Chapter 226
Chapter 226
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 226
Chapter Title: The Second Year-End Party (1)
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Lee Ho and I were cackling as we watched the scientists replay the footage.
The scientists were absolutely thrilled about John Mullen's deployment. Apparently, they'd all been on the verge of tears until I arrived, but once everything was resolved safely, the mood had flipped 180 degrees.
It was pretty funny.
We were taking in all the random goodies people were shoving at us and watching the video when suddenly, the area around us went quiet.
"Wow!"
Cheers erupted.
"The return of the star!!"
John Mullen was back.
Everyone in the science division stopped what they were doing and burst into applause.
The man at the center of the commotion walked in as if he couldn't hear the fervent cheers. He shuffled slowly toward the table, looking just a tad glum.
Looks like he's reflecting on it.
"Good work out there!"
"You must be exhausted! That was awesome!"
"I'm a fan, John!"
"B, Joo, Ka, Po, John, Mul, len!"
"You did great, John, Mul, len!"
"Slime Slayer. His name is John Mullen."
"Hildebert was the one who sliced the slime."
Lee Ho blurted that out amid the scientists' fawning.
No sooner had the mutter left his mouth than someone shouted.
"Don't forget to thank Hilde too, Mr. Mullen!"
"No need."
The words popped out reflexively.
"I'm busy, so I'll be going."
I shot to my feet to make my escape.
But my getaway was foiled. Laughing away carefree next to Yoon's desk had been a fatal mistake. I'd forgotten that John Mullen's desk was right beside Yoon's.
I spun around, and our eyes met.
Just pretend I don't see him and walk past.
As I tried to slip by, Mullen stepped in front of me.
"…Martin."
[John! Congratulations on your safe return! As Evan said, the one who subjugated the Creature is Hildebert Talib, standing right before you!]
"…Hildebert Talib."
Oh my god.
I trembled at the sight of John saying my full name.
Oh my god!
"…Thanks."
This lunatic!
Don't do that!
Ignoring my freak-out, the scientists cheered.
The science building was once again filled with applause. Someone set off fireworks. Martin spun around, emitting dazzling disco-ball lights. Lee Ho-chang smirked as he watched me.
In that atmosphere brimming with joy, I alone shook in terror.
Until Yoon clicked his tongue and shoved me out the door.
***
As time passed, I took care of what needed doing.
After receiving word from Eric Airhart that Yao was targeting the Supreme Commander,
I got Ye-hyeon's permission and contacted Lee Seung-hyun. I figured he needed to know too. After all, he was Ye-hyeon's biological father.
Though it seemed Ye-hyeon thought there was no need to tell the neighbor.
When I asked if it was okay to pass the message to Lee Seung-hyun, Ye-hyeon looked at me with a strange gaze.
The kid gave a subtle smile.
'Go ahead. He definitely won't care at all.'
I really want to punch past Lee Seung-hyun.
Anyway, I left a message for Lee Seung-hyun asking him to call at his earliest convenience. I figured one more sharp pair of eyes on Yao couldn't hurt.
The straitlaced disciple called back soon enough.
[What is it?]
I gave him a brief rundown of the situation.
[Understood.]
After a silence, he replied flatly once I finished.
And that was it.
No follow-up questions. Lee Seung-hyun neither got annoyed nor acted puzzled.
It was just like him, but kinda irritating.
After that, I spent time keeping tabs on Yao in various ways.
In the meantime, the year-end party drew near. The Task Force's second mission would come down after the party. Until then, I was only assigned to supply runs and supply depot construction.
Truth be told, first-years were normally only put on those kinds of tasks. That was the standard.
Of course, no one among the seniors saw me as a normal first-year anymore.
Last time with the supply depot, I'd gotten royally screwed over.
'You can go alone, right?'
The most veteran one wasn't thrilled about the quality.
He held back the seniors who wanted to work, then jerked his chin and ordered.
'Go by yourself.'
I didn't protest.
Honestly, it was more convenient for me too. Creatures were still targeting me. Dragging along people who'd just drag their feet or pick fights was less efficient than going solo.
I didn't report this behavior up the chain either.
Truth be told, most of the seniors were decent. The majority came up to me saying they'd seen the footage, that I'd done great, and chatted casually.
That's how I handled light duties, trained, and helped out the video and science divisions in my spare time. Naturally, clearing From R got delayed.
Well...
If you tell me not to make excuses, I got nothing.
Ding-dong!
"Hello~..."
"Ric. Thanks for coming. For such a distinguished guest to visit this humble place..."
"Let's just head in~."
"Yep."
I quickly ushered in Riccardo, who showed up in his pitch-black coat, into the cabin.
Last time, Riccardo said he had no interest in checking the messages.
But after agonizing over it, I decided to just tell him everything. He'd stuck by me the whole time I cleared the three games, after all. So it felt right to share the messages in the remaining two with him too.
And he didn't seem particularly annoyed.
"Coffee?"
Riccardo immediately declined.
We dove straight into the game.
