Pandemonium

None of the three Jo siblings had been called in the first wave.

That, at least, bought them time. The three of them gathered in Jo Yong-han's office to talk through what came next.

"Isn't there some way the three of us can go out together?"

Jo Shin-hye, opening.

"If we could manage even that, I'd breathe a little easier. There really isn't a way?"

She could say it only because she had already swallowed the facts. She knew far too well there was no time to waste on cries of How could this happen?

"I'm afraid that will be difficult. From what I've confirmed, no more than two office staff are permitted to accompany any single operation."

It was the first thing Jo Yong-han had checked. The three of them going out together was impossible.

"So two is still possible."

"That's what I've been working on. I'm looking into a way for you and An-na to go together, whatever it takes."

The sisters nodded, heavy with it. Jo An-na knew this was no moment for useless questions like Then what about you?

"I'll find a way to have you assigned to the safest operation available."

"I was wondering about that anyway. Once we're out there, what are we even supposed to do? Just tag along like ducklings?"

"In principle, accompanying them is sufficient. The stated aim is that you see with your own eyes how the outside world runs."

"That bullshit aim?"

"I consider it wordplay as well. In any case, the principle is that if you simply go along, you will have done your duty. However—"

Something about it nagged at him.

"I've been told a device has been prepared to confirm whether the accompaniment is being properly carried out."

"A device? They're going to watch us?"

"That much, I don't know."

And that was not the end of it.

"Furthermore... the field personnel we would be sent out with—hunters, soldiers, and the like—will not all be especially considerate. That, too, is a problem."

"Figures. Plenty of them have always resented the office staff."

That was the thing that finally sent Jo Yong-han looking for Jungkook.

Beyond it, mountain after mountain. Even with his head already this full, the subway reconstruction project had run into trouble of its own.

Thanks to Woo Jungkook they had the train blueprints in hand, but the clandestine reconstruction work bound for Yeongdeungpo had stalled. The snag was the Human Meat Factory. At first they had thought they could simply work outside the Factory's range and that there would be no great difficulty. They had badly underestimated how much larger that power might grow. The ground where construction had to proceed now overlapped the reconnaissance range of the Human Meat Factory's search teams.

"Oppa?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't worry so much! We've managed this far. It'll work out somehow, won't it?"

"Ah. Right."

"Why that reaction? Is there something else you're worried about?"

"No. Like you said, we've managed this far. It'll work out."

"Right? That's what I said!"

The Human Meat Factory was a power so formidable that even the regular army had washed its hands of it. Beating them into submission was out of the question, and because they refused all contact, talking a way through was impossible too. A trade proposal could not even be attempted.

"Haa..."

He had to find a way. If only someone could reach the Human Meat Factory. If there were someone who could meet them face to face without a gun leveled between them, then perhaps a way through could be found.

"Oppa?"

Hadn't someone said the subway ran through pitch-black tunnels? They had not even begun to run, and already there was nothing but dark.

I sat down on a plaza bench after Min Yeo-jin and Hocheol had both gone.

As expected, the official notice Hocheol had fetched for me was no good news. Take the office staff out on operations with you. No wonder it had seemed strange that they would shove every office worker outside with no plan at all. If the lot of them died, Headquarters would seize up, and if Headquarters stopped turning, Geofront could no longer be supplied with the surface's resources.

Sure enough, it didn't look as if they meant to send only the office staff out to die. A thinning, more like. Take it the way Boss had guessed—population control—and it about covered the thing. Had they judged the present Headquarters to be past capacity? I'd heard the place ran perfectly well back when the headcount was a quarter of what it was now.

Geofront is keeping Headquarters in check.

That was no longer something I could doubt. A large move like the subway project might have been the blow that settled it, cold water poured over my modest little dream. First, the problem sitting right in front of me. No tomorrow meant no day after, either.

