Chapter 69 – Father (1)

===================

Translated by Seoulbound

Read it only at Novelbyu.com & Utoon.net

===================

I reached the conclusion that the NPC inside the ring was the ‘real Haydam’.

Of course, if asked why ‘Haydam’, who should have died long ago, was inside the ring’s gem and in the form of a cat at that, I had no answer.

But the feeling… my intuition was telling me so.

That this fellow was the real Haydam.

However.

‘To return to the ring at that timing?’

Instead of answering my question of whether it was Haydam, the fellow disappeared into the ring.

Seeing how it did not react to any provocation after that, it seemed unable to give any answer to the question of whether it was Haydam.

I did not know what the circumstances were, but it was better to be ‘Haydam’ rather than an NPC of unknown identity.

Because then there would be no other motive in its desire to protect the commander.

As long as I played the role of Haydam as that kid wanted and did not make the commander ‘sad’,

That kid would cooperate with me.

…And for me as well, living as Haydam under the tacit consent of the real Haydam felt like it would ease my guilt even a little.

‘Even so, if I call the ring Haydam, anyone would think it’s suspicious…’

Since he did not answer that he was the real Haydam himself, nor had he even set another name to call him.

It would be fine for me to arbitrarily make up a designation.

After a brief deliberation, I spoke to the ring.

“Your name from now on is ‘Luna’.”

Luna, because it was a cat living in Luna Moon’s ring.

At my half-hearted naming, the ring seemed to tremble.

‘…Why can’t this fellow say that he is Haydam?’

Why does he need someone to pretend to be Haydam on his behalf?

Does he not want to appear in front of the commander in the form of a cat monster?

What on earth happened that this fellow was contained inside Luna Moon’s ring?

Numerous questions arose, but there were not a few other things that had to be verified right now.

Among them, the most urgent was the matter regarding Lieutenant General Max.

Whether he really instigated Bones’s death.

* * *

Not long after waking up, I was able to be discharged.

Because actually, even when discovered in the cave beneath the cliff, there were no injuries, and no abnormalities were found despite running all kinds of tests.

The commander seemed displeased with my discharge, but he could not stop me from wanting to be discharged.

And after being discharged, I heard an unexpected story from Meursault.

“The Team 2 leader committed suicide?”

According to Meursault’s words.

He said that the Team 2 leader was detained after returning to the zone upon being rescued from the cliff, but was found dead the day after being detained.

“The official cause of death is ‘suicide’. For now, that is.”

“For now?”

“At that time, there was personnel monitoring the Team 2 leader, but I received a report that when they returned after leaving their post for some reason, he had hung himself and died.”

It seemed Meursault was also doubting the possibility that the Team 2 leader was killed while disguised as suicide.

It was a reasonable doubt.

“Then how far has the handling of that case progressed now?”

“Since the Team 2 leader was forced into ‘suicide’ and the corpses of the Team 2 members could not be recovered, all that remains is the testimony of Bones and Lucas… but those bastards wouldn’t open their mouths about the case. Hearing from His Excellency, I could understand why the two of them are keeping silent, though.”

‘They shut their mouths fearing Lieutenant General Max would be singled out as the culprit.’

However, as long as they were the only ones who returned alive from Team 2, keeping silent was not a very wise method.

“Did you try to persuade them?”

At my question, Meursault nodded slightly and answered.

“They said they would speak when you wake up, Lord Haydam.”

These guys?

Sigh… no. In a way, it seemed that might be wiser.

I was the one who planted the hope that it might not be Lieutenant General Max’s order, and since those guys were not that foolish either, they would have known that if they hastily testified, ‘I do not know if it is true, but I heard from the Team 2 leader that it was Lieutenant General Max’s doing,’ it could act disadvantageously toward Lieutenant General Max.

They must have intended to testify at least when I became able to lend weight to the claim that Lieutenant General Max might not be the culprit.

“Putting those guys aside… I don’t think you just waited for me to wake up?”

“Yes. Since His Excellency and Second Lieutenant Plato testified that you interrogated the Team 2 leader at that time and extracted a confession that it was Lieutenant General Max’s order, Lieutenant General Max is also currently detained.”

“What did Lieutenant General Max say?”

“He claimed to know nothing about it. What do you think?”

Seeing him ask what I think, Meursault must have also noticed that this incident is strange somewhere.

“It is not Lieutenant General Max. Lieutenant General Max has nothing to gain from ordering such a thing, and if the Team 2 leader fellow was going to die anyway, he didn’t need to confess.”

“His Excellency also seemed to think so, but if that is the case, things get complicated.”

“Because father’s close associate could be the culprit?”

At my words, Meursault paused briefly and asked me back in a low voice.

“You already… know.”

Already knowing.

That meant Meursault also knew who the culprit was.

Which meant…

“Could father also think the same as me?”

Instead of denying, Meursault merely stared at me quietly.

These people…

‘They knew the culprit but did not punish them.’

What was merely a guess turned into certainty.

The one who tried to murder Bones while disguising it as Lieutenant General Max’s order was the head of the pro-Hayden faction.

General Josef.

“Seven soldiers died from that incident, so if you are hesitating for political reasons, it is a bit… disappointing.”

At my words, Meursault was quite flustered and replied in an apologetic tone.

