Chapter 190
Chapter 190
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 190
Chapter Title: Song of the Past (1)
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A cheerful sound echoed through the training ground.
With this, my peaceful plan to appeal my pitifulness and harmlessness in order to tarnish their reputation had completely failed.
I tossed aside any notion of resolving things peacefully.
“Now there's only one option left.”
Smack!
After knocking out the guy swinging his fist at Hessi, I turned to my recruits.
“Knock 'em all out.”
“Huh?”
“It's the only way.”
If we took down all six seniors, they'd be too embarrassed to ever breathe a word about what happened here.
That was the only way to cover up Hessi's violent act of defiance.
“Make sure they're out cold!”
“You crazy bastard!”
As I gave orders to a flustered Tom, someone charged at me from behind.
I whipped my arm around and smashed the back of my hand into his nose.
At the same time, Tom slammed his knee into the guy's side.
Thud!
“Like this?”
“Yeah. But if possible, aim for...”
Smack!
One senior flipped his eyes back and toppled over.
“This spot. It's more effective.”
My recruits picked it up quickly.
The commotion ended soon enough.
The training ground, once filled with curses and shouts, now lay silent. The floor was covered in bodies. They all lay sprawled nicely on the green mat.
Tom was the one who broke the silence in the old training hall.
“What now?”
“Time to run.”
I answered promptly and bolted out of the training ground.
“Scatter.”
We dashed out of the old barracks.
I told Hessi and Tom, who lived in the old barracks, to grab their pajamas and toiletries. It was clear they wouldn't be sleeping there tonight, at least.
Hessi and Tom came sprinting out with their stuff in under three minutes.
I piled my recruits into my car.
“We'll crash at the cabin.”
I hit the gas without looking back.
“We need to give those guys time to cool off and feel the shame.”
We arrived at the cabin in no time.
Tom and Hessi weren't heading out on missions until the day after tomorrow. No need for me to drop them at the train station or HQ tomorrow.
Hessi, who had been fuming the whole way over the seniors' unjust attitude, finally regained his composure once we reached the cabin. Tom, who had been fretting about just leaving the knocked-out guys behind, calmed down after we arrived too.
We ordered some food and played games.
We started with an easy co-op cooking game for Tom's sake since he wasn't great at games, but later he bowed out to watch. With Tom munching on soy sauce chicken behind us, Hessi and I tried all sorts of things.
We even replayed From K.
From K, which we'd played dozens of times by now.
Tom, watching Hessi play K, suddenly piped up.
“The BGM is really good.”
I turned to my recruit lounging on the beanbag.
“The song?”
“Yeah. From the first stage onward. Wonder if it has a title or sheet music.”
“No idea.”
“Some tracks make me want to figure out the chords and play them.”
“Want me to look it up?”
I set down my juice glass in my left hand and picked up my phone.
Up until then, I hadn't thought much of it.
Later, when it got late and we shut off the game to get ready for bed, I'd just remind them to be careful. That was all. Watch out for foul play. The guy was vicious enough to set up a Grind Dream.
But the moment the BGM titles caught my eye, I forgot everything.
[From K BGM Titles]
01. May fertile paths open before where you tread
02. May gentle winds walk with you
03. Until we meet again
04. Until we face each other once more
05. May the great tree's blessing be upon you
06. Blessings hide like light, grace within tender leaves
07. Flowing down upon your bent back
08. Until we meet again
09. Until we face each other once more
"...May the great world tree's blessing be upon you...."
I murmured the final, unfinished line of the hymn.
My recruits turned and gave me puzzled looks.
But I couldn't properly hear what they said.
Memories from the past came flooding in. Now I knew what to scrawl on the worn wall in the game. I clearly understood the Easter egg hidden in From K.
The grand corridor and the small window to the west.
Morning sunlight piercing the stained glass,
Casting faint purple droplets onto the white surplices of the choir,
As they chanted that slow, low, monotonous, sorrowful hymn.
I used to love sitting in the oak chair on mornings after returning from missions, listening to the melody.
A world that was beautiful, sometimes.
“Hilde!”
Hessi shook my shoulder.
“What's wrong all of a sudden? You okay?”
“No.”
I was pulled back to reality.
I felt the prickling stares. Answering my recruit, I hurriedly grabbed my phone.
My fingers trembled as I tapped the contacts app—I had to force them under control.
“I'm gonna make a call.”
