Let’s Fill It Out 11: Chapter 11.
Let’s Fill It Out * * * “Are you curious about what I know?” Hyeon-yul smiled faintly before his expression slowly hardened.
“Shin Daeho was in distribution.” Hyeon-yul watched the man for a moment, then released him.
He took another gas mask from his bag and put it on.
The man swallowed dryly at his words and behavior.
It looked as though a scream might burst from his mouth at any moment.
“Back then, someone came to him carrying a new kind of weapon.
That person served the Witch.
And that person was you.” “…” “They say this is a liquor company.
Shin Daeho absolutely loved alcohol.
He was practically obsessed with it.” There was no way a man like that would have left a liquor company untouched.
“When I first heard the company’s name, it didn’t mean anything to me.
But once I saw this logo, something clicked.” The clothes worn by the dead security team and the screensaver displayed on the computers had given him the answer.
The emblem resembled a wineglass, and it had practically been one of Shin Daeho’s symbols.
“This company had an agreement with Shin Daeho, didn’t it…?” Aside from bodyguard assignments for Shin Daeho and assassination jobs targeting other villains, Hyeon-yul had mostly handled office work.
Naturally, he had seen countless related documents.
Because villains could not openly own an unlimited number of companies, Shin Daeho had created a network of affiliated companies.
In exchange for support using Shin Daeho’s technology, connections, and other resources, those companies pledged loyalty to him.
They called it loyalty, but in the end everything came down to money.
Hyeon-yul stared steadily at the man.
The longer the silence stretched, the more visibly unsettled the man became.
“Shin Daeho operated quite a large network of affiliates.” —The truth is, my master has taken an interest in you.
In particular, he said the way you killed Shin Daeho was magnificent.
The Poison King had known with certainty that Shin Daeho was dead.
If so, what about the other major villains?
“Now that Shin Daeho is dead, why wouldn’t they covet what he left behind?
It seems your master heard that the Poison King was moving to take over Shin Daeho’s distribution network.
It would be troublesome if the Poison King swallowed all of it, wouldn’t it?” Except under a few special circumstances, villains did not cooperate with one another.
If anything, they constantly watched one another and looked for opportunities to devour their rivals.
Still, they shared one common objective: destroying the Empire.
It was a ridiculous and absurd collection of people, but that single objective, destroying the Empire, was exactly the kind of special circumstance that could bring them together.
“So you staged all this because you wanted to make the Poison King your enemy?” The Poison King used poison.
If poison spread across an area, who would people suspect first?
“In other words, your master tried to take this place while framing the Poison King.
Have I summarized it correctly?
Now you can answer.” Hyeon-yul looked directly at the man, but the man’s lips refused to move.
“Do…
I have some obligation to tell you?” He tried to sound strong, but Hyeon-yul could see the fear in his actions and hear it in his voice.
‘So that’s the answer.’ Hyeon-yul inhaled and checked the time.
“I can wait about five minutes.” “You moron!
You think I’m actually going to answer you?!” “What are you talking about?” Hyeon-yul reacted as though the man had said something ridiculous.
“I already got the answer I wanted.
I’m giving you a choice.
You can return to your master and die, or you can come back to the Black Eagle with me and at least keep your life.” That man was the reason Hyeon-yul had scraped his finger.
He wanted to twist his neck immediately, but he held back.
Hyeon-yul had never forgotten his goal of uprooting every villain from this land.
If the Black Eagle took this man into custody, he could be useful in several ways.
That was the only reason Hyeon-yul was offering him a chance.
“You failed your mission.
Mission failure probably means death, doesn’t it?
Loyalty?
Affection?
Do you seriously think villains possess things like that?” Hyeon-yul gave a mocking laugh.
Expecting anything from villains was arrogance and stubborn self-delusion.
The only result waiting at the end was death.
“Are you even being paid properly?
Do you sleep properly?
With all the overtime they force on you, you must be exhausted.
I don’t understand why you’re keeping your mouth shut for that bastard.” ‘Huh…?’ The man doubted his own ears.
What in the world had he just heard?
There was such vivid realism in Hyeon-yul’s words that it almost sounded as though Hyeon-yul himself worked at the man’s company.
“Personally, I think the answer is already decided.
Stop pretending this is about loyalty or whatever else and come quietly.
Wouldn’t that be better?” The man could not bring himself to answer quickly, but his eyes were already wavering.
‘…There’s never been a Black Eagle like this before.
Did they start investigating us thoroughly without me realizing it?’ The man could not help feeling shocked.
Had the Empire finally begun applying real pressure?
He released a long breath as the realization settled in.
“Someone at your level must be deeply involved.
What kind of leash do they have on you?
