Chapter 43
Chapter 43
Chapter 43
Bodyguard (6)
-It's not Hamad.
At first, I thought the job wasn't finished. So I went around finding the corpses of the mages and took pictures again.
-It is Hamad.
The one who died with a broken neck was Hamad. He was Black, not Arab.
"Then who are the other bastards?"
-One of them is someone I know. He's a Somali armed group leader. It seems there were connections between terrorist organizations.
"If we investigate the other bastards, they'll turn up, right?"
-They will. I'll investigate right away.
Two were confirmed to be terrorist organization leaders.
-Will you be returning?
"No. I need to uproot them before I go. Can you connect me with the Nigerian government?"
-I'll contact you soon.
"Wait."
-Please speak.
I hesitated for a moment before opening my mouth with difficulty.
"Can't we just make the bastard So Iryeon killed be Hamad?"
-Do you want a lie?
"No, never mind."
-Honesty is the Cult Leader's strength. And could you wait just one day for the remnant cleanup?
"Reason?"
-I'll extract the children I'm contacting.
"Understood."
I hung up the phone.
In the end, So Iryeon had vented her anger on another bastard, not Hamad.
'The bike should still be there, right?'
I thought of the bike I'd abandoned in the forest.
Before going to find the bike, there was something I had to do.
I searched through the ruined area and found a young man.
I untied his bound hands, straightened his twisted body, and buried him in an area that was still intact.
"The revenge was successful. I'll definitely remember the courage you showed."
A young man who had both fear and courage simultaneously. Between those two, Almand chose courage.
I thought of Almand for a moment, then left that place.
The next morning.
-You may begin. The Nigerian army will advance north from Gusau. I'll transmit the camp locations we received from the Nigerian government now.
The full-scale subjugation operation began. I set my direction from north to south.
Checking the map on my smartphone, I raided all the known camps. Some camps had already withdrawn after receiving news.
'Crazy bastards.'
At one withdrawn camp, I saw an infuriating sight. They had killed young boys and girls before leaving.
The corpses of young children with severed heads were rolling around the clearing.
"Even when I was a real bad guy, I didn't do shit like this."
I couldn't forgive it.
But from the clearing full of corpses, one child walked out crying.
I'd seen a scene like this before.
A young girl wearing a bomb vest.
She was also about the same age as Yuna.
'Can I save her?'
I wanted to save her.
The sight of the crying Black girl looked like homework to me.
This child hadn't received any training, it seemed, as she only cried in fear.
I approached the child.
"Don't cry."
The child still cried. She wiped away tears with dirt-covered hands.
"How old are you?"
The child spread both hands.
Nine years old.
An age too young to die like this.
"Close your eyes tight. Open them again when I tell you to."
At least someone wouldn't arbitrarily detonate it. I could be certain because I'd confirmed there was no one else around.
'There's a possibility.'
I don't know how to defuse bombs. So I held the child from behind.
And I carefully inserted my hand between the bomb and the child's stomach.
"Waaah!"
When I touched the bomb, the child started crying.
"Are you scared?"
"I don't want to die!"
She had already seen someone die from a bomb before.
"You won't die. Just trust me."
I soothed the child several times. To eliminate variables.
If the child didn't move as intended, the bomb would explode.
"What's your name?"
"Eri."
"What's your favorite food?"
"Iyan."
I don't know what kind of food it is. Still, I spoke softly into the child's ear.
"Let's definitely go eat that together. Okay?"
"Can we really go together?"
"You trust me? If you trust me, we can go."
"I trust you. I'll trust you."
"Then close your eyes tight."
It felt like I was talking to Yuna.
If this child had been born into our family, she would have grown up receiving love like Yuna.
I spread my palm. The bomb was inside a square box-like structure.
"Huuu."
I secured as much space as possible and concentrated my mind.
I felt the child's trembling. Still, she didn't cry anymore.
The child's hand firmly grasped my sleeve.
Wind Dragon Palm.
Bang!
An explosion burst forth. The spreading force of the bomb and the pushing force of Wind Dragon Palm collided.
I poured out all my internal energy, and when the explosion disappeared, the child was still firmly grasping my sleeve.
"You endured well."
Eri was unharmed.
Only then did Eri burst into tears again.
I waited for a moment for Eri's crying to stop. But Eri escaped from my embrace and went to the center of the clearing.
"Brother…."
A teenage boy with his head severed.
Eri embraced the boy's head, separated from his body, with small, delicate hands that seemed barely able to hold a pebble.
Tears flowed again from those small eyes.
"I'll send you off. Waaah! I'll send you to a good place!"
The child found her brother's body and placed the head on top of it.
As if it were their own ritual, Eri gathered debris from destroyed buildings and wood, laid them out neatly, and placed her brother's corpse on top.
I tried to help, but was refused.
"Family has to send them off for them to go to a good place. Mom went to a good place like this, too. I'll do it."
Eri ultimately accomplished everything with that small body.
Her brother rose to the sky from the cremation site that his sister had made.
Eri cried for a long while watching the smoke rising to the sky.
"Brother!"
As if knowing it was the last time, Eri called out to her brother with all her might.
I couldn't take my eyes off Eri.
The child's hands.
The small hands that made the cremation site were in ruins.
Eri was led by the hand of a young man we met in the forest.
He was a young man sent by Jimun Seo-saeng.
I thought about taking her to Korea, but Jimun Seo-saeng dissuaded me.
