Chapter 104
Chapter 104
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 104
Chapter Title: Battle Preparation (1)
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The chairman had sent Suhyun back with a dedicated technician in tow. The man, loaded into a custom vehicle with specialized equipment, was expressionless like a doll. Suhyun realized he was suffering from aftereffects of repeated memory wipes.
‘What was that new American tech again...'
America led in so many fields. The problem was finding something useful for Suhyun among them. He'd decided to join hands with the chairman out of ambition, but he had no intention of demanding too much.
'Greed invites disaster.'
Even if Suhyun splurged, it would be pocket change to the chairman. But human hearts didn't work that way. He shouldn't ask for help unless it was truly necessary.
* * *
"My artifact..."
"I'll make you a separate artifact room later, so stop whining."
"When's later?"
"Someday... when I become the king of Cameron?"
"That's the same as saying you won't!"
Suhyun chatted with Luiril as he pulled out the hidden artifacts. Regret was practically dripping from her face.
"With these, I could arm two or three teams no problem."
"Where'd you say you got them?"
"I can come up with a reason easy enough. And anyway, I'm not pulling them all out right now."
He had no plans to give artifacts to the newly formed orc team. Suhyun didn't trust them that much yet.
"Fine. Just give me the antidote."
"Hm?"
"What's with the 'hm'! Didn't you say you wouldn't poison me anymore after this job?"
"Oh, that. Don't worry. I never poisoned you in the first place."
"...?"
"It was a lie. Thanks for trusting me all this time."
"...?!"
Luiril trembled with rage, pointing at Suhyun.
"A l-lie? Then what about that guy?"
"Kim Jong-tae? What I gave him was real poison. You think I'd casually use something that kills on a single mistake? He's not that hard to trust like you are."
He said that, but the real reason Suhyun hadn't poisoned Luiril was simple: his poison technique wasn't complete back then. He was too busy to know where he'd be next. He figured a threat would work better than the hassle. Luiril was an elf who'd buy into that kind of intimidation.
"You, ^$@#%^..."
"Sorry, but even if I don't speak Elf well, I know 'you bastard' when I hear it. If you hate not being poisoned, want me to do it now?"
"N-no."
Luiril shut her mouth, shocked that Suhyun understood Elvish.
"Anyway, you did great. You're free to go. Let's catch up in the village sometime."
"......"
She was furious at first about being tricked, but on second thought, it wasn't worth getting that mad. Not knowing about Suhyun's poison technique, Luiril figured he'd spared her life out of concern. After all, he'd used his superpower to make real poison for Kim Jong-tae.
Luiril turned and took a few steps before stopping and speaking up.
"You know there's no teleport in those artifacts, right?"
"Was there? Kinda rings a bell."
"You know teleport users are hard to find?"
"Yeah."
"You really don't need a teleport user? Didn't I help you a ton?"
"I do."
"Then you should've said so sooner!"
"......"
Luiril spun around, puffing out her chest proudly. Suhyun stared at her, dumbfounded.
"Be grateful. You think it's easy to find someone like me?"
"Yeah, thanks."
Attitude aside, Luiril was valuable: top-tier teleport ability plus thieving skills. She patted Suhyun's back.
"Someday I'll collect. Don't forget."
"Huh? Oh, the artifact room..."
"I'm not joking. I will collect."
* * *
"Impressive sight."
Lee So-hee responded to Suhyun's mutter.
"Gorgan's team helped a lot."
"Putting same-race members together might be the way to go. Compared to that..."
Suhyun looked pityingly at Shaina, lounging alone in the corner of the training ground. Luiril acted crazy around him but was actually sociable. The other members treated her like the enigmatic elf she was. Shaina, on the other hand, was... completely...
Lee So-hee bowed her head apologetically.
"My management must be lacking."
"No, no. It's not your fault, Lee So-hee. I know she's prickly, so it's fine."
The training ground was filled with rolling orcs. The burly orcs moved in perfect unison with shouts, exuding power. Led by Mogok, the orcs charged forward.
"How's their skill objectively?"
"Pretty good. Their physical abilities are solid, and their drive makes them pick up techniques fast."
"Wonder if they'll be useful in Euturf..."
Suhyun scratched his chin, lost in thought.
"And I looked into what you asked."
"Oh, thanks."
Suhyun frowned at the documents from Lee So-hee. He'd asked her to investigate rogue mercenaries: from old Gaon-gil Team 2 to incidents with Contact, Daesung, and Samduryong.
"May I ask why you're investigating?"
Lee So-hee was cautious, true to her nature. Kim Chang-sik would've demanded straight out.
"Got a tip."
"?"
"That they were framed. That's why I asked you to check."
"...!"
"Team leader. Training's done for today."
"Good work, Gorgan."