Your family?” Hyeon-yul asked the question as casually as if discussing the weather.
People who joined villain-run companies usually entered without knowing what kind of organization they were joining.
Who would knowingly choose such a workplace?
The companies attracted employees with relatively high salaries and absurdly generous advertised benefits to build a positive image.
But that was only the outward image.
Little by little, they fastened a leash around each employee until leaving became impossible.
They might take a family member hostage.
They might implicate an employee in crimes so thoroughly that returning to an ordinary civilian life became impossible.
There were countless methods.
“…Ah.
Whatever drug was inside your body has already been removed.
You don’t need to cling to them for an antidote anymore.
You still won’t come?” It sounded like a final question.
The man slowly shook his head.
His leash had been cut.
That alone multiplied the number of choices available to him.
“…How did you know?” The man asked hesitantly, but Hyeon-yul gave him no answer.
Instead, his tone became sharp and forceful.
“I’m the only one asking questions.
Understand your situation.” * * * “…How can you stay so calm?” Only after they rode the eagle back to the Nest did Nayun ask Hyeon-yul the question.
White Sparrows had arrived at the scene, and there had also been survivors nearby, so it had not been something she could ask carelessly in the field.
Seeing the curiosity in her eyes, Hyeon-yul could tell she did not mean anything malicious by it.
“It’s because I used to work for villains.” Hyeon-yul answered without hesitation.
The rumors were already circulating, and he had told Shinwoo as well, so there was no reason to treat it as a secret.
“Really?” “You heard the rumors.” “Hearing it directly is different.
I don’t like rumors.
Rumors can be used to attack anyone at any time.” “The rumors are true.” Hyeon-yul looked at Nayun as though testing her reaction.
“That explains it.
You were far too clean and composed for an ordinary rookie.” Only then did Nayun understand why he had been so calm and how he had captured the ringleader without any visible hesitation.
“Ah, I suppose you are still a rookie.
An experienced rookie.” Whether Hyeon-yul had come from villains or not, he was still exactly the kind of newcomer everyone wanted.
Nayun liked that very much.
“…Is that reaction a Team 3 tradition?” Hyeon-yul asked because her response was nothing like what he expected.
It was almost anticlimactic.
“Does Shinwoo know too?” “He does.” “Then there’s only one answer.
Shinwoo and I both trust the Team Leader.” Nayun smiled as though she were stating something obvious.
This was not just anyone.
Haeryeon had personally chosen this recruit, and that was already proof enough for her.
“I know you can’t believe that yet.
I’m sure there are plenty of things that happened to you that I couldn’t even ask about.
Once you’ve been here for a while, you’ll probably understand why I said this.” “Is that so?” No matter how energetically Nayun said it, the words did not truly reach Hyeon-yul.
To him, they felt similar to the whispers he happened to overhear while walking past people.
“Anyway, that’s actually a relief.
You’re going to see all kinds of horrible things from now on, so at least you seem to have a strong stomach.” “I believe that’s probably true.” “That’s a relief.” Nayun genuinely relaxed at his answer.
Seeing dead bodies was only the beginning of this work.
Would they merely see the dead?
There were plenty of things that were disgusting, filthy, and enough to make anyone sick of humanity itself.
Quite a few people had left because they could not tolerate it.
Knowing Hyeon-yul was unlikely to quit for that reason already eased her mind.
“Do you have any questions about this mission?
Ask me anything.
I’ll answer.” “How difficult was the mission we just completed?” Hyeon-yul had finally become curious.
There would be countless missions ahead, and he wanted to know where this one stood.
“Average.
Not especially hard and not especially easy.
I’d call it right around the middle.” “This is considered normal?” “That’s from my perspective, though.
All I had to do was snipe from far away, so it felt ordinary to me.
Mission difficulty is pretty relative, so it’s hard to establish one fixed standard.
But there are plenty of jobs where something that would be comfortable for two people has to be handled by one.” Hyeon-yul nodded at Nayun’s answer.
If this was approximately the standard workload, the job’s overall intensity seemed reasonable.
“How did you destroy the barrier?” “You were really curious about that, weren’t you?
I’ve been waiting for you to ask.” Nayun’s eyes sparkled.
Hyeon-yul immediately felt that he might have touched on the wrong subject.
‘…I shouldn’t have asked.’ Still, he genuinely wanted to know how she had located the core of the barrier’s power.
“Please explain it.” Hyeon-yul asked after mentally preparing himself.
* * * “You worked hard today, Hyeon-yul.” Haeryeon greeted him with a smile.
“Choo Nayun received another mission on the way back and left immediately.” “I know.
Shinwoo got another mission and went out too.
