Since the Basteterra incident, the Cellbrox Lab has maintained a peaceful atmosphere. This is because the Legion's behavior has clearly become more passive. There have been no emergencies for several months already.
Inside, Arya would cause a scene, but the agents quickly got used to it. Perhaps due to the effects of the training, the frequency itself was decreasing. The lab was quiet and stable overall.
So, mid-April has arrived.
Suddenly the rap was engulfed in commotion.
"Really!?"
Asterike jumped up from his chair.
Arya, who was sitting on her lap, banged her head on the desk. Arya gave her a resentful look, but it was of no use.
Chelsea nodded as she delivered the news.
"Is that so?"
"When? When will you arrive?"
"Right now."
She clicked her tongue.
"Anyway, people are really strange. When they leave, they just go by themselves, and when they come back, they just come back by themselves. It's just standard to notify them on the day. I guess they don't have the idea of telling them in advance."
"It's not like Hyun doesn't have that kind of side to him. But just a little bit, just a little bit!"
It was a part that was difficult for anyone to defend. Chelsea's mouth fell open as even the world-famous Asterique trembled and agreed.
"Wow. Mr. Asterike is swearing at the boss. This is the first time I've heard that."
"Wh-what the hell did you say! That's what Chelsea said. I just agreed with her."
"Who said what? I often swear in front of the boss."
Asterike was confused. What could he be so proud of? Also, even when he thought about it himself, it was absurd, but he secretly envied Chelsea.
It's like Hyun and I are best friends.
"What I mean is, Mr. Asterike has grown a lot."
"Arya has grown up too."
"So, you're saying you won't throw your plate anymore? That's really bad."
"I'm an adult now. I can cut myself."
Chelsea chuckled at Arya's nonsense.
"Cut? Oh, cut."
"In the end…?"
"Arya. If you use difficult words incorrectly, you'll look stupid, so if you don't know how to use them, it's better to just use easy words from the beginning. From now on, say it like this. Arya is holding back well."
"Arya is very patient…."
Chelsea nodded with satisfaction.
"As expected, you're smart."
"Hehe. Chelsea is smart too."
As they spent more time together, the two became much closer. When Chelsea makes a vague but correct point, Arya follows along.
It was the same repertoire as always.
'You guys are having fun.'
It didn't matter to Asterike. Rather, he wished that Arya's interest in him would decrease. It must be quite annoying when she keeps clinging to him.
… … I thought to myself, but what on earth is this vague feeling?
It was a similar yet subtly different feeling to when Hyun brought Princess Ainoa. He looked at the two of them with an uncomfortable gaze, then suddenly raised his head.
"Oh, that's right! This is not the time."
Asterique stood in front of the mirror in a hurry. Then, she began to comb her hair carefully. She also checked her nose hair and eyebrows. It was a movement so quick that Chelsea, who was watching, was dumbfounded.
"Is that really the person who goes around without washing his hair because it's so annoying?"
"There's no way I would do that."
"Really? Just what I saw…."
"It happened just once."
"I don't think so?"
"Twice! Don't tell Hyunhan!"
"Oh, yes."
Chelsea snickered as she answered. In fact, Kim I-hyeon would be the one who knows Asterique's untidy parts the best. But since it was their first reunion in a long time, she could understand why they were excited.
"Why are you doing that?"
"That's right. Should we go first?"
"No, wait! It'll be over soon!"
Naturally, the phrase 'soon' in such a situation was not very trustworthy. After struggling for nearly 20 minutes, they were finally ready to go out to greet him. Even this was the result of Chelsea's own force.
I came out of the lab and came up to the ground.
There were already several agents stationed near the entrance. Turkam awkwardly exchanging eye contact. Keita, who had previously spoken to Asterike at the restaurant. Elite agents… … .
'There's also a research institute director.'
The director of the research lab had a look on his face that said he was very worried about something. Do you want to take a dump?
There are many others. If the professor and his party had not gone out on a business trip, they would have been here. Thinking that this many people were welcoming Hyun's return, Asterike felt strangely excited.
"There he comes. Damn, where the hell did he get that car…."
