Chapter 76
Chapter 76
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 76
Chapter Title: Ripple Effects
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It felt like they’d been apart for much longer than they actually had.
Is this how kids this age are?
In that short time, Yohan seemed to have matured a little.
“Thank… you.”
Kanghyeok watched Yohan dust himself off, a bitter smile touching his lips.
“You fool.”
He had a pretty good idea of what had happened.
It looked like he’d taken a few hits trying to protect the pistol, but he could have just handed the damn thing over.
Did he really think I couldn't get it back?
Even if those bastards hid at the ends of the earth, Kanghyeok had the skill to hunt them down and put a hole in their heads.
But he had no talent for healing others’ wounds.
“Are you hurt badly?”
“No. Just a little dusty.”
Yohan tried to sound casual, not wanting Kanghyeok to worry.
It was a transparent ploy, typical of a young kid.
Still, Kanghyeok couldn't bring himself to say anything. He didn't want to bruise the boy's pride, so he settled for letting out a hot sigh.
“Next time, I’ll teach you how to fight without a gun.”
“Really?”
His eyes lit up, a stark contrast to the sullen boy from moments ago.
Kanghyeok heaved a sigh that made his chest rise, and Yohan gave an awkward laugh.
“I brought some ammo. There’s more in the car, so you’ll have enough to shoot for a while.”
“Yes, I’ll put them to good use.”
“Let’s see what you’ve got.”
Kanghyeok said, handing Yohan a box of bullets. Yohan flinched but ejected the magazine from the pistol and began loading it.
Click.
He liked the way Yohan’s expression changed the moment he slotted the magazine back in.
Kanghyeok started the timer on his watch, and as soon as the second hand began to move, Yohan moved through the makeshift obstacles and targets, pulling the trigger.
Bang! Bang, ba-bang!
Some of the shots were so fast they almost overlapped.
How much effort would someone with no talent have to pour in to reach this level in such a short time?
With his index finger poised over the button on his watch, Kanghyeok watched the bullets strike the targets with precision. He stopped the timer the instant Yohan hit the last one.
His time had improved dramatically.
Far more than before Kanghyeok had left.
A sudden memory surfaced.
The days after he left the military, when he’d joined a mercenary training agency and practiced shooting against the clock, just like Yohan was doing now.
Was I like that back then?
“Hah, hah.”
Panting for breath, Yohan looked at him with a mixture of hope and anxiety.
Kanghyeok raised one corner of his mouth and nodded.
“Good job. Better than I expected.”
“R-Really?”
“Yeah.”
A pure, radiant smile spread across Yohan’s face.
It was the kind of smile Kanghyeok couldn’t imitate even if his life depended on it.
“Oh, right. I’ll give you your pistol back.”
Yohan held the pistol out to Kanghyeok.
He must not have neglected its maintenance; aside from the heat and the smell of the hot barrel, it was in much the same condition as when Kanghyeok had first given it to him.
Clack.
Kanghyeok took the pistol, gave it a quick inspection, and switched the safety on.
Then he tucked it away and pulled out another pistol.
“This is…”
The pistol he’d received from the Master.
The same one that had killed so many of Iron Mask’s men on this last mission.
Kanghyeok placed the pistol in Yohan’s hand.
“I’m giving it to you. It should be easier to handle than the one you were using.”
“Can I… really take this?”
“You’ve earned it.”
Yohan examined the new pistol, fascinated by how much lighter it was than Kanghyeok’s.
He had no idea of the pistol’s value, or that it was something an ordinary person couldn’t acquire no matter how much money they had, so his reaction was muted.
And that was a good thing.
If he hesitated every time he pulled the trigger due to some unnecessary pressure, it would be a disservice to the pistol and hinder the improvement of his skills.
“I’ll take good care of it.”
“Treat it like it’s a part of you.”
Kanghyeok sat on a nearby tire and watched Yohan, who was repeatedly inserting and removing the magazine from his new pistol.
Then he took a cigarette from his pocket and put it between his lips.
Click, fwoosh.
The time was exactly noon.
The time Kanghyeok usually oversaw Yohan’s training.
“Hooo.”
So, as he exhaled smoke and watched Yohan, the fight against Iron Mask’s men in Mexico felt like a fleeting dream.
Even though he knew it wasn’t.
In any case, it finally felt like he was back to his daily routine.
That was an undeniable fact.
***
In his office, William was looking at the photos his secretary, Olga, had sent him over messenger.
Swipe, swipe.
With each swipe of his thumb from right to left, a new photo appeared on his phone. And with each photo, William’s brow furrowed as he fiddled with the cigar box in his other hand.
Photos of the sea where the cruise ship had sunk.
Corpses that, thanks to their life jackets, hadn't sunk despite being dead.
Burnt wreckage, pieces of plastic and rubber, littered the surface of the water. Seagulls were resting on the debris or pecking at the bodies.
Beep.
William called Olga and opened the cigar box.
(Yes, sir.)
William answered the call as he clipped the end of a cigar.
“When were these pictures taken?”
(I sent them the moment I received them from the investigator.)
Considering the delay due to security protocols, the photos were about five minutes old.
Click.
William put the cigar in his mouth, lit it, and took a drag while pressing the phone to his ear.
(Is there anything else you'd like to know?)
“Who in the company knows about this?”
(Currently, only the investigator, myself, and you, sir.)
