episode_0061

“I am Bel.”

Belzero introduced herself briefly as ‘Bel.’

Was she not even intending to deceive me? Or was it an expression of confidence that she already knew everything? Either way, it wasn’t a favorable situation for me.

We sat facing each other at a table placed in one corner of Scarlet’s workshop. Scarlet, with a bewildered expression, kept glancing between us, trying to interject into the conversation, but Belzero firmly stopped her.

“I apologize, but… I’d like to have a somewhat private conversation. Could you step aside for a moment?” Her voice carried a strange power that brooked no refusal.

Scarlet briefly wore a displeased expression, but then, as if there was nothing she could do, shrugged her shoulders and turned back to her workbench. After confirming that Scarlet had moved away, Belzero turned her gaze back to me.

Her dark, deep eyes stared intently at me. A suffocating silence. She said nothing, as if waiting for me to speak first.

‘This woman… she was indeed targeting me from the start.’ I realized it instinctively.

It was highly probable that her visiting Scarlet was also an act to approach me. And now, she was finally about to reveal her true colors.

The thought that Scarlet might be in danger crossed my mind. If this woman caused a disturbance here… But moving rashly now would only worsen the situation.

I tried hard to maintain my composure and lightly nodded towards Scarlet, as if to say it was okay. “It’s nothing serious, so don’t worry too much.”

At my words, Scarlet still didn’t drop her suspicious gaze, but she no longer interfered with our conversation.

“How do you… know my name?” I asked, trying my best to remain calm. Did she notice the slight tremble in my voice?

Belzero let out a soft chuckle at my question. It was a relaxed smile, as if she knew all my hidden intentions.

“Well. I just happened to find out. The name Kang Jin-woo, and also about your mech.” Her eyes gleamed sharply for a moment. It was an intense gaze, as if she would devour me, like a predator eyeing its prey.

After silently watching me for a long time, her tone suddenly changed. All previous gentleness vanished, and an icy, overbearing voice settled low in the workshop.

“You… you know who I am, don’t you?” Her direct question made me momentarily gasp. It was a situation where I couldn’t deny it, nor could I rashly admit it.

“Indeed, if you have enough information to know the location of a grav-damper, why wouldn’t you know my face?” At her words, I flinched involuntarily and defensively raised my hand slightly.

Belzero saw my nervous reaction and, as if amused, slightly raised the corners of her lips and gestured for me to calm down. “Don’t tremble. I didn’t come here for the purpose you’re thinking of.”

Her voice softened again, but the chill within it remained. “I simply… wanted to meet you in person. You piqued my curiosity.”

Her words were like a sweet poison. They seemed to reassure me, yet created a strange pressure that prevented me from ever relaxing my guard.

“Why should I indulge your curiosity? The bounty on your head, isn’t it quite high? I could just subdue you right here and hand you over, couldn’t I?” I deliberately provoked her. It was a ploy to see her reaction and to find out if she truly came alone.

At my half-threat, Belzero’s eyes widened slightly in surprise for a moment, then she burst into loud, uncontrollable laughter. Her clear, melodious, yet somehow chilling laughter echoed through the workshop.

“Pfft, ahahahah! That’s a truly amusing joke.” After laughing for a long time, she wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes with a finger and shot me a cold, dead look.

“Alright, then what? Let’s say my head rolls. Have you thought about what comes next?” Belzero’s eyes slowly moved towards Scarlet, who was watching us with an anxious gaze from behind me.

“Not only that woman, but everyone around you will be in danger, won’t they? They’ll suffer all sorts of terrible fates. Very… terribly.” Her voice was as cold as ice, and her eyes held ruthless killing intent. I felt the sincerity in her words. She was not a woman who spoke idle threats.

“Don’t worry, I didn’t come here to fight. Don’t tremble like that. Do you think I’ll gobble you up?”

“…You just came because you were curious about who I am?” “Yes.”

Belzero nodded with remarkable composure. “Then… has your curiosity been satisfied?”

She cocked her head, propping her chin on her hand. “No, I’ve actually become more curious.” Her eyes gleamed sharply once again.

“It’s strange, isn’t it? My face, even on the Planetary Blockade Authority’s top wanted list, is only recorded as a blurry silhouette.” Her probing hit the mark. If I offered a clumsy excuse here, her suspicion would only deepen.

In a brief moment, I weighed countless possibilities. And… I decided to take a gamble.

“I’ve seen an old… portrait.” What came to my mind was her portrait that I had seen in the ‘Galaxy Titans’ game database.

“…A portrait?” She stared intently at me for a moment without saying anything. It seemed as if fierce calculations were being made, trying to determine the truth.

After a moment, she let out a deep sigh as if resigned to everything, then murmured softly to herself. “Indeed… I thought it had been erased.”

