Chapter 247: Three Horns, Good Connection, Ill-Fated Connection, Dwarf (8)

In the end, there was no instance where the two people took a helicopter back.

Thanks to the reasonable explanation that they needed to move covertly and the physical persuasion(?) on her forehead, Neti gave up on her desire to fly the helicopter.

Whether it was the persuasion or the explanation that moved her heart, only Neti’s reddened forehead knew.

Anyway, Yeomyeong felt his steps growing heavier as they returned to the accommodation.

It was because of the certainty that this incident was not just a conglomerate’s internal power struggle but involved a more complex conspiracy.

An organization that could deploy helicopters and mysterious egg ghosts.

Modern weapons, especially attack helicopters, were not things that a mere thug or mercenary group could use.

Purchasing, managing, and using them all required immense administrative power and money.

Moreover, it wasn’t Africa or South America, but one of the three major cities in the United States.

Was it a coincidence that the thought of the Korean government’s shepherds came to mind? Maybe the mastermind behind this was the U.S. government.

There was no evidence yet, but if by any chance the U.S. government was truly involved…

It would be wise for Darulma and Yeomyeong to back off from this situation.

“Uh, brother-in-law? Would you like to have dinner?”

Yeomyeong turned his head at Neti’s sudden question.

She was gleaming with excitement, looking at the shining Chicago-style pizza restaurant sign and her phone, likely a famous restaurant she found on the internet.

“I’m not really hungry yet…”

Just as Yeomyeong was about to refuse, Neti grabbed his arm tightly.

“Oh come on, don’t say that. You’ve had a hard day, right? If you don’t eat now, you’ll get sick, you know!”

Realizing that Neti was trying to cheer him up, Yeomyeong smiled faintly.

It was a small but sincere feeling.

Only then did Yeomyeong, pretending to give in, say as he was dragged along.

“Is that so? Well then, let’s get a few to-go. Seti must be waiting for us.”

“Shall we? I’m not sure if they’ll be able to pack it, but let’s go first!”

You can’t order a pizza to take home? Yeomyeong tilted his head as he followed Neti.

Only after entering the shop did he understand why she thought it would be difficult to order takeaway.

The pizza the customers were eating was a bit… no, it was quite different from the pizza he knew.

First of all, the thickness of the pizza was almost as big as a rice bowl. It was more like a meat pie made of cheese and tomato sauce than a pizza.

And judging by the overwhelming sausage smell, it seemed there was more than just cheese in the pizza.

“How is it, brother-in-law? It’s Chicago-style deep-dish pizza.”

“…The visual is as shocking as a Chicago-style hot dog.”

When she recalled the hot dog with a huge cucumber pickle, Neti subtly avoided his gaze.

“…That hot dog was actually pretty good, so the pizza might be the same.”

“Well, you’ll only know after you try it.”

The two of them chatted back and forth as they approached the counter.

“Welcome! This is Baba Pizza Grill!”

The person who greeted them was a woman who looked to be around thirty. Neti first asked if they could take the pizza to-go.

After hearing that all the menu items could be packed for to-go, she immediately started ordering pizzas.

“Two basic deep-dish pizzas, two mushroom deep-dishes, two with extra sausage, two stuffed, one avocado deep-dish, and five colas, please… and also…”

Without even looking at the menu, Neti listed off the pizza names.

The store owner smiled brightly as if she had hit the jackpot while taking the order, adding that it would take some time to bake and offering complimentary coffee while they waited.

After paying the hefty pizza bill, Yeomyeong sat down at a corner table and asked Neti.

“How are we supposed to eat that much… No, more importantly, how are we supposed to carry it?”

“…Maybe put it in your subspace, brother-in-law?”

“…”

Yeomyeong debated whether he should smack Neti’s forehead one more time but ended up just laughing.

After all, she had helped him all day to ambush the dwarves—he could at least buy her some pizza.

Thinking that it was lucky it was just pizza, Yeomyeong quietly waited with Neti.

The glittering night view outside, the rich aroma of cheese and tomato filling the shop, and the jazz flowing from the old speakers created a peaceful moment.

Watching the kitchen, Neti suddenly spoke.

“Looks like this place is run by a married couple.”

Just as she said, the woman who took their order at the counter and a man were bustling around in the kitchen.

Their perfectly synchronized movements made them seem like a couple with great chemistry.

“It’s nice to see, don’t you think?”

“…Yeah, it is.”

