Sentimental Shower

#033

Chapter 4

During the war when the European Union invaded the Republic of Korea targeting the black moonstone.

Before the black moonstone mines in Jirisan were blown up, non-citizens of the Republic were stationed there.

The 6th District. The mercenary group “Hoeksungdan” was deployed for guerrilla warfare at a temporary base near Cheonwangbong Peak in the Sobaek Mountains, known as a natural fortress at the edge of Jirisan.

The European Union paid a substantial amount to hire Hoeksungdan. And an even greater reward was promised upon their return home.

Hoeksungdan was originally a unit specialized in guerrilla warfare. Their job this time was simply to “hit and run.”

Although it was a multinational mercenary group, it was natural for an Asian to be the team leader as Hoeksungdan was mostly composed of Asians.

However, having a team leader from the Republic of Korea wasn’t particularly natural.

“Boss, are you sure you’re okay with this? It’s still your homeland.”

A team member asked Team Leader Yeon Tae-soo. Yeon Tae-soo smiled his characteristic smile.

“Wherever pays me the most is my homeland. Right now, the European Union is my homeland.”

Some shook their heads, saying they couldn’t understand and that they wouldn’t have been able to carry out orders to attack their own country’s military. Others deeply sympathized with Yeon Tae-soo’s words, saying the concept of homeland was vague in these times.

The job was easy. At least for those who did guerrilla warfare as routinely as eating.

The plan was to hide at the Cheonwangbong temporary base and attack from behind when the battle started at the foot of the Sobaek Mountains, then retreat.

And depending on the battle situation, they would either join in or shoot fleeing soldiers. Of course, the fleeing soldiers here referred to Republic of Korea soldiers.

“We have Captain Yeon, what’s there to worry about?”

Yeon Tae-soo smiled at the team member who spoke as if reassured and proud. No one noticed the coldness hidden in that smile.

Late at night, Yeon Tae-soo went on a reconnaissance mission with two team members.

Jirisan was said to be where black moonstone was buried. The European Union’s “official” reason for the war was to liberate the vulnerable, including humanoid androids of the Republic of Korea, from poor conditions, but the actual purpose was the black moonstone. So it was natural for this place to become a battlefield.

On the opposite side of Cheonwangbong, there was a base where the Republic of Korea’s military stayed.

Hoeksungdan’s base was thoroughly hidden, and with satellite interference devices installed, it was impossible to find unless an infrared camera, an antique from the 3rd era, was used.

The reconnaissance had been going on for days. Perhaps the Republic of Korea military also knew about Hoeksungdan’s presence. Even if they didn’t know the exact location, they surely knew someone was stationed nearby.

And there was also a Republic of Korea unit hiding just as thoroughly as Hoeksungdan in an unseen place.

That day, Yeon Tae-soo encountered such people. A unit so cleverly hidden that it didn’t show up on satellite photos and couldn’t be noticed just by passing by.

‘I should report this.’

He was about to return to the temporary base immediately. Although it seemed a bit odd that the unit looked too small for a hidden one, it wasn’t up to Hoeksungdan, the hired mercenaries, to decide whether to attack this unit or leave it alone.

As he was about to turn back without delay, a sudden sound was heard. Yeon Tae-soo and the two mercenaries froze. It was a sound too familiar to them. The sound of a knife tearing human flesh. And a suppressed moan.

It was wartime now. Death was more natural than life. Moreover, this was enemy territory. Why should they care who dies?

The problem was that the moan belonged to a child.

Yeon Tae-soo turned around. The mercenaries also cautiously walked towards the hidden Republic of Korea unit with grim faces.

The three lowered their bodies as much as possible and peered inside. Trucks were lined up in front of temporarily built containers. And from those trucks, someone was endlessly unloading. They were all children.

‘What the… Why are there kids here…’

A mercenary who brought binoculars to his eyes was about to speak but closed his mouth. The appearance of the children getting off the trucks was all the same.

They were humanoid androids.

They weren’t completely top-tier models, as differences from humans were visible even through binoculars. But they were definitely in human form.

Child-shaped androids were often produced as educational assistants. The model visible right now was also a famous model often used for education.

‘Why are they on a battlefield?’

Another mercenary spoke in a bewildered tone. Yeon Tae-soo’s eyes sank as dark as the surrounding darkness as he watched the child-shaped androids getting off the trucks.

As one of the Republic of Korea soldiers standing in front of the truck turned sideways, the knife he was holding came into view.

The educational androids were entering the barracks one by one. And from the barracks, the suppressed moans heard earlier could be faintly heard.

Now everyone knew what was happening. The educational androids getting off the trucks knew too.

‘P-please save us.’

One educational android cried out urgently. When one started shouting, others began to cry out for help as well. Save us, save us. The identical voices of children filled the night mountain.

When a soldier fired a warning shot, they finally quieted down.

‘Why are they killing the kids… the robots?’

A mercenary asked in a tone that swallowed a groan. Yeon Tae-soo pointed his chin towards the barracks.

‘Because there’s something to extract from there.’

