Chapter 21
Chapter 21
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 21
Chapter Title: An Unforeseen Variable
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An Unplanned Foreign Object
The situation quickly calmed down.
Having faced her before, I knew Red's skills well, and that man, Isaac, seemed quite capable too.
Thanks to the two of them, we succeeded in driving out all the intruders who had attacked the zoo.
Though some people were killed or injured, the damage was minimal for an attack by a major organization.
It was all thanks to those two.
‘Isaac! Right, I remember now. I thought I’d heard that name somewhere… Isaac, the Frost General. It’s finally coming back to me.’
Isaac, the Frost General.
The youngest to ever become an A-rank Fixer, now an SS-rank, just below the highest level.
Ranked in the top 10 most popular Fixers among children and women.
A wizard of ice with incredible skill, versatile in water-attribute magic and unrivaled in the art of ice magic.
Wherever he appeared, a winter-like chill would descend, and numerous ice statues of syndicate members would be found, making him a figure of terror among their ranks.
That's why the underworld calls him the Frost General, after a being from an ancient text.
Of course, I once read in a discarded interview magazine that he dislikes that nickname and uses the childish moniker 'Ice Prince' instead.
The magazine I happened to read had its photo missing, so I didn't know what he looked like.
So that’s what he looks like.
To think I’d run into someone so incredible.
It seems like I’ll be seeing more of him in the future, so I’ll have to be careful around him.
‘They never would have dreamed that the Crime Killer and the Frost General would be at the place they were attacking. They really had no luck.’
From the moment those two were there, the Black Wing Corps' defeat was all but sealed.
Tsk, tsk, tsk. Poor things.
Anyway, I wonder why they attacked a place like this.
The Black Wing Corps is quite different from other criminal organizations.
They lack their own agenda.
To be precise, they’re known as the fixers of the shadows, silently carrying out any request as long as the client pays.
In other words, this attack was orchestrated by someone else.
Why? For what reason?
I can’t understand what would be so important that they’d hire such expensive muscle to attack a zoo on the outskirts.
Was something special being kept here?
No, that couldn't be it.
I didn't see anything that looked special, nor did I sense anything out of the ordinary.
It was just an ordinary zoo, exactly as it appeared.
Was there a dispute with the zoo manager? A personal grudge?
That seems the most likely possibility.
Or maybe there's another, more specific reason.
I tried to piece together the clues in my head and deduce something, but I quickly gave up.
It's impossible to solve a puzzle when you don't even know its size and only have a few pieces.
A waste of time.
Deciding to spend my time more productively, I looked out the window to clear my thoughts.
‘At least the traffic isn't bad on the way back.’
We were heading back to the orphanage in Red's car, just like when we came.
It was already late at night, and the sky was pitch black.
The stars were hidden by clouds today. The moon only occasionally revealed itself through the gaps.
Instead, the streetlights and illuminated buildings on the ground twinkled like stars.
Even though the situation was resolved, it was impossible for the zoo to continue operating.
Normally, we would have left right away, but since Red was the Fixer who had played a major role in resolving the crisis, she stayed until the end to discuss various matters, so we ended up leaving a bit late.
‘Thanks to that, we avoided the rush hour traffic, so it’s fine. Whether we get back early or late, there’s nothing to do when we get there, so there’s no need to hurry.’
I didn't particularly mind, so I sat quietly, but the other children were different.
They kept grumbling about how boring it was to wait.
I still vividly remember how happy they were when we were told we were finally leaving.
“Mmm…”
I turned my head toward the other children.
Worn out from the day, they were now sleeping peacefully.
In the silence, I could hear their faint breathing.
“Uwaaah~ A lion…”
“Stop… I can’t eat anymore…”
“Stop clinging to me… it tickles…”
A small smile touched my lips as I listened to the children's sleep-talking.
It seems they’re all having good dreams.
They were so disappointed they couldn't buy any souvenirs.
It would be nice to come back and buy them then, but after what happened, I’m not sure if the zoo will reopen.
I hope they can sort everything out and open again.
*Thud.*
“Lily… mmm, mmm…”
Just then, Lena, who was sitting next to me, leaned her head on my shoulder.
I looked to see if she had woken up, but her eyes were still closed.
Her face looked peaceful.
Her soft, even breaths.
Her mumbled sleep-talk.
I moved my other hand and gently brushed aside her slightly messy yellow bangs.
Then, careful not to wake her, I turned my head back toward the window.
I pray that the memories of today do not become a nightmare.
I make a wish to the shy moon that occasionally peeks through the clouds.
***
Red was driving the car.
Her expression was grim.
She naturally had a stern face, but her foul mood made it look even fiercer.
If the children had seen her, they might have disapproved of such a face and forced the corners of her mouth up with their fingers.
The reason for Red's unease was that her plans had gone awry.
Trouble had broken out at the zoo they had visited to lift the children's spirits.
A sudden attack by a criminal organization brought their peaceful day to an end and even put the children’s lives in danger. It was by no means a good thing.
‘Why did the Black Wing Corps show up here?’
This wasn't on the level of common thugs causing a ruckus.
Red had heard the name Black Wing Corps before and had even clashed with them a few times.
A criminal organization that would take on any job as long as the pay was good enough, seeing it through to the end.