“I-It is not like that! If there were clear evidence it would be different, but we cannot suspect a close associate without evidence. Most of all, the one who personally committed the murder was the Team 2 leader, and he has already died. Furthermore, since His Excellency and Plato heard him confess under a state of begging for his life that it was done because he was blackmailed by Lieutenant General Max…”

“Meursault.”

After calming down Meursault, who began speaking without even taking a breath, I said.

“Why do we need evidence?”

“…Yes?”

“Did you kill Lieutenant General Bartom because there was evidence?”

“……!”

Meursault asked me with a face half mixed with admiration and shock.

“You will truly become a fine dictator, Lord Haydam…”

Is the modifier ‘fine’ allowed to be attached before the word ‘dictator’?

More than that, this guy also possessed the awareness that the commander was a dictator.

“But… if we handle it like that this time, the risk is too high. Lieutenant General Bartom was someone outside the fence, but if we treat someone inside the fence like that, in the future, no one will try to be loyal to you, Lord Haydam. Even if that person is truly guilty.”

“I won’t handle it personally.”

“It is the same even if you order me to do it.”

He naturally thinks I will order him.

“Why do you think I will order you?”

“Then who else is there?”

“Anton.”

Whether the name coming from my mouth was considerably unexpected, Meursault could not bring himself to speak for a long while.

“Are you serious? No, did he say he would do that?”

“I’m going to go threaten him from now.”

At those words, Meursault wore a face whose energy completely drained away, and soon wore a resigned face.

“…Anton also suffers much in his later years.”

For Meursault to sympathize with Anton to this extent?

“Since I also almost died while going to find the Team 2 bastards, I cannot just let it slide. So tell father that I will handle this matter.”

“Are you not going to tell him directly?”

“Because then it is obvious he will say no, claiming I’m doing something dangerous again.”

“……”

Suddenly, Meursault began to stare at me very intently.

“…Why are you looking like that?”

“Because I was thinking how someone could be so thoughtless and cold.”

“What do you mean all of a sudden?”

“Sigh…”

Meursault let out a sigh and trembled his lips.

Since I had never once seen Meursault wear such an expression until now, while I was quite surprised and merely blinking my eyes, Meursault continued.

“Lord Haydam… even if I am not your biological father, since you appeared at the commander’s residence, I have watched you from closer than your father did. Naturally, it means I worry when you say you are going hunting, regret that I could not take the bullet instead when you were shot, and feel insanely terrified that something went wrong when I hear that you fell from a cliff and went missing. You say His Excellency will obviously tell you not to do dangerous work? Do you think I wouldn’t do the same?”

“Me, Meursault…”

“But you won’t listen to my words or His Excellency’s words anyway, will you? Even after waking up only after a week passed, the first thing you said when you came was asking what became of the Team 2 leader…!!”

It seemed Meursault was extremely hurt.

Since the knowledge I had of Meursault was only from the game, I thought that to the Meursault who was a sociopath knowing only Daphne, I was merely a helper who could assist with Daphne’s divorce.

Even after claiming to understand him while bringing up family, I did not… think that he would regard me like family.

I was someone whose parents had troubled my heart, but I had never troubled my parents’ hearts, yet now I somehow felt like an unfilial child who troubled his parents.

Although I was lectured by the commander when I woke up in the hospital, the feeling was somehow slightly different from then.

“…I’m sorry, Meursault.”

“I did not bring this up to hear you say you’re sorry.”

“I cannot say… that I won’t do dangerous things again. Sorry for this too.”

“Are you saying that makes sense right now?”

Meursault glared at me, but as I apologized repeatedly, his mood seemed to ease a bit.

“By the way, what on earth are you going to threaten Anton with?”

Perhaps embarrassed that he had poured out words emotionally without realizing it, Meursault suddenly changed the subject, but I generously pretended not to notice.

“Well, I’m not necessarily going to solve it with a threat… I can make a deal too.”

“Whether a threat or a deal, even so, I do not think Anton will go as far as committing murder on your behalf, Lord Haydam.”

“I do not wish for murder.”

At my words that I did not wish for murder, Meursault wore a puzzled expression.

“Then?”

“Anton’s role is to give certainty.”

“What kind of certainty?”

“Certainty that Lieutenant General Max is not the culprit. Certainty that Josef is the culprit.”

Meursault had a face that grew more and more confused.

“Did you not say evidence is unnecessary? Why do you need certainty?”

“I don’t really care which of the two is the culprit, but there are people who do.”

“Ah… you mean the new officers.”

Yes.

Certainty is not for me.

The commander, Meursault, and I, who are experienced in politics, already know that Josef would have been involved.

Because no benefit returned to Lieutenant General Max from this incident.

But Bones and Lucas won’t be like that.

Particularly for Bones, if we do not give him certainty, he will live in suspicion that Lieutenant General Max might have truly abandoned him.

We must give certainty that Lieutenant General Max did not abandon Bones in front of everyone.

“But… then why do we need certainty that Josef is the culprit?”

“So that when he dies, it doesn’t feel uncomfortable.”

“Did you not say you won’t make them commit murder?”

“Yes.”

“And you won’t kill him directly either.”

“Of course.”

“Then how on earth are you going to kill Josef?”

“Because divine punishment is usually handed down to those who have sinned.”

“Excuse me?”

I pointed at the sky and said.

“Who knows… maybe a bolt of lightning will strike down on that guy’s head.”

A player who is still clumsy at handling supernatural abilities might accidentally strike lightning onto that guy’s head.