At the team leader’s self-mocking tone, both mercenaries openly grimaced. Because they couldn’t help but recall something.

Black moonstone. The thing said to be embedded in the hearts of humanoid androids along with electronic circuits.

‘This country lacks weapons. You know black moonstone is used in the latest weapons, right?’

To face the European Union, they needed to urgently procure black moonstone. The easiest way was to hunt androids.

‘The state can’t openly hunt androids, so they’re using the battlefield.’

This was a battlefield. It meant that disposing of android corpses wouldn’t be difficult.

‘Those bastards… You don’t think they’re planning to pin this on us, do you?’

‘Why not? Of course they are.’

Yeon Tae-soo smirked. Meanwhile, the androids, the children, were still entering the barracks one by one. To die at human hands. Without even attempting to resist.

‘Let’s go back.’

As Yeon Tae-soo was about to turn around, swallowing a bitter taste, he suddenly held his breath at a perceived presence. He showed a hand signal to stop and took out a throwing star, throwing it towards the darkness.

With a short groan, a Republic of Korea soldier collapsed. The mercenaries drew their weapons as trained.

However, they were intimidated by the endless sound of guns being cocked in the darkness.

Click, click. The sound of safeties being released and guns being aimed. There were at least dozens.

Realizing they couldn’t escape due to the overwhelming number of presences felt in the darkness, the three stood still.

And from among those numerous presences, someone walked out.

‘Yeon Tae-soo.’

The tall man with narrow shoulders had white around his mouth. It was vitiligo. Yeon Tae-soo knew him.

‘Lieutenant General, it’s been a while. You look radiant.’

‘After betraying your country, have you now decided to turn your gun on it?’

Yeon Tae-soo laughed sharply at the Lieutenant General’s words.

‘Well, it just turned out that way. I’m not a patriot, you see.’

‘The fact that the state saved your dying self is a truth that will never disappear.’

At these words, Yeon Tae-soo’s eyes rose fiercely. The hatred in his pitch-black eyes was as cold as a flame in the darkness.

At the Lieutenant General’s chin gesture, several soldiers approached and grabbed the mercenaries beside Yeon Tae-soo. Yeon Tae-soo immediately fired his gun.

Bang, with a single gunshot, the neck of a soldier grabbing one of the mercenaries was pierced. The mercenary, though covered in blood, didn’t panic and pushed away the dying soldier. Then he aimed his gun at the Lieutenant General. Simultaneously, the Republic of Korea soldiers all aimed their guns at the two mercenaries.

A chilling silence fell, and it didn’t last long.

‘Don’t touch those bastards! Fuck!’

The Lieutenant General shook his head.

‘With just one gesture from me, you’ll become corpses beyond recovery. What audacity is this?’

The Lieutenant General was right. They had killed one soldier, but it was impossible to safely escape this encirclement.

‘What do you want?’

They would try to kill and dispose of the witnesses. Hadn’t the mass slaughter of androids previously caused a big issue worldwide?

So it was better to make a deal. It was a judgment based on reasonable grounds, but there was a problem. It was too late.

The moment something flashed before his eyes, Yeon Tae-soo felt his body react faster than his eyes. He realized a knife had been stabbed into his wrist a beat later.

‘Capture them.’

At the Lieutenant General’s words, soldiers rushed in. Yeon Tae-soo, who was about to reflexively block the attack and counterattack, held back. If he didn’t, his team members would die.

The hand that blocked the knife had no feeling. He must have hit a nerve wrong.

With both arms restrained, he saw a flash of light before his eyes. A beat later, this time he felt pain in his eye.

‘You didn’t see anything.’

If one eye and one hand were the price, it was still cheap. He could live just like others by getting a prosthetic hand and an artificial eye. These days, people even intentionally replace their eyes with artificial ones when their eyesight deteriorates, don’t they? So he had to endure. He had to endure.

‘You still care about your subordinates, I see.’

The Lieutenant General spoke, looking at Yeon Tae-soo who was dripping blood from his eye without even a groan.

‘I have one more favor to ask.’

The Lieutenant General’s gloved hand pointed in one direction. The androids not yet slaughtered were there.

The surest way to silence someone is to make them an accomplice.

Yeon Tae-soo knew this fact all too well.

The three who returned with blood on them that day, as if by agreement, never spoke of what happened. And the next time Yeon Tae-soo saw the Lieutenant General was on the news after the war ended.

With his vitiligo-affected mouth set in a solemn expression, the Lieutenant General was inaugurated as the new Minister of National Defense as a national hero.

The reason Yeon Tae-soo recalled that day’s events, which he had been deliberately forgetting, was because of Yoo Seong-woo.

Now he understood. Why he had been so bothered by him.

He resembled ‘their’ faces. The countless machines that died that night. The young androids who cried out to him for help, which he had captured to the end with his one-eyed gaze full of anger.

He couldn’t understand why Yoo Seong-woo, a human, had those eyes.

That’s why he had unknowingly expressed hostility.

He wanted to ignore it. He thought it would cool off after fucking him a few times.

However, the expression Yoo Seong-woo showed him when he returned injured wasn’t something he could just forget.