Chapter 110
Chapter 110
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 110
Chapter Title: The Captain Arrives
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Blue veins bulged on her delicate fingers. She desperately called out to the hand's owner.
No, no. Darkness poured in from all sides. She struggled with all her might to hold onto the hand sinking into the shadows.
She barely managed to grasp the hand being pulled down like it was trapped in quicksand.
Please, she clutched the ice-cold hand tightly with both of hers and pulled. She couldn't let it go like this. It couldn't end this way.
Did her desperation work? The darkness receded.
A wrist appeared, then an elbow, and soon Dianne's face came into view. It was a horrific sight, half of it already gone.
"No!"
Inebil shot up in bed, exhaling sharply. It took her a while to come back to her senses. Her body felt stiff.
"Are you okay?"
The door opened, and Alisa entered.
"You're sweating."
Alisa sat on the edge of the bed and offered a towel. Inebil stared blankly at it for a moment before realizing what it was for and taking it.
She pressed the towel to the back of her neck. Cold sweat had soaked through her clothes, making them cling to her skin.
"Here, drink some water."
"Thank you."
Inebil brought the cup to her lips. She took a small sip and held it in her mouth for a bit.
Her throat was so parched that even swallowing water was difficult. She drank slowly, then handed the cup back to Alisa.
"You're not a kid or anything. Sorry about this."
"After going through something like that, it'd be weird if you were totally fine. What about food?"
"I'll eat a little."
"Good. Even a little is better than nothing."
She ate the food Alisa had brought.
Her physical condition had improved a lot. She could probably fight in a cavalry battle right now. But separate from her stamina, her mind was still not fully intact.
It was strange. On the day she saw Dianne's body, she hadn't felt a thing, but now, after some time had passed, the pain had grown.
"Want to take a walk?"
She went outside with Alisa.
"Even though the year changed, it's just the number that did. Everything outside looks the same."
Alisa kept talking to her steadily. At first, it had felt burdensome, but now she was grateful.
"Mr. Blind isn't around. He always asked me all sorts of things whenever I woke up."
"There was a problem at the estate, so he went there. Even members without assignments were deployed."
"What happened? Is it serious?"
"Inebil, just focus on resting and don't worry about it. We'll handle things on that end."
They walked for about ten minutes over the thawed, muddy ground. Her body quickly grew cold. This level of chill shouldn't have bothered her at all.
"Let's head back in. Staying out too long isn't good."
Alisa had an uncanny ability to read her mood. Were all the people in the Special Inspectorate Unit like that, each with their own specialty? They returned to the room and sat on the bed.
"Um, any news from the Holy City?"
She repeated the question she'd asked countless times. Alisa sat in a chair and answered.
"Not yet."
"Sorry. The distance from here to the Holy City is no joke. Of course there wouldn't be news already. But I still end up asking even though I know."
"I get it."
What had happened to Silder? Was Charlotte okay? Where was Lander now, the one headed to the Holy City? She wanted to rush out and go there herself.
Her head knew it was all over, but she still wanted to see it with her own eyes. She wanted to ask directly.
Silder, did you really do it?
"No one around?"
The door burst open. Inebil stared quietly at the man leaning against the doorframe. His name didn't come to mind right away.
"Captain!"
Alisa greeted the man with a flustered expression.
"When did you get here?"
"Just now. More importantly, how's Inebil's condition?"
The man approached closely and asked. His face was so near it felt intrusive.
"I'm fine."
"Seeing you first at Blue Button, and now here again. Looks like you've been through a lot."
"Yes, quite a few things happened."
She remembered his name. Kalligo, the one Gilliud had mentioned. The man who'd been with Lander and Guchi.
"Alisa. Where are the others?"
"They went to the estate. There's friction with the Estate Management Office."
"Looks like the council bigwigs caught wind of it."
"I don't think so. They just don't like what we're doing."
"Could be. Anyway, let them know I'm here. Tell the Management Office people not to waste time. Don't go yourself—send someone else. You need to stay with Inebil."
"Got it."
Alisa left the room. Inebil said a word to Kalligo, who was still sitting close.
"The room's pretty big."
"Sorry. My eyesight's poor, so I came closer to see better."
Kalligo moved back a bit. She scanned him up and down.
Since Lander trusted him, he was probably fine, but Gilliud's words made her cautious.
The one with unbreakable will who would uncover the truth of the phenomenon and meet Gilliud at the end of human history.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing."
"Usually, when people say that, they're hiding some huge secret."
"It's not that grandiose."
"Not grandiose, but still, you have something to tell me. But after some thought, you've decided not to for now. What could it be?"
If Alisa seemed good at reading moods, this man in front of her felt like he was dissecting her insides in an unsettling way.
She started to lower her gaze, feeling like she'd lose if she did, so instead she stared straight back. They watched each other for a few seconds.
"Your complexion looks good, heartbeat's normal. No signs of discomfort, so we're good."
"Huh?"
"Rest up. Next time, we can talk over a meal. I like having dinner with beautiful ladies."
"You must have questions for me."
