A few days later, Kim Yi-hyeon received an unexpected offer.
"party?"
"It's scheduled to be hosted the day after tomorrow, so make sure to attend."
It was more of a one-sided order than a suggestion. I guess I didn't quite understand how things would turn out. I heard the city's atmosphere was a bit tense, but why the sudden party?
'… … No, is that why?'
As I was thinking about this, Echidna handed me a folder.
"This is a file that contains information on powerful organizations in Timorta. I won't ask you to memorize everything, but at least remember the faces and names of the leaders."
As expected.
It is not a place for the rich kids to socialize and have fun laughing. It is a place where the organizations belonging to the cartel collude. It is a place to point out each other's recent activities and give warnings.
It wasn't going to be a fun time for the current Nuova Era. A newcomer who was blowing things up everywhere without paying attention to what other people thought had already grown so fast had come into the organization.
Other organizations cannot help but worry about monopolization.
It will mainly be a place to keep Nuova Era in check.
"Is it okay for me to go?"
"Why, you don't like it?"
"There might be some who would take it as a challenge from us."
If you take the newbies in question out for granted? There will be more than one or two guys who will have a fit. It's obvious what kind of noises will be going around under the water after the party is over.
Echidna's lips formed a curve.
"That's right."
"Are you trying to start a war?"
"If you want it, I can accept it."
The ice in the glass rattled.
"It may be an impulsive decision, but it is not reckless. We have built up enough strength. While the old men were fooling around, we bought one more gun, and stocked up one more round of ammunition."
She licked her lips with her tongue.
"Tell me to touch it."
"It's brutal."
"Should I just do it?"
After grumbling, he closes his mouth.
A moment of silence. There was not a single person in sight in the 90-pyeong penthouse. The only sound in the quiet room was the sound of ice clinking.
Echidna put down the glass she had been shaking and asked.
"Let me ask you something. How did an agent from CellbroLogics Lab come all the way here?"
"...."
"It seems to be making a name for itself recently. They say it's a research institute, and it seems to be some kind of counter-terrorism organization. But this place is a haven for criminals, whether it's terrorism or anything. It's not a place you'd be interested in, is it?"
It seemed like the investigation was more detailed than I thought.
Well, it's a time when rap is starting to gain fame. With the Bastetira project, its growth has accelerated even more than before.
Moreover, Timorta is a border city. It is the area with the most foreigners coming and going from Banjar. If Shahid had told him about the rap, it would not have been difficult to conduct additional research.
'I'm not an agent of rap, though.'
No matter how much you talk about the agreement or whatever, it's hard to prove. The fact that they have a close relationship with Lab remains. In the first place, what Echidna is curious about isn't their affiliation.
Kim Lee-hyun decided to answer honestly.
"I have business in 'Naraka'."
Naraka. The center of Banjar.
It is a land with a history similar to that of Jerusalem on Earth. It is a place of constant conflict. The owner of Naraka has changed dozens of times, and various forces are still targeting it.
"I'm not interested in the land itself. Whoever rules Naraka can do as they please. I'm thinking of taking a quick trip to the ruins there for personal reasons."
"What? Ruins?"
"Is it strange?"
"Well… well, I know there is something like that."
It wasn't just nonsense.
Banjar, which is considered the continent's trash can in modern times, once flourished. It was a long time ago. And there are rumors that ancient relics are occasionally unearthed in Naraka.
There are also fools who step on Banjar's land in search of relics. Most of them have disappeared into the sand, but there are still those who do not care about their lives.
It wasn't anything particularly unusual. It was certainly so, but Echidna didn't trust it at all.
"You don't seem so foolish as to risk your life over something like that."
"Even life is an exaggeration, but it's also a humble thing to do."
"Is there another purpose?"
"I need to experience various things. I think working as a mafia would be a good experience."
Experience? She frowned at the attitude that seemed to treat it as a pastime.
"I've seen all kinds of crazy people."
"I hear it often."
As we talked, I naturally became entangled in the face. Echidna looked at the face of a man whose real name she didn't even know, and shook her head.
'What a strange guy.'
I don't believe it outright. I will continue to investigate. In fact, he may be a spy with connections to another organization, and the information that he is an agent of the lab may also be a cover.
If there's one thing that's certain, it's that he's a 'variable'.
How you use it depends on your own capabilities.
* * *
A lounge in a luxury hotel.
Kim Yi-hyeon fiddled with his collar for no reason. He was wearing a neat suit for the first time in a long time. Naturally, he couldn't enter with his entire body covered in cloth.
'It can't be this uncomfortable.'
The movement of the arms is cramped. Even the pockets are annoying. The tactical vest and jumper look much more familiar than the suit.
On the contrary, the natives of Polaris were behaving more naturally. Yellow, black, white. And Pecatum. People of various races were talking to each other while maintaining their dress code.
As I checked each face, information started to pop into my head.
'That guy is a drug dealer with a large farm. And that woman is a madam who runs a black market… .'
It is truly a sight to behold.
If we detonate a bomb here, wouldn't Polaris be a little cleaner? Of course, that would just mean new people would take their place.
While I was looking, I heard a whispering noise from next to me.
"Don't be shy."
"I'm saying this because I'm not familiar with this kind of place."
"I guess so. That's why I'm telling you not to act awkward."
He was a member of the organization that was with Echidna when she first met him. His name is Antonio. He is a typical white man, and just like Echidna, he is not a native of Banjar.
I know a little about Antonio.
A supporting character who sticks close to Echidna and takes up most of the screen time in the event story. A character who is the right-hand man of the boss and is in charge of various practical matters of the organization.