The director's words didn't even reach my ears properly.
A small dot running from afar. The moment he discovered it, all of Asterike's nerves were focused on it.
The piled up words were so much that they almost overflowed.
Complaints about why he didn't take me. Complaints about how hard it was to take care of Arya. Apologies for the past when he had pushed on problems that he should have taken responsibility for. Promises that things would be different in the future.
'What, where should I start…?'
I don't know. My thoughts are tangled like a thread.
I've simulated it in my head a few times, but Hyun's return was so sudden. Please tell me at least a day in advance!
As the distance got closer, I felt my brain becoming more and more numb. I was envious of Arya's thick nerves as she yawned and scratched her belly.
I soon realized that it was a needless worry.
"What are you all doing here? Is this a festival or something─"
Wow!
My body moved before my mouth. It was a little different from the problem of not being able to control my emotions or something like that. It happened as if it was a natural reaction, like a reflex.
Asterike raised her head while still being hugged.
Dark colored eyes that at first glance seemed emotionless. However, for some reason, he saw himself reflected in those eyes that seemed tired.
"It's a surprise."
The look of confusion disappeared for a moment, and Hyun's eyes softened into affectionate ones.
"You haven't been causing any trouble, have you?"
"Why do you say that? Just ask how you're doing."
"…Hmm. How have you been?"
"Yeah. What about Hyun?"
"What about me? I just did what I was doing."
"Don't be vague."
He scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"I'm a little tired."
"Yeah, I see."
I gave her a strong hug, as if giving her energy.
"Thank you for your hard work, Hyun."
That's it for now.
He fell down obediently, his regrets subdued. There must have been a lot of eyes watching him. He said he didn't care about what other people thought, but Hyun must have been concerned.
Now I know very well that other people's actions can make me feel ashamed. As Kim I-hyeon had intended, Asterike has definitely become mature.
It was at that moment that I thought to myself, "This is a good thing."
'uh?'
Kim Yi-hyeon discovered people he had never seen before in the car he got out of.
A whopping 5 people.
There are two kids who look as young as Arya physically, although their mental age is unknown. There are also two adult men. I am curious about the circumstances, but it is not important at the moment.
The last one was an adult woman. A rather pretty beauty.
'What is that… … .'
* * *
It wasn't just Asterike's thoughts.
There was a man who had his head wrapped around a similar but clearly different concern. As soon as he arrived at the director's office, Kushan's whole body began to tremble.
"You brought your family this time…!?"
"There is also a family."
"What did you just say? 'Family' too? Then the rest!"
Kim Yi-hyeon tried to choose the right words. How should he explain Echidna and Edwin? After a brief struggle, the conclusion he reached was to confront them head-on.
"Women are mafia bosses. Men are legions."
"?"
Any expression that could be called expression disappeared from Kushan's face. His thoughts seemed to have completely stopped. It was a rare scene that I had never seen before in a game.
dump.
His body sways and staggers, and he collapses on the chair as if he has lost all strength. He covers his face with both hands and lets out a small scream, "Geueuu."
It was a very confused look.
"All, all, all, cigarettes…."
"Were you a smoker? I've never seen you smoke."
"I quit a long time ago. But today, my hands are shaking…."
He took out a pack of cigarettes from the drawer and stared at it for a moment. He eventually decided not to smoke and put it back. As expected, he had great self-control.
I've been a non-smoker my whole life, so I'm not sure.
"…Please explain. In as much detail as possible."
I did as you wished.
It was bound to be a long story, because there were so many events. Timorta, Kabarati, Naraka. Mafia and Legion. It was a trip so dense that it was surprising, even if I say it myself.
At the end of the report, Kushan had regained some of his composure.
"Haha. Why does a big incident happen wherever you go?"
To be exact, I gave up halfway through.
Kim I-hyeon, in Kushan's eyes, was that kind of person. Whether he wanted it or not, he was always causing trouble. A person born under a very tiring star.
It was better to take a step back and think about it. If you get too involved, you'll only get a headache. He was finally finding the right way to deal with Kim Yi-hyun.
Apart from that.
"The situation itself is not bad. No, it is a very big achievement."