How beautiful are the humans who sweat and work hard every day—Yeomyeong nodded, recalling a poem that Deokbae-hyung used to recite.

Then, in the next moment, Neti poked his side and asked.

“Brother-in-law, what do you think about running a restaurant with my sister in the future?”

“…”

“I think the Holy Nation would be a great location. We could open a Korean restaurant in an alley with a view of the Five Gods Temple and put up a sign at the entrance that says, ‘The Saintess’s Favorite Spot!’”

“…Neti?”

“But actually, the Saintess’s real goal isn’t the food—she’s coming to see you… Ow!”

Yeomyeong could no longer hold back and flicked Neti on the forehead. Even though he didn’t put much force into it, Neti dramatically grabbed her forehead.

“Why did you hit me?! That was a pretty realistic idea!”

“…Want me to hit you again?”

“…No.”

Yeomyeong sighed at the silly joke while Neti rubbed her forehead.

However, she couldn’t keep her mouth shut for long.

“By the way, doesn’t that lady owner look familiar?”

“…”

Yeomyeong couldn’t immediately deny it. He also found the woman’s face oddly familiar.

She resembled someone… but where had he seen her before?

Just then, Neti clapped her hands as if she had realized something.

“Ah! She looks like Auntie Ava!”

“…Ava?”

“You know, the janitor lady from the first-year academy building. Wow, now that I think about it, they look almost like sisters! Should we ask if they’re related?”

Neti made a fuss, but Yeomyeong gazed at the shop owner with slightly narrowed eyes.

Auntie Ava… She had been a spy from a secret society who infiltrated the academy.

Yeomyeong recalled the incidents at the academy for a moment before answering Neti.

“No, let’s not bring it up.”

“Huh? Why… Oh, right. We’re keeping our identities hidden.”

Neti nodded in understanding on her own. Yeomyeong neither confirmed nor denied it, simply committing the store’s address to memory.

“Welcome, apprentice and my other apprentice’s younger sister.”

Corvus flew toward them as soon as Yeomyeong and Neti crossed the ornate lodging’s threshold under their invisibility cloaks.

Neti pouted, disappointed that her plan to sneak up on her sister had failed, but Yeomyeong simply nodded toward Corvus.

“You’ve certainly made quite the scene today. The news is filled with nothing but stories about you, apprentice. You even have a new nickname already.”

“…A nickname?”

“The Red Star of Chicago. A news anchor who doesn’t even know what Dzhugashvili is came up with it. Fascinating, isn’t it?”

“Red Star? Pfft! What kind of nickname is that…!”

Neti burst out laughing, finding it amusing. With nothing to say, Yeomyeong swallowed a bitter smile and stepped inside.

Beneath the extravagant and luxurious penthouse interior lay a space filled with dozens of hidden magic circles.

As Yeomyeong stepped into the place Seti had spent a fortune on—and Corvus had worked hard to protect—he was immediately greeted by Seti and the Saintess.

“Yeomyeong! Good work!”

Unlike the Saintess, who waved her hand with a knowing smile, Seti looked slightly drained as she lifted her hand.

Lastly, Darulma greeted Yeomyeong with a slightly nervous expression because what Yeomyeong had done today had far exceeded his imagination.

Who would expect him to attack over ten executives in a single day?

The boy had already proven himself impressive in Manchuria, but this level was entirely different.

What in the world did he learn at the academy? Did he somehow obtain a legendary relic from the first headmaster?

As Darulma was lost in thought, Yeomyeong walked to the dining table and pulled out the pizzas.

“Anyone up for a meal?”

Despite being stored in the inventory, the pizza was still steaming, filling the air with the rich scent of tomato.

The problem was… the sheer amount of it.

“…Why did you buy so much?”

As Seti rejoiced, Yeomyeong shrugged and gestured toward Neti, who was taking off her coat.

Realizing what had happened, Seti’s delicate brow twitched—Neti was definitely getting a flick on the forehead later.

Meanwhile, Darulma approached the table with a broad grin.

“Oh, deep-dish pizza! It’s Chicago’s specialty!”

He pulled out a plastic fork from one of the boxes and immediately scooped up a piece, stuffing it into his mouth.

Then, without a word, he began devouring the pizza at an alarming speed. Even Yeomyeong had to comment.

“Well, at least it was worth buying.”

He had been worried no one would eat it, but thankfully, everyone seemed to enjoy it—Seti and even the Saintess.

