Chapter 20: One-Man Army

Manager (2)

Comet slung the bag containing the frisbees over her shoulder and headed to the park.

She remembered this park being in poor condition, but still functional as a park.

A fallen tree blocked the park entrance. Comet avoided the tree and entered the park. A pile of dirt that had spilled out of its designated area covered part of the path, making it soft. In the distance, she could see the badminton court had collapsed.

Comet wandered around the spacious park for a while. She found a corpse along the way, but no people. It seemed she had come to the right place.

After wandering a bit more, Comet summoned Fenrir in a wide-open space. Souls swirled and coalesced, forming a massive wolf. Mostly white, with some black patches.

Fenrir panted and nudged his snout against Comet. Comet frowned and pushed Fenrir away.

『Did you dislike that?』

"No, it's not that, it's just embarrassing. What kind of things did they teach you?"

The Necromancer's tastes were perplexing. Was this the dedication of an elite build?

Comet brushed back her disheveled bob and extended a hand.

"Fenrir, paw."

Fenrir placed his two front paws on top of each other and raised them.

Comet blinked and looked at Fenrir. Fenrir panted.

『Such a clever wolf.』

Good was good.

Comet patted his front paws.

"Good job, you listen twice as well."

Fenrir barked once, as if enjoying the praise.

『Truly clever.』

"This is normal. He's a wolf-like soul, not a soul-like wolf."

Comet rummaged through her bag and pulled out a frisbee.

"I'm going to throw this, and you bring it back. Got it? Here it goes."

The frisbee flew through the air. Fenrir ran across the ground and jumped. Spiritual Power fluttered like fur. Fangs clamped down on the frisbee. The sound of shattering plastic filled the air as fragments scattered.

Comet scratched her cheek.

Fenrir approached, a piece of the frisbee in his mouth.

"Just keep that."

Fenrir chewed the piece and swallowed it.

"...Don't eat it."

Comet twisted her hair and pondered. Fenrir nudged his snout against her. He seemed to be asking for praise. She gave him a cursory pat.

『You must give specific commands.』

"It's not a language problem. Souls don't communicate with language. They communicate with concepts. That's why the Princess and I can talk without language barriers."

Comet manipulated Spiritual Power to carefully control Fenrir. Then, she took out another frisbee.

"I'm going to throw this again, and you bring it back. Got it? Here it goes."

The frisbee flew, and Fenrir ran and jumped, catching it. There was no sound of the frisbee breaking. Fenrir brought the frisbee back. There were teeth marks on the frisbee , and holes were punched through it. It seemed he had failed to control his strength.

"Throw that away."

Fenrir chewed the frisbee and swallowed it.

A panting sound spread, as if he liked it.

"...Why are you eating it?"

『Could it be that he enjoys eating?』

"That... that could be."

Comet manipulated Spiritual Power again to carefully control Fenrir.

『Are you trying to change his personality?』

"No. Souls should be respected. If the conceptual communication isn't smooth, I just need to fix that part."

After several more adjustments, Fenrir was able to bring back the frisbee intact.

"Very good. Excellent."

Comet took the frisbee and patted him. Fenrir's Spiritual Power rippled like fur.

Fenrir flopped down and showed his belly. He seemed to want her to rub his belly. Comet obliged. The posture for petting was a bit awkward due to the size difference.

"It seems like the adjustments are mostly done. I'll ride you around the park once, and if it's okay, we'll go back. Get up."

Comet lightly jumped onto Fenrir. She had him walk and run, circling the park. The wind rushed past quickly.

"Performance-wise, I should keep him for a bit and then give him to Officer Dan."

『Isn't it convenient to ride him? It seems good to this body.』

"Later on, flying will be more convenient than riding. Officer Dan is an inspector, so she doesn't have a good long-distance mobility, so it'll be useful."

As Comet said that, she heard the faint sound of digging with a shovel and turned her head. It was a place surrounded by trees and bushes in the park. The sound stopped.

