WeTried Translations

Translator: Coughing Baby

Editor: Coughing Baby

Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried

Chapter 303: Greek Islands (3)

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The Intelligence Agency’s purpose in informing Gyeoul of Chadwick’s death was probably to build trust. It was a measure born from concern that if Chadwick’s whereabouts remained unclear, Gyeoul might grow suspicious of the Intelligence Agency. Sharing a secret had meaning in itself, too. In other words, they had made their position clear.

While Gyeoul was thinking this, Jin-seok entered the lounge.

“Ah...”

Yura spotted him and flinched, starting to raise a hand, but Jin-seok looked sharper than usual. He only glanced at her before walking past. The cheerful mood that had continued as the others returned one by one from filing their taxes suddenly went quiet. Over Jin-seok’s shoulder as he strode toward him, Gyeoul could see Yura beginning to pout.

Ignoring every gaze around him, Jin-seok saluted with perfect posture.

“You were here.”

Something was going on.

“You were looking for me?”

Jin-seok answered yes to Gyeoul, who tilted his head.

“Could you spare me a moment?”

If he was asking to speak alone, this was probably not ordinary. Gyeoul nodded.

“To the company commander’s office.”

Leaving all those curious eyes behind, they entered the company commander’s office, which took up a fair amount of space inside the temporary building. The facilities were better than expected in several ways. If the independent company were only staying briefly, they would have simply pitched tents and left it at that. But since this was a garrison near Regional Command where units needing mission changes would stay in the future, that much materiel and manpower had been invested. Gyeoul lowered the blinds, sat in his chair, and looked at Jin-seok.

“What is it?”

“I heard you are donating the full amount from the sale of your gifts. Is that true?”

“...Where did you hear that?”

“The Internal Revenue Service official told me. They said it must be nice to work with such a respectable superior. They said it was even more impressive because you were not setting up a charity as a tax dodge like other rich people.”

He must have heard it at the tax filing counter. The others did not even know the gift account existed yet.

“It is true, for now. Is there a problem?”

“Then were the words you said to Seonwoo Joseph and Ensign Cheon a lie? Company Commander, you clearly said you might use your own money to support the alliance.”

Gyeoul narrowed his eyes.

“How do you know that? I do not think those two would go around bragging about it.”

He asked with faint suspicion, but Jin-seok answered proudly.

“They were acting suspicious, so I grilled them.”

“...”

“Whenever those two saw me, they acted like people caught stealing.”

That made sense. If the plan to rob a bank had originally been Jin-seok’s idea, with his personality, he would have come and proposed it himself rather than pushing it onto his junior platoon leaders.

Still, to think he had found out by grilling them. Worry pushed doubt aside.

“Do not tell me you harassed them more over this.”

Jin-seok’s expression twisted at the question.

“I wanted to push them until they were nearly dead, but...”

“But?”

“I held back. Since Company Commander had already decided to let it pass quietly, it would be presumptuous of me to say more about it. From your perspective, it would be like being ignored twice. I also made that clear to Seonwoo Joseph and Ensign Cheon. It would be troublesome if they misunderstood.”

Then, with firm resolve, he continued.

“Do not worry about this matter. Next time, I will grill them over something else without making it obvious.”

Could that ever not be obvious? The people involved would know, of course, and to others it would only seem a little harsher than usual. Unbothered by Gyeoul’s gaze, Jin-seok demanded an answer.

“In any case, please tell me. Why did you change your mind?”

“I never changed it.”

Gyeoul placed both hands on the desk and spoke casually.

“I made the decision to donate a long time ago, back when I learned that kind of money would be coming to me. It is just that the contract I received back then used a fixed form, and there was no time to exchange revisions, so I only gave verbal notice. Their warehouses were so full the official in charge was in danger of dying from overwork, and I was busy looking for a nuclear submarine. Well, I did not expect the scenario to have been written around me donating it.”

“Then the money’s use had already been decided?”

“If it had been decided, would I have said something like that to Seonwoo Joseph and Ensign Cheon?”

“...I do not quite understand.”

“You do know. In America, nothing proceeds in a deal with the government without a clear contract. They were already anxious it might look like they had pressured me, so they asked me to record my intent. First, I need to clearly decide where to donate that money. Originally, I thought the defense donation fund would be better... but after Seonwoo Joseph and Ensign Cheon came to me, I reviewed the refugee relief fund one more time.”

“The refugee relief fund...”

The question was whether the money would lose meaning because its uses would be scattered. It was an obvious doubt. Then came the doubt as to whether Gyeoul had really failed to consider something so obvious. Gyeoul nodded at Jin-seok’s trailing words.

