Agents' Daily Lives

"Heh."

William smiled without speaking, and at the same time, he silently used the System to scan the Spartans before him.

Their loyalty averaged seventy-five, neither high nor low.

Even though he had used toys and gifts to boost their affection, children were the most vengeful beings, not easily appeased.

But he wasn't afraid that the Spartans would lack loyalty after the surgery.

Not to mention the System's Assimilation function.

Just looking at the SPARTAN-IIs in the game's world view, they initially hated Halsey deeply, even attempting to resist and escape multiple times.

Through militarized management, the Spartans developed deep camaraderie, gradually understood the responsibilities they bore, and ultimately became soldiers and heroes who saved all of humanity.

Even George 052 in Halo: Reach, an old SPARTAN-II warrior, would affectionately call Halsey 'Mom.'

"Everyone."

William waved his hand to signal the Spartans to quiet down and said, "Major Kent still needs to brief you on a few matters, so I won't disturb him."

"Yes." John was the first to stand up and salute William, and the other Spartans followed suit.

"Alright, at ease."

With that, William led the Alpha group out of the conference hall. Kent, who was waiting outside, walked onto the podium to continue explaining the precautions to the Spartans.

Immediately after, William and Halsey boarded a CH-53 and left Minos Island, heading for a military base in Kenya, six hundred kilometers away.

To be honest...

He quite liked the monotonous life on Minos Island. Although the facilities were rudimentary and there were many inconveniences like no internet.

But observing Halsey teaching the young Spartans from a distance always put his mind and body at ease.

He didn't have to think about strategic deployments, annexation plans, or other troublesome tasks.

However, escapism wouldn't solve problems.

It was time to return to Hafa and let Umbrella continue its expansion.

The document contained reports from three agents embedded within the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

The reports were compiled from the verbal accounts of surviving agents and helmet camera footage from carried equipment.

Date: February 24, 2007.

Country: Canada.

Province: Saskatchewan.

Town: Deschambault Lake.

Area: Approximately 270 square kilometers peninsula.

Population: 1194.

Deschambault Lake is a peninsula surrounded by water on three sides, with only Highway 911 to the south connecting it to the outside world. The closest city to the town is fifty kilometers to the southeast.

Since sixty percent of the peninsula's area is mountainous forest, the vast majority of the population is concentrated on the west bank.

The center of the town is the Royal Canadian Mounted Police station, and three Mounties reside within this community.

The three Mounties became external agents for the Umbrella Corporation between August and November 2006.

Brief agent information is as follows:

Sergeant: Sean Patrick.

Age: 41.

Gender: Male.

Personality: Steady, cares about family.

Physique: Strong, proficient in combat.

Constable: Adam Gale.

Age: 25.

Gender: Male.

Personality: Passionate, strong sense of justice.

Physique: Standard, stronger than average.

Constable: Andy Clement.

Age: 27

Gender: Male.

Personality: Humorous, values friendship.

Physique: Standard, stronger than average.

The document begins its narration.

Inside the Deschambault Lake RCMP detachment;

"Whoosh--!" The blizzard howled.

"Clang-clang-!" The glass windows rattled violently due to the difference in air pressure between indoors and outdoors.

Adam, sitting at his personal desk, looked out the window at the fierce sounds.

The snowstorm was intensifying.

The already sparsely populated streets became even emptier, with only vehicles parked by the roadside, half-buried in snow.

Adam couldn't help but sigh worriedly, "Sigh, this snow... it'll probably last for at least four more days."

"What, feeling bored?" Andy, sitting behind Adam, teased.

"Ah... a little." Adam turned around to face Andy, saying with a hint of excitement, "Hey, did you know the company seems to have reached an agreement with the United Nations?"

"I think so."

Andy leaned back in his chair with his hands behind his head, glancing around the small police station and sighing, "The Boss is only twenty and already being received by world leaders. I'm almost thirty and still stuck in this small town."

"That's true," Adam agreed, nodding.

"I really wish our little town had some anomalies too. I heard that if you discover and successfully contain three of them, you have a chance to be recruited into UBCS."

"Whoa!" Hearing this, Andy pulled his hands forward and waved them, "That Agent from Athabasca didn't even die with a whole body. I don't want to encounter that. I'm still waiting to pick up girls."

"You scoundrel, and you call yourself B-class personnel?" Adam gave him a look of disdain.

"Enough!" A solemn roar echoed from the detachment's only office.

The two, who had been chatting relaxedly, quickly straightened their postures, pretending to be diligently working.

Shortly after, the office door opened.

Sean, wearing a cowboy hat, entered the main area and addressed the two agents, "Even though we are all company agents, don't forget the confidentiality agreement... you're not allowed to casually discuss anomalies. Do I need to refresh your memories?"

"No, Sir, we don't!" the two agents replied in unison.

"Hmph," Sean's anger subsided.

"Knock-knock!" Urgent knocking sounds.

Immediately, a plea came from outside the door, "Sean! Help us!"

"Sheriff, please open the door."

The sudden commotion did not cause the three agents to panic.

"Coming," Andy, who was closest to the door, got up and opened it.

"Click!"

"Whoosh--!"

"Thump-thump!"

After opening the door, several couples, all around forty years old, crowded into the small police station.

The three agents were all locals, born and raised in the town, and were very familiar with these couples.

Through conversation, they learned that a few days prior, these people's children had spontaneously organized an expedition to camp in the forest east of town.

However, the blizzard had come too suddenly, and the temperature had dropped to the lowest it had been in fifty years.

Coupled with the inability to contact their children, the anxious parents had come to report the incident.

After confirming the general details of the case, Sheriff Sean first calmed the parents' emotions and asked them to return home and wait patiently.

Afterward...

Andy, who was organizing records, grumbled after the parents had completely left the detachment, "The Grays are really something. Letting a bunch of inexperienced high schoolers run wild in the forest, in winter no less! Tsk tsk."

"That's enough," Sean, with a serious expression, stopped Andy's wisecracks.

The sheriff walked to a map of the peninsula hanging on the wall, stroking his chin as he analyzed, "Based on the information provided by the parents, the area where the children were last active is around here (pointing to the map). There's an abandoned mine shaft there..."