Chapter 869: Influx (4)
Secret Security Force.
A state institution directly under the Rafdonia Royal Family.
However, the institution's own influence had waned somewhat.
After all, the glory of the old days was long gone.
Roles like infiltration, espionage, and operations had been transferred to the Rose Knights, and the authority to investigate nobles had also passed to Mozlan with its establishment.
In fact, it was safe to say that its main duty now was to find and execute Evil Spirits…
That was probably why its name ended with 'Force' instead of a more prestigious title.
In its heyday, its name was the Secret Security Bureau.
'They said everything changed when the era shifted with the Dawn King.'
That was why I was a bit lost when I first came to this world.
This world, over 150 years after the time setting of [Dungeon & Stone], had many differences from the one I knew.
For example, the Rose Knights.
In the game, a group with that name didn't even exist.
"Secret Security Force…" (Astarotta)
Astarotta muttered, looking at me as if organizing his thoughts.
"You don't actually intend to catch and kill the Evil Spirits, so are you planning to gather them to form a private group?" (Astarotta)
Yes, just as I'd expect from a smart guy, he immediately grasped my intentions.
Of course, I would have to correct a slight misunderstanding.
"I have no intention of forming a private group." (Bjorn Yandel)
I said frankly.
"I'm just a little upset. You're accepting the Noark bastards because you're short on Magic Stones, so why can't you accept Evil Spirits?" (Bjorn Yandel)
"…" (Astarotta)
"Considering that Noark is swarming with Evil Spirits, suppressing them is not just meaningless, it's almost a futile effort." (Bjorn Yandel)
"Hmm, that's hard to deny." (Astarotta)
Surprisingly, Astarotta nodded without much protest.
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Ah, of course, that didn't mean he was open to persuasion.
"It seems you ultimately want to continue the previously failed 'Evil Spirit Integration Policy', but that's impossible, so give up." (Astarotta)
"Why is that?" (Bjorn Yandel)
"His Majesty does not wish for their civilization to contaminate this world." (Astarotta)
Astarotta drew a firm line.
It wasn't difficult to understand what he meant.
Democracy, revolution, religion, science, and technology…
From the perspective of ruling this city, the way of thinking of a Modern Person would certainly be unwelcome.
'Though it pisses me off that he himself created all sorts of things like elevators and board games.'
In any case, I perfectly understood what he meant.
No, in fact, I came here expecting him to say just that.
So, I presented the answer I had prepared.
"That's all the more reason why I must have the Secret Security Force." (Bjorn Yandel)
"Yes, I knew you wouldn't give up so easily. Go on, tell me. What is your reason?" (Astarotta)
"Because if it were me, I could control and prevent everything you're worried about beforehand. If there are any who don't listen to me and try something foolish, I'll just send them to the execution block, and that will be that." (Bjorn Yandel)
"Well, that might be possible. But from our perspective, the current situation is sufficient, so there's no reason for us to allow such a variable." (Astarotta)
Rather than dwelling on the feasibility of my plan or things like that, Astarotta went straight to the core of the issue.
"Now, tell me then. Why should we grant your request?" (Astarotta)
Astarotta and the Dawn King were not my parents.
Meaning, they weren't beings who would give in just because I threw a tantrum asking for something.
However, there was no need to worry about this problem.
Coincidentally, I had a free pass.
"Didn't His Majesty say it before he fell asleep? That you should do your best to grant and cooperate with whatever I request from now on." (Bjorn Yandel)
At those words, which sounded a bit forced, Astarotta scowled.
"That was regarding the mission to kill the former Chancellor during the war." (Astarotta)
"Oh, is that so? I suppose His Majesty woke up in the middle of his sleep to tell you that?" (Bjorn Yandel)
I spoke in a tone anyone could recognize as sarcastic, but he remained silent, offering no response.
And that, to me, was the answer.
"What? So that never happened, and you were just daring to presume His Majesty's thoughts on your own and arbitrarily distort his command?" (Bjorn Yandel)
"…" (Astarotta)
Astarotta chose silence once again.
It was time to deliver the finishing blow.
"That day, when I came here, the Dawn King agreed to ask five favors of me." (Bjorn Yandel)
The first favor concerning the 'Chancellor' was already done, leaving four more.
However, the next favor had not yet been given.
But one thing was certain.
"So what are you trying to say?" (Astarotta)
Tch, so impatient.
"The Dawn King clearly wants something from me. And for that purpose, he agreed to support me completely. So you should cooperate with me." (Bjorn Yandel)
"Hah, even without knowing what the next command is?" (Astarotta)
"It's a 'favor', not a 'command'. I'd appreciate it if you were careful with your words. Or are you planning to interpret His Majesty's words however you please this time as well?" (Bjorn Yandel)
After I finished speaking, Astarotta answered after a long pause.
"I will think about it." (Astarotta)
It was practically an approval.
—
Of course, nothing was confirmed yet, but there was far less resistance than I had expected.
'I haven't even mentioned all the advantages of granting my request…'
This made me feel needlessly uneasy again.
He was a man with nothing but loyalty to the Royal Family in his head, but even so, this felt too easy.
As someone who had dealt with the Royal Family many times, the correct way to interpret this situation was as follows.
'They must be plotting something again…'
In fact, this paranoid suspicion had grown worse recently.
How should I put it… everything felt out of place.
Ever since I opened my eyes in this world, I've had this feeling that I'm constantly dancing on the palm of someone's hand.
That feeling had been intensifying lately.
However, this wasn't something to think about right now.
"Ah, so what on earth was that about?" (Bjorn Yandel)
"If you ask me like that, how am I supposed to answer?" (Astarotta)
Before we parted ways, I asked the last thing I was curious about.
