WeTried Translations

Translator: Coughing Baby

Editor: Coughing Baby

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 245: Farewell (1)

──────

Yura, who had been listening intently, looked disappointed.

“Aww, what? I was looking forward to it.”

“Is Yura... Ensign Yura in it too?”

“Yes. So I wondered, just in case... Ah, please don't misunderstand! It wasn't because I wanted the money! I just thought it would be nice if I could use it for the alliance people! Little Captain spent his own money to help people before too!”

Then her voice shrank, hesitant and small.

“To be honest, I felt bad about that. Like we were leaning on you too much... I just thought I should lighten your burden even a little, Little Captain.”

Gyeoul gave her a calm smile.

“You didn't need to feel bad. Anyway, thank you. But if that was what you were curious about, why not ask Agent Gibson over there? Agent Gibson probably knows far more about government ethics rules than I do.”

Even if Agent Gibson belonged to the National Security Division, an FBI Supervisory Special Agent would know far more than Gyeoul. One of the Bureau's main duties was monitoring bribery among public officials.

Yura glanced at Joanna, who was sitting with the Intelligence Agency agents, then shook her head with a complicated expression.

“That person is kind of... hard to approach, I guess... It's difficult to start talking to them.”

Difficult to talk to? Was it prejudice toward FBI agents? When Gyeoul looked that way, Joanna met his eyes and waved with a smile. She did not look uncomfortable despite being with Kowalski. Since several company members were mixed in too, it did not seem like everyone found her hard to be around.

“Agent Gibson is a good person, so you don't need to be that nervous around them. You'll probably get close quickly. Though I don't know how many more days they'll be here.”

“Mm... I'm not sure...”

After thinking to herself, Yura asked something else.

“But why are those people here? There aren't many of them, so I don't mind sharing the garrison, but I still want to know the reason. Whenever I ask, they only say it's classified.”

“Because this place might be safer.”

“Yes?”

“It is classified, just like they said, so it's hard to explain the details yet. You'll find out soon, so don't worry about it too much for now.”

“We'll find out?”

“Yes. It'll probably be on TV and everything. As breaking news.”

Yura nodded slowly, still looking puzzled.

What followed was what Gyeoul had heard about the matter from Joanna herself.

“They said this place might actually be safer. That was the judgment the relevant authorities reached.”

She had said that with a shrug.

“It sounds like all sorts of trouble is being stirred up as they move quickly to cut out the 「True Patriots」. They're worried about retaliatory terrorism, so they mean to send us back once the purge is finished and the situation stabilizes.”

He did not know whether it was really the right decision. Gyeoul turned his head and looked over the garrison.

Company Headquarters was a lonely ranch with valley water running through it. It stood about two kilometers from Division Headquarters. Along the road, other companies had their garrisons two hundred meters to the southeast and three hundred meters to the northwest. Beyond their cover, faint sunset-colored outlines showed where fires were burning.

Every tree that had grown thick around the place had been cut down or blown up. It was a measure to secure visibility and fields of fire. Each garrison could observe the others with the naked eye, and their fire plans had been arranged so there would be no risk of friendly fire during combat. It was a solid yet flexible defensive line.

Could it be considered safer than Washington, where they had to watch out for terrorism?

“Company Commander! We're boiling water for everyone here. Will you have one too, Company Commander?”

Private Moon Su-chan from Yura's platoon held up a square ramen container. Unusually, Russian and Korean were written side by side on the lid. They were stacked by the box.

“Yes, give me one.”

“Understood!”

A deep pot, with water sloshing dangerously close to the rim, was placed over the campfire. The campfire, made by splitting a thick log into four or more pieces and stuffing kindling into the gaps before lighting it, was a method familiar from Fort Roberts. It was easy to control the heat, and convenient because it did not need a separate stand.

Off-duty company members were gathered in small groups in the yard in front of the house where the rancher's family had lived. A company commander welcome ceremony, in its own way. Under the eaves, on the terrace, there was an old armchair, and beside it a table had been dragged over with a TV placed on top. A cable ran inside through the window. The satellite antenna received a commercial channel contracted with the military.

“Ensign Jin-seok. Ensign Yura. Can you tell me what happened at Fort Roberts while I was gone? I'll call the directors too, but I want to hear from you two as well.”

It was a difficult question for the other platoon leaders.

“There was so much...”

Yura looked troubled. Jin-seok, on the other hand, frowned at once.

“Lately, the biggest problem has been the people who do nothing but talk big from the back.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean the people acting like fools toward people from other countries.”

Yura agreed with Jin-seok.

“Ah, I really hate those people. Little Captain does all the hard work, and they act like they're the ones who did something.”

Gyeoul felt as if he understood even without hearing more. Jin-seok spoke of the absent people with contempt.

“They're refugees all the same anyway... but there are crazy bastards going around telling other refugees, ‘Do you think you and we are the same?’ They tell them they should be grateful because they're alive thanks to us Koreans. It was truly ridiculous.”

If Jin-seok, who prioritized the people inside his fence, spoke like this regardless of nationality, it must have been serious. Yura picked up the explanation.

