Chapter 100
Chapter 100
I figured it would be beyond anything I could imagine anyway.
The gender of the one who entered was unclear.
Not only were they wearing a hologram helmet that curved gently like a bird’s beak, but their body’s outline was concealed by a raincoat.
Only the units mounted as if binding both arms were exposed outside, showing off their presence.
They looked almost like gauntlets.
A strange wave could be felt from the palm where concentric circles were engraved. I could guess where the previous strike had originated from.
It was then that a modulated voice flowed out.
“My name is Baek Ga-on, age 22. Citizen ID is E—6294567—34.”
A citizen ID was no different from the resident registration numbers of the old era. It wasn’t information others could casually pry into.
Thinking my device had been hacked, I hurriedly checked, but the program prepared for electronic warfare was still running.
I could tell from what followed that it hadn’t been an intrusion through a bypass route.
“Grade 9 Advisor of the District 2 Public Enforcement Agency Headquarters? The recommender is… interesting. It’s not fabricated, is it.”
I was being stripped bare in real time.
I subtly shifted my body to the side. In that instant, the palm aimed at the center of my chest moved along with me.
For a brief moment, the unit was revealed through the gently fluttering raincoat.
A wearable full-body enhancement suit, protect gear.
It was the same model as Amal’s.
That meant it was among the most powerful specifications even in the current generation. There was only one place that handled such special products.
“Mars Defense Force.”
“That is correct.”
There was no doubt I had been caught while digging into Edwick’s information. I hadn’t expected them to come in person. Even in his decline, was he still considered a person of interest?
Then just what—
“Why did you kill Edwick?”
“It was a legitimate execution of authority that had been delegated.”
“A legitimate execution? Killing an old man who already had one foot in the grave? Did they start some population reduction policy without me knowing?”
“I have no obligation to answer that question. And do not misunderstand, you are not free from being a target of elimination either. Forget what you saw here.”
A warning with no room for negotiation.
The opponent turned their back and disappeared just as they had entered, without leaving even a trace of presence.
Left alone in the filthy and narrow shack, I let out a low groan.
It had been the Mars Defense Force that had even let Ryungyeong, who caused the Black Shower, go as if to show off. Yet they reacted excessively sensitively to Edwick’s remarks. There was only one difference—
‘It must be because he referred to it as a monster.’
From the looks of it, Edwick seemed to have been expelled while trying to expose facts related to that.
‘What on earth is this “monster”?’
For now, it didn’t seem to be a Meta-human. Amal had mentioned it before. Having participated in the Black Shower himself, he wouldn’t confuse the two terms.
It wasn’t that I had no guesses. I had seen it before in Dong-gu. Traces that looked like a massive creature had unleashed violence.
Thinking about it, firing five tactical nuclear weapons just to suppress terrorists had been excessive.
Even I, during the Millennium Code Gate incident, hadn’t been treated to that extent. There were limits to the chaos an individual could cause.
Perhaps even something like war was merely an excuse created to hide the existence of monsters. Or maybe the distinction between the two was meaningless.
“So it’s a double trap.”
[Shall we investigate it?]
“Unless you’re going to call back the one who just left.”
[What a pity.]
Leaving Dobby’s remark behind, I opened the notebook Edwick had left. The date I needed to find was already decided. Sixteen years ago from now, that is, a few sols before the Black Shower occurred.
“Here it is.”
Pioneering Power Year 59, Month 17, Day 11.
The page was heavily worn, making it hard to see clearly, but—
[Someone from Baekga came and handed over gold]
The meaning was conveyed clearly.
Thud.
I closed the notebook and placed it beside Edwick. A message from Fernandez arrived a beat later.
[Can you come right now?]
***
In front of Columbus, a small sign was set up.
[Preparing for business]
Even though it was still early evening, it was the first time the place wasn’t receiving customers, which made it feel unfamiliar.
After receiving Juicy’s greeting and stepping inside, Fernandez appeared in front of me and made a fuss.
“When did I send that message, and only now you show up? If you meant to keep me in suspense, I’d say you succeeded.”
“Stop exaggerating. It hasn’t even been a few minutes.”
“In that short time, my lips nearly dried out. No matter what, that kind of atmosphere is hard to endure. I can’t understand how you handled the request for things to suddenly turn out like this.”
There had only been one request recently. And we had even parted on good terms at the end.
“There’s only one person that comes to mind.”
“Indeed, that person.”
As if being pushed in, I entered the reception room and saw a familiar face sitting there.
“Miss Snow?”
Beside Baek Seol stood Im Sol, upright. Like a puppy that had done something wrong, she held a sorrowful posture. It almost felt like I could hear faint whimpering from somewhere.
In contrast, Baek Seol’s appearance was calm. Like the sea growing still before a storm arrived.
Sure enough, as I shook off my rain-soaked coat, an unbelievable opening statement came out.
“My half-sibling appeared.”
For a moment, I froze, then frowned as if I had seen something absurd. Anyone else would have been one thing, but that outcome was impossible to accept.
Perhaps it was the same for Baek Seol, or perhaps it came as a considerable shock, as she kept letting out self-deprecating sighs.
“It’s ridiculous, isn’t it? I made such a fuss trying to investigate how someone died when they weren’t even dead.”
The premise itself had been flawed from the start.
“I was deprived of the chance to get ahead.”