"Why on earth did you summon the Lord of Tears?" (Bjorn Yandel)
The very question I couldn't get an answer to, no matter how many influential nobles within my network I asked.
But perhaps it would be different with Astarotta.
"…" (Astarotta)
…
My expectation was wrong.
Astarotta simply kept his mouth tightly shut again.
So, I spoke more directly.
"Did you perhaps wish for more people to die?" (Bjorn Yandel)
"I have no idea what you're talk—" (Astarotta)
"Dimensional Collapse." (Bjorn Yandel)
I cut him off.
And after catching my breath for a moment, I fixed my gaze on his eyes.
"You guys caused it, didn't you?" (Bjorn Yandel)
I asked, suppressing my emotions as much as possible, but he showed no reaction.
Tsk, I was trying to read his expression if I could.
Pfft.
Suddenly, he laughed.
And…
"And if we did, would anything change?" (Astarotta)
He asked mockingly.
Rather than feeling offended, I wondered what this was.
For some reason, it felt like his mockery wasn't aimed only at me.
"You should leave now. I will think about the issue of the Secret Security Force and give you an answer later." (Astarotta)
Astarotta unilaterally ended the conversation, and that was all for today's talk.
Afterward, I asked if I could go see Ragna and Hyunbyeol, and he told me to do as I pleased, so I stopped by for a bit.
Not much had changed since the last time I came.
Ragna was still asleep…
"You said you would visit often…" (Hyunbyeol)
Hyunbyeol looked very sulky, her expression sour, and I had to console her for a long time to cheer her up.
And…
"Has anything happened while I was gone?" (Bjorn Yandel)
"Hmm, weren't you the one things were happening to, Oppa? There's been a lot of talk about Dimensional Collapse and whatnot lately." (Hyunbyeol)
"Weren't you just staying here the whole time?" (Bjorn Yandel)
"Basically, yes?" (Hyunbyeol)
"Basically…?" (Bjorn Yandel)
I asked because I couldn't understand what she meant, and Hyunbyeol briefly explained.
She was bored of being stuck in her room, so she started wandering around the Royal Palace and gradually got to know people?
Starting from the maids who brought her meals to the gardeners and the chef.
Apparently, the knights didn't particularly restrain her actions…
It seems that recently, a few knights have even started to return her greetings.
"You're not doing that just because you're bored, are you?" (Bjorn Yandel)
"Of course not. I need to at least know how the world is turning, don't I?" (Hyunbyeol)
Right, I knew it.
This girl, Hyunbyeol, really seems like she could survive well no matter where she was thrown, not just in this world.
"So please, tell me a story. Anything is fine. The people I've befriended here ultimately have their limits, so their words are always filtered." (Hyunbyeol)
Afterward, I told Hyunbyeol, who said she was about to die of boredom, about the things that had happened to me.
Floor Lord, Dimensional Collapse.
Perhaps because the subjects were too provocative to be boring, Hyunbyeol listened with great interest.
Was that why?
I was suddenly reminded of the Dragon Brat at the Gnome tree.
He too would always pester me for stories whenever I visited and would listen intently all day long.
"Anyway, that's all for my story. There's nothing more to tell even if I wanted to." (Bjorn Yandel)
Time flew by as I told the story, bringing it all the way up to why I had come to this room.
But what was this?
I thought Hyunbyeol, who seemed like she would be happy hearing a story for the first time in a while, had a bad expression on her face.
"You've been through a lot." (Hyunbyeol)
"Ah." (Bjorn Yandel)
"I'm proud of you, too. With your personality, Oppa, it must have been really difficult to leave that room." (Hyunbyeol)
Yes, that was true…
Hyunbyeol was the only person who knew.
Not the strong Barbarian Warrior, Bjorn Yandel, but the incredibly weak Korean man, Lee Hansoo.
I felt strange for some reason.
The more I stood there and dwelled on it, the more it felt like something was about to spill out.
So I cleared my throat and changed the subject.
"Ahem… Anyway, are you planning to keep living like this?" (Bjorn Yandel)
"For now." (Hyunbyeol)
At her answer, which came without a hint of hesitation, I thought it over a few times before just asking her frankly.
"Why are you going to such lengths?" (Bjorn Yandel)
It was a question with many implications.
Perhaps because of that, the answer I received was also concise.
"Well, I guess I've changed as much as you have, Oppa. After coming over to this world." (Hyunbyeol)
"I see." (Bjorn Yandel)
At her words, I nodded without saying anything else.
Actually, I had a hunch.
After all, I was also the only person in this world who knew the Korean woman named 'Kang Hyunbyeol'.
Perhaps she saw her old self in Ragna.
But to show this much loyalty for that reason meant that Hyunbyeol had indeed changed a lot.
"Let's talk about the Secret Security Force. From what you've told me, Oppa, it seems like it's basically confirmed. What are you going to do after that?" (Hyunbyeol)
I explained my future plans to Hyunbyeol in their entirety, and Hyunbyeol, who had once worked in a public institution, helped fill in the details my plan was lacking.
But as we went on, a question seemed to pop into her head.
"Can you really do all this on your own, Oppa?" (Hyunbyeol)
"No, I don't think I can." (Bjorn Yandel)
"What? Then what are you going to do?" (Hyunbyeol)
"I'll have to start looking now. But don't worry. There's someone who can do it much better than I can." (Bjorn Yandel)
"Oh, it's a relief that you have a candidate. But who is it?" (Hyunbyeol)
Hyunbyeol asked, looking extremely curious, and in response, I just looked at her silently.
"…..?" (Hyunbyeol)
"?" (Bjorn Yandel)
Why are you pretending not to know?
After tempting me in every way possible.
