Ch.5757. Love and Madness

“It’s nice to see you after a few months, but let’s get out of here first.”

Amon grabbed Kathy’s wrist.

When her wrist was grabbed, Kathy’s gaze almost went to Amon’s face for a moment before turning back toward the floor.

He didn’t ask why she kept avoiding eye contact.

There wasn’t time for that, and it wasn’t particularly important anyway.

They put Kathy in the limousine and hurriedly left the residential area.

In the shaking car, the mute sniper at the wheel sent a telepathic message.

[Any pursuit?]

“I took care of it in advance.”

Sonia answered while flipping a bullet.

The mute sniper gave a thumbs-up toward the back.

The limousine driven by the sniper slowly crossed through downtown.

To guard against possible trackers, they took a roundabout route to their destination, sometimes circling the same area.

In the comfortable ride, Kathy kept staring at the floor.

Because of this, when she opened her mouth, her companions were slow to realize she was speaking.

“How did you get here?”

“What, was that you talking?”

“…Yeah.”

Amon, being relatively quick-witted, responded to her words, albeit a bit late.

“You’re asking how we got here so quickly? Well… that’s a bit complicated to explain…”

Amon rolled his eyes as he chose his words.

The explanation itself wasn’t difficult.

After receiving Kathy’s message, the word “revelation” from the president started bothering him. So he headed to the cathedral his older brother supposedly attended, and there he discovered a supercomputer.

Originally, as a computer was blasphemy itself, it should have been immediately disposed of, but Amon was also a rational person.

Instead of disposing of it right away, he ran a simulation to find out why the word “revelation” had come from the president’s mouth.

The problem was that neither Amon nor Sonia knew how to operate the computer.

Instead, they entered three words into a blank field as if searching hashtags on social media.

Requetio President, Kathy, Owen.

The simulation ran, and Amon discovered that Kathy would be in danger an hour later.

“So I called everyone and rushed over as fast as I could. It was a bit close.”

Of course, he didn’t forget to burn the blasphemous computer before leaving.

But despite Amon’s explanation, there was still something unexplained.

“Why was that future-predicting computer found in a cathedral?”

Kathy’s sharp question brought silence to the car.

Everyone except Kathy rolled their eyes.

‘I deliberately didn’t mention that!’

He had intentionally avoided talking about how the computer worked.

Because that would mean bringing up Kathy’s mother.

‘How can I tell her that!’

There was no way he could tell her that her mother had become a computer.

Even though Kathy disliked the woman, she was still her biological mother.

There was no way he could deliver such news as casually as the 9 AM news.

Besides, the timing was terrible, right after she nearly got assassinated by her own brother.

‘I was planning to tell her someday, but…’

Now wasn’t the time.

So Amon prayed that Kathy wouldn’t notice the awkwardness and would just let it go naturally.

Unfortunately, her mind was working perfectly well even in this situation.

Amon’s gaze left Kathy’s crown and turned to his other companions.

The androgynous mage avoided his gaze, and the buffalo tanker squeezed his eyes shut.

The ogre was just doodling on the innocent window.

He threw a glance at the mute sniper in the driver’s seat through the rearview mirror, but she turned the mirror away.

– ‘You explain it.’

Amon finally looked at Sonia.

Sonia shook her head.

– ‘You should be the one to do that.’

At Sonia’s gesture, Amon sighed deeply and began to tell the truth.

How a parent’s love could lead to madness.

As the vehicle headed toward its destination, Amon’s explanation came to an end.

“…That’s what happened.”

“…”

After the explanation, Kathy fell silent.

Her companions looked at her with worried eyes.

Since she was still hanging her head, they couldn’t see her expression.

But as Kathy’s body gradually curled up, they could guess her state.

Sniff.

At that sound from Kathy’s direction, the vehicle was again enveloped in silence.

The limousine headed to its destination in silence.

The destination was a hotel that Amon had reserved in advance.

They couldn’t go home. The opponent could read the future.

They didn’t know how far he could see, but they couldn’t rule out the possibility that he had people waiting in front of their home.

Of course, this wasn’t a perfect plan either.

“Family… worried…”

The others agreed with the ogre’s murmur.

They had evacuated their families who might be taken hostage to other locations, but they didn’t know if that was enough.

Not knowing how far the opponent could see, they couldn’t shake off their anxiety no matter how much they prepared.

The mute sniper grumbled.

[This is why I hate people who can see the future…]

Then, noticing Kathy’s shoulder twitch,

[Not that I hate them, but they’re a bit tricky.]

The others wanted to agree, but being mindful of Kathy, they remained silent.

Eventually, the car arrived at the hotel.

An employee approached their car for valet parking.

Just as the employee was about to reach the car, Amon suddenly went into combat mode.

“Everyone, prepare for battle. That employee looks suspicious.”

For a valet parking attendant, his movements were too precise.

Almost like a skilled assassin.

One might think he was overreacting based just on movement and stride, but the president Amon was dealing with could see the future.

