The Druid Who Swallowed Mother Nature - Chapter 94



Only Krnovel

Episode 94. Spare Time

[It was I who handed over the personal information.]

When I called Cromwell and asked him, he said calmly:

[I brought up the issue of Bellis Income’s behavior because it was strange. It seems that since they are a company that the military is keeping a close eye on, they were able to obtain information quickly.]

A vicious method of planting a bomb directly on a person to cut off their tail.

Since this was on the same track as a suicide bombing, it would not have been strange for the police to directly monitor it.

“If you had that information, couldn’t you have warned me directly?”

[I was planning to tell you as soon as I found out more. Reina was just one step ahead.]

Cromwell also let out a shallow sigh, perhaps feeling regretful.

[I must have wanted to create a debt for you since I arranged the commission directly. Judging from the results you achieved so quickly, I can see that you are still as resourceful as ever, even in your old age.]

“Is he famous?”

[Well, you might not know since you are from another city. After all, I am a specialized broker known only to those in the know.]

“Tell me more.”

I straightened my posture and put my ear close to the phone.

[Reina, a former soldier with a good reputation during her service, continued her connection with the military after her discharge and became a broker. As the military is famous for being closed, it is safe to say that she is the only broker who has the military as a client.]

“He is an irreplaceable person.”

If it’s true, it was a bigger deal than you could imagine.

The military is a group with sufficient force and legitimacy.

This means that even if something happens, they handle it within their own lines and rarely have to ask outside help.

Therefore, no matter how difficult it was for the city government to obtain orders, it was nothing compared to the military.

If you were the only broker arranging a request with the military, even a fairly skilled contractor would have to give in.

That’s probably why he leads a security force.

Since he had such great abilities, it was inevitable that there would be many people targeting him.

“I can act like a thorough brat in any case.”

[He doesn’t necessarily act like that. As expected from a military background, he gives and receives precisely so that no one gains or loses more. Of course, he does tend to push tasks onto his subcontractors, who are his people.]

There was nothing wrong with giving your people more chances.

If there was no money being taken in the middle, then that was a fair and just action.

“That great broker came to me in person?”

So I was curious why he came to me in person and even took on a debt.

You must be busy taking care of your own people, so why are you bothering me, who has no connection to you?

[Coincidentally, it seems that he has a request that he received earlier and is running out of cards to use. Although Reina is picky, he is still interested in a newcomer who has succeeded in completing two requests against Madhouse.]

I remembered that Cromwell had previously been reluctant to mediate commissions.

They say that if you keep quiet and take your time, the real ones will take interest.

The results came out like this, so what I said wasn’t wrong.

[I understand that you’d like to rest after just returning from exploring the ruins, but this is a good opportunity. Don’t be offended that I handed over your identity without permission.]

“… … I understand the circumstances. I’ll contact you later.”

I hung up the phone and got out of the car.

Arrived at destination early.

Reina leaving me alone in the car gave Cromwell time to figure out what was going on.

‘It’s a story that really catches my attention.’

It’s a military commissioned mediation.

For someone aiming for the high places in this city, it was an offer I couldn’t refuse.

***

Reina’s brokerage office was located in District 5, a little out of the city center.

It’s quite a departure from the usual office location at the edge of District 3.

That’s because it’s a place that was completely renovated from a huge warehouse.

All kinds of firearms and bullets were displayed on the walls, and CCTV footage monitoring the surroundings was broadcasted to multiple monitors.

A bulletproof helmet was kicked under the table.

It felt more like a military facility than an office, with a personal escort patrolling around.

“I’m sure you heard the circumstances from Cromwell.”

“At least he’s not a scammer.”

“If I’m a fraud, aren’t all the other brokers criminals? I’m a conscientious broker.”

Reina took a pack of liquid cigarettes out of her chest pocket and smoked them.

A thin cloud of smoke rose, obscuring her stern expression.

“You shouldn’t be a swindler. I guess it’s not a lie, considering you destroyed the hounds of Bellis Income. Here, bring it.”

