Became the Escort Knight That the Princesses Were Obsessed With - Chapter 336



336. Security Operation (4)

“You want to lead the on-site escort?”

Miya looked at me with concerned eyes.

Even though on-site work was a good chance to build a track record, a newbie volunteering for it was unexpected.

Especially since Rozanna was known to be absolutely ruthless to her underlings.

Where else would Representative Leia’s cold personality come from?

She was so resolute, she even divorced the chairman of the great AR Group without flinching.

“Aren’t you only on day two? There’s no need to push yourself like this already.”

Seo Miya thought it was unreasonable to deal with a boss like that.

She rested her hand on her sharp chin, looking at my words like just the ambition of a newbie.

“I don’t intend to serve Representative Rozanna directly. I’d be satisfied just riding in one of the surrounding security vehicles.”

Even if I change the escort route, Tar’s mercenaries would be skilled enough to follow.

If Representative Rozanna is harmed by them, it’s obvious that the strategy team would take a huge blow.

If that happens, there’s a high chance all the current members of the strategy team will be pushed into on-site positions.

‘That, no way.’

Even for the sake of my cushy office job, it’s better that I step up this time.

“Isn’t our strategy team supposed to have at least one person on the team?”

“Yeah, Senior Ruper was supposed to be the lead in the escort vehicle.”

One of the employees who planned the escort route has to ride as the lead and guide the way.

Ruper, being the most senior, is the one who should be doing it.

I definitely need to take that spot from him.

“Does he even know how to drive, by any chance?”

“I think I heard he has a license from his hometown in the States…”

“That means he doesn’t have an international license.”

Just as I thought.

Americans, especially the lazy types like Ruper, often think their own country is the best and forget about getting an international license.

“The lead in the escort should be someone who can quickly step in if something happens to the driver, I think.”

I told her in my clear, rookie-era voice.

Like I was just trying to follow the rules.

“Hmm…, and you have a driver’s license?”

Miya asked, taking a sip of the coffee I brought.

I pulled my driver’s license out of my wallet and showed it off to her.

“I got a Class 1 Ordinary license before enlisting. I drove the division commander’s car in the military.”

“Driving in the military like that… I guess your skills are solid…”

She inhaled the rich aroma of coffee, lost in thought.

“If problems arise later, the senior without an international license might get singled out.”

“That’s true. But this doesn’t feel like something I can decide alone…”

Her senior fidgeted with her phone.

It seemed she was also uneasy about Louper.

“Then, I’ll drive us to the destination from now on. Senior, please consider things carefully and speak to higher-ups, alright?”

“Okay, but don’t get your hopes up too high. It won’t change much just because I say something.”

Miya let out a short sigh, moving towards the passenger seat.

*Like, how well could a freshly twenty-year-old even drive,* her eyes seemed to say.

But soon, her sharp eyes went wide.

“……!!”

The moment she sank into the passenger seat, consumed by worry.

A soft exhale escaped her lips at the plush cushion and the generous legroom.

“Are you okay?”

I asked, watching Miya nearly spill her finished coffee.

She wore a dumbfounded expression for a moment, then stared blankly at me, hands on the wheel.

“You’re… way bigger than I thought.”

*Isn’t it obvious that men are larger than women?*

I looked at the dishevelled woman, a few strands of her hair sticking up, and said plainly.

“I’m a bit on the taller side, I guess.”

“…….”

A silence fell in the cramped car.

“I’m sorry, I should have reset the seat before you got out…”

“No, no…!! It’s just been so long since I’ve given anyone a ride…”

Miya waved her hands frantically.

“Then, I’ll just move the driver’s seat a bit.”

I adjusted the ridiculously tight seat.

The seat moved so slowly.

‘Are the steering wheels on small cars always this small?’

I gripped the dainty wheel and pressed the gas.

And with that, Miya’s small car started moving towards the Pyeongtaek factory area.

「――――――」

“Senior, we’ve arrived.”

About an hour later.

Only after the car came to a complete stop, did I hear a sound from the passenger seat.

“Oh…, have we arrived already?”

Strands of black hair clung to Miya’s pale cheeks.

She smoothed her face with the back of her hand, hidden by the long sleeves.

Watching her do that, I thought, ‘Is this what a cat’s morning wash looks like?’

“Yes, please get out comfortably.”

“Sorry, I’m not usually one to fall asleep in the passenger seat…”

She kept her head turned, eyes squeezed shut, as if wanting to maintain some kind of senior-level composure.

Her expression was perfectly visible in the reflection of her window.

“It’s okay. You’ve been swamped with all-nighters lately. You need to sleep when you can.”

I said, getting out of the car first.

Getting out of Seoul felt like the air had become a lot clearer.

Even though a new factory zone had been built in Pyeongtaek, it still felt this clean. It really shows you how suffocating Seoul is.

“I’ll drive on the way back. I don’t like being in debt.”

“Sure, I’ll get some good sleep then.”

Miya looked at me with that same prickly expression again.

Like she felt pampered despite being the senior.

Anyway, I left her smoothing her hair as she looked at the car window behind me.

