Chapter 295 – Storm’s Envoy (5)
Takashi Kitano, the boss of the Southwest Association.
When I reached him, he bowed his head like the other subordinates.
The angle was not as high as 90 degrees like his subordinates, but that alone was enough to show courtesy.
Isn’t he the leader of a force twice as old and larger than me in terms of population size?
“It is an honor to meet you. My name is Takashi Kitano, the president of the Southwest Association. Just call me Chairman Takashi.”
Looking at him up close, he was radiating such strong vitality that one would have mistaken him for a middle-aged man, if not for his white hair and wrinkles.
And he felt a faint smell of blood. Unlike his neat appearance now, he shows the cruelty of the life he lived when he was young.
“Nice to meet you too, Chairman. “I am Seo Jin-su, the manager.”
We shook hands.
“…”
His right hand held almost no strength. When I looked closely, I saw that the inside of the sleeves, exposed when shaking hands, and the skin around the wrists had disappeared in clumps.
“It arose during the infection war. Thanks to you, I was able to save my grandchild.”
The interpretation device that Artemis supported in real time was perfect.
What I said sounded like Japanese, and what Chairman Seonam said sounded like Korean to me.
“These are amazing technologies as always.”
Chairman Seonam looked at my interpretation device and the stalkers lined up behind me with admiration. Those eyes contained the innocence of childhood somewhere.
“We sincerely apologize for the attack that occurred on your way here. “I was paying as much attention to expenses as possible, but there were limits.”
“She wasn’t a threat at all, so it’s okay.”
I waved my hand and joked.
-On the subject of being nervous and holding my feet tightly after seeing the missile.
Artemis chose Pact as the brain implant, but he ignored it.
“Isn’t it true that there are people everywhere who act out their own way? Rather, I am worried about the Southwest. I am the one who will be leaving in a few days, but the people here will continue to be harassed by the Self-Defense Forces.”
There aren’t many people who are so crazy about patriotism that they risk their lives just to fire a single missile.
However, it is troublesome to be at odds with the remaining Self-Defense Forces and the government behind them.
“It’s okay. Because they have no justification and are getting weaker day by day. “I heard that they tried to annex civilian camps by force, but were defeated by the Yamagata warlords not long ago.”
“Like that.”
Even if it is rotten, the Self-Defense Forces are still the Self-Defense Forces. But to lose to a single warlord, I think I know how devastated I am.
“The manager mercifully commented that it was an unexpected action, but after all, he is a soldier in the Self-Defense Forces. “Daring to target the hero who retrieved the vaccine would be an incident that would be difficult for even them to handle.”
Expressions appeared for the first time on the faces of the Seonamhoe members who were maintaining an immovable posture like jangseung around them.
It’s embarrassing to say it out loud, but it was definitely a feeling of favor or respect for me.
Tanis Expedition engraved on the back of the 10,000 credit note. Their achievements were being actively promoted by Kids.
“It’s the same as the Jeju Island government forces. Hokkaido, the headquarters of the Japanese government, is powerful. However, the power that can be projected across the sea is only part of it, and it weakens rapidly the further south you go.”
Artemis provided a supplementary explanation.
“I am always indebted to my grandchildren.”
Chairman Seonam expressed his gratitude to her for participating in the conversation.
“My two children were taken away before my father in the war, and now the only blood relative I have left is him. Thank you for your continued support.”
This refers to the child hospitalized in the shelter hospital that Artemis mentioned earlier.
He has a rare disease, and in today’s broken world, there is no place that can take better care of him than us.
In a way, it is both a favor and a hostage to Choi Woo-ho’s organization. This is not the only thing. Various interests and contracts were tightening Seonamhoe like a spider web.
The reason Artemis, who had a heavy butt in many ways, decided to go to Japan was because the safety measures were layered and solid.
“…”
Unlike Chairman Seonam, who speaks politely, she just nods her head. I, being polite, stepped forward instead.
“Don’t worry. “Because my very fastidious doctor is treating me personally.”
Hehe.”
He said, pointing with his eyes to Artemis, who was half a step behind him.
“Your grandchild is also very lucky.”
This is Artemis, who lightly ignores requests for medical treatment from high-ranking government officials in Jeju Island, such as the self-proclaimed president.
The only patient she treats other than myself is the grandchild of Chairman Seonam. This is truly a great blessing.
“My wife is a bit shy. Please understand.”
“I’m used to it.”
Chairman Seonam smiled as if he didn’t care at all.
“Your wife always responded to us with letters. Whether when asking for something or when giving something. “He is not someone who lets his precious voice be heard easily.”
“It’s so like her.”
“Isn’t he so devoted and chaste to his husband?”
Isn’t it just because Artemis has a high arrogance and hates men?
However, the old man in front of me had a knack for wrapping his words in a way that was pleasing to the listener. He doesn’t look like the Yakuza chairman.
“Every single word in the letter seemed as if it had been refined through ten thousand reflections, and its content had never been violated even once. Would you say every conversation feels like a small contract?”
“I just hope you aren’t tired.”
“Not at all. “I have been running an organization for over 40 years, but it was quite a refreshing experience.”
Chairman Seonam clapped his hands.
“Okay, I think this is enough for standing up and saying hello. “You must be tired from crossing the sea and an unexpected attack, so we will guide you to your accommodation.”
A young, neatly dressed woman approached and greeted me.
“I will take you there.”
A lightly armed squad of stalker escorts followed behind me and Artemis, who were leading the way.
