Bailonz Street 13-Chapter 252.1
Black-Tortoise Team 1, Assistant Manager Eun Haje, and me.
The Disaster Management Bureau, which granted permission for this outing, attached conditions similar to last time, but their attitude was quite different.
‘It feels like they’re trying to learn how to manage a spirit-being.’
It’s like the offerings situation.
It wasn’t so much about checking whether I’d be safe to send outside, but more like… the atmosphere of helping an old country elder go on a rare outing to the city.
Or perhaps… a filial piety tour.
– Enjoy your sightseeing in Seoul! But please, we ask that you refrain from handing out pocket money to passersby using theme park currency…
…Yeah. Thinking back on what my assigned handler, Agent Sumaksae, said, that’s exactly the kind of tone it was.
Of course, I had no intention of doing something insane like tossing Cheerful Coins to random passers-by.
The problem was that, even so, I was making a choice that would probably horrify the Disaster Management Bureau if they ever found out.
Namely…
To involve Director Ho Yoowon of Daydream Inc. in an exploration of Sekwang Special Metropolitan City, a sealed, catastrophic, annihilation-sanctioned Disaster site.
“Roe, so you’re saying… you really plan to include Director Ho in the exploration team?”
Affirmative
There’s no way we can expect the bureau to support an expedition into Sekwang City.
But to receive help from Daydream instead?
‘There’s no way that’s going to go smoothly.’
At best, they’d probably use it as research material to figure out how to extract Dream Essence from Sekwang City.
But since I was still bound to that company, I needed some method of securing freedom of movement.
To satisfy all those conditions, there was really only one solution.
—A backer with their own agenda capable of exerting influence over Daydream.
Which, in the end, meant Ho Yoowon.
Of course, he must have known that himself, which is why the suggestion was made so confidently…
“…Are you sure this is a good idea? I mean, since I work under that prick, I’ve got no choice but to follow orders… But the bureau agents are obviously going to hate this.”
“Eyy, come on. What’s the harm if we dislike him a little!”
Agent Choi replied with a grin.
But no one really looked pleased.
“The problem is, something out of our control might happen.”
“……”
“Grapes-ie. You’ve already experienced that yourself.”
There was an unarguable certainty in the words of the agent who had once nearly been killed by Ho Yoowon.
Even so, I had something to rely on.
Variable :
Ho Yoowon’s desperation
“…!”
The circumstances this time were completely different.
‘We’re probably the only ones who actually entered Sekwang City and came back alive.’
That meant he’d be desperate.
Even though he should technically be in a position to wait calmly, since there’s no one else who could fill our role, Ho Yoowon couldn’t stay put. The moment he realized we were gathering and discussing the topic, he immediately inserted himself into it.
Maybe he’d been observing through Assistant Manager Eun Haje, but one thing was certain.
He was desperate enough to say he was willing to have restrictions placed on himself.
And.
When someone desperate shares your goal :
Likelihood of betrayal ▼
“……”
“Well, that’s true. They say the enemy of your enemy is your friend, after all.”
Though, calling that creep a true ally would be a stretch, Assistant Manager Eun Haje muttered under her breath as she glanced longingly toward the smoking area of the café.
“Anyway, I don’t think it’s bad to use what we can. Hm… that guy must have connections inside the bureau too.”
“Of course I do.”
…!!
“So you’ve finally made up your mind, it seems. Everyone.”
A group of office workers passed by our table, carrying coffee cups.
One of them, walking in the middle, smiled and turned to us.
“Hello.”
The café was bustling with office workers as lunchtime ended, yet the others—as if under a trance—seemed to fail to notice one person casually splitting off from their group to sit down at our table.
“……”
“……”
Ho Yoowon.
Appearing as if out of thin air, he smiled and took a seat among us as if he belonged there.
“Talking about me behind my back… I’m hurt, you know.”
“Well, people say it’s fine to curse even the king when he’s not around, so let’s let this slide. It’s not like we were using actual foul language.”
“Of course, of course, Miss Eun Haje.”
Then Ho Yoowon turned to me, pulling a pitiful face.
“Actually, you’ve already cursed me to my face several times… I was too scared to talk back, you see…”
Why the heck is this guy acting like this.
[Good heavens. How insufferable.]
[But he does seem rather excited. It appears he’s truly been burning up inside, desperate to work with you, Mr. Roe Deer!]
That… might actually be true.
“How about it, Roe Deer-nim?”
……
“I trust you won’t let overly cautious agents tied down by their institution make you miss out on a good opportunity…”
……
It seems there’s a misunderstanding.
Exploration Team Composition
: Disaster Management Bureau agents excluded
“…!”
“…What?”
I don’t intend to do this exploration with the agents.
I can’t afford to drag them into unnecessary trouble or cause misunderstandings.
I only brought this up now so we could make things clear and so they wouldn’t worry, or try to look into it later.
“…You.”
“Hm. Well, I guess it makes sense. Government employees probably can’t take time off that easily. And it’d be hard to hide it from the bureau.”
Assistant Manager Eun Haje nodded as if she understood.
“But Roe, the way you worded it. If you call people ‘unnecessary’, that might sound a little hurtful, you know. We’re human, after all.”
……
“…No.”
…!
“I understand you meant it out of consideration for our circumstances as agents.”
Agent Bronze.
The agent, whose eyes had grown darker from sleepless nights wrestling with this unprecedented situation, looked at me and spoke quietly.
As though he’d already reached a firm conclusion.
Salt Goblin
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