Comet blinked and got off Fenrir. She patted Fenrir, and Fenrir's size decreased appropriately, becoming a size that could move between the trees.

Comet quietly went inside to assess the situation. A woman in bloodstained clothes was standing there with a shovel. A pit and a corpse were visible. The corpse's head was crushed. There was a hammer with bits of flesh on it at the woman's feet.

Comet scratched her cheek. The woman threw the shovel and turned to run away. Comet lightly dodged the shovel.

"Fenrir, bite."

Fenrir ran and there was a sound of chewing. Comet ignored it and stared silently at the corpse.

『Wouldn't it be good to bury it?』

"I was thinking about that too. Princess, you're surprisingly helpful."

『Hmph. There's nothing to be gained from praise.』

"It's not quite praise."

Comet picked up the shovel and continued digging the pit. Then, she picked up the corpse with the shovel, roughly threw it in, and covered the pit.

"Should I stick a branch in as a tombstone?"

『A good idea. But couldn't you have handled the corpse more gently? Its limbs are tangled as it was buried.』

"I don't even know what kind of person they were, but I've already made them a grave. I'm not interested in anything more than that."

Comet broke off a branch and stuck it in the grave.

"Let's go back."

She retrieved the soul and returned to Yeouido.

#

The schedule for the State Council meeting was approaching.

Comet followed the aide with a somewhat nervous heart. The Chairwoman said that it would be over as long as she answered without any problems, but hearing those words didn't make her feel like a meeting of the nation's top leaders would be anything trivial.

When she got into the car, the aide handed her an eye mask.

"The location is confidential."

"Oh... I see."

Comet obediently put on the eye mask. The aide properly adjusted the eye mask, and the car started. The car moved and moved again. She thought that they must have left Yeouido by now, but it seemed like they were circling Yeouido to confuse the location.

After a long time, the air changed as if they had entered the underground. And after waiting longer, the car stopped.

"You can take off the eye mask now."

Comet took off the eye mask and got out of the car. It was a large space with only artificial light, without a single ray of sunlight. It seemed that they had come underground.

The Chairwoman, who had been waiting, approached.

"Welcome. This is the exhibition National Assembly building. It's called the exhibition Assembly."

The Chairwoman pointed to the cold-colored underground space as if boasting. Military equipment and soldiers spread out in the large space. There were many people, and they were moving, but it was silent.

"You are the first civilian visitor since its completion."

Only the Chairwoman's voice spread in the silent stillness.

"Oh..."

Comet looked around. Some fully armed soldiers were watching.

"Don't look around too much."

"Ah, yes."

"Follow me. I'll guide you from here."

The Chairwoman took the lead. Comet followed. They passed through large spaces, and corridors connected to corridors.

"Have you ever had any questions while living in Yeouido?"

"About what?"

"Like, you don't see any assemblyperson other than me, or you don't notice any ministerial-level officials."

"Now that you mention it, that's true."

Comet blinked.

The Chairwoman looked at Comet.

"You live comfortably?"

"It means I have leisure."

"That's a good thing. Continue to live comfortably in the future. Feel free to say anything you need or find uncomfortable."

"I will."

The Chairwoman opened a door and walked.

"I'm an Awakened, so the risk is lower, but that's not the case for other people. That's why I live openly in the Yeouido National Assembly building, and the rest live here."

"I see."

"One of the reasons why the Committee has excessive authority as an supralegal organization is because of this reason."

They entered a room guarded by two soldiers. There was furniture such as a sofa. Snacks were placed on the table. It looked like a reception room or waiting room.

"Wait here, and the aide will come to pick you up, then follow him to briefly attend the State Council meeting. After that, wait and return to Yeouido with me."

"It doesn't sound difficult just listening."

"It's really nothing. Then, I'm busy, so I'll be going."

The Chairwoman left.

After that, Comet had to wait for an hour straight.

No one came, and only time passed. Comet spent an hour in the room because she didn't need to go to the bathroom.

