Episode 173. Fishing (1)
Greek gravure.
It was a monastery located deep in the mountains.
Another young monk cautiously approached the old man in a brown robe who was praying there.
“By the grace of the Lord, the light has come down.”
“… I see.”
The old man was Kurt Herringen, the five elders of Bluton Reform.
Kurt Herringen followed the young friar.
As I went down the long hallway and stairs, which were bumpy with stones and cement, the wall next to me naturally pushed back as if something had been activated.
After entering it, I walked a little further.
In the room we reached at the end, several men in monastic uniforms were busy moving in front of computers.
“Where are you?”
Kurt Herringen solemnly asked, and the man sitting on the right tapped the keyboard.
A large screen in the middle displayed a map of the world, and red lines began to be drawn here and there. After passing through Thailand, Russia, and China, it reached and stopped in Seoul, South Korea.
“There… Are you sure?”
“For now, yes.”
“It’s Korea… Kamikura Horyuji couldn’t find them even though they had them right in front of him?”
We had a conversation on the phone a few days ago. That’s why I couldn’t help but feel more pathetic.
While Kurt Herringen was lost in his thoughts, the man from earlier approached him again.
“Elder… They are said to have been discovered by Walter Schmitz and Franz Neumann in Poland.”
“… Where are you?”
“It is said to be an abandoned factory on the southwestern outskirts of Bydgoszcz. Shall we link the video?”
“I will.”
The screen that used to be a map turned into a cam worn by the search team.
In the dark space, the spot where the spotlight fell was illuminated. Beneath them were two corpses, their bodies shrunken.
“How is the situation?”
The radio was connected. At this, the voice of Shane, the head of the search party, came through the speaker.
[There is an electrical device at the end of the puddle, and a flow sensor installed next to the light.]
“that… … .”
[Similar to Quietam Conlectus.]
Kurt Herringen’s expression suddenly darkened.
“… Does that mean they were executed using our method?”
It was because it was like an execution ceremony if you only saw the bodies of the two people reflected on the screen.
Shane thought about the question for a moment before answering.
[first… It’s clear that they hold a grudge against us. However, nothing came out other than the traces of the two.]
“You are thorough. Besides, they know our ways… . It would have been difficult to stay alive if we met… … .”
There was silence again, then Shane spoke up.
[Could it be him?]
“Who do you mean?”
[Night River. Wasn’t Savnak, who was active as an official mercenary in Kongo, annihilated by Nightwing, led by him?]
For an instant, silence flowed from Kurt Herringen’s mouth. It was because what happened at that time was more humiliating to Bluton Reform than anything else.
“Has it already been seven years since then?”
[…] yes.]
“They’ve been disbanded since then, and I can’t find anything about them anywhere. That’s what I found out about Blackwood through unofficial routes.”
From nob le mt l dot com
Night Wing.
It was a mercenary corps specially created by Blackwood, a company famous for military supplies and mercenary dispatch in the United States. They disappeared like the wind after creating a legend through various missions for a short period of time.
Even in Blackwood, they were mercenaries contracted under special conditions, so they did not leave any data.
This was especially true of Night River, who was the captain of the Night Wing.
[If you look at the possibility, I think that place is the highest.]
“Seven years later? Besides, Savnak’s presence in the mercenary market has been completely erased. How do they find those who have been operating covertly?”
[that… … .]
On the mercenary side, Sabnak was only at the level of fine hairs in Bluton Reform.
It was because it was impossible to find the organization that had been hidden for an incomprehensible time using traces of them.
“It’s not like I didn’t think of them either. It’s the most powerful as you think. but… . It wasn’t until two years ago that things started to happen. It’s been five years since Savnak disappeared from the mercenary side, so what’s the reason to move now?”
Just looking at the way Walter Schmitz and Franz Neumann died gave a sense of resentment. If it was that much, it should have been revealed that the tail had been bitten from the beginning, not five years ago.
Besides, if it was the one who wanted it, there were so many that it was impossible to count.
[For now, we will erase the traces of the corpses and places of Schmitz and Neumann.]
“Ah— there’s a place I need to go after work there.”
Shane answered again after ordering a settlement over the phone.
[Speak.]
“It looks like they sent Schmitz and Neumann’s phone information somewhere. The location has been detected, so find it and extract it to the marrow.”
It was reported internally.
Shane knew about it too, so he heard faint laughter through the receiver.
[Huh—I guess I finally got it. How is that?]
“I will let you go now. They seem to have a lot of access to information. It’s a place you can’t ignore, so uncover everything and track it down to the end.”
At Kurt Herringen’s beckoning, one of his subordinates sent encrypted information to Shane’s cell phone.
I was checking it for a while, but I heard Shane’s voice disappear.
[The last one was Asian and Korean… I assume that Elder Lee is currently in charge of that. Will there be any problems?]
“Aren’t they the ones who put them right in front of their noses and can’t even find them? It’s not like they want you to feed them, it’s something that’s been entrusted to us from the beginning. You have to do your best.”
It meant ignoring the area and proceeding.
Shane understood that well enough.
[I will do as you command.]
“I’ll pack only the best and handle it quietly.”
[…] yes.]
