I Have Returned, but I Cannot Lay down My Gun

Chapter 582

“I’m only saying this now, but at the Central Park HQ… there were times when I’d run into you and the others, the mutants, while walking through the cafeteria. Every time, I would always think of my granddaughter. Maybe because she always ate everything so happily, there were people who were just waiting to have a meal with you guys.”

“…To be honest, I only remember us nervously eating back then. I was often worried that we were eating too much….”

“Haha! That’s the funniest thing I’ve heard all day. In the early stages, there were even discussions about taking the meals from the friends who couldn’t do their jobs properly and giving them to you all. I’m just glad I can finally clear up the truth from back then.”

“…I didn’t expect there to be such a backstory.”

The dense clouds above Lake Ontario.

It seemed like it might rain any moment, but aside from a faint rumble of thunder, nothing else happened. The air was damp and cold, but fortunately, the gallery inside was warm and cozy. Thanks to the mood lighting, the table wasn’t too dark, and the atmosphere was pleasant.

It wasn’t as though the waves were crashing like in the ocean, but the ripples kept forming something similar. It felt like we were eating in a world on the brink of destruction, but...

For someone like me, who had wandered through worlds that had once faced total annihilation for nearly five years, the thrill of it was slightly diminished. Of course, I still thought about how this person had found a place like this—but it wasn’t the pressing question on my mind.

The person, sipping white wine, continued.

“I’ve been keeping track of your movements since the last time we met, but it seems you’ve been doing well. Given how many times your name came up on the desk in Henry’s office in the past few months... Well, I’ve spoken enough, let’s just call it that.”

“You’re still quite young for your position, aren’t you? I recall some of the past presidents were in their 70s or even 80s.”

“I didn’t mean to compare it to that. But, comparing it to those who held this position around the 20th century… someone in their late 50s is quite old for the role.”

That’s true.

Anyway, the food and wine were all high-class, far from a simple fine dining experience, but unlike last year, this year’s meal... felt a bit harder to savor. I didn’t even need to voice the reason for that.

This situation shouldn’t have even existed in the first place, but with so many impossible variables tied together, I found myself face-to-face with the person who would lead this country for the next eight years. There would be another election in four years, but considering the power he held, it could be safely assumed that re-election was a given.

Both of us… we’ve both changed positions a lot in just one year. I’ve become the owner of a think tank and now have significant influence over Icarus International, while Henry has finally taken control of the helm of America.

With this meal established, there were quite a few things I wanted to ask.

“Is the request I made last time still valid?”

“…I rarely make requests, but I suppose there were a few. Let’s hear what it is first, and I’ll think it over.”

“North Korea, or rather, Southeast Asia. I suppose you’re referring to the former. It’s not impossible, but it might require more thought.”

“Ah, I see what you mean….”

He carefully wiped his mouth with a napkin before speaking again.

“Forget about that. As I’ve officially taken over and started receiving daily briefings, I’ve come to understand just how much power I actually have at my disposal. Of course, a lot of it is thanks to you.”

“…Things are much better here than there.”

“I wouldn’t deny that. However… there are still places where a period needs to be put at the end of a sentence. If the opportunity arises, we must seize it. While you’ve been swaying public opinion with humanoids and body reconstruction, we’ll be tidying up things outside.”

“Are you telling me this?”

“I’m simply informing you of what might happen in the future.”

I nodded silently as he made a small gesture toward someone. Immediately, waiters who had been standing by came forward with trays, clearing away the empty dishes and placing new ones on the table.

Of course, the difference in size was overwhelming as soon as the case was opened. This time, it was still seafood, and as soon as the lid opened, well-cooked octopus legs were revealed. However, the quantity and number were overwhelmingly larger on my side.

Seeing this, Henry chuckled and made a hand gesture, signaling the waiters to move away far enough so that our conversation wouldn’t be overheard. Although, given the acoustics of the space, even a small sound would travel far, but since I had set up an acoustic barrier using Icarus gear, it didn’t matter.

“Well, that’s the gist of it. But what I’m more curious about is what’s happening on the other side. Recently, I’ve noticed that… your personal broadcast? Anyway, I’ve seen machines resembling you showing up one by one. The first time I saw it, I almost fell off my chair.”

“Ah… yes, that did happen. It’s quite a long story to explain…”

“Wasn’t that the reason we’re here today? I’m not the type to enjoy watching someone do something live, so it’s better to hear it from the source. Is that alright?”

No, I wasn’t disappointed at all.

The words almost escaped my throat, but I held them back. Honestly, if someone like Henry, the next President of the United States, watched my streams, that would be a disaster—no, an even bigger disaster. The thought of him watching my content was surreal...