As Reina nodded, the guard took some papers out of the drawer and placed them on the desk.

“You haven’t said anything about taking requests yet.”

“If you weren’t going to accept it, you would have gone back.”

“Aren’t you thinking of negotiating by pushing and pulling?”

“I’m the type of person who hates to be bothered and go around in circles.”

To put it bluntly.

It was an overbearing attitude, showing that he had never fought before and was not in a position to accept it.

If you don’t want to do it, then don’t do it.

‘Is it usually like this?’

It was extremely malicious in that it tempted them with tempting food.

“It’s a request from the Military Security Service.”

The police department is an agency that controls criminals and maintains law and order within the city.

Strictly speaking, it was not a military unit, so it could not be called a military unit.

But how dirty is the public security in this city?

Minor crimes such as theft or fistfights were not dealt with by the police department.

The main tasks of the police department include preventing terrorism, suppressing gangs, and assassinating criminal leaders.

The stability of the city depended on it, so the number and quality of troops were comparable to that of the army.

“We’re going to stop the recent terrorist attacks in District 5 and root out the perpetrators. It’s a wide-ranging operation that will include District 5 and even District 6 if necessary. We’ve been asking for help.”

“… … Terrorism in District 5, that sounds familiar.”

It was a rumor I heard from a gunsmith before exploring the ruins.

Was that true?

“It’s been going on for at least two or three months, so it wouldn’t be surprising if rumors started to spread. The police department is trying their best to keep it quiet, but since they left it alone for a considerable period of time, they probably couldn’t completely stop the rumors.”

“Yeah, you’ve been neglecting it so far, so why are you trying to move now? If your goal isn’t to overthrow the city, the police department would have stayed silent for the most part.”

This was on the outskirts of the city, so no famous companies had their headquarters there.

The land is small and the population is overflowing, so the police even tolerated terrorism that only caused commotion among the lower classes.

According to their theory, as far as I know, preventing it would be a waste of administrative power.

Reina opened her remaining eye wide as if surprised by my question.

“You seem to be quite knowledgeable about the police department.”

“You can’t ignore them while doing this. To be frank, if you get caught, it’s all a crime.”

“Who cares about such things when you’re living in a dead end? Well, being educated is better than being ignorant.”

And I don’t think the fact that the corners of his lips were twitching gave a bad impression.

“I left them alone to play fireworks in the yard, but they crossed the line and caused a huge firework. They said it was indiscriminate terrorism, but I guess the police didn’t know they would get the city council member’s relatives involved.”

“At that level, it would be impossible to tell whether it was a crime targeting the upper class or whether it was something that was just a coincidence.”

“That’s not important. The city council member’s relative got hurt, so let’s just get rid of him while we have the excuse.”

After all, he is a terrorist who should have been hanged first by anyone, whether it be a gang or a company.

It must have been annoying that such a guy persisted and caused a commotion until now.

Reina flipped through the papers and pointed to a messy map with various markings on it.

“The police initially thought it was an individual’s criminal act. Later investigations revealed that it was a group organized by a guerrilla organization. This means that catching one or two people on the spot is meaningless.”

“Is that why there’s a shortage of workers?”

“That’s right. We’ll find out where they’re based and wipe them out. I heard that at the countermeasure meeting hosted by the higher-ups, they said that if one or two people won’t do, why don’t we arrest dozens of them? If we arrest them all and torture them, one of them will reveal their base.”

I was amazed by the sheer scale of it.

Even Megacorp, which boasts omnipotent power, would not dare to carry out such an operation.

It was only possible with a city government that had full control of the city’s administrative power.

Even if you are ignorant, if you have enough willpower to carry out the operation, the chances of failure are slim.

“That’s all I can tell you. The police department will tell you the detailed operational plan, so go and listen to it yourself.”

“… … .”

I didn’t answer and just fiddled with the request form.

It was a large-scale operation by the police to burn down entire houses to get rid of lice.

