Ch.242Chapter 10. I’m Not a Dine-and-Dasher (2)

Thailand was in turmoil.

While Laplace was dead, countless people had served under him, and particularly the generals and executives under the Red Wolf caused additional chaos by inciting some riots.

But the greatest confusion came from those discovered at the God’s Sanctuary.

“I had to manage opium there every day. Others managed hemp and marijuana…”

“Anyone who resisted was immediately sent to the execution room. Everyone who came out from there had their heads gone. Something was implanted in their heads, but the Goblin healed all of it.”

“What? How did I end up there? Well, that’s… it’s a bit embarrassing to tell the truth… Actually, I was pretending to be Korean at a club to have some fun with women when…”

First, there were the “former slaves” who had their heads completely shaved with numbers burned into their scalps by lasers.

Everyone had a headache trying to figure out what to call them, but soon they were officially named “the Escapees.”

Some suggested calling them “baldies” or “Bold-M.I.A,” but no matter what, they couldn’t formally refer to people as “baldies” in official settings.

After all, their heads weren’t shaved by choice but forcibly by Red Wolf’s troops.

“Those who didn’t obey… were all killed. I didn’t see it myself, but I heard they removed the organs and buried the bodies in the hemp fields to use as human fertilizer.”

“They selectively bred children. Those children were sent elsewhere for adoption. They must be receiving military training on some island that Red Wolf secretly established. When they become adults, they’ll enter the military and…”

“If they did this to normal children, what about ability users? The children in those files the investigator showed us were born and raised on that island. They know nothing about the outside world. If we told them anything about the outside, we would be executed immediately.”

In any case, the Escapees told everything they had heard and experienced.

Because there were so many people, and because the stories from inside were so shocking, not only Thailand but the international community fell into great confusion.

The most serious issue was the powered children who were subdued at the toll gate leading to the island, separate from the Escapees.

“This is beyond child abuse! Human dignity…”

Raising powered individuals on an island to turn them into soldiers.

“The powered children rescued this time… Their education was completely wrong. Everything they learned was fiction, brainwashing, that’s what I’m saying.”

“Even Nazis would admire this and call them ‘master’ to learn from them. This is worse than what the Nazis did. How could anyone do such a thing?”

“Think about when they become adults. While I’ve said that heroes don’t necessarily need to contribute to all of humanity, I never said they should be used as someone’s soldiers.”

These children had never seen the outside world, and having received ideological education from a young age, they couldn’t discern what was socially right or wrong.

“Brainwashing powered children from infancy to raise them as soldiers? This only happened in fiction, how could this happen in reality? It’s disgusting. It’s so repulsive I can hardly believe we’re the same species.”

It was truly shocking and horrifying.

And simultaneously, people began to wonder.

If this happened in Thailand…

Could something like this be happening around me?

To that, I would like to answer:

‘That’s correct.’

* * *

After renting a car in Bangkok and driving down to Pattaya, we visited a church a little distance from the streets of Pattaya.

“Hello, brother. Nice to meet you, sister.”

Even in Thailand, a predominantly Buddhist country, churches exist, and an elderly white-haired nun who came out from the church we arrived at greeted us with a smile.

“You must have had quite a difficult night, thank you for coming all this way.”

“It’s nothing. The hardship will be for the people of this country going forward. We just did what needed to be done.”

“The side effects after finding and removing cancer cells must be endured by the body’s owner. Isn’t finding the cancer before it reaches the terminal stage the top priority? Please come inside.”

“Excuse us, Sister Haniela.”

Yoon Hye-ra and I followed Sister Haniela into the church.

“Oh, visitors!”

“A Korean couple!”

The children inside the church cheered and greeted us.

Hye-ra and I waved lightly at them, and the children politely greeted us with a wai, pressing their palms together at chest level.

“The children seem very cheerful.”

“It’s all thanks to the help from your organization. They eat well, live happily, and enjoy everything they deserve. The only thing the children lack is the love of their biological parents.”

“But the other sisters are giving them love instead.”

“No matter how much you raise them with your heart, it’s still less than blood ties.”

Sister Haniela smiled bitterly as she opened the door leading to the inner part of the church.

The interior was spotless, requiring no repairs, and though there were occasional traces of children’s mischievous drawings, there were mural-like paintings next to those scribbles.

“I don’t have much to offer, but I brewed some tea when I heard you were coming. Would you like some cha yen?”

