Chapter 60: Infiltration (1)
“First, we’ve been constantly blocking various villain factions from expanding. We also know that once they reach a certain size, they tend to show signs of infiltrating the Empire rather than just growing bigger.”
Hyeon-yul nodded at Hae-ryeon’s words.
It was the direction villains desired most.
Rather than confronting the Empire outwardly, they wanted to slowly burrow in like rats and bring down the pillars supporting the nation.
“For example, villains pretending to be companies making good products, approaching civilians in a friendly manner. Villains setting up cell phone companies or disguising as computer parts manufacturers to plant hacking programs. Villains messing with food too. The list is endless, but most of those caught are reported as having gone bankrupt. Directly mentioning that ‘villains’ did it could cause chaos.”
‘Familiar.’
Since he already knew all this, Hyeon-yul wasn't surprised.
There were many things worse than that.
Gyms, Pilates studios, clubs, etc.
Villains had their hands in numerous places.
“Among these, the ones crazy about expanding their influence are the villains imitating cults. Civilians are brainwashed en masse, and those with strong faith among them start entering the path of villainy, get dispatched to other regions, and an endlessly repeating epidemic-like situation occurs. To prevent this, our managers are already undercover in places suspected of being such locations.”
“What if they’ve been brainwashed together?”
Hyeon-yul asked.
He knew they sent people there with a plan, but suspicion was unavoidable.
If they ate the hallucinogen together and kept hearing the same story, they would inevitably accept those words as truth.
That was brainwashing.
“They all possess powers related to the mind. Reassuring, isn’t it?”
“I understand the situation.”
Hyeon-yul immediately understood Hae-ryeon’s answer.
People with mind-related powers were different from ordinary people.
Hallucinogens didn't work on them, and as for brainwashing, they might inflict it, but they wouldn't succumb to it.
Simply put, unlike others, they had very thick and sturdy walls built around their minds.
Just thicker than others, but not invincible.
“There are several branches, and disruption efforts will occur simultaneously, so the time it takes to verify us will be slow. Before the managers let us inside, from now on, each of you must memorize your assigned identity and firmly input the mission details.”
After finishing her words, Hae-ryeon immediately pointed to her smartwatch.
“We can’t bring this because there might be magic detectors inside. It’s heavy. Instead, we’ll go in with it swapped for a small object. Simply put, you can think of it as only your appearance changing.”
Hae-ryeon glanced sideways at Ji-hwan, who inevitably knew more details.
He stared blankly, not even blinking.
Only when Shin-woo, sitting next to him, poked his side did he finally snap out of it.
He asked with his eyes what was going on, and Shin-woo whispered softly.
“The reason we can’t bring the watch.”
“…Ah. The formula that can be inserted depends on the size that can contain the magic. The bigger it is, the more advantageous. But instead, it’s easier to spot, right? This smartwatch contains various magics. It’s intricately contained, so it might get caught by magic detectors. Since we only need some of the magic now, putting it in a small object is a less detectable method. Of course, we won’t get caught.”
Ji-hwan confidently pointed at himself.
“I can hide that much.”
“Therefore, don’t worry about other parts. Just quickly input the assigned information into your heads. After everyone has memorized it, the mission will begin.”
Hae-ryeon handed out documents one by one.
Hyeon-yul looked at the contents written on the paper, then paused.
Muteness.
“Am I not supposed to speak?”
Hae-ryeon nodded at Hyeon-yul’s question.
“Right. I thought that might be more comfortable. I figured they might ask various things, and I felt Mr. Hyeon-yul would be reluctant about that.”
“Yes, this is more comfortable for me too.”
“That’s a relief.”
“Team Leader.”
“Hm?”
“You don’t have to be too nervous. Except for a few things I desire, I have no intention of disobeying.”
At those words, Hae-ryeon approached and placed a hand on Hyeon-yul’s shoulder.
“That’s exactly the problem. If you don’t like something, tell me you don’t like it. That way, I can know what you dislike, right? Even if Mr. Hyeon-yul dislikes it, in situations where I have no choice like last time, I’ll order it unconditionally, so you don’t need to worry about those parts.”