The remaining two heavily armed squads and Hercules took up positions on the roof of the building and at surveillance points throughout the exterior.
Even though they say they are taking all precautions for safety, the Seonam Association’s reputation will be lost if scary-looking, heavily armed robots swarm into someone else’s home.
* * *
As I felt from the automatic door, the Seonamhoe headquarters building is definitely a top-class residence of this era.
“The elevator works, right?”
Even if it is an automatic door, elevators are more sensitive than you can imagine and require periodic maintenance.
All visible electronic equipment was operating normally from the entrance of the building to taking the elevator to our assigned accommodation.
“It’s all thanks to the distinguished guests.”
The woman who was the guide said.
“We are supplying the necessary parts and consumables. “There were several engineers among the refugees from all over Japan.”
“Oh, that was it.”
The female guide was a beautiful woman with a cold appearance. Her personality was as calm as her face, and she remained calm even though she was accompanied by a security robot that would normally scare people.
Ding!
However, when the door opened with a clear sound, her composure was broken.
“Oh my god.”
Due to over capacity, only half of the escorts rode with us and the other half took the stairs, but they had already arrived and were waiting at the entrance.
“This is where you two will stay. If you need anything, please use the phone in the room.”
We were taken to a luxurious room reminiscent of a hotel suite.
As soon as the female guide nodded and left, the stalkers immediately took action.
Two stood guard at the entrance to the lodging, and four took positions at the passage and intersection points leading to the lodging.
“Wow, wow!”
“Wow!”
“Are you okay! Are you okay! You were notified in advance, right? Be safe!”
There was a brief disturbance from the guests they encountered, but it quickly calmed down.
“I thought it would completely empty the surrounding area, but that’s not the case.”
“The Seonamhoe is the largest warlord that controls Kyushu. This is its headquarters and the best residential area.”
Artemis sat down on the bed and crossed her legs.
“Just as I brought in people from Police, Prime, and even the Shelter to search for you who went missing, the Southwest Association will have no choice but to bring in people from various factions. It would be difficult for them to suddenly kick everyone out.”
Even though she said that, Artemis looked somewhat disapproving.
The four remaining stalker guards began to busily inspect various parts of our accommodation.
“I don’t think it’s necessary to do this.”
“Just in case.”
As she was tapping her feet, I looked around the property.
“The bathroom is nice. There is a massage bed and a large bathtub. It would be perfect for the two of us to go in together.”
“Horny.”
“What do you want in the refrigerator? Fruit and Japanese sweets. It must have been difficult to have something like this in today’s world. Hmm! It’s delicious. Artemis, would you like a bite too?”
“I don’t like it.”
Every time I walked around the room and expressed my impressions, Artemis responded briefly.
Even after I sat down next to her after looking around, the robots were busy inspecting.
“Aren’t you searching too thoroughly? I think I can stop at this level.”
“No. “I want 100%.”
“Chairman Seonam truly respected our alliance. “I’m not a man who will mess around in his room.”
“What kind of idiot are you talking about?”
“Huh?”
We looked at each other with strange looks. From that attitude, I realized that I had been mistaken about something.
When I looked again, the stalkers were focusing on measuring soundproofing by knocking on the walls and checking the ceiling and floor.
How far the sound spreads outside the room, and if so, at what intensity does it begin to penetrate significantly.
“Aha!”
When I smiled meaningfully, she slowly turned her head.
“My lady, you were full of ideas.”
“…”
It seems he didn’t want other guests to hear his hot moans that might leak out.
“It’s so cute I’m dying. “Who on earth is a lecher?”
A pillow flew towards my face without a word.
* * *
One thing I realized while unpacking was that this area is not completely safe.
Bang!
This is because gunshots were heard intermittently.
[Firing distance 920 m. One slave dog has been eliminated.]
A stalker on guard on the rooftop reported.
Although there was some commotion due to gunshots coming out of nowhere, the convoy’s unannounced attack on obvious hazards such as infectious agents had been agreed upon in advance.
Taang!
[Firing distance 1230 m. Failed to kill an unidentified insect-like mutant. It hit the target, but went into a burrow in a nearby dirt field. The location has been relayed to Seonamhoe.]
The area around here was not as completely clean as I thought.
“Isn’t this the headquarters of the largest warlord in Kyushu?”
“That’s right. But there is nothing strange. It is quite common for infected bodies to be left unattended unless they invade the courtyard. Especially here in Japan.”
Artemis explained further to me, who had an expression of disbelief.
“These days, infectious agents have become more clever, and they each create a point where they can hide or make a surprise attack. “If you go into their territory for no reason, only dead and injured people will come out.”
Bang!
While he was speaking, another gunshot rang out.
“If the previous infectious agents were a threat as a huge army, now they feel like poisonous snakes or poisonous insects living in groups.”
“Is this like a very spicy version of pre-war Australia?”
“That seems like a generous expression.”
They are a bit large for poisonous insects and many of them attack from a distance, making them perfect for hunting down if you encounter them without a weapon.
“Moreover, any power is suffering from an ammunition shortage now that trade routes and the domestic economy have been cut off. “It’s an unusual luxury for us to shoot and kill every infectious agent we see.”
The barren land seen beyond the window. The mountains and fields in the distance suddenly looked uneasy. As if it contained an invisible danger.
“I guess I’m too used to shelter life.”
I thought the world had become safer after securing the vaccine, but in some ways, I feel like I was a frog in the well.
There were still dangers lurking outside our sphere of influence.