Fortunately, the notice said operation zones could be assigned according to a Postman's preference. If preferred zones overlapped it would be a headache, but a word to Director Bae would probably sort it. Surely they weren't about to drive even a director-grade official outside.

Yeongdeungpo, Geumcheon-gu, Busan...

Dozens of operation zones were listed. Three of them caught the eye.

Logistics Warehouse 3 was an abandoned place. I had no idea why a delivery had to go there, but it had the advantage of being the closest. Of course it sat inside the activity range of the Human Meat Factory's search teams, which made it considerably dangerous. That was why the warehouse had been abandoned in the first place. Still, I had business that required a visit to the Human Meat Factory, so for me it was two birds with one stone.

A settlement that had suffered internal strife became something to avoid for a while. It could be the prelude to open revolt, and few jobs were as dangerous as a delivery into a settlement at war. That was likely why the risk had been rated so high. But I knew there would be no real trouble. The place was safe enough, and a rating set higher than it deserved would mean better delivery pay. While I was there, I could look in on Tofu and see if she was getting by.

From the fact that it listed only Busan as the destination, the job was probably a simple message. The load would be light. No specific place was written because the recipient was on the move—a small combat unit, most likely. The problem was the route. Clock-out Man had said he'd come up from Busan, so he would know the best one. From rank A upward the delivery reward doubled, which was a bonus. Set the distance aside, and it was doable.

Where should I go?

The first wave had already begun operations, which meant the Postmen would be going out from the second wave on. It might be first come, first served. Better to decide quickly. Lucky that Hocheol had gotten me the notice a day early. The other Postmen probably hadn't received it yet, and if I moved fast I could be assigned where I wanted.

In that case, the best of the zones was—

"Well now! Been a while, little brother!"

"Ah."

The Physiognomist.

Damn it. I should have moved. Sit in the plaza and you met every kind of person.

"How long has it been!"

"I'm afraid you have the wrong person."

"Eh?"

...Was that too blatant?

"Pretty sure I saw right."

"So you did. Unfortunately."

"How long has it been!"

"Headquarters is upside down, and you're perfectly calm."

"Aren't you the same, little brother?"

"Well. Yeah."

"Office folks have it rough, sure, but that doesn't make it our business. Work is work, and living is living!"

The old man clearly didn't know yet that Postmen had a part to play in this as well.

"Don't tell me you've got office staff you're close with?"

"Sorry?"

"I don't! Every friend I've got is a Postman I share life and death with out there."

"Weren't you the one going around getting friendly with everyone, calling them family and all that?"

"I want to! They're the ones with no interest."

I sympathized. Fiercely.

"You had this deep-thinking look, so I wondered if there was some office worker you were worried over."

I barely knew any office staff to begin with.

The announcement kept rolling. From the look of it, they were sending out the lowest ranks of the powerless departments first. Director Bae, then, was probably safe. Dr. Myeong was an A-rank physician, high-grade personnel. Jo Yong-han belonged to the Future Technology Department; even at a junior post he was treated as elite. He likely wouldn't be going outside at all. The cigar smoke and that grave face must have been worry over the sisters. The sisters, at any rate, Yong-han would look after properly. So there was no one in particular I had to worry about.

Getting driven out isn't really mine to worry over. And worrying wouldn't fix it. If anything, I was the one whose lot it was to worry more about this body of mine, rolling around outside every day.

"There's no one I'm particularly ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠worried about."

"That so? A shame."

"What is?"

"All this mess, and not a soul you're worried for. Means you've got that few people in your heart. A poor heart!"

"And you?"

"Didn't you just say you didn't have anyone either?"

"What are you talking about? I only said I don't have friends. People I worry about? I've got those. A whole lot of them!"

Meddling that put even Clock-out Man to shame.

"Anyway, good to see your face again, alive!"

"Yes."

"Next time we're headed the same way, let's make a delivery together!"

That was never going to happen.

"Sure."

