An Old Acquaintance and the Truth Within
Even after thirty minutes of waiting while listening to advice from my family of seasoned hunters, a group of people who looked like agents in black suits and sunglasses finally appeared. In the center of the circle they formed stood an elderly gentleman with thinning white hair, smiling pleasantly.
Once he confirmed that his bodyguards had surrounded the second floor and were watching the perimeter, the old man spoke.
“First, I’d like to thank all the hunters who gathered despite the sudden summons.”
The old man bowed his head in appreciation, but the tense atmosphere around him didn’t ease in the slightest. Used to such reactions, he kept his smile and continued.
“You are heroes representing Korea by rescuing hunters from other nations. Accordingly, we promise generous support and rewards…”
He continued to flatter the hunters with sweet promises, but the surrounding hunters’ expressions made it clear this was the usual scripted speech.
“You will receive a full briefing on the situation and operational plan once we arrive on site. I sincerely hope you all return safely.”
The elderly gentleman bowed once more and left under heavy escort. The moment he was gone, the hall filled with the hunters’ buzzing chatter as if the silence had never existed.
Soon, staff guided us through a private entrance toward the waiting jet. Beyond the towering glass wall, rows of aircraft created a majestic sight.
“Wow… I still can’t believe something that big can actually fly.”
“I’m more surprised you find airplanes more amazing than dimensional gates.”
“I don’t know how to explain it. Dimensional gates just feel like ‘that’s how it is,’ but when I look at an airplane my first thought is, ‘That thing flies?’”
Gwangnam tilted his head, clearly not understanding my perspective. Ruya gave his arm a light smack.
“Elisha comes from a world without airplanes. Anyway, let’s hurry. The reporters are coming.”
“Ugh, getting caught by them is such a hassle. Let’s move.”
When I looked where Ruya was pointing, a swarm of people carrying camera drones was rushing toward us. The instant they spotted the group of hunters, their eyes lit up like predators that had found fresh meat.
“This is Chae Min-ah from the Korea Economic Daily! Just one comment about the emergency request from America, please!”
“This is Han Dong-woo from Hunter News!”
Airport staff tried to hold them back, but the reporters were too numerous. A few hunters even deliberately stepped forward, eager to appear on camera.
“Is it okay that our team isn’t doing interviews?”
“Even if we did, we wouldn’t get any good press. As far as I know, most Korean journalists and media outlets are garbage.”
“Capitalism and competition make them desperate for attention. Rumors and witch hunts happen all the time, so even big teams only issue statements to their contracted outlets.”
Hmm… In Eden, every media company was a government institution handling only its designated field, so there was no competition. As a result, there were no rumors or malicious distortions of information.
What I found amusing was that, despite the reporters’ frenzy to secure interviews with every hunter team, not a single one approached the Dokkaebi team.
“No one’s going near the Dokkaebi team. It’s funny.”
“Even I wouldn’t want to get close, nya.”
“They say the smart thing is to avoid mad dogs.”
“Mm, I agree. My women are strictly forbidden from associating with those Dokkaebi bastards. Understood?”
“Yes, husband.”
“Sigh, I wouldn’t do it even if you ordered me to.”
Just how bad were they that even reporters starving for stories avoided them like the plague? For the first time, I started to understand why Ruya had been so extremely reluctant to work with the Dokkaebi.
As our team moved with Gwangnam at the center, one reporter broke through the staff blockade and rushed toward us. The light on her camera drone was already on; she was filming.
The woman with messy short hair adjusted the round glasses that covered half her face and thrust her microphone forward.
“Mr. Kim Gwangnam of the Bitnari Hunter Team! Could we have a moment for an interview?”
“Hmm?”
Gwangnam turned at her call. Confusion flashed across his face, quickly replaced by surprise when he saw who it was.
“Huh? Aren’t you Jeong Mi-soo?”
“Yes, it’s me!”
“Wow, it’s been ages. An interview, though?”
“Ahem. I got hired at LGN and became a reporter. Could you give me one as a celebration gift?”
“That little kid already grew up to be a reporter.”
It was clear Gwangnam had known Reporter Jeong Mi-soo for a long time. That probably meant Ruya knew her too. I asked,
“Who is she?”
“Jeong Mi-soo is the daughter of a hunter Gwangnam owed a favor to when he was young. There’s a ten-year age gap, so she should be around twenty now.”
“Fourth wife candidate, nya?”
“No, I don’t think so.”
“Hohoho.”
While we chatted, Gwangnam handled the interview. Most of the questions were about the emergency request from America, but since we would only receive detailed information once we arrived, he had almost nothing to share. Perhaps that was why they had told us the briefing would happen on site.
With no worthwhile information to gain, the visibly troubled Reporter Jeong Mi-soo asked for a team introduction instead. We ended up giving brief self-introductions and answering a few more questions before she bowed deeply.
“Thank you, oppa! You really helped me get some good material.”
“Isn’t reporter work tough?”
“It’s a hunter-specialized outlet, so the competition is fierce, but it’s rewarding. I’ll be counting on you next time too!”
“Yeah, see you around.”
She hurried off with quick steps to chase interviews with other teams. Gwangnam laced his fingers behind his head.
“That tiny little girl is a reporter now. I can really feel the years passing.”
“Now you understand how I feel when I look at you?”
“Hey, you’re an elf, Ruya. Can you understand how I feel watching you stay exactly the same while time passes?”
“Hmph.”
She turned her head sharply. The topic of age reminded me that I still didn’t know Charlotte’s or Ekaterina’s ages.
“Now that I think about it, I still don’t know how old Charlotte and Ekaterina are. What are your ages?”
“Nya? I’m twenty-two in Earth years, nya.”
