chapter_0143

142 – Codename Hong Sa

142 – Codename Hong Sa

Early morning.

Lampremp Hotel lobby.

“Hmm.”

Tempret, sitting on a sofa at one side of the lobby, opened his mouth while chewing gum.

“Is everyone here?”

At Tempret’s words, Perman, sitting across from him, nodded.

He was wearing a wool beret on his head again today.

“Everyone is here except for one person.”

“Hmm? Who is that?”

“Bilbosel.”

Bilbosel? After a moment of silence, Tempret furrowed one eyebrow as he recalled who that person was.

“Isn’t he the one who followed Daniel Steiner yesterday? The one who told us that Daniel Steiner entered Lampremp Hotel?”

“That’s right. But I tried to contact him this morning, and he didn’t answer.”

“He didn’t answer, huh.”

Chewing away—

After a while of chewing gum, Tempret raised his hand to scratch his cheek.

“It’s one of two things. He either ran away because he values his life, or he got so enraged about wanting to kill Daniel Steiner alone that he ended up getting his head chopped off.”

Tempret blew air into the gum, making it swell like a balloon.

Bang! As the gum swelled and burst, sticking to his lips, Tempret stuck out his tongue to lick around.

Perman, who had been watching Tempret chew gum, spoke up in a flustered manner.

“If it’s the latter, shouldn’t we be more anxious? If Bilbosel disclosed our operation, we could end up dead…”

“Well, I think differently.”

Tempret shrugged his shoulders.

“As you know, this hotel has no back door. That means to escape the hotel, you have to go through this lobby. Even if Bilbosel disclosed our operation, it wouldn’t change much.”

“But…”

“Yeah. Daniel Steiner might call for backup. So what? Before they get to us, we can just go up to the room where Daniel Steiner is staying and shoot him, right?”

It didn’t matter much if Daniel Steiner was hiding in a different room.

Among the spies gathered here, there were those skilled in tracking.

Of course, some of the personnel assigned to protect Daniel Steiner would be staying here, but this was an indoor battle, not a battlefield.

In an indoor battle, the spies gathered here were several times more skilled than soldiers.

It was hard to believe they would lose.

“Did you say Perman? Don’t worry too much. The people I called here are at least competent in their fields…”

Ding—

At the sound of the mechanical bell announcing the elevator’s arrival, Tempret closed his mouth.

The other spies, pretending to read newspapers while sitting on the sofas and chairs in the lobby, were also on edge.

Everyone was ready to fight, hands hovering over their concealed guns.

In a tense situation, the elevator doors opened, but none of the spies drew their guns.

What stepped out from behind the open elevator doors was not Daniel Steiner, but his aide, Lucy Emilia.

Lucy walked across the lobby, her heels clicking, but the spies merely watched.

Their target was Daniel Steiner, not his aide.

“…”

As Tempret exchanged glances with the other spies, he raised his hand to signal.

─ Just let her go.

The spies who agreed nodded their heads as Lucy walked to the hotel desk.

At that moment, Harom, a spy disguised as a hotel staff member, greeted Lucy with a smile.

“Lieutenant Lucy Emilia. Good morning. Did you enjoy your room? If you’re checking out, I would appreciate it if you could come with Colonel Daniel Steiner, who stayed with you. If not, you are free to go out as you please.”

Lucy stared at Harom without answering.

Feeling uncomfortable under her gaze, Harom continued with a business smile.

“Oh. If you want to know about the tourist attractions in Erestiom or want to do some simple shopping, please feel free to ask—”

“Please stop the act.”

At Lucy’s words, a crack appeared at the corners of Harom’s mouth.

Though still smiling, the atmosphere shifted dramatically.

“An act? What are you talking about?”

“The eagle soaring high in the sky knows nothing of the affairs below.”

Harom’s hand twitched.

He was taken aback because the other party knew the code used within the Allied Nations’ intelligence department.

After a moment of silence, Harom dropped his smile.

“Are you a comrade? If so, help us with our plan. We have gathered here to eliminate Daniel Steiner.”

“I refuse.”

“…Why?”

“You are violating the principles that all Allied Nations spies must uphold. All spies of the Allied Nations are only permitted to act based on orders. But right now, you are thinking and acting independently.”

Harom, who had been glaring at Lucy, bit his teeth.