I almost lost my focus but managed to hold on. Judging by how he spoke, I figured he wouldn’t be interested in watching my streams anytime soon. Though it’s likely that Jin, Rain, and Mav had seen them a few times or at least received reports.

It was insane.

And this man had spent so much time in Washington, even becoming the Minority Leader of the Democratic Party, he could easily read my reactions, which I tried to hide, and let out a quiet chuckle.

“Don’t worry too much. Once I’m officially inaugurated, I won’t have the time to think about things like that.”

“…That was a bit too ominous for a joke, Mr. President.”

“Haha, I’m just an old man playing around. Once you get to this position, it’s hard to find people to have a relaxed conversation with…”

So now he’s teasing me like I’m his daughter. Sigh. I should’ve brought Lorenatina or Logan so we could have a more balanced conversation.

But these thoughts were pointless. Before the meat arrived, we had the last dish, a sea bass… I’m not really a food expert, so let’s just say it was a sous-vide sea bass with some sauce. Anyway, we started eating.

Now it was my turn to speak. I began to explain how I met Jin, Rain, and Mav. The first two… we met while we were clearing out the remnants of Artemis in Canada, and by coincidence, they became allies.

Of course, I couldn’t end the story there, so I did my best to elaborate.

By the time the story came to an end, Henry spoke up.

“The real breakup of Artemis Technologies started when the Dark Winter crisis deepened. Russia supported fragmented leadership selectively, destroyed some factions, absorbed others, and released the limits on the most talented personnel.”

“Jin and Rain’s mental maps were made by sacrificing nearly hundreds of humans. That’s probably the limiter you mentioned. I’ve heard how it was done during the gameplay, but… it’s not something I can discuss during a meal.”

“…I expected that. Not just Artemis, but total war is typically the best scenario for releasing human morality and limits. The Cartels were the same.”

“Right. But personally, I didn’t like the idea of holding the creations made from that against them.”

Henry nodded slightly, and I didn’t ask further. I just focused back on my meal. The fish course had changed to meat, signaling that the meal was nearing its end.

From the conversation, I understood that Mav had gone through a similar process before joining, and I didn’t ask further.

By the time the last course was finished and coffee was served before dessert, Henry spoke again.

“Next year, or the year after, there will be changes within the Five Eyes. You’ve probably heard about it… consider your think tank card as a prepayment.”

“I don’t really mind. I wasn’t doing it for any reward, and I don’t think you can give me much anyway, Mr. President.”

“I’m glad you understand. Let’s get going. I don’t want to become the pitiful old man trying to say one last thing to a girl young enough to be my daughter.”

“…I don’t mind at all.”

“Haha, it’s just a joke.”

What a difficult old man.

The conversation between generations reached its peak, and the tray with snacks and cups of coffee were now empty. Of course, I had eaten most of it.

Looking down at it, Henry added:

“Being young is a good thing. At my age, if the food isn’t easy to digest, you have to think more about what you eat.”

“If you ever get blurry vision or your arms and legs don’t work well, feel free to message me.”

“…You’re not planning to apply some humanoid-like thing to me, are you?”

“….”

“Hey!”

I almost lost it. Why would I do that?

Henry laughed at my reaction and the gallery was filled with his laughter. How much time passed before we reached the entrance? By the time four cars were waiting for us, he spoke up again.

“Eugene.”

“Yes, Mr. President.”

“No matter what happens, I’m planning to stop it. But if such a terrible situation happens in this land of freedom…”

I met his gaze without hesitation and, without a second of delay, replied.

“…I’m an operator with Icarus. Stabilizing society is the purpose of my job.”

“Ha, that’s right. I was worried for nothing. Take care now.”

“It was a pleasure.”

With those words, he got into the car first. I watched as the two cars, followed by the Secret Service, withdrew.

The moment I climbed into the car waiting for me, the sky tore apart, and thick winter rain began to pour, drenching the ground.

It wasn’t the same emotional impact as last time, but there was a lingering feeling as another moment passed.

As a week went by and snow on the road melted, refroze, and melted again, the LED calendar eventually marked the middle of December.

The Final Championship duo and squad matches had begun, and when I arrived, the same space that had previously been shared by hundreds of thousands of people was now filled with tens of thousands more. Not long ago, there had been sparse seating, but now it was packed with people.

Journalists had also shown up in large numbers, and because many couldn’t book accommodations, the campgrounds set up beforehand had RVs lining up in rows.

Meanwhile, unrelated to this…

The national representatives from each country, who had flown in for the upcoming Final Championship solo event next week, were now getting into full practice. Having adjusted to the time zone, and except for meals and rest, they sharpened their senses and tested whether the tactics they had prepared in advance were effective.

Five of the team members, including Harmony and Dice, were getting busy, while Lorenatina and Logan, feeling a bit bored, occasionally shared tips with the Korean representatives, refining them like punching bags.