『Those things have no manners! To call someone and make them wait like this.』

"That's how high-ranking people are."

『Hmph. This body does not do that. It is courtesy and law to not make guests wait unless it is unintentional!』

"Is that so."

It was fortunate that she had the Princess as a conversation partner.

After waiting a bit longer, the aide with a familiar face opened the door and entered.

"Comet, I'm sorry. It took longer than expected."

"No, it can happen."

"Please follow me."

She followed the aide. It took longer than when she followed the Chairwoman. She waited in the waiting room, but the State Council meeting was actually being held on the opposite side.

"Go in and sit in the empty chair that you see right away, then answer the questions."

"Yes."

The soldier guarding the door opened it.

The space came into view.

First, Comet saw the Chairwoman sitting down. Along the table where the Chairwoman was seated, there were about twenty people. Behind them, about thirty people surrounded the central table.

All eyes were on her.

Comet took a moment to inhale, gathered her wits, and carefully sat down on the only empty chair.

Silence fell.

Time passed.

Some gazes drifted away, but most still watched Comet.

Comet wondered when the questions would finally come. She fidgeted with the hem of her clothes where it couldn't be seen. Even if they didn't ask questions from the start, shouldn't someone break the ice? The Chairwoman, perhaps...?

Comet glanced at the Chairwoman. The Chairwoman nonchalantly picked up a cookie, then shifted her gaze to someone else, not Comet. It was a middle-aged man at the head of the central table.

The middle-aged man received the Chairwoman's gaze, smiled slightly, and opened his mouth, looking at Comet.

"Ms. Comet, it's a pleasure to meet you. I am..."

The former Minister of Education and Deputy Prime Minister for Social Affairs, and currently the Prime Minister and Acting President.

"Even if Chairwoman Jung is familiar, you're not acquainted with the others, so let me introduce them one by one. First, this is..."

Starting with the Minister of Economy and Finance, introductions of ministerial-level figures continued. Passing the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, going through the Ministry of National Defense, and arriving at the National Intelligence Service, the introductions of the highest authorities in the executive branch were soon finished.

"You seem to have relaxed."

Not at all.

Regardless of Comet's inner thoughts, the situation progressed. As if it had been decided that she was relaxed, the Acting President and various ministers began to throw questions at her, one after another.

Apart from the tension, the questions themselves weren't difficult. Questions like what kind of magic she used to find the relays and blockers, or where she found that alien, were the kind that could be answered with what she knew.

It would have been easy enough with just that, but the questions themselves were structured in a way that made them too easy to answer.

"The basis for your certainty that the interrogation of that alien, the princess, is no longer meaningful is..."

The Director of the National Intelligence Service stated each reason himself, then added a word.

"Are these reasons correct from a Necromancy perspective?"

Then Comet answered like this.

"Yes, that's correct. There are no omissions or errors."

Since the questioner already knew everything, there was nothing more to say.

Comet listened to the next question, which she would probably have to answer with "Yes, that's correct" again, and wondered. If they already know everything, why bother asking?

Only then did Comet relax and look around at the powerful figures. She immediately sensed something. They're nervous. Not Comet, but the others are nervous.

As the questions continued, the atmosphere eased. By the time the Minister of Economy and Finance brought up the topic of having an exceptionally competent mother, it had become downright convivial.

The ministers exchanged jokes among themselves and openly praised Comet.

Comet twisted her side hair.

Perhaps the initial silence when she entered this place was a mistake caused by the high-ranking officials being nervous?

Perhaps these high-ranking officials wanted to see a dangerous Awakened person wait for an hour and then obediently attend the meeting, answering "yes, yes" while tense?

Perhaps they wanted to be sure that the being sitting in this small chair, even if she could destroy mountains and cleave the sky, was still human, a being who could converse and share opinions?

Comet twisted her side hair, expanded her thoughts, and then lowered her hand.

Good is good.

She just wanted to finish quickly and have a meal. She was hungry.

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