Chapter 197: Resumed Invasion Activities (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 197: Resumed Invasion Activities (1)
“Where are you going?”
As I stepped out of the dressing room wearing a thick overcoat, I heard Su-ah’s voice from the living room sofa, where she was gaming as usual.
“Yeah. I got a call from headquarters.”
“Will you be late?”
“I’m not sure. If Hayoung and Eunha get here first, go ahead and eat dinner. If it looks like I’ll be late, I’ll eat before I come home.”
“Got it.”
Headquarters, which usually never contacted me on weekends even during the height of our battles, had suddenly called me in. Yubin and Yura had gone to their part-time jobs and said they wouldn't be coming over today, while Hayoung and Eunha were scheduled to visit in the evening.
Since they hadn't specified a reason for the summons, I had no idea what it was about. Not knowing whether I’d be back early or late, I took the elevator down to the first floor, where the biting cold air greeted me.
Though I had fully recovered, headquarters had given me a grace period to rest further. After lounging around long enough for my body to feel sluggish, it felt strange to be heading back to work properly.
I had spent far more time working and fighting than resting, yet that brief, long break had been sweet enough to make me forget the years of labor.
Since headquarters had only summoned the entire staff a handful of times in the ten years we’d been active in Korea, this was clearly no small matter.
Still, I wasn't particularly nervous. I had a hunch about the reason.
Headquarters had been undergoing extensive repairs, and the construction was finally nearing completion. With those who had been working and those who had been resting all ready to return to their original duties, the most likely scenario was that they were gathering everyone to relay orders from above and resume our battles.
That seemed the most plausible reason; nothing else really came to mind.
Assuming the summons was a prelude to resuming our activities, I cleared my mind and headed toward headquarters. It was my first time going back since a brief visit during my break, so the route still felt a bit unfamiliar.
On the way, I had one concern other than the reason for the summons. It had been over a week since Seira found out about my situation, but she still hadn't contacted me.
Of course, I hadn't reached out first either. If she decided to report the situation to the higher-ups, there was no way for me to stop her, so I was waiting to see what move she would make.
I felt certain she wouldn't report it immediately, though. If it were her, she would surely speak with Luche—who already knew the truth—first.
If that were the case, it would be normal for either Seira or Luche to contact me, yet neither had.
No one had reached out during my break, but even so, it was strange to remain silent after discussing such a grave matter.
This led me to conclude that Seira hadn't told anyone yet. I wasn't 100% sure, of course. There was always the possibility that they had talked but agreed not to contact me.
The Luche and Seira I knew weren't the type to do that, but people often turn out differently than you expect. Even if I thought, 'Luche and Seira aren't the kind of people to collude and keep me in the dark,' that was merely my own perspective.
I wasn't anxious about the summons itself, but I was uneasy about not knowing what was happening between Luche and Seira. Lost in thought during the subway ride, I soon arrived at the station where headquarters was located.
Leaving the subway, I followed the path I’d taken once before to find the base.
Unlike my last visit, the completed headquarters looked different even from the outside. It had a polished, finished feel, and with people streaming in due to the summons, it looked like a typical small company located on the outskirts of Seoul.
“A new building really is nice.”
Admiring the hard work of my colleagues, I headed up toward the building when my eyes were drawn to the smoking area.
Our eyes met, and I reflexively offered a salute.
“Good morning, Esmeralda-nim.”
“Ah, A. You’re here.”
Esmeralda-nim stood there with her coat draped over her shoulders and her arms crossed, puffing on a cigarette. Since she was alone in the smoking area, it felt awkward to just walk past, so I lowered my hand and approached her.
“Are you here by yourself?”
“Yes. I just stepped out for a moment while working.”
She brought the white cigarette to her lips and inhaled, the tip glowing red. The white smoke she exhaled scattered and broke apart in the cold winter air.
“How are you feeling?”
“I’m perfectly fine. I could have come back to work without the break, but thanks to the extra rest, I’m in peak condition.”
“That’s good to hear.”
Checking my status, Esmeralda-nim smiled at my words and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear.
“By the way, what is today’s summons about?”
“Orders suddenly came down from the higher-ups. They’ll explain the details inside.”
As expected, it was an order from above. Hearing her words, my suspicion that it was related to the battles turned into a certainty.
“Are you still going to see Kruger?”
“I saw him at the hospital and went back once the following week, but I haven't been since. I’m planning to go again next week.”
“That’s perfect. I was planning to go again as well.”
“Would you like to go together then?”
“Sure. Let’s do that.”
I had run into Silver once when I went with Yubin, but I hadn't seen her the next time. Just because I ran into her once didn't mean it would happen again, so I decided not to overthink it.
After making plans to visit Kruger with Esmeralda-nim next week, I waited for her to finish her cigarette.
She told me I could go in first, but since we’d met at the entrance, I figured it was better to walk in together.
However, even though I waited for her, we had to part ways once we entered the building.
Esmeralda-nim headed to the first-floor office where her Team 1 was located, while I headed to the third floor for Team 3.
“Well then, Esmeralda-nim. I’ll see you later.”
After saluting her, I took the elevator to the third floor and saw many familiar faces. From the front desk, I could see colleagues who hadn't been seriously injured during the terror incident gathered together.
“A! You feeling okay?”
“Yeah. What about you guys?”
“It’s not like we were at death’s door.”
It had been a major incident, but perhaps because they were used to so many accidents and emergencies, they didn't dwell on the gravity of the past. There was no point in carrying a heavy atmosphere just to say hello.
After greeting my colleagues at the desk, the first person I ran into inside the office was Roy.
“Sunbae. Good morning.”
“Hey. Have you gotten used to wearing the beanie yet?”
“Don’t even get me started. I feel like I’m suffocating.”