“Give the investigators a plausible story. Make sure no reports go up the chain, and no rumors start.”
(Understood. Should I erase the data as well?)
“Of course.”
William held the smoke in his mouth, swirling it around.
It was a top-quality Cuban cigar, but unfortunately, he couldn’t really taste it.
He had too much on his mind.
The shock from the photos was that great.
‘That crazy son of a bitch.’
All William had done was provide a little support.
And yet, Kanghyeok had actually pulled it off.
‘He couldn’t have done it alone.’
The pilot who went to pick up Kanghyeok mentioned two strangers.
Their identities were being investigated.
But half a day had passed with no news, suggesting that identifying them would not be easy.
In any case, even if he had help, he had once again accomplished something incredibly difficult.
“Hah.”
William sat on the sofa and gave the photos one last look.
Then he deleted them from his phone.
Once Olga erased the data, what Kanghyeok had done would cease to have ever happened on this earth.
He had already informed a high-ranking official in Mexico, so there would be no separate investigation. And even if one were to happen, the truth would be concealed.
(Then…)
“Wait. One more thing.”
(Yes, sir.)
“Bring up two drinks.”
(Two, sir? You aren't expecting any guests.)
“I know.”
(What would you like?)
“One martini.”
William searched his memory and continued.
“And the other, a scotch.”
(Yes, sir. I’ll have them brought up right away.)
William hung up and smoked his cigar.
When his cigar was about half-smoked, a knock came at the door. William called for them to enter, and an employee came in, pushing a three-tiered cart.
Clink.
The glasses were placed on William’s desk.
An ice bucket and tongs.
And two crystal glasses.
After the employee left, William used the tongs to add ice to the scotch, then picked up the martini glass with its olive.
Clink.
He then moved the scotch glass to one side of the desk.
In the direction where Kanghyeok would be.
“Good work.”
For fighting a battle no one will ever acknowledge.
William had no idea why, how, or by what means Kanghyeok had pulled this off.
But one thing was certain.
William had started to see Kanghyeok in a different light.
‘All I wanted was a useful chess piece.’
Someone who would follow orders.
Someone with outstanding combat skills. That was all.
That’s why he had approached Kanghyeok, a former employee, and tried to reinstate him and keep him by his side.
“Hmph.”
It would have been nice to have a view of the outside.
But his office was in the basement and had no windows.
So William fixed his gaze on the landscape painting hanging behind his desk.
Clink.
William tapped his glass against the scotch on the desk, as if in a toast, and brought it to his lips.
***
Rumble.
Driving the old car, Amos glanced at Gabriel, who was lying in the passenger seat.
“Can you hang in there?”
“Just hurry.”
Gabriel said with her eyes closed, and Amos answered by pressing the accelerator.
Clunk!
The car shuddered over even the smallest bumps, sending jolts of pain through their bodies.
Gabriel grimaced and let out a groan, while Amos clenched his jaw and let out a shallow breath.
The effects of the morphine had worn off, and the pain was now vivid.
Gabriel was covered in a cold sweat, and Amos knew his own body was far from fine.
And yet, strangely, their spirits were light.
They had accomplished something that was next to impossible.
And they had even managed to stay alive.
What more could be said?
“Call the Father.”
Amos had just looked over at Gabriel.
“Tell him the job is done, that we had help. Tell him we’re coming back.”
“Right. I will.”
Amos took out his phone, plugged in his earphones, and put one in his ear.
Then, while still holding the steering wheel, he operated the phone and made the call.
Ring, ring, ring.
The line rang for a long time,
(Amos?)
A man’s voice, both gentle and deep, came through.
“Yes, Father.”
(You’re alive. Thank God. Thank God. I was so…)
“We’re alright, Father.”
(God must have been watching over you. Is Gabriel safe?)
“Yes.”
(You don’t sound well.)
Amos sucked on his dry lips.
He had to tell the truth.
That they had received help from someone from the company.
But it wasn’t an easy choice.
The group they belonged to did not like the company.
As much as Gabriel and Amos hated war.
(Amos? Is something wrong?)
Just as Amos was hesitating, unable to hide the truth from the Father—their father, guide, instructor, and teacher—
Tap.
Gabriel grabbed Amos’s hand, which was resting on the steering wheel. After a moment of silence, Amos spoke.
“Actually, there’s something I have to tell you, Father.”
(You can tell me anything.)
“We met someone from the company. And we fought the sinners alongside him.”
(…)
“I know how you feel about people from the company, Father. You told us to avoid them. We thought of them as devils.”
(Yes, I did. That’s right.)
Amos recalled Kanghyeok’s face.
“But the man I saw was someone I could trust. He willingly shed his own blood for us.”
The silence that followed was long and uncomfortable.
(What you just said sounds dangerous.)
His voice was so cold it was hard to believe he was the same kind Father.
But Amos, having already made up his mind, calmly conveyed the truth from his heart.
“I don’t trust the company as a whole. But I want to trust him.”
(Even if it means excommunication?)
“Even if it means excommunication.”
Thump.
Beside him, Gabriel tapped the back of Amos’s hand again.
He turned to see Gabriel, pale and limp, giving him a thumbs-up.
The sight was ridiculous.
Amos scoffed silently as the Father’s voice came through the phone.
(For now, just come back. We’ll talk when you get here.)
“Understood.”
Amos hung up the phone and pressed his foot harder on the accelerator.