Chapter 146
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 146
Chapter Title: It's Not So Bad to Play Along with Their Dirty Intentions (4)
“Gah!”
Nishida doubled over and collapsed, and the onlookers watched the old man with calm faces, as if the outcome was exactly what they had expected.
The old man brought the tip of his bamboo sword to Nishida's chin.
He then used the sword to force Nishida's face toward him and, meeting his gaze, opened his mouth to speak.
“There is hesitation in your sword.”
No sound could be heard other than the old man's voice.
But the gazes and emotions of the seated onlookers seeped into the air, creating a strange atmosphere.
A sense of ridicule and mockery aimed at Nishida.
The old man was aware of it, but he kept his eyes fixed on Nishida and continued speaking.
“Unless you get rid of it, you will forever be a Menial, Nishida.”
Nishida's face trembled, and he lowered his gaze.
“Yes, Daimyo.”
*Grind.*
Nishida bit the inside of his cheek.
His hand, resting on the tatami mat, clenched into a fist, and he exhaled a hot breath through his nose.
The stares fixed on him felt like needles.
But he was a Menial, the lowest of the low, while they were at least two ranks above him.
Members of the organization that ruled this island.
Though they were less skilled than Nishida, they had easily obtained high ranks thanks to their good lineage and the privilege of not being of mixed blood.
“The next match is in a week. Be recovered by then.”
“Understood.”
The match came once a week.
For Nishida, it was the most agonizing event.
If he defeated the Daimyo, he could be promoted, but doing so would get him executed for the crime of harming the Daimyo's body.
Simply because he was of mixed blood, his fate was to be like oil dropped in water, never able to mix.
Thus, he had to endure this painful day every week, becoming a laughingstock for the other members.
It was a routine that had been repeating since he was just seven years old.
“Clean up.”
The Daimyo walked past Nishida as if nothing had happened, and the other members broke their formal sitting posture, stood up, and left the dojo.
*Thump!*
In the empty dojo, Nishida, with his head bowed, slammed his clenched fist on the floor.
***
*Vroooom!*
With a heavy engine roar, the transport plane began to soar high into the sky.
Kanghyeok glanced at his watch, then checked the position of the moon.
*'Just over ten minutes until arrival.'*
By calculating the position of the moon and the plane, he could tell they would soon reach the target location.
He had already received the satellite map.
It was an island so densely forested it could have been a picture of the Amazon, so the map wasn't of much help, but he could at least confirm the presence of boats and an airstrip.
Suspicious.
An unmapped island with an airstrip.
And for what reason would an island of this size be missing from the map?
*Whirrrr!*
Having reached the desired altitude, the transport plane leveled out, and the deputy team leaders unbuckled their belts and began pulling jet-black suits from the bags beside them.
Kanghyeok, too, unzipped his bag.
And what he pulled out was a large suit made of a durable material, like a parachute.
It was a wingsuit, with thick fabric connecting the wrists and ankles like a flying squirrel, and it even had a small parachute for deceleration.
*Click.*
Kanghyeok took a pair of goggles from his bag, put them on, and then slipped the wingsuit on over his formal suit.
The wingsuit, tailored to the measurements of his suit, fit his body perfectly.
“Eight minutes to drop!”
Before mission insertion.
The transport plane was flying over the target area.
So the voice coming from the cockpit was low and solemn.
“If you're all suited up, focus.”
The two deputy team leaders' gazes turned to Kanghyeok.
*Thump.*
Sitting down on a seat, Kanghyeok glanced at the two deputy team leaders who were planning to betray him.
“Briefing starts now.”
“Don't we just have to follow orders?”
Andrei asked, his voice tinged with doubt, and next to him, the other deputy team leader, Marcos, frowned behind his goggles.
“The Team Leader has command on-site. As you know, due to the terrain and environmental characteristics, the company couldn't specify the targets.”
Not just the two deputies in front of him, but even the pilot in the cockpit paid close attention to Kanghyeok's words.
“We'll split into two teams for intelligence gathering and efficient striking.”
This seemed to be a bad situation for the deputies, as both of their faces stiffened.
“We haven't properly assessed the enemy's strength. Is it really necessary to take the risk of splitting the team?”
Andrei offered in a low voice, but Kanghyeok shook his head.
“That's why we must split up. The primary objective is changed to intelligence gathering and assessing their strength. The initial objective, destroying their means of escape, is now secondary.”
The mission plan stated to destroy their escape routes and then eliminate their leadership.
“But…”
“I won't hear any objections.”
As Kanghyeok cut him off, Andrei and Marcos pressed their lips together firmly.
Instead, they exchanged a brief glance. They must have felt a heavy weight on their chests.
Kanghyeok's objective was to eliminate the leadership, as per the plan.
But their objective was to eliminate Kanghyeok.
They needed to stick together to eliminate Kanghyeok easily, but his orders would force them to separate.
“Does anyone have reconnaissance experience?”
Andrei glanced at Marcos before raising his hand, and Kanghyeok shifted his gaze to him.
“You'll move to the opposite side from us. Rendezvous is tomorrow morning, at the midpoint.”
Andrei nodded heavily.
Marcos gave Andrei a quick look, then turned his gaze to Kanghyeok.
“Will I be with you, Team Leader?”