‘I remember it being an internal betrayal.’ A forgotten memory surfaced vividly. The betrayal of her most trusted direct unit, the Warp Hounds. Due to their tip-off, the coordinates were handed over to the Planetary Blockade Authority, and her flagship, the Crimson Tide, was helplessly shot down in a surprise attack. The game only recorded that Belzero Karmail met her end in that battle. But now, the woman before my eyes was alive and well.

‘As expected, it’s a past point in the story.’ Once again, I realized that I was in a past timeline.

“So, you’ve heard my answer. What’s your real purpose?” “Half for relaxation, and… half for the purpose of meeting you.”

Belzero surprised me once again. She revealed her purpose with such honesty and bluntness.

“So? Do you still intend to hand me over? Since you’re a free mercenary… I guess you really like money, don’t you?” Despite her identity being exposed, she wore a relaxed smile without the slightest hint of agitation. Her composure, ironically, left me speechless.

Did this woman not know how enormous the bounty on her head was? Or did she have some kind of conviction that I would never harm her? I wondered about the source of that unfounded confidence.

I fell into thought for a moment. If I handed her over to the Planetary Blockade Authority or the Terminus Security Management Bureau, it would mean receiving a huge reward and eliminating a troublesome pirate admiral. If I only considered immediate profit, that might have been the most rational choice.

However… The tragic endings of this world flashed through my mind. To create the true happy ending I dreamed of, my strength alone was woefully insufficient.

While my relationship with Icarus and Terminus was important, sometimes to confront colossal threats that even they couldn’t handle, I needed my own powerful faction. And now, that possibility sat before my eyes. The Red Veil Pirates. Though they were outlaws, their intelligence and military power were by no means negligible.

What if I could prevent Belzero Karmail’s downfall and bring her to my side? She might become my strongest ally against the enormous threats that would come in the future. I calculated that choosing the route of saving her would ultimately be the greatest benefit to me.

I firmed my resolve and looked her straight in the eyes as I spoke. “No. I don’t intend to hand you over.”

At my firm answer, this time Belzero’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. She stared intently at me for a moment, as if trying to discern my true intentions, then let out a soft chuckle and spoke.

“Oh, unexpected, isn’t it? You seem to be a much more sentimental man than I thought. Or… is that red-haired technician so precious to you? Are you worried she might be in danger?” Belzero’s gaze once again turned towards Scarlet.

I retorted, not backing down from her taunt. “She is precious, indeed. She’s a very capable technician.” I answered in a businesslike tone, trying to block her suspicions.

“And as a free mercenary, there’s no harm in getting on the good side of a big shot like you, don’t you think, Admiral-nim?” As I deliberately uttered the title ‘Admiral-nim,’ Belzero’s eyes gleamed sharply for a moment.

She stared intently at me for a moment without saying anything. Her dark, deep eyes scrutinized me, as if trying to read my true intentions.

After a moment, the cynical smile on her lips vanished, replaced by a genuine smile of interest. “Ha! Yes, I like that; it’s very honest.”

As if very pleased with my answer, she lightly clapped her hands. “Rather than sentimental reasons, such blatant calculation is far more trustworthy.”

“Wow, you two seem really close, don’t you? You’ve been talking for ages!” Scarlet stood by the table, holding a chocolate milk carton in each hand. With an innocent face, as if she knew nothing, she looked between me and Belzero as she spoke.

“Jinwoo, is this… the old acquaintance you mentioned the other day?” Scarlet seemed to have mistaken Belzero for some kind of immensely wealthy young lady, judging by her flashy attire and elegant demeanor. Someone with enough financial power to casually send all those top-tier parts that went into my Asura.

Seizing the opportunity, I eagerly played along with her misunderstanding. “Uh, uh-huh! That’s right, Scarlet! This is her. The very grateful person I told you about, who has helped me a lot.”

Scarlet nodded, then bowed politely towards Belzero. “Ah, so that was you! You’re the one who sent Jinwoo such amazing parts!”

At Scarlet’s innocent thanks, Belzero blinked for a moment, seemingly flustered. But she quickly grasped the situation, let out a soft chuckle, and once again returned to her elegant, polite young lady persona.

“Nice to meet you, I’m Bel.” After Scarlet and Belzero shook hands, Scarlet didn’t let go of Belzero’s hand, staring at her with sparkling eyes.

“What’s your relationship with Jinwoo? If you’re just casually giving away expensive parts, it must be more than an ordinary acquaintance.” Scarlet asked without any malice, out of pure curiosity, but the question was enough to make me, sitting at the table, feel restless.

My heart pounded, wondering what Belzero would answer. Belzero glanced at me for a moment at Scarlet’s innocent question, then replied with a playful smile.

“If I had to say… it’s a very deep and old relationship.” ‘What is this woman…’

“…Well, I guess so. If you’re sending parts like that.” Scarlet’s expression didn’t look good.

“…A very deep and old relationship?” Beyond the workshop entrance, a familiar voice was heard. A woman with white hair, wearing a pilot suit. It was Yuna.