When I heard it at the gun shop, I just passed it over, but it was definitely something I knew.

‘There was also an episode where he worked as a sheriff in the police department.’

It was not an operation that I directly participated in at the time.

Instead, I would have just glanced at the records.

I searched all over the place to find the best place for plants to grow and thrive.

If they wanted to stir up trouble around the city without arousing suspicion, they needed an excuse to uncover unsolved cases again.

So, I looked over most of the operations that the police department directly carried out without any exception.

“Why, are you scared? You seem a little more upbeat now. Don’t worry. You’re just a support person anyway. They’ll be leading the operation, so just go and do as they say.”

The snickering was clearly meant as a joke.

It seemed like the reason I was thinking about it for a while was because I was having a hard time.

“I just had something to think about.”

“Well, he fought against Madhouse too, so they must have been more dangerous.”

It was still vague, like I couldn’t remember.

It didn’t matter.

‘If you listen to the police department’s story, even if you don’t like it, you will remember the whole story.’

Even if I said no, it wasn’t a request that I could refuse.

***

Paaang!

District 5 is not downtown, but the outskirts.

In the Galaga City, which is comparable in size to a country, this place was, to put it simply, a sort of satellite city.

The population density was neither high nor low, and the population flow was not too sparse.

Therefore, it was common to see more vehicles than people.

The sound of the car horn occasionally ringing was soothing.

“Are you Allen?”

While waiting, watching the blinking traffic lights.

Someone came up to me and called my name.

“Looking at your face, it seems like you’re right. Contractor Allen.”

Without even waiting for my answer, he started beating the drum and janggu by himself.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Taylor from the Public Safety Bureau.”

“It’s Allen.”

It was a polite greeting.

We shook hands and looked each other in the eye, and I quickly gave him my estimate.

‘Are you new?’

His hair was neatly cut and his clothes were neatly dressed.

In a police station where the higher you go, the more indolent you become, being polite and tall was proof that you were not very socially drained.

‘What a personnel decision, worthy of arrogant city government officials.’

The military is the most stiff-necked in the city.

It was not surprising that they sent a rookie outside the company to greet them when they had reached out to them.

“I heard you heard the general details from the broker. Is that correct?”

“What is the background to your departure from the police department and what you plan to do?”

“That’s great. I think it’s easier to talk. Then I’ll give you a brief briefing and tell you what Mr. Allen needs to do.”

Taylor took a vest and hat from the bag he was carrying in one hand and put them on.

It is the conquest of the police department.

It’s been a while since I’ve settled in this city, but it felt like it’s been a long time since I’ve seen you.

As expected of a lazy person, they were dressed in an outfit that is hard to see among ordinary people.

“Currently, we are conducting inspections in District 5, and we plan to expand to District 6 in the future.”

“When is the deadline?”

“Indefinitely. To be exact, until we find out their base from the members of the organization we intercepted through inspection.”

“It’ll work out well. If they were doing it secretly, then it might be fine, but if they’re wearing uniforms, then it’s advertising the intervention of the National Police Agency. If they have something in their heads, they’ll protect themselves.”

And this was something that the higher-ups would have known as well.

Because they are gentlemen who are not incompetent, but just heavy-handed.

“Are you going to send in the sheriff?”

“… … ! How did you know?”

“That’s how the police department handles things.”

Post checkpoints in the sunny areas and deploy elite troops in the shady areas.

It was a classic tactic of the police department that they had already experienced firsthand several times.

“Then we just have to kill some time until the sheriff gets his act together.”

“no!”

“… … ?”

Taylor’s reaction was explosive.

“The search will be thorough. The sheriff is the sheriff, and our mission is important.”

I clicked my tongue inwardly at his ambitious attitude.

I wonder if anyone would say I’m a newbie.

Somehow I had a feeling that Taylor being attached to me wasn’t what my higher-ups wanted.

‘I wonder if the annoying senior took care of it.’

That’s what a group with an established military culture is like.