I Have Returned, but I Cannot Lay down My Gun

Chapter 611

• [The Icarus Expo, held under Icarus International in Dark Zone Town, has successfully concluded. The expo, which lasted about three weeks, both online and offline, recorded an unprecedented 4 million visitors, with the nearby small town also experiencing a significant surge in visitors.]

• [In particular, the presence of Jin, Rain, and Marv, who introduced a new form of artificial intelligence and announced the launch of a new artificial intelligence, stood out at this expo. These individuals answered a total of 1,000 questions during the three weeks of the expo. Scholars from all fields…]

"...It emptied out like the ebbing tide. Was this really the place where it was once so crowded, you couldn't even step in not long ago?"

"It's gotten a lot quieter. Though, compared to before, it's just quieter; there are still quite a few tourists wandering around."

"True."

March 6th, 4:00 PM, Dark Zone Town, USA.

As with everything that begins, there must be an end. The Icarus Expo, which had swept through Dark Zone Town, following the 4th Final Championship, is now coming to a close. The content flowing from the TV was not much different. They were even using helicopters to capture the departing crowds leaving the city.

The expo, which ended at 8 PM yesterday. Some tourists had already left the town anticipating the city’s evacuation, but conversely, some stayed another night, had a late lunch, and leisurely returned.

Now, at 4 PM.

Taking advantage of the emptiness, some late visitors connected to the Icarus Humanoid and began leisurely exploring Dark Zone Town. There were cleaning robots erasing the traces of where people had stayed, and local shop owners, half-dazed after handling the huge crowds for three weeks, cleaning up.

But what was happening right now wasn’t everything going on in Dark Zone Town. Perhaps, out of view in the hotel rooms not visible from the lounge, countless cleaning robots were washing bedding and mattresses, tidying up the interiors.

The 4th Final Championship, the New Year celebration, and the Expo. All of them seemed as though they would go on forever, but in the end, they came to a close.

"Daughter, you'll be leaving soon too. When you get back, do you have anything planned?"

"Well, I guess I'll just rest when I get home. After the Final Championship, I stayed at home for a few days, just breathing, staring at my phone, eating, and rolling around in bed, so I guess it'll be the same this time."

"Alright, take a good rest and check in with us now and then."

"Aren’t you and dad supposed to be coming to Korea soon?"

"It’s better not to go than to put any pressure on you."

It wasn’t really pressure, though.

But, as expected, I could tell my parents had that thought in an instant.

"Your mother may not think it's pressure, but when you reach this point, visiting another country becomes quite a hassle. Just look at the past from another world, how many news articles came out just because a CEO from some company visited China?"

"That’s true."

"It was possible last year when I came to visit you since it was a short visit, but it’s a bit difficult to stay for long."

"But flying 16 hours just to see you and dad is tough."

"Think of it as a homecoming journey."

What does that even mean?

In any case, as she said, based on last year’s figures, Icarus International's annual revenue reached 600 trillion, and it was likely to balloon even more in the future. Just estimating how much the humanoid industry would generate this year, they could easily be within the top three global corporations.

Meanwhile, the think tanks, which had only just joined the 1 trillion revenue club, still had a long way to go.

Anyway, now that the cost of living was no longer an issue, the conversations I had with my parents were pretty trivial.

My mom, who had been combing my hair as I sat in the chair, added:

"They say you miss your native food when you live in a foreign country, but I guess you don’t miss that here. You can eat it whenever you want."

"Later, Jin might be someone who’ll make food like that for me… No, asking if you’re planning to get married is probably a weird question."

"...The young Mechas, you know? I’ll make them my grandchildren instead."

"Right. That’s not something mom and dad should say."

As she said, marriage, marriage, marriage… Of course, now that I think about it, I’m not even sure if I’ll ever seriously like someone enough to think of them as a romantic partner, let alone get married. But since the future is unpredictable, I’m not about to judge it too quickly.

But conversely, it’s not something I should even think about right now… Anyway, it was time to leave. Both my parents and I.

A faint vibration spread through the wall and floor. Two helicopters waited for us at the helipad on the roof. One was heading to Greater Rochester International Airport, the other to Manhattan.