I’m often the only one left here, so you’ll probably see me a lot.” “What kind of work do you do, Team Leader?” Haeryeon burst out laughing because she had not expected him to ask directly.
Once again, she realized Hyeon-yul was more meticulous than he first appeared.
“Curious?” “Yes, I am.” The moment she heard his answer, Haeryeon turned the computer monitor she was using toward him.
“I’m writing reports for the missions our team members completed.” “You write the reports yourself?
How does that work?
Do you listen to what we say and write it down?” “No.
There’s a body camera built into the uniform you’re wearing.” At Haeryeon’s words, Hyeon-yul looked down at himself.
Fitting the name Black Eagle, the uniform was primarily black, with white accents placed around the shoulders, sleeves, and several other areas.
When Hyeon-yul gave her a look that clearly said he had no idea what she meant, Haeryeon took a deep breath.
“…Were you not told about that when they gave you the uniform?” “No.
Baek Shinwoo told me that the uniform protects me from various things, but that’s all.” “I see.
They didn’t tell you.” A chilling smile appeared on Haeryeon’s face as her fist tightened.
Explaining equipment like this was the White Sparrows’ responsibility.
“You’re not angry, are you?” “I’m not.” “Good.
I’ll handle this matter, so you don’t need to step in.
The same goes for other incidents.
You’re finally starting to build exactly the right image.” She wanted people to see him as a monster rookie.
Today’s mission had been excellent for constructing that reputation, and the fact that Hyeon-yul was still on probation made it even more striking.
“Understood.” Hyeon-yul had no idea what image she meant, nor did he particularly care.
“Anyway, team leaders mainly write reports for their members, interrogate villains brought back by people like you did today, and hold meetings to decide our direction using whatever information we obtain.
Then we distribute that information to the team.
Managing the team members is also part of my job.” They were short on personnel, which made every individual team member an extremely valuable combat asset.
The entire system had effectively been designed so field members could focus exclusively on missions.
“Unless there’s truly nobody else available to substitute for a mission, I mostly remain here and guard the Nest.
We have an internal rule requiring at least three team leaders to remain in the Nest at all times.
Does that explain it well enough?” She kept the explanation short and simple.
Team leaders had more responsibilities than that, but explaining every detail would only waste time.
“Thank you for explaining.” Only then did Hyeon-yul understand why the Nest could remain so openly visible and still be considered safe.
No fewer than several team-leader-class fighters were protecting it.
“Now, can you report what happened?
Just tell me who the person you brought back is and what happened inside.” “He wasn’t one of the Poison King’s subordinates.
However, I learned that the Poison King is moving to seize control of Shin Daeho’s affiliated companies.” “So the incident was an attempt to keep him in check?” “Yes.
That appears to be the case.
I believe the man I brought in can provide the details.” “Nice and simple.
I had something to tell you too.
Is now fine?” “Go ahead.” “From the ringleader in the incident you handled with Shinwoo, we discovered the location of a secondary site connected to the experimental subjects.” “Where is it?” “It was within ten kilometers of the company where the poison spread today.
According to a report that came in about thirty minutes ago, there was an explosion at that location.
That’s where Nayun went.” “The overlap is unusually precise.” “Exactly.
We still don’t know what it means, but I’ll tell you once we learn more.” After giving the short answer, Haeryeon addressed him again.
“Hyeon-yul.” “Yes.” “Do you intend to keep working here?” Hyeon-yul’s eyes widened at the completely unexpected question.
Why was she suddenly asking him that?
This did not feel like a good sign.
Was she about to fire him?
“…Did I do something wrong?” “No.
Nothing like that.” “You’re…
sure?” “Yes.
Around this point, the people who intend to quit usually quit.
If you do leave, you have to sign a contract containing confidentiality clauses before you go.” Only then did Hyeon-yul regain his composure.
“As long as you honor the benefits and working conditions, I have absolutely no intention of quitting.” “Of course we’ll honor them.
No matter what happens, we will.
But this is your final chance to choose.
Once we pass this point, you’re fully committed.
There’s a reason this job offers so many benefits.
Are you still all right with that?” “I am.
There’s nowhere better for me than this.” At Hyeon-yul’s unwavering answer, Haeryeon could practically hear celebratory fanfare exploding in her ears.
She felt as though so many fireworks were going off that her face might flush with excitement.
“Good.
Shall we fill out your employment contract now?” Haeryeon beamed and pulled a document from her drawer.
They were civil servants, but because their duties were highly specialized, completing this additional document was mandatory.
‘…I wondered when this would finally happen.’ The moment had arrived.
Hyeon-yul’s expression changed at once.
He knew this was where the real battle began.