Chapter 57

“It’s been a few months, so it’s nice to see you, but let’s get out of here first.”

Amon grabbed Cash’s wrist.

Cash’s gaze, with her wrist caught, almost turned to Amon’s face but then shifted back to her feet.

He didn’t ask why she kept avoiding eye contact.

There was no time, and it wasn’t that important anyway.

They put Cash in the limo and quickly left the residential area.

Inside the shaking car, the Mute Sniper, who was driving, sent a telepathic message.

[Pursuit?]

“I took care of it in advance.”

Sonia flicked a bullet as she answered.

The Mute Sniper raised a thumb towards the back.

The limo driven by the sniper slowly crossed the city.

It was a detour to the destination in case of unexpected pursuers, so it sometimes circled the same area.

In the comfortable ride, Cash kept looking at the floor.

Because of that, when she opened her mouth, her companions were slow to realize she had spoken.

“How did you get here?”

“Wait, did you just say something?”

“…Yeah.”

Amon, who was the quickest to catch on, responded a bit late.

“You asked how we got here so fast? Uh… it’s a bit complicated to explain…”

Amon rolled his eyes as he chose his words.

The explanation itself wasn’t hard.

After receiving Cash’s call, the word “revelation” started to bother him. So he headed to the church where his brother used to go and found a supercomputer there.

Originally, it was a computer that was blasphemous, so it should have been disposed of immediately, but Amon was also a rational person.

Instead of disposing of it right away, he ran a simulation to find out why the word “revelation” came out of the chairman’s mouth.

The problem was that neither Amon nor Sonia knew how to operate the computer.

Instead, they entered three words into a blank space where they could input something, like searching for an SNS hashtag.

Chairman of Rekhetio Corporation, Cash, Owen.

The simulation ran, and Amon found out that Cash would be in danger an hour later.

“So I called the others and rushed here as fast as I could. It was a bit close.”

Of course, he didn’t forget to burn the blasphemous computer before leaving.

But despite Amon’s explanation, there was still something unexplained.

“Why was that future-predicting computer found in a church?”

At Cash’s sharp remark, silence fell in the vehicle.

Everyone’s eyes rolled.

‘We deliberately didn’t mention that!’

When explaining, they deliberately avoided talking about the computer’s principles.

Because that would require bringing up Cash’s mother.

‘How can we tell her that!’

There was no way they could tell her that her mother had become a computer.

Even though Cash disliked her, she was still her biological mother.

They couldn’t just casually deliver that news like it was a 9 AM news broadcast.

Besides, the timing was bad, right after she almost got assassinated by her own brother.

‘I was planning to tell her someday…’

But now wasn’t the right time.

So Amon prayed that Cash wouldn’t notice the unnaturalness and just let it slide.

Unfortunately, her mind was still sharp even in this situation.

Amon’s gaze moved from Cash’s head to the other companions.

The Bisexual Mage avoided eye contact, and the Water Buffalo Tanker tightly closed his eyes.

The Ogre was doodling on the innocent window.

He threw a glance at the Mute Sniper in the driver’s seat through the rearview mirror, but she turned it away.

– ‘You explain.’

Amon finally looked at Sonia.

Sonia shook her head.

– ‘That’s your job.’

At Sonia’s gesture, Amon sighed deeply and began to tell the truth.

About how love for a child can lead to madness.

As the vehicle headed towards its destination, Amon’s explanation ended.

“…That’s how it happened.”

“…”

After the explanation, Cash fell silent.

The companions looked at her with worried eyes.

Since she was still bowing her head, they couldn’t see her expression.

But as Cash’s body gradually curled up, they could guess her state.

Sniff.

At the sound coming from Cash, the vehicle was once again engulfed in silence.

The limo headed towards its destination in silence.

The destination was a hotel Amon had secured in advance.

They couldn’t go home. The opponent could see the future.

They didn’t know how far they could see, but they couldn’t rule out the possibility that the opponent had already stationed people in front of their house.

Of course, this wasn’t a perfect plan either.

“Family… I’m worried…”

At the Ogre’s muttering, the others also nodded in agreement.

They had evacuated their families, who could be taken hostage, to another place, but they couldn’t be sure if that was perfect.

Since they didn’t know how far the opponent could see, no matter how much they prepared, the anxiety didn’t go away.

The Mute Sniper grumbled.

[That’s why I hate people who can see the future…]

Then, noticing Cash’s shoulder twitch,

[Well, not hate, but they’re a bit tricky.]

The others wanted to agree, but since Cash was watching, they remained silent.

Soon, the vehicle arrived at the hotel.

An employee approached their car for valet parking.

Just as the employee was about to reach the car, Amon suddenly went into combat mode.

“Everyone, prepare for battle. That employee is suspicious.”

For someone doing valet parking, his movements were too precise.

Like a seasoned assassin.

One might think it’s an overreaction based just on movements and stride, but the chairman Amon was dealing with could see the future.