“Only you know this, Lieutenant Park. I have connections that let me get involved in the process of administering the fund. So whether I used my personal money directly or routed it through the fund, I could have produced the same result.”

He had not told Seonwoo Joseph and Cheon So-min the truth behind the pizza franchise either. Even a hint was a significant secret, and sharing a secret was an expression of trust.

Jin-seok asked seriously.

“Does Lieutenant Lee Yura not know either?”

“...”

Gyeoul confirmed it, sounding a little drained.

“No. I did not tell the two directors when I called them either. I am thinking of telling them later when I get the chance. Anyway, among the alliance people, you are the first, Lieutenant Park. Though nobody else knows either.”

“I see.”

What passed over Jin-seok’s face was closer to relief than satisfaction. Gyeoul asked.

“That is strange. You do not trust Lieutenant Lee Yura?”

“Of course I trust her. I believe I told you once before. She is better than anyone else except Company Commander. But she is not someone you can share this kind of secret with.”

“Why?”

“Because she is too good a person. Her ability and sense of responsibility as a platoon leader are excellent, but... in my personal opinion, I do not think she has any talent at all for hiding secrets. She is the type to feel burdened by the very fact that she knows something she must hide. Even being an officer looks less like something she wants for herself and more like something she is trying hard to do for Company Commander.”

“Hmm...”

“And if someone she knows suffers something unfair, and if it is not resolved through normal procedures, there is a high chance she will want to ask Company Commander for help. Lieutenant Lee Yura’s faith in her ‘Little Captain’ feels... how should I put it, like it has no line.”

“No line?”

“Yes.”

After thinking it over, Jin-seok forced the words out with difficulty.

“Sometimes I wonder whether the ‘Little Captain’ that woman... I apologize. Whether the ‘Little Captain’ Lieutenant Lee Yura believes in is even human. It is hard to explain in more detail, but... do you not feel it to some degree yourself, Company Commander?”

“Say I do. So?”

“Most of the other company members and alliance people are the same, but at least an officer should not be like that. At least in that respect, those f... Seonwoo Joseph and Ensign Cheon are better.”

The two platoon leaders whose future was now bleak had judged Gyeoul by their own standards. Depending on how one looked at it, they had thought of Gyeoul as an ordinary person.

“Company Commander having the ability to solve anything and actually solving it are different matters. If you have those connections, you must use them carefully.”

It was true that if the pizza order history came to light, it would become a scandal.

‘Though it probably would not be fatal...’

Had the person dispatched from the Internal Revenue Service not said so too? That it was better than other rich people donating to save on taxes. Since it was not corruption for selfish gain, even if he were criticized, Gyeoul doubted it would reach a dangerous level. At least, that was how it seemed when he thought it over.

Or the reaction might even be surprisingly positive. People who hated that money was also being spent on Chinese refugees would see Gyeoul’s actions more favorably. So the people who kept biting at him would be limited to those who had always been dissatisfied anyway. People who were favorable toward Gyeoul would find reasons to defend him because they were favorable.

This was the natural behavior of people who believed what they wanted to believe. When the heart came first, reasons were found afterward. A prediction based on experience.

Gyeoul said, “Lieutenant Lee Yura probably knows that much too.”

“She would understand it in her head.”

Now that he thought about it, Jin-seok had not said Yura would ask. He had said she would want to ask. Gyeoul checked that difference.

“Even if she does not actually ask, she will struggle with it alone?”

“Something like that.”

The desire to help someone in trouble, and the desire not to burden Gyeoul. A conflict she would have alone. So it would be better if she did not know from the start. That was Jin-seok’s position.

“That is unexpected.”

Jin-seok twitched at Gyeoul’s words.

“What is?”

“I knew you thought better of her than you showed on the surface, but I did not expect you to consider her feelings like that.”

“Consideration... That interpretation is strange.”

Jin-seok showed clear rejection. Gyeoul felt a small bit of amusement at the gap between his outward face and inner self, but he had no hobby of tormenting people, so he decided to leave it alone.

For Jin-seok, though, the conversation was not over yet.

“I did not know this topic would come up, but since it has, I will say a little more.”

“What is it?”

“I want to be the next company commander.”

Gyeoul tilted his head again.

“Company commander?”

“All the fighting so far was to solidify your position, and now that has been accomplished. I heard Company Commander’s promotion to battalion commander is as good as confirmed. Captain Singh, the deputy company commander, will probably become battalion staff rather than the next company commander. From the start, those staff members were attached to make up for your short command history.”