'How did this guy die again?'
However, there are often cases where it is confusing.
There should be one or two characters that die.
"Both of you shut up."
It came as ordered.
As a bodyguard, not an official invitee. Attracting attention will only be annoying. No matter how much you decide to go, it won't do any good to increase the number of unnecessary enemies.
But there was no need to draw aggro directly.
"That guy. He blew up the Alchata factory…."
"The Ricardo family is shaking. It seems they had a hand in the business."
"Is there anyone here who doesn't know that?"
"But the reason I brought that guy here...."
"I guess that means it wasn't the subordinate's arbitrary decision. How self-willed of me."
It was like the eye of a typhoon. Not only Kim Yi-hyun, but also Echidna was pointed at with the arrows. She was treated as a complete uninvited guest.
Even though she was considered a thorn in her side, Echidna's attitude was very dignified.
"Wow. The alcohol is cheap."
"Without even saying it out loud?"
"People like me can tell just by smelling it. And since you're in front of people, be polite."
He even started to commit bizarre acts.
She called the waiter over and ordered her to place various types of alcohol on the table. She then smelled each one. After checking, she grabbed a glass.
"Can you clean up everything except this?"
"Oh, I understand."
"Here, take the tip."
He gives me a big piece of paper and sends it back.
Kim Lee-hyun, who was watching, felt embarrassed.
"Why are you making a fuss and causing trouble?"
"manners."
"Do you use it?"
"I'm a nobleman. At least I don't drag you to bed just because I like your face. If that were all, it would be fortunate, but there are a lot of old people here who are violent."
He speaks as if he wants everyone to hear. Kim Yi-hyeon watched Antonio's reaction more than Echidna's. Judging from the way he didn't show any particular reaction, it didn't seem like it had been a day or two.
'I didn't need to stimulate this.'
Since the time was earlier than the game, I motivated them to advance to the center… . When I saw them going back, I thought that even if I had just stayed still, something would have happened sooner or later.
From the beginning, he was the type to increase his enemies.
"You can drink it too."
"Isn't it a bit much for a bodyguard to drink?"
"It's okay if you can control it. It's not forced, so you don't have to drink it."
In fact, Antonio did not touch the alcohol. Kim I-hyeon, who was looking at the two alternately, filled another glass with wine himself. It was more out of curiosity about why Echidna was causing a fuss than out of a desire to drink.
"Oh, that's pretty good."
"Not bad, right?"
I took a sip and it was indeed different.
"...They really play together."
Someone let out a loud noise.
Echidna, who had always been self-willed, and Antonio, who was like an accessory and taciturn, accompanied her. Even the rookie guy didn't seem to care about what others thought.
There was an awkward atmosphere at the party.
"Are you enjoying the party, Princess Echidna?"
A bearded man approached the table. After hours of looking through the materials, Kim Yi-Hyeon was able to quickly recall the man's identity.
'Ricardo Fagaro.'
The head of the Ricardo family.
This organization is the complete opposite of Nuova Era, which prohibits drugs, and its main source of income is drug trafficking. They even say that they have had numerous conflicts because their areas of operation are adjacent.
It seems that the Ricardo family was also involved in the recent transaction at the Alchata textile factory. To put it simply, he is the person who ate shit from Kim I-hyeon.
'Your face is going to burst, you little shit.'
The gaze he was looking at me with was extremely fierce. If it had been normal, I would have smiled brightly, but since there was another representative, I had no choice but to pass it off with a somewhat blank expression.
"The Nuova Era is doing well these days. The hotel seems to be thriving too."
"It's all thanks to my excellent subordinates. I'm really blessed."
"Inbok. The friend over there is someone I've never seen before. Can you introduce him to me?"
"Of course. An introduction isn't difficult, but... "
Echidna tilted her head as if she found it strange.
"You really don't know who it is?"
"…What do you mean by that?"
"No, it's just that there have been a lot of rats in our area lately."
She smiled sweetly.
"Don't they say that mice listen to the night's speech? I thought you would have already brought me the news, but I guess not? Well, it must be quite difficult to teach mice to speak human language."
It seemed like I heard a "thump" sound.
Ricardo's face had turned bright red. His eyes were wide open and fierce, as if he could tear Echidna's face apart at any moment.
"...Don't you think this is starting to go too far?"
"Which one are you talking about?"
The corners of Echidna's mouth slowly lowered. Soon, her expression became cold and expressionless.
"If you have dementia, you should have stepped down a long time ago."
"What, what did you say…?"
"How many times have I told you not to sell drugs in my area, you old lady?"
Silence fell on the once bustling party venue.
It was as if he had been doused with ice water. Next to him, Antonio tensed his muscles. In a tense situation where it would not be strange if a gunfight broke out at any moment, Kim Yi-hyun swallowed a hollow laugh.
'Still the same, you crazy bitch.'
A person who leads a mafia organization and challenges Naraka's hegemony.
Even though he was still stuck in Timor, his spirit was noticeable.
I don't really want to emulate that.
* * *
As a result, there was no bloodshed. However, it was far from a warm ending that resulted in dramatic reconciliation.
Ricardo, who had been grumbling, turned around and walked away. He ignored Echidna as if nothing had happened and chatted with the others.
It may have seemed like a mature response, but everyone in the room knew that this was not a problem that could be resolved smoothly without any conflict.
On the way back in the car, Echidna gave instructions to Antonio.
"Tell everyone to bring extension cords."
She had a refreshing expression on her face, as if an aching tooth had fallen out.