It wouldn’t be strange if an assassin popped out of nowhere.

The other companions were in a similar state.

They were on high alert, wary of the approaching employee.

If he did anything suspicious, they would immediately engage in combat.

Soon, the employee reached the car.

Each of them hid their weapons in blind spots and watched the employee closely.

At that moment, the employee gave an awkward smile and said,

“Did you forget?”

“…?”

“It’s me. The former executive director who guided you before. I guess I’m the former executive director now.”

“Huh? Why are you here?”

“The chairman sent me.”

There was no misunderstanding about which chairman the former director was referring to.

This former director was someone who had submitted his resignation and followed the chairman as soon as Owen became chairman.

The person he called chairman was only one.

As the tension in Amon’s party eased, the former director smiled kindly and said,

“Is there any room in the car? I’d like to go somewhere other than this hotel.”

Amon nodded.

The car left the hotel and headed towards a resort.

*

The place where Cash’s father, who had disappeared from the public eye, was staying was a resort.

He had bought an entire resort and was using it like his hideout.

Not only the former chairman lived there.

Executives who had followed him out of the company or been driven out by Owen and their families were also there.

Even the families of Amon’s party members were waiting for them there.

“We brought them.”

The bodyguards who had escorted Amon’s party said.

They must have trusted and followed them since they had protected them for four months.

“Your rooms are over there in the West Gold Club.”

The former director who was guiding them handed over a bunch of keys.

He added that they could use any extra rooms freely.

Amon’s party was overwhelmed by the sheer number of keys, easily over twenty.

It was the kind of generosity only those with overflowing, almost rotting money could afford.

“For now, the young lady can stay in the same building as her friends.”

“Did… my father say that?”

“Yes. He said what you need now is your friends.”

“…Okay.”

Cash’s gloomy expression improved slightly.

Afterwards, the former director showed them around the resort.

“If you want to eat or play, just come to the central building.”

With a suggestion to rest and relieve their fatigue, the former director left.

Amon’s party also decided to trust the former chairman and relax.

Later, Amon’s party assigned themselves to the dozens of rooms as needed.

Cash was placed right next to Amon and Sonia’s rooms.

And so, Amon’s party rested in their rooms, looking forward to the next day.

*

That night, someone visited Amon’s room.

Knock knock.

“Are you asleep?”

“What is it, Director?”

“The chairman is calling for you.”

Amon reluctantly got up from the bed and put on his outdoor clothes.

Just in case, he tucked a folding sword into his waistband and followed the director.

On the way to the former chairman, the director smiled warmly and started talking.

“You must be wondering why a director like me is running around like this, right?”

“…Yes.”

“Because that’s how much the chairman trusts me!”

According to him, the director was someone with both the ability and trust to bring his daughter and her companions.

It sounded like self-praise, but even to Amon, it seemed the chairman particularly trusted this director.

The director continued to talk non-stop.

“Imagine, he suddenly appointed a college student like me who hadn’t proven anything as a department head!”

The director’s praise for the chairman continued.

While listening to his chatter, Amon could sense the director’s loyalty to the chairman.

Probably, the other executives in this resort were similar.

While thinking that, they arrived at the chairman’s room.

“I’ll leave you here. Wait inside.”

Amon nodded and knocked on the door.

After permission was granted from inside, Amon entered the room.

As soon as he opened the door, the charismatic young man he had seen before greeted him.

Although he must have stepped down from the chairman position, the pressure he exuded hadn’t diminished at all.

However, the room was filled with the scent of alcohol.

Though neatly organized, half of the displayed liquor bottles behind the chairman were gone.

It was a scene that would make connoisseurs furious about the storage, but the chairman didn’t seem to care.

“Sit.”

Amon sat in front of the chairman.

The chairman offered him a drink.

“Do you drink?”

“Sorry.”

The chairman tilted his head.

“It’s not related to doctrine, is it?”

“I’m afraid I might make a mistake if I get drunk. Especially around Cash.”

It was a roundabout way of saying he wasn’t in the right state of mind to drink while being pursued.

“Then I’ll respect that.”

Some might criticize him for not reading the mood, but the chairman actually liked Amon’s response.

“Someone as upright as you can be trusted with Cash.”

“…What?”

Amon couldn’t believe his ears.

The chairman corrected any possible misunderstanding.

“Not in that sense. I mean someone like you can save Cash.”

“What do you mean…”

“It’s going to be a long story.”

The chairman placed a bottle of water in front of Amon instead of alcohol and began his story.

Starting with the secrets of the Rekhetio family, to the background of Cash suddenly collapsing and avoiding people.

Amon understood Cash’s actions but was also puzzled.

“Am I allowed to hear this?”

Was it okay to talk about what could be considered the secrets of the Rekhetio family?

The chairman smiled at Amon’s reaction.

“Because I think only you can save Cash in her current state.”

