Chapter 123
***
Roydorin Marcelim had recently picked up a hobby.
He enjoyed playing cards with the friends he'd met at the last party.
At first, the game only cost about ten euros, but as time passed, the amount of money he wagered kept increasing.
"...Was that why?"
Leo looked down at his former subordinate with contempt.
A scumbag who had betrayed his country for money.
Roydorin couldn't raise his head.
His petty desires.
He was ashamed that he had betrayed his country for money to spend on card games, and afraid that he had been found out.
"P-please forgive me...!!"
"Forgive you? The information you handed those bastards in the Moon of Allah just so you could play that damn card game! Because of it, they smuggled those goddamn bombs into our homeland!!"
"Ugh...!!"
"How many people died because of that!! And how many more were injured!!"
Unable to contain his fury, Leo pointed a gun at Roydorin's head.
The other subordinates beside him tried to stop him, but their gazes were just as contemptuous.
"Wilshem!! Please, please spare me!!"
"Shut up. I feel like ripping your tongue out right now."
At the icy tone, Roydorin lowered his head again.
There was nothing he could do.
It was plainly because he had concealed the gaps in the border and the patrol information that the Moon of Allah had smuggled weapons and bombs through them.
And with those, the Moon of Allah had carried out a terrorist attack at Lyon Station.
He had nothing to say, even if he had ten mouths.
"You will be charged with treason against the state."
"......"
"You'll rot in prison for the rest of your life. Be glad. You'll be sent to Ostol."
"W-wait!! If it's Ostol...!!"
It was where criminals captured by the French intelligence service were held.
Naturally, some of the people Roydorin himself had arrested were there too.
To put him there, when they must hold a tremendous grudge against him?
It was no different from telling him to prepare to die in prison.
"Please!! Anything but Ostol!!"
"Take him away."
"Please!! Please!! Forgive me!!"
Staring after his former subordinate as his men dragged him away, Leo covered his face with his hands.
"We're screwed..."
The prestige of the French intelligence service had hit rock bottom.
It had failed to catch even someone like this, all because of a piece of trash on the inside.
Not only would it lose the nation's support, but there would also be considerable opposition from the public.
And considering the friction with the Foreign Intelligence Service...
"...Should I prepare to take off my badge too...?"
It had been done by someone who had once been his subordinate, of all people.
He couldn't escape responsibility for it.
Leo rubbed his gritty eyes and sighed.
He had spent his entire life serving his country, never even marrying.
And yet.
To think this was all it came to.
"I wasted my life."
***
I told the horrified Leo about his future.
He couldn't say a word.
But that lasted only a moment.
Completely worked up, he began ranting passionately in French.
"Uh, that's profanity. Should I translate this too?"
"Leave him be."
He had heard of a future in which citizens died, the nation was wounded, and he himself fell from grace.
It wasn't even his fault—it was his subordinate's.
"He needs some time to vent his anger."
After hurling insults and curses for about five minutes, he slumped.
He looked exhausted.
"Manager, one iced Americano, please."
I suggested he drink this, at least, to cool his temper.
A little while later, he accepted the iced Americano the manager brought and gulped it down.
I'd heard Europeans didn't much like Americanos, but he drank it readily.
Maybe you appreciate something refreshing when you're burning up inside.
"He says, 'Can you catch him?'"
"Yes."
I told Leo about Roydorin's accounts and the ways he had indulged in luxury in the future I saw.
With that, couldn't the intelligence service catch Roydorin through an additional internal investigation?
"Of course, this can't be all we need. If you have a layout of Lyon Station, please show it to us as well."
"I have one."
Seira took out a thirteen-inch tablet and showed it to us.
The tablet contained a precise layout of Lyon Station.
"Did you prepare it yourself?"
"Hehe. Yes. One should have at least this much on hand."
"Excellent."
Then let's mark where the bombs would be planted.
Seira even gave me a stylus for the tablet, and I pointed out where the bombs would be planted.
"Are the bombs and firearms already in France?"
After ordering another Americano and gulping it down in one go, Leo asked.
Yes. By now, the bombs would already be inside France.
"If you tell us where the bombs are, and where the Moon of Allah bastards are, wouldn't it be better to capture them?"
"Of course, but they don't have anything that could be called a base."
They kept the bombs and firearms in their cars and moved around.
