SOG Ch 29

In any case, the reason why he couldn’t recklessly bring out the words of criticism even in front of the person who gives a bribe was because Nam Myung-seong’s heartbreaking feelings as a father were conveyed to him.

“Put it away.”

That was all he said.

“No, sir Guide. Hae-sol has to get out of the island as soon as possible.”

Nam Myung-seong’s desperate voice continued after he corrected his posture and sat down.

“I don’t know what the military is up to. People are dying in Seiren Village and they’re telling us to lay grass, and the news says they’re having some kind of ceremony. They keep bringing in boxes and boxes of stuff under this castle….”

It was a time when the tone of lamentation continued one after another.

“They’re putting boxes under the castle?”

At the sentence that suddenly stuck in his ear, Seon Jae-chan raised his eyes.

Nam Myung-seong blinked his drooping eyes under the shade of his bucket hat for a brief moment. The momentum of the Guide, who appeared to be a kind boy from a wealthy family, was unusual for some reason. His round eyes suddenly narrowed like scissors edges, and his pupils flared.

He crumpled up the empty paper cup and placed it in a plastic bag, then swallowed his saliva. Carefully, he answered as he knew.

“I don’t know exactly, but they kept putting things in the basement of the castle. The car comes once every four days. Oh. Today is the day. There’s a car over there.”

The two of them were in a corner where the back of the base and the castle wall met, eating midnight snacks while avoiding people’s gaze. A chilling wind cut through the narrow space and flowed towards Nam Myung-seong’s pointing fingertips. Four or five military trucks stood in black silhouettes against the restored lights. It seemed to be close to the wall behind the base.

“There is an entrance to the underground bunker under the wall of the castle. It’s been an open secret to the islanders for years. My Hae-sol also stay in there every time we were plundered by pirates. Huh, where are you going? Sir Guide. Sir Guide?”

*

Seon Jae-chan, who had ignored Nam Myung-seong’s desperate call, had just entered the castle shelter under the wall.

He had only received help from Nam Myung-seong until the entrance. It took an instant to pass through the narrow door leading down to the basement, behind the four military trucks that had their engines turned off.

As he walked silently through the dark basement, Jae-chan couldn’t help but sigh. The bunker was more than just a small trench. It was hard to believe that there was a facility under a cultural heritage. It was a bit old, but it was just like a hallway in a building.

It was a more complicated structure in detail, but as Nam Myung-seong told him, he followed only the large hallway lit by gray fluorescent lights, and he was able to find the place he wanted.

There.

He quickly huddled in a corner. Soldiers were about to deliver something to the underground base. Military crates of the same size and color. There were only about eight of them and not much left, so the job was done quickly.

Creak…

“Should I fix this hinge? Hey. Did you put it all up there?”

The soldiers talked to each other and exchanged light gestures. They slammed the creaking iron door shut and rushed out. It was time for Jae-chan to find a place to hide. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught a glimpse of someone behind him.

Jae-chan, who had been aiming a fierce gaze at him with the momentum to use his ability right away, hesitated when he checked the person coming out of the hallway.

He was dumbfounded.

It was because Nam Myung-seong was following him at some point.

The man who found Jae-chan waved his thick hand and beckoned. The group of steps drew closer, and Jae-chan followed suit.

True to his word about hiding and protecting his daughter, Nam Myung-seong seemed familiar with the layout of the place. Soon, a floor door in the darkness of the corner opened, and the two quickly ducked inside. After going down the shallow steps, Jae-chan quietly pulled the handle of the lid to close it.

Footsteps approached. The two of them watched as several military boots passed the distance and climbed out of the bunker, leaving only a gap the size of a fingernail.

“Phew.”

It wasn’t until a few minutes later when they were sure the soldiers were out of sight, that Nam Myung-seong breathed a sigh of relief. He took off his bucket hat and wiped off his sweat. Seon Jae-chan looked at Nam Myung-sung strangely but decided to get the question out of the way first.

“Isn’t this underground bunker too modern? The walls of Mentosa are a cultural heritage.”

It was obvious even after looking around for a while. The size of the facility could not have been built without damaging the walls.

“Oh. Don’t the land people know?”

Nam Myung-seong said as he wiped his sweat with the back of his hand and pressed his hat back on.

“The southern gate of Mentosa Castle was seriously damaged during the rebel uprising 30 years ago. And now it’s just cemented up to make it look like it was.”

