The Little Prince in the Ossuary

00057

#Strap (2), Camp Roberts

The atmosphere was heightened; Yeon-chul had been raising the mood properly, and the party was making the best use of the given resources.

The eight tents had been opened to create a large space. In the center, Song Ye-kyung had just started singing. Her husband had set up a new home at the [Damul Promotion Association] and, as Gyeo-ul had thought before, she sang very well. She had a good voice and good technique. He could feel the motherhood in the way she sang, especially as she held her child in her arms as she did. Whenever she thought about the past, she admitted that she had indeed changed a lot.

‘It feels uneasy right now.’

Jang Yeon-chul was the perfect person to ask to help with the refugees, but the mood would cool down very quickly if he were pulled away.

In fact, Gyeo-ul himself was like that. Yeon-chul, who had asked to stay with him, was concerned about Gyeo-ul’s absences. Many other people were too. They were visibly pleased to see the little captain when he came back in, although, upon seeing five unfamiliar people come in with him, they looked a little puzzled.

There were many people walking around, keeping the event going. There were some faces that Gyeo-ul didn’t even know. They must be people associated with the two managers. There was some truth to Gyeo-ul’s earlier statement that he didn’t know as much about the alliance as the two managers did.

However, there was no reason to make trouble. Gyeo-ul beckoned one of the unknown people to him. Though unfamiliar, he showed goodwill, respect, and an understanding of boundaries all at once.

“Please make room for them. Seat them close to me.”

“Ah, yes!”

While he was preparing their seats, Gyeo-ul gave the five a gentle smile.

“Just enjoy yourselves for now. I think we’ll have to decide on your accommodation and other details after the party.”

“That’s all right. Thank you for your concern,” Benjamin Meyer replied. He was sociable and therefore was acting as their spokesperson. The other four looked a little anxious, perhaps because it was the first time they had been seen by the inhabitants of this strange place.

As Gyeo-ul filled the seats, people cheered. It was hard to tell their level of sincerity and politeness, though.

The singing contest continued, the contestants joining in enthusiastically. An unexpected ambush was made by a grandmother singing trot. The people, who were swept away by the composed melody, sang the chorus in groups.

Still, Song Ye-kyung proved to be the winner.

‘It’s nice to have someone who can sing well. It would be better if there were someone who could play musical instruments.’

Gyeo-ul’s purpose was functional. Survival was indeed life-saving. But there should also be some joy left in life.

Gyeo-ul was reminded of something he had once learned. He’d heard that, in stressful environments, animals masturbated. Of course, it happened in nature, too, but in a space where stimulation was suppressed, such as an experimental cage or zoo, the frequency of the action would increase abnormally.

It seemed that, for sentient beings, it was an instinctive struggle to find pleasure when there was no other way to relieve stress. A life that was not pleasant was not a life at all.

In a virtual reality that mimicked reality, he had observed virtual characters that mimicked humans, and Gyeo-ul considered that it was not much different.

That was probably why. In high and superior places, human zookeepers used to give intentional allowances such as movies, sports, and sex. This was also why Gyeo-ul might be plagued by audiences from other worlds but did not hate them. In fact, the boy understood them.

“Let’s start voting!”

Yeon-chul’s lively voice brought Gyeo-ul back to reality. The microphone he’d borrowed was proving to be useful. Otherwise, Yeon-chul’s face would have turned red right off the bat.

Song Ye-kyung won the championship. In all the competitions so far, she had chosen bright songs every time. In Gyeo-ul’s eyes, this was a kind of resolution.

She got three curtain call requests and bowed to the audience with a sweaty face and a bright smile. The baby in her arms reached for his mother. Wouldn’t holding him have made it harder to sing, Gyeo-ul wondered. She could have left him for a while.

Jang Yeon-chul then delivered the prize to her before asking her to make a speech. At the end of the short speech, Ye-kyung promptly turned to Gyeo-ul.

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank our little captain. If it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t be here today. Right, everyone?

She passed on the cheers she had received. Gyeo-ul felt a little embarrassed as she responded to the cheers with a few bows.

“Actually, I’d like to ask you a favor.”

Gyeo-ul tilted his head, which made Ye-kyung lift her child slightly. “Do you remember? I told you I was going to change his name.”

Yeon-chul came over quickly and held out a microphone to Gyeo-ul.

“Yes, I remember. What did you change it to?”

“Actually, I want to change it now.”

“Oh my God.”

Gyeo-ul suddenly looked awkward.

The people who had joined recently did not know the situation at all. There were a lot more of them now than had been originally. For those who felt puzzled, Ye-kyung explained her story and then declared that she would give her last name to her son.

People were now cheering her and cursing her husband. The emotions that had been heightened had now been transferred.

‘Did she plan this right from the beginning?’

His spite didn’t go away. It was just hidden in the meantime. Today just might be the first day for her. Waiting until the atmosphere calmed down, Gyeo-ul shook his head calmly.

“It’s pretty hard to decide right now. It’s a name that the child will spend the rest of his life with. I won’t make a rash decision. Mr. Jang, please gather people’s opinions, and I’ll pick a good name from those. Song Ye-kyung, are you satisfied with that?”

Since it was happening, Gyeo-ul thought that they could at least use the opportunity to strengthen their sense of community.

Ye-kyung smiled beautifully and said, “Yes! Thank you, sir.”

Jang Yeon-chul got the audience to cheer again. Gyeo-ul then turned his attention to the five refugees.

“Are you frustrated that you can’t communicate?”