-We can't bring everyone. Our fence isn't safe either. Perhaps it's peaceful now, but our fence might become more fierce.
Jimun Seo-saeng was right.
"I'm counting on you."
"I'll care for her like family."
They're all children who lost their families. Now those children must become family to each other.
Before going to the young man, Eri turned to look at me.
"Iyan."
The food, the child said, she liked.
"When we meet next time, I'll definitely make it for you."
She was regretful but didn't throw a tantrum.
That patience felt a bit sad. I felt Eri's life, how she had to live that way.
"You promised. Next time you have to make it."
"Yes!"
That was enough.
Eri left with the young man, and I resumed the remnant cleanup.
'I won't leave a single one alive.'
From then on, I became an evil spirit and cleaned up Baria's remnants.
"Tell the government forces to only block the escape routes. So they can't escape across the border."
I conveyed my intention to Jimun Seo-saeng, and because of my previous performance, it was reflected as is.
Thus, the full-scale cleanup began.
I didn't leave alive anyone I saw and pursued them to the end to cut off their breath.
After two days, rumors about me spread even to the Nigerian government forces.
'The resurrection of the Hell Warrior.'
It seemed to be a Grim Reaper from their indigenous religion.
I searched for remnants without rest for another week. I gave up sleep and concentrated only on the pursuit.
In ten days, 3,000 people died by my hand.
Baria was destroyed beyond revival, and the Nigerian government forces completely dominated that region.
-The government is requesting to meet you. They think you're not alone but a mercenary unit.
"They're telling me to come back?"
-Yes. The government forces stopped blocking escape routes and are entering inside. You'll stand out.
"Understood."
Activities in Nigeria ended like that.
The collapse of Baria caused a stir in the media worldwide.
The Korean media was also frantic reporting news about Baria's collapse.
"Cult Leader, you caused quite a big incident."
"Well, I got a bit excited."
"Still, it's a shame. With one phone call, you could become world-famous, but you're getting nothing from this."
"Why would I get nothing?"
I looked at Jimun Seo-saeng.
In my previous life, whenever I stirred things up, Jimun Seo-saeng always cleaned up afterward while securing benefits.
"We've been approved for oil business rights from the Nigerian state. I'll proceed through Kim Mu-jin."
I just need to hear reports at this level. Jimun Seo-saeng will handle the detailed matters and will surely secure great benefits.
"We plan to first provide jobs to young people who grew up with difficulty in the north and also allow children to learn skills."
As expected, Jimun Seo-saeng sought ways to take care of everything.
The reason for wanting oil business rights was that such calculations were laid beneath.
"Handle it as you see fit."
I just need to leave it to him.
"Now that Baria is handled and we've secured oil business rights……"
I glanced at Jimun Seo-saeng.
"I want to buy a bike……"
Unlike usual, Jimun Seo-saeng cut off my words and showed me a text message on his smartphone.
"You bought a bike, a $30,000 one at that."
"Well, I needed it for the operation……"
"You did well."
That was the end.
Given the timing, I absolutely couldn't say I'd buy another bike.
'Should I just charge it?'
As if reading my thoughts, Jimun Seo-saeng looked at me again.
'I'm the Cult Leader. What are you going to do about it?'
As I was firming my resolve, Jimun Seo-saeng turned his head and spoke as if for me to hear.
"From now on, I should drink water instead of tea. When it's scarce, one must economize."
Jimun Seo-saeng has one characteristic. I suffered because of this part even in my previous life.
He prepares even for 10 years later. This means he saves even money to use 10 years from now.
Of course, he doesn't just save money, but in any case, he feels secure only when funds are secured. He detests variables in any plan.
'We have enough money!'
I didn't say it out loud.
'I can't argue over money, and even if I argue, I won't win anyway.'
The only method is to unconditionally ask him to do it. At such times, even Jimun Seo-saeng doesn't object.
'How embarrassing would that be……'
I just gave up. As the Cult Leader, I couldn't stake my dignity on asking for money.
"Hm? Wait a moment."
Just as the war of nerves was ending, So Iryeon's phone rang.
After finishing a brief call, she looked at me and said,
"The members say they miss you, Cult Leader. They say they'll visit home sometime."
"Well, that's not bad."
"After coming back from Japan, the kids talk about you a lot, Cult Leader. They say you're not like fifteen years old."
"I am mature."
"Try getting along with So-yeon unnie. You like voluptuous bodies."
"I like elegant women."
"You like elegant women with voluptuous bodies."
"That's true."
We've already spent several hundred years together. Lying would be foolish.
'I have to meet her anyway.'
Apart from romance, there's something I need to make clear.
Others might not know, but Jang So-yeon must have noticed that my movements that day were beyond human category.
Even if she let it pass because things were hectic then, looking back, she can't help but find strange points.
'Am I making another woman suffer like this?'
Fifteen is an age sufficient to make women cry.
"And Cult Leader, it looks like our contract will be terminated around tomorrow. We've sorted out all the problematic parts."
"That's good."
As those words ended, Cheong Ak-sal came to my side.
"I'll handle it as ordered."
It's about handling Min Jeong-gi.
I thought for a moment, then shook my head.
"Give it about a month. If we kill him right away, articles will focus on Fairy."
"Understood."
While organizing matters about Min Jeong-gi, a knocking sound was heard.
When So Iryeon opened the door, the Witch was standing there.
"There's a video you need to see."
She's not the type to visit unless it's a serious problem.
I immediately went to the laboratory with the Witch.