LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 54: The Strongest Ally
Chapter 54: The Strongest Ally
“……We have returned after capturing the last remaining enemy combatant inside the Opera House.”
Charlotte continued to speak naturally, without a hint of nervousness, in front of hundreds of reporters filling the conference room of a 5-star hotel, and hundreds of millions of viewers beyond their cameras.
“With this, the operation to suppress the extraterrestrial life forms that occurred in Sydney has been successfully concluded. To the Australian government officials and WECRO personnel who cooperated in the suppression operation……”
Australian government officials and WECRO agents, seated on either side of the presentation stage, exchanged glances and smiled.
“……And above all, I would like to express my gratitude to the Australian military personnel who saved the lives of countless civilians through their courageous sacrifices.”
The Australian Chief of the Defence Force, dressed in a neat uniform and adorned with medals, nodded in acknowledgment, but his expression was not bright.
It was understandable, considering the significant casualties suffered by the soldiers who entered Sydney, and the fact that it was ultimately a WECRO agent, or to be precise, Jin Beom-Min alone, who defeated the monster.
As a soldier whose duty is to protect the nation and fight against enemies, it was unlikely to be a satisfying outcome.
“Further details will be disclosed to each government, WECRO, and the press through documents later.”
Charlotte, acting as the spokesperson for WECRO, raised her impeccably smooth forehead and looked at the reporters.
“……Any questions?”
The vast conference room erupted with a barrage of questions.
Even Charlotte, who had calmly finished her presentation, looked around at the reporters with a flustered expression before pointing to a somewhat familiar reporter.
“Please speak.”
“This is Jeff Palmer from BCN. Uh, about the captured woman, who was confirmed at the scene earlier and you just mentioned……”
“We cannot define her as a woman. Whether the extraterrestrial combatant has a gender will be determined after the investigation.”
“……Well, she looked like a woman. Anyway, where will the prisoner be transferred? Is proper management possible?”
Many reporters nodded in agreement.
She was the one that even heavily armed soldiers couldn’t handle, the one that even Grey Knight, who resolved the entire situation, struggled against.
Even though she had one arm severed and was unconscious, it was natural to question whether she could be properly restrained.
“Currently, the extraterrestrial combatant is unconscious and under 24-hour surveillance by a heavily armed company of troops, two combat helicopters, and six tanks.”
“Is that enough to handle her? You can’t maintain that kind of surveillance forever, can you?”
Other reporters glared at Jeff Palmer, who was firing off questions in rapid succession. He wasn’t the only one who wanted to ask questions.
“That’s right. Currently, there are no facilities suitable for accommodating high-risk extraterrestrial combatants, but we are working with the Australian government to establish appropriate facilities.”
Then, one of the reporters asked in a surprised tone.
“You’re saying she will be accommodated in Australia?”
Charlotte nodded and continued with further explanation.
“Currently, the risk of escape due to long-distance transportation is considered high. Also, the Australian continent is the most suitable location for establishing a containment facility far from densely populated areas.”
“Oh, damn it! Do you know how many people died in Sydney?”
Some grumbled with dissatisfaction, but logically, it was the right decision.
Australia was full of wastelands where one couldn’t see a single person except for wild animals, making it the optimal location for establishing a facility to accommodate the captured monster.
Furthermore, since it was separated from other continents by a vast ocean, even if she escaped, the damage could be minimized.
Even if the worst-case scenario occurred, at least the other continents would be safe.
Although it would be a grievance for the people living in Australia.
As the answer concluded, the reporters raised their hands in unison once again.
“Michelle Baker from CVN.”
The reporter pointed at by Charlotte raised a tablet and asked a question.
“What is the identity of Grey Knight, the one who defeated the monsters… no, the alien combatants in Sydney?”
“That is…”
“Just who is he to defeat so many monsters alone? Is he somehow related to those monsters?”
As Charlotte adopted a troubled demeanor, Michelle, the reporter, bombarded her with sharp questions.
“…Perhaps he triggered or induced the monster attack?”
“Regarding the point you just raised…”
As if not to be overwhelmed by the momentum, Charlotte answered with force in her voice.
“For the protection of our agent’s personal safety and the smooth progression of future operations, it will be difficult to answer. However!”
Charlotte cut off Michelle, the reporter, who was about to speak again, and continued her answer.
“Let me inform you that the agent in question is a complete ally, with a clear will to protect humanity and Earth’s civilization.”
“How can we believe that!”
“What if someone with such tremendous power becomes an enemy!”
“Is his identity confirmed?”
As questions that seemed to doubt Jin Beom-Min continued despite the successful operation, Charlotte shouted with an indignant attitude.
“19,763!”
As her voice echoed through the conference room, the reporters all closed their mouths.
“…That’s the number of casualties from the last incident in Paris, France!”
Several reporters who appeared to be dispatched from Europe lowered their heads at her words.
“And this time, in Sydney, there were 1,244 casualties. Including the injured and displaced, the number reaches hundreds of thousands.”
Charlotte’s voice contained strong anger, sadness, and a sense of injustice.
“Without him, this number would have increased tenfold, a hundredfold! Half of the people here would be lying in their graves!”
Charlotte stretched out her hands and gripped the podium tightly. Her voice, combined with her beautiful face, exuded intense charisma.
“Whatever his identity may be… there is no doubt that he is our, Earth’s hero.”