That meant they had attacked the zoo with a specific purpose.
Red had felt a sense of unease while fighting them.
As she moved with the children, she noticed that while the attackers targeted visitors, they would become strangely fixated on the children whenever they saw them.
It was as if the children were their target.
‘Were the children the target? Why them? Did someone with a grudge against me send them for revenge?’
It was a possibility, but she couldn't be certain.
While they seemed to prioritize the children, she had also noticed other movements that suggested something else entirely.
‘That’s bothering me, but what the manager said is also on my mind.’
After the situation was under control, Red had spoken with the manager.
-This must be tough for you. To open a zoo in an outlying city only to have this mess happen… the damages must be immense.
-I specifically chose an outlying city so the residents here could enjoy it too. To think a major incident like this would happen on the first day… *sob*. Still, thanks to you and Mr. Isaac, the damage wasn't worse. In any case, it seems it will take some time before we can reopen.
-Right. Next time, make sure you hire more competent Fixers and security robots.
-I thought of that and spent a fortune preparing everything, but to think it would all be useless… *sob*. Come to think of it, there was something strange.
-Strange?
-According to my security team…
Then, the manager said something that bothered her.
Simply put, the attackers had gone completely undetected by the Fixers and security robots, and they hadn't tripped any of the security systems.
It was as if they knew the facility's weaknesses inside and out, breaking through with far too much ease.
Of course, considering the skills of the Black Wing Corps, it wasn't entirely surprising.
But for some reason, Red found it suspicious.
‘More importantly… to think I’d run into *him* of all people.’
Red frowned.
The memory of Isaac’s face soured her mood.
What was even more irritating was that Isaac was going to visit the orphanage.
She wanted to tell him not to come, but the children liked him, so she had ended up agreeing to his visit.
For personal reasons, Red was uncomfortable around Isaac. But since it was a personal issue, she knew it could be resolved if she just endured it for a little while.
Her foul mood made her crave a cigarette, but she held back for the children's sake.
Red glanced at the rearview mirror.
The children were asleep.
Seeing them sleeping seemed to ease her mood slightly.
But one of them was awake.
It was Lily.
“Lily, are you not tired? You can sleep if you are. We still have a long way to go.”
Lily nodded.
Red gave a bitter smile.
A happy day had been interrupted and ruined. It might even be etched into their minds as a trauma, leading to nightmares.
Still, it was also true that they had a good time.
She hoped this trip wouldn't become a terrible memory, that it wouldn't be swallowed by nightmares.
Red wished for it with all her heart.
***
Isaac returned to a luxurious hotel.
He stood looking at the sprawling scenery outside the window. The view of the city from the skyscraper was breathtakingly beautiful.
*Jingle. Jingle.*
The sound of rings clinking came from the darkness.
“I placed the request with the Black Wing Corps, just as you instructed. Are you sure this will truly aid in the Grim Reaper's revival?”
“Yes… It’s fine. Besides, your doctrine states that death summons the Grim Reaper, doesn't it?”
“What do you intend to do now? You haven’t made any significant moves since then…”
“Don’t worry. I’m planning to make my move soon. The stage is already set.”
“I see… We too hope for a favorable outcome.”
The presence in the darkness vanished.
Isaac poured a drink into a glass and raised it.
His reflection in the window looked somewhat troubled.
Isaac let out a long sigh.
‘Why didn’t the bomb go off?’
The zoo he had visited was the location of an affection event from the game.
Isaac had used the event in a different way.
It was Isaac who had ordered the bomb to be planted.
The attack and planting the bomb hadn't been difficult.
He had used his knowledge of the original story to inform them of the facility's weaknesses beforehand.
Moreover, the ones who took the job were the infamous Black Wing Corps.
It must have been easy for them.
The bomb’s blast was powerful enough to engulf the shelter.
If it had detonated as planned, Red's heart would have shattered from losing the children in an instant, and he would have slipped into the cracks of her heart and colored it with his own hue.
But the bomb didn't go off.
‘Did the Fixer on guard duty notice it? No, that’s not it. The ones there weren’t skilled enough. A dud, then? No, that’s even more unlikely. Then what the hell happened?!’
He wanted to go himself or send someone, but he couldn't move carelessly with Red watching.
If he aroused her suspicion by mistake, it would be a disaster.
What on earth had ruined his plan?
What kind of variable had prevented the bomb from detonating?
What was it…
*Crash!*
The glass in Isaac’s hand shattered.
Its contents and cold shards fell to the floor.
“Hah, the wizard of ice, losing his composure... This won't do. It won't do at all.”
Isaac took out a second glass.
And he filled it anew.
“The first plan failed, but the second one succeeded. So there’s no problem.”
The backup plan he had prepared just in case.
He had gotten her approval to visit the orphanage.
With this, he had established a point of contact. Now, he just had to leisurely raise his affection level with her.
And then, they could be on good terms again, just like before.
‘I don’t know why she’s avoiding me, but I can just raise the affection level again.’
Isaac brought the glass to his lips.
Then, a thought struck him, and he paused.
‘But why were there eight children? There should have been seven… Who is that child? I’ll have to find out for sure when I visit.’
There should have been seven children at the orphanage.
Remembering the masked girl who wasn't in the original story, Isaac drained his glass.