I Have Returned, but I Cannot Lay down My Gun

Chapter 639

"It was always a place that could be seen from the balcony, but whether alone or with someone else, it's the first time I've actually been here. I haven’t been able to bring anyone here until now. As a reward for that, we've come to a place I've never visited with anyone else, so I hope you’ll be satisfied."

"...So this is the night view. Looking around, over the entire horizon, there's an overflow of lights, people, and cars..."

"Let’s walk. This is the Han River, the landmark that cuts across Seoul."

8:00 PM, South Korea, Han River Park.

Under the dark purple sky, with the warm air, a slight smell of water, and the scent of grass filling the Han River embankment, Gaia, in the form of Rain, and I were standing there.

Although the weather couldn’t exactly be called cool, it was for that very reason that so many people were outside, enjoying the late night of Seoul. Of course, most of their gazes were directed at us.

However, while it might be a bit disappointing for those who wanted to strike up a conversation, today was... well, a private time, if you will. So no photos or autographs today.

When I politely declined the people subtly approaching us, they reluctantly walked away.

At the same time, I added:

"It’s fine to wave or smile, but let’s not forget the essence of the matter. You know well how we ended up here today, so I won’t say more."

"Of course. Who do you think I am? But there are really so many people around."

"Well, it’s the capital of a country. And with the weekend on top of it, it’s inevitable. I hear people who live around here sometimes or often take walks here."

"The original one also lives near the Han River."

"Only if they have a set working time."

The fact that you can work anytime means the boundary between work and rest is blurred.

In truth, if I wanted, I could have been home at this hour handling various tasks instead of taking a walk... but, well, there’s no need to focus on unnecessary thoughts right now.

And so, we started walking. Today’s agenda was Dark Zone 2.0, and the German front in that world.

"I heard there was nothing significant found at the Frankfurt branch other than discovering a management AI like Nasty."

"Oh, that... right. As I mentioned before, the one there found its own way of life... and as a result, that friend entered rest. Fell into an endless sleep. I don’t know the exact reason, though."

"Can it be awakened?"

"If power is supplied and the artificial consciousness is booted, it’ll obviously wake up. But I guess they didn’t think it was necessary. Right now, they’re just picking out useful data from the Frankfurt branch’s server."

Well, that makes sense logically.

Among the mecha juniors that exist up until now, those who were friendly from the start with this side... aside from Mav and Gaia, were there any? Jin and Rain also beat them up and brought them as spoils.

If you consider that waking it up recklessly might lead to annoying issues, that approach is probably the right one. Gaia was an exception, having stumbled upon it by pure luck.

As I was thinking that, I continued:

"...But why are you thinking of waking it up? I remember when I joined, it looked like your head was about to explode. Could it be... you actually like adding mecha juniors, don’t you?"

"Kek."

"Exactly! I got it right! I guessed... Kiyaak, woah! How can you have such ridiculous strength with that build and appearance...!"

"Your signature would read ‘Excessive chatter’."

"Kek, kkh, save meee...."

As expected, this part definitely attracted attention... but sometimes, even if it draws eyes, there are things that must be finished.

After giving Gaia a proper lesson in pain, which I didn’t think would happen, we started walking along the Han River again.

The "Arirang House," a boat-shaped building, and the adjacent duck boat dock. Unfortunately, if Gaia and I got on the boat, the chances of it sinking in an instant would be over 100%, so we couldn’t board.

We just passed by, looking at the sparkling sail-shaped LEDs, which glowed so brightly it hurt my eyes.

"I wanted to try riding that..."

"If we took a motorboat, we’d sink. If we had something like a special high-speed boat that SWCC uses, like the MK.V SOC, maybe... it would be fine with even the mecha juniors on board."

"That’s because they designed the blueprints based on the initial production models of the unverified zones, using ridiculously heavy alloys to add unnecessary armor. We need to change the material too."

"Well, think about that later."

How long had it passed? We started passing under a bridge.

People were gathered so close that you could touch the Han River with your hand, and of course, their gazes immediately focused on us. Some even jumped up, so I smiled and added:

"The weather is nice. I hope everyone has a pleasant evening."

"Nice to meet you, human."

"Uwah, what’s this? How did you come all the way here, ugh."

"It’s because the youngest threw a tantrum. I brought them out here so they could experience nature in the city."

That wasn’t wrong.

Before long, more and more people started gathering from the back to continue watching us, and one by one, they started joining in. But what can you do? When you get popular, it’s an inevitable fate, I guess.

I wonder how celebrities, who had to experience this from the past, managed to live outside.

Anyway, after walking for a while, we headed toward the Yeongdong Bridge, and from a distance, music started to fill the air.

"Where is the melody coming from… what’s going on?"

"It’s a street performance. Or as they call it, busking. I think I saw someone singing with just a guitar in Central Park in the other world, but I guess they don’t do that anymore."

"I didn’t see it when I was here. Maybe Rain heard it once… by the way, the conversation’s muted, right?"

"Of course. It’s a must in this kind of conversation."

