Hidden City (4)
As Agent Jung Gwang-sik said, a series of announcements were made before reaching the destination.
If the United States used public discourse as a means, Russia released a video of the Allamandra subjugation.
I couldn’t know the reaction of the public because I was on a ship, but considering that the chairman of the HT group said ‘a pleasant displeasure (I expressed it that way)’, I could understand the rough situation.
Of course, it wasn’t just positive reactions.
“I heard that the Holy See is delaying the official announcement.”
“… Sooner or later you will make the right choice. The British and German prime ministers also expressed their support, and the general public’s reaction is not bad. In addition, the majority of the opinion inside the United States will solve the Panama crisis.”
“Panama? Why Panama… … .”
“When Fort Davis collapsed, the monster did not come out of the water, so it was difficult. With Venetus, you expect to pull it off easily.”
“Weren’t there any people with water attribute abilities?”
“It’s possible to defend against an attack, but dragging a massive body out of the canal means something entirely different.”
“Oh, I hadn’t thought of that.”
Park Yoo-jin and Jung Kwang-shik, who seem to have become much more comfortable after that, continue their conversation well.
Plus, in my heart, the chatter of a parrot clings to me.
＜It’s Tlaloc, obviously. At least I’m pretty sure they were the ones stuck underneath. If it’s a water-type monster, that must be it.＞
It was not easy to understand as he muttered to himself without even distinguishing whether he was an ally or an enemy.
＜Um, didn’t I tell you? Tlaloc is the god of agriculture and controls rain and thunder. He was the chief god of the age of the third sun.＞
‘Is it an enemy if it is a god?’
＜No. Rather close to an ally. He was Sochiquetzal’s real husband.＞
‘If it were my husband… … .’
＜Have you already forgotten? I told you that the smoking mirror kidnapped Xochiquetzal. Tlaloc was understandably enraged. A man who already had several wives did such a thing.＞
I remembered it belatedly.
Then, if you go to Panama, will there be a third monster?
Although taming monsters is beneficial, the fact that they are water monsters like Venetus aroused a sense of uncertainty.
Considering the [Before Attribute] skill, I wanted to avoid overlapping (I now have two, water and flower).
But in reality, now is not the time to discuss the characteristics of monsters.
“However, the reaction of the Saudi government is not very positive. They’ve been waiting near the port so far.”
It was.
The Salvation cannot even enter the port.
The cause was clear.
“Anyway, the existence of the monster is uneasy. If you start rampaging in the city center, there will be catastrophe. But it won’t take long.”
“… It’s been two hours on the sea.”
“… It won’t take very long. With the death of the King and Crown Prince, the chain of command temporarily collapsed. It’s a situation where emotion takes precedence over reason. Give it a little time and you’ll be able to figure out which choices are better for you.”
* * *
It was about an hour and 40 minutes later, when the sun was setting, that the Salvation docked at Dammam Harbor.
“First impressions are disappointing. Does it make sense to not even touch the boat?”
“It’s not the worst though. It’s not hot.”
While soldiers line up on one side of the port, the two grasshoppers each give their personal opinions, and the Russian grasshopper’s evaluation touches the skin.
When you think of Saudi Arabia, you might think of deserts, oil, heat that warms the ground and sandstorms, but the reality unfolding in front of you is very different.
The air was fresh and the temperature was cool.
“It is because Dammam is a planned city. It is excellent for temperature and humidity control as it can be closed on top of the barrier and up to the ceiling. FYI, it is designed to withstand sandstorms.”
It’s not that, right after the Salvation entered the port. Barriers lined up on both sides of the wharf move slowly, then lock the entrance with a gurrung sound.
“… Impressive.”
“It is surprising. My Saudi friends have poured all their money into this city.”
“I guess it cost a lot to build a barrier?”
“Yes. Dammam is the closest port city to Riyadh, the capital city, and it is also intended to be prepared for emergencies. It is an escape route for the royal family, and in the worst case, it is used to escape by boat.”
In succession, Agent Jeong Kwang-shik’s finger pointed at the barrier on the other side of the harbor.
“Two barriers were erected 12 kilometers long, and the dwellings themselves were squeezed into the walls. The empty space in the center was composed of a plaza and commercial areas. In particular, I heard that an astronomical amount was spent on the exterior wall, and a reflector was installed to obstruct the monster’s view. From the outside, it’s just deserts and beaches.”
“… The sight wouldn’t be that important.”
The person who responded to the self-talk is a government official in Saudi Arabia.
“That’s the point. Noise is controlled by time of day, and human traces, body odors and food odors are sent out 110 kilometers through a large-scale air circulation system.”
“… who?”
“nice to meet you. I am Turki bin Mukrin. As the 35th son of King Abdul Aziz, he was once removed as crown prince and has just returned. If there are no major incidents, he is the one who will be responsible for Saudi Arabia in the future.”
I didn’t know that he was a person of this level.
A man with a virtuous appearance and even a mustache, who looked exactly like a Middle Eastern man, shook hands and then… He rolled his eyeballs around.