“What do you mean…”

“I’ve been trying to listen to my daughter’s future. I’ve heard many conversations. But at certain parts, the sound kept cutting off.”

So the chairman investigated Cash’s surroundings and eliminated the people he could hear.

Eventually, he realized that any conversation involving one person was completely edited out, as if it couldn’t be heard.

“That person is you.”

When he first found out, the chairman was wary of Amon.

An unpredictable variable was terrifying to someone who could see the future.

He seriously considered assassinating Amon.

But…

– “Amon…”

– “Amooon!!”

– “It’s Amon again…”

For some reason, he couldn’t because of his daughter’s voice constantly calling for Amon.

Clearly, each had a different tone, and some even seemed angry.

But for some reason, his daughter’s voice sounded happy, so he didn’t want to exclude Amon.

“So I tried to have a conversation.”

To find out what kind of person Amon was.

And with just one conversation about alcohol, the chairman understood Amon completely.

“Someone as upright as you is rare in this world.”

Some might say that being upright in this harsh world is foolish, but the chairman didn’t think so.

“When you can see the future, the person you need most by your side isn’t the most capable.”

What good is capability?

If there’s even a 0.1% chance of betrayal, you can’t feel at ease.

Capability only needs to meet the minimum. What’s needed is someone who won’t betray you.

“That director who guided you is such a person.”

Someone who would never betray in any future.

He had already passed by coming all this way to save Cash, but he still wanted to confirm one last thing.

Of course, Amon’s case was a bit different, but the chairman saw a similar impression in Amon.

“You and that friend are the only ones who have refused my alcohol to my face like this.”

“Haha…”

“Well. So I’m going to entrust you with this. I don’t usually like gambling, but… I’m human too. Sometimes I just want to be optimistic.”

The chairman leaned back on the sofa and looked at Amon.

“Can I trust you?”

Amon nodded without hesitation.

“I will protect Cash in any future.”

“Excellent.”

The chairman nodded in satisfaction.

Later, the chairman escorted Amon to the door.

Returning to the sofa, the chairman picked up the half-empty liquor bottle.

As he did, he muttered.

“You can earn hundreds of millions of dollars. But gaining a friend who won’t betray you even for that money is very difficult.”

The chairman turned his gaze from the display cabinet.

A half-empty wine bottle was displayed there.

“Father. I guess I ended up saying the same thing.”

Perhaps because it had been opened once, it smelled sour.

But the chairman looked at the almost vinegar-like substance with satisfaction.

“But. Cash has already succeeded more than me.”

The chairman’s gaze moved to the display cabinet next to the wine bottle.

Four half-empty liquor bottles were displayed.

The chairman looked at them with satisfaction and placed the bottle he had been drinking from in front of Amon on the display cabinet.

The chairman smiled as he looked at the five half-empty liquor bottles.

*

The day after Amon and his companions visited the chairman’s room.

They gathered in the hallway before heading to the dining room.

But even in the morning, Cash didn’t come out of her room.

She was clearly on the other side of the door, and seeing room service coming and going, she was eating well, but she didn’t want to meet her companions.

They could have been angry that she was holed up in her room after they came to save her, but the companions understood her.

“Well, it’s understandable.”

“Did you hear it too?”

“Did you hear it too, Torso?”

It seemed like too many people knew for it to be a secret, but anyway, Amon’s party accurately understood Cash’s condition.

They immediately began to devise a plan to restore Cash’s condition.

“First, we just need to get her out of the room, right?”

Amon was confident that he would never betray Cash.

The others felt the same.

The plan was set.

“I contacted the former director.”

The Suin Tanker had already gotten permission.

[She’s not showering.]

Just in case, the Mute Sniper checked the room with a snake cam.

“Explosives ready.”

The Ogre set up a small bomb in front of the door.

“Uh… isn’t there a better way?”

The Bisexual Mage’s slightly skeptical opinion was lightly dismissed.

There was a surefire method, so there was no need to go around.

And then

Sssss- Boom!

“Entering.”

At Amon’s signal, they charged into the room.

“What, what is this!!”

Cash, who had been curled up like an armadillo on the bed, was startled and clung to the wall.

She buried her face in the pillow she had been holding, trying to avoid eye contact with her companions.

The companions grabbed her arms from both sides and lifted her head.

“Kuhaha-! Struggling is useless, miss!”

“Mr. Vox. What are you talking about?”

“It’s a line my troll hybrid friend from grad school used! I learned it for situations like this!”

“Stop it.”

The Ogre made a nonsense remark in the middle, and the Bisexual Mage stopped him, but anyway, they succeeded in lifting Cash’s head.

Her eyelids were forced open, and her gaze met the Mute Sniper’s.

Then naturally, her gaze moved to the Water Buffalo Tanker, the Ogre, the Bisexual Mage.

And then to Amon.

After staring blankly at Amon for a few minutes…

Sniff.

Two streams of tears flowed from her eyes.

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