Gorgan and Mogok bowed slightly, wiping sweat with towels. Gorgan was working hardest to whip the new orc team into shape.
"What's that?"
"Oh, probably not pleasant reading for you. Human crimes against orcs."
Gorgan's face twisted. He spoke in a subdued voice.
"If it's not what happened to me, I don't dwell on it."
"You can. No point hiding it. How many humans go around causing havoc..."
"Can I read it then?"
When Mogok spoke, Gorgan elbowed his side.
"Ugh!"
"It's the team leader."
"...May I read it?"
Suhyun chuckled and handed over the paper.
"Go ahead."
Mogok held the paper at arm's length, squinting.
"Junter Village... We've heard of it."
"Yeah?"
That was unexpected. Non-humans or not, Cameron natives didn't have strong tribal bonds. Without tech, communication was tough, and survivors scraping by weren't exactly chummy.
"You heard about it somehow. Your village was pretty isolated, as I recall."
"Yes, but we keep contact with other settlements. A survivor from Junter fled to one and told us."
"?!"
Suhyun stared at Mogok in surprise.
"A survivor? Where are they now?"
"I, I'm not sure... All I heard was to watch out for humans."
Suhyun placed a hand on Mogok's shoulder. The gentle gesture filled Mogok with inexplicable dread.
"Find them."
"Pardon?"
"I'll pay your men extra from my pocket. Take them and bring that survivor now!"
"...!"
* * *
"This is really that artifact?"
"Don't underestimate American tech. I'd have changed them all originally, but..."
Suhyun eyed Luiril as he stored the stolen American artifact. She avoided his gaze.
"But why this one?"
"Oh, Shock Wave Sword."
A sacred relic of the northern Haimken orcs. Stolen by the Chinese government, then stolen again by Luiril—a complicated history.
"It's a tribal relic. Isn't changing its appearance kinda rude?"
"Y-you. Since when do you care about that?"
"Just kidding. There's a reason I left it."
Suhyun hefted the heavy greatsword and swung it. Air whistled past his ears.
"Figured it might come in handy someday."
"An artifact? You can change the looks, performance stays the same."
"No, its identity. As you know, Haimken orcs are desperate to get it back."
It was easy to think non-humans lived in tribes, but pre-human Cameron had cities. One was Haimken in the north—an orc kingdom, top-tier among non-human powers.
"China and Russia both play dumb, so Haimken can't do much. Russia really didn't, but... anyway, this could be useful as is. Definitely."
Suhyun hung the Shock Wave Sword back up. Luiril eyed the other sword he held. She couldn't miss it—the one she'd tried to steal, leading to her entanglement with him.
"That too? You said tracking was risky!"
"I'm not scared of that. It can be bait too. Can't change the appearance for that."
The Eorjang Sword writhed like a living thing.
"Inspection's good. Let's go."
Clop, clop—
"?"
Outside, Suhyun tilted his head at distant hoofbeats.
"Did I mishear? Sounded like horse hooves."
"No... I heard it too."
Luiril perked her ears and nodded. He hadn't imagined it.
"Some lunatic riding a horse in Pyongyang..."
"You there. Long time no see."
"...It's you, Eida."
The elf galloped up masterfully, platinum ponytail streaming, on horseback. The team members gawked in wonder.
"I have a message."
"Next time, just take a motorcycle?"
* * *
"Suspicious guys showed up?"
"Yes. Not certain, but Father thought you should know ahead."
In the reception room, Eida sipped steaming coffee, grimaced, and set it down. Jo Seung-ah handed her sugar cubes. Eida's face brightened.
"Not a good sign."
Perceptive people could trace phenomena back to causes and forward to results. If they weren't mistaken and these were Chinese...
'From Ames Plains to Calcutta Jungle. Testing the waters? Easier access than Euturf, sure...'
Euturf, south of the gate, had long been under Korean-American control. Even shaky from Dragon Slayers, it was hard to encroach.
Calcutta Jungle, hostile environment, lagged in development with few forces—and geographically convenient for China.
Ways to oust incumbents and seize resources abounded. Suhyun was an expert.
'Mercenary companies at best to guard. Shake 'em once or twice, smash, and they don't recover easy.'
Any method: collapse the incumbents, then approach via laundered company with new identity and nationality. Ruins sold dirt cheap. Blocking such ops and countering was Suhyun's old specialty.
"No engagement?"
"Father honored his promise to you."
"Good. Alright, let's check it out."
"You're going personally?"
"Why?"
"Well... if it's just a mistake..."
"Mistake's fine."
Suhyun said that, but inwardly disagreed. Honestly, he wanted a clash to gauge their strength. If Chinese government forces, they'd have China's best gear.
Desire burned in Suhyun's eyes.
"By the way... Lee So-hee. What does Jindo Company think of us?"
"Pardon?"
Jindo was always a good... no, friend.