“No matter how much we stop them, they keep hitting people. Especially Chinese people. It's because of you that we're in danger too, because of you that Captain has to suffer more, because of you, blah blah blah, whatever. Ugh. They steal money and belongings too. When we ask why they did it, they ask why we're asking something obvious.”

“When Captain was known to be missing in action, it was terrible. Almost riot level. If Sheriff Hayland hadn't been there, several people would have died. Even then, we had to step in at the end.”

In other words, it had reached a level that had to be suppressed by force. Even before the independent company had been formed, the combat group members had officially belonged to the Army, so the base commander must have approved their movement.

He had heard once before that Sheriff Kathleen Hayland had been looking after the Gyeoul Alliance because of the bond formed on that typhoon-battered night. Director Min Wan-ki had received a great deal of help from her. Gyeoul grew curious about the underworld's movements. Weren't they the kind of toughs who valued face, the kind who would rather die than be looked down on?

“What about the Triad? With their temperament, I doubt they just stayed still.”

“They make various complaints to the directors, but outwardly, they are lying low like they're dead. The U.S. military isn't looking kindly at them either. Some officers openly say they hate Chinese people, so... I thought that might be why things have gotten worse.”

“What has?”

“The Korean refugees throwing their weight around. I wondered if they're trying to show that they're different from the Chinese. From the U.S. military's perspective, it's hard to tell by appearance, isn't it? Once, a black bastard pulled his eyes back at me right in front of me. Calling me a fucking Chinaman. Even though I was in combat uniform.”

“You just let that go?”

“That man went to the stockade and apologized afterward. The U.S. military isn't like before anymore. No, it would be more accurate to say it's gone back to the way it was before. Before the plague.”

Jin-seok's tone when he said Korean refugees was quite hostile. He no longer seemed to feel kinship based on their past nationality. That did not mean he looked strongly attached to the U.S. military either. Judging by their past conversation, Jin-seok's fence was the alliance.

Yura added, “Because of that, Ailing seems to be having a hard time. It sounds like she fights with her father often too, and Department Head Jang says the military government office has been saying a lot because she's the daughter of a Chinese gang boss.”

“Ensign Yura, you make Incense Master Li Ailing sound like a friend.”

Yura confirmed Gyeoul's impression.

“She is an Ensign now too. It's a liiittle short of being friends, but it's not like we have a bad relationship either. I guess we get along all right. She doesn't talk about the details, but she says she's just sick and tired of everything.”

“...”

“She said she wished her father were someone she didn't know.”

Min Wan-ki's prediction that giving power to the daughter would cause trouble between father and daughter seemed to have been accurate. There was also a chance he had encouraged it to some extent.

“Are the Japanese refugees all right?”

When he corrected the question, Yura waved both hands.

“Ugh, don't even start. It's not like old bad feelings just disappear. I've never thought of myself as liking Japanese people, you know? But lately, I hate the Korean people causing trouble even more.”

Jin-seok agreed.

“I even feel sorry toward Kushinada.”

Gyeoul tilted his head.

“Kushinada? I've heard that name somewhere...”

“I heard that before the alliance was formed, Company Commander rescued a daughter who had been kidnapped by the Damul Promotion Association. Her name was Kushinada Setsuna... Do you not remember her?”

“My memory brought it back. Hearing it brought it back.”

A little later than the memory, the 「Memorization」 correction also activated. The delay reflected the time needed to recall it. The name had been hazy, but the incident itself remained clear in his memory.

“After Company Commander left, something called the Shomei Party was formed. Shomei means signature in our language, and since they literally go around collecting signatures, they're the Shomei Party. They also said there had originally been a similar group in Japan... Was it called Shomeidai...? Anyway, they argue that discrimination and violence between refugees should disappear.”

After an inexplicable sigh, Jin-seok added, “Kushinada is one of the founding members of the Shomei Party. Kushinada's wife and daughter too. They come to our side often. We've helped them a lot.”

“The yakuza must hate that.”

It reminded Gyeoul of the yakuza boss who had demanded to be called a national leader.

“That's why they fight every day. The thugs created some strange group called the Japan Restoration Council... The funny thing is, Kushinada's son is the action team leader of the Restoration Council.”

“He wasn't sane from the first time I saw him.”

“Mm...”

Jin-seok thought for a moment, then spoke without confidence.

“That man is in prison now, but a very bad rumor is going around.”

“What kind of bad rumor?”

“There are no specific details. Only that the yakuza did something no human should do... The first person who said it was a military government office clerk, who apparently overheard police officers talking.”

“Something no human should do... You have no guess at all?”

“No.”

After another pause, Jin-seok added one more thing.

“When I asked Sheriff Hayland, her expression turned very bad. She said the higher-ups had designated the case as restricted, so I should not ask. She also asked us to keep things under control so strange rumors wouldn't spread.”

Restricted? Gyeoul thought about why they would designate an incident among refugees as secret.

Could it have been an incident that would damage the refugees' image?