“But as I said…”
“Right, the chances of my half-sibling being alive were low. No, they were low.”
However, that had only been a hopeful assumption. The moment the scenario I had feared became reality, it vanished like a handful of ashes.
“My perspective narrowed. Yours and mine both.”
The error had come from judging solely based on Yeosanghwa’s residence. If I thought about it, there was clearly a possibility they could be outside her range of activity.
What if they hadn’t failed to avoid the nuclear explosion, but had never needed to avoid it in the first place?
And so, what emerged through that extremely simple question was—
“It’s Baek Gi.”
From Baek Seol’s perspective, it was a rational conclusion, but to me, the person involved, it sounded like nothing but absurd nonsense. Knowing information that couldn’t be revealed, there was a conclusion I could reach.
“From now on—”
“No, it’s already too late. The genetic test is finished. It’s been confirmed that he’s Father’s son.”
“He passed the genetic test?”
Even I hadn’t expected that. I thought at most it would end with raising doubts. The speed of progress was abnormal.
“There will be a welcoming ceremony. That’s where they’ll announce his existence.”
From the moment Baek Ryang brought Baek Gi in, the long-stagnant competition had been decided.
Baek Gi would never forget Baek Ryang’s grace in not giving up on him and finding him in the end. The shares he received would likely turn into friendly stakes.
No matter how I looked at it, it was a dead end.
“I’ll cancel the request I gave you this time. It’s no longer useful.”
Until just a moment ago, she had been planning to cry and vent her complaints at me. If I had been just a bit more careful, she wouldn’t have suffered this humiliation.
But she soon realized how futile that would be. It would only amount to shifting responsibility onto someone else.
Baek Seol also knew that I had done my best.
In such a short time, I had shaken off the manpower Baek Ryang gathered and even gone into Dong-gu to collect evidence.
Expecting more than that would be greed.
“Still, don’t worry. I’ll pay the commission as promised.”
Since I hadn’t fulfilled the contract, Baek Seol had no obligation to pay such a large sum. If anything, she could have demanded a penalty. Yet she opened her wallet.
Because—
“That’s become useless too.”
Baek Seol stood up from her seat and turned her back.
By the time she left Columbus, her eyes were already wet with rain.
***
Silence settled over the interior.
Glancing sideways, Fernandez gauged my mood. For no reason, he wiped a clean glass one more time.
“I heard what happened. Quite unfortunate. Among those from megacorps, she seemed like someone you could at least reason with. The heavens can be so indifferent.”
Screech, screech.
“And for this mistake, just shake it off with a drink and move on. Everyone grows through mistakes. Unless you’re Shin, who could have predicted such a variable? I would’ve expected something similar myself.”
Fernandez spoke at length for the first time in a while, trying to comfort me, but his words didn’t reach my ears. Without him worrying, there was more than enough room to make up for it.
No, I had never been pushed out in the first place.
It was just that the world didn’t know.
“Mr. Pepe.”
“Hmm?”
“Should I tell someone who doesn’t know? Or should I wait until they find out?”
“What do you mean. A warning? Information? Or news?”
“Anything.”
“It’s not something that can be judged lightly, but if they don’t know, shouldn’t you tell them? The very fact you’re asking that question is proof that you can’t afford to wait any longer.”
Should I call it the instincts of a former Sheriff? Even though I threw out a vague question, he pinpointed the essence with remarkable precision.
“Then I should strike first before I get hit.”
Baek Seok-do’s intentions—
My relationship with Baek Seol—
It wasn’t the time to dwell on such trivialities. When circumstances change, the method of response changes as well.
The threat was already right in front of me. It wouldn’t pass just because I stayed still.
After downing a vodka martini, I completely revised my plan.
They probably didn’t know.
That their attempt to eliminate variables had instead created one.
***
The chairman of megacorp B&B, Damian, received a call from someone he never expected a few sols ago.
It was a connection formed during the Eastern Gate incident, so it remained in his memory.
How could it not?
Through that incident, he had seized three broadcasting stations from his competitor Marstop and grown an entire level.
That was precisely why he accepted what could have been an unpleasant proposal.
“I didn’t expect you to suddenly ask for an invitation.”
“You wouldn’t listen even if I begged for anything more than that anyway, would you?”
“That is true, but still.”
In a way, it was a natural deduction. What Damian wanted was Ga-on the fixer, not some vagrant A. In fact, the very fact he made time like this was unusual.
“As you already know, it’s a private party where only selected individuals may enter.”
“You don’t need to intimidate me. I know.”
Under the dazzling chandelier, prominent figures from all walks of life were circling around like rolling hoops—there was no way I wouldn’t know.
I wasn’t particularly sensitive to social power, but I could at least infer that accidentally bumping shoulders with someone here could lead to a major incident.
“While it is partly to see Chairman Baek Seok-do, who has been in seclusion for a long time, everyone’s attention is actually elsewhere.”
“The welcoming ceremony.”
“It’s rare to host such an event and declare an illegitimate child as one’s own. I imagine you feel the same, Mr. Ga-on.”
“Probably no one here is more interested than I am.”
“Is that so?” Damian replied lightly, then added,
“What kind of person do you think the youngest son appearing this time will be?”
“Well, whatever you imagine, it’ll be beyond that.”
At the suggestive tone, as if I knew something, Damian quietly adjusted his rimless glasses.
“Well then, I look forward to it.”