“Who to?”
Ricardo.
He'd told me to call him before blindly entering the answer if I cracked the Easter egg. Since he'd shown me Eve's letter, didn't I qualify to see letters from the other series?
So I called him.
But he didn't pick up.
“What's going on?”
“Nothing.”
After three tries, I gave up and hammered out a message.
[I figured out the K Easter egg answer. Call me and I'll come over. Or please come to my place.]
[Do you know my cabin address?]
[Sharing map]
[Here.]
[Call me whenever you see this, even if it's late.]
[It's pretty far, though, so I'll come to you.]
[Let me know a good time and I'll make it work.]
Only after firing off the message barrage did I regain my composure.
Not right away, though. For a while, I gripped the sink with my right hand and covered my face with my left.
Only after my heartbeat normalized did I slowly lift my head.
“Sorry. Some old forgotten stuff came back to me.”
My recruits didn't seem to get it.
Of course not.
But fortunately, neither pressed me on it.
“Time for bed?”
Tom suggested, studying my face.
“You look beat from everything today....”
The redheaded recruit was perceptive.
I went along with it. He was right—I needed sleep. I quickly shut down the game and started getting ready for bed. Tossed the trash, set up spots to sleep side by side. Hessi and Tom subtly tried not to give me anything to do, but I brushed off their consideration right away.
Can't make my guests do chores.
After turning off all the lights, I passed on what needed saying.
“Even better if he comes here. Means we can finally catch your kidnapper.”
“Means be careful, since that guy's no ordinary scum. Don't even think about catching him.”
“We have to! You've still got scars! That bastard's insane!”
“I'm telling you, he won't go down easy.”
“Worth a shot.”
Damn it, Hessi Lyle.
Even Ami got stabbed without a chance. What makes you think you can catch the guy?
Distraught, I nagged them about staying safe until they dozed off.
Please... just don't do anything stupid.
***
Ricardo replied in the morning.
[I'll be out until afternoon, so come after 6.]
Got it, I replied.
After sending off my recruits, I fired up From I. To suppress the urge to immediately solve From K's Easter egg.
The clean screen showed From I's title.
Lost in the game, I stood at the 6 p.m. alarm and headed to the senior's house.
But unfortunately, I arrived very late.
“Thanks, kid.”
Blasted Creatures.
The road I was on had half-collapsed. A Creature outbreak. A big one I couldn't just drive past.
Naturally, I stopped the car and helped the seniors.
Ha....
“Not bad. You're the new rookie, right?”
“Yes, sir. Thank you. Hildebert Talib.”
“Good one's joined up. See you on a mission sometime.”
A friendly guy who looked like a detective, physical age late thirties to early forties, patted my shoulder.
The woman in round glasses spotted my car on the shoulder and whistled.
“Damn, rookie~ Nice ride!”
Not one I bought, but whatever.
After that ordeal, I reached the senior's house at 10 p.m.
Talk about being a nuisance.
But when I'd messaged earlier about being late, the curt reply had been not to worry about the time and just come. Turning back now would earn me an earful.
So I parked and cautiously approached the familiar house.
The front gate was open.
The front door too.
“Ricardo!”
I knocked on the half-open front door and called his name.
“I'm here!”
No answer.
I waited. Called his name a couple more times.
Still no reply. Lights were on, but no sound from inside.
A chill gripped me.
Something hadn't happened, had it?
Fear overrode manners.
I shoved open the front door and rushed inside.
“Rick!”
Not in the living room.
But the first drawer of the sideboard in the living room was open.
The gaping drawer mouth drew my eye. The green-eyed senior would hate that.
Burglary?
Gone to chase the thief? Or in the kitchen or upstairs?
I tore my gaze from the empty drawer and hurried deeper inside.
To the kitchen....
That's where I found the senior.
“Ah.”
A sigh of relief escaped me.
Ricardo sat in a chair at the dining table. Staring down at something in his hands.
So absorbed he hadn't noticed me come in.
I smiled in relief.
I crept closer, quieting my footsteps. Thinking it was surprisingly cute for this prickly, sharp man.
So focused he hadn't heard me shout his name— just like the scientists in the science wing.
That pleasant thought vanished the instant I saw what was in Ricardo's hands.
My smile dropped too.
Without thinking, I reached out.
My palm covered the revolver's barrel.
“Rick.”
My voice came out stiff.
“What are you doing right now?”