Chapter 144
"Only wild beasts would be intimidated by so-called 'aura.' What were her trainers thinking...?"
"That's why I brought her out... Although my original intention was simply to hire an assassin who would never be involved in that matter to form SWEEP to help me with the investigation... But as you can see, as a human being, Red still has a lot to learn."
Seeing Medic silent, seemingly deep in thought, Eileen, who had watched the whole thing from the sidelines but whose presence was always somewhat overshadowed by his maid outfit, stepped forward and said:
"But... Lord Kal'tsit, this is no reason for you to put a dangerous beast in the children's classroom..."
"Red is just a child... and it's precisely because I can't put her in a regular classroom that I'm entrusting her to you... at least, the Human Resources Department's operations team is reliable, and we have annihilation-type operators like Rosemary ... so even if Red gets upset and loses control, I'm not worried."
Aren't you worried about Hong's safety?
Of course, as a maid, Eileen couldn't speak to Kal'tsit like that... In order to prevent the Court from pursuing Rhodes Island, after providing her beautiful white long hair to Medic as a medium for casting spells, Eileen and Ah Fu disguised themselves again on Rhodes Island.
The latter is not present at the moment, so we will skip it. In order to conceal the characteristics of the Sarkaz, Eileen asked Huang to saw off the horn that represented her Sarkaz identity, and then learned from Medic to use magic to dye her originally snow-white hair black.
At first glance, Eileen doesn't show any racial characteristics. The only thing that might remind one of Sarkaz is her tail, which is completely covered by her maid outfit. Apart from her magenta eyes, Eileen, with her Katyusha hair ornament, shows no connection to Kazdel whatsoever.
Kal'tsit understood that the reason these subordinates of Theresa were able to go to such lengths to achieve this level of disguise was because they were tired of conflict... which was also the reason why they were so determined not to allow Red to enter their 'territory'.
But... Hong really is just a child.
Everyone was misled by her bestial nature and the Skullshatterer was so frightened by the red robes that he took a big step back.
"... In any case, helping new operators adapt to Rhodes Island is the job of the Human Resources Department... I allow the Tutoring Department to exist, but the name is too childish for children. It's fine now, but if the children keep talking about working in the 'Tutoring Department' in the future, it will have a bad impact on their growth."
"Let's rename it 'Training Department'. I've already signed the relevant documents on PRTS... I'm entrusting Red, and Puff and the other kids to you."
Medic, who was about to return to Columbia, couldn't say anything about Kal'tsit's self-serving but somewhat shirking trust, so all eyes turned to Eileen.
The black-haired maid's eyes twitched twice. Realizing she had absolutely no right to refuse, she didn't even sigh. With impeccable etiquette for dealing with nobles, the maid subtly lifted the hem of her skirt and bowed.
"I understand."
"... Also, Medic..."
Shifting her gaze, Kal'tsit continued:
"The head of SWEEP is very distrustful of you. The subordinate departments of the Human Resources Department have, to some extent, covered Rhodes Island's original mission responsibilities. This kind of structure shouldn't exist within a medical organization like Rhodes Island ... But we need manpower to perform such functions under the guise of a non-pharmaceutical company... So I agreed to this arrangement. From now on, military cooperation personnel like Blacksteel will operate under the name of the Human Resources Special Operations Team."
"... So, in other words, the Human Resources Department has essentially severed ties with 'Rhodes Island Pharmaceuticals'?"
Kal'tsit shook her head; clearly, the situation wasn't as dire as Medic had imagined.
"It's not that bad, it's just... in the future we'll be doing more and more work like Ursus, which has considerable political influence or is simply unrelated to the Infected... It's not appropriate for Rhodes Island to get involved in these things in its own name, but the Rhodes Island Human Resources Department Action Team can."
"... This sounds like it's beyond the scope of the Human Resources Department's responsibilities..."
"Rhodes Island's Human Resources Department is the one that handles Rhodes Island's people and affairs, so I think it's fine."
It was quite rare that Medic actually saw Kal'tsit talking nonsense with her eyes open... However, the fact that she could still joke meant that Kal'tsit was no longer as bitter and resentful as she was a few days ago, thinking about settling scores and 'revenge' all the time.