As Yeomyeong watched them eat, he picked up a slice for himself, but Corvus murmured before he could take a bite.

“…Come to think of it, everyone has been starving all day.”

“You haven’t eaten? Why?”

“We couldn’t even order room service because of that dwarf fellow, and it’s not like we have someone who knows how to cook here. And as for the Saintess’ cooking… well, you’ll find out for yourself someday.”

“…”

Realizing his group’s unexpected weakness(?), Yeomyeong smirked. Luckily, the pizza was more than enough to feed them all.

“…This is too greasy.”

“Here, have some hot sauce and cola, Saintess.”

“Pass me the jalapeños.”

“The one with mushrooms tastes the best.”

“What kind of fruit is…this avocado thing?”

“Darulma, eat more neatly. Can’t you see Corvus eating without spilling a single crumb with her beak?”

“But Saintess, I have a beard…”

“Ah! The cheese spilled out!”

And so, what could be described as either a heartwarming or chaotic meal continued.

Before they knew it, everyone had finished eating and was pulling out jelly and ice cream for dessert. Darulma leaned back in his chair.

After swallowing the last bite of pizza, he looked up at Yeomyeong.

“Though it’s a bit late, I’m glad you’re back safely. And really, thank you.”

Yeomyeong didn’t answer right away. He paused for a moment, silently tapping his fingers on the table.

After sensing the group’s growing curiosity, Yeomyeong slowly spoke up.

“Darulma, about that… there’s a bit of a problem.”

“A problem? What kind of problem? Did they discover your identity?”

At Seti’s question, Yeomyeong began to explain the situation he’d carefully organized in his mind.

The 11th dwarf, Dungan Heavy Industries’ inner circle secret meeting, the first dwarf, and the helicopter and Superhumans sent after him.

Even though Yeomyeong had summarized the situation, it went on for quite a while. When he finished, the group fell silent.

After a moment, Darulma spoke up, still sounding skeptical.

“…They sent a helicopter? Is that really true?”

“Yes, I’m not sure of the model, but it was definitely a military attack helicopt—”

At that moment, Neti interjected.

“The model was an AH-64 Apache. The manufacturer’s mark showed it was an old model made by McDonnell Aircraft. Except for the cockpit being modified for a single pilot, it was almost identical to the ones the U.S. military used.”

Both Darulma and Yeomyeong stared at Neti, slightly surprised. Feeling a bit embarrassed from the attention, Neti hid her face behind the pizza tray and added.

“You didn’t ask earlier…”

“…”

Yeomyeong turned his attention back to Darulma.

“Darulma, I think the helicopter is evidence that someone from the outside is involved. By the way, does Dungan Heavy Industries deal with military-grade weapons?”

“No, why would the government ask us to produce national defense weapons? They don’t even buy our dwarf-made smartphones.”

As Darulma said that, he clenched his fist.

He didn’t express it in words, but he had realized that this situation was far more dangerous than he had imagined.

After a moment, he arrived at a conclusion similar to Yeomyeong’s.

“Could it be the government…?”

Even after voicing the thought, he seemed unwilling to believe it, covering his lips with his fist.

A brief but heavy silence passed between the empty pizza trays

Darulma sighed, as if he had come to some conclusion.

“No, no way. It can’t be the government.”

His tone was closer to certainty than doubt, so Seti asked why.

“Why do you think so? After all, the Republican presidential candidate is saying they’ll strip voting rights from foreign races. Maybe the U.S. government is trying to take control of Dungan Heavy Industries…”

“That’s exactly the reason.”

“…What?”

“Do you know who the major backer of that candidate is?”

“…”

“Up until last month, it was Texas oil companies. But from this month onward, it’s the Stalin Statue Demolition Association.”

The group exchanged confused glances, wondering what this was about. Darulma quickly added.

“…The Stalin Statue Demolition Association is our clan head’s company. And they are also the fifth largest donor to the Republican Party.”

Yeomyeong, suddenly hearing such a political backstory, took a sip of cola to quench his thirst.

“So… could it be from the Democratic side?”

“No way. The mayor of Chicago is a Democrat, and we couldn’t afford to neglect them. Our Dungan Heavy Industries is the second-largest donor to the Democratic candidate.”

At this point, Neti raised her hand to ask a follow-up question.

“But… wouldn’t the government still target you guys? To squeeze out more money or something?”

“No, that can’t be. We’ve already squeezed every last penny to give to the US government and the two parties. In other words, even if we change our heads, the amount we give won’t change. On the contrary, as the company became unstable, the money only decreased.”

