#23 A Day in Beltsmets (1)
People don't notice when someone's there, but they sure feel the absence when they're gone. After sending the kids off, the base felt strangely empty.
"We'd only just started getting attached."
"Can't keep 'em around just because we're fond of them."
"I know, I get it. But it still feels kinda shitty."
"Those kids'll be fine."
At my words, Han Seohyun asked,
"So who the hell did you send them to, anyway?"
"Dominic Jane."
"Who's that?"
A name that would one day be known across the globe, but right now, it was still unfamiliar to everyone.
"A guy who'll be called New Zealand's Savior in the future. And he's genuinely as good as that title sounds."
Dominic was an awakener with the welcome talent. Even after awakening, he kept living simply in his house on a hill in the grasslands. Unlike our country, New Zealand had no laws forcing awakeners to be drafted, which made it possible.
He stepped up when an S-grade gate opened in New Zealand.
Eden Mountain, known as the Garden of Eden down there. When the S-grade gate on that mountain broke, a white savior appeared out of nowhere. Dominic took down every monster that poured out—all by himself.
That day, he earned the title of New Zealand's Savior.
But instead of basking in the fame, he asked to be left alone to live his quiet life.
All in all, he was someone worth emulating.
"You sure it's okay to trust some guy you've never even met?"
"Yeah."
I answered without hesitation. Dominic Jane was trustworthy.
—You met the guy in the future or something?
'No, I've never met Dominic in person either.'
—Then why trust him like he's your bro?
I'd never met him myself, but Seol Rokjin had. And he hated the guy.
People Seol Rokjin hated were usually good ones.
—That's your reason? Seriously?
'Hey, it's a damn good way to judge character! Dominic's the kind of guy who made Seol Rokjin say he'd "deal with him someday." That's a hundred percent good guy material! No, two hundred percent!'
—Fine, whatever with your weird logic. You really sure we can trust him?
'Never met him, but yeah, he's solid. Plus, the place he's at has killer natural views.'
The guy lived on Eden Mountain itself. Garden of Eden in name and nature—how epic was that?
—From that cursed house to the Garden of Eden. Talk about hell to heaven.
'This place isn't so bad.'
Ahem. I glanced around our base. Okay, maybe my words rang a bit hollow—the place was a mess. Staying in nicer digs lately probably made it look extra rundown.
"We made some cash this time. Maybe fix up the base a bit?"
The living room felt especially cavernous without the kids, so we started there.
Just the bare frame and minimal furniture—it really was empty.
"Grab some putty, finish the walls properly, wallpaper 'em. New flooring too."
As I said that, Han Seohyun spoke up cautiously.
"Can we... leave this wall as is?"
He was pointing to one corner of the living room wall, covered in kids' scribbles.
Me, Han Seohyun, Kim Jaeho. And the ten kids, all drawn crooked and clumsy. No way I'd call them good, but seeing the effort they put into their little personalities made me grin.
"When'd they draw this?"
I stared at the drawing, then asked Ray,
'Any preservation spells you know?'
—Plenty.
'Got any?'
—Yeah.
Yeah, we needed to preserve this. Ten years? Nah, a hundred.
—What, turning this into a historic site?
After sending off the kids, we slipped back into our routine. Sleep, eat, shit, train.
But we took breaks sometimes. Like now.
"That girl... you think she'll really come find the boss?"
Han Seohyun's question narrowed my eyes. Bracing for a lecture. Reading my face, he sighed.
"Just curious, that's all."
"Yeah, I even gave her a name to ask for."
"Whoa, you gave her your name?"
I scratched my head.
"Not my real one. Told her to find 'Shen of Beltsmets.'"
"Shen?"
"Means 'god' in Chinese. From my name."
"God? Like, the actual god?"
"Yep. My name means 'to please the gods.'"
My parents—whose faces I barely remember—must've loved me something fierce to name me Ishin.
"Though my nickname turned into 'eunuch.'"
"Eunuch?"
"Kang I-shin."
"Pfft—haha!"
Han Seohyun cracked up, but I couldn't laugh. That was the nickname Seol Rokjin's crew tormented me with.
"Can't have blowback on you guys. So I told Haozhu to find the God of Beltsmets."
Shen in Chinese. Beltsmets' Shen.
"Sounds pretty legit."
Just one character from my name, but yeah, it had a ring to it, like he said. Maybe use it as a codename.
"God of a Pessimistic World. Arrogant as hell, but..."