It wouldn’t be strange if an assassin jumped out from an unlikely place as if waiting for them.

The other companions were in a similar state to Amon.

They were on high alert, watching the approaching employee.

Ready to engage in combat immediately if he did anything suspicious.

Finally, the employee approached the front of the car.

Each of them hid their weapons in blind spots and remained vigilant.

At that moment, the employee said with an awkward smile,

“Did you forget me?”

“…?”

“It’s me. The executive director who guided you all. I guess I’m the former executive director now.”

“Huh? Why are you here?”

“The president sent me.”

Amon’s party had no misunderstanding about which president the director was referring to.

This director was someone who had submitted his resignation without hesitation as soon as Owen became president and followed the former president.

The person he called president was only one.

As Amon’s party relaxed their guard, the director said with a kind smile,

“Is there room in the car? I’d like to go somewhere other than this hotel.”

Amon nodded.

The car left the hotel and headed for a resort.

*

The place where Kathy’s father, who had disappeared from public view, was staying was a resort.

He had purchased an entire resort and was using it as his hideout.

It wasn’t just the former president who lived there.

Executives and their families who had either followed him out of the company or been driven out by Owen were also there.

Even the families of Amon’s party members were waiting for them.

“We brought them here.”

Said the security guards who had been protecting Amon’s party.

They seemed to have trusted and followed these people who had protected them for four months.

“Your rooms are in the West Gold Club area.”

The director who was guiding them handed over a bundle of keys.

He added that there were some extra rooms they could use freely.

Amon’s party was dismayed at the set of keys, which numbered well over 20.

This was the kind of generosity only those with money to burn could afford.

“For now, miss, you can stay in the same building as your friends.”

“Fa… Father said that?”

“Yes. He said what you need right now is your friends.”

“…I understand.”

Kathy’s gloomy mood improved a little.

Afterward, the director showed them around various parts of the resort.

“If you want to eat or play, you can come to the central building.”

With words to rest and recover from fatigue, the director walked away.

Amon’s party decided to trust the former president and relax for now.

Later, Amon’s party distributed the numerous rooms as needed.

In Kathy’s case, she was placed right next to Amon and Sonia’s rooms.

And so, Amon’s party rested in their respective rooms, looking forward to the next day.

That night, someone came to Amon’s room.

Knock knock

“Are you asleep?”

“What is it, Director?”

“The president is calling for you.”

Amon reluctantly got up from bed and put on his outdoor clothes.

He tucked a folding sword into the back of his waist, just in case, and followed the director.

On the way to the former president, the director started a conversation with a friendly smile.

“You must be wondering why a director is running errands like this?”

“…Yes.”

“It’s because the president trusts me that much!”

According to him, he was a person with both the ability and trust to bring the president’s daughter and her companions.

Though it sounded like self-praise, Amon could see that the president did seem to trust the director unusually.

The director continued talking without pause.

“Can you believe it? He suddenly appointed me, a college student who hadn’t proven anything, as a department head!”

The director’s praise for the president continued.

While listening to his chatter, Amon could glimpse the director’s loyalty to the president.

Perhaps the other executives in this resort were similar people.

While thinking this, they arrived at the president’s room.

“I’ll leave you here. He’s waiting inside.”

Amon bowed his head slightly and knocked on the door.

After permission from inside, Amon entered the room.

As soon as he opened the door, the charismatic young man he had seen before welcomed him.

Though he must have stepped down from his position as president, the pressure he exuded hadn’t diminished at all.

However, the room was filled with the scent of alcohol.

Though neatly arranged, about half of the liquor bottles displayed behind the president were depleted.

It was a sight that would make alcohol enthusiasts fuss about proper storage, but the president didn’t seem to mind.

“Sit down.”

Amon sat down in front of the president.

The president offered Amon a drink.

“Do you drink?”

“I’m sorry.”

The president tilted his head.

“I thought it wasn’t against your doctrine?”

“I’m afraid I might make mistakes if I get drunk. Especially around Kathy.”

It was a roundabout way of saying he couldn’t afford to drink while being pursued.

“Then I’ll respect that.”

Some might criticize this as failing to read the room, but the president actually seemed pleased with Amon’s response.

“With someone as upright as you, I think I can entrust Kathy to you.”

“…Pardon?”

Amon doubted his ears.

The president continued to clarify any potential misunderstanding.

“Not in that sense. I mean that you can save Kathy.”

“What do you mean by that…”

“Well, this might be a bit of a long story.”

The president placed a bottle of water in front of Amon instead of alcohol and began his story.

Starting with the secrets of the Requetio family and ending with the background of why Kathy suddenly collapsed and stopped meeting people.

While Amon understood Kathy’s behavior, he was also puzzled.

“Is it okay for me to hear this?”

Was it really okay to tell him what could be considered the mysteries of the Requetio family?

The president responded to Amon’s reaction with a smile.

“I think only you can save Kathy from her current state.”

“What do you…”

“I’ve been trying to listen to my daughter’s future. I’ve heard numerous conversations. But the sound keeps cutting off at certain points.”