Strictly speaking, it was not an impossible request. Lieutenants often took command of companies. Even more so now, when there was a shortage of officers. They were already giving senior ensigns position-based promotions to test them in the role and leaving them there if there were no problems. Since the independent company’s status was higher than a normal company’s, though, if Jin-seok were given command, a position-based promotion would likely be needed as well.

As Gyeoul considered the possibility, Jin-seok said, “I know you trust Lieutenant Lee Yura more than me. But as I already said, she is too good a person. She is the type to let things pass nicely even if bastards like Seonwoo Joseph and Ensign Cheon act arrogant without knowing their place.”

“I did that too.”

“Even if others leave things in a terrible mess, Company Commander, one stern word from you afterward ends it. Whether you actually do it or not, the important part is that you have that level of influence. The ability to wipe everything out if needed. If anyone truly falls out of favor with you, Captain, inside the alliance... no, in the refugee zone, they will not even be able to breathe. I doubt it would be any better elsewhere. But Lieutenant Lee Yura is different. I would be better.”

“That is a very direct request.”

“Because if things continue like this, I thought Lieutenant Lee Yura would be the next company commander anyway.”

In other words, it was all or nothing. And that was true.

Jin-seok would not lose anything just because Gyeoul refused his request. Even the punishment for the platoon leaders who proposed robbing a bank had ended with push-ups, after taking their reasons and anxieties into account.

“The difference between me and Lieutenant Lee Yura is... something like this.”

“Like what?”

“For example, if Mormons or... Jehovah’s Witnesses came and knocked on the door... Lieutenant Lee Yura would deal with them for a while before sending them away, or at least refuse several times with a smile, saying she does not believe... but I would chase them off with a gun.”

The reason those words sounded oddly weightless and awkward was that they were Jin-seok’s own attempt to lighten the heavy mood. Gyeoul laughed more at the awkwardness than at the content. Jin-seok’s face flushed and crumpled.

“D... Do not laugh.”

“Sorry. I cannot help it.”

It had been a while since he had seen something funny. As Gyeoul chuckled, Jin-seok turned serious.

“This is not something to laugh about. Do you know how many fools clung to me while I was in the alliance, especially before Company Commander became truly famous, asking me to do something with the alliance?”

“Hmm. What were those people asking you to do?”

“...Several things.”

Jin-seok dodged the question.

“Were you tempted?”

When Gyeoul asked, Jin-seok unexpectedly admitted it. Unwillingly, and slowly.

“I do not want pointless suspicion, so I will be honest... At the time, I did feel conflicted.”

“What about now?”

“Are you tormenting me? How could I replace Little Captain now?”

Maybe he was worked up, because even the title he almost never used came out. Jin-seok was someone who consciously avoided the name Little Captain. His words sped up.

“I have heard that we will return to Fort Roberts soon, and if we go there, there will be people like that again. Even if they cannot look down on you like before, they will still work hard at whatever tricks they think they can pull. If Lieutenant Lee Yura is told to deal with them, there is a good chance it will break her.”

At this point, even if his true motive was personal ambition, it seemed there was also some human concern there. Ordinary people always wanted the latter to be the main reason behind other people’s actions, in any situation, but Gyeoul did not expect that much nobility from people.

‘Roses only need to bloom in autumn.’

Beautiful things had value in themselves. Gyeoul thought that hoping someone would be kind even when their circumstances were poor was the same as wishing for flowers to bloom in a season when the world was freezing. Of course, such a flower would be exceptionally beautiful. But could one really say there was something wrong with a flower that did not bloom in the cold?

After that brief thought, Gyeoul said, “I understand for now. I will review it.”

“Thank you.”

With a sigh, Jin-seok let the tension leave his shoulders and asked, “Then what do you plan to do about the donation in the end?”

“I think it would be best to put it into the defense donation fund after all. As you already heard, it is not as though there is no other way to secure money... And more than anything, I think it will earn more in image than the money spent.”

“Image...”

“The presidential election bothers me. Do you have any objections?”

“No. I only wanted to confirm it.”

“Confirm?”

“Yes. If you had that kind of money, I believed it would be better for you to keep it rather than release it all at once... Now that I know the use is what it is and that there is a reason, there is nothing more for me to worry about. The results have all been fine so far, so it would be ridiculous for me to interfere with your methods now.”

Jin-seok corrected his posture.

“Then I will be going.”

“Wait, let me ask one thing.”

Jin-seok stopped just before saluting, and Gyeoul asked, “Are you sleeping well lately?”

