Salvador Ortega
“Hmm, judging by how you're standing there, you must be the team leader. What's your name?”
“Gelleon Bolan... sir.”
“Gelleon Bolan. You stayed hidden while the chimera was rampaging, but now that it's completely gone, you come out swinging? Isn't that just pathetic?”
Gelleon’s eye twitched at Salvador’s words.
“I’m the team leader. It’s my duty to command the squad. If I die, it’s not just losing a fighter—it collapses the chain of command. And that chaos would soon threaten the city.”
“Threaten? Then you should’ve shoved your gun in its mouth and pulled the trigger right away.”
As if there was no need to hear more, Salvador chuckled and lit a thick cigar.
“You couldn’t even prepare yourself to die, so what makes you think you can talk back to your elders like that?”
“...Those two took private action without a formal request. Our mobile unit is investigating right now—”
“But they ended up doing your job for you. With or without them, you would’ve had to choose self-termination. Am I wrong, elder’s words?”
Gelleon couldn’t continue. Salvador was right. Losing squad members so pointlessly would’ve been better handled by immediate self-termination to summon Talos. Any excuse led back to that. No more arguments mattered.
But he couldn’t just back down. Even as a low-ranking team leader, Gelleon had his pride he couldn’t yield—especially since he was new and had faced plenty of disdain.
“...Salvador Ortega.”
“What is it, Gelleon Bolan?”
“I’ll be watching to see how long you can keep strutting around like this.”
“You? Watching this elder? Hahaha!”
Salvador laughed heartily and blew smoke right in Gelleon’s face. Gelleon’s expression crumpled further, but Salvador didn’t care.
“Gelleon, Gelleon. You shouldn’t have said that. If you’d just slunk away quietly, this elder would’ve let it pass as a little comedy. Now it’s tangled up because of your pathetic pride.”
“What—”
“Gelleon Bolan. I don’t know about your team, but that mark means 8th Mobile Unit, right? Under ‘Saeki Yume,’ then. You think that old monster won’t let go of your leash till the end? Let’s see...”
Salvador pulled a few printed photos from his pocket. He flicked them one by one, exhaling smoke between them. That was enough.
No overt threats, but Gelleon’s face drained of color. ECPD 8th Mobile Unit Captain Saeki Yume. Photos of her corruption fluttered leisurely before his eyes. One even showed Gelleon entertaining her, boosting their credibility sky-high.
Salvador’s photos. His intel was real.
Damn it...
Someone might say it was silly to fear mere info like that, but factions existed even in the mobile units. If that taboo leaked to rivals, the 8th would disband—and everyone in it would “disappear” overnight. Even their own faction wouldn’t spare a filthy dog.
“Team leader in the mobile unit. Pretty impressive title inside Eden. You can puff up your chest. But pick your targets. Didn’t Saeki Yume teach you that? Guess her backbone was too weak. Tsk tsk.”
“You bastard...”
“Hey now, the proper move is to say ‘sorry, sir’ and step back. Listen to your elder, kid. Unless you want Noise dragging you off in your sleep.”
Salvador chuckled. Soo giggled behind him. Enoch forced down his rising smirk.
The man who ruled Westtown like a king—a top-tier connector—was siding with them. Sure, ECPD might grill them later without backup, but for now, he had their back.
This is... drinking buddy material for life...
But he couldn’t show it. Even a broke merc like Enoch had his pride. Once you chose this life, you guarded it—even if it meant death.
“How long you gonna keep glaring?”
“...13th Squad. Withdrawing—”
“What’s with scampering off the second I say go? Heartless brats.”
He was about to leave when told to scram, but now he was being held back. Gelleon ground his teeth, eyes bulging.
“Which tune am I supposed to dance to...?”
“Gotta pay the fee before you go.”
“Fee...? What the hell are you—”
“These two caught the chimera you almost let slip away, didn’t they? Proper etiquette demands compensation.”
Of course, no such rule or law existed. Eden’s citizens should all pitch in for security. Clean up filth, handle or report dangers. That was the law—no payout for doing ECPD’s job.
But Salvador demanded it with utter confidence. Anyone else would’ve been ignored or shot, but now? Impossible.
The photos on the ground gripped his ankle tight.
“First, drop anything valuable you’ve got... Let’s see, 10 million credits each sounds fair. If you think your life’s worth more, bump it up. Oh, right—these two are incognito, so deposit to this elder’s account. It’s in your database.”