The incident where the Poison King spread poison.
Hae-ryeon mentioned that as she spoke.
“…Understood.”
Hyeon-yul answered hesitantly to the difficult words.
Why should he say what he dislikes, and why does she want to know?
Before Hae-ryeon could ask more, he looked at the paper again.
‘I have an older brother.’
Hyeon-yul looked up at Shin-woo.
As their eyes met, Shin-woo raised the corners of his mouth.
“I’m playing the older brother role.”
Shin-woo pointed at himself with his finger.
The setting was that he came here while treating his mute younger brother.
Briefly, Shin-woo was happy.
He liked it, very much.
“Team Leader. Don’t just do that for Shin-woo hyung, give me the younger brother role too.”
“That’s right. You could let me play the older sister role, right?”
Following Ji-hwan, Na-yoon expressed her dissatisfaction.
They had all agreed to approach Hyeon-yul slowly, yet Shin-woo was the one moving like he was running wild alone.
That traitor.
Na-yoon looked at Shin-woo like that.
“Don’t you know why I distributed the roles like this?”
Hae-ryeon pointed at Na-yoon and Hyeon-yul with her hand.
“People whose powers also cover surveillance.”
Then Hae-ryeon pointed at Ji-hwan and Shin-woo.
“Specialized more in attack than surveillance. Ms. Na-yoon and Mr. Ji-hwan are connected as company colleagues. Do you see why I distributed the roles this way?”
Everyone except Hyeon-yul could handle the situation naturally, but Hyeon-yul was different.
First off, his communication with people wasn't exactly smooth.
In this situation, embarking on his first infiltration mission as a Black Eagle, wouldn't he need time to adapt?
This time, they had no choice but to accommodate Hyeon-yul.
“Ahh, I understand. My eyes were momentarily blinded by jealousy.”
Na-yoon made a circle with her thumb and index finger and nodded.
She accepted that it was a consideration for Hyeon-yul.
“It’s disappointing though.”
Ji-hwan still showed his disappointment.
But he quickly smiled gently.
It was sufficient to approach later pretending not to know.
“Memorize the personality, habits, and basic situation in advance. They will also verify if it’s real or fake based on this information.”
At Hae-ryeon’s request, everyone answered and inputted the information into their heads.
Amidst the quiet, Hyeon-yul thought silently.
‘Were there White Sparrows inside the companies I worked for too?’
The Black Eagles' operational capability was more extensive than it appeared on the surface.
He learned facts he didn't know, one by one.
He was a newbie now, but as he took on increasingly heavier missions, what would the Black Eagles be like?
Hyeon-yul became extremely curious about that fact.
“…Hyeon-yul, don’t tremble. Shin-woo might not look reliable, but he does have abilities.”
Na-yoon approached Hyeon-yul and eased his tension.
He looked somehow stiffer than usual.
Infiltration was a long-term mission, and also a burdensome one.
“……Hey. Are you complimenting me?”
Shin-woo narrowed his eyes.
“Is this a compliment, or an insult? Are your ears bad? Or do you just twist everything I say?”
“Both.”
As Shin-woo chuckled, Na-yoon also laughed hollowly.
“Hyeon-yul. You shouldn’t resemble that bad-tempered guy. Ji-hwan was so innocent when he first joined, that guy ruined him.”
“Nuna. Even now, I’m innocent in front of our team.”
As Ji-hwan smiled brightly, Na-yoon nodded vigorously.
How nice it was when he smiled like that.
“That’s enough then. Very sufficient. Stay like that. Two Baek Shin-woos would be really… (silhda - unpleasant/hate).”
Na-yoon shook her head.
Just imagining it was tiring.
“But if Mr. Ye Ji-hwan isn’t innocent, what state is he in?”
As Hyeon-yul looked at Ji-hwan, he blinked rapidly with surprised eyes.
Soon, he smiled.
“I was just joking. You saw how I act in front of other people.”
“I saw. I didn’t know it was a joke.”
“That can happen. That’s how you get to know things, one by one. Shin-woo hyung and Na-yoon nuna, unlike how they look, get along very well.”