Although Theresa's departure still caused her immense grief, with countless things requiring her attention and oversight at the moment, the influx of fresh blood from the Human Resources Department, coupled with a great deal of follow-up work from Ursus, managed to draw Kal'tsit's attention back from the ruins of Kazdel.
However, looking at Feline, who was disguising her tail as Lupo, Kal'tsit felt even more bitter than the black coffee in front of her.
Does this black-haired girl, who has no memory, no past, and no idea where she came from, understand... that the events in Columbia were not without reason, and that her past is closing in on her?
"... Has that woman already contacted you?"
"I'm waiting for a response, but I've already decided on the departure time... I want to go back to my hometown with Narcissa and spend Christmas with Cole and the others..."
"Hmm, that's a good idea, but do you know what Christmas is?"
"It's a church holiday... I'm sorry, that's all I know about the holiday, but I've never paid attention to the reasons behind it... The priest never taught me any of that..."
"So what is he mainly teaching you?"
"Honesty, goodness... and the use of strength to uphold one's own 'way'."
Even Kal'tsit, who had some basic understanding of the atmosphere in the Laterano Church, was taken aback by Medic's words, but Emerald Feline didn't say anything more; she simply nodded in agreement.
Hopefully, Christmas in Columbia won't be stained too much with blood this year.
As for why Kal'tsit said that, let's skip the time Medic spends waiting for a response...
About a week after returning from his trip to Ursus, Medic, who had been completely out of the loop during that time, finally remembered that he needed to check Typhon and Rosemary's assignments, and that he had received FrostNova's third dinner invitation... Just when it would be impolite not to go, ICA's communications once again disrupted Medic's schedule.
Thanks to the minister's privileges, the black-haired cat was able to monopolize an Intercity Network communication channel. The location of the agent surprised the cat, because according to the signal feedback, the other party was on the TDD warship.
[Number Seventy-Seven... I'm sorry you had to see me in such an unseemly state. As you can see, I'm currently communicating with you through Operator Puff's communication network.]
[In the Battle of Ursus, our "Light of Ticarondo" gained another title: "Silver Dancer." Even the Emperor's Blades marvels at your dance of death across the Dominion. Intelligence agencies from various nations are increasing their analysis of Rhodes Island's technology and combat capabilities because of this... Our support and arrangements for Rhodes Island's expansion are progressing steadily.]
[But the thought that everyone's lauded rookie is actually Columbia operative makes me feel like it's a cruel twist of fate.]
[But as a performance, this trip to the Snowfield was grand enough... but that's also the reason for our current troubles.]
Seeing the agent's unusually troubled expression, Killer Number Seventy-Seven, who had changed his persona from a doctor back to an assassin, cut straight to the point: Strange
"Kal'tsit said the situation in Columbia isn't good, and there's a lot of trouble?"
[... um... trouble... no, for you, the solution is very simple, the trouble belongs to me...]
[You should know that there are many factions within the Security Bureau, ideological differences between the military and politicians, and disagreements between local and central authorities on the implementation and deployment of laws are common... Of course, returning to our own situation, three years ago I induced you to interfere with the Bruce family's Originium organ experiments, which disrupted the plans of the Ministry of Defense and some radical factions...] Lin
[Besides bringing the legend of 'Ghost Assassin Number Seventy-Seven' to light through files, this incident also meant that our ICA began operating as a front man... A large number of intelligence jobs that had been shelved by the government were delegated to us by various officials, and it seemed that the ICA had become an outsourced company of the Columbia government...]
"It sounds like there's more work, but the ICA's authority is also increasing, isn't that a good thing?"
[That's what I originally thought too... and then came your trip to the Snowfield, because Puff contacted me saying you might need support from Columbia, so my attention shifted to matters in the Snowfield...] Flag
"The application for land reclamation and the performance on Rhodes Island are both progressing smoothly... The other factions in Columbia you mentioned don't seem to be interfering in these matters, so where does the problem lie?"
[Ha... good question. The problem lies with the ICA itself.]
[Number Seventy-Seven, you... and the ICA's success suddenly made a faction realize the necessity of physical force. The 'agent' system, mimicking our operational relationships, surged during the three years you underwent treatment... Without explanation, it could not only generate revenue but also be used for dirty work. Such perfect gloves; if changed frequently, they could easily remain spotless... That's probably what those people were thinking.] Skirt
"... They went too far."