Ultimately, it meant that the U.S. government hadn’t intervened this time. Yeomyeong felt relieved, but he could sense the situation growing more complicated.

“Then… their identity is even more unclear. Those who can send a helicopter at night without the US government’s knowledge.”

An organization of the same level or even more powerful than KGB members who armed a passenger ship with a cannon was operating in the shadows.

“The United States…”

Corvus shook her head, and the Saintess was contemplating whether to use Foresight when Yeomyeong took out a severed head from his inventory.

“It seems this is the only clue to track them.”

The head, covered in smooth ceramic like an eggshell, making it impossible to tell whether it was undead or human.

As the head suddenly appeared, Darulma was startled, but Seti calmly examined the head Yeomyeong had taken out.

So, she raised a hammer and aimed it at the ceramic.

“You said there are two of these, right?”

“…Yeah.”

“Then let’s break one.”

As soon as Yeomyeong nodded, Seti struck with the hammer.

Clang! The hammer, wielded without mana, struck the eggshell head, but the ceramic didn’t even get a scratch.

“This is no ordinary object.”

Seti then raised her mana and swung the hammer. Crack! Only then did the thick ceramic crack open, revealing what was inside.

What was visible through the broken ceramic…

“Ugh—”

Seeing Darulma gag, Yeomyeong felt sorry. Maybe he shouldn’t have shown it after eating.

It couldn’t be helped. Inside the ceramic was a mass of flesh that couldn’t be recognized, tangled with circuit chips and wires.

The visual was straight out of a cheap B-grade horror movie.

“No way. Is this the brain?”

Neti, guessing the flesh’s identity, grimaced and pulled her head back. The Saintess also found it disgusting and subtly turned her head away.

But Corvus stretched out her foot, pulled the flesh and circuit board out of the head, examined them closely, and casually muttered.

“This… is not a brain. It looks more like cultured meat.”

“…Cultured meat?”

“Meat artificially produced in a laboratory. Let’s see…”

Corvus fiddled with the flesh, then, as if realizing something, stuffed the circuit chips and wires back into the ceramic head.

“I’ll say it again, it’s definitely not a brain. The texture is too different. Based on the feel and smell… it seems like a cultured liver.”

Yeomyeong didn’t ask how she knew that. Corvus was a Beastfolk who had lived for a long time.

A Beastfolk who had likely seen thousands, even tens of thousands, of human and Beastfolks corpses.

“A liver… I don’t understand why it would be a liver of all things.”

Corvus wiped her foot off as she spoke. Yeomyeong stared at the head in silence for a moment before putting it back into his inventory.

“…Could it be some kind of undead?”

“I don’t know beyond this myself. But if there’s one certain thing, it’s that whoever made this is far from normal.”

“…”

As Yeomyeong and Seti silently thought of the Shepherd, Corvus opened her beak to speak.

“You’re the only one here who’s fought against this thing. How was its combat ability? Anything strange?”

“…Until I cut off its head, I just thought it was an exceptionally strong superhuman.”

Another silence followed.

Neti discreetly sipped her cola, and the Saintess snatched it from her and drank it. Only after that much time had passed did Yeomyeong speak again.

“Darulma, what will you do? If you decide to stop here and run away, I’ll do my best to help you.”

Caught off guard by the sudden question, Darulma couldn’t answer immediately. He simply stared at the spot where the egg-head had been moments ago and let out a deep sigh.

“No, I won’t run away. Dungan Heavy Industries was built with my clan’s blood, and Chicago is my hometown. Abandoning my homeland should only be done once in my lifetime.”

“…”

“I know it’s shameless, but will you help me, Yeomyeong?”

The heir of a clan who had first fled their homeland to escape Stalin now bowed his head to the successor of the Golden Seal.

Yeomyeong looked down at Darulma for a moment, then nodded.

“Save the bowing for after this is over.”

“Haah, you really are…”

Darulma trailed off in an emotional voice. Yeomyeong shook his head.

“Our only clue is this egg-headed thing, so first, let’s find someone who might know what it is.”

“Someone who might know?”

In the meantime, realizing what Yeomyeong meant, Seti pulled out a map depicting the landscape of Chicago and spread it wide over an empty pizza box.

Marked on it were red circles along the Chicago waterways and numbers provided by Kahal Magdu.

“…Not a doctor, but an alchemist who knows the human body well.