trouble? Are you losing your mind in your old age?”
No matter how close they were, those comrades couldn’t be more important than the mercenary group to Drexier.
Still, Drexier had spent a long time neglecting the mercenary group’s management to persuade them.
A mercenary of Drexier’s caliber wouldn’t be so indecisive as to fail to cut ties.
In other words, as Hella pointed out, it was an incomprehensible act.
“Watch your tone.”
“I’m not wrong this time! If I’m not losing it, then what is this?”
Drexier’s fists trembled, but Hella didn’t stop speaking her mind.
Drexier didn’t throw a punch, probably understanding Hella’s frustration.
“…I was suspicious that they suddenly united with one mind.”
“You think there’s a backer?”
I had been silent but couldn’t help but interject.
“That’s what I thought.”
Drexier confirmed.
“Regardless of their resentment toward the city government, they knew better than anyone that they couldn’t do anything by banding together. That’s why they chose to live quietly as wrecks rather than cause trouble. But suddenly uniting to take revenge on the city government? That’s impossible without a backer.”
“Now that you mention it, that makes sense.”
“I wanted to find out who fed them those vain hopes.”
Something about it felt familiar.
An organization suddenly attempting an illogical act, an unknown backer inciting them, a deadly plan exploiting the city’s structural weaknesses.
It wasn’t a distant memory.
‘This is similar to the Shadowfang uprising and its development.’
Could this really be a coincidence?
After some thought, I was certain.
It couldn’t be.
The biggest commonality between the two incidents was that the backer provided the organization with the most necessary technology.
It was too contrived to be chance.
“So, did you find out?”
“I did. But it was hard to believe at first. That’s why I hesitated instead of going straight to the Security Bureau.”
“This is the first time I’ve seen you back down like this.”
“It’s a name that could cause a huge stir, so I had to be cautious.”
After a brief silence, Drexier moistened his dry lips and finally revealed the secret.
“Centrim.”
The moment I heard the first word, I knew he had found the answer.
“Megacorp is preparing to strike at the city government.”
***
Gellerg City was a unique place.
The city government ruled the city, but Megacorp held the upper hand in direct influence.
On the surface, the city government appeared to wield absolute power.
Thus, the public believed Megacorp had bowed first, and the matter was settled.
The reality was different.
The competition between the city government and corporations continued beneath the surface.
The city government checked Megacorp to prevent them from eyeing their power, while Megacorp struggled to overcome the government’s checks and achieve development and innovation.
Though called development and innovation, bluntly put, it meant forcing the city government to kneel and ruling the city themselves.
Just as Sylvester aimed to surpass Centrim, Centrim’s ambition was to surpass the city government.
So it was not surprising that Centrim was behind inciting the veteran fighters.
‘Other Megacorps probably have plans to rebel against the city government too.’
Likewise, the city government prepared to suppress them.
Because of this, direct clashes between the city government and Megacorp rarely happened, even in the original FP game scenario.
The city government wasn’t strong enough to crush Megacorp, and Megacorp lacked the confidence to openly defy the government.
So while minor conflicts occurred, the city’s balance and peace were maintained.
One exception was Centrim.
‘Centrim is a company with enough ambition and skill to directly compete with the city government in most cases.’
Even the war with the Percival City was like that.
Originally, Centrim should have expanded its influence through this incident.
Self-proclaimed rival Sylvester conspired with Berman, Claire’s competitor, and other board members to prevent Centrim from threatening their position, causing their downfall.
Then came the rise of vigilante groups through terrorist organizations.
When Centrim actually clashed with the city government, they often won.
‘But with Centrim’s current strength…’
My intervention had thwarted Centrim’s expansion.
Instead, Sylvester was closing in, threatening them.
At times like this, even Centrim would be better off staying quiet rather than stirring up trouble.
Yet unexpectedly, they were backing the veteran fighters from behind, following Shadowfang.
‘If Centrim’s leadership isn’t crazy, they must be confident.’
I couldn’t think of the basis for that confidence.
At best, the Spirit Cocoon?
But even so, it wasn’t perfect technology to reveal such dark intentions so hastily…
“Ah.”
As my thoughts continued, I suddenly remembered something.
Vrrrrr!
My phone vibrated.
[The newspaper is finished.]
The caller ID was restricted.
But from the message alone, I knew who it was.
Hazel Walnut, Security Bureau Sheriff.
Finally, the information I had been waiting for had arrived.
(End of Chapter)