The Embassy of Shadows
I stood at Exit 9 of Chungjeongno Station and took a slow, deep breath. It was roughly a ten-minute walk from here to the Seosomun Shrine History Park. A short distance, perhaps, but in this world, it could feel like an eternity. The interior of Chungjeongno Station was quiet. With the bulk of our forces concentrated at Aeogae and Gongdeok Stations, only a skeleton crew remained here for surveillance and maintenance. As we approached, they immediately straightened their postures and saluted. I nodded in return, but my mind was a chaotic storm.
Our strike team’s objective was to infiltrate the Seosomun Shrine History Park and launch a 'terror' attack. Terror. We were the ones initiating the aggression. I felt no moral qualms about it. They had crossed the line first. They had ridden in on bikes, hurling flashbangs to shatter our defensive lines, and Aeogae Station was still a living hell because of them. Casualties were mounting, and the exits were choked with the corpses of the infected, making movement nearly impossible. This wasn't revenge; it was 'inevitability.' They should have talked when we offered the chance.
Still, a strange, creeping anxiety gnawed at the back of my mind. We weren't a professional army. Many of our members were civilians with no military training, and our equipment was woefully inadequate. But none of that mattered now. They had declared war on us first. We had no reason to play the gentleman. If anything, we were the ones who had suffered all the losses so far.
"Let's begin." I gripped my axe tightly.
A moment later, holding our breath, we carefully pried open the entrance to Exit 9. The barricade gave off a faint, grating noise as it was pushed aside, and a dozen strike team members slipped out one by one. From this point on, it was a literal 'battlefield.' This time, our opponents weren't just the infected. We might have to fight 'people.' That was why we had brought not just cold steel, but a few firearms as well. I had my familiar axe in hand, but I had also been issued a pistol. I holstered it at my waist and checked the magazine one last time.
...With the fighting dragging on at Aeogae Station, ammunition was running low. Most of our guns and bullets were allocated for the defense of Aeogae, and there wasn't much left for a civilian-led strike team. That was why tonight’s operation hinged on 'stealth.' But even if ammo was scarce, the moment would eventually come when we had to use those guns.
Lee Junhyeok signaled us with a wave of his hand. I inhaled sharply and nodded. Move out. We immediately began to run along the green pedestrian path. We moved quickly and quietly, doing our best to keep our footsteps from echoing in the darkness. Fortunately, neither the infected nor enemy soldiers were in sight. Our primary objective was the French Embassy. It was the most 'defensive' location before reaching the Seosomun Shrine History Park.
We moved low like shadows, keeping our breathing as shallow as possible. Every member of the strike team was careful not to even let out a sigh. One wrong step, and the fact that we were passing through could be exposed. I took a deep breath and scanned the surroundings. The roads were empty, and there were no flickering lights between the distant buildings. Only darkness and silence. But then—
...*Grrrraaaa...*
The sound came from one block ahead. I turned my head to see a single infected standing there. I didn't know where it had appeared from, but it was swaying, its head tilted toward us. If we were spotted, it was over. Firing a gun was too risky. At that moment—
*Whoosh—*
A small gust of wind passed by, followed by a sharp *thwack!* The infected collapsed on the spot. I reflexively turned my gaze to see Jang Yeeun quietly lowering her bow. Sensing my eyes on her, she blinked. *Blink, blink.*
...What was that?
Jang Yeeun gave a faint smile, clicked her tongue, and shook her head at me, as if to say, "Aren't you going to tell me I did a good job?"
"...Good job."
At that, Jang Yeeun chuckled and raised her bow again. We walked cautiously between the old buildings lining the streets. They were packed so tightly together that we never knew when or where an infected might jump out. I couldn't afford to lower my guard, and sweat trickled down my spine. *Hoo...* To keep my nerves from fraying, I gripped my axe even tighter. We moved carefully until the end of the green pedestrian path. And there, at the end—
Across the way, I saw the first alleyway, surrounded by villas. ...These villas might be useful later. If we expanded our territory this way, we could use them as a small residential area. If we just blocked the entrances, they’d be easy to defend, wouldn't they? I made a mental note of it and passed the alley. We finally arrived right in front of the French Embassy. It was a place wrapped in brick, gray concrete, and iron bars. The heavy black iron gate was shut tight. It looked as if no human hand had touched this place in a long time.
I looked at Lee Junhyeok silently; he scanned the area for a moment before nodding. We approached the embassy with caution. And then... the moment we tried to open the gate—
A small voice leaked from inside.
"C’est qui, ces gens...?" (Who are these people...?)