“Yes.”
“One minute to target!”
At the pilot's voice, Kanghyeok pulled on his helmet.
He then tightened the chin strap until it pressed down on his hair.
*Creeak!*
The transport's door slid open, and a rush of wind heavy with the smell of the sea blasted in.
“Prepare to descend!”
Kanghyeok was the first to walk toward the door.
Behind him, Andrei and Marcos were probably exchanging silent signals.
Andrei would be asking Marcos to take care of Kanghyeok, and Marcos might tell him to land somewhere suitable and rendezvous as quickly as possible, just in case.
Do as you please.
“Descend!”
Kanghyeok threw himself out of the transport and into what felt like the middle of space.
The sky and ground flipped as a fierce wind mercilessly battered his eardrums and his entire body.
*Whoooooosh!*
A violent wind, so strong it felt as if his eyeballs would evaporate without his goggles, swept across his face and violently shook the fabric of his wingsuit.
Head down, arms and legs tucked in, he looked at the island.
*'The lit areas are...'*
One to the west, five to the south, and one to the north.
Hidden by the trees, there were likely more.
*Whooosh!*
Plummeting through the air, Kanghyeok spread his arms and legs wide.
*Fwump!*
The fabric unfurled, momentarily slowing his descent. But he was still falling.
His vertical drop had simply become a diagonal glide.
*Whoooooooosh!*
The air was heavy.
The thick air rushed at him from the front, like swimming through water.
Sensing someone behind him, he looked back to see Andrei and Marcos following him.
Then, Andrei banked his body and flew off into the distance, while Marcos stayed close behind Kanghyeok.
Kanghyeok averted his gaze from Marcos and tilted his arms and legs to the side.
*Whoooooooosh!*
Like a flying squirrel or a paper airplane thrown from a cliff, Kanghyeok headed west.
He spotted a watchtower along the way.
But judging by the large searchlight fixed on the sea, it seemed they hadn't spotted him.
It couldn't be helped.
Who could possibly imagine someone infiltrating from the sky, silent and cloaked in darkness?
When a spot far from the watchtower, thick with bushes, came into view.
Kanghyeok hooked his thumb on the ring attached to his chest.
He then pulled the ring in one swift motion, maneuvering his arms and legs to steer his body toward a clearing.
*Fwoomp!*
With a sound like a towel being snapped, the deceleration parachute caught a large gulp of air.
His speed dropped dramatically, and Kanghyeok landed on the island.
*Thud.*
“Ugh.”
Marcos's landing must have been unstable, as he groaned for a while, unable to get up.
*Zzzzip.*
Kanghyeok unzipped his wingsuit and pressed a button on the parachute.
Like the cord of a vacuum cleaner retracting, the wide-spread parachute was pulled back into its pack. Kanghyeok wrapped the pack in the wingsuit and hid it in a crevice between some rocks.
“Follow me. We're in a hurry.”
*Crunch, crunch.*
The forest path was shrouded in darkness.
The sound of footsteps following from behind and the crunch of dry weeds being trampled.
The air was mixed with the smell of the sea, and trees that looked to be hundreds of years old filled his vision, creating a sense of confinement.
It was a winter forest in the dead of night.
The bare branches, silhouetted against the pale moon, looked like the beckoning fingers of a ghost.
“Where are we heading first?”
“The watchtower.”
“But we'll be spotted by the guards changing shifts.”
Marcos spoke in a disgruntled tone, perhaps annoyed that things weren't going according to plan.
*Crunch, crunch.*
Kanghyeok didn't even glance at him, continuing to walk toward the watchtower.
“We'll deal with them after the shift change to secure more time.”
“Then, may I scout the surrounding area?”
It was a question that clearly revealed his intentions, so Kanghyeok turned his head toward Marcos.
It was a pitch-black night, with no streetlights or any other sources of light nearby.
The moonlight was so bright that it cast shadows, so Marcos knew Kanghyeok was looking at him.
*Nod.*
Silencing Marcos with just a look, Kanghyeok dropped to a prone position where the watchtower came into view.
He could feel the pistol tucked in his jacket pressing against his chest.
Kanghyeok checked his watch.
He noted the time by the luminous hands and fixed his gaze on the watchtower.
*'Their attire is uniform. Military? No, it's closer to a group uniform.'*
Overall, it resembled a black martial arts uniform.
But in some ways, it also looked like a tracksuit, as if it were a modern reinterpretation of traditional clothing.
*'What in the world are you people?'*
If their attire had been like that of a military or a terrorist group, he wouldn't be wondering like this.
But these guys were different.
From Iron Mask to these unidentified people, there was definitely something amiss.
Kanghyeok took a deep breath.
Even though it was winter, the scent of the well-preserved forest filled his lungs.
Thanks to that, his mind grew sharper.
“The shift change has started.”
About twenty minutes had passed.
Marcos spoke from behind him, and Kanghyeok, watching the tower, nodded silently.
Three men climbed the ladder, and after a brief exchange, the previous guards climbed down.
The moment to strike had finally arrived.
“Are we going together?”
“No.”
Kanghyeok pulled the pistol from his jacket, screwed on a silencer, and continued.
“I'm going alone.”
He then lowered his stance and began to approach the watchtower.