The lounge door opened, and three people stepped out, boarding the elevator.

It was me and my parents.

"Our daughter."

"Huh?"

"Live your life doing what you want, and what helps others. Be sure to enjoy some free time too."

"...How do mom and dad think I’m living?"

"Very well, of course."

Is that so?

The elevator quickly ascended toward the roof, and since the surrounding area was open, it gave a view of Dark Zone Town — I looked at it with a strange feeling, and my parents added:

"All the buildings here, Dark Zone Town… If it weren’t for you, none of it would’ve been built."

"…"

"Since you came back to this world, a lot has changed. And that’s entirely because you wanted it, and you chose it."

"…It still doesn’t feel real."

"Realization doesn’t exist in this world. Only a changing world and the person accepting it."

Ding.

With that flat sound, the elevator doors opened, and we walked up the stairwell that looked out over Dark Zone Town again.

"Look, daughter. See the consequences of all you’ve made."

Final Championship.

The Expo.

The grand buildings and the many robots roaming underneath them, and so much more... indescribable sights. I had felt I had adjusted to the world long ago, but now, maybe it was time to express a different perspective — the world was changing because of my choices.

Could this be the repayment for the scars from the six years I’ve spent? If so, the time I spent in that other world, in America, was hard, but maybe it was something I should never forget.

The door opened, and a fierce wind blew in.

My hair, which mom had combed for me, was blowing fiercely, but as mom and dad gently stroked it, they added:

"Take care. Stay in touch, and let us know if you need anything."

"Make sure you’re getting along with those little friends you always hang out with, and though it’s a bit late, happy New Year."

"…Thank you. Always. Really, so much…"

Suddenly, tears flowed, swept away by the strong wind, and my parents and I went in separate directions.

We boarded the helicopters, and as the doors closed, my parents flew toward the southeast, while I flew east, heading toward Greater Rochester International Airport, which was just 20 kilometers away.

The sound of my phone vibrating rang.

• [Let’s contact each other before departure! I’ll be waiting at the airport before you arrive!]

"Aah, really."

Right, let's go. It’s time to put a period on this.

Rarely, the sky was overcast, but for some reason, the atmosphere was so still, the sound of the propellers was almost silent.

It was the perfect weather to leave America and return home.

"Ugh, spring rain in March?"

"Seems like weather you’d enjoy. You might like it when you get home later."

"I guess so."

March 8th, Incheon Airport.

The humidity subtly in the air, umbrellas in everyone’s hands, and water marks that appeared and disappeared from shoes — yet, inside the airport, it was as busy as usual.

Amidst the countless people coming and going for their own reasons, two women sat in front of the arrival boards, taking in the information.

Needless to say, it was Harmony and Dice.

"...By the way, is it really showing on that display? Doesn’t Eugene’s plane have a private jet?"

"Well, maybe the private jet will show up there too. Still, once it lands at Incheon, the data signal will come back, and he’ll text me. Let’s wait for about 30 minutes, and if he doesn’t message, let’s go eat."

"Rock-paper-scissors?"

"Rock-paper-scissors."

And a few seconds later, Harmony’s cry of defeat and Dice’s cheer resonated faintly.

Harmony lost, and she would be paying for lunch today.

But shortly after that, more words followed.

"By the way, if Eugene didn’t get to eat as much on the plane, he might want to eat separately when he gets off. Should we just wait and not eat now?"

"Pulling out another excuse after losing at rock-paper-scissors is so lame."

"Agh, that’s not what I meant."

At the same time, Harmony’s thumb and forefinger grabbed Dice’s thigh stocking.

A short scream erupted, followed by a brief catfight, and within seconds, it was over. The result: Dice’s stocking had a run, and Harmony’s neck was red.

After their little scuffle, more words followed.

"Why did you gain so much weight during that time?"

"Why do you think I didn’t? We were both eating cake all the time while we were in the US."

"I’ve been cycling every day."

"What… I wondered where you were sneaking off to every night."

"Pig."