I'd already found the Easter egg and given the answer.
I was a bit scared of what message would come next, but From R was undeniably a well-made game.
A game where you flee from heretical inquisitors coming to lop off your head, gathering "Eyes of the Sinful" to bolster the influence of the protagonist's patron deity.
People praised it, and I agreed—the graphics, BGM, and controls were all top-notch.
But I couldn't shake the chill while playing.
Rose...
She was a criminal.
"Don't be too shocked if the message seems like it was written by a lunatic."
"The developer must be a bit nuts~."
"Not exactly sane, no."
She was a heretic.
Not a mild one, but a fervent heretic. She went around doing mad things to worship whatever golden spores or seeds she believed in.
Her cult collected eyes from the corrupted "Children of the World Tree."
They hunted down Children of the World Tree who'd committed crimes like murder or rape, gouged out their golden eyes, consecrated them, and buried them in the earth. That was their ultimate mission.
I wasn't curious how such a doctrine came about.
I remembered that most heretics who tried extracting eyes from the skilled Children of the World Tree ended up dead. Rose didn't die; she gathered 50 pairs.
She was an exceptional talent who drew the Empire's attention and received immortality in secret.
In the end, Ray caught her.
[The slogan hanging in the Empire's underground prison.]
That was the Easter egg question.
I hadn't memorized it on purpose, but as Knight Commander, I couldn't help but know it by heart.
'Those who lifted their heads to gaze at the golden leaves,
What do they lack that they curl up
And plunge into the deep entrails of the earth?
Behold. This place is vaster than your lifetime.'
Inputting the phrase turned the screen black, and the message appeared.
"A bit scary."
"Why would someone like this leave a message for you~?"
"People like her always seek new objects of worship."
Her object of blind faith was gone, so she found a replacement to blindly worship.
[Captain.]
Ha.
[The first time I jumped into the final dimensional transfer circle, honestly, I didn't expect much.]
She was the very first to leap into the last dimensional transfer circle.
Her sins were so grave no one pulled her out of the underground prison. But she escaped on her own. After that, she helped evacuate Imperial citizens and volunteered as the first in the final escape group.
The one who'd been my joker card while taking out hardline politicians.
[I didn't even want to live longer. But things changed a lot after coming to Earth.
Because I got to serve you, Captain.
This is an inescapable fate. Do you remember? I kept telling you this, but as a child, I survived thanks to you.
It was none other than you who stopped the collapse of the western fortress Bedellium.
Just before the fortress fell to the surging Magical Beasts, you arrived on a moonless night.
I sometimes recall hanging onto my mother's skirt, watching you ride in on horseback.
Those golden eyes gleaming like hyenas in the endless darkness. The sleek black horse and matte armor.
And your back as you leisurely smiled and walked toward the fortress at dawn, followed by your subordinate knights.]
I've heard your ears full of this, Rose.
Time to stop telling me this.
Come to think of it, I did call her out on it. Around the time the first war broke out on Earth, I definitely ordered her to quit it—embarrassing and tiresome.
She wouldn't listen.
[If only I'd met you sooner, even a moment sooner, to devote myself to you.]
I told her to stop this too.
[I realized far too late how beautiful untainted golden eyes could be. Ah, but who can I blame? It's all my fault for only knowing polluted golden eyes.]
Her incomprehensible testimony droned on like this.
With half-dead eyes, I scrolled down. She hadn't changed a bit even after I vanished.
They say people die if they change too suddenly, but this one needs to change some.
Riccardo was at a loss beside me, letting out a hollow chuckle.
Only on the last page did something readable appear.
I straightened up and read what Rose had written.
[When will you return? The strategist's condition doesn't look promising.]
Huh?
This game must've been made pretty recently.
[Just in case, I'll leave the strategist’s safe password here for emergencies.
The digital password is 'Little Boy and Fat Man.']
A chill ran down my spine.
It was a feeling I hadn't gotten from reading Rose's deranged testimony. A feeling I never imagined this game would evoke.
Mouth agape, I stared at her final words.
Little Boy and Fat Man.
Those were the nicknames of the first two atomic bombs humanity ever made.
"…Hilde~?"
I couldn't answer right away.
Realization hit me.
Yao really hates me now.
And he's been breaking down for a while— at least before this game was made.
This password was surely born from resentment, thinking of me who couldn't bring humanity victory.
I realized anew that the one who'd once supported me more staunchly than anyone now hated me fervently.
The unexpected blow hurt more than I thought.
Getting hurt like this every time is a talent.
"…Turn it off and go to bed~."
Riccardo snatched the game console from my hands.
"Go wash up~."
"It's not even 9 yet, Senior."
I didn't have a breakdown, but my head wasn't clear either.
Following Riccardo's orders, I quickly got ready for bed.
And so, I finished playing all the From series in my possession.
***
Then came the day of the year-end party.
The day I'd see the rookies' faces.
"Year-end party!"
Ami shouted, clutching her ice cream.
"Year-end party!"
Please don't cause any trouble, Kairos...