"Good answer! I was in real trouble anyway, hearing the black market got shut down. Longtime regular, I was. Back in my prime, over there, I—"

Even as the Physiognomist's story dragged on, the announcement continued, and by now the announcement was considerably more entertaining.

"Kah-ha! Funny, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"You weren't really listening, were you."

"Yes. No."

"It's fine! I don't fuss over that sort of thing! More importantly—"

But then—

"Hm? Little brother, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠what's with that face?"

"..."

"Was my story that bad? Heh heh, well, it happens! But—"

"Mister."

"Hm?"

"Do you happen to know Elder Heo?"

"Who's that?"

"There's a Core appraiser whose mind comes and goes with dementia—"

"Ah, ah, I know, I know. That old fellow's famous."

"Do you happen to know his exact name?"

"Eh? Let's see. Doesn't everyone just call him Mr. Heo, old man Heo, something like that?"

They couldn't really mean to drive out even an old man that frail.

"Then, is there another appraiser with the surname Heo?"

"Seems like there might have been one more, but I couldn't say if he's still working. Not that I know every appraiser there—"

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

I'd better check.

"Where are you going, little brother! You'll fall like that!"

The way to Elder Heo was packed solid with people. Cries rose from every side.

"Hey! Don't shove!"

"That bastard's running!"

Soldiers manning checkpoints, office staff flustered out of their wits, men fleeing and men chasing them down. The first wave, already being thrown straight into operations, was mixed through all of it. Nothing short of pandemonium.

"Refuse inspection and we are authorized to use force!"

"No! I can't go out! I mean I won't! I'm not going!"

"Drag this bastard out."

"Please, spare me, please..."

"Who said anything about dying? Come back alive and you're fine."

"Fucking bastards... Easy to say."

"Didn't we eat from the same pot?"

"Bullshit. Living easy, shut up in here."

When I finally pushed through the crowd—

"Agh! Watch where you're— Woo Jungkook?"

I'd nearly collided with Dr. Myeong.

"Shouldn't you be in the clinic?"

"Something I have to see to. I'm in a hurry—going ahead!"

Dr. Myeong broke into a run. Same direction.

"...?"

"What."

"Why are you following me?"

"I'm not following you."

I put on a burst and pulled ahead of her.

"...Where are you going?"

Now she was the one chasing me.

"Don't tell me you're going to see Elder Heo."

Same destination, from the look of it.

"The name on the announcement. That was Elder Heo, wasn't it?"

"It's Heo Seong-chan."

Dr. Myeong knew his exact name. She had been his physician once. Natural enough.

I'm telling you, there is no such ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠thing as a daughter.

The daughter Elder Heo's dementia had made. Dr. Myeong had said it to his face: the girl was a figment. Not that Elder Heo remembered any of it.

"You're going to see Elder Heo too?"

"Send that old man outside and he will never come back alive."

I hadn't known she cared for him that much.

"Do you know how precious a Core appraiser is? What fool put even an old man like that on the list? No flexibility at all. Am I wrong?"

So she couldn't stand to let high-grade personnel die. A very Dr. Myeong reason.

"And why are you looking for Elder Heo?"

Hm. What do I say.

"Because he's an appraiser you've kept as an easy regular, even after you became a Postman?"

"Well... something like that."

"Different reason. Same intent as mine."

Did she have a way to stop them from driving him out? Well, she was an A-rank doctor. She might have been granted the authority to exempt one person of her choosing. Elder Heo was lucky.

We reached the place where the Core appraisers had been gathered, but a screen of hunters stood in a row and I couldn't see him.

"You lot! You think being a hunter makes you everything? Hah?!"

That booming voice, rolling out over the room, was enough to confirm he was there.

"Which mannerless brat is in charge! Get out here! When I first came to Headquarters, none of you were even born! You hear me?"

I'd figured he wouldn't simply take it lying down. Sure enough.

But that was as far as it went.

Elder Heo's turn had come as well.