If it was that sort of incident, the Fort Roberts authorities might treat it as classified under the current administration's policies.

Private Moon Su-chan approached at a quick trot, carrying stacked square containers.

“Company Commander! And Platoon Leaders! Ramen is ready! Er... there is 1 minute and 30 seconds left until the noodles are cooked! I haven't added the mayonnaise yet, so only those who want it should add it to taste! I'll leave the kimchi here too!”

Gyeoul accepted the container and tilted his head.

“...Mayonnaise?”

The packet placed on the lid looked like mayonnaise. Yura laughed.

“That's because this is a gift from Russia. They eat ramen with mayonnaise over there. I thought it was really strange at first too, but once I actually tried it, it was savory and smooth and good. We move around so much that there's no need to worry about calories either.”

“...”

“Without the mayonnaise, it tastes similar to what we ate in Korea! It was made in Russia, but they said the company is Korean. They said they're gaining strength thanks to Little Captain. There was ramen from way over in Virginia too, but back then we didn't know when Captain would return, so we ate it all.”

“Ramen has a surprisingly short shelf life. I'm sorry.”

After stopping Yura from apologizing for no reason, Gyeoul asked again.

“They make ramen in Virginia?”

“They said the factory was originally in Los Angeles, but after receiving investment, they built a new factory and sent the first ramen they made to us. Those people were grateful to Captain too. They said if it weren't for Captain, they would've just gone bankrupt.”

After thinking it over, Gyeoul decided to try adding mayonnaise.

============================ Author’s Note ============================

#Q&A

Q. Hwine-a: @Hail Skarlochen... Someday, on the day Author no longer has to worry about making a living... we will reclaim it! Our Skarlochen!

A. As I said during the serialization of Seal Breaker, Skarlochen is a curse phrase, so the author grows a little weaker every time you shout it. I think it is the cause of my cervical disc problem.

Q. NoNeedToKnow: @Does what happened between Gaeul and the Chairman become the reason Gaeul no longer applies to visit Gyeoul??? If you cannot say because it concerns future developments, how much is left until the ending!!! I refresh every day while waiting for Author's writing!! sob

A. The ending is... I'm not confident when it comes to predicting volume...

Q. Calpis: @Tunguska reduced our self-control to ruins, and my proud salary had to leave my wallet. But he could not stop our rampage. Because through the sacred Skarlochen, we share all thoughts and all feelings together! And we shall reclaim them! Our Skar♡lochen, and our Gyeoul♡Gaeul! I wrote this after getting inspired by Hwine-a's comment.

A. Yes, I will make the author hurt a little more. :)

Q. RealUndead: @If “adult-child” means someone whose material side has developed while their mental side remains stagnant, then Korea in the story would become a country of adult-children...

A. There are good adult-children and bad adult-children too, so I believe the readers are good adults.

Q. bujoker: @Author, are there no airships in this world? Air supremacy belongs to humans, so if they used airships for supply and transport, the speed would be a little slow, but they could carry a lot of cargo.

A. I think you left the same comment before. You must like airships. :)

They may appear as unmanned airships for surveillance or communication relay purposes, or as fire support platforms, but for supply or transport, I'm not sure. Transport destinations are extremely scattered, and many cases require urgent transport, so airships would be inefficient. If it were transport to a fixed base like Fort Roberts, the story might be different, but preparing mooring and maintenance facilities for that would be difficult, their resistance to bad weather is low, and... as described in the story, around the year-end and New Year period when large typhoons are frequent, they become practically useless. Administrative costs cannot be ignored either.

In civilian areas, railways are far more efficient, so airship transport is unnecessary there as well.

This occurred to me while answering, but I do wonder if they would be all right for citizen evacuation during emergencies.

Q. Tarnis: @About side jobs... Does that apply only in the United States? I have seen cases in Korea where people were punished for side jobs.

A. Since this is a novel set in America, it is based on U.S. law. The Ethics in Government Act and the Code of Federal Regulations apply, and outside income includes not only gifts but even stocks. This also applies to spouses or children, and likewise to organizations directly related to the person in question.

This is forcibly enforced by the Department of Justice for public officials at GS-15 grade or higher, or military officers at colonel rank or higher. Those below that are, in principle, supposed to be regulated, but in practice they are not touched. However, if they cause social controversy, abuse their authority, or the like, they can be prosecuted by the Department of Justice.

Even so, the reason the story stated that outside income is permitted up to a certain percentage is because Section 501 of the Ethics in Government Act stipulates, “outside earned income in a calendar year may not exceed 15 percent of the annual rate of basic pay for level II of the Executive Schedule.”

When there are assets that exceed the limit or become problematic, the person must do as Gyeoul did and place them in a blind trust, meaning they entrust the disposal to the government's decision, or enter an ethics agreement with the Department of Justice and dispose of them personally. If they violate this, they may be punished with imprisonment of no more than one year or a fine, and may additionally face a civil lawsuit filed by the Attorney General.

The answer became very long. I will stop here for today.

Footnotes:

Join our discord at https://dsc.gg/wetried