It was an absurd explanation that the northern wall and main castle were real, but the area near the south gate near the base was fake. If Nam Myung-seong’s words were true, the military would have staged a huge scam.

“…”

No matter how absurd it was, it didn’t matter now.

Once again, Jae-chan focused heavily on the presence above and went outside. The shelter hallway was empty, with the lighting one tone lower than before. He walked slowly back to the corner he had been watching earlier.

Seon Jae-chan, who had been peering out as cautiously as possible, hesitated. Two soldiers stood guard at the entrance to what appeared to be a warehouse.

If what’s in there was a real bomb.

It was like the military guarding the bomb. What was it? Were there divisions within the military?

He looked closely at the two soldiers blocking the entrance. They looked straight ahead and stood up straight, but they didn’t look too tense. It was a relaxed attitude that made it hard to believe that they were guarding a bomb. Occasionally, the two chatted and exchanged playful jokes.

‘It’s impossible to go inside without them knowing.’

Even at this hour, the presence of a sentry meant that someone was always guarding the front on a rotating basis. If he used his abilities to stun soldiers, it would set off an emergency alert. The sound of the hinges he had heard earlier was bothering him, so it would be difficult to open the door secretly and enter.

What to do?

“…? …!?”

At that time, Seon Jae-chan’s expression, which had only wrinkled his forehead, widened in bewilderment, and then, to his surprise, finally turned into shock.

Nam Myung-seong suddenly passed in front of him and proudly stepped out into the aisle.

“Hello.”

“Huh? …You’re a worker for Mentosa Landscaping…?

A dim lamp filled with dust and dead bugs. The soldier on the right acted as if he know him. Fortunately, he seemed to be a soldier who knew Nam Myung-seong.

Seon Jae-chan was so tense that his fingers clenched against the wall turned white, but he quickly checked their attitude. One was smiling, while the other was frowning. However, in the case of the latter, despite the fact that the gun was only lightly fixed, he was not as alert.

They looked more like people guarding rice paddies than bombs. Seon Jae-chan thought it might not be a bomb after all.

“Oh my. No, uncle. You have to be in the military to get in here.”

In the meantime, the story progressed considerably, and the smiling soldier stopped Nam Myung-seong. Seon Jae-chan thought hard until then and came to the conclusion that he couldn’t leave the man like that.

He calmly stepped out into the hallway like Nam Myung-seong. He was immediately noticed

“I’m Seon Jae-chan, Esper Go Woo-jin’s pair guide.”

He immediately revealed his identity and affiliation. As he approached, he clearly held his ID card, but the soldiers simply said “ah” just by looking at his face and then lowered their guns at once.

“What can I do for you?”

The soldier on the right asked with a cheerful attitude. Looking closely at the uniforms, they were noncommissioned officers.

“I saw you while on a walk. You seem to be busy with various things until midnight.”

He put on a curious expression, but Seon Jae-chan was nervous. The soldiers appeared relaxed as they scratched their noses, but Jae-chan didn’t know when the situation would change, so he boosted his Espers’ abilities so that he could disappear immediately.

“The central government keeps sending things, but they don’t arrive on a timely basis, so the people on duty at this hour pick them up and put them away.”

The soldiers who had been friendly from earlier answered. The soldier on the left frowned, then poked his colleague on the side. However, the friendly soldier’s reaction was unusual. He leaned over to his colleague and whispered, “Hey. Director Yoon Seo-mi.” 

Director Yoon Seo-mi…?

Seon Jae-chan frowned. After managing his expression, he continued asking as if he hadn’t heard.

“You’re referring to supplies, right?”

“Yes. Foods, ammunition, emergency supplies, things like that.”

There was a bunker, so we want to make the most of it. The soldier kindly conveyed even the orders of the superior.

“…By any chance.”

Seon Jae-chan asked with a slightly frowned face, carefully examining the friendly expression of the soldiers on the right.

“Did you get the items in here from Director Yoon Seo-mi?”

‘Director Yoon Seo-mi promised sufficient support for all expenses and items to help restore the center part of Mentosa Island. We should be grateful.’

Hearing the soldier’s whisper, Jae-chan remembered that Department Head Yoo Jeong-jin had said that. In the brief silence, the soldiers exchanged glances, and Seon Jae-chan got the affirmation in the brief silence.