### Chapter 391 – A Midsummer Night’s Dream (7)
—
– Han Kain
Finally, the SUV that had been moving until dark came to a stop.
There were no decent-looking buildings around, just a scattering of single-family homes, suggesting a sparsely populated area.
Was there really such a place near Seoul?
Of course, this ‘Seoul’ was a very different city from the one I knew.
Icthus and the five followers got out of the car and walked towards the village.
Naturally, I hopped onto the shoulder of one of the followers.
It wasn’t intentional, but upon landing, I recognized the face.
It was that researcher who had been bothering me all morning with his incessant note-taking.
“Hey!”
“What is it?”
After my ‘agreement’ with Icthus, the followers began to address me more respectfully.
“I could kill you any time, you know? So consider yourself lucky!”
“…”
“Still sounds like a threat to you, huh?”
“Uh, I’m sorry for earlier—whoops!”
—Flap!
“…”
The researcher bowed his head in a flustered apology, but since I was on his shoulder, my body bumped into his head.
I quickly swooped up into the air, avoiding a messy tumble to the dirt, but I was hit by an inexplicable sense of shame.
Icthus, watching this comical scene unfold, chuckled lightly.
“Looks like you’re quite chummy with Minsuk, huh?”
“…”
“Well, we still need to get some business done.”
Business? What do you mean by that?
As I was confused about Icthus’s intentions, the followers from the village approached us.
Their eyes radiated respect, and they wore expressions of uncontainable joy.
They seemed ready to drop to their knees and worship at any moment.
It appears their leader returning after overcoming ‘persecution’ brought them considerable happiness.
And then…
Icthus nodded generously with a smile.
The village followers, with determined expressions, pulled out rifles.
—Bang! Bang!
In an instant, the sound of gunfire erupted, and the Bureau’s staff members who had been serving Icthus fell dead one after another.
A purge out of nowhere?
I never imagined something like this would happen!
Suddenly, a member who had just pulled the trigger looked at Icthus with glazed eyes.
The followers from the village seemed utterly shocked and didn’t know what to do.
“Wh-why are you aiming at him, Dojoon?!”
“You idiot! What the hell are you—”
At that moment, a calm yet slightly anxious voice broke the chaos.
“Calm down; it’s nothing serious.”
Icthus’s gaze turned towards me.
“Cain, why is this happening all of a sudden? If you have any complaints, speak them clearly. I’m all ears for my friend.”
“Aren’t these your followers? Why did you kill them?”
“Those are all former Bureau employees. The Bureau implements various ‘security measures’ on its staff.”
“…”
“Of course, they all pledged to follow me wholeheartedly. But it’s likely that their bodies have been subjected to peculiar controls they themselves aren’t aware of.”
“You mean tracking sensors? It seemed like you had them removed from the car earlier?”
“That’s just the tip of the iceberg.”
“…”
“The Bureau treats humans like they are giant machines. Everyone is just a cog in the wheel—no exceptions. Internal staff are merely ‘slightly larger’ cogs.”
I understood the situation.
Icthus had charmed the Bureau staff with some kind of magic, but the Bureau had placed all sorts of controls on their bodies.
Thus, Icthus saw them as untrustworthy followers.
They were merely tools used to escape the Bureau or throwaway pieces.
Given how logical Icthus’s words were, I couldn’t refute him.
That didn’t obligate me to avenge the already deceased Bureau staff members.
—Flap!
I lightly flew up and settled back on Icthus’s shoulder.
He looked a bit surprised but didn’t shake me off.
“Thanks for understanding my point. We’re fostering a good friendship—cough!”
“Let’s get going. I need to see this father of yours.”
“C-Cain, your talons are a bit too—”
“Come on! Let’s get moving!”
“… We’re heading to the Holy Land.”
*
The Holy Land Icthus referred to was deep within a mountain near the village.
When did it start?
The scenery began to warp in ways that words could hardly describe.
The sky turned a sinister red, and the trees began to twitch bizarrely.
If any rational Bureau agent were here, they would have hastily called for a napalm strike.
—Grooowl!
A foreboding howl sounded from somewhere.
Icthus’s followers started to collapse to the ground, unable to handle it.
The man resembling Jesus looked at me, smiling slyly.
“Cain, please wait here for a moment. You might not be able to handle meeting my father without preparation.”
“…”
Icthus, draped in a red robe, moved ahead alone.
Then….
A gigantic, incomprehensible demon stood up, far larger than any ordinary building.
With the head of a red goat, curling horns, and an ugly body resembling writhing trees.
Then, a chilling voice grazed my mind.
*
Just like any other day, the Bureau was calm.
… At least on the surface.
Internally, it resembled a thin ice sheet that could crack anytime, especially since two chaos entities had escaped three days prior.
Of course, this wasn’t the first time chaotic entities had escaped.
Although the Bureau operated in the shadows of the world, it was ultimately a human-centered organization.
How could human endeavors be foolproof?
The broader the spectrum of operations to manage the world, the more gaps would inevitably form somewhere.
However, such reassurances didn’t console Park Hyunmin, the head of the Korea branch.
—Click!
“Chief! The strike team sent to Incheon has returned.”
“So soon? The search must not be done yet.”
“Well, you see…”
“What is it now?”
“The team leader is in a strange state.”
“…”
“Like he’s possessed or shivering uncontrollably…”
“… A good thing.”
“Excuse me?”
“If he came back messed up, it means there’s something near the deployment site. This time, we’ll mix in a 2nd class special operations officer—”
“Chief, the team leader insists he must see you urgently.”