“Uh, just a little bit.” Benjamin was the only one who seemed able to answer. The other four only looked around. Gyeo-ul flopped down near them, calling for Jang Yeon-chul. There was a short intermission just then, so Yeon-chul also had some time to relax.

As soon as he reached the group, he was quick to ask, “What’s the matter? And who are these people?”

Gyeo-ul told him the story. “They don’t have a nationality.”

“No nationality?”

“Let me tell you their names first. The person in the middle is Benjamin Meyer. Then there’s August Koma on the left, Clara Carter, Casey Blackwell, and Victor Cook. They were all adopted to the United States when they were children.”

The conversation between Yeon-chul and Gyeo-ul was being conducted in Korean, but the other five noticed that it was an introduction. They each greeted Yeon-chul with a passive gesture.

Yeon-chul, who greeted them vaguely in return, asked, “So, they were adopted… Uh, so why are they here?”

“They got the wrong foster parents. The parents adopted children to get child support but didn’t apply for citizenship for them. They thought they were American citizens, but they aren’t. They found out about it only yesterday.

“Oh my God…”

Then came the detailed explanation, to encourage Yeon-chul’s motivation. He had a good and sympathetic personality, so the richer the language, the better. Yeon-chul’s eyes were already red.

“They have nowhere to go, so I decided to take them in. I’m sorry I couldn’t discuss it with you in advance, sir.”

Of course, saying sorry was a deliberate manipulation.

“No, no, no! You did the right thing!” As expected, Jang waved his hands placatingly. “Welcome! The Winter Alliance happily welcomes you!”

Although it was awkward, Yeon-chul welcomed them in English. He was eager to improve himself, remembering the old saying, “The place makes the man.” Learning English was one of his efforts to live up to that.

‘He must have been encouraged by Min.’

This was why some competition was good.

Gyeo-ul then introduced Yeon-chul to the five.

“This is Jang Yeon-chul. His last name is Jang, and his first name is Yeon-chul. The Korean last name comes first. Jang Yeon-chul is one of the two most important people who help me. He manages the organization while I’m out. You’ll owe him a lot from now on.”

Five people looked at Yeon-chul with new respect. Yeon-chul was a little shy, so Gyeo-ul spoke up.

“When the event is over, just give them what they need.”

“Don’t worry. There’s actually nothing to wait for.”

At this, he called a person over right away. Seeing a few familiar faces, Gyeo-ul realized Yeon-chul had set up a systematic organizational operation. It would be good to discuss that with the two managers later and create some official positions. Of course, they would have to make sure to pick the right people, but Gyeo-ul thought it would be good to pick people from the disabled community.

Gyeo-ul addressed the five, who were about to follow the middleman.

“Let’s try to get along well from now on. It may be hard for you for a while, but I’ll help you as much as I can.”

The five pretended not to be, but they felt exhausted overall. Rather than enjoying the party, their first priority was to find a place to rest. Though how many of them would have a tearless night?

It was the same for Gyeo-ul. He wouldn’t be able to enjoy the party until the end. However, he could hear the speaker sound from outside. The buzzing quickly repeated three times, and the room went quiet.

Fortunately, it was not a signal for an emergency.

「Lieutenant Han Gyeo-ul, please come to the central training center immediately with equipment.」

Paging him? At this time? Gyeo-ul threw a look at the clock. The sun would probably set soon. Perhaps it already had.

“It won’t be a big deal. I’ll be right back, keep enjoying yourselves,” Gyeo-ul comforted the partygoers. He left the party slowly but began to walk briskly once he got away. Several armed Humvees and platoon troops were on standby at the training ground.

“You again? Aren’t you tired of us?”

It turned out to be Charlie Company’s 1st platoon commander, Lieutenant Jeffrey Brown, who had told the joke. Other familiar faces could be seen: Sergeant Marvin “Bore” Lieberman, Corporal Darren Elliott, Private Antonio Gulemi, etc. Everyone looked either annoyed or tired, but after seeing Gyeo-ul, those expressions got brighter.

‘I think I know why he’s joking around after calling me out at night. Jeffrey’s a commander, so I should pay attention to this, too.’ Gyeo-ul decided to play along.

“I’m sick and tired of seeing your face after the party.”

“Oh, you’re kidding, aren’t you? I was joking.”

“I’m sorry. I was being completely serious.”

“Hey!”

The soldiers were smirking. Jeffrey gestured to Gyeo-ul.

“Just get in the car for now. I’ll explain what’s going on.”

The driver stepped on the accelerator as soon as Gyeo-ul got in. Jeffrey’s voice came from the radio.

「Ah, ah. Gentlemen, I’ll start the briefing now.」

The soldiers on board listened carefully. Jeffrey seemed to be the only one who had received details of the mission.

「A while ago, I mean… You don’t need the exact time, do you? It’s not important, so let’s keep it rough.」

“…”

「Anyway, I think there’s been an abnormal transmission near San Miguel since a while ago. I don’t know the exact coordinates, although I’ve tried calling the Air Force. Radio-tracking missiles are useless if the transmission doesn’t continue. I think it’s the Trickster, but I don’t know how many there are. Now you know why we’ve been called, right?」

It was only understandable. Only Gyeo-ul and Charlie Company 1st platoon had experienced combat with the Trickster in Camp Roberts. They had also performed the best compared to all other examples of engagement with the Trickster. Though it would have been impossible if it hadn’t been for Gyeo-ul.

The vehicle line stopped at the entrance guard post. There proved to be many obstacles to clear.