“That sounds good. Hye-ra, what about you?”

“I’ll have that too, please.”

“…We also have sikhye and sujeonggwa prepared.”

“I’d prefer that then.”

Homemade tea made locally.

Though we’ve been in Thailand for some time, I feel like I’m finally experiencing the true essence of Thailand.

“Are you two here to check on the children’s condition?”

“Yes. We were concerned they might be disturbed by yesterday’s events.”

“They are disturbed. But they’re all smart children. They understand the situation and actually sympathize with the children who were on the island.”

Haniela took a sip of her cha yen—Thai milk tea—and smiled bitterly.

“Perhaps because they use their brains more after awakening their abilities, our children generally have intelligence levels 2-3 years higher than other non-powered children of the same age. I don’t know about other places, but…”

“It’s similar everywhere. That’s the case no matter where you go.”

Powered individuals develop faster.

Even 17-year-old S-class individuals like Armored Taejo or Princess Bari have adult-like bodies, and especially their brain development is significantly ahead of other children their age.

It’s no wonder that proposals to lower the age of majority for powered individuals are being introduced in various places.

That’s how much faster their physical development is.

Some of the children here might look like middle schoolers on the outside, but many are actually elementary school age.

As much as there are many aspects to consider in raising these children, Haniela and others at this church are doing their best to serve and devote themselves with love to the children.

“Excuse me.”

“Ah, come in, Gabriel.”

A young man in priest’s attire approached.

Nearly 180cm tall, he was a mixed-race—Korean and Thai.

“Greetings to the two heroes. My name is Gabriel.”

“…How old are you this year?”

“I’m 20 years old by Korean standards. My ability rank is—”

“B-rank. And it seems you’ve grown this year.”

“…Thank you for recognizing that.”

It was a bit embarrassing for me to see a young man blush at my words, but I stood up and extended my hand to Gabriel for a handshake.

“Nice to meet you. Would you like to join us if you’re not busy?”

“I appreciate the offer, but it happens to be PE time with the children right now.”

Gabriel made a sad face as he shook my hand, then bowed his head again.

“Welcome to Thailand. Thanks to you both, many people could be saved. Well then.”

Gabriel left the reception room, looking regretful.

His gaze was like that of a high school student looking at a top professional gamer, which is why I deliberately offered him a handshake.

“Hehe. Since the section chief who was active just the day before yesterday offered him a handshake, Gabriel probably won’t wash his hand for a while.”

“It’s a hand that came back from killing people, though.”

“People are different from one another. God will understand and forgive. You killed those who killed humans and ground their bones to drink.”

She speaks without hesitation despite being a nun.

That’s why Haniela cooperates with the Syndicate.

If there were someone who said that even God wouldn’t tell us to kill them, but to make them repent for their sins, such a person wouldn’t cooperate with the Syndicate in the first place.

“Sister. If there’s anything uncomfortable or needed, please let us know anytime.”

“Nothing at all. Well, if there’s one thing, it would be this.”

Sister Haniela pointed with her eyes to the children going out to a fairly spacious open area beyond the window.

“I wonder if those children will be surprised when they learn that the Syndicate is actually the organization making huge donations to this church. And if their dreams and hopes will be shaken.”

“…Keeping them unaware would be best, I suppose.”

“Yes. Some like Gabriel have joined our side, but—this may not be appropriate to say in front of you two—I hope the children don’t walk the path of the Syndicate.”

“I think so too.”

The Syndicate is doing its best for the growth and development of children abandoned by society, whether they’re powered or not.

Like Red Wolf and Laplace did, to make them into soldiers blindly loyal to them?

Not at all.

“I wonder how much the world knows. If they knew that orphanages around the world are actually operated by the Syndicate.”

“…Since we’re not raising them to be Syndicate members, it should be fine. Right, Hye-ra?”

“Of course.”

The Syndicate simply does its best to support children until they become adults, until they become proper members of society.

“Even if they walk the hero’s path and stand in the way of the Syndicate, we can’t make the children suffer the same pain we experienced.”

The core members leading the current Syndicate, including the four executives under the leader, as well as powered individuals over 20, are ensuring that future generations don’t experience the humiliation and pain they suffered in their childhood.

That’s why I’m convinced.

“Everything is for world peace.”

That the world conquered by the Syndicate is the path to world peace.