He asked because he remembered Jin-seok once confessing that he was fighting harder because he was enduring nightmares. Jin-seok nodded with a relaxed expression.

“It became comfortable once I gave up.”

It was not hard to guess what he had given up on. Gyeoul added, “Go say hello to Lieutenant Lee Yura. Tell her you are glad she came back safely. She will be upset if you act like you do not know her.”

“Is that an order?”

“It is a request.”

“...I will try.”

Gyeoul returned Jin-seok’s salute.

========== Author’s Note ==========

#Notice of Revisions, November 30, 2017, 12:53 PM

Mistakes in the main chapter where Lee Yura and Park Jin-seok’s ranks were written as ensign have been corrected.

#Confess And Find The Light

In the comments last chapter, CurryRice pointed this out.

@Huh? Why is McGuire speaking politely to Gyeoul? They are both Majors, and McGuire’s promotion date should be earlier than Gyeoul’s... Even when Gyeoul was promoted to Major, when he first met Colonel Rogers, did McGuire not speak casually to him??

Yes, that is right. I made a mistake.

Please forgive me. As an apology, I will die after completing the story.

If you look at the serialized chapter again, it should be corrected.

#Q&A

Q. UnlimitedOne: @By the time it is Gyeoul, is every single word he says basically political rhetoric...? / So he finally went, Team Leader Chadwick. The eagles are doing work...

A. He is in a position where he does need to be careful about every single word. / Yes, the CIA does work too.

Q. FallenPope: @Will the horny chat spammers not appear anymore? I miss them... Matsuming...

A. As I answered last chapter, I expect chats to be used about three more times from now on. There may be a small margin of error. :)

Q. Third_Wing: @Chadwick went too pointlessly. Yang Yongbin had dignity as a nuclear villain....

A. It is not a world setting where Gyeoul solves everything alone...

Q. Guaaaaak: @Does the CIA execute people by canoeing too?

A. No... They just make a small, dignified hole...

Q. Bug: @If Canada is fine, will they not send military support? Is Canada not between Alaska and the U.S. mainland?

A. It was mentioned earlier during Operation Manifest Liberation that Canada sent two divisions. From Canada’s perspective, it is hard to send more forces than that. If they secure safety between Alaska and the U.S. mainland, they are doing their part. There will be one short mention related to this. Britain will be mentioned too.

Q. 14C2A58H2: @So it is like how in medieval movies, the title should normally just be unified as sir, but subtitles deliberately add the rank. / When watching American shows or movies, I wondered where the rank was attached when the line was just sir, and it was for this reason... / Well, with subtitles, when it comes to names too, sometimes Kim So-and-so has a nickname like Dog Poop, and if people easily recognize him as Dog Poop, the subtitles say Dog Poop, or even though they called him by his family name, the subtitles use his personal name. So it is a kind of interpretive convenience. / (The rest omitted)

A. That is right. It would be nice to write all dialogue in English, but I do not have the ability, and you readers also... uh, or maybe not. Am I the only one who does not...

Q. SGStormrage: @Um... But back when they were preparing Operation Fair Strike or whatever in San Francisco, did Gyeoul not receive a message personally sent by a general and say he would donate all of the gifts?? Do the items that came after that not count??? Even so, the donation amount is no joke, so I think there would be a lot of tax deductions...

A. I think the main chapter answered this. At the time, he said something to the effect that the defense donation fund seemed good, but he had not firmly decided.

Q. Calpis: @The Adventure of Innocent Siesta is not cruel at all! Prince Crochen appears! Long live Skarlochen!

A. Long live Tungurochen!

Q. qgegegqe: @Of the three chats left, the ones I look forward to most are Matsuming, the Russian guy, and KILL... Yura must be happy now that she is back.

A. Will KILL really become happy? Heuheuh, heuheuh, heuheuheuh.

Q. LunarKarma: @Is an advertisement a tool for amputating infected parts?

A. Yes. It came up once before.

Q. Nyar: @Thanks for the chapter. I feel good because you gave us the good news that the author is scheduled to die. The undead do not need rest. I hear black magic has advanced a lot these days, so preserving intelligence and maintaining writing ability are easy. :^)

A. Am I unable to rest even after death...

Q. kj2060: @There is a similar movie called Good Kill... I felt a lot watching the protagonist shoot on his own and then look relieved...

A. I have not seen that movie. I will look it up sometime when I have free time. :)

Q. app2225: @It would have been nice if something like a pizza ad was attached after the execution video. lol

A. Oh... I can smell childlike innocence from this comment...

Footnotes:

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