It wasn’t exactly wrong, so Dice let out a sigh instead of protesting.

The bodies that had suspiciously swelled after a trip were a concern for both of them, but at least Harmony, who had been abroad countless times since three years ago, had managed to keep her body in check while abroad, unlike Dice.

How did she manage it so easily? Dice wanted to ask, but she quickly realized why. Harmony, after all, had an extraordinary level of patience and self-discipline compared to others.

It was precisely that reason she could be trained under Eugene.

As they exchanged words, time flew by, and about 15 minutes passed.

• [Eugene: I’m about to arrive.]

"Oh, a message!"

"Ask him if he wants to eat here first."

Harmony’s fingers moved quickly, and the message was written in no time.

How much time had passed? The reply came back almost immediately, saying, "No need." And added that he would treat them since it had been a while since they met. Today, once again, the little ones would be grateful to the original ones.

But despite the message that he would arrive soon, Eugene didn’t show up. Ten minutes passed, and the patience of the two little ones was nearly exhausted. Just when they were about to think he must have landed, they heard the ringtone –

• Beep beep!

"…Huh?"

"Peekaboo!"

"Ahhh!"

And there he was — Eugene appeared!

The little ones were thrown into confusion!

Literally, with the sound of the bell ringing from behind, it felt as if he had appeared suddenly from a completely empty space. And as expected, Eugene, making use of the secretive nature of a Manifestor, slipped behind the two of them.

The two, startled, began to shiver, but after a long time, Eugene had managed to calm them down with a perfectly placed tail – the tail was more than enough to ease Harmony and Dice’s tension.

"Most people would get startled if a snake tail suddenly appeared, but you two are the opposite..."

"Hehe, we’ve come too far to hate snakes."

"Guess it does look that way. Anyway, it’s been a while since we’ve seen each other. Strictly speaking, we saw each other a few days ago, but it’s been quite a while since we last met in person."

"Why does it matter? We’re always connected by our tails..."

"Where’s the tail..."

Saying that, Eugene chuckled.

As she had expected, everything was exactly as she knew it.

Perhaps, unless something major happens, this kind of relationship would continue for a long time. And when the anti-aging technology, among the many technologies to be released, is unlocked, it might last far longer than expected – thinking that, she patted the heads of the two.

As expected,

As remembered.

It was just soft.

While the two of them made silly noises as they adjusted to her touch, Eugene opened her mouth again.

"Let’s go. Home."

"Yeah."

"Will you buy us something delicious today?"

"Well, I guess we’ll think about it as we go."

It was a perfectly ordinary conversation, but thanks to Eugene’s optical camouflage, no one around noticed them.

They got into the car, and under the gloomy March sky, they headed toward Seoul.

How much time passed? While they were talking about what to eat next, Eugene suddenly spoke up, as if it had just occurred to her.

"By the way, if you two... really had tails, what would you do first?"

"Uh… why are you asking that suddenly?"

"I’m just asking."

"Well, I never really thought about it…"

Muttering, Dice gently pressed the accelerator, then spoke up.

"First, I’d go show off to Eugene."

"…Alright, go ahead and brag."

"Ah, that’s what I was planning to do too."

"Yeah, yeah. Maybe in a few decades, such technology might actually be developed. If it suddenly shows up, I’d faint, so please don’t do that."

"Huh, another reason to live longer."

At that, Eugene let out a hollow laugh but only grinned.

It was still raining, and the sound of raindrops hitting the vehicle was loud, but their laughter and conversation never stopped.

While Eugene absentmindedly stared out the window, she added:

"It’s a good day to start something new."

"It’s raining though..."

"When it rains, spring truly begins."

The two nodded silently, and Eugene, with the evening sky darkening due to the heavy rain, silently stared at the sky.

It wasn’t the kind of weather that fit the expectations of a new day, new season, and new things, but nonetheless, in Eugene’s eyes, there was an anticipation of what might come next.

Maybe that's why, to her, even the rainy Seoul looked beautiful.

"Spring is here."

Only the murmured words echoed faintly inside the car.

Just as she said, it was spring.

New days were waiting for them again.