People around us probably thought we weren’t having any conversation at all.

Naturally, our steps led us toward the music. And after some time, a peculiar space that seemed like a set of stairs resembling contour lines appeared.

Tables placed in a low area were filled with people enjoying a late dinner, with food they must’ve gotten from somewhere, and the sound of music came from above on the high steps.

Various wires, microphones, guitars, and amps were scattered around the stairs. Two open guitar cases in the middle were filled with coins and bills, and at the center of the makeshift stage, a man and a woman were sitting and singing.

We moved closer, hoping to hear more clearly when—

"...Eh?"

"What’s this? The owner, the path here is opening automatically... ah."

It was like a second stage. The people who saw us literally scrambled, parting the way as if Moses were parting the Red Sea. As I locked eyes with the singers, the pitch wavered as if it had been shaken, but they managed to continue the song, which was impressive.

I checked my pocket. Unfortunately, I didn’t have loose change, but there was a QR code I could use to give a fair amount for a "viewing fee" of sorts, like the one I’d heard China had become used to.

I checked, and roughly... this should work.

Beep

-[IIB Card // Account ending in 52 // Eugene Lee // USD 100.00 Check // 0724 20:31]
-[Available Balance is USD 765,212.46.]

The money was successfully deducted, and... well, since it was an account I set up for small payments, there wasn’t much money in it.

Anyway, after a few minutes of enjoying the music with the crowd around us, I clapped and added:

"That was a great song."

"...The one next to it, is that..."

"Someone I brought along for the expo opening tomorrow. If you get a chance, you should check out Rain. The expo will last for about a month."

"Nice to meet you, humans. I enjoyed the song and had a great time! Goodbye!"

Having paid generously and watched briefly, I figured I was advertising a bit. No big deal, right? If needed, we can discuss more later.

We quickly slipped away from the crowd and started walking again along the Han River.

"Why are you attracting so many people, even visible from my balcony? Ten minutes ago, I got a call from Dice and Harmonie asking what you were doing."

[General] Did the Biyam appear at the Han River yesterday?????
<Random picture>

Did anyone take pictures?

[Full Comments][By Date]

-How could I have taken a picture? You idiot, lol.

-If you had a deep interview with a Biyam, I’ll give you credit.
-What.... I should have taken a picture!!!!!!

"Next time, just give me a heads up and I’ll get it right for you."

As we continued walking, more comments started popping up. The conversation drifted into humorous exchanges about the lack of photos and the Biyam’s influence.

“Did you hear? I think people said they saw Rain walking around the Han River with some mysterious guest.”

"Yep, that’s true. I heard someone even got an autograph from the Biyam."

"Wow, that’s crazy. I bet people are lining up to see them at the Expo."

“Totally, the whole place is buzzing with energy. It’s like everything’s starting to get more lively since they’re here.”

The comments filled the air with chatter about us, and though I didn't mind the attention, I was glad we could finally escape from the crowd and focus on our conversation.

"These people really go wild over every little thing," Gaia muttered with a dry chuckle.

"Well, you know how it is when you’re a bit of a star," I responded casually, keeping my tone light despite the exhaustion that was starting to set in.

By the time we reached the quieter part of the park, I could feel the shift in the atmosphere. The energy from the crowd had subsided, and it was almost peaceful now.

"The real challenge is keeping up with the people. I bet they’re gonna be after us for the next few days," I said, pausing to take in the view of the river beneath the bridge.

Gaia sighed. "Tell me about it. It’s only going to get worse once the Expo kicks into full gear."

As we walked on, I knew that the days ahead were only going to become more hectic, with the public’s growing interest in us and the events surrounding the Expo. Despite the challenges, however, it was part of the job, and the hustle was something I was used to. What mattered was keeping focused on what truly mattered—the next steps in the mission.

"So, what's next?" Gaia asked, glancing over at me as we moved toward the bridge.

"We’re heading toward the major events, and I’ve got to make sure everything stays on track," I said, my voice steady. "We’ll be fine. We just have to keep our heads straight."

Just then, a message buzzed through. I quickly glanced at my phone, scanning the urgent notifications related to the event, finances, and ongoing operations in the city.

[Eugene: The supply drone for the C Building restaurant hasn’t opened yet. The error sensor was triggered.]

[Reply: Understood, we’ll take care of it immediately.]

[Reply: The error sensor was likely triggered due to the crowd. We'll loosen it up shortly.]

I quickly handled the situation, ensuring everything was taken care of. It felt strange sometimes, coordinating these details while navigating public attention, but it was part of the process.

I glanced back at Gaia, who was silently watching me. "Looks like things are moving along."

"Seems like it. Just don’t let all of this get to your head," Gaia said, her tone unusually serious.

I gave a quick nod, acknowledging her concern. It was clear that, while the distractions and chaos of fame were difficult, the mission and its demands would always take priority.

As we walked away from the Han River, heading toward the Expo's towering complex, I couldn’t help but think about what lay ahead—how the next few days would unfold. Despite everything, one thing was certain: there was no going back now.