"There's nothing more inefficient than questioning someone who's on guard. If it were an interrogation, that'd be different, but Inebil, you're in the position of helping us as a key witness."
Kalligo stood up.
"I don't know the details until I check myself, but I can guess some. Losing someone close can't be comforted by words, especially from a stranger—it might just make you more wary. So I'll postpone talking with you."
As Kalligo turned to leave, he paused with an "Oh right" and came back.
"Can I ask one personal question? It's unrelated to this incident."
"Go ahead."
"Do you happen to know how long a meter is?"
"Are there people who don't know that?"
"Could you show me with your hands about how long a meter is?"
It was an odd question. Who in the world didn't know how long a meter was? Inebil raised both hands.
"About this much, I guess."
"Right? It'd be weird not to know. Exactly. Of course everyone knows. It's a standard unit."
Kalligo grinned, told her to take care of herself, and left.
He was an eccentric man. The question with unclear intent, the gaze that seemed to peer into her soul.
Still, as they talked more, she could tell. He harbored no hostility.
"Gilliud had a message for you."
"Is that so?"
"'My name is John,' Gilliud said."
Kalligo's eyes sharpened for a moment, then returned to a smiling expression.
"Gilliud said that? That his name is John?"
"Yes."
"Do you talk with him? Or did you just receive that message?"
"We talked. Most of it was incomprehensible, though."
"Understood. I'd love to hear more right now, but I'll hold off. I hear Lander headed to the Holy City, and only Guchi's left at the estate. I need to go help out so they can breathe easy."
Kalligo took a step back.
"Thanks for passing on important info even in tough times. I'll repay the favor. Rest for now—Alisa will help."
"Um..."
"Yes?"
"You're the Special Inspectorate captain, right?"
"Yes."
"You'll investigate this incident from top to bottom."
"Of course."
"If possible, I want to know the truth too. They were people I thought were closest to me, but there was so much I didn't know. I want to know everything, down to the last detail."
"I promise. You'll learn every single thing. But that might come with some inconveniences due to confidentiality protocols. That okay?"
"No problem."
"Everyone around Lander is fearless. Good. I'll handle it with my authority. So rest up. Your face looks better, but mentally you're not stable yet."
With a grandiose bow and "I'll take my leave," Kalligo exited the room.
He reminded her of an actor from a play she'd seen once as a child. Just when she thought he'd left, Kalligo poked his head back in. Startled, she stared silently.
"That was the curtain call from Act 3 of 'Men of Ramga,' which ran twenty-three times in the Holy City. It's identical, so compare later."
With that, he vanished. Inebil stared blankly at the door. What a weirdo.
"He's weird, right?"
Alisa said as she came back in. Inebil nodded with an exasperated smile.
* * *
Deong's head throbbed. Persuasion by words had reached its limit.
"We can't wait any longer. Please withdraw."
Hollek said, his eyes signaling that one more obstruction would turn this political.
Big trouble. As he scratched his head thinking of their squinting-eyed captain—
"Captain's here. He'll be right over."
A colleague panted heavily, as if he'd run nonstop from the branch office.
Deong inwardly shouted hallelujah and looked at Hollek.
"Captain's arrived, he says."
"The guy who wasn't here until just now shows up at perfect timing, huh?"
"That's how he is. Better discuss with the captain now instead of me."
"Deong. You think we haven't done this once or twice? We know the game. Stalling. Cut the act and back off. We've got a comprehensive report to the Management Office this afternoon, and it'll go to the council after. You get what that means?"
"You're going ahead even though the captain's here?"
"Not buying it. Why do you think we were slow to respond despite knowing the situation? We came after checking everything. Captain's not nearby, right?"
"He wasn't, but he just arrived. You heard it too."
Hollek chuckled lowly and gestured in understanding.
"Fine, then we'll do our job. We'd appreciate help, but you can just watch."
"You're going to touch the scene?"
"Don't worry. We'll preserve it well when we collect."
"I told you clearly. The captain's coming soon."
"Got it."
The Management Office people moved. They exited the tent and entered the estate. Blind, who'd been watching quietly beside, clicked his tongue.
"That guy's got bad luck."
"Tell me about it. But what can we do? We tried to stop them."
Arms crossed, they entered the estate. Even if authority had temporarily shifted, they couldn't just stand by. They needed to buy time until the captain arrived.
"What's in the basement?"
"We were investigating too."
"Looks like someone's down there. Can you have them come out? Or should we drag them?"
Hollek descended without waiting for an answer. The colleagues managing Silder's mages below exchanged glances.
"What's this now?"
"Who knows."
As Deong feigned ignorance and looked at the stairs, an irritating "Haha" laugh echoed. Hollek, not hearing it, approached the mages.
Soon after, the captain descended to the basement.
"Nice to meet you. I'm the damned captain of the Special Inspectorate Unit, the ones who stab allies in the back and sell out comrades to survive. Who's the person in charge here?"
He saw it. Hollek's slit eyes widening noticeably.
Their gazes met. He gave a faint smile and shook his head side to side.
Good work, Mr. Hollek. I don't know what happens next.
(To be continued next episode)