"That's why I'm so confident."
"…I want to say something, but I can't say anything."
He killed Mithril. That alone would be more than enough, but he also persuaded the man who was at the center of the Legion. It was still hard to believe from the perspective of the listener.
"Edwin Berenice… can you trust him?"
"Well, I can't say anything yet."
"I guess so."
Kushan took a deep breath.
"As far as I understand, the current Legion is divided into three groups. One group is those who doubt the organization's capabilities and identity. Like Mithril. They could defect at any time."
He adds that this isn't much of a problem.
"The next ones are the good guys, no matter what anyone does. They're lunatics who are satisfied as long as you give them guns and bombs and tell them who to slaughter. They're vicious, but they're better."
Kim Yi-hyeon nodded. Strictly speaking, she had a similar disposition to the Godmother. In fact, she was the type of person who had mushroomed during the time when the Godmother had strong influence within the Legion.
"The third one?"
"I guess the word fanatic would be appropriate."
It was a voice that openly expressed its displeasure.
"They treat the leaders of the legions like gods. They are the most dangerous of them all. They have no hesitation in giving up their lives. They are also systematic."
"Are you saying that Edwin could be one of them?"
"Yes. We must monitor it thoroughly."
It was a natural sense of caution.
If Kim Yi-hyeon had no knowledge of the game, he would have tried to exclude Edwin in some way. Although Kushan didn't point it out, it was no different from bringing a bomb.
"Don't worry about that. I'll keep a close eye on you both."
"What about the twins and their adoptive father?"
"Well, I wish you guys would take care of it."
"It's a simple task at that point. I just happened to need some help."
"Why? Are you expanding the facilities?"
"It's an expansion, but there's a lot to prepare inside and out."
Is that so?
As the main episodes progress, the rap gains fame. Connections are made here and there, and more characters join the rap. The business also expands.
It would have been much faster than in the game, so it was about time for his size to start growing rapidly. The rap would gradually become closer to the advanced form that remained in Kim Yi-hyun's memory.
"I think I should go to Atlanta soon. I'll ask in advance, are you going to participate?"
"No. I want to get out this time."
Atlanta.
The day of collapse is gradually approaching due to the emergence of dangerous numbers. However, it is not something that Kim Yi-hyun can do anything about right now. This is an incident that has nothing to do with the Legion.
Pretending to be a prophet and evacuating the citizens? It is unrealistic. It is better to respond quickly and minimize the damage as much as possible.
'Even if Ismail returns to Atlanta, he won't abandon his ties to rap.'
If you build a proper network like Bastet, you can reach out to Lab whenever you want. If it's Kushan, he'll probably get a good price, so it's a win-win situation for both parties.
"Do whatever you want. It's not a bad idea to rest while you have free time like now."
Kushan let out a bitter laugh. Soon his gaze reached Kim Yi-hyeon's neck.
"You're not going to use that again this time, are you?"
"I didn't use it. Do you think I take drugs whenever I get a chance?"
"…Hmm. Let's just set a schedule for the checkup."
This wasn't something I should have refused. Even if the message hadn't appeared, who knows if the mutation would have already occurred? If they were offering to look at it for free, I'd just accept it silently.
"Okay, that's enough of the report. Sorry for keeping you so long. There must be a lot of people waiting."
"We weren't even chatting. What are you talking about?"
When the conversation was settled, Kim Lee-hyun stood up from his seat. Before leaving, he asked a question to confirm.
"That's right, I haven't seen the professor. Maybe he's been dispatched somewhere again?"
"If you're a professor, you're in Albania. It's not about the Legion."
Albania is the setting for main episode 5.
'The order is definitely messed up overall.'
The enemies that appeared in the future were killed early. There is no need to worry about the Pecatum Civil War breaking out. My mind is mostly focused on Episode 10 and later, but the actual timeline is still in the early stages.
'That must mean you've been living a very busy life.'
For a while, it seemed like he could really rest. He could let Kushan dig up the information Edwin had. After being away for months without permission, it was time to worry about human relations.
Suddenly a face came to mind.
'… …Should I give you a warning?'