I Have Returned, but I Cannot Lay down My Gun

Chapter 624

"Alright. Let's listen before we report. What should we do first? Anything special?"

"For now, there’s nothing extra for you to worry about, sir. I’ve noted the location of the storage where the emergency housing, your tasks, future joint training lists, and highly classified materials are stored, so you can just check it."

"Huh, you're not giving me any time to wander around."

"Has it ever been any different? Was there any issue with your entry?"

"If there had been a problem, I wouldn’t be here."

Vroom!

A vehicle carrying about four people crosses the Incheon International Airport Expressway, heading toward the Yeongjong Bridge. The sea, with areas of exposed mudflats, greeted them.

At that moment, all the windows of the vehicle turned black, and only the front windshield, covered with numerous UIs, allowed light to pass through selectively, blocking the view of anyone passing by from peering into the vehicle.

From that point, the area around the passenger seat, where Chris sat, darkened completely, and a hologram fully enveloped the vehicle, projecting his own image before him like a mirror.

His smooth, light brown hair slicked back neatly, a slim yet sharp jawline, well-groomed beard and mustache. A man with a sharp yet somehow cheerful, firm appearance.

Chris, confirming his appearance in the mirror, reached up to touch it and exhaled quietly.

A few seconds passed, and the reflection in the mirror began to twist.

--Static!

"...Is that the new disguise kit you developed? It works well."

"It’s passed through American airport security. They said they applied some tech from the Think Tank, and it’s more practical than expected. It’ll be useful in the future."

"Well, since you’re always noticed in your usual form, I guess there's no choice. Now, you should be able to go around more comfortably."

Chris.

Christopher 'Specter' Lorentina.

The moment his speech returned to its usual tone, the man who had been sitting in the passenger seat revealed his original appearance.

Naturally, the name Chris was a pseudonym, but it was also his real name. In fact, when she was male in the past—something that had become nonexistent in this world—he had been called that.

It was a fact only she knew, but at this point, it didn't really matter. Lorentina, thinking this, nodded slightly at the senior officer's comment.

Then came the next line.

"By the way, sir, who made that appearance for you? It looks like a lot of effort went into it. If I keep seeing it, I might get attached, haha."

"Well, if someone made it, they made it. Just know that I brought it back by retracing some past memories."

"You didn’t end up making that person a part of your team, did you?"

"Maybe. Just imagine it however you like."

As she said that, Lorentina’s expression as she gazed out the window was tinged with a kind of indescribable nostalgia, unlike usual.

A remnant of a past that could never return... yet, it didn't matter much now. Perhaps that was why she passed through security without issue.

Simply changing her appearance couldn’t hide the newly formed habits, which could be adjusted back to the original with just a little effort.

Thinking this to herself, she leaned back in her chair.

Soon, the vehicle had passed Incheon and was heading toward Seoul, and one of her teammates spoke up as though something had come to mind.

"Should we stop around Gangnam, sir?"

"Suddenly?"

"You don’t need to pretend you don’t know. I’m sure the higher-ups have already sent you on this data collection vacation under the guise of investigating Korean manifestors, right?"

"...Huh, wait. I’ll check the task list."

Whoosh.

A wave of gestures brought up numerous tasks right before her eyes.

Among the usual ones that were expected—mission planning, training preparation, reconnaissance of training facilities, risk management, consulting, mentoring, equipment, and logistics oversight, external cooperation, etc.—there was one list exclusively assigned to 'Lorentina.'

'Checking quantities and operational status of classified materials, reviewing attached manuals and guidelines, the upper limit for information that can be shared during mission exchanges... I had already expected these.'

Yet, there was something that stood out from the 'medium importance' category among these tasks. The title itself was enough to make her not need to open it fully: it included the word "manifestor."

It was no surprise that in the U.S., during the Manifestor's Day, several people had become level E1 or E2, but no other country had seen an instant increase in EM-level manifestors like Korea had.

Lorentina showed a sharp, white grin, revealing her jagged teeth.