My entire body froze. Everyone stopped instinctively. A chill ran down my spine. I swallowed my breath and looked at Lee Junhyeok and Jang Yeeun. French...? My mind raced. In the original novel, the French Embassy was clearly an 'empty place.' That was why we had come here, thinking we could use it as a base... but why were there people inside?
My heart sank. Was there any point in questioning it now? But then—
*Click.*
A gun barrel was aimed at us from inside the gate.
"Damn it...!" Lee Junhyeok spat out a low curse and immediately raised his pistol. Jang Yeeun also took a stance, aiming her bow. The rest of the team drew their weapons and prepared for combat. The tension became suffocating. We were in a standoff, guns pointed at each other. This couldn't happen. We couldn't afford to fire blindly either. If a firefight broke out at such close range, the noise would almost certainly draw a swarm of infected.
At that moment, "N...Nous ne sommes pas hostiles..." (…We have no hostile intent.)
Stammering French reached my ears. I turned my head in surprise to see one of our team members... speaking French. The person holding the gun on the other side flinched slightly. For a split second, the suffocating tension wavered.
"Vous... êtes avec le gouvernement militaire? Avec le Comité de Reconstruction Nationale?" (You... are you with the military government? With the National Reconstruction Committee?)
Our French-speaking team member trembled and looked at me. I shook my head. He took a deep breath and replied, "Non... Nous ne sommes que des survivants civils." (No... We are just civilian survivors.)
A brief silence followed from inside the gate. "D'où venez-vous?" (Where are you from?)
The team member looked at me once more. I gave a short nod. He bit his lip and answered cautiously, "Nous venons de Gongdeok..." (Gongdeok... We came from Gongdeok Station.)
A murmur of French erupted from inside. Whispers, quick exchanges of opinion. And a few seconds later—
*Clack.*
The gate opened just a crack. A man with anxious eyes peered through the gap at us. Then, he spoke in clumsy Korean. "...Come in quickly."
The iron gate creaked open just a sliver. But the moment we tried to enter, a French soldier standing in front of the gate raised a hand to stop us. "Attendez." (Wait.)
He scanned us one by one and gave an order. Two French soldiers behind him immediately stepped forward and pointed at our bags and waists. "Fouillez-les avant qu'ils n'entrent." (Search them before they enter.)
As we stepped back, one of the French soldiers rolled up his sleeves and said roughly, "Déposez vos armes. Tout de suite." (Drop your weapons. Now.)
Their attitude was clearly filled with wariness. It was a natural reaction. We weren't just survivors; we were an armed combat group trying to enter their space. But we had no intention of handing over our weapons so easily. The team member who had been translating looked at us with a troubled expression. "No."
He translated it immediately. One of the French soldiers reacted irritably, gripping his rifle tighter. “Putain… on ne peut pas leur faire confiance.” (Damn it... we can't trust these people.) His voice was sharp, and I could feel the other soldiers around him growing tense. "Ils sont armés. On ne peut pas les laisser entrer comme ça." (They're armed. We can't just let them in like this.)
The air froze. The French soldiers' fingers moved toward their triggers, and our strike team tensed, raising their guns slightly. *Click.* A small, grating sound. One of the French soldiers reacted over-sensitively to our slightest movement and raised his rifle.
"Hey." Lee Junhyeok looked at the French soldiers with a cold gaze. "If we wanted to kill you, we would have done it already."
One of the French soldiers bristled and tried to step forward. "Putain—!" (You son of a—!)
I flinched and instinctively reached for my axe. The French soldiers all aimed their rifles at once, and our strike team reflexively gripped their weapons tighter. If one side pulled a trigger right now, this narrow space would turn into a bloodbath.
"Calm down, Lee Junhyeok."
Lee Junhyeok kept his finger on the trigger, his eyes never leaving the French soldiers. But they kept their guns trained on us, unwilling to change their stance. Just then—
*Thump, thump, thump.*
Heavy, rapid footsteps echoed, and a man emerged from the darkness. He wore slightly flamboyant clothing and had a sturdy build. But his expression was twisted with irritation, and he swept his sharp gaze over us. As soon as he appeared, the French soldiers straightened their posture and saluted him in unison. It was clear he was their superior. He opened his mouth.
"…Traduction." (…Translate.)
As soon as he spoke, we looked at our French-speaking team member. He looked a bit awkward, swallowed hard, and replied, "…D’accord." (…Understood.)
"Qui est le chef de votre groupe ?" (Who is the leader of your group?)
At that moment, I naturally looked at Lee Junhyeok. Lee Junhyeok looked at me once, then let out a small sigh. ...As if he had expected this. We exchanged a brief glance and stepped forward together. He let out a long sigh and said, "Je suis le colonel Langella." (I am Colonel Langella.)
Higher ranking than I thought...?