Although she finished speaking, only silence lingered in the conference room for a while.
“…Our World Extraterrestrial Creature Response Organization (WECRO) will continue to fully trust him and respond decisively to the attacks of extraterrestrial creatures.”
***
“No, but Dad couldn’t help it……”
[Even if you couldn’t help it, you should have told us!]
[That’s right! Do you know how flustered we were?]
Su-Yeon and Seong-Gyun huddled together and condemned Jin Beom-Min through the small smartphone screen.
Under normal circumstances, the two would never be so close to each other that they could feel each other’s breath.
But this was not a normal situation.
Not only had they suddenly gained strange powers during their daily lives, but they had also been led away by NIS agents as if they were being kidnapped and confined to an unfamiliar place.
“Yes, I’m sorry. But I couldn’t help it. Thinking back to when Su-Yeon awakened her Mana, we needed to prepare Seong-Gyun in advance before something like that happened to him.”
[So this, um…… so this is Mana?]
Seong-Gyun snatched the smartphone and said, shining a blue light flickering in his hand.
“Huh? Seong-Gyun, how did you do that?”
[This? It just works?]
[Really? I can’t do it?]
Jin Beom-Min clutched his head. Unlike Su-Yeon, who had awakened her Mana at the age of 5, Seong-Gyun had his Mana sealed when he was even younger, so he had never experienced Mana Awakening.
Jin Beom-Min didn’t know what would happen when Mana was sealed without ever having awakened it.
However, seeing Seong-Gyun, who had never learned how to control Mana, freely using it, it seemed like there were strange side effects.
“Seong-Gyun, Seong-Gyun. Don’t do that, it’s dangerous.”
[Hey, how did you do it?]
[I’m saying, just do it?]
[It doesn’t work!]
[What can I do if you’re stupid, Nuna?]
[Smack!]
Jin Beom-Min sighed once again as he watched the two, who wouldn’t even listen to him.
‘This is why I tried not to release the seal if possible……’
It was a big decision for him. It was impossible to predict what would happen when he released the seal that had been maintained for over 10 years.
Still, it was a relief to hear from Lee Sang-Jun that there hadn’t been any major commotion.
Of course, it was probably thanks to the NIS’s intervention.
[Like this? It doesn’t work?]
[……Why doesn’t this work? Nuna, you’re really good at nothing but exercising, huh?]
“Guys……”
[Hey, you wanna get hit again?]
[Oh? I’m using magic? I’m using it?]
[Using my foot, what can you do besides making things blue?]
“……Guys!”
[Alright, just wait. Once I figure out how to use this……]
“Jin Su-Yeon, Jin Seong-Gyun!”
Only after Jin Beom-Min shouted angrily did the children gather in front of the smartphone again.
[Dad, look at Seong-Gyun!]
[Nuna hit me first!]
“Sigh…… Both of you be quiet, okay? Listen to Dad carefully…… !”
Jin Beom-Min took a deep breath to calm his anger and continued speaking calmly.
It was a kind of emotional management skill that parents who raise children instinctively acquire.
Strictly speaking, it was anger management rather than emotional management.
“……Dad has to stay here for a while due to circumstances, okay?”
[Yeah, I know, I know. Dad, you’ve become a total superhero now, right?]
[But we couldn’t watch the live broadcast! This place sucks! There’s no TV!]
“Just listen to Dad……”
[Hey, Jin Seong-Gyun. Be quiet.]
[You too……]
“Phew…… Anyway, the place you’re at right now is a secret facility managed by the NIS, so you can stay there for a while.”
[What about school?]
[I have the National Sports Festival coming up soon!]
“For now…… stay there until the NIS cleans up the aftermath and sorts things out. Dad will come as soon as possible.”
[There’s no TV here, I’m telling you!]
Jin Beom-Min scratched his head. It would take at least 3-4 days to monitor the captured dark elf until the containment facility was prepared and to complete various paperwork related to WECRO.
Until then, he needed to provide some amenities to keep the children entertained.
“Alright, I’ll tell them about the TV.”
[And the Playstation and games at home too!]
[Is there no gym here? I need to exercise! I’ll lose muscle mass!]
“Okay, okay. I’ll tell them to provide everything you want as much as possible.”
[Wow, our dad is the best!]
[Isn’t that obvious? He’s the most famous person in the world right now.]
“So, using Mana is prohibited for now.”
Seong-Gyun replied, sounding aggrieved.
[Huh? Why? I need to practice this and pay back everything I’ve suffered!]
[How much more do you want to get beaten up……]
“It’s dangerous to use it without knowing the proper method. Dad will teach you when he gets back, so don’t do it until then.”
[Aw, man. That’s no fun.]
“And Su-Yeon too. Don’t use your powers recklessly. You could hurt someone.”
[Ah…… Oh, okay.]
Su-Yeon readily agreed, as if she remembered the opponent she had injured in the match.
“Anyway, I’m sorry that I couldn’t tell you beforehand. Dad will buy you something delicious when he gets back.”
[Make sure to buy ice cream!]
[Dad, is there anything famous in Australia? Like kangaroo meat or something, buy that too!]
[Why would you eat kangaroo, you idiot!]
“Okay, okay. So don’t cause any trouble and stay put. Got it?”
[Yes―.]
[Okay. You have to come quickly.]
Jin Beom-Min forced a bright smile and waved at the camera.