So the president investigated Kathy’s surroundings and eliminated people whose conversations he could hear.

Eventually, he noticed that conversations involving one particular person were completely edited out, as if they didn’t exist.

“That person is you.”

When he first discovered this, the president was wary of Amon.

For someone who could predict the future, an unpredictable variable was terrifying.

He even seriously considered assassinating Amon.

But…

– “Amon…”

– “Amooon!!”

– “It’s Amon again..”

For some reason, he couldn’t do it because of his daughter’s voice constantly calling for Amon.

They were clearly different tones, and some even sounded angry.

But for some reason, because of his daughter’s voice that somehow seemed happy, he didn’t want to exclude Amon.

“So I tried to have a conversation with you.”

To find out what kind of person Amon was.

And with just one conversation about alcohol, the president was able to clearly understand who Amon was as a person.

“In this world, people as upright as you are rare.”

Some might say that being upright in this harsh world is foolish, but the president didn’t think so.

“When you can see the future, the most necessary person to have by your side isn’t someone capable.”

What good is capability?

If someone has a 0.1% chance of betrayal, it’s hard to feel at ease with them around.

Ability only needs to meet a minimum threshold. What’s needed is someone who won’t betray.

“That director who guided you is such a person.”

Someone who would never betray in any future.

Amon had already passed the test by coming all this way to save Kathy, but the president still wanted to confirm one last thing.

Of course, Amon’s case was a bit different, but the president got a similar impression from Amon as from the director.

“Only you and that friend have rejected my alcohol to my face like this.”

“Haha…”

“Well. So I want to entrust her to you. I don’t usually like gambling, but… I’m human too. Sometimes I just want to indulge in optimism.”

The president leaned back on the sofa and looked at Amon.

“Can I trust you?”

Amon nodded without hesitation.

“I will protect Kathy in any future.”

“Excellent.”

The president nodded with satisfaction.

Afterward, the president escorted Amon to the door.

Returning to the sofa, the president picked up a half-empty bottle of liquor.

And he muttered,

“You can earn millions of dollars anytime. But it’s very difficult to find a friend who won’t betray you even after receiving those dollars.”

The president turned his gaze from the display cabinet.

A half-empty wine bottle was visible in the cabinet.

“Father. I guess I’m saying the same thing in the end.”

Perhaps because it had been opened once, the wine bottle had a sour smell.

But the president looked at the almost vinegar-like object with satisfaction.

“But you know. It seems Kathy has already succeeded more than me.”

The president’s gaze turned to the display cabinet next to where the wine bottle was placed.

Four half-empty liquor bottles were placed there.

The president looked at them with satisfaction and placed the bottle he had been drinking from in front of Amon on the display cabinet.

The president smiled as he looked at the five half-empty liquor bottles.

*

The day after Amon and his companions visited the president’s room.

They gathered in the corridor before heading to the dining room.

But even in the morning, Kathy didn’t come out of her room.

She was clearly behind the door, and judging by the room service coming and going, she was eating well, but she didn’t want to meet her companions.

They could have been angry that they came to rescue her only for her to lock herself in her room, but her companions understood her.

“Well, that’s understandable.”

“You heard too?”

“Did you hear about it too, Torso?”

It seems a bit too many people know for it to be a secret, but anyway, Amon’s party had an accurate understanding of Kathy’s condition.

They immediately began to look for ways to restore Kathy’s state.

“First, we just need to get her out of the room, right?”

Amon was confident that he would never betray Kathy.

The others felt the same.

The plan was set.

“I’ve already contacted the director.”

The beast-man tanker had obtained permission in advance.

[She’s not in the shower.]

The mute sniper checked the room with a snake cam to prevent any unfortunate incidents.

“Explosives ready.”

The ogre installed a small bomb in front of the door.

“Um… isn’t there a better way?”

The androgynous mage’s doubts about the operation were lightly dismissed.

They said there was no need to take a roundabout approach when they had a sure method.

And then

Screech- BANG!

“Entering now.”

At Amon’s signal, they stormed into the room.

“W-what the!”

Kathy, who had been curled up like an armadillo on the bed, jumped in surprise and pressed herself against the wall.

She buried her face in the pillow she had been holding, trying not to make eye contact with her companions.

Her companions grabbed her arms from both sides and lifted her head.

“Kuhehe-! It’s no use struggling, miss!”

“Vox. What are you saying?”

“It’s a line my troll-hybrid friend from graduate school used to say! I learned that this is when you use it!”

“Please stop.”

There was an incident where the ogre spouted nonsense and the androgynous mage restrained him, but anyway, they succeeded in lifting Kathy’s head.

Her gaze, with eyelids forcibly opened, met the mute sniper’s gaze.

And naturally, her gaze moved to the buffalo tanker, the ogre, the androgynous mage.

And finally to Amon.

After staring blankly at Amon for a few minutes…

Drip.

Two streams of tears flowed from her eyes.