Chapter 99
I skimmed Colonel Boismacha's article using Google Translate, but there was nothing in it that differed from what I already knew.
An incompetent general in the U.S. military had accepted bribes and signed a contract with a shady company out of personal greed.
Then he pressured people who could be considered part of his faction to cover it up.
It was the kind of military-procurement corruption one could find anywhere.
-Still, they said they wouldn't have uncovered it if it weren't for you, hyung?
"It's not exactly like that. They probably would've uncovered it about five years later."
-You uncovered it five years early. So you did a good job.
I suppose that's true.
"Yes. Praise me a little more."
-Ooooooh!!
-As expected of you, hyung!
-We knew we could count on you!!
I spoke while enjoying the viewers' praise and admiration flooding the chat window.
"Since such an amazing person as me is saying it, the Fateful Shackles set is obviously the best choice for a Berserker..."
-Come on. That's not true.
-Tsk, tsk. What a Dungeon noob.
"You bastards. Follow me to the Arena."
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After ending the broadcast and teaching the noobs a lesson in the Arena, I was lounging around when my phone rang.
It was a video call.
"Oh. Mr. Philip."
-How have you been, Mr. Kang?
"I'm always doing well. But the fact that you're calling me by video means..."
-Yes. We'd like to resolve the Moon of Allah matter.
"I see. Then could you show them to me?"
Philip, on the other side of the screen, fell silent for a moment.
He was hesitating.
He was wondering whether it was right to show me the CIA's black operatives working in the field—people who had hidden their identities their entire lives—even if he was the only one involved.
"Don't worry. I won't say anything unnecessary."
-I don't think Mr. Kang would reveal any secrets to the outside world. However...
"You're worried I might be captured by some weirdos, right?"
-...Yes.
What if I were kidnapped?
What if they tortured me to extract information?
He was worried that information about the CIA agents might leak that way.
But he had to trust me.
If he didn't, there was nothing I could do, either.
"If you really don't want to do this, we can end it here."
The choice was his to make.
I wasn't particularly offended, nor did I have any complaints.
Perhaps it was because of my reaction.
Philip shook his head.
-...No. Please, go ahead. And... if you don't mind, would it be all right if a few of our agents in Asia stayed around Mr. Kang?
It seemed that more people besides the NIS wanted to protect me now.
That wasn't bad.
Once I gave him permission, he moved his phone with a satisfied smile.
His camera was pointed at a small flower shop.
It showed the face of a kind-looking, stocky man chatting and laughing with a local.
But that man was a CIA black operative.
Someone who could smile and kill for the sake of America.
The moment I saw him, I began seeing his past and future.
"That man won't be attacked by the Moon of Allah."
-I see... Then let's move on to the next one.
We continued checking people that way.
Some were shot and killed during other missions, while others survived to the end and retired normally.
But none of them were attacked by the Moon of Allah.
Just as I was starting to wonder if there was no one at all...
A woman caught my eye.
She was in her mid-forties.
At a glance, she looked like an ordinary housewife, with a very unremarkable appearance.
But she was a veteran CIA agent who had successfully completed countless missions.
And her final mission was...
"I found her."
She was going to stop the terrorist attack the Moon of Allah was preparing.
***
Johannes Susan loved America and had always been proud to be an American.
In a way, it was only natural that she would enlist in the U.S. military.
She enlisted and served for ten years.
When she was discharged, the CIA recruited her in recognition of her combat ability and skill in carrying out missions.
There was nothing strange about her working overseas after becoming a capable agent.
This, too, was for America, so she accepted it.
That was how her life overseas began.
There were no particular problems.
She simply worked normally and lived normally.
Just as she was becoming accustomed to that peaceful, quiet life—one in which her life was never in danger, unlike when she had been in the military—
'Damn it...'
She found them.
The Moon of Allah.
An Arab terrorist organization and enemy of America.
They were preparing a terrorist attack.
Their target was an American scientist.
He had been designated an important person even when she was at headquarters.
She learned that the Moon of Allah was planning a terrorist attack at the university near the shop where she worked, where the scientist was scheduled to give a lecture.
They intended to kill the scientist and all the other scientists who had come with him.
There was no time to contact headquarters and make a move.
She had discovered the terrorist attack almost by accident in the first place.
She had to stop it.
But there were dozens of them, and she was alone.
What could she do?
'Create a commotion.'
Then she could use it to bring this country's military and police into action.
She gave a bitter smile.