On top of that, the members of the Moon of Allah disguised themselves as vagrants and immigrants.
They moved around without a fixed residence, so there was no way to catch them in their current state.
"The best option would be to defuse the bombs before they go off, then deal with the men who'll run around with guns."
And once we had them in custody, we'd have a better chance of catching the people higher up, wouldn't we?
"Can't the CIA help with this operation?"
"We'd be happy to, but I doubt France would accept it."
Seira looked at Leo with an easy smile.
Would France accept another country's intelligence service operating inside its borders?
Leo didn't hesitate for even a moment.
"We would gratefully accept your help."
"Oh my. In that case, you'll provide sufficient compensation too, won't you?"
"Sigh. Yes."
Seira flashed a grin.
Then she looked toward me and winked.
Seira was one of 'our' people too, so helping each other out like this was only right.
"Thank you, monsieur. I am deeply indebted to you."
"Then, as payment, could you let me be present when the Moon of Allah members are captured?"
"Pardon? That... wouldn't be difficult. Why do you ask?"
"Ah. The Moon of Allah are people I don't like very much either."
For one thing, they had attacked the Saudi princes who watched my broadcasts and were my fans.
And not only that—though I had stepped in and changed things, they had been the reason Hong Si-yeon was so badly hurt.
"I don't forgive people who lay a hand on me—or my people."
If they'd done it while doing good, I might have let it slide somewhat.
But that wasn't the case.
Weren't they people who committed such insane acts for some incomprehensible ideology and creed?
"I think they should all be executed by firing squad."
"Oh my..."
Seira seemed moved by my words.
And Hong Si-yeon...
"Mr. Noah... To think you care about me that much..."
"What are you talking about, Ms. Si-yeon? Are you saying you're not one of my people?"
"Of course I am!!"
A radiant smile spread across her face.
"Since things have come this far, let's discuss the capture operation too."
Leo quickly racked his brain.
No, not only that—he contacted his superiors, put the officers in charge of the operation on a video call, and had me read their futures.
After a long discussion and meeting, we were able to identify the most stable future.
"Thank you for your hard work, monsieur."
The future with the least damage and the greatest gains.
From here on, it was France's job to carry it out.
"The future can change. So, Mr. Leo, I hope you seize a good future."
"...Thank you."
"And that bastard..."
"Yes. We'll send him to Ostol."
Roydorin, the scumbag who sold out his people and country for his own gain, would seize the future he feared most.
Leo rose from his seat and bowed deeply to me.
"Once this is over, could I officially invite you to France, monsieur? I'd like to convey our gratitude to you through my superiors. If you wish, you may even stay for several months."
He soon began enthusiastically describing the most beautiful city in the world.
"It is a place of romance and beauty. I'm sure you'll love it, monsieur. We will arrange for you to stay at the finest hotel."
"No, there's no need to go that far. Several months...? That's too long."
"Why not? Do you perhaps not like France??"
He was a patriot.
He took pride in his country.
But even so, what was unacceptable was unacceptable.
"Well, France is... a bit much for me."
"W-why? Paris is the most beautiful city in the world."
"There are a lot of pickpockets there, too."
"......"
He fell silent.
"There are fewer than in Italy..."
Was that really something to say right now?
.
.
.
Anyway, Leo left, expressing his gratitude over and over.
Before leaving, he said he would somehow reduce Paris's pickpocket rate, but there was no such future in what I had seen, so I wouldn't be staying in France for several months.
"France isn't a bad place to visit, though..."
Even as she said that, Seira was grinning from ear to ear.
"Still, it can't compare to the United States. Yes. In any case, isn't it the world's greatest superpower? In that sense, Mister, would you care to come to America? Many people are waiting for you to visit."
"I'll go when I have time."
"Hehe. Ah, and our director said that if you ever need American citizenship, you should let him know anytime."
"Oh. Really?"
"Yes. Unlike France, America is a safe country."
"Yes. Ah. And there will be a mass shooting at a premium outlet in Seattle. I'll tell you the date and time, so lie in wait and catch them."
"........"
Seira looked awkward.
Once she had moved away as well, Hong Si-yeon stared at me.
"Why?"
"Hehe. No, it's just..."
Her face was filled with delight.
"You seem really dependable."
"I am pretty dependable."
I admit it.