Unlike humans, Roy had wolf ears, so he had to wear a beanie whenever he was outside the base, as he’d mentioned last time.
Quite a bit of time had passed, but wearing the beanie was clearly still uncomfortable for him; he frowned the moment I brought it up.
“But, Sunbae…”
Roy called out to me cautiously, his voice trailing off as if he had something to say. He avoided my gaze and looked strangely hesitant—unlike his usual self—so I just stared at him, wondering what was wrong.
“It’s about the Team Leader.”
“Why? Did something happen?”
“No, it’s not that. About the fact that the Team Leader is A.T….”
“What about it?”
Luche was A.T. I had been unaware of this fact for over ten years, and Roy had been the biggest influence in helping me realize it.
Seeing Roy act so tentatively, I wondered if there had been some issue in the process of me finding out.
“I didn't do something I shouldn't have, did I?”
The last time I was at headquarters, Roy had only seen me rush out after learning Luche was A.T., and the situation had concluded without him knowing what happened next.
He had brought it up thinking I already knew, but the atmosphere had shifted in an unexpected way, and neither Luche nor I had said much to him afterward.
It was understandable that Roy, not knowing how things had played out, would be anxious.
“No. Actually, I’m glad I found out thanks to you. I talked it over with the Team Leader, so you don't need to worry.”
Only then did Roy look relieved. The tension vanished from his face, and he let out a long sigh of relief.
“Thank goodness. I thought I’d caused some kind of disaster.”
I patted the relieved Roy on the shoulder and approached Theo, whom I spotted sitting in the office.
“Good job with the repairs.”
“I thought I was going to die from the stress the whole time.”
Theo, who had worked in countless areas during the construction period, shook his head as if the mere thought of it made him sick. Given his experience with various facility repairs, I didn't need to see it to know how much work he’d put in.
If I hadn't been on leave and Kruger hadn't been hospitalized, the three of us would have shared the load, but with two of us gone, Theo had to handle it all.
Theo was always the one who cleaned up after Kruger and me, and this time was no different.
After a brief greeting and checking in on my colleagues, the rest of the Team 3 members arrived at headquarters one by one. When it was time to assemble, an announcement came over the speakers telling us to gather in the auditorium behind the main building.
We moved in an orderly fashion and took our assigned seats. After a short wait, the four Team Leaders stepped onto the stage.
“Thank you all for coming on such short notice. As you probably guessed, we’ve summoned everyone because orders regarding our battles have come down from above.”
For those who had spent a long time in the Spacetro military, this was expected. We were simply returning to our usual duties, but everyone listened intently, sensing that there might be special instructions.
Esmeralda-nim explained the reason for the summons and then pulled up a screen.
The screen displayed the current specifications and personnel for each team, with changes listed right next to them.
“The suits are changing.”
The first thing that caught my eye was that our current suits were being replaced with new models.
“Looks like they’re trying to increase our overall combat power.”
Spacetro soldiers wear suits during battles. These suits were significantly lower in performance than the ones used in space, as they had been deemed sufficient for engagements on Earth. However, following the recent incident, it seemed the higher-ups had reconsidered and decided to upgrade us to a model one step above the previous ones.
Beside me, Theo was also studying the screen with a serious expression, checking the modifications. Even though he hadn't been with Team 3 originally, he would have familiarized himself with our current situation upon joining.
Esmeralda-nim provided a detailed explanation of the various specification changes.
“Check the screen for changes specific to each team. Team Leader Luche.”
After reviewing the general changes, it was decided that team-specific details would be handled within the individual teams. Esmeralda-nim called Luche, who had been standing to the side of the stage. Stepping to the center, Luche exuded a commanding aura for the first time in a while as she looked out over the seated soldiers.
“Team 3 has been through a lot recently. I’m sure you’re all aware, and I imagine you’ve had many thoughts regarding our battles.”
The murmuring of soldiers checking the changes on the screen vanished instantly.
“Starting this coming week, team battles will resume. We haven't notified the Earth Defense Union yet, but we plan to do so by tomorrow. I want you all to shake off the lethargy of the break and prepare yourselves for combat once again.”
Watching Luche’s charismatic performance, I felt a fresh wave of admiration, and a smile tugged at my lips as I remembered she was A.T.
“Further instructions for each team will be given in your respective offices.”
With that, the briefing was over. The session was very short considering the weight of the news, but the Team Leaders knew better than anyone that there was no point in dragging it out.
However, because the information was significant enough to require a formal announcement, they had gathered everyone in the auditorium.
“By the way, when is Alt coming?”
“Won’t he be here once the battles start? The Team Leader probably knows.”
“Combat power is going to skyrocket with both Roy and Alt around.”
While waiting for the crowd to clear out of the auditorium, we talked about Alt, the Kaijin belonging to Team 3 who hadn't arrived yet.
It was taking longer than expected for Alt to arrive from Japan, and although I asked Theo and Roy, it seemed there hadn't been an official announcement regarding his arrival date.
As we waited for the crowd to thin out before leaving, Luche walked down from the stage.
“A.”
“Yes, Team Leader.”
Luche gestured for me to follow, indicating she had something to say.
After telling Theo and Roy to go on ahead, I followed Luche out of the auditorium to a secluded spot.
Luche didn't say a word as we walked. I had thought the atmosphere between us might soften now that I knew the truth about her, but seeing her act no differently than before, I wondered if I had been getting ahead of myself.
Once we reached a corner where no one else was around, Luche stopped. She had been walking a step ahead, but now she turned around and looked up at me.
“Sunbae. Are you okay with the battles?”
I hadn't been getting ahead of myself. The way she looked at me when we were alone was definitely different from before.
But before I could dwell on that, her question forced me to think.