I stroked my chin. Not bad.
"You should pick a codename too."
"Outta nowhere?"
"Not really. Last time you introduced yourself, it was awkward as shit. 'Who're you?' 'Uh, Beltsmets... yeah.'"
So damn embarrassing. Han Seohyun rolled his eyes at my recap.
"My real name's fine."
I shook my head firmly.
"No way. Real names are a bad idea."
Beltsmets couldn't link to Han Seohyun. Family was gone, sure, but others tied to that name could get dragged in.
"Your close friends might be at risk."
"Don't have any."
"Old neighbors, then."
"None."
I gave him a pitying look.
"What's with those eyes? You got some?"
I do. Han Seohyun yelled in thick defeat,
"How many!"
"It's not the number! It's the depth!"
Me and Jeong Hosan? Deep as it gets.
Han Seohyun scoffed,
"Sounds like two tops. One?"
"Urk!"
Damn right. My only friend was Jeong Hosan. Wonder if we could still call it that.
Kim Jaeho didn't even need asking.
"He ain't got any either."
"No. I do."
We both gawked. How the hell did he have friends?
"...Dead, though."
The mood sobered. Han Seohyun poked my side.
"Now it's depressing! Everything's down!"
Not my fault! Indignation surged, but I apologized to Kim Jaeho.
"Sorry."
Silence hung. Han Seohyun muttered, scanning us,
"Three of us, and we've got one friend total. We're blessed with people skills, huh."
"We got tons of bedding, though."
No joke—really piled up now that the kids were gone.
"...Makes it worse."
We weren't outcasts. We were the ones outcasting the world.
Anyway, back to codenames.
"Well, I'm a necromancer. Death? Beltsmets is German, right?"
Han Seohyun searched his phone, then said,
"Tot. I'll go with that."
"Fits a necromancer, but you sure about picking so casually?"
"Yours is just one letter from your name."
Fair point. I turned to Kim Jaeho.
"Jaeho, got any name you wanna use?"
"Hyung looks like he don't think 'bout it."
"I wanna keep this name. Hate others."
"Hm. But Kim Jaeho under Tot or Shen? Kinda funny."
I shrugged at Han Seohyun's point.
"Keep Jaeho secret. Doesn't need a name anyway."
He'd mostly lurk in shadows later.
Names settled, we stood.
"Back to training."
"Ugh."
Han Seohyun grimaced. No helping it.
"Today's training saves tomorrow's me. Up with that heavy ass!"
Do Chae-hee had been wandering around with hollowed eyes for days. Finally, Park Cheol-wan couldn't take it and stopped her.
"What's with the face?"
"It's nothing."
"Bull. You pulled another all-nighter on those files."
Do Chae-hee smiled awkwardly. No fooling Park Cheol-wan.
"If I don't look, no one gives a damn about that case."
The investigation into the so-called "Orphanage Murders and Disappearances"—presumed Beltsmets' work—had hit a dead end.
Kids had vanished from there, but the higher-ups were rushing to bury it.
Exposing kidnappings of homeless kids for inhumane experiments, mods, forced awakenings? Social chaos.
Pressure came down to drop it—even on Do Chae-hee.
But she couldn't stop.
"The kids are gone."
Ten clear victims. Tracking them, rescuing them—that was her one goal.
But Beltsmets, the suspected culprits, had vanished without a trace.
Just like at the auction.
"I don't get why no one takes Beltsmets seriously."
Shed screamed for vigilance, but Gakbeombu dismissed them.
Sure, they'd caused trouble, but almost no civilians died.
No deaths at the auction. The dead researchers? Hardly civilians—bastards all.
Kids missing, but... not dead.
Park Cheol-wan tsked at her outburst.
"We wanna nab 'em too, but bigger fish out there. That A-grade gate at Samyang—wiped the raid team. Gas station murders. No solid evidence on Beltsmets, so prioritize others."
He laid out facts to chide her.
"Need more evidence. Or witnesses. Those other kids from the orphanage gave zilch useful."
Do Chae-hee's shoulders shook. Park Cheol-wan probed,
"Something?"
"No, nothing."
She hadn't shared her intel.
Han Seohyun might be with them. Not "might"—it was damn near certain.
Why join them? No hard facts meant no solid inference, like Park said.
One thing clear: not forced.
That scared her more.
"Take care of yourself, at least."
Do Chae-hee nodded half-heartedly.
But she couldn't quit hunting Beltsmets.