[Yes, human nature is unpredictable... Not everyone will patiently explain the reasons for action to their subordinates, establish ideals for them, and arrange their lives like I or Kal'tsit do... When the operatives begin to feel dissatisfied with their lives, the nature of an organization will rapidly change along with the shift in its objectives.]
"Gang."
[Describe them as a dynamic social group with government support and significant firepower... at least that's what their reports say.]
"They've lost control."
Yes, but that's where the gloves come in... If they get dirty, you can just throw them away and get a new pair. If there's a problem, you can always get the official law enforcement department involved... But, problems also arise in this process.
The manager's deep breathing came through the communication; in Nana's memory, her manager rarely showed such obvious emotion in front of her.
As for the current development of the situation, Medic could roughly guess what would happen next just from the beginning. The mission was probably to deal with those out-of-control gangs, and then find their masterminds and send the silver bracelets to them one by one...
Just as Nana was thinking this, her manager seemed to have calmed down and continued:
[Or rather, in order to undermine the ICA's standing in the eyes of the Columbia government and gain more support, those organizations that had tasted success began to expand recklessly.]
[They now disregard national needs and, like dirty Mercenaries, readily accept any task issued by politicians... What were once specialized gloves have become public goods, and their firepower far surpasses that of ordinary gangsters... This in itself is not the problem, but the issue is that they don't want to be honest gangsters; instead, they choose to intervene in political issues again.]
[Please forgive me for not being able to reveal the details of the mission; I can only say that it marked the beginning of the breakdown of peace between us... a witness protection operation.]
[The selection consisted of three fully staffed ICA agents and one prospective graduate... You're probably familiar with the ICA training institution codenamed 'Lycoris,' and for that mission, I sent a blue-clad agent as an intern...]
"Lycoris, I remember it was all girls... We lost her?"
[... No, she's at least a blue-ranked officer; her combat capabilities are up to standard. That child completed the mission I gave her: the VIP survived, the politician involved in the case was convicted of political crimes and imprisoned in a mobile prison for a full sixty-five years... But, that child was seriously injured, and all thirty-six ICA Firearms Operator in the mission were wiped out...]
"How tragic."
Yes, but this is just the beginning... It seems that one loss of ICA personnel has given those competing white-glove organizations a false sense of security... They've begun to believe that the ICA's Ghost Assassin are nothing more than a legend we created to maintain our own position... They think the underground rulers of Laisenton can simply change their name.
"... Perhaps they weren't mistaken? For you, the agent, the ICA is actually a 'glove' too..."
[But I'm different from those people. I'll wash my own gloves if they get dirty; I don't need anyone else to care... And most importantly, whether it's for investigating the instigator of this incident or for the ICA's counterattack, as Lycoris's ace, I need you, Number Seventy-Seven.]
"... Is this mission urgent...? I also wanted to spend Christmas with Ling Wushan, Baqishan, and Narcissa..."
[Hmm... or rather, why didn't you take me with you? You could have brought that Little Cat with you...]
"Won't this be too much trouble for you? Besides, the Little Cat and I live next door..."
[... Well, is it possible... that the 'neighbor' between your houses no longer exists?]
"?"
[Also, I have something to say, don't be angry... or rather, you should already be aware of it... As ICA Ghost Assassin, their belief that you don't exist must have involved thorough testing.]
"???"
This time it was Nana's turn to take a deep breath. Clearly, the manager hadn't experienced her ace player expressing her emotions so openly before. After the suppressed silence passed, the manager quietly sent two files.
One was a news clip from Raisington City, showing the incident titled "Wilson Apartments Gas Explosion," in which the entire five-story building exploded on the top floor, and then the old building collapsed amidst the screams of the Fire Department and onlookers... The whole process was perfectly captured on camera.
The next file is an online video posted by an internet celebrity with the title 'Bought a spy warehouse, let's see what treasures are inside'.
Watching those incredibly familiar pieces of equipment and cat-themed collectibles being moved out box by box by an amateur using amateurish methods... even across an Intercity Network, the manager seemed to see Nana's face darken and her left eye seem to turn into Blacklight flashing.