"...I wish there was a way to bring them under my wing. Heh."

"...Don’t be greedy, it's not a press gang."

"Whoever they are, judging by the focus mark on you, I can tell they’re probably skilled but unlucky. You put too many manifestors in a car, the fuel efficiency goes down. Be careful."

"Well, half of it is a joke. It’s actually pretty fun to watch them freak out when I throw in jokes like that."

"So, half is serious, right?"

Naturally, the team members under Lorentina knew all too well about her sadistic tendencies, her greed for goals, and her relentless drive.

And when she made jokes like this, the best way to handle it was to shut them down before her imagination could run wild. That’s exactly why her joke was mercilessly suppressed.

Meanwhile, the vehicle had long entered Seoul, and they passed Yeouido, where the Icarus International Korea branch, known for its unique appearance, could be seen in the distance.

Lorentina selected a manifestor-related task from the task list, and the moment she did, the task lit up in green. The news would have been transmitted thousands of kilometers away in less than a second.

The vehicle soon entered the area near Cheongdam-dong. As the vehicle paused in an alley, Lorentina twisted her wrist before the door opened.

She returned to her male appearance, then, just before the door opened, added,

"As soon as we get there, I won’t say we’re playing. Work comes first. I’ll contact you later. I’ll be back within the scheduled time, don’t worry."

"Of course. Hurry up and take care of it."

Click.

A tall man wearing sunglasses exited the vehicle and swiftly blended into the crowd, disappearing just as the car had.

He—no, she—walked into a nearby café, confirming there was no kiosk, then skillfully ordered some food in Korean. Noticing the waitress’s friendly tone and expression, she let it slip by without comment.

Carrying a vibrating bell, she went up to a corner seat on the second floor, crossed her legs, and picked up the terminal.

'Which approach would be best…'

The task she had added at the top was simple.

Just confirm the mental state of the newly manifested people and, if possible, collect information on physical changes… something that would have been impossible for anyone but Lorentina, who had connections with manifestors in Korea.

But conversely, simply observing those who frequently appeared in streams and gathering information on them would be enough—this was a task that could be done while maintaining good relationships. The conclusion Lorentina came to was simple.

Just invite them out for a meal.

However, she had overlooked one thing.

--Vroom!

Eugene’s device was the most capable of information gathering in this world, and in the café close to Lorentina’s residence, it was possible to detect the device she was carrying.

In other words,

-[Eugene: No]

-[Eugene: When did you come in??????]

-[Laurentina: Want to know?]

-[Eugene: The kids haven’t even prepared anything yet]

-[Laurentina: I’m curious how you’re seeing me, little one]

Of course, Lorentina chuckled at the response, already knowing what the answer might be.

Would Eugene let the new members know she had arrived, or would he keep quiet? It was predictable since the shark hadn't yet said what he planned to do.

Whether he spoke up or not, it didn't matter—it would only decide whether it was early or late.

Ignoring the ringing bell, Lorentina descended the stairs to pick up the dessert she had ordered.

Indeed, Korea was always fun.

The shark thought so.

"…Why is this guy not answering the phone? It feels ominous."

"Is something wrong, Eugene?"

"No. It’s nothing…"

Meanwhile, about a few hundred meters away, at the Byam House, Eugene was secretly in a panic.

The shark’s successful Korean training.

It was only a matter of time before Harmony and Dice’s struggle began.

"Maybe it’s because it’s the middle of the week, or maybe because of the new kids, but wherever we go, something’s always going on. Didn’t you bring the new ones along?"

"It’s obvious what kind of reaction they’d have with Lorentina there. We need to ease them into the shock as much as possible. Looks like I’ll have to speed up the schedule a bit."

"I’m looking forward to that."

A weekend in mid-July, 6 PM. In front of the entrance to the Icarus Residence Hotel in Samsung-dong, Seoul.

I had finally welcomed the shark, who had legally returned to Korea. Actually, it’s more accurate to say that I had no choice but to welcome him.