“After the Palentia branch was wiped out, our communication network fell into the Empire’s hands. Naturally, the headquarters is avoiding our communications due to concerns about eavesdropping.”

“I know.”

“Then it will be easier to talk. In this situation, should we just sit back and wait? I believe it is right to act independently for the Allied Nations.”

“Individual thoughts do not matter. What matters is that you are acting independently, and I am on a mission to judge those who do.”

A low sigh escaped Lucy’s lips.

“However, I am currently questioning the Allied Nations, and if you cooperate appropriately, I have no intention of causing harm.”

“Cooperate? What do you mean?”

“Cancel the operation to eliminate Daniel Steiner and disband immediately. If you do not, I will have no choice but to take action.”

Harom, who had been quietly watching Lucy, let out a hollow laugh.

He found it ridiculous that Lucy was saying something so incomprehensible.

“There are thirty spies gathered here. Most of them are veterans who have killed before. Are you saying you will face them all by yourself?”

“If necessary, I will.”

“…They say there’s no remedy for stupidity.”

With a sneer, Harom drew a gun from beneath the desk.

“No need for others to intervene. I will kill you myself.”

At the same time, a stir arose among the spies.

Among them, Tempret shouted urgently.

“Harom! Stop it right now! You’re not in your right mind!”

“Shut up! It’s unavoidable for the greater good!”

Harom shouted at the spies and then looked at Lucy with a smirk.

“Hey, you damn bitch. Do you have any last words?”

“That seems more necessary for you than for me.”

“You’re still putting on airs. If silence is your last words, I’ll accept it. Farewell.”

Harom pulled the trigger.

Bang—

At the same time, Harom’s head exploded.

Of course, it was only natural.

Harom had been aiming his gun at his own temple from the beginning.

As Harom’s head flew off and fell to the floor, a heavy silence enveloped the hotel lobby.

The spies, who had been nervously watching Lucy’s back, began to rise one by one.

Tempret, who also stood up, swallowed hard and shouted around him.

“It’s an illusion! That woman is using an illusion! Never make eye contact or engage in conversation!”

Tempret shouted again at the hesitating spies.

“What are you doing, you idiots! Shoot! Shoot!”

Only then did the spies, regaining their senses, draw their guns and pull the triggers one by one.

Gunfire rang out in succession as dozens of bullets flew, but—

Bam bam bam—

The bullets that flew struck a blue curtain and either stopped or fell to the ground.

A high-density mana shield was blocking all the bullets coming from every direction.

‘No way! How…!’

It was incomprehensible that dozens of bullets flying randomly from all directions could be blocked.

If that were possible, the very existence of guns would be meaningless.

Yet Lucy was doing it as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

“Damn it! What the hell kind of monster is she!”

Tempret, flustered, changed his magazine just as Lucy turned her body.

In her hand was the dagger that Bilbosel cherished, though he didn’t know when she had taken it out.

Just as Tempret, feeling a sense of crisis, raised his gun to pull the trigger—

Lucy’s body seemed to blur and then vanished from his sight.

‘Is she even using neural acceleration?’

While others would be hailed as geniuses for mastering just one of these techniques, Lucy was using them in succession.

In his astonishment, Tempret turned his head to warn others, his eyes widening in shock.

“What…?”

Blood erupted from the spies in the space where Lucy’s afterimage had passed.

A spy with an arm severed screamed, while another with his throat cut fell to the ground, frothing at the mouth.

The spies, paralyzed with fear, were pulling the triggers in a frenzy, causing aimless bullets to ricochet off the ceiling and walls.

“Ahhhhh!”

“My arm! My arm!”

“Help me! Please!”

Every time he closed and opened his eyes, the number of spies dying increased exponentially.

Blood was spraying everywhere, and severed limbs of spies were floating in the air.

Tempret wanted to resist, but he couldn’t keep up with Lucy’s speed.

Standing there helplessly, Tempret slowly raised his hand to aim at his own head.

He wasn’t under Lucy’s illusion.

He simply judged that he could not win against her objectively.

He realized that she was the legendary Hongsa among the spies.

Tempret also knew that Lucy was a product of experimentation.

“Damn it. What kind of monster have they created…”

With self-pity, Tempret placed his finger on the trigger.

“…This is so unbalanced. You damn bastards of the Allied Nations.”

With his last words, Tempret pulled the trigger without hesitation.