Alone, I gazed at the newly completed factory zone built by the AR group.

‘Thankfully, everything looks normal so far.’

Those mercenary b*stards weren’t around either.

But, it’s because it’s so quiet that it feels unsettling, maybe.

It takes a long time for the police or special forces to arrive in these outer cities.

‘Of course, if I were behind the wheel, I could respond immediately, but I wouldn’t have that kind of authority…’

While I was lost in thought, Miya pulled out her phone to report to the security chief.

And, she looked serious as she talked, like she was suggesting the plan I had proposed.

“Yeah, yeah… I understand.”

A few minutes later, when she hung up the phone.

Miya looked at me with a serious expression.

“I just talked with the department head, right? He said this is something we need to discuss with Ms. Rosanna’s personal security team.”

Rosanna’s personal security are from the US branch, AR Group headquarters.

So, currently, they’re an external division completely unrelated to Balderian.

“Are they here right now?”

“Yeah, they came early to check if there were any issues at the factory.”

In the past, I’d met AR Group headquarters security a few times.

Most of them were Americans, and they were really skilled.

“Then, since they’re here, it’s probably best to meet them face-to-face and get permission.”

One of those guys, in particular, was really good, and later on, he was even promoted to head of security at headquarters.

He was all about karate and used to look down on taekwondo – makes me think of that now, after all this time.

It was so long ago, I can’t even remember his name now.

“Are you sure? You speak any English?”

“I’m just conversational, a little bit.”

Seeing that I was really planning to meet them, Miya seemed a bit nervous.

Like she was thinking, ‘How did *this* guy end up being a newbie,’ with that awkward look on her face.

“Haah…, alright. Let’s just go.”

Normally, Balderian would have flat out refused a request like this from a newbie.

But even so, the reason they granted my request must be because of Luper.

There’s no way my direct superior doesn’t know that the guy’s a parachute hire and has zero passion for security.

Since he’s so unreliable, it seems like they figured they’d be better off switching him out for someone, like me, with some actual zeal.

Thanks to that, I was able to go meet Rozanna’s direct bodyguards pretty smoothly.

―――――――.

Finding them wasn’t all that difficult.

The young guys smoking in front of the convenience store at the factory entrance immediately caught my eye.

Young men in navy suits, blowing smoke coolly under a parasol that said ‘No Smoking.’

The moment they saw us, in our black suits, their eyes instantly became wary.

“Are you the bodyguards from headquarters?”

Just as I was about to speak, Miya stepped forward, saying she’d handle the conversation first.

With her fluent English.

She was definitely better than me, who’d only self-studied and had a few short tutoring sessions.

“Yeah, who are you?”

The blonde guy asked first.

He flicked his cigarette butt onto the ground, sizing Miya up and down.

“We’re the AR Korea security team. Here are our cards.”

Miya took out business cards from inside her suit and handed them to them.

Their hands were nearly twice her size.

“Security team? Not secretaries?”

The headquarters guard stares, puzzled, at the petite woman.

There’s no apparent intention to mock, which somehow makes it more unsettling.

“Yes, I’m with Strategy Team 3.”

“You too?”

The blond man casts a glance with his blue eyes, indicating me behind her.

I respond with a light nod of acknowledgement.

“So, what’s AR Korea’s business with us?”

“Ah, it’s just that we’d like to change the personnel we’re sending.”

A dark-skinned guard stands beside the blond man.

Hearing our words, he recalls someone.

“If it’s someone from your side… ah… isn’t it the son of the headquarters director?”

“That fatso?”

The blue-eyed guard, who spoke first, immediately replied.

“Yes, Ruper Choi.”

“Ah.”

Both headquarters guards spoke simultaneously.

“You guys must be having a rough time, too.”

“Tell me about it.”

Looks like Ruper was notorious even at headquarters.

“Yes, well, that’s how it is…”

The uncomfortable atmosphere was cleared, thanks to our dependable senior.

“But even if it’s Luper, we can’t change what his father decided.”

“That’s right, you’d have to talk to our director directly.”

Two men, resembling chess pieces, expressed their worries in turn.

Even they, full of confidence, seemed to find Luper’s father a burden.

“Then, I’ll talk to him directly.”

“Hey……!!”

Miya’s bobbed hair bristled like a startled cat.

But, it can’t be helped.

If Luper, famous even at headquarters, met those mercenaries, a terrible disaster was obvious.

‘Okay, just this once….’

I internally drew the character for “patience” and followed them to find the director.

At the main entrance, where preparations for the completion ceremony were in full swing to celebrate the completion of the Pyeongtaek factory,

a man stood tall, commanding his subordinates.

“Director, the Korean branch staff are here.”

A tall man with blond hair and emerald eyes.

He stood alone, arms crossed, and glanced at me.

“Korean branch? Why are you here?”

The moment I saw the director’s face.

I instantly knew who he was.

“They’re saying Luper was assigned to guard Rozanna, but they want to switch it out with their own guy?”

A karate master who used to scoff at Taekwondo.

It’s Allen.

“Who the hell decided that?”

The same infuriating face from back then.