Olivia, busy preparing for Paris’s S/S collection next year, was still grappling with clothes, and Carto’s group had left, saying they were going to see Niagara Falls before it got any later, promising to return in a few days.

That brings up the question.

What were Eugene and the Mecha-Eugenes doing?

“We’ve been waiting, Eugene. Welcome to the Icarus Dynamics humanoid manufacturing facility.”

“…A factory?”

“Haha, I see you’re surprised, but there’s a reason for that. Please, come on in.”

The answer became clear shortly after.

In a quiet suburb, a little distance from Dark Zone Town, following a road with only mountains and fields visible, we turned onto a dirt road. After traveling a little further, we suddenly saw a small factory.

Its size was about the same as a low-rise villa, roughly 4 to 5 stories tall—residential buildings of that size. I knew such small factories existed, but it was a bit amusing the first time I saw it.

But despite the small size, there must have been a reason for it, so without further comment, I entered.

“...The security here is more impressive than expected.”

“We also have optical camouflage. It was disabled temporarily before you came, so you probably didn’t notice it. Anyway, what do you think of the facility?”

“It’s quite an unusual layout. About a quarter of the space is taken up by a vacuum chamber, and the rest is made up of...server rooms and spaces with unknown purposes. It feels more like a research lab than a factory.”

“You’re absolutely right. That’s exactly the purpose of this space.”

As the shielding curtain, which could easily defend against a person, was lifted, the path inside opened.

At the same time, an Icarus Dynamics staff member carefully opened the control room door, and a rush of cold air poured out.

As we stepped inside, the huge holographic screen came into view, with numbers floating in the center:

[Current Progress 2/3]

[Assembly Progress: 77448/99217]

Beside it, two blueprints of Mecha Eugene were floating. The difference was that the left one was in its complete form, while the right one had several empty sections.

This explained why the facility was so small, why there was a vacuum chamber, and why we had so many questions about the setup.

“...This place wasn’t made for mass production; it’s purely for ‘assembly.’ The vacuum chamber is probably for the assembly process. After all, there’s no need to make the space bigger if you’re only making a few prototypes.”

“You caught on quickly. That’s exactly it. The resources and costs to build a full production line would be far higher, and the time needed would be just as excessive.”

“So the development and production time, about 10 months, is somewhat of a... bluff.”

“In a way, yes. It’s not incorrect, but not revealing everything is also a form of bluffing.”

Chuckling, he quickly began typing on the keyboard.

As many pop-up windows appeared, he continued.

“The ‘unknown’ space Rain mentioned is where necessary parts are produced in real-time. The main server here cuts metals and forms frames, while thousands of metal fibers are twisted together to create artificial muscles.”

“So, you’re literally creating something from nothing. It’s quite an impressive sight.”

“It’s still too early to be impressed.”

With a beep, several more windows popped up.

There were joint motors containing superconductors and medium-sized parts labeled “small nuclear fusion reactor.”

It started to make sense why there were defense shields, optical camouflage, and protective barriers around this tiny building that spanned hundreds of meters.

“...You’ve really put a lot of effort into this.”

“Unless someone tears apart the materials and analyzes them, those who have seen the humanoid won’t be able to guess what’s inside. It’s like hiding a tree in a forest, applied in a different context.”

“Haha...”

While I let out a somewhat bitter laugh, his gaze wasn’t on me but rather on the three mecha children staring vacantly around the room.

“Well, that’s true… For those like them, humanoids based on traditional materials must feel like shackles. I’ve considered that too.”

“A great choice. I don’t like feeling restricted.”

“You have a keen eye, human.”

“…Can’t we just pretend to be humanoids and go out with these bodies ourselves? —Ow! Why did you hit me!?”

“Stop talking nonsense.”

It would be a disaster if we got caught—though we won’t, of course.

Anyway, as Mav angrily yelled at me after being hit, I skillfully calmed her down with my tail. The Icarus Dynamics staff member, watching us with a pleased smile, spoke up.

“Don’t worry too much. The reason I asked you, Eugene, to accompany the UES is to synchronize with a completed prototype and check what kind of performance can be reproduced compared to a normal human body.”

“So that’s why it said 2/3 on the screen. But it’s moving faster than I thought...”

“Haha, we’ve been given the designs, the manufacturing methods for each part, and the materials. There’s no time to waste.”

He continued, as the three mecha children seemed increasingly impatient.

“It seems like the three of them can’t wait any longer, shall we go now?”

“Yay!”

“I’ll go first, Archetype. It’s not because I’m excited, I promise.”

“Whee!”

“...Right.”

I thought to myself, "Of course these mecha kids wouldn’t have any patience."

With a wry smile, I followed the group as they quickly headed to the back storage.

The whole world felt like it belonged to Mecha-Byam.