At that moment, Puff, who was watching the commotion from the sidelines, almost thought that either the manager or Nana had been Pollution Demons, or that the collapse of their bodies was even a manifestation of fear...
Of course, this strange phenomenon was fleeting. After all, unlike professional Inner Guards, the Kitty Killer didn't have sophisticated equipment to help her; her suppression of the Demons relied entirely on her own will.
So it's normal for people to experience Collapse triggered by surrounding fears when they're angry... just kidding, this person is clearly furious!
Just as Puff deliberately avoided the cameras to avoid upsetting Nana, Agent Number Seventy-Seven and her agent reached a consensus.
"... Ignorant outsiders are challenging the ICA's authority in Columbia..."
[Or rather, it's an attempt to prove that the ICA Ghost Assassin is nothing more than a deliberate lie.]
"I truly exist."
[Yes, prove it to them... just as ten years ago, as Chief Lycoris, proved the ICA was the preferred choice for handling the Columbia issue.]
[Because this mission is not suitable for Rhodes Island's involvement, and the ICA is a legitimate company, a direct counterattack also doesn't fit our strategy... I will assign Lycoris as your partner and support. Her contact information will be sent to you once you reach the target location...]
Halfway through his speech, Nana interrupted the manager for once, which was quite rare:
"I don't know how much of my equipment inventory has been lost... I might need to resupply..."
[Okay, the budget will be sent to you as well.]
[Well then, I won't disturb your preparations any longer, Number Seventy-Seven.]
PS: Information that can now be released publicly--
Actually, there's a lot to say about Nana's recall this time.
But our protagonist is Nana, not Lycoris, who got her own name in that VIP mission... just a black-haired female passerby...
And you can probably guess what Nana's next disguise will be: just dye her hair and tie it into a small braid, pretty simple, right? 2333.
However, although the agent glossed over many things, our lovely cat noticed a lot... such as why the agent was so aware of the crisis, and why the deliberate demolition of an apartment building in the city was only described as a 'gas explosion'.
Clearly, this wasn't just a case of a front man going out of control... After it went out of control, it became a tool for other factions to attack the ICA, which is what's really giving the brokers a headache.
Otherwise, what dynamic social group could possibly defeat Armored Huntsmen?
It's obvious someone stopped the army from suppressing the riots, which is why the manager is having a terrible headache. He even complained to Puff about whether they should run away...
Clearly, while the ICA gloves are also gloves, these gloves are essential to the livelihoods of millions of tank workers... she absolutely cannot escape.
This leads to the content of the fifth volume, in which the retirement killer is forced to return to his old ways.
PS2: Meow Meow Cat
5th Laytonson's Ghost Assassin: 154 Welcome to Columbia
So, you're leaving soon? Not for vacation... but for some other reason?
Regrettingly putting down her cutlery, Frostnova changed out of her patched and worn-out Reunion Movement outfit... After selling some of Ursus's valuable loot through Rhodes Island's channels, FrostNova, who was richer than she had imagined, changed into normal clothes.
Perhaps influenced by her years of military life alongside Patriot, the current "White Rabbit" still doesn't look like a normal girl... After all, normal girls wouldn't wear nylon gear over a dress.
"What a pity, I was hoping to invite you to spend Christmas with me..."
Blinking, Nana seemed to have discussed similar topics with her manager and Kal'tsit... However, this was the first time she had openly expressed her desire to spend the holiday with him.
Because the Rhodes Island cafeteria where the two were located was a public place open to outsiders, including patients seeking medical treatment, many people looked over in surprise when FrostNova said what was almost a public confession.
Fortunately, FrostNova didn't care about that. Having grown accustomed to the murderous gazes of the Ursus Infected Enforcement Squad and the mine guards, the gazes of Rhodes Island were far too gentle, barely touching the skin... The Snowfield warrior, however, awkwardly stirred his coffee with a delicate teaspoon and asked uneasily:
"Will we ever see each other again?"
"I had to complete the registration for the Pioneer Corps before I left for the city this time... Even if my departure time is different due to personal matters, we should still meet in the Pioneering Zone ... Besides, I don't live in the city, so even if I don't have time to visit you, you can just send a letter to Rhodes Island."