“Ji-hwan!”
“Ji-hwan, that’s not right. No matter how much I adore you, this crossed the line, Ji-hwan!”
Shin-woo and Na-yoon spoke almost simultaneously, as if shrieking.
“See?”
Ji-hwan chuckled.
They got along very well.
“Hyung. I will help you until the end, so you don’t need to be wary.”
“…….”
“It’s okay. Because I understand.”
Though he couldn't say it was the same, Ji-hwan had also experienced something at the very tip of Hyeon-yul's level.
Knowing that feeling, he also wanted to get closer.
“Everyone. Time is running out, but you’re having quite a blast, aren't you?”
As Hae-ryeon's sharp reprimand descended, everyone shut their mouths.
“We were about to go. We were planning to.”
“Na-yoon is right.”
Na-yoon and Shin-woo immediately chimed in agreement.
“Do well. Contact me if anything happens. You guys come before civilians for me.”
“Team Leader. Don’t worry. We won’t die.”
As Ji-hwan spoke with a smile, Hae-ryeon hugged each one of them.
That gesture looked extremely familiar.
When it was Hyeon-yul’s turn, Hae-ryeon asked carefully.
“It’s just like a ritual, if it’s awkward, you don’t have to do it.”
“No. It’s just, I……”
Before Hyeon-yul could continue, Hae-ryeon hugged him.
“I don’t have anything like that.”
Dirty.
Disgusting.
If he voiced such things, it might be even more unpleasant to hear.
“Have a safe trip back.”
Hae-ryeon waved her hand.
“Of course.”
Shin-woo waved first and went to board the Eagle, followed by Na-yoon and Ji-hwan.
Hyeon-yul looked at Hae-ryeon.
Something was different from usual.
Should he say heavy?
“I won’t die.”
He had no intention of letting that happen either.
Because teammates were absolutely necessary for efficient missions.
Hyeon-yul spoke, then reached out towards the approaching Eagle.
Pfft.
Hae-ryeon laughed.
Was it comfort?
If so, she was truly grateful.
Hae-ryeon looked at the empty lot where everyone had disappeared.
The smile that had spread vanished.
She hated situations like this the most.
Nowhere in the world was there a mission without the risk of death.
Seeing them leave, prepared for death, brought back bad memories time and again.
One by one, they had departed to a place so far away that their voices and laughter could no longer be seen.
She hated teammates dying.
She hoped no one would die on any mission anymore.
It would be better if they became cowards, always thinking that, Hae-ryeon turned away.
‘…Let’s work.’
That was the way to help her teammates.
“…….”
Hyeon-yul’s expression was dark.
The Eagle was always agonizing.
“I know it’s agonizing, but your expression right now is actually perfect. Like, somewhat dark, and empty.”
Shin-woo said softly.
As Hyeon-yul’s deadly gaze approached, Shin-woo turned his head away.
“…Th-That, we, signal changed. Quickly, quickly.”
Shin-woo changed the subject and hurried Hyeon-yul.
Crossing the crosswalk, Hyeon-yul looked around.
It was just an ordinary city center.
They were supposed to meet here.
‘Did she say we take a car from the designated meeting place?’
The gathering place was the same, but the departure point was different.
By now, Na-yoon and Ji-hwan would have departed from another location.
‘I also stopped the urgent matter.’
—while predicting how villains might act next, we heard some shocking news.
A few days ago, Hae-ryeon mentioned hearing 'shocking news'.
Considering she even mentioned it was confidential, the fact that the Crimson Witch had died must have reached their side.
Naturally, that information would have circulated among the villains too, so various factions would undoubtedly flock to the spots vacated by the Poison King and the Crimson Witch.
Power had to be suppressed with power.
Let them tear each other apart, and once their claws and talons were all pulled out, the Black Eagles would just fly in and snatch both. That was all.
Either way, villains had to disappear.
‘…I need to slowly find out what information the Poison King is hiding.’
There was no harm in knowing.
He would probably go on about the Empire again, but his goal hadn't changed, past or present.
Rather, it had become clearer and closer.
Hyeon-yul followed Shin-woo into a building.