Although I had known through texts and calls that he would be visiting Korea, the fact that this time had arrived again wasn’t exactly a burden… well, at least not for me.

It was probably my subordinates who felt the weight of it.

Anyway.

"Well, I guess it’s mostly a joke… But I’m sure there’s a bit of seriousness in it. I think the higher-ups are quite curious. The fact that all four manifestors currently active are somehow connected to the U.S. doesn’t seem to be enough for them."

"Yeah, that’s true, and the ones the little one raised are all excellent. Anyway, I’m not really going to take them, so don’t worry. The reason I’m in Korea this time has nothing to do with Manifestor’s Day."

"A long-term deployment to Korea for tactical exchanges… I heard the Hammerhead team came. Didn’t they say anything?"

"They prefer traveling with me over staying at the base. It’s not a big deal. Besides, Japan’s been doing joint training with Delta regularly, so Korea needs Task Force Blue."

"…Not sure if that’s the right call."

Task Force Blue, another name for DEVGRU.

Anyway, since it didn’t seem like a big issue, I thought nothing more of it… With that in mind, Lorentina and I entered the hotel.

As expected, the entrance and first-floor lounge were crowded with people.

Well, it’s the weekend, so that was to be expected. I didn’t pay much attention as I moved toward the elevator, since it seemed like the first floor would get crowded if I walked over there.

The hotel elevators were divided into two types. One was for general guests or residents who wanted to use the hotel’s restaurant, club, cocktail bar, or swimming pool.

The other one was for those heading to rooms where the cost of staying would easily equate to someone’s monthly salary.

Of course, the latter could only be used if you received a keycard from the first-floor lobby.

--Beep!

"Hmm, unique recognition system."

"It uses vein recognition, skin texture recognition, and iris recognition all at once. It’s pretty hard to bypass. It looks like your parents had it installed."

"As I said earlier, it’s all thanks to the little one. Everything’s been quite comfortable and convenient."

"Well, I did help before. Now it’s my turn."

With a small beep, I placed my palm on the keycard scanner, and the light turned on.

Naturally, it was all arranged by my parents. I imagine if we went to the Icarus Residence abroad and did the same thing, we’d get the same result.

According to what I heard from my parents, when the system activated, it would notify all the employees working at the residence through their phones or pagers... but that didn’t mean I’d be getting everything for free.

In any case, money might be coming out of my bank account, but all the hotel services would revolve around me.

And just as I expected,

"Welcome, Eugene. If you need any assistance, feel free to ask."

"I’ll head to the lounge on the 77th floor. We’ll just be the two of us, so please set up accordingly."

"Understood. Do you need accommodations?"

"I’ll let you know separately later."

"Got it."

Ding.

With that, the elevator descended, revealing a spacious area too big for just two people.

Some guests who recognized Lorentina and me rushed toward us, but unfortunately, today wasn’t the day for us to deal with them.

We walked past the crowded first-floor lounge without paying any mind to it and entered the section marked with "Reserved Space" inside the barricade.

Unlike the tightly packed room we passed by earlier, the space here was vast, with only a few tables and chairs.

Welcome drinks and a few appetizers were already on the table, and we sat on sturdy chairs that seemed able to support even an elephant, casually observing the outside.

And then came the following question.

"So, what’s the little one planning to do from now on?"

"Well…"

It was a broad question, but there was no need to think too deeply. I just had to say what I wanted to say to the shark.

And if there was a statement that would most delight him here...

"...We’ll have to prepare for the shark curriculum, so I guess the little one—who’s been resting—will have to start training again."

"Excellent choice."

There were many ways, and being a manifestor meant there were things I could do.

Maybe I’d start tomorrow or the day after.

"…Suddenly, something feels off."

"Me too."

"Is it because I became a manifestor? I feel like some indescribable conspiracy is going to hit us…"

Meanwhile, about 2 km away at Eugene’s house.

The three Byams were trembling in fear.