“What?”
“He said he heard a strange voice.”
“A strange voice? Is he possessed by a demon or something?”
Park Hyunmin looked somewhat flustered.
It was common for strike teams deployed to the field to get enchanted by monsters or demons.
Was there any reason to entertain a request from such beings to meet high-ranking Bureau officials?
Naturally, such absurd requests were ignored as a rule.
The staff in front of him should know this much.
“Thinking to initiate the 2nd class mental purification procedure, I was surprised when he suddenly mentioned an agent’s name…”
“Enough being tedious. What’s the name of the agent?”
“Do you remember the names of the two missing agents? Kim Ahri and Kim Muksung?”
“…”
“According to the team leader, the mysterious voice claimed to be a comrade of Kim Ahri and Kim Muksung.”
“…”
“The leader asked for just one word to be relayed to you.”
“What is it?”
“Came from the hotel.”
The staff member tilted his head in confusion as he delivered the message.
He completely failed to understand the term ‘hotel.’
However, someone did understand that word.
“… Bring him in.”
“Uh?”
*
A little while later, the staff entered Park Hyunmin’s office, dragging in a military man with a haggard expression.
“Everyone else, out.”
“Chief, are you sure you want to be alone?”
“It’s fine; just go!”
The staff members left, looking uneasy as they closed the office door.
“…”
“…”
After a brief silence, the chief spoke up.
“So, team leader. You have something to say to me?”
The soldier, looking terrified, finally opened his mouth.
“I-i heard a voice! It was strange, but it gave me a bizarre revelation—”
Slightly annoyed, the chief sighed.
“Let’s skip the games. It’s a busy day for both of us.”
“W-what do you mean—”
“Revelation, what revelation? You sound like you’re being directed. I won’t chase you down for not tracking your leader, so just speak clearly.”
“…”
“…”
After a moment, the soldier laughed incredulously.
“I can’t believe this. I was pretty sure I was a great actor. To be caught so easily?”
“I’ve dedicated my life to sniffing out such performances.”
“Fair enough, but how did you realize I was controlling this body?”
It was a question I didn’t expect an answer to, but the Chief gladly replied.
“I received an interesting report about a peculiar parrot a few days ago. Supposedly, it claimed to be human, and it escaped along with Icthus.”
“…”
“I didn’t assume you would actually be a human. I apologize for caging you, parrot—how old are you, by the way?”
For a moment, Kain was lost for words as Park Hyunmin handed over a small piece of paper.
“Just a bit.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“The name of the hotel.”
Kain scribbled something down, wearing a somewhat cryptic expression.
「Hotel Pioneer」
“Pioneer? That’s the name being used this time.”
“… The name being used this time?”
The Chief’s sharp gaze swept over Kain.
“You’re a comrade of Ahri and Muksung, aren’t you?”
“Yes.”
“Alright, you’re a participant in the hotel, and it seems you’ve escaped. I take it you have something you wish from me?”
“Correct.”
“Speak up.”
“I noticed there’s a strike team roaming around Incheon lately. I’d like it if you could hold them back just for three days.”
The Chief tilted his head slightly, then asked.
“You mean stopping them from interfering with Icthus?”
“More accurately, I mean not interfering with Icthus and his ‘father’ looking for my body.”
“Please elaborate.”
Kain hesitated for a moment.
Should he reveal his intentions to this man?
There was no other option.
If he didn’t explain, the Bureau wouldn’t hold back the strike team.
His body was fixed in the skies of Korea, and it would fall in about 3-4 days.
His ‘father’ would locate the descending body.
When he conveyed this, Park Hyunmin looked somewhat surprised.
“So… you’re saying that even though you escaped from the hotel, you intend to return?”
Kain nodded, and the Chief looked at him in fascination.
“May I ask why? Escapees from the hotel are often found, but it’s rare for a specific agent to want to return.”
“I couldn’t actually escape.”
“What do you mean?”
“This world isn’t mine. It’s just another cursed chamber.”
The Chief paused, momentarily shocked.
A bit later, he nodded lightly as if he understood something.
“If you feel that way, then it can’t be helped. I’ll hold back the strike team.”
“Thank you.”
Just as their conversation seemed to reach its conclusion, the Chief abruptly tapped a hidden button under the table twice.
—Beep! Are you sure you want to reset the Seoul branch?
“Affirmative.”
—Park Hyunmin confirmed. What level of reset would you like to do?
“Reset all personnel below Level 2 security, along with 2 hours of memory.”
As soon as he finished speaking, strange noises echoed, and the entire Korea branch began to flicker.
Kain blinked, stupefied.
“What’s this…?”
“If you ever plan to visit again, do it secretly if possible.”
“Uh?”
“Don’t carelessly mention the word ‘hotel’ in front of the regular staff. It’s a tiring process to go through, as you can see.”
“…”
Suddenly, the words Icthus had spoken a few days ago echoed in Kain’s mind.
“The Bureau treats humans like they are giant machines. Every human is a cog in the wheel—no exceptions. Even internal staff are just ‘a bit larger’ cogs.”
Sighing, as Kain tried to escape the soldier’s body—
The Chief spoke up.
“What do you plan to do about Icthus and the god he serves?”
Instead of answering, the soldier collapsed, drooling.
“… What a polite friend.”
Park Hyunmin leaned back in his plush chair, reflecting on their previous conversation.
He pondered that ‘this space’ was not his reality.
This response made him uneasy.
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