“I am thirty-two in Earth years. Hohoho.”
The fact that they converted their ages to Earth reckoning suggested their original lifespans differed from human norms, just like mine.
“So Ruya is the oldest. Wow!”
“Shut up! In terms of lifespan I’m only nine years old in human terms!”
“Isn’t that a problem in itself? Nine years old!”
“Want to get hit?”
While Ruya grew angry at Gwangnam’s tactless remark, Charlotte rolled her eyes in thought before speaking.
“If we’re calculating that way, then I’m forty-four, nya.”
“What? Your lifespan is only half a human’s?”
“Cat-type beastmen usually live around fifty years, nya.”
That meant she had only about twenty-eight years left. The difference in lifespans between species felt painfully real.
“Then in terms of lifespan, I’m sixteen.”
“Didn’t you say Ekaterina was human?”
“My species is human, but my lifespan is around two hundred years.”
“Ehh, then am I basically one year old? With an almost infinite lifespan.”
“Aaaah~ It’s too complicated, so let’s just use Earth age! I didn’t marry a minor!”
Gwangnam waved his arms wildly, trying to end the age discussion. Still, the realization that Charlotte’s remaining time was far shorter than I had imagined weighed heavily on me. Perhaps her strong instinct to bear children and leave descendants came from that limited lifespan. My feelings grew complicated.
Because I absorb vital energy and possess nearly infinite life, I had never given much thought to children. But imagining that the days I could see Charlotte’s smiling, round, adorable face were numbered made me inexplicably sad.
Hmm. Was there no way to extend her lifespan? Lost in those thoughts, we reached the boarding area where the private jet waited. It was noticeably larger than the other aircraft and identical to the one Elisa had shown me in the photograph.
“Whoa~ That’s cool.”
“It’s seriously huge, nya.”
While Gwangnam and Charlotte pressed themselves against the window to stare, Ruya whispered in my ear.
“But when Elisa comes out, her speech and behavior will be completely different. How are you planning to handle it?”
“Oh, right.”
At first I had kept Elisa’s existence secret to avoid getting too deeply involved, but now that we had chosen to become family, things were different. At the very least, telling them in advance would prevent confusion. I gathered everyone and spoke.
“Actually, there is another being inside me.”
“…Huh? What are you suddenly talking about?”
“Oh my.”
“Split personality, nya?”
“Her name is Elisa. She is a completely separate person from me.”
Just to be safe, I described Elisa in the most positive light possible.
“She’s a little eccentric, but she’s a good person, so there’s no need to worry.”
“So you’re saying that inside the doll called Elisha, a separate being named Elisa was transplanted, and the two of you have been living in one body?”
“Yes.”
“Is that even possible?”
“It must be, since we exist this way.”
The family looked bewildered. Of course—if someone suddenly told you another person lived inside their body, it would be hard for anyone to believe.
“It’s complicated, nya.”
“It really is.”
“This isn’t even a buy-one-get-one-free deal. Anyway, why are you telling us this all of a sudden?”
“I didn’t want to keep secrets from family anymore, and she’ll be coming out soon. To see the private jet.”
“Coming out as in switching personalities?”
“Yes. Please take good care of her.”
I closed my eyes and entered the mental space. Elisa, who had already been in an excited state, immediately shouted at me.
“How could you drop a bombshell like that right before handing over control! What am I supposed to say when I go out there?”
“Just be yourself. They’re my family, so they’re your family too.”
“Treating people you only told about me a minute ago as family—what are you thinking! Hoo… Still, it’s convenient that I don’t have to act. But if you were going to reveal it, you should have done so earlier.”
“Sorry.”
Elisa grumbled with an exasperated expression before finally stepping outside. Whew. Fortunately I wasn’t scolded too harshly.
When I lifted my lowered head, an unexpected sight greeted me. I had assumed I would be moved to my own room and locked away, but I remained inside Elisa’s room. The front screen displayed the exact view she was seeing, and the audio came through clearly as well.
On the screen, Elisa was greeting each curious family member one by one.
“Huh, why didn’t she block it?”
Whether it was a mistake or intentional, I didn’t know, but it felt good to watch Elisa interact with the outside world after so long.
After the greetings, Gwangnam spoke in admiration.
“Wow~ She really is different from Elisha. I’ve never seen that kind of expression on her before.”
“The young lady is a doll, so she basically has no expressions.”
“Why is Elisa inside Elisha’s body, nya?”
“When my original body was dying, the young lady transferred my memories and ego into her own. Thanks to her, although my physical body perished, my mind survived safely.”
“Oh my, Elisha is truly kind.”
Aah, so that was the story she was going with. To come up with it in such a short time—Elisa’s quick thinking really was impressive. The family listened to her tragic tale with moved expressions. Only Ruya, who knew part of the truth, barely managed to keep her face composed.
Thus, the unfortunate genius scientist who had lost her body in an experiment and survived only as a mind was warmly welcomed by the family and smoothly grew close to them.
“Then Elisha doesn’t know what’s happening outside the body, nya?”
“She sees and hears everything through the eyes and ears.”
“When you first said over eighty percent of the body was mechanical, I couldn’t really grasp it, but now I’m starting to.”
“We need to move. It’s time to board.”
“Finally!”
At Ekaterina’s words, Elisa’s eyes literally flashed. I now learned that artificial eyes could glow like an android’s. Gwangnam’s expression grew dazed at the sight.
“That glowing circle in the center of the eyes really sells the cyborg vibe.”
“She looks completely human from the outside, but it’s amazing, nya.”
It seemed to be the result of running the visual recording function and multiple analysis programs simultaneously. On the laptop on the desk, real-time analysis, recording, and storage of the private jet that Elisa was staring at through the window were already underway.