Seeing that the eyes that seemed to linger on me at first quickly turned toward the ship, it seemed that I had come because I wanted to see the monster in the first place.
“her!”
When Scorpio’s sharp hind legs crush the concrete floor, the local soldiers can’t hide their mental shake.
The would-be king only uttered exclamations.
“I heard there are two. Any other guys?”
“… … .”
“There it is. I heard you swim in the water.”
＜Are you telling me to come up?＞
I was reluctant, but I couldn’t delay joining, so I called in Venetus, and soon a huge crustacean rose to the surface.
And this time, more clearly, the posture of the soldiers is disturbed.
Read from noble mtl dot com
Maybe it’s because they’re the kind of people you’d crush like chewing on candy. With the king by his side, they couldn’t bear to point their guns at them, but the orderly ranks were nowhere to be found.
“Awesome. How much do you sell those things for?”
“… … .”
“I don’t mean to be rude. Considering the boy hero’s age, he’ll catch more monsters in the future, can’t he sell at least one?”
Naturally, all sorts of bad words come to mind in my head, such as, “Have you had many children?”
Perhaps that’s why the engineering chief came forward.
Leva Rich.
The temporary engineering chief of Project L, a woman in her 40s with years of experience, responded gently.
“That’s a question I can’t answer right now. S1 and S2 are more strategic assets. Unfortunately, it is not a trade target.”
“… exactly?”
The excuses didn’t seem to work well.
* * *
After a while, in the middle of downtown.
Under the escort of soldiers and armored personnel carriers lined up for 500 meters, we are making our way to the outer area accompanied by two monsters.
＜What king’s distribution is not as good as millet?＞
“… Well.”
There is no refutation of the parrot’s grumbling.
I’d rather tell you to get out of sight. Dammam’s mayor banished Project L to the outskirts of the city because the king’s proposal was rejected.
Exactly, it’s being kicked out, but anyway.
“Where did you say your destination was?”
“Zero Sector. It’s near the entrance… In effect, you can think of it as a quarantine zone attached to the outside of the wall. It’s a different place from where Team Fate stays.”
It was only for a while that they expressed their dissatisfaction with the Saudi government’s negligence. Russian intelligence agent Nina Alexi intercepts the manager’s questions and gives a ticking answer.
If there’s a problem, it’s that it includes quite unnecessary stories.
At the sharp point of the Russian intelligence agency agent, CIA member Jeong Kwang-shik bit off the crab foam in vulgar language.
“The issue of accommodation selection should not be approached in a dichotomy. Doesn’t Project L deal with monsters? The king’s words may have had an impact, but for safety’s sake, it’s best to escape to the outskirts.”
“I didn’t mean to sound bad. Pax America said something, but it doesn’t seem to have as much influence as I thought. Do you think they lack influence in Saudi Arabia?”
“… The US is capable enough, but sometimes it is unable to reverse the actions of local governments with a single stroke. Especially when it comes to tough opponents like the royal family of Saudi Arabia. You should know that.”
So instead of overhearing the argument, I turn my attention out the window.
On the left and right, there were barriers 60 meters long and 12 kilometers wide. They were children and adults, clinging to the window without any cover, and their gazes met.
There was no traffic on the street, possibly due to the control measures, and in the middle of it, Venetus and Scorpio were leaving footprints side by side.
Looking at the crumbled surface of the road, I wonder if I would eat a full bowl of swearing, but Saudi Arabia’s military officers secretly picked up even the pieces of stone as souvenirs.
In addition, green roadsides, clean parks and playgrounds, and various monuments and statues.
If the cities of India and Pakistan were far below Seoul, Dammam was too well-established to feel threatened.
But in the end, defense operations at the national level depend on the ability of the rulers.
It wasn’t until I reached Sector Zero that I noticed a serious problem with the city.
“Could you say that again?”
“… Tomorrow, as soon as the sun rises, please go outside the barrier.”
Park Yoo-jin glares at the other person with eyes that seem to cross between distrust and contempt.
“There seems to be a misunderstanding, but we are going to have a joint operation with Team Fate.”
“I know. However, the decision has already been made and cannot be reversed. Switch to external operations by tomorrow.”
“Where do you belong… No, who is the senior? I want to talk to him. I need to know why!”
“Didn’t I tell you why? Keeping monsters inside the walls is a problem, but above all, Dammam should not be used as a barrier. Fight outside and do it. You must keep a distance of at least 130 kilometers.”
“… Is this a royal order?”
“It can’t be. This is what Fahad Al-Zubar, the mayor of Dammam, has ordered.”
Even though the voice finally broke out, the man in the white turban did not blink an eye.
Even to me, it was a problem that I couldn’t talk about, so I went ahead and calmed the frantic manager.
“There is no need to argue. I will go out tomorrow.”
“Yongsu!”
“… … .”
“… … .”
Soon, the momentum full of anger was suppressed with a calm complexion.
Since I’ve come this far, the Hummingbird’s followers are already moving towards me.
＜Considering the speed of movement, we should be facing each other tomorrow afternoon at the latest. Assuming we don’t move one step.＞
The first-class monster, Trokilgigas, was rapidly approaching.