She knew that her chances of surviving the process would not be very high.
Even so.
She moved.
For the country she loved.
That was the end of her.
***
I read the future of the woman smiling as she sold sandwiches in a small shop.
She wouldn't hesitate to give her life for her country.
What an amazing person.
-Mr. Kang?
I told Philip about Susan's future.
The scientist targeted by the Moon of Allah.
The place where they were installing bombs and preparing the assassination.
And Susan's final fate.
Philip, on the other side of the phone, remained silent for a while.
-I see...
"Yes. She's a remarkable person."
-I think so too. Perhaps America is a tree that grows by feeding on the blood of patriots like that...
He spoke lightly, his voice filled with bitterness, and used another phone.
That alone changed Susan's future.
Instead of dying while trying to stop the terrorist attack,
her future became one in which she stopped their attack alongside her colleagues.
"Did you tell the other agents to prepare support?"
-Yes.
"I see. Well, then, shall we check the others too?"
-Thank you, Mr. Kang.
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After that, among the agents we checked, I saw a future in which an agent named Maurice died while stopping a terrorist attack by the Moon of Allah.
Simply telling him about his future changed it.
But no one knew who was in the upper echelons of the Moon of Allah.
That meant I didn't know who was in charge of the Moon of Allah or where they were, either.
-That's unfortunate.
"I heard the Moon of Allah is a huge terrorist organization. It's even connected to Hezbollah, right?"
-That's right...
"There should be people we can capture while stopping the terrorist attack this time. It would be better to identify people higher up through them."
-Huh? Mr. Kang, are you saying you want to help us?
"Yes."
The Moon of Allah's enemies were not limited to America.
They were targeting Saudi Arabia as well.
The Saudi princes were my viewers. If I didn't help them, who would?
-Thank you! Thank you!
"But I'd like to cut back on my business trips to America."
It took twenty-four hours just to go back and forth, and it was exhausting.
Philip smiled broadly and nodded.
-Don't worry!! We'll do our best to resolve that issue!!
What exactly was he planning to do about it?
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Several days passed after we resolved the CIA's matter.
It didn't make the news like the time I uncovered the military-procurement corruption in the U.S. military.
I suppose it was because it was difficult to publicize the CIA's activities.
Since it wasn't anything particularly important, I spent my time broadcasting and playing games as usual, until the NIS contacted me.
-Mr. Kang. This is Lee Baek-gon.
"Oh, Deputy Director Lee. What is it?"
-Japan has surrendered.
"I see."
The artifact-looting incident from last time.
The NIS had strongly protested to the Japanese government over the involvement of Japanese nationals and the Japanese far-right association.
Perhaps it was because the U.S. government had also pressured them through the CIA, in addition to our own government.
The Japanese government had ultimately accepted most of our proposals.
-Of course, the price is that you keep this matter quiet.
"Well, it can't be helped."
-But if that happens, it would be practically the same as hiding your contribution.
"I didn't expose it expecting a reward..."
-That's not it. We know very well how incredible what you did was.
Lee Baek-gon was serious.
But all the NIS could give me was a club or nightclub they used as an operational base.
It sounded like a pain to run one...
-We have several companies that we operate overseas.
"You had things like that?"
-Yes. They're under the direct supervision of the NIS director, but... Anyway, we have a trading company in Japan that we use as an NIS branch. I'll give it to you.
"Oh..."
-It's a company that earns at least ten million yen in profit every year.
Running a company.
Naturally, this was something I couldn't do.
But wasn't there someone who could do it well?
After ending the call with Lee Baek-gon, I contacted Hong Si-yeon.
-Oh?! Noah! What's the matter? Hmm~! Were you bored? Or did you miss me?
"Hahaha. Neither."
-Aw... Then what is it?
"I somehow ended up acquiring a Japanese trading company."
-What on earth did you do...?
"Indeed. Anyway, could you operate it for me as well? I hear it's a company in Tokyo."
Hong Si-yeon fell silent on the other end of the phone.
But only for a moment.
-Of course I can.
"Oh. Then I'll leave it to you."
-All right. But Noah, are you free next week??
"Next week? Why? Is there something you'd like to ask me? If it's a favor from you, Si-yeon, I'll do anything for you. What is it?"
-Ahahahahaha!! It makes me so happy to hear you say that. It's nothing like that—could you come to a party with me?
A party?
Compared to running a company, that wasn't particularly difficult.
"Sure. Why not."