No reply came. But the payment would hit for sure. As long as those photo originals lingered, no dodging it.
“Got more to say to this elder?”
Nothing. More talk would just dig the hole deeper.
“...13th Squad. Withdrawing.”
Gelleon bit his lip in humiliation, holstering his gun. His squad immediately emptied their pockets and backed off.
“Hey now. Those suits cost a pretty credit too—why not strip? Oh, worrying about this elder? It’s fine, I’ve got buyers. Leave ’em.”
Eden’s med team MediShield, ECPD’s mobile unit, and Salvador’s servants hauling the leftovers—all gone.
Salvador scanned the area lightly. His ocular implant glowed fiercely; every camera within 500 meters shut down.
“So, anyway.”
Enoch’s jaw dropped at the instant hack. Good thing Noise hid it—newbie merc vibes would’ve stuck otherwise.
“How long you planning to stay hidden?”
“...Cough. At least till we leave this spot.”
Enoch stepped back, snapping to.
“Once the eyes are gone for good, I’ll drop it.”
“Come on, kid. This elder helped you out, and you won’t even show your face?”
“Well...”
Enoch paused, nudging Soo. The guy was too big a deal to handle... true, but Soo’s take mattered too.
For now... better stay hidden.
Even Salvador... no, especially Salvador was risky. Just look at those photos rolling on the ground. Grateful, sure—but spilling info now? No way.
“Hmm.”
Soo stared at Salvador, then stepped forward. She looked up at the old man—who matched Enoch’s height despite his age—and dropped her Noise.
“Haha, much better. Now this is refreshing.”
Enoch dropped his too, gasping in surprise—but Soo’s follow-up calmed him.
“Grandpa, you knew it was us?”
“Live long like this elder, and not much stays unknown.”
Salvador didn’t feign shock, just laughed. Maybe. No—Soo was sure. He’d known the chimera was coming. Tracked Lu Chen early, watched from afar.
He could’ve stopped it sooner. Why not?
Extort ECPD? Nah. He could stroll into HQ and demand cash outright—no need for this hassle.
So... something else.
“Aha.”
Soo’s eyes sparkled.
“A test?”
Salvador raised a brow.
“Pass?”
“Not curious why I tested you—when we agreed on just the footage?”
“I’m in a good mood, might answer.”
“Don’t care about that.”
Soo shook her head firmly.
“Test. Pass?”
Salvador’s face settled calmly as their eyes met. No weapon, no threat—but the pressure weighed heavy.
“One question. Answer it.”
“Yeah.”
Mercs working a pair were like one body. No need to ask separately.
“You had no reason to save that family.”
The little girl and mother. Dying father. No ties to Enoch or Soo.
They could’ve driven off, avoided the mess. Hidden the car at least, dodged the squad.
But they killed the engine without hesitation and faced the chimera. Un-merc-like.
Mercs prioritize the job above all. Stay cold-headed, hot-barreled. That’s the only stance allowed.
“Something no merc should do. Jobs first, always. You know that, right?”
“Yeah.”
“Then why save them?”
Soo glanced at Enoch. He nodded. Her will was his.
“Need time to think?”
“No.”
“Then answer.”
Soo gripped three marbles in her pocket. Still warm from the girl.
“The kid was crying.”
Strangers, all of them. No connection. No need to risk it for some guy.
If mid-job, it’d endanger client and connector. Survivors around, trunk full of intel and cash. Tons ahead—couldn’t die pointlessly here.
Running was right.
But.
Thousand reasons not to... one reason to. If it’s the human thing.
Doing it anyway—that’s the righteous path, no?
“So we comforted her. Like humans.”
“Arrogant. In this Eden, as mercs, keep your humanity?”
“Yeah.”
No shame in it.
“Me and Enoch.”
Some beauty stays out of reach, unfelt. What if you touch it?
Dunno. So try.
“We’ll stay human. Become Eden’s legend.”
Soo’s eyes gleamed. Like moonlight softly lighting the world.
Like that light so many chased.
“Well...”
Facing it, Salvador paused. Just a moment, recalling the past.
“Foolish, stubborn goal.”
Not the best memory. But a good one, lingering.
“Yet that makes it all the more splendid.”
Salvador burst into booming laughter.
“You pass.”