Communication was cut off with an answer.
* * *
Incheon International Airport Arrival Hall.
As the automatic doors of the arrivals hall opened on both sides, passengers arriving from Russia entered.
“Wow—! This is Cap’s hometown Korea? It’s absolutely amazing!”
It was Jack Cortez. With a height of over 2 meters, a large body, curly hair that fell down to the shoulders, and even wearing a Hawaiian T-shirt, it was impossible not to stand out.
Seeing this, Simon walked forward and turned around slightly, sighing.
“Haa— Why did Kangsu ask me to bring that?”
“They say the food here is really good, Simon will give you some recommendations! What do you like?”
Jack followed Simon, even opening a guidebook titled ＜Korean Food Tour Guide＞ he didn’t know where he got it from.
“Simon! jack!”
Then Theresa jumped out from one side of the barricade in the arrivals hall.
The two were surprised to see Teresa.
“Teresa! what? Did you come to meet me?”
“I heard that you would come back after working hard, so I came here. I heard there is a new member.”
Then Theresa’s eyes turned to Jack, who was standing next to Simon. Even after starting with the height of Simon, who is 174 cm, he climbed a long way and was able to make eye contact.
“You were with Soo in Nightwing?”
“… Soo? Are you talking about Cap?”
“I am Teresa Lily. Soo and I worked at Ejisto. Since she is one year older than Soo, call her sister.”
Jack looked at Simon as if he didn’t understand right away.
“What is this woman?”
“Let’s move from place to place. People stare at you.”
It was only natural that the 2-meter-tall guy was wearing a Hawaiian T-shirt and frowning.
The three immediately moved to their seats and got into the car they had prepared in advance.
When Teresa took the driver’s seat and started the car, Simon continued his explanation.
“Jack, haven’t you heard of the Corsair?”
“Who doesn’t know Corsair on this floor?”
“Then what about Corsair’s Crimson Reaper?”
At that moment, Theresa, who was at the wheel, became furious.
“Why is this man bringing up that name again!”
Teresa had never liked the nickname ‘Crimson Ripper’.
Still, Simon smiled and glanced behind him in the passenger seat.
“This lady is Crimson—”
Pak-!
Theresa’s left hand was out in the middle of the car. A red-handled drawing knife was thrown from his hand, passed by the side of Jack’s face, and was obliquely blocked by the car’s ceiling.
“… … .”
“Anyway, with my temper… . watch your mouth too And what is an ajumma, an ajumma? oops—”
Simon quickly turned his head and laughed.
Seeing this, Theresa’s eyes flashed sharply.
“I think the hit rate is higher on the side than on the back.”
“Uh-huh— I’m not throwing knives at people.”
“Isn’t a person also a person?”
Jack poked his big head between the two of them.
“Seriously— no, your sister is the Crimson Reaper? Corsair’s?”
“So dissatisfied?”
“No complaints. Rather, it is an honor. Wow— I never thought I’d meet the Crimson Reaper here.”
It was a genuinely admirable response.
Theresa looked at it in the rearview mirror and found it surprising.
“Why is he like that?”
“I don’t know. Jack, you didn’t do that when I met you. Why are you doing this to Theresa?”
“Simon is not normal. Crimson Reaper and Cap are living legends in the mercenary world.”
“It’s completely absurd. I am also called the Battle Crow!”
“Isn’t that what you call yourself? I’ve never heard of it.”
Simon, who was so upset, looked back from the passenger seat.
Jack genuinely snorted and ignored such Simon.
“Wow— that’s crazy.”
The car drove towards Seoul.
Then Jack, who was reading a book titled “Guide to Korean Food Tourism,” asked Simon.
“What can I do here?”
“You shouted that you would come to Korea, but didn’t Kangsu hear you?”
“I heard that you will tell me when you come to Korea.”
It was as if it had come haphazardly.
Seeing that, Simon shook his head.
“There really was no solution. First of all, you will be affiliated with a security company called Blue Guard. Of course, Kang-su will be in charge of you, right?”
“You mean I protect Cap?”
Jack still looked puzzled.
“that’s right.”
“Cap is stronger than me.”
“… That’s right. But your Cap has also become a public figure, so he needs someone to protect him. First of all, you are the right person for the job.”
Such an explanation made Jack curious about something.
Theresa, who was watching Jack through the rearview mirror, frowned.
“What is that expression?”
“It was amazing to hear that I was protecting Cap. So you’re wearing a suit and standing right next to me?”
“What— that’s right. ah! Do you have a suit?”
“There is none.”
In the first place, Jack Cortez was a soldier, and after being discharged, he worked as a freelance mercenary with Nightwing until recently.
Of course, there was no need to wear a shirt, let alone a suit.
furthermore… … .
“I don’t think there are any ready-made suits that fit you.”
“Soo said to take me to Blueguard right away. What should I do?”
It was because I made an appointment right away with the head of Blue Guard Kim Cheol-ho for an interview.
“I’ll have to wear a suit later. I didn’t have time because I went through many places to avoid being tracked down, so there’s nothing I can do about it.”
“okay.”
Theresa drove to the blue guard.
Returning life of a retired S-class mercenary